Depression and anxiety can cause your life to feel like it’s caving in on you and you have nowhere to run. While these conditions often exist together and can create deep rivers of stress that flow throughout various areas of your life, there are natural remedies that can help reduce and even eliminate the negativity. Consider the following methods for reducing anxiety and depression.
Create Routines and Goals
When you’re depressed, everything feels like a struggle. It is for precisely this reason that structured routines and clearly-defined goals can help you wade through the muck. In addition, structure gives you something to fall back on when motivation lags. Finally, setting goals can help you keep your eye on something you look forward to in the future, something to work toward. Anticipation promotes optimism.
Exercise
While rigorous exercise produces endorphins, even something as simple as a short walk can calm your mood and provide a heart-healthy boost. The body craves movement, so everything from dance to weight training to yoga increases your health and well-being. Depressed individuals are less likely to feel motivated to exercise, and this is precisely why they should. Getting out and moving can often help shake off a dark mood, and the satisfaction of accomplishing something mentally and physically challenging can be a boost unto itself. Getting out and moving in nature is even better! Nature has been proven to alleviate depression simply by being in the midst of it.
Reboot Your Diet
We are what we eat, and for those with chronic depression, food becomes particularly important. Depression and anxiety can originate from poor nutrition, so making sure you are getting enough B vitamins, magnesium, calcium, and vitamin D are essential to balancing your mood and evening out your emotional responses. For individuals living in the Pacific Northwest, Vitamin D is particularly important, as we do not activate our natural stores as often due to reduced sun exposure during the long, rainy winter months. A naturopathic physician can help you develop self-care routines and examine your diet in more detail, aiding you in determining what best to eliminate from your diet and what to keep.
Increase Sleep
There’s a reason that cults use sleep deprivation to emotionally manipulate their members. Missed sleep can produce highly detrimental states of mind, particularly in those who are prone to depression. When you are exhausted, you’re much less likely to ignore the lure of negative thinking. In addition, you’ll have less energy to seek productive, mood-enhancing behaviors like exercise and natural healing. Aim for 8 hours per night for positive results.
Stay Involved in Your Life
Depressed individuals often fall off the wagon in terms of keeping up with friends, participating in activities they love, etc. However, these are the very uplifting exchanges that are vital for feeling supported and loved. Do your best to engage in conversation or activity with one person you care about every single day, and do your best to continue to attend to your job and your various responsibilities. The more you invest in your life, the more it will give back.
Eliminate Negative Thinking
Negative thoughts cause negative feelings. Vow to identify and reduce all negative thinking by keeping a thought journal. Each time you experience a negative feeling, identify the thought behind it. Then, create a positive, believable thought with which to replace it. By running through your mental patterns, you’ll be more likely to maintain a positive outlook and move forward with enthusiasm.
Depression and anxiety can be strong adversaries, but you are always stronger. Consider the above strategies your guide to natural health and wellbeing!
Are you beginning to feel eyestrain from staring at your laptop screen for hours on end? Are you having headaches, too? You’ve been putting off that visit to your ophthalmologist, haven’t you? The visit to the doctor can probably wait if you make some necessary changes to your diet. Here are some salads you could include in your diet that will benefit your eye health:
Chicken Chopped Salad
The chicken chopped salad is both appealing and appetizing. The brightly colored vegetables, along with the lean meat, prove to be an extremely healthy meal option. They are loaded with lutein, zeaxanthin, vitamins E and C, as well as the mineral zinc that prevents retinal damage and consequent loss of vision.
Ingredients:
one cup of romaine lettuce chopped up into bite-sized bits
1-2 cups of cooked chicken
one cup of baby spinach
½ cup of frozen peas
½ an orange pepper – diced
¼ cup of slivered almonds
½ an orange, peeled and chopped
Dressing:
¼ cup of nonfat Greek yogurt
1 garlic clove – minced
1 tablespoon of curry powder
Juice from the remaining 1/2 orange.
Prepare the dressing in a separate container by mixing all the ingredients and whisking till you have a smooth, creamy consistency. Next, throw all the other ingredients in a large bowl and drizzle the vinaigrette over it. Mix well and season with salt and pepper.
Springtime Green Salad
Green salad is the perfect option for a summer afternoon. It also provides several nutrients that are beneficialfor your eyes.
Ingredients:
one English cucumber
2 granny smith apples
one lime – peeled
4 cups of baby spinach leaves
4 cups of baby kale
2 cups of thawed frozen peas or fresh peas
2-3 cups of loosely packed mint leaves
Dressing:
1 ½ cups of plain, non-fat Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon of honey
Rinse the cucumber, spinach, kale, peas, mint leaves, and the lime. Next, peel the cucumber and finely chop it. Also, chop the spinach, kale and mint leaves haphazardly. Put all these ingredients in a bowl and add yogurt honey to it. Mix well. Squeeze the lime and add slivered almonds to garnish. The cucumber in the salad will leave you refreshed while spinach and kale will aid digestion and skin health.
Deli- Styled Kale Salad
Kale is a rich source of lutein and zeaxanthin that help keep your eyes healthy and prevent ocular damage or cataracts.
Ingredients:
2 cups of kale cut into 2 in strips
an onion – cut in half and then thinly sliced
one cup of roasted and sliced almonds
3 peaches sliced
¾ cup of gold raisins
Vinagrette:
½ cup of apple cider vinegar
1 and ½ tablespoons of Dijon mustard
1 and ½ cup of extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon of honey
First, prepare the greens by cleaning and chopping the kale. Next, slice the peaches and the onion, and toast the almonds and slice them. Prepare the vinaigrette. Keep whisking so that the ingredients mix properly. Season with salt and pepper. Lastly, combine all the ingredients together by adding the vinaigrette to the kale, peaches, onions, and almonds. Toss well and allow the salad for sit for some time before serving. Kale can take a little time to break down and become soft. You can garnish the salad with some crumbled cottage cheese.
Editor’s Note: If you are in a hurry, pour a little of your olive oil onto the kale and massage it into the leaves with your fingers. This takes a minute or so to soften the leaves.
Romaine Salad
Romaine lettuce is an excellent source of vitamin K, vitamin A, and folate and it is a good source of other nutrients as well. Vitamin A is essential for healthy eyes.
Ingredients:
2 cups of Romaine lettuce chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 cup of radicchio that has been chopped into bite-sized bits
1 cup of thinly sliced fennel bulb
some freshly cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons of freshly chopped parsley or cilantro
2 tablespoons of thyme
2 tablespoons of fennel leaves
Dressing:
1/2 cup of olive oil
3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon of lemon
1 tablespoonDijon mustard
1 tablespoon maple syrup
Add all the ingredients in a large bowl and drizzle the salad dressing. Keep mixing and season with sea salt and pepper. Allow the salad to sit for some time before serving. This will ensure that the vegetables absorb the flavor from the dressing. It will also ensure that the nutrients of the romaine lettuce and other vegetables are more easily absorbed by your body.
Conclusion
Salads are an extremely healthy addition to your diet. All colorful vegetables and fruits are rich sources of antioxidants and vitamins that ensure good eye health. They also contain adequate amounts of dietary fiber that facilitate weight management. With these salads, you would be protecting your vision as well as ensuring weight loss. That’s killing two birds with one stone!
Eleven Essential Oils That Help Fight Lyme Disease
Lyme disease is a shockingly common condition that infects more than 200,000 people in the U.S. each year. Out of all the people who suffer from Lyme disease symptoms, only 20% are correctly diagnosed, according to research. More and more people are mistakenly identified with other health conditions and do not receive the proper treatment.
Lyme disease is caused by bacteria carried by ticks. It is an inflammatory illness that has symptoms like headaches, rashes, chills, and fever. When left untreated, the condition may worsen to develop cardiac symptoms, neurological conditions, and arthritis. Lyme disease can be a life-changing illness.
At present, there is still no medical treatment available for the full treatment of Lyme disease. Antibiotics are prescribed to treat Lyme disease during its early stages. Treatment for chronic Lyme disease (when symptoms last for more than six months) is yet to be discovered. In many parts of the world, essential oils are being used to cure this illness naturally.
Essential Oils To Help Fight Lyme Disease
Essential oils are pure extracts from natural substances and materials like plants, roots, and other liquids. Since they do not contain artificial ingredients that usually carry toxins and harmful substances, essential oils have been used to treat various chronic and sensitive illnesses. These wonders of nature have been used for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine. Their use would not have continued if they were not so effective.
Clove Oil – One of the strongest and most potent antimicrobial substance that is extracted primarily for dentistry purposes, clove oil is both an analgesic and an antiseptic. It also has a very high capacity in terms of oxygen radical absorbance and is capable of fighting borrelia and bartonella infections.
Thyme, Marjoram, Oregano – All of which are antibacterial and also used for different infections, thyme, marjoram, and oregano are effective against Lyme disease.
Frankincense – A muscle relaxant, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, and immune-stimulant in one, Frankincense is one of the most popular essential oils used for curing Lyme disease. Basically, it reduces the inflammation of the affected parts and contributes to the control and regulation of immune-system reactions. Mixing it with 2 drops of oregano and coconut oil for topical application on the feet during the day is an innovative way to continue your treatment without bothering others with the smell. Internally, take 2 drops of this essential oil each day, which you can combine with clove, lemongrass, and helichrysum for better results.
Cinnamon – This aromatic oil is not only good for relaxing the mood, it is also a powerful antimicrobial substance that cures Lyme disease.
Tea Tree Oil – This essential oil is known to be very effective in liquefying and removing biofilms, the thin film of bacteria that settles on a surface. It is a very good antibacterial that works hand-in-hand with clove to deliver the best treatment outcomes.
Rosemary, Lavender, Rose, Geranium – These lovely and aromatic plants, when extracted as essential oils, are known for their ability to stop the infectious borrelia from communicating with each other. Therefore, they are helpful in preventing relapse or reactivity in the long run.
Endless Possibilities With Natural Essential Oils
Essential oils can either be ingested (one to 3 drops every day) or applied on the surface of the skin generously. Since they are known to be concentrated substances essential oils should be carefully handled. A few drops can be very strong. Improper use can cause serious health problems.
As a side note, please make sure you are using an essential oil brand that is truly 100% pure and organic, free of any kind of synthetics.
Nevertheless, since essential oils are purely natural, they do not bear side effects that, as a whole, worsen the situation instead of helping the patient recover. To learn more about essential oils, subscribe to our email updates to get 2 free audiobooks on essential oils and a 9-day free essential oil eCourse.
It’s not a topic of polite conversation. It is wildly unpopular to criticize circumcision, and even more unpopular to call it what it is – genital mutilation. Whether the procedure is called genital mutilation or circumcision depends upon one’s country of origin and cultural influences.
Despite the innocuous and innocent sounding word for it, circumcision is a violation of our human rights regardless of whether the victim is a boy or a girl. The argument that circumcision is a matter of personal choice is semantically erroneous and illogical, infants do not consent to medical procedures, the parents do. Almost no one would consent to having so much of their genitals removed unless it were absolutely necessary. So of course, that is the lie told by medical professionals, that it is a necessary and beneficial medical procedure.
When discussing circumcision, many celebrities use profanity, because they have strong feelings about the subject. This is understandable; circumcision is a torturous, irreversible procedure. Doctors and nurses routinely lie to parents, telling them their baby slept through the procedure. In routine infant circumcision, anesthesia is rarely used (for fear of complications arising from the anesthesia), and more often than not, the infant goes into shock from the pain. Pro circumcision advocates want to push circumcision on infants, because babies cannot say no.
Alicia Silverstone
I was raised Jewish, so the second my parents found out they had a male grandchild, they wanted to know when we’d be having a bris (the circumcision ceremony traditionally performed 8 days after a baby boy is born). When I said we weren’t having one, my dad got a bit worked up. He couldn’t understand why not – I mean, it’s what our people have been doing for a really long time. Then he started listing reasons for doing it, like uncircumcised penises were hard to keep clean and can get infected, and that it doesn’t hurt the baby – although I’m pretty sure most babies scream and cry at their bris. But my thinking was: If little boys were supposed to have their penises ‘fixed,’ did that mean we were saying that God made the body imperfect? He made all this incredible stuff, and then he just happened to make the penis wrong?
… All those old ideas about why not to do it are totally outdated. A recent review by the American Academy of Pediatrics looked at the data from the past decades to see if there were really, truly any medical benefits to circumcision. Their conclusion? Nope! (2) And according to baby doctor genius and father of eight, Dr. William Sears, not only are there no medical benefits to circumcision, there are actually some pretty weighty drawbacks. The foreskin is packed with nerves (more than any other organ, actually), and removing it can diminish sexual pleasure. It helps protect the head of the penis, which, while also super-sensitive, was meant to be an internal organ. When it is exposed and is constantly rubbing up against clothing, it can become desensitized, which is also bad news when your son starts getting frisky.
Then there are the risks associated with what it is, in truth, a minor surgery: hemorrhage, infection, septicemia, gangrene, disfigurement, or, if too much foreskin is removed, the need for skin grafting later in life.
In case you’re still not convinced that you wouldn’t be committing your child to a life of bad Hebraic karma, consider that in Israel more and more parents are opting to celebrate the first week in their baby’s life with a brit shalom (the “covenant of peace”), a ritual alternative to circumcision.
Mario Lopez
Mario Lopez and his wife Courtney Mazza didn’t see eye to eye on circumcision.
In their reality television show, Saved by the Baby, they aired their dirty laundry while putting away clean laundry.
Mazza:‘Cause I feel like some of the decisions you’re making, regarding the baby are your choice.
Mario Lopez:What are you talking about?
Mazza:Well ‘sighs’ the main thing that has been bothering me is the circumcision.
Mario:What’s bothering you about it?
Mazza:I don’t know how I feel about that, and every time we talk about it you shoot me down.
Mario:Well hold on, that’s not, I’m sorry babe but that’s not up for discussion. That-
Mazza:How is that not up for discussion?
Mario:Because-
Mazza:Did you make the baby yourself? Aren’t you worried about what people are going to think?
Mario:What do you mean what people are going to think?! What do you think of me? It didn’t hurt me.
Mazza:Well to be completely honest it was awkward for me.
Mario:What do you mean it was awkward?!
Mazza:Yeah it looks like a turtleneck.
Mario:I didn’t hear you complain! Oh really? Now it’s awkward?
Mazza:Well what am I going to say! I was thinking to myself, “What the hell is that?!”
Mario:Hey news flash by the way, this the way all men are born. I can’t believe you are even debating me on this. This is not debatable.
In an interview with Wendy Williams, Mario Lopez explained why it was so important to him to leave his son intact.
… So I said if we were having a boy that I didn’t want him to be circumcised. Because I don’t think that God makes mistakes and it’s not an optional part. And I know some of the women are probably like “Oh!” but believe it or not that’s the way a man is naturally born.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fu_uYwDx_H8
Craig Ferguson
While interviewing a physician on his show, Craig brought a succinct argument in favor of leaving boys intact.
Craig:Did you read in the news last week that the city of San Francisco is considering, banning circumcision?
Dr. Masterson:Yeah and again but you know that’s a personal choice. And I talk to my patients, as an obstetrician I talk to my patients a lot about this. And really there’s a lot of health benefits, and some risk benefits but it’s really a social procedure. So you really have to decide do you want your son to look like you? Do you, you know is it a cultural thing? Is it a social thing?
(Obviously, she has a skewed perception of personal choice. When an infant is circumcised, parental choice has taken away personal choice).
And later in the conversation…
Craig Ferguson:But couldn’t you achieve the same effect (the health benefits of circumcision) by washing your pee pee on a regular basis?
Dr. Masterson:You absolutely could.
Craig: So we’re talking, you could have this chopped off or you can wash it. Your call.
Dr. Masterson:Exactly.
Craig: [sarcastically] That’s a tough choice there doctor I don’t know!
Howard Stern
I am so against circumcision. You know that’s a man-made fucking thing. It’s got to cut down on your sensitivity, on your penis. I’m circumcised because you know I grew up in America, that’s what they do. They cut you, but it’s got to be wrong.
…I am circumcised, and I tell you something, I despise it. I despise it. I despise it.
… I rue the day my parents mutilated me.
…You know, my mother is so into ‘natural’ everything. “The body is beautiful.” You should hear the rap. The body is beautiful; we should leave things natural. So, she wouldn’t get me braces. My teeth were as crooked as a four-way intersection in Washington DC, and green, and bu-bu-bu- wouldn’t get me braces. My teeth were so wrecked because “naturally the body will heal itself.” She’s like a Christian Scientist. But the penis? Right out the window! I am completely pissed off that I’m circumcised.
…I know my penis was mutilated and I called my mother … I said to my mother the other night, I’m really freaked out by this circumcision thing. I think that I was mutilated. I think my penis would have a lot more sensitivity. … I’m talkin’ to my mother and I said, Why did you have me circumcised, exactly?
She goes, “You know, at the time I didn’t even know why. They took my baby from me and they said you know,” ‘This is something you gotta do.’… caught up in the whole tradition, cause my, you know, my father was was like, ‘Hey, he’s gotta be circumcised, he’s gotta look like me.’
And my mother goes, “I just remember being so out of it that, I knew it was the wrong thing, I knew it shouldn’t be done, somewhere in the back of my mind, but how dare I buck the system?”
I go, “Well Gee! You’re such a loudmouth on everything else, why weren’t you a loudmouth on this?”
Gerard Butler
In an interview with Howard Stern he was asked if he was circumcised. His response was:
No! We don’t do that!
…Never having been circumcised I can’t say but all I know is for me it’s very sensitive, and when I’m having sex that’s the amazing thing.
Cameron Diaz
Apparently it’s very uncomfortable for people to hear how it works when you have to clamp on the foreskin, pull it over, and then slice it off. Yeah, that apparently is really uncomfortable for people to hear. Yeah, but I think it’s important to know. It’s sort of like, it’s the same way, America is the same way about their beef. They just want it delivered in a Styrofoam package with saran wrap over it. They don’t want to know how it got to you. [It’s] the same thing with circumcision.
Joe Rogan
It’s a weird fucking tradition that we need to end. People get really bad infections. It’s not, it’s not completely innocuous. Kids have lost their penises because, because of circumcision. It’s not common. Yeah man for what? To dress up his dick with a knife? It’s a dick; it’s not a Jack O’ Lantern. You don’t have to chop parts off of it to make it look better. That’s stupid.
…It’s a gross thing isn’t it man? It’s a weird thing that people still cut babies dicks. There’s no logic to it at all. No science. All that nonsense about stopping AIDS. Go Fuck yourself. You’re not stopping AIDS by cutting dicks. By the way you’re not getting AIDS from not washing your dick. That’s nonsense. You’ve got no statistics to back that up. It’s one of those things where it was done to us, and women say, “It looks gross, so cut it”. It’s a really fucked up situation that we still have to deal with this.
…We’re weird about visuals man. People mutilate their kids’ dicks because of visuals. That’s what circumcision is about. A lot of people… Look, I’m circumcised. I didn’t ask to be. I’m sure a lot of you are circumcised, and I’m sure a lot of you circumcise your kids. But when you really stop and think about it, its kind of fucking crazy. I only have daughters but me and my wife got in an argument about this shit and she goes if we have a kid and it was a boy, I would want him to be circumcised. I go, “Why?!” she goes cause uncut dicks are disgusting. I’m like how many have you seen?! It was so confident. It wasn’t like she’d seen two that weren’t that pretty and she was holding out, hoping for a cute one. It was like, ‘No, I’ve fucking seen them, Noooo. No, no.’ I’m just picturing a river of sleepy uncut dicks in her past, just. I’m like what are you saying? That’s ridiculous, what it looks. No, no, no, no, no, it looks gross. It’s all this extra skin. I’m like do you even know what a vagina looks like? Are you serious here? Have you ever been sober and squatted down in front of a mirror and taken a good assessment of what the fuck you’re packing? Because let me tell you something, the extra skin might be the best-looking part of that contraption. Because if you pull that apart, you’ve got the predator’s mouth! All right, and you’re really giving me a hard time about some extra dick skin?
John Leguizamo
[My wife and I] talked about it, and I said there’s no way they’re going to be circumcised, and she was totally cool with it. It’s a beautiful thing. It’s not medically necessary at all. Actually, from what I’ve read, guys lose feeling by doing that. I want my son to have all the feeling he can have. Growing up in New York City, a lot of my friends weren’t circumcised, and my dad’s not circumcised and none of my family members are circumcised, so to me that was normal. When I saw some white kids circumcised, it looked like a mutilated monster. It was weird to me…it was really bizarre.
Colin Farrell
[Women] They are kind of fucking fascinated with a foreskin, aren’t they? In Ireland, at birth we don’t get the tip of our fucking knobs chopped off. I fucking completely disagree with that. People say, “It’s much cleaner to have no foreskin.” What, have you never heard of a fucking shower? Of Q-Tips? Whatever you want to do, just clean the fucking thing. I was at the party with 20 people, one of them an agent from CAA, when somehow the subject of foreskins came up. She said, “I just don’t understand a foreskin. I’ve never seen one.” So I whipped out my dick and said, “Here, that’s all it is. A bit of skin.” I did a little Puppetry of the Penis thing and showed her what it was about. You would have thought she was at a circus the way she was looking at me.
Dustin Hoffman
Sometimes they say someone shouldn’t be circumcised because it’s more natural and they should be circumcised because of hygiene. But the argument against that is if you wanna clean under your nails, you don’t cut your nails off.
Ben Affleck
“I hate circumcisions! Get enough in me, and I’ll tell you how much I hate them!”
Roseanne Barr
Jews must cease circumcising their male infants! It is a barbaric and backward cult mind control technique that produces ill effects in adults.
Sara Gilbert
Only 32.5 percent of babies are being cut these days, so [an intact baby] will be in the majority if you don’t do it.
Russell Brand
We don’t do it in England. It’s just more like, people don’t worry about it. They just, they just let it go, that sort of thing. … It’s a bit unfair, isn’t it, to do that to babies? I mean, you’re alive a little while, start chopping bits of his dick off. I don’t think God cares about that. He’s got a lot [going] on.
Daniel Tosh
Just for the record…I always wish I wasn’t circumcised.
Billy Joel
I got the, ah, ‘snip’, and I had nothing to say about that. And I’m still a little pissed off about that, actually. They should have asked first.
In the lyrics his song, So Long, Reverend Ike, he sang, “My circumcision grieves me.”
Russell Crowe
Russell Crowe is from New Zealand, though he’s lived most of his life in Australia. Circumcision is uncommon in both countries. Russell Crowe is a father of two intact boys. On Twitter he let his views on circumcision be known.
Proud to have my foreskin. It’s cold in Ireland. It’s like a turtleneck – but for my penis.
[I have] Many Jewish friends. I love my Jewish friends. I love the apples and the honey and the funny little hats, but stop cutting your babies.
Circumcision is barbaric and stupid. Who are you to correct nature? Is it real that GOD requires a donation of foreskin? Babies are perfect.
I will always stand for the perfection of babies. I will always believe in God, not man’s interpretation of what God requires.
Same as tattoos, plastic surgery. He is an adult and he “wants” it then off you go. Mothers were right to keep their babies intact.
Last of it, if you feel it is your right to cut things off your babies please unfollow and f**k off. I’ll take attentive parenting over barbarism.
When one of his fans tweeted him asking him if she should get her son circumcised he had a firm reply as to why she shouldn’t mutilate her son.
Twitter follower ‘Picknic11’ asked him: Do you think I should get him circumstanced?’
He replied, Here’s a life rule, if you can’t spell it, don’t do it.
Conclusion
Circumcision cannot be undone. Most of us have heard the casual dismissal, “Almost everyone is circumcised so it doesn’t matter.” Our contention is that it does matter. It is blatantly sexist to refer to female circumcision as genital mutilation and then to pretend that male circumcision is not mutilation as well. There are more erotogenic nerve endings in the foreskin than in any other part of the body, the clitoris included. The latest statistics we have seen places American circumcised newborns at 55%. But that means that 55% of America’s youngest generation will never know what sex with their entire penis would feel like. What’s worse is that the removal of foreskin robs both partners of sensation, though much more so for the man.
Far too often we also hear the argument that circumcision prevents disease.
Sadly, there aren’t any parts of the body that come with a lifetime guarantee against disease. Breasts can become cancerous, fingers can become arthritic, toenails can become ingrown, earlobes can develop malignant melanomas. Males are far more likely to have serious problems with their appendix than with an intact penis. If disease prevention is insufficient justification for the amputation of fingers, breasts, or the removal of toenails or the appendix, then we should take a moment to ask why routine infant circumcision is really done. If it doesn’t make sense to amputate or remove other body parts upon birth, then there is also insufficient justification for the amputation of foreskins. Male foreskin serves many purposes beyond heightened sensation. It also protect the glans, and this helps to maintain sensation later in life.
If we are to continue the practice of circumcision, then we must continue on our own terms as consenting adults. Parents cannot remove other body parts or tattoo their children upon birth. Why is this human rights violation still tolerated?
If you have MS, it is long past time for you to choose to eat the healthiest possible diet. Let’s face it, your immune system is in free fall. It is so confused, it is attacking the myelin sheath that coats your nerves and possibly your nerves as well. You know how serious this is. You know the devastation this disease can do to your body. Are you willing to do all you can do to heal your immune system? If the answer is yes, your diet is key.
The healthiest diet is a plant-based diet consisting of 80% fresh, raw, organic produce – more vegetables than fruits.
Avoid These Foods If You Have MS
Any “food” that contains the following:
Artificial flavoring
Artificial color
Preservatives
MSG
Trans Fats
Sugar
High fructose corn syrup
Gluten (Which means no wheat including kamut, faro, spelt, durum, bulgur, or semolina and no barley, rye, or triticale. Oats may be a problem, too.)
Dairy
Caffeine
Canola
Soy
GMOs
Any foods you have had an allergic reaction to
In other words, cut out all processed foods. Choose whole foods, organic foods filled with nutrients.
Be Sure To Eat The Following Foods
A wide variety of healthy fats (be sure you get enough omega3 fatty acids)
A wide variety of produce (make salads with 15 or more veggies!)
Foods that continually detox the body like garlic, onions, cilantro, ginger, and turmeric
Lots of pure water
Consider the Following Supplements
B Complex vitamins high in B-12
Vitamin D
Coenzyme Q10
Multi-vitamins and minerals
If you are willing to do the work, you can get healthy. It all starts with giving the body the nutrients it needs to heal itself. If you have MS, you have a sick gut. This diet will help you heal the gut. You can’t do it part way. You need to learn all you can about true health and you need to practice what you learn. Yes, this means you will overhaul your diet, but you will feel so much better, so fast.
Let’s redefine a pick me up. Reaching for a cup of coffee or donut is fast and easy, and while the pick me up is quick, you’ll end up paying for it later. Not only do conventionally processed snacks lead to an energy crash later, they have a deleterious effect on your overall health and mood in the long run.
Your gut is the key to overall health and functions like a second nervous system due to the amount of neurotransmitters produced there. Studies are increasingly finding that what you eat plays a huge role in lowering your anxiety and boosting your mood. The more willing you are to choose a healthy, whole-food treat over a nutrient-empty, quick fix, the more you’ll reap the benefits – both now and later.
Here are a few snacks that can bring you the boost you’re looking for.
Chocolate
Let’s start with an easy one… chocolate. Chock-full of antioxidants and capable of delivering the endorphins, dopamine, and serotonin that your brain needs to regulate your mood, chocolate also provides assistance to the cardiovascular system. Not all chocolate is created equal, though! The act of processing cacao can remove or change most of its healthy compounds, and most of conventional chocolate includes detrimental additives like soy lecithin. Chocolates also contain a variety of sugars that disrupt the balance of gut microbes and can create an overgrowth of Candida. Look for raw chocolates that use sweeteners like raw coconut sugars, stevia, or raw honey. The fewer ingredients listed, the more likely you are to reap the benefits of a midday truffle.
Fermented Foods
Social anxiety can be a major downer, but according to a recently published study, people who consume fermented foods might be less likely to experience it. Looking at young adults enrolled in a psychology class, the students who consumed naturally fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, and pickles exhibited fewer symptoms of social anxiety. The students who reported the greatest benefit from the fermented foods were students who were genetically predisposed to social anxiety disorder.
In addition, traditionally fermented foods also benefit your nervous and immune systems, provide beneficial bacteria, and making several nutrients easily digestible. It’s important to choose fermented foods that have been fermented with lactic acid to get all of the benefits from these foods.
Avocado
Who doesn’t love fatty food? We are biologically engineered to want to eat fatty things, which can sometimes lead to trouble, diet-wise. Sometimes experts can’t agree on which fats to eat, but pretty much everyone is cheering on the avocado. You can join us! Filled with protein, loaded with serotonin boosting monounsaturated fats, a great natural source of B vitamins, avocados have a stacked deck when it comes to promoting a good mood. They’re also a versatile addition to any menu. Smoothies, salads, tacos, guacamole, or cut in half and served with a spoon…it’s harder to find something you can’t add avocado to.
Berries
There’s something irresistible about fresh berries. Plump and juicy, with that little burst of sweetness, the different varieties make it easy for everyone to have a favorite. They’re also a fantastic source of antioxidants. A steady supply of antioxidants has been shown to lower levels of depression in addition to repairing cell damage and helping prevent cancer. They’re also a perfect pick me up, whether tossing back a quick handful of blueberries or blending a decadent raspberry and coconut milk smoothie.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Okay, so omega-3 fatty acids are not technically a snack food. But when a nutrient provides enough dopamine and serotonin to be described as natural Prozac, it’s impossible to not mention it on a list of good mood foods. A review of more than 25 studies over the past 15 years found that people who ate the most fish were 17% less likely to suffer from depression.
Walnuts slow cognitive degeneration and promote sleep. They can triple melatonin levels. Chia, flax, and hemp, the holy trinity of the health nut’s seed shelf, provide fiber, boost brain health, and add a little extra protein to help you feel fuller longer. What gives these foods all of this positive health mojo? Omega-3 Fatty acids!
Fish can be a dicey proposition due to mercury contamination, but incorporating a low-mercury fish like salmon into your rotation can have significant brain benefits.
Sprinkle some flax, hemp, or chia seeds on salads or in smoothies. Mix a container of soaked and sprouted trail mix with extra walnuts to replace a not so happy snack at work. Munch on some smoked salmon.
Make Simple Switches for Big Benefits
Every other ad or commercial suggests that the latest depression medication is all you need to live the life you’ve always wanted. Choosing health over immediate gratification appears to be a slow process when there is always a new version of the magic mood pill. It seems like a small step to swap out conventional, processed foods for healthy, whole food choices, but every step toward better overall bodily function is a step toward elevating and stabilizing your mood. Be sure to check out How Candida Leads to Depression, Anxiety, ADHD, and Other Mental Disorders.
A growing number of health-conscious and environmentally concerned people of all ages are adopting a vegan diet so they can live more efficiently and improve their overall health. A vegan diet promotes efficient living because it requires fewer resources to grow vegetables than to raise animals.
Statistics show that since 2009, the percentage of people eating a non-meat diet have doubled in the U.S. Today, 5 % of the population, an estimated 16 million people, are vegetarians, and one-half of them are vegan. That’s about 8 million people.
The vegan diet is growing in popularity, as many celebrities (Bill Clinton, Carrie Underwood, Tobey Maguire, Natalie Portman, etc.) and top athletes (Mike Tyson, Dave Scott, etc.) are promoting it. But the diet has continued to stir controversy because it is such a drastic lifestyle change from the traditional meat eater diet that has been the mainstay of American culture for hundreds of years.
Vegans don’t eat any meat, fish, honey, or dairy products, which includes milk, eggs, cheese, yogurt, etc. Strict vegans also avoid using cosmetic or chemical products made with animal-derived ingredients, and they don’t wear fur, leather, or wool clothing. Most vegans do not eat refined white sugar (made with charcoal from bone fragments) and some types of wine (includes isinglass, fish bladders).
7 Common Benefits of Eating a Vegan Diet
1-Better Overall Health
People on a vegan diet eat a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains, nuts, berries, beans, and soy. As a result, they tend to have lower blood pressure and cholesterol and a lower risk of cardiovascular and heart disease; type 2 diabetes; prostate, colon and breast cancers; macular degeneration; cataracts; arthritis; osteoporosis; PMS; migraines; and allergies.
2-Weight Loss
A U.S. News and World Report article named the vegan diet as the best for overall weight loss, heart health, diabetes prevention, and long-term weight loss. Vegans have lower rates of obesity and weigh 5 to 20 pounds less than those on a meat diet. Studies show that vegans tend to eat fewer calories than meat-eaters and therefore have a lower body mass index (a measure of body fat). The vegan diet contains fewer saturated fats, so vegans have a better chance of losing weight and keeping the weight off. One study showed that people who eat a low-fat vegetarian (vegan) diet averaged a 24 pound weight loss the first year and kept the weight off 5 years later.
3-Increased Energy
Many successful athletes are vegans. Too much fat in your bloodstream from eating meat prevents arteries from opening to supply oxygen to the muscles. Vegetarian diets are high in carbohydrates that are good for efficient energy conversion. Vegan athletes include marathon runner Scott Jurek, triathlete and ironman champion Dave Scott, NFL player Tony Gonzalez, and Olympian track and field star Carl Lewis.
4-Healthier Skin and Hair
Meat-based diets are high in fats that can clog skin pores, but a plant-based diet is low in fat and high in vitamins and antioxidants that are good for skin. Fiber and whole grains help your body flush out toxins, and vitamins C, A and E from a variety of vegetables and nuts help fight wrinkles and brown spots. The zinc found in beans may help to decrease acne.
5-Reduced Body Odor
One study in the Czech Republic found that those who ate a plant-based diet (vegetarians and vegans) were judged to have a more pleasant body odor than the study group who ate meat. The conclusion was that meat consumption has a negative impact on body odor. This is because the meat diet does not have an adequate intake of phytochemical and micronutrients, so cellular detoxification is impaired. Some vegans report fewer problems with bad breath and others have discontinued the use of deodorant products.
6-Boost Immune System
Eating fruits and vegetables means a diet high in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that help improve your immune system. A good immune system means your body’s cells and organs are working efficiently, so your body has defenses that protect you from the threats posed by bacteria and viruses. Your diet works in partnership with other good health practices such as getting enough sleep, reducing stress levels, and exercising.
7-Live Longer
A recent study of 173,000 people showed that vegetarians (and vegans) have a 20 percent lower mortality rate than meat-eaters. This means they live about 10 years longer. A 30-year study in Okinawa attributed the longevity of centenarians there to a fiber-rich diet of fruits, vegetables, unrefined complex carbohydrates, and soy.
Another recent study published in The Daily Mail, found that a poor diet is the biggest contributor to premature deaths across the globe. One in five deaths are caused by diets that are high in red meat consumption and sugary drinks and lacking in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Unhealthy eating is contributing to the rise in heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.
A long-term study of more than 121,000 men and women in the U.S. found that eating beef, pork, lamb, or processed meat such as bacon, bologna, hot dogs, salami, or sausage, increased the chances of early death by 12 percent.
Conclusion
When you consider the advantages of a vegan diet, including improved health, weight loss, increased energy, healthier skin and hair, reduced body odor, a boosted immune system, and longer life, eating vegan is a very tempting choice, anyway you look at it.