Yoga and Chronic Pain

Meditation isn’t the only mind-body way to reduce chronic pain. Yoga may help you cope too.
If you’re suffering from chronic pain, you might think that relief is out of reach. But research suggests that people with conditions like fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis can alleviate pain and the emotional distress it causes by hitting the yoga mat.
According to the researchers, gentle forms of yoga promote deep relaxation by pacifying the sympathetic nervous system, which, in turn, lowers the heart rate and promotes slow breathing. This part of the nervous system is also linked to the fight-or-flight stress response; when it’s overstimulated, it pumps out adrenaline and can lead to increased sweating, heart rate and blood pressure.
Over the course of eight weeks, not only did participants feel better psychologically, they also reported major reductions in pain. If you’re interested in giving yoga a try, choose a gentle type like Hatha and look for a class that caters to people with injuries or chronic conditions.

Changes

The only constant in this world is change.

Go with the flow and experience all that change has to offer.

Fitting In

Oftentimes, the only reason they want you to fit in is that once you do they can ignore you and go about their business.

Food and Drug-Resistant Germs

Worried about antibiotic-resistant bacteria in your shopping cart? Buy organic poultry to reduce your exposure to drug-resistant germs.
The recent salmonella outbreak in ground turkey that sickened more than 100 people around the country turned out to be caused by an antibiotic-resistant strain of the bacteria. Because organic farms are not allowed to use antibiotics to prevent disease in their livestock, buying organic meat products could reduce your chances of being exposed.
Researchers have found that organic poultry farms have much lower levels of drug-resistant germs than conventional poultry farms. Of course, just because you buy organic doesn’t mean you can slack off in the food safety department. Any type of commercially prepared chicken is bound to carry germs that could make you sick. Cook foods thoroughly, and wash hands and utensils after coming in contact with raw poultry, meat or fish.

Grace

"I'm becoming more and more myself with time.
I guess that's what grace is.
The refinement of your soul through time."

Jewel

Raising The Bar

You can raise the bar or you can wait for others to raise it.

Either way, it’s getting raised.

Vitamin D and Weight Loss

Slim down to amp up levels of vitamin D. Low amounts of the nutrient are associated with diabetes, bone loss and heart disease.
Lose weight to gain vitamin D. According to a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, overweight or obese individuals with low vitamin D can bring their levels up significantly by dropping 15 percent of their body weight.
Why should you care? Well, vitamin D may be something of a nutritional superhero. Not only is it crucial for healthy bones, it may also play a role in keeping illnesses like heart disease, diabetes and certain cancers at bay. To say that it’s important to get adequate amounts for your health is an understatement. Unfortunately, vitamin D can be somewhat tough to come by, because it’s present in only a few foods, like fatty fish and fortified milk. People who are overweight or obese (that’s 64 percent of us!) appear to be even more likely than the rest of us to have less-than-optimal levels of the nutrient. Taking off weight the healthy way takes patience and persistence (along with good eating habits and daily exercise). In the meantime, consider taking a supplement that contains 1,000 IU of vitamin D.