Archives for 2023

Give up Illusions and Dreams

December 31, 2023 by Dr. Cesar Vasconcellos de Souza - [rt_reading_time label="Reading Time:" postfix="minutes" postfix_singular="minute"]

Today we are going to examine the consequences of our illusions. Often, we find it difficult to accept reality because of our aspirations. Even if we have healthy and ethical desires, we don’t always achieve many of them in this life. In addition, we often have to give up pursuing these desires, even if they are good ones, for various reasons. It is not without reason that Jesus Christ said that those who want to follow him and serve him must die to self, take up their cross, lose their lives, and this, one day at a time.

Jesus explained:

Whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
Matthew 16:25

Losing your life can mean giving up the pursuit of some dream, so that God’s will be done in your life, and this is not easy for anyone. However, in surrendering our desire, when you understand what God really wants from you, it becomes possible to liberate our self to pursue a life of service that gives meaning to our existence.

Much of the anxiety, sadness, anger, and frustration at unfulfilled desires can be alleviated when we die to self, to our desires, leaving the consequences in the hands of the Creator of the universe. It is a paradox that you die in order to live. Nature teaches us that the seed needs to be buried in the earth in order to grow into a mature plant that produces fruit.

Many of our mental sufferings can be rooted in illusions, desires, and attachments. God never requires anything from us without giving us something better in return, even if it involves a loss of material goods, fame, or social power. Living on illusions and desires can hold us back. Giving up our own desires for God’s sake brings relief. This doesn’t mean that we’ll be left empty-handed and have a sad or mediocre life. On the contrary, we become enthusiastic when we surrender to God. Did you know that the meaning of the word enthusiasm is to be full of God? Enthusiasm means being filled with God.

Jesus’ recommendation in the Gospels, in this context of our dreams and personal desires, is to die to self, to live with joy and unselfish attitudes produced by the influence of the Holy Spirit. People who are very controlling live in the illusion of control. This produces a lot of stress because so many things are beyond our control. But thinking we do, we continue in the illusion, wearing ourselves out needlessly.

For example, we can’t control people’s attitudes, what they think, what they feel, what they do. People will do what they want, not what we want, because we have no control over them. The more you try to control someone, the more tension and stress will arise within yourself and in that relationship that you actuate, craving control.

The most corrupt people live under the illusion that acquiring material goods in an illicit way will make them happy. It is an illusion to seek happiness in deceit and fraud. It is impossible to obtain inner peace in this way. You can even acquire considerable social and economic power, but I’ve treated numerous famous, wealthy people who have become depressed, addicted to drugs, suffering from difficult to treat insomnia, exaggerated fears, excessive anxiety, and some have even committed suicide, because they lived in the illusion of happiness based on material wealth, fame and social power.

When we see that control is an illusion, we can finally let go and surrender to God and let Him control our lives. This is the path to relief, serenity and mental health. And it’s not a passive attitude of doing nothing and crossing our arms. There will be plenty to be done, just now under the influence of God’s Spirit and no longer under the control of a complicated self.

Some of us, sincerely and unconsciously, try to fill a sense of loneliness and emptiness that we feel even with many people around us, through the illusion of solving it with something outside of ourselves, be it material wealth or a romantic passion, for example. It’s not uncommon for people to become compulsive shoppers, addicted to drugs, alcohol, sex, passion, the acquisition of social, economic and political power, addicted to food, to gambling, in an unconscious attempt, most of the time, to fill this mental void.

However, there is only one effective way for our lives to have meaning, producing serenity and noble purpose: it is the search for spiritual strength, the daily victory over our character defects, and the search for an attitude of service without conflicts of interest. Think about it and avoid looking in places, in people, in philosophies, ideologies, and objects to find peace and meaning in life, which is only found in goodness, justice, and truth.

Helping a man getting out of the car with a walker

The way out of our deep emotional pain, emptiness, and spiritual need does not lie in economic power, in the illusion of control over others and reality, or in drugs. It doesn’t lie in acquiring fame or any kind of power, except spiritual power, which is obtained as Jesus Christ said, by surrendering everything to Him, dying to self, losing your life in gratitude and love for what He has done, and does for those who believe in Him and surrender to Jesus unconditionally.

Give up the illusion of control; place that burden on God, the Creator of the universe. Let Him fulfill your dreams in the way, manner, and time that He sees fit. You can’t have mental maturity without spiritual health. Pray to God, the Creator of the universe, open your heart to Him, and search the Holy Scriptures for the truth, for the way God indicates how you can have goodness, justice and truth within you, which is a healing process, a miraculous divine therapy that comes to us from above. We can’t produce this in ourselves. May God help us to surrender to Him one day at a time, in the faith that by doing so, He will take over our lives, and then we will have enthusiasm, being filled with God.

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Fiber for Weight Control

December 24, 2023 by Christopher Damman - [rt_reading_time label="Reading Time:" postfix="minutes" postfix_singular="minute"]

Fiber might just be the key to healthy weight management – and nature packages the carbs in perfectly balanced ratios when you eat them as whole foods. Think unprocessed fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds. Research suggests that carbohydrates are meant to come packaged in nature-balanced ratios of total carbohydrates to fiber.((Fontanelli, M.M., Micha, R., Sales, C.H. et al. Application of the ≤ 10:1 carbohydrate to fiber ratio to identify healthy grain foods and its association with cardiometabolic risk factors. Eur J Nutr 59, 3269–3279 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-019-02165-4)) In fact, certain types of fiber affect how completely your body absorbs carbohydrates((Corbin, K.D., Carnero, E.A., Dirks, B. et al. Host-diet-gut microbiome interactions influence human energy balance: a randomized clinical trial. Nat Commun 14, 3161 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-38778-x)) and tells your cells how to process them once they are absorbed.((H. Douglas Goff, Nikolay Repin, Hrvoje Fabek, Dalia El Khoury, Michael J. Gidley, Dietary fibre for glycaemia control: Towards a mechanistic understanding, Bioactive Carbohydrates and Dietary Fibre, Volume 14, 2018, Pages 39-53, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bcdf.2017.07.005.))

Fiber slows the absorption of sugar in your gut. It also orchestrates the fundamental biology that recent blockbuster weight loss drugs like Wegovy and Ozempic tap into, but in a natural way. Your microbiome transforms fiber into signals that stimulate the gut hormones that are the natural forms of these drugs.((Silva YP, Bernardi A and Frozza RL (2020) The Role of Short-Chain Fatty Acids From Gut Microbiota in Gut-Brain Communication. Front. Endocrinol. 11:25. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2020.00025)) These in turn regulate how rapidly your stomach empties, how tightly your blood sugar levels are controlled and even how hungry you feel.((Deborah Hinnen; Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 Receptor Agonists for Type 2 Diabetes. Diabetes Spectr 1 August 2017; 30 (3): 202–210. https://doi.org/10.2337/ds16-0026))

It’s as if unprocessed carbohydrates naturally come wrapped and packaged with their own instruction manual for your body on how to digest them.

I am a physician scientist and gastroenterologist who has spent over 20 years studying how food affects the gut microbiome and metabolism. The research is clear – fiber is important not just for happy bowel movements, but also for your blood sugar, weight and overall health.

Carbohydrates without their wrappers

Unfortunately, most Americans get the majority of their carbohydrates stripped of their natural fibers. Modern processed grains like white rice and white flour as well as many ultraprocessed foods like some sugary breakfast cereals, packaged snacks and juices have removed these fibers. They essentially come unwrapped and without instructions for the body on how much it should absorb and how it should process them. In fact, only 5% of Americans eat the recommended amount of carbohydrates with enough of their natural packaging intact.((Quagliani D, Felt-Gunderson P. Closing America’s Fiber Intake Gap: Communication Strategies From a Food and Fiber Summit. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine. 2017;11(1):80-85. doi:10.1177/1559827615588079)) Guidelines recommend at least 25 to 30 grams of fiber a day from food.((McKeown N M, Fahey G C, Slavin J, van der Kamp J. Fibre intake for optimal health: how can healthcare professionals support people to reach dietary recommendations?BMJ 2022; 378 :e054370 doi:10.1136/bmj-2020-054370))

It may not be surprising that lack of fiber contributes to diabetes and obesity.((Reynolds A et.al. Dietary fibre and whole grains in diabetes management: Systematic review and meta-analyses. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003053)) What is surprising is that the fiber gap also likely contributes to heart disease,((O’Keefe S. The association between dietary fibre deficiency and high-income lifestyle-associated diseases: Burkitt’s hypothesis revisited. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-1253(19)30257-2)) certain types of cancer((Autumn G Hullings, Rashmi Sinha, Linda M Liao, Neal D Freedman, Barry I Graubard, Erikka Loftfield, Whole grain and dietary fiber intake and risk of colorectal cancer in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study cohort, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Volume 112, Issue 3, 2020, Pages 603-612,
ISSN 0002-9165, https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqaa161.)) and maybe even Alzheimer’s disease.((Ticinesi, Andrea et al. ‘Interaction Between Diet and Microbiota in the Pathophysiology of Alzheimer’s Disease: Focus on Polyphenols and Dietary Fibers’. 1 Jan. 2022 : 961 – 982. DOI: 10.3233/JAD-215493))

One popular approach to mitigating some of the ill health effects of low fiber and high refined carbohydrates has been to limit carbohydrate intake.((Review of current evidence and clinical recommendations on the effects of low-carbohydrate and very-low-carbohydrate (including ketogenic) diets for the management of body weight and other cardiometabolic risk factors: A scientific statement from the National Lipid Association Nutrition and Lifestyle Task Force. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacl.2019.08.003)) Such approaches include the low-carb, keto, paleo and Atkins diets. Each diet is a variation on a similar theme of limiting carbohydrates to varying amounts in different ways.

There is scientific backing to the benefits of some of these diets. Research shows that limiting carbohydrates induces ketosis,((Crosby L, Davis B, Joshi S, Jardine M, Paul J, Neola M and Barnard ND (2021) Ketogenic Diets and Chronic Disease: Weighing the Benefits Against the Risks. Front. Nutr. 8:702802. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2021.702802)) a biological process that frees energy from fat reserves during starvation and prolonged exercise. Low-carbohydrate diets can also help people lose weight and lead to improvements in blood pressure and inflammation.((Zhu, H., Bi, D., Zhang, Y. et al. Ketogenic diet for human diseases: the underlying mechanisms and potential for clinical implementations. Sig Transduct Target Ther 7, 11 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41392-021-00831-w))

That said, some keto diets may have negative effects on gut health.((Paoli A, Mancin L, Bianco A, Thomas E, Mota JF, Piccini F. Ketogenic Diet and Microbiota: Friends or Enemies? Genes. 2019; 10(7):534. https://doi.org/10.3390/genes10070534)) It is also unknown how they may affect heart health, some forms of cancer and other conditions in the long term.((Mohammadifard N, Haghighatdoost F, Rahimlou M, Rodrigues APS, Gaskarei MK, Okhovat P, de Oliveira C, Silveira EA, Sarrafzadegan N. The Effect of Ketogenic Diet on Shared Risk Factors of Cardiovascular Disease and Cancer. Nutrients. 2022; 14(17):3499. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14173499))

Even more confusing, research shows that people with diets high in plant-sourced carbohydrates, like the Mediterranean diet, tend to lead the longest and healthiest lives.((Capurso C. Whole-Grain Intake in the Mediterranean Diet and a Low Protein to Carbohydrates Ratio Can Help to Reduce Mortality from Cardiovascular Disease, Slow Down the Progression of Aging, and to Improve Lifespan: A Review. Nutrients. 2021; 13(8):2540. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13082540)) How can this be reconciled with studies that suggest that low-carbohydrate diets can benefit metabolic health?

Is a carb a carb?

The answer may have to do with the types of carbohydrates that studies are evaluating.((Vanessa Campos et.al. Importance of Carbohydrate Quality: What Does It Mean and How to Measure It?, The Journal of Nutrition, Volume 152, Issue 5, 2022, Pages 1200-1206, https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/nxac039.)) Limiting simple sugars and refined carbohydrates may improve certain aspects of metabolic health, as these are some of the most easily digested and absorbed calories. But a more sustainable and comprehensive way of improving health may be increasing the percentage of unprocessed, more complex and slowly absorbed carbohydrates that come with their natural packages and instructions intact – those that have fiber.((P. NPV, Joye IJ. Dietary Fibre from Whole Grains and Their Benefits on Metabolic Health. Nutrients. 2020; 12(10):3045. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12103045))

These natural carbohydrates can be found in whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds, fruits and vegetables. They come in ratios of total carbohydrate to fiber that rarely exceed 10-to-1 and are often 5-to-1 or lower.((Liu J, Rehm CD, Shi P, McKeown NM, Mozaffarian D, Micha R (2020) A comparison of different practical indices for assessing carbohydrate quality among carbohydrate-rich processed products in the US. PLoS ONE 15(5): e0231572. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0231572)) Eating mostly whole foods is a simple way to ensure you’re consuming quality carbohydrates with the right ratios.

But who doesn’t like to have a big bowl of pasta or cake with ice cream on occasion? Focusing on packaged processed foods that maintain carb-to-fiber ratios of at least as low as 10-to-1 or ideally 5-to-1 can help you make the best choices when picking more processed foods at the store. Take a look at the nutrition facts label and simply divide total carbohydrates by dietary fiber.

On occasions when you’re eating out or celebrating someone’s birthday, consider taking a fiber supplement with your meal. One pilot study found that a supplement containing a blend of fibers decreased the blood sugar spike((CHRISTOPHER J. DAMMAN, JUAN PABLO FRIAS, MARTIN L. LEE, LARS RIKSE, WING SHUN LAM, REN-HAU LAI, MARC WASHINGTON; 836-P: A Prebiotic Fiber Blend Improved Postprandial Glucose (PPG) and Time in Range (TIR) as Evaluated by Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) in Healthy Subjects with Normal Glucose Tolerance. Diabetes 1 June 2022; 71 (Supplement_1): 836–P. https://doi.org/10.2337/db22-836-P)) (an increase in glucose levels in the blood that if too high can damage the body over time) after a meal in healthy individuals by roughly 30%.

Listen to your body

While almost all fiber is generally good for health in most people, not all fiber affects the body in the same way. Consuming a range of different types of fiber((O’Grady J, O’Connor EM, Shanahan F. Review article: dietary fibre in the era of microbiome science. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2019; 49: 506–515. https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.15129)) generally helps ensure a diverse microbiome, which is linked to gut and overall health.

But certain medical conditions might preclude consuming certain types of fiber. For example, some people can be particularly sensitive to one class of fiber called FODMAPS – fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols – that are more readily fermented in the upper part of the gut and can contribute to symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome like bloating and diarrhea.((Gibson PR, Halmos EP. The FODMAP diet: more than just a symptomatic therapy? https://doi.org/10.1136/gutjnl-2021-326284)) High-FODMAP foods include many processed foods that contain inulin, garlic powder and onion powder, as well as whole foods including those in the onion family, dairy products, some fruits and vegetables.((Try a FODMAPs diet to manage irritable bowel syndrome. Harvard Health Publishing, March 15, 2022))

Listen to how your body responds to different high-fiber foods. Start low and go slow as you reintroduce foods like beans, seeds, nuts, fruits and vegetables to your diet. If you have trouble increasing your fiber intake, talk with your health care provider.

Tools like this online calculator I’ve created can also help you find the highest-quality foods with healthy fiber and other nutrient ratios. It can also show you what proportions of fiber to add back to sugary foods to help achieve healthy ratios.

I wouldn’t endorse eating sweets all the time, but as my three daughters like to remind me, it’s important to enjoy yourself every once in a while. And when you do, consider putting the carbs back in their fiber wrappers. It’s hard to improve upon nature’s design.

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This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

12 Tips for Dealing with Stressful Work Environments

December 17, 2023 by Martin Neumann - [rt_reading_time label="Reading Time:" postfix="minutes" postfix_singular="minute"]

Do you dread getting out of bed every day to go to work because your work environment is too stressful? You are not alone. 75% of employees believe that workers have more on-the-job stress than a generation ago. 62% of US workers reported having high levels of stress, involving extreme fatigue or feeling out of control. And working women tend to report higher stress levels than men.((All statistics from: Workplace Stress. American Institute of Stress))

12 Tips for Dealing with Stressful Work Environments

For many it is not only the excessive workload that causes them stress, but also people issues and the work environment. You may find that the people you work with are intolerable or that the setup of your workplace is simply not conducive to getting things done efficiently. Dealing with stressful work environments is something many of us have to face every day, but you don’t have to let it get you down. Instead, by learning how to deal with your stress at work you’ll be able to boost your energy and reduce frustration.

How to Deal with Stressful Work Environments

Establish a stress-reducing morning routine. When you drown a coffee in the morning, rush your kids to school, and face the traffic madness on the way to work, probably you are already stressed before starting your work. Be sure you get up early enough to eat a substantial and healthy breakfast, do your household duties without stress, and ideally get some form of exercise, even if it is a few minutes walking around the block before you slip through the office door.

Create a daily to-do list. Many times, when we are stressed out, it’s because we are not clear on what needs to be done, and important tasks may even fall through the cracks so they need to be done under time pressure. This causes our stress levels to rise quickly and uncontrollably. When you create a to-do list, it won’t matter how hectic the office gets, you’ll have a list in front of you that’ll remind you what needs to get done for that day. You’ll feel more in control when you organize your day and you’ll be able to find some peace in the chaos surrounding you.

Be clear about your priorities. Having a to-do list is a good start, but having too many items on the list is often a source of stress. Figure out every morning what are the priorities that need to get done and focus on the most important task of this list. Don´t worry about the other items on the list, you are not supposed to finish it all in one day. If your supervisor defines your schedule, check in to figure out the priorities that are most important for the day. Being clear on the priorities makes you fret less about the secondary tasks.

Practice good time management. Efficiently manage your time by setting realistic deadlines and avoiding procrastination. If you are a perfectionist, you may fall for the temptation to spend too much time on a task to get it perfect and neglect some other things in the process that get undone for lack of time. Estimate how much time you want to spend on every task, and once the time is over, look at how you can wrap it up. Sometimes we underestimate the work involved and will need some extra time, but if you are tempted to spend your time in an endless routine of polishing your work, step back for a minute and remind yourself about the other tasks that need your attention, so you do not lose out on the big picture. Be sure to schedule your jobs well ahead of their deadlines, so you do not need to accomplish them under stressful time pressure.

Take short breaks. When we are under pressure, we often think that breaks are a luxury we cannot afford. We are trying to push through the day, but pretty soon stress is piling up until we are losing our minds. Actually, we will be much more productive when scheduling some regular 5-minute breaks in a 40 to 60 minute interval. Take just a moment to get up, walk around the block, watch the birds outside the window, or get a glass of water. Then you get back to work with new energy and a concentrated mind. Soon you will realize how you can handle your workload with ease.

Detach and recover after work. Work stress tends to pile up throughout the day, and long after we have left through the office door, the work challenges are still ruminating in our minds. We can break the cycle and engage in a recovery activity right after work. Listen attentively to music on your way home. Classical music will be especially effective since it involves you mentally. Get out into nature and actively observe your environment. Watch a squirrel finding a nut or a duck caring for her chicks. Engage in a hobby when coming home, and as paradox as it seems, the more engaging and demanding the free time activity you choose, the better you can recuperate from work stress. And resist the temptation to take work home or to answer work emails in the after-hours.

Avoid distractions and multitasking. Sometimes we think the more projects we handle at the same time, the more we will get done. Actually, exactly the opposite is true. Trying to divide the attention between two tasks is a surefire recipe for becoming inefficient. Our minds are simply not made to process two things at the same time. For maximum performance, we need to concentrate on the task at hand. Get your to-do list and determine the most important task to tackle first. Then you do not touch anything else until the task is done. Be sure to switch off your cell phone and the “You´ve got mail” alerts. Let your co-workers know that you need some distraction-free time. As soon as you have got your focus on the job, go for it with all your attention.

Establish healthy boundaries. If you are known for taking on the challenges of everybody else in the company, it is a surefire way to get burnout. People get lazy if they know there is somebody else to resolve what they did not manage to do. Avoid overcommitting to other people’s projects, when you have already too much on your plate for yourself. Be very clear in communicating your boundaries and limitations. If you have planned a weekend outing with your family, make it clear that you are not available to work overtime. Everybody needs to carry a fair share of their workload and responsibilities for themselves.

Create a space conducive to concentration. If your office is open-concept, you may find the hustle and bustle around you to be distracting. If this is the case, try setting up your workspace so that everything you need is right in front of you, so you don’t have to continually get up to grab stuff. Also, try putting up a privacy screen (if possible), or rearranging your furniture or computer screen to create a barrier of sorts between you and the rest of the office.

An office space with drawer placed to produce privacy

Be proactive in your communication. It is very tempting to assume that everybody else knows what is in your head and is on the same page with you. But in reality, misunderstandings happen frequently because of poor communication. Be sure to frequently align your priorities with your colleagues and supervisors. Assure that everybody is pulling in the same direction. When problems arise, be sure to express your thoughts calmly and assertively. Avoid bottling up emotions until you explode. And always be open for constructive feedback without going into defense mode.

Learn to delegate. It is tempting to think that you are always the best person to get the job done and there is nobody else to replace you. Continue to think like that for a while until you are burned out and have to delegate your work to somebody else. More often than we think somebody else can do your work just as well and you can give your colleagues a chance to develop new skills. Once you have delegated something, do not go back to fuss around with the work you have passed on to somebody else. Accept that your colleague may do things slightly differently. Focus on the tasks that you do best and that really will turn the ship around, but let others handle some of your nitty gritty stuff that is easy to resolve.

Move around within the company or find a better fit elsewhere. Many people simply cannot overcome the stressful environment in which they work. Besides, no one should work in a situation where they always feel on edge! If you have a job that is too demanding or rarely allows you to tend to your personal life, then it may be time to find a better fit. The same is true if you feel yourself at the wrong place. Nothing is more stressful than doing something all day long that you do not like. Getting a new job can be stressful in itself, but when you find something that is right for you, you’ll notice the old way of stressful living will dissipate and you’ll be left with a happier, healthier, and more peaceful life.

Workplace stress is at an all-time high, but in many cases, you’ll be able to overcome this stress using the workplace stress tips mentioned above. If the work environment becomes too stressful and toxic to deal with, you’ll want to take action. After all, you must put yourself first if prolonged and unmanaged stress becomes destructive to your body and mind.

Do you need a guide to help you understand how to cope with Stress in an all inclusive approach? Learn how to combat stress, mentally, physically, emotionally and strategically in your life.

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Mind/Body Health Connections

December 10, 2023 by Vicki Griffin - [rt_reading_time label="Reading Time:" postfix="minutes" postfix_singular="minute"]

It was 1944 and winter in Auschwitz, the concentration camp for Jewish prisoners in World War II. Dr. Viktor Frankl was a prisoner there. He noted the effects of discouragement and loss of hope on prisoners: He recorded that in December “the prisoners had lived in the naïve hope that they would be home again by Christmas. As the time drew near and there was no encouraging news, the prisoners lost courage and disappointment overcame them. This had a dangerous influence on their powers of resistance and a great number of them died.”((Frankl V. Man’s Search for Meaning.Simon and Schuster, New York, NY. 1984. p. 84.))

Can Attitude Really Make a Difference?

Science confirms the link between mindset and physical and mental health: “A person’s psychological state is a prominent factor in health.”((Beaton R. Effects of Stress and Psychological Disorders on the Immune System (article).)) “Attitude, social networks, and a healthy diet are woven together in their importance for physical and mental health.”((Ibid, quotation by Kathryn O. Tacy.)) These factors affect the immune system and how a person takes care of themselves.

Attitudes such as forgiveness, faith, optimism, happiness, perseverance under stress, and trust in God are linked with reduced risk for heart disease, high blood pressure, infection, ill health, and countless stress-related conditions. These attitudes also lessen the severity of illness and speed recovery when it occurs.((Ibid.))

A steady state of grief, worry, hostility, unforgiveness, hopelessness, and depression increase the risk of infection, inflammatory conditions and disease, and slower recovery from sickness.((Ader R. Psychoneuroimmunology. Elsevier Press, USA, 2007. p. 766.))

Many factors contribute to disease. Positive, perky people get sick, and critical, crabby people escape illness. However, a positive mind set is as important to good health as better-known factors such as exercise, and diet. The mind and body are intimately connected.

Remove that “Worry Wart”

Do you have a “worry wart” that needs removal? Are you plagued by a negaholic, naysayer attitude that sends you on mountain-climbing trips over molehills? Practicing the following seven suggestions may help tip your mental scales toward the positive side of life:

1. Smile. Smiling is free—but its benefits are priceless. It lowers stress hormones in the brain, improves memory and learning, and powers up the body’s immune system. It also improves your looks!

2. Express Gratitude. People who express gratitude tend to live longer, healthier lives, have stronger bones, fewer heart attacks, and lower blood pressure. Mentally rehearsing or writing a list of daily blessings is a powerful buffer against mental depression and physical illness.

3. Focus on Positives. Continually ruminating over sad events or worrisome thoughts over stimulates a part of the brain known as “area 25” which is linked to many kinds of depression. A researcher noted: “Attitude is one thing humans have great control over, but for the most part people choose to let their attitude run them, or they think their situation has to change before their attitude can change, which is usually not the case.”((Ref. 2 and 3.)) Concentrating on positive solutions and opportunities will help “tone down” area 25 and turn off negative ruminating.

A positive looking woman expressing hope

4. Forgive. Harboring anger and grudges hurts the heart, increases stress hormones, blood pressure, and increases a host of physical diseases and mental maladies. An act may not be excusable, but it is forgivable. Charlotte Witvliet, PhD, notes that when people think about their offenders in more forgiving ways their emotional health, sense of control, and physical health improve. Forgiving others and also forgiving oneself allows you to let the injury go. The healing spirit of forgiveness is a gift that God will bestow to all who ask.

5. Get up, don’t give up. Successful people are not mistake free—they just refuse to give up. Can you think of a mistake you made that taught you some valuable lessons and caused you to move forward with a new and better plan? Maybe it was not funny at the time, but now it may even put a smile on your face as you think about it now.

6. Nurture your brain and body. Nutrition and lifestyle powerfully effect brain function, mood, memory, and learning. According to Andrew McCulloh, Director of the Mental Health Foundation, UK, we are just beginning to understand the profound link between nutrition and mental health.

Eating whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, and beans has a long-term mood and brain boosting effect that no snack cake can rival! Drinking water instead of caffeinated and sugary beverages improves alertness naturally. Adequate rest is essential for resisting fatigue and irritability. And daily exercise—especially in the sunshine and fresh air, has a calming, stress-lowering effect often more powerful than antidepressants.

7. Get busy about others. Offer to help someone in some way—even a little courtesy like opening a door for someone else—can boost your own health and may even help relieve depression. Studies show that those who spend regular time helping others not only cut their overall risk of death by 35%, but also improve heart health and quality of life.

Call to Action: The Living Word

Chronic anxiety and fear are the opposite of trust. Trusting in God is the most potent weapon against mental and physical illness.

“Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.”
Psalm 62:8

God has promised to fill you with hope and peace as you trust in Him. When trouble comes, when you are perplexed, when you need a friend, God is there to calm your heart and deliver you. He has a plan for your future, guidance for each day, strength to impart during times of trial and grace to give you courage when you make mistakes. He has a plan for successful, abundant living. He is ready today to help you make choices that benefit your brain-body connection—and experience the difference it makes! He invites you to come to Him for spiritual rest and power for abundant living. Will you receive His plan?

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This article was originally published on the Time to Get Ready website.

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The Problems of Cell Phone Abuse

December 3, 2023 by Dr. Cesar Vasconcellos de Souza - [rt_reading_time label="Reading Time:" postfix="minutes" postfix_singular="minute"]

On January 17, 2020, the famous American newspaper New York Times published an article in which the author claimed that parents shouldn’t worry about how much time their children spend using technology, such as cell phones, tablets and computers.((Popper N. Panicking About Your Kids’ Phones? New Research Says Don’t. The New York Times, Jan. 17, 2020)) That’s because, at least according to some experts, too much screen time is not related to their health and well-being. Really?

The other day, I was reading a quote by someone who said that often the only thing that’s true in a newspaper is the date. Let’s take a look at this to see if it really makes sense, which was published in the New York Times, being evaluated by Dr. Jean Twenge, who is a professor of psychology at San Diego State University in California, United States, and author of a book called “iGen: Why Today’s Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy – and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood.” ((Twenge J. Why Today’s Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy – and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood. Atria Books)) This new book is the fruit of research based on surveys and interviews involving 11 million young people and offers us a reflection on today’s growing generation of teenagers and young adults, born in the mid-1990s through to 2012.

The title of the book, “iGen”, has the letter “i” at the beginning, meaning internet. This university professor analyzes the millions of young people who grew up with cell phones and social media accounts before they have started high school. So, the New York Times published that parents shouldn’t worry about how much time their children spend using technology, such as cell phones, tablets, and computers, because, at least according to some experts, too much screen time is not related to the health and well-being of these children and young people.

Do you think this information is correct or do you find it difficult to accept? If you find it hard to believe, you’re right. Several statements by the author of that famous newspaper article are wrong, deceptive or both. Let’s take a look at statements he made that contain shameful errors, according to Dr. Jean Twenge.

Firstly, the article makes a gross misrepresentation about the research consensus on the use of technology and mental health. The author implies that the majority of researchers have concluded that the use of technology is not related to mental health. But that’s not the case. His article in the New York Times failed to mention many medical journal articles that have found substantial links between technology use and mental health. These studies were published in the Journal of Psychiatry of the American Medical Association, the Journal of Pediatrics of the American Medical Association, the Lancet, Journal of Clinical Medicine and the Lancet, Journal of Child and Adolescent Health.

A sign saying: Please destroy cell phones before entering

Dr. Jean, from San Diego State University, the author of this report I’m presenting to you, says that the New York Times didn’t even mention the best studies drawn from medical journals, and what’s even more intriguing, is that she had provided the reporter with a detailed list. Secondly, the newspaper article also misrepresents a recent review of studies on time spent with electronics and mental health. The author mentioned that the link between social media use and depressive symptoms is between 0.11 and 0.17, concluding that these are small effects. Dr. Jean refutes this, saying that the results of young people’s excessive exposure to social media are not harmless, and in fact are not small.

She cites important research carried out by the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) with high school students, which found that twice as many heavy users of electronic devices, those who spend five or more hours a day accessing the internet, compared to light users who spend one hour a day, attempt suicide. In percentages, this means 12% of suicides among heavy internet users versus 6% among light users. Twice as many heavy smartphone users have a low level of well-being. Twice as many internet users are unhappy, and twice as many women who overuse social media are depressed. This is not small, as the New York Times article stated.

The New York Times article quotes experts who, without plausible evidence, dismiss the possibility that the rise of social media and smartphones could be behind the sharp increase in depression, self-harm and suicide in teenagers in recent years. Dr. Jean comments that 2013 was the first year that the majority of Americans owned a smartphone. In 2018, 95% of teenagers had access to a smartphone, and 45% said they were online almost constantly. The period after 2012 is also when social media use went from optional to virtually mandatory among teenagers, and the biggest increases in self-harm, poisoning and suicide occurred among girls aged 10 to 14.

However, the use of technology differs by gender. Girls spend more time on social networks, which can be more toxic than the games that are more popular with boys. The links between technology time and well-being are also stronger among girls than boys. Therefore, if technology is playing a role in the increase in adolescent mental health problems, the increases should be greater among girls, and they are, as Dr. Jean comments in her research.

A girl in front of the computer, worrying about here image on social media.

In the New York Times article, it was stated that the researchers who claim that the use of technology is not related to well-being and mental health have not received any funding from the tech industry. They said that. However, Dr. Jean said that one of the researchers is an employee of the Oxford Internet Institute, which is funded by Facebook, Google and Microsoft. Another researcher was also, until some time ago, linked to the institution.

So the role of parents in controlling their children’s use of electronics is crucial for the well-being of children and young people, for social, educational and even spiritual performance. According to Dr. Jean, parents should limit their children’s use of technology to around 2 hours a day, avoiding use at bedtime. Difficult, right? She explains that parents can be sure that their instincts to protect their children from too much screen time are correct.

She makes a comparison, saying that if children who ate five apples a day instead of just one were twice as likely to attempt suicide, parents would make sure their children didn’t eat too many apples. Why should our response to technology time be any different, right? Think about it. Protect yourself and especially your children from excessive internet use, whether on cell phones or social networks. This is important for your mental health and theirs.

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Benefits from an Anti-Inflammatory Diet

November 26, 2023 by Lauren Ball - [rt_reading_time label="Reading Time:" postfix="minutes" postfix_singular="minute"]

There is a lot of health buzz around the term “inflammation” right now. From new scientific discoveries((Barney, J. Inflammation discovery could slow aging, prevent age-related diseases. MedicalXPress, July 24, 2023)) to celebrities((Patterson C. Gwyneth Paltrow Addresses ‘Backlash’ Over Anti-Inflammatory Diet, Says She Eats ‘More Than Bone Broth’. People.com March 17, 2023)) and social media influencers, it seems like everyone is talking about this important bodily process and its potential impact on our health.

“Inflammaging” is a specific term you may also have seen. It’s an age-related increase in persistent, low-grade inflammation in blood and tissue, which is a strong risk factor for many conditions and diseases.((Franceschi, C., Garagnani, P., Parini, P. et al. Inflammaging: a new immune–metabolic viewpoint for age-related diseases. Nat Rev Endocrinol 14, 576–590 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41574-018-0059-4))

So, can an anti-inflammatory diet help reduce inflammation? Let’s take a look.

What is inflammation?

When our body becomes injured or encounters an infection, it activates defense mechanisms to protect itself. It does this by instructing our cells to fight off the invader. This fighting process causes inflammation, which often presents as swelling, redness and pain.((Furman, D., Campisi, J., Verdin, E. et al. Chronic inflammation in the etiology of disease across the life span. Nat Med 25, 1822–1832 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-019-0675-0))

In the short term, inflammation is a sign your body is healing, whether from a grazed knee or a cold.

If inflammation persists for a longer time it’s called “chronic”. That can indicate a health problem((Schett, G., Neurath, M.F. Resolution of chronic inflammatory disease: universal and tissue-specific concepts. Nat Commun 9, 3261 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-05800-6)) such as arthritis, heart disease, diabetes, dementia or other autoimmune disorders.

The signs and symptoms((Pahwa R, Goyal A, Jialal I. Chronic Inflammation. 2023 Aug 7. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan–. PMID: 29630225.)) of chronic inflammation may be present from several months to years and include:

persistent pain
chronic fatigue or insomnia
joint stiffness
skin problems
elevated blood markers (such as C-reactive protein)((C-reactive protein (CRP) blood test https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/c-reactive-protein-CRP-blood-test))
gastrointestinal issues (constipation, diarrhoea, acid reflux)
depression, anxiety and mood disorders
unintended weight gain or loss
frequent colds or flu.

What role does diet play?

The relationship between food and inflammation is well recognized.((Dario Giugliano, Antonio Ceriello, Katherine Esposito, The Effects of Diet on Inflammation: Emphasis on the Metabolic Syndrome, Journal of the American College of Cardiology, Volume 48, Issue 4, 2006, Pages 677-685, ISSN 0735-1097, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2006.03.052.)) Overall, some food components may activate the immune system by producing pro-inflammatory cytokines (small proteins important in cell signaling) or reducing inflammation by the production of anti-inflammatory cytokines.

A “pro-inflammatory diet” may increase inflammation in the body over the long term.((Hockey M. Clear evidence for a link between pro-inflammatory diets and 27 chronic diseases. Here’s how you can eat better. The Conversation. April 22, 2021)) Such diets are usually low in fresh produce like fruits, vegetables and wholegrains, and high in commercially baked goods, fried foods, added sugars and red and processed meats.

In contrast, an “anti-inflammatory” diet is associated with less inflammation in the body. There is no single anti-inflammatory diet. Two well-recognized, evidence-backed examples are the Mediterranean diet and the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet.

Anti-inflammatory diets typically include the following elements:

1. high in antioxidants. These compounds help the body fight free radicals or unstable atoms, that in high quantities are linked to illnesses such as cancer and heart disease. The best way to consume antioxidants is by eating lots of fruits and vegetables. Research shows frozen, dried and canned fruits and vegetables can be just as good as fresh.((Kuhnle G et.al. Frozen and tinned foods can be just as nutritious as fresh produce – here’s how. The Conversation. March 21, 2021))

An assortment of colorful, antioxidant rich fruits and vegetables

2. high in “healthy”, unsaturated fatty acids. Monounsaturated fats and omega-3-fatty acids are found in fish, seeds, nuts, and plant-based oils (olive oil and flaxseed oil).

3. high in fiber and prebiotics. Carrots, cauliflower, broccoli and leafy greens are good sources of fiber. Prebiotics promote the growth of beneficial microorganisms in our intestines and can come from onions, leeks, asparagus, garlic, bananas, lentils and legumes.

4. low in processed foods. These contain refined carbohydrates (pastries, pies, sugar-sweetened beverages, deep-fried foods and processed meats).

Rheumatoid arthritis, dementia, depression

There is mixed evidence for the role of anti-inflammatory diets in rheumatoid arthritis pain management. A recent 2021 systematic review (where researchers carefully group and examine the available evidence on a topic) found eating an anti-inflammatory diet likely leads to significantly lower pain in people with rheumatoid arthritis when compared with other diets.((Schönenberger KA, Schüpfer AC, Gloy VL, Hasler P, Stanga Z, Kaegi-Braun N, Reber E. Effect of Anti-Inflammatory Diets on Pain in Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Nutrients. 2021 Nov 24;13(12):4221. doi: 10.3390/nu13124221.))

However, the 12 studies included in the review had a high risk of bias – likely because people knew they were eating healthy foods – so the confidence in the evidence was low.

Inflammation is strongly implicated in the development of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia((McGrattan AM, McGuinness B, McKinley MC, Kee F, Passmore P, Woodside JV, McEvoy CT. Diet and Inflammation in Cognitive Ageing and Alzheimer’s Disease. Curr Nutr Rep. 2019 Jun;8(2):53-65. doi: 10.1007/s13668-019-0271-4.)) and evidence suggests anti-inflammatory diets might help to protect the brain.

A 2016 review showed an anti-inflammatory diet may be protective against cognitive impairment and dementia, but that further large randomized controlled trials are needed.((Petersson SD, Philippou E. Mediterranean Diet, Cognitive Function, and Dementia: A Systematic Review of the Evidence. Adv Nutr. 2016 Sep 15;7(5):889-904. doi: 10.3945/an.116.012138.)) A 2021 study followed 1,059 people for three years and observed their diet. They reported those with a greater pro-inflammatory diet had an increased risk of developing dementia.((Charisis S, Ntanasi E, Yannakoulia M, Anastasiou CA, Kosmidis MH, Dardiotis E, Gargalionis AN, Patas K, Chatzipanagiotou S, Mourtzinos I, Tzima K, Hadjigeorgiou G, Sakka P, Kapogiannis D, Scarmeas N. Diet Inflammatory Index and Dementia Incidence: A Population-Based Study. Neurology. 2021 Dec 14;97(24):e2381-e2391. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000012973.))

Inflammation has also been linked with mental health, with people eating a pro-inflammatory diet reporting more symptoms of depression.((Adjibade M, Lemogne C, Touvier M, Hercberg S, Galan P, Assmann KE, Julia C, Kesse-Guyot E. The Inflammatory Potential of the Diet is Directly Associated with Incident Depressive Symptoms Among French Adults. J Nutr. 2019 Jul 1;149(7):1198-1207. doi: 10.1093/jn/nxz045.)) Diet is the fundamental element of lifestyle approaches to managing anxiety and mental health.((Manger S. Lifestyle interventions for mental health. doi: 10.31128/AJGP-06-19-4964))

More broadly, a 2021 review paper examined recent research related to anti-inflammatory diets and their effect on reducing inflammation associated with aging. It found compounds commonly found in anti-inflammatory diets could help alleviate the inflammatory process derived from diseases and unhealthy diets.((Stromsnes K, Correas AG, Lehmann J, Gambini J, Olaso-Gonzalez G. Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Diet: Role in Healthy Aging. Biomedicines. 2021; 9(8):922. https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines9080922))

What about turmeric?

A favorite on social media and vitamin shelves, turmeric is promoted as having anti-inflammatory benefits. These are linked to a specific compound called curcumin, which gives turmeric its distinctive yellow color.((Amalraj A, Pius A, Gopi S, Gopi S. Biological activities of curcuminoids, other biomolecules from turmeric and their derivatives – A review. J Tradit Complement Med. 2016 Jun 15;7(2):205-233. doi: 10.1016/j.jtcme.2016.05.005.))

Research suggests curcumin might act as an anti-inflammatory agent in the body but high-quality clinical trials in humans are lacking.((Basnet P, Skalko-Basnet N. Curcumin: An Anti-Inflammatory Molecule from a Curry Spice on the Path to Cancer Treatment. Molecules. 2011; 16(6):4567-4598. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules16064567)) Most of the existing studies have been conducted in lab settings using cells((Chowdhury, I, Banerjee, S, Driss, A, et al. Curcumin attenuates proangiogenic and proinflammatory factors in human eutopic endometrial stromal cells through the NF-κB signaling pathway. J Cell Physiol. 2019; 234: 6298–6312. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcp.27360)) or in animals.((Sarker MR, Franks S, Sumien N, Thangthaeng N, Filipetto F, Forster M. Curcumin Mimics the Neurocognitive and Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Caloric Restriction in a Mouse Model of Midlife Obesity. PLoS One. 2015 Oct 16;10(10):e0140431. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0140431.)) So it’s unclear how much curcumin is needed to see anti-inflammatory benefits or how well we absorb it.((Hewlings SJ, Kalman DS. Curcumin: A Review of Its Effects on Human Health. Foods. 2017 Oct 22;6(10):92. doi: 10.3390/foods6100092.))

Overall, adding turmeric to your food may provide your body with some health benefits, but don’t rely on it to prevent or treat disease on its own.

Safe eating

Inflammation is a major factor in the link between diet and many health conditions.

Eating an anti-inflammatory diet is considered safe, likely to support health and to prevent future chronic conditions. If you are looking for tailored dietary advice or an anti-inflammatory meal plan, it’s best to speak with an accredited practicing dietitian.

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