Tuesday, August 1, 2017

6 Pillars of Healthy Self Esteem


“ I have learned from experience that the greatest part of our happiness or misery depends on our dispositions and not on our circumstances.”
Martha Washington 

Have you struggled with your ability to cope with life challenges and your sense of competency to do so? Do you lack confidence in your worthiness for love, success, respect, or happiness?

I have found Nathaniel Branden’s book “The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem” clear, direct and insightful. Here is my brief take on it.
If you are following a life that is out of alignment with what you believe in and value, then it is difficult to live in integrity and feel good about yourself.
Self-esteem is a consequence of your behaviors. To have greater self-esteem we want to practice the following:
1. Live life consciously-live mindfully.
2. Accept ourselves - be kind to yourself about your mistakes, listen to what they tell you.
3. Take responsibility for everything in life: actions and inactions. You owe it to yourself; the world does not owe you.
4. Live on purpose- have a vision, not only at work, but also in your personal life, and work it.
5. Live in integrity- behave according to deep felt values and beliefs.
6. Be assertive - have courage to confront, say no and set boundaries. 

Good Old News About Meat


The National Cancer Institute and the AARP’s Diet Health Study analyzed data from 500,000 people age 50 to 71 and found that high meat consumption elevates risk of colorectal cancer, and lung cancer, with borderline higher risk of prostate cancer.

Pancreatic cancer was associated with red meat and processed meat ingestion for men, but not women. 

Red meat included beef, pork, lamb, bacon, red meat sausage and poultry sausage, luncheon meats, cold cuts, ham, hot dogs, and low fat dogs.

Additionally the NCI states that barbecuing meats at high temperatures may also contribute to cancer risk.

The AICR recommends less than 2.57 ounces of red meat a day, which is about the size of a child size fast food hamburger patty.

The American Heart Association recommends a diet of less than 7% saturated fat, which is below RDA of no more than 10%.

The Nurses’ Health study 2 collected data from 90,000 women in their 20’s, 30’s and 40’s and found that the more red meat they ate the greater their risk of developing breast cancer fueled by hormones. This study needs to be replicated, reliable and valid conclusions are pending further studies.

In the July 2010 issue of the John Hopkins Health Alerts there is an article on the secretions of fat cells and how these secretions play a role in our health. The more fat cells we have, and the larger they are, the greater potential for excessive fat cell secretions. There is an association between health problems and high fat cell secretion. When we are overweight we have more fat cells, and / or larger ones, which produce higher levels of substances than our bodies are meant to manage. Over time excessive amounts of these substances begin to damage blood vessels, tissues, impair blood flow, and result in diabetes, liver disease, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and certain types of cancer.
Eat Your Vegetables for a cleaner you and a cleaner planet.