Good mental health – feeling your best, focused, energetic, and balanced – begins with the right food choices. And the stats are in, folks. We are not making the right choices. Today, illness rates are at an all-time high, not only for obesity and diabetes, but also all major brain disorders. Two-thirds of Americans are obese and ninety-seven million have pre-diabetes; both conditions wreak havoc on the brain, increasing the risk of depression and dementia.

First, let’s agree that the mind stems from the brain. All the various neurons buzzing about create our sensations, feelings, thoughts and memories. It all starts up there. Amazing what Mother Nature has created-an electrical storm of consciousness built from food.

That’s what this blog is about: brainfood. What are the essential nutrients that should be on your plate for the best brain your genes can muster? Once you build a better brain, what should be on your plate to care for it as you age?

So why step into the Farmacy? Well, I grew up on a farm and all the molecules you need to build a better brain are there. What about the pharmacy? Hey, I’m a NYC-based psychiatrist. I have prescribed and continue to prescribe many medications, with both great successes and, admittedly, great failures. No matter what you may need from the pharmacy, every brain needs a farmacy.

Emerging science increasingly links our dietary patterns to our moods, and also to the risk of serious mental disorders like depression. Today the top source of calories for most Americans is added fats and added sugars, something you won’t find in the Farmacy. When Hippocrates stated “Let thy food be they medicine and thy medicine be thy food,” he was onto something. Many of the molecules in food actually have the same biochemical functions as some modern medications. Consider one arrow in the quiver of the modern pharmacological mixologist, the class medications called MAO-inhibitors that treat depression and dementia: Compounds in food have these same properties. Taking powerful antioxidant supplements? Science supports that the right food choices can supercharge your body’s own internal free-radical zapping systems. Add to this the attributes of other molecules I’ll be highlighting in food: natural antibiotics, antivirals, anti-inflammatories, and compounds that fight heart disease, obesity, and diabetes. I started seeing this trend over and over again while researching The Happiness Diet. Biochemical brain-building synergies that come from real, whole and, ideally, locally-farmed food-The Farmacy.

Our food has changed so much in the last few hundred years. Not only have we reduced the variety of foods we eat, but our relationship to many brain essential nutrients has radically shifted. Industrial trans fats now linked to depression, heart disease and diabetes first entered our food supply just 100 years ago. As a population we have fallen prey to a very interesting problem; we are overfed with the wrong calories and undernourished with the very ones our brain thrives on. Deficiencies of omega-3 fats, vitamin B12, vitamin D, magnesium, and iron are quite common in America. Along with these shortages come a slew of neurotoxins from the modern chemistry lab used to color, preserve and make food today. Additionally, the most common source of long-term environmental toxins like PCB, dioxins, BPA, and pesticides, is, for most people, their food.

So, it’s time for a tune-up: a proverbial oil change of your brain lube, some new tires that grip the road a little better. The Farmacy even can give provide a little more horsepower upstairs. That’s the power of food.

Originally published in  Psychology Today November 23 2011 and posted here with the permission of Dr. Drew Ramsey

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When most of us think of wellness, we automatically think of physical health. We try to maintain a healthy body and hope that will ward off serious illness in the future. However, while physical health is crucial to good health, wellness has many dimensions beyond the physical. In fact, many experts believe there are 6 dimensions of wellness.

1. Emotional health

Understanding our emotions and finding healthy ways of expressing them is important to emotional health. Learn to accept your limitations and embrace ways to form healthy relationships with others. Maintain a sense of perspective, and learn to control emotions like sadness, anger, or frustration.

2. Spiritual health

Having a purpose in life and feeling that life is meaningful leads to spiritual health. Take some quiet time to discover the morals, ethics, and values that guide your decision making, and try to stick with those during problematic times.

3. Social health

Maintaining healthy relationships with others leads to a healthier you. Try to learn ways to relate well with others, whether they are family members, coworkers, or friends. Practice communication skills and try to be the kind of friend or spouse you would like to have.

4. Environmental health

A healthier planet leads to healthier inhabitants, so not only should you protect yourself from environmental hazards, such as wearing sunscreen or staying indoors on smoggy days, but you should also look for ways to help the earth’s health. Recycle or reuse items that you can, and donate used clothing, cell phones, or old computers to non-profit organizations that can refurbish them, thereby keeping them out of landfills.

5. Intellectual health

You’ve probably heard of the phrase “use it or lose it.” That is particularly true for the brain. As we age, there is a natural progression of a slowing of the brain’s functions, but you can combat this by working your brain every day. Keep your mind active with learning, creativity, and problem solving. Read up on current events each day. Paint, draw, or build something with your hands. Take a continuing education course at a local college, or join a book club. Even working a crossword puzzle each day can help to keep the mind active.

6. Physical health

Maintain a healthy body through proper nutrition, exercise, and the avoidance of harmful habits, such as smoking or alcohol abuse. Make sure you exercise at least 30 minutes each day. Eat lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats, such as those found in olive oil. Visit your dentist regularly, since dental health can affect the rest of your body. Seek medical attention when necessary.

Since our bodies and minds are interrelated, true wellness depends of integrating all of the above factors for a more holistic approach to good health. Monitoring and trying to improve in these 6 areas can lead to a happier, healthier you, which can ward off illnesses or diseases.

Physical health is probably the easiest to monitor. For a baseline of your body’s physical health, consider getting a mobile health screening, which is convenient, painless, and non-invasive. You will find information quickly about your risk for heart attack or stroke.

For more information on mobile health screening, visit http://www.HealthYes.com/.

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When you start paying attention to your physical health, you start to feel better about yourself. When you start watching what you eat, exercising on a daily basis, you will start feeling better and noticed that you have a certain amount of control over your health and well-being. Once you realize that you are in control, you will have a different outlook on your physical health, as well as the rest of your health.

By taking care of your physical health, your immune system will be in a lot better shape to fight off any diseases or illnesses that come its way. Eating healthy foods and exercising on a regular basis will surely help your immune system keep you running efficiently. Get rid of anxiety and stress and bring in positivity and happiness. Having a good attitude is another key aspect of good health. Once you get yourself in good health, you will really enjoy the control you have over your life. When stress starts to come back in your life, you will remember that you have a certain amount of control and do what is necessary to get rid of the stress.

You must stay motivated to stay healthy. If you personally know what having control of your health and feeling good feels like, then you should be a would’ve figure out your reason why you want to be healthy. When you deliberately do what is necessary to achieve optimal physical health, a certain part of you becomes addicted to feeling good all the time. The energy you possess will be your reason why you want to keep living the same healthy lifestyle.

Do something that motivates you to help you move towards good health. Some people really enjoy walking and jogging. If you have a hard time getting motivated, you need to get an iPod and put some of your favorite songs on it. Music is a great motivator that will help you stay energized. When you stimulate your brain, it gets flooded with neurotransmitters that make you feel good about what you are doing. Once you start this process, it will be very hard for you to stop.

But keeping yourself physically healthy, you will possess a higher energy level. This higher level of energy will help you take the stairs instead of the elevator next time you have the choice. You won’t care about parking your car in the back of the parking lot and walking 100 extra steps to get to the store. You will be able to burn more calories and feel great while you do it. Once you experience the feeling of control that you will possess of your physical well-being, you will not want to turn back. If you do start have issues, you will remember that you do possess a certain amount of control and can exercise that control at any point in time.

Darius has been writing online now for a while and has many different interests. You can check out his websites at Restaurant High Chairs and Restaurant Decor

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We are all aware of the physical benefits of a structured exercise program. Stronger muscles, joints and bones, better body weight control, protection from disease and a slowing of the aging process. But we tend to think of fitness as stopping at the neck and it is easy to forget that our brain is the central processing unit for the systems and processes of the human body and its health is important for our well being.

Often our mental and emotional health is taken for granted and it is easy to believe that its well-being is out of our hands. But the fact is that our mental health is closely linked to our physical health and if you have physical ill-health you can have mental ill-health as well. Research is uncovering this link and the importance of physical activity as both a preventative and healing medicine for our mental and emotional heath and well-being.

It has been estimated that one person in every group of five people has a diagnosable mental disorder. This means approximately 20 percent of the population is experiencing symptoms of mental impairment. Mental illness is a bigger disease burden than that caused by all cancers put together and by 2020 is will be the highest cause of death and disability in the world.

The human body was build to be active – very active. Vigorous movement is the body’s way of staying healthy as ‘growth and repair’ hormones are stimulated when our muscles are challenged regularly. Without these hormones chemicals tell the cells and tissues to decay, degenerate and die.

This is what happens when we live an inactive and sedentary lifestyle which 8 out of 10 people do. They do not get enough muscle building and maintaining activity to remain healthy and end up with a premature and preventable physical and mental disease.

When our body carries out the vigorous physical movement that we are designed to do it makes us feel good about ourselves as when we work our muscles natural chemicals are released that regulate and calm emotions, dissipating anxiety and stress. Proper exercise oils the wheels in our brain and boosts its activity affecting everything from the way we think, to how we feel and what we do.

If you are in a cycle of negative thoughts and worries you can use your exercise sessions as a distraction to take your mind off this pattern of behavior. Doing something positive to manage anxiety or depression is a healthy coping strategy

When we get our blood pumping with proper strength training exercise it benefits every cell, tissue and organ. Oxygen and nutrient rich blood stimulates energy in our body and gives the software in our brain a boost as well. This is why you feel a million dollars after an exercise session.

You can be rejuvenated almost instantly no matter if you are tired, fatigued or stressed. It is virtually impossible to continue feeling these things when you are strong and fit. Try it and see for yourself and let exercise help you feel so much better.

Do you want to discover the secret to rejuvenating your body, regaining lost vitality and improving the quality of your life? Download my free ebook “I’ve Found the Fountain of Youth – Let Me Show You Too!” Health Related Exercise

If you are looking to lose weight permanently go to Fitness Weight Loss for a free ebook and check out the new Hot Metabolism Fitness System.

Carolyn Hansen is a certified fitness expert and fitness center owner who coaches clients to look and feel younger. In her nearly 30 years of fitness and bodybuilding competition experience she has helped thousands of people start their journey towards being strong, fit and youthful at any age.

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By Donna Gallers -

This is a provocative question to which I don’t have a definitive answer, but I do think it’s worth considering how our minds can affect our well-being and specifically our physical health. Have you ever been really worried about something and suddenly found yourself with a stomach ache? Or, on the flip side, have you ever hurt yourself and found that the pain went away when you did something fun or had a really good laugh?

There are countless examples of people recovering from a range of illnesses and health challenges in ways that defy the accepted biomedical model. Writer and editor Norman Cousins recovered from a life-threatening form of arthritis by refusing to accept an incurable diagnosis and cultivating positive emotions and thoughts during his recovery. He watched funny movies in the hospital and discovered that hearty laughter had a pain-relieving effect that lasted for hours. (His book about his experiences, Anatomy of an Illness, was a national bestseller.)

In the early 1980s, scientist Candace Pert and others discovered that protein molecules in the brain called peptides link with receptors throughout the body to cause fundamental changes in the cells–that, in fact, an integrated communication network exists in the body that connects brain, body, and behavior. Subsequent studies in neuroscience, endocrinology, and immunology have continued to demonstrate that this “intelligence network” is operating at all times and that consciousness is an integral part of this system.

Deepak Chopra, a pioneer of mind-body medicine, takes this further to describe a quantum model of health and healing in which the body and our state of health are manifestations of our consciousness, a reflection of the continuous flux of electrical energy vibrations that becomes information. He suggests that the body is, in fact, not a structure but a process, which therefore can change and be changed at any time. In this model, the biochemistry of the body is a product of our awareness.

Talk about food for thought! For some people, just becoming aware of your negative thoughts can shift how you feel. It’s not about blaming yourself or feeling bad if you struggle with some negativity or worry — most of us do. Many forms of mind-body therapy, qigong, yoga, and meditation can serve as excellent tools to cultivate more positive streams of consciousness. Affirmations also help interrupt negative thought patterns and can contribute to increased well being. You can try saying something as simple as “I have a powerful sense of well-being” throughout the day, and especially any time you are feeling less than fully vibrant and well. See if you notice your mood or physical symptoms improve.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Donna_Gallers

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• November 8, 2010 Health

But what about the business of living? Have you ever done a year end review? Perhaps it’s time you did.

We are physical, spiritual, emotional, intelligent beings so let’s take a look at  each of those components:

Physical

• How’s you body doing? Do you feel well? Generally, do you have the strength and stamina to get  through a day without needing to stop to rest are are you always battling fatigue.
• Have you gained or lost weight over the past year? Is it a healthy gain or loss and are you in control?
• When did you have a physical exam?
• Do you get enough sleep?
• Do you eat a relatively nutritious diet or do you rely on fast food and junk food most of the time?
• Is there any kind of balance between work – play – rest or is it all work?
• How much exercise do you get during the week? On weekends?
• Have you had your vision checked?
• Have you kept your regular visits to the dentist? (Me neither)

What do you need to change in 2010 to improve your health?

Spiritual

• What do you do to nourish that spiritual part of you? (If you don’t believe you’re a spiritual being, skip this part.)
• Do you meditate?
• Do you read spiritual literature?
• Are you aware of internal guidance?
• Do you pray regularly
• Do you know how to manage your energy?
• Do you know what you believe about God, life, the afterlife, etc  or are you at least working on it?  Are these  your beliefs or what you were told you had to believe?

What do you need to do in 2010 to enhance your spiritual life?

Emotional

• On a scale of 1 – 10 with 10 being the happiest, how happy are you?
• If you ranked below five, what would it take to bring you up above five on the happiness scale?
• Do you have any major issues with anger or rage, sadness, depression, loneliness, forgiveness, etc?
• Can  you generally make a decision about the way you want to feel?
• Do you feel loved, lovable and loving?
• How often do you laugh?
• Rate your self-esteem on a scale of 1 – 10.
• Rate your self-confidence on a scale of 1-10.
• Do you have boundaries? Do they work for you are do you need to do some boundary revision?
• Do you have habits you wish to change? e.g. smoking, procrastinating, nail biting, etc. (Notice that it’s YOU who wishes to change not because someone else told you to change)
• Do you wake up most days with a smile or do you wake up dreading the day?

What one thing can you work on in 2010 that would make your life happier?

Intelligence

• What do you do on a regular basis to nourish your mind? e.g., read, crossword puzzles, art, etc.
• Do you want to continue learning as much as you can?
• How’s you memory and concentration?
• Would you like to increase your IQ?

Do you need to do anything in 2010 to improve your intelligence, concentration or memory?

Overall

• Does your life have passion and purpose?
• Are you satisfied with  your life – even though you may like to tweak some things here and there?
• Do you have a way to “give back” or “pay it forward?”

You could add many more questions to this assessment and if you need to do that go ahead. This is meant only to stimulate thinking about what you want to do and be. It helps draw the map for your journey  through life or build some detours to get you back on track. 2010 seems like the perfect time to do that.

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When we hear the word health, we probably think first of our physical health… Our mental health and our financial health come second and third.

But, as with all things, we should look for balance in life; and although our physical health is the most important of the three, it is good to realize that one without the other two does not make for a great life. We have to maintain all three if we are going to have the optimum existence; we must work at all three if we are to find any sort of peace in our daily lives.

Our physical health is the basis to our daily ability of movement and general achievement. If we are not physically healthy, it will effect both our mental and our financial health; if we feel unwell or unable, then we are mentally challenged through each day to overcome the pain we endure and the lack of movement we battle against. Added to this, we are less likely to be on our game when it comes to earning money and we are more likely to spend our time in medical treatment centers which will cost us money.

When it comes to our mental health, we are dealing with emotions, the most notoriously difficult aspect of our existence, the hardest thing to overcome, the most powerful part of any human; if we can learn to control or come to terms with our emotions then we have the ability to achieve anything; our mind is our strongest ally when it works for us and our biggest enemy when it conspires against us, it is the one thing we have with us all the time, chattering away, telling us that we can (or cannot) do something; our mind has the ability to cause illness or avoid illness, it has the strength to give us the adrenaline to enact feats of heroism or collapse into moments of weakness and desperation. Positive mental health is imperative if we are to be happy.

Financial health is the least important of the three, yet it has the power to breed confidence. If we are financially stable we have the ability to enjoy many forms of freedom, to experience numerous ways of life, to devour unending types of pleasure. However, the imbalance of financial ‘success’ can also cause enormous amounts of stress, the responsibilities mount up with the assets, the inequalities with our mental and physical health can grow more acute with the financial burdens. The other end of the scale is no more attractive – financial poverty often leads to mental and physical poverty too. Balance is essential if we are to find what we truly desire.

To achieve the balance required, to come to a place of physical, mental and financial health is not easy. We are (as in so many things) ‘miseducated’ about what we truly need and what we can truly do without; we are not encouraged to find a balance in life, we are generally pushed towards one type of health or the other by those around us or that voice within us, given a specific life goal we have to achieve at the expense of finding a healthy balance in all three.

Physical health is very possible by doing a few simple things; drink water, lots of it – not sodas, fruit drinks, power drinks or alcoholic drinks; exercise regularly – and by that I mean do something for your body everyday, stretch, yoga, weights, walk, run, swim, whatever, but something that raises your temperature, that gets the blood flowing and the fat burning, you will be glad you did; eat small amounts but often, begin to change your 3 meal a day habit – snack on healthy foods, eat fruits, vegetables and proteins and vary your diet so it becomes a lifestyle not a fad. If you do these three things, then you can also splurge on the treats like alcohol once in a while, resting after exercise and candy every few days (not hours); once you begin to exercise properly and ingest food regularly your body’s metabolism will work constantly and will devour whatever you put into it so that even the ‘bad things’ disappear more quickly, and either way, you will notice an improvement in your energy levels and a rise in your self esteem. But, as I said, it has to become a way of life, not a momentary fad, and as it becomes a way of life it will become easier and easier to continue being healthy.

Mental health is achievable by being objective with your life. Humans are a very subjective species (meaning that we see a situation from our point of view without looking at it from the outside); and this subjectivity renders us helpless when it comes to overcoming our emotions; we must learn to see the bigger picture, and if we are able to do that we are able to see that we cannot control another human’s actions, we cannot force the world to bend to our will, we will always be confronted with obstacles and we will always have to avoid drama; that is just the way it is. So, knowing that, it suddenly becomes easier to accept change, to accept that each day we will have to keep our cool and work out a solution rather than trying to force life to be what we wish it was. It is imperative that we accept life for what it is, and then we can foresee most of the problems, issues and dramas that seem to blind side us so regularly. If we go forward hoping for the best but prepared for the worst then we go forth with a positive attitude and we are not horrified or defeated the moment something ‘unexpected’ comes our way because we were prepared to deal with whatever life throws at us. Simplifying a life is the best way to be at peace mentally; learning to eliminate unnecessary objects, people or occasions is the easiest way to find a life with balance which in turn will create mental stability and mental health.

Being financially independent is important; and we can all do it if we put our mind to it; no matter what socio-economic class you might come from it is possible to live in a home that is clean, efficient and attractive without having to go into debt, without having to stretch yourself to the limits. But it does come with the need for balance, and the self control to realize what you can and cannot afford at this time. For example there is no point having a television if you cannot pay your rent or afford a car; there is no point burdening yourself with the expense of cable if it means you cannot pay for gas or insurance on your car. And if you cannot afford a TV, then go to the library and read – you will learn more and you will grow more. Spend less and you don’t have to work so hard, learn to enjoy the simple pleasures again, realize that all of the best things in life are free and the all of a sudden you will come up with interesting ways to pass your time, more satisfying ways to spend your life, think outside the financial box, try to do things differently from the way you were taught, look at how the world really works and then question any choices you make to make sure they are right for you (not just what everyone else does), save a little and enjoy alot, be wise with your purchases, don’t buy something for the momentary buzz or screw someone over for the profit you think you gain, begin to re-work the way you employ yourself and try to work at a career you love, not just a job that makes you money – once you find financial balance you will feel a weight lifted off your mind. Financial freedom is possible with a little self discipline. On the other end of the scale, the need to be excessively wealthy will only impact your mental and physical health in the end, for your financial health will only be maintained if you spend an improper amount of time maintaining it at the expense of your physical activities and your mental capabilities. Being financially healthy requires balance, self discipline and the ability to see what you can and cannot afford to burden yourself with.

Your health is essential if you are to live with freedom; your physical health allows you the freedom to go wherever you may so desire; your mental health gives you the freedom to be alone or to surround yourself with positive energy; your financial health buys you the freedom of experience. Maintain each of these; decide to change the inbuilt ‘miseducation’ of the past and work out a new and easier way to exist.

Anything is possible if you choose health.

Guy Blews

Guy Blews is the author of ‘Marriage & How To Avoid It’ and is the instigator of Realistic Relationships. He has a blog at http://www.RealisticRelationships.com and his latest book, ‘Realistic Relationships’ is designed to help you find optimum balance and health in every aspect of life.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Guy_Blews

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Most of us have aches and pains, physical and emotional and would like to feel better. Here are some thoughts about achieving that goal.

Eat well, sleep well, exercise. Easy enough to say and utterly necessary for anyone who wants to feel better. Not always easy to do. Exercise is hard for me. I read a book a long time ago which makes it easier than most. It is called

Total Fitness in 30 Minutes a week.

You are right, it says 30 minutes a WEEK. It was written by Laurence E. Morehouse who designed the exercise programs for the astronauts. If you follow this book’s directions, you can be quite fit with a very modest effort.

As far as sleeping well, it is easy to find solutions on the web if you are having trouble. It is worth looking into in any case. Eating well is so much in the news; I’ll leave it to you to find the best diet for you.

A lot of our pain comes from held tension. Most people hold it in their abdomens and shoulders. Drop your shoulders! The trick is to pay attention to the tension in your shoulders and let them drop. Usually your abdomen will drop too. Check your shoulders often during the day and let them drop. You’ll feel better.

Simplify your life. Start with the closet and the garage; throw away trash, give away good stuff or sell it on eBay or Craigslist, or have a big yard sale. Once you get physical stuff out of your hair, redo your schedule. Don’t overbook. Leave lots of empty space in your week so you can relax.

Forgive: A lot of our distress comes from old grudges we refuse to let go of. Year of psychotherapy may reveal that your parents made mistakes in raising you. They surely did. Forgive them. Unconditionally. You’ll feel better. Robert Frost wrote a poem about forgiveness:

“Oh God, forgive me the little jokes I’ve played on you, and I will forgive the big one you played on me.”

If you think you have been mistreated in any way by any agent in this or another world, forgive right now.

The How of Happiness by Sonja Lyubomirsky. List 3 things every day that are positive. Studies with severely depressed people have shown that they have had significant relief from their depression using just this technique. Write down three positives now. 50% of our ability to become happier depends on built-in factors we cannot change. 10 % of our ability to be happy comes from our circumstances; rich or poor, etc. We can change some of this a bit. So 40% of our happiness factor is entirely within our ability to change.

We all need to feel worthwhile. Get a dog. You will quickly feel worthwhile. The dog loves you primarily because you feed him, but it still feels good.

A minister read in a scientific journal that it takes 21 days of repeating the same action in order to form a habit. He felt that the world would be a better place if everyone developed the habit of not complaining. He devised a bracelet and instructed his followers to shift the bracelet from one wrist to the other whenever they complained. Primarily, this brings to your attention how often you complain, and you will soon complain less. That is good for you and for everyone around you.

Think positive. Whatever happens, find something positive about it. This will relax you and relieve the inevitable tension that comes with dissatisfaction.

People interact in basically three ways: Aggressively, assertively, and passively. The aggressive person takes care of himself with no regard for the welfare of others. The passive person allows other to take advantage. The assertive person takes care of himself while also watching out for the other guy. If you can find an assertiveness training workshop or class to attend, you will improve your relationships with others. You can also look it up on the web and learn how to be assertive.

Lastly, however bad things get, you can always tell yourself that you know that you can make it through the next 5 minutes.

There are many other techniques you can learn from books and websites. Warm wishes to you as you begin to feel better.

Jack Wilson is a writer and artist in Tempe, Arizona: http://krikofanto.blogspot.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jack_Wilson

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Many people are not aware that with proper breathing health will follow. This is due to the fact that breathing supplies oxygen to the blood. Therefore, it is necessary to breathe properly in order to provide the blood with the right amount of oxygen it needs. Many people practice shallow breathing which is unhealthy. This is because shallow breaths can cause toxic effects to the cells of the body. The best thing to do is to learn how to breathe in a way that will be of the most benefit to your health.

The best approach to this topic is to assess your own style of breathing and determine if you need to make a change. Ask yourself if you breathe too fast or if you often become out of breath. Take note that breaths per minute for men average to be from 12-14 per minute, while women’s breaths average between 14 and 15 per minute. Also consider if your breathing has a tendency to become labored, or if you breathe in a shallow manner. If you realize that any of the above are true of you, then you would likely benefit from yogic breathing. Remember, with proper breathing health will follow.

The following steps will help you engage in yogic breathing:

1. Sit in a chair in a quiet location so that you will not be distracted.

2. Close your eyes and visualize something calming such as a lone figure skater gliding across a deserted frozen pond.

3. Allow your breathe to go in and out through your nose in a long and smooth movement, much like the figure skater gliding across the frozen pond. If you can’t inhale and exhale through your nose comfortably. Then try inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth instead.

4. Repeat the above actions for 20 repetitions, and then allow yourself to return to the way that you normally breathe.

5. Keep your eyes closed as your breathing returns to normal, and take note of how you feel after this exercise.

It is important that you check with your physician if you have any type of breathing or health issues before trying this type of technique. Also, never do more than 20 reps at a time, and don’t strain while breathing. The whole point of yogic breathing is to be in a relaxed state. When you become more practiced at yogic breathing, you can extend it into your daily activities. With this type of breathing health will surely follow.

Michael has been publishing articles for over 8 years. Come visit his latest website at http://www.toddlercarseatsreview.com/ which helps parents find the safest and most affordable   toddler car seats.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Huddleston

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Traditional Chinese Medicine includes acupuncture, bodywork and herbal remedies.  The Sheen Nona Ben Cao, one of the oldest Asian Medicine texts, describes the hierarchy of healing which mirrors the hierarchy of human needs as proposed by psychologist Abraham Maslow.  In Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, individuals seek to fulfill the highest potential of self-actualization, followed by improved self-esteem, love/belonging, safety, and the lowest, most basic being physiological or biological needs.

The highest purpose of healing for a Asian Medicine practitioner is spiritual; that is helping the person fulfill his/her destiny (Ming) through self-actualization and, thereby, living out his/her years in comfort, joy and productivity.

The second level of Asian Medicine healing is to empower the innate nature of the person (Xing) or innate wisdom power in their body, mind and spirit.

The third and lowest level of healing of Asian Medicine is the symptomatic and physiological relief of the person’s physical or mental disease.

Thus, it is wise to seek care from a healthcare practitioner who uses the ancient hierarchy in their healthcare practice—Asian Medicine.  The practitioner’s highest goal needs to be a restoration and strengthening of one’s innate wisdom in a spiritually based practice, moving a person towards the highest level of self-actualization in mind, body and spirit.

It is important to ask an Asian Medicine practitioner, prior to treatment, “What do you see as the purpose of acupuncture?”  His/her answer will tell you if he/she is merely focusing on eliminating symptoms—a ‘quick fix’ that the majority of Western born and raised people expect—or will this Asian Medicine practitioner help you reach your highest healthy actualization?

Dorothy M. Neddermeyer, PhD, Life Coach, Hypnotherapist, Author, “101 Great Ways To Improve Your Life.” Dr. Dorothy has the unique gift of connecting people with a broad range of profound principles that resonate in the deepest part of their being.  She brings awareness to concepts not typically obvious to one’s daily thoughts and feelings. http://www.drdorothy.net

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dorothy_M._Neddermeyer,_PhD

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