#or at least improve our overall health while also having a support system for bad days

[napping-sapphic]

No but listen if we were dating i could inspire you to do your daily mental health walk when you don’t want to which would also force me to do MY daily mental health walk when i don’t want to it’s a win/win situation absolutely no downsides

#wlw #wlw mood #sapphic #sapphism #lesbian #i am slacking on my daily mental health walks😔 #by like two months at this point🙃 #i think part if why relationships are so appealing to me is that i do so much better when ive got a buddy #like taking care of someone else always makes me take better care of myself #and if they were also TRYING to take care of me?? #bestie we could take over the world #or at least improve our overall health while also having a support system for bad days #that we recognize will always be a thing and are healthy to have #like bestie lets be mental support buddies who also get to kiss and hold hands #idk #im gay and i like sleeping

[rutvadentalcare]

Common Dental Problems and How to Prevent Them

Maintaining good oral health is essential for a confident smile and overall well-being. However, various dental problems can arise if we don't take proper care of our teeth and gums. In this comprehensive guide, we will explore some of the most common dental problems, including cavities, gum disease, and teeth sensitivity, and provide practical advice on prevention and early intervention.

Cavities: The Silent Culprits

What Are Cavities?

Cavities, also known as dental caries or tooth decay, occur when the enamel (the outer protective layer of your teeth) is damaged by acid-producing bacteria. This leads to the formation of small holes or cavities in your teeth.

Prevention and Early Intervention Tips

Brush Regularly: Brush your teeth at least twice a day with fluoride toothpaste. This helps remove plaque and food particles that can lead to cavity formation.

Floss Daily: Flossing removes plaque and food debris from between your teeth and along the gumline, where your toothbrush may not reach effectively.

Limit Sugary Foods and Drinks: Bacteria thrive on sugar, so cutting back on sugary snacks and beverages can significantly reduce your risk of cavities.

Chew Sugarless Gum: Chewing sugarless gum, especially after meals, can stimulate saliva production, which helps neutralize acids and strengthen enamel.

Fluoride Treatment: Consider professional fluoride treatments, especially if you are at a higher risk for cavities.

Regular Dental Check-Ups: Visit your dentist regularly for check-ups and professional cleanings. They can spot cavities in their early stages and provide treatment to prevent further damage.

FAQs on Cavities

Q1: Can cavities heal on their own?

A1: No, cavities cannot heal on their own. Once enamel is damaged, it cannot regenerate. Early intervention by a dentist is necessary to prevent the cavity from worsening.

Q2: What are dental sealants, and can they prevent cavities?

A2: Dental sealants are protective coatings applied to the chewing surfaces of molars and premolars. They can effectively prevent cavities by sealing off the grooves where food particles and bacteria can accumulate.

Q3: Are natural sweeteners like honey or maple syrup safer for teeth than sugar?

A3: While natural sweeteners may have some health benefits, they can still contribute to tooth decay if consumed in excess. It's essential to limit all sources of sugar in your diet.

Gum Disease: Protecting the Foundation

What Is Gum Disease?

Gum disease, also known as periodontal disease, is an infection of the tissues that support your teeth. It can range from mild gingivitis (gum inflammation) to severe periodontitis (loss of gum and bone tissue).

Prevention and Early Intervention Tips

Effective Brushing and Flossing: Proper oral hygiene is critical. Brush gently along the gumline and make sure to floss daily to remove plaque and prevent gum disease.

Use Antiseptic Mouthwash: Antiseptic mouthwash can help reduce bacteria in the mouth, which can contribute to gum disease.

Quit Smoking: Smoking is a significant risk factor for gum disease. Quitting smoking can significantly improve your gum health.

Limit Alcohol and Stress: Excessive alcohol consumption and stress can weaken your immune system, making you more susceptible to gum disease. Practice moderation and stress-reduction techniques.

Regular Dental Check-Ups: Your dentist can detect gum disease in its early stages. They can also perform deep cleaning procedures, such as scaling and root planing, to treat and manage the condition.

FAQs on Gum Disease

Q4: Can gum disease be reversed?

A4: Gingivitis, the early stage of gum disease, can often be reversed with good oral hygiene practices and professional cleanings. However, advanced periodontitis may require more intensive treatments.

Q5: What are the signs of gum disease?

A5: Signs of gum disease include red, swollen gums, bleeding when brushing or flossing, persistent bad breath, receding gums, and loose teeth.

Q6: Can genetics play a role in gum disease risk?

A6: Yes, genetics can influence your susceptibility to gum disease. If you have a family history of gum problems, it's especially important to maintain excellent oral hygiene and seek regular dental care.

Teeth Sensitivity: Dealing with Discomfort

What Is Teeth Sensitivity?

Teeth sensitivity, or dentin hypersensitivity, is characterized by a sharp, sudden pain when exposed to certain stimuli, such as hot or cold temperatures, sweet foods, or air.

Prevention and Early Intervention Tips

Choose a Soft-Bristle Toothbrush: Brushing with a soft-bristle toothbrush reduces the risk of enamel erosion and gum recession, which can contribute to sensitivity.

Desensitizing Toothpaste: Use toothpaste specifically designed for sensitive teeth. These toothpastes contain ingredients that can help block pain signals to the nerves.

Avoid Acidic Foods and Drinks: Acidic foods and beverages, like citrus fruits and soda, can erode enamel. Limit your consumption and rinse your mouth with water afterward.

Bruxism (Teeth Grinding) Prevention: If you grind your teeth, ask your dentist about a custom nightguard to protect your teeth from damage.

Regular Dental Check-Ups: Your dentist can assess the cause of your sensitivity and recommend appropriate treatments, such as fluoride applications or dental bonding.

FAQs on Teeth Sensitivity

Q7: Can teeth sensitivity be a sign of a more serious dental problem?

A7: While sensitivity is often related to factors like enamel erosion or gum recession, it can sometimes indicate a more serious dental issue, such as a cracked tooth or a cavity. Consulting your dentist is essential to determine the cause.

Q8: Can I use over-the-counter desensitizing toothpaste?

A8: Over-the-counter desensitizing toothpaste can be effective for mild sensitivity. However, if your sensitivity persists or worsens, consult your dentist for a more comprehensive evaluation and treatment.

Q9: Is teeth sensitivity reversible?

A9: In many cases, teeth sensitivity can be managed and improved with the right oral care routine and dental treatments. However, the extent of improvement may vary depending on the underlying cause.

Preventing common dental problems like cavities, gum disease, and teeth sensitivity involves consistent oral care practices and regular dental check-ups. By following the tips outlined in this guide, you can take proactive steps to protect your oral health and enjoy a pain-free, confident smile.

Remember that early intervention is key to managing these issues effectively. If you experience any dental problems or discomfort, don't hesitate to reach out to your dentist. They are your partner in maintaining optimal oral health and can provide personalized guidance and treatment to address your specific needs.

#dental #dental doctors #dental implant #dental tips #health

[drachenmaleenhancementinus]

Drachen Male Enhancement : Boost Your Sexual Stamina & Be A Monster On Bed!

Official Facebook Page ⇒ https://www.facebook.com/DrachenMaleEnhancement.US

Drachen Reviews (Updated 2022) - Drachen is a 100% all-natural male growth hormone activator formulated to support men's health. Safe ingredients? Any side effects? Any complaints? Learn everything here!

What is Drachen Male Enhancement? 

Drachen is a male health enhancement supplement. It is an all-in-one solution that supports the overall health of men.  The formula contains various amino acids which help make men feel younger. It makes you stronger. The perfect ingredients in Drachen eliminate inflammation from your body and help restore a youthful appearance.  It helps boost stamina which leads to longer-lasting experiences without performance fear that might’ve bothered you in the past. It also improves blood circulation and strengthens muscles. Increasing libido and therefore helps in increasing energy levels.  One of the most important male hormones is testosterone and Drachen helps increase testosterone production.  All the results that Drachen Male Growth Activator causes a boost in confidence which makes you feel self-assured. 

Drachen is a 100% natural formula. It is a blend of various natural extracts and amino acids; this combination proves to be very effective.  It is one of the few formulas that activates growth efficiently. Drachen is available not in the form of tablets or pills but in a spray form. A spray ensures maximum bioavailability for every ingredient it contains.  

All you have to do is spray Drachen serum on the tip of your tongue, three times a day. Do this for at least three to four months for the best results.  Drachen can be very effective for men who take it regularly. Don’t worry, it doesn’t taste bad. 

Click to Order Drachen From Its Official Online Store   

How does Drachen Male Growth Activator work? 

Amino acids are known as “the building blocks of life”. When your body digests amino acids, they help repair tissue and promote muscle growth.  Even some everyday tasks are performed by the amino acids in our body and so we are dependent on these for a lot of functions to occur. They are also wonderful sources of energy. So, it is clear that without amino acids, your body will not function efficiently. Some amino acids are naturally present in your body while others can only be obtained through supplements.  Drachen Male Growth Activator will supply your body with these extra amino acids and will therefore help in achieving various health benefits.  Another important thing is the presence of testosterone in your body. Testosterone is a sex hormone that plays varied important roles. It regulates sex drive, improves muscle mass and strength, and promotes sperm and red blood cell production. Therefore, testosterone boosters have been added to Drachen. Drachen will also help in promoting Human growth hormone production and so, various HGH stimulators are added to it. 

What benefits does Drachen have? 

As Drachen Male Growth Activator assists in improving various functions of your body, a list of its benefits is important. Take a look at the following benefits: 

Drachen Male Enhancment spray activates the male growth hormone 

It improves blood circulation to the male reproductive organs. 

It improves muscle growth and flushes out fats. 

Drachen Male Enhancment drops helps you lose some weight too. 

It helps improve strength and boosts energy. 

It helps increase your stamina, therefore improving performance. 

Drachen Male Enhancment spray helps improve sex drive and libido. 

It also boosts sperm count and red blood cells. 

Its amino acids assist in the growth process. 

It helps eliminate chronic and maintain healthy inflammation. 

Its ingredients also maintain blood pressure and blood sugar levels. 

Drachen Male Enhancment spray  helps increase testosterone production. 

It helps regulate sleep to revitalise your health. 

It protects the immune system. 

Drachen Male Enhancment spray helps in boosting metabolism. 

It helps you perform better in bed and boosts your confidence. 

It reduces hair fall and improves hair regrowth as it boosts testosterone levels. 

Drachen Male Enhancment spray helps shrink the prostate size too. 

Visit The Official Website To Know More On Drachen Ingredients  

Which ingredients does Drachen Drops contain? 

Drachen Male Growth Activator is a blend of various amino acids and natural nutrients.  

You will not find any harmful additives in this formula. In all, it contains 12 natural ingredients. The following is the list of these potent natural ingredients: 

Growth factor complex: 

Alpha Glyceri-Phosphoryl Choline: It helps improve human performance as it helps in the facilitation of neuromuscular interaction. Drachen Reviews helps in maintaining reaction time. It plays a crucial role in various functions related to memory and learning. 

Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid: It is a neurotransmitter that helps in enhancing sleep. A sound sleep is essential for muscle growth and by assisting the sleep process, GABA helps your body’s development. This development is extended to the sex organs as well. 

L-Dopa Bean: It is a powerful amino acid that increases dopamine production in the brain. This makes the transmission of important hormones which assist muscle growth and development possible. 

Moomiyo: It comes from northern Siberia and it is an essential adaptogen. It provides natural anabolic protection. Drachen Customer Reviews helps eliminate inflammation and boosts testosterone production. 

HGH Stimulators: 

Human Growth Hormone is believed to be the key to slowing down the ageing process. It stimulates cell reproduction, cell regeneration, and growth.  

This “fountain of youth” helps in solving many age-related issues, especially for middle-aged men. Following is a list of HGH stimulators: 

Ornithine Alpha Ketoglutarate: It is often used for improving muscle strength. It also helps in healing wounds and treating ulcers and burns. It assists in increasing growth hormone production as well. 

L-Glutamine: For protein, it is one of the primary building blocks. For your digestive and reproductive system, it acts as a catalyst. This leads to tissue growth and protection of these systems from dangerous toxins that cause inflammation. 

L-Arginine: It is yet another amino acid that helps in protein creation. Drachen Review helps in improving the flow of blood to the reproductive organs so that you can achieve firmer and longer-lasting erections. 

L-Lysine: It helps in the production of carnitine, a nutrient that turns fatty acids into energy and helps in reducing cholesterol levels. It may prove to help reduce stress levels. It also helps manage blood pressure levels. 

L-Valine: It provides your body with an extra amount of glucose for energy production. It prevents muscles from breaking down. It regulates blood sugar levels and supports growth and healing processes. 

L-Isoleucine: It plays various important roles. Drachen Male Growth Activator assists the body’s glycose transportation, metabolism, immunity, growth, fatty acid metabolism, etc. 

L-Tyrosine: It is well known for its antidepressant and anxiolytic properties. Physiological as well as psychological reasons lead to inflammation. L-Tyrosine identifies this issue and resolves it by reducing oxidative stress and promoting better sleep. Drachen Male Growth Activator helps induce muscle protein synthesis. 

Glycine: It protects your body from oxidative stress and free radical damage. It also helps in improving sleep quality. It lowers blood pressure and may help people who have type-2 diabetes. It shields your body from muscle loss. 

Pros of Drachen: 

Unlike other male enhancement supplements, Drachen is truly effective. And so, the formula has several pros: 

It is a budget-friendly formula. 

It is available in a spray form which increases its bioavailability. 

They provide a money-back guarantee. 

It is natural and safe. 

It is a side-effect-free formula. 

It works for adult men of all ages. 

The effects of the formula are visible within a few days. 

Drachen is easy to use. 

Only the best and clinically proven ingredients are added to Drachen. 

A lot of people have left positive reviews about the formula 

Cons of Drachen: 

Drachen has very few cons: 

Drachen can only be purchased online, through the official website. 

It may not work for every man. 

You might have to consult your physician before use. 

Limited Stock: Order Now to Avail Huge Discounts on Drachen  

What is the price of Drachen Serum? 

Three packages of Drachen are available. If you purchase more bottles, you’ll get a higher discount. Take a look at the following packages: 

One bottle (30-day supply) is worth $69 + Shipping charges. 

Two bottles (60-day supply) are worth $118. You save $240! 

Four bottles (120-day supply) are worth $196. You save $520! 

Shipping for the two and four-bottle packages is free. Drachen has a 60-day, 100% money-back guarantee as well.  

So, if you find the formula to be ineffective, you can get a full refund within 60 days of your purchase. 

Our Official Blogs ⇒ 

Drachen Customer Reviews: 

Here’s what one of Drachen’s customers said… 

“Every man should feel the pride of having a "weapon" that drives women absolutely bonkers with pleasure. Since I started taking Drachen, I've felt more in tune with my body. It almost feels like I've leveled up as a man. My sex life is as fulfilling as it was when I was 20. Whenever I go on Tinder I know that I can satisfy any partner, which has done wonders for my confidence. Thanks A LOT Adam!” - Roger F., 45 

Drachen Reviews - Final Verdict: 

Drachen is the only male enhancement supplement that is loaded with so many amino acids to level up your man game. It makes you more of a man every day.  If you have been feeling low these days and want to boost your sleep, sexual life, stamina and testosterone levels, you should definitely try Drachen supplement.  It contains the goodness of so many nutrients to boost your sleep and testosterone levels as these two aspects solve more than half of a man’s problems.  Men who use Drachen supplement regularly do not struggle with low sex drive or libido. It is an all-rounder that saves you from so many health issues men would otherwise have to deal with.  

Click to Order Drachen at a Special Discounted Price Today!

We are a professional product review website. We might receive compensation when you buy through our website, we may earn a small affiliate commission. The information contained on this website is provided for informational purposes only and is not meant to substitute for the advice provided by your doctor or other healthcare professional. The products have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease

For More ⇒ 

#DrachenMaleEnhancement

[beds4night]

Does your Mattress Affect Your Sleep Quality?

According to a National Sleep Foundation poll, a comfortable mattress is essential to have a decent night’s sleep for 92% of people. However, many individuals still believe that buying a mattress is an expensive endeavour. We really can’t place a figure on a mattress when you consider the health benefits it can provide, such as helping you live longer, lose weight, and improve your memory.

Why Your Mattress Is So Important ?

A decent mattress provides the ideal amount of support and comfort while maintaining the body’s natural posture and spinal alignment, greatly improving the quality of sleep.

The sleeping surface is just as important to human health as sleep is. A perfect sleeping surface guarantees that we will maintain appropriate posture while we are asleep to safeguard our backs. While we sleep, our back’s muscles and ligaments unwind and repair themselves. Even as we turn while we sleep, a decent sleeping surface keeps the spine’s natural curve stable and aligns our ears, shoulders, and hips.

Sleep Experts on Mattress Sleep Quality

When we questioned senior neurologist and sleep expert Dr. Manveer Bhatia regarding the sleeping surface, she said “surface should be comfortable for a person to sleep. Every person’s body is unique and thus, they require a mattress that is comfortable to their body. Although there are new kinds of mattresses available in the market that will help in better support for the back. However, it primarily depends upon what kind of a surface people prefer in mattress for sleeping on. In the west people choose soft mattress and in India people usually choose a firm mattress. One out of many important causes of back pain and other spinal related issues could be sleeping posture, trauma, and obesity. Hence any mattress that is comfortable to consumer’s unique body, can be considered.”

“A mattress is so important since it’s the one thing that is closer to us than anything else when we are sleeping, during that one-third of our lifetime,” in the words of Dr Neil Kline, a board-certified sleep physician and a spokesperson for the American Sleep Association. “During the day, we can [consciously] adjust our positions and change our behavior, but at night we cannot. We really depend on our mattress,” says Bart Haex, a professor of biomechanics at the University of Leuven in Belgium and author of Back and Bed: Ergonomic Aspects of Sleeping. 

Mattress Sleep Quality For Emotional & Mental Health

Your overall health and wellbeing depend heavily on how well you sleep. Every night getting adequate sleep improves productivity and mental focus, regulates calories better, improves athletic performance, and reduces the chance of gaining weight. Prioritizing getting at least eight hours of sleep each night will also help your emotional intelligence and immune system.

Despite the fact that getting enough sleep is crucial, many people still have trouble having good sleep. At the end of the day, some people are exhausted and worn out, but when they get to their beds, they start tossing and turning because of the mattresses they have. 

Does your mattress affect your sleep quality?

Yes, a mattress effects the sleep quality. Mattress sleep quality is very important.

Your chances of getting a restful night’s sleep increases if you sleep on a quality mattress. People should understand the significance of their mattress as a sleeping buddy in order to get a good night’s sleep every night. All of these advantages and benefits like good mental & emotional health can be personally experienced with a comfy and supportive mattress.

Contrast to it, sleeping poorly on an uncomfortable mattress can be a problem. And we already know that getting bad sleep has a lot of negative effects. Your mattress can be to blame if you wake up sweaty or with neck, back, or shoulder ache.

It may be time for you to purchase a new mattress if your bed is either too hard or too soft. Both situations can cause discomfort and disrupt your sleep.

The right mattress bring all the difference between a restful night’s sleep and insomnia. A decent mattress provides the ideal amount of support and comfort while maintaining the body’s natural posture and spinal alignment, greatly improving the quality of sleep.

If you find yourself suffering form insomnia or facing difficulty in getting enough sleep, your mattress sleep quality might be the reason. If wrong mattresses are the reason for your sleep problems then speak with one of our board-certified product specialists that will suggest you the best online mattresses that can improve your sleep and your life.  

#mattress #onlinemattress #bestmattress #bedrooom #furniture #online furniture #birmingham #west midlands #united kingdom #beds #manufacturing

[rothina]

Check Out All Possible Details About Alpilean

Alpilean serves as a fat-burning nutritional which happens to be according to a grow crops typically called Moringa oleifera, and even drumstick tree. It grow plants has got excessive selection of oleic p, that's been demonstrated to assist the body to build and maintain general blood choleseterol levels. It will possibly strengthen "good" hdl cholesterol even while cutting down "bad" ldl cholesterol. It usually is . packed with minerals along with encourages healthy sugar levels are regulated. A dietary supplement is around across the globe not to mention vessels for free. Just about every single jug features two free bonus ebooks in addition to totally. Just about every flask is comprised of thirty pills and additionally enters in an enclosed vial. The particular beneficial usage is usually one tablet a day. But, it is important to check a health care provider when through this supplementation. This type of nutritional supplement has rate plant-based elements that seem to have been methodically which may utilize body fat and even calories. The formula remains safe and efficient, and it has aided a number of fans relinquish a substantial amount of extra weight whilst not serious undesirable side effects.

Besides it boosts level of energy and helps possess a in good shape excess fat. Yet, the provider past due the main Alpilean supplements does not walk every clinical studies. Thus, people should be aware of all the sham online websites specifically selling a new product. A new Alpilean pills get the job done by just improving the body body temperature range. And can ab muscles temperatures from overweight Alpilean complaints most of the fat burning capacity. May cause a difference throughout exactly how much body weight they'll be able to eliminate a day. As for instance, some sort of hefty man or women needs to burn exclusive 1,500 calories per day even while any trim consumer may need to eradicate at the least 2,000. Eating properly along with exercise are only creating in place thousands of energy lack. Now this latest supplement is made with seed elements and also herbal this grow metabolic process and just control central body's temperature. Moreover they reduced oxidative and therefore inflammation related types of procedures within the body. You will find our own bodies use up more calories deceased and thus delivers appropriate fat burning. Similarly, such organic enjoy natural immune-stimulating premises. Conditioning your lungs . you eliminate bacterial contaminations, does not last long, as well as other disorders. Because you pay a visit to this website, you will get progressively info on Alpilean results.

Alpilean will also support a nourishing glucose levels skill level. It may help the shape metabolize carbohydrates also change this into electrical. Furthermore includes natural antioxidants whom improve the overall system's portable health and well being. These types of materials will block fat-cell mau, that will help strengthen extreme combined with blood stream, as well as publicize your skin overall health. It will yet reduce the digestif technique plus eliminate not healthy the urge to eat. Now this complement is formed by means of qualified professional specialists and therefore nutritionists and quite a lot of milk products found compounds. The ingredients utilized for this type of pill work together to increase your bodys central local climate, which advances metabolic force. Because of this, Alpilean end users should expect substantial weight-loss in numerous weeks. It's actually effective and safe rule helps prevent excessive body fats with the entire body. By using this fabulous site, an individual may procure details of Alpilean ingredients.

[issdanan]

Why People Prefer To Use Alpilean Results?

Alpilean may be a fat-burning vitamin and mineral this is using a grow typically called Moringa oleifera, or maybe a drumstick tree. This valuable grow crops provides superior variety of oleic chemical, which was which can assist the body uphold routine bad cholesterol. This can expand "good" hdl cholesterol while you are eliminating "bad" ldl cholesterol. It is additionally rich in anti-oxidants and thus holds up healthy and well balanced bloodstream sugar levels. A new dietary supplement is offered global and therefore sends completely free. Both equally jug is equipped with two free bonus ebooks and so shipping and delivery. Both equally can possesses thirty pills together with can be chosen in a sealed tube. That a good idea medication dosage might be one tablet a day. Though, you really should speak to a dr . prior using this type of pill. It dietary supplement is constucted from rates plant-based issues that continues to be clinically demonstrated to lose stored fat also power. Most of the system remains safe and secure and efficient, and it contains improved a number of viewers drop arrrsubstantial amountrrrof unwanted weight and it doesn't involve terrible ill effects. What's more , accelerates vitality and helps sustain a in top condition body mass. Though, the provider in back of often the Alpilean capsule may not conduct any individual many studies. For these reasons, purchasers should know about any kind of another male supplement scam blogs that can be providing a new boost. The actual Alpilean pills succeed by way of helping the human body's foundation heating. The low central hot and cold temperature from overweight people decreases his fat burning. This can lead to an improvement for just how much body weight it can lose regularly. As for instance, any over weight someone needs to burn off basically 1,500 calories per day even though some sort of tiny man or woman will have to consume at the least 2,000. Good nutrition and furthermore regularly exercising are only able to make up a thousand caloric debt. It the latest nutritional Alpilean pills is made from vegetable elements along with all natural herbs that develop metabolic process and control center body temperature. Moreover reduce oxidative and inflamed proceedings within your body. Understand the entire body use up more calories while resting and therefore motivates a healthy calorie burning. Besides that, these kind of organic hold alternative immune-stimulating premises. It will help to your whole body battle infections, inflammation, as well as other medical conditions. Any time you visit my website, one can get alot more knowledge about Alpilean results.

Alpilean also supports a balanced blood glucose levels intensity. Assistance your whole body metabolize sugar and carbohydrates plus move this situation inside of electric. In addition, it is made of herbal antioxidants which often add to the body cellular phone health related. Some of these products may well inhibit fat-cell treatment method, that will help strengthen powerful heart beat and thus inner ear or surrounding, including foster pores overall healthiness. It could possibly perhaps enhance digestif practice and additionally stop unfit craving for food. It capsule is actually in successful analysts or experts and has several of clinically successful formulation. The ingredients used for this specific pill communicate to increase your core temp, that gets larger metabolism strength. Accordingly, Alpilean people can get vital fat burning within just weeks. Its very own effective and safe recipe cleans away unwanted body fats from individual. By utilizing our website, may obtain details of Alpilean ingredients.

#complaints results reviews

[almostnoisydonut]

𝓗𝓸𝔀 𝓽𝓸 𝓢𝓽𝓪𝓻𝓽 𝓪 𝓗𝓮𝓪𝓵𝓽𝓱𝔂 𝓗𝓪𝓫𝓲𝓽

It’s common for many of us to procrastinate starting new health habits. There are a myriad of reasons why – it doesn’t seem like a good time (or you don’t have enough time), there’s a holiday or celebration coming up, it appears too difficult or stressful, your family or partner won’t get on board – but there are many health habits that don’t require an extreme amount of effort, time and financial resources.

Instead of looping through a cycle of punishing or restrictive diets, or detoxing after an extended period of gluttony, we’d like to throw an idea out there: what if you were able to maintain your health habits every day, all year round?

These health habits are straightforward, simple, inexpensive and don’t subscribe to any fad diet philosophy. They are attainable, which means you can start practising them after you finish reading this post and won’t get sick of them by next week.

After all, today is the day!

Water is fundamental to our health. It keeps us hydrated, aids digestion and elimination, keeps our skin and joints supple, and ferries nutrients, proteins, hormones and chemical signals around the body. Confused about the best type of water to drink? We have all of the options to consider.

We like to start the day by drinking a cup of water with a tablespoon of lemon juice to help to kickstart digestion, encourage detoxification and alkalize the body. Plus, since some of us struggle to drink water throughout the day, coming right out of the gate with a full glass of water hydrates you and will perhaps encourage you to drink more of it!

Use fresh-squeezed lemon juice (not juice from a lemon-shaped bottle, please) to receive the best health benefits. If you find it a pain to cut and squeeze your lemons every morning, juice several lemons at once and keep the juice in a jar in the fridge. It will last for about a week, and you can use the juice in other recipes like salad dressings or other condiments.

If you need help remembering to drink water during the day, fill up a bunch of water bottles or set a reminder on your phone.

Our bodies aren’t meant to sit in front of computers all day. We’re sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but using your thumbs on your smartphone doesn’t count as a workout.

While working up a sweat is great for detoxification (remember, our skin is our largest elimination organ), gentle exercise every day helps to improve circulation, bring oxygen to our tissues and lift our mood. Try walking, cycling, rebounding, dancing, or hatha yoga to get yourself moving.

Green foods – including dark leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables, seaweeds, green herbs like parsley, mint, dill and more – are jam-packed with a plethora of nutrients that support our overall health.

Antioxidants, healthy fats, fibre, anti-cancer compounds, amino acids, anti-inflammatory phytochemicals, blood-building minerals – green-pigmented foods are like taking a multivitamin. With the wide variety of green foods to choose from, you’ll be sure to find at least a few that you can rotate throughout your meals daily.

Alright, you don’t need to rise and shine with the sun every morning, but waking up at a decent (early) hour is essential for optimal health. The human body and brain have evolved to follow a circadian rhythm that helps to regulate sleep and wake patterns that are set by our natural environment, specifically the rising and setting of the sun. This natural circadian rhythm also corresponds with the body’s natural cortisol levels: a hormone well known for its role in our metabolism, immune system, stress response and energy levels. In a balanced state, cortisol levels start to rise 2-3 hours after the onset of sleep and continue to rise into the early morning helping to wake us. Cortisol levels in the body will then peak around 8:30 am or 9:00 am and continue to gradually decline as the day continues. Therefore, following the body’s natural circadian rhythm and cortisol levels is a simple way to maximize energy levels, productivity and overall health.

Putting away your phone (tablet or computer) might seem like a simple challenge, but being connected 24/7 can have many negative side effects on our health. The average person has eight social media accounts and spends at least 2 hours and 24 minutes checking their phone every day. Just think of all the time that could be spent outside, moving, exercising, or cooking! This constant digital connection can increase perceived stress and constant exposure to blue light has been shown to suppress the production of the body’s natural melatonin production, which is integral for the body’s natural circadian rhythm and sleep patterns. So instead of cruising the web until the wee hours of the morning, turn off your phone at least one hour before bed and allow yourself to relax and unwind without the digital stress.

Creating a healthy lifestyle does not mean that you need to pull a 180 or make sweeping changes all at once. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. By focusing on small healthy daily habits and creating ones that you truly enjoy, you are more likely to maintain them for the long-term. 

Developing healthy daily habits will take time, dedication and determination, but that does not mean they can’t be done. Remember, you’re not in a race. Instead, avoid extreme solutions, take your time and work on individual healthy habits to help ensure that your health and success are long-lasting.

[fefipranon]

Let’s talk about depression

In my latest book ‘The Power of Death’ I talk about this topic in depth. I will post the links to it at the end of this post if you are interested in reading it. If there is one part of the book that resumes the message that I wanted to transmit, it’s Mikasa’s (The main character) press conference at the end of the last chapter. 

It’s okay if you don’t read the whole book, but at least, read the following extract from the book (some stuff removed to avoid spoilers): 

Standing behind the podium Mikasa started the conference by saying, 

"Paradis island doesn't have studies about the topic we are about to discuss, but other countries do. In the United States, in 2019, a total of 47,511 Americans died by suicide and an estimated 1.38 million attempted it. [2] What about other countries? you may ask, well, overall, suicide was in the top 10 leading causes of death across Eastern Europe, Central Europe, high-income countries within the Asia Pacific, and Australasia. Within regions and countries, though, suicide rates soared among people with lower social and economic status. [3] This data comes from research made by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation in Washington, Seattle. [4] This goes without mentioning that for every suicide, it is estimated that there are seven to ten people intimately affected."[8]

Mikasa stopped to take a sip of water and looked back at the audience to continue her speech, 

"Untreated depression can, and possibly will lead to suicide, death. In biology, homeostasis is the state of steady internal, physical, and chemical conditions maintained by living systems. [5] Depression does have an impact on this. Research shows that the hippocampus is smaller in some depressed people. For example, in one fMRI study published in The Journal of Neuroscience, investigators studied 24 women who had a history of depression. On average, the hippocampus was 9% to 13% smaller in depressed women compared with those who were not depressed. The more bouts of depression a woman had, the smaller the hippocampus. [6] The hippocampus is not the only area of the brain affected by depression, the Amygdala, and Thalamus are also affected.[6] Depression is, and should be treated as, an illness that, if left untreated, can be lethal. Just remember the statistics I gave you about suicide at the beginning of my speech. With that data as the base of my argument, it is safe for me to say that depression is one of the top life-threatening illnesses having, in some countries, the top mortality rate overall."

A woman from the public raised her hand and when allowed to talk she said, 

"How can you call an illness to something that can be 'cured' by just talking to a so-called doctor about your issues?" 

Mikasa gave the woman a serious look and said, "Therapy, is not just talking. Psychotherapy stands over years of research and development going as back as the 19th century. There is extensive evidence of its effectiveness. Also, most cases of depression treatments include medication." 

Then a man shouted, "So now doctors will give our kids a bunch of pills just because the child is feeling a little sad?!"

"Several tests are usually performed before a psychiatrist gives a diagnosis of depression. Tests like: physical exams, lab tests, psychiatric evaluation, and the country's manual of mental health like for example the DSM-5 which is the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders from the American Psychiatric Association, is applied. After that, the psychiatrist might do more testing to see if medication is an option. Because they are physicians, psychiatrists can order or perform a full range of medical laboratory and psychological tests which, combined with discussions with patients, help provide a picture of a patient's physical and mental state. Their education and clinical training equip them to understand the complex relationship between emotional and other medical illnesses and the relationships with genetics and family history, to evaluate medical and psychological data, to make a diagnosis, and to work with patients to develop treatment plans.[7] In other words, for a doctor to prescribe medication to your child, it has to first do an extensive evaluation on the kid before even start to consider medication in the first place. If in the end, medication is needed, then it would mean that your kid is not only 'feeling a little sad', it means that there is a deeper problem that needs to be addressed and the physician will have a lot of evidence to back up his claim.", Mikasa said. 

She stopped talking and pinched the bridge of her nose out of frustration, then she looked seriously at the same man she was addressing before, and said, "Would you rather lose your child to suicide or seek valid, scientific-based help to save the kid's life?"

The man was frozen in place. He was not expecting to be put in the spotlight this way. Mikasa noticed the teenage kid who was seated next to him with his head bowed to the floor. Before he could answer Mikasa said, 

"Do you even know how depression feels like? To have your own mind to conspire against you? To illogically feel worthless, alone, like nobody can understand you, or at least, nobody that hasn't been through the same darkness as you. Do you know how it feels when people tell you worthless crap like, 'get over it', or 'just stop being sad' like being sad is just an option you chose because apparently, you like to torture yourself? Have you ever contemplated to end your life out of desperation to get an out, a break, from your own mind?"

By this point, the kid was looking straight at Mikasa with tears pouring down his eyes. Mikasa knew she was getting through him. She grabbed the microphone and started to walk while resuming her speech, 

"To feel like you are constantly drowning. To feel like an ungrateful ass because logically, you should be happy because you have everything. But you aren't... Thinking that there must be something really wrong with you for you to feel this way without an apparent reason. To feel lost, alone with this feeling that is eating you inside slowly until it gets to the point where you desperately want to rip your soul out of your body. When it gets so bad that causing physical pain to your body is an option since, at least, for a brief moment, your mind focuses on the physical pain which is better for you because the emotional pain is so much greater than a little cut on your forearm."

The man realized that she was no longer addressing him but the person seated next to him, his own son. Mikasa stood right in front of his son and looked at him in the eyes. She lowered the microphone and while brushing her fingers through the kid's scars on his forearm she said to him, 

"You are not alone."

Then, she showed him her own scars and the kid stood up pulling her in for a hug while repeatedly saying, "Thank you"

Reporters were recording the whole encounter. It was real. Depression was real, and it was being recorded. The father of the kid sat back down while looking at his son in shock. Trying to find the words to say he just pulled him in for a hug while saying, 

"I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"You never really asked.", the boy replied. 

"I'm sorry. I will do better. You deserve better.", his dad replied with a broken voice. 

Mikasa lifted the microphone again to talk and said, "Depression is a silent killer. It could be your child, partner, parent... it could be closer to you than what you think. So before you speak about the topic remember that. Your words could be hurting one of your own for your lack of empathy."

She walked towards the podium again to start answering reporter's questions,

 "What would you say to someone who is going through this?"

Mikasa lowered her head lost in thought and said, "You don't need to have a traumatic event in your life to have depression. Depression is not just sadness and is not only caused by personality type or environmental factors. Genetics and biochemistry are also a big part of it, and those two have nothing to do with how much crap you've been dealt in life. What I am trying to say it's that, it's okay to not be okay, you don't need a reason to, and you don't need to feel worse about it for not having a reason. Being sad is not a right you earn after a certain amount of societally accepted shit has happened to you. Just seek help, see the situation logically, and not let people bring you down. If possible, educate others on the topic. Be the change you want to see in the world."

She paused, thinking of her own struggles with depression, and the stability and peace she finally felt once the pills started to work on her. Sure, dark thoughts still lingered at the back of her head, but, it was no longer unbearable, now, it was manageable. With time and therapy, she had managed to live with it, minimizing their negative effect on her. With this in mind, she said,

"Do not get frustrated if anti-depressants don't work at first, sometimes it takes a couple of tries with different types of medications to get the one that works for you. Researchers are exploring possible links between the sluggish production of new neurons in the hippocampus and low moods. An interesting fact about antidepressants supports this theory. These medications immediately boost the concentration of chemical messengers in the brain (neurotransmitters). Yet people typically don't begin to feel better for several weeks or longer. Experts have long wondered why, if depression were primarily the result of low levels of neurotransmitters, people don't feel better as soon as levels of neurotransmitters increase. The answer may be that mood only improves as nerves grow and form new connections, a process that takes weeks." [6]

She paused and looked at the crowd. Then, she said, 

"In the meantime, stay alive, even if it feels against your will. Do not give a permanent solution to a temporary problem, because trust me, it DOES get better."

Stay Alive

Feel free to share this to raise awareness. This book has all the things I wish someone had told me in my darkest moments, and I hope, it can help someone out there who is going through the same painful path in life. Remember, it's not your fault, you are not alone.

Resources used in this part: 

[1]  Oswego City School District Regents Exam Prep Center. Archived from on 25 October 2012. Retrieved 12 November 2012. URL: homeostasis

[2] American Foundation for Suicide Prevention: suicide-statistics

[3] global-suicide-rates-study

[4] Global, regional, and national burden of suicide mortality 1990 to 2016: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016: content

[5]  Gordon., Betts, J. Anatomy and physiology. DeSaix, Peter., Johnson, Eddie., Johnson, Jody E., Korol, Oksana., Kruse, Dean H., Poe, Brandon. Houston, Texas. p. 9. ISBN 9781947172043. OCLC 1001472383.

[6] What causes depression? Harvard Medical School: what-causes-depression

[7] What Is Psychiatry? from the American Psychiatric Association. URL: what-is-psychiatry

[8] Lukas, Christopher; Henry M. Seiden (1997) [1987]. Silent Grief: Living in the Wake of Suicide. Northvale, New Jersey: Jaron Aronson. p. 5. ISBN 0-7657-0056-5.

Book Summary: 

Mikasa is a woman suffering from clinical depression. There is one thing that she is sure of: she wants to die. But when she received some unexpected news that makes her death wish a reality, she starts to wonder if that was really what she wanted. She starts a journey to discover the truth about her biological parents that gave her up for adoption when she was a baby. This journey will guide her to cross paths with someone as broken as her, someone that hates her to death for what her biological family did to him. Will she have the courage to, for once, fight to live? or will she let him drag her to hell with him?

The book is tagged as an ‘Attack on Titan’ Alternate universe fanfic but honestly you don’t need to know anything about the anime to read it. The story has nothing to do with it so feel free to read if you haven’t seen it. 

You can find the story in the following links: 

Archive of our own:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/30452145/chapters/75087657

Wattpad:

https://www.wattpad.com/story/264598251-the-power-of-death

#depression #Suicide #suicide awareness #hope #sad #sad thoughts #mind #psychotherapy #psychology #science

[hannidae]

The Value of Forgiveness

Why Reylo is one of the most valuable elements of Star Wars Mythology

And why Disney should not let Reylo end with The Rise of Skywalker if it wants to take the moral high ground.

As an American, I’d like to suggest that Americans have a lot to learn from Rey and Ben. Forgiveness, hope, and redemption, while recognized as nice ideas, are so often not given the deference they deserve. Instead, we’re so much more focused on the pursuit of justice and power, which reflected in film leads to resolutions like Kylo Ren’s/Ben Solo’s death. Or, in real life, leads to paradigms like those present in American criminal justice.

We are doing an unarguably terrible job with criminal justice and reform. We are not forgiving or empathetic as a society. Our justice systems cling to our grudges and desire for punishment when nothing good can come of it. I can only hope that we can recognize our faults, learn, and grow--with a little help from film and story-telling.

As does all good mythology, Star Wars presents morals. The intentions in the sequel trilogy are *ahem* perhaps less thoughtfully crafted than the previous trilogies, but there’s still something to be learned. In TRoS specifically, moral guidance is best sought in critically analyzing the filmmaker’s choices and identifying the fallacies presented. 

Enter Reylo, the age-old enemies-to-lovers archetype where a heroine and anti-hero restore justice and find happiness. TRoS did it, then killed Ben. Why? Because in the American mindset Ben did ‘horrible’ things, and he should recognize his failures and welcome his own death in order to preserve the ‘pure’ deserving soul, Rey. Criminals don’t deserve a redeemed life of happiness, according to the American creators.

I object.

Now, before I get into how wrong this is, here’s a shout out to all of the incredible works out there that have analyzed Reylo and all its glory and value. Here’s a wonderful masterpost by raven-maiden. 

The impact of Reylo in analyzing criminal justice

Our current criminal justice system, at least within the American cultural setting where Star Wars has been developed, is a self-defeating, myopic mess.

There is the profit-driven corporatization of its structures that ignore best treatment practices opportunities for convicts within the system. There is the systemic discrimination that plagues fair treatment of both individuals and groups in the criminal justice and judicial systems from beginning to end. There is the unwillingness and/or lack of resources in our criminal justice system to address and improve the mental health concerns and socio-economic disadvantages of its prisoners and, as a result, cultivate reformed behaviors and improved opportunities among people who have committed crimes. There is also the hypocritical tendency of the criminal justice system to bolster the privileged and penalize the disadvantaged.

Regardless of a person’s place in society, our criminal justice system is focused almost entirely on punishment and removal of people within society who have been convicted of crimes. This doesn’t fix anything. It either maintains or worsens the causes that encourage people to commit crimes. Additionally, our criminal justice system does very little to promote actual justice in the forms of restorative justice.  Generally, people who have committed crimes are not provided avenues that offer meaningful opportunities for reparation, or counseling to recognize and alleviate the social, economic, or physical issues that caused people to commit crimes in the first place. No one is born bad, or wants to be evil, except for perhaps psychopaths.  And it’s clear that Ben/Kylo is not a psychopath, despite of and evidenced by the crimes he has committed.

The Problem with Shunning Reylo or shunning criminals

Those who are Anti-Reylo are generally concerned about abuse, imbalances of power, and toxic behavior and relationships, which they associate with Kylo. I get it. None of those things should ever be tolerated, much less promoted. All people, including Antis, can be assumed to condemn at least most criminal behavior, like Kylo’s. However, the hitch is when people are not willing to tolerate and accept individuals who commit crimes into their communities or relationships ever again—like permitting Kylo to repent, atone, and have a romantic relationship with Rey.

Here’s my issue, many people, for the most part, are sufficiently intolerant to be willing to forgive a person who has committed certain crimes. Clearly, some crimes are beyond redemption. In the spectrum of the severity of crimes, what role does a line in the sand have in story telling? Where does society draw that line? Typically, once crossed the criminal cannot be redeemed. In this way of thinking, reformed behavior, with or without atonement or restitution, would be not be sufficient for welcoming a person who has committed certain crimes back into a community. Like Kylo. Now, it’s not that there shouldn’t be a line. But sometimes we draw that line sooner than we should, and we’re not helping anyone (ourselves included) when we do if forgiveness is never an option.

Just Kylo’s association with the First Order, who as an organization murdered multiple world populations, is past the line for a lot of people. For some, it might be his order to kill the villagers at the beginning of The Force Awakens. Or kidnapping Rey and pushing into her mind during the interrogation scene. Or calling her ‘nothing’ on the Supremacy. Whichever.

I’m not going further into that because for my argument I don’t consider him to have crossed the line, and most Reylos don’t either. Here’s why, and why it matters.

First, Star Wars is mythology. It’s about a god Force and space wizards with laser swords. It teaches values and morals through fantasy and fictional dramatization. It is meant to serve as symbolic guidelines, not hard rules for interpersonal relationships in daily life.

Second, someone argues that Kylo Ren/Ben Solo has irrevocably crossed that line, there is very little to learn or gain from his attributes, his experiences, or his sacrifices. There should always be something to learn. Some *may* be willing to forgive Ben. That forgiveness would have qualifications for the redemption such as certain acts of restorative justice or a sacrifice. But empathy here is limited, if not lacking. And to function as a healthy society, we need lots of empathy.

Third, while Kylo’s representation in the trilogy films is less dimensional that in the extended comics and novelizations, one can not argue that he was abused, neglected, and manipulated into the circumstances of his portrayal. He also was never given an opportunity to truly explain his justification for his actions or the conditions that led to his choices. 

Overall, I’m not interested in where that unredeemable line is for people who support his death, or what redemption might entail. It’s likely they would never be willing to support his reintegration into society/the light side or consider him an appropriate love interest for Rey. Thus, what matters about him only matters in how it reflects on the heroes to whom he is an enemy. That would make him a black hole. But he is an anti-hero, and an amazing opportunity for self-reflective growth. We all make mistakes; he is just an extreme example from whose mistakes we can learn from.

Why Rey’s forgiveness is a necessary component of functional criminal justice

I am interested in the value of forgiveness, and the role mythology has in teaching that value. I’m fascinated by Rey’s willingness to forgive Ben Solo, especially since he turns and supports her once he knows she would forgive and welcome him if he renounced the characteristics that make him a villain.

Society is never going to improve if we lock up our criminals and throw away the key. Or execute them.

Now, I’m not expertly qualified to summarize the fields of criminal psychology or criminology in relation to Kylo Ren. However, I do hope to take a stab at why his criminal behavior is relevant in a tale of forgiveness.

Crime is cyclical. There will always be more people committing more crimes, and people committing crimes over and over. Also, most people who commit crimes, if released, will not be persuaded by punishment alone to stop doing whatever they’re doing that is criminal. This is because, for the most part, people with a history of delinquency have already experienced enough suffering in some form to create the impression that criminal acts will help them avoid the suffering they fear. The most commonly imposed societal threats of repercussions to their behavior, such as imprisonment, would be less severe to them than the punishment though suffering they’re attempting to avoid.

Kylo was abandoned by his family and betrayed, almost murdered, by the Jedi. The supposed crime of associating with Snoke/the First Order initially provided him shelter from those who wronged him. Then, a means of recuperating the power he needed to survive. However, he continued to be abused, manipulated, and neglected. Thus, his crimes continued though which he sought escape of fear and suffering through the pursuit of power in order to provide the needs he was lacking.

The motivations that cause one to commit a crime are generally recognized as related to the absence of any of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs: physiological, safety, love/belonging, esteem, and self-actualization. Maslow, A.H. (1943). "A theory of human motivation". Psychological Review.

Maslow’s Pyramid 

Kylo suffered from an absence of up to four of those five levels of the pyramid.

Now, society will never improve if we believe all criminals are evil and will always be evil unless we scare them into being good. People who commit criminal acts typically act through fear due to lack of a need. Threatening people into behaving well is not going to take their initial fear away; threats don’t provide missing needs. However, it may foster in delinquents a sense of desperate hopelessness, which would only cyclically perpetuate the conditions cultivating their criminality.

For most of the Star Wars Sequel Trilogy, no one criticizing Kylo’s esteemed role in the First Order is going to convince him to abandon the people who have welcomed, protected, and admired him in order to return to the ‘murderers, traitors, and thieves [Rey] calls friends.’ Not until Rey offers him a place by her side and an opportunity to make things right.

Trust, counseling, and pathways that allow people to meaningfully reenter society into a safe place through proof of intention by reparation, are the conditions through which criminals most effectively break out of the cycle.

We should be providing people who have committed a criminal act with:

1) the security of a route to acquiring their missing needs; 2) the confidence and recovery to be gained through restorative justice; and 3) a safe place to re-enter society. If we want delinquents to go from inclined to commit a crime, to not, then society must give people with criminal pasts a means to reform. To redemption.

That requires forgiveness.

Rey offered these things to Ben. She wasn’t willing to take him as he was in The Last Jedi as Kylo Ren. But she was willing to help him meet the needs he was missing: safety, love and belonging, esteem, and self-actualization. And if he turned, which provided him a pathway to meeting those needs when the dark side and First Order would not (despite his hopes), then she would take his hand. Ben’s hand.

Rey’s forgiveness of Kylo would provide a necessary step in the path to him becoming a better person. To reform. To become a hero that the galaxy desperately needed.

In the Rise of Skywalker, perhaps Rey didn’t need him to defeat the Emperor. She might have done it on her own. But she likely wouldn’t have survived if she did. And then the Jedi, the light side, peacekeepers who attempt to maintain balance in the world where the dark doesn’t over take the light, would have disappeared.

Ben’s turn, his choice to change, is what all people who have committed crimes should be permitted. But Rey’s forgiveness, and empathy before that, is a necessary part of Ben’s redemption. Why change criminal behavior, if it is somehow necessary to survive meaningfully, for nothing? Because it’s the right thing to do? That’s not how we work, fundamentally. We’re not angels.

It’s time to say it:

To err is human, to forgive, divine. -Alexander Pope

Rey’s compassion and empathy for Kylo, and her subsequent forgiveness, to me, is the most important thing to come out of Star Wars. Her willingness to respect and admire a person for who they are, despite a dichotomy, despite a criminal history, is a lesson we urgently need today.

Rey learned this herself, which is perhaps the best story telling choice in TRoS. After she stabbed then healed Ben on Ker Bir, she never again chose to engage in attack. She only saved what she loved. She never again used her lightsaber for assault, only deflection. With her potential for mercy, she convinced Kylo to turn. With only self-defense, she defeated the true threat to the Galaxy, the Emperor. The psychopath.

Retaliatory violence would have only made her become part of the cycle of evil. As our criminal justice system does.

Rey and Kylo teach us empathy. They teach us to be better.

Ancestral archetypes embodied through Reylo, and how they’re wasted

If Ben had lived to atone fully, apart from helping Rey free the galaxy of the true source of evil in fascist totalitarianism, Palpatine, he would have lived to cherish and reward Rey for her empathy through their relationship. The ‘dyad in the Force’ that connects Rey and Ben is related to the long-standing concept of dyads representing two parts of one soul, or soulmates that come together to protect humanity.

Dyads have been seen throughout the history of Western philosophy and literature and have played a role in archetypes as discussed by well-recognized voices including Carl Jung, Joseph Campbell, and Plato. These archetypes, dyads included, have ­­been seen as ‘universal, archaic patterns and images that derive from the collective unconsciousness and are the physic counterpart of instinct.’ They serve to inform and instruct, to help us digest our psychologies and nurture our societies. We’ve seen this dyad in many forms, including that described by Carl Jung as the anima and the animus, and reflected around the world in various cultures and spiritualities including Adam and Eve, Yin and Yang, etc. Essentially, a dyad represents balance. Through Ben and Rey’s archetypal dyad, we can learn so much on why to reform our criminal justice system and mindset. And this is not a new thing.

Behold, Plato’s Androgyne.

"The man was originally the child of the Sun, and the man-woman of the Moon, which is made up of sun and earth, and they were all round and moved round and round like their parents. Terrible was their might and strength, and the thoughts of their hearts were great, and they dared to scale the heavens, and they made an attack on the Gods.”

Connecting this to Star Wars, as perhaps (we could only hope the writers considered, or through the pervasiveness of Jungian’s theories of archetypes we can assume was inadvertently manifested) we see representations as both Rey and the light side (or also the Sith due to her parentage being of the darkness/the Moon), and Kylo, as the dark side (but also of the Rebellion/Resistance due to his parentage). Either way, there’s so many ways to relate this. Regardless, Rey’s and Kylo’s ancestral battles are embodied through the balancing of the light and dark sides of the Force. "The Gods took council and Zeus discovered a way to humble their pride and improve their manners. They would continue to exist, but he cut them in two like a sorb-apple which is halved for pickling.”

Assuming the Gods and Zeus are expressed in the Force, here is where Rey and Kylo are separated from their families and tread their separate ways into the light and dark respectively. The same can be said for the Jedi and the Sith. "After the division, the two parts of man (the Androgyne), each desiring his other half, came together and throwing their arms around one another, entwined in mutual embraces, longing to grow into one; they were on the point of dying from hunger and self-neglect because they did not like to do anything apart; and when one of the halves died and the other survived, the survivor sought another mate, man or woman, as we call them--being the sections of entire men or women--and clung to that. “

Now, because it’s clear that Kylo and Rey are obvs meant to be together, I’m going to connect the Androgyne to the Sith and the Jedi. "They were being destroyed when Zeus, in pity of them, invented a new plan. He turned the parts of generation round to the front, for this had not always been their position, and they sowed the seed no longer as hitherto like grasshoppers, in the ground, but in one another; and after the transposition the male generated in the female in order that by mutual embraces of man and woman they might breed and the race might continue; or if man came to man they might be satisfied, and rest, and go their ways to the business of life: so ancient is the desire of one another which is implanted within us, reuniting our original nature, making one of two, and healing the state of man.

Here the Force is Zeus, and the “seed [that is the] male generated in the female” is the birth of Rey. And through ‘the mutual embraces of man and woman’ Rey and Kylo, turned Ben, they ‘breed and the race might continue…reuniting our original nature, making one of two, and healing the state of man.”

Plato. "The Symposium". Benjamin Jowet, trans., Great Books of the Western World

Thus, the value of Reylo.

Through recognition of: 1) the unintended flaws in our humanity need-based motivations for crime; 2) the cyclical nature of crime within our psychology and society; 3) the requirement for forgiveness, support, and acceptance to stop that cycle; 4) and the requirement for man and woman to come together to create new life;

we find that the pairing of our Heroine and our Anti-hero, and the forgiveness and compassion of Rey, serves to restore the balance and heal the wounds in our story.

However, the filmmaking choice to kill Ben, even if in self-sacrifice, is characteristic of society’s unwillingness to tolerate a criminal’s reintegration into society. Despite this, even I started out after the film thinking, “they couldn’t let Ben live. Not for Rey to reach her full potential as a Jedi. He’d drag her down.” Would that necessarily be the case? No. End of discussion.

Thus, Rey’s forgiveness and compassion are devalued and defeated with Ben’s death. There is no hope for those who have been neglected, manipulated, and abused into committing crimes, and our Heroine is left without her soulmate amidst a society that cannot relate to her. With our need for ostracism and retribution, despite the inherent suffering of our repentant villains, we only subtract from the light in society, not add to it. And we’re back where we started.

So. In conclusion, Rey and Ben’s story cannot stop here. Looking at you, DLF. Fix it.

#reylo #Reylo meta #Star Wars meta #bendemption #bring back ben solo #tros ending

[theoneworld]

Post Natal Depression

Pregnancy is such a holy time. That constant feeling of a little one growing inside you, nurturing the growing one, feeling excited and confident, ready to shower all your love. Isn't that what all to-be mothers feel at the onset of pregnancy?

And then comes the grand finale day when you become a mother, celebrate motherhood, hold your baby, and are the happiest person in this world.

But what if these feelings don't occur the way people and books have been narrating?

Many of us are not aware of the fact that this mental state of being happy might not come naturally to mothers. They might not feel happy and elated the way they should after their child's birth. This is where we talk about depression; postnatal depression specifically.

Within the year after delivery, 1 in 7 women find themselves in a deep, dark abyss of depression.

Depression and Postnatal depression

Depression is not something that you would want to happen to you even if you are not pregnant. It is a state of mind that undergoes a lot of highs and lows and other associated mood swings.

Postpartum depression is a complex state of mind that involves a mix of physical, emotional, and behavioral changes in women after childbirth. It is a form of depression that occurs within 4 weeks after delivery. The condition can be measured on the length of time between delivery and onset and also on the severity of depression.

While postnatal depression is a common affair, there are several causes and changes in the mental state of a new mother.

Mothers at risk of postnatal depression

New moms often experience disturbing maternal mental health after birth. The risk factors for such a condition increases if:

You have experienced depression in the previous pregnancy or at some other time in your life.

You have a family history of depression.

You have suffered from bipolar disorderThere has been stress in your job, complications in pregnancy.

Your baby is born with special needs or health problems.

You have a strained relationship with your spouse.

There are financial problems in the family

You are undergoing an unwanted or unplanned pregnancy.

These are a few of the many factors that can lead to postnatal pregnancy. Expecting mothers should try to eliminate these risks for smooth childbirth and a happy, stress-free period post the delivery too.

What causes postnatal depression?

There are no exact causes that can specifically be called the reasons for postpartum depression, but there are a few factors that can contribute to the condition. The reasons can be physical stress or emotional discomfort or a combination of both.

Physical factors:

One of the major physical changes after childbirth involves the role of hormones. During pregnancy, your estrogen and progesterone levels are higher than usual; and they drop back to their previous state within hours of giving birth. This change is sudden and might cause depression. Other physical factors include:

Low thyroid level

Improper diet

Presence of a previous medical condition

Lack of sleep

Emotional factors:

Emotional stability is an important factor during pregnancy. Mothers are more likely to have postpartum depression if there are mood swings or mood disorders in the past or someone else in the family is suffering from the same.

Emotional stress factors include:

Financial burdens

The other child having some health problems

Recent divorce or death of a loved one.

Financial pressures

What does postnatal depression look like?

A mother might feel moody or cranky or tired after giving birth to a baby. But postpartum depression is much more than that. The symptoms vary from person to person and the following might be the indicators:

Feeling sad or crying a lot without reasons

Feeling exhausted but unable to sleep

Drowsy and sleeping too much

Binge eating even if there is no interest in food

Unexplained illness or aches in the body

A feeling of disconnection from the baby and no joy as you had anticipated throughout the pregnancy period.

Not opening up with people in a fear that they would judge you, or think that you are a bad mother; and just withdrawing.

Thoughts about harming yourself and the baby.

These symptoms start showing up within a few weeks of delivery and might not surface until a few months. These symptoms can be handled well and treated if a mother reports any of these feelings.

How to deal with PPD

Seeking help is the first step towards healing yourself and bringing things back to normal. Once you have identified that you are suffering from postnatal depression, you can do the following things to deal with the condition:

1. Talk to people

While one part of you wants to keep everything to yourself, especially for an introverted person; but it is always a good option to talk to people you trust about your feelings and emotions. You will discover that you are not the only one going through this phase and that there are people who will listen and help you come out of this situation.

2. Fight isolation

You might not feel like sharing your feelings with anyone and try to cut off from people as well. But this will only feed the depression. You might not have a social life, but at least talk to your closest relations so that you don't feel isolated.

To avoid isolation, join depression group supports; especially for new moms. The group activities, discussions will keep you active and let you focus on other things that relieve stress.

3. Chores can take a back seat:

Not all mothers are into chores. If you are one of them, let the chores be. Just take care of your and baby's basic needs and take help from relatives or household help to get the chores done.

4. Resting is the key

Childbirth is a tiring process. Take a good night's sleep; try a hot water bath to relax. Meditation and massage also help ease tension and help fall asleep.

Medications for maintaining maternal health include the use of antidepressants and hormone therapy which might have their side effects on the overall health of the mother. However, physical exercise, proper diet, and nutrition, mindfulness practices, mediation, etc can help improve the symptoms.

How is postnatal depression different from baby blues?

While talking about maternal mental health, it is important to mention a much heard and known term, baby blues which differs from postnatal depression. An example to highlight the difference;

The moment I delivered my daughter, my heart was filled with intense love and emotions that I never knew existed within me. I could die for her, it was love at first sight. But the emotions that came along the post-delivery period were both awesome and awful. It is both beautiful and exhausting to know that I could love everybody so deeply.

Such feelings tend to fade away in a few weeks and are usually called baby blues; whereas postnatal depression stays for months together.  

Mothers are the best gifts from God to this world; and entering motherhood is a blessing too. It takes courage to talk about the feelings that you are going through. Only a strong mind can bring up strong babies. At our Childbirth masterclass, we educate mothers about postnatal mental health and ways to stay calm and healthy during pregnancy.

Postpartum depression is treatable with the right knowledge and a good support system. Reach out to Baby Sutra to enroll in our masterclass 9 months and beyond if you have planned your baby.

To Read more about Mother and Baby care Click The Links Below

https://www.babysutra.in/blog/what_is_postnatal_depression

https://www.facebook.com/babysutra

https://in.pinterest.com/Babysutra/

Baby Sutra

Baby sutra | Exclusive Spa for babies | Baby Spa Bangalore

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[heartyscoff]

Life Choice Keto Reviews - Ketosis Support Pills To Burn Fat! Price & Buy

Keto isn’t the only way to lose weight or change your life, obviously. Dietitians say it is not essential to cut back on as many foods, since a moderate low-carb diet may still hold benefits for diabetes or weight loss. A Life Choice Keto ketogenic diet may help endurance athletes -- runners and cyclists, for example -- when they train.

But to lessen the effects of any discomfort, simply consider slowly transitioning onto a Life Choice Keto ketogenic diet rather than rushing to change your eating habits. By slowly lowering your carbohydrate intake, while gradually increasing your intake of dietary fat over time, you can transition with less of a negative impact and potentially prevent the keto flu. On a ketogenic diet, the goal is to restrict carbohydrate intake so that the body must break down fat for energy. When this occurs, fat is broken down in the liver, thereby producing ketones, which are by-products of your metabolism.

The diet may also cause low blood pressure, constipation, kidney stones, and eating disorders. At Metagenics, we offer a number of resources to help support the Life Choice Keto ketogenic journey along with several convenient ketogenic supplementation options to help bring convenience and variety to ketogenic living.

To understand the cause of keto breath, it’s important to understand how metabolism works. Your body gets energy from a variety of food sources, including carbohydrates, fat, and protein.

Ketones are produced in the body once you have reached a state of ketosis and can be measured in the blood and urine to ensure that you stay in ketosis during the keto diet. The Life Choice Keto diet is now standard care for both children and adults with epilepsy, as it has been shown to help diminish the frequency of seizures. It's also being used for many other neurological disorders, includingParkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis , amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's Disease ), dementia, migraines and certain brain cancers. One recent study showed that the keto diet can reduce fatigue and depression in people with MS, for example, and the resulting weight loss itself is a health boon for any patients who are overweight.

Even after you have finished with doing keto, there is no point going back to your previous – presumably unhealthy – diet. Try keeping at least some of the healthy aspects of your Life Choice Keto Reviews, like the increased fruit/veg/nut intake, post-keto, too. The tricky part is, for an average person, carbs tend to form the majority of their energy intake and switching from a high-carb diet to a high-fat diet will require some willpower. The low-carb, high-fat plan promises quick weight loss, but health experts worry about these side effects and complications.

Studies found out that ketogenic diet improved insulin sensitivity by 75 percent and another study showed 7 out of the 21 participants with type 2 diabetes were able to stop using all diabetes medications. Ketosis helps the body become incredibly efficient at burning fat for energy, by burning fats into ketones in the liver, which can supply for the brain. It is known to have caused massive reductions in blood sugar and insulin levels. The initial fat flood in your system causes bile duct “shock syndrome”, hence the early-onset diarrhoea.

Cream cheese is a versatile ingredient that many could not imagine living without. It can be made sweet or savory and adds a creamy texture to recipes.

Unless you are an athlete, you probably don’t do much intense exercise. Instead, many of us spend our time sitting at a desk, in front of a computer. In this case, your body doesn’t need as many carbs and could function on a low carb diet such as the Keto Diet. The keto diet has become increasingly popular as celebrities, including Gwyneth Paltrow, Lebron James, and Kim Kardashian, have touted it as a weight-loss regimen. If one fuel source is used up, the backup fuel source will kick in.

These are just some of the basic benefits of the Life Choice Keto diet pills. The ketogenic diet is a hugely popular method for weight loss, but it can have effects on other areas of a person's fitness and overall health. YouTube's Doctor Mike, aka Mikhail Varshavski, tried keto for 30 days, and offered his insights after a month of getting 75 percent of his calories from fat, 20 percent from protein, and only 5 percent from carbs. All Ketogenic Diets are high in fat, adequate in protein and low in carbohydrates.

Not all health experts would recommend the diet, though, as it can lead to kidney stones, increased intake of “bad” fats, nutrient deficiencies, decreased bone density, and stomach problems, various research suggests. The ketogenic diet, often called the Life Choice Keto, is one that is very high in fat, very low in carbohydrates, and low to moderate in protein. It typically supplies 75 to 90 percent of calories from fat, versus a more usual intake of 20 to 35 percent. It is intended to force the body to burn fat for energy rather than glucose—a state known as ketosis. Keto or the Ketogenic diet is very popular for weight loss, especially among celebrities and social media influencers.

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[drachenmaleenhancementinus]

How To Increase Your Penis Size By The Use Of Drachen Male Enhancement?

Official Facebook Page ⇒ https://www.facebook.com/DrachenMaleEnhancement.US

Drachen Reviews (Updated 2022) - Drachen is a 100% all-natural male growth hormone activator formulated to support men's health. Safe ingredients? Any side effects? Any complaints? Learn everything here!

What is Drachen Male Enhancement? 

Drachen is a male health enhancement supplement. It is an all-in-one solution that supports the overall health of men.  The formula contains various amino acids which help make men feel younger. It makes you stronger. The perfect ingredients in Drachen eliminate inflammation from your body and help restore a youthful appearance.  It helps boost stamina which leads to longer-lasting experiences without performance fear that might’ve bothered you in the past. It also improves blood circulation and strengthens muscles. Increasing libido and therefore helps in increasing energy levels.  One of the most important male hormones is testosterone and Drachen helps increase testosterone production.  All the results that Drachen Male Growth Activator causes a boost in confidence which makes you feel self-assured. 

Drachen is a 100% natural formula. It is a blend of various natural extracts and amino acids; this combination proves to be very effective.  It is one of the few formulas that activates growth efficiently. Drachen is available not in the form of tablets or pills but in a spray form. A spray ensures maximum bioavailability for every ingredient it contains.  

All you have to do is spray Drachen serum on the tip of your tongue, three times a day. Do this for at least three to four months for the best results.  Drachen can be very effective for men who take it regularly. Don’t worry, it doesn’t taste bad. 

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How does Drachen Male Growth Activator work? 

Amino acids are known as “the building blocks of life”. When your body digests amino acids, they help repair tissue and promote muscle growth.  Even some everyday tasks are performed by the amino acids in our body and so we are dependent on these for a lot of functions to occur. They are also wonderful sources of energy. So, it is clear that without amino acids, your body will not function efficiently. Some amino acids are naturally present in your body while others can only be obtained through supplements.  Drachen Male Growth Activator will supply your body with these extra amino acids and will therefore help in achieving various health benefits.  Another important thing is the presence of testosterone in your body. Testosterone is a sex hormone that plays varied important roles. It regulates sex drive, improves muscle mass and strength, and promotes sperm and red blood cell production. Therefore, testosterone boosters have been added to Drachen. Drachen will also help in promoting Human growth hormone production and so, various HGH stimulators are added to it. 

What benefits does Drachen have? 

As Drachen Male Growth Activator assists in improving various functions of your body, a list of its benefits is important. Take a look at the following benefits: 

Drachen Male Enhancment spray activates the male growth hormone 

It improves blood circulation to the male reproductive organs. 

It improves muscle growth and flushes out fats. 

Drachen Male Enhancment drops helps you lose some weight too. 

It helps improve strength and boosts energy. 

It helps increase your stamina, therefore improving performance. 

Drachen Male Enhancment spray helps improve sex drive and libido. 

It also boosts sperm count and red blood cells. 

Its amino acids assist in the growth process. 

It helps eliminate chronic and maintain healthy inflammation. 

Its ingredients also maintain blood pressure and blood sugar levels. 

Drachen Male Enhancment spray  helps increase testosterone production. 

It helps regulate sleep to revitalise your health. 

It protects the immune system. 

Drachen Male Enhancment spray helps in boosting metabolism. 

It helps you perform better in bed and boosts your confidence. 

It reduces hair fall and improves hair regrowth as it boosts testosterone levels. 

Drachen Male Enhancment spray helps shrink the prostate size too. 

Visit The Official Website To Know More On Drachen Ingredients  

Which ingredients does Drachen Drops contain? 

Drachen Male Growth Activator is a blend of various amino acids and natural nutrients.  

You will not find any harmful additives in this formula. In all, it contains 12 natural ingredients. The following is the list of these potent natural ingredients: 

Growth factor complex: 

Alpha Glyceri-Phosphoryl Choline: It helps improve human performance as it helps in the facilitation of neuromuscular interaction. Drachen Reviews helps in maintaining reaction time. It plays a crucial role in various functions related to memory and learning. 

Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid: It is a neurotransmitter that helps in enhancing sleep. A sound sleep is essential for muscle growth and by assisting the sleep process, GABA helps your body’s development. This development is extended to the sex organs as well. 

L-Dopa Bean: It is a powerful amino acid that increases dopamine production in the brain. This makes the transmission of important hormones which assist muscle growth and development possible. 

Moomiyo: It comes from northern Siberia and it is an essential adaptogen. It provides natural anabolic protection. Drachen Customer Reviews helps eliminate inflammation and boosts testosterone production. 

HGH Stimulators: 

Human Growth Hormone is believed to be the key to slowing down the ageing process. It stimulates cell reproduction, cell regeneration, and growth.  

This “fountain of youth” helps in solving many age-related issues, especially for middle-aged men. Following is a list of HGH stimulators: 

Ornithine Alpha Ketoglutarate: It is often used for improving muscle strength. It also helps in healing wounds and treating ulcers and burns. It assists in increasing growth hormone production as well. 

L-Glutamine: For protein, it is one of the primary building blocks. For your digestive and reproductive system, it acts as a catalyst. This leads to tissue growth and protection of these systems from dangerous toxins that cause inflammation. 

L-Arginine: It is yet another amino acid that helps in protein creation. Drachen Review helps in improving the flow of blood to the reproductive organs so that you can achieve firmer and longer-lasting erections. 

L-Lysine: It helps in the production of carnitine, a nutrient that turns fatty acids into energy and helps in reducing cholesterol levels. It may prove to help reduce stress levels. It also helps manage blood pressure levels. 

L-Valine: It provides your body with an extra amount of glucose for energy production. It prevents muscles from breaking down. It regulates blood sugar levels and supports growth and healing processes. 

L-Isoleucine: It plays various important roles. Drachen Male Growth Activator assists the body’s glycose transportation, metabolism, immunity, growth, fatty acid metabolism, etc. 

L-Tyrosine: It is well known for its antidepressant and anxiolytic properties. Physiological as well as psychological reasons lead to inflammation. L-Tyrosine identifies this issue and resolves it by reducing oxidative stress and promoting better sleep. Drachen Male Growth Activator helps induce muscle protein synthesis. 

Glycine: It protects your body from oxidative stress and free radical damage. It also helps in improving sleep quality. It lowers blood pressure and may help people who have type-2 diabetes. It shields your body from muscle loss. 

Pros of Drachen: 

Unlike other male enhancement supplements, Drachen is truly effective. And so, the formula has several pros: 

It is a budget-friendly formula. 

It is available in a spray form which increases its bioavailability. 

They provide a money-back guarantee. 

It is natural and safe. 

It is a side-effect-free formula. 

It works for adult men of all ages. 

The effects of the formula are visible within a few days. 

Drachen is easy to use. 

Only the best and clinically proven ingredients are added to Drachen. 

A lot of people have left positive reviews about the formula 

Cons of Drachen: 

Drachen has very few cons: 

Drachen can only be purchased online, through the official website. 

It may not work for every man. 

You might have to consult your physician before use. 

Limited Stock: Order Now to Avail Huge Discounts on Drachen  

What is the price of Drachen Serum? 

Three packages of Drachen are available. If you purchase more bottles, you’ll get a higher discount. Take a look at the following packages: 

One bottle (30-day supply) is worth $69 + Shipping charges. 

Two bottles (60-day supply) are worth $118. You save $240! 

Four bottles (120-day supply) are worth $196. You save $520! 

Shipping for the two and four-bottle packages is free. Drachen has a 60-day, 100% money-back guarantee as well.  

So, if you find the formula to be ineffective, you can get a full refund within 60 days of your purchase. 

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Drachen Customer Reviews: 

Here’s what one of Drachen’s customers said… 

“Every man should feel the pride of having a "weapon" that drives women absolutely bonkers with pleasure. Since I started taking Drachen, I've felt more in tune with my body. It almost feels like I've leveled up as a man. My sex life is as fulfilling as it was when I was 20. Whenever I go on Tinder I know that I can satisfy any partner, which has done wonders for my confidence. Thanks A LOT Adam!” - Roger F., 45 

Drachen Reviews - Final Verdict: 

Drachen is the only male enhancement supplement that is loaded with so many amino acids to level up your man game. It makes you more of a man every day.  If you have been feeling low these days and want to boost your sleep, sexual life, stamina and testosterone levels, you should definitely try Drachen supplement.  It contains the goodness of so many nutrients to boost your sleep and testosterone levels as these two aspects solve more than half of a man’s problems.  Men who use Drachen supplement regularly do not struggle with low sex drive or libido. It is an all-rounder that saves you from so many health issues men would otherwise have to deal with.  

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We are a professional product review website. We might receive compensation when you buy through our website, we may earn a small affiliate commission. The information contained on this website is provided for informational purposes only and is not meant to substitute for the advice provided by your doctor or other healthcare professional. The products have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease

#DrachenMaleEnhancement

[wanderlustlanguages]

Brazil study abroad roundup

So since I failed at posting during my study abroad I am going to attempt to sum everything up here. I hope this might be helpful for people who want to study abroad in Brazil in the future.

Disclaimer: This is written based on my personal experience which is of course affected by who I am (20-year-old, female, Austrian, introverted, straight, white,...) and the people I happened to meet and a million other small factors.

If you have any specific questions don’t hesitate to inbox me or send me a message.

Rio de Janeiro

I spent my exchange semester in Brazil or more precisely in Rio de Janeiro. Rio de Janeiro is without a doubt a city unlike any other (I have ever seen at least). My favourite thing about Rio is its diversity in both its population and the landscape. Rio really has it all amazing beaches, lush-greenness and a buzzing city. The city itself was probably my favorite thing about my exchange. I remember the first day I arrived and drove through the city to get to my apartment. I was fascinated by how the rich and the poor lived so close to each other and how there were 15 story buildings right in front of green hills and corporate office next to a beach.

Culture and People

The culture is completely different from anything I have ever experienced before. People in Brazil are so friendly it is shocking. Everyone seems to be open to have a chat and help you out. The one downside I found to this (as an introvert) while everyone is open to having a chat it can be hard to find real, solid friends. People tend to talk about hanging out or doing something but as you are talking about it both of you already know that it will never happen. So while in general, I cannot complain about people since they are very friendly to foreigners I have not made any real friends.

Language

However, not making friends might also have something to do with the fact that my Portuguese wasn’t really good enough to speak much when I arrived here and most people don’t really speak English. While it has improved greatly (especially my understanding of native speakers) I am still missing the practice to come up with words quickly enough to have a fluent conversation. Also, slang is still an issue while I have learned some of it there seems to be an endless amount of slang terms that I will probably never know (the fact that Brazilian Portuguese slang changes quickly and varies by region isn’t helping either):

Food

I have a love-hate relationship with Brazilian food. There’s some food I really enjoy but then there is even more food that I don’t particularly like. The food that I did enjoy seemed to get too monotonous quickly. In general Brazilian cuisine tends to be very much meat-based (being a vegetarian is still somewhat rare here) with carbs also playing a big role. As someone who prefers to eat a bit more plant-based and lighter it was a bit difficult to imagine eating a typical Brazilian diet every day. But of course, this wasn’t really an issue I just bought my vegetables in the supermarket and prepared them the same way I would have at home. But I did miss typical dishes from home and also Maki with avocado or cucumber (for some reason they only have sushi with actual fish here).

Money

Brazil is not as cheap as some other Latin American countries, especially Rio is quite expensive. I would say on average the living expenses here are as much as in other European cities (not London or Paris). The prices for food are pretty moderate with imported goods, of course, being more expensive. The metro is cheap compared to European standards and while it does cover much less area than the underground systems in most other major cities it really does take you pretty much everywhere that you’ll need to go. Uber is also surprisingly cheap. If you can split the ride it might just end up being cheaper than the metro ticket. My monthly living expenses without trips and rent were around: €500.

Housing

The rent prices vary greatly depending on the area you live in, however, in general, the standard of living is lower so even if you pay €500 a month the apartment might have all the necessities but often just doesn’t look as pretty (not an issue just something to keep in mind). I personally chose to live in an apartment in Ipanema which I shared with another girl from my university we paid about €500/month each. When choosing an area to live in you should keep in mind that there are areas that are not so safe. Personally, we booked our apartment on Airbnb but many people find theirs on facebook or upon arrival.

Trips

I managed to go on quite a few trips but getting around Brazil can quickly get complicated and expensive since it is such a huge country. If you have a place you already know you would like to visit I recommend booking the airplane ticket as early as possible the closer you get to the date the more expensive they tend to get. The cheapest airplane ticket I managed to get was about €70 (one hour flight, no checked bags). There are buses almost everywhere and they can be significantly cheaper however it is debatable whether you would rather pay €60 and drive for 14 hours or pay €150 - 200 and fly for 2 to 3 hours. For shorther distances buses are of course completely fine and you can book most of them online or buy a ticket directly at the central bus station.

Personally, I visited:

Paraty Salvador Belo Horizonte Ouro Preto Buzios Blumenau Curitiba Porto Alegre São Paulo Petropolis

Education system

Like in many countries getting a good education in Brazil means getting a private education. Since my university had a contract with a private university that’s the kind of educational environment I experienced. Personally, education is a topic I feel quite passionate about or more specifically I feel quite passionate about the belief that education should be as accessible as possible to as many people as possible (I am not going to go in-depth here about why..). The Brazilian education system is built in a way that greatly advantages people who are more well off than the average Brazilian. I personally was not a fan of my university since I felt the entire thing was just this bubble that didn’t in any way mirror the Rio that I experienced outside of university. 

Society

I touched upon this briefly in the previous section. One of the most interesting dynamics about Brazil is the society. There seems to be this strange dichotomy were Brazilians are proud of the diversity of their population yet there is some kind of deeply ingrained, probably to a large degree unconscious (like in many countries), racism going on. People who are noticeably darker in complexion are mostly still part of the poorest of the population while the richest look astonishingly European and nothing is done to change this. Brazilians are proud of their diversity yet the order of their society still reflects one of the colonial times. (I am in no way saying that every Brazilian supports the way things are. This is more a reflection of the politics going on in the country which are unfortunately corrupt to a large degree so we cannot exactly consolidate the current societal state with the actual opinion of people)

Touristy things + Leisure time

Now for a lighter topic. There is plenty to see in Rio and when I say plenty I mean a lot as in I didn’t even manage to see everything that I wanted to see. I plan to make a more comprehensive post on places to see in Rio (well-known ones and some not so well known). Leisure time is to a large degree spent outdoors on the beach, hiking, or at parties. One disadvantage of Rio is that it is a quite outdoorsy city so when it rains there aren’t many options for entertainment.

Party and dating culture

Parties here are a lot more spontaneous often happening on the street in front of university buildings. They are also a bit wilder it is quite common for one person to make out with several different people a night and it is almost unheard of that someone doesn’t drink alcohol. Dating culture from what I experienced (which is admittedly somewhat limited) is very relaxed. Casual relationships are extremely common and break-ups are usually quite pragmatic. At the same time, the macho culture is still a bit more prevalent than in many European countries. As someone who is introverted and doesn’t really enjoy casual relationships or just dating for the sake of dating it wasn’t my thing but each to their own.

Conclusion

Would I want to live here forever? No. Did I really like the experience? Yes. Brazil is what I like to refer to as an “extrovert country”. So as an introvert it can be quite exhausting to navigate the social life here even more so than in european countries since people here are very talkative and open. However, this was a thing I was prepared for and since it was a dream of mine to got to Brazil one day despite that I can’t say that I didn’t have a great time and that it wasn’t worth it. I definitely see myself coming back to see more of the country. I simply personally enjoy the openness for a short period of time but it would probably be too much for me to live like this for the rest of my life. I am also quite thankful to have been born in a european country with free education, pretty good public health care, less corruption and overall more stability. Still I would not ever tell anyone NOT to go to Brazil, or Rio especially. I like to think of Rio as the bad boy of cities. It might be a little dangerous or more uncomfortable than others but it’s just so pretty, fascinating and mysterious you can’t help but fall in love. 

#BrazilExchange #study abroad #exchange student #semester abroad #Exchange Semester #travelling #brazil #travel #rio de janeiro #portuguese #university #student #study french #study languages

[relationshipsandpolitics]

Part 3

Since I last posted, we’ve gotten word that a certain rich asshole is going to enter the race.  Now, I could do 500 words on why this guy is awful, but it would sort of go against my belief that just because someone is really rich does not mean we need to pay extra attention to them and their thoughts.   This guy is not winning the nomination, won’t even poll about 3% in most states, and overall is not worth the amount ink that will surely be spilled on his campaign.  Next.

Joe Biden. Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders

So we are down to the final 3.  One of those 3 objectively should have been culled much earlier.  If I was doing this purely based on the level of support for each candidate, this guy would have been cut about 8 candidates ago.  But Joe Biden is still the front runner, consistently leading national polls and absolutely killing it in several early primary states like South Carolina.  Biden remains popular among black voters, who serve as the lifeblood of the Democratic party. Even though his policies and personality suck, he is unique from all the other shitty centrist candidates.  So he gets his own takedown.

Joe Biden is a very old man hoping to blind the voters with his connection to President Obama.  And for the most part, it’s working like a charm. Forget the fact that he is a rambling, incoherent mess during campaign stops.  Forget his abysmal views on race, including his support for segregated busing and racist colleagues.  Forget the fact this guy railroaded Anita Hill and still can’t sufficiently apologize to her.  Forget all the bad parts of Joe Biden.  That’s what he is banking on.  Biden is trying to win not based on policy or his strategy for improving the lives of everyday Americans.  No, he is trying to win by painting a false image of who he is and how electable he would be.  Biden is basing his entire campaign on appealing to low-key racist white suburbanites who don’t want to pay more taxes.  That’s his base.  And it’s not an awful strategy.  But it highlights something terrible about the Democratic voter.

The average Democratic primary voter appears to support progressive causes.  They want to see Social Security expanded.  They support a $15 minimum wage and gun control.  They support paid family leave and some form of universal health care.  But the average Democratic voter of a certain age, race and class level doesn’t want to fight for those things.  Because while they agree with those policies in principle, they won’t be that affected by them, and more importantly, would have to pay more in taxes.  So they say they support these goals yet refuse to put any skin into the game to achieve them.   The other possibility is that they would support enacting these policies and paying a bit more, but they don’t think anyone else would and thus think we need to support the least-controversial candidate.  No one really likes Joe Biden, or if they do, no one can really identify what exactly he is running for.   Even though health care remains a joke in this country, Biden isn’t arguing to make it better.  He isn’t supporting a wealth tax.  What is this man running on except a vague idea about returning dignity to the American worker.  Yet voters still support him, either because they know he actually won’t change anything (except make it ok to be gay again) or because they think not changing anything is the only way for a Democrat to win.

The American voter (not just Democratic voters) collectively is a stupid person.  They personally want a politician to enact massive change to better their lives, yet believe the ideal candidate is a moderate who won’t do anything major, and still someone in doing nothing substantial, will improve their lives.  Then, just to double down on that stupidity, they will vote the opposition party into power in Congress to ensure nothing happens, all because they love compromise. Of course, the last thirty years of politics have shown that bipartisanship is a myth.

The American voter is both very ignorant and very naïve.  We accept that.  But it’s tougher to accept that from our politicians.  At a recent fundraiser for millionaires, Biden touted his sincere belief that when Trump goes, Republicans will have an epiphany and start working with him to make our country better.  Folks, this is disqualifying.  The sheer insanity of that belief needs to be a deal breaker.  Biden, in the very same speech to the very same contingent of rich assholes, said that he personally called dozens of Republicans to get Merrick Garland on the Supreme Court.  The Republicans said no and pulled a move so disgusting and unprecedented that we will never see something worse in our lifetimes.  And this was all before Trump was even nominated.

Joe Biden is an idiot. He also is in the bag of the rich. He regularly attends fundraisers hosted by lobbyists for some of the most nefarious industries.  His campaign is mostly funded by Wall Street and Health Insurance.  And how do you think he’ll govern once in office?  Will he go after these bad actors?  Or will he appoint them to his Cabinet?  Remember, this is the guy who worked in an administration that wanted Larry Summers as Fed Chief.  He appointed Timothy Geithner as Secretary of the Treasury.

Joe Biden would continue the worst aspects of Obama’s administration without all the good stuff. He’d be in his late 80’s by the time his second term ended, too.  For the love of all that we hold holy, we cannot nominate Biden.

It is now time for the top two candidates.  I would happily vote for either of these candidates, so my choice for one is not a slight on the other.  Each candidate has issues, but they are minor compared to what they bring to the table. So I urge you to vote early and often for either of them.

Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders

A presidential candidate should make you excited to vote for them.  It can’t just be “I can’t vote for the other guy so I guess you’ll do.”  It’s a recipe for disaster.  People need a reason to take a couple hours of their day, find parking, wait in a long line, deal with eighty-year old volunteers who yell at you to close the curtain more, and then go into work and deal with their daily amount of shit.  People need a reason to see the process of voting as exciting.  

I think Bernie and Elizabeth are the only two candidates one can reasonably get excited about.  I’m not saying everyone will be excited by them because a lot of people don’t support their policies.  I call these people assholes.  But can anyone honestly say they are excited to vote for Amy Klobuchar or Joe Biden? Even if you support their bland policy proposals which consist of “we need better jobs but fuck if I know how to do that.”

But which one to choose?

I’m going to start with Bernie.  The negatives against him are one of perception rather than reality, but in politics its not the truth that wins out but what you can convince people the truth is. And Bernie will definitely be portrayed as an out-of-touch Socialist.  While the youngins like the word “socialism” the majority of the electorate is still scared to death of the term because they equate social democratic government as the Soviet Union and bread lines.  In other words, most people are stupid.   Sanders best hope would be to hammer home how amazing European countries are, the benefits they enjoy without all the negatives that Republicans conjure up in places like Venezuela. Unfortunately, Republican messaging still rules the day.   Even if you could strap a person in a chair and explain point by point why Sweden and Denmark work as social democracies, they still wouldn’t get it.

Trump will absolutely attack Bernie for being a socialist, and the problem compared to the other candidates he would attack for being a socialist is that the suburban Democratic voters would actually believe him.  Bernie absolutely will upend the system, and a lot of people are still benefiting from that system.  People like my parents.  They have a good amount of money but are not rich.  Taxes going up on them will impact their daily lives, and most of the benefits Bernie is advocating for would not benefit them.  There is a lot of good research out there that suggests the key for Democrats to win across the board is to get the suburban moderate vote. And there is a legitimate argument that Bernie will not get that vote.  Now, one can say that those voters would never vote for Trump. But you must remember a very important thing about politics: white people can get pretty racist when they think you’ll take money away from them.

But here’s what I love about Bernie.  He is entirely genuine in his advocacy for the poor and working class. Most politicians say they care, of course.  They give a speech supporting raising the minimum wage or not cutting Medicaid. But they also tie themselves with rich donors and businesses whenever they can.  They support the poor until there is a good reason not to.  Not Bernie.  He’s been singing the same tune since the sixties.  He doesn’t care if it isn’t popular. He’ll make it become popular. Bernie almost single handedly shifted the conversation on universal health care.  We are talking about paid family leave and free college because of him. And the man deserves credit for that.

Bernie has been hit a lot from the Democratic establishment.  People are still sore that he had the audacity to challenge Hillary Clinton.  Even though he endorsed and campaigned heavily for her after dropping out in 2016, there is still a narrative that he sabotaged her campaign.  Let’s be clear, though.  The reason why the establishment Democratic contingency dislikes Bernie is because he thinks they are just as corrupt as the Republicans.  Which is true.  Democrats work out of the same bubble as Republicans.  They rub shoulders with the same Wall Street donors. Try calling up your Democratic Senator to get an in-person meeting.  Now look at who does get those meetings.  I support Bernie because he actually is trying to change our corrupt political system.  A politician can’t work within the given system without being corrupted by it. The system is a cancer that needs to be destroyed.  

Bernie has said some dumb things and has held some dumb positions.  This can’t be denied.  He’s been accused of being a racist, sexist and homophobe.  Some of this is absolute bullshit and some of it is based on dumb things he’s said.   But judging by the policies the man has supported, the votes he has taken, and what he has said during the 2016 and 2020 campaigns, does anyone honestly believe him to be a racist, sexist or homophobe?

If you are having a tough time getting behind Bernie, I’d ask yourself the following questions:

Do you honestly believe he would pursue anti-women and anti-reproductive rights policies?

Do you think a more robust paid family leave policy, along with a policy promoting affordable childcare, would significantly benefit women?

Do you think Bernie would restrict LGBTQ rights or would he expand protections for this group?

Do you genuinely believe Bernie would support or champion policies that would discriminate against black people?  

Do you think health care is a crisis in this country and everyone should have access to it? If so, do you think Bernie makes the situation better or worse?

Do you think a president should fill his administration with people from the financial and insurance industries?  Do you think Bernie would do this?

Do you think millionaires and billionaires should be taxed more and more money should go into programs that help the poor and middle class?

Should college be free or at least much more affordable?

Ask yourself these questions.  Don’t worry about whether he can get them passed.  Truth is it will be tough for any Democrat to get anything passed.  I’d be looking at which candidates are most willing to use executive orders (hint: it’s Bernie).

We can’t keep hedging our votes on what’s practical because the truth is everything is doable with enough willpower.   Think about how insane Social Security is as a legislative success.  We taxed everyone, rich and poor, to provide money to senior citizens for the rest of their lives.  That’s insane, and we did it.  Same with Medicare.  If you think are country needs massive changes to secure our future, vote for the candidate who is advocating for massive changes.  That candidate is Bernie Sanders and…..

Elizabeth Warren.  Everything good about Bernie can also be said about Elizabeth Warren.  This is a person who literally created an agency designed to help consumers go against corporations.  Warren has correctly diagnosed the problem for wealth and income inequality and a lot of the bad shit that’s been happening to the American worker. Corporations suck. Rich people suck. They both need to be taxed way more and we need to use those funds to give benefits to the poor and working class. Warren has a plan for pretty much everything, and that is a great thing.  She doesn’t talk in platitudes about restoring dignity to the working class. She identifies the problem and comes up with an actual solution.  

And for her efforts she gets skewered by her opponents and the media.  When Pete Buttigieg says we should invest more in affordable housing, no one pushes back on exactly what that means.  But when Warren releases a comprehensive plan to pay for Medicare for All, she is eviscerated.  Her plans should be critiqued, but they should also come with the acknowledgement that she has put in the work and is way more open with the American people than the other candidates.  The media and voters need to start making candidates pay a price for not articulating actual plans for their policy goals.  

Warren is fucking smart and driven.  She has the brain and energy to do the job.  She’s not a crackpot; she’s an advocate for the little guy.  Honestly, there isn’t much to criticize Warren on outside of how she will pay for her policy proposals.  But the media will attack what little they have while giving Trump and the more moderate Democrats a pass.  When Trump or Biden talk about strengthening the military, no one will ask what that means and how much it will cost.  But when Warren comes up with a tax plan to pay for free childcare, every single pundit will pounce the second some study comes out that her funding is off by a few million.

Of course, the dumbest part is the idea Warren needs to fully fund any proposal.  Right now, the economy has been doing great for about five years.  And in that whole time, we’ve been running huge deficits.  Maybe government spending without offsets isn’t such a big deal. Warren can’t say that because the media won’t allow her to.  It would be great if Warren could just say “things are going great now despite a trillion-dollar deficit, so why not get free healthcare for a $2 trillion-dollar deficit?”

That’s what I love most about Warren.  The lines of attack against her are so shitty.  Bernie has legitimate concerns that the Republicans will easily exploit. The best they can do with Warren is attack her policies, which are broadly popular.  And with Warren, you get a bunch of different contingencies that will come out for her.  You have women and those who want to see our first female president.  You get progressives excited about finally having a candidate who advocates for them with a fighting chance.  And because she is being so careful not to raise middle class taxes, I think you get a lot of the suburban vote.

I think Warren can win this thing.  She articulates the message well, she lacks genuine baggage and when compared to Trump, she comes off even better.  

So who is my final pick? I’m going with Elizabeth Warren. Not only does she hold most of the same policy positions as Sanders, but she also is fundamentally opposed to the corporate interests that got us to this point.  And I think she can better cajole moderate Democrats to support her agenda.  Finally, I think she comes with less baggage.

What I would love to see, based on the polling, is for Warren to either win or come in second by a close margin to Biden or Buttigieg.  Sanders would drastically underperform, at which point if New Hampshire was also going poorly, he could drop out and swing all his support to Warren.  That would make her the clear front runner. Let’s see what happens.

  Elizabeth Warren

#elizabeth warren #bernie sanders #joe biden

[kindabraveandlittlestupid]

Donald Trump is a fucking idiot. Not exactly breaking news but he continues to remind us how idiotic he is almost daily and beyond belief he still has people who support him. It feels good to say that and even write it on the screen. A sweet sweet catharsis of stating an established truth about the current President is a moron. That being said, with his inability to lead the country (even in the most basic of ways), we can talk about one of his ideas that has the potential to be either something very exciting or a complete and utter waste of taxpayer money depending who is steering the end result of the concept.

The concept at hand? Space Force.

I will be going over who this idea might be used for good, why it will likely be bad and why it is a stupid distraction from the next true battleground.

The Good

Now the ‘good’ elements of Space Force is circumstantial. If you know your US History, you will know when the US considers any massive spending bill for the military there are sometimes social programs linked to it and often advances in science. If you need an example of how war spending ended up creating programs, look no further then National Defense Education Act from 1958 which basically spent a huge amount of cash to help establish public schooling as a means of shoring up the United States Intelligence against the Soviet Union for the long run. I will let that sink in for a moment... the US paid for public schooling because it would make the country safer. I can hear the brain vessels popping in Conservatives heads when the account for education system being partially created by a military spending bill.

There are other examples of how spending in the Military sector ended up improving the lives of Americans across the country. Your Freeways? Military spending was involved to help move mobile missiles around the country. Power? US nuclear weapons and the eventual development of nuclear energy as a power source. The Internet? Created by ARPANET which was funded by the Department of Defense. International Travel? Radar and GPS allow thousands of flights to lift off and land across the world, also thanks to military spending. On occasion, the spending on military budgets creates social systems that enhanced the overall living in this country and around the world.

If we are able to tailor this USSF (United States Space Force) we might create some long-term benefits for space travel, colonization, mining of asteroids, and advanced satellites (to you know to add more proof to global warming because apparently some people still need MORE evidence). This military spending also may supplement NASA’s dwindling budget and expand some of their long-term projects like visiting Mars or keeping the International Space Station up in orbit. So at least we can see some potential good come from it.

The Bad

The concept of Space Force isn't a new idea. Infact the United States Space Command existed from 1985 to 2002 as one of Americas first flirtations with the idea. Do to infighting and the fact that the ARMY, NAVY, and Air Force already had their own ‘space programs’ in regards to GPS and Satellites the agency was redundant and mothballed. 

NOTE: Just keep this in mind when a Trump supporter acts like their great dictator is break barriers with his ideas, he isn't.

The real issue with Space Force is the fact this will become the next big spending project for Conservatives. They have a habit of waving their flags not because they actually are proud of the military service members (I am sure some Republicans are) but the real reason why they love military spending is that it is taxpayer money (IE socialist spending) investing into private companies and when they pass bills like this those private companies suck from the sweet breast of military spending as long and hard as they can while contributing to those candidates that helped them get the contract.

This is why we saw great mismanagement of military spending during Iraq and Afghanistan where private companies loved to bill the US for work they weren't even doing. This happens stateside as well as companies build tanks with taxpayer money and the US proceeds to sell said tanks to Saudi Arabia and so on. While I do not outright hate capitalism, when it comes to programs like this there is no doubt once you have those private contractors building the United States Space Force, their objective will be to do it cheap enough to get the contract but expensive enough to maximize their profits once they have their foot in the door. This is where programs like NASA are superior because the mission isn't about profits but making sure those astronauts don't fucking die. 

The Stupid

Trump sells Space Force like the next great battle will be in space (someone in the White House has been watching Roger Moore’s Moonraker) when in reality its more likely to be over things like fresh water, China’s rapid expansion into the Pacific with their man-made islands or most likely a ‘Cyber War’ which is kinda already taking place. No one views the armchair soldier who codes all day as someone who deserves a medal but when you protecting connected infrastructure (water/power/etc), the global stock markets, satellites and pretty much your personal data, they deserve some big credit for being a digital-front line. 

The problem with the concept of cyber warfare is that it isn't ‘sexy’. People enjoy the scenes where Neo is shooting up a lobby far more than were him doing his hacking in the beginning of the movie and that is what Trump thinks about when pitching Space Force. What can he sell this to his base? What is marketable to the populace? I imagine the idea of Space Force is easier for him to wrap his small mind around then the concept that hacking is taking place all the time and white hats are trying to keep black hats from doing destructive acts day and night.

The Wrap Up

Really the whole problem with Space Force isn't really that big. Trump won't be president forever which means whatever lucid ideas he has for this new branch of the military will likely be sculpted by men and women with at least triple his unimpressive IQ. If the USSF does end up being launched there could be unknown good that comes from it; that perhaps relieves the pains of climate change and improving lives across the planet.

What is sad about the concept (besides the con man pitching it) is the fact we are drawn to looking at the stars (which I am excited about exploring) instead of being aware of the next battleground that is very much likely to be a digital one. The shoring up of defense is a conservative value to some degree (if only for the most profitable reasons for them) but the world is not yet free from bad actors looking to cause chaos. We should be spending our money in actual branches that could actually help with our defense and space is simply not yet one of those locations.

As always thanks for reading.

Regards, Michael California

NOTE: I feel as though I left out the fact that Space Force will be incredibly expensive which could fall under the ‘bad’ or ‘stupid’ part of this post. We all know and heard this argument which is why I kinda left it out but now that I am finished writing? Yeah, it's gonna cost billions; health care, clean air & water, cybersecurity, free college, taking care of the homeless, serving our vets, or building green energy are far better ways to spend money then this concept.

#Space Force #NASA #Space Travel #Politics #US Politics

[moshelewismd]

The Art of the Diet

What does your body need? The simple answer: fuel.

Every cell relies on a perfectly controlled balance of vitamins, minerals, fiber, protein, sugar and fat to keep your body healthy.

There's no clear answer to the question "On what days should I eat this or that?" Each of us has a unique body composition, metabolism, and different levels of physical exertion that need to be considered.

However, years of research have helped to define the most important components of a healthy and balanced diet. We break them down individually, starting with macronutrients, or "macros": carbohydrates, fats and proteins.

Carbohydrates

Foods rich in carbohydrates are an essential element of any healthy diet. Carbohydrates are molecules made up of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms and your body needs carbohydrates to survive. After ingestion, carbohydrates break down into glucose, a form of sugar molecule that your body converts into energy.

There are three forms of carbohydrates: sugar, starch and fiber. Interestingly, our bodies do not actually produce fiberglass - but through food and fiberglass we feed our gut bacteria, our microbiome, which are responsible for maintaining a healthy digestive system.

Research has shown that a diet high in carbohydrates and/or fiber - vegetables, fruits, legumes, and grains - is associated with a lower propensity for disease. These complex carbohydrates are full of fiber and important nutrients, and your body breaks them down differently than simple carbohydrates such as soda or candy. Healthy foods high in complex carbohydrates include: fruits, vegetables, legumes, beans, potatoes, wholemeal bread, wild rice, and oatmeal.

Protein

Protein is a building block of tissue and muscle and also provides energy for your daily life. Protein is slowly digested and used to help your body maintain muscle mass while stimulating your metabolism and immune system. Healthy, high-protein foods include: whole eggs, wheat, chicken, oats, cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, soy, milk, broccoli, beans, peas, hemp and fish.

Fats

Healthy fats are important - they support many bodily functions and help your body metabolize essential nutrients and vitamins. However, there can also be harmful fats in the diet that need to be eaten in moderation.

For example, trans fats are highly processed and are associated with higher levels of cholesterol, low density lipoproteins (LDL or "bad") cholesterol and triglycerides - all of which increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Foods high in fats include fried foods, cakes, frozen pizza, tortilla chips, crackers, vegetable oil, coffee cream and margarine. However, other forms of fat are much healthier and more nutritious. Healthy fat sources include avocado, olives, cheese, eggs, fish, nuts, olive oil, seeds, peanut butter, tofu and soy milk.

Macros at Large

Not all sources of carbohydrates, fats and proteins are the same. For example, fried fast food chicken is high in protein, but also often high in salt, fat, and cholesterol, so overall, it is not exactly the healthiest source of egg whites.

Therefore, it's good to look at food labels to determine the molecular constituency of your food and make informed decisions about what to consume.

A healthy and balanced diet consists of unprocessed foods - fruits, vegetables, grains, egg whites and healthy fats.

Hydration and Exercise

Drinking plenty of water is also important for proper nutrition because it helps improve digestion, lubricates joints, and hydrates cells. You should drink at least 90 ounces of water, or 9.5 cups, daily.

Staying physically active is also important for your overall health because it helps your body stay healthy, fight disease and promote efficient use of energy and nutrients that you use every day.

Your workouts don't have to be intense - the most important thing is to move. A 30-minute walk or low-impact exercise, such as yoga, may be enough to keep your cardiovascular system healthy.

Building up a "Healthy Relationship" with Food

Remember that you must listen to your body and respect the natural signs of hunger and satiety. Give yourself permission to eat the food you love in moderation and try to consistently choose the food you consider the best. Over time, you may find that healthier foods - vegetables, fruits, sources of protein and fat - may seem stronger, but it's important to listen to your body. Keep your body and mind energized. Focus groups and community networks help.

The nutritional requirements of each are unique and are influenced by factors such as activity levels, genetics, and body composition. It's important to see a doctor to discuss your dietary needs.

Healthcare professionals are here to help you get nutritious foods and healthy ingredients that will keep your body and mind fresh and motivated.

References:

Gomez-Pinilla F. The influences of diet and exercise on mental health through hormesis. Ageing Res Rev. 2008;7(1):49-62.

Sørensen M, Anderssen S, Hjerman I, Holme I, Ursin H. The effect of exercise and diet on mental health and quality of life in middle-aged individuals with elevated risk factors for cardiovascular disease. J Sports Sci. 1999 May;17(5):369-77.

#diet #exercise #expert medical witness #disability expert #personal injury experts #workers compensation expert #independent medical evaluation