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Researchers Reveal Blood Test That Can Prevent Seizures

January 23, 2020 by Power of Positivity

Do you struggle with seizures? Does someone you know have epilepsy?

The experience of knowing our body and brain could fail us at any moment is frightening. This may entail waking from sudden darkness, deeply confused as to how we ended up on the ground, extremely weak, our head pounding, possibly drenched in our urine, and having bit our tongue.

The body and brain somehow feel a bit disconnected, and the heavy fog in our heads is unable to piece together this reality. Afterward, we would pass back out again for hours of sleep from this disorienting exhaustion.

Imagine this as your way of life. This is just one depiction of what it is like to have a seizure disorder. The study of this condition has a long history, and the science is not 100% on what triggers seizures or how to treat all of the cases. However, there is continued progress. Recently researchers revealed a blood test that can prevent these episodes.

What is a seizure?

According to the Epilepsy Foundation, a seizure is defined as ” a sudden surge of electrical activity in the brain.” Essentially, all the neurons in our brain which are responsible for the communication of the brain to the body go haywire due to an electrical surge. The triggers and symptoms are not the same for everyone, as 40 differing types of this disorder are now identified.

Epilepsy is the diagnosis given to an individual who has had more than two seizures in a given period. According to the Epilepsy Foundation of Colorado, in 2015:

One in 10 people will have a random event in their lifetime
One in 26 people will have a diagnosis of epilepsy at some point in their life. Epilepsy is not a lifetime diagnosis.
About 1 in 100 people currently live with epilepsy
60% of seizures have unknown causes

A brief history of epilepsy

Epilepsy stems from the Greek word, Epilepsia, which means to “take hold of” or “to seize.”

Descriptions of seizures date as far back as 2000 B.C in Babylonia. At that time, and sadly throughout much of history, these medical events were considered of a supernatural or religious cause. In 5^th Century B.C., famous philosopher Hippocrates stated that he believed that it started in the brain and therefore attempted to treat it as such. In cases in which he was unable to treat, he deemed those cases as incurable.

Unfortunately, doctors and society did not adopt Hippocrates’ viewpoint, and most individuals who exhibited convulsions were viewed with grave superstition, believed to be “possessed by the devil.” Despite the horrendous treatment, many people with epilepsy faced, some were able to triumph. As an example, Julius Caesar and Czar Peter the Great from Russia had epilepsy.

Until the mid-19^th century, when neurology became separate from psychology, the treatment of the condition become recognized again as a brain disorder. The first hospital and anti-seizure medication occurred in that time frame.

Real progress did not happen, however, until the 1930s–1950s when EEGs were developed and gradually came to general use.

Types and Categories of Seizures

Seizures are placed under three general categories based on their cause:

Epileptic seizures are those from brain dysfunction due to unusual electrical misfiring, which occurs regularly. Much about epilepsy is unknown. It can have distinct causes such as brain trauma, stroke, brain tumor, or infection. In some instances, it is a genetic malfunction.
Provoked seizures are events that have an identifiable cause such as drugs, alcohol withdrawal, or a chemical imbalance. These seizures are not epileptic in nature, even if they cause a misfiring. Once the cause is identified and treated, the spasms cease.
Non-epileptic seizures are events that are not related to a brain misfiring but are muscular or psychological in nature.

Types of Seizures

Within these categories are general types of seizures. Physicians identify these types of seizures by the regions of the brain impacted.

Focal Seizures

The phenomenon of focal seizures stems from only one area of the brain.

Focal seizures with impaired awareness. These events are not characterized by falling to the ground with muscle spasms. They are a change or loss of consciousness or awareness which may display itself by staring into space, lack of response to external stimuli, repetitive actions. The repetitive actions can include walking in circles, hand rubbing, chewing, or swallowing.
Focal seizures without impaired awareness. These occurrences do not result in a loss of consciousness. The body may revert to jerking; you may see flashing lights, feel a tingling or dizziness. It results in some alteration of your senses or emotions.

Generalized Seizures

Generalized seizures arise from multiple regions of the brain.

Absence seizures, once known as petit mal seizures, can cause a brief lack of awareness and often occur in groups. Usually identified in children, they display themselves by the person staring into space or eye blinking or lip-smacking.
Tonic Seizures are when there is a brief stiffening of the muscles, potentially resulting in the individual falling.
Atonic Seizures are similar to tonic seizures in that the individual falls, but the cause is slightly different. Rather than the muscles stiffening, the individual loses control of the muscles.
Clonic seizures are the neck, face, and arm muscles jerking in a repeated or rhythmic fashion.
Myoclonic seizures entail your arms and legs twitching or jerking briefly.
Tonic-Clonic seizures, otherwise known as grand mal seizures, are the most body encompassing episodes. An individual may lose consciousness, the entire body stiffens and shakes uncontrollably. During this time, there may be a lack of bladder control, and the individual may bite their tongue. This particular seizure can cause additional individual harm due to the thrashing of the body hitting nearby objects.

Treatment and prediction of epilepsy

Other than individuals recognizing their own individual symptoms that may precede a seizure, such as seeing auras, feeling “off,” dizzy, or weak, there is little that allows seizures to be predicted. Prevention entails anti-seizure medication, which not only carries its own side effects, but they are not 100% effective in all cases. Other prevention may involve avoiding known triggers, such as caffeine, high levels of stress, lack of sleep, maintaining proper blood sugar levels, to name a few. There are cases where medication is not effective at all.

There are natural methods to aid in decreasing the frequency or severity of an occurrence. Some of the methods have indirect effects, such as reducing stress levels, which are triggers to some sufferers.

Medical use of marijuana or CBD has shown substantial promise, especially toward children or those in which prescribed medication has not proven effective.
Diets, specifically, the Ketogenic diet or Atkins, prove to be effective for many.
Calming herbs may be useful, but their effectiveness is still uncertain. Stimulating herbs or mood-altering herbs, such as St. John’s Wort, may worsen the condition or interfere with medications. You should use herbal supplements with caution and under the guidance of a physician.
Vitamins may play an important role in seizures.
- Patients with low levels of B6 may struggle with one of these conditions.
- Magnesium and Vitamin E help some but may harm others.
- Vitamin D is highly recommended as a supplement.
- Manganese and taurine might decrease these events.
Biofeedback, acupuncture, and chiropractic care can aid in reducing stress
Stay informed and avoid known triggers.

A future blood test to predict seizures?

Within 2019, a study was published by researchers at FutureNeuro, an SFI research center for Neurologic diseases, and was hosted in Ireland by the Royal College of Surgeons. They discovered that when certain cells are stressed, RNA’s, a chemical similar to our DNA that builds protein within cells, begins to fragment. These fragments could demonstrate the brain cells which are under stress that could result in a seizure. Through blood tests, they found that these fragments reach a high-level hour prior to a seizure event.

One of the most disconcerting traits of a seizure disorder, other than the seizure itself, is its unpredictability. This research potentially may lead the way to discover a testing method, as one uses to test for blood sugar, to help individuals determine their risk of having a seizure on a daily basis.

Final thoughts on living with seizures and epilepsy

Seizures can be very disrupting to an individual and their family’s life. It is scary, especially for children and the parents who must watch helplessly. If you know someone who suffers from this condition (or you struggle with epilepsy or episodes), educate yourself. Offer support and avoid any known triggers to make seizures less impactful.

The findings of the new research offer hope that researchers will soon be able to reveal a blood test that can prevent seizures. Removing the daily weight of wondering could prove to be a huge blessing for many who have seizures and their families.

20 Inspirational Quotes About Life from Gandhi

January 23, 2020 by Power of Positivity

Gandhi was one of the most brilliant minds of the last century. He was known for his intellectual values of self-discipline and peace. We can learn a lot about the world and how to live our own lives by reading these inspirational quotes about life.

Here are 20 inspirational quotes about life from Gandhi.

1. “Satisfaction lies in the effort, not in the attainment.”

The hard work put into something is what creates self-satisfaction. Someone who works hard to get a job will feel better about themselves than someone who was given the position. Even if the end result isn’t what you expected, the effort is an important part. Work hard, and you will be happy with yourself. You will also take this lesson of hard work with you as you continue in life.

2. “Our greatest ability as humans is not to change the world, but to change ourselves.”

Change begins from within ourselves. If we want to change the world, we need to change ourselves. When we change, the world changes, even if just a bit. Instead of focusing on the other people in the world, we should focus on ourselves. This perspective also gives us a chance to internalize and make ourselves better.

3. “A coward is incapable of exhibiting love; it is the prerogative of the brave.”

Some people associate being loving with being weak. Gandhi shows us in one of his inspirational quotes that the opposite is the case. The strong and brave people of the world are more capable of showing love and compassion. Cowards prefer to hide those kinds of emotions.

4. “You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.”

Some people see an awful person or action and think all of humanity is tainted. Humanity is large. One lousy person or activity does not necessarily mean that the rest of humanity is also tainted. It’s essential to maintain a positive attitude about humanity, even in the face of a negative situation. Some good people do the right actions, too.

5. “Many people, especially ignorant people, want to punish you for speaking the truth, for being correct, for being you. Never apologize for being correct, or for being years ahead of your time. If you’re right and you know it, speak your mind.”

People should not be afraid to speak up. Speaking up is what helps change humanity for the better. It’s the people who say unusual things that help us move forward as a society.

6. “We may never be strong enough to be entirely nonviolent in thought, word, and deed. But we must keep nonviolence as our goal and make strong progress towards it.”

There is some animalistic part of the human brain that allows violence. It may not be something that we, as a society, or an individual, can overcome. However, we must continue to try. When violent urges arise, we must make an effort to suppress those urges.

7. “Study not man in his animal nature – man following the laws of the jungle – but study man in all his glory.”

There is a primal aspect to humans. We see it all of the time in the news when we see people murder. We also see it in news reports of pornography. These primal instincts of man are not the things on which we should focus. We should focus on the elevated and evolved moments of humankind. These evolved moments involve higher moral decisions and restraint.

8. “I believe in the essential unity of all people and for that matter of all lives. Therefore, I believe that if one person gains spiritually, the whole world gains, and if one person falls, the whole world falls to that extent.”

Humanity is a sort of balance. Each individual contributes to this balance. While one individual may not skew the balance drastically, they certainly play a role. They can play a role whether they contribute positively or negatively.

9. “Nonviolence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of man.”

Brute force demonstrates physical strength, but there is something more important than physical strength- peace. Gandhi tells us here that it requires more power to be nonviolent. This is because it forces a person to show self-control instead of acting purely by instinct.

10. “It is my own firm belief that the strength of the soul grows in proportion as you subdue the flesh.”

There is a common saying that with age comes wisdom. This thought process is similar. We tend to grow wiser in every aspect as we get older. This wisdom adds a lot of value to age. Humanity should respect older people for their understanding and internal strength.

11. “Some form of common worship and a common place of worship appear to be a human necessity.”

Gandhi seems to acknowledge that people do, indeed, benefit from religion. As a society, it seems to bring us closer together. Solidarity helps people be kind to each other. Now, he never says that one particular religion is the answer. He says it’s essential for people to gather together to worship.

12. “Life is an aspiration. Its mission is to strive after perfection, which is self-realization. The ideal must not be lowered because of our weaknesses or imperfections.”

The goal of life is to continue striving to be great, even perfect. This is a huge aspiration. However, we need to continue to fight for personal greatness our entire lives. We will likely never achieve perfection, but that should not stop us from trying. When we falter, we need to get back up and continue to work hard.

13. “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”

You can meditate and internalize all day. The best way to truly find yourself is to help others. It’s important to help family members and other people in your life. You should also volunteer at different charities.

14. “In a gentle way, you can shake the world.”

Many people want to make a bang in the world. We want to help people and make a difference. Many people will scream and brag about reaching their goals. It may be a much better idea to go about your goal quietly and calmly. You can still make a difference calmly.

15. “Hate the sin. Love the sinner.”

People are going to make mistakes and sin. It’s a part of life. When someone commits a horrible sin, we may want to hate that person. This phrase is especially true if the person committed an egregious crime against you or someone you love. However, it’s important not to hate the person. We do not need to enjoy their actions, but we do need to love the person. Ideally, the person will remember this forgiveness and show forgiveness themselves.

16. “The true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members.”

The young, old, sick, and poor are vulnerable parts of the population. However, every society has these vulnerable members. How do the people in the community treat these less fortunate people? Society is designed to support each other and how they handle these people to help paint a picture of their priorities.

17. “Truth resides in every human heart, and one has to search for it there, and to be guided by truth as one sees it. But no one has a right to coerce others to act according to his view of truth.”

Some people think that truth is the same for every human being. However, we all have unique experiences giving us a unique perspective. The reality we see may not be the same as the truth that someone else sees. There is nothing wrong with this. We do not need to push our truth on anyone else. Instead, we need to respect each other’s realities.

18. “I will far rather see the race of man extinct than that we should become less than beasts by making the noblest of God’s creation, woman, the object of our lust.”

Gandhi understood that humankind experiences primal urges. These urges represent part of the primal aspects of human nature. To elevate ourselves, we should not become a slave to these urges. We should be able to contain ourselves around the opposite sex. This guidance helps prevent cheating, assault, and other immoral activity.

19. “An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind.”

When someone does something wrong to us, a gut reaction is to exact revenge. However, that leads us down a road to terrible things like hatred and war. Instead of seeking retribution, forgive those who wrong you, and move on. You will live more peacefully.

20. “Action expresses priorities.”

If you read the Power of Positivity regularly, you know that we often discuss how to manage time and set goals to live our best lives. Goals are fantastic, but unless you make them a top priority, you will not accomplish them. So, set your goals, then prove your intention by prioritizing and, ultimately, achieving them.

Final Thoughts on These Quotes About Life by Gandhi

The world can be a scary, chaotic place. These inspirational quotes about life by Gandhi help us put things into perspective. When we work hard to be the best person we can be, we are making a positive change in the world. Other people will attempt to evolve themselves, too.

Doctors Explain What Causes Plantar Fasciitis (and how to heal the pain)

January 22, 2020 by Power of Positivity

Plantar fasciitis is a widespread cause of heel pain. Patients typically experience a stabbing pain in the sole of their foot around the heel. The condition may (or may not) be accompanied by a heel spur.

The pain is usually at its worst first thing in the morning, but it gradually decreases after the patient starts walking. Similarly, the condition becomes increasingly painful if the patient has been standing for a long time, or if they get up after a long period of sitting. The pain also becomes more acute after exercise rather than during it.

What Causes Plantar Fasciitis?

Plantar fasciitis usually manifests as an inflammation of the plantar fascia, which is a thick band of tissue, which is shaped like a bowstring, running across the sole. It connects the heel bone to the toes. The plantar fascia acts as a shock absorber and supports the arch of the foot.

If too much stress wears on the plantar fascia, it can develop small tears. Eventually, those tears cause the plantar fascia to become inflamed and irritated. Determining the causes of those tears can be difficult as it is generally not clear-cut. The patient is usually not able to point to a specific event, like a fall, that caused their condition.

Possible Causes

The condition arises typically from an inflammation of the plantar fascia. However, researchers argued in a 2003 paper that degeneration of the plantar fascia caused it. In the “Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association,” scientists studied 50 cases in which patients underwent heel spur surgery. They found signs of degeneration rather than inflammation and thus argued that the condition should earn the new name “plantar fasciosis.”

In 2019, StatPearls, an online medical journal, published a description of the condition that called it “the result of degenerative irritation.” It seemed to agree with the 2003 paper that it was not a type of inflammation since doctors generally don’t find inflammatory cells during diagnosis. Instead, it is an injury that is often caused by overuse in which repeated pressure or strain causes the plantar fascia to develop tiny tears. About half the patients will also have at least one heel spur, but a heel spur does not irritate the plantar fascia.

What’s a heel spur?

A heel spur, if you’re wondering, is a bony growth called a calcium deposit that usually develops under the front part of the heel. While some heel spurs are virtually undetectable by the naked eye, others can grow to half an inch in length. A heel spur can cause swelling at the front of the heel, along with inflammation and pain.

A heel spur stems from many of the same things that affect the plantar fascia. These include stress from repetitive movements like running, worn-out or poorly fitting shoes, and obesity. It also responds to many of the same treatments, such as rest, pain medications, or physical therapy.

On the other hand, the condition does show traits of a degenerative disease, including the abnormal structure of the collagen. Patients will also have thickened plantar fascia and calcified areas. The doctor will often find such changes through ultrasound.

Risk Factors

Certain risk factors increase the chances of developing an irritated plantar fascia. They include the following:

Some types of exercise
Age
Obesity
Certain occupations
Foot mechanics
High heels

Long-distance runners are particularly prone to inflammation of the plantar fascia. Generally speaking, activities that put a lot of stress on the heel and attached tissues increase the chances of developing an inflamed plantar fascia. Aerobic dancers and ballet dancers also have an increased risk.

Plantar fasciitis is most common in people who are between 40 and 60 years old.

Being overweight or obese increases the stress on the plantar fascia and thus increases the risk of inflammation. Pregnancy also puts more pressure on the plantar fascia.

Occupations that require people to stand for a long time, especially on hard surfaces, also increase the chances of developing inflammation of the plantar fascia. Examples include teachers and factory workers.

Specific problems with foot mechanics can put extra stress on the plantar fascia. People with high arches or flat feet, for example, have a higher chance of developing an irritated plantar fascia. Abnormal gaits can also stress the plantar fascia.

High heels, especially very high stiletto heels, cause a variety of foot problems. The shoes force the heel upward and thus shortens the Achilles tendon and other calf muscles. The shortened muscles and tendons put extra stress on the plantar fascia and can, therefore, damage it.

What Treatments Are Available?

The doctor will perform a physical exam and may order an imaging test like an X-ray or MRI to confirm the diagnosis. They want to make sure that the patient’s heel pain isn’t coming from something like a heel spur or fracture. After confirming that the patient does have an inflamed plantar fascia, the doctor will recommend a treatment plan. In 2001, the “American Family Physician” published a paper that described and critiqued the available treatments.

Home Remedies

In most cases, the doctor will start by advising the patient to treat their foot at home. They will suggest treatments like rest, braces, ice, and over-the-counter medications.

The doctor will also recommend various lifestyle changes, like losing excess weight or wearing shoes that provide excellent arch support, thick soles, and inserting extra cushioning. Women should not wear high heels, and patients of both sexes should replace worn-out athletic shoes. If the patient exercises, the doctor will recommend low-impact sports like bicycling or swimming instead of high-impact sports like jogging to put less stress on the feet.

Massaging one’s feet every night for 10 or 15 minutes can help ease chronic pain. It also provides a variety of other health benefits. For example, a foot massage can help strengthen ankle and foot muscles, especially if you also slowly rotate your foot. Stronger muscles will help prevent injuries like turned ankles.

Non-invasive Treatments

If home remedies and lifestyle changes don’t work, the next step is usually a corticosteroid injection. The doctor will typically administer the corticosteroid steroid in their office. They may use ultrasound to find the best place for the dose. Iontophoresis is a variation in which the doctor delivers a topical corticosteroid to the treatment area and then applies weak electrical currents to drive the medication deeper into the tissues.

The doctor may also recommend arch supports or night splints. An arch support is a type of orthotic that the patient wears inside the shoe. It distributes pressure across the foot and thus relieves the plantar fascia.

A night splint is a type of brace that the patient would wear during sleep. It keeps the foot flexed and lengthens both the Achilles tendon and the plantar fascia. A night splint can prevent the stiffness and pain that the patient usually experiences upon waking.

The doctor may suggest that the patient wear a boot cast, which looks like a ski boot, that would keep the foot immobile while the plantar fascia heals. The patient can take it off when they need to bathe.

Physical Therapy

Physical therapy is a standard treatment for plantar fasciitis. The physical therapist may work with the patient to help them improve their gait, strengthen the muscles of their lower legs, and otherwise put less pressure on the soles of their feet.

In many cases, the therapist will teach the patient a variety of stretching exercises that the patient will do twice or thrice a day. For example, the patient may stretch their calf muscles while standing with their hands against a wall.

In the “rolling stretch,” the patient will sit or stand and place a small ball or foam roller under their foot and move their foot back and forth for two minutes. The exercise will soon loosen tight muscles.

The patient can also stretch the plantar fascia itself by sitting down and crossing their foot across the other leg. The patient will then grip the toes and pull them back and hold them for about ten seconds. They can use the other hand to feel for tension in the plantar fascia. The patient should do exercises two or three times a day.

Physical therapist reveals which body part causes the most pain.

Surgery

Surgery is a last resort, only if the patient is in severe pain or has had plantar fasciitis for six to twelve months. The doctor will recommend surgery only if the patient has tried other and less invasive treatments with no results.

The surgeon may perform a plantar fascia release in which they detach the plantar fascia partway from the heel bone. While the procedure does relax the plantar fascia, it also makes the arch weaker.

The surgeon may recommend a procedure called a gastrocnemius recession if the patient still has a hard time flexing their feet even after physical therapy. In this procedure, the surgeon will make the calf muscle longer to lessen stress on the plantar fascia and increase ankle movement.

Final Thoughts on Managing Your Plantar Fasciitis

While doctors can’t always determine the cause of plantar fasciitis, they can usually treat it. The vast majority of patients will need only the various non-invasive treatments like home remedies, physical therapy, or injections. Only the worst and most stubborn cases will need surgery.

9 Ways Technology And Social Media Affect Kids

January 22, 2020 by Power of Positivity

There is a lot of controversy and disagreement surrounding the topic of children and technology. How much access should they have to it? What sites can they visit? Is social media fine or not? Can kids make friends online? How much privacy should they have?

There are many factors to consider when deciding on the answers to these questions. We’re not going to tell you how to parent your child – that’s your job! But we will give you the information you need to make crucial decisions regarding their access to social media and the rest of the Internet.

Here Are 9 Ways Technology And Social Media Affect Kids

1. They Can Become Addicted

Addiction is a common issue with social media, and it’s the one that gets brought up most commonly. Repeatedly and compulsive checking messages and feeds on social media can quickly become an addiction.

This obsession stems from the fact that MRI scans show that receiving shares, likes, and other forms of positive social media feedback can light up the brain’s reward center. At a young age – and even more so in adolescence – the brain’s circuitry for rewards is highly sensitized, causing young people to be even more influenced by the praise of the Internet. Coupled with a human’s natural drive to socialize, it can develop into an addiction.

Young people who become addicted to social media often wind up spending hours on different platforms, continually refreshing their feeds, rewatching videos, and even obsessing over the performance of their own posts. This addiction can affect school grades, study time, physical activity, and other daily tasks. Many children check their social media upwards of a hundred times daily, even while in school!

2. They Are More Empathetic and Connected To People They Care About

Social media has made us more connected to each other than ever before. Family and friends living on the other side of the world can be spoken to and interacted with in real-time. It’s an incredible benefit that has some positive effects on children.

While in-person social interaction is also still significant (and we’ll talk more about that later), there’s no denying that the connectivity of social media is making children grow up as more considerate and relationship-oriented people. They learn the following:

Know each other’s birthdays and greet each other
Leave comments and interact with their friends’ posted material
Can speak to family members more easily
Build long-term friendships that don’t drift apart as easily
Make friends from all over the world, connecting them to different cultures and perspectives
Learn communication skills

3. Social Media Impacts Sleep Patterns

The blue light that comes from smartphones can harm the natural sleep cycle, preventing the body from producing enough melatonin to make your child sleepy. Even blue light filters aren’t powerful enough to reverse the damage this can do to a sleep cycle.

In addition, the draw of boredom or a perceived inability to sleep can cause a kid to sneak a peek at their phone before bed. This habit can cause them to get distracted, wasting hours that should have been spent asleep on browsing the Internet.

The fact is that many people need several minutes to calm down and wind down enough for sleep to come. When a child, used to the constant occupation of the Internet, has to lie down, unmoving, for ten minutes, they may feel compelled to check their phone when they notice sleep isn’t arriving for them.

4. They Pick Up Useful Technical Skills

We live in a digital age. Even today, computer literacy and technical skills are a common requirement of virtually any job. By the time your kids are out seeking work of their own, it won’t just be mandatory; technical skills will be a bare minimum requirement.

When children spend time online, they are picking up on all sorts of technical skills and implementing that into their everyday lives. These skills may not have been essential when you were growing up, but they are today – just like how cursive was such a crucial part of learning writing years ago, digital literacy is vital today. They can learn skills like:

Effective search term usage
Proper research methods online
Word processing
Downloading and using software safely
Fixing basic errors

Kids learn relatively quickly, so it doesn’t take much screen time for them to pick up on skills. Encourage them to learn the functions of computers and other devices in a positive way; it will do them well in the long-run.

5. Their Interests May Become More Shallow

Social media, unfortunately, is full of artificial and superficial content. Many people post images that are edited, posts that are embellished or exaggerated, or other material that attempts to show their most positive sides.

Children may then attempt to imitate what they see on social media, and they can develop what is commonly referred to as FOMO – the fear of missing out. They observe that their friends are getting new phones, going to cool places, and wearing trendy clothing, and they want to do the same thing. This causes their focus to shift to the shallow.

Many children also cannot reasonably differentiate between the fake online world and the real one. To them, it is not only plausible but highly likely that their friends and popular influencers are leading these amazing lives. They don’t yet understand how it is all at least partially fake. To be more like the influencers they love, they may spend a lot of time:

Focusing on taking the perfect selfies
Crafting the ideal story that they think will make them sound cooler
Trying to find ways to get material objects
Losing positive thinking due to a lack of material objects
Tying self-worth into shallow aspects of their lives

6. Your Kids Become More Creative

Creativity is a fantastic thing in anyone, but even more so in children. It’s how your little genius begins to grow and learn! The online world is a tremendous outlet for creativity. Just take a look at the young people who:

Post content on YouTube, TikTok, Tumblr, or other social media, often involving editing skills
Write fanfiction or draw fanart
Engage in constructive praise and criticism regarding their work
Learn new creative techniques
Expand their horizons to see other creative opportunities
Learn to express themselves and find peers to learn new creative skills from
Practice their creative skills

7. Their Social Skills Suffer

Unfortunately, though children can be so much more connected to other people through the Internet, they cannot adequately garner social skills from an online interaction. This is because a considerable number of communicative cues can only be perceived in person, says UCLA College professor of psychology Patricia Greenfield.

Nonverbal cues, such as body language, facial expressions, intonation, and even eye contact, aren’t discernable online. This means that a child who only interacts with people online won’t learn the necessary social skills to perform them in person properly.

This is a bit of a “paradox” of sorts, if you will, as this means that social media can both cause and restrict empathy. A balance of social media interaction and real-life interaction can help to even the playing field for your child, especially if you work on encouraging a lot of in-person social skills early on in their life.

8. They Can Access Bad Or Dangerous Content

The Internet is full of all kinds of content – some more positive than others. There’s no way to filter what your child sees, and even child-locks and website blocks are not foolproof. A child on the Internet can have access to and attempt to copy:

Pictures showing influencers performing dangerous stunts, whether real or fakes
Peer pressure to conform to certain norms or take part in challenges
Consuming violent, harmful, or inappropriate content
Falling victim to or perpetrating cyberbullying or cyber crimes
Being preyed on by predators or stalkers
Seeing advertisements for dubious products, such as weight-loss pills, fad diets, or “miracle” products
Believing incorrect or false information that can range from mildly inconvenient to downright dangerous

Make sure you monitor your kid’s Internet usage so that you are always aware of what kinds of websites they visit. There’s a difference between granting your child some privacy on their private social media and flat-out not laying ground rules for sites they can visit.

9. Social Media Affects Mental Health

The most significant strain that technology imposes on our children is mental health-related. The scope of these issues that come from social media and the Internet is difficult to fully encompass, as they cover a broad range of topics. As such, here are some facts and statistics about the matter.

On school days, children who spend upwards of 3 hours on social media have an increased risk of mental health problem development due to the potential for delayed positive social and emotional growth.

Young individuals who already have histories involving suicide attempts or self-harm can be especially vulnerable to all kinds of negative messages from online communities. They also tend to spend a lot more time online, which leads to a higher risk of cyberbullying.

Some children can feel guilty or regretful of time they perceive as wasted online, which can cause bad moods.

Social media is more likely to result in symptoms of depression than video games and other varieties of screen time in teenagers. This is likely due to the idolized “influencers” and other celebrities that can make teenagers feel inadequate. Teenage girls are especially at risk of losing positive thinking due to images of perfection on social media.

Medical studies have found that checking social media and even streaming videos can lead to a higher risk of developing ADHD or symptoms of ADHD.

Teenagers who find themselves feeling obligated to answer social media messages and comments, or to respond to and interact with other accounts, can suffer adverse mental health effects.

Screen time can lead to higher rates of depression and suicide among children and young adults.

Final Thoughts On Some Ways Technology And Social Media Affect Kids

There are good and bad effects of technology and social media on kids. The trick is to learn to regulate your child’s time online. Make sure they can trust you with any harmful or uncomfortable online situations, lay ground rules, and encourage them to talk about what they do online.

12 Dairy Substitutes Every Lactose Intolerant Person Must Try

January 22, 2020 by Power of Positivity

Are you lactose intolerant? Then, you’re probably always searching for dairy substitutes that are easy to implement in your daily routine.

It’s a surprising fact to many, but about 75% of the worldwide population is lactose intolerant. This condition happens when a body doesn’t produce enough lactase (the enzyme required to digest milk sugar) to digest the lactose (the sugar found in milk) in dairy products.

If you are one of the 75% affected by lactose intolerance, you have likely found yourself searching for recipes that don’t contain dairy. It isn’t always an easy task, but if you know a dairy substitute for certain ingredients, it’ll be that much easier to plan and cook meals. This way, if you find a recipe that sounds good but contains dairy, you’ll be able to substitute the dairy ingredients for something else.

If you aren’t positive that you have lactose intolerance but believe that it is a problem, it is best to talk to your doctor to ensure that there isn’t another issue causing your problem. Never diagnose yourself, as there could be a serious underlying issue that needs medical attention. In the meantime, however, avoiding dairy would be wise so that you don’t suffer from the side effects that include:

bloating
gas
diarrhea
abdominal pain
indigestion
nausea

12 Dairy Substitutes For Lactose Intolerant People

1. Milk substitute

Let’s start with the most basic of all dairy sources: milk. We use milk for drinking, cooking, and baking, so it is crucial to figure out a suitable dairy substitute. There are quite a few options that everyone with lactose intolerance must try, however, and the final choice will be made based on your preference.

Some of the non-dairy milk options include:

almond milk
rice milk
oat milk
coconut milk
cashew milk
hemp milk
flaxseed milk

Each milk on the list contains different nutrients and vitamins, and some may contain other ingredients. Make sure to read all ingredient labels to watch out for things like added sugars or little nutritional value and adjust as needed.

2. Chocolate substitute

You may be surprised to know that chocolate generally contains dairy, so if you’re lactose intolerant, you may not be able to consume the regular version safely. Frequently, the semi-sweet or bittersweet baking chocolate is free of dairy, but the actual chocolate candy bars do contain dairy. It is always best to just read the ingredient labels to know for sure which are safe and which aren’t.

3. Buttermilk substitute

We often use this ingredient for dredging fried foods, making homemade dressings, homemade fluffy pancakes, and in many baked desserts. Since it contains dairy and is such a useful ingredient, it is essential to find a replacement for it. Luckily, there are a couple of different options for a dairy substitute in place of regular buttermilk.

One option is to mix 1 cup of soy milk with one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice. You will then let the mixture sit for 5 minutes in the refrigerator to allow it to thicken, and then use the thickened mixture in place of the buttermilk.

Another option is to use plain soy yogurt in place of the buttermilk or to use soy sour cream mixed with unsweetened soy milk in a 2-to-1 ratio.

4. Yogurt substitutes

Just like with milk, there are a variety of options at the grocery store to replace regular dairy yogurt. Some of these options include:

coconut milk yogurt
almond milk yogurt
soy milk yogurt
hemp milk yogurt

The flavored versions of these yogurts may have a high amount of added sugars, so be sure to read the nutrition information.

5. Evaporated milk substitute

Often found in desserts, sauces, and casseroles, evaporated milk is a popular ingredient in many everyday dishes. Substituting it for a non-dairy option is relatively easy, as plain soy yogurt or soy coffee creamer can fill its place.

6. Alfredo sauce substitute

Store-bought alfredo sauces are out of the question, as most of them contain milk. Your only other option is to make homemade Alfredo sauce. You can find a recipe that is already dairy-free, or you can use one that contains dairy and substitute the dairy ingredients for non-dairy options.

7. Ice cream substitute

This dairy-filled treat is relatively easy to find a delicious replacement for. You can purchase dairy-free ice cream at the grocery store that uses coconut or soy milk. Another option is to choose a sorbet, which never contains dairy and lives in the same aisle as ice cream.

You can also make your desserts at home that are similar to ice cream. One option is to blend frozen bananas and berries, to which you can also add other flavorings. This delicious substitute is likely going to be healthier and lower in calories, too.

8. Sour cream substitute

Sour cream is a staple on top of many dishes, and finding an alternative is likely vital for anyone who is lactose intolerant. Luckily, there are a couple of options to replace it with.

First, you could buy a soy-based sour cream at the grocery store, or you could buy a version that contains beans, oils, and gums. If neither of those options works for you, you can use plain dairy-free yogurt instead, as it is very similar to sour cream.

9. Cheese substitute

Cheese can be a tricky ingredient to substitute, but it is possible. The replacement depends on which type of cheese you want, as many kids of cheese are different in taste and texture.

You can make dairy-free cream cheese using cashews or almonds but, if you would prefer a store-bought option, you should be able to find one near the traditional cream cheese. If you need something similar to ricotta or cottage cheese, crumbled tofu is the best option.

For Parmesan cheese, you can use nutritional yeast to mimic the flavor. Another bonus of this substitution is that nutritional yeast is a good source of vitamin B12.

Unfortunately, hard cheeses have been harder to replicate and, while many scientists are still trying to figure it out, there has been no perfect option created yet. Many companies have tried, however, and you may be able to find some of the products in your local grocery store.

10. Condensed milk substitute

Condensed milk is a popular ingredient in many dessert recipes and is also used in sweet, cold drinks. While you can’t buy a dairy-free version, you can make one using only one can of full-fat coconut milk and 1/4 cup real maple syrup or raw honey. This simple, 2-ingredient recipe is the most delicious substitute you could ask for.

11. Butter substitute

There are a couple of dairy butter substitutes to consider including nut and seed butter and butter made primarily of vegetable oil. The vegetable oil blends contain anywhere from 50-100 calories, 6-11 grams of fat, and no protein or carbs at all. The nut and seed butter options include anywhere from 90-130 calories, 0-3 grams of protein, 0-8 grams of carbs, 0-10 grams of fat, depending on which type of nut or seed you use.

The nut and seed options include:

coconut
coconut and cashew blend
nut butter

12. Dairy substitute for cream

Many non-dairy versions of the cream include coconut milk, but other variants include soy, cashews, other tree nuts, and vegetable oil. One benefit of this replacement is that non-dairy cream has fewer calories and fat than dairy cream.

Be careful if you buy the non-dairy version at a grocery store as many options contain ingredients that should be avoided, such as high-fructose corn syrup and trans fat. It would be safer to make a homemade recipe at home.

What Happens if a Lactose Intolerant Person Consumes Milk?

One or more of the side effects are bound to occur if someone with lactose intolerance consumes dairy. The severity of the side effects varies, however, as it depends on the following:

the amount of dairy consumed
the person’s severity of the intolerance

Read the research about how drinking milk might impact your health.

Final Thoughts On Trying Dairy Substitutes for Lactose Intolerant People

Being lactose intolerant can make meals and snacks difficult, but it doesn’t have to be impossible. By learning a healthy dairy substitute for all of the standard dairy products, you’ll be opening up many possibilities for a dairy-free diet.

It is essential for a person who is lactose intolerant to eliminate dairy from their diet to prevent severe and unpleasant side effects or discomfort. Always remember to check nutritional values and ingredient lists to make sure you’re not adding harmful ingredients to your diet and to ensure all products are dairy-free.

18 Inspirational Quotes About Life From Dr Phil McGraw

January 21, 2020 by Power of Positivity

The perception of the reality of our lives is sometimes more important than reality itself. Learning to focus on positive thoughts is the first step in creating a more positive lifestyle. In fact, it’s a great idea to keep a more positive frame of mind if you focus on an inspiration quote. Dr. Phil McGraw advises, “Life’s managed, not cured.”

Let’s take a look at how we can use inspirational quotes to manage our thoughts to help us achieve healthy attitudes and perceptions in our daily lives.

So when negative thoughts take over, it’s time to replace those thoughts with something positive. We can’t let negative thoughts take over and define us. Sometimes, it may be difficult to find positivity when immersed in an overwhelming situation. This is when the power of a positive quote from Dr. Phil can pull you out of a slump and help you return to a healthy state of mind.

How Inspirational Quotes Can Help You

In order to separate yourself from the negativity brought on by the stress and trials of daily life, you need to develop a game plan. It’s easy to let the negative thoughts take over. Adopting and using inspirational quotes is a proven strategy that can help remove negative feelings when they first surface instead of letting them control your emotions. This plan can be achieved in three easy steps.

Step 1:

Recognize when negative thoughts are entering your mind, and don’t ignore them.

Step 2:

Remove yourself from those negative thoughts by looking at them from the outside. Acknowledge they are just “bad thoughts” and refuse them to have any control over you.

Step 3:

Request that evil thoughts leave. Replace them immediately with a positive quote that will return good ideas and a positive attitude to your day.

Suggestions from Dr. Phil

Dr. Phil offers excellent advice on developing a plan to understand better how life works and how you can take control and get the results you want. He explains this process in his article on life strategies.

“Those who don’t are stumbling along looking puzzled, and can be found complaining that they never seem to get a break.” -Dr. Phil McGraw

The premise of using positive thoughts, such as inspirational quotes, is designing a strategy to carefully monitor the information you get about yourself, the people you come in contact with, and situations that prevent themselves in your life. Accepting misinformation and input from harmful sources is taking a walk down the wrong path. You can begin the journey to a more positive life by finding meaningful quotes that suit the situations you commonly find yourself in and bringing them to the forefront of your thought process.

18 Life Rules and Inspirational Quotes from Dr. Phil McGraw

Dr. Phil provides life advice, that if followed, can help you develop the strategies to get the results from life. They enable you to stop being the victim of the negativity that often surrounds us. Use these suggestions and quotes to help dig you out when the negative thoughts want to take over. Be proactive in understanding that taking a positive and proactive approach can make a difference in your life.

Attribution for all quotes below: Dr. Phil McGraw:

1. “Eighty percent of all choices are based on fear. Most people don’t choose what they want; they choose what they think is safe.”

Be the person who gets it. Try to understand how life works and create a strategy to get the results you want.

2. “If you want more, you have to require more from yourself.”

Accept accountability for your life by creating your own experiences. Understand that you play a role in how your life turns out.

3. “In life, you have three options with any situation that is a challenge. Remove yourself from the situation, change it, or accept it.”

People are most like to do what works. Think about the behaviors that drive you and cut off those that are not productive. You can’t stop the negative actions if you don’t identify them.

4. “If you don’t have a plan, days turn into weeks, weeks turn into months, months turn into years, and before you know it, you’re looking back and saying, I should’ve had a plan.”

Be realistic and truthful about what is working in your life and what isn’t. Don’t make excuses, make changes that will turn into positive results.

5. “Change can come in either of two important ways: Start behaving positively or stop behaving negatively.”

Life rewards the positive actions that you take. Turning your energy into positive and purposeful actions provides productive results. What you do makes a difference in the direction of your life.

6. “You can’t change what you don’t acknowledge.”

Reality is based on your perception. You have control over how you perceive the world, and you can choose your reaction and the value you place on any event. Practice the power of control every day, in every circumstance.

7. “You are your own most important resource for making your life work. Life rewards action. Until your knowledge, awareness, insights, and understandings are translated into action; they are of no value.”

Take charge of your life and be the driver. Make your daily objective in managing your life in a way that produces quality and happy results.

8. “You have got to decide, look, this is who I am; this is my best way to present myself, and I’m going to ride that horse to the finish line. Not everybody will like it, but that’s OK.”

Instead of accepting how people treat you, negotiate the terms of your relationships. When you allow people to treat you a certain way, you are agreeing to that treatment. Identify what you are doing to reinforce unacceptable behaviors by others and find a way to make it change.

9. “Forgiveness is what you do for yourself, not for other people.”

Learn the power of forgiveness. Anger and resentment give strength to those people who have hurt you. These are destructive feelings that prevent you from peace, enjoyment, and relaxation. They will take a physical toll by disruption your sleep and even be the catalyst for physical problems like headaches, back pain, and heart attacks. Forgiveness frees you from those bonds.

10. “If you want more, you have to require more from yourself.”

If you don’t know what you want out of life, you can’t ask for it. You also won’t know when you get there. Define your goals and make choices along the way to help you reach those goals.

11. “If you need a miracle, be a miracle.”

Once you decide what you want, be bold enough to reach for it. You have to believe you deserve what you want to achieve and have the strength to step up and claim it.

12. “Instead of being ashamed of what you’ve been through, be proud of what you have overcome!”

Don’t use your past as an excuse for bringing down your future. Everyone has things in their history. You need to get over yours and concentrate on a positive future.

13. “The difference between winners and losers is that winners do things losers don’t want to do.”

Change your thinking from being a loser to being a winner. Get competitive about your goals and become a mental athlete to achieve success.

14. “People who have nothing to hide, hide nothing. You should be an open book. Be transparent.”

By removing negativity and negative thoughts, you can allow yourself to become an open book. It is much more comfortable, to be honest with yourself and others than it is to hide things.

15. “The truth doesn’t have versions; it just is.”

Be truthful. While it isn’t always easy and may take practice, the more you practice, the better you will be at it.

16. “Stand up and walk out of your history.”

If you are not happy with your past, leave it behind you. All that is important is your future. Choose to write your future to be better than your history.

17. “Be your authentic self. Your authentic self is who you are when you have no fear of judgment, or before the world starts pushing you around and telling you who you’re supposed to be. Give yourself permission to be your authentic self.”

Be yourself. Love yourself for who you are.

18. “This is your life, and the clock is ticking.”

Don’t wait to make positive changes. Life is short, make positive changes while you still have the time.

Want to read more inspirational quotes? Check out the words of Mr. Rogers.

Final Thoughts on These Inspirational Quotes from Dr. Phil McGraw

Inspirational quotes can remind you what is really important in life. Dr. Phil gives us some quotes to tell us to cut out the noise of negativity, how to focus on what is essential, and which aspects of our life make a positive contribution. Our perception of the world, our relationship, and our goals, will only turn into positives if we focus on them each and every day. Try using a quote daily to give power to the positive and stay grounded with what is important.

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