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10 Acid Reflux Symptoms to Never Ignore

September 25, 2023 by Chris Butler

Some people have acid reflux symptoms without knowing it because sure signs of acid reflux mimic other conditions. You could have heartburn if you have a burning feeling in your throat or chest, especially at night when you lie down. Stomach acid backflows into your esophagus are called acid reflux. Acid reflux causes heartburn. Gastroesophageal reflux (GERD) is the medical name for acid reflux. Some use GERD, acid reflux, and heartburn interchangeably to describe the same condition.

But no matter what you call it, acid reflux symptoms are painful.

Ten acid reflux symptoms never to ignore

Here are ten acid reflux symptoms you shouldn’t ignore. If you have these signs, it’s time to see your family doctor.

1. Trouble swallowing is one of the early acid reflux symptoms

Foods that cause acid reflux irritate your throat. You may have trouble swallowing, or the irritation may cause a dry cough, sore throat, or wheezing. It’s easy to assume you have an allergy. Researchers say that approximately 20% of adults in the United States suffer from GERD. Other acid reflux throat symptoms include:

Choking
Tight throat
Constantly clearing your throat

2. A “lump in your throat” feeling might be heartburn

Feeling a lump in your throat is an easy-to-miss acid reflux symptom. It’s easy to dismiss it as allergies or a cold symptom. However, the stomach acid flows into your esophagus, which causes swelling in your throat tissue. This swelling pushes into your larynx, making you feel like a big ball in your stomach.

3. Bad breath is perhaps the most embarrassing of the acid reflux symptoms

Besides heartburn, many people with acid reflux complain about having bad breath. As the stomach, acids, undigested foods, and bile get regulated into your esophagus, it seeps into your pharynx, causing bad breath. Others can smell the acid on your breath. As a result, you might burp, which only worsens the smell. People with acid reflux can also notice their bad breath when they open their mouths. You might have acid reflux if your breath smells acidic and pungent.

4. Nausea can come from heartburn

Some people have nausea from acid reflux. When you have acid reflux, the stomach acid gets into your esophagus. Those acids make you cough and burp, which causes sickness. When you have nausea, you may lie down, which only worsens your acid reflux. If you experience a lot of nausea, especially after eating certain foods, be aware you may suffer from acid reflux.

5. Hiccups that keep coming back

Hiccups can be embarrassing. You’re out for dinner with friends, and after you eat, you start hiccuping. Besides being annoying, it’s easy to miss hiccups as an acid reflux symptom. Heartburn irritates your diaphragm, causing it to contract and make you hiccup.

6. Hoarseness is often overlooked among the acid reflux symptoms

Constant hoarseness is another one of the ignored signs of acid reflux. Many people attribute this symptom to allergies. Called reflux laryngitis, it’s a voice disorder that occurs from the swelling and irritation of your vocal cords from the backflow of your stomach acid into your throat. Your stomach contains enzymes and acids that digest the food in your stomach. When these enzymes and acids enter your esophagus, throat, or vocal cords, it causes hoarseness, sore throat, and throat clearing.

7. Bloated stomach

Bloating increases the pressure in your abdomen and causes acid reflux by pushing your stomach enzymes, unprocessed foods, and acids into your esophagus, making you burp and swallow more air, resulting in more bloating.

8. Chest pain (but don’t assume it’s one of the acid reflux symptoms–get help immediately)

Chronic acid reflux is known to cause chest pain. If you have pain in your chest, call 911 right away. Even if it’s acid reflux, you don’t want to risk it being your heart.

Almost half of the people with acid reflux experience chest pain. The pain feels like it’s in your heart. But it is in your esophagus, near your heart. This chest pain due to acid reflux is called noncardiac chest pain. It’s a recurring pain behind your breastbone and close to your heart. It’s important to note that it can’t hurt your heart.

9. When you lie flat, you get a burning sensation in your throat

Acid reflux often shows up at night when you lie down. Lying flat causes the acids and undigested foods to pool in your esophagus. It helps to avoid eating at least three hours before bedtime. You can also elevate your head at night to reduce the backflow of acids into your throat to sleep better.

10. Choking in your sleep

Acid reflux may cause you to wake up in the middle of the night with a choking fit. You feel like there’s something in your throat. This sensation is from the acid pushing back into your throat, causing burning feelings, so you choke. Skip late-night snacks and drinks that irritate your acid reflux.

What causes these acid reflux symptoms?

Heartburn is caused or made worse by different foods and conditions. Here are some of the reasons why you may experience heartburn.

Being overweight: Carrying extra weight pushed on your abdomen. The excess fat in your belly squeezes your stomach so that acid fluids push into your esophagus.
Certain foods: Caffeinated drinks, dairy, alcohol, chocolate, and fatty foods can cause acid reflux.
Smoking: Your esophageal sphincter is the closure that keeps acid in your stomach, not in your esophagus. Smoking causes your LES not to work correctly, so stomach acid creeps back into your esophagus and throat.
Stress: Researchers think that anxiety and stress cause your brain to react to pain, making you more sensitive to slight increases in your acid levels. Stress may also decrease the production of prostaglandins, which protects your stomach from acid effects.
Pregnancy: Being pregnant increases certain hormones in your body that can cause acid reflux.
Medications: Drugs that may lead to acid reflux include aspirin, iron supplements, ibuprofen, blood pressure medications, anti-anxiety medications, antibiotics, and osteoporosis medications.
Hiatus hernia: This type of hernia or hole in your diaphragm occurs when acid and other contents from your stomach are squeezed into your diaphragm and passed back into your esophagus.

What foods trigger acid reflux?

Here is a list of foods that cause acid reflux.

Alcohol, especially red wine
Caffeinated drinks
Carbonated drinks
Chocolate
Fried foods
Fast foods
Pizza
Processed snacks like chips and crackers
Fatty meats like sausage and bacon
Cheeses
Spices like chili powder, black peppers, or cayenne powder
Herbs like peppermint or spearmint
Citrus fruits
Garlic
Onions

What foods prevent acid reflux symptoms from flaring up?

Many foods won’t trigger acid reflux. Instead, eating these foods can help reduce the acid and help heal your throat and esophagus. It won’t happen overnight but stick to these foods for at least a month to see results. How fast you recover depends on the damage inside your esophagus. If there is damage, it could take longer.

High-fiber foods

Foods high in fiber keep you feeling full, so you won’t overeat, reducing acid reflux and heartburn. Eat whole grains like these:

Oatmeal
Quinoa
Brown rice
Whole grain pasta
Whole grain cereals
Green beans
Asparagus
Broccoli
Root veggies, like sweet potatoes, beets, and carrots.

Foods high in water

Eating water-based foods can dilute your stomach acid. So if you have acid reflux, you can eat these:

Watermelon
Lettuce
Cucumbers
Celery
Herbal teas
Soups with a broth base

Alkaline foods

Foods with a low pH are acidic. Eating alkaline foods with a higher pH level is best to offset your stomach acid. If you have acid reflux, eat these foods.

Nuts
Melons
Bananas
Cauliflower
Most fruits and veggies
Beans and lentils
Unsweetened milk and yogurts
Soy products

Other tips for how to reduce your acid reflux symptoms:

Avoid overeating: Instead of three big meals a day, try to eat several small meals to keep your stomach from getting too full from a big dinner. It also decreases excessive stomach acid.
Don’t eat too close to bedtime: Stop eating food at least two hours before bedtime to prevent backwash into your esophagus when lying in bed.
Keep a healthy weight: If you’re overweight, try to lose weight. If you’re already at a healthy weight, avoid gaining weight with good eating habits and exercise.
Quit smoking: Find ways to kick the habit of smoking. For example, nicotine patches and nicotine gum help reduce the urge to smoke.
Eat a balanced diet: Try to maintain a healthy diet. Because acid reflux worsens as you age, now is the time to begin good eating habits.
Lift your head: You can elevate your head approximately six to eight inches so it’s higher than your feet.

Final thoughts on knowing these acid reflux symptoms

Acid reflux is a painful condition. It causes burning in your throat, esophagus, and sometimes your chest. Some people ignore acid reflux symptoms or don’t realize they have it because some signs of acid reflux mimic other conditions. If you know you have acid reflux, some foods cause heartburn, throat pain, and even choking fits when you sleep. Other causes of acid reflux are anxiety, stress, and being overweight. The best prevention is maintaining a healthy weight, eating a well-balanced diet, and reducing stress. Because acid reflux is more common as you age, now is the time to start a healthy lifestyle.

7 Environmental Factors That Make You Gain Weight

September 24, 2023 by Chris Butler

For decades, the rate of obesity in this country has been increasing, and there doesn’t seem to be any relief in sight. Despite all the advances in this arena, a large percentage of the population remains overweight. You know that genetic factors play a big part in why you gain weight, but what if there are environmental factors (like obesogens) you haven’t considered?

According to the National Library of Medicine, Americans now live in an obesogenic environment. What does this fancy term mean? It simply means it’s easier to gain weight than lose it.

Is it any wonder? If you drive down the street of your city, you will likely lose count of the number of fast-food restaurants around. You live in a society of conveniences, but these amenities have a hefty price tag.

Your health is in jeopardy when you don’t eat a well-balanced diet full of whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. While there are some healthy options at your local eatery, it’s easy to opt for the greasy French fries and chocolate shake instead.

The 411 on Obsenogens

You know you need to change your diet, but so many chemicals are pumped into your food that can be causing things like insulin sensitivity. These chemical compounds are called obesogens.

If you’ve never heard this term before, don’t worry, as it’s relatively new. An obesogen is a foreign compound that can upset the metabolism in the body. Anytime the metabolism is disrupted, it can stop weight loss and lead to obesity.

Where Obesogens Come From:

What’s shocking is that you will find these chemicals in many things around your home, and you don’t even know they’re there. These chemicals come in many products, but here are a few they list:

Plastic food containers
Non-Stick cookware
Hygiene products like deodorant
Cleaning supplies
Medical supplies
Toys
Canned foods that aren’t BPA-free

The list is vast, and the real problem is that these obesogens leak into the atmosphere. Once you breathe them into your system, they disrupt your endocrine system, and your hormones are off-kilter. How do obesogens promote obesity?

Well, they increase the number of fat cells within the body, and they also increase the storage capacity. Your body will retain fat rather than flush it. When you alter the fat cell production and don’t destroy any, then you gain weight.

Another alarming factor is that it shifts the energy balance within your body and stores your calories rather than burning them. Your body needs several calories to thrive, and these chemicals can mess with your basal metabolic rate. Another scary thought is that chemical compounds in these everyday household items can mess with your gut microbiota.

So the same way your body uses, stores, and eliminates food is disrupted. The gut and brain are connected, and the hormones that trigger signals to tell the brain that you’re full or hungry are disturbed.

Scientists also believe that when a young child is exposed to such chemicals in the formative years, it increases the chances of obesity as they age. Could metabolic syndrome, or the catch-all phrase used by doctors who don’t know why a person gains weight, be caused by obesogens?

Seven Environment Factors That Cause Obesity

It’s effortless to gain weight, and once you get it on your body, it’s challenging to remove it. How can you reach a healthful place and flush your body with the unwanted fat holding you back? Here are some environmental factors that you should consider.

1. Low Socioeconomic Status Contributes to weight gain

You can’t necessarily change your socioeconomic status overnight. However, your money on food may significantly impact your weight. Consider a cheeseburger from a fast-food restaurant. You will likely pay under $2 for this burger.

It’s a quick meal that requires no mess to clean up and fills the stomach for less. How much would buying the stuff and making the burgers healthy at home cost? Purchasing lean grass-fed beef will cost you $7-$8 a pound, but a 70/25 ground beef is only $4-$5.

Someone on a strict budget would have to consider the costs. What about fruit? A box of snack cakes for your child’s lunch is tasty and under $2. Consequently, if you want to pack fresh fruit like strawberries, it can set you back $7 for a pound.

Society cannot afford to eat better, mainly relying on government assistance. According to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, a person gets $210.07 a month to eat. Consider trying to feed yourself for $50 a week and eat healthy food.

2. Lack Of Physical Activity

A lack of physical activity is a big part of obesity. You can’t live a healthful life if you’re sedentary. Additionally, children grow up in homes where they watch their parents on electronic devices and do not get exercise, and they develop these habits.

You gain weight when you sit all day long, and the amount of people who don’t get outside and get fresh air is staggering. A study conducted by the CDC in 1997 showed that 40 percent of adults in this country were sedentary. However, the number has increased by over 80 percent since that time. The number of people who don’t make time for physical activity is alarming.

3. The Weather Causes You to Gain Weight

Do rainy days and Mondays mess with your mood? You’re not alone. Many people find that the gray sky causes them to feel blue. Most folks crave comfort foods like mac and cheese or biscuits and gravy when they’re sad. If the weather is particularly gloomy, you might eat for comfort more than hunger.

4. Family Celebrations Center Around Food

Americans love a reason to celebrate anything, and it’s also a good cause to put on a big spread. For your child’s birthday, there’s cake, pizza, chips, soda, and candy bags to take home. This is how a celebration is done, and it’s become ingrained into society that you use food as part of it.

However, you don’t need all that food to honor someone’s birthday. According to Babbel Magazine, they don’t celebrate individual birthdays in Vietnam. Instead, they have one day a year called Tet, where they all get together to commemorate growing older.

Maybe it’s time to change traditions significantly since the rate of obesity isn’t declining.

5. Engineered Junk Foods

There’s nothing wrong with a piece of chocolate cake on occasion. The real problem is that most premade foods are engineered.

Foods that go through a long manufacturing process don’t have refined ingredients mixed with many additives to help preserve them. These methods allow manufacturers to make them inexpensively, and the products have a longer shelf life.

6. Aggressive Marketing

Major companies spend millions of dollars each year on their advertising. Take, for instance, cereal. They focus on children by using cartoon characters, putting prizes in the box, and games on the outside of the carton.

It’s hard to resist them based on the marketing and cute pictures. Have you ever noticed that those sugar cookies in animal shapes are irresistible?

7. Misinformation Can Make You Gain Weight

If you talk to one healthful specialist, they will tell you that you must avoid carbs and eat more protein. Talking to another might say that a plant-based diet is where you will find good health. You may gain weight or lose based on misinformation, as each body has different needs.

The dieting industry is a multi-billion-dollar corporation. Everyone has the latest and most excellent products that promise to help you fight the battle of the bulge. Do you remember the soap that was supposed to wash fat away in the 2000s?

In reality, losing weight is a math equation, and you must reduce your intake to lower your body mass index. You will likely not lose much if you still eat junk food and convenience items. You may find that you gain weight, which isn’t healthful.

Final Thoughts on Environmental Factors, Obesogens, and Gaining Weight

There are so many factors that go into your weight. If you find yourself in the obese category, it’s likely caused by several things. You may have genetic components, obesogens, environmental factors, and a lack of willpower that contribute, but it all comes down to what you put in your mouth each day.

Be careful where you get your advice regarding weight loss. Many will misinterpret the results of scientific studies, and they add their spin on things. The diet industry is a big market, so you must proceed cautiously.

The best thing you can do is to eat healthier, watch your caloric intake, and move your body more. Very few people will gain weight when they incorporate those three things into their lives.

Nature Improves Positivity in 6 Ways

September 24, 2023 by Lakeisha Ethans

Positivity, optimistic thinking, and mindfulness are all the rage in wellness communities and circles. Yet, simultaneously, we’ve grown farther and farther away from the natural world, becoming increasingly cooped up in concrete jungles or indoors, within the creature comforts of our homes and electronic devices.

Ironically, these two trends may be entirely at odds. The secret to positivity doesn’t lie in another wellness course or instructional videos on living your best life – though they can help, too! Instead, the secret may have been right before us the whole time, something we’ve drifted away from despite its benefits: nature.

Nature has a reputation for being one of the best healers known to the world. This isn’t an undeserved reputation. On the contrary, spending time in nature will likely make you happier and healthier overall. Here’s how nature improves positivity in six ways.

1. Nature Makes You Feel Awe and Positivity

When was the last time you truly felt awed by something? While it sounds simple, few positive emotions are more powerful than the incredible experience of awe. Though it seems relatively unimportant, it significantly affects positivity and can improve your mental health and well-being.

Studies show that looking at nature, specifically tall trees in a forested area, can produce incredibly optimistic emotions. Awe then improves positivity by:

Providing energy and motivation
Attuning you to the world around you
Granting understanding into the vastness of the world
Increasing desire for healthy social interaction
Improving prosocial behavior and relationships
Boosting physical health by reducing inflammation
Providing a sense of purpose
Encouraging better goal-making and direction
Promoting generosity and altruism
Reducing entitled or selfish traits

Few can deny that awe is a trait of positivity, emotion, and experience only brought on by feeling good things. The fact that just being in nature can inspire such feelings

2. It Lowers Stress

Stress is a common part of life, and it’s impossible to avoid it completely. That’s why stress-management techniques are so necessary to ensure continual positivity. You cannot stay optimistic if you’re focused on how stressed out you feel.

There are, of course, plenty of ways to find positive thinking and manage stress. But one great way to do this is by spending some time in nature. A study has shown that individuals who are in a natural environment experience benefits to their stress levels, such as:

Reduced heart rates
More balanced pulse speeds
Lowered stress scores on tests
Improved positivity and frequency of positive thoughts
Faster recovery from various stressful events and circumstances
Generally improved mental health and wellbeing

An additional factor here is that those struggling with mental health often sink into negative thoughts and play into a strong inner critic. This can contribute to rumination, a big symptom of anxiety and depression. Essentially, it means getting stuck in your thoughts unproductively. According to research, spending just about one and a half hours taking a nice walk in nature can reduce the chances of you ruminating later in the day.

3. It Improves Sleep

Sleep is essential to your overall well-being from a mental and physical perspective. For example, have you ever noticed how grumpy and irritable you get when you don’t sleep enough? It makes sense that positivity often relies on getting the right amount of sleep.

But plenty of people have problems falling and staying asleep. Insomnia, anxiety, and stress can influence your ability to drift off each night. There are plenty of ways to manage those things, but that’s not what we’re here to talk about. Instead, we’re here to discuss nature, which research says is incredibly beneficial to sleep quality.

This is because you expend energy when you spend time in nature while also reducing stress, which helps you get better rest. Nature also has properties that allow you to enjoy the best of sleep’s naturally healing effects. Besides, studies show that a lack of sleep – or abnormal sleep patterns in general – is the first sign of a mental health disorder, especially mood disorders like depression.

4. It Makes You Become Optimistic About Exercise

It’s tough to get the motivation to work out or get moving if it’s not something you naturally enjoy. But being out in nature can be an incredible way to gain the drive to move around a little. Unfortunately, people often think that the only good way to exercise is through a rigorous, strict regimen at the gym. Still, a little physical activity can do wonders for your mental health, improving your positivity significantly.

You’ll feel encouraged to move around and study when you’re in nature. This is because:

Nature allows for more interesting forms of physical activity that are more enjoyable and interesting
It provides more opportunities for positive socialization, as you’re able to form groups with those who also enjoy exercising in nature
Nature offers a nice break from stuffy gyms that can feel oppressive or overwhelming
Exercise in nature is often less severely strenuous, which in turn encourages you to work out with heightened intensity without as much exertion

But what, exactly, are the links between exercise and positivity and exercise. You’ve probably heard repeatedly that you can overcome even the worst moods by working out, but how much of that is scientifically backed? As it turns out, the answer is a little more complex. Here’s what we know for sure about these links:

When you exercise, the hormones in your body change – more feel-good hormones are released, and stress hormones are either decreased or balanced out by the aforementioned feel-good ones.
Exercise can release tension, other stressors, and negative emotions, allowing you to expend the worst of the heat of the moment through movement.
Exercise can also distract from the subjects of the aforementioned stressors and emotions.
As a coping mechanism, exercise is one of the best options, boosting your sense of control, improving resilience, and even increasing your self-esteem to better cope with problems without exercise’s aid later on.
Exercise can be inspiring. When you complete an exercise session, you learn how amazing it feels to accomplish something, and you’ll feel more encouraged to set and achieve goals.
Regular exercise is a fantastic sleep aid; we already know that better sleep improves an optimistic outlook.
Exercise helps to relax you on both a physical and psychological level.
When you have trauma, exercise can slowly teach your mind and body to become “unstuck” from typical post-traumatic stress, especially when used in conjunction with other forms of professional treatment.
Exercise can also sharpen your mind, which helps you to think and see more clearly, so you aren’t bogged down by anxiety and illogical worries.

5. It Can Enhance You Spiritually by Boosting Positivity

You may roll your eyes at being spiritually enhanced, but this is surprisingly more feasible than you think. Spirituality doesn’t have to be tied to religion, astrology, or stereotypical spiritual practices. It just means that your spirit and soul are in tune with your mind and body, allowing you to make decisions that serve the deepest parts of yourself.

Studies state that when you spend time in nature, you better appreciate the world around you. This means you:

Become more connected to your senses and mindfully exist more closely with the world
Feel inspired to impact the world in more notable and purposeful ways
Realize you are part of a bigger picture and that it’s not all about you
Better understand your place in the universe or what you want that place to be
Realize your problems are minor in the grand scheme of things, which gives you an optimistic view of them
Gain hope for the future
Are more social, grateful, optimistic, and altruistic

Many negative people are not in touch with their spiritual sides. They may even see being spiritually connected to themselves as embarrassing or silly. But by embracing nature, you may realize just how important spirituality is to your positivity and happiness.

6. It Helps You Breathe

People often fear the air pollution that exists in the world outside, but did you know that the concentrations of air pollution indoors are often much worse than they are outside? Specifically, this can happen between two and five times worse, which is even more extreme when comparing your city home indoors to relaxing natural outdoor spaces.

According to studies, individuals who spend more time outside, specifically in their local green areas, are less likely to experience severe or fatal respiratory conditions in their old age. This shows how good outdoor activity can be for your lungs and breathing, especially in nature.

Choosing places with high air circulation and minimal pollution is crucial, but for the most part, you can expect to reap these benefits anywhere in nature. Deep breathing and even more precise, healthier breathing can reduce stress and increase positivity throughout the day.

Research indicates that the human brain associates different breathing patterns with different emotions. You experience steady, deep, and regular breathing when feeling positive. When you’re feeling negative, from anxiety, stress, anger, or anything else, you experience shallower and quicker breaths. By relaxing your breathing through the wonders of nature, your brain calms down, sending optimistic signals to the rest of your body.

You can further encourage the benefits of breathing for positivity by doing breathing exercises when you’re out in nature. Of course, there are plenty of breathing activities that you can follow through videos online, but even just mindfully slowing down your breathing by counting your breaths in and out can work wonders.

Final Thoughts On Some Ways Nature Improves Positivity

Nature is powerful, and it’s unwise to forget about the lush greenery and the natural world that humans once intrinsically interlinked with. You can increase positivity in your life and mind by spending more time in natural spaces, whether parks, forest reserves, or greenhouses and gardens.

6 Stretches to Help Improve Brain Health

September 23, 2023 by Chris Butler

Being concerned about your brain health is essential at any age but can be even more critical as you age. Factors like stress, aging, and health conditions can affect your mind. Fortunately, physical exercises that include stretching may benefit your brain more than you realize, and it may be just what you need to keep cognitive decline at bay.

It’s fascinating that many cultures in the ancient world understood the intimate connection between body, mind, and spirit. Ancient practices like yoga and Tai Chi blend stretching, poses, and mindful breathing for total well-being. Thankfully, these stretches can be altered to your abilities so that you can enjoy the benefits without pain.

How Yoga Can Help with Brain Health

Yoga is a practice that goes back thousands of years to Ancient India. Today, medical experts acknowledge its health benefits, such as improving oxygen flow and increasing circulation. Researchers are also discovering that yoga poses and stretches may benefit your brain health.

If you’ve studied the central nervous system, you know that your brain’s gray matter contains all the neurons. It is responsible for learning, memory, senses, self-awareness, and muscle control. When you practice yoga, it may increase your gray matter and expand your mind’s memory centers.

When you’re feeling depressed, anxious, or irritable, it’s often difficult to think clearly. Plus, chronic stress can lead to several severe physical and mental disorders. Numerous studies confirm that yoga can decrease cortisol, relieve stress, and improve moods.

Tai Chi’s Benefits for Better Cognition

Tai Chi is also an ancient practice of movement and breathing. It was developed as a martial art in Ancient China. People of all ages and walks use Tai Chi for fitness, strength, and mental clarity.

You don’t need fancy exercise equipment or a gym membership to practice Tai Chi. All you need is a safe and comfortable space or room at home. Did you know that your brain shrinks as you age? The good news is that practicing Tai Chi may help. Indeed, it might even increase your brain volume and improve your cognition. It also has promising benefits in boosting memory in seniors.

Another brain-boosting trait Tai Chi shares with yoga is its combination of meditations. Adding to the physical elements may help increase your ability to focus. It can train your brain to be more mindful and not rush into decisions.

6 Stretches for Optimal Brain Health

If you are concerned about your mind’s health, try these six stretches taken from the two practices. Having an exercise routine is imperative as you age. Perhaps more surprisingly, these moves may help you avoid declines that come with an aging mind. All you need is a few minutes a day to devote to stretching.

Yoga Poses and Tai Chi Stretches for Brain Health

The beauty of yoga is that it combines stretching, poses, and mindful breathing. Using these three components benefits your brain health and your body and spirit. You can practice yoga exclusively or incorporate it into your daily exercise routine.

Inverted or upside-down yoga poses and stretches are beneficial. They stimulate blood flow to your brain, which nourishes your brain cells. Here are easy yoga stretches to try if you want to boost your brain health.

1. Mountain Pose

Let’s face it: your brain doesn’t function at peak levels when you’re sleep-deprived. This gentle stretch helps you focus on breathing and allows you to relax. If you do it in the evenings, you may sleep better and improve your brain health. Here’s how:

•Stand up straight with your feet on your mat, and your arms outstretched.

•Open your hand with your palms facing forward. Your pelvis should be neutral while your ab muscles are engaged.

•Now, pull your shoulders back and broaden your chest muscles.

•While facing forward, gently stretch your head and neck toward the ceiling.

•Inhale through your nose and exhale slowly through your mouth.

2. Lotus Pose

This is a classic yogic pose that even most people who don’t practice yoga recognize. You’ll feel the tension drain from your muscles and joints. Such relaxation helps rejuvenate your tired body and mind. Here’s how:

•Sit comfortably on your mat with your legs outstretched and your back as straight as possible. Place a small cushion against your back for extra support and comfort.

•Bend your right leg, gently grasp your right foot, and place it on your left thigh.

•Bring your heel as close to your tummy as possible without causing pain.

•Next, bend your left leg, grasp your left foot, and place it onto your right thigh similarly.

•Join each hand’s index finger and thumb into a circle. Or you can cross your hands over your chest or bring them together as in prayer.

•While stretching is important, don’t forget to breathe deeply during this pose.

•You can stay in this position for fifteen to twenty minutes and clear your thoughts. Remember–relaxation is ideal for brain health.

3. Shoulder Stand

This yoga pose stretches your entire body while getting the kinks out of your spine. It’s also an inverted stance that increases blood flow to your brain. You can use a pillow to support your back if it helps. Here’s how:

•Lie comfortably with your back on your mat and your arms at your side.

•Now, raise your legs slowly upward as far as possible without pain.

•Place your hands flat on your lower back.

•Slowly raise your bottom and lower back while using your hands for support, elbows bent against the mat.

•As you mindfully breathe, raise your body until your chin touches your chest or as high as you can without hurting.

•Hold this position for a few breaths, then slowly lower your body back to the starting position.

4. Tai Chi Shoulder Stretching

Like most people, you probably carry a lot of tension. Not only can this stress cause physical pain, but it’s also detrimental to brain health. Try this gentle shoulder stretch to ease the tension. Here’s how:

•First, stand naturally with your legs shoulder-width apart and focus straight ahead.

•Hold your hands out in front of you with your palms facing down toward the mat.

•Now, raise your hands slowly until they parallel your shoulders.

•Turn your wrists until your palms are facing toward you.

•Bring your hands toward your face and gently push your chin back. You’ll feel a little stretch that shouldn’t be painful.

•Extend your palms in front of you.

•In the same fluid motion, lower your arms slowly to your sides while gently bending down your neck.

•Hold for two to three breaths and return to the starting position.

5. Tai Chi Neck Stretch

Do you often have pain in the back of your neck because of stress and overstraining? You may also battle headaches and problems with your concentration. This neck stretch can work to alleviate neck, head, and shoulder aches. Thankfully, you can do this at the office when sitting on the computer for hours is causing you strain. Here’s how:

•Stand neutrally with your back straight and your legs shoulder-length apart.

•Look straight ahead and relax.

•Extend both arms and hands at your sides with your palms facing upward.

•Next, slowly raise your arms toward your head.

•When they are parallel with your shoulders, turn your palms and slowly lower your arms.

•Do this movement as if you were pushing something toward the ground.

•Return to the starting position. Try to do at least 4-5 repetitions.

6. Tai Chi Back Stretch

Perhaps nothing is worse than an achy back due to injury, stress, and strain. Your spine protects your spinal cord, your brain’s primary connection with the rest of your body. Caring for your spine with stretches like this is essential to good physical and brain health. Here’s how:

•Stand comfortably on your mat with your legs shoulder-width apart.

•Hold your hands in front of you as if you were holding a basketball. Your right hand is on top of the ball, while your left hand has the ball from below.

•Stretch your left hand as if lifting the basketball toward the ceiling and hold for a few breaths.

•Gently return to the starting position, switch hands, and repeat these steps.

Final Thoughts on Stretches for Brain Health

Although these yoga and Tai Chi stretches aren’t too tricky, you should stop immediately if you feel pain. Some may have to be modified if you have a medical condition. Talk to a certified fitness instructor before you begin this or any other exercise routine.

You’re never too young to take your brain health seriously. Consider adding these stretches to your daily exercise workout. They can be part of a plan that keeps your entire body healthy and happy for years.

4 Red Flags a Pet Owner Has Become an Animal Hoarder

September 23, 2023 by Lakeisha Ethans

Animal hoarding, also known as Noah syndrome, involves the accumulation of many pets to the point where an animal hoarder cannot care for them. This is accompanied by an inability to comprehend or perceive the damage and harm caused by their behavior. This is occasionally considered a symptom of mental illness, but “Hoarding Disorder” is also diagnosable.

There is a broad, complex range of factors that can be involved in the existence of animal hoarding behavior:

Addiction or dementia.
Compulsion, low self-esteem, or unhealthy attachment to animals.
Delusion can be a defense mechanism. It can also stem from more sinister disorders involving zoophilia.

But just because someone has many pets doesn’t mean they are an animal hoarder. Some people can healthily care for many pets. So, how can you differentiate pet ownership from hoarding, and at what point does it become a problem? Here are four red flags that a pet owner has become an animal hoarder.

1 – An Animal Hoarder Exhibits Highly Secretive Behavior

Many psychiatric and psychological issues worsen because of the emotions of shame and guilt that the sufferer of these problems feels. As a result, they don’t want to talk to others about their issues for fear of judgment. This forms a downward spiral that leads to steadily worsening conditions and, further, continued isolation. This same pattern occurs with animal hoarders.

How Someone Starts Hoarding Pets

There are three common pathways into animal hoarding, namely:

A typical, loving pet owner who becomes overwhelmed by a changing life circumstance can no longer keep up with their pets’ needs.
A person who wants to help and rescue animals feels it is their mission to do so, even when they can no longer feasibly take on additional pets.
An individual who cruelly seeks to exploit animals for their gain and therefore does not care about the welfare of each animal.

The first two of the pathways mentioned above start with good intentions. However, these individuals, especially those following the first pathway, will feel embarrassed when their situation spirals out of control. This causes them to become very secretive. They believe they’ll be able to get things back in hand with enough time and don’t want anyone to see their home until they’ve fixed the problem.

Someone Hoarding Pets Will Keep It A Secret

Unfortunately, for most people who have fallen into hoarding this way, the longer they refuse to ask for help, the worse things get; ultimately, nothing ever gets fixed. If a pet owner has grown secretive about their homes, pets, and situation, it could be a red flag that they’ve become an animal hoarder. Typical forms of secretive behavior include:

Closing the curtains or blinds at all times
Refusing to allow anyone into their home
Being cautious about opening the door too wide when leaving or entering the house
Glancing around worriedly before opening the doors
Being mean or cruel to drive away concerned individuals who want to come in

2 – An Animal Hoarder Has A Home In Disrepair

Animal hoarders have little time and energy to care for the increasing number of pets in their homes. As a result, what starts as a mildly messy space soon devolves into a constant buildup of dirt, grime, animal waste, and other issues. This ultimately causes a house to deteriorate. This may be because of any or all of the following reasons.

Pets may become anxious and stressed or lack training in their poor home environments. These can all lead to destructive behavior. Animals might destroy furniture, tear fabrics like curtains, and chew on wall skirtings and furniture.
Animal waste is left to stink up the home, uncleaned, leading to the discoloration and deterioration of the items it touches. This also attracts bugs, such as flies and other pests.
A lack of willingness to let people into the home means that professionals can’t come in to fix things in or around the house.
A lack of funds, time, and energy means the house never gets cleaned, and problems are never fixed. This eventually leads to an overwhelming to-do list, and an animal hoarder will be unable to attend to the ever-growing chores.

Red Flags That Give Away The Home Of An Animal Hoarder

The problem is that it’s hard to spot these red flags when an animal hoarder is unlikely to let you view the inside of their home. Still, there are some common signs that you can look out for. Some of these are as follows.

You may see torn curtains in the windows.
The house’s interior can be messy or dirty.
Lights are rarely on due to an inability to pay utility bills.
The exterior of the house used to be clean but now appears unmaintained.
Metal fixtures on the house are rusting.
The house’s garden or yard has become increasingly unkempt.
There is an unpleasant smell coming from the house.
You haven’t seen the house owner take out the trash in a long time.
You have noticed no plumbers, electricians, or other similar professionals enter the house.

3 – An Animal Hoarder Smells Of Ammonia, And It May Be Making Them Sick

Hoarding households are known for their deplorable sanitation and hygiene practices. With animal hoarders, this means that animal waste builds up on various spots, like beds, cupboards, countertops, floors, and other interior surfaces, sometimes with layers up to six inches, according to research.

As you can likely guess, this comes with its fair share of grave health-related risks, breeding parasites, and pests. Even without seeing the inside of the house, one standard red flag is the stench of ammonia that permeates the area around the home. This can get so bad that the house is filled with toxic fumes that are nearly life-threatening.

Ammonia can make both animals and humans very sick, and you may notice symptoms of ammonia exposure in an animal hoarder, though it may be tough to spot if they’re good at hiding it. The worst exposure to ammonia occurs via either ingestion or direct contact with the skin or eyes, but inhalation and breathing can also cause ammonia to enter the body.

Ammonia is a corrosive gas that causes a sharp, suffocating sensation when inhaled. On contact, it damages the body’s cells. Short exposure may not have any lingering or even noticeable effects. Still, long-term, continual exposure – such as that which is experienced by an animal hoarder living in that environment – will have effects such as:

Throat and nose irritation
Burning of the throat, nose, eyes, and respiratory tract
Coughing
Visual impairment
Lung damage, especially alveolar and bronchiolar edema

You can watch for these symptoms if you suspect a pet owner has become an animal hoarder. However, be cautious so you don’t get exposed to harmful gas during your careful perusal.

Do note that one of the more insidious effects of ammonia is that it eventually leads to olfactory fatigue, which means someone continuously exposed to it may lose awareness of its presence. As a result, animal hoarders may not be aware of the fumes they are exposed to.

4 – The Beliefs Of An Animal Hoarder Are Out Of Touch With Reality

Hoarding disorder is a diagnosable mental condition that can come with disordered forms of thought and perspective. Delusions are a relatively standard part of hoarding disorders, developing as a protective form of denial. These thoughts empower the hoarder to continue believing everything is okay. Common signs of this lack of touch with reality are as follows:

They Don’t Think Their Environment And Condition Is That Bad

A vast majority of hoarders are deluded about the conditions of their environment. As a result, many don’t think their homes are as bad a state as they are, and some may even see their hoarding home as entirely acceptable.

They Think Their Pets Are In Perfect Health

Despite the apparent adverse effects of animal hoarding on its pet victims, animal hoarders delude themselves into severe denial. They believe that their pets are lovely, according to research. As a result, they lack insight into reality and ultimately overlook the true extent of harm they are doing to their victims.

They Believe Only They Can Properly Care For Their Pets

Some people are more equipped to rescue and care for pets than others. But ultimately, multiple people can provide equally good homes for animals who need even the most particular care. But animal hoarders fail to see this. Instead, they often think that it has to be them who adopt more and more pets in need of help. Unfortunately, this is a widespread belief among those who followed the rescue mission pathway into animal hoarding. Their rescue efforts eventually become overwhelming, but they cannot say “no” to taking on new animals because they believe only they can care for them properly.

They Believe They Have A Special Ability To Communicate With Their Animals

A study on animal hoarders revealed that a whopping 29% of those with hoarding disorder think they can speak with their pets on a deeper level. They believe they have an extra-special connection with their animals. While genuine bonds with deep connections form between pets and their owners, those with hoarding disorder take this further and think that what they have is unique and unique. This delusion is likely from the animal hoarded relying on their pets for feel-good hormones, social connection, and self-esteem.

Final Thoughts On Some Signs A Pet Owner Has Become An Animal Hoarder

Animal hoarders are characterized by the accumulation of an overwhelming number of animals they cannot care for, even to meet the bare minimum standards. They fail to recognize their behavior as harmful to their pets and may not notice or acknowledge their home’s slow and steady deterioration. Spotting the red flags can save the lives of the animal victims of this behavior.

4 Natural Anti-Anxiety Tricks Most People Forget

September 22, 2023 by Chris Butler

Are you seeking holistic anti-anxiety treatments without all the risky implications of pharmaceuticals? If you’ve seen any doctor for your anxiety, they’ve likely offered a chemical cocktail to help ease the angst you feel. Sadly, taking pharmaceuticals will only mask those anxious feelings. Your underlying cause remains inside, untreated, and unresolved if this solution is all your physician provides.

Anxiety is one of the most horrific conditions you will ever experience. It makes you feel and think things that aren’t true. It can make you a prisoner in your home, take you away from your friends and loved ones, and make things like eating out impossible.

There are many ways that anxiety creeps into your life. Some people have genetic ties from a family history of mental illness. Maybe your parents were constantly overthinking, and your nervous habits have been taught. Others find that they never battled such worry until they suffered from trauma.

Four Natural Anti-Anxiety Tricks

There are many ways you can combat the angst you feel. Using these anti-anxiety tricks can change your entire life. Four hacks many forget can be influential in managing anxiety disorders.

1. Hug Someone for an Instant Anti-Anxiety Boost

When you’re anxious and overthinking, physical touch may be just what you need to soothe those fears. There’s lots of scientific research that shows that hugs can be healing. Researchers wanted to see how physical touch impacted depressed and anxious people. The goal was to give daily hugs to people to help improve their symptoms. The results were remarkable, as they discovered that with just eight hugs per day, a person who was once struggling with depression could achieve mental stability.

Even more astounding was that the person could obtain psychological growth when they upped the number to twelve hugs. If you’re a parent, you know children run to you when they’re afraid. The child wants you to pick them up, hold them, and soothe their fears.

Adults are much like that child, but the approach is different. Studies prove there are excellent resolutions to anxiety when you engage in things like hugging or touching. Did you know an anti-anxiety hack can be as simple as putting your hand on your chest during an attack? It helps to fix the imbalance of stress chemicals inside the body.

Having your partner hold you when you’re scared can produce a powerful chemical reaction in the body that can stop panic in its tracks. Some of the best anti-anxiety tricks involve the power of touch.

2. Exercise Releases Anti-Anxiety Hormones

When you feel anxious, a chemical reaction occurs inside your body that causes these sensations. Humans have an internal fight-or-flight response, which helps to keep you safe from harm. When an external trigger brings worry, this system kicks into high gear to keep you from danger.

It’s called a stress cycle, which occurs in your nervous system. However, you must complete the cycle to bring resolve. Ironically, your panic has a start, middle, and ending point, and many times, it’s easy to get stuck in the center and not complete the cycle. This is where learning anti-anxiety tricks can be beneficial.

During the Stone Age, people had threats from wildlife. A neighbor sees a person in peril, they open their door to let them in, then close it to keep them safe. Closing the door symbolizes the end of the danger.

Psychologically, the person felt better because they ended the threat, but there’s a bit more to what’s happening. Could it be the exercise that caused things to deescalate? When they took off running to their neighbor’s house, they moved their body, which is a powerful anti-anxiety cure.

According to the National Library of Medicine, exercise increases the endorphins in your brain, which helps to make you feel calm. Thus, by running, you’re completing the cycle. Today’s society is unlikely to be chased by a bear.

You can have anxiety creep in while driving to work in the morning. You need to find a way to complete the cycle. So the next time you start overthinking and your anxiety hits its peak level, try moving your body.

Maybe all you need to do to stop the worry in its tracks is dance, do some jumping jacks, or take a walk around the block. Since you’re countering the chemical process by releasing endorphins to help combat the stress hormones, movement may be all you need.

3. Feel Your Anxious Thoughts Instead of Denying Them

If a doctor told you to feel your anxiety, you would probably think there’s nothing in this world you would rather avoid. You’re looking for anti-anxiety tips and not to be stuck in it. No one wants to face their fears, as it’s uncomfortable.

Is it possible to detach yourself from the thoughts and feelings driving your body into this state? What if you called it out rather than running from it? For instance, why not identify what it’s doing to you during the next panic attack? Try saying things like:

“I’m overthinking, causing my chest to feel tight.”
“I feel numb due to my anxious state.”
“I feel like I can’t breathe from my worry, and it’s choking me.”

So you’re calling out the things this anxious state is causing you, and you’re detonating a bomb. You take power from this condition when you realize these temporary feelings will pass. Once you’ve identified your physical symptoms, it’s time to start the positive reinforcements. Try telling yourself these statements:

“This anxious state is temporary and shouldn’t last but a few more minutes.”
“I feel like I am dying, but I will not perish, as anxiety is something many people face.”
“Anxiety is commonplace, and my overthinking and worry have caused this heightened state.”

A couple of powerful anti-anxiety tricks are taking place. First, you’re telling your psyche that this has occurred before and nothing terrible happened to you, so you’re shutting down the fear. Second, you’re not running from the attack; you identify what it’s doing and face it head-on.

These are essential things to do when you’re detached from your body and feeling overwhelmed by panic. When you identify it’s just anxiety working, you’ll react differently.

4. Taking Away the Fear of the Unknown

Consider this example. Linda was tired of feeling horrible. Each day, she awakened feeling worse than before. She was sure she had cancer or some other ailment and was dying. Her mind would race, and overthinking caused her to head down dark pathways.

Linda visited many doctors who would run a battery of blood tests. Sadly, everything was normal, and the findings didn’t help her sickness. She was frustrated because no one could diagnose what she felt. Linda felt super anxious in this vulnerable state and always awaited impending doom.

However, one day, a doctor listened to her and ran some tests that other physicians avoided. It turns out she had systemic lupus. Once she could identify her issue, she researched how to combat common problems with this auto-immune condition and was empowered.

Why was it so important to put a name to her disease? It’s a common anti-anxiety trick because knowing the crux of the issue stops your mind from racing. She ran through scenarios like cancer, blood clots, heart disease, and everything that would take her out because she feared the unknown.

The same happens when you try this anti-anxiety solution for your chronic worry. You need to call it out rather than giving in to those fears and making things worse. Tell yourself this is your anxiety.

When you put your feelings into words, you’re taking away the power from the attack. Studies posted by The National Library of Medicine show there’s a reason why you can regulate your emotions and stress by simply identifying the root cause. It all takes place in the amygdala part of the brain.

Putting your feelings into words disrupts amygdala activity, which helps your body regulate your stress levels and emotions. So when Linda finally got the diagnosis she sought for years, she could take control of the situation by identifying it was lupus, not cancer or another ailment.

Final Thoughts on Natural Anti-Anxiety Tricks

The Anxiety and Depression Association of America states that more than forty million people in the United States suffer from anxiety. While many reach for pharmaceuticals to dull the pain and ease their worry, there are many holistic approaches that people forget.

Dealing with anxiety is a mind-over-matter thing. Learning to put these thoughts and feelings into proper perspective is the key to getting relief from chronic overthinking.

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