In this day and age who hasn't had at least the occasional bout with anxiety? Some people deal with it on a daily basis and for some it blows up into a full blow anxiety disorder. Whatever the case may be for you just know that you're not alone and that you don't have to live your life constantly hopped up on sedatives or even turn to alcohol just to relax. Here is a list that I have complied of natural alternatives to benzodiazepines/antidepressants
1) Chamomile- This herb has been used as a traditional medicine dating back thousands of years. You can drink it as a soothing tea or take it in a capsule form. Large doses may causes drowsiness. I personally have enjoyed chamomile found in the drink neurobliss for stress relief. A small number of people may be allergic to chamomile so start in small doses.
2) L-Theanine is an amino acid (found naturally in green tea) that helps transmit nerve impulses in the brain. I personally love the chewable l-theanine by the brand natural factors.
3) Hops is frequently used for those who suffer from insomnia that is partnered with anxiety.
4) Valerian aids in falling asleep and helps with relaxation. When I personally tried it I awoke 1 hour after I took it and had heart palpitations which I later learned is a reaction some people have. I no longer use it but still wanted to include it since it has helped many others.
5) Lemon Balm helps to increase calmness and awareness.
6) Exercise---a no brainer! Even if you're out of shape or tired just start by walking 10-15 minutes every day and then add 1 minute onto your plan every day. Or you could also start out slow by trying yoga or tai chi.
7) EFT, which stands for Emotional Freedom Technique is a great way to clear your energy field and release stuck emotions. I don't want to divert too much into EFT in this article but I suggest that you look it up on youtube and google it. Brad Yates is one of my favorites and he has a long list of youtube videos.
8) Passionflower is a favorite of mine. It tastes great when you drink it as a tea. I mix mine half and half with lemonade and it turns into a great afternoon stress-buster!
9) Lavender comes in an essential oil form that can be dabbed onto your pressure points or taken in a soft gel form. It can be used at any time of the day that you'd like to relax and doesn't seem to have any side effects.
10) Take a deep breath in on 7 counts and then breath out on 11 counts. It's easy to remember, just think instead of "taking 5" take 7-11.
11) Eat something! Sometimes low blood sugar can be the cause of your anxiety. It's best to eat every 2-3 hours and keep your blood sugar levels stable. When the sugar levels dip too low the body shoots out adrenaline which then leads to anxiety. Many may be suffering from hypoglycemia and not even realize it and think that they are just dealing with a case of the nerves.
I hope that this gets you off to a good start and feel free to post any comments or questions in the comments below!
Monday, May 19, 2014
Intro to the forms that Herbs come in
Herbs
The fact that herbs have stood the test of time has something to say about the value that they carry. If you were to travel the world you would discover that many more cultures than you would have imagined rely heavily on the use of herbs in their treatment. Here in U.S.A. we have been led to believe that a small amount of medicines are it and that we need to look no further. Herbs are still very modern though since scientists around the world are always working on developing new, more powerful medicine. It may be overwhelming to go into your local health store and search for the right herbs for you. Here is a quick overview for you to learn about the common forms that herbs come in.
1) Bulk- Bulk herb is raw, dried plant material. This may be something beneficial for those who enjoy making their own blended herbal teas. You can make herbal elixirs with bulk herbs as well. It's usually sold by the ounce and kept in jars or bins in health food stores or street markets.
2) Capsules and tablets- These are often preferred since they are easy to travel with and already have been divided into an exact dosage. Both capsules and tablets contain the powdered herb.
3)Essential oils- These are highly concentrated liquid essences that is used in aromatherapy. You can get an empty carrier bottle and mix different oils to create your own fragrance. Essential oils can lift your mood, ease anxiety, help to clear your sinuses, or even be added to a bubble bath or a liquid body wash. Here are some essential oils with health benefits.
Peppermint- Used to soothe nausea and other stomach issues, help stop itching,and cool overworked muscles(thanks to the menthol). Add drops of peppermint oil to a bowl of hot water and breathe in steam to fight congestion, or rub diluted oil into sore muscles. It's ideal for a mid-afternoon pick-me-up.
Lavender- It has antibacterial and acts like a virtual first aid kit in a bottle.
Sesame-
Rose- improves hormone balance, helps treat PMS and menopause, and improves the look of your skin
Geranium oil- helps to treat acne and oily skin, boost circulation, and decrease bloating. The oil can reduce the appearance of scars and blemishes, get rid of body odor, and contract blood vessels to diminish the appearance of lines and wrinkles.
4) Teas- Teas take 3 forms: beverage teas , infusions,and decoctions. Beverage teas typically steep for a minute or two. Infusions are prepared like teas but steep longer (until boiling water cools) to draw out more of the plants constituents. Decoctions require simmering the plant material in boiling water for 10-20 minutes or soaking in cold water overnight.
The fact that herbs have stood the test of time has something to say about the value that they carry. If you were to travel the world you would discover that many more cultures than you would have imagined rely heavily on the use of herbs in their treatment. Here in U.S.A. we have been led to believe that a small amount of medicines are it and that we need to look no further. Herbs are still very modern though since scientists around the world are always working on developing new, more powerful medicine. It may be overwhelming to go into your local health store and search for the right herbs for you. Here is a quick overview for you to learn about the common forms that herbs come in.
1) Bulk- Bulk herb is raw, dried plant material. This may be something beneficial for those who enjoy making their own blended herbal teas. You can make herbal elixirs with bulk herbs as well. It's usually sold by the ounce and kept in jars or bins in health food stores or street markets.
2) Capsules and tablets- These are often preferred since they are easy to travel with and already have been divided into an exact dosage. Both capsules and tablets contain the powdered herb.
3)Essential oils- These are highly concentrated liquid essences that is used in aromatherapy. You can get an empty carrier bottle and mix different oils to create your own fragrance. Essential oils can lift your mood, ease anxiety, help to clear your sinuses, or even be added to a bubble bath or a liquid body wash. Here are some essential oils with health benefits.
Peppermint- Used to soothe nausea and other stomach issues, help stop itching,and cool overworked muscles(thanks to the menthol). Add drops of peppermint oil to a bowl of hot water and breathe in steam to fight congestion, or rub diluted oil into sore muscles. It's ideal for a mid-afternoon pick-me-up.
Lavender- It has antibacterial and acts like a virtual first aid kit in a bottle.
Sesame-
Rose- improves hormone balance, helps treat PMS and menopause, and improves the look of your skin
Geranium oil- helps to treat acne and oily skin, boost circulation, and decrease bloating. The oil can reduce the appearance of scars and blemishes, get rid of body odor, and contract blood vessels to diminish the appearance of lines and wrinkles.
4) Teas- Teas take 3 forms: beverage teas , infusions,and decoctions. Beverage teas typically steep for a minute or two. Infusions are prepared like teas but steep longer (until boiling water cools) to draw out more of the plants constituents. Decoctions require simmering the plant material in boiling water for 10-20 minutes or soaking in cold water overnight.
Creator's Whisper
Searching through this desert called life
A master of love sabotage
Finding nothing but a mirage
More confusion from another disillusion
Naked and quivering there
I slowly melt
My flesh falls off
All is null and void
Time is destroyed
Clocks spinning forwards and backwards
My bones bow and bend
I need a godsend
I hear whispers from Lucifer
As I fall on my knees
Begging and pleading
Creator save me
Take me high when I'm low
Build me up when I break and bow
In the eyes of my Creator
I am a woman yet I am but a child
I ask only simple questions
Where are you and where is my ascension?
Who steers this ship called existence?
All have forsaken me but the stillness
Then a voice whispered through my illness....
I am you and you are me
Be still my beloved
You must only search as far as your own reflection
You will see me there
A master of love sabotage
Finding nothing but a mirage
More confusion from another disillusion
Naked and quivering there
I slowly melt
My flesh falls off
All is null and void
Time is destroyed
Clocks spinning forwards and backwards
My bones bow and bend
I need a godsend
I hear whispers from Lucifer
As I fall on my knees
Begging and pleading
Creator save me
Take me high when I'm low
Build me up when I break and bow
In the eyes of my Creator
I am a woman yet I am but a child
I ask only simple questions
Where are you and where is my ascension?
Who steers this ship called existence?
All have forsaken me but the stillness
Then a voice whispered through my illness....
I am you and you are me
Be still my beloved
You must only search as far as your own reflection
You will see me there
Some info that you probably didn't know about thyroid health
Often touted as being a great source of iodine that is supposedly helpful for the thyroid is iodized salt. The iodized salt is BAD iodine and isn't good for you and will most likely make your thyroid issues much worse.
A helpful alternative to determine what the state of different body parts is currently at is to use muscle testing. Do general muscle testing to see how you're body reacts to the level of health in the thyroid and also it should be known that you should not avoid contact and movement in the area, stimulate the thyroid gland by firmly massaging any/all thyroid acupressure points, as well as the area itself. A stimulating and draining style of massage to the neck/ throat/ thyroid area is really good, as well as tapping of the point. This as well as firm patting on the upper chest while toning/vocalizing is really amazing to assist the thyroid in releasing the bromine, toxic iodine and other compounds that have settled there. When you do these things along with taking high iodine foods if you have been tested and know that you need to supplement with it, as well as a good quality iodine supplement that is highly bio-available for some time can be extremely beneficial and can make a tremendous difference in many ways. Lucidera kelp extract is one of the best whole food sources, or a good kelp/kelp extract that you know is sourced well.
It's possible that the people who reported negative effects of taking iodine were simply taking too much too soon, and experiencing detox symptoms which happens, similarly to when people go on a raw food or juice cleanse. It doesn't mean that the raw juice/food is harmful, it's simply allowing the body to detox harmful things from the body, this causing uncomfortable symptoms. If you do research on bromine toxicity (which a lot of people have) you'll see that the side effects are not pleasant, and if its being forced out of cells, wouldn't feel so good.
Also, not all iodine is equal. Some if good for you and some isn't. Iodine tests and thyroid results are inaccurate over half the time, so that's not reliable either. If your intuition tells you to take something, then you can just double check it simply through muscle testing. Muscle testing is probably anyone's best bet, or if you have access to some kind of advanced biofeedback device that can be handy. Even if you consume iodine your body may not be absorbing it because your thyroid is all blocked up. The thyroid can be blocked by bromine, fluoride and chlorine, and the standard thyroid tests will not distinguish between a healthy iodinated thyroid and an unhealthy brominated thyroid. Bromine is found in so much "food" especially any commercial breads and baked goods, sodas, medicines, furniture, cars, cleaning supplies, etc.....and so many people grew up drinking fluoridated water, another reason it's a good idea to take nascent iodine as it can help clear out the bromine, fluoride and chlorine from your system. Once again, muscle testing will let you know what your body needs/ how much. You can take too much, but that's why you muscle test!
The best thing to do is to do an iodine AND a bromine test. If your iodine levels show up as sufficient (especially if you have symptoms of sluggish thyroid) yet you have really high levels of bromide, that the bromide is messing with your iodine, and you really are deficient. Bromide and iodine fight for the same receptors and quite often your thyroid is full of bromines, chlorine, fluoride, etc. which blocks iodine from being used by the thyroid.
But don't take my word for it! Please do your own research and consult with your health practitioner. This article is merely to help stimulate your mind to open a little more in your search for answers on your road to recovery.
A helpful alternative to determine what the state of different body parts is currently at is to use muscle testing. Do general muscle testing to see how you're body reacts to the level of health in the thyroid and also it should be known that you should not avoid contact and movement in the area, stimulate the thyroid gland by firmly massaging any/all thyroid acupressure points, as well as the area itself. A stimulating and draining style of massage to the neck/ throat/ thyroid area is really good, as well as tapping of the point. This as well as firm patting on the upper chest while toning/vocalizing is really amazing to assist the thyroid in releasing the bromine, toxic iodine and other compounds that have settled there. When you do these things along with taking high iodine foods if you have been tested and know that you need to supplement with it, as well as a good quality iodine supplement that is highly bio-available for some time can be extremely beneficial and can make a tremendous difference in many ways. Lucidera kelp extract is one of the best whole food sources, or a good kelp/kelp extract that you know is sourced well.
It's possible that the people who reported negative effects of taking iodine were simply taking too much too soon, and experiencing detox symptoms which happens, similarly to when people go on a raw food or juice cleanse. It doesn't mean that the raw juice/food is harmful, it's simply allowing the body to detox harmful things from the body, this causing uncomfortable symptoms. If you do research on bromine toxicity (which a lot of people have) you'll see that the side effects are not pleasant, and if its being forced out of cells, wouldn't feel so good.
Also, not all iodine is equal. Some if good for you and some isn't. Iodine tests and thyroid results are inaccurate over half the time, so that's not reliable either. If your intuition tells you to take something, then you can just double check it simply through muscle testing. Muscle testing is probably anyone's best bet, or if you have access to some kind of advanced biofeedback device that can be handy. Even if you consume iodine your body may not be absorbing it because your thyroid is all blocked up. The thyroid can be blocked by bromine, fluoride and chlorine, and the standard thyroid tests will not distinguish between a healthy iodinated thyroid and an unhealthy brominated thyroid. Bromine is found in so much "food" especially any commercial breads and baked goods, sodas, medicines, furniture, cars, cleaning supplies, etc.....and so many people grew up drinking fluoridated water, another reason it's a good idea to take nascent iodine as it can help clear out the bromine, fluoride and chlorine from your system. Once again, muscle testing will let you know what your body needs/ how much. You can take too much, but that's why you muscle test!
The best thing to do is to do an iodine AND a bromine test. If your iodine levels show up as sufficient (especially if you have symptoms of sluggish thyroid) yet you have really high levels of bromide, that the bromide is messing with your iodine, and you really are deficient. Bromide and iodine fight for the same receptors and quite often your thyroid is full of bromines, chlorine, fluoride, etc. which blocks iodine from being used by the thyroid.
But don't take my word for it! Please do your own research and consult with your health practitioner. This article is merely to help stimulate your mind to open a little more in your search for answers on your road to recovery.
Learning to be assertive
Do you struggle to speak your mind? Did you grow up in a household with parents who had the idea that children should be seen and not heard? That good girls keep quiet? The list can go on......
If so even when you grow up into adulthood you may still struggle with learning to be assertive and may even confuse it with being aggressive which is why many steer away from actually learning the skills to maintain a healthy balance.
Often sensitive, caring and loving souls try too hard to please others and in the process may get much praise from others or even be labeled a "hero" but inside they may feel like they have lost themselves.
Here are a few helpful phrases/reminders that you can use in a conversation with a difficult person to help you to stand your ground more.
1) I'm not prepared to support that idea
2) State the situation and attach a feeling
3) Stick with facts and focus on behavior
4) I see that you are frustrated and I understand your reaction- lets go back to this tomorrow
5) State something and then just repeat it
An example of being assertive would be the following conversation if a friend called you up last minute asking you to babysit her kids even though this was a night you had planned to stay in and relax after a hard week of working
Friend: Hi, I know this is last minute but could you please watch my girls tonight so me and my husband can have date night that we haven't had in a while?
You: No I can't
Friend: Why not?
You: I have plans
Friend: With who and doing what?
You: I was planning on taking some personal time for myself.
Friend: Okay so you really aren't going anywhere then? Come on and please just do it!
You: No
You see......in this scenario you didn't need to go into too many details to get defensive with her and you simply stated your intention and held your ground even when she was possibly trying to guilt trip you into it.
There is more that can be written on assertiveness but I will leave it here for now.
Good luck
If so even when you grow up into adulthood you may still struggle with learning to be assertive and may even confuse it with being aggressive which is why many steer away from actually learning the skills to maintain a healthy balance.
Often sensitive, caring and loving souls try too hard to please others and in the process may get much praise from others or even be labeled a "hero" but inside they may feel like they have lost themselves.
Here are a few helpful phrases/reminders that you can use in a conversation with a difficult person to help you to stand your ground more.
1) I'm not prepared to support that idea
2) State the situation and attach a feeling
3) Stick with facts and focus on behavior
4) I see that you are frustrated and I understand your reaction- lets go back to this tomorrow
5) State something and then just repeat it
An example of being assertive would be the following conversation if a friend called you up last minute asking you to babysit her kids even though this was a night you had planned to stay in and relax after a hard week of working
Friend: Hi, I know this is last minute but could you please watch my girls tonight so me and my husband can have date night that we haven't had in a while?
You: No I can't
Friend: Why not?
You: I have plans
Friend: With who and doing what?
You: I was planning on taking some personal time for myself.
Friend: Okay so you really aren't going anywhere then? Come on and please just do it!
You: No
You see......in this scenario you didn't need to go into too many details to get defensive with her and you simply stated your intention and held your ground even when she was possibly trying to guilt trip you into it.
There is more that can be written on assertiveness but I will leave it here for now.
Good luck
Revive
They all wear the mask
To hide the depths of their hollow hearts
Do you not see me?
Do you not hear me?
I need to know
Why am I cast aside so?
Like a broken seashell
Who no longer sings the song of the ocean
Her home awaits
Beyond the gates
But one will never know
The secrets of fate
I thought you were a golden flower in a field of blue
I thought I saw a soul behind those hazel eyes
Sad how hollow they seemed when you said goodbye
My eyes blurred and I saw the real you
Til I saw just another mask
Too scared to break past
Like a wounded bird
I'm lost in flight
Lost in transmission
No one came to save me
So I resuscitated myself
Listened to whispered words of the wise
Though my feet failed and my arms flailed
I fought until the fight in me was free
Though the masked love to slaughter me
I have grown too strong
To ever worry where I belong
For now I remember my song
To hide the depths of their hollow hearts
Do you not see me?
Do you not hear me?
I need to know
Why am I cast aside so?
Like a broken seashell
Who no longer sings the song of the ocean
Her home awaits
Beyond the gates
But one will never know
The secrets of fate
I thought you were a golden flower in a field of blue
I thought I saw a soul behind those hazel eyes
Sad how hollow they seemed when you said goodbye
My eyes blurred and I saw the real you
Til I saw just another mask
Too scared to break past
Like a wounded bird
I'm lost in flight
Lost in transmission
No one came to save me
So I resuscitated myself
Listened to whispered words of the wise
Though my feet failed and my arms flailed
I fought until the fight in me was free
Though the masked love to slaughter me
I have grown too strong
To ever worry where I belong
For now I remember my song
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