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Magnesium – 7 Signs of Deficiency You Should Never Ignore

May 23, 2016 by Power of Positivity

Magnesium is needed for more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body. It helps to maintain normal nerve and muscle function, supports a healthy immune system, keeps the heartbeat steady, and helps bones remain strong. It also helps regulate blood glucose levels and aid in the production of energy and protein. – United States National Library of Medicine

Magnesium is one of those nutrients that many people don’t pay attention to. However, magnesium is responsible for a number of functions in the human body. Consequently, insufficient levels of magnesium in the human body can cause complications in a multitude of ways.

We’ll discuss physical and mental symptoms that may surface as a result of magnesium deficiency. Of course, to help correct any potential deficiency, we’ll discuss the recommended daily intake of magnesium in addition to good sources of the nutrient.

Here are 7 signs that you may have a magnesium deficiency:

1. Anxiety and/or Hyperactivity

Anxiety and hyperactivity are two neurological symptoms of a magnesium deficiency. The mineral is required for proper communication between nerve cells in the brain. Further, magnesium is required to balance electrolyte levels in the body – an important factor in proper brain function.

2. Depression

No surprise here, considering the first sign. Of course, depression is a complicated disease and can stem from a number of things. However, one of them is by a lack of nutrition and improper diet. Again, magnesium is an important element for proper brain function. Aside from anxiety and depression, low levels of magnesium in the body can also lead to changes in personality – no doubt a side byproduct of impaired cognitive function.

3. Muscle Pain

In addition to neurological symptoms, neuromuscular symptoms can surface as well. Magnesium deficiency can lead to painful muscle spasms, cramping, tics, and other symptoms, such as fibromyalgia. One of magnesium’s primary functions is muscle relaxation. Besides calcium, which stimulates muscle contraction, magnesium is a primary element in proper muscle function.

4. Nausea and/or vomiting

A magnesium deficiency can complicate normal digestive and gastrointestinal function. From a mildly upset stomach to full-blown nausea and vomiting, supplement magnesium to help stabilize gastrointestinal function if you suspect a potential deficiency.

5. High blood pressure

Numerous studies have linked high blood pressure and low magnesium levels. Those with hypertension are much more likely to have insufficient amounts of nutrient. Of course, numerous physiological functions affect blood pressure. Indeed, this outcome often necessitates a trip to the family doctor for a diagnosis.

6. Insomnia

Chronic insomnia and other sleep disorders connect to magnesium deficiency. It is thought that magnesium helps to regulate our sleep and wake cycles. So it serves an important function that ultimately determines our ability to fall and stay asleep.

7. Low energy

The absence of magnesium forces the body to work harder, which often results in both physical and psychological stress. In a study conducted by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), participants with low levels of detectable magnesium consumed more oxygen than those with normal levels. Of course, oxygen consumption is indicative of one’s physical health. Decreased levels also affect human endurance, as low levels of magnesium adversely impact heart and muscle health.

Fortunately, there are numerous ways to get the recommended daily amount of magnesium. Of course, the best way is by eating right. Implementing traditionally high magnesium foods – dark and leafy greens, beans, nuts, seeds, whole grains, bananas, dry fruit, avocados, yogurt, dark chocolate, and etcetera – into our daily diets is the best-preferred way of getting this important mineral. This is relatively easy, considering the numerous foods – most of them healthy – that contain good amounts of it.

Most multivitamins contain the recommended daily amount. Additionally, a number of supplements on the market that can help boost your intake. The Food and Nutrition Board (FNB) at the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, one of the world’s foremost authorities on nutrition – places magnesium intake into four tiers.

How Much Magnesium Do You Need?

The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) is the measure that 97 to 98 percent of healthy individuals follow. The FNB breaks intake recommendations down into a simple chart, which follows.

AGE MALE FEMALE PREGNANCY LACTATION

to 6 months 30 mg 30 mg

7-12 months 75 mg 75 mg

1-3 years 80 mg 80 mg

4-8 years 130 mg 130 mg

9-13 years 240 mg 240 mg

14-18 years 410 mg 360 mg 400 mg 360 mg

19-30 years 400 mg 310 mg 350 mg 310 mg

31-50 years 420 mg 320 mg 360 mg 320 mg

51+ years 420 mg 320 mg

(C) Power of Positivity, LLC. All rights reserved

9 Positive Comebacks For Dealing With Negative People

May 22, 2016 by Power of Positivity

Negative people need drama like oxygen. Stay positive. It will take their breath away. – MJ Korvan

Here’s a preliminary question for you:

How do you currently deal with negative people?

There is no right or wrong answer to this question. Instead, it’s intended to get us thinking about our reactive tendencies.

The truth is that negative people are difficult to handle. For some reason, such individuals have a default mentality that is primed to leave a negative energy or influence wherever they go. Beyond the initial anger that we experience when encountering such people, we’ll often feel a sense of unfairness – why do I need to be “stuck” in this kind of environment?

It’s not only okay to have initial feelings of anger towards a negative person – it’s natural. However, it is unhealthy when we allow these feelings to dictate our response during and after encounters with negative people. It is important to not allow someone to negatively influence us longer than necessary.

It is also important, no matter how difficult, to have a sense of compassion for such people. After all, we often don’t know what that person has been through. Some people who’ve experienced difficult circumstances have turned them into positives – but not all have. While it’s true that not every negative person has been plagued by adversity, many of them have.

We can all agree that it’s counterproductive to react harshly to negative people. We simply get caught up in a cycle of negativity and end up contributing to such an environment.

So, the question becomes:

How do you positively deal with negative people?

Well, turns out that it’s not too difficult if we’re willing to check our emotions and think things through. Responding to someone negative doesn’t require that we engage with them – in fact it is sometimes necessary to disengage without creating undue conflict.

Here are 9 positive comebacks to deal with negative people:

1. “I hope you feel better soon.”

This response actually catches negative people off-guard. Why? Because they’re probably used to people brushing them off or sneering at their behavior. Showing true, empathetic concern is sometimes enough to grab someone’s attention and change their perspective. They may walk away, silently (or verbally!) thanking you for showing care.

2. “Is there something the matter?”

This one’s kind of tricky, because it’s possible that the person will drag you into a counterproductive conversation. If this happens, politely verbalize your refusal to engage in such conversation and simply walk away. However, it’s also possible that the negative person is carrying around a burden and needs an attentive ear. Think about this: we’ve all been this negative person at some point. It’s likely that someone stopping to ask us this question may have helped us somewhere along the way.

3. “Don’t allow yourself to dwell too much.”

If we’re privy to someone’s situation, we may be in a good position to pass along this little tidbit. One of two things will happen: (1) they’ll blow off the suggestion, or (2) they’ll catch themselves dwelling and change course. Either way, we’ve given them something to think about. Saying this with a smile improves the likelihood of a positive response.

4. “You’re loved and cared for.”

Over the top a bit? Well, not really. How many times have we been in a situation when we think we’re all alone to fend for ourselves? Exactly. Saying this simple phrase has a way of reminding us or someone else that they’re not alone in their struggles – no matter what they may be.

5. “You can’t and won’t affect my mindset.”

Sometimes it’s necessary for us to put our foot down. When someone negative is infringing upon our right to have a positive outlook, we’re within our rights to set the record straight. Stand up for yourself, be strong and don’t allow someone to take your right to live a positive life for granted.

6. “If you could, would you spread your feelings around?”

This is a response that requires our best judgement. Would you say this to some stranger who scornfully admonishes the waiter? Probably not. Would you say this to a co-worker who is adamant in expressing their displeasure about the boss? Maybe, maybe not. What this question does is put someone off guard and make them think, which is sometimes necessary when responding to a negative person.

7. “People see your negativity and it brings them down.”

Once again, there are times when it’s necessary to be politely direct with a negative person. This statement is effective only when it’s presented in a constructive manner. An already-negative person will quickly go on the defensive if they sense an attempt at confrontation – so be polite, smile and be constructive!

8. “Think of something that makes you happy.”

Corny? Perhaps…but it could work. Again, it is all about how this response is presented. Depending on the person, it may require some elaboration outside of a general statement such as this. If it’s someone close and this is said with true empathy, they’re more likely to heed such advice.

9. “Smiling has a way of changing our mood!”

Say this to someone who is having a bad time and they will almost assuredly crack a smile. Again, this may sound corny, but if it’s said under the right conditions this may just help change not only someone’s day, it may just help change their life. Smiling is an aphrodisiac to the blues, even if it’s somewhat forced. Getting into the habit of smiling despite of our circumstances is definitely worthwhile.

What Does Your Birth Order Reveal About Your Personality?

May 21, 2016 by Power of Positivity

Your siblings and you were always fighting over who was the favorite. But you might all like to learn how your birth order affects your personality. Even only children have different perspectives on the world than the rest of us.

The firstborn, middle child, or the youngest, the order that you arrived into your family can make a difference in how you feel about your role in the larger family of our society. How you spent the early years of your childhood makes a difference in how you developed into yourself.

In this article, we will look at how birth order, from only child to the last born child, affects your personality.

How Birth Order Affects Your Personality

Researchers at the University of Michigan who studied intellectual development and birth order found that IQ was higher for the firstborn children typically. There was less difference in IQ between triplets and twins as you might imagine. Researchers also showed that the gap in IQ from firstborn to second decreased with the amount of time between children. For example, children spaced two years apart had less difference in IQ than those born one year apart.

The scientists explain the intelligence differences this way; imagine your parents giving one child all of their attention and creating a stimulating environment for them to learn and grow. By the time the second child comes, even if the parents try to keep everything the same, the amount of attention they can give each child is reduced.

The Only Child’s Personality

Only children get the best of what their parents can give them because they don’t have to share attention with others. Only children may be thought of as being lonely, but they are very independently minded and are self-sufficient.

Researchers who studied 800,000 participants found that verbal skills were higher for children in smaller family sizes and for first-born children. As the one and only, first-born children get all the help with early language skills that they could possibly need.

An only child might feel some pressure because they have the sole responsibility for carrying on the family genes. As an only child, your personality tends to be spoiled. You usually get what you want. However, you are more than capable of either getting it for yourself or pouting to someone until you get it.

The Firstborn

As the eldest child, you had the responsibility of looking out for your younger brothers or sisters, but that doesn’t mean that you didn’t also torture your siblings every chance you got. As the oldest, you were taller and stronger, after all. You took the toys you wanted and the food you wanted from the others.

There is evidence that firstborn children grow up to make more money and we have already said that they have a higher IQ and verbal skills than their younger siblings. Again, this is about your parents giving you everything until child #2 came along.

You may have some unresolved issues with your siblings because you may see them as having stolen some of your limelight from Mom and Dad. It’s OK because your siblings might still resent you for getting the best of everything.

The Middle Child

As the go-between for your older and younger siblings, you had to play the role of the negotiator. You are really good at keeping the peace and arguing to get what you want.

You didn’t get as much attention as the eldest or youngest. You’re comfortable speaking up for yourself because you had to. You also are better at taking care of yourself and are more independent than your siblings.

Yes, you know how to share. In fact, you might think you’d be tired of it, but middle children seem to enjoy the community of family and a large group of friends around them. Middle children have excellent social skills, can typically manage emotions well, and pick up on subtle signals from people easily.

The Youngest Child’s Personality

You poor thing; you had to wear all of the hand-me-down clothes and play with all of the hand-me-down toys from your brothers or sisters. Besides that, you got picked on, pushed around, and were always accused of ‘tattling’ on your siblings.

You cried tears over toys taken away from you and what seemed like unfair treatment. But all those tears made it possible for you to appreciate when you did have a new toy or something to call your own.

You are very charismatic and outgoing, partly because you had to speak over your siblings to make your voice heard. Mom and Dad were more confident parents by the time they had you. As a result, you might feel that they did not care about your childhood milestones like they did for your older brothers and sisters.

(C) Power of Positivity, LLC. All rights reserved

5 Things To Remember When You Doubt Yourself

May 21, 2016 by Power of Positivity

We all have limitations, but when you’re facing severe self-doubt you might be distorting the reality of your actual abilities. Some things are probably unattainable for you, but you need to remember that the number of them is fewer than you think.

Self-doubt is being uncertain about your ability to do something or even being unsure about your ability to do it well. When you lack the confidence to do what you either need or want to do, you can feel stuck. In this article, we will look at 5 things to remember when you are faced with self-doubt.

5 Things to Remember When Faced With Self-Doubt

Self-doubt is perfectly normal. Most of us are less than 100% confident all of the time. Even Brown University Philosopher David Christensen wonders if an ideally rational and intelligent person would be able to avoid self-doubt. Being uncertain, and trying anyway, is kind of what makes us human.

Then again, people confident in their intellect are usually not competent or well-accepted socially. Nobody likes a smarty-pants who is right all the time. Think of the social awkwardness yet righteous insistence of TV’s Sheldon Cooper, the smart-but-anxious character of The Big Bang Theory.

If your fears and doubts are limiting your ability to thrive in your life, now there’s something you need to do about it. When you are holding yourself back from trying due to fear of failure there are 5 things you need to remember when self-doubt creeps in.

1. You are more likely to believe people who lead you to doubt yourself

Do you think you might pick up on doubt signals from someone else? When you speak, do you notice that the listener’s facial expressions make it look like they disagree with you? When faced with self-doubt, it can be challenging to remember that not everything someone else says about your capabilities or their facial expressions is a negative statement about you.

Researchers at The Ohio State University studying self-doubt found that they could introduce doubt in a situation, and those with lower self-esteem would be more likely to question their own abilities. When you have self-doubt, you must doubt your ability to judge someone else’s opinion of you too.

Think of the few people you trust who you believe would give you an honest, fair opinion of your skills. To check your self-doubt, ask one of these people to give it to you straight. If the opinion comes from someone else, remind yourself that this person’s opinion is not valuable to you.

2. You are more sensitive to cues that reinforce your self-doubt

The scientists at The Ohio State University say ‘Cues that provoke feelings of self-doubt may be more readily noticed by high-self-doubt individuals, who are particularly sensitive to such cues, than by low-self-doubt individuals, who are not.’ You are likely to be taking a lot of words personally.

They found ‘evidence that self-doubt is implicated in behavioral strategies (e.g., self-handicapping) that are designed to protect self-esteem but that do so at the cost of sustaining self-doubt.’ In other words, people who doubt themselves might sabotage themselves so they are prevented from failure, which would hurt their self-esteem even more. You already doubt yourself plenty, so there’s no reason to add to your pile of evidence by failing even to try to succeed.

3. You may have missed opportunities, but there will be more

Even if you passed up the chance to do something because you were faced with self-doubt, you could be sure that you will have another chance. Life is filled with second chances. Even the IRS lets you file an extension, after all.

From missing the chance to tell someone we love them to take a chance on skydiving, you can always decide to do it later anyway. When you’re faced with self-doubt, remind yourself that you can choose to try whenever you’re ready.

4. Conquering self-doubt is about changing your thought judgments

When you doubt yourself, you are engaging in meta-cognitive thinking. For example, let’s say that you doubt your ability to sing. You have judged yourself to be a bad singer based on whatever evidence you have.

To resolve your feelings of self-doubt, remember 8 different times that you sang and felt good about how your voice sounded to you, how you felt when the music expressed your emotions and the sensations in your body while that was happening.

Researchers in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin also found that people with lower self-esteem had difficulty remembering times when they had previously performed well. If you can try to focus on remembering times when you were confident, you will be more likely to convince yourself to be brave.

If You See Spiders Often, This May Be Why

May 21, 2016 by Power of Positivity

Whenever something shows up repetitively in your life, you should take this as a signal from the universe. It might signal that you must learn some important lessons or grow in certain areas. Animal guides such as spiders act as messengers delivering vital messages from beyond. Indeed, they show us where we can improve and what we can learn. Having a spider show up repeatedly means that you either need to learn patience and get in better touch with your creative energy.

Spiders have incredible patience and are masters of complexity in the way they weave their webs. Similarly, the spider can teach you to use your skills in order to create a beautiful masterpiece, and to not cut corners in life to get ahead. This spirit animal wants you to become more receptive to new skills and your own emotions. Additionally, it helps you connect with the darker side of yourself in order to keep growing as a person. Spiders weave their own way through life, and they want you to do the same. Let’s look at some more important messages the spider wants you to receive.

IF YOU SEE SPIDERS OFTEN, THIS IS WHAT IT MEANS

To give you an idea of how different cultures regard spiders, we’ll delve into a few common beliefs about these complex, beautiful creatures. Many cultures hold spiders in high regard for their amazing ability to create intricate, delicate masterpieces that are nothing short of a miracle. If you recognize the spider as your spirit animal, you probably have a knack for creativity and have an ability to stay in tune with your intuitive side. The spider symbolizes creation and beauty. In several traditions, spiders symbolize the Mother and the Divine Feminine. In Ancient Egypt, the spider represented the goddess of the Divine Mother, Neith. And in some American Indian tribes, the spider symbolizes the creator of the world, and therefore, is held in high regard for its feminine energy.
The spider might also want you to use more patience in your life regarding a project or task you’ve been working on. Spiders use extreme patience in order to weave their webs. So the spider can teach you to increase your awareness and focus in life. Spiders take time to create their webs, and don’t rush through it. Similarly, they can teach you to slow down, use precision, and take your time to create things in life. Instead of rushing through and coming to conclusions quickly, the spider invites you to look at situations from different angles.
Just as the spider weaves her web, she wants you to learn to use all aspects of your life and integrate them into the whole. When the spider appears in your life, it can show you to utilize many different pieces of your story into the puzzle, and see yourself through many angles in order to become a more whole version of yourself.The spider invites you to contemplate life on a deeper level, and slow down to gain perspective. Spiders are masters of perception. So they want you to look at life through different lenses so that you can solve problems appropriately. This beautiful creature wants you to weave your own web in life, and create your own story based on the experiences you’ve had and the different perspectives you’ve gained.
If the spider appears in your life, this means he or she wants you to examine your shadow self more closely. We can learn many important lessons from the darker parts of ourselves, and this can allow important issues to come to light. Many people fear spiders, so if we look at what this means emotionally, we can see that spiders have an association with the darker side of life. Spiders invite you to look more closely at your personality and see which parts you haven’t come to terms with yet. In other words, do you feel insecure about what others say about you? Do you not like certain parts of yourself? The spider wants you to come to peace with these aspects of yourself, and bring the darkness into the light.The spider doesn’t necessarily mean negativity and fear, but you might interpret it that way. The spider can give off feelings of unease or insecurity. Whenever your spirit animal evokes these feelings within yourself, you need to examine your life more closely and see where you can improve. Look into your personal feelings and see what makes you feel unhappy, insecure, depressed, or any other negative emotion. Where these feelings take you is where your personal work begins.

As with any other animal totem, spiders will show up the moment you need a sign from beyond. This spirit animal will guide you to continue down the right path in life. The spider represents strong feminine energy, creativity, patience, and strength. It also invites you to become more receptive and intuitive, and rely on your unique gifts to get you ahead in life. Don’t fear the spider – embrace it, and it will teach you many valuable lessons on your personal journey.

5 Signs You Need to Clear Your Mind

May 20, 2016 by Power of Positivity

When you are unable to keep your attention directed at a person or an activity for the needed length of time, it’s just one of the signs that you need to clear your mind right now.

Functioning in your day without a clear mind is like playing the role of a puppet. The less you are mentally present in your body, the less you see, hear, feel and care about the world around you. You are a shell of a person moving and acting without feeling, sensing or truly being.

In this article, we will cover 5 signs that you need to clear your mind, as well as some techniques to help you be more present and focused.

5 Signs You Need to Clear Your Mind

1. You feel fatigued

A lack of energy is common for those who need mental clarity. The energy that you need to get through your day is blocked by a mental, emotional, or metaphysical block and you need to remove it. In our recent article If You Feel Like You Can’t Get Motivated, This May Be Why, we talked about the solar plexus chakra and how to remove an energy blockage.

2. You feel stuck

Not making any progress lately? Not able to do what you want to do? When you lack mental clarity, you feel stuck, like you are literally unable to go out and do what you want to do.

The blockage is most likely either a mental one or an emotional one. You can choose to hold on to the false thoughts that you have and stay in a mental fog or you can challenge your thinking and escape from the prison of your mind.

When we are stuck emotionally, we have feelings of regret, sadness, anxiety, fear, frustration and so on that are keeping us in one place. Find a healthy way to express how you feel by writing in a journal, being creative with art, or even working physically in your garden.

Getting outside has been shown to reduce stress and directed attention fatigue (DAF). Directed attention fatigue is what happens when you use your brain too long for a specific task. Once you find a healthy outlet for your mental or emotional blockage, you should regain mental clarity quickly.

3. You aren’t taking good care of yourself

From drinking too much to not brushing your teeth, to risky sexual behavior, lacking mental clarity usually means that you are also engaging in hurtful behavior toward yourself. You aren’t showing yourself the love right now, and the rest of us can tell because your hygiene is suffering.

You used to look sharp, clean, and well-put-together every day, but lately, you look like you dragged yourself out the door. Good self-care is also self-love. To give yourself love, you need to have mental clarity and be focused on the present moment.

Give yourself the gift of excellent self-care. A massage or pedicure, healthy, heart-warming food, joyful movement, and listening to soothing music can help enhance mental clarity.

Researchers studying mental clarity and music found that music could affect the listener’s physiological and psychological state significantly. When you engage in self-loving behavior, you experience the love that you give to yourself in the present moment. You have to have the mental clarity to give love.

4. You feel frustrated

Anger is welling up inside you. You feel so frustrated at being blocked that you have a short fuse with people lately. Everything is irritating to you.

Anger is a sign of a lack of mental clarity because the angry person has allowed their mood to become negative rather than maintaining a focus on the task that they were working on. A negative Words have the power to hurt when you take them personally. Remind yourself of the previous times that you were able to handle frustration calmly and gracefully. Practice by visualizing yourself handling this with grace too.

5. You feel depressed

Sadness or even feeling a lack of energy or desire to act is a sign that you need mental clarity. Depression can be scary because the person who is suffering has no desire to help themselves and their depressed mood often drives others away.

If you know someone or suffer from depression, the hardest thing you can do is ask for help, but please do ask someone for help now, before you cause harm to yourself. Depression is a downward spiral that you can climb out of.

Seek a licensed counselor to talk about your feelings. You can find them online now so getting help privately is easier than ever. Having an outlet for your emotions in the form of conversation with a stranger is sometimes exactly what you need. Sunshine, exercise, lemon water and a favorite meal might do the trick, although you may need to ask a friend to force you to do these things.

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Here are 7 signs that you may have a magnesium deficiency:

1. Anxiety and/or Hyperactivity

2. Depression

3. Muscle Pain

4. Nausea and/or vomiting

5. High blood pressure

6. Insomnia

7. Low energy

How Much Magnesium Do You Need?

(C) Power of Positivity, LLC. All rights reserved

Here’s a preliminary question for you:

Here are 9 positive comebacks to deal with negative people:

1. “I hope you feel better soon.”

2. “Is there something the matter?”

3. “Don’t allow yourself to dwell too much.”

4. “You’re loved and cared for.”

5. “You can’t and won’t affect my mindset.”

6. “If you could, would you spread your feelings around?”

7. “People see your negativity and it brings them down.”

8. “Think of something that makes you happy.”

9. “Smiling has a way of changing our mood!”

How Birth Order Affects Your Personality

The Only Child’s Personality

The Firstborn

The Middle Child

The Youngest Child’s Personality

(C) Power of Positivity, LLC. All rights reserved

5 Things to Remember When Faced With Self-Doubt

1. You are more likely to believe people who lead you to doubt yourself

2. You are more sensitive to cues that reinforce your self-doubt

3. You may have missed opportunities, but there will be more

4. Conquering self-doubt is about changing your thought judgments

IF YOU SEE SPIDERS OFTEN, THIS IS WHAT IT MEANS

5 Signs You Need to Clear Your Mind

1. You feel fatigued

2. You feel stuck

3. You aren’t taking good care of yourself

4. You feel frustrated

5. You feel depressed

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Rise and Shine On! Master Your Day with the Ultimate Positive Morning Guide + Checklist

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