7 Signs You Need To Reset Your Digestive System

April 18, 2016 by Power of Positivity

Health-minded people know that excellent nutrition is the key to perfect health. When we pay attention to how we nourish our bodies, we reap the benefits of a non-medicinal pharmacy to treat. Indeed, some people can successfully reverse their health challenges through a healthy digestive system. The digestive system is responsible for so much of our overall health and well-being.

This includes our mental, emotional and physical health. Let’s look at seven signs that you need to reset your digestive system.

7 Signs You Need to Reset Your Digestive System

1. Belching, gas, or bloated stomach

You need to reset your digestive system if you are experiencing a lot of belching, digestive gas, or your stomach feels distended. Excess air in your gut can be a sign of numerous health problems.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Chrohn’s disease, acid reflux, leaky gut, Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO), and other diseases are chronic inflammation health problems that can severely affect your quality of life.

Medications can treat the symptoms of these illnesses. But it would help if you aimed to fix the root cause. Treating your health by resetting your digestive system is pretty easy. So be sure to focus your diet on eating sources of soluble fiber, prebiotics, and probiotics. Moreover, you should avoid foods that you know will cause your symptoms to emerge.

2. You can’t lose weight around your stomach

Even if you exercise an hour a day of aerobics and pair that with some serious abdominal exercises and are still unable to lose weight around your gut, it’s a sign you need to reset your digestive system.

The excess fat around your stomach can reveal an inflammatory illness. Fortunately for you, ridding yourself of that extra fat may be as easy as resetting your digestive system.

3. You have an inflammatory or autoimmune disease

An unhealthy digestive system, like leaky gut disease, can cause the immune system to go overdrive. According to Dr. Jill Carnahan, this immune response can contribute to a massive list of conditions. These include ‘lupus, alopecia areata, rheumatoid arthritis, polymyalgia rheumatic, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, Sjogren’s syndrome, vitiligo, thyroiditis, vasculitis, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, urticaria (hives), type 1 diabetes and Raynaud’s syndrome.’ Healing from these diseases involves healing the digestive system by resetting it.

4. You are feeling off lately

From your mood to your brain, your stomach and digestive health have a lot to do with more than your physical health.

Mental and emotional health is also affected by your digestive system. If you’ve been feeling or thinking off lately, it’s a good sign that you need to reset your digestive system. According to mindbodygreen.com, ‘95% of serotonin, your key mood-regulating neurotransmitter, is located in your gut.’ Inflammation in your stomach can also contribute to mental fog.

5. You feel better when you eat soluble fiber

A study in the American Journal of Gastroenterology found that subjects who ate a diet of soluble fiber had reduced symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (gas, stomach pain, changes in bowel movements, pain before bowel movements).

Feeling relief from your digestive symptoms after you eat soluble fiber means that the fiber is helping to reset your digestive system. Foods like passion fruit, avocado, Brussels sprouts, fig, orange, sweet potato, asparagus, turnip, edamame, broccoli, pear, and other fruits and legumes are excellent sources of soluble fiber.

6. You feel better when you eat prebiotics

Probiotics were the first to become more well-known among healthy eaters, but prebiotics may be just as important. Prebiotics’ role is nourishing the beneficial gut bacteria that can then help reset your digestive system.

Medicinenet.com says that prebiotic sources include ‘asparagus, artichoke, bamboo shoots, banana, barley, chicory, leeks, garlic, honey, lentils, milk, mustards, onion, rye, soybean, sugar beet, sugarcane juice, tomato, and wheat.’ If you notice less gas and bloating after eating these foods, it’s a sign that these foods are helping you reset your digestive system.

7. You feel better when you eat probiotics

In a study of digestive health and probiotics, researchers said, ‘Our understanding of the intestinal microbiota and its full consequences on gastrointestinal health is still evolving. However, it is well accepted that altered colonic flora drives the pathogenesis of many disorders and diseases.’ The colonic flora of the gut is the beneficial bacteria that help break down food.

Researchers say that poor bacteria levels are now implicated in irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel diseases. Fortunately, taking probiotics, like fermented foods, yogurt, or kefir, is a huge help.

‘Probiotics and prebiotics are evolving treatment options targeted at restoring nonpathogenic digestive flora. There has been great interest in the role of these therapies in the treatment of many diseases, including childhood diarrhea, antibiotic-associated diarrhea, Clostridium difficile infection, irritable bowel syndrome, and inflammatory bowel disease.’

8 Things Your Dreams May Be Telling You

April 18, 2016 by Power of Positivity

Metaphysics and other schools of thought teach us that dreams reveal a lot about our state of mind. Dreams are purportedly significant because dreams are thoughts and since we’re thinking creatures, dreams have something to say about us as individuals.

It turns out that our dreams can reveal much about us, and in many different areas of life. We’ve compiled eight different things that dreams can reveal about who we are. If we are willing to devote the time to record and study them, we are likely to find that personal discovery and interpretation of our dreams can be a rewarding endeavor.

The whole life is a succession of dreams. My ambition is to be a conscious dreamer, and that is all. – Swami Vivekananda

Here are 8 things your dreams may be telling you:

1. The state of your health

It is thought that when we dream of our car, we’re dreaming about our health. In such dreams, the car is thought to be symbolic of the mind. The reasoning is this: a car is used to transport our bodies from place to place, and our body does the same thing for our mind – transporting it from place to place.

So, pay attention to the state of your car. Is it beaten down or brand new? This may just be an indication of your physical health.

2. The state of your mind

As with the body, dreams can reveal things about the mind. According to experts, the setting of such dreams exhibits the state of our mind the day before. For example, if you’re at work, more than likely your mind was focused and driven. If you’re in a new home, you’re starting to thinking in newer, unconventional ways.

3. Future possibilities

Many people will attest to the fact that dreams can be quite predictive in nature. It is not uncommon for someone to have a dream about a memorable place, only to find themselves at the exact same, previously unknown place later on down the road. It is important to understand that not all dreams are concrete predictions. As with many functionalities of our mind, it can – at times – be a bit wayward.

4. The nature of habits

Dreams that relate to our habits often involve animals. The reason is that animals are instinctive, unabashed creatures – symbolic of habits without self-control. Interaction that takes place between the dreamer and animal is important here. Subservience to habits is often depicted by animals chasing or attacking us, while control of habits is shown by maintaining control of the animal.

5. Use of Creativity/Imagination

Dreams have a unique way of bringing forth our creative gifts. In fact, some of the more famous inventions and discoveries can be attributed, as least in part, by dreams. For instance, Elias Howe, inventor of the sewing machine, credits his dreams for helping him identify a key component – a part that allowed him to finish his work. Symbols of a creative origin may be indicative of a past of present imaginative endeavor.

6. How we use our attention

Attention is a valuable gift. It allows us to hone our efforts on whatever we choose. Our dreams can be a symbolic representation of how we exert our focus. Mundane dreams often mean that we’re spending too much time lollygagging instead of turning our attention to more valuable efforts. Fun, inspiring dreams often reflect our efforts directing our attention to pursuits that bring value and inspiration.

7. How we’re expressing ourselves

The clothing worn in our dreams is often symbolic of our personal means of expression. If we’re cloaked in work attire, it likely means that our mindset is strictly business. Loose, comfortable, brightly-colored clothes tells us that we’re in a playful, childlike mindset. What about being naked? Well, this happens often, and it usually indicates that we’re comfortable with our natural (and true) Selves.

8. How we’re changing

Life is in a constant state of flux, and our nightly visions often represent this fact. For instance, if someone dies in our dream, it usually means that there is a certain part of us that is changing as well. It is important to identify who has died and how they died, as this may be symbolic of the part of us that is changing. Furthermore, the circumstances around the “death” may be indicative of whether or not the change was forced or welcomed.

5 Things To Try With Your Partner In A New Relationship

April 18, 2016 by Power of Positivity

Starting a new relationship is wonderful. There is a euphoric feeling of connecting and intensity. Feel-good hormones such as oxytocin are released and the heart begins to feel what it has been missing without that person. You see the world through perfect rose-colored lenses. Then reality sets in, and you cannot believe that you didn’t see certain issues before. There are things you can do early on in a new relationship to ensure its longevity.

Here are 5 things to try with your partner when you begin a relationship:

1. Setting boundaries.

Somehow this simple action gets lost in the beginning of a relationship. It’s imperative to set boundaries and respect from early on in the courtship. Your partner should know and honor your words and choices (and vice versa). When you establish issues from the beginning, you can look forward to a healthy partnership. What are you willing to do or not do? What will you accept? Setting up guidelines, like a business partnership, helps eliminate any false expectations in the romance department. There can’t be surprises when you lay it all out. Love shouldn’t be hard. When the right person comes alone communication is easy. You should be able to discuss anything and everything.

2. Be yourself.

Try not to forget your dreams and aspirations. Be yourself, and not someone your partner wants. Relationships that start with co-dependency rarely last. You will most likely not see eye-to-eye on everything. And this is perfectly great! It enriches both of you. You are two different people. The goal is to be understanding of each other. Do not give up on what you believe just to make the other person happy. Compromising is a healthy way to start a new relationship. The balance of give and take is a beneficial meter for a loving partnership. Be what makes you happy and your partner will love that about you.

3. Share your dreams.

We make the mistake of putting our dreams aside in order to help fulfill that of a partner. This is a huge mistake in new relationships. You can both share dreams, passion, goals and work towards reaching them together. Do not forget your individuality. Having someone who supports you is beautiful. It’s important to be straight forward about the things that move you. You want to write a novel? Share it. You want to run a marathon? Your partner might join you. Do not stop yourself from reaching those things that make you happy just because they might not be something your partner likes. It’s healthy to have separate friends, activities, and interests. Your partner will support you as much as you support him/her. People don’t just fall in love because they sleep together, but because of common interests and dreams. Something attracted you from the very beginning. Continue to unfold those things while keeping your eyes on the goal ahead.

4. Be playful.

Laughter is the best form of connecting with your partner. Make time to separate work from play. Travel together, go hiking and enjoy each others company while being free to express child-like qualities. Playtime is important in relationships. Life is tough: work, finances, and other stressors can hinder romance. It’s important to take time with each other to do things that disconnect from life pressures while connecting with your loved one. Find those things that you both enjoy. Do them together. Even sitting on the sofa and watching a great movie, playing a board game, or painting together breaks the monotony of life.

“You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.” ~ Richard Lingard

5. Encourage each other.

Do not forget to support and encourage one another. Dr. Gary Chapman, author of The Five Love Languages, says that “Encouragement requires empathy and seeing the world from your spouse’s perspective. We must first learn what is important to our spouse. Only then can we give encouragement. With verbal encouragement, we are trying to communicate, “I know. I care. I am with you. How can I help?”

This is not just for your spouse but any romantic partnership. When you enter into a new relationship it’s imperative to give each other the value that is deserved. Vulnerability and other issues will arise so it is healthy to just be able to share and feel the empathy from your partner.

Relationships, even the best of them, will encounter tough times. It’s up to you and your partner to commit to making time, effort, and space for each other. Communication is on top of that, and everything, on this list. The support from a loved one is the ultimate test of connection in any relationship. When you begin with these simple suggestions, you can ensure that you and your partner are on the same page.

These Things Happen To Your Body When You Stop Using Makeup

April 17, 2016 by Power of Positivity

If you turn on the TV, open a magazine, or go to a mall, you’ll likely see dozens of commercials, advertisements, and stores encouraging you to buy a plethora of beauty products. They make promises such as “This will make your skin clearer and more beautiful!” or “This mascara will make your eyelashes 1000X fuller!” We’ve all heard these outrageous claims, and sadly, many people still fail for these marketing techniques.

Truthfully, these products contain dozens of harmful ingredients that should never come in contact with the human body. In fact, many companies continue to profit off of our ignorance. However, many women have decided to go makeup-free after hearing about the toxins in mainstream makeup. Others simply make their own makeup at home.

We encourage you to do the same after you learn what can happen once you give up “normal” makeup.

Here’s what happens when you stop using makeup:

A new study led by researchers at UC Berkeley and Clinica de Salud del Valle Salinas proved that going even a few days without various cosmetics, shampoos, and other personal care products can significantly lower the levels of hormone-disrupting chemicals within the body.

Researchers supplied 100 Latina teenagers with various personal care products that did not contain common chemicals including phthalates, parabens, triclosan, and oxybenzone. You can easily spot these chemicals on the laundry list of ingredients in almost all mainstream personal care products such as cosmetics, soap, sunscreen, shampoo, conditioner, and other hair products. When tested on animals, studies have found that these chemicals disrupt the endocrine system.

“Because women are the primary consumers of many personal care products, they may be disproportionately exposed to these chemicals,” said study lead author Kim Harley, associate director of the UC Berkeley Center for Environmental Research and Children’s Health. “Teen girls may be at particular risk since it’s a time of rapid reproductive development, and research has suggested that they use more personal care products per day than the average adult woman.”

Results

After just a three-day trial with the products that contained lower amounts of chemicals, urine samples showed a significant drop in hormone disrupting chemicals in the body. Methyl and propyl parabens, commonly used as preservatives in cosmetics, dropped 44 and 45 percent, metabolites of diethyl phthalate, used commonly in perfumes, dropped by 27 percent, and both triclosan and benzophenone-3 fell 36 percent.

Co-director of the study, Kimberly Parra, explains why they chose local teens to participate in the study:

“The results of the study are particularly interesting on a scientific level, but the fact that high school students led the study set a new path to engaging youth to learn about science and how it can be used to improve the health of their communities. After learning of the results, the youth took it upon themselves to educate friends and community members, and presented their cause to legislatures in Sacramento.”

The CHAMACOS Youth Council included 12 local high school students who helped design and implement the study, one of whom was Maritza Cárdenas, a UC Berkeley Undergraduate majoring in molecular and cell biology.

“One of the goals of our study was to create awareness among the participants of the chemicals found in everyday products, to help make people more conscious about what they’re using,” said Cárdenas. “Seeing the drop in chemical levels after just three days shows that simple actions can be taken, such as choosing products with fewer chemicals, and make a difference.”

Here’s what you can do to make a difference:

Make sure you check the labels on any personal care products you buy. Most products contain an ingredient list; however, many cosmetics do not. If you have an interest in a particular product that doesn’t have a label, you can always contact the manufacturer and ask about the ingredients directly. Keep in mind, though, that most cosmetic brands you see in stores will contain harmful ingredients, unless you go to a health store or buy the product online from an organic company.

You can also try to make your own products at home. Buying them from other companies can get costly, especially if you opt for organic or natural cosmetics. A great website to check out for recipes for cosmetics is Wellnessmama.com. There, you will find tons of wonderful recipes for everything from natural sunscreen to mascara to shampoo!

Best of all, you can make most beauty products with just a few common household ingredients. This way, you can save money and also know exactly what goes into your personal care products.

We can create a new world that promotes health for all. But we first have to change it from within the system. This means you can vote with your dollar to show companies what you’d like to see more of. If you want to have more natural, healthy products on the shelves, make sure to support these smaller companies. These manufacturers actually care about what goes into their products. So we can have more of them to choose from as the world continues to evolve!

5 Life Lessons From Dr. Seuss

April 17, 2016 by Power of Positivity

The man we all knew as Dr. Seuss, children’s author of Green Eggs and Ham and other classics, has at least 5 important life lessons that he passed on to us through his cherished books.

Children who are now grown up loved the books by Dr. Seuss, the animated cartoons based on his books, and even the live action films of Dr. Seuss’ stories. The Cat in the Hat was one of our first imaginary friends. We remember the fun, innocent play of the Dr. Seuss rhymes.

Born Theodor Seuss Geisel, Dr. Seuss began his career as a cartoonist and humor article writer for magazines before becoming a children’s book author. Very few people know that he also wrote documentary films during World War II while working for Frank Capra’s Signal Corps Unit. He also won an Oscar for the animated short film Gerald McBoing-Boing about a boy who can only speak in sounds.

5 Life Lessons From Dr. Seuss

1. Be Yourself

‘Today you are You, that is truer than true.

There is no one alive who is Youer than You.’

The incredible, authentic, unique, rareness of you should be celebrated every moment! Loving ourselves for who we are is a key life lesson from Dr. Seuss. There is no one else like you, anywhere in the Universe. That makes You a very special person.

Dr. Seuss taught us the life lesson of being true to ourselves. Loving our imperfections and accepting ourselves for who we are, regardless of what other people think of us, is the ultimate Dr. Seuss message.

2. Make the world better

‘Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot,

Nothing is going to get better. It’s not.’

Respect for all living things was an important life lesson that Dr. Seuss taught us – from the tiniest Who to the last tree that the Lorax defends. It’s up to each of us to show that we care and refuse to be okay with the destruction of animal and plant habitats. Dr. Seuss taught us respect in spite of appearances, whether they are star-bellied Sneeches or Sneeches with no stars.

3. Be like a child and never stop learning

‘The more that you read, the more things you will know.

The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.’

Dr. Seuss was interested in childhood learning. He was inspired to write children’s books due to the boring nature of the educational reading books of the time, for example, the Dick and Jane series. Dr. Seuss taught us to look at the world from a different perspective when he made reading fun for millions of kids.

One life lesson from Dr. Seuss is to play, even as an adult. Find ways to explore your world that make you curious to know more. You might discover a hidden talent that you would never have found, for example, music, art, poetry, or writing children’s books.

4. It’s about balance

‘So be sure when you step,

Step with care and great tact.

And remember that life’s A Great Balancing Act.

And will you succeed

Yes! You will, indeed!

(98 and ? percent guaranteed)

Kid, you’ll move mountains.’

According to Goodreads.com, Theodor Geisel learned to be persistent early on in his writing career. His first book, And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, ‘was then promptly rejected by the first 43 publishers he showed it to. Eventually in 1937 a friend published the book for him, and it went on to at least moderate success.’

Imagine getting 43 different rejections before finally getting one ‘Yes.’ The drive to keep trying is a lesson that the character Sam-I-Am teaches us in Green Eggs and Ham, which was allegedly written on a dare from a friend to Dr. Seuss to write a book using 50 words or less.

You may recall that Sam-I-Am is such a fan of green eggs and ham that he pesters his friend to try them until he finally tries a taste, only to discover his love of green eggs and ham. The whole story is about Sam not giving up in order to help his friend have a great new experience. That’s a pretty excellent life lesson.

5. Be positive

Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.

There’s no point in choosing to be sad about being stuck inside on a rainy day when you can call on The Cat in the Hat to turn a no-good, boring day into an unforgettable one.

Only the imagination of Dr. Seuss could take some cartoon drawings and a simple rhyme and create millions of moments of childhood happiness. Despite the simplicity of Dr. Seuss’ life lessons, we should also point out that the current annual revenue of Dr. Seuss Enterprises, L.P. is estimated to be around $590,000.

4 Habits of Couples That Last Forever

April 17, 2016 by Power of Positivity

In a lasting relationship, couples demonstrate their love by doing daily things to support each other. Although a loving, committed couple can make a relationship look easy, it takes some work. Ask anyone who has been in a long-term relationship. Life together isn’t always perfect.

Linda and Charlie Bloom, authors of “Secrets of Great Marriages,” write about lasting couples and say that over time, “the experience of nurturing the relationship no longer feels like effort or work, but literally becomes a labor of love that feels more like a gift, a joyful opportunity for which we feel grateful and blessed.”

Here are the top 4 Habits of Lasting Couples:

1. The happiest couples talk about their emotions.

One thing that lasting couples do is care for each other’s feelings by doing the emotional work that the relationship requires. We rarely hear about emotional work, but psychologists study this topic as a factor in relationship happiness.

Researchers in the “Journal of Family Issues” says, “Family members do work to meet people’s emotional needs, improve their well-being, and maintain harmony.”

When emotional work is shared equally, both men and women can access emotional resources in the family. However, like housework and childcare, the distribution of emotional work is gendered.’ Women are the ones who typically talk more about their feeling in a relationship, but it’s not impossible to get a man to open up too. He needs to feel safe.

Researchers show how important emotional work is to healthy relationships. Partners with a gender imbalance towards expressing their feelings tended to see an erosion of the marriage, posing a health risk from psychological distress.

For a lasting relationship, men need to identify emotional cues from their female partner and help her release feelings of anger/sadness/fear. When male partners express their feelings and support their companions emotionally, they have one of the most considerable skills needed for a lasting relationship.

2. Work on solving problems

Every day couples face challenges. Large or small, sometimes just getting coordinated to get out the door for work in the morning can be a task. Then, later in the day, the topic of what you are having for dinner and who will cook it can become an issue. Beyond that, more significant problems arise concerning finances, health, family planning, social commitments, etc.

Couples who have a lasting relationship make everyday issues a breeze. They communicate well and problem-solve. They don’t fret about the small things. Besides that, they look forward to their future together. They usually share a common goal, such as retiring early or paying off the house, so they have money to travel. The more shared goals you have, the easier it can be to problem-solve.

3. Long-lasting couples communicate openly

Of course, you talk to your partner, but you seek to understand your other half rather than just talking to them when you are in a lasting relationship. You express your viewpoint and ask your partner to contribute their opinion.

Communication is a gift that you can give your partner in the form of excellent listening skills. Misunderstandings can be a source of tension and anger in a relationship. Prevent problems by being fully present when your partner is speaking. Eliminate distractions, make eye contact, and do not wait to talk. Ask questions about your partner’s words and restate them so they know you genuinely understand them.

The importance of excellent communication cannot be overstated for lasting couples. Open communication is also the basis of trust. Lasting couples do not hide things from their partner.

4. Create a shared special moment

Successful business leaders know that reviewing the workday to find the lessons learned is an excellent practice. In a strong relationship with your romantic partner, you should also look back to see how your day went as a couple.

Is there a learning experience that you can apply to right now? Did your partner smile or laugh with you today? Are you free of worries, or is there something you need to get off your chest? What would one thing make your day together even better?

Creating one special moment each day with your love is not difficult. All it takes is knowing your partner well and finding the right moment to connect with them deeply. Think of one thing that your partner likes that you can give them.

For example, you might share a private joke while watching your favorite movie. The memorable moment could be when you sense your partner’s tension and give them a back rub. Maybe your special moment is a cuddle in bed together. These small but significantly intimate moments make a lasting couple blissfully connected.

Final Thoughts: Reaffirm your commitment to your partner

This may sound corny, but each day you stay with your partner, you commit to them. Let’s face it, you have free will and could decide to find another partner. The fact that you don’t do that is a significant decision that you have barely even been aware of making.

These four habits reaffirm your commitment to your partner every single day. You are not staying true to your promise when you lack action in these areas.

Gratitude is everything. Simple statements like, “Thank you for staying committed to me,” are very powerful.

When things get tough, they will bring awareness to why you stay with your partner. Think about the importance of your relationship and how you have managed to be a lasting couple, no matter how long you have lasted. Keep going, stay strong and committed. The best is yet to come!

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7 Signs You Need To Reset Your Digestive System