Strength is self control and self control is strength. 

Even more, self control can be strengthened and so our strength can be strengthened.

There are many studies that describe how self control can be increased through physical exercise.  Getting your body moving for as little as 10 minutes releases GABA, a neurotransmitter that makes your brain feel soothed and keeps you in control of your impulses. If you’re having trouble resisting the impulse to walk over to the office next door to let somebody have it, just keep on walking. You should have the impulse under control by the time you get back.  Endorphins help us feel good.  This is powerful when trying to improve or increase our self control.

Another way to increase self control is to distract yourself from the thing that you’re craving.  Set a short time limit, like 15 minutes to participate in a different activity.  This does two things: it increases your confidence in yourself that you can live without the thing that is tempting you; and it helps you to focus on a more productive activity for this period of time.  To do this it is best to be prepared in advance with a list of numbers to call (people in AA that can share about how they made it through the first weeks of their recovery) or tools to engage in your activity (sneakers or a book etc.)  There is something very beneficial about seeing oneself attain a goal by overcoming an area of weakness.  This is not just a physical benefit but in a sense a very spiritual victory but it takes place openly in out physical realm.

Diet is also a consideration because foods that could cause your blood sugar to drop will increase the opportunity for impulsivity.  Hence, foods that stabilize your blood sugar like proteins and healthy fats are a safer choice if your goal is to increase self control in an area.

We are also vulnerable when we do not get enough rest.   Sleep helps your brain work properly.  While we’re sleeping, our brains are preparing for the next day and forming new pathways to help us learn and remember information.  Studies show that a good night’s sleep improves learning.  Whether we’re learning math, how to play the piano, how to perfect our golf swing, or how to drive a car, sleep helps enhance our learning and problem-solving skills.   Sleep also helps you pay attention, make decisions, and be creative.  Studies also show that sleep deficiency alters activity in some parts of the brain.  If you’re sleep deficient, you may have trouble making decisions, solving problems, controlling your emotions and behavior, and coping with change.  Sleep deficiency also has been linked to depression, suicide, and risk-taking behavior.  Children and teens who are sleep deficient may have problems getting along with others. They may feel angry and impulsive, have mood swings, feel sad or depressed, or lack motivation. They also may have problems paying attention, and they may get lower grades and feel stressed.

One last factor with increasing self control is increasing our awareness.  We may need to journal or log areas of difficulty that we are trying to strengthen.  For more information on how to do this, contact us at (609) 510-4007 and we will share some of the tools that have been helpful with our clients over the years.

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/sdd/why

http://www.wikihow.com/Build-Self%E2%80%90Control

http://www.forbes.com/sites/travisbradberry/2012/09/17/the-six-secrets-of-self-control/#111c7c1e12aa

The Health Benefits of Joy

Nothing balances your nervous system faster than communicating face-to-face with another person. Add laughter to that communication and you have a powerful antidote to stress, anxiety, pain, and conflict. Humor lightens your burdens, inspires hopes, connects you to others, and keeps you grounded, focused, and alert.

With so much power to heal and renew, the ability to laugh easily and frequently is a tremendous resource for surmounting problems, enhancing your relationships, and supporting both physical and emotional health.

Laughter is good for your health

Laughter relaxes the whole body. A good, hearty laugh relieves physical tension and stress, leaving your muscles relaxed for up to 45 minutes after.

Laughter boosts the immune system. Laughter decreases stress hormones and increases immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, thus improving your resistance to disease.

Laughter triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals. Endorphins promote an overall sense of well-being and can even temporarily relieve pain.

Laughter protects the heart. Laughter improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow, which can help protect you against a heart attack and other cardiovascular problems.

Laughter burns calories. OK, so it’s no replacement for going to the gym, but one study found that laughing for 10 to 15 minutes a day can burn about 40 calories—which could be enough to lose three or four pounds over the course of a year.

Laughter may even help you to live longer. A study in Norway found that people with a strong sense of humor outlived those who don’t laugh as much. The difference was particularly notable for those battling cancer.

Laughter helps you stay emotionally healthy

Laughter makes you feel good. And the good feeling that you get when you laugh remains with you even after the laughter subsides. Humor helps you keep a positive, optimistic outlook through difficult situations, disappointments, and loss.

More than just a respite from sadness and pain, laughter gives you the courage and strength to find new sources of meaning and hope. Even in the most difficult of times, a laugh–or even simply a smile–can go a long way toward making you feel better. And laughter really is contagious—just hearing laughter primes your brain and readies you to smile and join in the fun.

The link between laughter and mental health

Laughter dissolves distressing emotions. You can’t feel anxious, angry, or sad when you’re laughing.

Laughter helps you relax and recharge. It reduces stress and increases energy, enabling you to stay focused and accomplish more.

Humor shifts perspective, allowing you to see situations in a more realistic, less threatening light. A humorous perspective creates psychological distance, which can help you avoid feeling overwhelmed.

Laughter draws you closer to others, and increasing social engagement can have a profound effect on all aspects of your mental and emotional health.

Being aware of your thoughts and feelings and making a conscious choice to think more positively is very helpful in maintaining an attitude with joy.

Proverbs 17:22

Dr. Axe explains the use of supplements for weight loss.

Most experts say to start the day with a protein and stay hydrated to maintain a metabolism that keeps your body burning during the day.  Listen to Dr. Axe share his tips.

Supplements can support you along with diet and exercise in meeting your weight loss goals. These supplements will not only help you reach your ideal weight, but also transform your health.

1.) Greens Superfood powder (supports fat burning)
2.) Grass-fed Whey Protein (supports a healthy metabolism)
3.) Probiotics (supports a healthy gut)

You will see amazing results if you take these supplements and pair them with a good diet and exercise plan!

Go to his page at:

https://draxe.com/supplementation-weight-loss/

Last night I finished work and raced to the pool to get in a swim.  The time went by so fast.  I was just what I needed after a long day of seeing patients for physical and mental health needs.

I focused on each breath.  I paid attention to my body and what I noticed in different areas.  At times, I used long slow strokes and looked up at the ceiling as I was breathing in.  Other times I kicked hard and moved quicker.  Sometimes, I stretch out far and make myself long.  I love this.  I can feel my body rock in the water from side to side.  I take turns breathing from right to left three strokes at a time.  When I do my kick turn, I time my strokes to work out so I can flip and kick against the wall and stretch out again.  I love the feel of the air as I reach my arms up to go in front of me and reconnect with the water in front of me.  I love the sound of the water as I move through it.

When I got out of the pool, the life guard said, “You are the most graceful swimmer I’ve ever seen.”  I explained to her how I love to relax with swimming.  She shook her head and agreed.

For me this hasn’t always been my experience.  For many people who I speak with about swimming, they share why they “can’t” swim.  I used to be one of those people.  I had an experience in my first triathlon where people swam over top of me and I really didn’t appreciate the benefits of swimming too much after that.  I am so glad that I made myself swim consistently everyday until I developed the love for swimming that I have now.

There really are so many benefits to swimming.  I have seen people who were taking medication for diabetes come off of the medication after swimming on a daily basis.

Everyone has seen what the little boy with ADHD was able to accomplish in life through the consistency of training with swimming throughout the years.  Today he is the most decorated Olympian in history. (Michael Phelps) 

For folks with joint pain, swimming offers a low impact means to move which helps reduce inflammation and pain.  When I swim, I can feel my muscles getting stronger.  It is a great way to tone a flabby body.

In addition to toning visible muscles like pectorals, triceps and quads, swimming also helps improve the most important muscle in our bodies: the heart.

Because swimming is an aerobic exercise, it serves to strengthen the heart, not only helping it to become larger, but making it more efficient in pumping, which leads to better blood flow throughout your body. Research also shows that aerobic exercise can combat the body’s inflammatory response as well — a key link in the chain that can lead to heart disease.

I also feel more flexible when I swim.  As I stretch out or flip turn, I practice moving in an almost weightless environment.

Swimming also provides the chance to work out in moist air, which can help reduce exercise-induced asthma symptoms.  According to a study published in the scholarly journal, Respirology, when a group of kids completed a six-week swimming program, they saw improvements in symptom severity, snoring, mouth-breathing, and hospitalizations and emergency room visits. What’s more, the health benefits were still apparent a year after the swimming program had ended.

Being healthy is more about having the right ratio of cholesterol in your body than just having low amounts of the stuff in your blood. Specifically, it’s beneficial to have higher levels of “good” cholesterol (HDL) and lower levels of LDL, or “bad” cholesterol.

Swimming can get these levels in the right balance thanks to its aerobic power, which has been proven to raise HDL levels. And for every 1 percent increase in HDL cholesterol, the risk of dying from heart disease drops by 3.5 percent.

An obvious benefit is the product/use of endorphins aka our body’s own  “feel good” chemicals which help with stress reduction and overall mood.  This is due in large part to the constant stretching and relaxing of your muscles combined with deep rhythmic breathing. Swimming is also a meditative exercise, with the sound of your own breathing and the splash of the water acting in a pattern of sorts that can help you “drown out” all other distractions.

It may be worth your while to jump in the pool in and out of season.  Consider, adding swimming to your wellness regimen.

Contact us for more information to improve your wellness needs.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070320073101.htm

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090824205522.htm

http://phys.org/news/2009-08-aids-asthma-symptoms-children.html

https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1N1-1182ECD4EBDF4ED8.html

In this video, you will learn 3 steps to decreasing the symptoms of lyme disease in as few as 7 days through diet, supplements and natural treatments.

1. Diet

The ideal diet for lyme disease is meant to boost your immune system. 70% of your immune system is located in your gut so you want to follow a diet to heal and seal your gut lining. Remember that there is not a specific food that will heal you but rather your body heals itself. When you have damage within your body you want to strengthen your natural immune system by consuming foods that are easy to digest.

Don’t have ice cold drinks, raw juice and raw vegetables but rather have warm and drying foods.

Bone Broth Meal: Combine organic meat, bone broth and vegetables in a crockpot to obtain the vitamins and minerals you need to heal and seal your gut lining. You can also add in fermented vegetables and probiotics.

2. Supplements

Vitamin D3 (5,000 – 10,000 IU/day) to help your body fight off disease
B-Complex supports cellular function
CoQ10 (100 – 200mg/day)
Bone Broth protein powder or collagen protein powder to repair and heal damaged tissues https://store.draxe.com/collections/s…
Adaptogenic herbs

3. Natural Treatments:

Ozone therapy
Acupuncture http://draxe.com/what-is-acupuncture/
Chinese Herbs
Qi Deficiency http://draxe.com/qi-deficiency/

To learn more about these natural remedies and healing lyme disease, visit http://draxe.com/