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The Nutritional Deficiency & Mental Health Connection By Karen Mayo

The way we eat matters. Whether we admit it or not, food affects our mental, physical and emotional well-being. But eating isn’t just about counting calories or eliminating fats or carbohydrates, rather it’s about understanding the scientific effects food has in our bodies and the larger picture of the food/body connection.

Mental and physical health can be dramatically improved with a nutrient-dense, healthy diet. Many times, deficiency of essential vitamins and minerals can inhibit brain function and increase symptoms of depression, and anxiety.

Understand the Signs of Nutritional Deficiencies

Mental health disorders can be caused by various factors such as psychological, biological, genetic, environmental, and circumstantial. Nutritional deficiencies are the most overlooked biological element to someone’s mental well-being.

The best way to know where your deficiency is, is to get a complete blood panel because it’s unique to each person. If your diet doesn’t comprise of nutrient-rich foods, consider nutritional supplements for the following top 5 nutrients needed for optimal brain function.

5 Nutrients Needed for Optimal Brain Function

Vitamin D regulates the production of adrenaline, noradrenaline, and dopamine, and plays a role as an important hormone for brain function. Vitamin D deficiency manifests in a variety of ways including fatigue, muscle weakness, hair loss, bone pain, and mood changes.

Foods to Recommend: A diet rich in vitamin D natural sources such as eggs, fatty fish such as sock-eyed salmon or trout, mushrooms, fortified foods like Basmati brown rice, goat cheese, and gluten-free oats should be consumed.

Vitamin B deficiency can contribute to depression, anxiety, and mood swings. It is associated with a disruption in the nervous system as well as the circulatory system.

Foods to Recommend: Folate is present in dark green vegetables, beans, peas, citrus fruits, and legumes such as lentils and garbanzo beans

The deficiency of magnesium is known to increase symptoms related to mental disorders, such as agitation, anxiety, confusion, insomnia, hallucinations, and depression.

Foods to Recommend: Include magnesium-rich foods, such as pumpkin seeds, dark organic chocolate at least 72%, and almonds, to help alleviate some stress during the day as a snack between breakfast and dinner.

Omega-3 fatty acids are vital for brain function, supporting mental sharpness, and positive mood. Symptoms of omega-3 fatty acid deficiency include fatigue, poor memory, dry skin, heart problems, mood swings or depression, and poor circulation.

Foods to Recommend: Oily fish such as sock-eyed salmon, and mackerel are a good source of omega-3 fatty acids. These healthy fats can also be found in flaxseed and walnuts.

Probiotics are the most ignored deficiency that creates the worst symptoms that affect millions of people worldwide. Probiotics are a mix of live bacteria and yeast that live naturally in the human gastrointestinal tract that promote healthy digestion, support a healthy response to stress, and promote positive mood. Mental health issues that have been linked to an unhealthy gut include ADD/ADHD, anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, and Alzheimer’s disease.

Physical issues include autoimmune problems, digestive issues, sleep issues, skin rashes, allergies, and the rollercoaster of sugar cravings.

Foods to Recommend: Probiotics support the important gut/brain connection.

Just like anything else please do due diligence, more is not always better.

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Karen Mayo is an Award-winning international best-selling author of Mindful Eating, Amen Clinics Integrative Nutritionist, a board-certified integrative nutrition health and lifestyle coach, Sports nutritionist, the author of three books, a natural foods chef, and a certified clinical hypnotherapist.

 

What is Success? By Joan S. Peck

It’s easy to confuse what success is because what success means for one may not be what success means for another.

Does success mean more money? The word “money” by itself holds power over us. We all want it, and it’s usually never enough for most of us – we want more. It seems the more we have, the more we want.

Does it mean we must work harder or spend more hours working to be successful in whatever we pursue? From an early age, we are taught if we are to succeed in anything; we must struggle and work hard – that nothing comes easily. Many of us even brag about the number of hours we have worked in a day or week, throwing that number out as if it were a prize to be had.

Can success be something simple like being happy and enjoying life? Yet, we often misjudge those who aren’t interested in grabbing the “brass ring” from the merry-go-round of big business and label them as lazy and less ambitious than the others, especially in large corporations.

Can we have both – money and happiness – and be successful?

I began researching what “successful” people outside of movie stars and sports players believed the keys were to their success. I discovered that truly happy, successful people matched their success to the “tenets of good living.” Interestingly, many of these “tenets” were taught to them as children, while other successful people had been forced to adapt to them from experiences that hadn’t worked out for them.

Here is what I found to be the traits of successful people who may not have listed them as keys to success but have exhibited them in the behavior and actions they demonstrate:

1 They have persistence.

This is the number one trait behind success.

2 They don’t compare, worry or spend their time thinking about what someone else has that they don’t.

They have found purpose in what they are doing and how they are living that satisfies them, not needing input from others, although they are open to listening to others if it has value to them.

To read Joan’s enabling full article, click on this link https://rb.gy/e6xbbu and get your FREE access to Empowering Humanity Magazine™ Now!

From No Self-Confidence to a Powerhouse By Aimmee Kodachian

“And every decade of your life your courage meter changes. The first 10 years you’re fearless until some adult tells you that you’re shy, or you’re a klutz, or you can’t do this, and you begin to believe them. Your teenage years are filled with self-doubt and hormones, your 20s you’re coming out of that phase and going okay, let me spread my wings and see if I can fly and some do and some die. And then your 30s you’re beginning to wonder if you should procreate and leave behind little versions of yourself. And then, in your 40s And 50s, you just get more courageous because you realize “Who cares? We’re all going to die. Let’s have a great life while we’re here.” -Dr. Forbes Riley.

When Forbes Riley enters a room, her presence is undeniable. She has inspiring energy and carries a unique kind of empowered womanhood within her. She is the embodiment of what it means to be successful and follow your dreams.

Forbes is a true powerhouse in the health, wellness, and lifestyle industries. She has inspired millions of individuals around the world with her empowering words and story of success.

From her best-selling books to her numerous appearances on QVC, CNN, and Fox Business News. Forbes has become a leader in the industry and an international public figure. She has achieved success as a fitness instructor certified by both the Pilates Method Alliance (PMA) and the National Academy of Fitness Professionals (NAFP).

Forbes also co-hosts the popular talk show “Spark” alongside wellness experts from across the globe. In addition, she is an award-winning philanthropist who supports numerous causes. She has created a successful brand and career through her determination, strength, and passion. By overcoming many obstacles in her life, she demonstrates what it means to be empowered and have self-belief.

Forbes is a living example of how you can achieve success despite any odds when you believe in yourself. She models what it means to be an empowered woman – strong in spirit, yet open-minded – creating a legacy that will last for generations.

Seven years ago, I was inspired by the magnetic presence of Forbes Riley when I saw her on television. Her grace and confidence were unparalleled and left a lasting impression on me. When I was invited to attend the “You Will Change the World” event, I had to attend – even though I was feeling less than my best.

When Forbes walked up to the stage, her presence was an undeniable force of energy that captivated the audience. Standing tall and proud, she radiated with a powerful light that shone brightly in the room. Her brilliant smile illuminated the entire auditorium, giving everyone a sense of joy.

When I heard about Forbes’s incredible and inspiring journey to success. I was filled with excitement and hope for humanity. After her presentation, people were waiting in line to talk to her and I was waiting patiently on the side for the right moment to speak to her.

When the time was right, I walked up to Forbes and introduced myself. I told her about my TV show and why she’s a great fit for my audience. She gave me a warm and beautiful smile, “Sure, I would love to. Let’s connect.” She told me.

It was an incredible moment – the woman who had inspired me with her powerful and uplifting spirit was now going to be featured on my show. Once again, I was filled with joy and happiness.

To read my interview with the beautiful and amazing Forbes Riley, click on this link https://rb.gy/e6xbbu and get your FREE access to Empowering Humanity Magazine™ Now! 

The Art of Mindful Eating: Savoring Every Bite for a Healthier You By Kamalini Mukerjee

In a world of fast-paced lifestyles and constant distractions, we often find ourselves rushing through meals without giving much thought to what we’re eating. But what if we told you that the key to healthier and more fulfilling eating lies in slowing down and savoring every bite? Welcome to the art of mindful eating—a practice that goes beyond just nutrition and transforms the way we approach food. Join us as we explore the benefits and techniques of mindful eating and how it can lead to a healthier, happier you.

The Basics of Mindful Eating

At its core, mindful eating is about being fully present and engaged during meals. It means paying attention to the sensory experience of eating—savoring the flavors, textures, and aromas of each bite. Instead of rushing through a meal while scrolling through our phones or watching TV, mindful eating encourages us to sit down, disconnect from distractions, and focus solely on the act of nourishing our bodies.

Benefits of Mindful Eating

Mindful eating offers a plethora of benefits that extend far beyond just nutritional gains. Here are some of the reasons why it’s worth incorporating into your daily routine:

Improved Digestion: When we eat mindfully, we chew our food thoroughly, aiding the digestive process. This, in turn, can help alleviate digestive discomfort and improve nutrient absorption.

Weight Management: By being more attuned to hunger and fullness cues, mindful eating can prevent overeating and contribute to better weight management.

Reduced Stress: Taking the time to enjoy our meals in a relaxed manner can help reduce stress levels, as it creates a moment of calm and self-care in our busy lives.

Enhanced Satisfaction: Mindful eating allows us to truly appreciate the taste of our food, leading to increased satisfaction with smaller portions.

Read Kamalini’s engaging full article, click on this link https://rb.gy/e6xbbu and get your FREE access to Empowering Humanity Magazine™ Now! 

How to Use Confidence to Build Stronger Relationships By Judi Moreo

Confidence is a key factor in shaping both individual well-being and the dynamics of relationships. When you possess a strong sense of confidence, it positively impacts how you interact, connect, and communicate with others. Building better and stronger relationships requires the intentional use of confidence as a foundation for trust, respect, and genuine connection. Let’s explore the transformative power of confidence in fostering meaningful relationships and provide practical strategies to enhance your interpersonal interactions.

The Importance of Confidence in Connecting with Others

Confidence plays a crucial role in building strong relationships for several reasons:

Starting new connections: Confidence enables you to “put yourself out there” and initiate new relationships. When you feel self-assured, you are comfortable enough to engage with new people, opening doors to potential friendships or partnerships.

Authenticity and lasting relationships: Confidence allows you to stay true to yourself, leading to more genuine and enduring relationships. By presenting your authentic self, you establish a solid foundation based on honesty and sincerity.

Conflict resolution: Confidence helps you navigate conflicts and differences more effectively. With self-assurance, you can approach disagreements without defensiveness, accepting differing viewpoints and working towards resolutions in a rational and mindful manner.

Strategies for Enhancing Confidence in Building Stronger Relationships

Here are some effective methods to cultivate confidence and build stronger relationships:

To read Judi’s amazing full article, click on this link https://rb.gy/e6xbbu and get your FREE access to Empowering Humanity Magazine™ Now!

A Parent’s Guide to Cybersecurity: Keeping Your Kids Safe Online in the Age of Social Media By Mack Jackson, Jr.

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In today’s ever-evolving digital landscape, our children and teens are growing up surrounded by the wonders of the internet and social media. These technologies have undoubtedly brought many advantages, like instant messaging, access to educational resources, and endless entertainment options. However, with these perks come certain risks. That’s where cybersecurity comes into play – it’s essential for our young ones, who are often more vulnerable to online threats.

As parents, we have a super important job – ensuring our children’s online safety. We can do this by giving them the knowledge and tools to stay safe and secure in the digital world. Doing so creates a safe space where our kids can enjoy all the awesome things the internet offers while minimizing their exposure to potential dangers. In this article, we’ll chat about the importance of cybersecurity for children and teens, our role as parents in keeping them safe online, and share some practical tips that you can use to protect your kiddos in the age of social media. So, let’s dive in!

Understanding the Cyber Threats Facing Your Kids

Let’s take a moment to discuss some of the common cyber threats our kids might face while navigating the online world. Knowing what’s out there, we can be better prepared to guide and protect our children from scammers.

Cyberbullying

Unfortunately, cyberbullying is a widespread issue affecting many children and teens. It can happen through social media, online games, or messaging apps, where mean-spirited comments or hurtful posts can impact a young person’s emotional well-being. By teaching our kids the importance of kindness and empathy, we can help them become positive digital citizens who stand up against cyberbullying.

Online Predators and Grooming

The internet can sometimes be a playground for individuals with malicious intentions, such as online predators. They often use social media or chat platforms to befriend unsuspecting kids, gain their trust, and exploit them. Educating our children about the potential dangers of interacting with strangers online and the warning signs of grooming can keep them safe from harm.

Identity Theft and Phishing Scams

Identity theft and phishing scams can target anyone, including our kids. Fraudsters might send emails or messages that appear to be from a legitimate source, tricking them into sharing personal information. We must teach our children the importance of being cautious with their data and recognizing potential scams.

To read Mack’s empowering full article, click on this link https://rb.gy/e6xbbu and get your FREE access to Empowering Humanity Magazine™ Now!

The Power of Authentic Harmony: Cultivating Soulmate-Love Friendships in All Relationships By Dr. Pauline Crawford, PHD, Founder of Corporate Heart International.

In a world that often feels devoid of love and connection, soulmate-love friendships offer a beacon of hope. These unique relationships go beyond the surface-level interactions that are so common in our fast-paced, digital age. They are rooted in authentic harmony, unconditional love, and positive synergy, and they have the power to transform our lives and our world.

At the heart of soulmate-love friendships is the conscious valuing of self. It is only when we go within and cultivate a deep sense of self-love and self-acceptance that we can truly connect with others in a meaningful way. Soulmates understand that they are complete and whole on their own, and they bring this sense of wholeness into their relationships. They do not seek validation or fulfillment from others, but rather share their authentic selves with each other in a mutually supportive and empowering way.

In soulmate-love friendships, there is a deep respect for each other’s individuality and uniqueness. Differences are not seen as obstacles, but rather as opportunities for growth and learning. Soulmates celebrate each other’s strengths and weaknesses, and they support each other in becoming the best versions of themselves. They do not judge or criticize, but rather offer a safe space for open communication and vulnerability.

Unconditional love is a cornerstone of soulmate-love friendships. It is a love that transcends conditions and expectations. Soulmates love each other without needing anything in return. They do not try to change or fix each other, but rather embrace each other as they are, flaws and all. This unconditional love creates a foundation of trust and acceptance that allows soulmates to fully be themselves without fear of rejection or judgment.

Positive synergy is another key ingredient of soulmate-love friendships. It is the energy that is created when two people come together in a way that is greater than the sum of their individual parts. Soulmates lift each other up, inspire each other, and bring out the best in each other. They collaborate, co-create, and support each other’s dreams and aspirations. Through their shared energy and synergy, they are able to achieve things that they might not have been able to do on their own.

Soulmate-love friendships can be found in all types of relationships, beyond just romantic partnerships. They can exist between friends, siblings, parent and child, and even in professional relationships. What makes them soulmate-love friendships is not the label or the type of relationship, but rather the quality of the connection and the depth of the bond.

To read Pauline’s amazing full article, click on this link https://rb.gy/e6xbbu and get your FREE access to Empowering Humanity Magazine™ Now!

Peace Leadership and Spirituality – A Reflection By Dr. Angelika Selle

‌“The 21st Century will be spiritual or it won’t be.” – Andre Malraux

‌Having been a peace leader for several decades (peace leader = a visionary, who envisions new possibilities and inspires individuals and people toward peace), I once asked a variety of people: What do you think are the most important characteristics of a peace leader?

To my surprise, most people cited three qualities: moral standards, authenticity and transparency.

‌Coming from my own experience, I absolutely agree with these findings, as all three areas contain the seed to create trust and be sustainable, which are important keys to peace.

There is another characteristic or component related to those three which I believe is the foundation for peace leaders to grow the above qualities: Connecting to the Creator, the higher inner self or the divine within.

‌Why? Because we hold ourselves accountable not only to human opinion, but to deeper truths and realities that lie within.

‌That truth that all human beings are divine in nature and spiritual in essence is the deepest common denominator that connects us. Therefore, to work from that space has the potential to override man-made barriers and divides.

‌Lasting peace starts from within and from the inside out, and from there can naturally manifest in our ways of thinking, our decision making, in our daily lives, relationships and careers.

‌Furthermore, as we look at the current state of affairs of dysfunction, violence, divides, etc in our families and societies, a peace leader who embodies the above qualities will be able to see beyond what meets the physical eye. He or she will then be able to identify the often undercurrent invisible issues, emotions and causes of problems and divides, and address them from a higher perspective. Higher perspective here refers to one that is not based on ego or preferring one party over the other, but seeking a win/win solution for both and for the highest common good.

‌How to access this higher perspective?

‌The most common and powerful ways to do so are through daily meditation, prayer, reading holy scriptures or other spiritual practices, all of which naturally activate our higher inner self and sharpen our consciousness and perception. During my many years of leading various projects, organizations, ministries and initiatives, besides practical leadership skills, my sincere, humble and passionate prayers -often together with others – allowed me to “see” better, and find solutions where there seemed to be none.

‌To read Angelika’s amazing full article, click on this link Magazine  and get your FREE access to Empowering Humanity Magazine™ Now!

Departed Empowerment

From Grief to Greatness

By Otto Borsich

I love Shawshank Redemption. The legendary line, “Get busy living or get busy dying,” is as classic as the movie. I’ve always been a grab life by the horns type. When life bucks, kicks, tramples, and gores you, you’re faced with two choices: Get busy living or get busy dying. The span of February 2020 to February 2022 was the most joyous and jarring two years of my sixty-something life.

 

On February 15, 2020, I married my true love: Dorothy “Doti” Karen Tan Quemada, a Filipina I met online. Our initial in person meeting was in June 2014 in Manila. After visiting Doti twice in the Philippines, she accepted my proposal and left her Motherland to marry me. The honeymoon was awe-inspiring. A two-week road trip in a rented Mustang from Sin City to the Holy City. Upon arriving in Charleston, Doti met my dad, Otto Sr., aka Big O. She took to him like he was her own father, and he loved her like a daughter.

Unfortunately, the father/daughter-in-law relationship lasted only six weeks. On April 5th, Big O passed away from natural causes. He was 92 and had a good run. The son of Hungarian immigrants, he served in the Merchant Marines, and on the front lines of the Korean War. He raised 6 kids, retired from Ford after 30 years. Dad was a good humored gent who could make or fix anything. Big O never had a bad word to say about anybody. While drifting off in his bed he told me, “I’m sorry about all this.”

 

“There’s no need to be sorry, Dad. We love you, we’re here to take care of you.”

 

My father’s final words were humble, offering an unnecessary apology as he dozed off to eternal sleep. “I know, I just feel bad about it.”

 

I miss him every day and soldier on with one of his greatest lessons. “Respect: it doesn’t cost a dime and you can buy the world with it.” Nothing can ever prepare one for the death of a parent. Nor was I prepared 11 months later in March of 2021, when I lost my dear friend, Terrell “T Bone” Brunet. A wild child from Louisiana who put the rage in Ragin’ Cajun. We were blood brothers. Knife wielding artisans bonded by the greatest profession in the world: The culinary arts. T Bone was a proud Cajun, carrying photos of his ancestry on his phone. He spoke with encyclopedic authority and delivered with the demeanor of a cool college prof, with slow, intentional intonation. Like me, T Bone was forever inquisitive. We were connected by our love of culture, music, art, literature, fashion, sports, and humanities, insatiably living life and devouring it to the core every day. As Shakespeare penned. “The world’s mine oyster, Which I with sword will open.” I lost the best shucking partner I ever had.

 

When my phone rang on July 10th, 2021, at 3:00 a.m., a female law enforcement from the Kern County Sheriff’s Department in California identified herself. She asked me, “Do you know a Douglas Borsich?”

Read Otto’s touching full article and be moved by his story, click on this link https://rb.gy/e6xbbu and get your FREE access to Empowering Humanity Magazine™ Now!