One way in which our healthcare system has failed us is in the treatment of chronic conditions.

A pill for every ill.

When you have a chronic condition, it doesn't mean you have a medication deficiency. Those symptoms are telling you that something is out of whack in your body. Giving medication to treat those symptoms does not fix what were causing those symptoms in the first place so the causes for those symptoms still remain but are suppressed. 

Another reason why are healthcare has failed us is because doctors specialize in certain areas of the body. We are more than separate organ systems.

We are one whole being.

You have to consider all of our organ systems when you are searching for what are causing those issues along with our mind and spirit.

​Only when our healthcare system realizes these things can real healing begin.

What do you think? Comment below.

Most people do not practice patience. I see how people get angry when they have to wait in line in the grocery store. For some reason they think they should always be able to get in and out of a grocery store. 

I still have not figured out why that is.

I think one of the reasons I tend to be more patient than most is because of being a co-caregiver for my brother with autism. Some times it takes him longer to do things that most people take for granted. I'm not going to say that I'm always able to practice patience but most of the time I am. It just depends on what kind of day I am having. I think the world would be a less angry place if more people did practice patience.

Do you try to practice patience?

If you don't practice patience, what stops you from doing that?

​Comment below.

When did it become okay to have dessert for breakfast?

Don't get me wrong. I remember having a Toaster Strudel and different cereals like Fruity Peebles as part of breakfast but I also remember eating oatmeal pancakes, cornmeal pancakes and French toast.  

Grits with butter. 

A hearty breakfast.

When adults say they will be serving breakfast, that normally means muffins, donuts or pastries. 

What's wrong with that type of breakfast?

Refined carbohydrates.

Not all carbohydrates are bad but refined carbohydrates are.

Refined carbohydrates have no fiber, no vitamins or minerals.  

​When they are broken down in your body, they turn into sugar which raises your blood glucose. It also leaves you feeling hungry again because it doesn't break down slowly in your body.

Instead breakfast along with other meals during the day should be protein, fat, veggies and fruit.  Real Food. 

Eating this way keeps your fuller, keeps your blood glucose more stable and help you to feel less anxious.  

In some cases you may need to eat a snack in between breakfast and lunch and lunch and dinner especially if it is going to be a long time between them.

I really think that we need to rethink what breakfast is in this country.  

What do you think?

This question has bothered me for a long time so I decided to write about it.

I have a family friend who has heart arrhythmias. I do not know what medication she is on but it has a lot of side effects so her doctor wants to decrease her dosage and she is afraid that she will go into a-fib also known as atrial fibrillation.  That means that she irregular heartbeats. They never figured out what was causing them so she was put on medication.

Did they check her magnesium and Coenzyme Q10 levels? I asked.

She said that they had run a lot of tests but she didn't understand them and she didn't ask her doctor to explain the results.

The reason why I asked about her Coenzyme Q10 and magnesium levels is because a lot of times when people are having irregular heartbeats they have low levels of these nutrients.

Long story short.

She is not the first person that I talked to that never questioned the treatment their doctor suggested.

What people fail to realize is that doctors do not know everything.

They get a minimum of 1 week of nutrition.  That is not enough time to learn about nutrition.

People research other things.  Why not research what options you have when it comes to treatment?

Don't just blindly follow what your doctors says.

Some of the main causes of conditions are inflammation, hormonal imbalances (No hot flashes are not normal.), gut imbalances (The communities in our gut are not in a happy place.)  and nutritional deficiencies.

Most doctors do not know those things either. It's really not their fault they are not taught that in medical school. They are just taught to prescribe medication.

I'm not saying that there is not a time for medication.  In some cases, that is the only option but in most cases other things can be done like seeing if you are have gut issues, have inflammation, hormonal imbalances or any nutritional deficiencies.

The next time a doctor recommends medication for something that you are dealing with do your research before filling that prescription and remember being on medication comes with side effects.

Sometimes those side effects do not go away even if you stop taking the medication.

No studies have ever been done about the effects of taking multiple medications on the human body.

I think we need to take responsibility for our health.  I'm not saying you should never go to a doctor again but I think we should seek out natural ways to resolve our health issues instead of just settling for taking a pill or pills.

What do you think?  Comment below.. 

1. Go meatless for 1 meal per day.

• Remember beans are more carbohydrates than protein so don't pair that with rice. Make sure you have some healthy fat and veggies with that.

2. Use your smartphone.

• Download apps that allow you to use coupons in your favorite stores.
• Look at flyers while in the store to see what is on sale.  Don't have a smartphone check them out on your computer before going.

3. Pickup meat when it is close to expiring.

• This is a good time to buy grass fed and organic meats at a bargain.  Most stores normally mark them down to get rid of them.
• If the meat isn't mark down, you can ask whether it can be marked down because it is due to expire.

4. Opt for frozen or canned vegetables.

• They tend to be cheaper than fresh. 
• Make sure the canned veggies you get are in a BPA free can.

5. Shop in the bulk section.

• You can save on spices, nuts, seeds, beans, baking flours, herbs and other items because you can just get what you need.

Have you used these tips?  What other tips have you used to save so you can eat healthy on a budget.

Do you know what the bulk foods section is?

I didn't until I started going to my local food co-op and Whole Foods. I also recently found out that Giant Eagle Market District has a bulk section too.

Why am I so geeked out over the bulk section?

You can save a lot of of money on food and spices.

How?

You can get exactly what you need.

You can get beans for cheap if that is your thing.  Some bulk sections have cereals, flours ,trail mixes, rice etc..

If you have never visited a bulk foods section or never heard of a bulk foods section, I urge you to seek out one at your local food co-op or other stores in your area especially if you want to eat healthy and save money.

Have you visited a food-co-op or other store that has a bulk foods section?

What is your favorite item or items in that section. Comment below.

Do you have a lot of negative self talk?

Do you know what negative self talk is?

Negative self talk is the negative thoughts that we sometimes have in our minds. I would be lying if I said I have never experienced them because I have.

In fact, I used to have a lot of negative self talk.  It wasn't until I started meditating that I became aware of it.

Being aware of it helped me to start challenging those thoughts..

Have I stopped having negative thoughts?

No.

But when these thoughts come now, I become aware of them faster and I can counter them faster.  

If it is an upcoming situation that I am having negative thoughts about, I try to visualize a positive outcome instead of a worst case scenario happening.

The more you work on this.  The easier it will become. 

When you first started meditating, did you notice negative self talk?

If not, what was the first thing you noticed?

Comment below.

I have been keeping a journal since I was twelve.  My mother gave me my first journal for my birthday that year.  

I had gotten away from it but now I am making sure that I write in it at least once a week.  

For me, it is a way to get my thoughts out of my mind.  It is very therapeutic to put my thoughts to paper. 

Sometimes when I put my thoughts on paper, things do not seem as overwhelming as they did in my head.  It becomes a way to find ways to problem solve some of the troubles in my life. 

Journaling can also be a way to monitor your self talk.  You can see whether you have a lot of negative thoughts. If you do, you can start challenging those thoughts with more positive ones.

Keeping a journal can also be a way to see how far you've come by seeing the fears that you had at one time and have overcome.

The last thing that you can use a journal for is as a place to keep a gratitude list.  This makes you thankful for what you have despite what troubles you may be going through right now. 

You don't have to have a long list. Two to five things or people you are grateful for is fine.

How many of you keep a journal? 

What do you write about?

Comment below.

Have you ever done a random act of kindness?

Have you been the receiver of a random act of kindness?

I can honestly say I can answer yes to both of these questions.  

Today was a day that I was not feeling all that great and not in a great mood.

My mother and I were out grocery shopping.  We stopped at our local food co-op.  We went to the cart return to get some shopping carts.  We kept trying to pull these carts apart but no matter how much we struggled they would not budge.

In steps, this guy.  "Do you need some help?"

He grabbed the carts and was able to finally free them for us.  We of course thank him.  

It is amazing how something that small and can really make your day a little better. 

I even said to my Mom, "That was really nice that he did that for us."

I know today it seems like our world is so cold but it is people like this man who helped us today that lets me know that there are still kind people out there. 

Do you perform random acts of kindness?

Has someone done one for you? 

Comment below.

1. Dim the lights.

Just like you set the mood for a romantic evening.  You need to set the mood for a good night's sleep.

Leave on the least amount of lights that  you can. I tend to leave on the Himalayan lamp that I have and turn out the rest of the lights.

2. Wear blue light blocking glasses

Blue light stops the production of melatonin, which is known as the sleep hormone,  Unfortunately you probably have LED lights in your home.  If you do, they give off blue light. Wearing blue light blocking glasses will block that spectrum of light.

3. Don't drink a lot of water before bed.

If you drink a lot of water before bed, you will have to get up out of your bed to go to the bathroom and this will disrupt your sleep.

4. Don't eat 3 hours before bed.

If you do eat close to bedtime, your body will still be digesting that food when you go to bed and focusing on preparing you to sleep.

5. Use essential oils to help you to relax into sleep.

Trying diffusing lavender, Serenity, Balance or Peace if you have a diffuser.

If you don't have a diffuser, apply this oils topically to the back of your neck and your chest. 2 drops of essential oil or to 6 drops of a carrier oil

6. Turn off the electronics at least an hour before bed.

Just like the LED lights, electronics emit blue light unless you have an app that blocks it.

I hope these tips will help you get a better night's sleep.  Let me know if they do by commenting below.