Holistic Pain Remedies – Let Food Be Thy Medicine

“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” – Hippocrates

Balanced nutrition with the cornerstones of water, fruits and vegetables have shown to promote health and well being.

On that same tip, many foods also have curative properties for common aches, pains and discomfort. These holistic pain remedies are simple to use and effective enough to be mentioned in an era when technology is accelerating at an exponential pace.

Holistic Pain Remedies

Water Flushes Out Pain Inducing Histamine From The Body

Whether it’s your feet, your knees or your shoulders that are throbbing, experts at New York’s Manhattan College, say you could kick-start your recovery in one week just by drinking eight 8-ounce glasses of water daily.

Experts say water dilutes and flushes out histamine, a pain-triggering compound produced by injured tissues.

“Plus water is a key building block of the cartilage that cushions the ends of your bones, your joints’ lubricating fluid, and the soft discs in your spine,” adds Susan M. Kleiner, Ph.D., author of the book, The Good Mood Diet. “

And when these tissues are well-hydrated, they can move and glide over each other without causing pain.”

Ginger for Muscle Pain

When Danish researchers asked achy people to jazz up their diets with ginger, it eased muscle and joint pain, swelling and stiffness for up to 63 percent of them within two months.

Experts credit ginger’s potent compounds called gingerols, which prevent the production of pain-triggering hormones. The study-recommended dose: Add at least 1 teaspoon of dried ginger or 2 teaspoons of chopped ginger to meals daily.

Peppermint Oil Baths for Muscle Pain

Stubborn knots can hang around for months if they aren’t properly treated, says naturopath Mark Stengler, N.D., author of the book, The Natural Physician’s Healing Therapies. His advice:

Three times each week, soak in a warm tub scented with 10 drops of peppermint oil.

The warm water will relax your muscles, while the peppermint oil will naturally soothe your nerves — a combo that can ease muscle cramping 25 percent more effectively than over-the-counter painkillers, and cut the frequency of future flare-ups in half, says Stengler.

Tame Chronic Pain With Turmeric

Studies show turmeric, a popular East Indian spice, is actually three times more effective at easing pain than aspirin, ibuprofen or naproxen, plus it can help relieve chronic pain for 50 percent of people struggling with arthritis and even fibromyalgia, according to Cornell researchers.

That’s because turmeric’s active ingredient, curcumin, naturally shuts down cyclooxygenase 2, an enzyme that churns out a stream of pain-producing hormones, explains nutrition researcher Julian Whitaker, M.D. and author of the book, Reversing Diabetes.

The study-recommended dose: Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon of this spice daily onto any rice, poultry, meat or vegetable dish.

Grapes For Your Back Ache

Recent studies at Ohio State University suggest eating a heaping cup of grapes daily can relax tight blood vessels, significantly improving blood flow to damaged back tissues (and often within three hours of enjoying the first bowl).

That’s great news because your back’s vertebrae and shock-absorbing discs are completely dependent on nearby blood vessels to bring them healing nutrients and oxygen, so improving blood flow is essential for healing damaged back tissue, says Stengler.

Cloves for Toothaches

Gently chewing on a clove can ease tooth pain and gum inflammation for two hours straight, say UCLA researchers. Experts point to a natural compound in cloves called eugenol, a powerful, natural anesthetic.

Bonus: Sprinkling a ¼ teaspoon of ground cloves on meals daily may also protect your ticker. Scientists say this simple action helps stabilize blood sugar, plus dampen production of artery-clogging cholesterol in as little as three weeks.

Erase Earaches With Garlic

Place two drops of warm garlic oil into your aching ear twice daily for five days. This simple treatment can clear up ear infections faster than prescription meds, say experts at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine.

Scientists say garlic’s active ingredients (germanium, selenium, and sulfur compounds) are naturally toxic to dozens of different pain-causing bacteria.

To whip up your own garlic oil gently simmer three cloves of crushed garlic in a half a cup of extra virgin olive oil for two minutes, strain, then refrigerate for up to two weeks, suggests Teresa Graedon, Ph.D., co-author of the book, Best Choices From The People’s Pharmacy.

For an optimal experience, warm this mix slightly before using so the liquid will feel soothing in your ear canal.

Ease Joint and Headache Pain With Cherries

A daily bowl of cherries could ease your joint and headaches, without the stomach upset so often triggered by today’s painkillers, say researchers at East Lansing’s Michigan State University.

Their research reveals that anthocyanins, the compounds that give cherries their brilliant red color, have anti-inflammatory effects 10 times stronger than ibuprofen and aspirin.

“Anthocyanins help shut down the powerful enzymes that kick-start tissue inflammation, so they can prevent, as well as treat, many different kinds of pain,” explains Muraleedharan Nair, Ph.D., professor of food science at Michigan State University.

His advice: Enjoy 20 cherries (fresh, frozen or dried) daily, then continue until your pain disappears.

Heal heartburn with Cider Vinegar

Sip 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar mixed with 8 ounces of water before every meal, and experts say you could shut down painful bouts of heartburn in as little as 24 hours.

“Cider vinegar is rich in malic and tartaric acids, powerful digestive aids that speed the breakdown of fats and proteins so your stomach can empty quickly, before food washes up into the esophagus, triggering heartburn pain,” explains Joseph Brasco, M.D., a gastroenterologist at the Center for Colon and Digestive Diseases in Huntsville, AL.

Impede the Progress of IBS and Indigestion With Fish

Indigestion, irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel diseases…if your belly always seems to be in an uproar, try munching 18 ounces of fish weekly to ease your bowels.

Repeated studies show that the fatty acids in fish, called EPA and DHA, can significantly reduce intestinal inflammation, cramping and belly pain and, in some cases, provide as much relief as corticosteroids and other prescription meds.

“EPA and DHA are powerful, natural, side effect-free anti-inflammatory, that can dramatically improve the function of the entire gastrointestinal tract,” explains biological chemist Barry Sears, Ph.D., president of the Inflammation Research Foundation in Marblehead, MA.

For best results, look for oily fish like salmon, sardines, tuna, mackerel, trout and herring.

Pineapple Prevents Digestive Woes

One cup of fresh pineapple daily can cut painful bloating within 72 hours, say researchers at California’s Stanford University.

That’s because pineapple is naturally packed with proteolytic enzymes, digestive aids that help speed the breakdown of pain-causing proteins in the stomach and small intestine, say USDA researchers.

Salt for Ingrown Toe Nails and Foot Pain

Regularly soaking ingrown nails in warm salt water baths can cure these painful infections within four days, say scientists at California’s Stanford University.

The salt in the mix naturally nixes inflammation, plus it’s anti-bacterial, so it quickly destroys the germs that cause swelling and pain.

Just mix 1 teaspoon of salt into each cup of water, heat to the warmest temperature that you can comfortably stand, and then soak the affected foot area for 20 minutes twice daily, until your infection subsides.

Horseradish for Sinus Problems

According to German researchers, this eye-watering condiment naturally revs up blood flow to the sinus cavities, helping to open and drain clogged sinuses and heal sinus infections more quickly than decongestant sprays do.

The study-recommended dose: One teaspoon twice daily (either on its own, or used as a sandwich or meat topping) until symptoms clear.

Beat Bladder Infections With Blueberries

Eating 1 cup of blueberries daily, whether you opt for them fresh, frozen or in juice form, can cut your risk of a urinary tract infection (UTIs) by 60 percent, according to researchers at New Jersey’s Rutgers University.

That’s because blueberries are loaded with tannin, plant compounds that wrap around problem-causing bacteria in the bladder, so they can’t get a toehold and create an infection, explains Amy Howell, Ph.D. a scientist at Rutgers University.

Honey Heals and Soothes Mouth Sores

Dab painful canker and cold sores with unpasteurized honey four times daily until these skin woes disappear, and they’ll heal 43 percent faster than if you use a prescription cream, say researchers at the Dubai Specialized Medical Center in the United Arab Emirates.

Raw honey’s natural enzymes zap inflammation, destroy invading viruses and speed the healing of damaged tissues, say the study authors.

Tomato Juice For Leg Cramps

Potassium deficiencies, which occur when this mineral is flushed out by diuretics, caffeinated beverages or heavy perspiration during exercise can lead to leg cramps.

Sip 10 ounces of potassium-rich tomato juice daily and you’ll not only speed your recovery, you’ll reduce your risk of painful cramp flare-ups in as little as 10 days, say UCLA researchers.

End Endometrial Pain with Oats

The ticket to soothing endometriosis pain could be a daily bowl of oatmeal.

Endometriosis occurs when little bits of the uterine lining detach and grow outside of the uterus. Experts say these migrating cells can turn menstruation into a misery, causing so much inflammation that they trigger severe cramping during your period, plus a heavy ache that drags on all month long.

Fortunately, scientists say opting for a diet rich in oats can help reduce endometrial pain for up to 60 percent of women within six months.

That’s because oats don’t contain gluten, a trouble-making protein that triggers inflammation in many women, making endometriosis difficult to bear, explains Peter Green, M.D., professor of medicine at Colombia University.

Flax For Breast Pain

In one recent study, adding 3 tablespoons of ground flax to their daily diet eased breast soreness for one in three women within 12 weeks.

Scientists credit flax’s phytoestrogens, natural plant compounds that prevent the estrogen spikes that can trigger breast pain.

More good news: You don’t have to be a master baker to sneak this healthy seed into your diet. Just sprinkle ground flax on oatmeal, yogurt, applesauce or add it to smoothies and veggie dips.

If you have a couple of home remedies or holistic approaches to add to this list, feel free to do so in the comments. The feedback is greatly appreciated.

> 20 Pain Cures You Can Find In Your Kitchen | I Village

Dec 23, 2013Jan 25, 2018

Best Psychedelic Videos to Watch While Tripping (Video)

The psychedelic experience can be a magical one with the right environment. However, an unsettling environment can be equally detrimental. Make sure that when you take your psychedelic trip that you are surrounded by loving energy.

The videos below may increase your experience since they are highly artistic visual creations accompanied by appropriate musical scores. That said, if you get a bad feeling from any of them, just stop watching and watch something you do enjoy. Environment is key, and I don’t want anyone to have a bad trip.

If you aren’t tripping, don’t worry! These videos are pretty awesome regardless. Just remember to watch in High definition.

You can find more psychedelic videos here, here, and here.

Let us know in the comments which other videos you like to watch when you’re tripping.

Best Psychedelic Videos to Watch While Tripping

‘Aves del Valle,’ by Armadillo: Animated Music Video from Colombia

Click for more on Armadillo

Armadillo is a band that sprouted out of a creative coincidence in Valledupar, Colombia (the land of Vallenato). Mauricio Álvarez (Cero39) and Diego Maldonado (DeJuepuchas & La MiniTK del Miedo), met up with a bunch of local musicians in that town and started a jam session. The result, an album with 9 tracks, a musical journey through the sounds and timbres of vallenato, mixed with electronic and IDM beats and sequences.

The video centers around symbols and elements inherent to the culture and imaginarium of the Valle de Upar (later called Valledupar). Animals, colors and textures appear throughout the video undergoing change and evolve, as life does. ‘It’s a metaphor about culture in life’ says RAMA, it’s creator. More about Armadillo here. – Boing Boing

Slugabed – Quantum Leap

Birdy Nam Nam The Parachute Ending

Ayahuasca DMT: Drug Trip Sequence

A clip from the movie Renegade (aka Blueberry) in which the main character drinks Ayahuasca which contains dimethyltryptamine, and has a mind blowing trip.

Blockhead – The Music Scene

From Blockhead’s album ‘The Music Scene’ – released 18 January 2010 on Ninja Tune.

HIGH MIX – This is some trippy shit

Deep Mandelbrot Set Zoom Animation

Gong – How To Stay Alive

Click for more on Gong

From the new Gong album 2032 – You can buy the CD (with lyrics booklet) from http://www.planetgong.co.uk A wonderful manga animation of Daevid Allen’s drawings by ace Japanese team Mood Magic, who also made System 7’s Hinotori.

Mellow – Shinda Shima (1999)

From 1999 and the album “Another Mellow Winter.”

the bird and the bee – Polite Dance Song

Dec 1, 2013Jun 17, 2016

Salvador Dali’s Technique for Creative Thinking (Guide)

In art history, one can easily argue that Salvador Dali is the father of surrealism. Surrealism is the art of writing or painting unreal or unpredictable works of art using the images or words from an imaginary world. Dali’s art is the definition of surrealism.

Surrealism is the stressing of subconscious or irrational significance of imagery, or in more simplistic terms, the use of dreamlike imagery. Dali’s absurd imagination has him painting pictures of figures no person would even dream of creating.

How was Salvador Dali able to conjure up these extraordinary images from his subconscious that he used in his surrealistic paintings?

Dali was intrigued with the images which occur at the boundary between sleeping and waking. They can occur when people are falling asleep, or when they are starting to wake up, and they tend to be extremely vivid, colorful and bizarre. He experimented with various ways of generating and capturing these fantastical images.

Salvador Dali’s Creative Thinking Technique

His favorite technique is that he would put a tin plate on the floor and then sit by a chair beside it, holding a spoon over the plate. He would then totally relax his body; sometimes he would begin to fall asleep.

The moment that he began to doze the spoon would slip from his fingers and clang on the plate, immediately waking him to capture the surreal images.

The extraordinary images seem to appear from nowhere, but there is a logic. The unconscious is a living, moving stream of energy from which thoughts gradually rise to the conscious level and take on a definite form. Your unconscious is like a hydrant in the yard while your consciousness is like a faucet upstairs in the house. Once you know how to turn on the hydrant, a constant supply of images can flow freely from the faucet. These forms give rise to new thoughts as you interpret the strange conjunctions and chance combinations.

Following is a blueprint for the technique:

• Think about your challenge. Consider your progress, your obstacles, your alternatives, and so on. Then push it away and relax.

• Totally relax your body. Sit on a chair. Hold a spoon loosely in one of your hands over a plate. Try to achieve the deepest muscle relaxation you can.

• Quiet your mind. Do not think of what went on during the day or your challenges and problems. Clear your mind of chatter.

• Quiet your eyes. You cannot look for these images. Be passive. You need to achieve a total absence of any kind of voluntary attention. Become helpless and involuntary and directionless. You can enter the hypnogogic state this way, and, should you begin to fall asleep, you will drop the spoon and awaken in time to capture the images.

• Record your experiences immediately after they occur. The images will be mixed and unexpected and will recede rapidly. They could be patterns, clouds of colors, or objects.

• Look for the associative link. Write down the first things that occur to you after your experience. Look for links and connections to your challenge.

Ask questions such as:

What puzzles me?
Is there any relationship to the challenge?
Any new insights? Messages?
What’s out of place?
What disturbs me?
What do the images remind me of?
What are the similarities?
What analogies can I make?
What associations can I make?
How do the images represent the solution to the problem?

A restaurant owner used this technique to inspire new promotion ideas. When the noise awakened him, he kept seeing giant neon images of different foods: neon ice cream, neon pickles, neon chips, neon coffee, and so on. The associative link he saw between the various foods and his challenge was to somehow to use the food itself as a promotion.

The idea: He offers various free food items according to the day of week, the time of day, and the season. For instance, he might offer free pickles on Monday, free ice cream between 2 and 4 P.M. on Tuesdays, free coffee on Wednesday nights, free sweet rolls on Friday mornings, free salads between 6 and 8 P.M. on Saturdays and so on. He advertises the free food items with neon signs, but you never know what food items are being offered free until you go into the restaurant. The sheer variety of free items and the intriguing way in which they are offered has made his restaurant a popular place to eat.

Another promotion he created as a result of seeing images of different foods is a frequent-eater program. Anyone who hosts five meals in a calendar month gets $30 worth of free meals. The minimum bill is $20 but he says the average is $30 a head. These two promotions have made him a success.

The images you summon up with this technique have an individual structure that may indicate an underlying idea or theme. Your unconscious mind is trying to communicate something specific to you, though it may not be immediately comprehensible. The images can be used as armatures on which to hang new relationships and associations.

In another example, the owner of a fourth-generation funeral home tried Dali’s technique and he conjured up images of coffee, people gathering over coffee and general stores. These reminded him of his great-grandfather who owned a general store where people would gather and drink coffee. The great grand-father later converted part of the general store into a funeral home and started the family business.

The images inspired the idea of adding a “Coffee Corner” to the funeral home. The facilities now include business offices, viewing rooms, a chapel and now a coffee corner where a Starbucks operates in a special wing off to the side. The owner describes it as simply one more service for people to choose, but certainly one that’s not mandatory. The funeral home Starbucks will also be open to the public not just to those attending services. Only Dali’s technique could conjure up a Starbucks funeral home.

> Dali’s Thinking Technique | Creativity Post

Nov 25, 2013Jun 17, 2016

Cannabis Prevents Brain Damage Caused by Binge Drinking (Study)

A study published online by the journal of Neurotoxicology and Teratology suggests that cannabis may protect the brain from some of the damage caused by binge drinking.

The study, by researchers at the University of California San Diego, used a type of high-tech scan called diffusion tensor imaging to compare microscopic changes in brain white matter.

The subjects were students aged 16-to-19, divided into three groups: binge drinkers (defined as having five or more drinks at one sitting for boys or four or more for girls), binge drinkers who also smoked marijuana, and a control group who had very little or no experience with either alcohol or drugs.

As expected, the binge-drinking-only group showed evidence of white matter damage in eight regions examined, as demonstrated by lower fractional anisotropy (FA) scores.

But in a finding the researchers described as “unexpected,” the binge-drinking/marijuana group had lower FA scores than the controls in only three of the eight regions, and in seven regions the binge-drinking/marijuana group had higher scores – indicating less damage – than the binge drinkers who didn’t use marijuana (unfortunately, not all of these stats are in the summary linked above; access to the full article requires payment).

Brain white matter tracts were “more coherent in adolescents who binge drink and use marijuana than in adolescents who report only binge drinking,” the researchers wrote.

“It is possible that marijuana may have some neuroprotective properties in mitigating alcohol-related oxidative stress or excitotoxic cell death.” The scientists noted that such protection has already been shown in lab and animal studies.

This study suggests that not only is marijuana safer than alcohol, it may actually protect against some of the damage that booze causes.

It’s far better for teens not to drink or smoke marijuana, but our nation’s leaders send a dangerous message by defending laws that encourage the use of alcohol over marijuana. – Director of State Campaigns Steve Fox, in a statement issued by MPP

Indeed, the U.S. government has a patent on cannabinoids as neuroprotectants. Yes, the same government that wants you to believe that marijuana will rot your brain knows that its active components protect brain and nerve cells from many kinds of damage.

> Marijuana Protects Against Brain Damage from Binge Drinking | MPP Blog

Sep 30, 2013Jun 17, 2016

Nature Loves Courage – Terence Mckenna (Comic Strip)

Terence Mckenna provides encouraging advice on walking lightly through life as you pursue your passion.

Terence McKenna was a psychedelic warrior – a writer, lecturer and expert on ecology, botany, shamanism and spiritual transformation. McKenna’s books discuss the benefits and mind-altering effects of LSD, psilocybin and other hallucinogens, and the role they’ve played in human history and culture.

I had an impossible dream (become a web cartoonist) and I made the commitment and hurled myself into the abyss (quit my job and sold my house to fund the dream) and so far, it’s worked out better than I could have imagined.

Now I don’t want to give people a false sense of hope – that all you have to do is take the leap and everything will work out peachy. For me, ‘making the commitment’ means working my ass off, drawing these comics 6-7 days a week. But the work is satisfying and meaningful to me. So I would say that hard work, planning, skill, commitment and grit make up 90% of the equation, but maybe that last 10% is just deciding to hurl yourself into the abyss. – Gavin Aung, Zen Pencils

Terence Mckenna – Nature Loves Courage , Unfold the Stone (Audio)

Sep 26, 2013Jun 17, 2016

Change Your Life in 2 Minutes a Day – Power Pose (Guide)

Your body language shapes who you are. It shapes how you are viewed by others, and even how you view yourself.

Social Psychologist Amy Cuddy’s scientific work delves into the possibility that choosing to pose your body in different ways actually changes the ratio of the hormones that are produced in your brain.

High Power Poses decrease the amount of Cortisol (known as the stress hormone) while increasing the amount of Testosterone, leading to feelings of empowerment, increased confidence, and affability.

Expectedly, Low Power Poses raise the amount of Cortisol in the brain and decrease Testosterone, leading to feelings of anxiety, low self confidence, and general awkwardness.

Only two minutes a day in High Power poses can change the way you feel and approach life. Try it out for yourself – and remember:

If you feel like you shouldn’t be somewhere: Fake it. Do it until you make it – until you become it! – Amy Cuddy

High Power Poses

Low Power Poses

Power Pose Effect on Hormones

> Posing with Power | Business Insider

Jul 16, 2013Jun 17, 2016

8 Home Remedies You Can Use in a Pinch

Not everyone is sold on home remedies, but through a combination of science and testimonials, here are 8 home remedies you can use.

Duct Tape to Remove Warts

In 2002, a group of doctors compared duct tape’s effectiveness with liquid nitrogen in removing warts. After two months of wearing duct tape on a daily basis and using a pumice stone about once a week to exfoliate the dead skin, 85 percent of patients’ warts were gone, whereas freezing only removed 60 percent. “The question is whether there is something in the chemical adhesive itself, or if the occlusion (suffocation) causes the destruction of the wart,” says New York City–based dermatologist, Robin Blum, MD. “The other thinking is that the duct tape causes irritation, which stimulates our body’s immune cells to attack the wart.”

Vapor Rub to Cure Nail Fungus

While there are no studies to prove coating infected toenails with vapor rub once or twice a day is an effective treatment for nail fungus, a basic Internet search results in a number of personal testaments to the medicinal ointment’s fungus-killing powers. “I’ve heard many patients say that vapor rub does help, but I’m not exactly sure why,” Dr. Blum admits. While some argue it’s the menthol in the balm that kills the fungus and others say it’s the smothering effect of the thick gel, if used consistently, vapor rub has been shown to get rid of not just the fungus, but the infected toenail, too, which will turn black and eventually fall off. When the new nail grows in, it should be fungus-free.

Oatmeal to Soothe Eczema

“This is absolutely true, as oats have anti-inflammatory properties,” Dr. Blum says. Whether it’s used as a paste or poured into a bath, most experts recommend choosing colloidal (finely ground) oatmeal and soaking the affected area for at least 15 minutes. In addition to reducing inflammation, oats are thought to have an antihistamine effect, Dr. Blum says. By lowering levels of histamine, which triggers inflammation as part of the immune system’s recovery response, she explains, oats prevent or reduce the redness.

Yogurt to Cure Bad Breath

Bad breath comes from a number of places, the two most common being the mouth and the stomach. The neutralizing powers of yogurt and other probiotics treat the latter cause. “Yogurt shouldn’t have any effect at all on the bacteria that live on the tongue because it’s not there long enough,” says Robert Meltzer, MD, a New York City–based gastroenterologist and attending physician at Lenox Hill Hospital. However, it likely has a neutralizing effect on the acid that resides anywhere between the mouth and the stomach, including the back of the throat and the esophagus, he explains. “I think almost any milk product or food that contains live cultures would have the same effect.” While yogurt can get rid of bad breath that results from gastrological conditions, like acid reflux, it won’t have any real effect on bad breath that is the product of gum, liver or lung disease, says Ohio-based dentist Matthew Messina, DDS.

A Spoonful of Sugar to Cure Hiccups

In 1971, Edgar Engelman, MD, conducted a study to find out if a spoonful of sugar really is an effective cure for hiccups. He assembled a group of 20 patients who had been experiencing intractable hiccups for more than six hours, eight of whom had had them anywhere from a full day to six weeks. Each of the test subjects was given one teaspoon of white granulated sugar to swallow dry, and for 19 of the 20 hiccup patients, the cure was immediate. André Dubois, MD, a gastroenterologist in Bethesda, Maryland, noted in The Doctors Book of Home Remedies that “the sugar is probably acting in the mouth to modify the nervous impulses that would otherwise tell the muscles in the diaphragm to contract spasmodically.”

Bite A Pencil to Cure Tension Headaches

While doctors aren’t sure why we do it, clenching our teeth is a common side effect of stress. According to Fred Sheftell, MD, director of the New England Center for Headache in Stamford, Connecticut, when we clench up, we strain the muscle that connects the jaw to the temples, which can trigger a tension headache. By placing a pencil between our teeth—but not biting down—we relax our jaw muscles, which eradicates tension and reduces pain. Just remember, the remedy really only applies to tension headaches—not migraines or headaches caused by sinus pressure, etc.

Olives for Motion Sickness

According to the National Library of Medicine, there are a number of symptoms that present themselves as a result of motion sickness, including increased salivation, which is the body’s way of protecting the teeth from the high doses of acid accompanied by vomit. Enter olives, which contain tannins that, when released in the mouth, work to dry saliva—first eliminating the symptom and then the body’s instinct to follow suit. However, the treatment is only effective during the early stages of nausea, when the salivation changes first appear.

Gargle Salt Water for Sore Throat Relief

When you were a kid and had a sore throat, your mom likely made you gargle warm water with salt in it…and she was definitely on to something. According to Douglas Hoffman MD, PhD, author of the website The Medical Consumer’s Advocate, a sore throat is an inflammatory response of the infected tissues, and the salt helps draw out the excess fluid to temporarily decrease swelling and the pain it causes. Most remedies call for a ratio of 1 tablespoon salt to 8 ounces of water, but it’s always better to opt for more salt rather than less. Just keep in mind that you are treating the symptoms—not the illness. As Dr. Hoffman notes on his website: “The relief is very real, but also tends to be short-lived, since the gargle has done nothing to remove the cause of the sore throat.”

Mar 8, 2013Jun 17, 2016

An Introduction to Life Hacking for Newbies (Video)

A lot of people think of bad things then they hear the word, “hacking,” but hacking your life can actually be a good thing. We talked with Whitson Gordon, the deputy editor of LifeHacker, about how to hack your way to a better life. – epipheo

Feb 5, 2013Jun 17, 2016

Chief Tecumseh – The Fear of Death Poem

Chief Tecumseh (Crouching Tiger) of the Shawnee Nation bestows ancient wisdom which is lined with an understanding that the reality around us is shaped by the way we choose to be, the way you interpret yourself and your outlook on life.

Chief Tecumseh – The Fear of Death Poem

So live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart.

Trouble no one about their religion; respect others in their view, and demand that they respect yours.

Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life.

Seek to make your life long and its purpose in the service of your people.

Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide.

Always give a word or a sign of salute when meeting or passing a friend, even a stranger, when in a lonely place.

Show respect to all people and grovel to none.

When you arise in the morning give thanks for the food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies only in yourself.

Abuse no one and no thing, for abuse turns the wise ones to fools and robs the spirit of its vision.

When it comes your time to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with the fear of death, so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way.

Sing your death song and die like a hero going home.

Maynard James Keenan (Lead Singer, Tool) Recites Tecumseh Poem on the Joe Rogan Podcast

Nov 8, 2012Jun 17, 2016

How to Balance Self-Reliance Over Neediness (Guide)

Self-sufficiency refers to the state of not requiring any outside aid, support, or interaction, for survival. It is therefore a type of personal or collective autonomy.

Codependency is a tendency to behave in overly passive or excessively caretaking ways that negatively impact one’s relationships and quality of life. People with codependency are more likely to attract further abuse from aggressive individuals, more likely to stay in stressful jobs or relationships, less likely to seek medical attention when needed and are also less likely to get promotions and tend to earn less money than those without codependency patterns.

Steps to Balancing Self Reliance

1. Assume Responsibility

Start taking responsibility for your life and the things in it. Start using a calendar to keep track of your appointments and important due dates. If you make a mistake, own up to it, and try to make it right yourself instead of immediately relying on other people. When a child is able, he, in gratitude to the unselfish care he received for many years from his parents, should begin to transfer his load from their shoulders to his, as soon as he possibly can.

Instead of feeling like life is simply happening to you, you’ll begin to feel like the captain of your destiny and master of your soul. As you assume responsibility for your life, you’ll notice doors open up to new and better opportunities. As the video above puts it, while it’s easy to get by by having other people do everything for you, “the trouble is, when you’re not self-reliant, you’ll never do more than just get by.”

2. Be Informed

Of course in order to take on more responsibilities, you have to know how to carry out those responsibilities. The excuse of ignorance is weak in the age of the internet, with answers to many of life’s questions just a Google search away.

This isn’t to say that you should completely avoid advice from others. There are some problems or decisions Google just can’t help with. You should definitely take advantage of the practical wisdom older people have acquired by asking for their input when making an important decision or trying to solve a problem.

So investigate yourself first; try figuring things out on your own. Experience can be the best teacher. Once you’ve reached a wall, then go seek help. Because you’ve gotten your hands dirty with your issue, so to speak, you’ll be in a better position to ask them effective questions.

In situations where the stakes are high, turn to others sooner rather than later; oftentimes it’s better to learn from the mistakes of others, rather than making them yourself.

Be very observant wherever you go. In this way, you build up a library of information that you can draw upon when making a decision or solving a problem.

3. Know Where You’re Going

A self-reliant person has goals that are personally set. Aims should not merely be those things other people think you should do. The self-reliant person is autonomous and doesn’t overly rely on others to validate a decision. A self-reliant person works with an end in mind, blueprints have been created for the future. When a problem arises, the self reliant person is informed on what an ideal resolution would be and then works to make it a reality. Plans out your weeks and ensure tasks that you’re responsible for are completed.

4. Make Your Own Decisions

Life is actually much easier and a lot less stressful when you proactively make your own decisions. With any choice or problem you may face, decide on an action plan quickly, and execute it immediately.

“In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.” -Theodore Roosevelt

Also, while you should certainly seek advice from others to inform your decisions, don’t rely on them to make your decisions for you. It’s your life. Don’t let others live it for you.

> Developing a Self-Reliant Mentality | The Art of Manliness

Nov 2, 2012Jun 17, 2016

Life Without a Psychedelic Experience is Like Dying a Virgin – Terence Mckenna

The idea of someone going from birth to the grave without ever having a psychedelic experience is like someone going from the birth to the grave without ever having a sexual experience. It means you never really played in the game. You were a spectator, a silent witness. It means that you never figured out what it was all about. – Terence McKenna

Sex provides a shared state of mental and physical euphoria, a psychedelic experience provides spiritual euphoria by opening the third eye and destroying all previous judgments and conditioning. Both experiences are necessary for living the story of a stoned ape on planet earth.

Oct 4, 2012Jun 17, 2016

Close the Doors that Lead You Nowhere – Paulo Coelho

Close some doors today. Not because of pride, incapacity or arrogance, but simply because they lead you nowhere. – Paulo Coelho, author

One always has to know when a stage comes to an end. If we insist on staying longer than the necessary time, we lose the happiness and the meaning of the other stages we have to go through. Closing cycles, shutting doors, ending chapters – whatever name we give it, what matters is to leave in the past the moments of life that have finished.

Closing cycles. Not because of pride, incapacity or arrogance, but simply because that no longer fits your life.

Shut the door, change the record, clean the house, shake off the dust. – 1 Min Reading, Paulo Coelho Blog

Tag: Life Tips

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Following is a blueprint for the technique:

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Life Without a Psychedelic Experience is Like Dying a Virgin – Terence Mckenna

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