Until very recently, Parkinson's had been thought a disease that starts in the brain, destroying motion centers and resulting in the tremors and loss of movement. New research published this week in the journal Brain, shows the most common Parkinson's gene mutation may change how immune cells react to generic infections like colds, which in turn trigger the inflammatory reaction in the brain that causes Parkinson's. The research offers a new understanding of Parkinson's disease.
"We know that brain cells called microglia cause the inflammation that ultimately destroys the area of the brain responsible for movement in Parkinson's," said Richard Smeyne, PhD, Director of the Jefferson Comprehensive Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorder Center at the Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience. "But it wasn't clear how a common inherited mutation was involved in that process, and whether the mutation altered microglia."
Together with Dr. Smeyne, first author Elena Kozina, PhD, looked at the mutant version of the LRRK2 gene (pronounced 'lark'). Mutations in the LRRK2 gene are the most common cause of inherited Parkinson's disease and are found in 40 percent of people of North African Arab descent and 18 percent of people of Ashkenazi Jewish descent with Parkinson's. However there's been controversy around the exact function of the LRRK2 gene in the brain.
"We know that gene mutation is not enough to cause the disease," said Dr. Kozina, Post-Doctoral student at Jefferson (Philadelphia University + Thomas Jefferson University). "We know that twins who both carry the mutation, won't both necessarily develop Parkinson's. A second 'hit' or initiating event is needed."
Based on his earlier work showing that the flu might increase risk of Parkinson's disease, Dr. Smeyne decided to investigate whether that second hit came from an infection. Suspecting that the LRRK2 mutations might be acting outside of the brain, the researchers used an agent—the outer shell of bacteria, called lippopolysaccharide (LPS) - that causes an immune reaction. LPS itself does not pass into the brain, nor do the immune cells it activates, which made it ideal for testing whether this second hit was acting directly in the brain.
When the researchers gave the bacterial fragments to the mice carrying the two most common LRRK2 gene mutations, the immune reaction became a "cytokine storm," with inflammatory mediators rising to levels that 3-5 times higher than a normal reaction to LPS. These inflammatory mediators were produced by T and B immune cells expressing the LRRK2 mutation.
Despite the fact that LPS did not cross the blood-brain barrier, the researchers showed that the elevated cytokines were able to enter the brain, creating an environment that caused the microglia to activate pathologically and destroy the brain region involved in movement.
"Although more tests are needed to prove the link, as well as testing whether the same is true in humans, these findings give us a new way to think about how these mutations could cause Parkinson's," said Dr. Smeyne. "Although we can't treat people with immunosuppressants their whole lives to prevent the disease, if this mechanism is confirmed, it's possible that other interventions could be effective at reducing the chance of developing the disease."
More information: Elena Kozina et al, Mutant LRRK2 mediates peripheral and central immune responses leading to neurodegeneration in vivo, Brain (2018). DOI: 10.1093/brain/awy077
Until very recently, Parkinson's had been thought a disease that starts in the brain, destroying motion centers and resulting in the tremors and loss of movement. New research published this week in the journal Brain, shows the most common Parkinson's gene mutation may change how immune cells react to generic infections like colds, which in turn trigger the inflammatory reaction in the brain that causes Parkinson's. The research offers a new understanding of Parkinson's disease.
"We know that brain cells called microglia cause the inflammation that ultimately destroys the area of the brain responsible for movement in Parkinson's," said Richard Smeyne, PhD, Director of the Jefferson Comprehensive Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorder Center at the Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience. "But it wasn't clear how a common inherited mutation was involved in that process, and whether the mutation altered microglia."
Together with Dr. Smeyne, first author Elena Kozina, PhD, looked at the mutant version of the LRRK2 gene (pronounced 'lark'). Mutations in the LRRK2 gene are the most common cause of inherited Parkinson's disease and are found in 40 percent of people of North African Arab descent and 18 percent of people of Ashkenazi Jewish descent with Parkinson's. However there's been controversy around the exact function of the LRRK2 gene in the brain.
"We know that gene mutation is not enough to cause the disease," said Dr. Kozina, Post-Doctoral student at Jefferson (Philadelphia University + Thomas Jefferson University). "We know that twins who both carry the mutation, won't both necessarily develop Parkinson's. A second 'hit' or initiating event is needed."
Based on his earlier work showing that the flu might increase risk of Parkinson's disease, Dr. Smeyne decided to investigate whether that second hit came from an infection. Suspecting that the LRRK2 mutations might be acting outside of the brain, the researchers used an agent—the outer shell of bacteria, called lippopolysaccharide (LPS) - that causes an immune reaction. LPS itself does not pass into the brain, nor do the immune cells it activates, which made it ideal for testing whether this second hit was acting directly in the brain.
When the researchers gave the bacterial fragments to the mice carrying the two most common LRRK2 gene mutations, the immune reaction became a "cytokine storm," with inflammatory mediators rising to levels that 3-5 times higher than a normal reaction to LPS. These inflammatory mediators were produced by T and B immune cells expressing the LRRK2 mutation.
Despite the fact that LPS did not cross the blood-brain barrier, the researchers showed that the elevated cytokines were able to enter the brain, creating an environment that caused the microglia to activate pathologically and destroy the brain region involved in movement.
"Although more tests are needed to prove the link, as well as testing whether the same is true in humans, these findings give us a new way to think about how these mutations could cause Parkinson's," said Dr. Smeyne. "Although we can't treat people with immunosuppressants their whole lives to prevent the disease, if this mechanism is confirmed, it's possible that other interventions could be effective at reducing the chance of developing the disease."
More information: Elena Kozina et al, Mutant LRRK2 mediates peripheral and central immune responses leading to neurodegeneration in vivo, Brain (2018). DOI: 10.1093/brain/awy077
Hey folks, it’s Dr. Sam and I want to talk to you today about glaucoma and MSM eyedrops.
So Glaucoma is a very scary disease. It’s called the silent thief because almost 50% of those with glaucoma don’t know they have it, but it can cause you to lose your peripheral vision very quickly.
So what happens in glaucoma is basically there’s an imbalance in the fluid in the eye in terms of the production and the flow. And this causes a buildup of intraocular pressure that begins to attack the optic nerve. When the optic nerve is damaged, you begin to lose your visual fields. And this can in some extreme cases lead to blindness.
So the standard approach of treating glaucoma is using eye drops. They actually work very well. However, there certainly are side effects to those pharmaceuticals, but it’s certainly the first line of defense from an allopathic point of view.
But can you complement these drops with a holistic approach? Absolutely! In the holistic world, what I look for in glaucoma is around the inflammatory response in the eyes and the body. Certain pharmaceutical drugs are known to increase inflammation, and sometimes getting off these can reverse the buildup of intraocular pressure. It is very important to consult with your doctor before doing this.
Toxicities in the eye, specifically heavy metals toxicities or anything that contributes to free radical damage can clog up the fluid in the eye. Physical traumas and stress can also contribute to glaucoma.
Now in terms of eyedrops that reduce inflammation AND detox the eye, I recommend MSM eye drops. These are fantastic eye drops that actually soften up the cellular tissue, so they increased cell permeability which allows fluids and nutrients to flow more freely, which balances out pressure levels in the eyes. MSM is a sulfur-based compound that acts like a sticky flypaper and attracts toxicities in the eye. So it is excellent for detoxing the body.
We also know that MSM facilitates the production of and recycles glutathione, which is known as the “master antioxidant”.
Now the way I instill MSM eyedrops is I put a couple of drops in the corner of my eyes. I’m lying down on my back so I let gravity do the work. And with my eyes closed I massage my eyes especially the lids the eyelashes because again the more circulation you can bring to the eyes, you begin to neutralize the glaucoma pattern. So I would do that three to four times a day. I would also recommend supplementing with omega 3 fish oils. The Omega 3s are wonderful for increasing Optic Nerve health. So again it’s neutralizing any damage that may be occurring. I also would include lutein, zeaxanthin, magnesium, chromium, selenium, and other eye-healthy nutrients that reduce inflammation in the eye. Similarly, getting off inflammatory foods and consuming probiotics can help.
Last but not least, do 2 eye exercises twice per day. This will take 10-15 minutes per day and help facilitate the flow of aqueous fluid through the eye.
These are all things that you can use to systemically neutralize and reduce the glaucoma pattern.
So that’s my message for today I want to thank you so much for tuning in. And until next time take good care.
Glaucoma: How to Release Intraocular Pressure - Dr. Sam Berne - Holistic Eye Care: Hey folks, it’s Dr. Sam and I want to talk to you today about glaucoma and MSM eyedrops. So Glaucoma is a very scary disease. It’s called the silent thief because almost 50% of those with glaucoma don’t know they have it, but it can cause you to lose your peripheral vision very quickly. So …
How Dieneke Ferguson beat multiple myeloma with curcumin
With one year to live, Dieneke Ferguson beat multiple myeloma cancer using high dose curcumin after conventional treatment failed. And her case is documented in the BMJ!
Dieneke was diagnosed with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) in March 2007, which developed into multiple myeloma (a type of blood cancer) by May 2008.
She underwent three rounds of chemotherapy, as well as four failed attempts to harvest stem-cells for a stem-cell transplant. During this time, she also lost her memory for three days.
In November 2008, two of Dieneke’s vertebrae collapsed, as a result of the myeloma. One vertebrae could not be repaired, and she lost 7 cm of height.
By May 2011, her future looked bleak, as no other traditional medical options were available. According to statistics at the time, her life expectancy was, at the very best, one more year.
Dieneke learned about the anti-cancer effects of high-dose curcumin from another myeloma patient/blogger named Margaret and in May 2011, she started taking high doses of curcumin (8g a day). This is the protocol used by the curcumin-myeloma clinical trial (2007) at the MD Anderson Cancer Research Center in Houston, Texas.
A few months later she began weekly hyperbaric oxygen therapy for 90 minutes at 2ATA.
Her paraprotein levels gradually decreased and her blood numbers steadily improved. Five years later she was reported stable with no progression of disease and normal quality of life. And she even carried the torch in the 2016 Rio Olympics!
In May 2017, BBC4 Radio Food Programme produced a show on turmeric/curcumin and interviewed Dieneke and her consultant/co-author of the report, Prof. Jamie Cavenagh (Consultant Haematologist at London’s Barts Hospital). Dieneke’s interview starts at 22:30.
In January 2018, the British Medical Journal published its most read case studies of 2017, and Dieneke’s case study was second on the list.
C3 Complex is a standardized curcumin extract that has been used in 45 human clinical trials. BioPerine is a extract from black pepper that increases curcumin absorption.
Dieneke took 8g (eight 1000 mg pills) all at once at night on an empty stomach. She is currently taking 9g per day.
The 8 gm per day protocol will cost roughly $100 per month. A 120 tablet bottle is currently $50 per bottle on amazon and will last two weeks. I think it makes sense to get six bottles, take high dose curcumin daily for three months supply and then get your blood work checked to see if there’s improvement.
To prevent any adverse reaction, it is recommended that you gradually increase the curcumin dose over four weeks, doubling each week, until you get to 8 grams per day, which is what Dieneke did.
Week 1: 1 gram per day Week 2: 2 grams per day Week 3: 4 grams per day Week 4: 8 grams per day
*1 gram is a 1000 mg tablet. If you buy 500mg tablets instead of 1000mg tablets, you will need to take twice as many.
Multiple human clinical trials have demonstrated that 8 grams of curcumin per day is generally safe, and this study demonstrated that 12 grams of C3 Complex can be taken per day with out adverse effects.
My go-to daily curcumin supplement is Bosmeric-SR, formulated by Sunil Pai, MD, which contains C3 Complex, boswelia (frankincense), ginger and BioPerine.
I've interviewed over 50 people who've healed all types and stages of cancer. Check them out here. Or use the search bar to find survivors of specific cancer types.
I also created a coaching program for cancer patients, caregivers and anyone who is serious about prevention called SQUARE ONE. It contains the step-by-step strategies used by myself and everyone I know who has healed cancer with nutrition and natural, non-toxic therapies.
Big brother sees you! Chinese jaywalkers receive their fine immediately through SMS: Facial recognition technology is really starting to become a big deal in China. It wasn't that long ago when Chinese traffic police began using facial recognition to nab those who were violating traffic laws. Now they've taken things one step further with artificial intelligence (AI): When
A group of scientists at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University published a study involving drinking baking soda. The research team believed that drinking baking soda would cure autoimmune diseases. ( Evita Ochel | Pixabay )
A recent scientific study revealed that consuming baking soda could be helpful to prevent health problems. Some of those ailments include autoimmune diseases.
All About The Experiment
The Journal of Immunology published a study conducted by the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University that found that drinking water with baking soda could reduce people's chances of getting rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. The research team, led by Dr. Paul O'Connor, a renal physiologist at the medical school, decided to give baking soda to two cases of test subjects, healthy humans and rats.
When both subjects drank baking soda, the product would trigger both their stomachs and the spleens. While the stomach would generate acid to digest the food, the spleen's mesothelial cells would reassure the body part that a bacterial infection is not attacking it. The team identified the mesothelial cells as the body's protectors by covering up essential organs and acts as a wall between them. It was also noted that the spleen, a part of the immune system, acts as the bloodstream's filter. The scientists wrote that several types of white blood cells are in the organ.
The Benefits Of Drinking
The scientists discovered that after their subjects drank the baking soda and water mixture for two weeks, the immune cells would change their jobs. The immune cells, known in the scientific community as macrophages, would focus on reducing inflammation instead of promoting it. Macrophages can be found in the spleen, kidneys, and bloodstream, and they are also able to consume dead or injured cells.
Another benefit that the team found was that the spleen increased its size after consuming baking soda. The group believed that the body part increased due to the anti-inflammatory stimulus it produces. O'Connor is optimistic about the study's findings and believes that it would help people that are struggling with autoimmune diseases.
"You are not really turning anything off or on, you are just pushing it towards one side by giving an anti-inflammatory stimulus. It's potentially a safe way to treat inflammatory disease," said O'Connor to Laboratory Equipment.
Baking Soda Usage
In addition to being labeled a potential remedy to fight autoimmune diseases, baking soda can be a very versatile product. Baking soda could be used as an ingredient in creating homemade house cleaners and slime. It has also been noted that the combination of a teaspoon of baking soda and a glass of water could be a solution to combat heartburn.
Tech Times reached out to the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University for a comment on this story.
While stress is inevitable, how you deal with stress will determine whether it will translate into health problems later on. The stress reaction should dissipate as quickly as possible after the perceived danger has passed
“Resilience” is the scientific term for your body’s ability to rapidly return to normal, physically and emotionally, after a stressful event. Exposure to trauma can weaken your emotional resilience
People who get more deep sleep have greater resilience. REM sleep buffers against emotional distress, while sleeping poorly raises your risk of experiencing a difficult event as emotionally traumatizing
To increase your REM sleep, reduce your stress during the day and make sure you get enough total hours of sleep in the first place. That means consistently getting the recommended eight hours of sleep every night
Focused breathing techniques are another way to enhance your emotional resilience, as it teaches you to notice internal stress signals and cues from your body
By Dr. Mercola
Among all the factors contributing to poor health and early death, stress is perhaps the most pernicious yet commonly overlooked. While the stress response is a lifesaving biological function, enabling you to fight or flee an attacker, this "lifesaving" reaction ends up doing far more harm than good when triggered by financial worries, fear of public speaking, difficult bosses and traffic jams.
The sheer number of stress-inducing situations that face us on a daily basis can make it difficult to turn the stress response off. As a result, you may be marinating in corrosive stress hormones around the clock, and this can have serious consequences, from compounding a weight problem to elevating your blood pressure and raising your risk of a heart attack.1,2
Emotional Resilience Helps Lessen the Impact of Stress
Clearly, stress is an inescapable part of life; it's how you address it that will determine whether it will translate into health problems later on. The stress reaction should dissipate as quickly as possible after the perceived danger has passed. The scientific term for this is "resilience" — your ability to rapidly return to normal, physically and emotionally, after a stressful event.
As explained by wellness coach Elizabeth Scott, diplomate at the American Institute of Stress and author of "8 Keys to Stress Management":3
"More resilient people are able to 'roll with the punches' and adapt to adversity without lasting difficulties; less resilient people have a harder time with stress and life changes, both major and minor. It's been found that those who deal with minor stresses more easily can also manage major crises with greater ease, so resilience has its benefits for daily life as well as for the rare major catastrophe."
Resilient People Are More Tuned In to Bodily Cues of Stress
Some people are naturally more resilient than others, and researchers have long pondered the reasons why. One hypothesis is that people who are more resilient have learned to listen to their body. In one experiment,4 elite adventure athletes and special forces soldiers were placed in a brain scanning machine while wearing a face mask that made it difficult to breathe once the researcher pressed a button.
What they discovered was that these people were able to closely monitor the signals from their body indicating rising panic, and suppress their physical response. In other words, they were acutely aware of their biological stress response, but didn't overreact. The same test was later administered on "normal" people, who had first completed a questionnaire to gauge their self-perceived resilience.
Those whose scores suggested high resilience had brain activity very similar to the former group — the soldiers and elite athletes. Those with low resilience scores on the other hand, reacted in the converse way. As reported by The New York Times:5
"As their face masks threatened to close, they displayed surprisingly little activity in those portions of the brain that monitor signals from the body. And then, when breathing did grow difficult, they showed high activation in parts of the brain that increase physiological arousal.
In effect, they paid little attention to what was happening inside their bodies as they waited for breathing to become difficult — and then overreacted when the threat occurred. Such brain responses would undermine resilience, the scientists concluded, by making it more difficult for the body to return to a calm state..."
Sound, Deep Sleep Builds Emotional Resilience
Exposure to trauma can weaken your emotional resilience. The good news is you can rebuild or improve it as well. One solid strategy that can help build emotional resilience is good sleep. Recent research shows people who get more deep sleep are less fearful.
The study,6 published in the Journal of Neuroscience, claims to be the first to demonstrate that sound, deep sleep helps buffer against emotional distress, while sleeping poorly raises your risk of experiencing a difficult event as emotionally traumatizing. According to the authors:
"Sleep, and particularly rapid-eye movement sleep (REM), has been implicated in the modulation of neural activity following fear conditioning and extinction in both human and animal studies. It has long been presumed that such effects play a role in the formation and persistence of post-traumatic stress disorder, of which sleep impairments are a core feature …
In the current study, we employed long-term mobile sleep monitoring and functional neuroimaging (fMRI) to explore whether trait-like variations in sleep patterns … predict subsequent patterns of neural activity during fear learning.
Our results indicate that higher baseline levels of REM sleep predict reduced fear-related activity in, and connectivity between, the hippocampus, amygdala and ventromedial PFC during conditioning. Additionally, skin-conductance-responses (SCR) were weakly correlated to the activity in the amygdala.
Conversely, there was no direct correlation between REM sleep and SCR, indicating that REM may only modulate fear acquisition indirectly. In a follow-up experiment, we show that these results are replicable, though to a lesser extent, when measuring sleep over a single night just prior to conditioning. As such, baseline sleep parameters may be able to serve as biomarkers for resilience, or lack thereof, to trauma."
The Link Between REM Sleep and Fear Responses
As a general rule, if you sleep soundly for about eight hours, approximately two of those hours are REM sleep, the deepest sleep stage during which your body is fully relaxed. This is also known as the sleep stage when dreams occur. In this study, the fear conditioning involved showing the participants pictures of rooms lit with varying colors, some of which were paired with a mild electric shock to their finger.
Those who had gotten more REM sleep showed less connectivity between the amygdala, which processes fear, and the ventromedial prefrontal cortex and hippocampus, two regions involved in memory. They also had lower activity in those two areas overall. What this suggests is that their brains were not "hard-wiring" the fear impulse as strongly as in those who got less deep sleep.
As noted in The Atlantic,7 "PTSD is already known to be associated with sleep disturbances, and past studies have shown that sleep-deprived people have more activity in their amygdalae upon being shown upsetting pictures. So why might REM sleep make us less prone to encoding traumatic emotions?" A couple of different hypotheses have been proposed that might explain this phenomenon:
•REM sleep has been shown to clear norepinephrine from the locus coeruleus, where it is secreted. Norepinephrine, also known as noradrenaline, is involved in mental focus and attention, and readies both your brain and body for action. It also improves mood and alleviates pain.
•According to study author Shira Lupkin, researcher with the Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience at Rutgers University, "One theory is that this allows you to wipe the slate clean before you start again the next day. If you have less REM, then you have less of an opportunity to reduce your overall levels of norepinephrine, which will make you more reactive the next day to a given stimulus."
•Stress hormones are also low during REM sleep, which allows your brain to activate memories — sometimes in the form of dreams — while stripping the memories of their "emotional tone." Hence getting more REM sleep may make you less reactive to events that trigger an emotional memory.
How to Increase REM Sleep
The next question then becomes, how do you increase REM sleep, the deepest part of your sleep cycle? The answer presents a catch-22 for many, as it involves reducing your stress during the day and making sure you actually get enough total hours of sleep in the first place.
That means consistently getting the recommended eight hours of sleep every night, which in turn means getting in bed at a decent hour and not burning the midnight oil. For 33 different tips to improve your sleep quality, see this previous sleep article. Some of the most important yet frequently overlooked factors that can have a significant impact on your sleep are your nighttime exposure to:
•Electronic screens. Avoid using electronic media for at least an hour or more before bedtime, as the blue light emitted from these devices (including TVs) inhibit melatonin production. Melatonin not only regulates your sleep-waking cycle; it's also a powerful antioxidant, and low levels have been repeatedly linked to an increased risk of cancer.8
If you do use electronic screen devices after sunset, be sure to use a blue light filter or use blue-blocking glasses. I found two versions (an amber Uvex model, and a red version by HDE that is better but more of a challenge to use as it turns the world to red and white) on Amazon for less than $10, both of which eliminate virtually all blue light.
The research is quite clear that people who use smartphones and computers, especially in the evening but also during the daytime, are more likely to report insomnia.9 One 2008 study10 revealed that people exposed to cellphone radiation for three hours before bedtime had more trouble falling asleep and staying in a deep sleep.
•Excessive light. Exposure to light at night interrupts your circadian clock and melatonin level, both of which play a role in how deeply you sleep and how well-rested you feel the next day. LEDs and fluorescent lights are particularly troublesome because the blue light peaks are not balanced by red and near-infrared.11 Incandescent lights are safer, as they emit red and near-infrared wavelengths and very few blue wavelengths. Candle light or salt lamps are ideal for evening use.
Once you're in bed, even very dim light (such as that from a nightlight or alarm clock) can have a detrimental effect on your sleep quality and quantity, and can negatively affect your cognition the next day,12 so make your bedroom as dark as possible using blackout shades or an eye mask.
•Electromagnetic fields (EMFs) from electric wiring in your bedroom walls also negatively affect sleep by disrupting cellular communication and impairing melatonin secretion. EMFs also harm your mitochondria by producing oxidative damage, and have been linked to neuronal changes that affect memory and the ability to learn.13
Fortunately you can typically remediate it by turning off the circuit breaker to your bedroom before you go to sleep. You may need to turn off other rooms also if they are adjacent to your bedroom.
•Microwave radiation from cellphones, cordless phones, Wi-Fi routers, baby monitors, smart meters and more, which have the ability to cause significant cellular and DNA damage,14,15,16,17 thereby accelerating the aging process.
By elevating voltage-gated calcium channels in the membranes of your cells, EMFs and microwaves have been shown to produce a variety of neuropsychiatric effects, including sleeplessness, anxiety, depression and dementia. Be sure to turn off your Wi-Fi and cellphones at night.
Tips to Reduce Sleep-Robbing EMFs in Your Bedroom
Eliminating EMF exposure can be tricky business, as most homes are quite literally swimming in electric currents. Still, there are ways to reduce EMF to a smaller or greater degree, depending on how far you're willing to go. Here are some suggestions, ranging from modest to more extreme:
•Avoid running electrical cords underneath your bed. Especially avoid plugging in any transformers (power supplies) within 6 feet of your bed.
•One of the most important is to turn off your Wi-Fi at night. Since you don't need internet access while sleeping, this is a simple remedy that most people can implement. Even better would be to permanently turn off your Wi-Fi and convert to a wired household.
•Move alarm clocks and other electrical devices away from your head, or ideally out of the room. To solve the problem of needing some way to tell the time in my pitch-black bedroom, I bought a battery powered talking clock18 designed for the visually impaired.
If electrical devices must be kept in your bedroom, keep them as far away from your bed as possible, preferably at least 3 feet. Cellphone chargers should be kept at least 4 feet away from your bed, while portable phone bases and wireless routers should be kept as far away from your bedroom as possible. If you keep your cellphone in your bedroom it must be in airplane mode. Even at a distance of 30 feet it will blast you with microwave radiation all night long if it's on.
•Avoid sleeping with your head against a wall that contains unshielded electric wiring and/or electric meters, circuit breaker panels, televisions or stereos on the other side. Unfortunately, few communities in the U.S. require wall wiring to be placed in metal-clad conduit. This is primarily done for fire prevention, but it also eliminates most electric fields.
Therefore, more than likely, you are exposed to electric fields that radiate from the wires in the wall at the head of your bed, even if you don't have any electronics on the other side of the wall. The solutions in both instances is to turn off the power breaker to your bedroom and possibly other rooms that are directly adjacent to your bedroom.
Your Resilience Can be Improved Through Focused Breathing
Focused breathing techniques are another way to enhance your emotional resilience, as it teaches you to notice internal stress signals and cues from your body. Lori Haase, clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego, who led the experiment on elite adventure athletes and special forces soldiers, suggests quietly paying attention to your breathing without otherwise reacting.
Over time, she says, this exercise should "teach you to have a change in breathing when anxious but be less attached to that reaction, which may help to improve your reaction in a stressful situation."19 There are many breathing techniques out there, virtually all of which can help you get in touch with your body and soothe your mind.
One simple technique is the 4-7-8 breathing exercise taught by Dr. Andrew Weil,20 who recommends using it "whenever anything upsetting happens — before you react," and "whenever you are aware of internal tension." The key to this exercise is to remember the numbers 4, 7 and 8.
Sit up straight and place the tip of your tongue up against the back of your front teeth. Keep it there through the entire breathing process. Begin by breathing in through your nose to the count of four. Hold your breath to the count of seven. Exhale through your mouth to the count of eight, making an audible "woosh" sound.
That completes one full breath. It's not important to focus on how much time you spend in each phase of the breathing activity, but rather that you get the ratio correct. You can do this exercise as frequently as you want throughout the day, but it's recommended you don't do more than four full breaths during the first month of practice. Later you may work your way up to eight full breath cycles at a time. If you commit to it, you may be pleasantly surprised by how quickly and easily it can center and relax you.
Conquer Stress With Energy Psychology
Besides breathing exercises, there are many other helpful stress management tools. Another favorite is the Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), an energy psychology tool that can help reprogram your body's reactions to everyday stress, thereby reducing your chances of developing adverse health effects.
It's similar to acupuncture, which is based on the concept that a vital energy flows through your body along invisible pathways known as meridians. EFT stimulates different energy meridian points in your body by tapping them with your fingertips, while simultaneously using custom-made verbal affirmations.
By doing so, you reprogram the way your body responds to emotional stressors. Since these stressors are usually connected to physical problems, many people's diseases and other symptoms can improve or disappear as well. For a demonstration, please see the video above, featuring EFT practitioner Julie Schiffman.
For serious or deep-seated emotional problems, I recommend seeing an experienced EFT therapist, as there is a significant art to the process that requires a high level of sophistication if serious problems are to be successfully treated.
Other Stress Management Techniques
Stress is so widespread as to be "pandemic" in today's modern world, but suffering ill effects from stress is not an inevitable fact. A lot depends on how you respond to these day-to-day stresses. As you learn how to decrease your stress level and increase your resilience, your health and well-being will improve as well. There are many different stress reduction techniques. The key is to find out what works best for you, and stick to a daily stress-reduction program.
Just remember, a key strategy is to make sure you get adequate sleep, as sleep deprivation dramatically impairs your body's ability to handle stress, and blunts your resilience. Aside from what I've already discussed above, other stress management approaches include the following:
Regular physical activity
Meditation: Taking even 10 minutes to sit quietly, such as during work breaks, can help decrease your feelings of stress and anxiety
Yoga: Health benefits from regular yoga practice have been shown to decrease stress, improve sleep and immune function, and reduce food cravings, among other things
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