The food indeed it seems that everyone has been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes operational life: its scope, what foods they should eat when they eat it. Another major problem associated with food is not what they eat, but how much. Can easily be made part of the control, or fracture, diabetes diet plan. Fortunately, there are some simple guidelines to help manage this area of food.
Usually you have after a meal of leftovers. Know how to properly store these leftovers is essential to prevent further meal disaster. The very important point is that the count of the mark the rest of the container in the carbohydrate. You may also remember how much carbohydrate vegetables, it is actually prepared, but you may forget or remember the next time the wrong amount, you have to dig in.
Use smaller plates when you eat. It sounds a bit simple, but it does work. Your brain will be programmed to a complement plate with food, especially when you are too hungry. If your meals is increased by the desire of a few of your favorite foods, or even more! Use a smaller plate, each meeting will help to limit food intake.
It comes to meat, nutritionists recommend that a certain amount of meat is a reason. If you're going to eat meat, then you need to adhere to nutritionists recommend portion control as much as possible. The only way to ensure this is the scale of investment in the food. These scales are relatively inexpensive, and worth its weight in gold. If five ounces of chicken is the correct amount, called ... weighted.
If you feel the desire to immerse in your favorite treatment, ensure that you control how much you have in one meeting. As long as you home, is divided into the appropriate part of the treatment. Post your first indulgence and freeze the rest. If guests can not be frozen, and separating at least, storing it in a separate container in order to avoid excessive.
And treat a good rule of thumb is ... if you do not, you can not eat. If you know you have a weakness in the chip, and then only buy a pack. Know that you have a limited supply, and will help you ration out.
If you have a tendency to, as long as you clean your plate back for a few seconds, and then get an egg timer. Once you have completed your first plate of food, set the timer for 15 minutes. If you're still hungry, start the timer, you can eat some. This allows your brain enough time with your body, you have enough food.
Type 2 diabetes is no longer a condition you have to just live with. It does not need to slowly but inevitably becomes worse. Disease ... you can control your health. The size of these parts!
For nearly 25 years, Beverleigh Piepers search, and found some secrets to help you build a healthy body.
Sunday, November 4, 2012
To begin with you want to get some quality ribs from grass fed cows
Slow cooked beef short ribs is one of my all time favourite cheap healthy meals. Beef ribs are a very popular item with many a restaurant offering them as a specialty. The problem is many people I have talked to don't know how to cook beef ribs.
I can certainly relate to that as it took me a fair bit of research and experimentation to develop a simple method for insuring a delightful meal every time. The difference between good ribs and great ribs lies in the marinade and the sauce.
This stands true for both a delectable flavor and a juicy, tender texture. I have seen a variety of methods to slow cook beef ribs. Some as simple as throwing them in a crock pot to some very elaborate setups to maintain the desired temperature and keep in the moisture during the long cooking time.
To begin with you want to get some quality ribs from grass fed cows, which get to roam around and are not raised in crowded pens. The local farmer whom I get my humanely raised beef from sells short ribs for $4.00 per pound. As I have explained in other articles on cheap healthy meals, you don't need a big piece of meat.
By making sides with homemade stock you can have nutritious, inexpensive meals without using much meat. Hence, I typically use about 4/10 lbs, which is about $1.60 worth of meat per serving. With a side of basmati rice or lentils and a good portion of vegetables I am usually quite satiated.
For you big meat eaters even if you doubled the portion it still is only a bit over $3.00 for a serving. A paltry sum compared to what you pay even in a relatively inexpensive rib joint.
Of all the methods I have studied and tried, I find slow cooking the ribs in the oven to be the simplest and the best. First of all to insure that they are tender and tasty I marinate them in the fridge for anywhere from 24 to 48 hours.
Then, I cook them all day in the oven at a low temperature. To keep them moist and full of flavor I drench them in sauce and wrap them tightly in heavy duty aluminium foil. If you only have regular foil you can just double it.
With the shiny side down I place them in the middle of a piece of foil with about 6 inches of extra at each end. I pick up the sides, even them up and make about a 1/2 in. fold and crease it. Then I continue to fold it until I get it tight against the ribs.
All that remains now is to carefully fold the open ends in like manner. If done carefully this produces a seal that does not allow any sauce to escape while cooking. It took me a few attempts to perfect this. It also took a number of trials to get the temperature and time right.
It is best to use a thermometer to check the temperature of your oven as they do tend to vary. You want to have it at least 70 degrees C (150 F) but no more than 80 C (176 F). By all day at this temperature I mean roughly 8 hours.
The marinade is pretty simple but very effective. The amounts of each ingredient depends on how many ribs you are making and personal taste. I am usually only cooking for one so I just eyeball it and do it in a zip-lock bag so I don't need much, as I roll it up tight.
I use extra virgin olive oil with a bit of freshly squeezed lemon juice, cracked peppercorns, sea salt and some chopped garlic. I then add whatever fresh herbs I have on hand, my favourite being marjoram. Usually some thyme, parsley and basil.
The sauce is made from a tomato ketchup base. Because it is so much tastier and healthier than anything you can buy in a bottle, I ferment my own the way the original stuff was made. It is also much cheaper, especially when I have tomatoes from my garden.
It is surprisingly easy to make and because the lacto-fermentation process acts as a preservative it keeps forever. I use a recipe from Nourishing Traditions, which is a book that I find absolutely indispensable around my kitchen.
Here are the participants in the sauce:
2 cups ketchup (preferably home fermented)
1 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup of molasses
1/2 cup of apple cider
small onion
1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tsp salt
fresh ground pepper to taste
a bunch of fresh thyme leaves
I just chop the onion finely and saute in the oil for several minutes on fairly low heat. Then turn it up to medium add the vinegar and boil it for about 5 minutes to reduce the sauce. Add the other liquids and spices and simmer for about 10 minutes. If it is a tad thick I add a little water to thin.
If you make the sauce with lacto-fermented ketchup it will keep in the fridge for months. Otherwise you can freeze it. I used to freeze mine and I would take it out and thaw it when needed. Then I would refreeze it with no noticeable effect on its quality.
I can certainly relate to that as it took me a fair bit of research and experimentation to develop a simple method for insuring a delightful meal every time. The difference between good ribs and great ribs lies in the marinade and the sauce.
This stands true for both a delectable flavor and a juicy, tender texture. I have seen a variety of methods to slow cook beef ribs. Some as simple as throwing them in a crock pot to some very elaborate setups to maintain the desired temperature and keep in the moisture during the long cooking time.
To begin with you want to get some quality ribs from grass fed cows, which get to roam around and are not raised in crowded pens. The local farmer whom I get my humanely raised beef from sells short ribs for $4.00 per pound. As I have explained in other articles on cheap healthy meals, you don't need a big piece of meat.
By making sides with homemade stock you can have nutritious, inexpensive meals without using much meat. Hence, I typically use about 4/10 lbs, which is about $1.60 worth of meat per serving. With a side of basmati rice or lentils and a good portion of vegetables I am usually quite satiated.
For you big meat eaters even if you doubled the portion it still is only a bit over $3.00 for a serving. A paltry sum compared to what you pay even in a relatively inexpensive rib joint.
Of all the methods I have studied and tried, I find slow cooking the ribs in the oven to be the simplest and the best. First of all to insure that they are tender and tasty I marinate them in the fridge for anywhere from 24 to 48 hours.
Then, I cook them all day in the oven at a low temperature. To keep them moist and full of flavor I drench them in sauce and wrap them tightly in heavy duty aluminium foil. If you only have regular foil you can just double it.
With the shiny side down I place them in the middle of a piece of foil with about 6 inches of extra at each end. I pick up the sides, even them up and make about a 1/2 in. fold and crease it. Then I continue to fold it until I get it tight against the ribs.
All that remains now is to carefully fold the open ends in like manner. If done carefully this produces a seal that does not allow any sauce to escape while cooking. It took me a few attempts to perfect this. It also took a number of trials to get the temperature and time right.
It is best to use a thermometer to check the temperature of your oven as they do tend to vary. You want to have it at least 70 degrees C (150 F) but no more than 80 C (176 F). By all day at this temperature I mean roughly 8 hours.
The marinade is pretty simple but very effective. The amounts of each ingredient depends on how many ribs you are making and personal taste. I am usually only cooking for one so I just eyeball it and do it in a zip-lock bag so I don't need much, as I roll it up tight.
I use extra virgin olive oil with a bit of freshly squeezed lemon juice, cracked peppercorns, sea salt and some chopped garlic. I then add whatever fresh herbs I have on hand, my favourite being marjoram. Usually some thyme, parsley and basil.
The sauce is made from a tomato ketchup base. Because it is so much tastier and healthier than anything you can buy in a bottle, I ferment my own the way the original stuff was made. It is also much cheaper, especially when I have tomatoes from my garden.
It is surprisingly easy to make and because the lacto-fermentation process acts as a preservative it keeps forever. I use a recipe from Nourishing Traditions, which is a book that I find absolutely indispensable around my kitchen.
Here are the participants in the sauce:
2 cups ketchup (preferably home fermented)
1 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup of molasses
1/2 cup of apple cider
small onion
1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tsp salt
fresh ground pepper to taste
a bunch of fresh thyme leaves
I just chop the onion finely and saute in the oil for several minutes on fairly low heat. Then turn it up to medium add the vinegar and boil it for about 5 minutes to reduce the sauce. Add the other liquids and spices and simmer for about 10 minutes. If it is a tad thick I add a little water to thin.
If you make the sauce with lacto-fermented ketchup it will keep in the fridge for months. Otherwise you can freeze it. I used to freeze mine and I would take it out and thaw it when needed. Then I would refreeze it with no noticeable effect on its quality.
Check on what you are feeding yourself
Whether you just got humiliated in a meeting or had an embarrassing moment where you were not confident enough to join a conversation because of your bad breath, it is likely that you are reading this because you want to end your misery once and for all. Bad breath should not be the end of your career, there are actually simple ways to avoid or eliminate it. However, the hardest part for most is the execution of the solution. The reason being is because most of the solution will require you to change one or two of your dirty habits. And as human as we are, not all of us have self-discipline and the will to do it.
The following are the top 3 habits that you need to stop if you want to avoid bad breath.
Check on what you are feeding yourself.
If you are not aware yet, bad breath can be a sign that something is not right in your intestines or digestive tract so it very important that you make sure that you are eating right. Improper diet will only cause deficiency in good intestinal flora and stomach problems. In order to avoid this, you must make sure that you include nuts, raw and cooked vegetables, fruits, and grains in your daily diet. Stay away from white sugar, bleached flour and other refined carbohydrate foods, and spices such as onions, and garlic. However, it is not new to us that these spices also have significant benefits to our body. So if it is unavoidable to not use them then just make sure that you brush and rinse right after eating to avoid the build-up.
Say no to coffee, wine, whiskey and other alcoholic drinks as much as possible. Those that are committed to healthy living and prefer to drink tea instead of coffee or water instead of wine and whiskey, are already half way there. Others that like their drink however, will need to be aware of what they are getting themselves into every time they take a sip. These beverages leave a residue that will attach to the plaque and will later on infiltrate the digestive tract.
Avoid stress at all costs. There is a reason why stress is one of the most notorious causes of major illnesses. It is because it can cause serious damage on our overall health and that includes our digestive system. You must also make sure that you will not be deficient in Vitamins B, C, and Zinc as some of the supplements for these deficiencies can also cause bad breath.
Eliminating bad breath completely can be quite a mission but it is up to you if you want to incorporate it in your lifestyle or get rid of it for the better. Using a combination of quality oral care products is important to insure you are not making the problem worse. Brushing with xylitol-based paste, gargling with a non-alcoholic mouthwash and cleaning the tongue with a gentle yet effective tongue scraper is what you want to shoot for. Bottom line, just put some effort into it and this problem will get under control in no time.
The following are the top 3 habits that you need to stop if you want to avoid bad breath.
Check on what you are feeding yourself.
If you are not aware yet, bad breath can be a sign that something is not right in your intestines or digestive tract so it very important that you make sure that you are eating right. Improper diet will only cause deficiency in good intestinal flora and stomach problems. In order to avoid this, you must make sure that you include nuts, raw and cooked vegetables, fruits, and grains in your daily diet. Stay away from white sugar, bleached flour and other refined carbohydrate foods, and spices such as onions, and garlic. However, it is not new to us that these spices also have significant benefits to our body. So if it is unavoidable to not use them then just make sure that you brush and rinse right after eating to avoid the build-up.
Say no to coffee, wine, whiskey and other alcoholic drinks as much as possible. Those that are committed to healthy living and prefer to drink tea instead of coffee or water instead of wine and whiskey, are already half way there. Others that like their drink however, will need to be aware of what they are getting themselves into every time they take a sip. These beverages leave a residue that will attach to the plaque and will later on infiltrate the digestive tract.
Avoid stress at all costs. There is a reason why stress is one of the most notorious causes of major illnesses. It is because it can cause serious damage on our overall health and that includes our digestive system. You must also make sure that you will not be deficient in Vitamins B, C, and Zinc as some of the supplements for these deficiencies can also cause bad breath.
Eliminating bad breath completely can be quite a mission but it is up to you if you want to incorporate it in your lifestyle or get rid of it for the better. Using a combination of quality oral care products is important to insure you are not making the problem worse. Brushing with xylitol-based paste, gargling with a non-alcoholic mouthwash and cleaning the tongue with a gentle yet effective tongue scraper is what you want to shoot for. Bottom line, just put some effort into it and this problem will get under control in no time.
Monday, October 29, 2012
Choosing Optimal Health
Today I was giving a speech entitled It Pays to Be Healthy to a group of professionals and entrepreneurs. The point of my talk was about making our health a priority. As entrepreneurs, our health and our bodies were important assets. I endorsed the concept of investing in our health, as our bodies were great assets.
I acknowledged that there are some genetic predispositions that may make achieving optimal health more challenging. Nevertheless, what we can take responsibility for, we should do so. Given that there are some things that we cannot control, we should focus on the ones that we can.
A woman in the audience came up to me and told me an amazing story. She is an active, busy professional. She has been "into health" her entire adult life. She is trim, active, energetic, and she relishes all of the rewards she reaps for having chosen to make her health a priority.
As an adopted person, she always knew that without any knowledge of her family health history, living in her body as healthfully and responsibly as possible was the smartest path.
Well into her adult years, she met for the first time her birth mother and her sister. They are both morbidly overweight and have diabetes. She shared with me her own discovery of how much at risk she could have potentially been in had she grown up in that family with their values.
Many people buy into their family health history as if it was a done deal. This has certainly been my experience as a health coach. People often say that their mother, their aunt, their grandmother and other family members have had XYZ disease (cardiovascular, cancer, diabetes for example) so they figured that they would too.
I have often believed that what people inherit in addition to the genetic factor, are habits and beliefs. This woman today showed me a glorious illustration what can happen when we choose health, in spite of our family history.
Rosie Bank is a Certified Nutrition and Wellness Consultant (AFPA) and maintains a practice, counseling groups and individuals in person and via webinars. Rosie's monthly webinar is entitled Feel Great Lose Weight.
I acknowledged that there are some genetic predispositions that may make achieving optimal health more challenging. Nevertheless, what we can take responsibility for, we should do so. Given that there are some things that we cannot control, we should focus on the ones that we can.
A woman in the audience came up to me and told me an amazing story. She is an active, busy professional. She has been "into health" her entire adult life. She is trim, active, energetic, and she relishes all of the rewards she reaps for having chosen to make her health a priority.
As an adopted person, she always knew that without any knowledge of her family health history, living in her body as healthfully and responsibly as possible was the smartest path.
Well into her adult years, she met for the first time her birth mother and her sister. They are both morbidly overweight and have diabetes. She shared with me her own discovery of how much at risk she could have potentially been in had she grown up in that family with their values.
Many people buy into their family health history as if it was a done deal. This has certainly been my experience as a health coach. People often say that their mother, their aunt, their grandmother and other family members have had XYZ disease (cardiovascular, cancer, diabetes for example) so they figured that they would too.
I have often believed that what people inherit in addition to the genetic factor, are habits and beliefs. This woman today showed me a glorious illustration what can happen when we choose health, in spite of our family history.
Rosie Bank is a Certified Nutrition and Wellness Consultant (AFPA) and maintains a practice, counseling groups and individuals in person and via webinars. Rosie's monthly webinar is entitled Feel Great Lose Weight.
Type 2 Diabetes - Do High Blood Sugar Levels During Pregnancy Affect the Baby's Intellect?
Diabetic women can find it particularly difficult to keep their blood sugar levels under control during pregnancy, and Gestational (diabetes of pregnancy) diabetes can develop in previously healthy women in response to pregnancy. Diabetes can present numerous threats to the health of both the mother and child and, according to a study from the University of Bristol in the UK, the child's intellect can be one cause for concern.
This particular study, published in August 2012 in the journal Experimental Diabetes Research, included:
6,032 four-year-olds,
5,282 eight-year-olds, and
7,615 sixteen-year-olds.
In the youngest group it was discovered pre-existing diabetes, Gestational diabetes, and high blood sugar levels were associated with lower scores on a test called the School Entry Assessment. Eight-year-olds whose mothers had diabetes or high blood sugar levels during their pregnancy, had lower IQ scores than their colleagues whose mothers had normal blood sugar levels during pregnancy.
The British General Certificate of Secondary Education results were lower in sixteen-year-olds whose mothers had been diagnosed with Gestational diabetes or who had high blood sugar levels during pregnancy than in those whose mothers had demonstrated normal blood sugar levels. Children of mothers with Gestational diabetes averaged 5 points lower on IQ tests than children of mothers with normal blood sugar levels.
Hormonal changes that take place during pregnancy can cause temporary diabetes to develop in women who never had diabetes before. Pregnancy hormones can block insulin from doing its job, which is what causes Type 2 diabetes. After giving birth, women who have had Gestational diabetes are at a high risk for developing Type 2 diabetes later on.
Babies of women with Type 2 diabetes can be born overweight because of all the sugar they were exposed to in the womb, causing them to be at risk for obesity and Type 2 diabetes their whole lives. Because the infants are sometimes overweight, childbirth can be difficult, and the baby can suffer fractured shoulders passing down the birth canal, or have to be delivered by Caesarian section. Heart defects are also more common in infants of mothers with Gestational diabetes.
To prevent Gestational diabetes start your pregnancy in a healthy state: normalize your weight and eat a good variety of fruits and vegetables, as well as exercising daily. Obstetricians perform a glucose tolerance test to find cases of Gestational diabetes. If it is diagnosed, follow your doctor or midwife's instructions as to diet, exercise, and medical care. Give your baby the best possible start.
Type 2 diabetes is no longer a condition you must just live with. It need not slowly and inevitably get worse. You can take control of the disease... lower your blood sugar levels and lose weight. This is especially important prior to and during pregnancy.
This particular study, published in August 2012 in the journal Experimental Diabetes Research, included:
6,032 four-year-olds,
5,282 eight-year-olds, and
7,615 sixteen-year-olds.
In the youngest group it was discovered pre-existing diabetes, Gestational diabetes, and high blood sugar levels were associated with lower scores on a test called the School Entry Assessment. Eight-year-olds whose mothers had diabetes or high blood sugar levels during their pregnancy, had lower IQ scores than their colleagues whose mothers had normal blood sugar levels during pregnancy.
The British General Certificate of Secondary Education results were lower in sixteen-year-olds whose mothers had been diagnosed with Gestational diabetes or who had high blood sugar levels during pregnancy than in those whose mothers had demonstrated normal blood sugar levels. Children of mothers with Gestational diabetes averaged 5 points lower on IQ tests than children of mothers with normal blood sugar levels.
Hormonal changes that take place during pregnancy can cause temporary diabetes to develop in women who never had diabetes before. Pregnancy hormones can block insulin from doing its job, which is what causes Type 2 diabetes. After giving birth, women who have had Gestational diabetes are at a high risk for developing Type 2 diabetes later on.
Babies of women with Type 2 diabetes can be born overweight because of all the sugar they were exposed to in the womb, causing them to be at risk for obesity and Type 2 diabetes their whole lives. Because the infants are sometimes overweight, childbirth can be difficult, and the baby can suffer fractured shoulders passing down the birth canal, or have to be delivered by Caesarian section. Heart defects are also more common in infants of mothers with Gestational diabetes.
To prevent Gestational diabetes start your pregnancy in a healthy state: normalize your weight and eat a good variety of fruits and vegetables, as well as exercising daily. Obstetricians perform a glucose tolerance test to find cases of Gestational diabetes. If it is diagnosed, follow your doctor or midwife's instructions as to diet, exercise, and medical care. Give your baby the best possible start.
Type 2 diabetes is no longer a condition you must just live with. It need not slowly and inevitably get worse. You can take control of the disease... lower your blood sugar levels and lose weight. This is especially important prior to and during pregnancy.
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
How to Begin Editing Our Karma? [Part 13] Star Charts for Our Moments
It is through a soulful link to our spirit and through the underlying principle that, though each challenge comes uninvited and is always most inopportune, we need to 'actively' accept all our disappointments and setbacks with an open heart. Accepting under duress and acquiring a 'poor me' victim status are not viable options. It doesn't score us any points but this resentful passivity does make us sick. It forces us to make mistakes - sometimes irreparable ones.
A Star Chart To Rate Our 'Now' Moments
When we embark on a healthier lifestyle, unless we are unwell, it is not because we anticipate benefits 'now'. We do so mostly in a bid to ensure a healthy future, as if good health were synonymous with long life and with satisfying, happy, long life.
We plan 'the future', as if we knew what the future would look like by the time it becomes the 'now' moment under our feet.
On the heels of the first universal misconception discussed in Who's in charge of this mess? comes another enduring, misguided endeavour which is also millennia-old. It is that of interpreting moments and circumstances, our own actions, as well as those of others, through 'glasses' that are seldom rose-tainted. More often than not, they are gray, if not downright bleak black. Like the children that, deep inside, we forever remain, we habitually slot events into three categories:
1. good= euphoric, bubbly, feel-good stuff = a reward
2. bad = low, dark, feel-bad stuff = an undeserved hardship
3. Indifferent= better luck next time. Whatever!
Interestingly, we are as equally surprised when something 'good' comes our way as something 'bad'. We accept God's plan, but mostly resentfully. We swallow our bad luck if only to not wallow in it for too long. We pump the air in a gesture of exalted thanks aimed at Good fortune on the rare occasions she deigns to drop something 'amazing' or 'awesome' on our lap.
For those of us who choose to believe in the theory of karma, the only alternative to that being that life is random, the truth of the matter is that the moments, events, circumstances, actions and re-actions that pop into our awareness should always be considered neutral - as neutral as a rainfall. They should be considered as mere 'happenings' of the sort that happen to the best of us as they do to the worst of us, but always for a [karmic] reason.
Bottom line:our thoughts and our actions cause effects in our lives. These effects can be compared to ripples. Ripples, in themselves are neutral. They merely... ripple and eventually they dissolve. But before we can aspire reaching past first step on the continuum that leads to contentment, it is up to us to align our thoughts and our actions with an inner process that, generally speaking, our ancestors have failed to develop correctly. What some of them had understood of that inner process has been long lost in our race's struggle to 'achieve' and to 'be someone'.
Some years ago, while trying to clarify a point on a forum I was moderating, I came up with a little analogy that has helped me understand better the relationship between the soul - pure, clean energy - and the ego-persona/energy field. It went like this:
Imagine a pond and, lying at the bottom of this pond, there is a quartz crystal. This crystal has been there for quite some time and, peering at it from the edge of the pond, it appears dingy green, perhaps from pond slime.
In my mind, our ego/ego-persona/our energy field is symbolized by the murky pond water while the crystal symbolizes the soul, always of pure energy - always. Yet, in spite of its diamond-like inherent purity it is unable to shine, to guide us, through the turbulence created by the emotional murky clutter reflected generated by our undisciplined ego. This state of affairs results in degrees of negative energy clouding our energy field. From this stems our pre-conditioned responses to the 'now' moments as they present themselves in their natural, neutral state.
While I was working this out, I initially thought that the crystal WAS green because it had become contaminated by pond slime. Thus, I thought what needed to be done was scrub that crystal clean to allow it to shine freely, as crystals do - but I was wrong. The crystal, our soul, NEVER becomes impure or contaminated. It always remains pure energy. It is just that its energy cannot shine through the stagnant water of the pond.
So what needs to be done is simply purify that water till it is all clear and then the crystal's energy and brilliance can radiate through the water, all the way to the surface, even as it remains at the bottom of the pond.
When interviewed on the topic of how successfully he managed his own temper, the Dalai Lama explained, "You see when I get angry or irritated due to very small mistakes of some other people, then I just express that and then finish, but sometime when it is a more serious form of anger, I try to separate myself from anger, then watch my anger, that emotion... then immediately the strength of anger diminishes. [... ]
You cannot have some sort of special practice for each case, but you must build your basic mental attitude in a healthy way, like in the case of a healthy body where, if the immune system is strong, then some virus or germs can't disturb you much, so similarly, your mental attitude has to be calm, then, if some disturbances come, even if some negative emotions come, they remain for a very short period, all the emotions remain on the surface, and do not disturb much, in depth."
Though I am not a Buddhist and though I do not dabble in any fashionable ersatz of Buddhism, I can but assume that the special practice to which the Dalai Lama was alluding could be but a variation ofBeing quiet - Accepting - Being Grateful - and transmuting the emotion of anger to that of universal Love,not necessarilyfor the person in front of him, but for the soul prisoner of that body-suit of flesh and fluids. And that transmuting of emotions amounts to cleaning out the pond water so that the crystal symbolizing the soul can shine through our emotional clutter and turmoil, and be reflected on the mirror-surface of the ego.
A Star Chart To Rate Our 'Now' Moments
When we embark on a healthier lifestyle, unless we are unwell, it is not because we anticipate benefits 'now'. We do so mostly in a bid to ensure a healthy future, as if good health were synonymous with long life and with satisfying, happy, long life.
We plan 'the future', as if we knew what the future would look like by the time it becomes the 'now' moment under our feet.
On the heels of the first universal misconception discussed in Who's in charge of this mess? comes another enduring, misguided endeavour which is also millennia-old. It is that of interpreting moments and circumstances, our own actions, as well as those of others, through 'glasses' that are seldom rose-tainted. More often than not, they are gray, if not downright bleak black. Like the children that, deep inside, we forever remain, we habitually slot events into three categories:
1. good= euphoric, bubbly, feel-good stuff = a reward
2. bad = low, dark, feel-bad stuff = an undeserved hardship
3. Indifferent= better luck next time. Whatever!
Interestingly, we are as equally surprised when something 'good' comes our way as something 'bad'. We accept God's plan, but mostly resentfully. We swallow our bad luck if only to not wallow in it for too long. We pump the air in a gesture of exalted thanks aimed at Good fortune on the rare occasions she deigns to drop something 'amazing' or 'awesome' on our lap.
For those of us who choose to believe in the theory of karma, the only alternative to that being that life is random, the truth of the matter is that the moments, events, circumstances, actions and re-actions that pop into our awareness should always be considered neutral - as neutral as a rainfall. They should be considered as mere 'happenings' of the sort that happen to the best of us as they do to the worst of us, but always for a [karmic] reason.
Bottom line:our thoughts and our actions cause effects in our lives. These effects can be compared to ripples. Ripples, in themselves are neutral. They merely... ripple and eventually they dissolve. But before we can aspire reaching past first step on the continuum that leads to contentment, it is up to us to align our thoughts and our actions with an inner process that, generally speaking, our ancestors have failed to develop correctly. What some of them had understood of that inner process has been long lost in our race's struggle to 'achieve' and to 'be someone'.
Some years ago, while trying to clarify a point on a forum I was moderating, I came up with a little analogy that has helped me understand better the relationship between the soul - pure, clean energy - and the ego-persona/energy field. It went like this:
Imagine a pond and, lying at the bottom of this pond, there is a quartz crystal. This crystal has been there for quite some time and, peering at it from the edge of the pond, it appears dingy green, perhaps from pond slime.
In my mind, our ego/ego-persona/our energy field is symbolized by the murky pond water while the crystal symbolizes the soul, always of pure energy - always. Yet, in spite of its diamond-like inherent purity it is unable to shine, to guide us, through the turbulence created by the emotional murky clutter reflected generated by our undisciplined ego. This state of affairs results in degrees of negative energy clouding our energy field. From this stems our pre-conditioned responses to the 'now' moments as they present themselves in their natural, neutral state.
While I was working this out, I initially thought that the crystal WAS green because it had become contaminated by pond slime. Thus, I thought what needed to be done was scrub that crystal clean to allow it to shine freely, as crystals do - but I was wrong. The crystal, our soul, NEVER becomes impure or contaminated. It always remains pure energy. It is just that its energy cannot shine through the stagnant water of the pond.
So what needs to be done is simply purify that water till it is all clear and then the crystal's energy and brilliance can radiate through the water, all the way to the surface, even as it remains at the bottom of the pond.
When interviewed on the topic of how successfully he managed his own temper, the Dalai Lama explained, "You see when I get angry or irritated due to very small mistakes of some other people, then I just express that and then finish, but sometime when it is a more serious form of anger, I try to separate myself from anger, then watch my anger, that emotion... then immediately the strength of anger diminishes. [... ]
You cannot have some sort of special practice for each case, but you must build your basic mental attitude in a healthy way, like in the case of a healthy body where, if the immune system is strong, then some virus or germs can't disturb you much, so similarly, your mental attitude has to be calm, then, if some disturbances come, even if some negative emotions come, they remain for a very short period, all the emotions remain on the surface, and do not disturb much, in depth."
Though I am not a Buddhist and though I do not dabble in any fashionable ersatz of Buddhism, I can but assume that the special practice to which the Dalai Lama was alluding could be but a variation ofBeing quiet - Accepting - Being Grateful - and transmuting the emotion of anger to that of universal Love,not necessarilyfor the person in front of him, but for the soul prisoner of that body-suit of flesh and fluids. And that transmuting of emotions amounts to cleaning out the pond water so that the crystal symbolizing the soul can shine through our emotional clutter and turmoil, and be reflected on the mirror-surface of the ego.
Monday, October 8, 2012
Do you need to take high blood pressure medication for the rest of your life?
Hypertension is the medical name for the condition, the systolic and diastolic blood pressure continues to rise. The World Health Organization has set up these pressures are considered to be "normal" level. This is a 120/80. If you have high blood pressure, doctors will try to use certain types of drugs to control it. This can only manage your condition does not get its reasons. It does not disappear, it will come back, if you stop taking the medication, but it does not have to be like this.
There are some simple things you can do to reduce high BP readings may also quit their drug has been prescribed.
You need for the rest of your life hypertension drugs?
This is a common question asked the doctor, the answer is usually: as the case may be. It depends on you!
Whether you are taking high blood pressure drugs destined to increasing doses of the rest of your life, or you successfully weaned from these drugs depends on whether you take responsibility and do something positive about your condition.
If you just want to take birth control pills, the doctor gave you and your life, as it is now, then you choose antihypertensive drugs for the rest of your life.
On the other hand, you have to take effective action, if you want to lower your high blood pressure to normal levels, and was successfully weaned off medication.
How to become successful weaning hypertension drugs
The first step in this process is to understand your condition is not a disease. This is an important sign to tell you, there is nothing wrong with your body. Fortunately, most of the conditions caused by hypertension simple but important lifestyle changes respond.
Lifestyle changes in order to reduce high blood pressure:
# 1. A healthy and balanced diet
A healthy and balanced diet:
High variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and nuts,
Low, sodium, and
Little or no trans fat or high in processed foods low in saturated fat.
Your body needs about two liters of water a day, normal operation, and proper hydration. Green tea, which has been shown to reduce hypertension, may be formed with some of the requirements of the the fluid. Sugary carbonated drinks should be avoided, as these have been shown to contribute to high blood pressure.
# 2. Become more active
Many studies have shown that 30 to 45 minutes of cardiovascular exercise a day can reduce high blood pressure. The best form of exercise is walking in a fast-paced, so your heart rate elevated. If you can not exercise this period of time, two 20-minute meeting, would be useful.
Diet and exercise are the two most important factors in reducing hypertension. They led a joint application to the next most important factor, that is:
# 3. Lose weight
There is a direct correlation between overweight and hypertension. A healthy diet and regular exercise can help you lose weight, reducing high blood pressure.
# 4. Quit smoking
If you are a smoker, you are trying to lower your blood pressure is high, effectively an arm behind his back. Every time you smoke, your body releases adrenaline. This hormone causes a short-term rise in blood pressure. This reaction by our ancestors, to boost the energy they need to escape from a dangerous situation or to defend himself.
There are other health risks associated with smoking, also cause high blood pressure. Smoking causes your arteries "Long Hair". This makes it harder for your blood flow, causing high blood pressure.
Smoking atherosclerosis and arterial hardening lining and smooth muscle, so that they lose their elasticity in your blood vessels is damaged. In turn, this will lead to high blood pressure.
# 5. Reduce alcohol consumption
There is some evidence to support by relaxing our opinion, limited alcohol consumption reduce hypertension. The bar is very low. This is just one unit of alcohol a day, two units a day for women and men. Than this high consumption may lead to weight gain and high blood pressure.
# 6. Relax
Relaxation can be active or passive. This might read a book or listen to some music as simple. Squelch Your simple-minded meditation is also very effective way to reduce high blood pressure
These simple lifestyle changes, you will not have to take high blood pressure drugs the rest of your life - but only if you choose to take effective action to reduce your high blood pressure.
There are some simple things you can do to reduce high BP readings may also quit their drug has been prescribed.
You need for the rest of your life hypertension drugs?
This is a common question asked the doctor, the answer is usually: as the case may be. It depends on you!
Whether you are taking high blood pressure drugs destined to increasing doses of the rest of your life, or you successfully weaned from these drugs depends on whether you take responsibility and do something positive about your condition.
If you just want to take birth control pills, the doctor gave you and your life, as it is now, then you choose antihypertensive drugs for the rest of your life.
On the other hand, you have to take effective action, if you want to lower your high blood pressure to normal levels, and was successfully weaned off medication.
How to become successful weaning hypertension drugs
The first step in this process is to understand your condition is not a disease. This is an important sign to tell you, there is nothing wrong with your body. Fortunately, most of the conditions caused by hypertension simple but important lifestyle changes respond.
Lifestyle changes in order to reduce high blood pressure:
# 1. A healthy and balanced diet
A healthy and balanced diet:
High variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and nuts,
Low, sodium, and
Little or no trans fat or high in processed foods low in saturated fat.
Your body needs about two liters of water a day, normal operation, and proper hydration. Green tea, which has been shown to reduce hypertension, may be formed with some of the requirements of the the fluid. Sugary carbonated drinks should be avoided, as these have been shown to contribute to high blood pressure.
# 2. Become more active
Many studies have shown that 30 to 45 minutes of cardiovascular exercise a day can reduce high blood pressure. The best form of exercise is walking in a fast-paced, so your heart rate elevated. If you can not exercise this period of time, two 20-minute meeting, would be useful.
Diet and exercise are the two most important factors in reducing hypertension. They led a joint application to the next most important factor, that is:
# 3. Lose weight
There is a direct correlation between overweight and hypertension. A healthy diet and regular exercise can help you lose weight, reducing high blood pressure.
# 4. Quit smoking
If you are a smoker, you are trying to lower your blood pressure is high, effectively an arm behind his back. Every time you smoke, your body releases adrenaline. This hormone causes a short-term rise in blood pressure. This reaction by our ancestors, to boost the energy they need to escape from a dangerous situation or to defend himself.
There are other health risks associated with smoking, also cause high blood pressure. Smoking causes your arteries "Long Hair". This makes it harder for your blood flow, causing high blood pressure.
Smoking atherosclerosis and arterial hardening lining and smooth muscle, so that they lose their elasticity in your blood vessels is damaged. In turn, this will lead to high blood pressure.
# 5. Reduce alcohol consumption
There is some evidence to support by relaxing our opinion, limited alcohol consumption reduce hypertension. The bar is very low. This is just one unit of alcohol a day, two units a day for women and men. Than this high consumption may lead to weight gain and high blood pressure.
# 6. Relax
Relaxation can be active or passive. This might read a book or listen to some music as simple. Squelch Your simple-minded meditation is also very effective way to reduce high blood pressure
These simple lifestyle changes, you will not have to take high blood pressure drugs the rest of your life - but only if you choose to take effective action to reduce your high blood pressure.
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