Be Your Boss: Taking Care Of Inner Health

 Inner health is a very important subject because 95% of life-threatening diseases start inside our bodies where we can’t see what is happening. 

By ignoring symptoms we often allow the problem to increase until treatment becomes difficult or, in the worst cases, impossible. 

It is also true that one hour of prevention is far better than one year of treatment. 

In this article, we will look at the main source of “body fuel” – the food that we eat and, more importantly, how we eat it. 

But before going into that subject there are other things we should not be doing:

1. No smoking.

2. No drinking alcohol to excess.

3. No taking of unprescribed drugs.

This article is written on the assumption that you abide by the three rules above.

What we eat is the starting point. 

There is no point in eating foods that are saturated in fat as your basic diet and complaining that you are overweight and/or feel unwell. 

Of course, you do because this is self-inflicted by an inadequate diet. 

Small meals are taken regularly (even six meals each day) are better for you than long periods without food followed by a heavy meal.

Large, rich, meals late at night should be avoided, especially for older people. 

A cooked meal at midday is digested better than a late-night meal.

You should drink at least one and a half quarts (1.5 liters) of fluid each day; much more if the weather is hot.

 If you become ill you should double your fluid intake. Water is the best.

Improving your diet is not as difficult as most people claim. In most instances, it is simply a case of adjusting the balance of what we eat.

 Here are a few tips:

Eat more fiber in the form of fruit, vegetables, and whole-grain bread. 

In addition, add two tablespoons of coarse bran to your breakfast cereal. 

This provides bulk, or roughage, that your digestive system depends upon to function properly.

Cut down on fat, normally taken in fast foods and fries, etc. 

Eat more lean meat, fish. Grill rather than fry foods where possible.

Eat less sugar (This means no soda’s because the average can of soda contains an equivalent of 20+ Tablespoons of sugar equivalent) 

Do not drink beer with meals because beer stops your body from breaking down fats.

 Water is the best drink followed by low-calorie drinks and unsweetened fruit juices.

Walk for at least half an hour each day. Park your car at the furthest parking space from the supermarket; the exercise will increase your lifespan. 

If possible use stairs rather than escalators. 

All of these small things, together with your balanced diet, will increase your health and lifespan.

Read More

OCD Victim: Why we do what we do?

 Where does an OCD sufferer begin to start? to explain what compels them to do the things that are slowly destroying them inside or the people around them.

Do you suffer in silence to please your loved ones or show them the door?

Being an OCD sufferer for as long as I can remember has left me a dedicated addict to Temazepam.

"The tablets will help" were the doctors' very words. 

I also recall him saying, how I would kill myself if I carried on doing what I was doing.

Those life-threatening rituals regardless of those words of wisdom from my local GP are still being carried out.

Prescription prescribed by one psychologist.

How could he help?

 Questions raised by the psychologist were that of my childhood. 

Questions like was I abused as a child. Well if that being the case I certainly was not going to confide in or tell a complete stranger.

Some things stay hidden in the closet and are taken to the grave.

Most OCD victims may have suffered at some stage in their life some form of abuse. 

In a way this makes sense, but what of our fellow-sufferers with no abusive upbringing where do the answers lie?

So severe is the urge to cleanse ourselves, we enter into another world where we find contentment in releasing our energies in habitual rituals that we no longer have control over.

Is there a cure? Yes, of course, all we do is stop what we are doing, how? 

By not committing ourselves to listen to those little voices in our heads any longer.

Demon's who cast an opinion on how we run our lives. 

What right have they to enter our heads uninvited? 

Rid of these devils and we have the antidote for the poison inflicted upon us.

For an invisible force, they win hands down every time.

Help comes in many forms in i.e. medication relaxation classes, herbal tonics, etc. 

Depending on the individual and of course how severe the symptoms

Therapies differ and do work with high success rates for many sufferers. 

Recommending what is best for you is out of my jurisdiction we all differ greatly in our needs to find the cure.

The first step on the road to recovery is to face up to the problem. Will this cure me you ask?  

No, but it will certainly slow down the process of putting yourself into an early grave. 

OCD is about speed, the quicker one job or task is done; it is time to move onto the next. 

This death sentence that I have imposed upon myself is challenged each day by slowing down. 

Do a little research on the illness to find how you can help yourself; this helped me greatly in my search for freedom 

Finding the time to read was another step forward because to have done this. 

I knew I had then put another chore on the back burner.

Half the battle is won for a victim of OCD if they can be heard in the way that they want to be understood. 

A move in the right direction is to talk to fellow sufferers of this self-destroying disease. 

2% of the population are victims of this uncontrollable force behind why we do what we do.

Alienate these aliens by becoming a force with other OCD victims in the battle against self-destruction because that is exactly what it is, Self Destruction.

And the most dangerous accomplice on this mission is YOU.

Read More

How To Get A Good Night's Sleep!

 Do you remember when you were little and it seemed as though sleep overcame you as soon as your head hit your pillow? 

And you slumbered through the night until morning time? They call it the sleep of the innocent, but don't you wish you could sleep like that again? 

Adult responsibilities, stress, lifestyle, and other worries often result in poor sleep habits, and once the cycle of tossing and turning begins, it is difficult to return to a decent night's sleep. 

Many adults rely on prescription drugs to fall asleep and quite a few are addicted to them! 

Others 'self medicates' and use alcohol and other recreational drugs to try and fall asleep. 

If you are regularly struggling to sleep well, then you probably need to learn to fall asleep again!

So let’s go back to basics! 

And who better to consult than babies! 

After all, babies are the experts at sleeping so why not learn a little from them! 

Apart from their age and body clock, there are specific reasons that babies fall asleep so well. 

Let’s have a look at a few of them and see if we can’t borrow some of the tricks! 

ROUTINE: Most parents try very hard to get their children into a routine. 

Regular bedtimes, bath times, and mealtimes are something to strive towards. 

Of course, one cannot be too rigid, but a child on a regular routine will feel secure and will be able to ‘predict’ his environment more easily. 

It also helps his body clock to start the process of winding down before he actually gets to bed. He knows that after supper comes to his bath, a story, a prayer, and a good night kiss. 

When his head hits the pillow, he is ready to meet the sandman!  

So try and follow this example. 

Start a nighttime routine. 

Make your evenings more or less predictable along the lines of supper, bath, and bed.  

For at least three weeks try and follow this simple routine and go to bed at the same time each night – about 8 hours before it is time to get up.

 Wear soft comfortable and cozy nightwear, specifically for sleeping (remember flannel pajamas?) 

EXERCISE: This is something kids do lots of! 

They don’t stop running around for a minute! Now I am not suggesting that you start running around wherever you go, but regular exercise is one of the best sleep aids around! 

It’s also free and healthy and has lots of good side effects. 

Take up a sport, go to the gym, or start regular walks. You won’t regret it! 

HAVE PEACEFUL EVENINGS: 

How many times don’t you hear parents saying to their kids “Calm down now, it’s nearly bedtime”. 

Or “You’d better stop running around – you won’t be able to fall asleep!” 

Perhaps you say this to your own children – with good reason! Do you follow your own advice? 

Or do you sit up watching thrillers (or even worse the news!) or finishing off the day’s work that you brought home from the office? 

Sound familiar? Try a different approach. 

Never watch TV while trying to fall asleep. 

Rather dim the lights while you get into a hot bath and put on some soothing music. 

Use aromatherapy in your home – in particular, lavender for its soporific properties. 

Be quiet and peaceful for the hour before you go to bed and your body will start to get the message! 

OTHER HINTS

Avoid all products with caffeine or sugar after 6pm. That means coffee, cola chocolate, and all 'soda pops' (fizzy drinks). 

Also, stay away from heavy meals at night. 

Your tummy will be too busy digesting to allow you to sleep well! 

Don't eat red meat, refined products, or lots of cheese. Go for pasta, grains, pulses, potatoes, and rice. 

Good evening or bedtime drinks are warm milk, lettuce extract, and chamomile tea (sleepy tea) - all safe and proven sleep aids. 

If you are really struggling, some herbal remedies to aid sleep are Valerian, Passiflora, and Kava Kava. 

Try to put these simple hints to the test for three weeks only. You will be surprised at the difference they make! 

Good night!

Read More

Prove Your Power: For A Long Life - Keep Your Life Simple!

 It may be too unsophisticated, but keeping your life simple is an important key to longevity. 

Aside from prolonging life, it makes a long life happy.

What is the purpose of a long life, if you spend most of it in illnesses?

A short life is better than a long life of being bedridden, medicine sustained and pierced by dozens of intravenous tubes.

In all the perplexities that are going on around, many people have forgotten how simple “simple” really is. 

They have forgotten that one key to a healthy life is being downright simple.

Simplicity is oftentimes so profound to other people that they do not believe it unless someone complicates it for them.

They find it hard to imagine that once upon a time, people lived comfortably and very happy — that satisfaction exists even without TV, air conditioners, or phones. 

They lived much longer and healthier lives long before the discovery of Science and Medicine. They don’t need some social science experts to tell them that needs are proportional to progress, and that needs cannot stay as they are while progress goes on, especially at a fast pace.

Well, some people have found the secrets to keeping simple while progress goes on running a crazy race around them..... 

We will see this later in this article....

This thing about life being complicated (and should be made complicated to enjoy it) has been impressed on people by media and by a “metropolitan culture” that says life is all about competing and coping up.

Daily, from every possible angle of attack, we are bombarded by manufactured suggestions that we cannot be simply simple — that you got to have this and that, and you got to be this and that — or be left behind by the majority and be worlds apart from the rest.

This is mostly the spirit of modern commercialism. 

Though not actually said, the mindset of “being simple is a sin” has become rampant.

In case you haven’t noticed, commercialism has become the strongest life pressure, and the strongest life killer! 

The pressures brought about by stressful competition can kill!

Recently, Australian health experts discovered that too much emotional and work-related pressures produce chemical reactions in the blood that later develop into fatal diseases like cancer.

According to physical therapists and massage therapy experts, pressures build up lumps in the body that constrict smooth blood flow. 

These constrictions produce your unexplained body aches that can later weaken your body defenses. They are harmful to your health.

Advocates of simple living say that Commercialism is blowing surface-deep physical and vain emotional needs out of proportion by tricking the conscience of people into believing that non-conformities to suggested and highlighted commercial needs are bad.

Simply put, it is saying, “You’re a loser if you don’t have this!”

Commercial needs are often for physical beauty, trendy accessories, fame, prestige, fashion, and other mundane, temporal, and non-essential things, all of which man can live without. 

These things excite and resurrect the spoiled brat in people. So, stop wasting time, trying to be like or have and go for a walk in a park, meet nature, and be grateful for yourself. Because in the end,

You only need you to be happy!

Read More

From the Couch to the Deathbed: Dr. Freud's approach to science

 In many Western countries, going to a psychiatrist for therapy and counseling is well-accepted as a means to maintain mental and emotional health.  

For most patients, the psychiatrist is considered a source of calmness, reason, and understanding.  

Seen as a professional counselor who possesses the right knowledge and skills about handling life problems and personal conflicts, the psychiatrist is often seen as the “last straw” of an emotionally disturbed and desperate patient. 

However, not too many people see psychiatrists as normal people who also encounter difficulties and struggles in life.   

In truth, at the very core, they are also vulnerable to pain and frustration.  

Known as the Father of Psychoanalysis, the famous psychiatrist Sigmund Freud was widely acclaimed for his writings and theories of psychology. 

Freud became an instant celebrity in different medical and psychological associations for his theory about the unconscious mind and how he believed that sexual desire was a strong determinant or motive for human thought and action. 

 Credited with such remarkable psychological concepts such as the id, ego, and the superego, Freud became a highly respected yet controversial figure in the European scientific community.  Even today, pictures of Freud are used in pop culture are symbols of human intellectual intricacy and discernment.  

In real life, according to his biographers, Freud also faced stress and anxiety in the same manner that his patients did.  

After carefully studying his early life, biographers believe that they have unlocked the secret to Freud's own secret fears and frustration, which would later become anchors to his theories. 

 As a young medical practitioner, Freud dissected hundreds of eels to look for “eel testicles.”  At that time, the origins, reproductive processes, and migratory behavior of eels were still mysteries that challenged the scientific community. 

 After failing to locate the reproductive organs of the eels, Freud abandoned his study and chose another field on which he could pour out his complete devotion as a man of science.  

His biographers often refer to this time in Freud's life as the starting point for the psychiatrist's focus on human sexuality. 

 In his writings, Freud conveyed his belief that sexual desire was somewhat a “motivational energy for life” and viewed psychosexual development as the explanation for specific human thought and behavior. 

 Aside from his work on psychosexual development, Freud was also concerned about overcoming depression through the use of cocaine.  

It is not widely known that the psychiatrist was a user of cocaine, a substance that he believed to be useful as a stimulant and cure for depression.  Long before antidepressant prescriptions were formulated and sold in pharmacies as doctor-prescribed drugs,  Freud was already convinced about the use of chemicals and other drug formulas to address emotional problems.  

Surely, if he were alive today, Freud's use of cocaine would be frowned upon and will be considered illegal.  In fact, recent journals have focused on the correlation between Freud's cocaine use and his preoccupation with sexual desire as a motivating factor.

Far from the pop image of the psychiatrist as a stable, rational dispenser of reason and understanding, Freud himself came to a point where he found no more reason to live.  Perhaps like many of his patients who came to him out of despair,  Freud also reached a point where he thought that no more help was available to him --- whether it was from the field of medicine or psychiatry. 

On September 23, 1939,  Freud asked his doctor-friend to assist him in committing suicide.  After almost a lifetime of helping other people deal with their own problems,  Freud chose to escape his own troubles through a morphine overdose.

Read More

Gaining Wealth and Success Without Climbing the Corporate Ladder

 Many people fall into depression because no matter how hard they work and no matter how much time they spend in the office, they are still far from being successful. 

While many see their jobs as a means of finding personal expression and fulfillment, the majority of people define their success in terms of money

 They try to put up with the endless loads of work, impossible deadlines, and work pressures --- yet doing all these have not brought them closer to financial security. To make matters worse, many successful executives and highly driven young professionals find themselves sick and tired all the time.

 The enormous toll on their health had made their job seem like a curse instead of a blessing. 

It is no wonder that millions of dollars are spent on health care each year due to stress and other work-related anxieties. The uncontrolled drive for success had brought not a few people to the emergency room or to the hospital to get both medical and psychiatric care. 

In America, millions of people work at least 40 to 60 hours a week. 

They do so because their success beliefs are anchored on the following premises: 

• Get good grades in school in order to get a good job. 
• Find a job in a large company or corporation. 
• Work hard in the office in order to get recognition and promotion, which entails getting a high salary. 
• Get the children through school and have enough retirement and pension money. 

This formula for success has been tried by millions yet not everyone gets to achieve their goals, at least in financial terms. 

In fact, some success finance and success gurus question the wisdom of the said formula. 

They think that there are other ways to attain success without the stress and anxiety of climbing the corporate ladder. 

One such guru who questions the effectiveness of the traditional approach is named Robert Kiyosaki. He is an investor, businessman, author, and motivational speaker. 

He is best known for his book entitled Rich Dad, Poor Dad. 

In his book, he tackles the two different sets of advice he received from his “rich dad” and “poor dad.” 

According to Kiyosaki, his “poor dad” was a smart and highly educated individual, who, nevertheless, failed to succeed financially. 

He said that his “rich dad” was not academically inclined but was very street-smart and financially adept. 

In his book, he also discusses the depression, stress, and anxiety that are encountered by many people who thought that their education and jobs would automatically guarantee financial success. 

Kiyosaki said that one of the most important questions that his “rich dad” asked him is: “Why do you work so hard for something you'll never own or can never pass on to your children?” 

That question said Kiyosaki, somehow leads one to think that having a stable job may not be the key to financial success after all. 

Kiyosaki also writes about a concept which he calls the 'Cashflow Quadrant.” 

The Cashflow Quadrant, according to Kiyosaki, spells out how money or wealth is generated by different types of people. 

To better understand the concept, picture a simple cross on a blank sheet of paper. On the top left quadrant, write the letter 'E” which stands for Employee. 

On the lower left quadrant, write a letter “S” which stands for the Small Business Owner or Self-Employed. 

On the upper right quadrant, write the letter “B” to mean Big Business. 

And on the lower right quadrant, right the letter “I” which stands for Investor. 

Kiyosaki says that many “E” people are resource-oriented in terms of their approach to work and their lives as well. 

To succeed, these people rely on their current resources: their academic degrees, cash on hand, secure job, physical health, etc. 

According to Kiyosaki, employees usually have this mindset. The “S” people, on the other hand, are able to generate their own income by having their own business. 

But according to Kiyosaki, the “E” and “S” people rarely succeed enough to have real wealth that would allow them to retire comfortably. These people are able to retire with some money but only after decades of hard work.

 Kiyosaki argues that being in these quadrants is not the best option since an employee can lose a job and his health which would then prevent him from doing his job. Small businessmen can encounter severe changes in the market that affects profit, or one's own company can fall into bankruptcy. 

In contrast, the people who belong to Big Business (“B”) and the Investors (“I”) are the ones who can really gain wealth. 

Where lies the difference? 

Big Businesses and investors achieve financial success because they are able to harness the expertise of other people. 

Unlike the self-employed or small business owners, the members of the “B” and “I” quadrants do not do all the work by themselves. 

They let the experts do the work based on their desired objectives or financial goals. 

Unlike people from the “E” and “S” quadrants who “work hard for the money,” the “B” and “I” people let their money work for them. 

In his books, Kiyosaki cites some financial instruments, strategies, and anecdotes on how people can make their money work for them. 

He discusses this concept using the term “active income vs. passive income.” 

The main point of his financial advice is that people should learn how to invest their money on assets such as real estate property that can be rented out so that they would have regular income even without working.

 He also mentions that since the value of the property depreciates, the amount of tax to be paid also decreases and does not pose any financial difficulty on the part of the investor in the long-term. 

Kiyosaki says that financial literacy and having the right mindset are important in order for people to know how they can choose the best path towards financial freedom.

 While Kiyosaki's books do not exactly show the step-by-step approach to financial success, he does provide very good motivational thoughts on how to avoid financial self-destruction.

 He focuses on improving one's mindset which includes moving from being resource-oriented to being opportunity-oriented. In a typical financial counseling session, Robert Kiyosaki would usually say that: 

“The size of your success is measured by the strength of your desire...the size of your dream...and how you handle disappointment along the way.” 

Indeed, the ability to handle disappointments is essential to one's emotional stability and physical health. Having the right mindset when it comes to finances and life itself is the key to real success. After all, financial success without health is simply a bad deal.

Read More

"A Better You" Your 7 days program for self-improvement

Is your self-esteem, on the rocky side?

Here are some helpful hints to improve, the better you in seven days.

I seem to lost count of how many times I've read and heard of celebrity marriages failing almost left and right.

 Not that I care (and personally I don't), it seems strange that we often see movie and TV stars as flawless people, living the fairytale life of riches and glamour. 

I suppose we all have to stop sticking our heads in the clouds and face reality.

There are many ways to lose your sense of self-esteem despite how trivial it could get. 

But whatever happens, we should all try not to lose our own sense of self.

So what does it take to be a cut above the rest? Here are some of the things you can think and improve on that should be enough for a week.

1. Know your purpose 

Are you wandering through life with little direction - hoping that you'll find happiness, health, and prosperity? 

Identify your life purpose or mission statement and you will have your own unique compass that will lead you to your truth north every time.

This may seem tricky at first when you see yourself to be in a tight or even dead end. 

But there's always that little loophole to turn things around and you can make a big difference to yourself.

2. Know your values 

What do you value most? 

Make a list of your top 5 values. 

Some examples are security, freedom, family, spiritual development, learning. 

As you set your goals for 2021? - check your goals against your values.

 If the goal doesn't align with any of your top five values - you may want to reconsider it or revise it.

The number shouldn't discourage you, instead, it should motivate you to do more than you can ever dream of.

3. Know your needs 

Unmet needs can keep you from living authentically. 

Take care of yourself. Do you have a need to be acknowledged, to be right, to be in control, to be loved? 

There are so many people who lived their lives without realizing their dreams and most of them end up being stressed or even depressed for that matter. 

List your top four needs and get them met before it's too late!

4. Know your passions 

You know who you are and what you truly enjoy in life. 

Obstacles like doubt and lack of enthusiasm will only hinder you, but will not derail your chance to become the person you ought to be. 

Express yourself and honor the people who have inspired you to become the very person you wanted to be.

5. Live from the inside out 

Increase your awareness of your inner wisdom by regularly reflecting in silence. 

Commune with nature. Breathe deeply to quiet your distracted mind. 

For most of us city slickers, it's hard to even find the peace and quiet we want even in our own home. 

In my case, I often just sit in a dimly lit room and play some classical music. 

There's sound, yes, but music does soothe the savage beast.

6. Honor your strengths 

What are your positive traits? What special talents do you have? 

List three - if you get stuck, ask those closest to you to help identify these. 

Are you imaginative, witty, good with your hands? Find ways to express your authentic self through your strengths. 

You can increase your self-confidence when you can share what you know with others.

7. Serve others 

When you live authentically, you may find that you develop an interconnected sense of being. 

When you are true to who you are, living your r purpose and giving of your talents to the world around you, you give back in service what you came to share with others -your spirit - your essence. 

The rewards for sharing your gift with those close to you is indeed rewarding, much more if it were to be the eyes of a stranger who can appreciate what you have done to them.

Self-improvement is indeed one type of work that is worth it. 

It shouldn't always be within the confines of an office building, or maybe in the four corners of your own room. 

The difference lies within ourselves and how much we want to change for the better.

Read More