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Health 2

Your Kidney Function Really Matters: A Lighter Look at What You Need to Know to Prevent Adverse Drug Events

When you (or loved ones) are taking prescription or over the counter medications…there is a lot you should be worried about, and a lot that your pharmacist may not be telling you.
Most people are aware, for example, that several medications taken together can sometimes cause harmful interactions. Most also know that drug allergies can pose significant hazards. (These are topics of other articles in this series). And, many people know that young children, elderly adults, pregnant women, nursing women, and severely debilitated people may all be at higher risk for adverse drug events.
But what most people don’t know is that a simple blood test can be one of the most important pieces of information in determining the correct dose of many medications…and the results of that test are almost never available to your pharmacist, especially if your pharmacist fills your prescription in a retail drugstore. (And, that’s a bummer.)
The test I’m talking about, of course, is the ‘serum creatinine test’ (‘SEAR-’em cree-AT-tuh-neen tehst’. It’s a difficult name to pronounce and a difficult test to understand…but one that you NEED to know about if you or loved ones are taking over-the-counter or prescription medications.)
A serum creatinine test gives a physician or pharmacist an estimate of kidney function.
Serum creatinine is the ‘bean counter’ of modern medicine… letting folks know if the beans (the kidneys) are working as well as they should.
Why is that important?
Well, kidney function is extremely important in determining the correct doses of many medications since the kidneys (along with the liver) assist in the removal of medications from the body.
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As a result, patients with reduced kidney function often need LOWER doses of many medications.
So how does this all work?
Well, creatinine is a chemical that occurs and circulates naturally in the human body. It is the result of normal protein break-down. And, like many medications, creatinine is normally removed from the blood by the beans. So, when the kidneys are not working well, the level of creatinine circulating in the bloodstream will start to go up…just like the blood level of many medications.
Physicians and pharmacists are routinely and easily able to determine how much creatinine is in the blood with the results of a serum creatinine test. (This test is part of a very common panel of blood tests. And, if the serum creatinine is high, many drugs need to have a lower dose.) The normal value for serum creatinine is about 0.4 to 1.5 mg/dl…but that can vary a bit from lab to lab.
So remember: ‘kidneys no work…serum creatinine go UP’.
Now, serum creatinine is not the best measure of kidney function (there are other tests that are much more accurate), but results of the serum creatinine test are usually the most readily available…and cheapest…and are generally accurate enough for most purposes…so serum creatinine is the de facto standard for estimating kidney function…most of the time.
The gold standard test that doctors use for measuring kidney function is called ‘creatinine clearance’ (cree-AT-tuh-neeeen CLEAR-uhhh-nce) However, not many patients get this particular test because it is pretty darn inconvenient…and smelly. You have to collect all of your urine for 24 hours and keep it in the fridge. Not a lot of volunteers for this test…
Creatinine clearance is the volume of blood that the kidneys clear of creatinine in a given amount of time (and it is usually reported as milliliters per minute).
So, when kidney function decreases, creatinine clearance (the amount of blood that the kidneys are successfully ‘cleaning’) also decreases.
So remember: ‘kidneys no work…creatinine clearance go DOWN’. (Note: this is easy to remember because it is the exact opposite of what you were initially thinking, and the opposite of what happens with serum creatinine. Most of medicine is like this.)
Now for the super tricky part just for those gunning for an A. There is a way to ‘guestimate’ creatinine clearance using serum creatinine…isn’t that neat. And, that’s probably the best way to determine renal function if a measured creatinine clearance is not available.
What you do is run the serum creatinine value through a fancy equation that will give you an estimated creatinine clearance, which is itself an estimate of kidney function. (Estimates of estimates of estimates…that’s the kind of exacting science I live for.)
For adults, that equation is the famous ‘Cockcroft-Gault equation corrected for ideal body weight and gender’…the equation everyone loves to hate. The Cockcroft-Gault equation (presumably named after Drs. Cockcroft and Gault…or maybe just Dr. Cockroft-Gault, or maybe Lara Croft), is generally considered very reliable since it has never been well validated in young patients, old patients, thin patients, fat patients…basically all the patients it gets used on. So go figure. Double bonus points if you can remember this:

For men, creatinine clearance =
((140- Age) ‘ IBW) / (72 ‘ SCr)

For women, creatinine clearance =
((140- Age) ‘ IBW ‘ 0.85) / (72 ‘ SCr)

Where Age is in years, IBW is ideal body weight in kilograms, and SCr is serum creatinine in mg/dl.
(For the algebraically-challenged and for anyone wanting help in calculating the results of these complicated equations, please visit this creatinine clearance calculator: http://www.medicationadvisor.com/creatinine/creatinine.asp)
Now once you run this a few times, you’ll find that creatinine clearance for young healthy people is about 100 ml/min (we’ll just leave off the ‘ml/min’ part from now on).
And, dead people have a creatinine clearance of about 0, depending on how healthy they are.
Everyone else falls somewhere in between.
(Now someone in the back of the room is saying, ‘I just ran this on myself and I have a creatinine clearance of 150’. Well aren’t you special? In fact, young good-looking people can have creatinine clearances of 130, 140, or more…but it doesn’t do a whole lot of good since 100 is perfectly acceptable. In fact, it’s just another case of overachiever overkill.)
Now, if someone has a creatinine clearance of 80, that means that they have about…80% kidney function.
And, if someone has a creatinine clearance of 50, that means that they have about…50% kidney function. (Are you following all of this?)
Many drugs that are eliminated by the kidney will require moderate dosage reductions once a patient’s renal function is in the 40-60 range.
Patients in the 20-40 range will typically require very large reductions in dose.
And, patients who are in the ‘less than 20’ range will often need HUGE dosage reductions for medications eliminated by the kidney (or better yet, they’ll need to take medications that are removed by some other organ altogether…if such an alternative is available).
One last tidbit to consider. Renal function declines as people age. No getting around that. But, the rate of decline is different for different people. By the time you’re 50 years old, there is a reasonable chance you’ll have moderate renal function (or worse)…by the time you’re 80, you’ll almost certainly have some important degree of renal impairment… and you probably won’t even know it or feel it.
Now that you know more renal physiology than you ever, EVER wanted to know…let’s get back to the main thread of this article…medication safety.
If you (or a loved one) are at risk for having decreased kidney function (and I’ll tell you who such folks are in just a second), you need to step up to the plate and get a handle on this issue (because there is a very good chance that your physician and pharmacist either didn’t have renal function data or didn’t consider it when coming up with a dosage for you).
Here are the steps I recommend for everyone taking prescription or over-the-counter medications:
1) For everyone: If you have access to the results of a recent serum creatinine test (it is probably part of your annual physical and you may have gotten a copy), memorize it or write it down and then say to your physician or pharmacist when you get a medication, ‘Say, I think my serum creatinine is about X. So, does this medication need any dosage adjustment in order to be safe for me?
2) If you are in one of the following categories, you should expect your physician and pharmacist to have considered your renal function before dosing a medication:

known kidney disease;
age greater than 50;
history or heart attack, angina, stroke, or other artery blockages;
history of diabetes (any type);
history of high blood pressure;
prior exposure to chemotherapy drugs;
prior prolonged exposure to IV antibiotics;
frequent use of pain medications (especially non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, but others as well).

So you might say to your physician or pharmacist, ‘Is this drug removed by the kidney, because I have condition X that could decrease kidney function and I just want to be safe.’ If the drug is removed by the kidney, you might also ask the physician or pharmacist to tell you what your serum creatinine is…and if he or she does not have this information, a big red flag should be going up in your head.
3) If you are not in one of the categories in question 2 and you don’t have a serum creatinine available, don’t worry. You’re probably safe. But you may want to ask your physician if there is a serum creatinine in your chart and if so, what it is.
4) If you are on dialysis of any sort, serum creatinine is not all that useful for dosing medications. Just make sure your physician and pharmacist are aware that you are on dialysis and perhaps ask, ‘Now is this the usual dose for someone on dialysis?’
These are some of the steps I hope you will consider the next time you get a prescription or over-the-counter medication so you can be sure that that you (or your loved one) are getting the right dose.
© 2004 Timothy McNamara, MD, MPH
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Health 2

Your Body is a Map of Your Consciousness

Your Body Is A Map of Your Consciousness – by Martin Brofman, PhD.
Everything begins with your consciousness. Everything that happens in your life, and everything that happens in your body, begins with something happening in your consciousness.
Your consciousness is who you are, your experience of Being.
You decide what ideas to accept and which to reject. You decide what to think, and you decide what to feel. When these decisions leave you with residual stress, you experience the stress as if in your physical body. We know that stress creates symptoms. The interesting question is, “Which stress creates which symptoms?” When we are able to quantify this process, we are then able to see the body as a map of the person’s consciousness, relating particular symptoms to particular stresses and particular ways of being, in the same way that Type “A” Behavior has been able to be associated with heart disease.
Everything Starts In Your Consciousness
To understand this map, we must first orient ourselves to the idea that the causes of symptoms are within. While it’s true that germs cause disease and accidents cause injuries, it is also true that this happens in accord with what is happening in the consciousness of the person involved.
Germs are everywhere. Why are some people affected and not others? Something different is happening in their consciousness.
Why do some patients in hospitals respond better to treatment than others? They have different attitudes. Something different is happening in their consciousness When someone is injured in an “accident,” why is it that a very specific part of the body is affected, and that it is the same part that has had habitual problems? Is that an “accident,” or is there a pattern and an order to the way things happen in our bodies?
Click here for more information on The Best 8 Quiet Blenders of 2022 With 14 Delicious Recipes. Or click here if you’re looking for information on 23 Best Heavy Duty Degreasers for your HomeYour consciousness, your experience of Being, who you really are, is energy. We can call it “Life Energy” for now. This energy does not just live in your brain; it fills your entire body. Your consciousness is connected to every cell in your body. Through your consciousness, you can communicate with every organ and every tissue, and a number of therapies are based on this communication with the organs which have been affected by some kind of symptom or disorder.
This energy which is your consciousness, and which reflects your state of consciousness, can be measured through the process known as Kirlian photography. When you take a Kirlian photograph of your hand, it shows a certain pattern of energy. If you take a second photograph while imagining that you are sending love and energy to someone you know, there will be a different pattern of energy shown on the Kirlian photograph. Thus, we can see that a change in your consciousness creates a change in the energy field that is being photographed, which we call the aura.
This energy field shown in the Kirlian photographs has been quantified, so that when there are “holes” in particular parts of the energy field, these are said to correspond to particular weaknesses in specific parts of the physical body. The interesting thing about this is that the weakness shows up in the energy field before there is ever any evidence of it on the physical level.
Thus, we have an interesting direction of manifestation shown through what we have described.
1. A change of consciousness creates a change in the energy field.
2. A change in the energy field happens before a change in the physical body.
The direction of manifestation is from the consciousness, through the energy field, to the physical body.
Consciousness——1——►Energy Field——2——►Physical Body
When we look at things in this way, we see that it is not the physical body creating the energy field, the aura, but rather the aura or energy field that is creating the physical body. What we see as the physical body is the end result of a process that begins with the consciousness.
We Each Create Our Reality
When someone makes a decision that leaves them with stress, creating a blockage in the energy field with a sufficient degree of intensity, this creates a symptom on the physical level. The symptom speaks a certain language, which reflects the idea that we each create our own reality. When the symptom is described from that point of view, the metaphoric significance of the symptom becomes clear. Thus, instead of saying, “I can’t see,” the person would have to say, “I have been keeping myself from seeing something.” If they cannot walk, they would have to say, “I have been keeping myself from walking away from something.” And so on. We must understand that there are no accidents and no coincidences. Things do happen according to a pattern and order.
The Human Directional System
We can say that we have an inner guidance system, a connection to our Higher Self, or our Inner Being, or whatever name we choose to give this Higher Intelligence. This inner guidance system functions through what we call our intuition, or our instinct. It speaks a very simple language. Either it feels good, or it doesn’t. All the rest is just politics.
We are told we should move with what feels good, and do not do what doesn’t feel good to us. We are told to trust this inner voice. When we don’t follow this inner voice we feel tension. We feel not-good.
Then, the voice must get louder. The next level of communication is through the emotions. As we move more and more in the direction that feels not-good, we experience more and more emotions that feel not-good, and at some point we can say, “I should have listened to myself when I thought to move in the other direction.” That meant that we heard the inner voice. Otherwise, we could not have said, “I should have listened.” If we make the decision we know is the right one for us, and therefore change direction, there is a release of tension, we feel better, and we know we are again on the right track.
If we continue to move in the direction that feels not-good, the communication reaches the physical level. We create a symptom, and the symptom speaks a language which reflects the idea that we each create our own reality. When we describe the symptom from that point of view, we can understand the message.
If we change our way of being, we have received the message, and the symptom has no further reason for being. It is able to be released, according to whatever we allow ourselves to believe is possible.
If we created the symptom with a decision, we are also able to release it with a decision.
As an hypothesis, we can imagine that someone makes a decision that it is not a good idea to express what they want. From that moment, whenever there is something they want, they keep themselves from expressing it, and therefore from having what they want. That feels not-good. The tension grows. They feel more and more not-good as they keep themselves from expressing what they want and not having it.
Eventually, something happens to create a symptom on the physical level, and their right arm is affected. It could have happened through falling from a ladder, or in an automobile accident, or by pinching a nerve in the neck, or by “sleeping in a draft.”
Something had to happen on the physical level to create the symptom, in order to give the person the message on the physical level about what they had been doing to themselves. We do to ourselves literally what we have been doing to ourselves figuratively.
The effect is that the person cannot move their arm. They are keeping themselves from reaching for something, and since it is the right arm, on the “will” side of the body, they are keeping themselves from reaching for or going for what they want. They have been giving themselves reasons to not believe that they could have what they want. When they begin to do something different in their consciousness, they notice that something different begins to happen with their arm, and the symptom is able to be released.
Chakras And The Map
To understand the map of the consciousness that the body represents, we can turn to some ancient Hindu traditions which have been studying consciousness for thousands of years, and which use the language of the chakras.
Chakra is a Sanskrit word, and it means “wheel,” or “vortex,” because that’s what it looks like when we look at it. Each chakra is like a solid ball of energy interpenetrating the physical body, in the same way that a magnetic field can interpenetrate the physical body.
The chakras are not physical. They are aspects of consciousness in the same way that the auras are aspects of consciousness The chakras are more dense than the auras, but not as dense as the physical body, but they interact with the physical body through two major vehicles, the endocrine system and the nervous system. Each of the seven chakras is associated with one of the seven endocrine glands, and also with a particular group of nerves called a plexus. Thus, each chakra can be associated with particular parts of the body and particular functions within the body controlled by that plexus or that endocrine gland associated with that chakra.
Your consciousness, your experience of being, represents everything it is possible for you to experience. All of your senses, all of your perceptions, all of your possible states of awareness, can be divided into seven categories, and each of these categories can be associated with a particular chakra. Thus, the chakras represent not only particular parts of your physical body, but also particular parts of your consciousness. When you feel tension in your consciousness, you feel it in the chakra associated with the part of your consciousness experiencing the stress, and in the parts of the physical body associated with that chakra. Where you feel the stress depends therefore on why you feel the stress. When someone is hurt in a relationship, they feel it in their heart. When someone is nervous, their legs tremble and their bladder becomes weak.
When there is tension in a particular part of your consciousness, and therefore in the chakra associated with that part of your consciousness, the tension is detected by the nerves of the plexus associated with that chakra, and communicated to the parts of the body controlled by that plexus. When the tension continues over a period of time, or reaches a particular degree of intensity, the person creates a symptom on the physical level. Again, the symptom served to communicate to the person through their body what they had been doing to themselves in their consciousness. When the person changes something about their way of being, they are able to release the stress that had been creating the symptom, and they are then able to return to their natural state of balance and health.
Reading The Map
When we are reading the body as a map of the consciousness within, we work with the idea that the tensions in the body represent tensions in the person’s consciousness concerning what was happening in the person’s life at the time that the symptom developed. The person was feeling stress about something that was happening in their life at that time.
We are going to examine the map of consciousness that the chakras provide, in order to understand the language of the symptoms that are associated with each chakra. In order to complete this map, however, we also need to look at ourselves as each a polarity of yin and yang, feminine and masculine characteristics.
For most people, their right side is their yang side, their will side, their acting or active side, and the left side is their yin side, their female side, their feeling or adaptive side. For people who were born left-handed, this polarity is reversed. Thus, for a right-handed person, their right leg can be described as their will leg, or their male leg, or the foundation of their will, but for a left-handed person, their left leg would be their male leg or will leg, and so on. Thus, we can talk about the will arm, or the will eye, or the will nostril, etc., and which side it is on will depend upon whether the person is right-handed or left-handed at birth.
Each of the chakras is energy vibrating at a certain frequency, in a logical and orderly sequence of seven vibrations. As we move up the scale, the elements become more and more subtle, moving through the five physical elements of earth, water, fire, air, and ether, to the spiritual elements of inner sound and inner light. The heaviest element is on the bottom, the lightest on the top. It is a logical and orderly sequence.
The colors of the spectrum also represent a series of seven vibrations in a logical and orderly sequence, as do the notes of the musical scale. Thus, we can put the heaviest vibrations or the longest wavelength on the bottom and the lightest on the top, and a particular color can be used to represent a chakra in its clear state, as can a particular musical note. Music played in a certain key vibrates a particular chakra, and we feel a particular way when we hear that music. Our relationship with a certain color says something about our relationship with the part of our consciousness that the color represents.
The Root Chakra is associated with the parts of our consciousness concerned with security, survival, or trust. For most people, this concerns the parts of their consciousness concerned with money, home, and job. When this chakra is in its clear state, the person is able to feel secure, be present in the here and now, and be grounded. When there is tension in this chakra, it is experienced as insecurity or fear. When there is more tension, it is experienced as a threat to survival.
Parts of the body controlled by the sacral plexus and this chakra include the skeleton system, the legs, and the elimination system. Symptoms in these parts of the body represent, therefore, tensions at the level of the Root Chakra, and we therefore know that the person is seeing the world through a perceptual filter of insecurity or fear. The adrenal glands are also associated with this chakra.
If one leg is affected, we can see whether it is the male leg or the female leg, and thus whether it has something to do with trust in a male or trust in a female. We can also see it as having something to do with trust in the will, or the aspects of trust in the foundations the emotional being, related to what was happening in the person’s life at the time the symptom developed.
The physical sense of smell, and therefore the organ of the sense of smell, the nose, is associated with the Root Chakra. Symptoms at the level of the nose or affecting the sense of smell reflect tensions at the level of the Root Chakra.
Each chakra is associated with an element. The Root Chakra is associated with the element of earth, and reflects something about the person’s association with the earth, or how they feel about being on the earth, which we call Mother Earth. This chakra is also associated with our relationship with our mother. When someone experiences a sense of separation from their mother, or not feeling loved by their mother, they cut off their roots and experience symptoms of tensions at the level of the Root Chakra until they can again open to accept their mother’s love.
When a child comes into the world in the traditional family structure, the mother provides the nourishment and the father provides the direction. Thus, in the child’s relationship with its mother, it makes certain decisions about the way things are. The relationship with the mother thus becomes a model for the person’s relationship with everything that represents security – money, home, and job.
The Root Chakra is associated with the color red.
The Abdominal Chakra is associated with the parts of our consciousness concerned with food and sex – the communication from the body to the person within it, about what the body wants or needs, and what it finds pleasurable. It also is related to what is happening in their consciousness about having children. When this chakra is in its clear state, the person is in touch with this communication, and listening to and responding appropriately to what the body wants and needs.
Parts of the body controlled by the lumbar plexus include the reproductive system and the abdomen, and the lumbar region of the back.
The sense of taste is associated with this chakra, as is the element of water. When someone does not have a clear relationship with water (swimming, for example, or being on a boat), this reflects their attitudes about the parts of their consciousness that this chakra represents.
Tensions on the will side or the emotional side of this chakra indicate tensions in the person’s consciousness as conflicts between either the will or the emotions with what the person’s body is asking for.
This chakra is associated with the sense of taste, and with appetite. It is also involved with the person’s willingness to feel their emotions.
The second chakra is associated with the color orange.
The Solar Plexus Chakra is associated with the parts of our consciousness having to do with perceptions of power, control, or freedom. In its clear state, it represents ease of being, and comfort with what is real for one’s self – being comfortable with who you are.
Parts of the body associated with this chakra include the organs closest to the solar plexus – stomach, gall bladder, spleen, liver, etc. – as well as the skin as a system, the muscular system as a system, and the face in general.
The physical sense associated with this chakra is the sense of sight. Anyone with impaired eyesight experiences tension at the level of their solar plexus chakra about the issues of power, control, or freedom. Nearsighted people also experience tensions at the level of the Root Chakra, and experience the world through a perceptual filter of fear or insecurity. Those who are farsighted experience tension also at the level of the throat chakra, and see the world through a perceptual filter of anger or guilt. Astigmatics see through the emotional perceptual filter of confusion.
The endocrine gland associated with the Solar Plexus Chakra is the pancreas. We can say that diabetics are keeping sweetness from themselves. When someone gets too close with sweetness, they feel threatened in their power to be who they are, and an emotion comes up to create a safe distance again. The emotion is anger. Diabetes is associated with suppressed anger.
The element associated with this chakra is fire, and the person’s relationship with the sun says something about their relationship with the parts of their consciousness associated with the Solar Plexus Chakra.
The color of the Solar Plexus Chakra is yellow.
The Heart Chakra is associated with the parts of the consciousness concerned with relationships and our perceptions of love. The relationships we speak of here are with those people closest to our heart – partners, parents, siblings, children.
The parts of the body associated with this chakra include the heart and lungs, and the blood circulatory system as a system. This chakra is also associated with the thymus gland, which controls the immune system. When this is affected, as with AIDS, the person’s lifestyle separates them from someone they love.
The physical sense associated with this chakra is the sense of touch, in its aspect of relating to the person inside the body. For example, a massage given to someone with no sensitivity to what the person is feeling inside would be an example of the sensation we associate with the Abdominal Chakra, but when the masseur seems to have a sense of what the person inside the body is experiencing, then it includes the aspect of relating we associate with the Heart Chakra. When someone experiences extreme sensitivity about being touched, we would ask what was happening at the level of the Heart Chakra.
This chakra is associated with the element of air. When someone has difficulty with air, with breathing (asthma, emphysema, tuberculosis, etc.), we say that their relationship with air reflects their relationship with love – difficulty letting it in, or letting it out, for example
The color associated with the Heart Chakra is emerald green.
The Throat Chakra is associated with the parts of the consciousness concerned with expressing and receiving. Expressing can be in the form of communicating what one wants and what one feels, or it can be artistic expression, as an artist painting, a dancer dancing, a musician playing music, using a form for expressing and bringing to the outside what was within. Expression is related to receiving, as, “Ask, and ye shall receive.”
The throat chakra is associated with abundance, and with the state of consciousness called, “grace,” where it seems that what you want for you is also what God wants for you. Accepting what the abundant universe offers you requires a sense of unconditionally receiving.
This chakra is also associated with listening to one’s intuition, and flowing in a particular way where it seems that the Universe supports you in all that you do. It is the first level of consciousness from which one perceives another level of intelligence functioning, and one’s interaction with this other level of intelligence.
Parts of the body associated with this chakra include the throat, shoulders, and arms and hands. and the thyroid gland.
The sense of hearing is associated with this chakra, and the element of ether, the most subtle physical element, corresponding to what we find in deep space. The ether is the crossover between the physical and the spiritual dimensions. Someone looking at the world through this chakra watches the manifestation of their goals. The Will Arm represents manifesting what you want, and the Feeling Arm represents manifesting what makes you happy. Hopefully, the two point to the same thing.
Sky Blue is the color associated with this chakra.
The Brow Chakra is associated with the parts of the consciousness concerned with the spiritual view, and the home of the Spirit, the Being within. This level of consciousness is associated with what western traditions call the unconscious or subconscious, the part of our consciousness that directs our actions and our life. From this level we are aware of the motivations behind our actions. We can watch our outer theater from an inner point of view.
This chakra is associated with the carotid plexus, and the nerves on each side of the face, and the pituitary gland. Headaches in the temples or center of the forehead are associated with tensions at this level. This chakra controls the entire endocrine system as a system, and the process of growth.
The Brow chakra, also known as the Third Eye, is associated with extra sensory perception (ESP), the set of all inner senses that correspond to the outer senses, which together comprise spirit-to-spirit communication. The element associated with this chakra is a vibration known as the Inner Sound, the sound that one hears in their ears that does not depend upon something in the physical world. Some consider it a pathological condition. In some of the eastern traditions the ability to hear this is considered a necessary prerequisite to further spiritual growth.
The color associated with this chakra is Indigo, midnight blue, the color of lapis lazuli, or the color of the night sky during a full moon.
The Crown Chakra is associated with the parts of the consciousness concerned with unity or separation, and just as the Root Chakra showed our connection with Mother Earth, this chakra shows our connection with Our Father, Which Art in Heaven. At first, it is associated with our connection with our biological father. This becomes the model for our relationship with authority, and this becomes the model for our relationship with God. When there is a sense of separation from our biological father, the person closes this chakra, and the effect on the consciousness is a sense of isolation and aloneness, being in a shell, and difficult to make contact with those outside the shell.
The person feels as if they are hiding from God, or hiding from themselves, not seeing what is true for them in the deepest part of their consciousness, the part we call the soul.
This chakra is also associated with a sense of direction.
The parts of the body controlled by this chakra are the pineal gland, the brain, and the entire nervous system as a system.
The color associated with the Crown Chakra is Violet, the color of amethyst.
Using The Map
When there is tension in a particular part of the body, this represents a tension in a particular part of the consciousness, about a particular part of the person’s life. Being aware of these associations helps one to see the importance of resolving the tense issues in their life.
If it were only a question of doing what is necessary for the person to be happy, that would be reason enough to motivate the person to want to change something that doesn’t work for them, but here, we see that it is also a matter of health. The issues that are unresolved in a person’s life are, in fact, hazardous to their health.
When we see the correspondences between the consciousness and the body, we see the degree to which we each create our reality. In fact, those words begin to take on a new meaning. We see how everything begins in our consciousness and we are able to look around us at other aspects of our lives in the same way.
When we see how the body carries out the messages and deepest wishes of the Being within the body, we can realize that the process can go in more than one direction. If our consciousness is directing how we develop symptoms, it can also direct how we release these same symptoms. If our consciousness can make our body ill, our consciousness can make our body well.
The logical conclusion of this process is that anything can be healed.
Copyright 1987 Martin Brofman
http://www.healer.ch
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Health 2

Yoga Meditation For Pain Relief

The purpose of this article is to provide information on methods and techniques on how to cope with pain, or in some instances, possibly even overcoming pain with the use of techniques derived from Yoga meditation.
Chronic pain sufferers spend millions of dollars to find ways of relieving their pain. This article hopes to share a process that is natural, and free.
Meditation: The Most Popular Alternative Pain Relief Therapy
According to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, mind-body medicine is the most popular alternative approach for people in pain. And at the heart of mind-body medicine lies the age-old practice of meditation; a quiet, simple technique that belies an extraordinary power that has scientifically been proven to boost disease resistance and maintain overall health.
For many people who suffer from chronic pain, spending quiet time in meditation has proven to be the first step in learning how to cope with their pain. Over the years, thousands of individuals have sought help at stress reduction clinics that teach meditation techniques to people with pain. Their symptoms vary -from headaches, arthritis, and back pain to anxiety, eczema, and many other conditions- but their stories are remarkably similar: For those seeking help in coping with their problems, meditation works.
How Pain Relief Is Attained Thru Meditation (Why Meditation Decreases Pain)
The human body can produce its own natural chemical self-stimulants called endorphins. Among other things, this group of molecules alleviates stress, reduces pain, and gives a feeling of pleasure.
During meditation, when the brain is in a highly synchronous and coherent state (as measured by EEG brainwave biofeedback machines), it produces large quantities of these pleasure-causing neuro-chemicals, i.e., endorphins, making the whole experience pleasurable, giving an overall feeling of well-being. Many report a feeling of peace, happiness, connectedness, and a sense of wholeness when meditating.
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There are many meditation methods and techniques but they can generally be divided into several categories listed below. You may experiment with each one, and maybe even combine them to suit your needs. It all depends on what works best for you. Meditation is a very flexible tool.
Category 1: Breathing
One of the first steps in meditation is being aware of your breath. This method involves the use of specific breathing patterns to bring about relaxation. Essentially, as you slow your breathing rate, the body relaxes, and the mind calms down, as well. Based on my own personal experience, the more relaxed you are, the less pain you will feel.
Category 2: Transformational Life View
Meditation does not only involve breathing awareness. Many meditation traditions ask you to ponder on life-changing concepts such as what reality is and who you really are. Understanding your True Self, and experiencing your True Self directly thru meditation causes practitioners to undergo a profound transformation of view. This transformation of view leads them to a different way of looking at themselves, namely from a perspective of wholeness. With this change of perspective, a new and profound coming to terms with their problems and their suffering begins to take place. From feeling out of control, helpless, and beyond help, they develop a sense of inner peace and acceptance, and even a sense of the possible, a feeling of calm confidence, and control. This attitudinal and emotional transformation plays a major role towards better health and often causes a reduction in physical symptoms and improvement in a person’s physical condition.
This transformational life view brings about an ability to act with greater balance and inner security in the world, especially when encountering stress, pain, or illness. This category includes the popular mindfulness meditation which is used extensively by stress reduction clinics that have helped thousands of chronic pain sufferers and people with illnesses.
Category 3: Visualization/ Imagery
Visualization or imagery is a commonly used technique to relieve anxiety and pain. It involves imagining a pleasant and relaxing, or even exciting, place or activity that has brought you happiness in the past or is appealing to you. Mentally exploring this place or activity in great detail can help induce a sense of calm.
Category 4: Prana/ Chi / Life Force
It is said that a life force flows through our bodies, invariably known as prana or chi, and that this energy flows through the body within a psychic nervous system composed of subtle channels. There is an intimate relationship between our mind and this subtle nervous system and we can control or direct this energy for improved well-being, such as for pain relief.
You can also visualize blue, white, or pink healing light having a positive effect on the painful area.
Conclusion
These Yoga meditation techniques have been used for centuries for spiritual purposes. However, they can also be used as natural pain relief methods. By applying the meditation techniques specifically for pain control, practitioners are able to have a positive effect on such severe kinds of pain.
I hope these methods help those of you with chronic pain so that you can use meditation to lead better lives.
ZZZZZZ

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Health 2

Where People and Diets Go Wrong

When we discover that we are heavier than we want to be, we have a natural inclination to eat less food. We may skip lunch or eat only a tiny amount of our dinner in the hope that if we eat less our body will burn off some of its fat. But that is not necessarily true. Eating less can actually sometimes make it more difficult to lose weight because of the imbalance in your lifestyle.
Keep in mind that the human body took shape millions of years ago, and at that time, there were no such things as diets, let alone fad diets. The only low-calorie event in people’s lives was starvation. Those who could cope with a temporary lack of food were the ones who survived. Our bodies therefore, have developed this built-in mechanism to help us survive in the face of low food intake.
Losing weight is not something you can do overnight. A carefully planned weight loss program requires common sense and certain guidelines. Unfortunately, there is a lot of misinformation floating around and lots of desperate people are easily duped and ripped off.
Every day you can open a magazine or newspaper and see advertisements promoting products, pills or patches that will take excess weight off quickly. Everyone seems to be looking for that magic weight loss pill. Millions of people are trying to lose weight, spending billions of dollars every year on diet programs and products without long-term success.
Often people do lose some weight but if you went back and checked with the same people five years later, you would find that nearly all of them have regained whatever weight they lost due to the fact that their lifestyle didn’t change.
The myth is that people get heavy by eating too many calories. Calories are a consideration it’s true, but overall they are not the cause of obesity. People actually take in fewer calories each day than they did at the beginning of the last century. If calories alone were the reason we become overweight, then we should all be overweight. But we are not.
Collectively, we are heavier than ever. Partly it is because we are more sedentary now than ever before. But equally as important is the fact that the fat content of the western diet has changed dramatically. And because it’s quicker and easier than ever before to purchase junk food full of saturated fat, people simply eat too much of it without considering the health related problems of eating so poorly. In a lot of cases it’s not until people are actually confronted with the real possibility of something happening to them that they take action and commence a dieting plan.
On the other hand, when most people decide to do something about their weight or determine that they want to change their lifestyle, a lot of the time it’s a spur of the moment decision or a New Year’s resolution. Deciding to lose weight without having put any thought or planning into it is like wanting to get a house built without a plan.
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It’s very important to know what’s being eaten on a daily basis before commencing a diet, so a food diary is an absolute must. People need to sit down and plan their meals. If meals are being planned in advance then it’s more likely that sensible eating habits will become a part of a healthy lifestyle. Along with planning meals, people should plan to make time in the day to exercise.
To reduce body fat there does need to be a focus on increasing the amount of exercise that’s done and not just solely on food intake. People who diet without exercising often get fatter with time. Although a persons weight may initially drop while dieting, such weight loss consists mostly of water and muscle. When the weight returns, it comes back as fat. To avoid getting fatter over time, increase the metabolism by exercising regularly.
Leading experts now recommend that people who want to lose weight should start increasing their physical activity. Just being more active in general such as climbing the stairs instead of taking the elevator, moving around instead of sitting still, sitting up instead of lying down as well as showing some excitement and enthusiasm instead of boredom are things that more effectively burn calories and reduce body fat.
Generally these days people are more aware and accepting of the fact that they need to be exercising and a lot of people do commence exercising when they want to do something about their weight. But what they don’t do, is change their eating and drinking habits. They still eat the same bad foods and probably more of it under the illusion that everything will be fine because of the amount of exercising they are doing.
At the beginning of a new exercise and dieting campaign people may take to the streets by walking slowly around in the hope of losing weight. They exercise like this for a few weeks, they don’t lose any weight and then they quit. And the reason they quit is a very simple one; they become frustrated and disillusioned about not having lost any weight.
Quitting is inevitable because the only thing that changed for these people in those few short weeks is that they started walking. However it’s very unlikely anybody is going to lose weight by just by walking slowly around the street and not changing any other aspects of their lifestyle.
People do the right thing as far as starting to exercise is concerned but they want instant gratification, it’s the quick fix syndrome. Instead of looking at the long-term picture and working on changing their overall lifestyle habits to accommodate gradual weight loss, it’s the same old thinking of I want it now. And because it doesn’t happen now, they quit and any weight that has been lost goes straight back on.
Though what’s been written to this point are some of the main areas where people and diets going wrong, the biggest mistake people tend to make when starting a diet is to restrict what it is they eat to such a degree that the body doesn’t get enough of the essential vitamins and minerals, nutrients, fibre, carbohydrates and protein to support weight loss. When people do this, what they eventually end up doing is put the body into survival mode and slow down their metabolism.
Weight loss will occur initially but generally it’s only excess water weight that is lost and because the bodies metabolism has slowed down, most of what’s eaten is then stored as fat because the body is storing it for later use (survival). When people then give up on their diet and go back to eating what they were having before, they put the weight back on as quickly as they lost it and gain more weight because their metabolism is still working as slow as when they stopped dieting.
So where people and diets go wrong is through the lack of planning, not having any goals, lack of inspiration to stay motivated, not eating sensibly, skipping meals, restricting what they eat, making bad rather than common sense choices, having the wrong mindset, acting on a whim, not exercising or not enough vigorous exercise, the lack of commitment and not being mentally prepared to handle the bad days that come along.
If people sat down and mapped out a plan of what it is they wanted from a change of lifestyle just as they would if they were going on a holiday or building the dream home they always wanted, then the majority of people wouldn’t fail. A point to remember is that the more a person knows about themselves in terms of what they’re doing before starting a weight loss plan, can make a huge difference to their long term success.
When it comes to losing weight and being able to maintain it there are no shortcuts. People need to focus on the long-term health benefits of a change of lifestyle rather than wasting their time on unhealthy quick fix diets.
Successful long-term weight loss comes from a combination of all the things that have been mentioned in this article. The chances of success for those people who implement any of the ideas contained here are going to be far greater than for those people who decide do something about their weight problem based on a whim.
ZZZZZZ

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Health 2

What The Vitamin Companies Don’t Want You To Know…

Do you ever find yourself asking any or all of these questions:

Why do I keep spending money on vitamins and not feel a thing?
Why do I still get sick and continuously feel lousy?
Why is it so hard to stay “consistent” when it comes to taking vitamins on a regular basis?
Which vitamins does MY BODY need?
Will I be able to live life to it’s fullest as I get older?
How do I know “For Sure” which nutrients I am lacking in my diet?
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Vitamin supplements may be much more important than doctors thought in warding off cancer, heart disease and the ravages of aging—and, no, you may not be getting enough of these crucial nutrients in your diet!
Vitamins are a “Key” factor in warding off the following chronic diseases:

Heart Disease
Lung Cancer
Bowel Cancer
Breast Cancer
Prostate Cancer
Osteoporosis

And,
The fact is: YOU probably aren’t getting the nutrients that you need!
World class nutrition experts have been recommending vitamins for more than 35 years!
“To take or not to take” is no longer the question. ALL nutrition experts and most doctors support supplementation.
What To Take Is Now The Question…
Optimal Health Journal lists many government surveys which state:

Our diets do not provide adequate levels of vitamins for AVERAGE HEALTH – let alone OPTIMAL HEALTH!
Of 21,500 people surveyed, NO ONE obtained 100% of the recommended allowance for each of the ten essential nutrients.

The prestigious journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) now recognizes the importance of vitamins. It states:

Most Americans do not consume adequate amounts of vitamins by diet alone.
it appears prudent for all adults to take vitamin supplements.”

The “Real Danger” In Overdosing on Vitamin Supplements…
Did you know that your body needs specific amounts of different nutrients and that it can be harmful if you take too much of a certain vitamin?
Can you overdose? In a word – YES!
Overdosing can be more harmful than underdosing! For example:

In high doses, Vitamin C can act as a pro-oxidant causing rather than preventing cellular damage.
Taking too much Calcium can cause constipation and impaired kidney function.
In high doses, Iron can cause an increased risk of heart disease; also poisoning in children who take adult doses.
Zinc, in large amounts can cause gastrointestinal irritation and impaired immune function.

Which Nutrients Does YOUR BODY Really Need?
There’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all approach to vitamin supplements…
What nutritional supplements should you take? Answer that question, and go to the head of the class. People today are positively boggled by their choices…3,400 different supplements to choose from, at last count. Everyday you hear convincing arguments about why you should take each and every one of them:

To prevent cancer
Heighten immunity
Lower blood pressure
Increase energy
Sharpen memory
Reverse arthritis
Build strong bones

You want all these things, so why not take all these supplements? For one thing, you’d go broke! Beyond that, you don’t need them all! Taking too many might even hurt you! So, back to the question: What supplements should you take?
With all the different products on the market today, how do you really know which vitamin supplements to take? Which ones should you be taking and in which amounts? That is the question…
Even READERS DIGEST is asking: “Which vitamins do you really need?”
Natural Health Magazine goes one step further and asks:
“Are you absorbing enough nutrients?
Their answer: There’s only one sure way to find out…
HAVE YOURSELF TESTED!
Top nutritional doctors use Metametrix Clinical Laboratory for nutritional / metabolic testing…
Which Vitamins Do The “Rich & Famous” Take To Stay Healthy…
The “Rich & Famous” rely upon their excellent health and vibrant looks to earn a living. They spend countless hours exercising, eating right and yes, taking vitamin supplements! The way they choose which vitamins to take is simple, they find out which nutrients their bodies are lacking in and simply take them. How do they do this? They take the comprehensive ION test and have customized vitamins made based on the test results.
This ION test costs a doctor $545.00 which is then passed on to the patient (probably at a higher price).
There is however, a simpler test that is much more cost effective…
A Simple URINE Test
Why Do You Need To Have A Urine Test?
This testing that identifies the Exact Nutrients YOUR BODY must have in three key areas is – the essential first step…You no longer have to guess which nutrients, out of a bewildering variety of “one-size-fits-all” nutritional supplements on store shelves, you should take. Scientific analysis of an overnight urine sample can provide you with the answer to which nutrients your body must have in order to protect your body against cellular damage from uncontrolled free radicals; eliminate harmful toxins in your body; and keep your body’s immune, Vascular and Nervous systems in balance.
Can you afford this kind of testing? Yes, for a cost of just $79.95 you can have this special test.
Your test will identify:

Your ability to handle challenges to your body’s antioxidant system
The level of nutrients needed to remove toxic substances from your body
Your ability to balance KEY compound that influences your important Immune, Nervous, and Cardio-Vascular Systems.

Daily intake of the precise nutritional supplements YOUR BODY needs is the second essential step…When you receive your PrivaTest Analysis and the specific nutrients custom-made to match your body’s needs based on your specific test results, age, and gender, you’ll have in you hands the distillation of years of research on human nutrition, herbal medicine, biochemistry, and metabolic science. At this point in time, you now have the most powerful nutrition tool available to control your health!
What Happens To The Test Results?
Based on your test results, a Custom Blended Formula will be compounded from 48 possible permutations using whichever of 55 KEY NUTRIENTS you may need, in the amounts your body needs…Whatever variety of amino acids, antioxidants, phytonutrients, chelated minerals, or protective herbals your test calls for will be there, carefully balanced to work together to provide what your body’s systems require.
This custom blended formula will then be shipped to you in a 30 day supply of (30 packets of 6 capsules) and all you have to do is take 1 packet per day!
The cost of the Custom Essential Vitamins is only $44.75 per month with no obligation to continue after the first month.
Now You Know The Story, Here Are Some Common Questions That We Come Across…

Q: How much does this urine test cost and can I get it anywhere?
A: The cost is $79.95 and the test is done in the comfort of your own home.
Q: How is the test administered as a home test?
A: The lab sends you a simple Home Urine Test Kit with complete and easy to follow instructions. Simply, you fill our a simple questionnaire, collect some urine (all materials are supplied in the kit), and fed ex the sample back to the lab for analysis.
Q: What happens after the urine test?
A: The lab analyzes the urine sample, sends the results to the vitamin manufacturer who then blends a custom-made-vitamin just for you!
Q: How much does the Custom-made-vitamin cost?
A: The cost for the custom-made-vitamins is only $44.75 per month. (o try and duplicate this same vitamin at a retail vitamin store would cost at least $150)
Q: Is there any type of commitment to continue taking the vitamins?
A: None. You can cancel at anytime (A very small percentage of people cancel after they experience the benefits of feeling better and more energetic)
Q: How do I get started and order my Test Kit?
A: There are two ways to get started:

Call our toll free number at: (877)596-0215 for more information.
Send an e-mail to: [email protected] and we will send you all the necessary documents to get started right away.

Good luck and please don’t hesitate to call us anytime with any questions about this amazing vitamin breakthrough!

ZZZZZZ

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Health 2

Walking for Fat Loss???

With obesity and disease increasing dramatically, many fitness experts are recommending walking for weight loss and fitness. Some are even going so far as saying that walking is the best way to burn fat and lose weight. I strongly disagree with this and am going to show you why walking is NOT effective at burning off body fat.
Yes, you read that correctly…
Walking is NOT effective at burning body fat and if your goal is fat loss you might be wasting your time. I am not saying that walking is not beneficial, I am saying that if fat loss is the primary goal, there are far better choices that will deliver far better results.
The primary benefits of walking are increased blood flow and circulation, improved recovery, and a strengthened immune system. There are several reasons why walking in not the best choice when it comes to fat loss. Here are just a few:

Walking does NOT burn a lot of calories
The lower the intensity of the activity or exercise the smaller the number of calories burned per unit of time. For example, you can burn more calories in 15 minutes of bicycling at a high intensity level than you can in 45 minutes of easy walking.
Walking does NOT result in a large increase in metabolism
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Low intensity exercise like walking does not deplete muscle glycogen levels and therefore, later that day if you have excess calories they will likely be stored as body fat whereas if you deplete the glycogen the excess calories will primarily be stored in the muscles.

So why then do so many fitness and health experts recommend walking for weight loss? One reason is that people don’t want to hear that they have to work hard so they figure some activity is better than none. Another reason is that the body burns more fat for fuel when exercising at an easy pace, however, the total amount of energy used is so small that you end up burning off little body fat. That’s also why when you choose the “fat burning” program on your treadmill or bike it has you exercise at any easy level. Yes, you’re burning fat, but so little that you’d have to exercise at that easy pace for hours and hours each day.
High intensity cardiovascular/aerobic exercise is much more effective in burning off the excess body fat. In fact, several studies have been done to prove this. In one study they compared one group who did moderate level aerobics for 45 minutes with another group who performed high intensity workouts for 15 minutes. They did before and after fitness testing including body fat analysis and found that the group who performed the high intensity aerobics lost nine times as much body fat!
Want more proof?
Compare the bodies of a walker, marathon runner, and sprinter. If you are not familiar with what a sprinters body looks like, it is very muscular and has little body fat while on the other hand the body of a walker will likely have the opposite, little muscle and more fat. The sprinter does little or no low intensity exercise and does primarily short hard bursts of work while the marathoner overtrains so much they burn off both the body fat and the muscle and that’s why they tend to look almost sickly thin.
So what should you do then if your main objective is to shed those excess pounds of body fat?
Two things:

Perform some form of high intensity cardio 2-4 times per week
Stabilize blood sugar to minimize the storage of new fat

I know some of you by now are saying “I can’t do high intensity exercise, I have a bad knee” and don’t worry, I have a solution for you. The good news is that high intensity is all relative to you and your current fitness level. For example, fast walking up and down hills may be high intensity for you… it all depends. So don’t think that you have to start running or something like that. Just slowly start to increase the intensity of your cardio workouts while also maybe decreasing the time because you can either work hard or you can work long.
Also, you can make almost any activity or exercise high intensity…. here are a few examples:

increase your speed
use an incline or hills
increase resistance
perform intervals ( the most effective method)

Obviously, some exercises/activities or better suited than others but the point is if you want to burn more fat and make your workouts as productive as possible you need to increase the intensity.
To learn more about high intensity cardiovascular exercise please check out the following articles:

Forget the Fat Burn Zone – http://www.achieve-fitness.com/forget.htm
In Search of the Ideal Aerobics Routine – http://www.achieve-fitness.com/ideal.htm
Heart Rate Guidelines – http://www.achieve-fitness.com/cardio.htm

Be sure to also check out my Burn Fat FAST! ebook and audio program here: http://www.burn-fat-fast.com – it covers everything from cardiovascular training to strength training to nutrition and more.
As with any changes to your fitness program be careful and don’t over do it. Just because high intensity workouts burn more fat, don’t think that you’ll get even better results by doing it everyday – that will quickly lead to over-training and a loss of muscle which will only make it even harder to burn off the fat.
So if your primary goal is fat loss, don’t waste your time walking and instead focus on progressive, high intensity cardio to maximize the effectiveness of your workouts.
ZZZZZZ

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Health 2

Vision as a Metaphor

Why are our eyes called the windows to our souls? Why do we speak of the way that we “see” the world? Why do we say, “I see”, in order to communicate that we understand? What is the understanding? What is the relationship between our vision, our eyesight, and our way of Being?
Eyesight is not just a physical process involving acuity. It is a multi-dimensional function affecting and affected by our emotional and mental state of Being, and linked to our personalities. That is, each type of vision impairment correlates with specific personality types.
All nearsighted people have something in common in their personalities, and all farsighted people share a particular character trait, and all those with astigmatism are working with a similar issue in their lives.
All kinds of impaired vision represent stressed ways that a person interacts with their environment.
Some say that stress is responsible for all emotional and physical imbalances, and stress reflects how an individual interacts with his or her environment in a way which is not “at ease”. Stress is stored in the physical body in a number of ways, including stress or tension in particular muscles.
We can say, then, that physical tension is emotional or mental tension stored in the physical body, in the muscles. Tension in particular muscles is related to particular emotions and mental states. In other words, where you feel the tension is related to why you feel the tension.
In the case of vision, different visual disorders have been identified with excessive tension in particular extra-ocular muscles (the muscles surrounding the eyeballs), and with particular emotional patterns. To understand this process, let’s look at how it works.
Surrounding each eyeball are six eye muscles (see illustration). We use these muscles to move our eyeballs in different directions, and for a while it was thought that this was their only function. Then, it was discovered that these muscles are about one hundred times more powerful than they need to be to accomplish this, and since structure and function are related in the human body, it seemed evident that these muscles must have another function. They do.
Click here for more information on The Best 8 Quiet Blenders of 2022 With 14 Delicious Recipes. Or click here if you’re looking for information on 23 Best Heavy Duty Degreasers for your HomeFour muscles pull each eyeball straight back into the eye socket, shortening the eyeball. Excessive tension on these muscles, called the Rectus muscles, creates a condition of farsightedness, and is experienced emotionally as tension in the consciousness, as coming out of one’s Self, focusing on Image. It may be experienced as suppressed anger, or anger at one’s self (guilt), or a feeling that in some way, the individual is not as important as other Beings.
Two muscles around each eyeball, the Oblique muscles, circle it like a belt, and when these muscles are tightened, they squeeze the eyeball, and it elongates. Excessive tension on these muscles is related to nearsightedness and this tension is experienced in consciousness as hiding within one’s Self, retreating inward, as apprehension, fear, or non-trust as a perceptual filter, a sense of feeling threatened, not safe to be one’s Self.
Uneven tensions on different muscles can create a condition of astigmatism, distortion of vision, by squeezing the eyeball unevenly in different directions, so that the eyeball is pulled out of roundness. This is experienced by the individual as a sense of being lost, as having uncertainty or confusion about their values, what they really want and/or what they really feel. Values from the “outside” have been included “inside”, in a way which is not natural, organic, or real for that individual, and the stress of this situation is experienced in the person’s consciousness as well as in the eye muscles.
Impaired vision comes about at a time in people’s lives when they are experiencing stress in relation to their environment, and do not see clearly at that time, both literally and figuratively. When this goes on for an extended period of time or to an extreme of intensity, the eye muscles which hold these tensions may become temporarily “frozen”, holding the eyeball in an out-of-focus condition. Since the tensions in these muscles correspond with tensions in the person’s consciousness, this also holds the individual in a particular state of consciousness. These eye muscles can, however, be relaxed, and clear vision restored, using relaxation techniques and Hatha Yoga eye exercises (similar to what optometrists call “motility training.”).
When the proper “tone” is restored to the eye muscles, the eyeballs are able to resume their natural shape, and clear vision can return. Tensions are released in the person’s body and consciousness as well, and there is a return to an easier, clearer, more natural (for that person) way of Being.
The natural state of our vision is clear, and returning to clarity is related to returning to balance, and really being ourselves.
Since vision is a metaphor for the way we see the world, and related to personality, once the elements of a person’s experience that relate to their impaired vision are identified, they can be released, and clear vision can be restored. Rather than being at the effect of perceptions we know to be distortions, we can decide to be at the cause, to consciously align with and choose those perceptions we know to be really true for us, and which will be more successful for us in our interactions, more in keeping with who we really are.
When we release the excessive tensions in our consciousness, the tensions are then released from the eye muscles from the inside, and the eyeball returns to its natural shape, and clear vision returns.
Naturally, since each type of vision impairment corresponds to a particular personality type, a change in personality may be expected to reflect the change in outer vision. The “new” Being will have the same Essence of Being, yet with a different way of interacting with the environment, a different “dance,” without what had been excessive tension for that individual. It will seem as though the individual had awakened from a very real-seeming dream, and things will make sense in a different way A perceptual filter will have been removed, a filter through which values had been determined, and without that filter, truer values will become evident. The “new” Being may even have different tastes in food and/or clothing, and different personal habits, yet will feel more themselves, being who they really are. It will be a welcome transformation.
Approaches to vision improvement which have not considered the aspect of personality change have had only limited success. In cases where vision has been restored, the person involved has been through a transformative process and has, in fact, dropped a role, and become another Being, with another personality, more real, and with another way of seeing the world. The degree of improvement and the rapidity of improvement has been connected with the willingness on the part of the individual to accept the changes, to accept the new personality, to become the new Being, or rather, to become and live who they really are.
If we imagine that each of us is surrounded by a bubble of energy, our individual perceptual filters, we can see some metaphors. People who are nearsighted see what is close to them easier that they see what is far away. They are more focused on what is in the bubble, and less on what is outside the bubble, preoccupied inside, not looking outside. Energy, the direction of attention, is moving inward, contracting, toward the inside, away from the outside. Things must be held close to be seen clearly and comfortably. What one wants or feels is experienced as more important than what others want or feel. One’s orientation is toward Self, to an excess for that person. “I” is considered more important in some way than “YOU,” and from the individual’s point of view, “WE” does not seem to include “YOU” as an equal consideration. An exceptional need for privacy may be experienced, a withdrawal from the world around them, a sense of being intimidated by their environment, a hiding inside.
The focus of thinking is forward, with fear or uncertainty as the emotional experience of that view. It is a preoccupation, keeping the individual from being totally present, in the here and now. The degree to which this is experienced is a matter of individual balance, and related to the degree of nearsightedness. Naturally, there may also be different compensations such as aggression to minimize the intimidation, or a forced extraversion to disguise the hiding within, but we are talking about the basis behind these outer actions.
With farsightedness, what is further away is seen more clearly than what is close. Farsighted people are more focused on what is outside the bubble and less on what is inside. Energy is moving outward, expanding, away from what is inside, and holding away or moving against what is outside. Things must be held away to be seen clearly and comfortably. What others want or feel is experienced as more important than one’s own wants or feeling. One’s orientation is toward others, away from Self, to an excess for that person. “YOU” is considered more important than “I,” and from the individual’s point of view “WE” does not seem to include “I” as an equal consideration. While a nearsighted person retreats in readily and easily, a farsighted person has difficulty doing this, since their attention continues to be directed outward. The person experiences more interest in other people’s lives, and an avoidance of looking at their own. One’s image is emphasized, and identified with, and gains more importance to the individual than the essence, who the person really is. The sense of anger that the person experiences is suppressed, so as not to offend others. The focus of thinking is toward the past, with anger and self-justification, or a sense of not having done the right thing, and is a preoccupation keeping the individual from being totally present. Again, the degree to which this is true is a matter of individual balance, and the degree of farsightedness, and there may be outer compensatory behavior, such as exaggerated saintliness to hide the guilt, or extreme kindliness to cover the anger.
With astigmatism, the bubble is distorted, and uncertainty of wants or feelings is experienced, depending on whether the right eye, or the left eye, or both, is affected.
Metaphysically, the right eye (the Will Eye) represents seeing clearly what one wants, and the left eye (the Spirit Eye) represents seeing clearly what one feels. In left-handed people, the traits are reversed. In a given situation, a person with astigmatism wants or feels what is true for them, considers it inappropriate, and changes it, and then believes the pretended change, no longer seeing clearly what was really wanted or felt. The focus is more on what “should” be wanted or felt, rather than what is real for that person, and a sense of confusion about who they really are. Who would they be if they stopped pretending to be who they are not?
Combinations of visual disorders are related to combinations of the qualities that have been mentioned. Astigmatism may be experienced in combination with either nearsightedness or farsightedness. Naturally, these qualities may be experienced by others without the visual disorders, but for those individuals with impaired vision, these traits mentioned are particularly strong.
Nearsightedness means seeing more clearly what is close. Farsightedness means seeing more clearly what is far. While in some rare cases one eye may be nearsighted and the other farsighted, both conditions may not exist within the same eye. When a person sees neither near nor far, the condition is one of rigidity of the accommodation mechanism, reflecting rigidity of consciousness, and relaxation techniques and eye exercises can restore flexibility. As a result, the individual will also notice greater flexibility in their mental process.
We are Beings of energy, and energy is directed by our consciousness. Ultimately, we have the capability of choosing the direction of the flow of energy depending on the situation, choosing not to be directed by past patterns of actions or perceptions, but rather changing those perceptions which we know to be less than accurate or optimal, with a willingness to see things as they are, rather than through a distorting filter.
The flow of energy between the inside and the outside of the bubble can be changed, as can the nature of the bubble itself, which is in fact the perceptual “filter” through which we perceive our environment. A “stuck” filter predisposes us to particular patterns of interacting and perceiving. It’s like a selective lens allowing through only those perceptions which agree with the basic beliefs we have chosen or accepted, and ignoring or discounting all others. Since we act on the basis of the information that gets through to us, we are then predisposed to responding to our environment in a fixed way. The selectivity of the lens is not the problem, though – the distorting quality of the emotional filter is what must be released.
When we are clear and centered, the bubble is clear, and so are our interactions. When we are in the middle of a strong emotion, we are not centered, and our perceptions change. Situations look different, and so we respond differently. The bubble is distorted with the emotional currents. When the strong emotions of anger, fear, confusion, etc., are suppressed, as is the case with those who have impaired vision, the bubble is also distorted, but the distortion is not recognized. The person has identified with the distorted view, and believes that it represents truth, and who they really are. In fact, it is not who they are, but just who they seem to be when functioning with the distortion. They can release the distorting aspect of the lens, and of their perceptions, and return to their true clear selves.
Nearsighted people can direct the energy outward by being more and more willing to be visible – to trust that that will be all right. In a given situation or interaction, they can see themselves as the others see them, in a sense to see themselves through the other person’s eyes, so that they not only have the view from the inside looking out, but also from the outside looking in. This will give them the opportunity to step outside themselves, and see things from another point of view, and with the additional information thus gained, to use it to optimize their interactions.
It is also important to treat the other person as they themselves would like to be treated if they were in the other person’s place. It isn’t necessary to agree with the other person’s perceptions of them, but just have the willingness to see that that’s how they are being seen, and that the other person’s perceptions are as important to the other person as their own are to them. In fact, the other person’s perceptions might be very useful to know about.
The idea is to not feel threatened or intimidated by the environment in which the individual finds him/herself, but rather to focus more and more on letting themselves be themselves, and trusting that when they do what they really want to do, and let themselves be real, something wonderful always happens. And since that process is so important for themselves, to recognize that the same process is important for the people around them, also, that everyone is just getting better and better at being themselves.
From the nearsighted person’s point of view, “WE” can really include “YOU” as equal to “I,” and in fact, just another “I,” just as important.
Farsighted people can direct the energy more inward by giving themselves the same consideration they give others. The idea is not to stop considering others, but also to consider themselves. There can be a conscious process of allowing themselves to receive without guilt – not to take, but to receive – and to express wants and feelings, and let themselves have. When receiving, there need not be the need to reciprocate, or to deny, but just to say, “Thank you,” and accept unconditionally. Focus on accepting not only things, but also ideas. Notice any of the ways you have been holding things, ideas, or people away, and allow them to come closer. There can be more a focus on who they really are, in addition to their image. Image is important, but Essence must not be overlooked. Outer appearance is not more important than true sentiment, and people do appreciate honesty in feelings.
Consideration must also extend to yourself. Expressing love need not involve sacrifice. It’s not necessary to come out of your space to be loved and respected. The role can be fun, but also remember the Being who is playing it, the person inside. From the farsighted person’s point of view, “WE” can include “I” as equal to “YOU,” and “I” can be seen as another “YOU,” as well as separate and important in its own right.
Astigmatics can ask themselves from time to time, during their day, “What do I really want now? What do I really feel now? What’s true for me? What’s real for me? If I stop wanting to be what I’m not, who would I be? If I stop living up to other people’s standards, who would I be?” If I stop pretending to be the person I’ve been playing, what would I be doing differently? The feeling may have been that the real person would not be accepted in the environment, by the environment in which the person finds himself or herself. Then, find out whether the feeling is real, by discontinuing the role, and being you. Either you will discover that the feeling was a misperception, and the role was unnecessary, or that the feeling was real, in which case you would then be able to migrate to an environment in which you can be yourself, and be accepted. Either way, the effect would be a greater sense of ease in being you.
There’s a place in society for all of us, and if we let ourselves be real, there’s a place we really fit in, where we are not only accepted, but also appreciated for who we are. We do not have to pretend to not see what’s real for us. We can all allow ourselves to be more and more who we really are, to be more and more real.
With determination, and a willingness to change perceptions and their accompanying realities, any Being can transform his or her view of the world, both literally and figuratively, and return to a natural state of clarity of vision.
Affirmations you can use (Choose one each day and repeat it to yourself that day. From time to time, read the list to yourself):

My vision is improving now.
I choose clarity.
I know what clarity is, and I experience it more and more each day.
I remember clarity, and I am returning to clarity.
I notice that I see more clearly every day.
I know I can see clearly now.
I know that my experiences lead me to clear vision.
I accept new ways of thinking and seeing which are clearer for me.
Acceptance and love lead to clarity.
I accept what I see, and I see more clearly.
It’s easier and easier to see clearly.
I’m letting myself be real, and watching my vision clear.
It’s more and more comfortable to be myself, and see clearly.
My mind is reaching out and bringing to my awareness any information I need to experience clear vision.
I can have clear vision today. I can see clearly today.
Every day, in every way, I’m getting better and better.
I see more clearly when I’m relaxed and centered.
I see clearly when I am here now.
Clarity exists here and now.
Clarity is my natural state.
Clarity is what is true for me.
I enjoy seeing clearly.
I see that everything is working perfectly.
I love when I see clearly.
Clarity is freedom, and being real.
I see more clearly now.
I see more clearly than I did before.
Today I choose to see the love.
When I do what I really want to do, something wonderful always happens.
I trust being real, and I see clearly.
I see clarity coming.
I can notice clear vision today.
As I clear my life, my vision clears.
My vision is clearing now.
I am free!
My vision continues to clear as I adjust to my new state of consciousness.
Instead of problems, I see solutions. I see the way things can work.
Clearing my vision is easier than I thought.
I know I can see clearly without eyeglasses.
I agree with these statements.
Affirmations always work!

© Copyright Martin Brofman 1990
http://www.heaer.ch
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Health 2

Using Bodybuilding Supplements To Build Muscle Mass!

OK, first let’s get something straight here…
If you think that buying a shake or taking a few pills will all of a sudden make you huge, then you are mistaken.
No supplement will help you if you are not training and dieting correctly — they will just give you very expensive urine. All aspects of your program have to be in order for you to get the maximum benefit from sports nutrition supplements. From my experience, supplements enhance your program by:
1. Adding an element of convenience: Using food supplements like Meal Replacement Powders and whey protein help to eliminate the common problem of ‘not enough time’, by providing you with an quick efficient way to get your required nutrients each day.
2. Increasing strength and decreasing recovery time: Using vitamin and amino acid supplements help to minimize the negative side effects of weight training and speed your recovery.
The Benefit of Convenience
There are many ‘old school’ trainers and bodybuilders who profess the uselessness of supplements. They are constantly preaching that they don’t work, and that you don’t need them. Well, to tell you the truth they are correct, somewhat. Remember that not too long ago there were no supplements. Bodybuilders built huge physiques without meal replacement powders, creatine or prohormones.
There was no such thing as exercise ‘machines’. They used multi-jointed, compound free weight exercises that not only increased their muscular size, but also make them incredibly strong. So, if you look at that way it can be done and you don’t need any supplements. However, the decision whether or not to use supplements should involve the consideration of other factors that may come into play when speaking of dieting today. The first of which is time.
Click here for more information on The Best 8 Quiet Blenders of 2022 With 14 Delicious Recipes. Or click here if you’re looking for information on 23 Best Heavy Duty Degreasers for your HomeThe fact is, most people’s idea of a good meal is restaurant or (even worse) fast food. To ask someone to eat specific amounts of protein, fat and carbs seems like an impossible request considering that most people can’t even get their minimum requirements of good fat or fiber. Experts will continue to spout ‘eat a balanced diet,’ while Americans feast on nutritionless fast food and sugar. Not only do our bodies have to deal with the ever-increasing external stresses of everyday life, they also have to combat nutrient-depleting, tissue damaging exercise.
If I did not have the option to supplement my diet with whey protein, I probably would not have gained as much weight as I have. Now, I’m not saying that the whey protein is why I gained weight, but it did help me a great deal.
I am usually very busy and I just don’t have the time, nor the desire to eat six, planned whole food meals per day. Supplements like meal replacement powders and whey protein fill in this gap for me.
I typically have three real food meals and three protein supplement meals — that makes up my required six meals each day. When I’m away from home, or not able to get an adequate meal, my MRP is always right there when I need it. It gives me a quantifiable amount of protein so that I can keep track of my nutrient intake. In my opinion, this is much better than just grabbing something and then trying to guess at how much protein, fat or carbs you just ate. Getting in all of your required meals and nutrient amounts is crucial to your success.
My mass diet requires a very high daily protein intake — Over 300g per day. Just to give you example of how much that is, here are some examples of what 300g of protein is equal to:
Tuna — 50 oz of canned tuna (the average can is 6-8oz.), which is 1,750 calories and 25g of fat
Chicken — 38 oz of chx breast (equals about seven 6oz breasts), which is 1,313 calories and 38g of saturated fat
Beef — 43 oz of lean ground beef (about 2.7 pounds of meat), which is 3,214 calories and 215g of saturated fat
Eggs — 50 large whole eggs, equals 3,750 calories and 250g of saturated fat
Egg whites — 100 egg whites, equals 1,600 calories and almost no fat
Pure whey protein — 15 scoops of EAS Precision Protein, equals 1,500 calories 7.5g of saturated fat
It is very possible to get this amount from eating whole foods only — But it will take work. Also, as you can see from the above numbers, getting all of your protein from regular food will also bring a lot of unnecessary elements like extra saturated fat. Yes, our goal to gain mass is to eat a lot of calories (including fat), but your main fat intake should consist of unsaturated fats that are liquid at room temperature like olive oil, flaxseed oil, sunflower oil and safflower oil. Whey protein supplements will help to give you the extra protein without the fat.
Increased Strength and Decreased Recovery
In addition to a whey protein supplement, I recommend that everyone should be taking a multi-vitamin, plenty of vitamin C, and glutamine. Creatine can also be added if you are over 18.
Multi-Vitamin
Weight training increases the body’s need for many minerals like magnesium and selenium. The multi-vitamin ensures that I am not deficient in any major essential vitamin or mineral. Deficiency symptoms include muscle weakness and suppression of the immune system, muscle cramping and fatigue.
I always take a multi-vitamin without iron, because grown men do not need additional iron. We get enough from our food. Men and postmenopausal women should never take iron supplements unless they have iron-deficiency anemia, which is only diagnosed by blood tests. The body has no way to eliminate excess iron except through blood loss. Women who menstruate are protected from iron overload, obviously. Iron is also an oxidizing agent that can cause damage to the heart and arteries, and is a major risk factor in arteriosclerosis.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C essential to prevent free radical damage, which is accelerated after the heavy trauma of weight training. It is also essential is helping to repair connective tissue which helps decrease the amount of time you are sore. I train very heavy and extremely hard. When I train my legs, I am usually sore for about 5-6 days afterwards.
If I do not supplement my diet with vitamin C, I would normally be sore for almost 10 days! So, it really helps me to recover and get back to training. I typically take around 3,000mg in divided doses. That would equal quite a few oranges!
Glutamine
Glutamine is an amino acid that is produced by our bodies, but most of the time our bodies demand so much, that it can’t create enough. I supplement my diet with glutamine to increase my levels of glutathione. Glutathione is a powerful antioxidant, which helps to combat the stresses of exercise trauma, and prevent muscle protein breakdown.
I especially believe that it helps prevent my body from breaking down my new muscle while I am asleep, so I never go to bed without taking it. I take about 15g per day (in divided doses), which would be impossible to get naturally.
Creatine Monohydrate
Creatine’s purpose is to supply our muscle with energy. It is also found in red meat, but you would have to eat an enormous amount of meat to get the same benefits as taking pure creatine powder. Everyone knows about creatine so I will not go into it here, but I do want to say that the major benefit from taking creatine is that it will increase your strength.
This will enable you to lift heavier weights, which will stimulate more muscle growth. Many people make a big fuss over the muscle volumizing effects of creatine, because if you stop taking it, you lose that extra fluid that creatine brings into your cells. So what! You certainly DO NOT lose the extra muscle creatine helped you to gain.
I can honestly say that I could not have built the body I have today without the convenience and enhancements supplements provide. I simply don’t have the time or desire to do it any other way. This is a choice that you must decide for yourself. You will be spending your money on these products, so make sure that you know their place in your program.
Don’t get caught up in product hype. Supplements will help, but they will NOT do the work for you.
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Health 2

Understanding Your Stress Levels

In order to understand stress better, it is a good idea to understand that there are different stress levels. These levels vary in the form of stress they take and they can often provide an indication of how to treat the stress. Furthermore, there are tests available that can help people understand their own, particular brand of stress and, with this knowledge, they can also understand themselves better. Then, with this information, a complete stress management method can be constructed. So, when you examine your own stress, keep these stress levels in mind so that you can come to grips with yourself and learn the proper methods for keeping your mind balanced.
These stress levels were found and characterized by Dr. Hans Selye and Dr. Richard Earle of the Canadian Institute of Stress. Thus, the names and types are theirs.
Type 1 – The Speed Freak
This stress level is characterized by an incessant need to be giving 110% at all times. They are often perfectionists, they tend to speak quickly, and they are very impatient. Generally, Speed Freaks have learned that it is necessary to work hard in order to succeed, so they figure that, if they are working hard all the time, they are certain to succeed. This, of course, is not necessarily the case, since running full-bore all the time will only lead to stress over minor issues.
Speed Freaks need to learn how to relax and they need to clarify their goals so that they will work hard on things that really matter, while relaxing while they are working on more mundane tasks. By doing this, they can get up to speed when they need to put in the effort and conserve energy the rest of the time.
Type 2 – The Worry Wart
The Worry Wart stress level is characterized by an inability to stop thoughts, but an equal inability to put thoughts into action. They tend to overanalyze things to the point that they paralyze themselves. Thus, they simply end up spinning their wheels as they get nowhere. True to the name, Worry Warts tend to spend a lot of their time worrying and this only leaves them even more incapable of action.
Worry Warts need to think very specifically about the problems they are facing, write down every possible thing that can go wrong, then think about just how likely these events are. Then, once everything is treated with a philosophical distance, the worry will decrease and the Worry Wart can move on toward their goals.
Click here for more information on The Best 8 Quiet Blenders of 2022 With 14 Delicious Recipes. Or click here if you’re looking for information on 23 Best Heavy Duty Degreasers for your HomeDrifters are people who keep so many options open that they are incapable of actually developing any skills in depth. Instead of focusing their energies on specific life goals, they end up putting effort into a variety of tasks so that none of them every really get done. Thus, their hours are spent productively, but their hours rarely produce anything concrete. In fact, they create a paradox of complete freedom in which they are trapped by their own inability to use that freedom effectively.
Drifters need to clarity their life goals, focus on things that make them feel worthwhile, and try to build up a life that is open to more than just work. Then, once they have a place to direct their efforts, they can shed all the excess nonsense that they surround themselves with.
Type 4 – The Loner
This stress level is recognizable by the fact that Loners are unable to create meaningful relationships with others. This is due to the fact that they generally work alone, so that do not receive much feedback from others. Thus, rather than building relationships that can help support them, they tend to crawl into a shell and keep other people outside of it. Thus, as they avoid shared experiences with others, they become incapable of finding out what they enjoy and who they enjoy doing it with.
Loners should attempt to clarify their own values, then work to build relationships with people who share those values, which in turn gives Loners a way to move toward their goals. This will give them both a purpose and a support structure that can help them succeed in that purpose.
Type 5 – Basket Cases
This stress level is very dangerous, as Basket Cases are creating their own energy crises. Instead of caring for themselves, they tend to be achy, depressed, and they often decide that activities are simply too much effort. They are often in poor health and their own malaise and depression makes it hard to do anything about it.
Basket Cases need to start eating right in order to start the healing process. Then, after a few weeks, they should start exercising. Then, once they have a little more energy, they need to learn how to conserve energy by taking breaks during work and not overextending themselves.
Type 6 – Cliff Walkers
Cliff Walkers are people who are at risk for destroying their health. They tend to look worn, they often smoke, eat badly, drink too much, and rarely exercise. However, they usually figure that nothing bad will ever really come out of their bad habits, so they cause themselves even more damage. Thus, they tend to have problems maintaining their energy.
The treatment for Cliff Walkers is the same as that for Basket Cases. Eat right, then start an exercise program, then learn to conserve energy so that they are not constantly worn out.
By understanding stress levels, people can not only learn more about themselves, they can also learn how to succeed. Then, once a person’s particular type of stress is treated correctly, the very portions of the personality that were once a burden can become a boon. Thus, learning about stress levels can actually help people achieve their goals.
Copyright 2005 Trevor Dumbleton

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Health 2

Understanding Obesity – How to Successfully Reduce Weight

THE CAUSES OF EXCESSIVE WEIGHT
If you eat more nutrients containing energy than you need for your daily activities, for the internal processes of your body, and for the burning process that maintains the body temperature, the excessive nutrients can be transformed to fat and stored in the fat depots in your body. The causes of this occururing, and thus of overweight, are one or more of these factors:
1. Consuming too much fat: Fat is the most energy-rich nutrient, and over-consume will cause the eccessive fat consumed to be deposited in the body.
2. Consuming too much sugar, starch or other carbohydrates: Carbohydrats are also important energy sources. Over-consume of carbohydrates will cause the eccess to be converted to fat and stored in the body.
3 Consuming too much alchohol: Also this substance contains energy, and eccessive consume results in fat stored in your body.
4 Consuming too much of preprocessed products with added, and often hidden fat or sugar, like sweet beverages, cakes, ice-cream, fast food and snacks.
5. Eating too much alltogeather: Perhaps your food is not fat- or sugar-laden, but you simply eat too much alltogeather. Also protein will be converted to fat if it is overconsumed.
6. Irregular eating, like eating much at one time, little at another time, wait long between some meals, cunsuming huge doses of sugar at some times, no sugar at other times: If you eat irregularly, you can get an uncontrollable appetite, a swinging blood sugar level, and an abnormal physiology that makes you deposit fat in your body.
Click here for more information on The Best 8 Quiet Blenders of 2022 With 14 Delicious Recipes. Or click here if you’re looking for information on 23 Best Heavy Duty Degreasers for your Home8. Boredom in your daily life: If you do not have much hobbies, or leasure activities, or isolate yourself from other people, you may suffer form boredom, and eccessive eating may be your way of getting entertainment.
9. The body has some capacity of burning some extra amount of sugar or fat. This capacity may be decreased because of lack of vitamins and minerals, and because of an unsound diet.
10. An abnormal appetite that urges you to eat far more than you need: This abnormal appetite may originate from psychological causes, an onsound diet or lack of exercise.
AANALYZE YOUR OBESITY PROBLEMS
Before beginning your weight reduction program, go through every possible obesity causing factor listed above, to find out what factors contribute to your over-weight problem. Go down to details. For example: If you find you consume too much sugar, find out the exact food types contributing to your eccessive sugar consume. Write everything down.
MAKE A PLAN
With the performed analysis in hand, make a plan for your weigh reduction. Decide a goal for your weight. Decide one or more measures for each component contributing to your problem. Write down your plan.
HOW TO REDUCE WEIGHT
In order to successfully loose weight, you must attack every component you have found to be a causing factor of your obesity problem. Here are the concrete mesures you can use, and put into your plan:
1. Eat less fat
If you eat much fat, you must reduce the daily intake of fat, to do so:
* Choose fat poor fish, fat poor meat/beef, chicken, turkey, mushrooms and other food sources with law fat content as the main components for dishes.
* Cut away visible fat from meat or other food sources.
* Do not add much margarine, butter or oil to your food.
* When you fry something, try to use as little fatty smear in the pan as possible.
2. Eat less sugar
If you eat much sugar, reduce your daily inntake of free sugar, or bounded sugar as in flour, potatoes and the like:
* Do not add much sugar to your food.
* You may also need to consume less bread, potatoes, peas and beens, if you eat very much of it, but do not stop eating these kinds of food, since they contain valuable nutrients. However, use bread made of full corn.
3. Avoid eccessive alcohol consume
Alcohol contains energy, and will be transformed to fat, if you consume too much of it.
4. Avoid preprocessed food with added and often hidden fat or sugar
Some food contains a great amount of hidden fat or sugar, espesially fast food, snacks or preprocessed food.
* Therefore you should avoid eating much of products like: cakes, sweet drinks, snacks, choclate, icecream or fast-food.
* You should also buy all the food you use in a natural form, and make your dishes yourself. Then you achieve an absolute controle over the amount of fat and suger in your dishes.
5. Eat less alltogeather, but do not starve yourself
Having reduced the amount of sugar and fat from your diet, you may fall to the temptation of eating more than before, beacuse the new composition of your food does not satisfy your hunger. You should be aware of, and avoid this trap.
* When trying to loose weight, you should reduce the total amount of the food you eat.
* However, you should not starve yourself. To starve will only make you tired and sick, and then make you interrupt your efforts to get slim.
6. Eat regularly
Regular eating habits will give you a stable blood sugar level, help you control your appetite and normalize your fat burning physiology.
* You should eat three or four meals each day.
* Each meal should contain the same moderate amount of sugar and fat.
* Each meal should contain some protein sources like fish, meat, eggs, mushrooms or proteine-rich seeds, and in every means be as nutritionally complete as possible.
7. Increase your daily physical activity
Physical activity increases fat burning and will help you control your appetite.
* Do some daily exercises of a kind that increases energy consumption: Jogging, cycling, swimming, ball play, skiing, and so on.
* Do also som exercises to increase your muscular volume, since muscles will burn fat, for example weight lifting.
8. Find some new hobby or interest
If you find yourself some new hobby or leasure activity, you will avoid boredom and the temptation to over-eat because you are bored. Try also to do interesting activities together with other people. The new activities will also give you less time to only sit eating.
9. Eat healthy food to increase your fat burning capacity
It is not possible to loose weight without sticking to the above mentioned basic fat reduction principles, but you will also benefit from applying some measures that will increase your ability to passivly burn fat:
* Eat as natural food as possible, avoid food that has been heavily cooked, heavily fried or chemically processed. Natural food has its content of protein, vitamines minerals and anti-oxydants intact, and these are necessary for the fat burning abilities.
* Eat some raw fruit and vegatables to each meal, since these contain vitamins, minerals and anti-oxydants you need.
* You may benefit from supplements of vitamins, minerals, herbs, anti-oxydants, as these will make your body more capable of burning fat.
* The little fat you use in your diet, should come from sources like olive, peanuts, canola, fish, nuts, sun-flower, etc. Then you will get a good balance between mono-unsaturated fat (olive, canola, peanuts), poly-unsaturated fat of the omaga-3-type (fish) and poly-unsaturated fat of the omega-6-type (sunflower).
* Consume whole cereals or bread made from whole unrefined cereals.
* There are also natural products on the market you can use to increase your break down and burning of fat.
10. Bring your appetite under controle
Many of the measures allready listed, will also help you to controle your appetite. If this still is difficult, this problem may be attacked by specific means:
* You can use some medicines to reduce appetite for some time or to reduce the uptake of fat or carbohydrates in your inestines. There are both natural medicines based on herbs, vitamins and minerals and pharmachological products to achieve this.
* Daily meditation can help to relaxe your mind and gain controle.
* Psychological counseling may be necessary.
11. The ratio between fat and sugar in your diet
The total mount of fat and carbohydrates combined, is a key factor in causing obesity, not fat alone or carbohydrates alone. In some weight loosing regimes, one eats very little carbohydrates, and fairly much fat. In others one eats fairly much carbohydrates, and very little fat. The proponents of each type of regime claim that their approach helps the body to burn fat better.
Probably people are different, and react differently when trying to manipulate the diet in these ways. As a first approach, it is probably not wise to try such extreme approaches. However, if you have brought your eating habits under controle, and still not achieved a satisfactory result, you can try to manipulate the fat/carbohydrate ratio to see if this will help. But do not stop consuming fat alltogeather. You will allways need some essential fatty acids in your diet.
CARRYING OUT YOUR PLAN
Having made your plan for your weight reduction, the time has come to carry it out. After each week, go through the points in your plan, and evaluate how well you did. Also check your weight. Write down for every point in your plan how well you did.
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