The Day I Took Control

Acid-suppressing medications, artificial sweeteners, and acidic foods, such as hard cheeses and refined carbohydrates, may reduce alkaline phosphatase's protective ability. In contrast, green leafy vegetables, fruits, fish, butter, fibers, fish, and seeds appear to increase intestinal alkaline phosphatase and detoxify endotoxin. HOW STRONG IS YOUR GUT? While most of the more than one hundred trillion microbes residing in our gut are friendly, there are some rough characters (like endotoxin) in the mix that must be kept in check by our intestinal barrier and our gut immune system. However, research suggests that increased permeability of the intestinal barrier is independently associated with abdominal fat. Or at least that's what it's supposed to do. An abundance of research has connected a compromised intestinal barrier with many of the same ubiquitous, modern-day health conditions also associated with imbalanced gut microflora, including autoimmune disorders, cancer, mood disorders, and fat storage and blood-sugar imbalances. In 2011, research published in the journal Obesity revealed for the first time that the permeability of the intestinal wall is associated with abdominal and liver fat. When bacteria (or bacterial fragments like endotoxin) are able to slip between the cells lining the intestinal wall and enter the sterile environment of your bloodstream, your immune system reacts, causing inflammation and predisposing you to metabolic imbalances and chronic health problems. Basic Massage: Acupressure (light pressure, 1 to 2) Hold LI4, the point on the back of the hand in the webbing where the thumb and index finger meet. Avoid this point if your partner is pregnant, as it can induce labor. This point relieves pain of all kinds, including hand, wrist, neck, and back pain. Hold SI3, the point just below the pinky finger where the palm creases when your hand makes a loose fist. This point is useful for neck and back pain, headache, red and painful eyes, and hand pain. Hold pressure in the webbing between each finger, using your thumb and index finger on both sides of your partner's hand. These points are effective for hand pain and osteoarthritis in the hands. A s we move to a more sedentary lifestyle, particularly with the advent of office and computer work and long work commutes, the muscles in the front of our hips and our buttocks get short, tight, and tense, causing hip and sciatic pain. This article provides a basic sequence plus basic and advanced massage techniques and tips to relieve pain from the following common ailments in our hips. The reality is probably closer to `this may give you a face full of spots, either because the ingredients are comedogenic (block pores), or your skin does not like some of the ingredients'.

The odd whitehead (ie a proper, traditional spot) appearing after using a new product is no big deal. An angry red face with a mixture of swollen, won't-come-to-a-head spots, cysts, whiteheads and blackheads is not `purging'. It's your skin begging you to stop whatever it is you are doing. Listen to it. Personally, even if my skin was bubbling under the surface like a dormant volcano, I'd rather treat it gently. I do not want to use something that makes it erupt. Hey ho, that's just moi. SKINCARE MYTH HAVING SPOTS MEANS YOU HAVE ACNE, OR OILY/COMBINATION SKIN He placed his manuscript on his inner altar and moved on to another project. Two weeks later, the article was accepted by a major publisher for a substantial advance. Turning to his agent he said, I want to thank whoever is responsible, because it certainly wasn't me. It is good to realize that we do not have to do everything alone. Help is available. Invisible hands come to support us at the right time. As the psalmist assures us, Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee. Affirmations When I have done all I can, I turn over the outcome to God. I release my attachment to the results. One question I get a lot is Why money?

I had other professions and businesses before starting my organization Live Out Loud. One of them was personal trainer, because I understand how important it is to be healthy and be well. Early on, though, I realized that if people were wealthy, they could do a lot more with their lives--expand their options, including ways to be healthier and happier. While money may not be the most important thing in life, it certainly can have the most impact. That's why education in pursuit of financial freedom has been my focus. The only difference between those who have money and those without it is that those who have money know the key to generating and maintaining wealth, and those who don't, don't. As in every arena, education can save lives. That's why I go around the globe and teach, sharing the truth about financial freedom. I also felt that I had no choice. Instead of judging myself or dismissing my feelings, I can be more compassionate with myself and acknowledge what I'm experiencing. Loneliness happens to many moms. Right now, I'm feeling lonely. Responding to myself with kindness and understanding is important--I can decide the steps to take to move through this feeling. Moving Beyond the Shadows TIP #1: ASK QUESTIONS TO CREATE SELF-AWARENESS. Take a moment to identify the specific feeling you're experiencing. Alone or Isolated Do I have difficulty spending time with friends or family because of the phase of life I'm in, or because of our busy schedules? If I feel isolated from supportive people in my life, is there a way we can be together more often? SEND OUT FUZZY FEELINGS

Don't you just adore the warm, fuzzy feelings you get from spending time with people you love? Fuzzy feelings make your chest feel warm, soften your heart, and bring you a wonderful sense of contentment. You might not have felt these feelings in a while. If not, that's okay--we're going to cultivate them with this meditation! First, bring up some of these fuzzy feelings. If you have a significant other, a child, or another person that is near and dear to you, bring them to mind. Think about some of your best moments with this person, moments in which you felt peace and joy and love during your time with them. Gather these feelings and visualize holding them in your hands. Next, take your hands and grab onto the edges of these feelings, then start slowly moving your hands apart. Every time I come into the bedroom, I feel happy. The high side of bipolar disorder leads past euphoria to a distinct downside that requires intervention. If people around you start to comment or complain, it's an important signal that the high has reached a clinical level that requires professional attention--But I've never felt better in my life! Consider these hallmark symptoms: Your mood changes, so you feel either unusually good or optimistic, or else irritable and argumentative. You feel little need for sleep, and may get two or more hours less sleep than usual nightly. You're fidgety and distractible, and your thoughts race so quickly your speech can barely keep up with them. You are sure you're being creative and insightful, even if you're not. You're impulsive with people and activities, and strike up conversations with strangers and long-lost acquaintances, volunteer for way too many assignments at work, spend a fortune shopping, or have flings you would normally never dream of. No individual with bipolar disorder will show all these symptoms, but that's what to look out for, in yourself and in those around you. Anyone who has been through an exam week in college knows firsthand how sleep debt can catch up with you!

Your circadian rhythm is a 24-hour cycle of biological processes that has an intricate relationship with your sleep-wake cycle. Your brain is in control of these processes, which are carried out through the release of hormones that rise and fall, depending on the time of day. Some hormones, like cortisol, increase in the morning as you wake up and provide the energy you need to get through the day. In contrast, melatonin increases a couple hours before bed and promotes drowsiness to induce sleep. There are many factors that impact your circadian rhythm, but one of the most powerful is the light-dark cycle. Exposure to bright light (especially daylight) during the daytime and complete darkness at night helps our body regulate this cycle. There are many factors that can disrupt your circadian rhythm, which can cause sleepiness during the day and wakefulness at night. We'll be discussing these later on in the article. SLEEP AND HEALING If the intestinal epithelial cells are bricks, then tight junction proteins are the mortar holding them together. Since 2001, Alessio Fasano, MD, a pediatric endocrinologist who founded the University of Maryland Center for Celiac Research, has been one of the most vocal researchers about the connection between zonulin deregulation, leaky gut, and the development of autoimmune diseases, such as irritable bowel syndrome and celiac disease. This appears to occur because a leaky gut activates a variety of immune messengers, altering insulin function and predisposing the body to obesity and insulin resistance, leading to prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. KEY TAKEAWAYS Modern scientists have confirmed what John Pickup, MD, proposed over fifteen years ago: type 2 diabetes is as much a disorder of the immune system as the metabolic system. Several years later, researchers confirmed Pickup's findings: elevated blood levels of two inflammatory compounds--C reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6)--are strongly correlated with the development of adult-onset type 2 diabetes. It is this chronic, albeit low-grade, activation of the immune system that leads to the kind of inflammation linked to obesity and diabetes. For the first time, in 2010, scientists reported that chronic inflammation related to increased body weight starts as early as age three. Certainly, one of the many consequences associated with ingesting processed foods--namely refined sugars, carbohydrates, excessive fats, and alcohol--is obesity and insulin resistance. Rather, they disturb the delicate cross talk between gut microflora and the intestinal barrier, leading to a cascade of immune system disruptions. Hips Sequence