Air Fresheners: A Breath of Fresh Air?
Filed Under Clean Quick and Green | 2 Comments
We all want a fresh-smelling home; it means it’s clean and under control. Some people resort to air fresheners in aerosols, plug-in pods, and a host of other creative products. Personally, I am horrified by these products and avoid them at all costs.
I have neighbors at my condo who are undoubtedly hooked on the stuff; I have to hold my breath as I walk by their door. These artificial masking scents can be quite detrimental to a household; if a little consumer research was done before a purchase I am positive no one would buy them.
For people with asthma or other respiratory problems, these products may exacerbate the ailments and act as a catalyst for causing such problems in children. You are welcome to research the upwards of 3,000 chemicals found in air fresheners and read the frightening details. What I will tell you is that the chemicals contained include petrochemicals such as propane and butane, which can spread themselves around your room and cling to everything including your carpets, upholstery, and airways.
These nasty chemical cocktails are combustible, can cause headaches, depress the nervous system, and cause shortness of breath and difficulty breathing. No thanks! Rather than buying these products, here are some great ways to keep the house smelling fresh:
• Open a window to circulate fresh air. It sounds simple and obvious but it works like a charm.
• About 20 minutes before you vacuum carpets, sprinkle baking soda onto the carpets to eliminate the odors out of the carpet fibers. You can even add some dried lavender or sage to the baking soda beforehand, which will leave a fresh and natural aromatic scent.
• If you are craving a warm scent, simmer some mulling spices in water for awhile and enjoy the scents of your own creation.
• For the bathroom, use the simple and steadfast trick of lighting a match. It works every time and is completely safe. Of course, be sure to safely light and flush the match.
Melissa
The Speed of Manifestation
Filed Under Law of Attraction | Leave a Comment
Have you ever had a desire and then been really impatient about it showing up? If you assume that Creation always has your back, then you know that it is coming in perfect timing. Stop taking score. The Universe delivers faster than the speed of light, so if you are waiting for what you asked for, you are the only one with your foot on the brakes.
Does the Universe judge you, assess your deserving, hold off or make decisions on your behalf? No, it does not. You see, the wonderful Creative Force that makes worlds is truly flowing right through you. It is what causes you to have life.
That means that your mind focuses that energy in whatever direction you put it. And based on the Laws that run the Universe, what you put your attention on is created instantly. It instantly exists in the ethers and is waiting for someone (anyone—including you) to line up with the creation.
What do I mean by line up with the creation? I mean feel the deserving, the worth, the love, the joy, and the abundance of your life, and be fully aware of your blessings, such that your desire seems like the obvious next step.
The Universe/quantum physics does not judge whether you deserve it, whether it’s right for you, or it there is some other thing you should live to learn a lesson first. The Universe simply creates the perfect circumstances, place, and timing, and you will see it all unfold as you realize how “already blessed” you are.
If you would like to put the brakes on the process, simply believe that your life will be infinitely better when your desire comes to fruition. The Universe would never support that lie.
Your job is to find ways to feel blessed. Only more blessing should come.
Oh, by the way, when you launch a desire into creation, I highly recommend that you add the phrase “or better” to the end of your request. Why? Because your limited brain can only think of things in terms of what you have seen or experienced, and the Universe can see all possibilities.
So think of 3 blessings right now. Why not?
Nothing comes in “your timing” but it always comes in “perfect timing.” Oh yes, it does! And when you notice something hasn’t arrived yet, your foot is on the brakes! Let go, my friend.
Vroom vroom!
Jennifer Hough
Botanicals and Phytotherapy for Fibrocystic Breast Disease
Filed Under Breast Health | Leave a Comment
Phytotherapy is the oldest method known in our history to treat disorders; I have always had a lot of respect for Mother Nature’s infinite wisdom in providing us with the tools to help us heal the sick.
Botanical hormonal normalizers help the body regularize swings and hormone imbalances, enabling a move towards complete removal of the problem. Although no true specifics are known for fibrocystic breast condition, Agnus castus (vitex) is strongly indicated since it aids in the natural production of one’s own progesterone. Evening primrose oil may also be of great value.
We have used the following formula at our clinic for the past few years and have found it to be very beneficial for fibroadenoma:
Echinacea angustifolia 1:2 30 mg
Scutelaria lateriflora 1:2 30 mg
Paeonia lactiflora 1:2 25 mg
Thuja occidentalis 1:5 15 mg
Total 100 mg, to be taken at 5 mg three times per day for 3 months.
When addressing the problem of fibrocystic conditions, several components must be addressed simultaneously to provide effective treatment. For example:
Lymphatics—to promote drainage and vitality of lymph tissue
Diuretics—to alleviate water retention
Anti-spasmodics—provides help with dragging pains
Nerve relaxants—for problems associated with PMS
Dr. Alex Mostovoy
Playing the Human Game: Part Three
Filed Under Holistic Law | Leave a Comment
Rule Number Three: Choose to believe that you are 100% responsible for your current situation, no matter what it is.
If each player is 100% responsible for the situation in which they find themselves, then they have the maximum amount of power possible to transform that situation into a better one. They are not going to wait passively for someone else to fix their life for them. With responsibility and resources comes power—the power to create and the power to destroy, the power to choose between constructive action and destructive action.
Playing the Human Game with these three rules allows a player to see that every event in the player’s past, every choice that the player made, every action that the player took was perfect. It was perfect simply because the event took place, the choice was made, and the action was taken and because everyone who participated in the process was doing the best that he or she possibly could, given the resources that they thought were available to them at the time.
I choose to believe that we all have limitless resources. We just don’t see them all the time. Now, in the current moment, the player may see resources that the player did not see in the past. Because of the player’s new awareness of resources, the player is able to choose to create new and different events, to make different choices, and to take different action.
Because the client/player has chosen to play the Human Game, the player does not waste precious energy blaming, shaming, and justifying.
The playing field is always fresh, always new, constantly updated with information from the past, but never encumbered with negative emotions from the past. The player’s energy is focused on the present moment, creating a new future unencumbered by mistakes that might have been made in the past. The client/player gets to play a truly powerful game as a full partner with his or her lawyer/coach. This is a really powerful way to address legal problems and to play the Human Game. Try it!
Philip J. Daunt, Esq.
Are You Icing a Mudpie with Your Affirmations?
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Do you remember the guy on Saturday Night Live who used to pretend he was a personal growth Guru, and he would look in the mirror and say things like “I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and gosh darn it people like me”? And do you also remember that you could tell that most of what he was saying wasn’t true? The Universe can’t deliver what you don’t believe.
Creating momentum with vibration
If you are going to use positive self-talk or affirmations, or post great words at your desk that you can look at, make sure you believe what you are posting, or it will cause a conflict in metaphysics. Positive thinking over top of beliefs that are still limited is called “icing a mudpie.” No matter how you slice it, the end result might look ok, but it is gonna taste bad.
Also, if you are not feeling “blessed by what currently exists,” your vibration will be against what you desire instead. New mantra: satisfied by what is, and excitedly anticipating more. Let me give you some examples:
Inefficient affirmations you might not believe
My thighs are slim, my tummy is tight—I am gorgeous (when your thighs and tummy are “experienced”)
I have more than enough money—abundance is pouring to me (when you feel you are struggling)
I am with the mate of my dreams (when you are upset with your mate or not with anyone)
More efficient
My body has carried me well, my arms have held babies, and I have seen sunsets—my body blesses me.
I always find a way to be nourished and have shelter and clothing. Abundance has come in many forms, and so it will continue to with even more gusto, because I am grateful.
When I ask, the Universe responds 100% of the time. Every past relationship has created a more perfect future connection and I will settle for nothing less. I am excited for what is to come.
See the difference?
Instead of icing a mudpie, just create a new cake! Today, don’t ignore, or “positive think” things. Simply remember that the Universe has your back, and if you surrender, the answer will come. While you are doing that, turn toward your blessings and count every one of ‘em.
Jennifer Hough
P.S. The same applies to writing in a journal. Don’t write about your problems, or you will get more. If you do write about your problems, commit to soothing yourself through your writing. Better yet—simply write about your blessings, and trust that the Universe will work the other stuff out.
Prenatal Depression
Filed Under Mom Talk | 1 Comment
Prenatal depression, according to varying research, affects about 15-20% of expecting moms. This is a significantly higher number (25-50% more) than the number of postpartum women who experience postpartum depression. Yet many people and even caregivers are not aware of it or trained to properly identify and treat this problem. In fact, as in my case, many women who experience pregnancy depression are unaware that the symptoms are being triggered by the pregnancy and that it can be treated.
When I began experiencing feelings of hopelessness, anxiety, and rage followed by lethargy in my second pregnancy, it didn’t even dawn on me that I had a pregnancy-induced condition. Despite being very experienced in the field of prenatal and postnatal wellness, I had not heard of this. Having experienced severe postpartum depression with my first child, no one ever mentioned my increased risk for pregnancy depression or that pregnancy depression even exists.
I found out about the condition by doing my own research online. Once I became aware of the condition, I called a local agency to get help. However, they took three weeks to call me back which left me dealing with it for quite a while on my own.
We still have much to learn about depression in the childbearing years. In the meantime, we all have to do a better job of getting informed about the symptoms and being prepared to support women in our communities.
Four key things that can help improve outcomes are:
• Regular exercise
• Proper nutrition (including keeping an optimal amount of essential fatty acids in your diet)
• Sleep
• Support
If you have concerns about prenatal depression call your doctor and ask for help.
Take great care of you,
Andrea Page
Ever Say, “I Don’t Have Time”?
Filed Under Law of Attraction | Leave a Comment
Every once in a while, I get an email from someone who says that they read the Law of Attraction blogs on the weekends because they don’t have time during the week. That’s an amazing shot of “great vibes” to take in all at once! However, just consider that “I don’t have time” is an illusion. It would be more powerful to say, “I choose not to read them until the weekend” because, of course, you get to say how your life goes.
Where does the time go? You have probably heard before that time is an illusion that humanity created to be able to have an infrastructure so that we could live on a Planet. Then again, we have all had the experience of timelessness.
If you truly were put on the planet for the purpose of creating and expanding your joy—and therefore the possibility of joy for everyone—then that is the yardstick by which to choose what you do—whether it expands joy or not. Creation adores you so very much that if you say you don’t have enough time, it will allow you to live in that lie. Isn’t it great that you are so unlimited, you actually have the capacity to create limits.
Most people measure their days by how much they got done as opposed to how much joy they experienced. When you live life under the illusion that getting stuff done is really important, you will not have time. When you live life under a much more inspiring illusion called “I use the stuff I do as an excuse to express myself and my creativity and expand what’s possible,” then time will disappear.
Time really is on your side
Instead of just getting things done today, find a way to appreciate and be self-expressed in each moment. Today, don’t think about the next thing to do; enjoy what you are doing now, and then go onto the next thing, and to the same! The same amount or more will get done. But even better—you will have enjoyed it!
Jennifer Hough
When Someone “Lets You Down”
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Do people let us down? Or is it we who forget to use our “cosmic GPS system” (our feelings) to assess whether we want to count on them in the first place?
Sometimes we place expectations on people when really, based on where they are in their journey and who they’ve shown you they are, the expectations we have of them may be pretty unreasonable. So often, we wish that the people we care about, love, or even work with would be a different way, and then we interpret that wish as an expectation. But if the other person does not expect themselves to be another way, we will always be disappointed.
It’s not that we don’t trust others; it’s that we don’t trust ourselves to follow what our heart is telling us about others.
It is not other people’s jobs to change themselves to make you happy. The problem is not that they don’t respect or love you enough. The problem is that you had the expectation of someone who does not think the way you do.
If you simply expect others to be who they are, you won’t be disappointed. And when they shine a little, it will make you very happy.
If someone doesn’t want to play with you, it’s time to find someone who will—instead of being disappointed in the person who won’t!
Jennifer Hough
Conquer “Male Menopause” and Restore Youthful Vigor
Filed Under Dr. Zoltan Rona (MD) | Leave a Comment
Once they hit middle age, men can experience a phenomenon comparable to menopause. This is referred to as andropause.
Bodily changes accompanied by shifts in attitudes or moods occur between the ages of 40 and 55. A man frequently begins to question his values, accomplishments, and the direction of his life. You might think this is just a mid-life crisis, a temporary phase when men become anxious about their mortality, buy expensive sports cars, and have affairs with younger women.
In reality, most andropausal men do experience a decline in sexual desire or libido, reduced sexual potency, or difficulty developing or maintaining erections. They may also suffer more ejaculatory problems, reduced fertility, increased urinary frequency (especially at night), and other urination difficulties. These changes may be due, at least in part, to lower levels of testosterone and DHEA, the male sex hormones.
Testosterone, the principal androgen, regulates sexual function in men. It must be freely available to brain cell receptor sites in order to promote libido, sexual satisfaction, and performance. Unfortunately, as men age, testosterone becomes more and more bound to a carrier protein called serum globulin—even though the actual level of testosterone production does not generally decrease with aging. The result is that testosterone is no longer available to the sex-stimulating centers in the brain.
The solution isn’t as simple as taking more testosterone or DHEA, which the body converts to testosterone. This is because supplemental testosterone, through the action of liver enzymes, also becomes bound to its carrier protein and is unavailable to receptor sites. How can this bound testosterone be freed and the expected vigor of male youth restored?
Diet and Lifestyle Solutions
To enhance your sexual energy, consider such methods as:
• Deep breathing exercises
• Regular moderate aerobic exercise
• Meditation
• Visualization
• Yoga
Avoid severe stress, excessively vigorous exercise, or the overuse of hot tubs and saunas, all of which can lower production of hormones involved in potency, fertility and sex drive. Eliminating these stressors can make a significant difference for some men.
Nutritional support is another cornerstone of sexual health. I recommend a balanced diet low in:
• Animal fats
• Fried foods
• Sugar
• Caffeine
• White flour products
• Alcohol
• Junk foods
Potency, fertility, and sex life are also affected by the presence of drugs, estrogen-like chemicals, antibiotics, and other pollutants in the environment. That’s why it’s critical to avoid the chemicals, growth hormones, and antibiotic residue commonly found in animal products (other than organic ones) and processed foods. Your healthiest choice is a whole-food diet with plenty of organic fresh fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains.
Essential fatty acids (EFAs) are particularly important for sexual health because the body uses them to make hormones called prostaglandins, which are necessary for normal sexual response.
• Eat cold-water fish for their omega-3 EFAs.
• In your daily diet, include unrefined, cold-pressed nut and seed oils such as hempseed, flaxseed, walnut, or pumpkin seed oil.
• Eat your oats. Rich in vitamin E, oats release testosterone from its binding protein, making it more available to cells that require this hormone. This leads to enhanced libido, improved stamina, and a generally stronger nervous system.
• Avoid alcohol and high-caffeine products such as coffee, tea, and cola drinks. They deplete the body of zinc, manganese, magnesium, and other nutrients. It’s wise to bypass foods high in sugar and refined carbohydrates. They boost estrogen levels, destabilize blood sugar levels, and devour nutrients such as chromium and B-complex vitamins.
Reversing Andropause with Herbs
If it’s too difficult to change your lifestyle as recommended, think of supplementation. One or more of the following remedies may be all that’s needed to reverse the symptoms of andropause.
In order of most to least effective:
• Stinging nettle root (standardized tincture, 1–2 tsps/5–10 mL; or capsules, 500 mg twice daily) can reduce the testosterone protein-binding process almost tenfold, making more free testosterone available to brain and other receptors.
• Avena sativa (same dosage as above) is an extract from wild oatstraw, which can also help release bound testosterone.
• L-arginine is an essential amino acid that can be very effective for erectile dysfunction, producing harder and longer-lasting erections and increasing libido. Arginine supplements promote natural body production of nitric oxide, a substance that opens up penile arteries much like the drug Viagra. But unlike Viagra, arginine is safe, relatively inexpensive, and has never caused any deaths. The suggested dose is 6–12 grams one hour before an anticipated sexual encounter or in divided doses three or four times daily.
• Muira puama originates in the Amazon rain forests of South America. This plant has shown significant libido-enhancing effects and has traditionally been used as an aphrodisiac. People typically use 1–2 mL of the extract in water two to three times daily, or take two 500 mg capsules. Muira puama fortifies the system over a period of months, but some men report increased vitality within two weeks. It has no known toxicity at any dose and is well-tolerated by generally healthy men.
• Maca (Lepidium meyenii) is a newly rediscovered Peruvian herb root that can significantly improve erectile tissue response. Apparently, it normalizes the levels of steroid hormones such as testosterone, progesterone, and estrogen to those seen in young adults, thus bolstering libido. Men typically use 1,500 to 6,000 mg or more per day in three divided doses. A teaspoon of root powder, containing 2,800 mg of maca root, is used in 8 oz (227 mL) of water three times daily.
• Saw palmetto (Serenoa repens) is a very popular herb known for its ability to reverse an enlarged prostate gland (benign prostatic hypertrophy or BPH). About 60% of all men over age 50 suffer from varying degrees of prostate enlargement, which can interfere with normal sexual function. Saw palmetto can be instrumental in reversing this situation. It works by preventing testosterone from converting to dihydrotestosterone, the form of testosterone thought to stimulate prostate enlargement. The recommended daily dose is 1–2 grams of whole berries or 320 mg of a standardized extract.
Other natural andropausal remedies are zinc, vitamin C, niacin, ginkgo biloba extract, panax ginseng, gokhru fruit (Tribulus terrestris), damiana leaf, gotu cola, and velvet elk antler.
To read more about andropause, see my book Boosting Male Libido Naturally (Alive Books, 2000), available in health food stores.
Dr. Zoltan Rona
Bye Bye BPA
Filed Under Health and Wellness | Leave a Comment
No question about it: BPA remains a hot topic in health circles. It now appears the Canadian government will take the lead in the banning of bisphenol A, a chemical that mimics estrogen and increases the risk of impaired neurological development in children.
“It’s funny,” a friend of mine remarked, “how our parents’ generation and ours have grown up consuming BPA and we all seem fine.” The Canadian government, however, despite that fact that we all seem fine, thinks it’s better to play this one safe. Plans are being drawn up to have BPA labeled a toxic substance, and polycarbonate bottles are set to be banned officially in 2009.
It’s great that Canada is taking action. However, I am beginning to question how safe all the other numbered bottles are. To date, plastic bottles numbered 3, 6, and 7 are considered unsafe across the board.
That’s just what we know now. All plastic could prove to be unsafe to drink from; we just don’t have the research yet to prove it.
My friends and family would argue that sometimes it seems like everything is bad for you these days. No matter, it is still important to get the facts so you can decide for yourself the risks you are willing to take.
With the purchase of a glass bottle, you can bypass all plastic pitfalls when enjoying your drinking water. I think it’s a sound buy.
Erin
Mittelstaedt, M. Better safe than sorry, Ottawa says of plasitc ban. The Globe and Mail. Retrieved Saturday, April 19 2008.
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