Started on passion flower, deep sleep, and vitamin D supplements. Continuing with B-12. Herbal anxiety relief pills on the way :-)

Lord, the plants you made are so good!



gettingittogether.

17 Ways To Lose Weight Without Changing Your Schedule

The more you know about what your body really wants, the more likely you are to find a healthy alternative and feel satisfied.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/mackenziekruvant/17-ways-to-lose-weight-without-changing-your-schedule

12 Signs You're Unhealthy That You Probably Ignore (But Shouldn't)

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-9853/12-signs-youre-unhealthy-that-you-probably-ignore-but-shouldnt.html

What Your Doctor Won't Tell You About Your Health

Here are 9 tips to strengthen your immune system:

1. Eat alkalizing foods.

Eat more fresh, raw organic vegetables.

2. Stop eating acid-producing foods.

Cut out sugar! Stop eating wheat. Stop eating grains. Stop drinking coffee and alcohol. All of these are highly acidic.

3. Eat superfoods.

These are potent foods rich in nutrients. Have a superfood smoothie everyday. (I like The Rainbow Superfood Smoothie Mix from Bright Earth Foods.)

4. Get your daily dose of coconut oil.

It's one of the cleanest sources of fuel for your body. It is an essential fat, which means essential for life. Coconut oil anti-bacterial and anti-viral. Great in smoothies and to protect your skin.

5. Expose your skin to sunlight.

Vitamin D from the sun is crucial for immune system function. There is no substitute for natural sunlight! All you need is 15 to 20 minutes every few days as Vitamin D is stored in the body.

6. Sleep more.

Most people are sleep deprived. Sleep restores hormone and cortisol levels (and so much more!) so your body can cope with stress and heal itself. Cellular repair happens during sleep. Optimal is 8 to 10 hours.

7. Stay hydrated.

Drink 1 ounce of water for every 2 pounds of body weight each day.

8. Salt your food to taste!

You cannot stay hydrated without salt! Use only whole Himalayan Sea Salt. NEVER eat white table salt!

9. Reduce stress.

Meditate daily for 5 to 30 minutes. Breathe deep and relax your mind. Tune into your body. Feel and listen. Let your thoughts flow, without engaging with them. Notice how each thought makes your body feel inside. Then, return your attention to your breath.

10 Instant Energy Boosts To Help You Beat Stress

1. Breathe deeply.

Sit down and close your eyes. Take a deep breath in and out of your nostrils. If you follow your breath with your attention, you can slow your thoughts and mind down. Breathing deeply brings more oxygen into your cells, flushing your brain and body with instant energy. Think of this as a simple, yet very powerful and effective form of meditation.

2. Stretch yourself happy.

Stretch your body slowly with gentleness, kindness and love. With each stretching movement you make, celebrate your body: Notice your wrists, your arms, your neck, your spine, your legs, your ankles and your knees. Bring attention to your neck by dropping your left ear towards your left shoulder, then releasing your right ear towards your right shoulder until you find space opening up in your neck and upper shoulder area. Repeat the stretch a few times then drop your chin down to your chest.

3. Treat yourself with self-massage.

When you're mentally and emotionally stressed, that stress is also being held in your physical body. It can be helpful to release this tightness using self-massage. Begin by gently massaging your body with your fingertips and hands. Typically the body parts most affected by stress are the back, shoulders, legs, arms, face, eyes and jaw. Start massaging these parts of your body to help you identify where stress lives in your body.

4. Smile a big smile.

Start with a tiny smile, then let your smile spread widely across your face. Smile the biggest smile you can! Notice how your body responds. Feel your eyes smiling and all the muscles in your face smiling. Breathe this big happy smile all the way into your center. Close your eyes and drink in this new state: the relaxed, happy and peaceful feeling. Feel yourself feeling happy, grounded and centered.

5. Give yourself a vitamin D boost.

Get a natural vitamin D injection by sitting in the sunshine for a few minutes. Feel the warmth of the sunshine, naturally dissolving away stress, tension and tightness in your body and in your life.

6. Inspire yourself.

An easy way to inspire yourself is to surround yourself with positive support, inspiration and motivation. Watch an inspiring video, read an uplifting story or listen to a motivating speech. Another idea is to reconnect with a positive person who inspires you. Notice that it's very hard (if not impossible!) to feel stressed and inspired both at the same time. So, keep yourself tuned in to your inspirational stories, videos and audios until the stress releases.

7. Play your favorite music.

When you listen to your favorite music, something magical happens. Let yourself move and sing to your favorite songs. Music has an amazing ability to help reconnect you back to yourself, allowing healing to happen easily, naturally and effortlessly. Get into a nice comfortable place, perhaps sitting or lying down, and put on your favorite music and just Imagine your stress melting away, just melting, melting, melting.

8. Do some circle work.

Slowly, with intention, roll your shoulders back and down in a slow, circular motion. Slow everything down and notice how your breath deepens naturally. Feel the spaciousness in your body expand, particularly around your shoulders, chest and heart area as you do this. Consciously imagine opening up even more into this area of your body. Bring your shoulders back into a neutral place, then repeat another five times (more if you have the time and desire). With each shoulder circle that you do, imagine your stress just releasing naturally out of your body.

9. Laugh out loud.

When you laugh out loud, good vibes are able to move through your body, flushing away old energy blocks, along with feelings of stress and frustrations. Your inner child likes nothing more than having fun, so this is a perfect excuse to watch that comedy you've been wanting to see or get together with a good friend who makes you laugh. With each time that you laugh, just imagine laughing at your stress and sending it far, far away. Let the healing vibrations of your laughter move fluidly through your body, transforming stress into pure joy, positivity and optimism.

10. Make your favorite smoothie.

And, if you’ve tried all of these ideas and are still looking for more inspiration to feel better, there's nothing like getting in the kitchen and creating a delicious and healthy smoothie. This is a surefire way to relieve stress and make yourself feel good again! Here’s one of my favorite smoothie recipes: In a high-speed blender, blend 1-2 frozen bananas, 1 1/2 cups chilled, non-dairy milk (or equivalent freshly squeezed juice/water), a generous handful of frozen berries and 1 teaspoon each of cinnamon and pure vanilla essence. Blend together and when thoroughly mixed, pour into a lush cocktail glass and decorate with fresh berries on top. Sip and enjoy ... Mmm!

It's possible to relieve stress naturally. Stress really can be an energy thief, one that robs you of your precious life force, but you don’t have to let it be so.

Connecting with your inner wisdom and strength will help you to naturally transform your stress into new energy, courage and confidence so that you can feel better instantly!

How To Make Your Anxiety Work For You

I have a client-centered confession: I prefer working with anxious people.

I know, it's like saying, "I prefer my son over my daughters," but I can't help it.

I've been a psychotherapist for over a decade and that's long enough to know with whom I excel, in my clinical book.

It's not that anxiety is easy to be in the room with — on the contrary, sometimes clients are so unfocused, overwhelmed and tense that gaining control of the session is a challenge.

But here's the thing: At the end of the (stressed-out) day, anxious people get the job done.

I totally get it. I wasn't exactly raised in the most calm, cool and collected environment. Nobody taught me the importance of getting in touch with my body in order to relax. I knew the phrase, "Stop being anxious!?" didn't help, but I wasn't sure exactly why.

Maybe you can relate. But the beauty of anxiety is that there are simple actions you can do today to bring more peace, Zen and productivity to your environment.

In addition to lifestyle imperatives like getting adequate sleep, reducing caffeine, and exercising for at least 30 minutes per day, the following tips will help you make the most of your active mind:

1. Breathe to soothe your nerves.

Shallow breathing is a typical stress response. Hyperventilation can prolong anxiety and stress. Remember, it's your response to anxiety that is helpful or hurtful.

Because your senses are heightened, you can tap into body awareness more easily than some. When you recognize the nervous cues such as heart palpitations, headaches, and shortness of breath, take a time out to get your body back on track.

Abdominal breathing techniques calm the nervous system and reduce blood pressure. A few simple belly breaths can get you from anxiety to Zen:
Sit comfortably and raise your ribcage to expand your chest. Place one hand on your chest and the other on your abdomen. Notice your upper chest and abdomen move while you breath.
Concentrate on your breath and try to breathe in and out gently through the nose. Your upper chest and stomach should be still, allowing the diaphragm to work with your abdomen and less with your chest.
With each breath, allow any tension to slip away. Once you are breathing slowly with your abdomen, sit quietly and enjoy the sensation of physical relaxation.
2. Meditate the nervousness away.

Anxious people often live one step ahead or one step behind themselves. You may find yourself doing one thing, but thinking about what you will do later. Then later, you might worry about what you missed from before. Recognize this tendency and focus on the here-and-now.

Meditation's quietness offers a way to bring everything together again.

Practice the Just Standing Meditation:
Take a moment out of the day to pause and stand still. The arms can rest comfortably at the sides. In this moment, there's nothing else but two feet on the ground and an upright body.
Allow a natural alignment with gravity where standing is effortless. Don't think about anything; just stand. If thoughts race ahead or behind, bring them back gently to standing.
Sense the quality of this experience and let it sink in. When possible, return to the just standing mediation.
3. Let go of the fear of anxiety.

A common contributor to panic attacks is the fear of having another panic attack. Think of anxiety as a playground bully who needs you to be afraid so s/he can taunt you and make you cry.

Take the wind out of anxiety's sails by refusing to let the racing thoughts and knots in your stomach get the best of you.

4. Accept your anxiety.

Part of the struggle is when you try and control your emotions. Why not let go?

Acceptance requires little effort because you're not focused on trying to fix yourself, nor are you looking for a solution. Repeat a phrase such as, "I have a busy mind, and that's ok," to get you back on track.

The fact is we all have something. Your thing is anxiety, and you may as well put it to good use. You can't go back in time and rewire your nervous system, but you can go forward and practice techniques to bring more calm to your day.

The future begins now.

May you experience more internal peace to accept and embrace your anxiety as a strength.

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-9096/how-to-make-your-anxiety-work-for-you.html

What Every Young Adult Should Know About Healthcare

Written by a friend

http://christinerafla.wordpress.com/2013/03/12/what-every-young-adult-should-know-about-healthcare/

National Napping Holiday Today!

I didn't take one today but happy napping!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/11/nap-benefits-national-napping-day_n_2830952.html

Flat belly

Forget the workouts you’ve tried time and time again – crunches and sit-ups are often ineffective when it comes to trimming away the midlife belly. Consider alternatives, like holding your body in the plank position, or try another yoga-inspired exercise, the cat pose. Directions: Get on all fours. Arch your back like a cat, and work the deep abdominal muscles by inhaling and pulling the stomach back toward the spine. Inhale for 4 seconds and exhale for 4 seconds.

Foods that Burn Belly Fat

Eat more monounsaturated fats, easily remembered as MUFAS, found in nuts, olive oil and seeds. Other fat burners include avocados, green tea and whole grains. Put them on your grocery list, and keep your fridge full and your body running on these healthy sources of energy. Your trimmer tummy will thank you.

For Dr. Oz’s 7-Minute workout,

Read more: http://www.oprah.com/health/Get-Rid-of-Belly-Fat-Dr-Oz/2#ixzz2NArKJ1zv

Dr. Oz's 7-Minute Workout

http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/dr-ozs-seven-minute-workout

The Flat Belly Diet

"To keep your belly in check, remember the acronym SED: Strength training to preserve muscle mass, Exercise aerobically to burn fat, and your Diet should be healthy, calorie-controlled, and include heart-healthy fats."

The basic Flat Belly Diet plan is a 1,600-calorie Mediterranean-style diet with an emphasis on wholesome, unrefined foods including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, beans, seeds, lean protein.

According to the authors, the secret ingredient in the Flat Belly Diet that whittles away belly fat is the addition of a monounsaturated fat, or MUFA, at every meal. MUFAs are found in olives, avocados, nuts, seeds, dark chocolate, soybean, flax, and olive and sunflower oils.

During the jump-start, dieters drink 2 liters of daily "sassy water," a blend of spices, herbs, citrus, and cucumber. "We tested the diet plan on 11 volunteers and they told us the flavored water reduced bloating, constipation, helped them feel better and get rid of that sluggish feeling," explains Sass.

http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/flat-belly-diet?page=3

"When you eat because you are actually hungry, you're open to options. When you are eating to fill a void that isn't related to an empty stomach, you crave a specific food."

Emotional eating can leave behind feelings of guilt; eating when you are physically hungry does not.

"Comfort foods are foods a person eats to obtain or maintain a feeling," says Brian Wansink, PhD, director of the Food and Brand Lab at the University of Illinois. "Comfort foods are often wrongly associated with negative moods, and indeed, people often consume them when they're down or depressed, but interestingly enough, comfort foods are also consumed to maintain good moods." (Oh marbles can I relate!)

"If you eat when you are not hungry, chances are your body does not need the calories," says Jakubczak. "If this happens too often, the extra calories get stored as fat, and too much fat storage can cause one to be overweight, which may present some health risks."

According to an interview with Jakubczak on the University of Maryland web site, 75% of overeating is caused by emotions, so dealing with emotions appropriately is important.

"The first thing one needs to do to overcome emotional eating is to recognize it," says Jakubczak. "Keeping a food record and ranking your hunger from 1-10 each time you put something in your mouth will bring to light 'if' and 'when' you are eating for reasons other than hunger." (I want to eat only for reasons of hunger).

Next, you need to learn techniques that help manage emotions besides eating, explains Jakubczak.

"Oftentimes when a child is sad, we cheer them up with a sweet treat," says Jakubczak. "This behavior gets reinforced year after year until we are practicing the same behavior as adults. We never learned how to deal with the sad feeling because we always pushed it away with a sweet treat. Learning how to deal with feelings without food is a new skill many of us need to learn."

Managing Emotional Eating

Here are a few tips to help you deal with emotional eating:

Recognize emotional eating and learn what triggers this behavior in you.

Make a list of things to do when you get the urge to eat and you're not hungry, and carry it with you, according to the Tufts Nutrition web site. When you feel overwhelmed, you can put off that desire by doing another enjoyable activity.
Try taking a walk, calling a friend, playing cards, cleaning your room, doing laundry, or something productive to take your mind off the craving -- even taking a nap, according to the Tufts Nutrition web site.

When you do get the urge to eat when you're not hungry, find a comfort food that's healthy instead of junk food. "Comfort foods don't need to be unhealthy," says Wansink.

For some, leaving comfort foods behind when they're dieting can be emotionally difficult. Wansink tells WebMD, "The key is moderation, not elimination." He suggests dividing comfort foods into smaller portions. For instance, if you have a large bag of chips, divide it into smaller containers or baggies and the temptation to eat more than one serving can be avoided.
When it comes to comfort foods that aren't always healthy, like fattening desserts, Wansink also offers this piece of information: "Your memory of a food peaks after about four bites, so if you only have those bites, a week later you'll recall it as just a good experience than if you polished off the whole thing." So have a few bites of cheesecake, then call it quits, and you'll get equal the pleasure with lower cost.

Lastly, remember that emotional eating is something that most people do when they're bored, happy, or sad. It might be a bag of chips or a steak, but whatever the food choice, learning how to CONTROL it and using MODERATION are key.

http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/emotional-eating-feeding-your-feelings

Top 10 Foods For Detoxing

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-7748/top-10-foods-for-detoxing.html

ways to get your best body

1. Get more sleep.

Aim for at least eight hours every night. You should also try to schedule time for rest or solitude, even if it's just five minutes a day. It will maximize your quality of life and cement a good relationship between you and your body.

2. Hydrate -- water, water, water -- whenever you can!

Limit caffeine to once daily (before lunch) MAX. If you are feeling anxious or you can't sleep well, cut it completely for a week or two and see the difference!

3. Start your day with a good breakfast.

Your breakfast should be rich in protein and good fats. A smoothie is the ultimate breakfast in my eyes, since it keeps blood sugars stable and allows for easy absorption of vitamins and minerals.

4. NEVER consume artificial sweeteners or diet sodas.

5. Cut back on the consumption of gluten-containing foods.

One great way to reduce your gluten intake is to choose gluten-free complex carbs like brown rice, quinoa, legumes, pumpkin, and beans.

6. Reduce your stress.

Find a technique that works best for you and practice a stress reliever daily. Some examples of good stress relievers include meditation, deep breathing, yoga, chi gong, walking, barefoot walking, tea, and reading. Choose anything! This will keep your adrenal glands healthy and your hormones balanced.

7. Try to exercise four to five times per week, 30 to 45 minutes each session.

Keep your body moving in your favorite way. I am very against boot camp and pushing the body to any kind of extreme (sorry, guys). I love interval training, weight training, Pilates, yoga, and a 30-minute jog, and I walk on the weekends (whenever I can, really) because I love the fresh air and it clears my mind.

On this note: Change your mentality. Stop exercising because "you will lose weight if you do." Stop putting pressure on yourself. Exercise because it is a mood booster, mind clearer, and is healthy for your heart!

8. Learn to love your veggies.

Eat them with every meal. Aim to have five servings of mixed veggies every day. Get those B vitamins! I try to have at least two vegetarian meals per week, as I feel my body does well with the occasional break from animal protein.

9. Eat through the rainbow.

Variety! I know how easy it can be to get stuck on a particular food and repeat it for months, but please change it up -- especially your breakfast.

10. Chew your food.

Stop inhaling it. Practice mindful eating. I am committed to sitting down and eating my meals in a calm state for optimal digestion and absorption.

11. Put technology to bed.

Switch off your electronic devices by 9pm and put your phone on airplane mode away from your head. Please!

12. Wake up with a delicious ritual.

Here's a good example: Open eyes, stretch, smile, give thanks, drink your lemon water, refresh. Then you can check your phone and emails. This will set a good tone for your day.

13. Get organized on a Sunday!

Or whichever day suits you best. Stock your fridge and pantry as best as you can for the week. This really keeps me on track and supports my healthy eating.

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-7783/13-easy-ways-to-get-your-best-body.html

depression and drugs - the power's inside you!

Don’t put your health in the hands of others, put it in your own.

Don’t let others grab a hold of you and try to increase your dependency on something that isn’t good for you, in this case medication.

Depression as a condition and the drugs to treat them have been severely over hyped and many negative effects have been suppressed. Many people believe they are depressed, and many medical practitioners believe in their diagnoses of depression not knowing that they have been subject to a very intelligent form of manipulation.

Depression is not a result of situations in your life in the external environment, it’s a result of you and your internal world and how you perceive your reality.

It seems as if the powers that be have grabbed a hold of human feelings, defined them to be of such a problematic nature that it requires chemical tweaking of the brain. Sure, depression might very well be the result of chemical deficits in the brain, but chemical deficits in the brain are caused by the being within the human body. Everything you feel is a result of your own creation, your brain shapes itself based on how you perceive reality, this is a scientific fact. It is you that changes your brain, don’t allow harmful medication to do it for you while ruining your mental health. I am not saying that depression doesn’t exist, but it is simple to see that medication is not required, does not help, and is extremely detrimental to our physical and mental well being. Any type of medication to treat depression should be highly questioned, research should go beyond science and medicine and into the corporations responsible for their manufacturing and the people behind the corporations.

Mainstream science is also starting to clue in as it begins to see the fraud with regards to the information we are told and what we are made to believe. It seems as if the powers that be have grabbed a hold of human feelings, defined them to be of such a problematic nature that it requires chemical tweaking of the brain. Sure, depression might very well be the result of chemical deficits in the brain, but chemical deficits in the brain are caused by the being within the human body. Everything you feel is a result of your own creation, your brain shapes itself based on how you perceive reality, this is a scientific fact. It is you that changes your brain, don’t allow harmful medication to do it for you while ruining your mental health. I am not saying that depression doesn’t exist, but it is simple to see that medication is not required, does not help, and is extremely detrimental to our physical and mental well being. Any type of medication to treat depression should be highly questioned, research should go beyond science and medicine and into the corporations responsible for their manufacturing and the people behind the corporations.

Prior to taking medication, the human brain and the chemical flows within it were naturally determined by the human being. Given our mood, our daily activities, what we think and how we perceive the environment around us, our brains and their chemical flows are determined by us. How medical practitioners are convinced of anti-depressant medication and their effectiveness is beyond me (along with vaccinations and a list of many other things). Given what the medical field knows about our brain, and how our thoughts and emotions can effect it, souls who feel depressed usually just need to let certain concepts and belief systems go. It’s like holding onto weights while the water is rising around you, you can choose to let them go and float, or hang on to them and drown.


http://www.collective-evolution.com/2013/01/29/depression-and-the-harmful-drugs-that-go-with-it/

When you set out to release a habit, first be kind to yourself and thank your subconscious for creating the protective mechanism. It did its best to help, but its way of going about it was not useful. Acknowledge the cause of the need for this protection and decide how you could replace the protection in a more constructive way.


http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-7673/are-you-your-own-worst-enemy-how-to-stop-sabotaging-yourself.html

The 5 Things You Need To Do To Be Healthy: A Cardiologist Explains

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-7506/the-5-things-you-need-to-do-to-be-healthy-a-cardiologist-explains.html

Yin Yoga

So what exactly is Yin yoga? It is a more meditative approach with a physical focus much deeper than Yang like practices. Here the practitioner is trying to access the deeper tissues such as the connective tissue and fascia and many of the postures focus on areas that encompass a joint (hips, sacrum, spine). As one ages flexibility in the joints decreases and Yin yoga is a wonderful way to maintain that flexibility, something that for many don’t seem to be too concerned about until they notice it is gone.

This intimate practice of yoga requires students to be ready to get intimate with the self, with feelings, sensations, and emotions, something of which I have noticed can be easy to avoid in a fast paced yoga practice. Yin yoga is often used in programs that deal with addictions, eating disorders, anxiety and deep pain or trauma. For me my first experience with yoga was when I was knee deep in an eating disorder. Not familiar with the difference in practices I did notice that yoga helped me, and I often equate my practice to saving my life. Now that being said, several years later I stumbled across Yin yoga and found that the recovery process I had been going through apparently needed some more work and WOW did Yin point that out to me. I often struggled with being alone, sitting with feelings and sensations (something addicts struggle with) and found it challenging to face myself and the rawness of what I was doing and who I was in that moment. This concept in practice, allowed me a greater mental stability something much of which is a benefit of meditation, basically “learning to sit still.”

Many find immediate benefits like more open hips, a more relaxed body and centered mind.

Some of the benefits of Yin yoga are:
Calming and balancing to the mind and body
Regulates energy in the body
Increases mobility in the body, especially the joints and hips
Lowering of stress levels (no one needs that)
Greater stamina
Better lubrication and protection of joints
More flexibility in joints & connective tissue
Release of fascia throughout the body
Help with TMJ and migraines
Deeper Relaxation
A great coping for anxiety and stress
Better ability to sit for meditation
Ultimately you will have a better Yang practice
I really do believe that if you incorporate a little of both will create a more well-rounded practice as well as a better-rounded version of the awesome you!

Yin yoga as taught me to truly be still, to really come face to face with myself, even more than my past practice has; and because of this I am now able to bring what Yin has taught me into my more Yang like practices and ultimately my life as a whole.

Yin yoga teaches you how to really listen, you don’t get the opportunity to go in and out, jump around and find a distracted version of stillness within your practice. Yin is such a great compliment to other styles and your own personal life, because it brings long periods of time in an uncomfortable position, which then asks you to learn to “be” to “accept what is” in that given moment. Something we can all benefit from daily. For me, I did not know how to be in my own company, I did not like to feel or be or anything that required me to have an emotion. There is something so deep about Yin that will tap into a part of you in a way only unique to Yin. And for me a healthy Yin practice has poured over into a healthier Yang practice and a healthier life as a whole. And I wish that for everyone.

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-5037/Yin-Yoga-101-What-You-Need-to-Know.html

Is it OK to exercise if I have a cold?

helpful.

Let your body be your guide. If you have a cold and feel miserable, take a break. Scaling back or taking a few days off from exercise when you're sick shouldn't affect your performance. Resume your normal workout routine gradually as you begin to feel better. And check with your doctor if you aren't sure if it's OK to exercise.

Remember if you do choose to exercise when you're sick, reduce the intensity and length of your workout. If you attempt to exercise at your normal intensity when you have more than a simple cold, you could risk more serious injury or illness.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/exercise/AN01097