October 20th, 2011  Posted at   Mental Health

What is the purpose of life? The only purpose that makes rational sense is to express love to all living entities. All other purposes are bound to be selfish, with a “getting” motive attached. The experience of true love seems to happen rarely on our planet, as indicated by the negative conditions of people and situations worldwide. The quality of our well-being and mental health depends on our willingness to express love to the life around us.

Many may be shocked to discover that true love is not a personal resource. I have no love of my own, nor do you, or anyone else. There is only one way we can express true love to the life around us, that is by consistently acting on what is truly right.

Here is another shocker; to act rightly a person cannot be acting selfishly. That means that he or she cannot be acting from a selfish or self-seeking intention. It means that a person cannot be in a selfish controlling or manipulative mode, and cannot be acting to get something for self.

The expression of true love requires that our intentions be pure; that we be sincerely will to give with no strings attached. We must also be willing to act in lovingly responsible ways, which includes being willing to express truth as we know it in appropriate ways. In a selfish environment, the expression of truth can sometimes be dangerous so discretion is in order.

At the heart of the process of expressing true love is a sincere willingness to express love. Without that willingness, whatever comes forth shall be some form of selfish action.

Here is an analogy:

Think of a human being as a “garden hose,” and his or her will as the “faucet” attached to the side of a house. The “water” is love.

In order for us to experience or express love, we must open our personal “faucet” (will) and be willing to allow water to flow (express love). When we are willing to express love, “water” flows through us and we feel good (we experience love). In addition, those around us get “wet” (are loved).

On the other hand, when we selfishly and defiantly refuse to express love, we keep our personal “faucet” shut so that no “water” can flow through us. Like an unused garden hose left out in the sun, it soon dries out and begins to decay. Read more… »

October 20th, 2011  Posted at   Heart Disease

Heart disease is a serious problem and can affect you as you become older. The secret to avoiding this disease is to eat the right kinds of foods and get exercise. You can never fully be sure that you will not get heart disease but taking these steps will help you to reduce your risk. You may want to get involved with an exercise program that you can do regularly. It can be hard to keep up with a standard regiment on your own. Being part of a class or a group that works out regularly can help you to get enough exercise.

The first thing you want to do is set up a plan for eating better and getting more exercise. The earlier you start in life the better you will be as you get older. This of course can be hard to do when you are young because most people under 40 never think about when they get older. The best option is to change your bad habits and replace them with good ones. You will be surprised over time that your body will get used to a routine.

When it comes to dieting you should think of it as a new way to eat. A good rule of thumb is to try to stay away from the item in the store that are processed foods. Over time these items can clog your arteries and cause you to have heart problems. Think natural foods that are grown from the ground or raised on a farm. The more of these types of foods that you consume the healthier you can be over time. It is also good to manage weight and having a slimmer weight line can also reduce the risk of developing heart disease.

It can be a good idea to create a plan for living healthier with a friend. This could be a co-worker or a boyfriend or girlfriend. It is to your benefit to motivate each other and studies have shown when you diet and exercise with a partner your success rate can be higher. The goal is to avoid getting heart disease and maintaining a healthy lifestyle can be the best way to achieve this goal.

Remember that nobody wants to get sick when they get older so making changes now is a good way to reduce that chance. Heart disease can create a lot of unwanted health issues for you. It is best to reduce the chance that you will develop it. To accomplish this you want to change the way you eat and get exercise. We are busy people and it can be easy to avoid going for that walk at night. The best thing to do is to start slow and eventually you will get used to a change in diet and exercise.

October 20th, 2011  Posted at   Heart Disease

Fish oil for heart health is a hot topic. And for good reason.

You can’t pick up a newspaper or magazine without research news about the amazing health benefits of fish oil for heart health. Doctors recommend it. Nutritionists recommend it. Trainers and exercise buffs recommend it. Even my vet recently recommended fish oil capsules for the heart health of my chocolate lab, Phyto.

Although most people have heard of the outstanding cardiovascular health benefits from omega 3 fish oil, few know about all of the exciting scientific studies of proven results behind the fish oil for heart health craze.

A report published in Circulation, the official journal of the American Heart Association, gives a thorough rundown on how omega 3 fatty acids from fish improves circulation and why fish oil works so well for the health of your heart and cardiovascular system in numerous ways.

This study shows that fish oil fatty acids help your heart by lowering cholesterol, preventing irregular heartbeat and reducing blood clots. It also decreases blood pressure, lowers triglycerides, balances HDL and LDL, relaxes the arterial walls and prevents the formation of new plaque and inflammation, vasoconstriction, platelet aggregation and much more. [Vol. 106:2747]

Wow! Some scientists even indicate that, since omega 3 fish oil helps people overcome depression, it can heal a broken heart.

One group of doctors published a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association about all of the many positive effects that higher fish oil consumption has on lowering a man’s risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). However, since more women die of heart disease than any other cause, the scientists wanted to find out if fish oil offers the same health benefits for women as they do for men.

After following 84,688 women for 16 years, these doctors concluded that women who eat 5 or more servings of fish a week have much less risk of CHD or dying from a heart attack than women who eat less fish. [Vol. 287, No. 14] Read more… »