Category Archives: Personal Growth

Why Successful Dieting Goes Beyond Simple Calories

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According to the CDC, over 70% of Americans classify as overweight to obese – a rather sobering statistic. However, as awareness grows, an increasing number of Americans are choosing to make active decisions to curb their caloric intake and reduce their weight. For those new to dieting or nutrition, it can seem complex and overwhelming, but the reality is quite simple. There are a number of methods for long-term success, from making colorful meals to intermittent fasting, but the important thing is to find a method that works for you. 

The importance of nutrition and variety

The composition of your diet is an integral part of long-term weight loss and whole person health. While it is true that you can lose weight eating fast foods, the amount you could consume and stay below your calorie limit is so low that you would be constantly hungry. It stands to reason, then, that before setting out on your diet, you must consider the sources from which you’re taking in calories. 

Sustainability is the key to success: a diet you can’t stick to long-term is effectively useless, and constantly feeling hungry is a recipe for disaster. Examine your favorite meals, and look for healthy, low-calorie alternatives. Meat, especially beef and pork, are notorious for being incredibly high in calories. You may be surprised to find that vegetarian meat substitutes often have a third of the calories for the same weight, and while they may not taste the same, they can be just as delicious with a bit of effort. If meat is mandatory, then look at increasing the amount of fish you eat and substituting beef and pork for chicken or – even better – turkey.

Variety is the spice of life. If you fall into a rut of cooking the same meals each week, it becomes increasingly likely that you will grow bored and binge. Research shows that successful, varied meal planning is associated with decreased obesity rates. Look for ways to add interesting twists to your week’s meals. This can be achieved in a number of ways: the internet is full of convenient and delicious recipes. Alternatively, there are now services which deliver meal kits right to your door for a monthly price. These kits allow you to try something new every week without the hassle of shopping for new ingredients, and as a result, are becoming increasingly popular among young people.

Building your plan

The first step to weight loss is building a clear picture of your physical health. This means measuring your weight, body fat percentage (if possible) and basal metabolic rate (BMR). Your BMR represents the daily calories required to maintain your current weight. It is calculated using your gender, age, current weight and height. This number will be the foundation upon which you build your weight loss plan. A good rule of thumb for consistent weight loss is to subtract 500 calories from your BMR, and set this new number as your daily limit. 

With this number in mind, it is a good idea to spend a week writing a food journal before setting out on your diet. Record what foods you eat each day and how many calories you consume. Compare this to your BMR, and chances are, you’ll be in for a shock. In today’s world, it is surprisingly easy to go a few hundred calories over your BMR.

Once you’ve built a clear picture of where you are, it’s time to decide where you want to be. Goals provide motivation and direction that will prove invaluable in the long run. You likely have an ideal weight or figure in mind. Plan around this, and use one of the many online calculators to figure out how long it will take to get there using your revised daily calorie limit. 

At its heart, dieting is a simple equation of calories in versus calories out. However, dieting successfully and maintaining a healthy lifestyle long-term relies on a range of factors which are all very personal. Everyone is different, and what may be sustainable for others may not work for you. To achieve your goals, you need both a clear picture of where you are now and where you want to be. With realistic goals and expectations in mind, anything is achievable.

Join the conversation. If you enjoyed this article, be sure to follow NIWH on Facebook and Twitter for regular updates filled with useful health advocacy program information for holistic nurses and health coaches.


Author Credit: Allie Oliver

Our Pets Improve Our Health

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While it may be difficult to get Americans to collectively agree on the many issues, it seems that when it comes to pets and the value we place on them, there is little disagreement. The 2015-2016 American Pet Products Association survey reported that an astounding 65% of all American households have a pet. An identified 79.7 households have dogs–over 100 million of them in all. Cat owner households total 42.9 million. Fresh water fish, birds, reptiles and horses, along with small animals such as rabbits, hamsters, and others make up another 25-27 million pets.

Americans, it seems, have also come to view and treat their pets in human terms. No longer satisfied with relegating the family pet to its own domain, today’s pet lovers are demanding the highest quality products and services for those they love. The idea of buying a simple dog chew or catnip toy now takes a back seat to designer sweaters and jewelry for our beloved companions. The current trend of dog hotels instead of kennels, indoor animal toilets, perfume, a hugely popular service “doggie dates” and exotic animal sitting services have found their way into today’s pet economy.

For the most passionate pet lover, faux mink coats, lumberjack vests, designer jackets, matching jeweled leather collar and leash sets, Halloween costumes, and holiday outfits are becoming part of the new “pet fashion.” Safety seats for transporting pets in vehicles are also becoming popular. One of the larger pet expenditures is pet food. These days the pet food aisle looks strikingly similar to the rest of the “human food” aisles in chain grocery stores. Specialized, balanced gourmet meals are readily available in the refrigerator section as well as a plethora of animal treats, vitamins, and supplements. Special diet foods for the senior pet population offer life extension and prolonged health.

The country’s household expenditures on pets for 2015-16 was in excess of 62.75 billion dollars. It is easy to imagine that this number must be a mistake as this is more money being spent on pets in the United State than the gross national product numbers for all but 64 countries around the world. This 62.75 billion dollar figure also represents almost double the approximately $35 billion dollars Americans spend on going to movies, playing video games, or for listening to recorded music.

The approximate 20% of non-pet households are for the most part made up of individuals with allergies, or who live in apartments or other environments that do not welcome pets, and those who have no time left in their over-scheduled lives to care for a pet. It seems people of all ages, ranging from infants to very elderly, enjoy and welcome the company of pets. The presence of pets is so popular today that some nursing facilities now have therapy pets at the facility on a regular basis. The one down side to this practice is that sometimes the residents start arguing and competing over who gets to keep the cat, dog, or bird with them for the day.

What fuels our passion for pets? It is really quite simple. Our pets love us unconditionally. They listen to us when we speak, provide companionship without politics or the agenda of most relationships. They accept our love and affection the way we chose to give it, without complaint, and they provide us in return with affection and loyalty. They are the ultimate loving family member, and we are now treating them as such. Can anyone blame us?

Social networking has become the way we communicate and “do” relationships. These days it is often over e-mail and texting messages that we are starting relationships or ending them, sharing major life events–even proposing marriage. The intimate contact of human connections we had even 15 years ago before the dominance of the internet and cell phones is now being replaced by our pets.

Pets are not only beloved companions, but they are also taking on the role of healers. Dogs have been long known for their service as seeing eye dogs, but the use of dogs and other pets in many areas of healing and health monitoring are becoming more widespread. Dogs who alert their companions for seizures or “sniff out” cancer or horses that assist with helping autistic children to interact with others are easily found on the news or internet.

A recent study by researcher Dr. Karen Allen at the State University of New York at Buffalo identified that individuals suffering from hypertension when adopting a dog or cat had lower blood pressure readings in stressful situations than their counterparts who did not have a pet companion. The National Institute of Technology Assessment Workshop, Health Benefits of Pets, identified that pets provide greater psychological stability, which us protects not only from heart disease and other stress related conditions but also reduces depression. In the same study, pets have been shown to lower the cost of health care as individuals with pets make fewer doctor visits, especially “for non-serious medical conditions.”

A Perdue University study demonstrated that when seniors face traumas or other forms of adversity, the affection received by their pets and the bond between them helps prevent depress and loneliness. As a means of enhancing our psychological and physical well-being, pets have the power to love us, heal us, and help us to live longer. If only we could get other humans to do so with the same honesty and loyalty that our pet companions provide us.

Sources:

For more whole health discussions, listen to my weekly radio show Living Above The Drama. Also available on iHeartRadio.

What We Believe Becomes Our Reality II

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Given the way the health sciences have been taught in nursing and medical schools, it is perfectly understandable for physicians and nurses trained more than 25 years ago to think the placebo effect didn’t make sense and was instead a popular explanation for a sudden healing – a “spontaneous remission.” It is a leap for many to accept that a person could think or believe something and that simple act of belief could heal them.

Up until the last twenty or so years, research scientists did not have a grasp on how the brain and our emotions worked to create our reality. The subject of emotions has been and still is very much “uncharted waters” in behavioral science. However, what is well documented today is how the various brain waves function and what part of the brain each of the various brain waves control and stimulate and, most importantly, what emotions actually are.

The “beta waves” are the brain waves that allow us to focus on the words on this blog and comprehend, in the moment, what is intellectually being communicated. These waves are produced in the frontal lobe which is the seat of intellectual functioning. Thinking, analyzing, reasoning, and so forth occur in this part of the brain.

The “alpha waves,” which are the slower brain waves, originate in the mid-brain are the brain waves that allow us access to our unconscious thinking or what some refer to as the soul. All thought processes, be it from the beta wave or alpha wave region of the brain, are actually chemical reactions that produce specific proteins that communicate with our immune cell membranes and other cell membranes of our body.

The specific thoughts we think and the region of the brain they originate in have an identifiable chemistry that has been shown to create dramatic changes in our physical bodies. In Dr Paul Pearsall’s groundbreaking book “The Hearts Code” he tells many amazing mind/body stories but one, in particular, that is a striking example of how powerful thoughts and images are, is the story he tells about a schizophrenic patient who demonstrated completely different disease states depending on the personality she was exhibiting. Ultrasounds, cat-scans, lab tests all confirmed that one of her personalities had a massive cancerous tumor and yet when she went into a different personality state all of her previous pathology disappeared as well.

Our brains are the ultimate manifesters of matter. The chair you are sitting on was a thought before it became that chair. Thoughts ARE “things” – thoughts in action are what manifest reality. For the woman who was cured of her stiffness after the sham surgery, her mind manifested a different set of thoughts through her hope and expectations for the outcome of the surgery. Her brain waves and proteins created positive chemistry which communicated with her immune system through its cell membranes. The results – she became healthier and could “stride across the room”

The idea of mind over matter is a powerful one. This science, and our understanding of its amazing chemistry, is in its infancy stage. In the future, we will take the possibility of healing ourselves with thought and imagery for granted just as we now do about people having an organ transplant – which was thought unheard of not that long ago.

In the meantime, we can all improve our health, success, and happiness but learning to improve our “self-speak” and reinforce our bodies and minds with positive words, thoughts, and images.

For more whole health discussions like this, listen to my weekly radio show Living Above The Drama available on iHeartRadio.

Avoid Boredom To Live Longer And Healthier

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boredom

Do you know anyone who is often bored? Do you find yourself feeling bored? A study, conducted in the United Kingdom identified a connection between individuals who experience chronic boredom and a shorter life expectancy. The expression being “bored to death” has some literal truth in it, according to the 1980’s UK study that followed 7,500 civil servants in the UK for a period of 25 years. In this blog, NIWH explores the study to see what applications can be derived from the results.

Bored To Death

The study conducted interviews on the civil servants, recording their attitudes and outlook on life. The updates continued until 25 years after the initial interviews. The data found that subjects who stated they were bored in the original interview screening were almost 40% more likely to have died during the 25 year period than those who found life to be interesting.

This same study revealed that people living with “high levels of tedium” were 2.5 times more likely to die of heart disease than those who lived a more varied lifestyle. This particular study is a wonderful example of the connection between our mind and body and how our thoughts and feelings have a huge impact on our health and even longevity.

Examining Discontent

boredAccording to Daily Health News journalist Lauren Zander, most of us live with experiences of boredom, but when our lives take on a chronic sense of boredom, the effects can be destructive to our work, relationships and, ultimately, our health and longevity. When we are willing to examine what aspects of our lives feel “boring,” we can identify in which areas of our life we feel stuck, frustrated or unfulfilled. This allows us to make a plan and take action toward change.

Boredom is a loss of interest or enthusiasm for aspects of your life. You “go through the motions” rather than being engaged and enjoying life. For instance, in personal relationships, it is easy to get in a rut and not look for new ways of enjoying the company of the people we care about most. By taking a step back and looking at our relationships as if we were meeting the person for the first time, this brings a renewed perspective and interest in what we may take for granted on a daily basis.

Renovate Your Life

This information lends to several suggestions. If your work, family life, or love life is leaving you disinterested or bored, try “renovating” your relationship by adding new and imaginative ways to refresh your communication or shared experience. Kiss your special someone in the car instead of waiting to get home to physically connect. Bring home some special “treats” your kids or partner will love and serve it with breakfast, lunch or brunch instead of going out to eat. Plan a lunchtime activity at your office with co-workers or a mystery party at home with your friends to liven up rapport.

Find new ways to refresh your relationships and your life. Encourage those around you to do the same. It’s not only fun, but this can help you live a longer and healthier life!

For more whole health discussions like this, listen to my weekly radio show Living Above The Drama available on iHeartRadio.

Seniors With DVT Can Lead A Healthy Wholesome Life

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Although experts put the chances of developing DVT at one in every 1000, certain genetic factors and demographics can greatly increase your risk - including your age. Seniors patients have been shown to be at a higher risk of developing DVT, and although the consequences can be long term or sometimes fatal, it is treatable.

The Center for Disease Control estimates that as many as 900,000 Americans are living with DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis). The medical condition is the cause of death for 60,000-100,000 people each year. For countless more, it results in long term complications such as swelling or pain. In some cases, DVT increases the risk of heart attacks. Although experts put the chances of developing DVT at one in every 1000, certain genetic factors and demographics can greatly increase your risk – including your age. Seniors patients have been shown to be at a higher risk of developing DVT, and although the consequences can be long term or sometimes fatal, it is treatable. 

What Is Deep Vein Thrombosis?

The American Venous Forum defines Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) as a condition where you develop a blood clot in the deep veins of your leg. According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, the blood clots normally form in your leg veins, and the condition can also affect deep vein in other parts of your body on some rare occasions. With the formation of a blood clot, blood circulation between the leg and heart is hampered. This can produce a list of long term complications. Most patients that have DVT are also at risk of developing pulmonary embolism (PE), which is where the clot travels through the bloodstream to the heart or lungs. Around 10 percent of those with DVT develop a pulmonary embolism. 

Are Seniors More Likely To Be Diagnosed?

It has been reported that the cumulative likelihood of developing DVT lies between 2 and 5 percent. Younger people do present a reduced chance of developing the medical condition. This is because age and a sedentary lifestyle (both factors that are synonymous with a senior lifestyle) are two of the leading causes of DVT. There have also been some claims that the increased risk of DVT as you age is attributed to the fact that your blood is more likely to clot as you get older.

However, age is not the only factor that can increase your risk of being diagnosed with DVT. Sitting or standing for long periods can also contribute, according to the Center for Disease Control. This is why they recommend taking breaks and walking around every 2-3 hours if you are on a long car or plane journey. With many seniors leading an inactive lifestyle, the link between the two is clear. The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA)’s report showed that Americans spend 6.4 hours sitting each day, placing them at a growing risk of obesity, heart disease and DVT. Interestingly obesity is also one of the known factors causing DVT, since it can create additional strain on your body and your veins. In 2019, a staggering 28.5 percent of seniors aged 65 and older were classed as being obese in America.

How Do I Know I May Have DVT?

The symptoms of DVT may not show up immediately, and sometimes they do not appear at all unless a complication presents itself. Still, a majority of cases report a few common signs, including swelling of the leg accompanied by pain, tenderness and cramping. You may also find that the pain increases when bending the affected foot, or that there is a resulting redness/ skin discoloration.

What Can I Do If I Do Have DVT?

If you do suspect you have DVT or find yourself in any of the risk categories mentioned above, it is best to speak to your doctor right away. Medically, DVT can be treated using blood thinners or clot busters. This helps to keep the blood clot in place and in some cases, dissolve it. Most doctors recommend DVT patients wear diabetic socks or compression stockings to prevent blood pooling in the leg or growth of the clot. This is something you can easily incorporate into your nightly routine at home, along with regular leg circulation exercises. 

For seniors, this may take the form of simply moving around more by walking, swimming, yoga or trying other senior-friendly exercises. You also want to skip or limit your alcohol intake if you are living with DVT. Alcohol can reduce the effect of some anticoagulants. It is also recommended that you check the interaction of your blood thinners with any other medication you may be taking, including ibuprofen. Seniors aged 65-69 take an average of 15 prescriptions per year, while seniors aged 80-84 take 18 a year, according to the American Association of Consultant Pharmacists. Therefore, this point is crucial for seniors living with DVT. 

Lastly, try to incorporate a DVT friendly diet into your eating habits, including the avoidance of fried or fatty foods, processed foods and large portion sizes. While DVT is a very real issue for the aging population in the US, with early detection and great management habits, there is no reason why you cannot go on to live a happy, healthy life.

Author Credit: Allie Oliver

For more whole health discussions like this, listen to my weekly radio show Living Above The Drama available on iHeartRadio.

Join the conversation. If you enjoyed this article, be sure to follow NIWH on Facebook and Twitter for regular updates filled with useful health advocacy program information for holistic nurses and health coaches.

Going On Vacation? Protect Your Health

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As winter fades into spring, a lot of people decide to take a vacation. Often referred to as spring break, this is a time when when millions of people “take to the skies and roads,” visiting friends and relatives or exploring new locations. It’s a time of fun and relaxation, but there’s a hidden danger you might not know about. Approximately 5% those who get off of airplanes, buses, trains or auto transport will develop blood clots, often not detected until many weeks after their trip.

As American health care consumers, we know in today’s environment that we must be pro-active and take control of our health through education and prevention. Staying healthy while traveling is one very important preventative situation that we can all be more aware of in order to circumvent an unwanted health crisis.

Three years ago, the World Health Organization published the WRIGHT report (WHO Research Into Global Hazards of Travel). It identified the extent of the problem and who was at risk. The report identified the population most at risk are females over 40 years of age with a prior history of deep vein thrombosis.

Others at risk include older travelers, obese travelers, pregnant women, anyone with varicose veins or a prior history of venous thrombosis, women taking birth control pills or estrogen, travelers with a history of a major operation, cancer, heart failure, highly trained athletes, and those with recent surgery or injury.

In spite of the evidence explored, however, there are still airlines in denial over the problem as many fear increased litigation. One major US airline has a published statement on its websites as a response to concerned travels that reads: “There is no epidemiological evidence that air travel causes blood clots.”

However, published experts would re-word that statement.  It would be more accurate to say that “Every credible scientific study of the subject has found that air travel [and other forms of confined travel] cause blood clots, including all of the most recent, large-scale, sophisticated studies.”

What can you do to prevent blood clots?

  1. Do not be immobile for more than 1 hour when traveling by air or in confined transportation
  2. Dress in loose-fitting clothes and shoes. No socks or garments should have banded constriction.
  3. Stay well hydrated, but avoid alcohol.
  4. Exercise your legs and feet every chance you can (e.g. every 20 minutes).
  5. Consider fitted compression stockings–compression of 20 mmHg or more is best.
  6. Take an aspirin. It is not a guarantee that taking aspirin will avoid, it does prevents platelet clumping, which causes clots. If you are at risk, it seems reasonable to take aspirin daily, starting a day before departure and continuing for a day after the flight terminates.
  7. Sit in an aisle seat. You will have more room, and it is easier to stand up and move around the plane, bus, or train.

For more information search for “blood clots and travel”. There is an enormous amount of information on the subject. If you are getting ready for that big trip, obtaining this information should be part of your “packing” process.

Join the conversation. If you enjoyed this article, be sure to follow NIWH on Facebook and Twitter for regular updates filled with useful health coach certification information.

3 Simple Ways You Can Care for Your Health in an Eco-Friendly Manner

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With 72% of respondents reporting that they actively purchase more eco-friendly products than they did five years ago, it’s clear that such products are very high in demand. And, with that demand comes many innovative outcomes, especially when it comes to your whole health.  From brushing your teeth to taking care of your skin and even your menstrual cycle, here are some simple ways you can become more eco-conscious in your everyday routines.

An eco-twist on dental care

Whether you’ve realized it or not, a traditional dental routine involves a lot of plastic waste. From toothbrushes that need to be changed every few months to plastic flossing devices and even the wasteful habit some of us have of leaving the sink faucet on while we brush, there’s no doubt that much of the population is having a negative effect on the environment every day. Luckily, there are a few things you can do to lessen your environmental impact, and it may just benefit your wallet too.

One of the most innovative and eco-friendly trends in the dental care industry involves bamboo toothbrushes — a plant-based alternative to the plastic ones that can biodegrade in a couple of months as opposed to many years. Bamboo toothbrushes can also hold up better than plastic ones, meaning you can save money in the long run by not having to purchase a new one so often. Other ways you can reduce your dental hygiene waste include using a biodegradable floss, reusable floss pick, and shutting off the water while you brush. 

A better skincare routine

Taking care of the skin is a priority for many people. With everything from lotions, creams, makeup remover, and more, many skincare routines are filled with the unnecessary plastic packaging of bottles and tubes galore. For a better skincare routine, using eco-friendly brands, and incorporating as many reusable glass jars as you can is a great idea, and can help in creating a zero-waste beauty routine. Making your own skincare products is another option, as you can cut out the use of plastic by making your own product to go into reusable containers. Going bare is also an idea worth considering. By using bars of lotion and face wash, you can simply skip the packaging altogether.

 Zero-waste periods? 

While it might be hard to believe, a woman’s menstrual cycle has a significant and negative impact on the environment. In fact, just one woman will use between 5 and 15 thousand pads and tampons over the course of their entire lifetime, which will wind up in landfills (for the most part). With that said, a zero-waste menstrual cycle might sound impossible to some, though those who have already made the switch to a menstrual cup may beg to differ. 

A menstrual cup, or a silicone cup used in place of a tampon or pad, is worn inside the body to collect menstrual fluids, removed after 12 hours, emptied, cleaned, and reused. Not only can one single cup be used for your whole cycle, but can be used for years depending on the brand (some may suggest you replace it every year, while other brands suggest replacing every 2+ years). This proves the pad alternative to be an extremely sustainable option when it comes to the environment. While the price can be more expensive than a box of tampons (a cup by the brand DivaCup retails around 25 dollars in-store), they can last several years, thus saving you money and the environment at the same time.

With eco-friendly products on the rise, it comes as no surprise that there are many sustainable products for your everyday healthcare routines. From menstrual cups to a plant-based toothbrush, incorporating even just one eco-friendly product into your life can be a great thing for the environment. 

Author Credit: Allie Oliver

For more whole health discussions like this, listen to my weekly radio show Living Above The Drama available on iHeartRadio.



A New Year – A New Start

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“Happy New Year” is a greeting that fills us with anticipation, excitement and hope. The anticipation is for the new beginning we feel as the ball drops and we say good-bye to the past and look forward to the future. Our excitement is for the many possibilities that may lay ahead in the coming year and the hope is for a better 12 months than those that came before.

What are some simple, positive and productive actions we can take in this New Year that will support our optimistic January resolutions?

  • Start with a clean slate. – Cleaning and organizing your home space is one of the most positive ways to start the New Year. It has been shown in numerous studies that a clean, organized environment provides a sense of relaxation and calm and also helps us to be more productive because we are more organized and this results in a more efficient work or study outcome.
  • Commit to spending less and saving what you don’t spend. – By setting a goal of saving a realistic amount of money each month and achieving that goal by spending that much less each month is an empowering and satisfying way to take more control over your finances and reinforce that you can transform your savings/spending patterns without much stress and strain.
  • Eat less processed foods and more living foods. – This is not only a healthy resolution but also a cost saving one as well. We as Americans enjoy an abundant lifestyle and have the highest obesity rate in the world to prove it. By focusing on life giving plant based foods, we nourish our bodies and save a lot of money by not buying high priced processed and often non-nourishing “foods”.
  • Identify an organization, charity or cause that you can either provide a small but heartfelt donation or voluteer time to. Participating in meaningful assistance to others is rewarding on many levels and is good for our health as well as our sense of contributing to the greater good.

Each New Year is an opportunity for a new beginning…and life, it is often said, is a series of new beginnings.

Happy New Year,

National Institute of Whole Health

 

Join the conversation.

For more whole health discussions like this, listen to my weekly radio show Living Above The Drama available on iHeartRadio.

Holding In Our Emotions Can Lead To Illness

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The way we feel — especially when we feel hurt or angry — can cause negative effects in the body due to the neurological and neurochemical connections between body and mind. If we internalize anger, our nervous and hormone systems react, creating neurotransmitter chemicals that can lead to harmful side effects. This can compromise our health as well as our personal and professional relationships. In short, holding in our emotions can lead to illness as well as unhappiness.

Angry Consequences 

Anger that is felt over a period of time is unhealthy. When we become angry and do not express ourselves in a productive manner, the body reacts through the stress adaptation response. This includes biochemical physical responses that can lead to illness or death. If we are habitually angry, the conditions that can occur as a result of this physical response to the chronic or ongoing anger include:

–Asthma
-Elevated blood pressure
-Glaucoma
-Heart attack
-Hiatus hernia
-Hives
-Increased heart rate
-Low back pain
-Migraines
-Psoriasis
-Shortened life expectancy
-Stroke
-Tense muscles
-Ulcers

In addition to thousands of anger and stress studies, many other health studies have connected anger to loneliness, chronic anxiety, depression, eating disorders, sleep disorders, obsessive-compulsive behavior and phobias. It can also have a detrimental effect on our relationships and threaten the development and maintenance of intimate relationships. Communication is the key to learning how to handle our anger and creating healthy and fulfilling relationships.

Better Communication Skills For Better Health

Learning how to communicate does not have to be complicated. While most of us have developed communication skills from our families and environment, there are easy-to-learn, proven skills that can provide you with the tools and knowledge you need to be able to channel and express your anger or hurt feelings appropriately.

When we are able to express our feelings (be they sadness, frustration or anger), we feel more in control of our lives. We are able to create the type of relationships we want to experience with others.

Current whole health research has clearly shown that it is healthier to express and resolve our relationship issues than it is to hold them in and allow them either to make us ill or to cause conflicts at work, home or with friends and colleagues.

Join the conversation.

For more whole health discussions like this, listen to my weekly radio show Living Above The Drama available on iHeartRadio.

Integrative Health: Why The Endocrine System Is Fascinating

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endocrine system is amazing

One of my all-time favorite subjects to teach is the endocrine system. It is the most fascinating and clearest example we have of how “everything is everything” in the body. For those of you unfamiliar with the underlying theme of Whole Health Education, our method and model of education and teaching is founded on the idea that everything in the body is intimately connected to everything else.

The endocrines are such a perfect example of this interconnectedness of body, mind and spirit that it is pure joy to share the information with understandably eager students!

We begin with the Reproductive Glands and will discuss SEVEN aspects of the Reproductive Glands based on these concepts:

(1) the specific organ name and function
(2) the seven (7) virtues
(3) organs and systems
(4) Selye’s stress model
(5) its Whole Health aspect
(6) Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
(7) the seven (7) “deadly sins”

Referred to as the “root chakra” in yoga and energy circles, these powerful glands are in the most primal sense, the SURVIVAL component of Maslow’s Hierarchy. In fact, they are essential to the survival of the species – which is their primary purpose. They are, of course, part of the organs and system of reproduction that includes various accessory parts that are necessary to support the reproductive function.

That the Reproductive Glands belong to the physical aspect of Whole Health is very straight forward and evident. When we look at them in terms of Selye’s Stress Model we can see that they are connected to the “survival stressors” of

> reproduction (yes, sadly sex is another stressor for our bodies)
> trauma
> exertion (too much exercise or over work)
> weather (excessive heat, sun, cold)
> surgery (very stressful to the entire body and nervous system but sometimes necessary to save our life)

These stressors have a strong effect on the reproductive system. Stress decreases the drive and impulse to reproduce as the body wisely knows to conserve its energy until there is a well balanced system ready for reproduction.

So far we have gone over FIVE (5) of the SEVEN (7) aspects. The last two are fun because they really clarify the emotional and behavioral aspects of these important and influential glands.

The VIRTUE of the reproductive glands is spirituality – seeing the profound divine and unfathomable nature of reproducing and bringing forth, from the co-joining of two human beings, new human life. (If you’ve had children you know that they really do smell like they just came from “heaven” – what we imagine heaven to be anyway)

The DEADLY SIN of the reproductive glands is – we all know this one – its all around us. Yes, indeed, good ‘ol LUST, which of course is about self gratification and not the co-joining of a partnership resulting in a new life.

Understanding this information is important when we look at a person’s physical presentation or dis-ease from a Whole Person perspective. What are the cause and effect factors at play that are creating their disease? What is out of balance in the person’s seven aspects that is creating problems in this particular part of the body?

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For more whole health discussions like this, listen to my weekly radio show Living Above The Drama available on iHeartRadio.