Be a Diamond or a Rock, It's up to YOU

What will you choose today?

BE A DIAMOND

STAY A ROCK

It's not easy yet it's what God hopes for all us... and we should aspire for ourselves
 it is possible through trial and hardships to find the diamond in you... and still then to continually work at  becoming cut and polished.

Your choice! - run and hide from those things that take 

time, effort and sometimes pain 

and StAY a ROcK or

Or chip away and discover the diamond in YOU.... 

Also know as "grow bitter or better" during lives trials.
Also know as "stay fat and dumb or get lean and smart"
Also know as "...... ok, you fill this in.... ya, know what I'm talking about"

SO, get in touch daily with feeding and exercising your Mind (positive thoughts)

                                        feeding and exercising your Spirit  (instruction manual:bible)

                                        feeding and exercising your Body (Healthy Food/Activities)

All up to YOU 

Ciao,

Salute!  To your Health and Wellness


PS
Stay off the White sugar and White Flour and 
eat colorful, fresh foods and fibers


Get "active"  ..... Stop sitting on the couch of excuses
Believe in God for Strength and draw on HIS word.




Ciao

sunshine in your soul or Symptoms of choice

The title doesn't match the blog today.... although, it's a gorgeous sunny day outside so I had to say.... SONshine, and SUNshine in my soul today!

Here is my thought (no charge, it's free )


When you notice pains, symptoms of illness, headaches.... stomach problems... etc

I suggest you do this:

Take a deep cleansing breath, with your eye's closed (not while driving or walking of course... or on an escalator - that would be not so smart)

ok,  take a deep cleansing breath and have an internal dialog  like this:

My body is fighting off (fill in the blank)  - But how is my Mind?  How is my Spirit?

You see it's like this.  We're so consumed with our Body  and it's 5 senses
Taste
Touch
Hearing
Seeing
Smell

But we are SO VERY VERY out of touch with our Mind and Spirit.

Thank God our BODY signals when it's not balanced, 

Hard to ignore when it's fighting an illness, fatigue, weakness, stress, injury

B U T 

Do you know that YOUR MIND also has to  also fight off it's own type of :

illness, fatigue, weakness, stress, even injury?

AND

Do you know that YOUR SPIRIT also has to  also fight off it's own type of :

illness, fatigue, weakness, stress, even injury ?

The problem as I see it is that we all face is we are conditioned to recognize the signs and symptoms of our body when it's fighting an illness or disease or injury.

But We HAVE NOT LEARNED to recognize the signs and symptoms of our 

Mind and Spirit when it's fighting it's own type of 

illness or disease or injury until it is shown in our body.  

Then we focus on our body when we may need healing first in our mind or spirit!

I encourage you to "think" about the 

Balance of your Body, Mind and Spirit 

  

Exercise a Lifestyle that promotes prevention of illness, injury and disease

of the Body

of the Mind

of the Spirit

When people are sick in their spirit their Minds an Body are affected.  They just don't think about the origin of illness?  We've been taught to TREAT SYMPTOMS.  We think when the symptom is gone, we're ok   NOT TRUE.  Just because the Advil made your pain go away, doesn't mean your body isn't still trying to fight the cause of the pain. Pain is only a SYMPTOM.

Example:

When your told someone you love has passed away - You are touched Physically (crying), mentally (difficulty thinking and talking), and Spiritually (your faith is challenged)

ALL three parts of your being are touched.  Right?   ALL are affected and MUST be healed.

THERE IS NO TIME where something happens in your BODY that doesnt affect 

your Mind and Spirit.

THERE IS NO TIME where something happens in your MIND that doesnt affect 

your Spirit and Body.

THERE IS NO TIME where something happens in your SPIRIT that doesnt affect your Mind and Body.

SO, get in touch daily with feeding and exercising your Mind

                                        feeding and exercising your Spirit

                                        feeding and exercising your Body


When you have a "symptom", evaluate not just your body but your mind and spirit too!

Rx for life:

Laugh (physical)

Love   (spiritual)

Give   (mental)

Ciao! and Salute  to Your Health & Wellness

ps

Your sight can trigger emotions:  

Fix your sight on something that brings a smile to your face, mind an spirit

This picture makes me smile!  I LOVE LOVE LOVE anything that makes me LAUGH!

    

And..... Classic Comedy Movies!

Ya gotta rent or Netflick: " Hold that Ghost" since it's Halloween time 

Abbott & Costello, Joan Davis - "Hold That ... 3 min - Feb 21, 2009 Uploaded by rolko52 youtube.com

Impressed or Depressed - it's all about how your dressed!

When you choose your clothes in the morning.... do you realize you also have a "choice" to choose your attitude?  What will your attitude wear today....?

Something to impress or Something that shows your depressed? 

You can't hide, though you may try.

  ....  attitude is like a fragrance you wear

You'll either be delightfully fragrant or STINK!

so, get off the couch of excuses!  

When you have nothing left to give - "give just a little more".

easy words to say.... a challenge to accomplish this

but ahhhh the treasure you discover in Your strength

We have incredible power within us.... (we are incredible creations)




It's a shame when we "choose" to not take advantage of our power.


 Use it or loose it, as they say.....   So..... E X E R C I S E  your "spirit of Will"  (ya, know... Will, and his brother Will.  They are the guys that's lurking around trying to capture your attention... They are  such a pest.  
It's always God's "Will" or your "Will"....  You chose which Guy! 
                    which "Will"  have you chosen?




Tough times takes a Tough "Can do Attitude"..... 


Here are some Tips I "kind of" like to  "LIFT your spirits"  Found here at this web site and copied:
http://www.rd.com/living-healthy/17-ways-to-lift-your-spirits/article16112-2.html

Banish the Blues

There comes a point in all of our lives when we come to a stark realization: Life sometimes isn't very fun. The realities of day-to-day existence are challenging, and setbacks common. Life may have been an eye-opening adventure in our youth, our teens, even our 20s, but as time passes, the glee of living gets harder to sustain. 

Most of us cope just fine with this fact. With age, exuberance and excitement get replaced by a more subtle but deeper joy. We have families we love, jobs that are meaningful, friends that care, hobbies and vacations that provide real pleasure, accumulated wisdom that gives us a sense of value and uniqueness. 

But rare is the person who doesn't encounter times of major loss or challenge along the way. And for millions of people, the path of life occasionally takes us through the dark regions of depression. Often it is a negative event, or a sequence of events, that triggers this condition. Sometimes it is a shift in our attitudes -- from a life half-full to a life half-empty -- that brings it on. 

And sometimes it is body chemistry itself -- an imbalance in the chemicals of the brain that deprives you of the feel-good hormones and casts a long shadow on your moods and emotions. (Note from me" see, this is just what I've been talking about "Balance" brings Health and Wellness )

Depression is a serious condition, demanding a doctor's treatment. Here we aren't trying to give you a diagnosis or treatment -- that's for professionals to do. But even if you are taking medication for depression, the following lifestyle tactics may increase the drug's effectiveness. If you're simply feeling low, they may give you the boost you need to pull out of it and help you avoid adding another expensive prescription to your list. 

1. Spend at least one hour each week with a close friend. In a British study, when 86 depressed women were paired with a volunteer friend, 65 percent of the women felt better. In fact, regular social contact worked as effectively as antidepressant medication and psychotherapy. Regular social contact with a close friend may boost self-confidence and encourage you to make other positive changes that will help lift depression, such as starting an exercise program. Speaking of which -- start an exercise program! 

2. Eat seafood twice a week or more. A Dutch study found that people who consume diets rich in omega-3 fatty acids, a type of fat found in cold-water fish such as salmon and mackerel, were less likely to suffer from depression than people whose diets were low in this important fat. Another study, this one conducted in England, found that pregnant women who didn't eat fish had twice the rate of depression as women who ate 10 ounces of fish a day. In fact, one reason researchers think the rate of depression has skyrocketed in this country is that we get so few omega-3 fatty acids in our diets. Another good idea for getting your omega-3s: Keep a container of ground flaxseed in the fridge. Use it to sprinkle on everything from ice cream to yogurt to cheese omelets. Mix it into muffin mix, shakes, and salad dressings. Flaxseed is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids. 

3. Play with a dog a few minutes every day. When non-pet owners played with a dog for just a few minutes a day as part of a University of Missouri study, blood levels of the brain chemicals serotonin and oxytocin -- both mood elevators -- rose. You don't need to own a dog to experience these feel-good effects (although dogs are great antidotes to the kind of chronic stress that can result in depression). Pet your neighbor's dog for a few minutes a day, volunteer at an animal shelter, or stop by your local pet store for some furry one-on-one therapy. 

4. Take 600 milligrams of chromium picolinate a day if you have depression and insulin resistance. This mineral may improve function of the hormone insulin, which, in turn, may help normalize levels of the mood-boosting brain chemical serotonin. In a study completed at Duke University, people with atypical depression -- characterized by mood swings, carbohydrate cravings, weight gain, and lethargy -- boosted their mood and reduced their carbohydrate cravings and other symptoms when they began supplementing their diet with chromium. Consult your doctor first, though.

Take a Time-Out

5. Eat a bowl of fortified breakfast cereal or take a multivitamin every day. This will ensure you consume the recommended amount (400 micrograms) of folate, an important B vitamin that may help lift depression. Folate and other B vitamins help maintain nerve and blood cells, used in brain reactions and essential for the production and function of a number of mood-boosting brain chemicals. In a Finnish study published in the Journal of Nutrition, participants with the lowest folate consumption were at the highest risk for depression. Another study, published in the Annals of Clinical Psychiatry, found this vitamin helps enhance the effectiveness of antidepressant medication. Another good source? Avocados. They're one of the richest plant sources of B vitamins. 

6. Get a 12-minute massage three times a week. It doesn't have to cost a lot. Whether you pay a professional or ask a spouse or friend to rub your back, the result is the same: a natural mood boost. In a study of depressed dialysis patients, participants who received a 12-minute massage three times a week were less depressed than those who didn't get the soothing rub. Another study of 84 depressed pregnant women found those who received two 20-minute massages a week from their partners reduced their incidence of depression 70 percent. Researchers suspect massage boosts serotonin levels (which jumped 17 percent in the women who received twice-weekly massages) and reduces levels of the stress hormone cortisol. 

7. Pull an all-nighter. Staying up all night for one night -- and therefore depriving yourself of sleep -- has been shown to lift depression for as long as a month. Although researchers aren't sure why it works, they speculate that one night of sleep deprivation may reset the sleep clock, enabling people who are depressed to sleep better. 

8. Eat a whole wheat English muffin smothered with jam. When you consume high-carbohydrate foods -- such as the muffin with jam -- you encourage the amino acid tryptophan to flood your brain, boosting serotonin levels. A slice of whole wheat bread slathered with honey or a snack of air-popped popcorn will also produce the same effect. Why the emphasis on whole grain? White flour provides similar benefits, but the effects wear off quickly, taking you from peak to valley in an hour or so. 

9. Just bang on something. Employees at a retirement community who took a drumming class felt more energetic and less depressed six weeks after the class than before they started it. Researchers speculate that drumming helps to relax your body. Whacking a few notes out on your desk may help, but joining a weekly drumming circle may help more, particularly since it provides camaraderie with others, which, as noted earlier, also helps with depression. 

10. Take a 10-minute walk three times a day during the winter. Many people feel depressed during the winter months, when they travel to and from work in darkness and don't get enough natural sunlight. Physical exercise, however, encourages the release of hormones and neurochemicals that boost mood, says Richard Brown, M.D., associate professor of clinical psychiatry at Columbia University and coauthor of Stop Depression Now. Walking outside during the day will give you a few short doses of sunlight, also shown to boost mood, particularly in the winter. 

Welcome Change

11. First thing in the morning, lie on your back with your head hanging over the edge of your bed. Grip a 5- or 10-pound dumbbell with both hands and extend it behind your head, letting your arms hang down toward the floor. Take 10 deep breaths, trying to expand your rib cage as much as possible. Bring the weight back and place it on the bed beside you. Scoot onto the bed so your head is supported, and take another 10 deep breaths. Repeat three times. The stretch will open your rib cage and chest, making it easier to take a deep breath. "The most common unrecognized source of mild depression is restricted trunk flexibility that interferes with full respiration," says Bob Prichard, a biomechanist and director of Somax Sports in Tiburon, California. "Most people with mild depression are shallow breathers because their chest and stomach are too tight to allow full, easy breathing," he says. 

12. Drink one to two cups of coffee or tea each morning. Regular, modest caffeine intake decreases the risk of depression by more than 50 percent, says Edward J. Cumella, Ph.D., a licensed psychologist and director of research and education for the Remuda Ranch Treatment Centers in Wickenburg, Arizona.  (Note from me:  Wow,  I didn't know this! wonder if it's true?)

13. Look in the mirror and force your lips into a smile. "Research shows that the physiology of smiling actually makes you feel happy," Dr. Cumella says. If you need a little extra help in the smile department, watch a funny movie, read the comics, buy a Peanuts or Calvin and Hobbes collection, or ask a friend to tell you one joke every day. 

14. Sleep in a different bedroom. Many people with depression also have insomnia. Switching your sleep location can help, says Dr. Cumella. You can also reduce insomnia by getting up at the same time every day, never napping for more than 20 minutes, shunning caffeine after 3 p.m., and relaxing for an hour before bed. (Note from me:  Love this one!)

15. Go easy on yourself. When something goes wrong, resist the urge to mentally beat up on yourself. "Give yourself permission to be a human being and not a human doing," says Karl D. La Rowe, a licensed clinical social worker and mental health investigator in Oregon. When you catch yourself mentally berating yourself for some supposed failing, replace your negative thoughts with the phrase "I am doing the best I know how to do. When I know a better way and can do it, I will." 

16. Break out of your routine today. Sometimes being stuck in a rut is just that. Get out of it and your mood may come along with you. Take a day off from work and go explore a town nearby. Go out to a restaurant for dinner -- even though it's a Tuesday night. Take a different route as you drive to work, wear something that is totally "not you," or take your camera and go on a photography hike. For a major blue mood, consider that it might be time for you to take a vacation. 

17. Get a day of vigorous outdoor recreation, like hiking, canoeing, or biking. Let the combination of nature and physical activity work their magic on your mood. 

Love some of these tips! (Highlighted in red is what I really like with my thoughts in blue) Catch the passion of Honoring your body (thus honor's your creator!)

Balance yourself so you don't FALL!

Balance yourself and you'll discover the person that is hoping to emerge


Ciao


Salute!  To your Health and Wellness

Salute!  To your Health and Wellness!

Have you heard me talk about balance?  

Well, when it comes to 

health and wellness for your

 body, soul and spirit 

think about SLEEP!

Balance 

Sleep is needed to regenerate and refresh not just your mind but every cell and organ in your body.

I only had a few minutes this morning to look up some info... (I'll research more later)

Insomnia can play havoc on your health.

Sleeping difficulties are a symptom

This will be the first of several blogs on the importance of sleep and how to get proper sleep

http://www.sleepdex.org/sleep.htm


The "seven deadly sins" formulated by the mideaval monks included Sloth. 

  Proverbs 6:9   "How long will you sleep, O sluggard? 

Psalm 4:8

I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: 

for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.

Proverbs 20:13
Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; 

open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread.

Scientists have yet to determine exactly why people sleep. However, they do know that humans must sleep and, in fact, people can survive longer without food than without sleep. And people are not alone in this need – all mammals, reptiles and birds sleep.

Scientists have proposed the following theories on why humans require sleep:

• Sleep may be a way of recharging the brain. The brain has a chance to shut down and repair neurons and to exercise important neuronal connections that might otherwise deteriorate due to lack of activity.
• Sleep gives the brain an opportunity to reorganize data to help find a solution to problem, process newly learned information and organize and archive memories.
• Sleep lowers a person’s metabolic rate and energy consumption.
• The cardiovascular system also gets a break during sleep. Researchers have found that people with normal or high blood pressure experience a 20 to 30% reduction in blood pressure and 10 to 20% reduction in heart rate.
• During sleep, the body has a chance to replace chemicals and repair muscles, other tissues and aging or dead cells.
• In children and young adults, growth hormones are released during deep sleep.
• When a person falls asleep and wakes up is largely determined by his or her circadian rhythm, a day-night cycle of about 24 hours. Circadian rhythms greatly influence the timing, amount and quality of sleep.

ahhhhhhhhhhhhh  - daylight savings time    HURRY UP!

Ciao

Salute!  To your health and Wellness  - Go to Bed on Time!

We are our Choices

If there was no sickness or disease and we lived like cartoon characters (fall on are head and then get up an eat cake) what would our need be to have a relationship be with God?

I was thinking about so many people who need prayer in my life,  I was thinking about the tragedy's and heartaches happening around the world and my heart just ached.  As I began to whisper prayers for these things it dawned on me this concept.  No illness, disease, hurt, injury, wars....and therefore

No need for talking with the Lord if our lives  and world were perfect

Genesis  3: 8-9

⁸And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.

 ⁹And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?

Yes,  so true. We hide from a relationship with the Lord when we know our choices have been made that are against God's Will for us !

That lead me to think about  - Do you know that God has emotions of  anger and wrath? 

Isaiah 66:15

For, behold, the LORD will come with fire, 

and with his chariots like a whirlwind, 

to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke 

with flames of fire.

But, Fortunate for us....

Psalm 145:8

The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; 

slow to anger, and of great mercy.

All of this to say, Those who choose to serve and worship the Lord... those who acknowledge that Christ Died and Rose from the Cross for our sins, will live for eternity in Heaven - where there is no illness, disease, wars... 

BECAUSE WE HAVE CHOSEN TO LOVE THE LORD 

we can live with Him in Heaven.

Simply put, your free will to chose whom you want to serve

You or God

Your Choice

Where will your Choice take you?  

Where does your choices take you today?

My blogging is all about choices -

My blogging has been about recognizing the symptoms of our choices

My blogging has been  our passion to make right healthy choices that bring u:

 joy, health, wellness, success, peace, love

We will experience illness, diseases and wars in and around us - that is because we live in a  world birthed in Sin (sinful nature).  

However, we have the Instruction Manual for 

"trouble shooting" symptoms.  Go to the Bible, 

the infallible word of the living God and make right choices.  

So sad that Job in the bible had illness, disease and tragedy come upon him - it wasn't due to poor choices he had made.  But in most of the cases we see and hear about today in our world, it's due to OUR choices.

Stress  does cause illness and disease

Unhealthy eating causes illness /disease

Unhealthy thoughts cause illness / disease

Unhealthy thinking causes war (relationship problems)

Unhealthy choices causes us to feel like "crap"

Today, I anticipate the Lord standing with me... guarding and guiding me  IF I CHOOSE to stop, look next to me and talk with him.  If I CHOOSE, I can ignore his presences in my life and "hope" I make the right choices today.

***********************************************************
Choose to: eat "healthy" appropriate portions of fresh, colorful foods
Choose to: stretch and exercise your body- Pump up that "heart" with
      oxygen!
Choose to: capture your thoughts and feed your mind and spirit healthy
      words, thoughts that are True, lovely, pure, honest
Choose to: have a Grateful Heart and Reach out and love those around    
      you

Make the right choices for your BODY, MIND and SPIRIT and keep them in B A L A N C E

Salute!  To your Health and Wellness