20 things to think about today, to have a better tomorrow!

1. Stop Smoking!
It’s expensive, smells gross, and is 100% guaranteed to cause health problems. Want to be cancer-free at 65?

2. Stop Eating Crap Food

3. Repair or Maintain Family Relationships
Chances are you've come across ideas and changed in ways that mean you don't see eye to eye with them on many issues. But then - that's part of what a family can help with - to learn to get along with people you don't agree with on many issues

4. Stop going out in the sun without sunblock.
  
5. Exercise regularly.
Build an active lifestyle now, and when you're 65 you won’t have as amny hospital bills "Don't gain weight. Exercise. Keep your weight at a normal level that's good for your body," healthier."

6. Start saving money. Even if it's just a tiny bit.
In your 30s, the average person has a lot of disposable income, some of which can almost always easily be set aside for use later in life.  Plus, building the habit of saving early means you'll continue it further down the line.

7. Learn to be content with what you have.
Happiness is what matters far more than worldly success, If you are content with what you have then you may be a bit less likely to end up a millionaire, but you will have a happier life.  And if you do become a wealthy person - is no reason why not, you'll be a more happy, fulfilled and productive wealthy person.

8. Don't delay pursuing your life goals from StumbleUpon
Want to buy a house? Have kids? Write a book? Get a second degree or advanced degree? Change your career? Learn to play a new musical instrument? Learn to cook gourmet meals? Try scuba diving? Run for public office? Start a business and be self-employed? Then start today, It's easy to put things off. "I'll get to that someday." But it's really true that time starts accelerating as you enter your 30's, and it keeps accelerating. The time that you'll get around to those dreams should be now.

9. Get some sleep.
Use stellar sleep hygiene, a dark room or sleep shades will block out light. No bright screens before bedtime. Go to sleep at the same time and wake up at the same time.

10. Take care of your teeth.  
 Go to the freaking dentist already. Get your little cavities fixed as they come up. Unlike many body health issues, dental problems only get worse -- and things like crowns and implants are uncomfortable, time-consuming and expensive (like, close to five figures per tooth for an extraction, implant and crown). If you have a good savings and income stream, the bills won't be the painful thing -- but there's no getting around the pain and the time suck.

11. Collect memories instead of things.
You are the sum of your experiences. Don't wake up when you're 65 and realize that you've wasted life gathering possessions. Memories won't depreciate and can't be burned in a fire.

12. Give something back.
Give to others so you feel the goodness that service brings, however you give, do it with your full heart, soul, and effort. Expect nothing in return.

13 Be curious and do one thing that  scares you every day.
"Get out of the house and have an honest-to-God adventure right now. Make it as big as you can possibly manage, take lots of pictures, throw caution to the wind, take on the risk, grab the brass ring. If possible, include someone you're close to - make a BIG memory. It has to be more than jumping out of an airplane - it needs to be measured in days, not hours or minutes. You'll still be smiling about it when you're old and creaky.

14 .Read at least 10 books a year.
"Gee I wish I spent more time watching TV and playing video," said no 65 year-old ever. Your brain never stops growing, so exercise it with media that matters.

15. Travel. As much as possible, whenever you can
"Traveling will change you like little else can. It will put you in places that will force you to care for issues that are bigger than you. It's about experiencing true risk and adventure so you don't have to live in fear for the rest of your life. And...inspiring others to step out of that fear, too.

16. Learn to meditate.
The list of benefits is endless, it only costs you a small amount of time a day, the change in your life and the people you love will be amazing. And compared to ten years ago, there are long lists of scientific studies to back it up."

17. Do you.
Stop comparing yourself!  Start your path to self discovery right now.

18. Keep a journal.

19. Become a homeowner.

20. Take care of your friends
Choose people who make you feel like you already are your best self, who challenge you by their example, and who you genuinely enjoy, nurture them. Laugh with them. Be silly too. Contribute to their survival and enjoyment of life. Take the time every week to be in touch."

How Sugar Effects Each Part of your Body

On Your Skin

The problem: Jowls and wrinkles may be the result of eating too many processed foods. As sugar digests, it bonds to collagen and impairs the molecule’s function (a process called glycation). High-fructose corn syrup causes about 10 times more glycation than glucose, the sugar found in starches.

The solution: Rebuild collagen by eating lysine, which is found in fish, lean meats, and low-fat dairy. Or get a really great wrinkle cream.

On Your Waistline

The problem: Fructose, which is often added to processed foods (even ostensibly healthy ones like whole-grain bread), causes energy to drop at the cellular level. “This leads to a reduced metabolic rate and increased fat storage,” says Richard J. Johnson, M.D., author ofThe Sugar Fix. “It’s why bears eat thousands of berries before they hibernate: to store fat.”

The solution: Starting this year, nutrition labels have to say how much sugar is added versus what occurs organically. Take a look.

On Your Brain

The problem: When sugar hits your stomach, the activity level of orexin (a neurotransmitter that triggers wakefulness) plummets, spiraling your brain into a fog for up to three hours.

The solution: Food coma isn’t inevitable: According to recent research in the journal Neuron, you can counteract it with a serving of protein. Less practical: Give yourself a 180-minute buffer before trying to be productive.

On Your Mood

The problem: Researchers at California State University found that people who ate approximately two dozen grams of sugar in a sitting (the average amount in a candy bar) had a quick energy spurt but an hour later reported less energy and a more stressful mood than beforehand.

The solution: Channel that rage. University of Alabama football coach Nick Saban is known to take down two Little Debbie Oatmeal Creme Pies (a total of 28 grams of sugar) for breakfast every morning. He’s obligated to scream a lot. And he makes nearly $7 million a year.

On Your Pancreas

The problem: Your daily Coke, Gatorade, or fresh-pressed juice ups your risk of developing diabetes by 26 percent, say Harvard researchers.

The solution: Experts think that because sugary drinks are new (evolutionarily speaking), the brain isn’t designed to register their calories, meaning you won’t feel full and will likely overeat later. Drink high-electrolyte, unsweetened beverages like coconut or maple water and stay away from the -ades.

On Your Heart

The problem: People who get 25 percent or more of their calories from added sugar have a 275 percent higher chance of death from heart disease than those who get 10 percent or less.

The solution: There isn’t one—except, well, cutting back on sugar. Step away from the juice and eat a real (protein- and fat-rich) meal.

Check labels on all food, for sugar content!

Unless it’s all natural, peanut butter could have sugar, ketchup, salad dressings, even organic yogurt, cereals, and more! 

It’s big money in the food industry. Everything is made addictive by adding sugar, so you buy more! Shop on the perimeter of the grocery store, and foods grown from the earth as much as you can!

Benefits of Meditation

Meditation or “dhyana” is an extreme form of concentration. It allows your mind to focus on one thing and detaches you from all worldly things. Meditation is one of The 8 Limbs of Yoga. It is believed that all divine powers live in the heart and meditation is the only route to dive deep into your heart. Though meditation is not an answer to all your problems, but it sure results in a harmony between body and soul. To reap the full benefits of meditation, regular practice is required.

How to Meditate?

To mediate you must sit comfortably and start focusing on one thought, object or even your breathing. Initially your mind will wander. Do not try to stop it. Let it go. Do not suppress any feelings or thought, but let these pass. Once done your mind will automatically return to your object of focus. Now your mind will be at peace.

With time your mind will wander less and within no time you will enter into a phase of deep concentration. Mediation will bring you to the present.

Importance of Meditation

•  By daily practicing meditation you will become a calmer person. There will be a mental serenity in every task you perform. Each day you will have a different experience so never think about the day gone by, but on the present.

•  Today’s life is full of stress, which further influences our day to day activities. Meditation helps in reducing stress by affecting your nervous system. Meditation reduces the production of stress related hormones like cortisol and increases the production of good chemicals like serotonin.

•  Sound sleep is very important for the proper functioning of the body. When your mind works faster than required, you do not get proper sleep. Regular meditation helps in relieving stress and thus improves the quality of sleep.

•  Less stress means more happiness. You will live a happier and healthier life with meditation.

•  People suffering from anxiety and depression must mediate daily for 15-20 mins. Mediation also helps in controlling anger.

•  Meditation enhances energy gain from inner sources.

•  You live a disciplined life and cultivate good habits.

•  Improved concentration is the result of meditation.

•  It is believed that meditation improves the immune system and thereby helps in controlling blood pressure and lowering blood cholesterol.

•  Meditation slows down aging.

•  Meditation provides emotional stability.

I recently have started to meditate, and need to be better at consistency! I try to wake up a little earlier, and either say an affirmation over and over in my head, or listen to a guided mediation on you tube. There are a ton of them, and you can choose one based on time. They have 5 minute videos, or hour long ones. I might also just envision my day the way I want it to go, or just start to name the things I am grateful for, and really start to envision these things with great focus.

If you missed your morning meditation, you can download an app called the “Mindfulness App”. It will chime at times during the day reminding you to be your best self, and note how you treat others, but you can also use the time waiting for the school bus or in a doctors office to listen to a simple 5 minute guided meditation.

Namaste.

What are GMO's

GMOs (or “genetically modified organisms”) are living organisms whose genetic material has been artificially manipulated in a laboratory through genetic engineering, or GE. This relatively new science creates unstable combinations of plant, animal, bacteria and viral genes that do not occur in nature or through traditional crossbreeding methods.

Virtually all commercial GMOs are engineered to withstand direct application of herbicide and/or to produce an insecticide. Despite biotech industry promises, none of the GMO traits currently on the market offer increased yield, drought tolerance, enhanced nutrition, or any other consumer benefit.

Meanwhile, a growing body of evidence connects GMOs with health problems, environmental damage and violation of farmers’ and consumers’ rights.

Why are they bad:

Increased Toxicity
Most plants produce substances that are toxic to humans. Most of the plants that humans consume produce toxins at levels low enough that they do not produce any adverse health effects. There is concern that inserting an exotic gene into a plant could cause it to produce toxins at higher levels that could be dangerous to humans. This could happen through the process of inserting the gene into the plant. If other genes in the plant become damaged during the insertion process it could cause the plant to alter its production of toxins. Alternatively, the new gene could interfere with a metabolic pathway causing a stressed plant to produce more toxins in response. Although these effects have not been observed in GM plants, they have been observed through conventional breeding methods creating a safety concern for GM plants. For example, potatoes conventionally bred for increased diseased resistance have produced higher levels of glycoalkaloids (GEO-PIE website). 

Decreased Nutritional Value
A genetically modified plant could theoretically have lower nutritional quality than its traditional counterpart by making nutrients unavailable or indigestible to humans. For example, phytate is a compound common in seeds and grains that binds with minerals and makes them unavailable to humans. An inserted gene could cause a plant to produce higher levels of phytate decreasing the mineral nutritional value of the plant (GEO-PIE). Another example comes from a study showing that a strain of genetically modified soybean produced lower levels of phytoestrogen compounds, believed to protect against heart disease and cancer, than traditional soybeans (Bakshi, 2003). 

How can I avoid GMOs?

Choose food and products that are Non-GMO Project Verified!

6 Quick and Easy Dry Skin Relievers

Give your dry skin the moisture it craves.

When you have flaky, itchy, dry skin, you want fast relief. Easing your dry skin isn't just about what you put on it. It also depends on how you clean your skin, the air around you, and even your clothes. 

Try these six tips to soothe your dry skin.

1. Warm Yes, Hot No.

A steamy shower feels good, but that hot water is not a good idea for your dry skin, says dermatologist Andrea Lynn Cambio, MD.

The problem is that hot showers strip your body of its natural oil barrier, and you need that barrier to help trap moisture and keep your skin smooth and moist.

So dial down the temperature and don't linger too long. Skin care experts recommend short, warm showers or baths that last no longer than 5 to 10 minutes. 

Afterward, gently pat dry and moisturize your body.

2. Cleanse Gently.

Wash with a soapless cleanser when you shower. Cambio says gentle soaps that are free of fragrance are a great option. Products with deodorant or antibacterial additives can be harsh on skin.

Go easy on toners, peels, and other astringents made with alcohol, which is drying. When you exfoliate, don't scrub too much or too hard, Jacob says. It can irritate and thicken skin.

3. Shave Smartly.

Shaving can irritate dry skin. As you shave unwanted hair, you're also scraping off natural oils. 

The best time to shave is after you shower, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. Hairs are softer and more pliable after bathing, making shaving easier.

Always use a shaving cream or gel, and shave in the direction the hair is growing to protect your skin. 

Make sure the razor is sharp. A dull razor blade can cause additional irritation. Change your razor blades often. If you are using a blade you've used before, soak it in rubbing alcohol to clean it. 

4. Cover Up.

Sun damage is one of the main causes behind dry skin, wrinkles, and roughness. You can help prevent that damage by wearing a broad-spectrum SPF 30 sunscreen year-round and dressing right.

In cool weather, Cambio says, be sure to "dress in layers to prevent overheating and perspiring excessively; both can irritate the skin."

To prevent dry, chapped lips in winter, use a lip balm with SPF 15 sunscreen, and cover your lips with a scarf or a hat with a mask.

In summer, wear light, loose, long-sleeved shirts when out in the sun, and wear a 2-inch wide-brimmed hat to shade your neck, ears, and eyes.

5. Follow the Rules of Moisturizing.

If you like a very rich moisturizer, look for one with shea butter, ceramides, stearic acid, or glycerin, Leslie Baumann, MD, director of the Cosmetic Medicine and Research Institute at the University of Miami, says. "All are rich moisturizers that will help you replenish your skin barrier," Baumann writes in her online article Winter Skin, where she also says she particularly loves glycerin.

Jacobs says that whichever product you choose, a consistent, smart moisturizing routine helps.

•   Wash with a non-soap liquid cleanser, preferably one with ceramides to replenish the skin's outer layer. 

•   Pat skin dry for less than 20 seconds.

•   Apply a thick moisturizer to slightly damp skin within minutes of bathing to trap in moisture.

•   Moisturize your hands every time you wash them so that evaporating water doesn't draw even more moisture from your dry skin.

Finally, look for a cream with sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher to get the added benefit of sun protection. You can find moisturizing sunscreens as ointments, creams, gels, even sprays. The AAD suggests creams as your best bet for helping to combat dry skin.

6. Humidify in Winter.

Cold, dry air is a common cause of dry, irritated skin. Heating your house keeps you warm, but it also removes moisture from the air, which can make dry skin even more parched.

To replenish that missing moisture quickly and easily, use a humidifier in your bedroom, Cambio says. You can track humidity easily with an inexpensive humidity meter, called a hygrometer. Aim for indoor humidity of about 50%.

What You Think About, You Bring About!

 I had lived thirty something years and never thought about this concept until I started to do some professional growth evolving as an entrepreneur. Wow, this is the most important sentence to live by EVERY day! If you wake up thinking your day is going to suck, and is going to be hard, guess what? It is! 

Here’s a scenario to prove it. Have you ever gotten up on the wrong side of the bed, and then things just start happening…like, you stub your toe heading down the hall way. This sets you off to become even more grumpy, and 20 minutes later, you spill your coffee down the front of you while driving. Now your furious! Then, you get stuck behind the slowest driver ever, or a school bus on the “local” route. To top it off, as you walk to your office, you drop your cell phone and the screen smashes into a million cracks.

Yup, this is the law of attraction.  The more you focus on the negative and the annoying mishaps of your day, the more you attract mishaps!  I chuckle as I write this, because this kind of thing has happened to me a lot. Now, I just blow it off. I’ll literally start to laugh after the coffee in the car spills and say, ok Megan, let’s get happy, you’re going to have an amazing day, and I’ll start to sing out loud to a song on the radio.

I try to instill this concept with my children.  My 6-year-old daughter finds reading difficult. As she does, hoola hooping, and cartwheels, jump roping and many other 6 year old tasks. So, one summer day, I got her so pumped, so excited about the fact that SHE was the determining factor of her success!! She was floored. I said, If you tell yourself you are the best hoola hooper ever, you will be. If you say you will throw a ten on hopscotch you will. If you want to jump rope 3 times consecutively, then believe it will happen and it will. Her excitement and belief was palpable. And just like that, she threw a ten, jumped rope 3 times, and hoola hooped for a good minute straight. 

Call it what you will, but by my estimation is, what she thought about, she brought about.

So, go conquer your next thing…., because you can!

Vitamin D deficiency: a worldwide problem with health consequences

Vitamin D deficiency is now recognized as a pandemic!

If you shun the sun, suffer from milk allergies, or adhere to a strict vegan diet, you may be at risk for vitamin D deficiency. Known as the sunshine vitamin, vitamin D is produced by the body in response to skin being exposed to sunlight. It is also occurs naturally in a few foods -- including some fish, fish liver oils, and egg yolks -- and in fortified dairy and grain products.

Vitamin D is essential for strong bones, because it helps the body use calcium from the diet deformities. Increasingly, research is revealing the importance of vitamin D in protecting against a host of health problems.

Symptoms and Health Risks of Vitamin D Deficiency

Symptoms of bone pain and muscle weakness can mean you have a vitamin D deficiency. However, for many people, the symptoms are subtle. Yet, even without symptoms, too little vitamin D can pose health risks. Low blood levels of the vitamin have been associated with the following:

         Increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease

         Cognitive impairment in older adults

         Severe asthma in children

         Cancer

Research suggests that vitamin D could play a role in the prevention and treatment of a number of different conditions, including type1 and type 2 diabetes, hypertension, glucose intolerance, and multiple sclerosis.

Causes of Vitamin D Deficiency

Vitamin D deficiency can occur for a number of reasons:

You don't consume the recommended levels of the vitamin over time. This is likely if you follow a strict vegan diet, because most of the natural sources are animal-based, including fish and fish oils, egg yolks, cheese, fortified milk, and beef liver.

Your exposure to sunlight is limited. Because the body makes vitamin D when your skin is exposed to sunlight, you may be at risk of deficiency if you are homebound, or have an occupation that prevents sun exposure

Treatment for Vitamin D Deficiency

Treatment for vitamin D deficiency involves getting more vitamin D -- through diet and supplements. Although there is no consensus on vitamin D levels required for optimal health -- and it likely differs depending on age and health conditions -- a concentration of less than 20 nanograms per milliliter is generally considered inadequate, requiring treatment.

Guidelines from the Institute of Medicine increased the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of vitamin D to 600 international units (IU) for everyone ages 1-70, and raised it to 800 IU for adults older than age 70 to optimize bone health. The safe upper limit was also raised to 4,000 IUs.

If you don't spend much time in the sun or always are careful to cover your skin (sunscreen inhibits vitamin D production), you should speak to your doctor about taking a vitamin D supplement, particularly if you have risk factors for vitamin D deficiency.

Article Sources

SOURCES:

Institute of Medicine: "Dietary Reference Intakes for Calcium and vitamin D."

Office of Dietary Supplements: "Dietary Supplement Sheet: Vitamin D."

Melamed M. Archives of Internal Medicine, August 2008.

News release, Peninsula Medical School News.

WebMD Health News: "Low Vitamin D Linked to Severe Asthma."

Garland C.F.  Annals of Epidemiology, July 2009.

MedlinePlus: "25-hydroxy Vitamin D Test."

Harvard School of Public Health: "Vitamin D: How Much Is Enough?"

Michael F Holick and Tai C Chen