John Maxwell shares the secret to success.
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My recipe for balanced living:
Feel happy of yourself!
Here’s todays motivational speech.
Now get out there and accomplish something….and feel happy of yourself!
Posted in Personal Growth, Quick Thoughts
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Find your number 2!
A couple of years ago I went out with some good friends for a little happy hour get together. We try to do this every couple of months because we’ve known each other for several years but don’t get to see each other often. As we were catching up on family, holidays, etc, one of my buddies looked across the table from me and with a big grin said, “You’re number two!”
“Wow, uh, OK.” I said.
“Just remember, you’re number two!” he smiled.
Several times during the evening he would look at me and say, “Remember, you’re number two.” I would smile back and assure him I wouldn’t forget this important bit of information although I had absolutely no idea what he was talking about, nor did anyone else apparently. But then, if you knew this very good friend of mine, you would know that it generally isn’t important to know what he’s talking about. With this man, all will be made known eventually and it’s all good, all the time.
The next day I got a text message from him, and I quote, “You’re #2″. I sent him a text back saying that I remembered, but what was he talking about? His text came back almost immediately:
“My second New Year’s resolution.”
I just sat looking at my cell phone for a minute with a smile on my face. Then I sent him a text back telling him that it was one of the coolest things anyone had ever said to me. Now keep in mind, I still had NO idea what this meant to him or how this would manifest itself in the future. I only knew how it made me feel to read it. It also made me stop for a minute and think about the resolutions we make at the beginning of every year.
Even if we don’t formally call them resolutions, most of us have an idea of what we want to accomplish in the coming year. Some make a resolution list, some design a new dream board or a prosperity collage. We all have our ways of setting goals for the coming year and keeping them where we can see them. But one thing they usually have in common, they are pretty much always about us. We want to create more customers or take our business to a new level, take a family vacation, lose weight and take better care of ourselves. All noble goals and all things that we should focus energy on.
But what if this year we added another one very near the top? What if in spot # 2, we put a person’s name and made that someone, as opposed to something, our number two resolution for the new year? Someone that we want to reconnect with but it just doesn’t ever seem to happen because of how busy we get. What if we just pick one person- a child we need to spend more time with, and old friend we need to stay in contact with, a relative we need to reconnect with, and make them a top priority this year?
• Put their name in the number two spot on your list.
• Put their picture on your prosperity board.
• Put their picture on your refrigerator and on your bathroom mirror.
Put them on your calendar, in your computer and smart phone and schedule specific times to call, send an email, send a post card and schedule something like a dinner or happy hour once in awhile. Schedule the time to rekindle and strengthen that relationship.
I think by focusing on that one person you will automatically start being an even better friend to lots of other people you know. But pick one particular person you want to bring closer into your life. And make sure they know that they’re your number two.
Make it a powerful year!
Posted in Business, Personal Growth, Quick Thoughts
Tagged business, customers, energy, goals, prosperity, resolutions, weight
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12 supplements you should avoid
According to Consumer Reports, these supplement ingredients are among those linked by clinical research or case reports to serious side effects. They worked with the Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database, an independent research group that evaluates the safety and effectiveness of nutritional supplements, to develop this list. Consumer Reports.org believe it’s wise to avoid all the ingredients on it. Unless otherwise noted, there’s insufficient evidence to rate their effectiveness for their purported uses. Dangers listed are not meant to be all-inclusive.
ACONITE (aconiti tuber, aconitum, radix aconiti)
Purported Uses – Inflammation, joint pain, wounds, gout.
Possible Dangers – Toxicity, nausea, vomiting, low blood pressure, respiratory-system paralysis, heart-rhythm disorders, death.
Comments – Unsafe. Aconite is the most common cause of severe herbal poisoning in Hong Kong.
BITTER ORANGE (aurantii fructus, Citrus aurantium, zhi shi)
Purported Uses – Weight loss, nasal congestion, allergies.
Possible Dangers – Fainting, heart-rhythm disorders, heart attack, stroke, death.
Comments – Possibly unsafe. Contains synephrine, which is similar to ephedrine, banned by the FDA in 2004. Risks might be higher when taken with herbs that contain caffeine.
CHAPARRAL (creosote bush, Larrea divaricata, larreastat)
Purported Uses – Colds, weight loss, infections, inflammation, cancer, detoxification.
Possible Dangers – Liver damage, kidney problems.
Comments – Likely unsafe. The FDA advises people not to take chaparral.
COLLOIDAL SILVER (ionic silver, native silver, Silver in suspending agent)
Purported Uses – Fungal and other infections, Lyme disease, rosacea, psoriasis, food poisoning, chronic fatigue syndrome, HIV/AIDS.
Possible Dangers – Bluish skin, mucous membrane discoloration, neurological problems, kidney damage.
Comments – Likely unsafe. The FDA advised consumers about the risk of discoloration on Oct. 6, 2009.
COLTSFOOT (coughwort, farfarae folium leaf, foalswort)
Purported Uses – Cough, sore throat, laryngitis, bronchitis, asthma.
Possible Dangers – Liver damage, cancer.
Comments – Likely unsafe.
COMFREY (blackwort, common comfrey, slippery root)
Purported Uses – Cough, heavy menstrual periods, chest pain, cancer.
Possible Dangers – Liver damage, cancer.
Comments – Likely unsafe. The FDA advised manufacturers to remove comfrey products from the market in July 2001.
COUNTRY MALLOW (heartleaf, Sida cordifolia, silky white mallow)
Purported Uses – Nasal congestion, allergies, asthma, weight loss, bronchitis.
Possible Dangers – Heart attack, heart arrhythmia, stroke, death.
Comments – Likely unsafe. Possible dangers linked with its ephedrine alkaloids banned by the FDA in 2004.
GERMANIUM (Ge, Ge-132, germanium-132)
Purported Uses – Pain, infections, glaucoma, liver problems, arthritis, osteoporosis, heart disease, HIV/AIDS, cancer.
Possible Dangers – Kidney damage, death.
Comments – Likely unsafe. The FDA warned in 1993 that it was linked to serious adverse events.
GREATER CELANDINE (celandine, chelidonii herba, Chelidonium majus)
Purported Uses – Upset stomach, irritable bowel syndrome, liver disorders, detoxification, cancer.
Possible Dangers – Liver damage.
Comments – Possibly unsafe.
KAVA (awa, Piper methysticum, kava-kava)
Purported Uses – Anxiety (possibly effective).
Possible Dangers – Liver damage.
Comments – Possibly unsafe. The FDA issued a warning to consumers in March 2002. Banned in Germany, Canada, and Switzerland.
LOBELIA (asthma weed, Lobelia inflata, pukeweed, vomit wort)
Purported Uses – Coughing, bronchitis, asthma, smoking cessation (possibly ineffective).
Possible Dangers – Toxicity; overdose can cause fast heartbeat, very low blood pressure, coma, possibly death.
Comments – Likely unsafe. The FDA warned in 1993 that it was linked to serious adverse events.
YOHIMBE (yohimbine, Corynanthe yohimbi, Corynanthe johimbi)
Purported Uses – Aphrodisiac, chest pain, diabetic complications, depression; erectile dysfunction (possibly effective).
Possible Dangers – Usual doses can cause high blood pressure, rapid heart rate; high doses can cause severe low blood pressure, heart problems, death.
Comments – Possibly unsafe for use without medical supervision because it contains a prescription drug, yohimbine. The FDA warned in 1993 that reports of serious adverse events were under investigation.
Source: Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database, Professional Version, June 2010
Read the full article here: Consumer Reports
Posted in Health, Nutritional Supplements
Tagged AIDS, allergies, aphrodisiac, arthritis, asthma, cancer, chronic fatigue syndrome, death, depression, detoxification, diabetes, ephedrine, erectile dysfunction, fungal infection, glaucoma, gout, heart, heart attack, heart disease, herb, high, HIV, inflammation, irritable bowel syndrome, low blood pressure, lyme disease, menstrual, nausea, osteoporosis, poison, psoriasis, respiratory, smoking, stroke, supplements, toxicity, vomiting, weight
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10 Prenatal Super Foods
These powerful eats pack plenty of nutrients to keep mom-to-be and baby healthy through pregnancy – and beyond.
Eggs
What it’s got: Whether you like them fried, scrambled, hard-boiled or served as an omelet, eggs are the gold standard for prenatal protein. They also happen to be a great source of folate, iron and choline.
Sweet Potatoes
What it’s got: Don’t just save these guys for Thanksgiving – sweet potatoes are full of nutritious fiber, vitamin B6, potassium (even more than bananas have!), vitamin C and iron, as well as copper and beta-carotene.
The other eight super foods are Nuts, Beans and Lentils, Lean Meat, Orange Juice, Yogurt, Oatmeal, Leafy Greens and Salmon
To see the complete list of super foods and their nutritional content, read the entire article here
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The Bump Experts: Elizabeth Ward, RD, and Maria Pari-Keener, RD
For pregnancy and parenting advice, tools, photos, and more, visit TheBump.com
(C) 2011 Mclatchy-Tribune News Service.. All Rights Reserved
Posted in Diet & Energy, Health
Tagged beta-carotene, choline, eggs, fiber, folate, iron, nutrients, potassium, pregnancy, protein, vitamin B6, vitamin C
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Effectiveness of non-drug therapies in hypertension
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A review published online on August 25, 2011 in the Journal of Clinical Hypertension concludes that lifestyle interventions such as the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, as well as nutritional supplements including coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) and potassium, are viable alternatives to drugs prescribed to help lower blood pressure.
“The treatment of hypertension is no longer limited to the simple prescription of pharmaceuticals,” write Kevin J. Woolf, MD and John D. Bisognano, MD, PhD of the University of Rochester Medical Center in their introduction to the article. “For many patients, maximal medical therapy is insufficient to adequately treat refractory hypertension. In addition, some patients may prefer to explore therapies that do not involve drugs as an initial step.” Drs Woolf and Bisognano discuss the value of the low-sodium DASH diet, which provides greater amounts of fruit, vegetables and fiber and less fat than the average Western diet. Adherence to the DASH diet has been shown to lower systolic blood pressure by an average of 11.4 mmHg in hypertensive patients. This reduction is increased with the addition of weight loss counseling and an exercise program. Limiting smoking and alcohol consumption may also help reduce high blood pressure. Possible antihypertensive dietary supplements mentioned in the review included potassium, calcium, vitamin D, folate, CoQ10, soy protein, flavonoids, fish oil and garlic. Dr Woolf noted that “Coenzyme Q10 has a pretty profound effect on blood pressure,” an observation that reflects the findings of a recent meta-analysis. Herbal supplements discussed included forskolin, mistletoe and hawthorn. The authors also described devices such as the implantable Rheos device, the Symplicity catheter, the RESPeRATE device and the Zona Plus dynamometer, all of which have resulted in a significant reduction in systolic pressure when used by hypertensive patients. “Right now we’re seeing a cultural shift where an increasing number of people want to avoid standard pharmaceuticals,” noted Dr Bisognano, who is the director of Outpatient Cardiology at the University of Rochester Medical Center. “We’re also seeing a growing number of patients who require a large number of drugs to control their blood pressure and are looking for something else to help manage it.” “Patients have different backgrounds and different approaches to living their lives,” added Dr Woolf. “This is where the art of medicine comes in; getting to know patients and what they will and will not embrace can help physicians identify different therapies that suit their patients’ habits and that will hopefully make a difference for them.” The Journal of Clinical Hypertension review article can be read at the Life Extension Foundation website. |
Posted in Diet & Energy, Health, Nutritional Supplements
Tagged alcohol, blood pressure, calcium, coenzyme Q10, CoQ10, DASH, diet, fiber, fish oil, folate, fruit, garlic, herb, hypertension, lifestyle, potassium, smoking, soy, supplements, vegetables, vitamin D, weight
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Medicine….
“Our culture has not figured out what health is. Women’s health has come down to disease screening.”
-Dr. Christiane Northrup
Curcumin (turmeric) bioavailability is increased with new formulation
Curcumin is the principal curcuminoid of the popular Indian spice turmeric, which is a member of the ginger family (Zingiberaceae). Curcumin has many potential benefits to health, but is poorly absorbed. Scientists at USANA Health Sciences recently demonstrated that a new formulation of curcumin complexed with phospholipids is nearly 30 times more biovailable than a standard curcumin complex.
Curcumin is a yellow pigment and a major component of turmeric, which is commonly used as a spice and food-coloring agent. It is also used as a cosmetic and in some medical preparations. Curcumin is a potent antioxidant known to reduce oxidative damage of DNA and proteins. Because of these actions, curcumin is thought to have potential therapeutic benefits in diseases associated with oxidative damage such as certain cancers, cardiovascular disease, and neurodegenerative diseases. Curcumin, despite very promising potential benefits revealed in preclinical research, has been somewhat neglected compound in biomedical research due to its poor bioavailability.
In a recently published study in the Journal of Natural Products, scientists from USANA Health Sciences analyzed the relative absorption of a standardized curcuminoid mixture and a new corresponding formulation containing phospholipids (Meriva). The inclusion of curcumin in a lipophilic matrix was predicted to have an improved bioavailability profile.
In a randomized, double-blind, crossover human study, clinically validated dosages were used for both products, and total curcuminoid absorption was about 29-fold higher for Meriva than for its corresponding unformulated curcuminoid mixture.
The major plasma curcuminoid after administration of Meriva was not curcumin , but demethoxycurcumin, a more potent analogue in many in vitro anti-inflammatory studies.
This study demonstrates that formulation with phospholipids improves the human absorption of curcuminoids and that improved absorption, and possibly also a better plasma curcuminoid profile, might explain the clinical efficacy of Meriva at doses significantly lower than standard curcuminoid mixtures.
John Cuomo et al. Comparative Absorption of a Standardized Curcuminoid Mixture and Its Lecithin Formulation. J. Nat. Prod., 2011, 74 (4), pp 664–669
Posted in Diet & Energy, Health, Nutritional Supplements
Tagged anti, antioxidant, bioavailable, cancer, cardiovascular disease, curcumin, oxidative, tumeric
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Are you fried?
“Burn out to me is when you lose your focus and your vision, otherwise you can’t burn out living and pursuing a great life.”
- Majid Mokhbery
Posted in Personal Growth, Quotes
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Processed, red meat linked to diabetes
Skip the hot dogs, hold the bacon and forget the sausage. Eating processed meats and red meat regularly increases your risk of type 2 diabetes, a large study shows.
Harvard School of Public Health researchers analyzed dietary-intake data from more than 200,000 people in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study and the Nurses’ Health Studies. The participants have been tracked for a decade or more.
The scientists also did a larger analysis, combining their data and that from other published studies to analyze the diets of 442,101 people. About 28,000 of these people developed type 2 diabetes.
The researchers adjusted for the participants’ age, weight, physical activity level, smoking, family history of diabetes and other dietary and lifestyle factors. Their findings, published online in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition:
A 2-ounce serving a day of processed meat (hot dog, bacon, salami or bologna) increased the risk of diabetes by 50%.
A 4-ounce serving a day (the size of a deck of cards) of unprocessed red meat such as hamburger, steak, pork or lamb was associated with a 20% increased risk of diabetes.
Substituting nuts, whole grains and low-fat dairy such as yogurt for a serving a day of these types of processed or unprocessed meats lowers the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 16% to 35%.
“Clearly, processed meat is much worse than unprocessed meat for raising the risk, but unprocessed red meat is not benign,” says senior author Frank Hu, a professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health.
Hu says the high amount of sodium, nitrites and nitrates in processed meats are potential factors that increase diabetes risk. With red meat, it may be the high amount of iron, he says. “There are probably other factors in these meats that contribute to diabetes.”
Previous research has linked eating red meat and processed meat to an increased risk of heart disease and cancer.
Registered dietitian Shalene McNeill, a spokeswoman for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, says, “These are epidemiological studies, and they can’t identify cause and effect. They are identifying associations, and what we know from gold-standard research that does look at cause and effect is that higher protein diets that include beef are very effective for helping people manage their weight and balance their blood sugars, both important factors for reducing your risk of developing diabetes.”
Diabetes afflicts more than 25 million adults and children in the USA. Most have type 2 diabetes.
“Type 2 diabetes has a very strong genetic component, and multiple environmental factors, such as obesity, physical inactivity and poor diet interact with genetics to increase the risk and accelerate the development of the disease,” says Vivian Fonseca of the American Diabetes Association and a professor of medicine at Tulane. “People who are eating a lot of red meat and processed meat may not be eating as much nuts, beans and fish, which may be protective” against developing diabetes, he says.
By Nanci Hellmich, USA TODAY 08-12-11
(c) Copyright 2011 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc. <http://www.gannett.com>
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