12 Steps to Make Exercise a Lasting Part of Your Life

“Take care of your body; it’s the only place you have to live.” -- Jim Rohn Sometimes a new thought or idea is all you need to make a lasting change. You can wake up one day and decide to make your entire life change. If you are new to exercise or you dropped it for a while and you want to get back to doing it, the best way to begin is with small steps. You don’t have to become an elite athlete overnight to make exercise a part of your lifestyle. It’s actually better if you commit to making small changes in your daily routine instead of reinventing yourself overnight, because you are more likely to stick with it. 1. Develop a "move more" mindset. Carving out a specific hour of the day for a workout is great but first, start each day with the mindset to move more. By reminding your body to get more movement each day, you will be more likely to do it. Sit less and stand more. Take more steps and stairs. Walk and talk with a coworker instead of emailing them. Stretch in your chair, squat to pick something up, park far away from stores, stand up when you talk on the phone or do some exercises while you watch TV. 2. Commit to regular activity. You may not be the type of person who wants to train for a triathlon. You don’t have to become a fitness buff to benefit from exercise and movement. Schedule exercise like any other appointment and treat it as a commitment rather than something you squeeze in if you have time. Even if you can only allot 15 minutes, schedule it. Take a short walk. Walk at a leisurely pace at first if exercise is new to you. You can build up to a power walk. If that’s not your thing, take a fitness class, swim laps or sign up for dance classes. If your body isn’t accustomed to regular exercise, build up slowly day by day so you don’t get too sore and throw in the towel altogether. 3. Find your favorite exercise. I know people who commit to a form of exercise and hate it. Out of all the forms of exercise out there, find one you love. Get really specific, discover what form of yoga is your favorite. If swimming is your thing, try swimming laps or water aerobics. Maybe you’d dread a step class but you can’t get enough of Pilates. A good way to identify what type of exercise is right for you is to first figure out if you like to exercise alone, with a partner or in a group. You may have to experiment a little before you know. Try different forms of exercise until you find one that energizes you physically and mentally. That way excuses won’t even enter the equation when it’s time to exercise. 4. Focus on health and strength and what it means to you, and not on numbers on a scale. Many people can get easily discouraged and give up when there’s too much emphasis on weight loss. Focus on the joys of exercise and movement instead. Take pride in your body getting stronger or your new ability to exercise longer, even if it’s just in baby steps. Think about the great way your body feels after exercise. Taking the time to consider what really connects you to exercise on an emotional level, is powerful because you can use those thoughts to motivate you. Most likely what motivates you runs much deeper than getting skinnier or a specific number on a scale. Maybe you want to have more energy for your children or grandchildren or you want to be in more control of your health—whatever is your core motivation—connect to it. 5. Add strength training to your weekly routine. Exercise isn’t just cardio. Strength training is important to retain muscle as you age, have a strong body and an effective metabolism. Even if you focus on one muscle group a day and do three different exercises with three sets of 15 each, you will benefit. You can divide strength training up throughout the week. Try one day a week to start and work up to three. Strength training will change how you feel, help you conquer your workouts with all that new muscle you are developing, and it’s the secret to a revved up metabolism. 6. Put yourself first. Stressful situations can take your focus away from caring for yourself. If you neglect yourself for the sake of external problems, you will be creating more problems than you are solving. Even if you only have 15 minutes, just commit to 15 minutes. It all goes back to the oxygen philosophy you hear about on planes, flight attendants advice: “Put your oxygen mask on before assisting others.” You aren’t able to effectively take care of anyone else if you don’t take care of yourself first. Keep that in mind. 7. Exercise with a group. Exercise doesn’t have to be a solo sport. Make it an outing with friends and family. When you join up with others to exercise, not only do you get the immediate benefits of exercise, you also get time spent with friends—a double benefit into your well-being. When you discover physical activities and forms of exercise you love, you develop a sense of community with others. Accountability works. 8. Think of how exercise boosts your sense of well-being. You probably know exercise can help you live longer and prevent disease, but what you might find more rewarding is to think about all the immediate benefits exercise provides to your well-being. While the long-term benefits are numerous, many of us aren’t motivated by what we can prevent decades down the road. Think short-term instead. All of us can use exercise today to get more energy, alleviate stress, increase productivity, improve our outlook, sleep better and feel happier—today! Think about what you stand to gain if you work out today or the satisfaction in knowing you pushed your body. Just give it some thought or better yet, make a list. 9. Also, look to the future. Don’t get caught up in guilt or regret because you haven’t worked out in a while. Guilt and regret only make you feel bad, they don’t get you where you are headed. With a simple decision in your mind, you can let go of what you did or didn’t do and just start again. Look forward. If you are feeling badly about yourself, you are less likely to make positive change. Start over with a clear plan of what you will commit to doing each day for your health. 10. Avoid start and stop syndrome. One great way to kill your confidence is to constantly start and stop your exercise routine. It’s common for people to get psyched up and dive into working out and then drop it altogether when the craziness of life intervenes. But if you start and stop all the time, you are setting yourself up for a never-ending cycle, where you won’t see any progress. Don’t tackle the world in a day. Think of what you can do and schedule today even if it’s small increments of time that you eventually build upon. Commit to what you can achieve, at least at first. 11. Remind yourself daily of your why. It’s easy to get off track if you aren’t reminding yourself of why working out and eating healthy is important to you. This goes back to your core motivation. If you make it automatic to wake up and remind yourself of why exercise is important to you, you will be more likely to keep your commitments to yourself. You also will be putting exercise front and center on your day instead of treating it as an afterthought that you skip at the end of the day. Wake up thinking of what exercise you will do today and it becomes a priority. 12. Stretch post workouts. An effective exercise regimen involves cardio, strength training and stretching. Stretching after exercise can help relax and balance tension caused by the workout itself. Post-workout, when your body is warm is the ideal time to stretch. The risk of muscle injury is much lower, and you will save yourself from tight, sore muscles the following day. Plus, the calm, relaxing feeling of a good stretch is a great way to end a workout. Try some of these steps to make exercise a part of your life. Remember, a great way to avoid skipping workouts is to ask yourself how you will feel afterward. You can feel proud of your dedication and gain the exhilaration of accomplishment, or you can be disappointed and defeated that you skipped, again. Sources: Mercola.com, 2/15/13

10 Things Better Than Money

A recent Gallup poll, quoted in The Atlantic, found that "well-being rises with income at all levels of income, across countries." In other words, as the article's title states, the poll proves that "Yes, Money Does Buy Happiness." Except that it doesn't prove that at all. What the study actually discovered was a "strong correlation" between each nation's real Gross Domestic Product per capita and the sense of "well-being" among that nation's citizens. Correlation isn't causation. The data could just as easily be interpreted the other way around: that happiness creates wealth. What's most likely, though, is that happiness and wealth are part of a cycle, each one creating more of the other. And that's the reason for this article. Assuming you want to create both wealth and happiness for yourself and those around you, you have two approaches: wait until you're wealthy to be happy, or become more happy now and thereby create more wealth. I maintain that, in today's economy, it's easier to start with the happiness, because unlike wealth (which takes time to accumulate); you can increase the amount of happiness in your life within minutes, simply by taking more notice of things that make you happy. With that in mind, here are ten things that can make you happy immediately, regardless of where you are in the cycle. 1. Life It's easy to forget that the mere fact of conscious existence--that you are alive--is itself a miracle. As the old saying goes "every day above ground is a good day." 2. Health Rather than thinking of illness as something bad that happens to you, start thinking of health as something good that's happening to you. 3. Purpose There is nothing more conducive to long-term happiness than knowing that your actions are making the world a better place. 4. Friendship Almost everyone has friends, although it's easy to lose track of them in the rush of events. Take a few minutes--today--to reconnect with some of them. 5. Family If you've got a good relationship with your family, rejoice! You're experiencing one of the deepest sources of happiness on the planet. 6. Self-reliance Feeling secure that you can count on yourself to accomplish what you set out to accomplish creates a quiet but potent happiness. 7. Community Having the support of a wider group makes you more aware that you're part of something greater than yourself. 8. Gratitude Rather than focusing on what you don't have or what's out of reach, be thankful for the wonderful things already in your life. 9. Laughter It is impossible to laugh and be miserable at the same time. Regular doses of laughter are more than medicine... it's the flavor of life. 10. Love 'Nuff said. Create these ten things in your life and I guarantee that you'll either become more wealthy or, if not, you won't really care anyway because you'll already have what's important. Source: Inc.com, by Geoffrey James, 1/23/13.

Cholesterol Plays Key Role in Cell Signaling

Are you still under the impression that cholesterol is a dietary villain and a primary cause of heart disease? And do you avoid eating healthy animal foods like eggs, butter and grass-fed beef because of “high-cholesterol” fears? It’s time for these pervasive myths to be laid to rest, as when you understand the truth about how cholesterol works in your body you’ll realize it’s not an enemy to your health, but instead plays an essential role in keeping your body functioning optimally. Cholesterol Is Crucial for Healthy Cell Functioning. Cholesterol has been demonized since the early 1950's, following the popularization of Ancel Keys' flawed research. As a result, people now spend tens of billions of dollars on cholesterol-reducing drugs each year, thinking they have to lower this "dangerous" molecule lest they keel over from a heart attack. But cholesterol has many health benefits. Recent research revealed, for instance, that cholesterol plays a key role in regulating protein pathways involved in cell signaling and may also regulate other cellular processes. It’s already known that cholesterol plays a critical role within your cell membranes, but this new research suggests cholesterol also interacts with proteins inside your cells, adding even more importance. Your body is composed of trillions of cells that need to interact with each other. Cholesterol is one of the molecules that allow for these interactions to take place. For example, cholesterol is the precursor to bile acids, so without sufficient amounts of cholesterol, your digestive system can be adversely affected. It also plays an essential role in your brain, which contains about 25 percent of the cholesterol in your body. It is critical for synapse formation, i.e. the connections between your neurons, which allow you to think, learn new things, and form memories. In fact, there's reason to believe that low-fat diets and/or cholesterol-lowering drugs may cause or contribute to Alzheimer's disease. Low cholesterol levels have also been linked to violent behavior, due to adverse changes in brain chemistry, particularly a reduction in serotonin activity Furthermore; you need cholesterol to produce hormones, including your sex hormones. Vitamin D is also synthesized from a close relative of cholesterol: 7-dehydrocholesterol. Cholesterol is Necessary for Life Itself. Considering the fact that conventional medicine has been telling us that heart disease is due to elevated cholesterol and recommends lowering cholesterol levels as much as possible, it may come as a shock to learn that having too little cholesterol is actually a risk to your health. As Chris Masterjohn, who recently received his PhD in nutritional sciences from the University of Connecticut, explained, to get an idea of the importance of cholesterol you only need to look at what happens if you don’t have it… "If we want to understand why cholesterol is really an incredibly important molecule and is really our friend rather than our enemy, I think what we should look at is the question, 'What happens without cholesterol?' he says....[L]ook at Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome or SLOS, which is a symptom of genetic deficiency in cholesterol. It's when people can't make enough cholesterol on their own. Now, the number of people who carry this defective gene in the population is about one to three percent of the population. However, the number of babies who are born with Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome is far lower than we would expect....It turns out that if [the fetus] has both of these genes and the unborn child can't synthesize its own cholesterol, then this usually results in spontaneous abortion. So right away we see that cholesterol is needed for life itself..." In those rare cases where a baby is born with Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome, the child is susceptible to and can present a wide range of defects, such as: Autism or mental retardation, Failure to thrive, Physical defects in hands, feet and/or internal organs, Visual problems, Increased susceptibility to infection, Digestive problems. Heart Disease May Even be Caused by a Cholesterol Deficiency. According to Dr. Stephanie Seneff: "Heart disease, is a cholesterol deficiency problem, in particular a cholesterol sulfate deficiency problem..." Through her research, she has developed a theory in which the mechanism we call "cardiovascular disease" (of which arterial plaque is a hallmark) is actually your body's way to compensate for not having enough cholesterol sulfate. She believes that cholesterol combines with sulfur to form cholesterol sulfate, and this cholesterol sulfate helps thin your blood. She believes that, via this blood-thinning mechanism, cholesterol sulfate may provide natural protection against heart disease. In fact, she goes so far as to hypothesize that heart disease is likely the result of cholesterol deficiency — which of course is diametrically opposed to the conventional view. Total Cholesterol Level is Not a Reliable Indicator of Your Heart Disease Risk. As the leading causes of death in the United States, it’s important to monitor your risk factors for heart disease and make changes to your lifestyle accordingly. However, total cholesterol will tell you virtually nothing about your disease risk, unless it's exceptionally elevated (above 330 or so, which would be suggestive of familial hypercholesterolemia, and is, about the only time a cholesterol-lowering drug would be appropriate). Two ratios that are far better indicators of heart disease risk are: 1. Your HDL/total cholesterol ratio: HDL percentage is a very potent indicator of your heart disease risk. Just divide your HDL level by your total cholesterol. This percentage should ideally be above 24 percent. Below 10 percent, it's a significant indicator of risk for heart disease 2. Your triglyceride/HDL ratios: This percentage should ideally be below 2 Four additional risk factors for heart disease are: 1. Your fasting insulin level: Any meal or snack high in carbs like fructose and refined grains generates a rapid rise in blood glucose and then insulin to compensate for the rise in blood sugar. The insulin released from eating too many carbs promotes fat and makes it more difficult for your body to shed excess weight and excess fat, particularly around your belly, is one of the major contributors to heart disease. Your fasting insulin level can be determined by a simple blood test. A normal fasting blood insulin level is below 5, but ideally you'll want it below 3. The most effective way to optimize it is to reduce or eliminate all forms of dietary sugar, particularly fructose, from your diet. 2. Your fasting blood sugar level: Studies have shown that people with a fasting blood sugar level of 100-125 mg/dl had a nearly 300 percent higher risk of having coronary heart disease than people with a level below 79 mg/dl. 3. Your waist circumference: Visceral fat, the type of fat that collects around your internal organs, is a well-recognized risk factor for heart disease. The simplest way to evaluate your risk here is by simply measuring your waist circumference. 4. Your iron level: Iron can be a very potent cause of oxidative stress, so if you have excess iron levels you can damage your blood vessels and increase your risk of heart disease. Ideally, you should monitor your ferritin levels and make sure they are not much above 80 ng/ml. The simplest way to lower them if they are elevated is to donate your blood. If that is not possible you can have a therapeutic phlebotomy and that will effectively eliminate the excess iron from your body. Do You Need to Monitor Your Dietary Cholesterol Intake? About 80-90 percent of the cholesterol in your body is produced by your liver, which has led to the faulty assumption that cholesterol from dietary sources can, and should, be avoided. Dr. Seneff actually believes it's difficult to get "too much" cholesterol in your diet, particularly in the standard American diet. But you may very well be getting too little, and that can cause serious problems. She points to the research by Weston A. Price, a dentist by profession who traveled all around the world studying the health effects of indigenous diets. Interestingly enough, many indigenous diets are shockingly high in dietary cholesterol based on today's conventional medical standards. Cholesterol-rich foods like caviar, liver and the adrenal glands of bears were highly valued in some cultures that also had very low rates of heart disease and other modern diseases. Dr. Seneff believes that placing an upper limit on dietary cholesterol, especially such a LOW upper limit as is now recommended, is likely causing far more harm than good. You can get an idea of what types of cholesterol-rich foods to include in your diet by following my nutrition plan. As Masterjohn further pointed out: “Since we cannot possibly eat enough cholesterol to use for our bodies' daily functions, our bodies make their own. When we eat more foods rich in this compound, our bodies make less. If we deprive ourselves of foods high in cholesterol -- such as eggs, butter, and liver — our body revs up its cholesterol synthesis. The end result is that, for most of us, eating foods high in cholesterol has very little impact on our blood cholesterol levels. In 70% of the population, foods rich in cholesterol cause only a subtle increase in cholesterol levels or none at all. In the other 30%, these foods do cause a rise in blood cholesterol levels. Despite this, research has never established any clear relationship between the consumption of dietary cholesterol and the risk for heart disease… Raising cholesterol levels is not necessarily a bad thing either.” How to Optimize Your Cholesterol Levels Naturally. The goal of the guidelines below is not to lower your cholesterol as low as it can go, but rather to optimize your levels so they're working in the proper balance with your body. Again, the majority of your cholesterol is produced by your liver, which is influenced by your insulin levels. Therefore, if you optimize your insulin level, you will automatically optimize your cholesterol. This is why the primary recommendations for safely regulating your cholesterol have to do with modifying your diet and lifestyle as follows: • Reduce grains and sugars in your diet, especially fructose. • Consume a good portion of your food raw. • Make sure you are getting plenty of high-quality, omega 3 fats. Research suggests that as little as 500mg per day may improve your total cholesterol and triglycerides and will likely increase your HDL cholesterol. • Replace harmful vegetable oils and synthetic trans fats with healthful fats, such as olive oil, butter and coconut oil (remember olive oil should be used cold only, use coconut oil for cooking and baking). • Include fermented foods in your daily diet. This will not only optimize your intestinal microflora, which will boost your overall immunity, it will also introduce beneficial bacteria into your mouth. Poor oral health is another powerful indicator of increased heart disease risk. • Optimize your vitamin D levels, ideally through appropriate sun exposure as this will allow your body to also create vitamin D sulfate—another factor that may play a crucial role in preventing the formation of arterial plaque. • Exercise regularly. Make sure you incorporate high-intensity interval exercises, which also optimize your human growth hormone (HGH) production. • Avoid smoking or drinking alcohol excessively. • Be sure to get plenty of high-quality, restorative sleep. Source: mercola.com, 1/16/13

10 Unspoken Marriage Rules You Must Follow

Every married person knows to be faithful, stay truthful and be there for their partner through good times and bad--they're in the wedding vows, after all. But most seasoned couples would admit that some unspoken rules are vital for getting past rough patches and growing stronger as a couple. Here, experts share 10 of the less apparent (but just as important) marriage rules to live by. 1. Don't criticize your partner's parents or friends. You know how it is-your family can tick you off but no one else had dare speak ill of them. That's why you should tread carefully with your in-laws and your spouse's dearest friends. "Even when they are venting to you, your contributions can put them on the defensive," explains Leslie Beth Wish, EdD, a Florida-based psychologist and licensed clinical social worker. "When you take position A, you prompt your partner to take position B." Instead, put yourself in their position so that you can empathize with them. 2. Tell your spouse about any ex encounters. Whether you get a Facebook friend request or run into an old flame at your kid's soccer game, keeping the news to yourself could backfire, despite having zero feelings for the ex. "If there's nothing to hide, why hide it?" says Deb Castaldo, PhD, a couples and family therapist and professor at Rutgers University School of Social Work in New Brunswick, NJ. "That leads to an air of secrecy and dishonesty," she says. Just clue in your spouse matter-of-factly: Try, "I knew it was only a matter of time before an old flame came out of the woodwork on Facebook. I got a friend request from one and ignored it." Or, "I saw my ex in the mall today. His kids are cute. Glad to see his life turned out nicely." 3. Keep unsolicited advice to yourself. Offer your support, lend your ear, but avoid speaking in an "I know what's best" tone. "We give advice because we're trying to be helpful, but it's seen as criticism when we offer too many corrections," says Harriet Lerner, PhD, clinical psychologist and author of Marriage Rules: A Manual for the Married and the Coupled Up. This goes for everything from your husband's outfit choices to how he deals with a work issue. Give your spouse space to make decisions and gain confidence through trial and error-and ask that they do the same for you, says Dr. Lerner. "What matters in a relationship is not that things get done 'right,' but that two people are dedicated to contributing to each other's happiness." 4. Don't take charge all the time. Whether you fold all the laundry because you don't like how your spouse does it or you manage the finances because you don't think he's as careful, you may feel more at ease doing all the work. But stop! "The spouse who does the rescuing can become tired of that role," says Dr. Wish--and resentful that everything is on her shoulders, even if she volunteered for that burden. Get in the habit of asking your partner, "What do you think works best here?" or telling him, "I could use a hand cleaning out the pantry." These requests will foster the idea that you're teammates. 5. Don't bring up past arguments. Or at least put a statute of limitations on them. "People repeat ancient disagreements because they haven't resolved the problem," says Dr. Castaldo. Letting things fester often causes marriages to break down, she says. It's important to address issues as they happen and come to some sort of resolution--agreeing to disagree counts. "Leave it there, and respect each other's opinion," she says. 6. Choose your battles, but don't stifle your feelings. "There's going to be toothpaste globs here and Post-it notes there; that's human nature," says Dr. Wish. "You have to be able to say, 'this isn't important.'" Or if it is, speak up. "Tell your partner why it bothers you and that you'd like to work on a solution," suggests Dr. Wish. You'd be surprised what you could learn about each other. For instance, your husband may not leave dirty dishes in the sink anymore if you explain that your childhood home was piled high with plates and you were stuck washing them. It's also important to understand that he's not plotting to upset you every time he's sloppy or forgetful. A simple request like: "Honey, it'd be great if you could pick up the dry cleaning while you're out" beats getting mad that they didn't offer to help with errands. 7. Don't post private thoughts or photos publicly. You may not want to be tagged in a politically charged rant she starts or he may not want you to share photos of the kids. And you each deserve the other person's respect for those wishes. "Discuss the ground rules regarding posting about yourself, as a couple and about the other person," says Dr. Castaldo. And no matter what, don't take your grievances with your partner to the masses for support. "It's destructive to air conflicts on Facebook," she warns. 8. Log off. When your attention is focused elsewhere, your spouse is bound to feel unimportant. So make quality time a top priority and restrict tech gadget use if necessary, says Dr. Wish. "Pay attention to the concept of ratio: How much time am I spending doing this compared to how much time I'm spending with my family?" she says. Create a rule that works for your household and stick to it, whether it's no devices at the dinner table, shutting down phones at 8 p.m. or going gadget-free on weekend afternoons. 9. Don't use the "D" word (divorce, that is). Even in the heat of an argument, avoid threatening to pack your bags or head to the lawyer's office. Besides the "D" word being downright hurtful, repeated warnings may result in a spouse calling the other's bluff. "We act as if the intensity of our anger gives us license to say or do anything," says Dr. Lerner. "But threatening divorce is never useful, and it only makes the probability of separation more likely." 10. Be each other's number one. In other words, be wary of outsider influence, like a friend putting relationship-threatening ideas in your head or work or hobbies competing for your attention. "Happy couples have just as much conflict as those who divorce, but they know ways to get through it," says Dr. Castaldo. "A couple has to have a strong boundary around themselves and they can't allow anybody to get in between." Source: Original article appeared on www.WomansDay.com; Friday Dec 28, 2012.

The 4 Keys to Healthy Aging.

If you had a choice and could either age well, enjoying your "golden years" with energy and vigor, free from disability and illness – or age poorly, and be straddled with health issues that keep you from fully living the later years of your life … which would you choose? You do actually have a choice, or at least you can choose to use strategies that will greatly sway your chances in one direction or the other. And I'm sure most everyone reading this would rather experience healthy aging than the alternative… 4 Key Strategies to Ensure Healthy Aging New research has found four key behaviors that lower your risk of disability, chronic disease and mental health problems as you age. • Not smoking • Moderate drinking • Exercising regularly (at least 2.5 hours a week of moderate activity or 1 hour a week of vigorous activity) • Eating vegetables and fruits daily Now here's what's interesting. While each of these was moderately beneficial on its own, increasing the odds of "successful aging" by up to 50 percent, the best rewards came from following all of them simultaneously. Those who practiced all four of these tripled their chances of avoiding disability and disease over a 16-year period, and experienced good cognitive, mental, physical, respiratory, and cardiovascular functioning. "Although individual healthy behaviors are moderately associated with successful aging, their combined impact is substantial," the researchers said. 6 Additional Healthy Aging Strategies to Add to Your Arsenal The bottom line is, the more healthy habits you embrace, the higher your chances of aging "successfully" becomes. And while the strategies listed above are all important, there are several others that I believe can benefit most people greatly as well. 1. Avoid Sugar/Fructose. Limiting sugar in your diet is a well-known key to longevity, because of all the molecules capable of inflicting damage in your body, sugar molecules are probably the most damaging of all. Fructose in particular is an extremely potent pro-inflammatory agent that creates toxic advanced glycation end products (AGEs), which are associated with the development of chronic degenerative diseases associated with aging. Excess fructose consumption also promotes the kind of dangerous growth of fat cells around your vital organs that are the hallmark of diabetes and heart disease. In one study, 16 volunteers who ate high levels of fructose produced new fat cells around their heart, liver and other digestive organs in just 10 weeks! Sugar/fructose also increases your insulin and leptin levels and decreases receptor sensitivity for both of these vital hormones, and this is another major factor in premature aging and age-related chronic degenerative diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. Keep in mind that while it's perfectly normal for your blood sugar levels to rise slightly after every meal, it is not natural or healthy when your blood sugar levels become excessively elevated and stay that way. Unfortunately, that's exactly what will happen if you're eating like the average American, who consumes a staggering 2.5 pounds of sugar a week! And when you add in other low-quality carb foods such as pastries, cookies, candy and starchy "complex carbs" such as bread and pasta, which also break down to sugar (glucose) in your body, it's not so difficult to see why so many Americans are in such poor health. Further, according to Professor Cynthia Kenyon, whom many experts believe should win the Nobel Prize for her research into aging, carbohydrates (glucose) directly affect the genes that govern youthfulness and longevity. So, you may actually be able to extend your life and stay fit throughout your old age with a simple dietary change that switches on your "youth" gene. Kenyon's research with roundworms showed that decreased carb intake can lead to significant life extension and improved long-term health. One of the most interesting details of her findings is that not only did the roundworms live up to SIX TIMES longer than normal, but they kept their health and youthful vigor until the end—and isn't that what "healthy aging" is really all about? As a standard recommendation, I strongly advise keeping your TOTAL fructose consumption below 25 grams per day. However, most people would be wise to limit their fructose to 15 grams or less, particularly if you have elevated uric acid levels, which can be used as an indicator of fructose toxicity. 2. High Intensity "Anti-Aging" Exercise. Even if you're eating the healthiest diet in the world, you still need to exercise to reach the highest levels of health, and you need to be exercising effectively, which means including high-intensity activities into your rotation. A recent study published in the journal Mechanisms of Aging and Development3 confirmed the "anti-aging" effect of high-intensity training. High-intensity interval-type training also gives a natural boost to your human growth hormone (HGH) production, which is essential for optimal health, strength and vigor. 3. Stress Reduction and Positive Thinking. You cannot be optimally healthy if you avoid addressing the emotional component of your health and longevity, as your emotional state plays a role in nearly every physical disease -- from heart disease and depression, to arthritis and cancer. It's simply no coincidence that many centenarians mention positive thought and emotional wellness in their advice on how to stay healthy. As 114-year-old Walter Breuning said before his death: "Tell yourself that every day is a good day, and make it that way." Effective coping mechanisms are a major longevity-promoting factor in part because stress has a direct impact on inflammation, which in turn underlies many of the chronic diseases that kill people prematurely every day. Meditation, prayer, social support and exercise are all viable options that can help you maintain emotional and mental equilibrium. 4. Take High-Quality Animal-Based Omega-3 Fats. Animal-based omega-3 fat is a strong factor in helping people live longer, and many experts believe that it is likely the predominant reason why the Japanese are the longest lived race on the planet (as their diets are naturally high in omega-3 fats). In the United States, many are deficient in omega-3 fats. 5. Optimize Your Vitamin D Levels. In one study of more than 2,000 women, those with higher vitamin D levels were found to have fewer aging-related changes in their DNA, as well as lowered inflammatory responses. Additionally, people with low levels of vitamin D have been found to be more likely to have diabetes, high blood pressure, and diseased heart muscle -- and are three times more likely to die from any cause compared to those with normal levels. We have long known that it is best to get your vitamin D from sun exposure, and if at all possible, I strongly urge you to make sure you're getting out in the sun on a daily basis. It is also important to make sure you get enough vitamin K2 to balance your vitamin D levels. The best way to get the vitamin K2 is from fermented vegetables that are created from special starter cultures that use bacteria that make vitamin K2. 6. Intermittent Fasting. There's a growing body of research showing that fasting has a beneficial impact on longevity in animals. There are a number of mechanisms contributing to this effect. Normalizing insulin sensitivity is a major one as insulin sensitivity is critical for the activation of the mTOR pathway, which plays an important part in repairing and regenerating your tissues including your muscles and thereby counteracting the aging process. The fact that it improves a number of potent disease markers indicates that fasting can have an overall beneficial effect on your general health. For example, modern science has confirmed fasting can help you: • Normalize your insulin sensitivity, which is key for optimal health as insulin resistance (which is what you get when your insulin sensitivity plummets) is a primary contributing factor to nearly all chronic disease, from diabetes to heart disease and even cancer. • Normalize ghrelin levels, also known as "the hunger hormone". • Promote human growth hormone (HGH) production, which plays an important part in health, fitness and slowing the aging process. • Lower triglyceride levels. • Reduce inflammation and lessening free radical damage. On intermittent fasting, the longest time you'll ever abstain from food is 36 - 48 hours, although 14-18 hours is more common. You can also opt to simply delay eating, for example skipping breakfast, or stop eating earlier in the day. The issue of fasting is a major shift from typical recommendations. The same genes that promote human longevity also appear to suppress female reproductive capacity. Hence fasting and intense exercise protocols, both known to promote longevity, also lower estrogen levels, thereby modulating body composition in women and suppressing female reproductive capacity. So this may not be an ideal strategy for women of reproductive age who wish to have children. Healthy Aging is a "Package Deal". There is no "quick fix" or magic bullet when it comes to aging well. Generally speaking, the better you treat your body throughout your life, the better your aging experience will be. Most people do not revel in the thought of getting older because for many "aging" is synonymous with aches and pains, forgetfulness and loneliness. It certainly is inevitable that you're going to get older, but I can tell you from personal experience that this does not have to be a bad thing. You too can achieve wellness on both physical and mental fronts, and you can do so at any age. In fact, in many respects life only continues to get better as the years go by. Make a commitment to take charge of your own health today! Source: Dr. Dan Thibodeau, DC; Mercola.com, 12/10/12

Why Weight Loss Surgery is NOT a Sound Treatment Choice for Type 2 Diabetes

The Cleveland Clinic recently published its "Top 10 Medical Inventions for 2013" list1. Doctors and researchers at the Clinic voted for what they thought were the most significant inventions out of 250 submitted ideas. Shockingly, and really almost unbelievably, topping the list at number one is using bariatric surgery for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. According to the Cleveland Clinic: "Surgery for obesity, often called bariatric surgery, shrinks the stomach into a small pouch. Over the years, many doctors performing weight-loss operations found that the surgical procedure would rid patients of Type 2 diabetes. To explore this diabetes treatment hypothesis, 150 patients with Type 2 diabetes and obesity were enrolled in a study in 2007. 50 patients had gastric bypass surgery. 50 had a sleeve gastrectomy surgery, which reduces the stomach from the size of a football to that of a banana; and 50 were offered counseling in nutrition and exercise while they continued taking their diabetes medication. By closing off most of the stomach to food, people who received bariatric surgery ate less and, therefore, lost weight. Patients in the study lost about five times as much weight on average as those only taking bloodsugar-lowering medications. The study results, published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2012, astounded the medical world. Compared with patients taking diabetes medication and receiving lifestyle counseling, those who had bariatric surgery were far more likely to be free of diabetes or to have reduced their dependence on diabetes medications for at least two years. The weight-loss surgery also helped many to lower their blood pressure and cholesterol. Most of the patients went from a dozen or more medications daily to none or just a few." Dr. Michael Roizen, Cleveland Clinic Chief Wellness Officer, told Reuters2: "Bariatric surgery has been around for a while. The reason it was chosen as the top innovation is because Medicare has broadened its indication for payment, and Medicaid in many states follows Medicare. A lot of the other (private) insurance companies started covering it, so it's much more accessible. The criteria that insurers use to cover the surgery has been broadened because of its effectiveness in controlling Type 2 diabetes." While this will probably sound wonderful to some, this is absolutely the wrong treatment and not at all an appropriate solution for the vast majority of people, and that's what this list is all about — one of the primary criteria for making it onto the list was the number of people the product or procedure can potentially help. Bariatric surgery as a treatment for type 2 diabetes is the most invasive and costly (not to mention risky) intervention possible for a problem that is firmly rooted in a faulty diet and lack of exercise... What makes this recommendation particularly troublesome is that virtually 100 percent of type 2 diabetes cases can be successfully treated and reversed through appropriate lifestyle changes! It's also blatantly clear (they even state it outright) that it topped the list because Medicaid and Medicare (i.e. your tax dollars) will now pay for it, NOT because it's been proven safe and effective. On the contrary, they appear to base their opinion on the results from a singular study. This is probably ill advised. Dr. John Ioannidis of the Stanford School of Medicine in California warns against placing too much faith in singular medical studies showing large effects of medical treatment (benefits or harms). His massive analysis, recently published in JAMA,3 tracked the fate of thousands of studies, from the effects demonstrated in the initial study, compared to the effects elucidated in subsequent trials. Interestingly, in 90 percent of cases where "very large" effects were initially reported, such effects shrank or vanished altogether as subsequent studies were done to confirm the results. Dr. Ioannidis told Reuters4: "Our analysis suggests it is better to wait to see if these very large effects get replicated or not... Keep some healthy skepticism about claims for silver bullets, perfect cures, and huge effects." In the case of weight loss surgery, there are already a number of studies showing both bariatric surgery and gastric banding are very risky procedures that produce poor long-term outcomes! But of course, that only means the revenue stream from those suffering with type 2 diabetes will continue to flow, and apparently that's what really matters and drives medical recommendations in the US... Nearly Half of Weight Loss Surgeries Result in Major Complications All surgeries have inherent risks, but bariatric surgeries seem to have a much higher ratio of complications. Complications occur for both types of weight loss surgery, gastric banding and the more invasive gastric bypass. For example, a study from 20045 reported that the risk of dying within 30 days of gastric bypass surgery was 1 in 50. And, within the surgeon's first 19 procedures, the odds of death within 30 days were 4.7 times higher, due to inexperience. Gastric banding consists of surgically inserting a band around the top section of your stomach, and cinching it into a small pouch. This is often touted as a simpler, less invasive procedure to gastric bypass, and whereas gastric banding is at least reversible, while gastric bypass is not, the complications are often so debilitating that patients opt to have the bands removed completely. According to research6 published last year, nearly 40 percent of patients who undergo gastric banding experience major complications, including: Band erosion, Malnutrition, Infection, Kidney stones, Bowel and gallbladder problems, Liver failure, Black-outs, Increased risk of death, Abnormal band expansion. Furthermore, the study found that: • Nearly 50 percent of patients required removal of their bands • Nearly 1 out of 3 patients experienced band erosion • 60 percent needed to undergo additional surgery The researchers concluded that: "LAGB [laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding] appears to result in relatively poor long-term outcomes." Even according to LapBand.com, one American clinical study that included a 3-year follow-up reported a staggering 88 percent of gastric banding patients experienced one or more adverse events, ranging from mild to severe. Common complications, from gastric banding included the following -- and keep in mind that excess weight increases your risks even further, which means everyone who undergoes weight loss surgery is at even greater risk: Gastroesophageal reflux, Band slippage or pouch dilation, Stomach obstruction, Esophageal dilation, Reduced esophageal function, Difficulty swallowing, Leaking or twisted access port into the stomach, Band eroding into the stomach. Proper Diet — The Most Important Strategy to Reverse Type 2 Diabetes What makes this so frustratingly ironic, if not downright tragic, is that your diet is not only the most effective way to reverse type 2 diabetes, it's the ONLY way! Yet the medical community keeps coming up with one bad diabetes treatment after the other, and I think they've really hit it out of the park with this one — all because Medicare and insurance companies will pay for it... Seven years ago, Dr. Ron Rosedale wrote the article Doctors Cause Diabetics to D.I.E., and if you have type 2 diabetes, or know someone who does, you'd be well advised to read what he has to say on this matter. "I have been incensed about the traditional medical treatment of diabetes for decades," Dr. Rosedale writes. "Diabetics have been told that they can eat meals multiple times daily that turn into sugar and even sugar itself, as long as they take enough insulin to lower their blood sugar. The importance of limiting the intake of sugar and foods that turn into sugar has been almost totally ignored. There has been virtually no recognition that high levels of insulin are at least as much of an insult to a person's health as high levels of sugar (see Insulin and its Metabolic Effects). With blinders on, drugs have been and are still being given to lower blood sugar, even though they essentially whip the islet cells of the pancreas to produce more insulin. These unfortunate, overstressed islet cells have been producing excess insulin for years and often decades to try to compensate for the insensitivity, the resistance of the body's cells to insulin's signal. This is much like whipping a horse to run faster at the end of a race; it runs faster for a little while, but if you keep doing it, it collapses and dies. So too do the islet cells that manufacture insulin in the pancreas die when drugs, nay doctors, whip them to keep producing more insulin when they are tired and sick. At this point, a diabetic, who originally had plenty of insulin being produced, and whose problem was merely one of insulin resistance that is easily remedied via proper treatment and diet, now starts losing the ability to produce insulin and becomes, in addition to insulin resistant, insulin deficient; a much more serious and problematic disorder caused by Doctor Induced Exacerbation (DIE)." Reversing Type 2 Diabetes Without Surgery or Drugs Amazingly, one in four Americans has some form of diabetes or pre-diabetes. If this is not a clear sign that conventional health recommendations are flawed, I don't know what is. Virtually every case of type 2 diabetes is reversible... And the cure for type 2 diabetes has NOTHING to do with giving insulin or taking drugs to control your blood sugar. In fact, giving insulin to someone with type 2 diabetes is one of the worst things that can be done. It's important to understand that many of the conventional recommendations for treating diabetes are not only flawed but dead wrong. Once you understand that type 2 diabetes is a fully preventable condition that arises from faulty leptin signaling and insulin resistance, the remedy will become clear. To reverse the disease, you need to recover your body's insulin and leptin sensitivities! How do you do that? The ONLY way to accomplish this is through proper diet and exercise. Surgery will not do the trick, and there is NO drug that can correct leptin signaling and insulin resistance... Adhering to the following guidelines can help you do at least three things that are essential for successfully treating diabetes: recover your insulin/leptin sensitivity; normalize your weight; and normalize your blood pressure: • Severely limit or eliminate sugar and grains in your diet, especially fructose which is far more detrimental than any other type of sugar. • Exercise regularly. Exercise is an absolutely essential factor, and without it, you're unlikely to get this devastating disease under control. It is one of the fastest and most powerful ways to lower your insulin and leptin resistance. • Avoid trans fats. • Get plenty of omega-3 fats from a high quality, source, such as fish or krill oil. • Optimize your vitamin D levels. Recent studies have revealed that getting enough vitamin D can have a powerful effect on normalizing your blood pressure and that low vitamin D levels may increase your risk of heart disease. • Optimize your gut flora. Your gut is a living ecosystem, full of both good bacteria and bad. Multiple studies have shown that obese people have different intestinal bacteria than lean people. The more good bacteria you have, the stronger your immune system will be and the better your body will function overall. Fortunately, optimizing your gut flora is relatively easy. You can reseed your body with good bacteria by taking a high quality probiotic supplement. • Address any underlying emotional issues and/or stress. • Get enough high-quality sleep every night. • Monitor your fasting insulin level. This is every bit as important as your fasting blood sugar. You'll want your fasting insulin level to be between 2 and 4. The higher your level, the worse your insulin sensitivity is. Source: Dr. Dan Thibodeau, DC: mercola.com; 11/17/12.

7 Bedtime Habits that Are Ruining Your Sleep

1. Going from Night Owl to Early Bird. Who says bedtime is just for kids? Take extra care to maintain your sleep schedule, especially on the weekends. The body responds to routine. If your bedtime is sporadic - 11 pm some nights, 1 a.m. others- your mind won't be properly prepared to snooze on the weekdays. Now that's a bed we could sleep in! 2. Bringing Books to Bed. Reading before bed is a habit for many. Problem is, your body has likely adapted to that routine - it won't go to sleep until you've logged a couple chapters. Retreat to a comfy couch or window nook instead for your literary fix. The bed should be off limits for anything other than sleep or sex. 3. Facebooking Into the Wee Hours. The brightness of your computer screen stimulates the brain. Plus, it's difficult for your mind to stop fretting about your digital to-do list, even once you've logged off. Avoid late-night surfing and shut down your computer. Give yourself time to wind down without any electronics. 4. Skimping on a Good Bed. A good mattress will cost you anywhere from $500 to over $3,000. Consider it money well spent. Usually medium to firm gives the best support. A decent mattress, do your homework, will give you a more restful sleep. The same is true for quality bedding and pillows. Opt for a soft pillow if you're a stomach sleeper. Buy a firmer pillow or contour pillow if you sleep on your back or side. 5. Setting a Bright Alarm Clock. The looming glare of your alarm clock can be distracting when trying to sleep. The goal is to have the room as dark as possible. Block the bright numbers with a book or consider buying a small travel clock. Your cell phone alarm may also do the trick. 6. Counting Sheep. When you just can't fall asleep, it's useless to stay in bed. If you've been trying to fall asleep for more than 30 minutes, the National Sleep Foundation suggests getting out of bed and doing something mundane, like balancing a checkbook, reading or watching TV. An activity that demands marginal brainpower will lull your mind. Before you know it, you'll be crawling back into bed genuinely tired. 7. Exercising Late at Night. Daytime workouts will keep you invigorated for hours. That's why you don't want to exercise within three hours of hitting the sack. Intense physical activity raises your body temperature and pumps your energy level - both interrupt a calm transition into sleep. Source: marieclaire.com, yahoo.com; 11/4/12.

10 Amazing Things About Our Bodies

10. You Can’t Swallow and Breathe at the Same Time. Virtually every other mammal can; human babies can until they’re about 9 months old. Around this time the voice box drops quite low in the neck compared to other animals, which allows us to have a wide range of sounds for speech – but takes our ability to breathe and eat or drink at the same time. 9. You Have Two Brains. Just as you have neurons in your brain, you also have neurons in your gut – including neurons that produce chemicals like serotonin, which is also found in your brain and is linked to mood. Your gut literally serves as your second brain, and even produces more of the serotonin – known to have a beneficial influence on your mood – than your brain does. In other words, you have two nervous systems: the central nervous system, composed of your brain and spinal cord, and the enteric nervous system, which is the intrinsic nervous system of your gastrointestinal tract. Both are actually created out of the same type of embryonic tissue. During fetal development, one part turns into your central nervous system while the other develops into your enteric nervous system. To put this into more concrete terms, you've probably experienced the visceral sensation of butterflies in your stomach when you're nervous, or had an upset stomach when you were very angry or stressed. The flip side is also true, in that problems in your gut can directly impact your mental health, leading to issues like anxiety or depression. 8. Loneliness is Physically Painful. Loneliness is emotionally painful for sure, but it’s physically painful as well. Both loneliness and physical pain are processed in the same region of your brain, the anterior cingulate cortex. So just as you have a powerful drive to avoid causing physical pain to your body, you have a similarly powerful drive to connect with others and seek companionship – in order to avoid painful feelings of loneliness. 7. You Salivate More Before You Vomit. Because stomach acid can be harsh on your throat and mouth, the extra saliva helps dilute the acid and rinse it away to minimize any damage caused by vomiting. 6. Sugar Can Help Your Wounds Heal. Not by eating it, but rather by sprinkling it directly on the wound. Sugar is hygroscopic, which means it absorbs water that bacteria need to survive. This method has been popular among healers in Africa for generations, and it is reportedly useful for bed sores, leg ulcers, amputations and more. A twist on this idea is to use honey, which will help draw fluid away from your wound and suppress the growth of microorganisms. Part of what gives honey its antibacterial properties is an enzyme called glucose oxidase, which the worker bees excrete into the nectar (this is found only in raw honey). Another part is the presence of beneficial Lactobacillus bacteria, found only in raw honey, which fight infection. 5. Memories Work in Mysterious Ways. Have you ever walked into a room and then forgotten why you went there in the first place? This is because your brain perceives the doorway as an “event boundary,” and memories from the room you just left are “stored” there for when you need them. This is why when you go back through the doorway into the prior room you can often remember what it is that you forgot! 4. Some Women See More Colors. Most people have three types of color receptors that allow them to see color. Some women have four, which allows them to see a wider range of colors (a small percentage of women even have five color receptors). Why women? The red and green color receptors, which can be shifted to allow for a greater range of color vision, are located on the X chromosome; blue is on the Y. 3. It Might be Healthy to Eat Boogers. Your nasal mucus might be host to small amounts of contaminants (acting as antigens) that may actually boost your immune system when they’re consumed. So contrary to the belief that eating boogers could make you sick, it might actually help your body to fight off illnesses. 2. Most People Only Breathe Through One Nostril at a Time. Though you’ve got two nostrils, about 85 percent of people only use one at a time. Tissue in your nose slowly swells in one nostril while shrinking in the other, so you automatically switch breathing between nostrils about every four hours. Interestingly, body position, illness and other factors can influence which nostril you breathe from when, and, in turn, the nostril you’re breathing from can impact your health. For instance, breathing through the right nostril causes you to use more oxygen and raises your blood sugar levels. 1. Seven Miles of New Blood Vessels for Every Pound of Fat Gained. When you gain a pound of fat, your body makes seven new miles of blood vessels. This means your body must work harder to pump blood through all of these extra vessels, which will put a strain on your heart, and may reduce oxygenation and nutrient replenishment. If you lose a pound, your body will break down and re-absorb the now unnecessary vessels. Seven More BONUS Facts! 1. A Crease in Your Earlobe May Predict Heart Disease: A diagonal crease in your earlobe is linked to a much higher risk of coronary artery disease and sudden cardiac death in men. 2. Yawning Helps Cool Your Brain: Yawning is an involuntary behavior that may perform the important function of cooling your brain. When you yawn, the influx of cool air may ventilate your sinuses and facilitate brain cooling. 3. Your Largest Organ is Only One Cell Thick: It’s your endothelium, the interior lining of your body’s 60,000-miles (plus) of blood vessels. If stretched out, your endothelium, which helps regulate blood pressure, control blood clotting and fight disease, would cover six tennis courts. 4. Some People Taste Words: Your senses of taste, sound and sight are typically separate experiences, but in people with a condition called synesthesia, the senses overlap. These people may be able to “hear” colors and “taste” words as an ordinary part of life. 5. You Can Smell Fear: Bodily sweat contains different pheromones when you’re frightened or not. People can detect the differences in their smell, and when they sniffed sweat from skydivers, it caused brain regions that react to fear to become active (which did not occur from sweat from treadmill users). 6. Women’s Tears Prompt Physical Changes in Men: When men sniffed women’s tears brought on by negative emotions, it led to reduced levels of sexual arousal and testosterone. 7. You Close Your Eyes When You Sneeze: This is caused by a reflex similar to what occurs when your knee is tapped with a rubber mallet. It’s extremely difficult to keep your eyes open while you sneeze, even if you try. Source: mercola.com, 10/10/12

21 Ways Rich People Think Differently

The world's richest woman, Gina Rinehart, is enduring a media firestorm over an article in which she takes the "jealous" middle class to task for "drinking, or smoking and socializing" rather than working to earn their own fortune. What if she has a point? Steve Siebold, author of "How Rich People Think," spent nearly three decades interviewing millionaires around the world to find out what separates them from everyone else. It had little to do with money itself, he told Business Insider. It was about their mentality. "[The middle class] tells people to be happy with what they have," he said. "And on the whole, most people are steeped in fear when it comes to money." 1. Average people think MONEY is the root of all evil. Rich people believe POVERTY is the root of all evil. "The average person has been brainwashed to believe rich people are lucky or dishonest," Siebold writes. That's why there's a certain shame that comes along with "getting rich" in lower-income communities. "The world class knows that while having money doesn't guarantee happiness, it does make your life easier and more enjoyable." 2. Average people think selfishness is evil. Rich people think selfishness is a virtue. "The rich go out there and try to make themselves happy. They don't try to pretend to save the world," Siebold told Business Insider. The problem is that middle class people see that as a negative––and it's keeping them poor, he writes. "If you're not taking care of you, you're not in a position to help anyone else. You can't give what you don't have." 3. Average people have a lottery mentality. Rich people have an action mentality. "While the masses are waiting to pick the right numbers and praying for prosperity, the great ones are solving problems," Siebold writes. "The hero [middle class people] are waiting for God, government, their boss or their spouse. It's the average person's level of thinking that breeds this approach to life and living while the clock keeps ticking away." 4. Average people think the road to riches is paved with formal education. Rich people believe in acquiring specific knowledge. "Many world-class performers have little formal education, and have amassed their wealth through the acquisition and subsequent sale of specific knowledge," he writes. "Meanwhile, the masses are convinced that master's degrees and doctorates are the way to wealth, mostly because they are trapped in the linear line of thought that holds them back from higher levels of consciousness. The wealthy aren't interested in the means, only the end." 5. Average people long for the good old days. Rich people dream of the future. "Self-made millionaires get rich because they're willing to bet on themselves and project their dreams, goals and ideas into an unknown future," Siebold writes. "People who believe their best days are behind them rarely get rich, and often struggle with unhappiness and depression." 6. Average people see money through the eyes of emotion. Rich people think about money logically. "An ordinarily smart, well-educated and otherwise successful person can be instantly transformed into a fear-based, scarcity driven thinker whose greatest financial aspiration is to retire comfortably," he writes. "The world class sees money for what it is and what it's not, through the eyes of logic. The great ones know money is a critical tool that presents options and opportunities." 7. Average people earn money doing things they don't love. Rich people follow their passion. "To the average person, it looks like the rich are working all the time," Siebold says. "But one of the smartest strategies of the world class is doing what they love and finding a way to get paid for it." On the other hand, middle class take jobs they don't enjoy "because they need the money and they've been trained in school and conditioned by society to live in a linear thinking world that equates earning money with physical or mental effort." 8. Average people set low expectations so they're never disappointed. Rich people are up for the challenge. "Psychologists and other mental health experts often advise people to set low expectations for their life to ensure they are not disappointed," Siebold writes. "No one would ever strike it rich and live their dreams without huge expectations." 9. Average people believe you have to DO something to get rich. Rich people believe you have to BE something to get rich. "That's why people like Donald Trump go from millionaire to nine billion dollars in debt and come back richer than ever," he writes. "While the masses are fixated on the doing and the immediate results of their actions, the great ones are learning and growing from every experience, whether it's a success or a failure, knowing their true reward is becoming a human success machine that eventually produces outstanding results." 10. Average people believe you need money to make money. Rich people use other people's money. Linear thought might tell people to make money in order to earn more, but Siebold says the rich aren't afraid to fund their future from other people's pockets. "Rich people know not being solvent enough to personally afford something is not relevant. The real question is, 'Is this worth buying, investing in, or pursuing?'" he writes. 11. Average people believe the markets are driven by logic and strategy. Rich people know they're driven by emotion and greed. Investing successfully in the stock market isn't just about a fancy math formula. "The rich know that the primary emotions that drive financial markets are fear and greed, and they factor this into all trades and trends they observe," Siebold writes. "This knowledge of human nature and its overlapping impact on trading give them strategic advantage in building greater wealth through leverage." 12. Average people live beyond their means. Rich people live below theirs. "Here's how to live below your means and tap into the secret wealthy people have used for centuries: Get rich so you can afford to," he writes. "The rich live below their means, not because they're so savvy, but because they make so much money that they can afford to live like royalty while still having a king's ransom socked away for the future." 13. Average people teach their children how to survive. Rich people teach their kids to get rich. Rich parents teach their kids from an early age about the world of "haves" and "have-nots," Siebold says. Even he admits many people have argued that he's supporting the idea of elitism. He disagrees. "[People] say parents are teaching their kids to look down on the masses because they're poor. This isn't true," he writes. "What they're teaching their kids is to see the world through the eyes of objective reality––the way society really is." If children understand wealth early on, they'll be more likely to strive for it later in life. 14. Average people let money stress them out. Rich people find peace of mind in wealth. The reason wealthy people earn more wealth is that they're not afraid to admit that money can solve most problems, Siebold says. "[The middle class] sees money as a never-ending necessary evil that must be endured as part of life. The world class sees money as the great liberator, and with enough of it, they are able to purchase financial peace of mind." 15. Average people would rather be entertained than educated. Rich people would rather be educated than entertained. While the rich don't put much stock in furthering wealth through formal education, they appreciate the power of learning long after college is over, Siebold says. "Walk into a wealthy person's home and one of the first things you'll see is an extensive library of books they've used to educate themselves on how to become more successful," he writes. "The middle class reads novels, tabloids and entertainment magazines." 16. Average people think rich people are snobs. Rich people just want to surround themselves with like-minded people. The negative money mentality poisoning the middle class is what keeps the rich hanging out with the rich, he says. "[Rich people] can't afford the messages of doom and gloom," he writes. "This is often misinterpreted by the masses as snobbery. Labeling the world class as snobs is another way the middle class finds to feel better about themselves and their chosen path of mediocrity." 17. Average people focus on saving. Rich people focus on earning. Siebold theorizes that the wealthy focus on what they'll gain by taking risks, rather than how to save what they have. "The masses are so focused on clipping coupons and living frugally they miss major opportunities," he writes. "Even in the midst of a cash flow crisis, the rich reject the nickle and dime thinking of the masses. They are the masters of focusing their mental energy where it belongs: on the big money." 18. Average people play it safe with money. Rich people know when to take risks. "Leverage is the watchword of the rich," Siebold writes. "Every investor loses money on occasion, but the world class knows no matter what happens, they will always be able to earn more." 19. Average people love to be comfortable. Rich people find comfort in uncertainty. For the most part, it takes guts to take the risks necessary to make it as a millionaire––a challenge most middle class thinkers aren't comfortable living with. "Physical, psychological, and emotional comfort is the primary goal of the middle class mindset," Siebold writes. World class thinkers learn early on that becoming a millionaire isn't easy and the need for comfort can be devastating. They learn to be comfortable while operating in a state of ongoing uncertainty." 20. Average people never make the connection between money and health. Rich people know money can save your life. While the middle class squabbles over the virtues of Obamacare and their company's health plan, the super wealthy are enrolled in a super elite "boutique medical care" association, Siebold says. "They pay a substantial yearly membership fee that guarantees them 24-hour access to a private physician who only serves a small group of members," he writes. "Some wealthy neighborhoods have implemented this strategy and even require the physician to live in the neighborhood." 21. Average people believe they must choose between a great family and being rich. Rich people know you can have it all. The idea the wealth must come at the expense of family time is nothing but a "cop-out", Siebold says. "The masses have been brainwashed to believe it's an either/or equation," he writes. "The rich know you can have anything you want if you approach the challenge with a mindset rooted in love and abundance." Source: Steve Siebold, author of "How Rich People Think", 9/5/12

Food And Water, Nope. Vaccines, Yup.

As one of the world's most well-known and respected voices, Microsoft founder Bill Gates has a unique opportunity to call attention to important social issues and make a huge impact worldwide. Unfortunately Gates, through his foundation, has been partnering with Monsanto to hoist genetically modified seeds on third-world countries, but also with Big Pharma, to whom he pledged $10 billion to provide vaccinations to children around the world. This is billed as a humanitarian effort to save lives, but what children in developing countries need is healthy food, clean water and better sanitation. These are the keys to preventing the spread of infectious disease, and they are being wholly ignored by the likes of Bill Gates and other vaccine proponents – at the children’s expense! The Aftermath of a Bill Gates Vaccine Campaign … An American family, the Gianelloni’s, visited a village in Uganda shortly after a Bill Gates vaccine campaign swept through and discovered what Bill Gates’ money does for hungry, sick children – essentially nothing. The family found that the children were starving, living on one meal a day. Their only water source was the a stagnant stream that they bathed in. They had no sewage or sanitation. But, thanks to Gates, they were now vaccinated against measles and polio. Never mind that the most pressing epidemics in the area were actually Yellow Fever, Malaria, HIV/AIDs and diarrhea … Worse yet, one little girl who had received a measles vaccine two weeks earlier was now suffering with the measles as a result! After this blogger left, thanks to her and the mission group that arrived with her, the village now had a water tank and a clean water system, a cow, and a year’s worth of rice and beans. You can probably understand why the blogger made this comment about Gates’ “philanthropy”: “I don’t care who you are or what side of the vaccine philosophy you fall under, there is no logic in the world that can explain that going into a remote village and giving children who only eat one meal a day and have never had clean drinking water, a vaccine. Think about it. Can you imagine walking up to this precious little girl and saying, ”I know you are starving, but here is a measles vaccine instead. I promise this will make you much healthier than food or water”. It’s a scary day when simple logic no longer exists. Innocent children suffer the consequences. It’s absurd." Food, Water, Sanitation is What’s Needed to Help Prevent Disease The most vulnerable of the world's children are those in the poorest countries where death and disease are often a result of malnutrition and lack of adequate sanitation and clean drinking water. In many third-world countries, children are often battling some sort of infection 200 days out of the year. Vaccines can be devastating to these already immune-suppressed children, as well as adults, because vaccines often weaken and confuse the immune system, which ultimately increases the recipient’s susceptibility to the very infectious diseases vaccines are designed to prevent. Nonetheless, emerging vaccine markets like third-world countries will soon outgrow developed markets by hundreds of billions of dollars. Emerging markets are areas of the world that are beginning to show promise as a profitable venture for products, including vaccines. And emerging markets – have been on vaccine makers' radar for quite some time. One reason that vaccine makers are interested in these parts of the world is that that's where most of the world's deaths from major infectious diseases occur. The only problem has been that, making vaccines for undeveloped countries with no money to pay for them was not exactly a profitable goal for vaccine makers. Concerned that developed countries would have little or no resources for addressing serious infectious diseases if vaccine makers continued their pull-out, the World Health Organization and the G8 – responded with a plan for enticing vaccine companies to stay in the business. That plan was called Advance Market Commitments (AMCs). AMCs Guarantee Drug Company Profits Under AMCs, developed countries make legal, binding agreements to purchase vaccines that are needed in low-income countries. The purchase guarantees a bottom line for the manufacturers. In return, the manufacturers promise to sell those vaccines at reduced prices. The idea is simple: "rich" nations sign legally commitments to purchase and/or finance an AMC vaccine once it's ready for market. In return for the guaranteed income, drug companies promise to sell the new vaccine to "poor" countries at reduced prices. To speed up the process, the World Health Organization "prequalifies" AMC vaccines in an approval process that slices years off the time it normally takes a vaccine to make it to market. Unfortunately, legally binding, advance market commitments to purchase vaccines that are mostly needed in third-world countries could backfire on developed countries that don't need – or want – certain vaccines. For instance, HPV (human papillomavirus) statistics show that HPV causes 4,000 deaths from cervical cancer per year in the U.S., compared to 274,000 deaths worldwide, 88 percent of which are in developing countries. So why were the HPV vaccines Gardasil and Cervarix -- which have known safety issues -- introduced in the U.S. and Europe, first, instead of going straight to where they're needed most. Even Gates and a Leading Vaccine Maker Admit Clean Water is Key Malaria is another one of the top neglected diseases that world health leaders want to address with AMCs, but the ability to resist diseases like malaria requires a strong immune system, and for that, you require good nutrition, clean drinking water, and sanitation. If we want to help people in other countries to lower their malaria rates, and rates of other infectious diseases (like infection-associated diarrhea, which is one of the most common, and most preventable causes of death among children in the developing world) it would be wise to focus on these basics first. Infectious organisms are more likely to penetrate the bodies of malnourished children due to inadequate vitamin C. The same is true for vitamin A deficiency, another common third-world problem, which results in increased susceptibility to infection and which could be rectified in individuals for pennies a day. Also, the living conditions of third-world children are often so poor that they are exposed to inordinately large numbers of pathogens, from which they have little defense. If you hit immune suppressed children with a potent vaccine, you're far more likely to create new disease, not eradicate it. Even Bill Gates himself has admitted that vaccines alone don't eradicate disease. In a Wall Street Journal article about the resurgence of polio in African countries, Gates said that's why he is revamping his disease fight to incorporate health, hygiene, and clean drinking water programs into vaccination programs. Polio spreads, after all, largely through feces-contaminated water, so ignoring that major risk factor while trying to eradicate the disease is ignorant. What's really interesting is that at least one major vaccine maker has also echoed these sentiments, as evidenced on the front page of GlaxoSmithKline's presentation to shareholders in June 2010: "With the exception of clean drinking water, vaccines are the most cost-effective public health measure," GSK said. With all of the billions being poured into vaccines to “save” the children, how many water purification systems could have been built? How many sanitation facilities? How many rations of meat and fresh produce? Source: mercola.com – August 19, 2012

10 Shocking Medical Mistakes

It's no secret that medical errors are one of the leading causes of death in the United States. At 250,000 every year, they're so prevalent that if you were to add them all up, they most likely would be at least No. 3 on the death list, according to Dr. Peter Pronovost, anesthesiologist and critical care physician at Johns Hopkins Hospital. What's shocking is that the harm often is preventable. In an effort to help consumers become their own patient advocates, CNN has compiled this list of the top 10 mistakes hospitals make, and what you can do prevent them. 1. Treating the Wrong Patient: If your identity gets mixed up with someone else, you can get the wrong medications or even the wrong surgery. Most hospitals now give patients a wristband with your full name, date of birth and a unique barcode. Make sure this is checked and verified before every medical procedure. 2. Surgical Souvenirs: Surgical tools or other objects are left inside people after surgery far more often than you think. This is the result of surgical staff failing to count, or miscounting during the procedure. Unexpected pain, fever and swelling after surgery are all indications that you could have a surgical tool still inside you. Just how often does this occur? One study in the New England Journal of Medicine found that about 1,500 Americans have objects left inside of them following surgery every year. Surgical sponges, which can fill up with blood and resemble bodily tissues, are by far the most common item left behind, but incidents involving clamps, retractors, electrodes and other objects have also been reported. If you have an emergency surgery, your likelihood of being impacted by an object left behind increases by 900%, and by 400% if unexpected changes occur during the procedure. Being overweight or obese also increases the risk. Before heading in to surgery, alert your surgeon and attendants that you are aware of this issue, and ask them to be especially careful. Also make sure counts of surgical equipment are routine at the institution where the surgery is being performed. 3. Lost Patients: Patients with dementia or other mental disorders can wander off, get lost, become trapped in closets and even die from hypothermia, dehydration and other hazards. A GPS tracking bracelet can ensure that your loved one will always be easily locatable. 4. Fake Doctors: Sometimes con artists like to pretend they're doctors, offering medical treatments that make them rich but will only make you sicker. CNN gave the example of Sarafina Gerling, who wore a back brace advertised online by a man found guilty of insurance fraud. Gerling thought the brace would help her scoliosis, but it only made the condition worse. Make sure any health care practitioner you receive treatment from is, in fact, qualified to do so. 5. The ER Waiting Game: Emergency rooms and hospitals only have so much space, so when beds are full it can mean you're forced to wait for medical care — and that wait time can sometimes be the difference between life and death, or the loss of limbs, as happened to Malyia Jeffers, a baby who waited five hours for medical care while flesh-eating bacteria spread through her body. 6. Air Bubbles in Blood: If the hole in your chest isn't sealed correctly (airtight) after a chest tube is removed, air bubbles can enter the wound and cut off blood supply to your lungs, heart, kidneys and brain — a life-threatening event. Before having a chest tube removed, ask the nurse how you should be positioned to avoid air bubbles, and make sure the hole will be sealed airtight. 7. Operating on the Wrong Body Part: It can happen if a surgeon misreads your chart, or if the chart is incorrect. Surgical drapings can also cover marks made on a person's body to indicate where the surgery is to be performed. If you are having surgery, make sure you confirm with the surgeon, nurses and other staff that they have the correct body location on which to operate — and if any marks are drawn to indicate the area, make sure they are in the proper location. 8. Infection Infestation: Hospital-acquired infections are alarmingly common, and sadly they're often deadly. In the United States, more than 2 million people are affected by hospital-acquired infections each year, and a whopping 100,000 people die each year as a result. According to the 2011 Health Grades Hospital Quality in America report,ii analysis of approximately 40 million Medicare patients' records from 2007 through 2009 showed that 1 in 9 patients developed such hospital-acquired infections! The saddest part is, most of these cases could likely have been easily prevented with better infection control in hospitals—simple routines such as doctors and nurses washing their hands between each patient, for example. Be aware and make sure doctors, nurses and other health care providers wash their hands before touching you; it could literally save your life. 9. Lookalike Tubes: Medical tubing serves a variety of unique purposes in hospitals, for delivering medication, fluids, food, gases or blood to different areas of the body — the veins, arteries, stomach, lungs, etc. Many varieties of medical tubing are interchangeable and easily connectable, meaning it is very simple to mistakenly connect a feeding tube to an intravenous line, or IV fluids to an oxygen tube, leading to suffocation. There have been cases reported where a spinal anesthetic used for pain relief during childbirth was mistakenly put into a vein, killing the 16-year-old recipient, and a healthy young pregnant woman and her unborn daughter died after a feeding tube was mistakenly connected to an intravenous line, sending liquid food directly into her veins -- a fatal, and completely avoidable, mistake. With nurses often working overtime or covering too many patients at once, it is all too easy to connect a tube improperly, leading to an often fatal outcome for the patient. Protect yourself by asking nurses to trace all medical tubing back to its original source to prevent mishaps. 10. Waking up During Surgery: If you receive an under-dose of anesthesia, your brain may be "awake" even if you can't move your muscles. Unable to move or speak, you may still feel the surgery taking place. Express any concerns you have with your surgeon and anesthesiologist prior to surgery, including asking about options for local anesthesia in lieu of being put to sleep. Understand that you, the patient, are the most powerful entity within the entire hospital system. However, the system works on the assumption that the patient will not claim that power. Knowing your rights and responsibilities can help ensure your hospital stay is a safe and healing one. Source: New England Journal of Medicine, New York Times, HealthGrades, Journal of General Internal Medicine, mercola.com – July 25, 2012

12 Things Women Do Better Than Men

See that desk? It's way cleaner than your male coworker's. Over at Cosmo, we love men. But we kept coming across tons of studies proving women have some amazing abilities that men lack. So, we rounded up some of our favorites. Hello, ego boost! By Christie Griffin 1. Women are cleaner. A study from San Diego State University of offices across the U.S. found that men's desks are germier than women's. Researchers discovered that men had anywhere from 10 - 20 percent more bacteria in their workspaces than women, and scientists say it's because they tend to be less hygenic. 2. Women interview better. A study out of the University of Western Ontario found that women are better at handling the stress of a job interview. Researchers found that, while women get more freaked beforehand about interviewing, they do better in the actual event. Women tend to prepare more before the big moment. 3. Women are becoming hotter. A recent study revealed that women are getting better looking through evolution; meanwhile, men are staying the same. After following more than 2,000 people through four decades of life, the study showed that attractive women had 16 percent more children than average looking chicks and that beautiful people are 36 percent more likely to have a daughter as their firstborn. All those gorgeous daughters mean more beautiful women than in past generations. 4. Women survive car accidents more often. This is sad but true: Men are 77 percent more likely to die in a car accident than women, according to a study done by Carnegie Mellon University. Husbands and boyfriends should be thanking women when they nag them to "Wear your seatbelt” or “Slow down.” 5. Women are better at seeking comfort. A Mind survey of 2,000 people revealed that women are far more likely than men to talk through their problems. Fifty-three percent of women talk to their friends about what's stressing them out, as opposed to 29 percent of men. 6. Women are more recession proof. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 80 percent of those who have lost their jobs since December 2007 have been men. Ouch. This could be because male-dominated fields have been hit the hardest, like manufacturing and finance. That really sucks...but hey, maybe it's time more men became nurses and educators. 7. Women graduate college more often. We already know that female enrollment is higher than male, but the Department of Education's statistics reveal that men are also less likely than women to graduate and get their bachelor's degrees. Men are also more likely to take longer than five years to complete their degree. 8. Women eat healthier. A survey of more than 14,000 people, conducted by the University of Minnesota, showed that women choose far healthier foods than men. While men are more likely to chow down on frozen pizza and red meat, women are piling fruits and veggies onto their plates. It all sounds pretty obvious, but women get so much grief for their chocolate addictions that we just had to point this one out! 9. Women have stronger immune systems. No wonder men act like such babies when they have a sniffle - women really do have stronger immune systems than men! If there are little battles going on in their bodies, women have a secret weapon: estrogen. A study done by McGill University indicated that estrogen gives women an edge when it comes to fighting off infections. That's because estrogen confronts a certain enzyme that often hinders the body's first line of defense against bacteria and viruses. 10. Women live longer. Among the world's population of those who are over 100 years old, 85 percent are women, according to the New England Centenarian Study. In general, women continue to live five to 10 years longer than men as well. 11. Women are better managers, especially in this economy. This one is a little controversial, but a slew of experts are confident that women make better bosses because they are better listeners, mentors, problem solvers, and multitaskers than their male counterparts. In a recent Daily News article, management expert Jay Forte said, "It's a very service oriented economy [right now], so you need employees to be motivated. Women are better connectors than men and more astute about knowing how to activate passion in their employees." 12. Women invest better. A study of 100,000 portfolios showed that women's investment returns outperform men's, 18 percent to 11 percent. This could be because women are typically more cautious with their investment decisions and think longer term. Source: Cosmopolitan.com | Healthy Living - June 13, 2012

Genetically Engineered Goats to Produce New Vaccine Milk -- The Worst of Both Worlds

Story at-a-glance: Goats are being genetically engineered to carry vaccines in their milk. Current experiments being conducted by researchers from Texas A&M are geared toward producing an "edible" malaria vaccine, with the ultimate goal being that children drinking the milk will become vaccinated in the process. While claiming that bioengineered animals could be "life-savers" for people in third-world countries, the researchers ignore the glaring issue that such biotechnology often produces unknown, and unintended, health consequences that prove tragic for individuals and the environment.

Vaccines in Your Milk?
Transmogrifying farm animals into "pharm" animals to act as living and breathing pharmaceutical factories is not new. In 2009, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first drug produced by livestock that had been bioengineered to express a human gene. In that case, the protein was extracted from the milk of genetically engineered (GE) goats. In the latest instance, researchers introduced DNA coding for the malaria parasite into the goat genome linked to milk production. The DNA is supposed to "switch on" only in the mammary gland when the goat produces milk. As we've seen in the past with genetically modified plants, genetically engineered vaccine-producing animals might enter the food supply unexpectedly -- exposing unintended recipients to the vaccine. Or the animals might escape and breed with others, passing these bioengineered genes on with unpredictable consequences. Even the technology itself is risky at best, because when animals are exposed to foreign DNA, literally anything can happen. Take, for instance, milk from cows treated with a synthetic, genetically engineered growth hormone called rBGH. rBGH milk differs from natural milk nutritionally, pharmacologically, immunologically, and hormonally, and along with causing health problems in the cows, it is linked to cancer in humans. What does ingesting the DNA from the malaria parasite in your milk cause? No one knows.

Vaccine Makers See Dollar Signs When They See Third-World Countries
Malaria is caused by a parasite which is spread from person to person by infected mosquitoes. Every year, it results in about 1 million deaths, the majority of which are in third-world countries. We are certainly in need of a solution, and while it sounds good in theory that a child could be protected from malaria just by drinking a glass of milk, remember that vaccines often weaken children's immune systems, which ultimately increases their susceptibility to the very infectious diseases vaccines are designed to prevent. The most vulnerable of the world's children are those in the poorest countries where death and disease is often a result of malnutrition, and where children are often battling some sort of infection 200 days out of the year. Vaccines can be devastating to these already immune-suppressed children, as well as to adults.

Giving Immune-Compromised Children Vaccines May Create Illness, Not Cure It
One reason that vaccine makers are interested in these parts of the world is that that's where most of the world's deaths from major infectious diseases occur. The only problem has been that, until recently, making vaccines for undeveloped countries with no money to pay for them, was not exactly a profitable goal for vaccine makers. Concerned that developed countries would have little or no resources for addressing serious infectious diseases if vaccine makers continued their pull-out, the World Health Organization responded with a plan for inducing vaccine companies to stay in the business. That plan was called Advance Market Commitments (AMCs). Under AMCs, developed countries make legal, binding agreements to purchase vaccines that are needed in low-income countries. The purchase guarantees a bottom line for the manufacturers. In return, the manufacturers promise to sell those vaccines at reduced prices in the countries where they are most needed. Unfortunately, legally binding, advance market commitments to purchase vaccines that are mostly needed in third world countries could backfire on developed countries that don't need – or want – certain vaccines. Malaria is one of the top neglected diseases that world health leaders want to address with AMCs. The ability to resist diseases like malaria requires a strong immune system, and for that, you require good nutrition, clean drinking water, and good sanitation. If we want to help people in other countries to lower their malaria rates, it would be wise to focus on these basics first. In order to eradicate infectious disease from a nation, you have to first address compromised immune systems. If you hit immune suppressed children with a potent vaccine, you're far more likely to create new disease, not eradicate it.

Fertility Problems and DNA Damage Among the Serious Health Problems Linked to GM Foods
The vaccine-producing GM goats are a double-edged sword because while no one knows for sure what consuming GM vaccine-containing milk will do to humans. In one review of genetically modified organisms (GMO) -- an analysis of 19 animal studies -- it was revealed that nearly 10 percent of blood, urine, organ and other parameters tested were significantly influenced by GMOs, with the liver and kidneys faring the worst. In the only human study ever published on genetically modified foods, seven volunteers ate Roundup-ready soybeans. These are soybeans that have herbicide-resistant genes inserted into them in order to survive being sprayed with otherwise deadly doses of Roundup herbicide. In three of the seven volunteers, the gene inserted into the soy transferred into the DNA of their intestinal bacteria, and continued to function long after they stopped eating the GM soy! So, exposing children in third world countries to these potential risks needs to be carefully considered before a malaria vaccine is distributed in GM milk especially when there are other innovative ways of fighting malaria available. In addition, Jeffrey Smith, founder of the Institute for Responsible Technology, has documented at least 65 serious health risks from GM products of all kinds. Among them:
• Offspring of rats fed GM soy showed a five-fold increase in mortality, lower birth weights, and the inability to reproduce.
• Male mice fed GM soy had damaged young sperm cells.
• The embryo offspring of GM soy-fed mice had altered DNA functioning.
• Several US farmers reported sterility or fertility problems among pigs and cows fed GM corn varieties.
• Investigators in India have documented fertility problems, abortions, premature births, and other serious health issues, including deaths, among buffalo fed GM cottonseed products.

Source: Chron 3/3/12; mercola.com 4/18/12

12 Things Successful People Do Differently.

Most successful people were not born into success; they simply did, and continue to do, things that help them realize their full potential. Here are twelve things they do differently that the rest of us can easily emulate.

1. They create and pursue SMART goals.
Successful people are objective. They know what they are looking for and why they are fighting for it. They create SMART goals: Specific – “Join a health club and workout 3 days a week for the next 52 weeks.” A specific goal has a greater chance of being accomplished because it has defined parameters. Measurable – There must be a logical system for measuring the progress of a goal. When you measure your progress, you stay on track, reach your target dates, and experience the exhilaration of achievement. Attainable – A goal must represent an objective toward which you are willing and able to work. The goal must be realistic. Relevant – Choose goals that matter and are relevant to your objective of building a profitable business. Timely – A deadline helps you focus your efforts on the completion of the goal by the due date. This prevents goals from being overtaken by daily distractions. When you identify SMART goals that are truly important to you, you become motivated to figure out ways to attain them. You develop the necessary attitude, abilities, and skills. Goals that seemed out of reach eventually move closer and become attainable, not because your goals shrink, but because you grow and expand to match them.

2. They take decisive and immediate action.
Very few people ever live to become the success story they dream about. And there’s one simple reason why: They never take action! Growing happens when what you know changes how you live. So many people live in a complete daze. It doesn’t matter if you have a genius IQ and a PhD in Quantum Physics, you can’t make any sort of progress without taking action. There’s a huge difference between knowing how to do something and actually doing it. Knowledge and intelligence are both useless without action. It’s as simple as that.

3. They focus on being productive, not being busy.
In his book, The 4-Hour Workweek , Tim Ferris says, “Slow down and remember this: Most things make no difference. Being busy is often a form of mental laziness. Work smarter, not harder.” Take a quick look around. The busy outnumber the productive by a wide margin. Busy people are rushing all over the place, and running late half of the time. They’re heading to work, conferences, meetings, social engagements. They barely have enough free time for family get-togethers and they rarely get enough sleep. Yet, business emails are shooting out of their smart phones like machine gun bullets, and their daily planner is jammed to the brim with obligations.
Their busy schedule gives them an elevated sense of importance. But it’s all an illusion. They’re like hamsters running on a wheel.
The solution: Slow down. Breathe. Review your commitments and goals. Put first things first. Do one thing at a time. Start now. Take a short break in two hours. Repeat.
And always remember, results are more important than the time it takes to achieve them.

4. They make logical, informed decisions.
Emotional gut instincts are effective in certain fleeting situations. When it comes to generating long-term, sustained growth in any area of life, emotional decisions often lead a person astray. Slow down and think things through before you make any life-changing decisions.

5. They avoid the trap of trying to make things perfect.
Many of us are perfectionists in our own right. We set high bars for ourselves and put our best foot forward. We dedicate copious amounts of time and attention to our work to maintain our high personal standards. Our passion for excellence drives us to run the extra mile, never stopping, never relenting. And this dedication towards perfection undoubtedly helps us achieve results… So long as we don’t get carried away.
True perfectionists have a hard time starting things and an even harder time finishing them, always.
Remember, the real world doesn’t reward perfectionists. It rewards people who get things done. Only by wading through years of practice and imperfection can we begin to achieve momentary glimpses of the perfection. So make a decision. Take action, learn from the outcome, and repeat this method over and over again in all walks of life.

6. They work outside of their comfort zone.
The number one thing holding smart people back is their own reluctance to accept an opportunity simply because they don’t think they’re ready. They feel uncomfortable and believe they require additional knowledge, skill and experience before they can aptly partake in the opportunity. Sadly, this is the kind of thinking that stifles personal growth and success. Nobody ever feels 100% ready when an opportunity arises. They force us to stretch ourselves and our comfort zones, which means we won’t feel totally comfortable at first. And when we don’t feel comfortable, we don’t feel ready. Significant moments of opportunity for personal growth and success will come and go throughout your lifetime. If you are looking to make positive changes and new breakthroughs in your life, you will need to embrace these moments of opportunity even though you will never feel 100% ready for them.

7. They keep things simple.
Here in the 21st century, where information moves at the speed of light and opportunities for innovation seem endless, we have an abundant array of choices when it comes to designing our lives and careers. An abundance of choice often leads to complication, confusion and inaction. Several business and marketing studies have shown that the more product choices a consumer is faced with, the less products they typically buy. After all, narrowing down the best product from a pool of three choices is certainly a lot easier than narrowing down the best product from a pool of three hundred choices. If the purchasing decision is tough to make, most people will just give up. The solution is to simplify. If you’re selling a product line, keep it simple. And if you’re trying to make a decision about something in your life, don’t waste all your time evaluating every last detail of every possible option. Choose something that you think will work and give it a shot. If it doesn’t work out, learn what you can from the experience, choose something else and keep pressing forward.
8. They focus on making small, continuous improvements.
Making small, positive changes – eating a little healthier, exercising a little, creating some small productive habits, for example – is an amazing way to get excited about life and slowly reach the level of success you aspire to. If you start small, you don’t need a lot of motivation to get started. The simple act of getting started and doing something will give you the momentum you need, and soon you’ll find yourself in a positive spiral of changes – one building on the other. Start with just one activity, and make a plan for how you will deal with troubles when they arise. It will be hard in the beginning, but it will get easier. And that’s the whole point. As your strength grows, you can take on bigger challenges.

9. They measure and track their progress.
Successful people are not only working in their job/business, they are also working on it. They step back and assess their progress regularly. They track themselves against their goals and clearly know what needs to be done to excel and accelerate. You can’t control what you don’t properly measure.
The proper approach is to figure out what your number one goal is and then track the things that directly relate to achieving that goal.. On a weekly basis, plug the numbers into a spreadsheet and use the data to create weekly or monthly trend graphs so you can visualize your progress. Then fine-tune your actions to get those trends to grow in your favor.

10. They maintain a positive outlook as they learn from their mistakes.
Successful people concentrate on the positives – they look for the silver lining in every situation. They know that it is their positivity that will take them to greatness. If you want to be successful, you need to have a positive outlook toward life. Life will test you again and again. If you give in to internal negativity, you will never be able to achieve the marks you have targeted. Remember, every mistake you make is progress. Mistakes teach you important lessons. Every time you make one, you’re one step closer to your goal. The only mistake that can truly hurt you is choosing to do nothing simply because you’re too scared to make a mistake. So don’t hesitate – don’t doubt yourself! Don’t let your own negativity sabotage you. Learn what you can and press forward.

11. They spend time with the right people.
Successful people associate with people who are likeminded, focused, and supportive. They socialize with people who create energy when they enter the room versus those who create energy when they leave. They reach out to connected, influential individuals who are right for their dreams and goals.
You are the sum of the people you spend the most time with. Find your tribe or right people and work together to make a difference in all of your lives.

12. They maintain balance in their life.
If you ask most people to summarize what they want out of life they’ll shout out a list of things like: ‘fall in love,’ ‘make money,’ ‘spend time with family,’ ‘find happiness,’ ‘achieve goals,’ etc. But sadly, a lot of people don’t balance their life properly to achieve these things. Typically they’ll achieve one or two of them while completely neglecting the rest. It’s extremely easy to lose your balance. While drive and focus are important, if you’re going to get things done right, and be truly successful, you need to balance the various dimensions of your life. Completely neglecting one dimension for another only leads to long-term frustration and stress.

Source: MarcandAngel.com ; mercola.com ; 3/19/12