Category Archives for "Brain and mind"

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“It is much easier to show compassion to animals. They are never wicked.” ~Haile Selassie

I am never going to claim I have all the answers.  This is a question that I struggle with, so I want to open it up to you.  Please answer this question for me, and follow up with an explanation behind the reason you chose your answer.  I want to make this an interactive post, and I want you to think of it as your way of helping me come to a decision on this question.

Here’s why I am asking this question of you…On the surface, the answer appears to be an easy “yes”…A million times…However, have you ever answered a question because you knew it was the answer you should answer, knowing that perhaps you actually feel differently?  A couple of months ago, I wrote a post, which was well-intentioned, and while I got lots of positive feedback, I also got some push back.  Now, push back is great — no lie — because it really opens me to other perspectives.  Differences can lead to opportunities, for sure.

I have a few things for you to chew on before you spit out an answer.  Ask yourself this question…”Can I ever have too much compassion, empathy, or forgiveness…If someone were bullying me, and treating me horribly?”  Here’s another…”Can I ever have too much compassion, empathy, or forgiveness…If someone were breaking into my house and about to seriously and intentionally threaten the safety and lives of my family members?”

These are tough questions — questions I want you to think about.  On the surface, without adding the second part of the questions I did above, the answer appears easy.  However, if you ask someone who is or was bullied or the victim of a horrible offense, or put yourself in their shoes, the answer may not be so easy.

When providing your responses, I want you to please be respectful of differences of opinion.  Everyone has the right to their own opinion, and just because an opinion differs from yours doesn’t mean that the differing opinion is wrong.  I want a respectful conversation that encourages the sharing of perspectives and ideas.  The last thing I want is an escalation into an argument.  Let’s keep it respectful and clean. 🙂

What do you think?  Can you ever have too much compassion, empathy, or forgiveness?  Let me know your thoughts, please!  I want to know!  Please use the Facebook comments area below if possible so we can encourage a wider dialogue.  You should also encourage others you know to weigh in!  Thanks for your help!  I appreciate it!

Photo source: freedigitalphotos.net

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“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” ~Benjamin Franklin

I’ve never done this before, but I think it will be fun. I want to share with you a glimpse inside my “cabinet” of vitamins and supplements that I take on a daily basis to maintain ideal health. Let me preface this by saying that this regimen doesn’t guarantee I’ll be free of disease or disorder for my lifetime. I would be much more surprised if it did, however, I can say that since I have adopted this “menu” of daily supplements, I rarely get sick, I feel I have lots of energy, and I maintain good health.

I wanted to share this with you in case you see something that I take and think you may want to try it out for yourself. I am not “prescribing” any sort of regimen for you, and please, if you are considering trying out one of these supplements, I would ask that you talk to a qualified health care practitioner first. You never know how any of these may react with any medications to which you are currently prescribed, or how it may affect a current or future medical condition. Also, if you do consider trying these supplements, please give at least two weeks of time to decide whether you notice a change.

Now that I have given all of my disclaimers 🙂 let’s get to the fun stuff!

Here’s my daily regimen:

1. A good multivitamin: I take a vitamin called “Ultra VM-T.” One thing to look out for when taking multivitamins is how many you will take in a day. I like taking my supplements in the morning, and not having to worry about taking more later in the day, so I like the “one-a-day” vitamins. There are tons of multivitamins out there — some are gender-specific; some are age-range specific; some are activity-specific. It doesn’t really matter. Given the standard diet (at least here in the United States), we don’t get everything we should from the food we eat much of the time.

2. Calcium-Magnesium: Not all calcium is equal! Calcium carbonate requires more stomach acid to be formed in order to be absorbed, while calcium citrate is more easily absorbed, but has less bioavailability. I take a calcium-magnesium supplement that has a combination of calcium carbonate, calcium gluconate, and calcium citrate. You have to play with what works best for you. I want something moderately priced that doesn’t upset my stomach. I take Solgar’s Calcium Magnesium Boron to support my skeletal, muscular, and nervous system health. Calcium and Magnesium are very important minerals that our bodies need to carry out vital processes on a daily basis.

3. A prostate support supplement: This is obviously not necessary for you women out there, but it is very important for men.  A proactive approach to prostate health can help ward off larger problems in the future.  I take a supplement called “Prostate 600 Plus” for my prostate health.

4. Grape seed extract: I have always had trouble with blood pressure.  While I am physically healthy, my blood pressure is always creeping up toward the “borderline hypertension” area.  Grape seed extract is believed to be beneficial in relaxing the muscles of the vasculature, which has been clinically shown to contribute to healthier blood pressure levels, and it also is a powerful antioxidant, which is good for the body overall.  I take a supplement that was shown in clinical studies to lower blood pressure, called, “MegaNatural-BP.”  There are two dosages available, but studies did not show any significant benefit from taking the higher dosage, so I stay with the 150 mg dose.

5. An allergy support supplement: I have problems with seasonal allergies.  I used to take Claritin over the counter, until I found this, “Allerstop.”  It’s not like medication, where you take it only when you feel you might need it; you need to take it 365 days per year, but you reap the benefits come allergy season.  When I first started taking it in the winter, seasonal allergies were nowhere to be found.  Come that following spring, however, I remember asking my wife if I ever had allergy issues in the spring, because I didn’t have any allergy symptoms!  It was awesome.  I find it to be a more natural alternative for allergies that actually works.

6. A probiotic supplement: Intestinal health is usually overlooked.  Over 70% of our body’s immune system is in our digestive system, so intestinal health means good immune health.  Your large intestine is covered in bacterial “flora.”  It’s like a lawn.  You want the good “grass” to thrive in your lawn, so you fertilize it and treat it with weed killer.  If you just leave a bare patch of dirt, chances are weeds are going to thrive.  The same goes for your intestine.  If you “feed” your beneficial bacteria with a probiotic, it’s like overseeding and fertilizing the lawn — you’re giving the “good bacteria” what it needs to thrive, keeping out the “bad bacteria.”  A probiotic is especially beneficial when you finish an antibiotic regimen.  You want to re-establish the good bacteria.  I take a supplement called “35 Billion Probiotic.”  I love it.  I noticed a huge difference when I started taking it, both in my intestinal and overall health.

7. Lycopene: Lycopene comes from red fruits, like tomatoes and grapefruit.  It’s a powerful antioxidant.  That’s why I take it.  It also is believed to promote healthy cell growth, which means it helps cells replicate accurately to make the body less prone to duplication errors that can lead to cancerous growths.  I know it’s not a guarantee, but I would rather be proactive!  I take a 20 mg dose of Lycopene, and I found a good formulation through NOW Foods.  It’s a good company for supplements.  I take “NOW Foods – Lycopene Double Strength.”

8. Vitamin D3: Vitamin D is proving to show more and more health benefits.  Yes, there are some who say too much Vitamin D is harmful, but I would ask them to show me a person who is suffering from too much of it!  It’s super inexpensive and the benefits are believed to go beyond bone health.  It is believed to be effective in helping people suffering from depression stemming from seasonal affective disorder, and it is believed to help reduce the risk of certain cancers.  This one is high on my list.  I take “NOW Foods – Vitamin D-3 Highest Potency 5000 IU.”

9. Krill Oil: Many people take fish oil supplements.  They don’t know why, but they hear it’s good to take it.  The reason why it’s beneficial to take fish oil supplements is because it contains essential fatty acids.  “Essential” means that our body needs it, but can’t produce it.  The fish oils provide that for us.  The essential fatty acids are beneficial for building structural components within our bodies, but they are believed to be beneficial  in reducing pain and inflammation (it’s nice for women who are dealing with premenstrual pain).   It also is believed to support joint health and is an antioxidant as well.  The two most common complaints from fish oil “takers” are that the capsules are so large and they continually burp up “fishy” burps.  I found this not to be an issue with Krill oil — I just take one small capsule a day and that’s it…No “fishy” burps.  I take “NOW Foods – Neptune Krill Oil 500 mg.”

10. Co-Q10: Our bodies take the food we eat and convert it into energy.  One of the most potent producers of energy is a process called the “electron transport chain.”  We need what are called “co-enzymes” to carry out this process, and Co-Enzyme Q10 is one of those vital enzymes.  By taking such a supplement, it helps ensure that your body has as much as it needs to convert food into energy.  People who take this supplement notice that their energy levels increase.  Some people feel they need double the dose I take to give them what they need, but I stay at 100 mg.    It also is believed to maintain good heart health, and no surprise, is an antioxidant.  I take “Doctor’s Best – Best CoQ10 100 mg.”

11. L-Arginine/L-Citrulline Combination: L-Arginine is believed to help improve cardivascular health by increasing the flexibility of the vasculature as well as reducing cholesterol levels.  L-Arginine passes through the walls of the blood vessels, and when it does, it activates an enzyme which converts the L-Arginine into nitric oxide.  Nitric oxide is believed to be beneficial to blood vessel health and flexibility.  I go what some people may consider “overboard” with this one.  I take 10 grams per day, along with 2.25 grams of L-Citrulline.  The L-Citrulline is needed because it is believed that it keeps the arginine in the body for a longer period of time.  The reason I take the 10 grams is because I attended a lecture of a doctor who is at the forefront of research of L-Arginine, and he takes 10 grams per day.  He is over 60 years old and has the vasculature of a 12 year old!  I want that when I’m 60!  I’ll do what he does.  Many people do just fine with half that dose.  I take “NOW Foods – L-Citrulline Pure Powder” and “L-Arginine Powder 100% Pure Free-Form.”

Now if you’re looking at this list thinking, “Holy cow…There’s no way I could see myself taking all of this,” that’s understandable.  I am definitely not in the norm when it comes to supplements.  It could be said I go a bit overboard, but good health is important to me to the point that I look at it as an investment in my future.

Many people start with a multivitamin, a probiotic, and a vitamin D supplement.  I started out just taking one multivitamin per day, and kept adding more over the years.

If you were clicking on the links along the way, you’ll see that I get many of my vitamins from LuckyVitamin.com.  They offer very reasonable prices and have a lot of variety.  I try to go for the most bang for my buck – the highest quality and potency for the lowest price.  They usually are the winners when it comes to that.  And I don’t even get paid to promote them!

Well, thanks for taking a glimpse into my “cabinet!”  I wish you optimal health!  Take care!