Why am I optimistic?

There would always be two ways of looking at everything: Either we see the glass as half-empty or half-full. Regardless of which one we are inclined to choose, our decision does nothing to change the reality set before us. However, it could impact us deeply on a personal level, laying the ground for the direction our lives take.

From a medical standpoint, researches have advocated the truth on how our way of thinking affects our overall health. Though we may not be aware of it, making the deliberate, albeit unconscious, choice to see the glass as half-empty(pessimistic) or half-full(optimistic) does affect our body's immunity system, especially our ability to take on stress. Taking these into serious consideration, the reasons I've listed below explain why I've intentionally programmed my mind to always look on the bright side:

• I want to be happy.
  Life would always be a matter of ups and downs. Rolling with the punches and seeing the good in things no matter how dismal is the best way I know how to keep myself sane and happy.

• I am no masochist.
  Being pessimistic only intensifies life's blows needlessly. Why punish myself further? 

Written By: Maris Modesto

Diet Slips to Avoid

• Gorging during eat-outs.
  In the fast-paced life characterizing today, eating at fastfoods and restaurants are part and parcel of city living. And because foods served in these establishments are often calorie-laden and at times even unhealthy, practising vigilance whenever you eat out is a must.

• Indulging yourself in family food faves.
  It does not mean that your hubby and kids are feasting on a pizza, you can do the same too. Knowing that such foods can be bad for you when you eat too much, you should muster the self-discipline to practise control whenever necessary—and this includes those uber-tempting times when you are forced to watch everyone else have their fill of a local favorite. Should you find yourself in such a situation, it would be best to just divert your attention. Busy yourself with other things while everyone eats.

• A nibble here, a nibble there.
  Nibbles may not count as much when you look at it individually. But accumulated nibbles could rake in as much or even more calories than you realize. You would be better off dealing with your hunger pangs by having a full meal instead of eating bit by bit.

Written By: Maris Modesto

The Mentally De-cluttering Benefits of House Cleaning

The visually rewarding merits of living in a clean environment cannot be argued upon. But did you know that such visual pleasure also radiates positive health benefits capable of affecting your mind? Classified as one of the practices of mindfulness, house cleaning possesses a literal (tidying up your house) and figurative (doing away with your emotional baggage) interpretation. Both of them serve to benefit you mentally by bringing your mind into a state of mindfulness. Being mindful means having your mind cleared of unwanted and unnecessary thoughts induced either by your environment or your mind per se—as a reaction to your experiences.

As the cliché goes, “It's all in the mind.” And to ready your mind for maximizing the midfulness reward you get from cleaning your house, observe these important pointers:

• Before you start tidying up, you must first program your mind to view the exercise as a beneficial one—an easy but very effective way of understanding yourself in a deeper sense.
• Tell yourself that cleaning your house  relieves your stress—each area cleaned lifts the burden off your mind.
• While you are cleaning, focus on the sensations perceived by your senses in every activity of the moment.

Written By : Maris Modesto

Lifestyle Changes for Successful Weight Loss

If you are looking to succeed in losing weight, serious lifestyle changes have to be made. Like everything else, turning your exercise regimen and healthy eating plan into a routine requires diligence and practice. To help you get started, consider these suggestions:

• Better your workout routine.
  To keep your metabolism up, perform a combination of cardio and resistance exercises. Do this on a regular basis.

• Practice effective stress management.
  Stress can derail you from pursuing a healthy eating plan and workout routine. As such, it could send wrong signals, prompting you to eat more or binge whenever you are confronted by adverse emotions or situations. To keep it under your control, learn to practice effective stress management—meditation, creative pursuits, journaling, etc.

• Don't miss out on sleep.
  Some studies have pointed out the definite link between lack of sleep and weight gain. Even if keeping up with a busy schedule means compromising sleep at times, make sure that you make up for them, and try not to scrimp on your snooze time as much as possible.

Written By: Maris Modesto

The Compulsive Eater

As a teen, it never occurred to me that I had an eating problem. But as my binging frenzies increased—along with the rising stress I had to deal with as I matured—it wasn't long before my digestive system finally reacted, causing pain and bowel irregularities that worsened with the passing of the years.

After a third vist to the doctor, the reality behind my destructive inclination was finally brought to light. Although my attending doctor then didn't really give me a formal diagnosis of being a compulsive eater, he suggested that I get counseling to address any underlying issue that could have prompted my wild eating habits. All these indications I had fit the profile of a compulsive eater to a tee:

• Gorging on copious amounts of food though I wasn't physically hungry
• Eating at a faster than usual, especially when stressed out
• Inability to stop even when full
• A strong urge to eat alone and hide my eating habits from others
• Guilt/depressive feelings following a binging spree
• Linking my frustrations and failures to my weight
• Jumping from one diet to another in an effort to lose weight
• Making eating and dieting the focus of my life

Written By: Maris Modesto

How Alcohol Affects Teens

As a teenager, I've never been predisposed to drinking beer or any alcoholic beverages. Besides loathing the taste, I've suffered tremendously from chest pain and nausea after having tried it once during a casual drinking spree with friends. As it turns out, my decision to steer clear of it after that horrible incident was right. Researchers have confirmed that alcohol does adversely affect certain functions of the brain, especially for teens.

• Alcohol impairs teens' decision making ability, as the perfrontal cortex—part of the brain responsible for decisions and planning—isn't bound to mature until after the teen years. Imbibing alcohol could lead to teens' inability to rationalize and weigh consequences properly.
  
• Also, they may become forgetful, as their memory is bound to be adversely impacted.
  
• Since drinking often could develop a tolerance among teens, hence making them drink more, they risk becoming alcoholic dependents.
  
• Alcohol can prompt them to indulge in risky behviors. In turn, the latter could promote damages to the brain's connections as they mature.
  
• Alcohol could either interfere or result to deadly consequences if they're taking certain medications. Bad chemical reactions between alcohol and medicines can negatively impact judgment and motor skills. 

Written By: Maris Modesto

Common Stress Overload Triggers

Pressure that is either too intense, prolonged, or both serves as the primary factor behind stress overload. Combine this with how each of us individually react to stress given our distinctive personalities, then we have an individualized stress equation in our hands, meaning that no two people experience stress overload in exactly the same way.

Nonetheless, these differences does not discount the truth that despite individual variations, our frequent or continuous exposure to the following stress-inducing circumstances would likely result to stress overload , a.k.a breakdown, in the long run:

• Violence and other emotionally straining scenarios
• Being bullied or our failure to assert ourselves
• Relationship issues, particularly those involving loved ones
• Heartbreaking emotions associated with losing a loved one
• Failure to resolve problems persisting for a long period
• Inability to vent negative emotions properly
• Overloaded schedules, especially those which leaves little or no time for rest and relaxation or personal enjoyment

Written By: Maris Modesto