How to Banish the Blahs

• Get more sleep. Sleep to restore your mind. Sleep is essential to optimal health, but people often forget that it is also a spiritual practice that benefits us mentally and emotionally. Lacking essential shut-eye is another way we block happiness from our lives.
• Find time to exercise.
• Drink water. Women should drink 10 cups of water a day. Men should drink 16 cups per day. 

Day of Thanksgiving

On November 27th, North Americans celebrated Thanksgiving, an annual holiday during which families and friends get together for a scrumptious feast and reflect on all the things they are grateful for. The ancient tradition dates all the way back to 1621, when the pilgrims celebrated their first harvest with a feast that lasted for three days. While most people are aware of that, very few know that the holiday was once celebrated several times a year or that Thanksgiving as we know it today, is possible thanks to 19th century writer, Sarah Josefa Hale.

Though best known for the nursery rhyme "Mary had a little lamb", it is her 20-year crusade that led President Abraham Lincoln to make a proclamation on October 3rd, 1863, declaring the last Thursday of November, as the "Day of Thanksgiving" for entire United States of America. So as you devour your turkey later this week, be sure to remember this unsung hero who made this fun holiday possible!

Health Alerts The Ouch Factor

Keep Moving to Keep Your Joints Healthy.

After having my motorcycle crash in 2008 my quality of any physical active life has all but come to an end. I have had several knee operations, physical therapy, and just finished up my rehab from June-October at Physical Medicine of the Carolinas in Kernersville, NC which has been a great help. I did learn a lot about my knees and wanted to share this with every that has knee problems.

   

Synovial fluid makes up about 80% of the volume of cartilage, and this fluid is needed to support weight and lubricate joint surfaces. When less synovial fluid is present in cartilage, it can result in a reduction in cartilage thickness and an increase in friction, bone degradation, and joint pain. Researchers found synovial fluid naturally leaks out of cartilage but is reabsorbed with motion. Their finding suggests increased movement/exercise can benefit joint health by stimulating the cartilage to reabsorb synovial fluid, thus lubricating the joint. 

American Vacuum Society (AVS) 62nd Symposium, October 2015

Less Costly for Spinal Care. 

Photo Caption: physical medicine of the carolinas

Chiropractors have long suggested their approach to managing spinal pain is less costly than traditional medical treatment. A new study suggests they may be correct. A systematic research review comparing costs for patients with spinal pain who received chiropractic care and care from other healthcare providers revealed that overall healthcare costs were lower for those who received chiropractic treatment. 

BMC Health Services Research, October 2015

Ad: Physical Medicine of Carolinas 2015

Dietary Supplements Send Many to the ER. 

A first-of-its-kind study finds an average of 23,000 people visit the emergency room (ER) each year due to harm caused by dietary supplements. 

According to investigators, supplements for weight loss and energy are the most dangerous, and heart issues were the most common problem with those types of supplements. 

Study leader Dr. Andrew Geller writes, "People may not realize that dietary supplements can cause… adverse events, but every year thousands of Americans are treated in emergency rooms for symptoms attributed to dietary supplements." However, Dr. Duffy Mackay, the senior vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs for the Council for Responsible Nutrition, points out that over 150 million Americans take dietary supplements each year, which means less than one-tenth of one percent of supplement users will visit the ER due to supplement use.

New England Journal of Medicine, October 2015

How Are Fibromyalgia Exercises Different?

For some people, fibromyalgia (FM) can make life miserable. In some cases, it can be so bad a person will spend the majority of the day in bed! When FM is this intense, exercises MUST be tailored accordingly – like starting out with exercises that can be done in bed! Initially, you may only be able to exercise for one to two minutes, but slowly, your tolerance will improve! Here are some “steps” that one may consider for implementing exercise into the FM sufferer’s lifestyle.

STEP 1: POSITIVE ATTITUDE: It’s easier said than done to have a “positive attitude” about anything, much less exercise when FM has its grip on you! In fact, depression is a BIG problem with most FM patients. Both studies and experience have shown that exercise is one of the most effective ways to treat FM. This is because exercise benefits ALL of our bodily functions from the brain to the heart, lungs, muscle/joints, and gut! It even benefits symptoms like fatigue, depression, and sleep problems. It helps bone density, improves balance, increases strength, controls weight, and reduces stress! As one FM patient said, “…this may be the last thing you feel like doing, but you have to believe that it really does help.”

STEP 2: START SLOWLY: Just like training for a marathon, you DON’T begin with a ten-mile run! You have to increase the distance and pace gradually. With FM, a person needs to steadily work into exercise because the post-exercise pain (that you should expect initially) may scare them away from continuing and/or make them even more hesitant about trying it again. Consider an initial one-to-two minute routine and gradually add more time and distance to that, ramping up the intensity and duration of exercise over time! Remember, it may take 15 weeks to reach a 30-minute goal of treadmill walking, elliptical use, or swimming. Consider taking stairs, doing household chores, grocery shopping, and gardening/yard work as part of your fitness routine. It doesn’t have to be a formal exercise program!

STEP 3: LISTEN TO YOUR BODY: Even if you were very active before FM entered your life, you must learn not push it beyond the “reasonable boundaries” of your usual activity tolerance. Take breaks when necessary and closely monitor how you feel. Your goal is to AVOID FRUSTRATION by NOT over-exercising! Keep track of what you do and how you feel so that you can refer back to such information when needed.

STEP 4: EXERCISE DAILY: Make it a point to walk. Walk the dog (or your neighbor’s), take the stairs, park further away from stores, and INCLUDE these activities as part of your workout! When you say, “I worked out today,” you don’t have to explain yourself to everyone! Consider cycling, walking/running, low-impact yoga or Palates classes, or light weight-lifting. A local gym or class may be a perfect match for what you are looking for!

STEP 5: MODIFY THE WORKOUT: Mix it up so it’s not boring! Figure out when you feel best and exercise then. For many FM patients, this is between 10am and 3pm. Include some stretches, balance tasks, vary the stride and/or speed, ease into strength training, pace yourself, and rest when needed.

STEP 6: BE PATIENT: This cannot be overemphasized as it’s easy to get frustrated. It can take up to six months before the FM patient may start to feel a change in their symptoms! Patiently work towards realistic goals – Exercise is the #1 best long-term FM treatment method!

Cranberry Juice May Protect Heart. 

Photo Caption: Ray Publishing

Researchers have discovered a potent, dose-dependent relationship between cranberry juice and improved vascular function, which appears to indicate drinking cranberry juice may help protect against cardiovascular disease. Principal investigator Dr. Ana Rodriguez-Mateos comments, "Our results lay the groundwork to better understand the array of potential vascular and cardiovascular health benefits of cranberry polyphenols. Significant improvements in vascular function from drinking two cups of cranberry juice suggest an important role for cranberries in a heart-healthy diet."
Cranberry Health Research Conference, October 2015

This is a very sad story about a bear.

Everybody should heed the warnings not to feed wildlife because they become dependent and don't forage for themselves any longer. It is such a tragedy to see what has been done to our country's wildlife. The photo below captures a disturbing trend that is beginning to affect U.S. wildlife.

Animals that were formerly self-sufficient are now showing signs of belonging to the Democrat Party. They have apparently learned to just sit and wait for the government to step in and provide for their care and sustenance. This photo is of a black bear in Montana turned Democrat. He's nicknamed Bearack Obearma. It's believed that he has become a campground organizer.

Amazing custom motorcycle design attracting attention

Amazing custom motorcycle design attracting attention

Custom motorcycles have been always been popular with guys, but one of Roy’s Folks has come up with a design that seems to also have the interest of many women riders. FOX8’s Roy Ackland says they will definitely get your attention.

Hillary for Prison 2016 Hash-tags are all over the Internet after Hillary’s email investigation by FBI

Most people, Christian's and Non-Christian alike are sick and tired of all the lies some of our government and White House are feeding us. Twitter and Facebook have been trending 10's of thousands of Hash-Tags #‎hillaryforprision2016 ‬and Hillary Clinton's email troubles are far from over! And it's not GOP theatrics as she says thats getting her in deep crap (untrust) of the American people! 

News reports released today in most of the news media around the world says that under an independent audit relieved that the State Department is and was among the worst agencies in the entire Federal Government at protecting it's computer network durning Hillary Clinton's tenure as Secretary of State. 

This week will not get any easier for Hillary Clinton as she gets set to testify before the house committee on Benghazi this Thursday October 22, 2015. Everyone knows that she is lying even though Politically Correct Media doesn't want you to listen to the facts!

The FBI recent revelations hint that the compromising of classified information on Ms. Clinton’s “private” email and server was more serious than originally believed. And new information shows just how slipshod Ms. Clinton's security measures were for her “private” server. While earlier reports indicated only a small percentage of the sensitive information that “spilled over” onto Ms. Clinton’s personal email was highly classified at the Top Secret level, that may be only a small portion of what was potentially compromised.

Particularly disturbing is the report that one of the “personal” emails Ms. Clinton forwarded included the name of a top CIA asset in Libya, who was identified as such. The source of this information was Tyler Drumheller, a retired senior CIA operations officer, who served as a sort of one-man private spy agency for Sid Blumenthal, the Clintons’ close family friend and factotum whose sometimes long-winded emails, particularly regarding Libya, have generated much of the controversy behind EmailGate.

To make matters worse, a recent investigation by the Associated Press demonstrates that even relatively low-skill hackers could have hacked Hillary’s unencrypted server, which was left vulnerable to exposure on the open Internet to a degree that cyber-warriors find difficult to believe. “Were they drunk?” a senior NSA official asked after reading the AP report. “Anybody could have been inside that server – anybody,”!

In benghazi for weeks after she knew the truth she said it was a disgusting video that caused those attacks! We know for a fact, based on State Department documents, that not only was Benghazi a terrorist attack, but Hillary knew it was a terrorist attack which had absolutely nothing to do with a YouTube video. Not only did she lie about Benghazi, she failed to act in response to the attack, and 4 American lives were lost in the conflict.

In 2012, while the FBI was investigating CIA director David Petraeus for mishandling classified information, Mr. Obama similarly dismissed the national security implications of the case at a press conference. Although FBI director James Comey pressed for serious charges against Mr. Petraeus, the White House demurred and the Department of Justice allowed him to plead guilty to a misdemeanor, sentenced to probation with no jail time. Some at the FBI were displeased by this leniency and felt


Mr. Obama showed his hand to the public early, compromising the Bureau’s investigation. Is the same happening with Ms. Clinton? It’s too soon to say, though the anger of some at the FBI has seeped into the media already. Comments to tabloids reflect the widespread frustration and fear among federal law enforcement and intelligence circles that Mr. Obama will let Ms. Clinton skate free from EmailGate.

8 Reasons Not To Be Anxious

In Matthew 6:25-34, Jesus tells us not to be anxious three separate times. It must have been something the people needed to hear. 

It is clearly something we need to hear today in our own lives. So why don't we listen to him? Why is it so easy to let our minds wander to the “what if’s” and the worst case scenarios? 

The heart of the matter is a problem of perspective. All too often we focus either on the shortsighted, physical aspects of our lives, forgetting that we fight a greater battle for the kingdom, or we worry ourselves about matters that are really no concern of ours. 

Jesus speaks to both of these points, and gives us advice for today on how to turn our anxiety into a God-honoring reverence for the limited time we have, and the importance of the mission at hand.

~Ray Publishing

Read More @ Faith Hub