Posts Tagged ‘Mental Health’

So, winter’s nearly here and many are fighting off that first seasonal cold and some are dreading the flu.  I have many friends that get it every year, sometimes more than once and some are constantly battling sicknesses throughout the autumn and winter seasons.   With my friends in mind and for those looking for a more natural way to boost your immune system without getting vaccines,  I’ve collected a few lists from reputable sites sharing foods that are known “Immunity Boosters”.  Remember to always eat the best foods possible, organic farmed produce, wild fishes and like, grass-fed beef, bison, free-range chickens and eggs and cook the food as little as possible.

This first list is from Mercola.com.  It contains a few items that are a bit more difficult to find in some areas but try your best for they are by far the most effective.  You can read the full article with complete explanations here: Top 12 Foods for Healthy Immune Response

1. Unpasteurized Grass-Fed Organic Milk; or Whey Protein as an Alternative

2. Fermented foods such as kefir, natto, kimchee, miso, tempeh, pickles, sauerkraut, yogurt (watch for sugar), and olives.

3. Raw Organic Eggs from Free-Range Chickens

4. Grass-Fed Beef or Organ Meats

5. Coconuts and Coconut Oil

6. Locally Grown Organic Vegetables Appropriate for Your Nutritional Type the amount and type of vegetables you should eat daily will depend on your nutritional type.

7. Blueberries and Raspberries

8. Mushrooms

9. Chlorella [Chlorella water..Yum!  Seriously, I enjoy it a lot]

10. Propolis

11. Teas [Green and Tulsi]

12. Herbs and Spices [click here for the list]

The 15 best foods for your Immune System from AlterNet.Org. This list may be a bit more practical for most.  I myself find that my daily diet incorporates items from both lists.  Again, follow the link for the full article and explanations. 

1. Oysters; Yep.  Oysters produce cytokines, a protein that’s known to ward off illnesses.

2. Yogurt

3. Green Tea

4. Oranges

5. Crab; Like oysters, crab meat is rich in selenium, a nutrient that strengthens your immune system.

6. Garlic

7. Carrots

8. Spinach

9. Sweet Potatoes

10. Mushrooms

11. Salmon

12. Kiwi

13. Bell Peppers

14. Broccoli

15. Oats & Barley

Maximizing the peace in your life and relationships is an area not many people take very seriously in their overall wellness. Usually because they do not realize how much of an impact is has on our physical health. True wellness focuses on body, mind and spirit, the total package of your life.

In our society today, the greater majority is overworked, overstressed, overwhelmed, over-stimulated and overfed. Come on, this is America after all…we want more, we want it bigger and better and we want it NOW. We, as a whole, are also undisciplined, under-motivated and unable to move forward in areas of our lives that are not ‘easy’ or are areas of our lives that require long term attention. How many family members or friends of yours are on antidepressants? How many children? Use of antidepressants has become a true epidemic in America.

Without peace of mind and strong relationships, neither life nor health can be maintained at optimum levels. Numerous studies have proven that poor relationships cause stress and we are constantly reminded that stress leads to poor health. It’s been shown that people with more negative aspects in their close relationships had an increase in the risk of heart problems and poor blood pressure. Those with poor relationships are also much more likely to suffer from depression, anxiety and other mood disorders due to inflammation which can damage our brain cells (even after taking weight, social support and other factors into consideration). [Many of these studies can be found on WebMD and ScienceMag.org.] How is this happening? Any time you think a thought or say a word, little messengers called neuropeptides, travel all through your bodies, touching every cell and depositing a bit of that chemical in it. If your thoughts are negative in any way, then the chemicals that these messengers deposit depress your immune system. If your thoughts are loving, optimistic, and positive, then the different chemicals that these messengers—or neuropeptides—deposit will enhance your immune system. [To learn more about neuropeptides and how they effect your body pick up a copy of "Everything You Need to Know to Feel Go(o)d"
by Dr. Candace Pert.]

Moment by moment, we’re consciously or unconsciously choosing healthy thoughts or unhealthy thoughts. These thoughts affect our bodies. One thought by itself doesn’t have much influence over us. However, we all think more than 60,000 thoughts a day, and the effect on our thoughts is cumulative. Poisonous thoughts poison our bodies. [So you can see how important it is to have people in your life that have a positive effect on you.] Science is now confirming that we can’t allow ourselves to indulge in negative thinking. It’s making us sick and it’s killing us.

Personal note:

I, like many, went through many years of troubled relationships and as a result suffered small, annoying health problems and bouts of depression and anxiety attacks. In 2004 I was introduced to the works of Dr. Wayne Dyer through the book, “The Power of Intention“.  I found the views and perspectives of Dr. Dyer so refreshing and it taught me to start thinking in a different way.  I started trying to implement some of his teachings into my lifestyle. On one hand it was easy and on the other, rather difficult.  When I was focused on bettering my relationships and life I noted numerous changes in my overall mood, quality of life and outlook, but I had to stay focused on such changes and I would always fall back into my old habits after awhile. Being a fan of Dr. Dyer, I began reading each new book Dr. Dyer published and in doing so, stumbled upon Louise L. Hay and the book “You Can Heal Your Life: Gift Edition“.  I can not say enough about this book. I read it [or listen to the audio book] quite often.  It helps me learn to deal with and release so many negative aspects in my life and relationships. By letting go of so much, I began realizing what my life could be and a whole new world opened before me. I started branching out my reading even more and found many wonderful authors; some effective and beneficial, some not so much. It all depends on you, your state of mind and where you are in your life at the time of your readings. I found that though I have interest in reading new authors and evaluating their ideas, I relate to Dr. Dyer and Louise Hay best. This year I read Dr. Wayne Dyer’s book “Excuses Begone!” I have never slept better [and I often suffered from bouts of serious insomnia]. This too will be a book I turn to on a regular basis. I’m always wishing for friends and family members to read Louise L. Hay. In one year I gave away 5 of the books “You Can Heal Your Life”. Now I wish to add Dr. Dyer’s new book “Excuses Begone!” to my constant recommendation list. There are many different ways people find to release the negative aspects in their lives, bad habits, poor relationships, terrible work environments. For me I found it simply in making major life changes, meeting my amazing spouse and reading the works of authors with positive messages. Friends I know find solace in going to church regularly, attending meetings with groups that share similar life ideals, staying active as volunteers-the options are endless and are personal for each person. I hope that if you find a way to improve or remove any negative relationships in your life…it’s not always easy-but the peace and joy it will bring to your life will be more than worth it.

Additional reading online:

MedicineNet.com
HealthMatrix.net
Code For Living Life
Prevention.com
The Secret by author Rhonda Byrne

My Book Reading List:

Deborah McIncrow
Women’s Health & Wellness Coach

The Wonders of Weight Loss

Losing weight and feeling healthier can be a constant challenge in your life. There are certain steps that you can put into action that will continue to promote your forward motion and successful endeavors on your lifelong journey toward healthier and lighter living. They are not out of your range and you have to believe in yourself and persevere toward their endowment and bequest. For it is only when you strive for continued involvement in these essential elements that you begin to see the results that you are longing for.

Let’s take a look at five essential elements that promote success, and provide a pathway lined with achievement. Let’s see how many of the elements find their way into your daily line up:

Healthy Food Selection: Fueling your body with a gracious amount of fruits and vegetables and other powerful choices is the responsibility of you. You must limit unwise food choices and establish new, more beneficial ways of fueling your temple.

Portion Control: Being aware of your need for energy is priceless in your ability to fuel your body with the correct amount of food. Listen to yourself. Pay attention to your mind, body and soul when it gives you signals to stop eating.

Exercise: You have to move; you must get physical to fully reap the potential that your body has to offer. Each element of this lifestyle is a building block for the next. If one area is lacking, all progress suffers. Get moving and start reaping the payoffs.

Journaling: the power of the almighty pen to paper is truly amazing. It allows you the gift of reflection, it gives you the power to monitor and adjust. Not to mention it provides you with the presence of self to be accountable to you, granting you the awareness of your actions.

Hydration: Water does a body good. Water maintains hydration, creates efficiency and provides energy for movement. Not to mention it wards off false hunger and creates the opportunity for greater rewards in the weight loss department.

These essential elements have been around the block for many, many years now and they continue to surface with every Tom, Dick or Deborah’s words of advice. They are the proven building blocks of how to live a lifestyle that promotes good health, living a healthy weight and overall greater wellness. Nothing worth it’s weight in gold comes with the snap of your fingertips; everything worth working toward takes diligence and perseverance.

Creating habits that promote your healthy, lighter ways of living provide you with a foundation in which to continually practice your chosen way of life and remind you on a regular basis what it takes to be successful on your weight loss journey. Each and every day you step out of bed you must make the conscious decision to take the steps to improve your lifestyle. No one can do this for you, it is your granted right to follow through, create a change in your chosen pathway and you will, there is no doubt in my mind, reap all the fantastic benefits of living a healthier, lighter way of life. Be willing to create the change and in turn you will alter your future for the rest of your life. Below you will find a wonderful array of tactics and everyday activities that you can involve yourself in that foster greater well-being and weight loss.

Eat breakfast. It is a well known fact in the weight loss department that women who feed their bodies when they rise are more successful at losing and keeping weight from returning.

Eat multiple times throughout your day. Feed your body small, healthy choices before it even realizes it is hungry. Avoid being starving at all costs.

Engage a workout buddy. Having a friend to travel with enhances your journey and keeps you motivated when you feel like throwing in the towel. Having a support system is wonderful.

Do not bring any item into your home that has a tendency, more often than not, to sabotage your weight loss goals. Go out and purchase it if you need, but leave it at the door.

Do not banish any food or drink items from your life. This approach is unrealistic and cannot be maintained for any duration of time. It sets you up for failure every single solitary time.

Have a plan. If you do not adequately prepare for success it will not arrive on your doorstep. Make a list, create a calendar and be sure to schedule yourself in. Plan to be a winner.

As you strive to follow the elements of success and create a new pattern of beneficial habits that enhance your possibilities in the weight loss department, it is important to remember to be kind to yourself along your journey. Taking the time to be pleased with your actions, capturing your feelings of pride in yourself and being able to step back and reward yourself for fulfilling your goals is such an important task to complete. We need to observe our own successful accomplishments and take the valuable opportunity to acknowledge our greatness in our own lives. You know what they say, everyone loves compliments and everybody adores to be commended for a job well done; this includes you too. Unfortunately more often than not we are so enthralled with praising others and mentioning their wonderful accomplishments that we forget our very own good doings and triumphs. Taking the time to reflect on your successes breeds continued further success down the road. Not to mention appreciating your achievements builds your self esteem and gives you the motivation to continue taking steps toward your goals.

There are a number of steps you can initiate when stopping to soak up the admirable accomplishments of little old you:

Self Gratitude Journal: purchase a small notepad, one that will fit into your pocketbook. Each time you do something that is a step in the direction of your goals, quickly pull out your notepad and jot it down. It can be just about anything that makes you feel good about whom you are, steps you take and the way in which you conduct yourself, your thoughts and your actions.

Review: choose a designated day of the week when you will review your Self Gratitude Journal and reread all the wonderful steps you are taking and the super ways in which you are doing the best you can to support your hopes and dreams. Please feel free to go through your Self Gratitude Journal at any time to support your visions for you and your life.

Treat Yourself: rewarding yourself in whatever manner you see fit is essential to your continued enthusiasm and eagerness as you carry on taking steps toward a healthier lifestyle. Positive reinforcement isn’t just for children and when we take the time to acknowledge ourselves for all that we do, amazing things can happen.

Filling yourself up with positive vibes and optimistic oomph will enhance your journey and keep you traveling down your pathway at a steady pace. Treat yourself admirably and bring your patience along for the ride. Being consistent on your journey toward a healthier way of living is a wonderful attribute to strive toward while seeking your greatest life. So make yourself proud today and do the right things at the right time and relish in your strength to control your destiny. Believe in yourself and create the wonders of your life.

Message from Deborah:

Nothing brings me greater pleasure in life than to assist women on their journey toward better health, enhanced fitness and molding a lifestyle to one that meets their expectations.  Coaching Lovely Ladies is a enormous passion of mine and I am completely honored to be able to assist each and every Lovely Lady on their travels of a happy, organized, active, balanced lifestyle.  I coach real women who are willing to take real action and reap real results.  Visit my website today and let me help you work toward your wellness goals.

Deborah
Women’s Health and Fitness Coach

www.personalweightlosscoach.com
debby@personalweightlosscoach.com
607.435.3990

If you haven’t had a look around yet, I am a big fan of many of the authors from Hay House, Inc. There is a retreat coming soon with many of them that I wish to see in person and possibly meet. It will be a fantastic weekend, and wow-they did a great job in creating reasonably priced packages for everyone. Here’s the scoop:

I Can Do It! Tampa 2009
The Mind, Body, Soul Retreat
November 19 – 22, 2009
Hurry! Preferred seating has sold out and general seating is going fast!

The I Can Do It! Conference gives you the opportunity to relax and enjoy a forum where each speaker offers the opportunity for spiritual and body enlightenment. There are a variety of conference packages available for every budget including Full Conference and Special One-Day Only packages. Experience I Can Do It! for a day or the weekend and attend lectures from over 35 of your favorite authors. From health, nutrition, and wellness to psychics and dream interpretation, this event will energize your mind, body and spirit. Plus, save 50% on a Pre-Conference Workshop with the purchase of a Full Conference Pass! Register Now >>

Despite the fact that most of us know that regular exercise is good for us, the greater majority of American’s don’t do it on a regular basis, or at all.  Our general excuses are what?  “I hate it,” “It hurts,” “I’m injured,” “It’s boring,” or “I don’t have the money.”  The biggest excuse of all is “I don’t have the time.”

A quick review from the post “The Fundamentals of Changing Your Health”; there are 4 basic fundamentals to experiencing true health and wellness.  To refresh your memory they were 1, to minimize the use of drugs, other toxins in our life and surgery-which we spoke about in the post “Stop Poisoning Yourself!”; 2, to eat as best we can to ensure ourselves quality nutrition; found in last week’s post “Stop Focusing on Weigh Loss” 3, this weeks’ topic: to maximize oxygen and lean muscle through regular exercise; 4, to live a life of peace with positive and strong relationships; and my 5th, maximize nerve supply through chiropractic maintenance.  Remember, each of these fundamentals is important and they all work optimally together.

“The most important element you need to survive is oxygen.  If a cell’s environment contains lowered levels of oxygen, it will accumulate toxins, develop disease, and eventually cause early cell death.” (Maximized Living)  Your body needs proper amounts of oxygen in every cell to keep them happy and functioning properly and the simplest way of doing this is to just get up and move.  In other words, exercise, and remember, exercise produces muscle.  The more muscle you have and the less fat you have, the healthier you are.

Here are a few examples of what exercise does for you:

1. Exercise improves your mood.
2. Increases stress tolerance
3. Exercise combats chronic diseases such as heart disease, osteoporosis. It can help you prevent — or manage — high blood pressure.
4. Regular physical activity boosts high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or “good,” cholesterol while decreasing triglycerides which together, keep blood flowing smoothly by lowering the buildup of plaques in your arteries.
5. Regular physical activity can help you prevent type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer.
6. Exercise helps you manage your weight by speeding up your metabolism. [This one's a no-brainer.]
7. It improves learning
8. Regular exercise slows and even reverses effects of aging
9. It raises energy levels
10. It can put the spark back into your sex life [Always a bonus]
11. It enhances and balances hormone production
12. Regular exercise aides in sleep
13. It eliminates toxins
14. Regular exercise also decreases the risk of injury to the muscles, joints and spine.

So, I say, enough with the excuses!
[You should read Excuses Begone! By Dr. Wayne Dyer.
Click here for more information.]

Read more on what surge training is here.

An example of a surge training program can be found here.

Here are a few additional websites to review for more interesting looks on exercise and finding something right for you.

Prevention Magazine [excellent site]

CBS News exercise personality quiz [found this interesting]

Beachbody.com [great site for support, programs and intense workouts]

Become Healthy Now [articles on types of exercises and their benefits]

I find that many people in the world around me tend to focus on only one area to improve their health and claim they are “healthy”…most commonly it’s nutrition.  The second most common is by doing some form of regular exercise but not changing many of their eating or lifestyle habits.  How many of you fit into one of these two categories?  Now, how many of you are taking prescription drugs or still smoke?  Yes it is important to eat well, but if you ignore the other fundamentals your body will not assimilate the good food that you have eaten.  It’s nice to be in great physical shape and have a good looking body, if the other fundamentals are ignored…as it has been said…you’ll look good in your coffin but can still suffer from many ailments that affect most couch potatoes.

If you wish for your body to function and heal normally, if you wish to lead a long, joyful, fulfilling life, follow these fundamentals.  The fundamentals were introduced and explained to me simply and thoroughly in the book “Maximized Living Makeover” by doctors Ben Lerner, Greg Loman, and Charles Majors, and are referred to as “The 5 Essentials”.  Each of these fundamentals is necessary to live the full, healthy life that you were intended to live.  You need to practice these fundamentals if nothing else to improve your health by keeping the cells in your body in top shape and replicating normally for optimal body function.

So, What are the basic Fundamentals?

#1 Minimize the use of drugs, other toxins and surgery… Toxins and chemicals found, for example, in medications and refined foods affect hormone balance and glandular function.  We all know that you die or get really sick from being poisoned. This includes exposure to chemicals and carcinogens found in medications, foods, unhealthy environments, and household cleaning products.

#2 Maximize quality nutrition… Diets high in carbohydrates leave a constant level of insulin in the system, which lowers serotonin levels and causes inflammation. Imbalances in omega-3 and omega-6 ratios have been found to be the first factor to address regarding depression, according to professors at Harvard and Oxford universities.  If your pH balance is off it can lead to inflammation.  Stimulants such a sugars, artificial additives negatively affect brain function.  Nutrient deficiency can be solved by the right foods, foods robust in soluble fiber, and supplements.

#3 Maximize oxygen and lean muscle… Inactivity and lack of “intentional” exercise has many damaging effects on body function and mental health.  Staying active, getting at least 30 mins of “intentional” exercise a day will greatly improve fat to muscle ratios.  Movement creates the necessary intake of oxygen. The movement is what transports the oxygen-rich blood through your body, and you become more efficient at the circulation, absorption, and storage of this oxygen. When this happens, your cells have the oxygen they need to survive and live in health. With a sedentary lifestyle, you’re literally choking yourself to death. Fat-to-muscle ratio imbalance: How much fat you have in comparison to lean muscle will be a determining factor in organ function and the development of many diseases and disorders.

#4 Maximize peace and strong relationships… Increase in stress hormones creates everything from obesity and high blood pressure to high cholesterol, decreased libido, and aging. Peace is a vital health and longevity necessity in addition to making sure you’re not miserable.

*A 5^th Fundamental  and number two of the “Essentials” that I practice is ….Maximize nerve supply.  Not everyone agrees with Chiropractry but I do.  The central nervous system is your brain and spinal cord. This system is the central computer and master control system of the entire body. If there is disturbance or interference with CNS function, everything breaks down. Emotional stress is one factor that affects, or interferes with, your CNS function. Also, misalignment of the spinal column directly affects and even damages long-term nervous system function.

This is a topic that will return to this site often.  We’ll soon discuss how to put these fundamentals to work on a daily basis.  This is not a “fad”.  This is your life.  In the meantime you can read more at www.maximizedlivinghealthsite.com

Don’t Miss It: September 26, 2009 Thrive A Carry Out Cafe  10:30am ~ 11:30am; Whitemarsh Island, Savannah GA.
Thrive A Carry Out Cafe and Debbie McIncrow are teaming up at the Cafe for an enchanting hour of woman strength, health and well-being. During our time together we will discuss eating healthy, …living lighter and finding further peace and balance in your life.

Keep up with Thrive events on Facebook.