Take a break for a few minutes from whatever you were doing before reading this article. Clear your mind of errands to run, projects to complete, racing thoughts of all kinds. And think for a moment about your life and these two words:

1. Certainty
2. Uncertainty

These two premises, one being an outcome that is without doubt, the other a circumstance that nobody can predict or guarantee, are capable of explaining your whole life … and why it’s not exactly how you wish it were right now.

When we have great “certainty” there is an urge for most of us to seek “uncertainty.” For instance, some people when surrounded by great certainty — such as while in a steady, secure job or in a committed long-term relationship — say they are bored or are not feeling alive. They feel they’re not using their talents to the maximum, not feeling that excitement in their marriage, not feeling like they’re living the life they always imagined.
 
Yet, when we have great uncertainty in our lives, as many now do during these financial times, we seek greater certainty. Suddenly a steady marriage feels supportive and necessary, a secure job a blessing. 

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“Disease cannot live in a body that’s in a healthy emotional state,” at least, so says author Bob Proctor in the film, “The Secret.” “The Secret” — which was not being shown in theaters, but rather was spread through a viral, grassroots marketing campaign — discussed a centuries-old principle that has earned a “new-age” reputation.

“The secret is the Law of Attraction. Everything that’s coming into your life you are attracting into your life. And it’s attracted to you by virtue of the images you’re holding in your mind,” Proctor said.

The idea is simple and very general: whatever it is that you focus on, think about and occupy your thoughts with will appear in your life. Humans, in this way, are like magnets, attracting into their lives whatever it is their emotions, beliefs and thoughts focus on.

However, says Katherine Puckett, LCSW, director of mind-body medicine at the Cancer Treatment Centers of America, while stress and negative emotions can certainly contribute to illness, things aren’t always so black and white.

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Close to 107 million U.S. adults have cholesterol levels of 200 mg/dL or higher, a level that the American Heart Association says increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. At least 12 million of these people are taking statin drugs to lower their cholesterol levels, but there are more natural options out there.

According to the American Heart Association, “You can reduce cholesterol in your blood by eating healthful foods, losing weight if you need to and exercising.” What follows is a listing of the most potent foods to add to your diet if you want to fight high cholesterol and drive your levels down using your diet as a primary tool.

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Chlorine bleach household cleaners are often the most toxic chemicals found in homes yet most popular in America. Bleach is added to everything from toilet bowl cleaners and counter sprays to dishwashing liquid and laundry detergent. Of course, it’s also often used straight out of the bottle for an endless array of cleaning purposes.

The benefit to chlorine bleach is that it’s very effective in killing germs like viruses, bacteria and fungi. But the benefit does not come without a price. It resides as residue on all surfaces you use it to clean, it goes into your home’s air that you breathe, affecting your lungs, and it’s absorbed very quickly into your skin and your family members’ skin by everything you touch that was cleaned.

Chlorine is extremely poisonous and was actually used during World War I as a choking agent, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Chlorine gas is what gives bleach its pungent odor, and it can be pressurized and cooled to change it into a liquid form, which is used to make countless industrial and household products including bleach (both household chlorine bleach and bleach used in the manufacture of paper and cloth).

“Household bleach, used to whiten fabrics or remove mold from surfaces, is (ONLY) a 5% solution of a stabilized form of chlorine,” states the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.

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It’s the subject of countless festivals, ancient folklore and entire cookbooks, and is a flavor that people either love or hate. Garlic — the beloved small vegetable, or “stinking rose,” that’s been cultivated for over 5,000 years — is not only tasty, it’s incredibly good for you.

A Bit of Garlic Lore

Garlic has long been considered a food of strength. Ancient Egyptians put it in Pharaohs’ tombs and gave it to the slaves who built the pyramids. In ancient Greek and Roman cultures, athletes ate garlic before events and soldiers did so before going off to war.

Cultures in China and India are also known to have taken advantage of the therapeutic effects of garlic.

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When the thermometer climbs over 80 degrees F, you can easily become fatigued just from being outside in the heat. Once the temperature rises above 90 degrees — a common occurrence during the dog days of summer in the United States — you’re at a very real risk for sunstroke, heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heatstroke.

In terms of its potential to harm you, only the cold of winter poses a greater threat than the summer heat, according to the National Weather Service, so knowing how to keep cool is essential to your, and your family’s safety.

This summer, here are the top things that you should AVOID doing to beat the summer heat.

1. Don’t let yourself get thirsty. Staying hydrated helps to keep your body cool. You should drink regularly throughout the day, even if you don’t feel thirsty.

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Most trips to the beach are pleasantly uneventful with visitors taking in the sun, sand and surf, and maybe searching for a seashell or two. Assuming you know how to swim, choose a day when the weather is good and the water is calm, and don’t stay out in the sun for too long, the beach hardly looks like a place full of potential hazards … but in this case looks can be deceiving.

Oceans and lakes are home to powerful currents, tides and waves that can come up seemingly from nowhere and quickly devastate the life of someone who happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. What makes this issue so crucial is that these potentially hazardous conditions can, and do, exist in seemingly innocent water, and often not far from shore.

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It used to be that sunburns were as much a part of summer as picnics and pool parties. Today, we know that too much sun — i.e. when your skin gets red and feels hot to the touch — can, over time, result in dry, wrinkled skin, liver spots, and even skin cancer.

At the very least, sunburn is painful and can lead to headache, fever and fatigue. Preventing sunburn is important to protect your skin and your future health — and to really enjoy your summer.

How Much Sun is Too Much?

Getting some sun, experts now conclude, is indeed essential to health. Most importantly, safe sun exposure allows your body to produce vitamin D, which is often referred to as the “sunshine drug.”

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Most of us are all too well aware that overeating, eating junk food and not exercising are sure to expand our belt buckles another notch. But weight gain is not always so cut and dry. Oftentimes you may carefully watch what you eat, load your plate full of fruits and veggies, even exercise regularly … and still not win the battle of the bulge.

In this latter case, your weight gain may have nothing to do with the foods you eat or the exercise you do, but rather with your emotional health.

A new study published in BMJ analyzed data from four medical screenings of over 4,300 British civil servants aged 35 to 55, including screenings that assessed mental health and measurement of height and weight.

People with a common mental health disorder, such as anxiety or depression, at all three previous screenings were twice as likely to be obese at the final screening compared with those who had no mental health disorder symptoms. Further, the risk of weight gain and obesity was the greatest for those who had more incidences of a common mental health disorder.

The connection between mental health and weight gain is not a new one.

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Like a taunting teenager, a nosy mother-in-law or a meddling neighbor, food messes with our emotions. A bowl of ice cream can make you happy. An entire carton of ice cream can make you sad. Just the smell of a home-cooked meal when you can’t have one can make you lonesome and a bowl of chicken noodle soup can make you feel better.

It’s no stretch, then, to think that food can also influence our behaviors — and it does. According to cutting-edge research, eating a healthy diet affects much more than your weight and health. It’s been linked to decreases in violence, rudeness and antisocial behavior and increases in IQs, test scores and grades among students.

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