Researchers Uncover Connection Between Gut Health and Mood

We have all heard the old adage “you are what you eat”, but science is discovering even more of a connection between our digestive tract and our overall health.

Commonly referred to as “gut health”, the gut microbiota, which consist of trillions of microbes, may influence more than bowel regularity and metabolism. These bacterium make up a 6-pound ecosystem inside of every human and produce hormones, communicate directly with our brain via the vagus nerve, and can even produce neurochemicals which influence behavior. Stomach bacteria and mood are connected in ways we never knew before, and scientists are racing to learn more about this fascinating discovery.

A team of Norwegian scientists recently found significant correlation between certain bacteria and symptoms of depression. Patients with irritable bowel syndrome have been found to have significantly higher instances of anxiety and depression. Even individuals with autism are more likely to suffer from digestive problems. By improving our gut health, we may be able to get a handle on a host of somatic and mental health symptoms.

It has been suggested that gut microbes have as powerful of an effect on the brain as psychiatric drugs. Millions of patients are prescribed drugs every year to address somatic and emotional symptoms who might be better treated by simply improving gut health.

There are good and bad bacteria in your gut. Certain foods feed the good bacteria and others feed the bad. Good bacteria are often called probiotics. You can eat certain foods to feed probiotics and you can also take probiotic supplements to increase your probiotic population. When you have too many bad bacteria, you become sick and an antibiotic can kill the bad bacteria that is causing you problems. But antibiotics also kill the good bacteria, which can create a host of negative side effects including decreased mood.

There are 4 simple things that you can do to improve your gut health:

1. remove artificial sweeteners from your diet
2. eat living food
3. exercise
4. take a good probiotic daily

When your gut is unhealthy, it can disturb your brain and cause mood instability. Common diagnoses for unstable mood are depression, bipolar disorder, and dysthymia. Might these disorders be better treated with a probiotic and a daily dose of exercise instead of dangerous psych drugs that have multiple side effects? Even if you do not have a diagnosed mood disorder, might you be able to boost your mood by eating more live food and taking a high quality probiotic.

Article Source: http://themindunleashed.org/2015/07/researchers-uncover-connection-between-gut-health-and-mood.html

Lionel Messi benefiting from new diet - nutritionist Giuliano Poser

Former Argentina forward Claudio Caniggia is resting his hopes on Barcelona star Lionel Messi guiding the current crop of La Albeceleste to success at the Copa America.

Nutritionist Giuliano Poser has confirmed that he helped Lionel Messi change his diet, leading to the Barcelona star's outstanding 2014-15 campaign.

Messi scored 58 goals and contributed 23 assists as Barcelona won the Champions League, Copa del Rey and La Liga Treble, making him a huge favourite for the 2015 Ballon d'Or award.

This followed a disappointing 2013-14, which was disrupted by injury and saw Barca fail to win a trophy for the first time in six seasons.

Messi then started the World Cup impressively but appeared to tire and was unable to prevent Argentina from losing 1-0 to Germany in the final.

A number of reports put his upturn in form down to a new diet, with Blaugranatransfer advisor Charly Rexach revealing that Messi had "eaten too many pizzas" in the past.

The player was photographed meeting Poser in Italy during a break from action in April.

In an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport, picked up in AS, Poser, from Argentina, said Messi had taken a tip from his international colleague Martin Demichelis and consulted him.

"I am a good friend of Demichelis and he recommended he [Messi] visit me," Poser said. "After the World Cup, something changed. Messi had the intuition and humility to try and do something different in his professional life."

ESPN FC's Gabriele Marcotti elaborates on the ongoing Lionel Messi tax investigation, and thinks there is almost no chance of the Argentine going to jail.

The 59-year-old kinesiologist, whose methods reportedly include the use of Bach flower remedies, emotional therapy and a balanced diet, said the change from processed to natural foods had allowed Messi to train with greater intensity.

"He eliminated processed foods and replaced them with foods rich in vitamins -- cereals, vegetables, fish and olive oil," Poser explained.

"He had won everything, but wanted to continue this excellence for years and understood he had to change something. We are talking about a very intelligent and intuitive person."

Demichelis' Manchester City teammate Sergio Aguero is among other top players to have visited Poser at his base in the small Italian town of Sacile.

Article Source: http://www.espnfc.com.au/barcelona/story/2488255/lionel-messi-benefiting-from-new-diet-nutritionist

How To Make Alkaline Water And Normalize Your Body’s pH!

Water is the most valuable resource in the world. After all this years we begin to understand that. About 70 percent of the human body and brain are made up from water.

Water is so vital to our survival in every sense of the word.

Alkaline water has the biggest level of hydration and is a excellent source of minerals vital to our body.

Because of our today’s ways of nutrition which is mainly consisted of processed food that includes salt, sugar, caffeine and alcohol – the most common form of pH imbalance is excess acidity.

Symptoms that point to the fact that your body is too acidic are tiredness, headache, stomach ache and a weakened immune system.

If the environment in our bodies is too acid or alkaline, our otherwise healthy cells can become toxic, collapse and die. An unbalanced pH damages the tissues.

If the body experiences an acidic environment for a longer period, it will ultimately deposit excess acidic substances into some area of the body in efforts to alkalize itself.

In that way, acidity increases in some areas and some cells die, but others may still live and/or adapt or turn into malignant.

Cancer cells can’t live in alkaline water.

That’s why drinking alkaline water is very, very useful.

Our body surveillance systems are responsible for our pH balance values, so they remove acid residue without damaging living cells.

However, if the load becomes too big, the result can be fatal to your body.

One more reason why you should drink alkaline water is the hydration of our body.

So protect and regenerate your body by making this water and drinking it on a daily basis.

Making it is simple and easy.

This is what you need:

• 2l water, clean filtered water (if only tap water is available, than use that one)
• 1 organic lemon, washed, cut into eights
• 1 teaspoon of Himalayan salt

Preparation:

Fill the jug, than add the lemon slices (do not squeeze them!) and then add 1 teaspoon of Himalayan salt in it and cover it. Let it stay overnight (8 to 12 hours) at room temperature.

Drink 3 glasses of water every morning when you wake up before you eat or drink anything else to achieve the best pH balance in your body.

Start trying it tomorrow and your body will thank you!

Article Source: http://thespiritscience.net/2015/07/14/how-to-make-alkaline-water-and-normalize-your-bodys-ph/

21 Positive Expressions That Attract a Better Life

Written by Andrea Schulman

The words we choose to use become the mantras of our life, and the energy we give off with these words influences what kind of a reality the Law of Attractionwill bring us.  Positive phrases give off good vibes that attract a better life.  Unfortunately, negative words and phrases give off lower vibes that attract negativity and unwanted realities.

So while some people may be suffering because of the words and phrases they choose to use, you can do the exact opposite and attract a better life.

Use positive phrases and expressions more often, and more positive things will be attracted to you.  This creates a snowball effect over time, causing the good things in your life to grow and multiply.  Using positive words and phrases is an easy Law of Attraction strategy that anyone can use.

With that being said,  here are a few positive expressions you can use to improve the quality of your life.  These are all common, everyday phrases, so it should be fairly easy to add more of them into your conversations.

21 Positive Expressions That Attract a Better Life

1. It’s a beautiful day.

2. The weather’s been great.

3. I love it when _____.

4. I’m grateful for ______.

5. Everything’s been working out perfectly.

6. She/he is so nice.

7. I’m really thankful for _____.

8. I feel great.

9. I’m so excited.

10. That’s fantastic.

11. I’m so proud of _____.

12. I really like_____.

13. I’m so happy about _____.

14. I’ve got the best _____.

15. That made me smile.

16. Today was a good day.

17. Thank you.

18. I really appreciate_____.

19. You’re a good friend/husband/wife/kid/etc.

20. That’s hilarious!

21. I can’t wait for/to _____.

Article Source: http://www.stevenaitchison.co.uk/blog/21-positive-expressions-that-attract-a-better-life/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ChangeYourThoughts+%28Change+your+thoughts%29

One Big Problem with the Hustle Mentality

If you are a hard-working hustler, you may find yourself hustling in the wrong direction.

“The trouble with men today is that they simply don’t think.”

This quote, from the Nobel Prize-winning Dr. Albert Schweitzer, really resonates with me. After all, it’s easy to distract ourselves from pain, boredom, or important questions. With mobile phones and tablets, we can stay connected 24/7 and consume information non-stop. The scary part is that the late great Dr. Schweitzer passed away in 1965, long before the personal computer and iPhone were invented. If the truth of this quote was evident in 1965, I wonder what the good Doctor would say about us now.

I’m as guilty as anyone. When I’m having trouble solving a problem, I find myself checking email again, subconsciously hoping that a distraction will pop up that prevents me from getting any real work done. Or I’ll open Facebook, and scroll mindlessly through the newsfeed. There are tons of tools and techniques that can help avoid this sort of behavior, all beyond the scope of this article.

Similarly, having a “hustle, hustle, go, go, move forward” mentality can be dangerous. Don’t get me wrong, I believe that work ethic separates great from good. Some of my greatest personal achievements can be credited to pure hard work and grit. But the assumption the people who are touting the “hustle” mentality often fail to mention is that you have to be doing something worthwhile, or on your best path to success. While my greatest accomplishments can be credited to hard work and determination, my biggest blunders and time-wasting episodes were the result of a strategic mistake. These screw-ups and failures I’m referring to were not a result of poor execution, but failure to choose the best strategic path from the beginning.

For example, when I launched full speed into the development (and marketing) phase of a software program geared toward Personal Trainers, I failed to realize that there was already a very low-cost, non-industry specific application that was popular with my target market. Apparently I didn’t do a good job of vetting the competition. This is an obvious blunder, but the same types of mistakes in strategy and prioritization can creep into everyday life. If you aren’t careful, you may find yourself executing on tasks and “hustling” like a mad man while ignoring your highest priority goals.

I’m not saying hustle is a bad word.  What I’m advocating is spending at least as much time and energy on strategy as you do on “hustling.” When I reflect on the time and money wasted on terrible ideas or secondary priorities, I realize that there is no referee tallying up my “hustle points.” The hustle only has value if it breeds results — a fact so obvious that it gets forgotten.

The best way to ensure you are on the right path, and that your actions line up with your priorities, is to regularly zoom out. Other than an extended trip into the wilderness with no access to the internet, the best method I’ve tried is the Daily Priority Review.

If you are a hustler, you probably love To-Do Lists. Instead of launching into your list of tasks first thing each morning, review an attached Priority List first. The Priority List should be comprised of the top five most important things in your life, ranked from one to five in order of importance. Go as broad and obvious as you like. You’ll need to periodically reconstruct your list over time as priorities shift, and will find that you get better at articulating actionable priorities that align with your core values the more you do it. Try jotting your priorities down on a note card, and keep it next to (or attached to) the medium you use for task management (this works whether you use a digital device or good ol’ fashioned Sticky Notes.)

The point is to force yourself to become cognizant of the values, goals, and aspects of life that are most important to you and ensure that your daily “To-Do” list falls in line. I’ll stop there and leave the rest up to interpretation, because only you know what daily reminders will keep you focused on what is important. Otherwise, you are at risk for falling prey to the “hustle” mentality and hustling in exactly the wrong direction.

Article Source: http://goodmenproject.com/featured-content/one-big-problem-with-the-hustle-mentality-dg-2/

Here's the Best Way to Make Your Exercise Habit Stick

Elizabeth Renstrom for TIME

Having this kind of habit will make you a more successful exerciser

It’s not always easy to convince yourself to exercise after a long day of work. (Ok, it’s never easy.) But people who consistently manage to do it may be using a simple trick—whether they realize it or not—according to a new study published in the journal Health Psychology.

The most consistent exercisers, researchers found, were those who made exercise into a specific type of habit—one triggered by a cue, like hearing your morning alarm and going to the gym without even thinking about it, or getting stressed and immediately deciding to exercise. “It’s not something you have to deliberate about; you don’t have to consider the pros and cons of going to the gym after work,” explains L. Alison Phillips, PhD, assistant professor of psychology at Iowa State University and one of the study’s authors. Instead, it’s an automatic decision instigated by your own internal or environmental cue.

The researchers wanted to see whether this type of habit, known as an instigation habit, was better than another type of habit at predicting who stuck with a month of exercise. At the beginning and end of the monthlong study, they asked 123 university students and faculty questions that assessed how often they exercised and how strong their exercise habits were—whether they did it without thinking, for example. From these questions, they gleaned whether a person has a strong instigation habit—one where a cue triggers the instantaneous decision to exercise—and whether a person has a strong execution habit—that is, knowing exactly what kind of exercise they’ll do once you get to the gym, or being able to go through the motions of an exercise routine while being mentally checked out.

The only factor that predicted how often a person exercised over the long-term, they found, was the strength of their instigation habit.

MORE: 7 Psychology Tricks To Make Your Resolutions Stick

It got stronger with time, too. “When people started exercising more frequently over the month and became more active, I saw that their instigation habit strength increased with that frequency, but execution habit didn’t really change in relation to frequency at all,” Phillips says. Zoning out mentally during exercise didn’t have a negative effect, but it didn’t help a person adhere to a regimen, either.

That’s good news for newbie exercisers who might be intimidated by the same routine day in, day out. “In the long term, it seems beneficial, or at least not harmful, to have variety in your routine,” Phillips says of the results. “A lot of people might shy away from starting to exercise because they think, oh man, I can’t possibly imagine myself doing this forever. They might think of one boring routine—running on the treadmill—and to them it sounds like torture, so they give up before they even begin.”

Some repetitive behaviors do reinforce exercise, she says. “When you’re just starting to develop an exercise routine, I think it might be helpful to engage in the same behaviors, to have this patterned action.” But sticking with a cue—instead of clinging to the same tired routine—appears to be what will get you back to your workout again and again.

Article Source: http://time.com/3950220/exercise-healthy-habits/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+time%2Ftopstories+%28TIME%3A+Top+Stories%29&utm_content=FaceBook

Three Simple Practices That Can Help Boost Happiness at Work

These brief practices can help you rewire your brain and feel nine percent happier in just six months.

By Pearl McLeod | July 9, 2015

contrastwerkstatt/Dollar Photo Club

For too many of us work is associated with stress, unhappiness, and anxiety, but world-renowned neuroscientist Richie Davidson and his colleagues show TODAYthat through a few simple steps, we can increase our well-being.

Davidson works to find connections between the brain and our happiness, and his research has shown that we can intentionally change our brain and learn to be happier. Davidson explains:

“By focusing on wholesome thoughts, for example, and directing our intentions in those ways, we can potentially influence the plasticity of our brains and shape them in ways that can be beneficial.”

One method for learning to be happier that Davidson and his colleagues at the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds recommend are three daily tasks that are simple, easy, and rewarding. And Richie Davidson has research to back them up.

The first step is five minutes of meditation every day. This can help you go into your work day feeling more energized, relaxed, and ready to tackle the day. You can check out our Getting Started page to learn more if you are interested in starting a meditation practice, even if it’s only five minutes.

The next step is to make a list of three good things that happened in your day. They can be anything from a really good cup of coffee or a compliment from your boss. By listing good things in your day, you are focusing on the positive aspects of your work, which can help you feel happier.

The last step is to perform one random act of kindness. Not only is this step helpful in making you feel happier and more rewarded at work, but also gives someone else a hand and a smile to cheer up their day.

And there’s some research to back this up. People who did this practice for just twenty minutes a day from 30 days had gained new gray matter in their prefrontal cortex, which is the area associated with attention, emotion regulation, and executive decision-making.

Twenty minutes a day doesn’t seem like much, but these practices can be powerful tools in reshaping your brain and boosting your happiness.

To learn more about Davidson’s groundbreaking work, you can check out this infographic about all the different spheres that his research has influenced, including early childhood education, PTSD treatment, and treatment for individuals who suffer from depression.

Article Source: http://www.mindful.org/three-simple-practices-that-can-help-boost-happiness-at-work/