Yoga for Back Pain Relief

By Dr Rav Davis
A good, regular yoga practice will go far in relieving the stress and tension that sometimes cause mild back pain, and in fact, studies have shown that yoga is the number one most effective exercise for relieving back pain. However, not all yoga poses relieve back pain, and some can in fact aggravate existing pain, so it is important to know which poses will be most helpful in relieving back pain. It is best to do these exercises under the supervision of a certified yoga instructor, and if you encounter any problems with these poses, you should consult an expert. Even just one or two sessions with a yoga instructor can help, an instructor will help you with your form and posture during poses. Here are some of the best yoga poses for relieving back pain. Each pose should be held from five to ten seconds, depending upon your level of comfort, and should be done on a mat or other soft, supportive surface.
Corpse: Lie flat on your back in a relaxed position, arms resting at your sides, palms down, and legs lying naturally, with knees turned out slightly. If it hurts your back to have your knees turned outward, do this pose with knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Breathe in and out for a few seconds while allowing any tension to leave the body.
Cat Stretch: Start out on your hands and knees with a flat back. Your hands should be directly under your shoulders with fingers spread. Knees should be directly under the hips. Head is held loosely so that you are looking at the floor between your hands. Inhale, and as you exhale, arch your back toward the ceiling, tuck your chin in to your chest so that you are looking at your navel, and tuck your tailbone underneath. Hold, then release back into your original position.
Wind Releasing Pole: Lie flat on your back as in Corpse pose. As you inhale, bend your knee, place your hands right below the knee, and draw your leg towards your chest. Your left leg should remain flat on the floor. Exhale and bring your forehead up to touch your knee. Inhale, and then as you exhale, return to your original position. Repeat with the other leg.
Sage Twist: Warning for this pose—it involves twisting your back, so you should take particular care not to twist too far or you risk aggravating any existing back pain. This should be a gentle stretch; twist just as far as is comfortable. Sit on the floor with both legs out in front of you. Bend your right knee, lift your right leg over your left, and place your right foot on the floor next to your left knee. Sitting with spine straight, place your left elbow on the right side of your right knee. Bend your left arm so that your left fingertips are touching your right hip, while at the same time, twisting to look over your right shoulder. This is where you need to be careful not to twist too far. Hold for a few seconds, release, and repeat on the opposite side.
Palm Tree: Stand with feet facing forward, arms at your sides, weight distributed evenly on both feet. Raise both arms over your head, interlock your fingers, and turn your hands so that your palms are facing upward. Next, place your palms on your head and turn your head so that you are looking slightly upward. Stretch your arms upwards, and at the same time, come up onto your toes if you can do so without pain. Stretch your entire body upward and hold, if you can. Some people have difficulty balancing during this pose, so just do the stretching parts if you need to.
Fish Pose: Lie on your back with knees bent and arms at your side. Arch your back as far as you comfortably can and raise it off the ground by pushing the floor with your elbows. If you can, tilt your head backwards and rest the crown of your head on the floor. Breathe deeply from the diaphragm and hold pose for one minute if you can.
LOCUST: Lie face down with arms at the side, palms down, and elbows slightly bent with fingers pointing towards the feet. Raise your legs and thighs as high off the ground as possible without causing your back any pain. Hold for one second and repeat up to twelve times. This can be a vigorous exercise so you must take care to strain already injured muscles.
Bending Forward Pose: Stand up straight with feet together and arms hanging loosely along your sides. Breathe in deeply and raise your arms straight above your head. While breathing out, bend forward and touch your toes if you can. If you can’t reach your toes, grab hold of your ankles or calves. To complete the pose, you should touch your head to your knees, but this may be too difficult for many who suffer from lower back pain. Your movements during this pose should be smooth, not jerky.
Read More about Back Pain and herbal remedies at http://www.ayurvediccure.com/backpain.htm
http://www.ayurvediccure.com/backpain.htm, Ayurvedic Cure.com: http://www.ayurvediccure.com
Ayurvedic Cure.com - Health, Nutritional and Herbal Vitamin Supplements Guide. Health Guide featuring Home Remedies, Nutritional Herbal Supplements. Complete Alternative Health and Online Health Store.
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Get the Most from Your Warm-Up

By Gabe Mirkin, M.D.
Warming up before you exercise helps to prevent injuries and lets you jump higher, run faster, lift heavier or throw further. Your warm-up should involve the same muscles and motions you plan to use in your sport. For example, before you start to run very fast, do a series of runs of gradually-increasing intensity to increase the circulation of blood to the muscles you will be using.
Muscles are made up of millions of individual fibers, just like a rope made from many threads. When you start to exercise at a very slow pace, you increase the blood flow to muscle fibers, increase their temperature, and bring in more oxygen, so the muscles are more pliable and resistant to injury. When you contract a muscle for the first time, you use less than one percent of your muscle fibers. The second time you bring in more fibers, and you keep on increasing the number of muscle fibers used in each contraction for several minutes of using that muscle. It’s called recruitment. When you are able to contract more muscle fibers, there is less force on each individual fiber to help protect them from injury. Usually you are warmed up when you start to sweat.
The same principle applies to your heart. Angina is a condition in which the blood vessels leading to the heart are partially blocked so the person has no pain at rest, but during exercise, the blocked arteries don't permit enough blood to get through to the heart muscles, causing pain. If people with angina exercise very slowly before they pick up the pace, they are able to exercise longer and more intensely before they felt heart pain. Always check with your doctor if you feel any heart pain during exercise.
Competitive athletes in sports requiring speed and endurance perform better after they warm up with increasing intensity. Warming up slowly does not increase the maximum amount of oxygen that you can bring to muscles that you need during competition. If you are a runner, skier, cyclist, or an athlete in any sport that requires endurance, warm up at a gradually increasing pace. Use a series of increasingly intense repetitions of 10 to 30 seconds duration, with short recoveries, until you are near your maximum pace. This type of warm-up increases endurance because intensity increases the maximum amount of oxygen that you can bring to your muscles, as you continue to compete, and lets your muscles contract with greater force as you begin to fatigue. You will then be able to bring in more oxygen to your muscles than you could have done without the intense warm-up.
Dr. Gabe Mirkin has been a radio talk show host for 25 years and practicing physician for more than 40 years; he is board certified in four specialties. For more information and hundreds of fitness reports, visit http://www.DrMirkin.com
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Strong Heart: How to Become Very Fit

By Gabe Mirkin, M.D.
Fitness refers to your heart muscle. The stronger your heart, the more fit you are. The only stimulus that makes any muscle stronger is to exercise that muscle against increasing resistance. To make your skeletal muscles stronger, you have to lift heavier weights or press against greater resistance in any weight-bearing exercise. The only way that you can strengthen your heart muscle is to exercise against greater resistance also.
When you use your legs, your leg muscles squeeze blood from the veins near them toward your heart. Then, when your leg muscles relax, the veins near them fill with blood. This alternate contraction and relaxation of your leg muscles acts as a second heart pushing huge amounts of blood towards your heart. To pump the extra blood from your legs to your heart and then to your body, your heart muscle has to squeeze harder and faster. The harder you exercise, the more blood is pumped by your legs to your heart, and in turn, the harder your heart has to work to push it out towards your body, so your heart has to beat faster and with more force to do more work.
Fitness is determined more by how hard you exercise than by how long you exercise. Exercising at a casual pace does not do much to strengthen either your heart or your skeletal muscles. When you work harder, more blood returns to your heart, and this increased amount of blood fills the inside of your heart and stretches it, so your heart has to pump against greater resistance and the heart muscle becomes stronger.
The latest research shows that exercising for 30 minutes three times a week will not necessarily make you fit, nor does exercising for 60 minutes seven days a week. Exercising at a casual pace does not strengthen muscles. This means that going out and jogging slowly so that your leg muscles are always comfortable and do not burn will not make you fit.
When you exercise intensely, your muscles stretch and tear. It's the tearing that causes the burning during exercise, and leads to the soreness that you feel for the next day or two. When your muscles heal from these tears, they are stronger than they were before. So it's the burning during exercise that causes the tearing that causes the next-day soreness. Then you take days off or go slowly so you can recover; your muscles heal, which gets rid of the soreness, and with healing, the muscle is stronger than it was before you did the exercise.
However, there are some serious problems with training for real fitness. If the force on your muscles during exercise is greater than the strength of your muscles, they will tear too much and you will be injured. If your muscles are still sore from a previous workout and you try to exercise intensely, you can cause a serious injury. You must learn to tell whether the burning is the good burning that causes muscle growth or the bad burning in which you put too much force on your muscles and tear them so you can't exercise at all.
The program I recommend for fitness applies only to healthy people. It could cause heart attacks in people with damaged hearts. Before trying this, check with your doctor. The rules for fitness are that you should spend several months exercising at a casual pace and not going for the burn. After a few months, you should be able to exercise 30 minutes every day and not feel sore. Then you are ready to start training.
If you are a runner or a biker, go out and run or ride very fast until your legs burn, slow down until the burning goes away. Then when your muscles feel fresh again, pick up the pace. When your legs start to stiffen, stop the workout. On the next day, either do nothing or go slowly and do not try to do another intense workout until your muscles feel fresh. Then when your muscles feel fresh, you take another hard workout. Remember, trying to exercise intensely on sore muscles will only injure you.
Dr. Gabe Mirkin has been a radio talk show host for 25 years and practicing physician for more than 40 years; he is board certified in four specialties. For more information and hundreds of fitness and health reports, visit http://www.DrMirkin.com
Free weekly newsletter on fitness, health and nutrition
Principles of Training
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Weight-Lifting Benefits All

By Gabe Mirkin, M.D.
Almost everyone should lift weights. Weight lifting strengthens bones, muscles ligaments and tendons; increases coordination for tasks requiring strength; and gives confidence and mobility to elderly or disabled people.
Just exercising doesn't do much to strengthen muscles. If it did, marathon runners would have the largest muscles. To become strong, you have to exercise your muscles against progressively greater resistance.
Just exercising doesn't strengthen bones either. Female marathon runners sometimes stop menstruating and lose tremendous amounts of bone, even though they may run more than 100 miles a week. To regain bone, they have to eat more food which will usually start them menstruating again, and include weight-lifting in their workouts. They may also need to take estrogen.
Many people with muscle or nerve diseases can also benefit from lifting weights. They may be unable to work out as long or as hard as a healthy person and they will take longer to recover from their workouts. However, if they stop exercising when their muscles feel heavy or hurt and they take off when their muscles feel sore, they can make dramatic increases in strength.
Anyone starting a weight training program should be guided by an experienced instructor. Exercise with several different machines two or three times a week, never on consecutive days. On each exercise, use the heaviest weight you can lift comfortably eight or ten times in a row without losing your form. Do three sets of ten repetitions on each machine. Then allow at least 48 hours for your muscles to recover. Do not lift again until the soreness is gone.
Also see How to become very strong
Dr. Gabe Mirkin has been a radio talk show host for 25 years and practicing physician for more than 40 years; he is board certified in four specialties. For more information and hundreds of fitness and health reports, visit http://www.DrMirkin.com
Free weekly newsletter on fitness, health, and nutrition
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The Commerce of Obesity

By Dr Joseph Mercola
In an interview with Pam Killeen of Crusador, Dr. Marion Nestle, noted food expert and author of Food Politics and Safe Food, reveals some interesting facts about the marketing of junk foods that have led to the obesity epidemic, including:
The appalling American diet may be, in part, collateral damage from having a food supply that provides 3,900 available calories for every man, woman, and child, resulting in a hypercompetitive marketSugary breakfast cereals, even those advertising themselves as having whole grains or added vitamins, are basically cookiesThe American Heart Association makes money by endorsing low-fat foods, even if those foods are high in fattening sugarsAmerican federal dietary guidelines have been overcomplicated to the point that they are basically useless
Health Lies Exposed September 11, 2005
Dr. Mercola's Comment:
You'lldefinitely want to read this insightful interview with Dr. Marion Nestle, one of this nation's leading experts in understanding the commercial influences on your nutrition. She reallyunderstandsthe commerce of obesity, meaning what processed food companies will do to sell their products at the expense of your health.
Interestingly, the interview began with an apology, of all things, from Dr. Nestle, because she felt bad about ignoring the vital link between agriculture and nutrition for far too long, which is more important than ever now with the rise in genetically modified foods.
Dr. Nestle, quite wisely, isn't fond of most processed cereals -- chock full of marshmallows, chocolate and candy as well as extra sugar and flour -- which are, as she rightly points out, "Desserts in disguise." She also slammed the most recent Food Pyramid, which hasn't been much of an improvement over previous modelsand emphasized a "one-size-fits-all" approach. In other words, a recipe for disaster!
Just another reason to remind you, if you haven't done it already, to take your free test to determine your body's unique metabolic type.
Many of us fail to appreciate the profound influence of the quality of the soil and the specific farming techniques used and how it influences the nutritional characteristics of the foods you eat. If this is an area of interest for you, then you will certainly want to visit Acres USA,which publishes the only magazine related to sustainable agriculture.
They are the equivalent of mercola.com in the farming community and provide the most incredible information about soil health and how it ultimatelyinfluences your health. They also have some amazing live events that bring together the top people in this important field.
This article is reprinted from Mercola.com, the world's #1 most visited and trusted natural/alternative health website. For a limited time only, you can take the FREE "Metabolic Type Test" to help you learn the right foods for your particular body type so you can achieve optimal fitness & health. Just go to http://www.Mercola.com right now to take this quick test!
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Fighting Obesity - An Ayurvedic Way

By Dr.Savitha Suri

Definition of Obesity

Excess amount of body fat is Obesity.
Excess weight of muscles, bone, fat and water in the body (like body builders and athletes) is

Overweight.
Over weighted persons are at increased health risk than normal persons. They are more prone to

chronic diseases like heart diseases, type-2 diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, and few types

of cancers.

Is fat necessary to our body?

Certain amount of body fat does the following function


1. Heat insulation.

2. Absorption of shock.

3. Storage of energy. Etc.

Ayurveda describes the functions of body fat as

“Medaha sneha swedaudhrudatwam pushtim asthyancha”
This means in normal conditions the body fat keeps the body moisturized , causes sweating , gives

energy to body (by storing energy) and nourishes bones. (By protecting them from shock)

Distribution of fat

Women have more body fat than men. In women usually the fat accumulates around hips giving

them a pear shape. In men it accumulates around belly giving them an apple shape. The obesity

related problems start when fat accumulates around waist.

In ayurveda the distribution of fat is described as follows.
Medastu sarvabhutaanamudarenvasthi thishtathi
Ata evodare vriddhihi prayo medaswino bhavet
Fat gets deposited in and around belly in all living beings. It is also present in bone. Hence

when a person becomes obese his stomach bulges out.

And also the characters of an obese person are described as
"Medo mamsa ativriddhatvaachalasphigudarastanaha"
Which means the hips, belly and breasts of an obese person sag and sagged parts flap as that

person moves. An obese person will not be active.

Causes of Obesity

When a person consumes more calories than he burns then the excess calories get stored in the

form of fat causing obesity.

1. Genetic factors–Obesity tends to run in families. If parents are fat then the offspring

also show a tendency to accumulate fat. Even the diet and lifestyle habits which are practiced in

family also contribute to obesity.

2. Environment. – A person’s eating habits and the level of physical activities a person has

also contribute for excess deposition of fat. When a person eats food containing more calories

and has a sedentary work then the calories consumed are more than calories burnt. The excess

amount calories are stored as fat.

3. Psychological disturbances.- There is a tendency to over eat in response to negative

emotions like boredom, sadness or anger. This leads to obesity.

4. Binge eating disorder.

5. Diseases and conditions like Hypothyroidism, Cushing's syndrome, Depression, and certain

neurological problems lead to overeating which in turn leads to accumulation of fat.

6. Medicines such as steroids and some antidepressants may cause weight gain.

Causes of obesity according to Ayurveda

The causes of obesity are very clearly explained in ayurveda. The following reasons which are

mentioned in ayurveda increase the deposition of fat.

Avayamadivaaswapnashleshmalaaaharasevinaha
Madhuroannarasaha prayaha snehamedhovivardhati
According to ayurveda the causes of obesity are defined as :


1. Avyayama : Not exerting physically

2. Divaswapna: Sleeping in afternoon.

3. Shleshmala Ahara Vihara : The diet and life styles which increase Kapha

4. Madhura Annaha : Consuming sweetened foods .

Health risks due to Obesity

Obesity leads to the following problems.


1. Type-2 diabetes

2. Heart disease.

3. High Blood pressure.

4. Stroke

5. Few types of Cancers

6. Gall stones

7. Liver diseases

8. Osteo arthritis.

9. Gout

10. Infertility

11. Irregular menstruation in women.


According to Ayurveda the obese persons are more prone to the following diseases.




1. Diabetes.

2. Kidney related problems.

3. Hepatitis.

4. Low libido.

5. Low energy levels.

6. Skin problems.

7. Fistula

8. Piles.

9. Filariasis . etc


Tips to reduce Obesity




1. Determine with the help of your physician how much weight has to be reduced.

2. Set several short term realistic goals .

3. Reward yourself each time you make progress (Not food items)

4. Even small weight losses have shown to be beneficial.

5. Make gradual changes in eating habits.

6. You will lose weight when you burn more calories than you consume. Hence eating less and

being more active help in losing weight.

7. Sound eating habits keep you out of putting on weight.

8. Stay motivated to lose weight.

9. Slow weight loss is the safest and most effective. ( one to one and half pound per week).

10. Gradual weight loss, promote long term loss of body fat.

11. A person who is moderately active needs daily, 33 calories per kg of body weight to

maintain his weight .

12. Reducing calories intake by 300 per day and increasing the physical activity to burn 200

calories per day results in weight loss of 400 Gms per week.

13. To satisfy basic nutritional needs eat a variety of foods every day. Choose from each of

the five food groups milk, meat, fruit, vegetable and cereals. Balanced food plans encourage

making wise choices about everyday food choices. This type of diet helps to stay at your proper

weight for life.

14. Allow for an occasional treat.

15. Evaluate your eating pattern.

16. Try to cut down on foods high in fats and sugar.

17. Most successful weight – loss plans stress on reduction in both calories and the amount

of fat eaten



Physical activity:




1. Determine the type of physical activity that suits your life style.

2. Regular aerobic exercise like brisk walking, jogging or swimming, is a key factor in

achieving permanent weight loss and improving health

3. Health experts recommend exercising 30 minutes or more on all, days of the week for

maximum benefits. The exercises should be moderately vigorous to be most effective but not

exhausting.

4. Incorporate few simple measures to burn calories effectively. Like- taking an after

dinner walk, using stairs instead of escalators or elevators, parking the car farther away to

have a longer walk etc.

5. Exercises also improve sense of well being ,decreases stress and decreases appetite in

some.



Ayurvedic tips to reduce Obesity


Numerous tips to reduce obesity have been mentioned in ayurveda. The following ayurvedic tips

help you to reduce the obesity.


1. Very good exercises. Exercises like brisk walking, jogging, playing out door games etc

help to reduce weight.

2. Physical and mental exertion. Exerting physically like doing house hold works, walking to

distant places to bring groceries, vegetables etc, walking long distances to bring the child back

from school, walking to working place, climbing stairs etc are types of physical exertion.

Exerting physically as much as you can help to burn more calories. Mental exertion like worrying

or involving in finding solutions to problems also restrict food consumption in some and there

by reduces the intake of calories .

3. Having sex frequently is also a good physical exertion.

4. Consumption of honey. This is advisable for non diabetic patients. Consuming 2 tea spoon

of honey with a glass of herbal tea which includes weight reducing herbs help a lot in weight

reduction. Honey along with these herbs scrapes and dissolves the Kapha and medha (body fat).

5. Sleeping for less hours. Avoiding sleeping in afternoons help to increase the burning of

calories. This avoids slowing of basal metabolic rate.

6. Avoiding the food and beverages which increase kapha and medha. The foods which increase

kapha and medha are sweets, sweetened drinks , large quantities of carbohydrates and oily food.

7. Consuming wheat products than rice products help to reduce obesity.

8. Using Green gram and horse gram help in reduction of kapha and medha.

Biography of Dr.SavithaSuri

Dr.SavithaSuri has been an Ayurvedic Practitioner since 1989. After getting a graduation

degree in ayurveda (Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery) in 1988 from University of

Mysore, India, she started practising ayurveda . Her articles about ayurveda have been published

in news papers and websites. She is a regular health columnist to a regional news paper.

Dr.SavithaSuri lives in Mysore , Karnataka, India. She gives consultations in Mysore and also

in Bangalore, the silicon valley of India.
http://www.ayurhelp.com
email doctor@ayurhelp.com

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From Anger To Peace Of Mind

By Dr. Brenda Shoshanna
Anger is a serious problem for one in every five Americans. Road rage, workplace violence, domestic abuse and even addiction are just a few of its many expressions. The reason such a large umber of our nation’s citizens are on antidepressants, overweight, and involved in all kinds of difficult relationships can be directly traced to the effects of anger, particularly the hidden kind.
Anger has many faces. It appears in various forms and creates different consequences. Anger that is overt is the simplest to deal with and understand. When we or someone we know is openly angry, we know what we are up against and can address it directly. Unfortunately, however, most anger lurks beneath the surface. It often does not come to our awareness and manifests in endless, hidden ways – as depression, anxiety, apathy, hopelessness, and in myriad other forms.
Today we fear all kinds of external enemies. It is not so easy to realize, however, that the worse enemy we face is the anger that resides within us, the terror it causes and the ways this poison affects so much of our lives.
It is one thing to be told to forgive one another. It is another to know how to do this. Even though we may want to forgive, anger can be ruthless in the course it takes, attacking and disrupting our body, mind and spirits. However, there are many specific steps we can take to root this toxin out of our lives. As we do the results will be reflected not only in our mental and emotional well-being, but also in our environment and physical health. When anger is rooted out, love and forgiveness arise naturally and our lives and relationships become all they are meant to be.
Some of The 24 Forms of Anger –
The first step in rooting anger out of our lives is becoming aware of it. It is crucial that we recognize anger for what it is, be aware that it is appearing and notice the devastation it creates. When anger is allowed to remain camouflaged it holds us in its grip and easily erodes the quality of our entire lives. By recognizing the 24 forms of anger, we will be able to shine a flashlight on the poison within. Then we can choose to eliminate each one of these forms of anger, one a day. There are many wonderful antidotes that we can take. Instead of allowing anger to take hold, we simply replace it with a life giving, constructive, healing response.
To begin we will look at a few of the 24 forms of anger, and how it affects your life. More will be explored in further articles and are also detailed in The Anger Diet. In this article we will also explore some ways these forms of anger can be eliminated.
1) Straightforward Anger – Attack.
This is anger that is clear-cut and easy to recognize. The anger comes right out. Many regret it afterwards, feeling they couldn’t control themselves. This kind of anger has a life of its own; it rises like a flash storm and can easily turn into verbal, emotional or physical abuse.
2) Hypocrisy –
You are angry, but hide it beneath a smile and present a falsepersona, pretending to be someone you’re not. This behavior evolves into bad faith of all kinds. Although you think you are fooling others, in truth you are losing yourself and your own self-respect.
3) Depression –
Depression is so pervasive these days, and it ranges the gamutfrom mild to severe. Depression is anger and rage turned against oneself. It comes from not being able to identify or appropriately express the anger one is feeling. It then simply turns into depressions, attack against the person who is experiencing it.
4) Passive Aggression –
This is a form of anger expressed not by what we do but by what we do not do. We refuse to give the other person what they ask for, want or need. In this manner we anger the other while making it seem as though they are the one that is overly demanding. This is a way of expressing anger without taking responsibility for it, and blaming the other for what we have set in motion.
Steps To Dissolving Anger
Needless to say there are many specific steps to take to undo different forms of anger. We will offer some samples. The important point to realize is that anger can be dissolved in a moment. We can choose to see things differently. We can choose to make a different response.
It takes only a moment to escalate a situation and in that same moment, the trouble can be de-escalated. We must stop in the middle of automatic anger that arises, and take charge of what is going on. We can and must decide that we will not let anger take over and rule. We have the right and responsibility to choose how we will respond. Sample Ways To De-Escalate Anger:
1) Straightforward Attack:
Stop in the middle of a situation in which you either feel angry or are being attacked. Expand your vistas. Rather than respond in a knee-jerk manner, say to yourself, “Like me, this person has suffered. Like me, this person wants to be happy, like me this person experiences loneliness and loss.” As you do this, you are recognizing the similarities and common humanity you share, rather than focus on the differences. For a moment, allow the person to be right. You have plenty of time to be right later. Ask yourself, what is more important to you, to be “right” or to be free of anger? Choose compassion and see how you feel.See how the other feels as well. Watch new vistas open in your life.
2) Hypocrisy:
This is a common form of anger that appears in many different ways. When you notice yourself pretending, lying, exaggerating or deceiving, stop. Tell the truth at that moment. Be the truth. If you do not know what the truth is, be silent and become aware of what the deepest truth is for you. (This does not mean pouring out negativity or blaming the other. It means taking responsibility for what is real and true for you. (This will not only restore good will, it will connect you with what is most meaningful in your life.)
3) Depression:
Make friends with yourself today. When we are depressed, we are rejecting, hating and blaming ourselves. Undo this false state of mind. Find five things you admire and respect about who you are. Focus on sharing your good qualities with another. In depression we are only absorbed with ourselves. A wonderful antidote is to become absorbed with how you can reach out to and help another. As we root anger out of our lives, and find meaningful substitutions not only our lives but the lives of our loved ones, friends and acquaintances will be lifted and enhanced. Try the full anger diet and see.
Cc/author/2005
Melt away toxic feelings with The Anger Diet, http://theangerdiet.com Critically acclaimed author and nationally recognized psychologist Dr Brenda Shoshanna offers the most important diet of all – from anger. We learn how to give up one form of anger a day and replace it with a healthy antidote. Filled with practical advice, anecdotes and exercises. Discover the 24 forms of anger, The Emergency technique and what to do when you’re the subject of anger and much more. Dr. Shoshanna is also author of Living By Zen, (Timeless Truths For Everyday Life) http://www.livingbyzen.com, Zen and the Art of Falling In Love (Simon and Schuster) and many other books. Contact Dr. Shoshanna at mailto:topspeaker@yahoo.com, or her website http://www.brendashoshanna.com
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Managing Anxiety and Depression

By Dr. Daniel Baney
If you have ever experienced a panic attack, or, an episode of clinical depression - you could hardly be faulted for wanting and seeking a final and everlasting "cure." Some people who experience these conditions never have a reoccurrence. For others, anxiety and depression are persistent intruders in their lives. Why the difference? Likely, genetics predispose some of us to anxiety or depressive reactions as a response to situational stressors in our life. But that does NOT mean any of us are entirely helpless. Depression and anxiety are most often manageable.
Powerlessness: Beliefs, Behaviors, & Feelings
A key component to anxiety and depression are feelings of powerlessness. Perhaps some life stressor or loss has temporarily overwhelmed or discouraged you. Or, perhaps over time you have developed ineffective cognitive habits - styles of thinking - that promote your giving up power. These "distorted beliefs" lead us to have "distorted feelings" and "distorted behaviors". For example:
Suzy Somebody held and reinforced over time the distorted belief that "No one would be interested in someone like me." This distorted and powerless belief led her to behave by isolating herself from others. Her isolative behavior and belief that no one was interested in her, led to predictable feelings of loneliness. Then, looking at how lonely she felt and isolated she behaved - she reinforced the powerless belief that, sure enough, "See there! I told you no one was interested in someone like me!" And the spiraling cycle of powerlessness was complete and reinforcing.
It is much easier to change the way we think and behave than how we feel. The good news is, if we can change the way we think (correcting distorted thinking) and behave (powerless behaviors), then most often what we get is a resultant change in how we feel (for the better!). This is why cognitive-behavioral therapy is the treatment of choice for anxiety and depression and why empowering clients is so important.
People often think of depression or anxiety as a function of low self-esteem. Actually and more precisely, depression and anxiety are made worse by low self-efficacy. What is self-efficacy? Self-efficacy is the belief that I have a sufficient measure of control and power over my life.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is an important tool in identifying ways we might be lowering our sense of self-efficacy, giving up power and control, and thereby encountering depression and anxiety as a persistent companion in our lives.
Tools for Managing Depression & Anxiety
Fortunately, we have many tools at our disposal for managing anxiety and depression. These include:Medications which help treat the biological basis of depression.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy - changing the way we think and behave in order to increase our self-efficacy.Building supportive social networks of friends and activities.Increasing self-care habits to help us weather the storms of life.
Dr. Daniel L. Baney. A United Methodist clergyperson and Licensed Psychologist in Indiana. Complete article and printable version at http://www.drbaney.com.
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Do You Want to Be Healthy? Then Get to Steppin!

Dr. John
Rumberger

Improving the body's ability to process and deliver oxygen may improve

stamina, not only in sports but also in every day life, doing any activity. To reach this goal,

you need to strengthen and condition your heart because it is the organ that pumps oxygen-rich

blood to the rest of your body. Like any muscle, the heart can grow stronger and more efficient

by progressive demands in oxygen.
The aim is to develop bigger and stronger muscle units so

that you can transport oxygen throughout the body with less effort and use more stored fat as

energy. Increased oxygen consumption promotes overall health and increases metabolism resulting

in burning extra fat stores. However, a mild activity can often just do the trick; it is not

necessary to work up a heavy sweat.
Recent research results could hardly be clearer, when the

subject of walking is brought up in the realm of exercise. Taking a walk is one of the best ways

to take charge of your health. A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed

that walking briskly for half an hour just six times a month cut the risk of premature death in

men and women by 44 percent. Another study in the New England Journal of Medicine reported that

men 61 to 81 years old sharply reduced their risk of death from all causes, including cancer and

heart disease, by walking two miles a day. Other research has shown similar results for women.


Besides the well-documented health benefits, the beauty of walking is you can go at your own

pace. If you are new to exercise or recovering from injury or childbirth, you can aim to walk

for 20 to 45 minutes four or five days a week at the good fitness walking speed of three miles an

hour. When (and if) you want to power up, you can take longer walks and work up to walking each

mile in 15 minutes or less.
Once you are ready to hit the road (or the trail, track,

treadmill or mall), how do you make the most of your walking workout? Here are a few tips and

tricks:

Warm Up First, Then Stretch. Start by walking for just seven to 10 minutes (wear

a watch) and then do a few gentle stretches. Your muscles will stretch better if you have warmed

them up first. Ask a fitness professional which stretches are best for you.
Get Used To

Walking. When you first start to walk, just walk. Take your time and get used to doing it

again. Once your body has gotten used to the exercise it is time to improve and expand.
Take

Short, Quick Steps. By taking short, quick steps, rather than long strides, you will work your

glute muscles (in your buttocks) as you log miles.
Keep Your Head Up. Look about 10 feet

ahead of you. Imagine you are wearing a baseball cap and have to look up just enough to see the

road. This keeps your neck aligned properly.
Practice the Heel-Toe Roll. Push off from your

heel, roll through the outside of the foot, then push through the big toe. Think of the big toe

as the go button and push off with propulsion. Keep the other toes relaxed. (This takes

practice.)
Smile and Have Fun. Learning these techniques takes time and concentration. Be

patient and enjoy your workout. Dress comfortably, find a partner or wear a headset and listen

to music you love and, if you're walking outdoors, vary your route.
Squeeze Your Glutes.

Imagine squeezing and lifting your glutes up and back, as if you were holding a bill between

them! This will strengthen your low-back muscles. Developing the ability to maintain this deep

contraction throughout your walk will take a while.
Feel a hand on your back. Imagine as you

walk that somebody has a gentle but pushing hand on the small of your back – mentally you feel as

if you have a silent partner.
Pump Your Arms. Imagine you are holding the rubber grips of ski

poles in your hands. Stand straight, drop your shoulders, squeeze your shoulder blades behind

you and push back your elbows with each step. Keep your arm movements smooth and strong.
Zip

Up Your Abs. During your walk, imagine you are zipping up a tight pair of jeans. Stand tall and

pull your abdominal muscles up and in. You can practice this even when you are not walking.


Keep Your Chest Up, Shoulders Back. Use your walk as an opportunity to practice perfect

posture. Imagine someone dumped ice down your back. That is the feeling you want to have as you

hold your chest up and shoulders back.
Practice Mental Fitness. Do not replay the problems

of the day while you walk. Try to maintain a state of relaxed awareness by paying attention to

your breathing and noticing how your body feels. Visualize yourself getting healthier, stronger

and leaner.
Consistency is probably the most important part of your walking workout.

The more committed you are to walking all or most days of the week, the healthier you will be.

Remember that short walks are better than none at all. The path to good health, like life, is a

journey. All you have to do is take the first step.

About the Author:
I have

dedicated my life to studying the heart and the blood that pumps throughout the human body. I

have spent much of the last thirty years doing research and spending valuable time with patients,

trying to better understand the heart.

My experience in the field is extensive, and

includes achieving my doctorate in 1976 (Bio-Engineering/ Fluid Dynamics/ Applied Mathematics)

from The Ohio State University Columbus, Ohio, with a dissertation on, A Non-Linear Model of

Coronary Artery Blood

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