Last week many mourned the lost of a superstar, this is seemingly a common tragedy. Addiction seems to be somewhat of a plague in America. Both men and women have struggles with various addictions, from food or sugar to sex or money, or drugs and alcohol. Many use their substance of choice as a means of covering of up some sort of pain, in hopes to make themselves feel better. Dopamine, a neurotransmitter which is a substance made in the brain that is the reward and pleasure center [1] , is often associated with various addictions, in attempts to bring low levels of it higher. This way of dealing with the pain produces perhaps a temporary relief but a price that can be disastrous. Here are a four tips to keeping you happy and pain free, naturally.
1. Deal with physical pain: For many their addiction may start because of some injury in which they were prescribed a pharmaceutical pain relief, and then it can be misused and abused. Similarly, one can have a diagnosis such as fibromyalgia, or neck pain. There are many different ways of helping you get relief aside from a pill. [2] Try to find a physician who will also guide you with other modalities. One emerging therapy is CVAC that is a capsule that one sits in and is exposed to changes in air, temperature and pressure, which provides pain relief and athletic conditioning. Other considerations include acupuncture, breath work, I.V. therapy, and more.
2. Deal with emotional pain: Many people hold onto to past traumas that keep causing pain in the present. Emotional Freedom Technique is one of a few therapies that can create a sense of relief in minutes. Other modalities include amino acid therapy as a means to raise your neurotransmitters using the basic nutritional building blocks to make serotonin and dopamine to make your emotions more pleasant. Julia Ross, author of The Mood Cure , writes about ways people can use natural alternatives to anti-depressants.
3. Be Proactive v.s Reactive: Have you heard the saying that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure? It seems to apply to so much, catch the snowball of addiction before it becomes larger than life. For example if you get on the scale and you are up 10 pounds, do something now about it, don't wait, or else that 10 will become 20 or 30 and so forth. Likewise with other possible addictions try to be an observer of yourself, and take note of your actions, and see where those will lead you when compounded. Ask for help to get control over the situation.
[1] http://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/dopamine
[2] http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/guide/pain-basics
In Good Health & Beauty,
Dr. Alisha Moadab, N.D.
Soleil Medical Spa
Dr. Alisha N.D.
This information and other information on this site is intended for general reference purposes only and is not intended to address specific medical conditions. This information is not a substitute for professional medical advice or a medical exam. Prior to participating in any exercise program or activity, you should seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health professional. No information on this site should be used to diagnose,
treat, cure or prevent any medical condition.
YOUR SPIRIT
Embracing Your Core
When it feels as if your world is falling apart, know at your core that you are a strong being of light.
There are times when our whole world seems to be falling apart around us, and we are not sure what to hold onto anymore. Sometimes our relationships crumble and sometimes it’s our physical environment. At other times, we can’t put our finger on it, but we feel as if all the walls have fallen down around us and we are standing with nothing to lean on, exposed and vulnerable. These are the times in our lives when we are given an opportunity to see where we have established our sense of identity, safety, and well-being. And while it is perfectly natural and part of our process to locate our sense of self in externals, any time those external factors shift, we have an opportunity to rediscover and move closer to our core, which is the only truly safe place to call home.
The core of our being is not affected by the shifting winds of circumstance or subject to the cycles of change that govern physical reality. It is as steady and consistent as the sun, which is why the great mystics and mystical poets often reference the sun in their odes to the self. Like the sun, there are times when our core seems to be inaccessible to us, but this is just a misperception. We know that when the sun goes behind a cloud or sets for the night, it has not disappeared but is simply temporarily out of sight. In the same way, we can trust that our inner core is always shining brightly, even when we cannot quite see it.
We can cling to this core when things around us are falling apart, knowing that an inexhaustible light shines from within ourselves. Times of external darkness can be a great gift in that they provide an opportunity to remember this inner light that shines regardless of the circumstances of our lives. When our external lives begin to come back together, we are able to lean a bit more lightly on the structures we used to call home, knowing more clearly than ever that our true home is that bright sun shining in our core.
YOUR RECIPE
Low Glycemic No Added Sugar Strawberry Jam
Total Servings 96
Serving Size 1 teaspoons
Carbs Per Serving: .8 g
Prep Time:<20 minutes
Skill Level: Easy
Wow... I was just at the farmers market and the strawberries are coming in gangbusters. What's a guy to do except whip up a little strawberry jam? Here's a strawberry jam recipe that is insanely easy and get this... it has less than 1 carb per serving and only 4 calories.
Ingredients:
4 cups sliced strawberries
1/4 cup Fructevia, Steviva Blend or a dash Steviva Brands Pure Stevia Powder
2 tablespoon lemon juice
2 envelopes (1 1/2 tb sp.) unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup cold water
Instructions:
In medium saucepan, combine berries, Fructevia, Steviva Blend or a dash Steviva Brands Pure Stevia Powder and lemon juice. Heat 5 minutes, crushing berries. Bring to boil; boil rapidly, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes.
In a small bowl, sprinkle unflavored gelatin over cold water. Let stand 1 minute. Add to berry mixture and heat, stirring until gelatin is completely dissolved, about 3 minutes.
Let jam stand 5 minutes, skimming off any foam. Ladle into jars. Cover with top of paraffin and cool slightly before refrigerating and it will keep a month in the refrigerator or a year in the freezer.
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