The post Brain Secrets: Part 1 The Subconscious with Dr. Arlene Taylor appeared first on Lifestyle.

Moles are common. Most people have at least 10 and continue developing new ones until the age of 40.

Moles are pink, tan or brown growths that occur when pigments cells, known as melanocytes, grow in a cluster. They are usually found on areas that are exposed to the sun.

Most moles are small, barely raised and harmless. They rarely turn into melanoma, a type of skin cancer. However, having more than 50 moles increases the risk of developing melanoma. This is why you should see your doctor if you notice any changes in your moles.

Change in Color

A color change that affects the entire surface of the mole could signify something serious.

Unfortunately, moles contain a lot of melanin and are usually darker than the rest of the skin. This makes it difficult to detect color changes.

A normal mole is pink, reddish, tan, brown or just a black spot on the skin – commonly known as a beauty mark. If you notice a mole that looks different from the rest, keep an eye on it. See a doctor if the color keeps changing or if the mole turns an unusual color like blue or white.

Change in Size

Moles usually stay the same size. For instance, if it was just a spot when you first noticed it, it should stay roughly the same size.

If you have a mole that keeps getting bigger, see a doctor. The same goes for moles that are larger than the diameter of a pencil, which is about a quarter inch.

Change in Shape

Moles tend to be round. If a mole has irregular edges that are ragged, blurred or smudgy, see a doctor. The same goes for moles that have a dry, hard, scaly or lumpy surface.

Itching, Bleeding or Oozing

Moles can rub against your clothing and start to itch. However, if the itching mole starts to crust, bleed or ooze, inform your health care provider. Itching, bleeding and oozing could be a sign of melanoma.

How to Check Your Moles

Find a good mirror and examine all the areas of your skin that are exposed to the sun. You should wear very little clothing when doing this.

When examining your moles, keep the ABCDE’s in mind: Asymmetry, Borders, Color, Diameter and Evolving.

According to the experts over at skincancer.org, one person dies of melanoma every 54 minutes.  So, regularly screening your skin is a great cancer prevention habit.

Moles are very common and most are harmless. So please don’t worry. But monitor your moles regularly and see your primary care provider as soon as possible if you see any changes.

The post Should You be Worried About that Mole? appeared first on Lifestyle.

It protects from danger and can even be helpful in certain situations if “used” wisely.

Unfortunately, fear and anxiety, in overwhelming, sustained doses, can be absolutely paralyzing. These two emotions can hijack your thoughts, stress your soul and make you want to shut down and withdraw from life.

As you look back on your life, how many times were your fears irrational and unwarranted? How many times did they exceed any “real” danger posed by the object or situation?

If left unaddressed, fear creates dangerous levels of stress and causes significant problems in your relationships and work.

Coping with Paralyzing Fear and Anxiety

1. Name Your Fears

People become afraid and overwhelmed with worry when they feel out of control; flooded with uncertainty, they worry about what will happen to them and their family.

They begin imagining the worst and start making up scenarios and scary situations. Unfortunately, these self-created scenarios tend to be more catastrophic than what eventually happens (if anything even happens at all).

To break fear’s hold on you, name it. Start by asking and answering, “What am I really afraid of?” This drags fear from your imagination into reality. Acknowledging and articulating your true fears makes fear less threatening and more manageable.

It’s been said over and over again that FEAR is False Evidence Appearing Real. Okay. So let’s get to the truth of the matter. And that starts by you asking yourself some questions. Deal with facts not fiction because the truth shall set you free. Don’t be a prisoner in some imaginary jail.

2. Replace Fearful Thoughts with Positive Ones

Many of us are prone to negative self-talk. We are constantly scaring ourselves with fearful thoughts and imagined outcomes that make reality feel a lot worse than it actually is.

To free yourself from paralyzing fear, you must identify the thoughts and self-talk that make you feel anxious, afraid and stuck, and then start replacing them with positive alternatives.

Choose to remind yourself of the facts. Choose to challenge fearful thoughts with positive, fearless statements. For instance, replace the thought of “What if I fail?” with “What if I succeed?” This simple shift of focus will lead you in a healthier direction that takes you to a much better place in your life.

3. Go Into Action

Action is the best cure for paralyzing fear and anxiety!

Focus on the present and figure out what you need to do right now.

Figure out what the next step is and DO it as this creates the motivation you seek.

When the end goal seems insurmountable and overwhelming, making you feel afraid and stressed, choose to see what lies beyond the mountainous, seemingly unconquerable obstacle.

You can choose to gaze at defeat – on the overwhelming thing that’s stopping you… or you may choose to focus on the victory – to life beyond the obstacle.

Focus on the positive outcome – on all of the great things that will result from you conquering the fearful giant that’s paralyzing you and filling your heart with terror.  And then break down the end goal into small, manageable tasks. This builds confidence and creates sustainable momentum. Empowerment isn’t something someone gives you, it’s what you give yourself. So why wait for someone to remove your fear(s) when you can start slaying your giants right now?

4. Talk to a Professional

Talking to a therapist might make it easier to sort things out and pinpoint your fear(s). A good therapist not only listens but helps design an action plan for overcoming your fears. This is especially important if your fear has begun interfering significantly with daily life and/or has crossed over into phobia territory.

A healthy dose of anxiety and fear is good for you!

Fear keeps you from hurting yourself (or others) and can be a catalyst for change.

However, keep fear on a short leash to make sure it remains proportional to the situation at hand. You can do this by acknowledging and articulating it and then replacing it with the facts, positive thoughts and outcomes, and working your action plan.

Don’t let fear control you.

Tame it once and for all.

The post Paralyzed by Fear and Anxiety appeared first on Lifestyle.

The post Everyone ❤️ Billy Gardell appeared first on Lifestyle.

The post Hold Me with Jessica and Lance Lasiter appeared first on Lifestyle.

Globally, health experts agree that incidences of stress and obesity are rising. In the US, recent studies show that up to 1 in 5 adults often or always feel lonely, anxious, or depressed. Similarly, obesity is growing rampant, with two-thirds of all adults in the US qualifying as such. 

As it happens, the fact that these two issues are on the rise at the same time is no coincidence. Health experts have found that excess weight and heightened stress levels perpetuate a toxic cycle, where one encourages the development and progression of the other. This is concerning since the World Health Organization (WHO) notes that obesity-related complications are responsible for nearly three million deaths from around the world every year. With this in mind, it’s important to understand how stress and weight are connected and how to cultivate a positive weight-loss mindset. 

Where weight and stress meet

Although stress is primarily mental and weight is physical, they are undeniably linked, where one’s symptoms manifest in the other. To start, when the body is stressed, it causes hormonal changes. Chief among these fluctuating hormones is cortisol, which regulates the body’s fight-or-flight mode. During this period, the metabolism naturally slows. High cortisol levels also cause slower production of the hormone leptin, which controls feelings of satiety and hunger. Without enough of this, appetites can increase and lead to weight gain. Stress can also demotivate a person from pursuing weight management methods like diet and exercise.

Meanwhile, eating is a self-coping method for many people, even though any relief it brings is temporary and causes more problems down the road. For some people, what makes weight management tricky is that the extra pounds slowly creep up, making many underestimate the impact of what they’ve gained. However, when you look at the difference between overweight and obese individuals, it’s clear that graduating to obesity carries severe health issues. The extra adipose tissue you gain when obese can trigger inflammation and deregulate blood sugar. Over time, this can lead to up to 200 pressing chronic ailments. A few examples of this include sleep apnea, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cancers, gallstones, and, of course, anxiety and depression. Societal biases against obesity can also heighten any depressive ideation. From here, the two continue to impact each other, while an individual just gains more weight and feels more depressed. 

Ways to manage mindset

Obesity is not easy to reverse, but having a positive mindset is the first step in the process. To begin, try to be more compassionate with yourself. We are our own worst critics, so the next time you find yourself thinking overly harsh thoughts about yourself, picture saying this to somebody you care about. Instead, surround yourself with a support system that can quell any of your self-criticisms and lift you up. Having this kind of support is not only inspiring but also a great opportunity for you to receive first-hand tips that can help you.

Next, find a weight loss approach that suits you. There’s no point in following the latest diet or exercise if you find it unsustainable. Even if the approach you opt for is slower to show results, if it’s something you can maintain, you’re bound to feel more fulfilled. For example, if you’re not too keen on traditional gym classes, maybe you’re better off with something like walking. Though more low impact, it’s free, easy to do, and great at helping lower stress, blood pressure, and overall body weight. When you’re doing something, you actually enjoy, it’s easier to keep a level head and keep going, even when the going gets tough. 

Finally, learn to celebrate small wins. Most people end up hyper-fixating on their bigger goals. While not losing sight of what you ultimately want is good, these big goals do take time to reach. As such, you may feel like this goal is so far off and you’re not working to get there fast enough. Naturally, this can lead to feelings of depression. To fight this off, recognize your mini milestones. Doing this helps you acknowledge the progress you’ve made so you can cut yourself some slack and see that you are making changes slowly but surely, along the way to unlocking your best life!

Article written by Sophia Emma Exclusively for Lifestyle Magazine

The post Is Stress Affecting Your Weight? How to Manage Your Mindset for Weight Loss appeared first on Lifestyle.

According to research, gratitude is a game-changer. How can something so easy and simple improve sleep, brighten mood, boost immunity, and reduce depression, anxiety, chronic pain, and disease?

To say that gratitude is powerful is an understatement.

The Mental Health Benefits Of Gratitude 

Gratitude improves mental health by instantly imparting a better outlook on life and increasing happiness.

But the benefits don’t stop at increased happiness.

Being more grateful is linked to a better self-image, less anxiety, and even less depression because taking a few minutes to intentionally practice gratitude increases dopamine and serotonin levels. 

The Physical Health Benefits Of Gratitude 

This is where it gets interesting. Being grateful makes you feel better emotionally, and the “feel-good” hormones it releases affect your physical well-being, too. Gratitude reduces stress, which leads to better sleep, lower blood pressure, and increased energy. As a result, you move more, creating better overall physical health.

For instance, maybe your gratitude practice inspires you to go for a walk, during which you get more oxygen into your body and bloodstream and load up on Vitamin D from basking in the sunshine.

Being able to sleep soundly reduces appetite because it balances your hormones, and less stress helps you make smarter food choices and engage in less comfort eating. The cumulative effect is a healthier and stronger version of yourself. 

Gratitude promotes heart health because lower stress levels and healthier blood pressure put less strain on the heart. Besides, the added exercise and sleep strengthen your heart, giving it time to recover and heal overnight. And since heart disease is a leading cause of death, there’s never been a better time to practice gratitude and calm your nervous system.

Setting aside two or three minutes daily to be grateful can unlock the mental and physical benefits of gratitude.

Find a place to be alone, put your hands over your heart, close your eyes, and breathe deeply. Think of people and blessings you’re thankful for. Remember the simple things we often take for granted, like nature, laughter, hope, opportunities, things we’ve survived, and people we’ve had the honor to serve.

Just be grateful.

Open your heart and let your Creator know how much you appreciate His abundant blessings. Doing so will set the tone for your day and your life, too.

Unlock your best life with the empowering benefits of gratitude.

The post The Mental and Physical Connection of Gratitude appeared first on Lifestyle.

Our brains are the command center of our lives and are essential for the quality of our physical, emotional, and mental performance. Chronic stress, poor diet, smoking, and excess alcohol take a severe negative toll on our brain’s functionality. 

These habits also contribute to high blood pressure, cognitive decline, and dementia.

But you can always learn new habits and strategies and change your life. Here are 8 tips to prime your brain for success and unlock your best future.

Mediterranean Diet (MeDi)

High-quality foods are essential to your brain health and physical fitness.

The Mediterranean diet focuses on plant-based foods such as fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans, fish, whole grains, and healthy oils like olive and avocado. 

Based on a study of 502,536 participants, people who followed the principles of the MeDi had a 23% lower chance of developing dementia. Research has also found that the MeDi may improve cognitive capabilities, such as memory.

Tame Stress 

Chronic stress harms brain function. Yale Medicine defines chronic stress as “A consistent sense of feeling pressured and overwhelmed over a long period of time.” 

There are many causes of chronic stress today because life is busier and more complicated than ever. These include life changes, unfulfilling jobs, economic distress, and family dysfunctions. 

When stressed, the brain increases glucocorticoid production, including the stress hormone cortisol. 

The mind goes into overdrive and starts worrying about the future and everything that might go wrong, causing panic and anxiety. 

Reading the Bible and praying have a calming effect on the mind that keeps us anchored in the present. Practicing Mindfulness helps us stay focused on the present rather than dwelling on the past or situations that cause us to worry. Other key concepts include paying attention to our surroundings, accepting ourselves, and focusing on our breathing.

Physical Activity

The Center for Creative Leadership asked over 1,500 executives how exercise impacts their performance. Approximately 90% said that physical activity “clearly impacts” their performance, 12% reported “some impact,” and no one reported zero impact.

They reported regular exercise improved mental clarity, focus, alertness, and problem-solving.

In addition to improving your brain, exercise has physical benefits such as lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, reducing anxiety, improving sleep, decreasing insulin resistance, and strengthening your immune system.

Be Mentally Active

People who don’t “exercise” their brains are at significant risk for early cognitive decline. You can do many activities to give your brain a workout, such as reading, memorizing scripture, learning a new language, playing games, or working on a jigsaw puzzle.

Sleep Well

The importance of sleep and its effect on brain health is huge! When you get good quality, deep sleep, the brain repairs itself and rejuvenates your immune system. In REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep, the brain compiles details you learned during the prior day.

Inadequate or insufficient sleep can contribute to feeling exhausted, cause concentration, mood, and memory disorders, and suppress the immune system.

You know the drill: create a bedtime routine by going to bed at the same time nightly and waking up at the same time in the morning. Over time, this will help set your internal clock and become a regular sleep pattern. Also:

• Turn off your electronics at least two hours before bedtime. This includes cell phones, computers, and social media.
• Eliminate caffeine after 12:00 p.m. The most common sources of caffeine are coffee, tea, soda, and chocolate.
• Avoid eating before bedtime to prevent gastrointestinal issues that may keep you awake.

Stop Smoking

Although people feel that cigarettes or cigars help to calm them and are pleasurable, they pose severe risks to brain functionality. 

A study by the American Heart Association (AHA) found that smoking is associated with cognitive decline, leading to worsening performance. You deserve better. So do yourself a huge favor and stop smoking.

Be Socially Active

Social connections can help reduce stress and depression and prevent memory loss. Look for ways to interact with others, especially if you live alone. 

Brain atrophy has been linked to a lack of socialization. 

Interpersonal relationships and being socially active enhance physical well-being and strengthen brain health. 

Find Inspiration

How often do we take the little things in life for granted? We often overlook these special moments of inspiration, which can be so good for brain health. 

For example, Psych Central says watching the sunrise gives you a feeling of awe, bolsters your mood, and helps you have a “big picture” mentality where we view situations broadly rather than focusing on limited details. It opens your mind to evaluating scenarios entirely rather than breaking them into detailed parts. 

People may also find inspiration from art, visiting a park, or watching the sunset.

Conclusion

A healthy brain keeps our sensory, cognitive, behavioral, emotional, and motor functions working smoothly. Good habits such as eating properly, being physically, mentally, and socially active, and getting sufficient sleep are essential to overall well-being and life satisfaction.

The preceding tips can boost brain health, priming your mind for success and well-being so you can unlock your best life!

The post 8 Ways To Prime Your Brain For Success appeared first on Lifestyle.

It has long been proven that the mind-body connection is real, with physical health influencing mental wellness and vice versa. So, besides making healthy lifestyle changes through diet and exercise, you can refer to a previous post about the science of happiness for strategies for boosting your mental health and overall quality of life. These include finding your purpose for a more fulfilling life, nurturing supportive relationships with family and friends, and practicing self-compassion.

However, a lesser-known fact is that focusing on eye health specifically can also influence your mental health. Below, we look at how poor eyesight can contribute to poor mental health and what you can do to invest in eye care for better holistic wellness.

The connection between eyesight and mental health

In this digital age, one of the most straightforward ways your eye health can impact your mental well-being is through the stress-related effects of excessive screen time. Specifically, prolonged exposure to the blue light emitted by electronic devices can increase the risk of digital eye strain. Its symptoms include fatigue, dryness, headaches, and blurred or double vision, which otherwise go beyond physical discomfort to also contribute to or worsen stress levels.

Besides stress-inducing digital eye strain, research shows that vision problems like myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), and astigmatism can also lead to poor mental health. Findings of a systemic review published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine found that the proportion of depression is higher among those with poor or low vision, especially older adults. Since your eyesight is essential to navigating your surroundings and performing basic tasks, getting your vision compromised can worsen your mood and mental health due to increased feelings of loneliness, helplessness, and isolation.

Fortunately, these mental health concerns can be addressed through the eye care tips in the next section.

Eye care tips to boost your mental wellness

Update your eyewear

As previously mentioned, individuals with vision impairment are at higher risk of chronic stress and depression due to the difficulties of daily life. So, it’s best to regularly update the prescription of your eyeglasses for optimal vision correction and comfort. When ordering an updated pair, consider going to Ray-Ban not only for its wide range of frame styles like the bold Wayfarer and timeless Clubmaster to suit your features but also for the high-quality design and material that prevent discomfort while you wear your glasses all day. Besides prescription glasses, the countless frame and lens combinations include protective features, such as blue light filters to reduce glare from digital screens and other artificial sources.

Regulate your screen time

Because digital eye strain can also negatively affect your mental health, remember to regulate your screen time by taking regular breaks to rest your eyes, rehydrate, and even do simple eye exercises like blinking and rotating your eyeballs. Additionally, you can better monitor your screen use by using a mobile app like Digital Wellbeing for Android devices. Much like Apple’s Screen Time feature, the app allows you to set up screen time limits for certain apps, schedule Focus and Bedtime modes to take a break from your phone, and track your overall screen usage to foster a healthier relationship with technology.

Get routine eye exams

Lastly, schedule routine eye exams every one or two years for ongoing monitoring and assessment of your vision and overall eye health. Going to a qualified optometrist can not only detect early signs and symptoms of eye problems but also introduce treatment and prevention approaches to avoid these conditions from affecting your mental well-being.

Overall, eyesight is one of the five basic senses that help you experience life to the fullest, so make eye care a priority in your daily life. For more helpful resources on health and lifestyle, continue exploring the rest of the posts here at Lifestyle.org.

(Article written by Sophia Emma Exclusively For Lifestyle Magazine.)

The post Poor Eyesight Can Lead to Poor Mental Health— Here’s What You Can Do appeared first on Lifestyle.

Chronic stress can wreak havoc and cause harmful disruptions to our health and well-being. It can make us vulnerable to disease, drain joy from our lives, and throw our metabolic systems into disarray, from the immune system to blood sugar and the cardiovascular system.  

In fact, the damaging effects of long-term stress are so pervasive that researchers have been unable to produce an exhaustive list of everything that stress can cause to go wrong in the human body. This means that stress can trigger symptoms that physicians might be unaware of or know are stress-related.  

In addition, medical research estimates as much as 90 percent of illnesses and diseases are stress-related.

What Is Stress?

Stress can be anything from aggravating things that go wrong during the day to losing a job. 

Anything that interrupts your daily routine or nightly sleep can have a cumulative effect on the body and brain. 

Bad things happen to the brain when a person is overly stressed for a long time without relief. Consider this:

“Chronic stress and prolonged exposure to cortisol also increase the production of glutamate. Glutamate is an excitatory neurotransmitter that plays a vital role in mood regulation, cognition, and memory functions. Excessive glutamate, however, can contribute to the damage or death of brain cells.”

Hormones

Powerful hormones are released during stressful situations or events. These include corticosteroids, cortisol, and others released from the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems. 

These hormones are released in ways that drive the body to respond appropriately during stress and then bring the body back to a normal state.

When these hormones continue to run rampant throughout the body of a person who is dealing with ongoing chronic stress, they cause mental and physical health issues.  

Life Events That Trigger Stress

Certain life events cause stress in all people. Some of these include the death of a spouse, divorce, jail time, change in financial situation, sexual difficulty, pregnancy, mortgage, change in residence, change in church activities, going back to school, change in sleep habits, vacation, and minor violations of the law. 

Just about any significant change in one’s situation or circumstances – positive or negative – is perceived as stress by the body.

Symptoms of Stress

Stress-related physical illness can include backaches, insomnia, cancer, fibromyalgia, endometriosis, absence of menstruation, changes in sexuality, sexual dysfunction, headaches, colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, colds, infection, dermatology changes, and emotional disorders such as anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbances.

Eliminating Stress

It’s impossible to eliminate all stress from your life, and even if you could, you wouldn’t want to because stress, when “used” appropriately, has an important function.  

However, we can reduce some of its harmful effects and hormonal responses by implementing stress reduction techniques. 

Stress-Reducing Strategies

Most people find these strategies helpful: following a balanced diet, regular exercise, and 7-9 hours of uninterrupted sleep each night.

Other effective techniques include deep breathing, prayer, meditation, memorizing scripture and reading Bible promises, staying present and not dwelling on the past or the future, or becoming overwhelmed by everything that has to be done, focusing on one thing at a time instead, and spending time with trusted friends and loved ones. 

You’ve Got This!

While it’s true that life gets increasingly stressful every day and chronic stress damages one’s health, you can control the damage. 

Using stress reduction techniques and getting emotional support disrupts stress’s disruptive influence in your life. 

Consistency is king. By consistently managing your stress levels, you will reduce any long-term effects on your health and, as a bonus, unlock your best life! 

The post Stress Kills Brain Cells appeared first on Lifestyle.