The Healthy Alternative

Anxiety is more prevalent than ever in today’s society.  It seems that new sources of stress become apparent each and every day.  But in many cases, external stressors are not the primary cause of anxiety.  Sometimes a poor self-image is to blame.

Low self-esteem is a growing problem among young girls, but no one is immune to it.  The pressures of life can make anyone feel inadequate, whether in the area of job performance, finances, looks or social status.  Even those who seem to have it all sometimes suffer from poor self-esteem.  And more often than not, low self-esteem is accompanied by anxiety.

Those with low self-esteem tend to look to others for affirmation that they are “good enough.”  But they may or may not get that affirmation.  And even if they do, it is rarely enough.  If they do not see repeated signs of acceptance from others, they fall back into the same destructive thought patterns.  This can have a snowball effect, causing more and more anxiety.

Working on Your Self-Image

In order to turn a negative self-image around, we must change the way we think.  It takes work, and it certainly won’t happen overnight.  But by building positive self-esteem, we can eliminate a pervasive cause of anxiety.  Here are some things you can do to improve your self-esteem:

* Realize that nobody’s perfect.  If you feel that you aren’t attractive enough, for example, remember how much work goes into creating those flawless images you see on TV and in magazines.  Stars have dedicated makeup artists and hairstylists who make sure not a hair is out of place, and photos are usually airbrushed to hide imperfections.

* Dispense with the notion that you’re only worth what other people think you’re worth.  Many people put others down as a defense mechanism to mask their own low self-esteem.  And those who are indifferent have their own lives to deal with.  It’s up to you to be the best you can be and be happy with that.

* Make a list of the things you like about yourself.  Don’t be shy or modest, because it’s for your eyes only.  Refer to this list when you’re down on yourself.

* Change the things you can change, and accept the things you cannot.  We all have things we don’t like about ourselves.  Some of those are within our control, and we can work toward turning them into positives.  Others are not, and focusing on them gets us nowhere.

How you feel about yourself can greatly affect your stress levels.  If you’re happy with yourself, you have a head start on dealing with external sources of stress.  If you’re not, any stress you experience is piled on top of more stress.  By working on our self-esteem, we can keep anxiety from getting the best of us.

1.  Nuts

While nut allergies are not the most common food allergy, they are often the most known because they are the most severe.  People with severe nut allergies must be especially careful because they will often react not only to nuts, but also foods that have been prepared in the same facility as nuts.  They can react to very small amounts and can have reactions from nut residue transferred from other people.  Unlike many other food allergies, kids don’t usually outgrow their nut allergies and have to remain alert about what they eat for their whole lives.

While most people associate nut allergies with peanuts, you can be allergic to other nuts as well; however, because of how the allergens differ, people who are allergic to one are often not allergic to the other.

2.  Milk

When most people think of a milk allergy, they’re actually thinking of lactose intolerance.  While we often use these synonymously, lactose intolerance isn’t actually an allergy; it simply means that your body can’t properly digest milk so you feel sick to your stomach.  A true allergy is often much more dangerous.  Milk allergies usually occur among young children and are outgrown by the time they reach adulthood.  People with allergies can sometimes eat soy products; however, you should be careful because many people are allergic to soy as well.

3.  Eggs

This is another allergy common among children that generally disappears when they get older.  The good news is that, just like milk, there is a product on the market called egg replacer that can be used as a substitute.   You can’t scramble it or fry it easily like normal eggs, but you can use it in most baking recipes to achieve a similar texture and flavor without fear of reaction.  It is a powder, so you may have to play a bit with the other ingredients but with a little effort, it can make a great substitute.

4.  Fish/Shellfish

Just like allergies with peanuts and other nuts, most people aren’t allergic to both fish and shellfish.  However, if you are allergic to one type of shellfish, it’s fairly common to be allergic to two or even all types of shellfish.  This is another allergy that many people don’t outgrow, so you will have to be careful your whole life.

5.  Wheat

This is actually a fairly common allergy and can affect up to six percent of children under three.  This is often confused with a disorder called celiac disease, where someone cannot digest wheat and other glutens, but that is not a true allergy.  While there are many foods that need to be avoided because wheat is a common ingredient, most people with wheat allergies can simply replace the wheat with another grain to avoid a reaction.

Many people are well aware if they’re having an allergic reaction to something, but often the clues are much more subtle.  If your reaction is mild, delayed, or from an allergen you’re exposed to repeatedly, you may mistake it for something else.  Here are ten telltale signs that indicate an allergic reaction.

1. Rash.  This may vary from a simple redness on the skin, or can be more severe and include bumps, swelling, blistering, or hives.
2. Itching.  This can be a mild annoyance or more severe and is often associated with a rash.
3. Breathing troubles.  Someone having an allergic reaction may have difficulty breathing or even an inability to breathe.  In many people with asthma, the normal asthma symptoms may be triggered by exposure to an allergen.  Breathing difficulties may also include wheezing and coughing.
4. Eye problems.  Itchy, watery and bloodshot eyes are often a good indicator of an allergic reaction.
5. Swelling.  Swelling of the face and tongue is a common and dangerous symptom of an allergic reaction.  While some facial swelling isn’t a problem, if the tongue becomes too swollen, it can block your airway and prevent proper breathing, causing the person to suffocate.
6. Headache.  In addition to facial swelling, swelling in the head may also cause headaches.  They can also be caused by blockage in the sinuses from a stuffy or runny nose.
7. Nasal symptoms.  Depending on the person, nasal symptoms may vary from a runny to stuffy nose, or sneezing.
8. Stomach problems.  Digestive symptoms can vary from a simple mild stomach ache to extreme pain, vomiting, and severe or bloody diarrhea.
9. Shock.   This is a symptom experienced when your blood pressure drops dangerously low and your internal organs aren’t getting enough oxygen to function properly.  This is a very serious symptom and is usually characterized by confusion, anxiety and eventually loss of consciousness.  The person’s skin color can vary from pale white to red and they may or may not be sweating.
10. Anaphylaxis.  This isn’t really a symptom in itself, but is a term used for any combination of the other symptoms that comes on very quickly and is life-threatening.  This often includes shock and should be treated immediately.

The only way to be sure that you have an allergy is to see a doctor.  Be sure to keep track of all your symptoms, when they occur, and anything that might be related.  Your doctor will use this information to take a best guess of what he thinks the problem is and may perform allergy skin prick tests with small amounts of allergens.

Using the results, your doctor will recommend a treatment specifically designed for your symptoms which may include a simple antihistamine, or an epinephrine pen for more severe symptoms.  They may also be able to get rid of your allergies using a series of shots, depending on your symptoms and their severity.

Modern life is filled with tons of conveniences.  There’s fast food, medicines, and all kinds of products to make you look and feel better.  The problem with all these things is that they’re filled with unnatural chemicals.  These chemicals enter your body when you breathe or ingest them and through your skin.  The problem is that they don’t just go away.  These chemicals can build up in your body and make it operate less efficiently, just like gunk building up in your car’s engine.

Instead of letting these chemicals slow you down, many people flush them out by detoxifying their bodies, or detoxing.  Without all the extra gunk clogging up your system, your body can operate more efficiently, get rid of waste, and absorb more of the essential nutrients from your food.  That means you feel better, have more energy, and can help you lose weight.

There are many different ways to clear chemicals out of your body, from drinking extra water, to fasting or juice dieting, to simply taking an herbal supplement.  While all these products detox your body, they don’t necessarily do the same thing.  For instance, one product may be designed to remove toxins from your intestine, while another works on your liver.

The most common cleansing products and supplements that are used to flush out the system are normally called colon cleansers.  This is generally considered the best place to start because the colon is your body’s natural way of getting rid of waste.  If your colon isn’t working properly, none of your body can.  It’s just like if the garbage workers go on strike in a city; eventually the whole place fills with trash.

Besides slowing down your system, the toxins that build up can also give you serious health problems.  Colon cleansing is particularly important because plaque actually builds in the colon, hardens, and can even petrify.  Not only is this build-up thought to cause colon cancer, it may also contribute to heart disease, allergies, and a host of other health problems.  The toxic effects spread through your whole body and can be detrimental.  Detoxifying can help prevent these problems and can also strengthen your immune system so you get sick less.

If you’re serious about removing toxins, it’s good to work with a schedule and detox each essential part at a time.  Detoxing your liver is great, but if those toxins simply build up in your colon, the detox really isn’t going to do you much good.

Flushing out the toxins from your body isn’t really going to help if you simply replace them again with new ones.  That’s why it’s also recommended to eat fresh, non-processed organic foods as much as possible to keep your body clean and healthy.

Colon cleansing has become increasingly popular in recent years.  It has been touted to help you feel better, stay healthier, and even lose weight.  So, what is colon cleansing and can it really help you take off the pounds?

When we eat food, our colon is responsible for filtering out all the waste from our bodies, but with all the processed food and additional chemicals we eat, our bodies can have a hard time.  This can leave waste in our system that builds up, petrifies, and slows us down.  Colon cleansing flushes all this waste out of the colon so our bodies can process food more efficiently.

When starting colon cleansing, you may see initial weight loss as all the extra bad stuff that was sitting in your body gets flushed out.  However, the weight loss doesn’t stop there.  With all the excess waste flushed out of your colon, your body can better absorb nutrients and dispose of waste more efficiently.  This leaves you with more energy and can help get rid of even more pounds.

When most people think of weight control, they think diet and exercise, but an even simpler answer to what controls your weight is your digestive system.  You may cut and cut your calories and not lost weight because your metabolism slows to adjust to the smaller amount of food.  While exercise is a great way to speed up your metabolism, your digestive system could always use a little boost.

Do you want to work out, but just don’t feel like you have the energy to get up and go after a long day at work?  Colon cleansing can help you feel better so you’ll be able to go work out without feeling like you have to drag yourself.   First, you’ll lose all the excess weight from toxic waste in your system, which will give you energy in itself, but you’ll also be absorbing more nutrients and have a body that works and feels better.  It will make it that much easier to get yourself moving.

If you’re serious about losing weight, colon cleansing can definitely help, but it’s not a magical cure or pill that will make the weight come off without effort.  It’s no substitute for a healthy diet and regular exercise.  To keep your body working efficiently, avoid putting the harmful toxic chemicals in your body to begin with.  This means eating healthy food and sticking with a fresh diet rather than one chocked with preservatives and artificial colors and flavors.

While many people swear by colon cleansing, just like any other weight loss plan, it can be dangerous if not done properly.  Always use tested products from trusted suppliers and consult a health professional before starting your colon cleanse.