HOW YOGA SAVED MY LIFE.

By Misty Rodgers

Much of my life has been as an addict. And many of us on some level are all addicts. But for others their addiction becomes who they are, their identity, their only life line; it may be slowly killing them, but it is also what is keeping them alive. For me there is no question that yoga saved my life. That yoga found me when I couldn’t pretend to save myself any longer. Ever been to a high security prison? That is what a full blown addiction feels like-24/7; except you are trying to live a normal life at the same time. You are usually trying to hide it or pretend it doesn’t exist. My life was much to this drum, a ten year battle with a wide variety of eating disorders, depression, drugs and anxiety. Ten years ago I would be asking for your pity, now I am hoping to help.

Imagine having an evil twin that never leaves your side, imagine that every move you make, every bite you take, ever breath you take is being ripped apart constantly by someone else. And it’s not a one-time thing. No, an addict doesn’t let things go, they don’t know how and they fear what will happen if they loosen their grip on anything in life.

Addiction is not a choice, you don’t wake up one day and decide “hey I am going to start bingeing and purging all my food from now on”. “Maybe today I will starve myself to get attention”. Addiction doesn’t work that way; and in knowing this it’s not that easy to stop either. As an addict forever in recovery, I get this; I didn’t choose to starve myself, to drop 32 pounds in 60 days at the age of 15. I didn’t choose to relapse and binge and purge up to eight times a day, as I put stress on my heart, rot my gums and teeth, kill my stomach lining, messed with every system in my body.

I, like many struggling with addiction spent many hours, days and months in this horror, locked inside this hell hole others were calling life. Trying with all I had to be normal, to fit in, to hide the only thing at that time in my life I could control, that I could feel safe with, even if it was just for a few moments. And as much as that safety was very temporary; as an addict you realize that the numbed feeling or “high” you get from your drug of choice (food, alcohol, medications, exercise, restriction of food, smoking.) is what you have been searching for, the only problem is you have been heavily side tracked, and to an outsider it looks like a call for attention.

Nearly half my life I spent in addiction; which lead me down a path where I cycled with anorexia and bulimia, trading one of the other many a times, dabbled with drugs, binge drinking (under age of course), several attempts at suicide, experimental cutting, was obsessed with calorie counting, exercise, my weight, my size, every pimple on my face, every imperfection possible I was obsessed with it. And at one of my lowest points this craziness wound me up in the hospital with gastric obstruction surgery as I swallowed a tooth brush desperate to purge just one more time. To many you may not understand, but for some this run down seems like a horrible mirror.

If you are struggling with addiction and know you are at a place that you want to move forward and want to “get better”, you probably already know that it’s one tough uphill battle. To put it frankly, it’s hell. And for me, yoga was what kept me holding on to that tiny microscopic string, each week (my Wednesday night class) kept me hoping and praying I could do this, I could survive. I remember my first few classes, still struggling with an eating disorder, my mom and I attended yoga together and that one class each week, even just for that night was a new chance. I remember many nights walking out praying to God, please help me to go home and not binge and purge, praying with all my might that tomorrow I’d wake up and be normal.

You can’t think straight as an addict, the Yoga Sutra talks about eliminating the dualistic mind, you ask any addict they totally get the double mind. You have your eating disorder mind saying one thing and your sane mind saying the other; and for many years I couldn’t even hear my sane mind, I was a walking corpse, there is a year of my life I don’t even really remember (and I have a stellar memory) because I am pretty sure I was experiencing death on earth.

Yoga has saved my life, yoga has given me a second chance, yoga has taught me to live in the most in-touch, real way possible. Yoga has taught me how to breathe again, feel again, and somehow some way it has helped me loosen the grips on life a little and trust a little more. For a long time I didn’t believe that there was anything from my past that could have triggered this experience in my life, but yoga has helped me to realize that some of this was in fact learned behavior, some of this was the reaction of cruel kids in school and some was just simply fear of not being enough in my life. And at some level, we have all been there. We have all cried tears of fear, control, sadness, imperfection. And to all of you out there still walking up hill-it’s way easier with a yoga practice.

Yoga teaches you to want to live again, it teaches you what it really means to be in the moment, and those struggling with addiction know better than anyone what a moment is. Because on the same note, you are trying to stay alive or sober for just a moment or stop thinking-not obsessing about your next addictive move.

Yoga lets you know it’s not your fault; yoga lets you know that even when you feel alone you are feeling, and that is a start. Yoga says, don’t stop feeling, let the feeling pass, and they will.

Yoga gives you a second chance a million and one times. Yoga reminds you that your life is just as valuable as everyone else’s, in your own unique way.

Today, is a call to action, if you struggle with an addiction I beg you to try yoga, but be careful us addicts gravitate to that which can feed the need. So mix it up, most recovery programs that incorporate yoga use styles like Yin, Hatha or Restorative, these styles are great to really help you learn how to be present, be still and be in the feeling. Don’t throw in the towel; don’t hate your first class because it asked you to step out of your comfort zone. Keep at it; if you want to live, if you want to come out on the other side, for me it wasn’t a choice anymore, it was a matter of life and death. And I chose life, and I continue to choose life each day.

If you are an outsider to a person with addiction, most likely they know there is a problem, don’t shove food in their face, point out daily they look like crap, or tell them they are killing themselves, I’m sure they know this already (if not they will soon). So remember this “am I helping or hurting”. Yes addiction hurts the ones that love them too, but be a forklift and be a friend. Take them to a yoga class and keep taking them. I probably would have never went each week if my mom wasn’t going, not knowing, she kept me accountable and kept giving me my string of hope each week without knowing. In Savasana, hold hands with them, say “I love you” with no strings attached. As a fellow yogi having been to hell and back several times, hold their hand instead of pushing them while in recovery. Be there for them instead of telling them where to be and most importantly don’t give up, I survived and look back now and wouldn’t want it any other way (crazy I know).

CLICK HERE TO TRY THE YOGA CHALLENGE TODAY

Why I Went Green.

By Cindy Smith

The Most Important Reason to Go Green

Helping create a sustainable earth is important to each and every person on the planet, whether they will admit it or not. There are many reasons going green is important, from lowering utility bills to stopping the effects of global warming, but what is the most important reason? We set out to find the answer by asking our readers what the most important reason to go green was, according to them. The response was impressive and it was clear that many of you are very passionate about this issue. As we explore the results of our online poll, remember that the reason is not as important as the action, so do your part to create a sustainable earth

Earlier in the year, iSustainableEarth.com setup an online poll asking our readers to help find, “the most important reason to go green.” The poll had four possible answers to choose from, “lower monthly utility bills,” “to reduce air pollution and greenhouse gases,” “to stop global warming and its effects” or “make the planet livable for future generations.” While there wasn’t a wrong answer to the question, we were more interested in what people felt the most important reason was. Interestingly, the question about stopping global warming was the least favorable answer, garnering only 7.69 percent of the votes. Second place went to lowering utility bills with a strong 23.08 percent of the vote. And now for the drum roll please… With over 53 percent of the total votes, making the planet livable for future generations was the most important reason to go green, according to our readers.

There is a lot that can be said from the reason that our respondents chose. The most important reason was not something that was tangible to them, but for our children. We were proud of our readers and their humble choice, while lowering utility bills was important, it was a distant second when compared to the compassion shown in the top choice. Creating a sustainable earth for future generations gives us hope of a cleaner and bright future. As we said above, it is not the reason that is important but your actions, so make them count.

We have to start trying to use better products that are not killing our world . All these big corporations could care less all they care about is money! I care about my kids and if they are going to have clean drinking water and clean air we all could do our part buy just using products that are safe and clean and leave a very little carbon foot print as we can!

Give a better cleaner world to our children and there children!

Here are a few links to one of the cleaning products i use that is safe and works better than any store bought cleaners that i have used. CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE!

The best dieter supplement omega 3 I lost 20 pounds in 3 weeks

By Cindy Lue

As we grow older, it can be difficult to maintain a healthy weight. Even people who could eat whatever they wanted when they were young may find that they gain weight – and even worse, have trouble losing it – as they age.

There is no shortage of diet products that claim to have the answer to help people lose weight and keep it off. Diet plans, exercise programs, and nutritional supplements are all options to consider.

It can be especially hard to evaluate the efficiency of dietary supplements. There are so many of them that the sheer variety can be overwhelming. And, the Food and Drug Administration doesn’t monitor supplements the same way they do prescription medications.

Recently, we decided to check out one such supplement: Detoxil Omega Formula. In this review, we’ll explain what it is, the claims its manufacturers make about it, and whether there’s any scientific research to support those claims. We’ll also reveal the pros and cons of Detoxil Omega Formula as we see them and make a final recommendation about whether the product is worth trying.

Detoxil Omega Formula is a nutritional supplement that is designed to help your body’s fat cells released stored fat while, at the same time, signaling your organs to use the released fat as a source of energy

As you might suspect from the word “Omega” in the product’s name, this is a product that contains Omega-3 essential fatty acid. Omega-3 is an ingredient that’s widely known to be important for heart health. It can also help with weight loss.

The specific form of Omega-3 found in Detoxil Omega Formula includes eicosapentaneoic acid (EPA) and decosahexaenoic acid (DHA). The company that makes Detoxil Omega Formula claims that the form of Omega-3 found in their product is more effective than others when it comes to helping people shed unwanted pounds.

The product itself is a gel capsule that looks similar to other Omega-3 supplements on the market. We’ll give you more information later about the price and other key factors

Who is Detoxil Omega Formula Designed to Help?

The primary audience for Detoxil Burn Omega Formula is people who have tried to lose weight using diet and exercise and have not been successful. It’s a product that may be especially helpful to people over the age of 40 or those who have pre-diabetes or diabetes. We’ll talk more about that later.

The human body is complex, and nutrition plays a major role in our health and well-being. Omega-3 is called an essential fatty acid because our bodies need it, but we lack the ability to synthesize it on our own. That means that we must get it from our diets – or from a nutritional supplement like Detoxil Omega Formula.

A big consideration with essential nutrients like Omega-3 is their bioavailability. That term refers to how easily your body is able to use the nutrient once you’ve ingested it. Some foods are naturally high in Omega-3, including cold water fish like mackerel and tuna and certain seeds, such as flaxseeds and chia seeds.

The benefit of taking a supplement is that you can get the nutrients you need even if your diet is limited. Detoxil Omega Formula is for people who want to be sure they’re getting a sufficient amount of Omega-3 in their diet.

Is There Evidence to Support the Claims Made About Detoxil Burn Omega Formula?

Any time you consider adding a new nutritional supplement to your daily health regimen, it’s a good idea to check out the ingredients to see if they are safe and beneficial to your health. In the case of Detoxil Omega Formula, there is quite a bit of research that supports the product’s claims.

Let’s start by looking at the research into the effects of Omega-3 fatty acid. The first study we found was conducted in Italy in 2003. It looked at the impact of a diet high in complex carbohydrates and Omega-3 essential fatty acid (essentially a Mediterranean diet) on a group of obese, menopausal women.

The study divided the women into two groups. The study group ate a special Mediterranean diet while the control group received general dietary guidelines but no specifics. At the end of the study period, the women in the study group had lower BMIs and had lost more weight than the women in the control group. They also had improved insulin sensitivity when compared to the control group.

Our Final Recommendation

Our final recommendation is that Detoxil Omega Formula is a product that is worth trying. There is ample research about the health benefits of Omega-3 essential fatty acid with EPA and DHA to support the claims made about the product. If you have struggled to lose weight or get your blood sugar under control, Detoxil Omega Formula may be able to help.

If you would like to order your own supply of Detoxil Omega Formula, please click here now

The Oxidized Cholesterol Strategy – Blue Heron Health

by Dr. Susan Stevens

Everyone wants to maintain a healthy and have that happy life free of any sickness or disease, and according to me, it should be because of natural causes but not because of diseases that are mainly caused by the lifestyle one chooses.

Doctors have been clear and told us that to avoid heart diseases we should check keenly on what we eat, you cannot eat that fried chicken you love so much or French fries or processed foods like margarines, fast foods or commercially baked foods.

This is because according to the doctors such foods cause inflammation in your body which is caused by damage to your cell membrane and the oxidized low-density lipoprotein commonly referred as LDL, the bad cholesterol present.

LDL is made up of fats and protein and contributes to plaque buildup in the arteries. This extra buildup then makes the arteries less flexible and leads to arteriosclerosis, in simpler terms, hardening of the arteries.

Dr.Susan Stevens once suffered a heart attack, he survived it, and the doctor prescribed too many drugs to help in clearing the cholesterol that had clogged his arteries but he refused. He opted for natural ways of reducing the cholesterol levels in the body and it worked for him.

So Scott decided to team up with Blue Heron Health News to publish a book: The Oxidized Cholesterol Strategy that contains tips and ideas of how to maintain low levels of cholesterol without putting in too much work!

Cholesterol is a wax-like substance that exists naturally inside your body and the body needs it to function. Also you get cholesterol through the foods you eat. A buildup of cholesterol in your bloodstream causes plaque in between layers of your artery walls.

The buildup makes it hard for your heart to pump blood. What then is oxidized cholesterol you might ask, it cholesterol that dangerously builds up on the artery walls is oxidized. Oxidation can be quite damaging to the cholesterol cells.

When you buy the book online and you download it as pdf, how will it be of help to you?

In the program you will get to know how to use the advanced knowledge for having quicker relief from heart attacks and take charge of your cholesterol levels in the body for an even healthier and better functioning body.

The program will give you brilliant ideas for checking on and managing your cholesterol levels and help you achieve permanent results.

You will get to learn new steps as the days go by, and in the end you get to drop your oxidized cholesterol levels therefore making you have arteries that are clear without putting in too much effort.

You will learn how to prevent and get rid of heart attacks and strokes by following a four week strategy that will guide you on how to get rid of all plaque formation.

This program will help you know about the foods you should and foods you should not eat. Foods that create oxidized cholesterol must be avoided in your diet.

The Final Verdict

Isn’t it amazing to learn that you can get rid of all that bad cholesterol from you system in just four weeks! You get to be healthy again, get rid of those heart diseases and stroke and be happy once again.

The product comes with a 60 day money back guarantee, so you need not be scared of trying it out because if you find out that the product does not meet your expectations or it does not work for you, you could easily ask for your money back and it will be returned without conditions.

I am hoping that this review has helped you to know more about this program and right about now you are thinking of how to go and buy it for the betterment of your health.

I give you my word that The Oxidized Cholesterol Strategy will not disappoint.

CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE.

Tips on Cooking and eating healthy

by Cindy Owens

Instead, start your mornings with a healthy and filling breakfast, so that you can kick off your day with energy, and you’ll be less likely to do unhealthy snacking later on.

Balance out your meals with the healthy and good-for-you carbs – veggies! Reducing the amount that you eat can be unfilling, so rather than going for a second serving of pasta or meat, add more veggies to your dish. You’ll still be able to enjoy your grains and meat, but you’ll also be able to eat your fill

If you have a little extra time on your hands, pick one day a week to make a few dishes that you can eat throughout the week. Having a few pre-made lunches and dinners to choose from throughout the week will help you avoid the morning rush of making a PB&J lunch or the temptation of swinging by for take-out on the way home. You don’t have to make actual recipes either. Cooking up things that can be used for multiple recipes, like chicken, beans, grains, or a few boiled eggs, can help you quickly throw together meals without having too much repetition

Embrace Leftovers – This doesn’t mean cook a recipe for 12 and eat it for two weeks, but don’t shy away from those that produce 4 servings. Some leftovers can actually be better and have fuller developed flavors the next day. Think about trying chili, curry, meatloaf (for sandwiches), lasagna, or protein-based salads (chicken, egg, chickpea).

Most of us at Cooking Light have lived alone at one point in our lives. So we rounded up the best ways our editors have combatted the single-serving woes:

Americans eat a lot of food they didn’t cook themselves. While three-quarters of us eat most dinners at home, less than 60% of us prepare them in our own kitchens. In 2005, the trend of combining the convenience of take-out food with the comforts of home found each American buying an average of 57 restaurant meals to eat elsewhere, up from 33 meals 20 years ago. And when we do cook, we seldom cook from scratch. Last year, less than half of main meals prepared at home included even one fresh product, according to research from the NPD Group.