Ten Signs That You Are Resisting Being Happy

Are you missing out on happiness? Well, your subconscious may be getting in the way. Beliefs that are buried deep in your subconscious mind kick out knee-jerk responses to situations you experience, that block you from can  beliefs that make it impossible to experience happiness. These beliefs create resistance to happiness, even if your potential to be happy is great.

Resistance to happiness can become a psychological attachment, a pattern so familiar that it literally becomes a self-sabotaging a way of life. How can you tell if this is the case? You need to look at the signs!

Think of these as 10 signs as manifestations of something deeper within your psyche. The underlying cause is an attachment to something negative. Negative attachments form in childhood when you learn what is right and wrong. Sometimes, you learn that it is wrong, or not advantageous (or just plain pointless) to be happy!

They key to resolving these issues is to make them conscious, where conscious choice resides. Do any of the following apply to you?

1. When you feel happy, you feel anxious that it won't last: Many people believe that if they allow themselves to be happy, they are setting themselves up to get blindsided by something terrible.

2. When you feel good, you feel guilty: Some people feel guilty when they enjoy themselves, as if they were doing something wrong.


3. You don't express your needs: Ignoring your needs is a sign that fulfillment is not something you are seeking.
 
4. You are overly focused on the needs of others: Focusing solely on the needs of others at the expense of your own is a disservice to you and others.


5. You cannot enjoy the moment: If you avoid the here and now, you are avoiding peace and presence.
 
6. You attract emotionally unavailable or self-centered people: A sure way to NOT be happy is to attract emotionally unavailable or narcissistic people.
 
7. You expect disappointment: Expecting disappointment keeps happiness at a distance.
 
8. You don't know your purpose in life: Lasting happiness comes when you are in contact with a meaningful purpose.
 
9. You avoid intimacy: When you avoid close relationships or shy away from deeper connections with people, you miss out on this aspect of life.
 
10. You relive the bad times, but observe the good times from a mental distance: Happy people tend to relive happy memories up close and view upsetting memories as if from a distance, like a neutral observer.

 

Read the full story by Mike Bundrant here at Natural News. It's a fascinating and very useful introduction to self-defeating behaviour.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some Public Health Screenings May Harm More Than Help

The tests can potentially do more harm than good, according to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, an independent panel that recommends evidence-based treatments. Even though the screening tests are generally noninvasive, follow-up exams and procedures often are not, and can increase a person's odds of being injured or overtreated.

One of those questionable tests is carotid artery screening, which looks for plaque buildup in a neck artery that can cause a stroke. It's on the American Academy of Family Physicians' list of procedures to avoid.

With that test, "the patient is more likely actually to have a stroke because of the screening and subsequent testing and possible surgery than if they'd never been screened at all," says Dr. Glen Stream, who chairs the academy's board.

The problem, he says, is that many of the findings are false positives — in other words, things that may be abnormal but won't ever hurt you. But once you find something, he says, it's hard not to aggressively treat it, even when that's not the right approach.

Read the full story by Jenny Gold of Kaiser Health News at NPR SHOTS Health News

Nature and Healing

 

Medicines from Nature heal the body and mind; chemically derived medicines suppress the symptoms of illness. Sadly, drug manufacturers have, over past generations, moved Hippocrates' successors away from the healing powers of Nature

Nine pharmaceutical drugs that can cause chronic fatigue

There are many different factors and underlying health conditions that can affect energy levels from day to day, as well as trigger the condition that is now commonly known as chronic fatigue.

In addition to poor diet, irregular sleeping patterns, and preexisting health conditions, a common but unexpected cause of chronic fatigue is pharmaceutical drugs, which many people are likely unaware could be draining them of their energy and life.

Here are nine types of pharmaceutical drugs that are linked to causing chronic fatigue:

1) Blood pressure medications. Millions of people now take blood pressure medications like lisinopril (Prinivil, Zestril) and furosemide (Lasix) to ease the overall burden on their cardiovascular systems in the hopes of preventing future health problems like heart attack and stroke. But blood pressure drugs also tend to depress the entire nervous system, as well as deplete the body of the vitamins and nutrients it needs to produce energy, which can be a major trigger of chronic fatigue.

2) Statin drugs. Many people suffering from systemic inflammation take statin drugs to artificially lower their cholesterol levels, in accordance with their doctors’ orders. Besides all the other extreme negative side-effects of taking statins (http://www.naturalnews.com/statins.html), one major side-effect that is often overlooked involves the drugs’ tendency to inhibit muscle growth and the production of energy at the cellular level. As a result, many people who take statins experience a steady decline in energy levels over time, which can develop into chronic fatigue.

3) Benzodiazepines. Commonly prescribed to treat anxiety disorders, benzodiazepines tend to sedate or hypnotize patients in order to treat conditions like depression, insomnia, and severe muscle spasms. But it is this induced sedative effect that tends to elicit drowsiness, which often worsens as patients develop a tolerance to benzodiazepines and begin taking higher doses of these drugs. The end result for many taking benzodiazepines is a chronic lack of energy and drive, also known as chronic fatigue.

4) Proton pump inhibitors. Poor diet and a lack of vital nutrients tends to cause acid reflux and various other digestive disorders in many people. And while proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) like lansoprazole (Prevacid) and omeprazole (Prilosec) can offer immediate relief from such symptoms, these drugs also tend to deplete magnesium stores from the body. And magnesium deficiency can lead to a host of severe illnesses, including extreme weakness and fatigue.

5) Antihistamines. Allergies are on the rise in modern society, and many people are obeying the television commercials they see that advise them to take drugs like loratadine (Claritin) and cetirizine (Zyrtec) to manage their allergy symptoms. But these histamine blockers often induce tiredness and drowsiness in patients as well, which over time can worsen and develop into chronic fatigue.

6) Antipsychotics. In mainstream Western medicine, serious behavioral disorders such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder often call for harsh anti-psychotic medications. But because drugs like aripiprazole (Abilify) and risperidone (Risperdal) are powerful depressants, they tend to induce extreme fatigue, lethargy, and overall weakness in many patients. Anti-psychotics also tend to artificially lower dopamine levels in the body, which can also lead to chronic fatigue.

7) Antidepressants. At least 30 million Americans now take some type of antidepressant drug to manage anxiety disorders such as depression, as well as to treat chronic pain and other related conditions. And while common antidepressants like fluoxetine (Prozac) and sertraline (Zoloft) mask undesired symptoms in some patients, they also tend to trigger fatigue, especially during the first few weeks of treatment. By inhibiting the normal function of brain neurotransmitters like serotonin and norepinephrine, antidepressants also obstruct natural hormone levels, which in turn can lead to chronic fatigue.

8) Antibiotics. There are many reasons why taking antibiotic drugs is a bad idea, particularly because they destroy good intestinal bacteria and also trigger the emergence of antibiotic-resistant “superbugs” (http://www.naturalnews.com/superbugs.html). But another common, yet unsuspected, side-effect of taking antibiotics is that they often cause extreme fatigue and tiredness. Taking natural antibiotic alternatives like colloidal silver, oil of oregano, and garlic is much safer and more effective than taking antibiotic drugs, and these options will not cause chronic fatigue.

9) Diuretics. Many people who have trouble urinating or who have high blood pressure take diuretic drugs to help boost the elimination of water from their bodies. But diuretics also tend to draw out necessary electrolytes like sodium, potassium and chloride from the body as well, which can lead to severe mineral deficiencies. And it is these deficiencies that can bring about chronic fatigue, as the body struggles to produce enough energy due to a lack of proper nutrients.

SOURCE: Jonathan Benson, Natural News and Healthy Life

Four Foods that can Fight Depression

An estimated 1-in-10 Americans take antidepressants. That’s a shocking number of people relying on Big Pharma remedies for something that can be dealt with naturally. 

For many of these people, and those who are depressed but not taking anything for it, depression can be debilitating. But, it can also be managed with diet and lifestyle changes. Study after study has shown that by increasing physical activity, getting more sunshine, and changing your diet, you can alter your state of mind and beat depression without drugs.

Successfully conquering your depression begins by eliminating processed foods and drinks from your diet. These foods contain additives and unnatural ingredients that can alter your body’s chemistry and certainly your mood. Also, exercising regularly increases endorphins and blood flow to the brain, making it another good natural depression-buster.

In addition to these 5 natural solutions for treating depression, try adding these depression-busting foods to your regular diet:

1. Turmeric

A study published in Phytotherapy Research recently said that the bright yellow spice turmeric isn’t only good at treating depression, it may do it better than the antidepressant drugs being pushed down our throats. The antidepressant effects of turmeric were similar when compared directly with the effects of Prozac. But when you consider all of the side effects of antidepressants, turmeric was a clear winner.

2. Green Tea

The health benefits of green tea are seemingly endless, from improved heart health to better brain function. So, it’s no surprise that it can help regulate moods. It contains something called L-theanine, an amino acid that can help in the creation of alpha brain waves. These brain waves have a calming effect and can improve focus. As Natural News reports, L-theanine is also easily absorbed, which makes its effects immediate.

3. Fish

A lack of omega-3 fats in your diet can lead to mood imbalances including depression. By adding fatty fish to your diet, you can correct any possible imbalances and reap the other benefits of omega-3 fats. Interestingly, this is backed up by research that shows world regions like Scandinavia and Asia with high fish intake have lower a incidence of depression.

4. Nuts and Seeds

Magnesium is a mineral found in abundance in certain nuts and seeds. It can boost your mood by increasing energy production and also stimulating the production of serotonin—one of the brain’s feel-good chemicals. Healthy fats also boost overall health and help stabilize blood sugar. Pumpkin seeds and brazil nuts are particularly good choices.

Despite what your doctor may tell you and despite how depression makes you feel, you do not need drugs to get better. In many cases, these drugs could make you feel worse. By changing your diet and your lifestyle, you can begin to feel immediate relief from the grips of depression.

SOURCE: Elizabeth Renter and NaturalSociety

Six Bodily Tissues That Can Be Regenerated Through Nutrition

It may come as a surprise to some, especially those with conventional medical training, but the default state of the body is one of ceaseless regeneration. Without the flame-like process of continual cell turnover within the body – life and death ceaselessly intertwined – the miracle of the human body would not exist.

In times of illness, however, regenerative processes are overcome by degenerative ones. This is where medicine may perform its most noble feat, nudging the body back into balance with foods, herbs, nutrients, healing energies, i.e. healing intention. Today, however, drug-based medicine invariably uses chemicals that have not one iota of regenerative potential; to the contrary, they almost always interfere with bodily self-renewal in order to suppress the symptoms against which they are applied.

Despite the outright heretical nature of things which stimulate healing and regeneration vis-à-vis the conventional medical system which frowns upon, or is incredulous towards, spontaneous remission in favor of symptom suppression and disease management, over the course of the past few years of trolling MEDLINE we have collected a series of remarkable studies on the topic…

Nerve Regeneration

There are actually a broad range of natural compounds with proven nerve-regenerative effects. A 2010 study published in the journal Rejuvenation Research, for instance, found a combination of blueberry, green tea and carnosine have neuritogenic (i.e. promoting neuronal regeneration) and stem-cell regenerative effects in an animal model of neurodegenerative disease. Other researched neuritogenic substances include:

– Curcumin
– Lion’s Mane Mushroom
– Apigenin (compound in vegetables like celery)
– Blueberry
– Ginseng
– Huperzine
– Natto
– Red Sage
– Resveratrol
– Royal Jelly
– Theanine
– Ashwaganda
– Coffee (trigonelline)
There is another class of nerve-healing substances, known as remyelinating compounds, which stimulate the repair of the protective sheath around the axon of the neurons known as myelin, and which is often damaged in neurological injury and/or dysfunction, especially autoimmune and vaccine-induced demyelination disorders. It should also be noted that even music and falling in love have been studied for possibly stimulating neurogenesis, regeneration and/or repair of neurons, indicating that regenerative medicine does not necessary require the ingestion of anything; rather, a wide range of therapeutic actions may be employed to improve health and well-being, as well.

Liver Regeneration

Glycyrrhizin, a compound found within licorice, and which we recently featured as a powerful anti-SARS virus agent, has also been found to stimulate the regeneration of liver mass and function in the animal model of hepatectomy. Other liver regenerative substances include:

– Carvacrol (a volatile compound in oregano)
– Curcumin
– Korean Ginseng
– Rooibos
– Vitamin E

Beta-Cell Regeneration

Unfortunately, the medical community has yet to harness the diabetes-reversing potential of natural compounds. Whereas expensive stem cell therapies, islet cell transplants, and an array of synthetic drugs in the developmental pipeline are the focus of billions of dollars of research, annually, our kitchen cupboards and backyards may already contain the long sought-after cure for type 1 diabetes. The following compounds have been demonstrated experimentally to regenerate the insulin-producing beta cells, which are destroyed in insulin dependent diabetes, and which once restored, may (at least in theory) restore the health of the patient to the point where they no longer require insulin replacement.

– Gymenna Sylvestre (“the sugar destroyer”)
– Nigella Sativa (“black cumin”)
– Vitamin D
– Curcumin (from the spice Turmeric)
– Arginine
– Avocado
– Berberine (found in bitter herbs such as Goldenseal and Barberry)
– Bitter Melon
– Chard (yes, the green leafy vegetables)
– Corn Silk
– Stevia
– Sulforaphane (especially concentrated in broccoli sprouts)

Hormone Regeneration

There are secretagogues, which increase the endocrine glands’ ability to secrete more hormone, and there are substances that truly regenerate hormones which have degraded (by emitting electrons) into potentially carcinogenic “transient hormone” metabolites. One of these substances is vitamin C. A powerful electron donor, this vitamin has the ability to contribute electrons to resurrect the form and function of estradiol (estrogen; E2), progesterone, testosterone, for instance. In tandem with foods that are able to support the function of glands, such as the ovaries, vitamin C may represent an excellent complement or alternative to hormone replacement therapy.

Cardiac Cell Regeneration

Not too long ago, it was believed that cardiac tissue was uniquely incapable of being regenerated. A new, but rapidly growing body of experimental research now indicates that this is simply not true, and there is a class of heart-tissue regenerating compounds known as neocardiogenic substances. Neocardiogenic substances are able to stimulate the formation of cardiac progenitor cells which can differentiate into healthy heart tissue, and they include the following:

– Resveratrol
– Siberian Ginseng (Eleuthero)
– Red Wine Extract
– Geum Japonicum
– N-acetyl-cysteine
Another remarkable example of cardiac cell regeneration is through what is known as fetomaternal trafficking of stem cells through the placenta. In a recent article we discussed the amazing process known as “fetal microchimerism” by which the fetus contributes stem cells to the mother which are capable of regenerating her damaged heart cells, and possibly a wide range of other cell types.

Cartilage/Joint/Spine Regeneration

Curcumin and resveratrol have been shown to improve recovery from spinal cord injury. Over a dozen other natural compounds hold promise in this area, which can be viewed on our Spinal Cord Injury page. As far as degenerative joint disease, i.e. osteoarthritis, there are a broad range of potentially regenerative substances, with 50 listed on our osteoarthritis research page.
Ultimately, regenerative medicine threatens to undermine the very economic infrastructure that props up the modern, drug-based and quite candidly degenerative medical system. Symptom suppression is profitable because it guarantees both the perpetuation of the original underlying disease, and the generation of an ever-expanding array of additional, treatment-induced symptoms.
This is the non-sustainable, infinite growth model which shares features characteristic of the process of cancer itself – a model, which by its very nature, is doomed to fail and eventually collapse. Cultivating diets, lifestyles and attitudes conducive to bodily regeneration can interrupt this pathological circuit, and help us to attain the bodily freedom that is a precondition for the liberation of the human soul and spirit, as well.

SOURCE: Sayer Ji – GreedMedInfo.com and UnderGroundHealth.com