Mindfulness also has its benefits for men, Brotto notes, but might be especially pertinent for the distractibility women experience. Women relearn to appreciate their body and its capacity for sensual pleasure.

In the Journal of Sexual Medicine, Brotto reported that 150 women experienced higher levels of sexual after being trainer in her 4-step program of mindfulness specifically geared to enhancing sexual pleasure. Tested in the lab while watching erotic videos, the women reported feeling more lubricated, even though there was no measurable increase in lubrication from watching such videos before training. The results suggest the women had become aware of their genital lubrication.

It turns out the the surest approach to problems of desire in women is something no pill can do. It’s bringing the mind in synchrony with the body. And that has benefits for women that go way beyond the bedroom.

Lori Brotto has devised and tested a program to increase sexual responsiveness in women with sexual complaints, including low desire. A major component draws in Buddhist principles of mindfulness to reconnect the mind with the body’s sensations.

Women first learn the basics of mindfulness in a nonsexual context. The goal is to guide the mind back to the present whenever distracting thoughts arise. Using an object like a penny or a raisin, slowly explore the way it feels, looks, smells, tastes. When your mind starts to wander, gently guide it back to focus on the object. Practice this exercise 10 minutes a day while engaged in some activity, like walking, eating a meal, or washing the dishes. You can also practice a more traditional meditation: Close your eyes, remain silent and focus simply on your breath.

Next, women learn to examine their bodies in a nonsexual way without generating distress. The aim is to lessen distractions by judgment of physical appearance during sex. Look at your body while showering, bathing or drying yourself. Notice when judgments arise and guide your mind back to just looking at your body. Repeat the exercise next using a hand-held mirror to look at your body and genitals. Then touch your body and genitals in a nonsexual manner while being aware of judgments and guiding attention back to what you are doing.

Women repeat the body-focused exercise, but this time, with a shift in sexual attitude. The goal is to help women change the way they look at their body and enjoy sensations in a sexual way. Tell yourself that “my body is sexual,” “I am a sexual person,” “I enjoy my sexuality,” repeat the mindfulness exercise from the previous one.

Last, women learn to connect bodily arousal and emotional pleasure. Use a vibrator, look at erotica or fantasize about sex to deliberately arouse your body. Stop about after five minutes. Then perform a mindfulness exercise to fully tune into the sensations.

Photo by Rennett Stowe

Blessed Herb's Internal Cleanse

But before I go into exactly why that is, let me tell you my story. Trust me – you want to read this.

“Yawn”

It all started with a yawn.

I hadn’t realized it but when my wife pointed it out, it became clear as daylight: I was constantly tired for the week and I had no idea why.

I could barely wake up every morning even though I slept 8 – 9 hours. By 11 I’m pretty beat down and by 1pm, I feel like taking an afternoon nap that mostly lasted for an hour or two. Even after the nap, I wake up lethargic. Not sleepy, just lethargic. So by 6pm, I again want to lie down and doze off. But of course, I can’t. So I hold my tired bones up until about 7pm, at which time I will reach home and slouch on the sofa.

A quick search in Google yielded tons of information, most of them contradicting each other.

But for the past 5 years, I lived a pretty healthy lifestyle so most suggestions from the websites I read didn’t apply.

I ate only organic food. A healthy portion of my diet consists of multi-colored vegetables. I drink lots of water. I exercise at least twice a week. And most importantly, I sleep at least 8 hours a night (I make a big deal of this). I don’t smoke. I don’t do drugs. I don’t even eat junk food! The only “health” sin I committed is occasionally indulging in pizzas and ribs.

Yet I’m chronically tired.

The fruit juice bottles left over from the colon cleanse

You Want Me To Do What?

Then I landed on a dodgy-looking website. I can’t remember its URL but I remembered I was heading to the “back button” when a thought crossed my mind. What if this website is the website that will end my misery?

So I moved my mouse back and began reading what this guy had to say. That’s when I learned about colon cleansing and blessed herbs.

Minor detour: If you don’t know anything about colon cleansing, follow this link for more information. If you are familiar with the concept, then let’s move on.

My first reaction is it’s hogwash. Sure the arguments sounded good, but there’s absolutely no scientific studies that have proven its effectiveness. Plus, the sound of eating nothing but some kind of formula for a whole week doesn’t sound appealing. So I moved on to the next tab…

Desperation

Over the next few days, my condition got worse. Approximately 3 days after landing on that website, I felt like slouching immediately after I woke up. You can just imagine how that affects my life. My work quality took a hit, my home started to get messier by the day but most importantly… my sex life… let’s just say nothing happened.

After trying just about any scientifically proven solution out there, I had no choice but to try out the alternative.

As I told you, I can’t remember the website and I can remember “blessed herbs”. I went on their website and ordered the package without even looking.

And The Journey Begins

The package arrived about 2 – 3 weeks later (I live in Australia). By then I’m like an man who hasn’t eaten for a few days. I tore open the package, read the lengthy, detailed manual, and started my colon cleanse right away.

Hunger-wise, it wasn’t that bad. The 5-day program doesn’t allow for solid food but their formula is surprisingly filling. The desire to eat (not hunger) kicks in at about the 3rd day. I had to clear my whole fridge to stick to the rules.

The big problem I had with the cleanse is the amount of bowel movement you’ll experience during the program! I had to “go” 3 times a day… so I have to constantly check if I have access to a toilet or not. My job involved a fair amount of travelling, so that didn’t pan out well.

What is surprisingly pleasing is the fact that every bowel movement resulted in “mucoid plagues” being removed – it’s (unfortunately) clearly visible in the toilet bowl. Every time I expelled some of them out of my body, I immediately felt better, even if it’s just psychologically.

After I finish the colon cleanse, I continued with their internal cleanse – but that’s a story for another time.

Blessed Herb's colon cleanse

My Healing Crisis

Blessed Herbs mentioned a “healing crisis” will likely happen after a cleanse in the manual but I foolishly dismissed them. How can one get worse after they cleanse?

My healing crisis came in the form of an eczema break-out. Eczema, which I had suffered from since I was a kid, was what motivated me to live a healthy lifestyle. I’ve managed to keep them under control for the past decade but after the cleanse, a patch of them appeared on my left cheek.

It soon spread and covered most of my face – then down to my neck and to my shoulder and chest. In 5 days, my whole body is covered in dry, itchy skin. I took an indefinite leave from work to recuperate – and sulk at home.

At that moment, I regretted my decision to purchase Blessed Herbs. This wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t because of their cleansing program.

Minor detour: Healing crisis, as I found out later, don’t go away by themselves – and they linger if you let them. Follow this link to find about how I treat my eczema.

The eczema crisis lasted a whole 3 months.

The Results

My healing crisis was painful (psychologically and physically) but when I recovered, I felt renewed. And I’m not exaggerating.

I’m no longer always lethargic. My acne problem is gone. And my eczema, which is normally present in small patches, is finally 100% eliminated. If you know anything about eczema, you’ll know eliminating eczema is like a small miracle.

In addition, my energy level is high and my colleagues at work questioned what I did during my leave because when I came back, my skin is glowing like never before.

Should You Purchase Blessed Herbs?

You should not buy Blessed Herbs if…

1. You’re constantly on the move for the duration of the program. Trust me, you don’t want to visiting the toilet on a trip overseas.
2. You need to look good all the time. A lot people rely on looking good as a living – and if you happen to have the same healing crisis as I had…
3. You’re always busy. As much as I love the program, I really think it’s unsuitable for busy individuals. Imagine the no-food rule and the toilet visits.

If you don’t fall into one of these categories, what are you waiting for? Go purchase Blessed Herbs now!

Are cell phones safe to use?

Cell phones flourished with the advent of the new millennium.   There are almost 5 billion users in the world today.  With this magnitude of users, these questions lurk in everyone’s mind, “Is the cell phone safe for the brain?”  “Do they really affect the brain?” These questions arise from the fact that cell phones operate making use of electromagnetic radiation to transmit messages and calls. What are the facts that surround these alleged hypotheses?  Here are some data that could shed light into these questions.

There are conflicting research results as to the effect of radio frequency (RF) on mobile users.

The European Commission Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks (SCENIHR) revealed in a study it conducted in 2007, that “Exposure to RF fields is unlikely to lead to an increase in cancer in humans.”

Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Hardell, et al, 2007 came up with the findings that long-term use of cellular phones for more than 10 years has also increased the risk for brain tumors especially for ipsilateral exposure. Ipsilateral exposure is exposure on the same side of the brain when you listen to the mobile device.

In Copenhagen, The Institute of Cancer Epidemiology said that “there was no significant increase in brain tumors from 1998-2003.”

Earthtimes News report, June 2006 cited that there was a definite effect of cell phone utilization in the brain. Whether it is good or bad, they still are not sure.

There are; however, more researches attesting to the fact that the long usage of cell phone especially in persons below 20 increases their risk of contracting brain cancer or tumor.

Remedies to solve the problem:

• Children below 20 yrs old should be discouraged to use cell phone.

• It was initially thought that using a handset would decrease the risk of radiation exposure. This was disproved though later and found out to be the opposite.  The metallic handset intensified the radiation from the cell sites.

• Use Non-metallic handset instead of the metallic device to reduce RF.

• Use Bluetooth wireless headsets.

• Avoid too much exposure to your mobile. Do not use it if you do not need to.

• The transfer of cell sites to non-populated areas to avoid the higher RF affecting residents.

• Use your ears alternately and do not keep the phone in your pocket or place it under your pillows.

• Do not press the phone to your ears while it is trying to find a connection. This would be the one of the strongest RF phases.

• Recently, clipping the hands free kit with a ferret bead stops radioactive waves’ transmission.

Another evaluation would be released soon this 2010 as a follow up study of the previously conducted researches. It would be interesting to learn whether the results will be positive or not.  Taking precautions when using mobile phones would still be the best way to deal with it.  Prevention, even without significant data, is wise and responsible.

Photo by timparkinson/ Tim Parkinson

Do you know pollution is one of the causes of asthma?

An estimated 300 million people worldwide suffer from the respiratory inflammation commonly known as asthma.  Additionally, 250,000 deaths a year are attributed to the disease.  There are three basic causes for asthma: environment, genetic and gene-environment interactions.  Environmental causes are connected to air pollutants such as cigarette smoke and traffic pollution.  Genetic causes are, obviously, born from within your genetic makeup.  Gene-environment interaction causes are born from specific sets of genes which encounter specific environmental exposures. Unfortunately, asthma is becoming more and more prevalent in society, particularly in urban environments. Although untreated asthma can reap dangerous consequences upon a person, asthma’s affects are typically easily reversible through the usage of medication oftentimes administered through an inhaler.  However, recent studies suggest that Vitamin D may further lessen the severity of asthma and the violent attacks it can sometimes cause.

Recent studies indicate that Vitamin D deficiencies were inversely linked to indicators of allergy and asthma severity.  The study revealed that children with low Vitamin D levels were at a significantly higher risk for acute asthma attacks, potentially even attacks requiring hospital visits.  Furthermore, they also showed airways with hyperactivity and an increased sensitivity to allergens such as dust-mites.  Although no direct causal study has emerged, the mounting evidence seems nearly incontrovertible.  However, clinical trials are currently under way which seek to prove a direct causal relationship between Vitamin D deficiency and the severity of asthma.

The benefits of Vitamin D were solely long believed to be essential to strengthening your bones and immune system.  In recent years, more and more studies suggest additional health benefits, the latest of which seems to be the reduction of asthma severity.  The growing list of positive health effects makes Vitamin D an attractive group of prohoromones to introduce into your system.

There are many ways to increase your Vitamin D levels. A primary source of Vitamin D is sunlight.  Obviously, overexposure to sunlight can be damaging to your skin and a potential cancer risk.  But healthy sun exposure is a tremendous way to increase the Vitamin D levels in your system.  Additionally, various food products also provide Vitamin D to your body.  Many fish such as salmon, tuna and mackerel have good levels of vitamin, as well as eggs and many dairy products.  However, be careful not to over ingest Vitamin D, because that can lead to unfortunate medical consequences.

If you are one of the unfortunate 300 million people who must battle the daily effects of asthma, consider introducing more Vitamin D into your diet.  If possible, take daily walks outside.  If you live in an area where weather does not permit this activity, try finding different food products that may be beneficial.  Although you won’t be able to eliminate the effects of asthma on your life, you may be able to significantly reduce the severity of the consequences stemming from the disease.  Even if you are skeptical of the connections between low levels of Vitamin D and asthma severity, don’t be shy about including it into your daily routine.  The health benefits are tremendous.

Photo by Michael Caven

Do you know sugar replacement is actually bad for you?

You’ve heard the lies before.  “Artificial sweeteners are better for you than sugar.”  “Artificial sweeteners are a healthy alternative to sugar.”  “Artificial sweeteners don’t promote weight gain like sugar.”  By now, you are probably well aware of the harmful effects of sugar upon your body.  Perhaps you are in the process of attempting to break free from the chains of sugar into a world of sugar-free liberation.  If you are exploring options for health alternatives to sugars with the thought that artificial sweeteners may be a good solution… think again.  In fact, they may be even worse for than the sugar you are running from.  Here is a brief overview of how damaging artificial sugars can be to your health.

There have been more reports filed to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding reactions to artificial sweeteners than all other food additive combined.  With over 10,000 reported incidents, including one death, it’s easy to see that sweeteners certainly have a devastating effect upon those who consume them.  Some primary and immediate health concerns with sweeteners are as follows: headaches, change in moods, dizziness, nausea, diarrhea, rashes, cramps, insomnia, memory loss, fatigue and joint pain.  Although none of these are long-term repercussions, no one wants to experience the discomfort and pain associated with any of these symptoms.

Additionally, artificial sweeteners produce several long-term help implications.  One of the main issues is migraines.  Studies show that not only do sweeteners trigger migraines, they cause them to occur more frequently and more violently.  Seizures are another effect.  This even occurs in people who have never experienced seizures.  Depression is another devastating consequence of sweetener consumption.  However, the most publicized and controversial disease attached to sweeteners is cancer.  Several studies offer links between brain cancer and the consumption of sweeteners, basing their information off of the start influx of brain cancer cases following the introduction of sweeteners into the market.

Furthermore, though they are often advertised as products which help with weight loss, artificial sweeteners cause the body to react similar to sugar.  When it is introduced into your system your body begins to produce excess insulin to help stabilize your blood-sugar level.  Not only does this weaken your immune system, it also instructs your body to store extra fat, which can lead to weight gain.  This weight gain can also lead to a multitude of health issues as well.

We’ve all become familiar with products such as Splenda, Equal, and Nutrasweet.  Perhaps you love to dump a few small packets into your tea to give it that sweet taste only your grandmother could produce.  As delicious as this may be, these artificial sweeteners are a grave danger to your health and put you at severe risk for both short and long term issues.  Though they are often deceptively marketed as “healthy” alternatives to sugar, artificial sweeteners wreak havoc on your body.  Even though these companies often attach themselves to “health and fitness plans,” and are often mixed with low-fat drinks, do not be deceived.  The dangers of artificial sweetners are long reaching and potent.

Photo by Avrene/Sonny Abesamis

How do you get rid of bugs without harming your family?

Bugs… just the thought of it creeps my wife out.

Every summer these little critters would awake from their slumber and “attack” my house. I’m sure you experience this too. How do you get rid of them?

Pesticides?

Well, I used to use a lot of pesticides before I know of its effect on the human body. Pesticides are one of the most toxic household items ever invented by man kind.

Instead of going into the details of how pesticides causes all kinds of disease, I thought I would just point you to a wonderful post by Dr. Mercola on the subject. Yes it’s quite long but I promise it’ll open your mind.

Ever since my discovery of its side effect, I have never again used a single bottle of pesticides. So what do I with the bugs?

That’s easy. I make my own natural pesticide and it’s called “white oil“. It’s harmless for humans yet effective for bugs.

Basically, it’s a soap-water solution. If you would like something more powerful, then you may want to add a few drops of tea tree and lemon essential oil. Try it out and leave a comment as to its effectiveness. I’m always listening!

If you would like to discover more about natural pesticides, the best resource I would recommend is no doubt Beyond Pesticides.

Image by Thomas Shahan