What ever you focus on becomes your reality . All people in this world who achieve something or anything in their life have done so …. because they don’t see negativity. They only see positive and they keep going for it. They fall, they get up but they don’t “Give up” !! Once you stop you have stopped ….so keep going. “Keep your heart open to dreams. For as long as there’s a dream, there is hope, and as long as there is hope, there is joy in living.” 🙂
One thing scientist don’t agree upon is the pH theory. Some state you can’t change the pH of the blood. Ask any biologist or food scientist, pH doesn’t matter once food/water is mixed with stomach acid. The body has 9 pH’s at once and a carbonic acid-bicarbonate buffer system that does the regulating. People that eat an “alkaline diet,” it makes them healthy because they are eating healthy food. Do a search for “alkaline myth.” https://sciencebasedpharmacy.w
Now, if you consider that the amygdala is programmed from birth—primarily during the first 6-8 weeks—and it sets us up as an adult to behave in a particular way.
What Causes Your Stress? Understanding Stress Management
Stress test your life by seeing how each stress factor stacks up.
There is one thing on planet Earth that can heal just about any health problem in your life and that is your immune system. Just how healthy is your immune system? Did you know that chronic stress turns off the effectiveness of your immune system? According to Stanford University Medical School in research released in 1998 by Dr. Bruce Lipton, a highly renowned and respected cell biologist, stress is the cause of at least 95% of all illness and disease.
Dr. Lipton reports that the remaining 5 percent is genetic and was caused, you guessed it, by stress somewhere in the ancestry of that person. In other words, what we think of as genetic or a family predisposition to a particular disease or health problem was originally created by a stressful condition or event, somewhere in your family tree. http://www.lpgmindworks.com/newsletters/september2010stressndisease.html
MindOverGenes – TheNewBiologyByBruce H. Lipton, PhD
Earlier in my career as a research scientist and medical school professor, I actively supported the perspective that the human body was a ‘biochemical machine programmed by its genes.’ We scientists believed that human strengths, such as artistic or intellectual abilities, and human weaknesses, such as cardio-vascular disease, cancer or depression, represented traits that were preprogrammed into our genes. Hence I perceived life’s attributes and deficits, as well as our health and our frailties, as merely a reflection of our heredity expression.
Until recently, it was thought that genes were self-actualizing—that genes could ‘turn themselves on and off.’ Such behavior is required in order for genes to control biology.
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But our understanding is evolving. Though the power of genes is still emphasized in current biology courses and textbooks, a radically new understanding has emerged at the leading edge of cell science. It is now recognized that the environment, and more specifically, our perception (interpre-tation) of the environment directly controls the activity of our genes. Environ-ment controls gene activity through a process known as epigenetic control.
This new perspective of human biology does not view the body as just a mechanical device. Rather, it incorporates the role of a mind and spirit.
This breakthrough in biology is fundamental in all healing, for it recognizes that when we change our perception or beliefs, we send totally different messages to our cells and thus reprogram their expression. The new-biology reveals why people can have spontaneous remissions from disease or recover from injuries deemed to be permanent disabilities.
The functional units of life are the individual cells that comprise our bodies. Though every cell is innately intelligent and can survive on its own when removed from the body, in the body, each cell foregoes its individuality and becomes a member of a multi-cellular community. The body represents the cooperative effort of a community of fifty trillion single cells. By definition, a community is an organization of individuals committed to supporting a shared vision. Consequently, while every cell is a free-living entity, the body’s community accommodates the wishes and intents of its ‘central voice,’ a character we perceive as the mind and spirit.
When the mind perceives that the environment is safe and supportive, the cells are preoccupied with the growth and maintenance of the body. In stressful situations, cells forego their normal growth functions and adopt a defensive ‘protection’ posture. The body’s energy resources—normally used to sustain growth—are diverted to systems that provide protection during periods of stress. Simply put, growth processes are restricted or suspended in a stressed system. While our systems can accommodate periods of acute (brief) stress, prolonged or chronic stress is debilitating for its energy demands interfere with the required maintenance of the body, and as a consequence, leads to dysfunction and disease.
The principle source of stress is the system’s ‘central voice,’ the mind. The mind is like the driver of a vehicle. With good driving skills, a vehicle can be maintained and provide good performance throughout its life. Bad driving skills generate most of the wrecks that litter the roadside or are stacked in junkyards.
If we employ good ‘driving skills’ in managing our behaviors and dealing with our emotions, then we should anticipate a long, happy and productive life. In contrast, inappropriate behaviors and dysfunctional emotional management, like a bad driver, stress the cellular ‘vehicle,’ interfering with its performance and provoking a breakdown.
Are you a good driver or a bad driver? Before you answer that question, realize that there are two separate minds that create the body’s controlling ‘central voice.’ The (self) conscious mind is the thinking ‘you,’it is the creative mind that expresses free-will. Its supporting partner is the subconscious mind, a super computer loaded with a database of programmed behaviors. Some programs are derived from genetics—these are our instincts and they represent nature. But the vast majority of the subconscious programs are acquired through our developmental learning experiences, and they represent nurture.
The subconscious mind is not a seat of reasoning or creative consciousness; it is strictly a stimulus-response device. When an environmental signal is perceived, the subconscious mind reflexively activates a previously stored behavioral response—no thinking required. The subconscious mind is a programmable autopilot that can navigate the vehicle without the observation or awareness of the pilot—the conscious mind. When the subconscious autopilot is controlling behavior, consciousness is free to dream into the future or review the past. https://vimeo.com/146714061
This 3D video shows the serious long term effects of stress on your body and how stress can lead to serious long term diseases such as heart attack, stroke, diabetes, infertility, insomnia, dementia, obesity, weight gain, anxiety, depression, heart disease, cancer and other diseases.
Nutrition by NatalieThe effect of drugs on your stress and anxiety.This video discusses, coffee, caffeine, smoking (nicotine), alcohol, anxiety medications (These medications are sometimes also called minor tranquilizers. These drugs include the benzodiazephines such as Valium, Xanax and Ativan. Buspar is also non-benzodiazephine anxiolytic.), ADHD Medications (Adderall, Concerta, Daytrana, Desoxyn, Dexedrine, Focalin, Metadate, Methylin, Ritalin and Strattera.), as well illegal drugs such as cocaine, marijuana, crystal meth, etc. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1G_xxTC_UhA
Kelly McGonigal, PhD, is a health psychologist and lecturer at Stanford University and a leading expert on the mind-body relationship.
She is the author of several books, including The Upside of Stress, the international bestseller The Willpower Instinct, and The Neuroscience of Change. She has worked with the Stanford Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education since 2009, co-authoring the Stanford Compassion Cultivation Training (CCT) program and collaborating on scientific studies examining how compassion can promote health and happiness.
She has consulted for a wide range of organizations and industries ranging from healthcare and higher education to technology and finance, helping to bring evidence-based strategies for resilience and well-being into the workplace.
2:22 Does a country’s stress index correlate with other indices of well-being?
4:05 Breakdown of the stress paradox
4:38 Think of meaning
5:12 People who experience stress experience more meaning in their lives
5:43 People who have meaningful lives worry more
6:12 Stress signals
6:49 Stress plays a profound role on well-being
7:12 2 ways of thinking about stress
7:45 Negative outcomes of stress
8:15 Accepting views of stress protection in life
9:04 Think positively about stress
9:53 Mini mindset intervention (intro)
10:12 3 favorite scientific studies
10:26 Study 1 – Colombia
13:10 Positive stress outcomes
13:38 DHEA
14:55 Study 2 – Job interview stress
15:57 Personal meaning
16:55 Personal meaning vs proving oneself
17:27 Burnout
18:19 Final stress study
19:33 Painful thinking (good mindset)
20:40 Change in thinking can transform emotions
21:04 Heart rate variability
22:17 Empower – think of stress differently
23:10 A meaningful life is a stress-full life
In her book, The Upside of Stress, McGonigal asks, “If you could choose how stressful tomorrow will be, would you hope for a great deal of stress?” Our natural response is likely a resounding “No.” Yet, as McGonigal shows, a subtle shift in perspective around stress can be incredibly empowering. By reframing stress as a good thing and a sign of personal progress, we can avoid some of the baggage that comes with becoming stressed and actually turn our anxious feelings into a source of strength.
Watch more videos here: http://www.99u.com/videos
The effects of stress-induced hyperalgesia (increased sensitivity to pain) have been well documented in both the basic science and clinical literature. From such reports, it is known that stress can exacerbate chronic pain conditions. An acute stressor evokes increased symptoms of pain and urgency in patients with interstitial cystitis but not in controls.The basic concepts here are that stress:
- increases pelvic muscle tension and nerve activity in the pelvis, causing the nerves to secrete neurotransmitters from nerve endings that then activate mast cells, causing inflammation and pain
- can cause neuroendocrine imbalances, leading to chronic pain and fatigue syndromes
- dysregulates the HPA axis (adrenocorticotropic hormone) and cortisol levels
All of these actions could cause or exacerbate chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) and IC.
The effects of stress-induced hyperalgesia (increased sensitivity to pain) have been well documented in both the basic science and clinical literature. From such reports, it is known that stress can exacerbate chronic pain conditions. An acute stressor evokes increased symptoms of pain and urgency in patients with interstitial cystitis but not in controls.
The basic concepts here are that stress:
- increases pelvic muscle tension and nerve activity in the pelvis, causing the nerves to secrete neurotransmitters from nerve endings that then activate mast cells, causing inflammation and pain
- can cause neuroendocrine imbalances, leading to chronic pain and fatigue syndromes
- dysregulates the HPA axis (adrenocorticotropic hormone) and cortisol levels
All of these actions could cause or exacerbate chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) and IC.
Diagram Showing How Stress activates Mast Cells
Increased secretion of neurotransmitters
It should be understood that this aspect of stress overlaps with the “Neurogenic” theories, because stress fires up nervous activity which leads to symptoms, to simplify matters. There are several studies showing how stress may cause BPS/IC, a closely related condition. Here are further studies that show that nerves in the lower urinary tract sit alongside mast cells, and can cause them to degranulate, leading to inflammation, under psychological stress:
- Role Of Afferent Neurons In Stress Induced Degenerative Changes Of The Bladder (@ International Prostatitis Research Foundation website)
- CNS Induced Neurogenic Cystitis Is Associated With Bladder Mast Cell Degranulation In The Rat (@ International Prostatitis Research Foundation website)
- Neurotensin Mediates Rat Bladder Mast Cell Degranulation Triggered By Acute Psychological Stress
In a 2001 study cats with chronic pelvic pain syndrome (bladder pain sydrome, feline interstitial cystitis) showed increased sympathetic nervous activity compared to normal cats. That means they were stressed out. These cats also were found to have small adrenal glands, which is something found also in CFS patients. And CFS is frequently found alongside CP/CPPS and IC. It all starts to tie together, but it’s very complex, which is why your local doctor and even urologist may not have a clue about what’s happening to you.
Similar study: J Urol 1998 Mar;159(3):1045-8 Increased tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactivity in the locus coeruleus of cats with bladder pain syndrome/interstitial cystitis (BPS/IC). Reche Junior A, Buffington CA
Neuroendocrine Imbalance
Below is a quote from an interesting study showing that stress is linked in a very complex way to inflammation and chronic pain syndromes, as well as chronic fatigue syndrome. It talks about the close “neuro-mast-cell connections in peripheral tissues” like the lower genitourinary tract. On nerves, stress and hormones, the author hints at adrenal fatigue from stress:
The chronic pain and fatigue syndromes
Several chronic pain and fatigue syndromes (such as fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome) have been associated with chronic sickness syndrome manifestations (such as fatigue and hyperalgesia) and with hypoactivity of the stress system (Table III).
[2] [19] Interestingly, these clinical manifestations and the hypocortisolism of these patients are quite reminiscent of mild glucocorticoid deficiency (Addison’s disease). Patients with glucocorticoid deficiency have elevated levels of proinflammatory cytokines such as IL-6, which may explain their typical sickness syndrome manifestations.[11] [20] When we administered human recombinant IL-6 to these patients, we induced an explosive sickness syndrome that was markedly more severe than that observed in healthy control subjects. In contrast, patients with endogenous hypercortisolism showed very little or no response to IL-6 (unpublished observation).[5] It is tempting to speculate that patients with chronic pain and fatigue syndrome have an imbalance between the immune and inflammatory reactions and the stress response, which results in excessive sickness syndrome manifestations of the former versus the antithetical effects of the latter (Table II).
Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology Volume 106 o Number 5 o November 2000 Mosby, Inc. Stress, chronic inflammation, and emotional and physical well-being: Concurrent effects and chronic sequelae. George P. Chrousos MD
Stress and the HPA Axis
Research by Stanford urology professor Rodney Anderson shows that patients with chronic pelvic pain have significantly more anxiety, perceived stress and a higher profile of global distress when tested, scoring in the 94th vs the 49th percentile for controls (normal population). Patients showed a significantly blunted plasma adrenocorticotropin hormone response curve with a mean total response approximately 30% less vs controls. Men with pelvic pain have significant disturbances in psychological profiles compared to healthy controls and evidence of altered hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis function in response to acute stress.
Men with chronic pelvic pain syndrome have more perceived stress and anxiety than controls. Psychological test scores are significantly increased in all scales (somatization, obsessive/compulsive behavior, depression, anxiety, hostility, interpersonal sensitivity, phobic anxiety, paranoid ideation, psychoticism) for chronic pelvic pain syndrome. Men with chronic pelvic pain syndrome have significantly increased awakening cortisol responses compared to controls.
Stressed rats with inflamed prostates: prolactin or nerves?
A 1999 report showed that rats get inflamed prostates when they’re subjected to stress. In rats, stress can spur excess production of a hormone called prolactin that may be involved in the inflammation. How do you stress a lab rat? Put it in a small cone for 15 minutes, just small enough that it can’t move. Restraint worries rats immensely. The scientist did this twice a day for four weeks. The stressed rats produced more prolactin and their prostatitis grew worse. The unstressed rats largely healed.
But researching urologist Daniel Shoskes cautioned regarding prolactin:
I have checked Prolactin levels in about 50 men with Chronic Prostatitis because of its potential effects on libido and the whole prolactin receptor/BPH issue. Never found a single patient with an abnormal value. Doesn’t mean that something isn’t happening at the receptor level, but systemically there seems to be no difference.
But the proof of concept remains valid — a stressed mammal gets an inflamed genitourinary tract. It is perhaps not the hormone prolactin that is affecting the rats’ prostates, but the stress itself, via the pelvic nerves. The finding that prolactin production increases may be incidental.
BODY FAT AMPS UP INFLAMMATION FROM STRESS
People who are overweight may be at greater risk for stress-related diseases like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer, according to a new study.
It’s long known that psychological stress can trigger biological responses similar to the effects of illness or injury, including inflammation. While normal inflammation is an important part of our body’s healing response, runaway inflammation can contribute to chronic and life-threatening diseases.
In a recently published paper in Brain, Behavior and Immunity, researchers report that overweight and obese individuals have higher levels of stress-induced inflammation than those within a healthy weight range.
“We’ve known that overweight and obese individuals already have chronic, low-grade inflammation,” says psychology professor Nicolas Rohleder, the study’s principal investigator. “Now, it seems that when you add stress to the mix, it’s a double hit.”
HIGHER BMI, HIGHER IL-6
The researchers measured interleukin-6 (IL-6), an inflammatory agent linked to stress, to evaluate inflammation levels in normal-weight and overweight individuals over the course of two psychological stress tests.
They classified weight based on several factors, including body mass index (BMI) and body fat percentage. Individuals with a BMI of 25 or higher were classified as overweight.
On the first day of testing, lean and overweight individuals reacted similarly to stress, despite higher starting levels of IL-6 in overweight participants. On the second day of testing, however, the IL-6 levels of overweight participants nearly doubled, while the levels of lean participants remained the same as on the first day.
The researchers observed that the relationship between BMI and IL-6 levels was linear—the higher the BMI, even among lean individuals, the higher the IL-6.
“It seems that every percentage point of body fat makes your more susceptible to inflammation,” says Christine McInnis, a graduate student and study co-author.
With about two thirds of Americans classified as overweight, and worldwide obesity rates doubling since 1980, understanding the health risks of obesity could not be more important, says McInnis.
“We know that there are serious diseases associated with obesity. Now we are one step closer to understanding how and why,” she says.
The American Federation of Aging Research and training grants from the National Institute of Health funded the work.
Inflammation: The Real Cause of All Disease and How to Reduce and Prevent It
The Body Ecology Diet book addresses the sources of inflammation – one of the silent causes of aging and disease. Get your copy to read how healing your digestion can reduce inflammation in your body and help you get well!
Did you know that inflammation is the common link between such debilitating conditions as Alzheimers, heart disease, cancer, and arthritis?
Did you know inflammation is thought to be the culprit behind the visible signs of aging?
Inflammation is a wellness buzz-word these days, and for good reason. If you reduce inflammation in your body, you’ll not only look and feel younger, but you’ll significantly lower your risk for chronic disease!
What is Inflammation?
Inflammation is your body’s response to stress – whether from your diet, lifestyle or environment. Think of what happens when you catch a cold. You may experience inflammation in the form of a fever as your body heats up to eradicate the effects of the invading virus.
This kind of inflammation is good, but the modern epidemic of chronic, low-grade inflammation destroys the balance in your body. When your body’s systems experience a constant inflammatory response, you become more susceptible to aging and disease.
What Causes Inflammation?
Body Ecology believes that one of the main causes of inflammation is low-grade bacterial, viral, and fungal infections in the bloodstream and organs like the stomach and gastro-intestinal tract.
For example, H pylori is a bacteria in the stomach that contributes to inflammation and the development of ulcers. H pylori is present in 50% of adults over 60 years old and in 20% of adults under the age of 40!
As you can see, inflammation is quite common and caused by more than just pathogenic organisms.
Other causes of inflammation include:
- Chronic low-grade food allergies or food sensitivities that may cause few symptoms.
- An imbalance of bacteria and fungi in your gastrointestinal tract, also known as dysbiosis. This causes your immune system to overreact to bacteria in your gut and can be without notable symptoms.
- Stress! Constant psychological, emotional or physical stress raises the level of cortisol, creating inflammation. For more on the effects of stress on your body, read How Stress Creates A Double-Whammy Threat to Your Health.
- Environmental toxicity from our air, water, food pollutants and toxic metals like mercury and lead all contribute to inflammation and have been linked to diseases as varied as endometriosis and cancer.
- Diet and lifestyle: too much fat, sugar, and protein in your diet, constant dehydration, consumption of too many sodas or caffeine, inactivity, and lack of sleep can all increase inflammation in your body
The Lasting Effects of Inflammation
Symptoms of inflammation include:
- Visible signs of aging like wrinkles.
- Susceptibility to bacterial, fungal, and viral infections.
- Acid reflux
- Cancer
- Skin conditions like psoriasis and acne.
- Arthritis
- Bronchitis
- Chronic pain
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Osteoporosis
- Heart disease
- Candidiasis
- Urinary tract infections
How to Reduce Inflammation
To restore your body’s balance, we recommend going “back to basics” with both diet and lifestyle.
- The Body Ecology program is perfect for eliminating viral and fungal infections, increasing your mineral intake, eliminating sugar and balancing all of your nutrients in a way that supports your health and vitality.
- Following the 7 principles of the Body Ecology Diet allows you to heal your body of inflammation, reduce the damaging effects of aging and giving you plenty of energy.
- Reduce stress – which is easier said than done. Read this week’s article on The Healing Power of Touch
- Get plenty of sleep. For more information read Trouble Sleeping? Why Winter is the Ideal Time to Learn How to Sleep Right!
- Soak up the Sun – Vitamin D, available from sunlight, is an easy way to effectively stop inflammation.
Want to get a great dose of vitamin D this winter, basking in the sunshine of beautiful Jupiter, FL and receive THE Most In-Depth Dietary Health Knowledge on the Planet?
Sick and tired of feeling sick and tired? A virus could be to blame.
Learn how to get it under control before it controls you.
Start here: The Body Ecology Antiviral Protocol
Stress-induced hormones produced by the brain can increase an individual’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and accelerate the development of Alzheimer’s in individuals already suffering from the disease.
This study is the first to discover the precise mechanism that causes stress-induced Alzheimer’s disease.
When the brain is stressed, it produces steroids that can inhibit general brain activity. One of such steroids, allopregnanolon.
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A research team conducted a laboratory experiment on mice genetically predisposed to developing Alzheimer’s disease. The mice were treated chronically with elevated allopregnanolone levels, comparable to those caused by mild stress. After a period of no steroid treatment, the mice were tested for learning and memory.
The mice with elevated levels of the stress steroid experienced impaired memory and learning in the earliest stages of Alzheimer’s development, when they normally would not display these symptoms. The brains of the mice also displayed higher levels of beta-amyloids, proteins that form plaques between nerve cells in the brains of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease.
The researchers noted that a similar acceleration of Alzheimer’s disease in humans due to chronic stress could mean the difference between living independently and requiring professional care.
Not much more to say. Want some advice. Read my post on Caring.com on living a meaningful (and less stressful) life.
By Anthony Cirillo
https://www.caring.com/articles/meaningful-life
I always admired Pat Summitt because she was born the same day I was. Pat is perhaps best known for winning more games than any other NCAA Division 1 basketball coach, male or female.
Born: June 14, 1952, Clarksville, TN
Died: June 28, 2016, Knoxville, TN
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She spent 38 years as the head coach of the University of Tennessee women’s basketball team, the Lady Volunteers, winning eight national titles and 1,098 games. Tennessee also made 31 consecutive NCAA tournament appearances under Coach Summitt.
Summitt passed at the age of 64, after a five-year battle with Alzheimer’s disease. She will be remembered for her competitive spirit.
Here are 10 Summitt quotes that inspire us:
On competition
“There is always someone better than you. Whatever it is that you do for a living, chances are, you will run into a situation in which you are not as talented as the person next to you. That’s when being a competitor can make a difference in your fortunes.”
On work ethic
“Here’s how I’m going to beat you. I’m going to outwork you. That’s it. That’s all there is to it.”
On life
“It is what it is. But, it will be what you make it.”
On responsibility
“If you don’t want responsibility, don’t sit in the big chair. To be successful, you must accept full responsibility.”
On goal setting
“It’s harder to stay on top than it is to make the climb. Continue to seek new goals.”
On potential
“I’m someone who will push you beyond all reasonable limits. Someone who will ask you not to just fulfill your potential but to exceed it. Someone who will expect more from you than you may believe you are capable of.”
On loyalty
“The absolute heart of loyalty is to value those people who tell you the truth, not just those people who tell you what you want to hear. In fact, you should value them most. Because they have paid you the compliment of leveling with you and assuming you can handle it.”
On making a mistake
When a player makes a mistake, you always want to put them back in quickly — you don’t just berate them and sit them down with no chance of redemption.”
On attitude
“Attitude is a choice. What you think you can do, whether positive or negative, confidence or scared, will most likely happen.”
On quitting
“Quit? Quit? We keep score in life because it matters. It counts. Too many people opt out and never discover their own abilities, because they fear failure. They don’t understand commitment. When you learn to keep fighting in the face of potential failure, it gives you a larger skill set to do what you want to do.”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHAWwsUThVM
Preview YouTube video Remembering Pat Summitt
