This is What Happens to Your Body When You Get Angry

Anger is a conundrum of complexities that affect each and every person differently. Are you a road-rager? A passive aggressive? Short fused?

Anger is a normal human emotion that is rarely a pretty one; it can be downright embarrassing, dangerous, with significant negative affects on the human body.

There is a flipside to negative anger, when managed well it can be: a healthy release, a motivator for change or a self-empowering tool.

The spectrum of anger ranges from mild frustration and annoyance to out of control rage; affecting your emotional, physical and cerebral state. The part of the brain that responds first when anger strikes is the amygdala. You can find it located deep within the temporal lobe of the brain.

The amygdala controls emotion and the instinctive ‘fight or flight’ response to fear, feeling threatened and stress. It is able to process a magnitude of information, assessing the possible dangers within milliseconds; allowing you to react first and think later.

Above the amygdala within the frontal lobe lies the ability to make decisions, solve problems and behavior. When anger hits, blood rushes through the frontal cortex clouding rational thought; depending on the person, this flash reaction can be either helpful or harmful. The old adage of ‘count to ten before reacting’ comes in handy here.

The domino effect of anger continues with the adrenal glands saturating the system with the stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol, giving you a burst of energy and added strength. This redirects blood flowing to the stomach and intestines to the muscles instead, in preparation to fight. Your blood pressure, pain threshold and temperature raise, breathing and heart rate increase, the pupils begin to dilate.

All the above happens each time anger or frustration get the best of you. How many times a day do you yell at the person who cut you off or the automated service that will not redirect you or your significant other? Anger not only affects the people around you, it is also is directly linked to your cardiovascular health and mental well-being.

According to Heart MD, “Higher levels of fatty acids and blood sugar are released to provide immediate energy to survive the perceived emergency.” The problem with the continued release of these fatty acids is overtime they start to build up in the arteries, setting you on a path towards heart disease. If you are someone who is constantly battling with anger, you are putting your health at a much higher risk for coronary heart disease or heart attack.

If you are an angeraholic, another issue you need to consider is the direct result of daily anger damaging the brain. Researchers have found that a continued supply of ‘trigger and effect anger’ may confuse the hippocampus (stress responder in the brain) and result in the inability to suppress your anger response all together.

There have also been studies showing anger in the brain disrupts the growth of new neurons, essential to sending messages and communicating with the rest of the body.

Some known health problems associated with anger include:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Sleeplessness
• High Blood Pressure
• Risk of Coronary Disease
• Skin problems like increased acne
• Headaches or Migraines
• Digestive irregularities

Anger Management Tips

If you are a hothead who cares about your health, who cares about prolonging your future, anger management is right up your alley. Keep in mind that adopting and replacing a bad habit with a new one takes practice and doesn’t practice make perfect?

Try these anger management tips suggested by the Mayo Clinic:

• Think before you speak
• Let your mind clear before expressing your thoughts so you can think clearly
• Exercise to work off the frustration
• Walk away and Take a Timeout before you say or do something you might regret
• Refocus your anger to finding solutions instead of concentrating on the problem
• Stick with ‘I’ statements when expressing your feelings, so the discussion does not become about who’s fault it is instead of the real issues
• Learn to forgive
• Laugh Laugh Laugh.  Even at the height of an argument, if you force yourself to take a moment and start laughing, your mood immediately changes
• Learn relaxation skills that are most beneficial to you in most situations: breathing slowly as you concentrate on your breath, yoga, write your feelings down in a journal, look in a mirror and remind yourself to calm down and relax over and over again until you start to feel calmer.
• Realize when anger management tips are not enough and seeking help would be more beneficial.

Don’t let anger take you over, ruining the important things in your life that mean the most. Prolonged manifestations of anger are detrimental to the heart and the brain. Learning to convert anger into a positive experience will make your life a happier place.

7 Life Lessons I Learned From Professional Fighting

1000 x punches, 1000 x kicks, 500 x knees, 500 x elbows.

For 6 days a week, 7 hours each day, that was life.

It’s called Muay Thai—the art of 8-weapons. Thailand is the birthplace and mecca of Muay Thai, and for 18 months I lived and breathed it.

I don’t have anger issues, or a ton of bottled-up frustration—in fact, the most gentle, kind-hearted people I’ve ever met are professional fighters. The stereotype that fighters are more bloodthirsty than vampires is unfortunate.

So why on earth would anyone engage in something where pain and injury is guaranteed? It’s that paradoxical truth of profound growth in the midst of pain. You’d be surprised how much stepping into the ring can teach you about life. What happens on the canvas never stays on the canvas, the scars you suffer suddenly become your strengths.

Here are 7 life lessons I learned from professional fighting:

1. Respect can still be shown.

The exchange of blows are delivered with tremendous mutual respect. You may be trying to knock each other out, but you’ll be the first to buy each other a drink once it’s over. Before the final round, many fighters will even hug to acknowledge each others efforts.

I learned that if I could respect someone trying to knock me out, I could find a way to respect people in life I was at odds with. Even if we don’t agree with someone, we can still acknowledge them being passionate about their beliefs, and striving to live life according to their convictions.

2. Fears are best faced head-on.

Scared of heights? Jump out of a plane.

People often ask me when fighting, “Aren’t you afraid?” The answer is yes. Every time.

It’s impossible to completely blot out fear. The power is in mastering fear. To recognise it, yet overcome it.

Fear is a good thing—it’ll keep you alive. But fear can be a crippling thing if it holds you back from truly being alive. We need to shift from being controlled by it, to being in control of it. Death ultimately underlies all fear, but we falsely tie in death as an immediate result. And that’s rarely the case.

I’ve learned when looking on the other side of fear, the positive growth massively outweighs the temptation to flee. The reward is worth the risk.

3. Everyone needs a “Fight-Night.”

All those times you just wanted to stay in bed, never wanting to get up for training, putting in those extra hours after everyone else is gone. It all finds it’s culmination in the ring. You’ve done all your homework, now it’s time to take the exam.

Whatever you’re engaged in should culminate in a “Game-Day,” or a “Fight-Night”—a setting where you put all your training into practice. Whether you are a musician preparing for a gig, or a CEO giving a keynote presentation, massive reward comes from being truly tested.

4. Victory happens when nobody’s watching.

What happens in the ring is only the tip of the ice-berg. Fights that you may have trained months for can end in seconds. But hidden in those brief moments are endless hours of blood, sweat, and tears.

Muhammad Ali said it brilliantly, “The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses—behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights.”

Don’t get swept up in the highlights and miss what’s required behind the scenes. People who are ‘blessed’ are usually those who work hardest when nobody’s watching.

5. In the red corner…

The Preacher…The Gunsliger…The Diamond…

The native Thai fighters would adopt a name that embodied a virtue, or reflected one of their strengths. Other fighters would dye their hair blue and have signature moves. They were exciting because they stood out, because they leveraged what was unique about them.

Everyone has a unique quality they can leverage. Dr. Seuss said, “Why fit in when you were born to stand out?” Don’t hide what’s quirky about you, embrace it, and leverage it.

6. We’re all born to fight

Maybe not in the ring, but we’re all fighting for something. Ambition manifests in myriad ways. We all crave significance and recognition—it’s human, and it’s healthy. Fulfilment comes in battling for the things we love, and it starts with recognising our potential for greatness.

Figure out what you are passionate about—what do you think about when you lay down to sleep every night? Start fighting for it. Declare to the world your intentions, and manifest it with some real action.

7. The road less traveled

There was a lot of confusion from family and friends as I packed my stuff, and moved to Thailand to live my dream of professional fighting, but I was encouraged by Robert Frost’s moving poem, The Road Not Taken. It closes with:

“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.”

Nobody celebrates walking across the street, they celebrate walking across hot coals. It’s easy to follow the mainstream, but that often leads to the mundane. We call things extraordinary because they are extra–ordinary. If you want to make a difference, try doing something different.

10 Excuses That Are Keeping You from Reaching Your Goals

When you often say “no” to new perspectives and opportunities, you give more room for unhappiness. Instead of working on improving yourself, you get stuck, lying to yourself, using a great number of excuses. Your subconsciousness gradually gets used to your fear and disability to do something successfully and independently without excuses. You should know that all negative words and things have the power to come true and keep you from your dreams.

I understand that it’s very difficult to change yourself because it requires a sufficient dose of confidence, clarity, commitment and courage. If you get rid of different excuses you’ll be able to grow both mentally and physically. It’s actually easier than you think, you just need to catch yourself in the act and replace your excuses with positive alternatives. Here are ten excuses that are keeping you from reaching your goals. I hope this article will help you start fighting excuses today.

1. I don’t have enough

Many people tend to complain about lack of time, money and opportunities to be happy. All these points are the basis for perfection for an average person. If you only concentrate on your problems, you will never succeed in anything. Rich and successful people always think positively and don’t fear to start new things and projects, because they are sure that they have more than enough time, knowledge and resources to live and develop.

2. I’m scared

Try to understand that fear is just a non-existent illusion that makes you limited and miserable. Take control of your mind and don’t let your imagination create frightening pictures in your head. If you cannot deal with fear, you should make attempts to leave your comfort zone. Choose things and activities you are afraid of and meet your fears face to face. You’d better tackle them swiftly, because it is impossible to run away from yourself. Just face your troubles no matter how powerful they may seem.

3. It’s very difficult

Life is a challenging thing. You should realize that every kind of success requires work. Wise people usually say, “If you are feeling tough, then you are on the ascent.” Don’t expect easy returns without doing hard work. You should be patient and persistent enough to put in the effort to succeed in something. Moreover, you will reap the rewards over the long-term with pleasure. It will inspire you to make your cherished dreams come true.

4. That’s just who I am

By all means, try not to focus on things you can’t do. If you stop being fixated, you will see new ways and perspectives where you can grow. Everyone has absolutely equal chances and rights to change themselves the way they would like. Unfortunately, many people are not ready to do the work required to change, that’s why they start looking for excuses to acquit their fears and failures. Try to embrace all habits and beliefs that will move you closer to your dreams.

5. I’ll take away from someone else

You may think that your happiness can affect the people you love. I’m sure that your dearest and nearest people will never be jealous about your success. If you become happy, you may inspire and help them make their dreams come true. Share your happiness with your friends and family and comfort them with your joy, because happiness is a gift to everyone.

6. I’m not ready to do something

Time flies very fast that’s why you should try to use all possible opportunities to become happier. Dalai Lama once said, “Happiness is not something readymade. It comes from your own actions.” It’s desirable to fight this uncertainty and do things that can make you successful. Uncertainty and fears have much in common because both of them keep you from your dreams. Wise people usually say that we shouldn’t be afraid of death and other terrible things, but fear the unlived life. Unfortunately, many opportunities are lost, because people find themselves not ready to take the responsibility to do something.

7. I’m not like others

Sure, you are not like others! You are unique and individual in this world. Every person is a dreamer that has more than enough to reach all desirable goals. If you often compare yourself to others, you will feel undeserving and inadequate.

Your friends’ success can give you a push to develop and move on in your favorite direction. There’s no doubt that you are capable to follow your dreams. Try to realize that it’s better to be special than just to be a part of the crowd.

8. I’ve never seen it done before

Many people fear to start doing something new since they have never seen it done before. It seems to be a good excuse, but you should find power to be persistent in your struggle for happiness. Rather than looking for reasons, try to be the first person who has done this innovation. It is better to try as much new and interesting things in life as possible than try nothing.

9. What other people will say about me?

I think, this excuse is the most annoying one. Live your life and forget about other people’s opinion. In any case, people will comment your deeds either positively or negatively. It is almost impossible to be approved and loved by everyone, because there are always many supporters and opponents of your actions. You should realize that a truly strong person doesn’t need the approval of others. Just follow your dreams and let this excuse go.

10. I’ve already tried to do it

If you have a dream to do something, you should be extremely persistent to face all the difficulties. The more mistakes you make the more experiences you gain and more mature you become. Paolo Coelho once said a wise thing, “When you find your path, you must not be afraid. You need to have a sufficient courage to make mistakes. Disappointment, defeat and despair are the tools God uses to show us the way.” Focus and analyze your mistakes and you will know what to do differently next time.

This article shows you how simple excuse can change your life and ruin your happiness. Try to be conscious of your words and you will notice the improvement of your life. What are your excuses? What do you do to get rid of them? Share your thoughts, please.

5 Natural Ways To Get Rid of Headaches Fast

There are many different types of headaches caused by a number of varying factors.

Everything from dietary changes to stress to too much exposure to florescent lights can cause headaches.

Over the counter painkillers are available in every supermarket and drugstore across the nation, but taking these drugs too often can lead to adverse health consequences. Unbalanced intestinal bacteria, kidney damage, ulcers, and more can result in taking too much pain medication.

Rather than destroying your long-term health to cure a short-term headache, try natural remedies that have been proven effective. Not only do these headache cures help you manage headaches, they may even prevent the onset of new ones.

1. Water

Dehydration is a leading cause of headaches. Our body sometimes can be late in telling us when it needs water. Ideal hydration occurs when we drink between eight and 12 glasses of water each day. Headaches disappear within a matter of minutes of drinking water, no painkillers required.

2. Eucalyptus Oil

Eucalyptus oil has broad usefulness in medicine thanks to its anti-inflammatory and pain killing properties. Massage a few drops of oil into the forehead, shoulders, neck, and temples to help relieve muscle pain and stiffness, sinus pain, and many other conditions leading to headaches.

3. Cinnamon

If headaches are caused by cold weather exposure, use a paste of cinnamon and water to relieve your headache. Apply the paste to the forehead and temples and rest for about 30 minutes. Gently wipe away the cinnamon.

4. Massage

Massages increase blood flow, ease muscle tension, and help ease pain. To relieve headaches with massage, begin with the temples and rub lightly in a slow, circular motion. Move across the forehead and down to the earlobes. Squeeze the ear lobes gently and move down the neck and towards the spine.

At the base of the spine, locate the occipital bone, and press gently. At first, doing this will lead to sinus pressure, but within in a few minutes you should find significant relief. This is especially true if your headache is caused by sinus congestion.

5. Pressure Points

Pushing on pressure points can give instant relief when suffering from pain. Gently but firmly massage and squeeze the bridge of your nose to help relieve headaches. Apply pressure to the skin between the index finger and thumb where many nerves reside. The nerves in this part of your hands are directly correlated with the blood vessels in the forehead. When they are compressed, the blood vessels in the forehead will restrict, resulting in relief of pain.

How Much Should You be Eating? It’s Probably Less Than You Think.

How much you eat should be determined by your goals. Typically people have a goal of fat loss or muscle gain. Some people, have both.

Generally it is very difficult to both gain muscle and lose fat at the same time.

So to simplify things, we will focus on either fat loss (known as cutting) or muscle gain (bulking).

Attaining either goal will start with some calculations. So dust off that old calculator from college and let’s get busy.

1. BMR Calculations

Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is the rate of energy expenditure by humans and other animals at rest.

The slang term for BMR is “coma calories”.

It is called such because if you were ever to fall into a coma, you would need that many calories to maintain your current body weight.

This can be calculated using the following formula:

Metric BMR Formula (Harris-Benedict)

Women: BMR = 655 + (9.6 x your weight in kilos) + (1.8 x your height in cm) – (4.7 x your age in years)

Men: 66 + (13.7 x your weight in kilos) + (5 x your height in cm) – (6.8 x your age in years)

2. Activity Adjustment

So let’s now adjust your calculation for activity. To add this you need to multiply your calculation by a number between 1.2 and 1.9 depending on your daily life/training.

• Sedentary (little to no exercise): BMR x 1.2
• Lightly Active (easy exercise/sports 1-3 days a week): BMR x 1.375
• Moderately Active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days a week): BMR x 1.55
• Very Active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week): BMR x 1.9
• Extremely Active (very hard exercise/sports and physical job): BMR x 1.9

An example here would be if your BMR were 1762.39 then you would multiply that by 1.2 (if you work a desk job and workout out lightly through the week) to give you a TDEE of 2114.87.

This Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is what you would need to eat daily if you wanted to maintain your current lifestyle and weight.

While you could supplement your routine with tons of running, sports, or weightlifting; the easiest way to lose weight is to simply eat less than your TDEE.

3. Goal Adjustment

Now you decide if you want to lose fat or put on some muscle.

Fat can be lost much quicker than muscle can be gained. It’s no secret that most people lean towards cutting a few pounds, if not many. So that is where we will start.

Your body fat percentage will dictate how much weight can be lost safely in a week. If you are 15% or below you should stick with a pound a week. If you are between 16% and 30% you should go with a pound and a half up to two and a half pounds per week.

If you have no idea what your body fat percentage is then you should go with 1 pound a week.

A pound of fat is 3,500 calories. So with 7 days in a week, you can safely drop 500 calories daily from your TDEE that we calculated before and lose 1 pound a week.

So with our previous example, if your TDEE is 2114.87 then you would simply subtract 500 calories from that number. Giving you a grand total of 1614.87.

Losing weight can be as simple as being more aware of what you are eating and knowing your magic number.

In this case, 1614.87 isn’t a pretty magic number and it is far from easy to remember.

A much easier method would be to round this down to 1600 calories so that not only is it easier to remember, but it is also easier to breakdown into meals. Some days you will be a few calories over your 1600 and some days you will be under. That extra 14.87 calories won’t ruin your goals.

Conversely, if you were wanting to put on some muscle than you would simply add calories to your TDEE. Adding 500 to your daily expenditure would work just fine for gaining muscle.

However, as mentioned before gaining muscle is more difficult and takes more time. It would be better to start with adding 200-300 calories to your daily TDEE to avoid added fat when gaining muscle. Add more calories if you aren’t seeing the results desired.

4. Meal Breakdown

Taking it a step further, you can divide your daily calories calculated in step 3 by how many meals you plan to eat.

So in our example we had 1600 calories. If you divide that by 3 meals you are left with round 533 calories per meal. If you only ate two meals a day it would be 800 calories per meal.

Losing weight can be as easy as some simple elementary math. If you take the time to figure out what all these numbers mean than you are well on your way to attaining whatever goal you see fit.

Keep in mind, this isn’t a perfect science. The goal here is to get you in the ballpark of eating the correct amount of calories to attain your goal. If you find after a few weeks you still aren’t seeing results, than add or subtract a 100 calories and test it again.

Now that you know the math and reasoning behind how much you should be eating, you can calculate and adjust much more quickly using a calculator online by clicking here.

Spread the word.

Rest for the Stressed

“Life in the fast lane” is pretty normal for people these days.  Unfortunately, for many, their fast lives have left true rest in the dust of deadlines, daily pressures, junk food, and quick fixes for mounting stress—with no end in sight.

Rest.

How few experience genuine rest—the kind that refreshes and rejuvenates. This is the repose that comes from experiencing all three dimensions of rest—physical, mental, and spiritual. Have you been so busy speeding down life’s frenzied freeways that you’ve not seen the rest stops lately? Here are a few tips to help alter any pedal-to-the-metal lifestyle.

Physical rest.

Proper sleep is part of a healthful lifestyle. Most people need about eight hours of sleep, and the best quality sleep is the “lark” pattern of “early-to-bed” rather than the “night owl” habit. Lifestyle affects sleep patterns, and sleep affects overall health and mood.

Trying to correct poor sleep habits without considering lifestyle factors is a losing proposition. Factors that contribute to insomnia are lack of exercise, eating late at night, diets high in sugar, the use of caffeine or alcohol, and certain drugs. Another major factor that causes sleep disruption is a frenzied, irregular schedule!

Exercise; a healthful diet that includes plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains; plenty of water; and stress management are important keys to achieving quality sleep.

Mental rest.

Like any other computer, your brain needs rest. Constant mental taxation can overload your brain’s “circuitry,” causing a crash—depression, mood swings, and poor concentration. Give your brain a break. Take time each day to do something unique, something that allows your brain to switch gears. Sit on the porch and enjoy the sunset; read an inspiring short story; visit with a friend; listen to classical music. Let your brain’s overloaded circuits rest, and you will work smarter and happier the next day!

Spiritual rest.

Don’t neglect your spiritual needs. The Bible calls Jesus the Prince of Peace[1] and He promises that when you are weary and anxious, He “will give you rest!”[2] God has promised peace and rest to every troubled, burdened soul.[3] He knows all about the burdens that are so hard to carry—guilt, unforgiveness, perplexity, pain, and disappointment. He has promised to take those burdens and exchange them for His peace, power, and rest. We are taught how to find His peace and rest through reading His inspired Word, the Bible.[4]

Christ is so interested in our peace that He has even given us a day of rest, the seventh-day Sabbath. Here we find physical insulation from the pressures and stresses of work, mental rest from care and worry, and spiritual rest in Christ.[5]

Tired of the fast lane? Passed too many rest stops lately? Rest. You’ll be glad you did!

Watercress Is The Healthiest Vegetable? Carrot Is #26? Here’s A Chart To Memorize.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta doesn’t just have the morbid job of monitoring and managing negative health concerns–it is also responsible for helping us live better.

It has recently released a study in its journal Preventing Chronic Disease to define “powerhouse” fruits and vegetables–those delivering the biggest nutritional bang for the buck.

What is a “Powerhouse”?

The first thing the researchers had to do was define “powerhouse” and devise a scale, a point of reference on which to base the forty-seven foods tested. The definition they landed on:

“Powerhouse fruits and vegetables (PFV), foods most strongly associated with reduced chronic disease risk, are described as green leafy, yellow/orange, citrus, and cruciferous items…Defining PFV on the basis of nutrient and phytochemical constituents is suggested (1)…This article describes a classification scheme defining PFV on the basis of 17 nutrients of public health importance per the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and Institute of Medicine (ie, potassium, fiber, protein, calcium, iron, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, zinc, and vitamins A, B6, B12, C, D, E, and K).”

Based on these criteria, a vegetable not particularly popular in North America was jettisoned to the top of the list: watercress. Forty-one of the forty-seven produce items tested met the minimum ten percent daily value (DV) of the listed nutrients per one hundred calories.

Watercress Received a Score of 100 (on a scale of 0 to 100).

Watercress is not unknown in other parts of the world; there is even an annual Watercress Festival in the United Kingdom to celebrate this terrific vegetable. You can add it to a smoothie, salad, or sandwich. Doesn’t take much to get its goodies.

The six items that didn’t meet the criteria of ten percent DV are blueberry, cranberry, garlic, onion, raspberry, and tangerine. These foods–like blueberry, cranberry, and garlic–can still be considered superfoods because of the important elements they add to your diet. Avocado, for example, wasn’t tested but it is still considered by many to be very nutrient-dense with significant health benefits.

The lead researcher, Jennifer Di Noia, PhD of William Paterson University, advises:

“Consistent with a whole-diet approach, [consumption of] all of the items should be encouraged. The rankings may help consumers make nutrient-dense selections within the powerhouse group.”

Other Produce is Important, Too.

What’s important about the study is that there are so many choices among foods to eat, it may be important to some to select those with the right amount of a particular nutrient; the range of different constituents in green leafy vegetables alone can be seventy points.

The items that made the list are the most nutrient-dense based on the elements tested–that doesn’t mean you should exclude any other fruit or vegetable because each contributes to overall good health in its own way.

Keep in mind, too, that only forty-seven were included in the study; nature has provided a healthful cornucopia of thousands of nutritious and healing plants.