Which Glass Are You Holding?

I have talked a lot about "mental well being" but we haven't really talked specifically in a post about how important this is.  To put it bluntly - YOU have the ability to think yourself SICK or WELL.  Which do you choose?

Is your glass 1/2 full or 1/2 empty?  It isn't important that you admit this to anyone but yourself.  Believe it or not - this is the exact same question I asked above... so take heed and be honest with yourself.  This is your first step to becoming mentally healthy.

If your first thought was 1/2 full .... DUH!  Then congratulations, you are done and can move on ;)  Seriously, this means your base personality is a positive one and you are focused on the right things.  If, however, your first thought was 1/2 empty, we need to talk. 

A change in your base personality can only happen with work.  It won't change over night.  It won't happen on it's own.  You will have to make a concerted effort every moment of every day until you have forced a change.  But... we can help you along the way.  In your office, on your fridge, by your bed, as your bookmark in the book you are reading - make a note to yourself with "my glass is 1/2 full" and put a smiley face next to it.  I am serious.  Every time you have a negative thought, a selfish thought, or an angry thought look at that sign and think of how you can change your thought process. 

There are always multiple ways to look at a situation.  Take this for example.  I know a couple that have been together for a couple years.  She calls me one day in a panic, "He is thinking about an ex-girlfriend.  He is distant.  He hates me.  He is cheating on me." On and on she goes.  All she sees is the negative.  What she didn't see was that he and I had talked the night before about old times.  Our conversation had triggered a memory of this ex-girlfriend, not in a sexual way - but in a caring way.  He wondered how she was doing and hoped she was happy.  Obviously, my friends have some kinks to work out in their relationship and trust is a huge one.  But we all carry baggage - and we need to deal with that baggage so it doesn't misinterpret things in current relationships and causes bombs to destroy something good.  If you are my female friend in this situation, work on communicating better, working out your issues from past relationships, and facing facts - don't assume anything (we all know what assuming does right?) ask the questions - even the tough ones.  It really is better to know, and to deal with the bad stuff than to imagine the worst.

So, along with your little pick-me-up signs, there are some changes you can make in your life style.  Music - what are you listening to?  Do you listen to music?  Music really can calm the savage beast - use it in a positive way.  Find some instrumental music that calms you, there are all kinds out there, and play it low during the day and evening hours.  You will be amazed.

Recommended reading: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/01/24/using-music-to-lift-depressions-veil/

Scents too can make a difference.  Scents tend to lock in a memory.  Find a happy memory from your relationship, your childhood, your family - and release that scent into your daily life.  Candles, incense burners, potpourri jars.. there are lots of ways to get that back into your life.

Recommended reading: http://www.healingtherapies.info/Aromatherapy.htm

Color - we really haven't talked much about color yet, but this too plays a big part.  Here is a good color wheel: http://realcolorwheel.com/tubecolors.htm.  Get a piece of paper and a pen/pencil.  We are going to do two different things - first living space.  Take a look at the color wheel - which colors calm you - relax you - make you smile.  Write them down in order from most to least (I would say choose five).  These colors should be your accent colors in your home.  Second you - Again take a look at the color wheel - which colors animate you - energize you - make you happy.  Again write them down as before.  These should be the accent colors you wear.  Most of the time there will be some similarities between the two lists. 

Recommended reading: http://depression.healthytreatment.com/depressives-try-color-therapy/
http://www.energymed.org/hbank/handouts/healing_properties_colors.htm

Friends and family are very important to a positive mental well being.  Get out.  Don't sit at home in front of the brain musher - get out and see your friends and family.  The more active you are - and the more interactive you are, the happier you will be.  Getting out with friends and family will activate your brain - laughter and happiness releases positive endorphins in your body that help keep you young and help your body heal.  Now, I am not saying to go out and be a party animal - but getting out with friends for a barbecue or Sunday dinner with the family is good!

Do things that make you happy.  When was the last time you laughed?  Smiled?  Enjoyed what you were doing so much that you didn't want to stop?  Find those things and do them REGULARLY!  Make a list of all the things you want to do - put it in front of your face so you think about it all the time - and MAKE IT HAPPEN!  Simply smiling will increase your serotonin levels and move you in a more positive direction.

We want to activate your brain in a positive way - and a negative attitude / outlook and depression have a lot of the same markers.  So, the same herbs will benefit both.  Omega 3/6/9, ginkgo biloba, SAMe, St John's Wort, Ginseng, Basil, Rosemary, Ginger, Clove, Sage, and a host of other herbs are great for fighting depression.  They work to release the positive chemicals in your brain - dopamine and serotonin among others.  As always - READ thoroughly about each herb and its side effects and interactions with foods / chemicals before taking any of them.

Recommended reading: http://holisticonline.com/Remedies/Depression/dep_herbs_1.htm

Get plenty of leafy dark green vegetables, fresh herbs, and dark fruits.  Stay away from our standard bad foods - sodas, caffeine, fried foods, packaged foods, junk foods, sugary drinks / foods.  The bad foods will cancel out all the good work you do to try and be positive. 

Recommended reading: http://www.healthy.net/scr/article.aspx?Id=2805 http://www.everydayhealth.com/depression/foods-that-fight-depression.aspx

Add exercise to your daily regiment.  If you build to where you can sustain 30 - 45 minutes of cardio, you will find an amazing thing happens - your body goes into a natural high state - almost euphoric.  It is a wonderful sensation.  And beyond that it also raises your metabolism for 24 hours. 

Recommended reading: http://www.fitnessusa.com/fitness-info/exercise/the-natural-high/

And lastly, but far from being last on the list of todos is sunshine.  Being outside in the sun will activate the pineal gland and release tryptomines which are happy chemicals into the body. 

Recommended reading - this guy gets it: http://www.infobarrel.com/Surround_Yourself_with_Beauty_and_Life_to_Fight_Depression
Recommended reading - Webmd - total picture too:
http://www.webmd.com/depression/features/foods-that-fight-winter-depression

Come back in 30 days and tell me... is your glass 1/2 full or 1/2 empty?  Blessings... E

Dragging a Weight...

Most of us get tired and run down on occasion, but are you one of the millions of people that have chronic fatigue?  Even first thing in the morning are you exhausted?  Do you feel like you are dragging around a 20 pound weight?  What causes it?

There are several possibilities - let's hit the obvious that I am not touching - not getting enough sleep, drinking two pots of coffee every day, drinking sodas and caffeinated drinks right before bed.  Those are the "DUH" reasons.  Dehydration, Hypothyroidism, Anxiety, Anemia, Adrenal Fatigue, Nutritional Deficiencies, Stress, Pharmaceutical Drugs, and several diseases all can cause chronic fatigue. 

You need to figure out what your issue is, and resolve it - otherwise, the problem will continue to manifest - possibly in more damaging ways.  Your body sends out warnings when things aren't right - when you need to FIX something (Mental, Diet, Exercise) and when you ignore the small warning signs, all that happens is that larger more pressing ones occur. 

In the meantime.... here are some suggestions for the warning sign of fatigue:
1. Get enough sleep - most people need about 8 hours of sleep every night.  If you have problems getting to sleep or staying asleep try 30 minutes of light exercise, yoga, or Pilate's.  Turn down your lights 2 hours or more before you want to go to bed.  Turn down music/tv volume same amount of time before bed.  Drink something warm 30 minutes before bed - stay away from sugary and/or caffeinated drinks. 
2. Light exercise / yoga / Pilate's first thing in the morning.  Wake 20 minutes before usual and spend the time to meditate and exercise your body before getting started.
3. Shower in the morning.  add some scented soap or bath salts that invigorate your senses.  Scent is a great way to wake up your mind as well.
4. Turn on all the lights in the room you begin your day in.  Light wakes the senses and mind.
5. Take your daily herbs and supplements.  Emergen-C is a great supplement that I take all winter long - it has both Vitamin C and Vitamin B in it and can be taken up to 4 packets a day... I recommend as a preventative only one a day - first thing in the morning.  Vitamin B is a mental booster and will help charge you up.
6. Ginkgo Biloba is a mental booster.  Will help give more of a positive outlook on the day. 
7. Goji is the "happy" fruit.  I don't like the flavor of the juice straight - but mixed with cherry (my favorite) it isn't bad.  you only need about 1/2 a cup to feel the effects.
8. Turn on some lively, bouncy music in the morning - make sure it is something with a positive beat and a positive message.

Wake up your senses...

Stressing over Anxiety...

I got a question about anxiety from my cousin last week.  I know several people - adults, teens, and adolescents that suffer from anxiety.  To a certain extent we all do - new situations, having to confess something we are guilty of doing, leaving behind an old life, etc.  And like a lot of things, different people call the same thing different names - anxiety, stress, depression, worry, fear... we are going to talk about real anxiety - the type that can cause phobias, panic attacks, and potentially some life threatening issues.

About 4m people suffer from the most common type of Anxiety - GAD (Generalized Anxiety Disorder) in any given year and more women are typically affected than men.  There isn't any one thing that causes anxiety most agree that genetics, brain chemistry, and life experiences all play a part.  While we can't change anything with genetics - we can make the most of our life experiences (mental attitude) and brain chemistry (diet/exercise).

You will find several things repeated in my blog over and over again.  The three premises of natural medicine are mental well being, diet, and exercise.  As you see, this is a prefect example of this.  Every facet of our lives contain all three of these aspects.  If one is out of whack, you are not well.  Make sense? 

Mental attitude.  Did you know that a positive attitude releases dopamine, tryptophan, and serotonin in the brain - these are "happy" chemicals.  A negative attitude breaks down cells and changes the body chemistry into a more acidic rather than alkaline - which is what you need it to be.  We have all heard that positive people live longer than negative ones.  Music can help with attitude too - too often we don't realize how much music affects us.  Next time you have some quiet, private time (I know - I am dreaming) listen to different types of music and pay attention to your reaction to it... how does it make you feel, what thoughts does it provoke, what colors do you think of, what do you smell... Scent also plays a huge part in a positive attitude.  My favorite scent is cinnamon, it makes me happy.  When I need a quick pick me up - I light some cinnamon candles and relax... it never fails to bring a smile to my face.  My favorite saying to my kids is, "What will be, will be" or "it is what it is."  When a stressful situation arises that I can't change, I repeat that to remind myself that there are things in life that I can't change, and that I have to let go.  It works.  Most people with anxiety disorders allow their every day stresses to manifest into larger issues.  Learning to let go, is very important.  When we get to exercise, we will have some additional help with "letting go."

Diet.  Let's start with the things NOT to eat - Caffeine, chocolate, sodas, processed foods, fried foods, junk food, and dairy.  These are pretty standard for everyone, not just those affected by anxiety - but they WILL exacerbate the situation more radically than for other people.  Everything is building blocks - so don't feel that you must remove all of these things on day one.  So... what should you be eating.  Foods rich in Vitamin B - Tuna, Salmon, Snapper, Scallops, Mushrooms, Sunflower Seeds, Black Beans and other legumes, Spinach and other dark green leafy vegetables, Bananas, Edamame, and Nuts,  And then our herbs - fresh Basil, Passion Flower, St. John's Wort, Ginkgo Biloba, Meadow Sweet, and Kava Kava.  Now, with herbs - if you are unfamiliar with the herb and how much to take, I urge you STRONGLY to get a book about herbs and understand potential allergies, interactions, etc... like pharmaceutical drugs, some herbs can be dangerous in large doses or when mixed with other herbs and drugs.  In addition, you will need to try them out and see what works best for you.

Exercise.  I am addicted to exercise.  As a child, I hated gym class and exercise in general.  My whole world changed when we moved to Hawaii and I was able to exercise every day.  We hiked, biked, bladed, swam and walked every day.  And then when I started studying martial arts... I couldn't believe how addicted I was.  I never realized that exercise was a natural high for me.  The more I did, the happier and healthier I was.  For people suffering from anxiety, you may just need some quiet time and not the full intense workouts that I am used to doing.  Yoga techniques.  Deep breathing techniques. Tai Chi.  These are FABULOUS helps for both stress and anxiety.  You need to really start changing your mental attitude - replace the "I can't" with "Let's see what we can do" and "I think I can."

I KNOW you can make a change... think positively!