6 Clever Comebacks Smart People Say to Arrogant and Rude People

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I don’t care for arrogant or rude people because their insults are scathing. That’s why clever comebacks by the intelligent are the only things that work effectively.

The world is filled with arrogant individuals because being humble is not all that popular, and because toxic behavior seems to run rampant from my experience. Unfortunately, consideration is not the go-to response when it comes to striving to get ahead or gaining a platform. Insults have become common and sometimes have a lasting effect on those who only wish to succeed.

The most effective clever comebacks

The only way to respond in a manner that catches the attention of rude people it seems is to be armed with clever comebacks. These responses really show results, and I don’t mean paying insult for insult either. Some clever comebacks can be educational and inspiring as well. Here are 6 clever comebacks that only the smartest people use.

Sarcasm

I’m going to start with a little humor to lighten things up a bit. Sarcasm, in its highest form, is used by intelligent individuals for both entertainment and in the case of an insult. Many times the insults vaulted at intelligent people are the vilest attacks on character. In this case, sarcasm agrees, yet shows the attacker the futile attempt that was made by returning a higher level of knowledge in defense.
Understanding the depth of sarcasm is also relative to the intellect of the one who is insulted. If your sarcasm can match an educated response, then the arrogant individual will most times be surprised and left with no counter attack.

Jokes

Returning an insult with humor is always a positive way to respond. Instead of getting angry, as weak-minded people do, try to make light of the situation or use a comedic insult to show your playfulness. This may lighten the whole situation while helping you stand your ground. For example:

“Remember when I asked for your opinion? Me either.”

Now, see how funny that is. It never hurts to add levity when the conversation has gotten much too heavy. If you don’t find a way to lighten the conversation, it could lead to unneeded stress for both parties.

Question motives

One way to counteract an insult from an arrogant person is by questioning their motives for their insult or question. Now, an insult is an insult, sometimes obvious in motive, but on certain occasions, an insult may come wrapped in a seemingly innocent inquiry. The best response to an attack of this nature is to question the meaning behind the statement. This is what you can do, for instance:

“What makes you ask this question?” or “What does that mean?”

This leaves the ball in their corner so you can understand the exact direction of their statement. Once the insult is clear, then you may want to move to counter in another way. This could pave the way to delve deeper into the hidden motive behind the insult, and the deeper roots of their mindset.

Offer alternatives

Most of the time arrogant or rude people are negative as well. When they resort to insults, they usually have nothing else to use. They have left the realm of positivity in order to gain leverage over other people’s opinions. When they make the insult, a clever comeback may include offering alternatives to their opinions.
If you’ve been insulted by an arrogant person, tell them that there could be other ways of thinking besides their own. They may not want to hear this, but you can use it as a platform to share opposing views and lessen the power of the attack. For instance, you can try this statement:

“There are other ways to look at this situation as well. Others may have different opinions on this idea.”

Support good intentions

Although the rude person probably meant to make the insult sting, you could choose to take the high road. Offer a way out for them as well, by asking if they know how arrogant the statement sounded.
Most of the time, they will be ashamed by their attack on your character and will respond with something much less arrogant or either not at all. Either way, the conversation can be steered back on course again.

Pause and find common ground

One of the most outstanding clever comebacks in history came from Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple. During Apple’s Worldwide Developer’s Conference, while answering other developer’s questions, one man, from the audience, took a shot at him. This is what he said:

“It’s sad and clear that on several counts, you’ve discussed, you don’t know what you’re talking about. I would like, for example, for you to express, in clear terms, how, say, JAVA and any of its incarnations addresses the ideas embodied in OpenDoc. And when you’re finished with that, perhaps you can tell us what you, personally, have been doing for the last seven years.”

Although this insult was pretty rough, Steve Jobs never flinched. He paused for a moment to gather his thoughts, like a truly intelligent man. Then, after a bit of time, he said,

“You know, you can please some of the people some of the time…but…

Then Jobs pauses once more and replies again.

“One of the hardest things, when you are trying to effect change, is that – people like this gentleman – are right!”

Wow, I bet you weren’t expecting that one. But the truth is, this response was phenomenal. The reason: Replying with a pause, some thought and then striving to meet on a common ground with the retort, allows both the one making the insult and the one who receives it to find commonality between each other.
Sometimes, the one who is making the insult feels unheard and by agreeing with them, you open up the conversation for more civil forms of communication.

Smart people control the conversation, let’s face it.

If you are prone to receiving quite a few insults, it could mean a variety of things. Your points may be hitting vulnerable areas, your arguments may be strong, or you could just be minding your own business and find yourself being attacked. Whatever the situation may be, a clever comeback usually changes the game.
Don’t worry about arrogant or rude people and their antics. Just keep learning. Remember, the smarter you are, the more adept at clever comebacks you will be. Well, at least, that’s my opinion. The great thing about life is….there are so many perspectives and we should all be prepared to stand our ground.

11 Plants Native Americans Used to Cure EVERYTHING

The Native American tribe Cherokee is indigenous to the Southeastern United States. This tribe believed that they have been given a gift by the Creator which enabled them to understand and use medicinal herbs.


They believed and used the benefits of nature’s pharmacy. Moreover, as plants can become scarce over time, they had a unique gathering method and they picked every third plant they found and thus made sure that they will leave sufficient to continue to propagate.

However, the following 12 plants were used by this tribe in the treatment of almost every single illness and health condition. However, before we explain their properties, we must warn you that they can be quite strong and dangerous if not used properly.

Keep in mind that the Cherokee healers were experienced as they had centuries of practice. Furthermore, it is of high importance to understand their value as powerful natural medications, so you should be gentle when scavenging them.

These are the natural plants that provide amazing health benefits:

Big Stretch (Wild Ginger)
 This tribe believed that the mild tea from the root of wild ginger stimulates digestion, and treats the upset stomach, colic, and intestinal gas. Also, the strong tea from the root of wild ginger can eliminate secretion from the lungs.
Another Native American tribe, The Meskwaki, cured earaches by using crushed, steeped stems of wild ginger. The rootstocks can replace regular ginger and flowers as flavoring for numerous recipes you prepare.

Hummingbird Blossom (Buck Brush)
 The Cherokee used this medicinal plant to treat mouth and throat issues, inflammation, cysts, and fibroid tumors, and it has been found to regulate high blood pressure and treat lymphatic blockages.
The Cherokee usually used it as a diuretic to stimulate the function of the kidneys, as well as in the case of:

• enlarged spleens
• hemorrhoids
• inflamed tonsils
• menstrual bleeding
• enlarged lymph nodes

The Cherokee would steep the leave and flowers in a boiling water for 5 minutes and then consumed it warm in order to obtain best results.

Pull Out a Sticker (Greenbriar)
 This plant’s roots are rich in starch, which is full of calories, but has a strange flavor. The stems and leaves are high in numerous minerals and vitamins. As it has a rubbery texture, you can use its roots like potatoes.
This plant has been used as a mild diuretic in the case of urinary infections and to purify the blood. Its bark and leaves have also been used for the preparation of an ointment which heals burns and minor sores.
Its leaves can be added to tea in order to treat arthritis, and the berries can be either consumed raw, or made into jam.

Mint
Mint is extremely popular nowadays, and it is often consumed in the form of a tea. However, only a few know that it has strong antioxidant properties and that it is high in vitamin C, A, fiber, magnesium, calcium, potassium, and phosphorus.
It has been used by the Cherokee to improve digestion, and its leaves were made into ointments, crushed and applied as cold compresses, or added to baths in order to treat skin itchiness.
Moreover, its leaves and stems were also used as a treatment for high blood pressure. You can also prepare a mint water to treat your cracked nipples while breastfeeding!


Blackberry
 This has been the most popular medicine in the case of an upset stomach, but it also has numerous other uses. It can be used to relieve bleeding gums if you chew the leaves.
You can make a cough syrup by preparing a decoction from the roots, sweetened with maple syrup or honey. The strong tea from its root reduces the swelling of the joints and tissues.
These delicious berries are rich in important nutrients, such as vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin B6, vitamin E, vitamin K, riboflavin, thiamine, folate, and niacin, as well as potassium, zinc, calcium, magnesium, iron, and phosphorous. Furthermore, they are abundant in essential amino acids and dietary fiber.

These are some other benefits of this plant:

• strengthened immune system
• relief from endothelial dysfunction
• cancer prevention
• healthy functioning of the heart
• improved digestion

Cattail
This plant has been regarded as a potent preventative medicine, which is easily digested and promotes recovery from various health conditions. Despite the seed heads and the mature leaves, all other parts of this herb have medicinal properties. Its root is rich in starch and the male plants are rich in pollen.
It can be prepared similarly to potatoes, mashed and boiled. The resulting paste treats sores and burns. Also, its pollen is rich in protein and can be used as a supplement in baking.
Its flowers can help in the case of diarrhea. You can also use the fuzz from flowers, known as the seed down, in order to prevent skin irritation in babies, like diaper rash.

Qua lo ga (Sumac)
This entire plant has potent medicinal properties, as its bark can be prepared as a mild decoction which soothes diarrhea and a sore throat, the ripe berries are high in vitamin c, so you can consume them in the form of juice, and its leaves can be used in the preparation of a tea which reduces fever.
Also, you can make an ointment from its crushed leaves and use it to relieve a poison ivy rash. Furthermore, according to a study published in Iranian Journal of Pharmaceutical Research, the regular consumption of sumac lowers cholesterol levels.
Jisdu Unigisdi (Wild Rose)

This plant’s fruit is high in vitamin C and effectively treats the flu and common cold. The Cherokee prepared a mild tea out of wild rose hips to stimulate the function of the kidneys and the bladder.
The wild rose petal infusion can be used to soothe your sore throat, and a decoction of the root will treat diarrhea. Its petals can also be used in the preparation of a tasty jam.

Mullein
This medicinal herb successfully helps in the case of asthma and chest congestion. The Cherokee believed that inhaling the smoke from burning mullein roots and leaves effectively calms the lungs and opens up pathways. Its flowers can be used in the preparation of tea with a mild sedative effect.
This herb has an amazing soothing activity on the mucous membranes. In order to reduce joint pain and swelling, you can prepare a warm decoction and soak your feet in it. It has strong anti-inflammatory properties which relieve the pain and irritation of tissues.

Kawi Iyusdi (Yellow Dock)
This herb has been a common ingredient in the kitchen, as it is similar to spinach, but includes much more minerals and vitamins. Its roots gather nutrients from deep underground.
Its leaves are high in iron and act as a laxative. Prepare a juice decoction out of the stems to soothe the itching, minor sores, or diaper rash. Moreover, the decoction from its crushed roots has powerful antiseptic properties and can be used as a warm wash.

Squirrel Tail (Yarrow)
 The Squirrel Tail has powerful blood clotting properties, so in order to stop the bleeding, you can apply some fresh and crushed leaves on the wound.
Its juice mixed with spring water stops internal bleeding from the stomach and intestinal illnesses. Its leaves can also be used as a tea to improve digestion and boost the function of the stomach, and they are also incredible in the treatment of acne.
This herb is also effective in the case of gallbladder and kidney issues. This plant is also effective in the treatment of skin irritations and chapped hands.
by healthy holistic living
Via In5D
Featured image source
Related article:
Native American Healing Traditions: Tools and Healing Practices
26 Native American Traditional Code Of Ethics That Everyone Should Follow

Science says the most healthy relationships come down to 3 basic traits

  If you’ve ever wondered what is the secret to making love last, you’re not alone.
Now, more than ever, relationships crumble at the drop of a hat and people are not taking them as seriously as they once did. 

How can we continue to develop and maintain loving relationships when it seems like the world is going to hell in a handbasket?
People cheat, lie, and lose interest. 

But according to science, there are three basic characteristics to every lasting relationship. What are they?

Helen Fisher, Biological Anthropologist, says that it all comes down to activating dopamine hits in the brain, and in love, there are three ways to go about doing exactly that. 

Check out her brilliant TED talk:
What does the brain think of love? 

Helen Fisher’s findings suggest that romantic love gives off the same dopamine hits as other things in life that cause us to feel euphoric, excited, and giddy. 

As someone becomes more attached to a person, those dopamine hits become stronger and can call up feelings over time to maintain the bond between the two people. 

Her research saw couples participating in brain scans and found that thoughts of their partners elicited strong brain activity that suggested they did not just “love” their partner, but they were “in love” with their partner. 

Staying in love is the hard part for people. As people change with age, it can be difficult to stay in a relationship with someone who is completely different than the person you married.
But when your brain recalls the person and dopamine is sent out in to the body, the memories you have might be enough to keep you invested. 


The three most important traits that were found to be present in happy, long-lasting marriages were:

1) The couple’s ability to feel empathy for one another.

2) Each person’s ability to control their own emotions and feelings during times of great stress. 

3) And the introduction of positive illusions. Positive illusions, according to Fisher, means you have the simple ability to overlook what you don’t like about someone to see the good in them. Focus on what you do like instead. 

What’s important about Fisher’s research is that it keeps the responsibility of the relationship on both partners.

Whether you think your partner has wronged you or not depends on how you will handle yourself during the situation too. 

So if you find you are always fighting about the dishes, dog, children, car, work, money, why not try to reframe those things in your life to more positive illusions such as: you are blessed to have a home to wash dishes in, you are lucky to have a car to get to your job so you can make money, and so on.

Relationships are a lot of work and without the efforts of both partners, they will fall apart quickly.

10 scientifically proven ways to make yourself more attractive to the opposite sex 

 

If you’re like me, you get annoyed that society focuses so much on physical appearance. 

 It’s as if “looks” are the most important factor in someone being seen as “attractive”.

Give me a break. 

 

We all know that there’s much more to attractiveness than physical appearance. 

 And today, we’re going to prove it. 

 

 Below we’ve gone through scientific research to bring to you 10 factors to attractiveness that you might not know about. 

 

The best bit? 

All of them have nothing to do with physical appearance. 

  

 

 

 

 

1) Be funny

We can all agree that laughing is one of life’s greatest pleasure. When you’re with a guy or girl with a witty sense of humor, everyday life becomes a little more lighthearted and fun.
It’s no surprise then that science says that funny people are more attractive.
Jeffrey Hall, associate professor of communication studies, found that when two strangers meet, the more times a man tries to be funny and the more a woman laughs at those attempts, the more likely it is for the woman to be interested in dating.
However, an even better indicator of romantic connection is if the two are spotted laughing together.

2) Get and Keep Good Friends

Research has shown that people appear more attractive when they have a large social circle.
Why? Because people who have lots of friends are perceived as being well liked and kind.
Plus, having a good group of friends makes you feel good about yourself, which can translate into more self-confidence overall.

3) Be a leader

People tend to be attracted to power. A 2014 study found that people involved in a group thought their leader was attractive. But people not involved in that group didn’t think agree.
So, if you want people to be attracted to you, grow a pair and start taking action. Teach people how to do things you know how to do and become a motivator for other people’s success.

4) Skip the Small Talk

Who would have thought that more deep and meaningful talks makes a person more attractive?
In 1997, a New York psychology named Arthur Aron conducted an experiment with two groups. One group asked each other probing questions. The other group focused on small talk. The people who asked deeper questions found a better emotional connection – and one couple even fell in love.
Harvard research suggests that when you talk about yourself meaningfully, it activates the same regions of the brain as sex or a good meal.

5) Smile

Not only does smiling make you physically feel better, it makes you more attractive as well. 
A study in Switzerland found that the more you smile, the more attractive a person is. 
Have you ever heard of phrase “a resting bitch face”? It’s a thing that is robbing people of opportunity for love and work because they walk around with scowls on their faces all day. Smile more.

6) Get a Pet

To be more specific, get a dog. In a University of Michigan experiment, participants were read a story about a man with a dog and man without.
Each women rated the person with a dog as a more suitable partner in the long-term.
Why? Because owning a pet signals that you’re nurturing and capable of long-term commitments.
Besides, people are drawn to animals, and it’s a great way to break the ice when you are trying to meet people.

7) Just Be a Nice Person

A 2014 Chinese study found that when people hear about how nice somebody is, they find the person much more attractive.  
Sometimes all people want is to be treated with respect and want people to be nice to them. If you want to bring more love and opportunity your way, be a good person. People remember nice people.

8) Get Yourself a Nice Pad

If you are trying to raise your attractiveness in the world, fewer things will work better than getting a place that will literally elevate your status in life.
In a Cardiff Metropolitan University Study, a man was photographed in a “high status” place and a “neutral status” place. The man with a higher status place received a much higher attractiveness rating.
So, go and get the best place you can afford – it will make people sit up and pay attention.

9) Play an Instrument

In a study in 2014, people who played an instrument, on average, were seen as more attractive.
Why?
“The ability to create complex music could be indicative of advanced cognitive abilities,” said said the lead researcher at the University College, Dublin. “Consequently, women may acquire genetic benefits for offspring by selecting musicians able to create more complex music as sexual partners.”
So go on, learn to play the guitar. Girls go nuts for guitar players. Plus you can lug it around to parties and campfires… drums, not so much.

10) Be Confident

As you probably guessed, Self-confidence is probably one of the most attractive things about a person. Study after study has shown that confidence is a major attractiveness factor.
If you work on being okay with yourself, the rest will follow. Plus, you can be happy flying solo and stop worrying about how to impress other people.
Lachlan Brown

5 common self-help tips that are ruining your life

5 common self-help tips that are ruining your life.    If  you’re always trying to improve yourself, tell me if any of these statements sound familiar to you:  

 “I work my butt off trying to be positive all the time, and I end up feeling worse .” 

 If you said “Yes” to any of the above, block out the next few minutes and read this article. Because it’s not your fault.   

 

 Most of the advice given by self-help “experts” are misguided and in many cases, the complete opposite of what you actually need to do to improve your life and yourself. 

 

 

For example…

 

1) If you want to be successful, follow what other successful people’s advice

Who doesn’t love advice from successful people? After all, they’ve achieved success, so they can teach you to do exactly the same, right?
Wrong.
Most advice you hear on “how to be successful” are based on personal accounts, not scientific analyses. Unless their advice has been evaluated through evidence-based methods, you can’t judge its validity.
The reasons for their success often blur the lines between cause and consequence. Is someone successful because they avoided meetings or are they able to avoid meetings because they are successful?
What’s more, we only hear successful people talk about their successes, but never hear about the people who failed.

Social scientists call this survivor-ship bias. We don’t see the people who have failed by using certain advice, which leads to a false sense of effectiveness of certain actions.
This causes us to be more vulnerable to a bias intuition that success is more deterministic than it really is.
And the truth is, we’re all different. Our careers, priorities, personality, genetics, family, social lives and visions are likely to differ than those who are hailed as successful.
So, breathe a sigh of relief. Just because Elon Musk gets up at 5 am doesn’t mean that you have to. Who knows, maybe you’re wired to do your best work late at night.

2) Follow your passion

“You need to quit your job and follow your passion if you ever want to be happy.”
We’ve all heard advice like that before.
But it’s dangerous to follow your passion. In fact, not so long ago, passion was a dirty word.
Philosophers like Socrates and Marcus Aurelius saw passion as a liability, not as asset. Why? Because passion is self-centered.
You know what we really should be focusing on? Purpose. This shifts our attention on people and causes to reach, serve, help and love.
Passion makes it about the individual. Purpose connects us to something bigger.

3) Avoid negative thinking

The “positive thinking movement” is massive. And why wouldn’t it be? It teaches us to turn our negative thoughts into positive thinking.
We all want to be happier, so doesn’t it make sense to avoid negative thinking?

Not quite. In fact, this avoidance can have the opposite effect of making us more unhappy.
The truth is, we need to have a balance of emotions.
Perhaps this quote from Osho sums it up best:
“Sadness gives depth. Happiness gives height. Sadness gives roots. Happiness gives branches. Happiness is like a tree going into the sky, and sadness is like the roots going down into the womb of the earth. Both are needed, and the higher a tree goes, the deeper it goes, simultaneously. The bigger the tree, the bigger will be its roots. In fact, it is always in proportion. That’s its balance.”
According to Osho, the problem with trying to be positive all the time is that it isn’t authentic. He calls it “shallow happiness”. He goes on to say that sadness is actually a friend if you get to understand it:
“Sadness is silent, it is yours. It is coming because you are alone. It is giving you a chance to go deeper into your aloneness. Rather than jumping from one shallow happiness to another shallow happiness and wasting your life, it is better to use sadness as a means for meditation. Witness it. It is a friend! It opens the door of your eternal aloneness.”
Osho is not alone with these sentiments. Recent research has found that experiencing negative emotions aids in the development of our mental health. The moment we suppress our thoughts, we tend to experience a counter reaction.

4) Never procrastinate

Procrastination is a dirty word in today’s productivity culture. If you want to be successful, you need to be constantly busy and working. But this isn’t exactly true.
Procrastination is really important to come up with new ideas and innovation. It allows our brain to rest and our thoughts to naturally connect.
Historically, procrastination wasn’t actually seen as a bad thing. The Greeks and Romans generally regarded procrastination very highly because they used it to come up with ideas.
Procrastination is actually a universal state of being for humans. We will always have more things to do than we can possibly do, so we will always be imposing some sort of delay on something.
According to Frank Partnoy in his book, The Art and Science of Delay, he says that it’s not a matter of not procrastinating. It’s a matter of procrastinating well.
This means making time every day to procrastinate. This is called active procrastination, where you’re actually doing something over what you intended to do, but it’s valuable in itself.

5) Read self-help books to improve

I’m sorry to say, but if you want to go where you need to go, you need to take action. And reading self improvement books is not taking action.
The truth is, achieving your goals is a lot like climbing a mountain. There are only a few things you need to be doing every day to get closer to achieving your goals. However, reading or watching personal development is not getting closer to your goals.
It’s simply avoiding taking action by looking for a perfect formula to improve your life. But we’re all individual and that perfect formula doesn’t exist. You need to take action and figure it out for yourself.

 

Myth: Some mental abilities are "left brain," while others are "right brain."

Myth: Some mental abilities are "left brain," while others are "right brain."

Via: Brain HQ

Yes, there are two hemispheres of the brain; but they’re co-dependant, and your personality doesn’t depend on just one of them. Language abilities, for example, which are thought to be a “left-brained” trait, are actually found in both hemispheres — the left processing grammar and pronunciation, and the right processing intonation etc.

Nature’s Xanax: the one nutrient that can treat anxiety naturally without side effects

 

Nature’s Xanax: the one nutrient that can treat anxiety naturally without side effects

This amazing post was written by Dr. Nadia Kumentas, Toronto-based Naturopathic Doctor and co-founder of Affect Health a loose leaf medicinal tea company. You can get in touch with her and follow her on Facebook and Twitter!

According to National Institute of Mental Health anxiety disorders are currently the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting 40 million adults in the United States age 18 and older, or 18% of the population. [1] Furthermore, anxiety disorders cost the U.S. more than $42 billion a year, almost one-third of the country’s $148 billion total mental health bill, according to “The Economic Burden of Anxiety Disorders,” a study commissioned by the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. [2] 

How many times have you turned to Xanax in times when you felt anxious? For many people, this has become an everyday option, but many are unaware of the serious short term and long term side effects of Xanax. Benzodiazepines are a common prescription drug used to treat anxiety and depression. Alprazolam (aka Xanax) was number 8 on the list of the most prescribed medications in 2010 according to Data from SDI Health. 

What Is Alprazolam (Xanax): The Cost of Calm

In 2011, alprazolam was the most frequently prescribed benzodiazepine—with about 49 million prescriptions written. Alprazolam, like other benzodiazepines, works as an anxiolytic agent (anti-anxiety) by binding to specific sites on GABA receptors in the brain to slow down heart rate and breathing, leading to a greater sense of relaxation.  

As with most pharmaceuticals, alprazolam’s glorified benefits come with a price.

Typical Side Effects of Xanax

• Dyspnea or shortness of breath
  
• Nausea
  
• Dry mouth
  
• Hypersalivation
  
• Excessive talking
  
• Decreased motivation
  
• Anterograde amnesia and concentration problems
  
• Irritability
  
• Decreased libido (help boost your libido with a high quality, natural supplement, like this Catuaba Extract Powder)
  
  
• Skin rash, respiratory depression, constipation
  
• Drowsiness, dizziness, lightheadedness, fatigue, unsteadiness and impaired coordination, vertigo
  

More Serious Side Effects of Xanax

• Difficulty concentrating
  
• Memory problems
  
• Confusion
  
• Slurred speech
  
• Paranoia
  
• Depression
  
• Strange dreams
  
• Hallucinations
  
• Seizures
  
• Suicidal ideation
  

Long Term Side Effects Of Xanax

One of the most troubling long-term side effects of Xanax use is the high possibility of physical dependence and addiction in a short time of use. It’s sedative effects and feeling of a calm “high” can lead to tolerance developing quickly, especially with persistent use.  
Once tolerance begins, this leads the patient to start taking higher and higher doses to get that same calm feeling. This can start a dangerous cycle of compulsive use, and can ultimately result in sedative addiction. Consequently, continually upping the daily dose of alprazolam also increases the risk of overdose.

According to the Drug Enforcement Administration [3]:

• More than 20 million people over the age of 12 have reported misuse of benzodiazepines at some point in their lives.
  
• There were almost 350,000 emergency room visits related to benzodiazepines in 2010; alprazolam accounted for more than a third of these.
  

A Natural Alternative To Xanax: L-theanine

L-theanine is a potent amino acid that’s primarily found in teas made from the Camellia sinensis plant.  L-theanine acts as a relaxing agent or anxiolytic without sedative effects or any of the negative side effects of Xanax.  L-theanine works somewhat similarly to Xanax by interacting with brain receptors and increasing dopamine, GABA, and glycine levels in various areas of the brain. [4, 5]

This, in turn, calms the central nervous system, produces a sense of calm and also reduces the perception of stress.  L-theanine has also shown to promote increased alpha-waves in the brain which signify an alert but relaxed brain. [6, 7]
An Australian study in 2004 used 16 volunteers and compared 200mg of theanine to 1mg of Xanax. Subjects were given either theanine, Xanax or a placebo during either a resting task (baseline) or a task that provoked anxiety. Theanine worked better than Xanax to induce relaxation during the resting task, however, neither L-theanine or alprazolam demonstrated any acute anxiolytic effects during the anxiety task. [8]

Taking L-theanine: Tea vs. Supplements

You have two top options to start increasing your intake of L-theanine; concentrated doses through supplementation and/or lower concentrations in brewed tea.

Supplements/Capsules:

• L-theanine supplements are typically sold as 200mg doses which are the equivalent to 8-10 cups of brewed black tea.
  
• The recommended dose is of 100–200mg 1-3 times per day for therapeutic benefits
  
  • Supplements I recommend include AOR’s Zen Theanine and Thorne’s Theanine  
    

Tea:

• Black tea: A typical 200ml cup of brewed black tea contained approximately 25mg of L-theanine
  
  
• Green tea: An average cup of brewed green tea contained approximately 8mg of L-theanine
  
• Matcha green tea powder:  For the most bang for your buck I personally love a decent sized serving of organic stone-ground matcha every morning which offers around 29mg of L-theanine per 2g of matcha with the added punch of antioxidant goodness.
  

Brewing Tips:
According to researchers from The University of Newcastle in Australia, to get the highest possible amount of L-theanine out of each cup follow these instructions: [9]

1. Steep tea at 80 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes
   
2. Use water to tea ratio of 20 ml per 1 gram
   
3. Steep tea that is between 0.5 and 1 mm in particle size!
   

The Surprising Predictor of a Relationship’s Success

Do you ever wonder if your relationship is going to last? Do you spend hours analyzing your interactions, measuring compatibility, and comparing your level of happiness with that of other couples?

Does this only seem to make you more confused?

According to a scientific study, there is a much simpler way to determine whether your partner is the one – and it’s also infinitely more effective.

Just ask your gut.

Don’t make a chart measuring good traits against bad ones. Don’t create a checklist of what you want in an ideal partner and use it as a template. Don’t overanalyze your fights, your shared values, your goals and aspirations, or your moments of intimacy.

 In fact, don’t analyze anything at all. As it turns out, in love, the more we think about a relationship with an analytical and intellectual focus, the less accurate we become in predicting its future success.

It’s always surprising to see the scientific community adopt an anti-thinking standpoint. However, in this case the evidence is very clear cut. When we over-analyze our relationships (and other emotionally based issues), our perspective shifts and our judgement suffers. We become confused about the reasons we feel the way that we do. We make decisions that are easy to explain from a cerebral standpoint, and these do not always align with our more complex emotional choices.

Consider that you are asked to choose a favorite piece of artwork. You are required to write an essay about how and why it speaks to your soul. You find yourself deeply drawn to an abstract expressionist piece. Unfortunately, you can’t quite articulate why you feel the way that you do – or even what the painting is about.

 Instead, you choice a piece of religious art from the Italian Renaissance period. You understand the techniques used, the historical context, and the cultural significance. It’s a safe bet, and a winning choice for your brain. Intellectually, it’s the correct decision.

But it’s not your favorite painting.
It’s not representative of your inner self. It does not reflect your emotional state and identity.
If you took them both home, it would not be the one still hanging on your wall in twenty years.
Analyzing our romantic choices functions in much the same way.

When asked to explain and articulate our feelings, we become confined to those dynamics we can easily understand. This is ineffective because, at the risk of sounding overly sentimental, love runs much deeper than that. Our emotions are more complex than our thoughts. By confining them to logical concepts, we risk leaving out the most important parts.

In a 1984 study published in The Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, couples were asked to answer questions about their relationship satisfaction. Half were asked to analyze their relationship before they did so – specifically, to list reasons for their relationship’s success or lack thereof, describe what was good about their relationship and what was bad, and to analyze their relationship’s dynamics as specifically as possible

 The other half simply assessed their satisfaction without conducting any kind of analysis first.
After approximately six months, the couples were contacted and asked to provide an update on the status of their relationship. For the couples who were not asked to analyze their partnership, there was a very strong correlation between their earlier predictions and the relationship’s success or failure.

However, for those who had been asked to analyze their relationship first, the correlation was almost nonexistent. It would seem that by analyzing their relationship, the test subjects lost their otherwise strong ability to predict its future success or failure.


“Don’t try to comprehend with your mind. Your minds are very limited. Use your intuition,” wrote Madeleine L’Engle. Our heart knows more than we give it credit for. If you want to predict the future of your relationship, keep your brain out of it. Trust your intuition instead.

Why Michael J. Fox Will Never Find a Cure for Parkinsons' disease .

Why Michael J. Fox Will Never Find a Cure

by C. THOMAS CORRIHER

Certain celebrities have been associated with specific diseases. For instance, Patrick Swayze will be associated with pancreatic cancer indefinitely. Michael J. Fox represents Parkinson’s disease, and the Marlboro Man ironically represents lung cancer. For those who do not remember, the Marlboro Men were the smoking cowboys who attempted to make filtered cigarettes seem more masculine. The commercials were a huge success, until all of the actors began dying from lung cancer. The demise of the Marlboro Men was publicized heavily by the mainstream media, because it has long been open season against tobacco products, since it became illegal for tobacco companies to fund news shows.

The cause of Michael Fox’s Parkinson’s disease is always side-stepped by the media, similar to the dishonest tobacco precedent. Readers may notice there has never been a peep about the cause; and moreover, the talk has been singularly about finding the supposedly elusive cure. The cause of Fox’s disease is not yet politically correct to attack. It would get most reporters fired.

Throughout the 1980’s, Michael did commercials for Pepsico, and he promoted Diet Pepsi cola exclusively in the latter years of his contract. It is believed that he became an ardent consumer of Diet Pepsi throughout this period (even off-set). Then, in 1991, Michael was diagnosed with young-onset Parkinson’s disease. It would be seven years before he told the public about his diagnosis, so the link has been missed by most people.

In 2000, Michael founded the Michael J. Fox Foundation, which was supposed to help discover the cause and cure for Parkinson’s disease. Various groups have sent information to the foundation about the link between aspartame (found in diet colas) and Parkinson’s disease, but they have been ignored. The group instead donated $175,000,000 to researchers of Parkinson’s disease, while wholly ignoring the existing information about aspartame, just as most researchers have. The foundation is yet another organization which apparently believes that funneling even more money into the petrochemical cartel will help to find an elusive cure, for something that would require an admission of guilt to cure, and the loss of a billion dollar diet drinks industry. The chemical industry is the problem, not the solution. Their profits from treatment regimens soar higher with each new Michael that they create. Meanwhile, they continue promoting diet drinks as the healthy alternative, because sugars, after all, are bad.

The mainstream medical establishment apparently does not know the cause of Parkinson’s disease, but it has been linked with heavy metal exposure and excitotoxins. N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors in the brain are responsible for the excitotoxicity associated with Parkinson’s disease. Aspartate is one of the main components that is released when aspartame is metabolized, and it directly effects the NMDA receptors. Regular intake of aspartame damages those receptors, and can eventually lead to Parkinson’s disease.

It is known that Parkinson’s disease occurs whenever the dopamine-related nerve cells inside the brain are decimated. With dramatically decreased dopamine, the nerve cells in the effected part of the brain cannot properly transmit messages. In studies, aspartame has been shown to decrease dopamine levels in the brain to induce the unmistakable neurological decline that is seen in Parkinson’s patients. A troubling study from the Norwegian University of Science, verified aspartame as an excitotoxin, and as a neurotoxin that is particularly dangerous to children. None of this is ever mentioned by either the Michael J. Fox Foundation, nor any mainstream media outlets, who avoid the topic of aspartame.

Aspartame will cause the death of brain cells and damage to the brain neurons without any other implicating factors. It is a pure poison that is sometimes used to kill ants, and it is known to be the surest way to cause brain tumors in laboratory rats. Some cancer studies have used aspartame to intentionally induce cancers in laboratory rats, for the purpose of later testing anti-cancer drugs. Aspartame is chosen because it is so reliable at producing cancers in high dosages. In addition to its ability to cause Parkinson’s disease, it may also cause multiple sclerosis, diabetes, fibromyalgia, reduced intelligence, obesity, asthma, muscle spasms, and a total of 92 symptoms that even the F.D.A. was forced to confess. There is a great irony that obesity is one of the side effects of aspartame, considering it is used exclusively in diet products. The same chemical industry that produces this poison is the industry that sells even more lucrative treatments for the aftermath, so it is a case of one hand washing the other. Therefore, the cure will not be found anytime soon.

The Politics of Aspartame and Why It is Still Legal
In January of 1980, the F.D.A. advisory board banned aspartame, because their research showed that it caused brain tumors. This decision could only be overturned by the commissioner. Then, in November 1980, Donald Rumsfeld was hired as part of the transition team for President Ronald Reagan, prior to which, he had been the President of Searle (the company that created aspartame). On the first day of the new administration, the previous F.D.A. commissioner’s authority was suspended, and Rumsfeld assigned Dr. Arthur Hayes as the new head of the F.D.A. Hayes was previously just a defense contractor, but he had a close relationship to Rumsfeld because they had worked together under the Nixon Administration in close contact with the President of Pepsico. Hayes’ first decision was to approve aspartame for dry foods, and by the end of 1983, he had approved aspartame for soft drinks too. He was later forced to leave the agency, due to media pressure for his acceptance of corporate “gifts”. The defense contractor then went to the Searle public relations firm as its “senior medical adviser”. Shortly thereafter, Monsanto purchased Searle. Rumsfeld received a $12 million “bonus” for his help in ram-rodding the F.D.A. into unbanning aspartame.

Perhaps Michael J. Fox will someday realize what caused his disease, and if he does, we hope that he will use his celebrity influence to inform others about aspartame. There are very few people who drink Diet Pepsi as frequently as Michael did, particularly at such a young age. Thus, Parkinson’s disease rarely occurs in people so young. Finding the cause of these events is not difficult, except for people who are intentionally trying to avoid the obvious. Most of the organizations pretending to seek a cure, do ignore the obvious as official policy. They prefer genetic explanations, since these mean that nobody is to blame, and no reason for the funding to ever stop. Genetic explanations mean that they are certain to never find that cure, and that’s money in the bank.

If the mainstream media were to spend as much time attacking excitotoxins like aspartame and MSG as they did tobacco, it would not be long before many of the major diseases, including Parkinson’s disease, became a thing of the past. Fibromyalgia would disappear completely.

Why Michael J. Fox Will Never Find a Cure

Researchers: Depression May Be A Physical Illness Linked To Inflammation

Researchers: Depression May Be A Physical Illness Linked To Inflammation

  Scientists are now calling the link between depression and inflammation caused by a faulty immune system definitive. Whether it’s causal or not, the connection opens up new avenues for treatment and new hope for sufferers.

PHYSICAL ROOTS OF DEPRESSION

Although current treatments for depression mostly focus on brain chemicals such as serotonin, scientists now think inflammation throughout the entire body (triggered by an overactive immune system) may be the root cause of the problem. Widespread inflammation, they posit, could be producing feelings of unhappiness, hopelessness, and fatigue. If so, depression may be treatable with anti-inflammatory drugs. It may also be a symptom: much like the low spirits experienced by many people when they are ill and their immune system is busy fighting infection or viruses. In the case of chronic depression, the immune system may be failing to “switch off” after an illness or trauma, leading to persistent symptoms.

A growing body of research, including scientific papers and results from clinical trials, appears to be revealing a connection between treating inflammation and alleviating depression. In late July 2017, Stanford researchers revealed that they could create a diagnostic laboratory test for myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), along with what may be a world-first treatment. This work confirmed and built on prior work connecting ME/CFS — a disease which is often associated with depression — and inflammation.

In October 2016, a major review of research on the next generation anti-inflammatory drugs (most often used to treat autoimmune disorders) revealed a definitive link between inflammation and depression. This link could present a promising new avenue of treatment. T
he work showed that about one-third of people with depression have higher levels of cytokines, proteins that control the way the immune system reacts. This could indicate inflammation in their brains. It also revealed that people with “overactive” immune systems are more likely to develop depression.

IMMUNO-NEUROLOGY

University of Cambridge Head of the Department of Psychiatry Professor Ed Bullmore told The Telegraph that he thinks a new field of “immuno-neurology” is coming soon. “It’s pretty clear that inflammation can cause depression,” Bullmore said at a London briefing connected to the recent Academy of Medical Sciences FORUM annual lecture.

“In relation to mood, beyond reasonable doubt, there is a very robust association between inflammation and depressive symptoms. The question is does the inflammation drive the depression or vice versa or is it just a coincidence? In experimental medicine studies if you treat a healthy individual with an inflammatory drug, like interferon, a substantial percentage of those people will become depressed. So we think there is good enough evidence for a causal effect.”

One important result that could arise from this work would be more effective treatments for depression; treatments that may not need to be lifelong. Another major implication is that, should this knowledge shape the norm for understanding and treating depression, the artificial dichotomy between body and mind could be forever altered. Socially, viewing depression as a condition with a definite physical cause could also help reduce the stigma around mental illness that often prevents many from getting treatment.

People Who Talk To Themselves Aren’t Crazy, They’re Actually Geniuse

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People Who Talk To Themselves Aren’t Crazy, They’re Actually Geniuses

Have you ever noticed how some people have a tendency to ‘start a conversation’ with themselves every now and then?
If you’ve had such public ‘outburst’ yourself, then you certainly remember the reaction of those who overheard your little ‘dialog’, clearly thinking you are a ‘nut job’.

Hold your horses – there is no need to be alarmed. It is true that this behavioral trait can be associated with lunacy, but science says it can also be regarded as a hallmark of a genius.

Numerous studies have explored this phenomenon and found that talking to yourself can actually boost your ability to process and store information. In other worlds, talking to yourself will not only help you learn more quickly and efficiently, but it will also improve your long-term memory.

These findings were recently backed by a study that was published in the Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, which found that ‘verbal stimulation’ positively influences our perceptual processing abilities.

The study asked participants to repeat the name of certain objects aloud and concluded that such verbal stimulation helped them become more receptive to these objects, allowing them to locate the objects much easier.

Scientists are adamant that talking to ourselves is actually useful in more than one way. 

1. Talking to Yourself Boosts Your Brain Power

A recent experiment that was conducted by Live Science found that subjects who repeated names of objects were not only able to find these objects in question much quicker, but also exhibited an improved ability to memorize.
In laymen’s terms, this means that talking to yourself will prepare your body for the task ahead, allowing it to complete the job more easily.

2. It Helps Children Learn Better

Children, especially toddlers and babies, greatly benefit from the so called ‘self-directed speech’.

Scientists believe that it helps guide children’s behavior, claiming that vocalizing directions allows them to approach a problem more methodically while also making them more adept at following them later in life.

3. It Will Help You Make Better Choices and Organize Your Thoughts
   

Psychologist Linda Sapadin claims that talking to yourself can help you make better decisions. According to her, this vocal ‘exercise’ not only helps de-clutter the mind, but also validates important decisions and calms the nerves.
It also helps prioritize tasks and improves our decision making.

4. It Will Make You More Ambitious

Repeating your goals and ambitions aloud will reinforce your determination to achieve them and rid your mind from unnecessary distractions.
In doing so, you basically break down your goal into a series of individual, clear steps that you will be able to tackle much more easily than approaching the problem head on. This will stimulate your brain to work harder to achieve the end goal.

So, next time you feel weird or out of place for “thinking out loud” or debating with yourself, don’t dwell on it. Turns out, it’s a good thing.

This man claims that he cured himself of cancer.....!!!! I'm guessing that it would be worth the try!!??

Gavin Haylock

21 February 2016 · 

 

***UPDATE***
(Below on the bottom)

To heal my cancer this is what i did.

I take salts from the dead seas and the Pacific and add a little baking soda. My body is now always alkaline.

Start with one drop of editable hydrogen peroxide 35% in a glass of water and increase one drop a day until twenty or so.
I inhale a hydrogen peroxide mix directly into my lungs onto the tumours.
Eat a daily regiment.
Don't overeat anything.
All natural organic.
Eat only the food that was in your grandma's pantry when she was little.
(That is if you are as old as I.)

Leave out the sugar.
Turmeric and capsaicin
Frankincense
Sour sop fruit if you can find it. (Asian markets)
Vitamin C
Get to a cannabis doctor and do the Phoenix tears at one gram per day.
90 days.
Get out and exercise.
Stretch allot.

Hug a tree at least three minutes every day.
It centers us and gives us strength.
Hug a human for at least five minutes as often as you can.
It is healing and needed.

Do not sit in a dark room thinking of yourself as being sick.
You must think of yourself as healing or even better healed.
Let them prove you wrong every time they take a picture.
Then you walk out hug a tree and tell yourself you are healed.
You just need to gain the control back.
It worked for me.
I am in great shape.
I am not going to die from
Adenocarcinoma.
It is not in me anymore.
I have control of my body.
Like the tree.

****UPDATE*****
This is my biggest post on Facebook.
I'm still working on it.
It is a lifestyle.
I made a mistake getting a biopsy.
It spread my cancer into my lymph glands
I'm back on my regiment with 90 grams of cannabis oil and the resources to it right.
My diet is expensive.
But I just started getting a pension from the Va.
It's not a lot, less than $400, but I'll be able to stay on this regiment.

How ANGER Affects Your Brain and your Body

There are times when we fly into a rage, such as when we face an outrageous situation or when we have an argument with a loved one. We may think that our anger is justified (and it probably is), and we have every right to be angry.
But do you know what happens each time you get angry? Firstly, the first spark of anger activates our amygala, the part of our brain that’s involved with the experiencing of emotions — before you’re even aware of the anger itself. This begins a chain reaction in our brain which leads to our adrenal glands secreting stress hormones like cortisol, adrenaline, and noradrenaline.

• Cortisol is released in response to stress and low blood-glucose concentration. It functions to increase blood sugar, to suppress the immune system, and to aid in the metabolism of fat, protein, and carbohydrates.^[1]
• Adrenaline increases blood flow to muscles, output of the heart, pupil dilation, and blood sugar.^[2]
• Noradrenaline increases arousal and alertness, and focuses attention; it also increases restlessness and anxiety. In our body, it increases heart rate and blood pressure, triggers the release of glucose from energy stores, increases blood flow to skeletal muscle, and reduces blood flow to the gastrointestinal system.^[3]

In a real life dangerous situation like if we’re faced with a robber, the activation of these hormones is a good thing, because all our body’s senses and functions are now channeled to deal with the physical danger. We react quickly, we are more alert, and our heart beats faster — which will help us act fast and deal with the danger.
But when stress hormones keep getting released despite no real danger, this creates a chain of negative effects on our body.
In our brain:

1. Elevated cortisol causes a loss of neurons in our prefrontal cortex. This keeps you from making good decisions for the future.
2. Elevated cortisol kills neurons in the hippocampus and disrupts creation of new ones. This weakens short-term memory and prevents you from forming new memories properly (which is also why you may not remember what you say in an argument).
3. Too much cortisol decreases serotonin — the homone that makes you happy. This makes you feel anger and pain more easily, as well as increase aggressive behavior and lead to depression.

In our body:

1. Our Cardiovascular System:
   1. Our heart rate ↑
   2. Blood pressure ↑
   3. Blood glucose ↑ (prolonged high blood glucose can cause damage to your nerves, blood vessels, and organs)
   4. When these symptoms become chronic, our blood vessels become clogged and damage. This can lead to a stroke and heart attack.
2. Our Immune System:
   1. Thyroid function ↓
   2. Number of natural killer cell ↓
   3. Number of virus-infected cell ↑
   4. Incidence of cancer ↑
3. Our Digestive System
   1. Blood flow ↓
   2. Metabolism ↓
   3. Dry mouth ↑
4. Our other body parts:
   1. Eye sight ↓
   2. Migraine ↑
   3. Headache ↑
   4. Bone density ↓

Here’s a full infographic of the process:

 

Click image for larger version (Infographic by nicabm)

So what do you do? Stop getting angry, or at the very least, reduce your intensity of anger in each conflict. Here are some simple tips:

1. Talk things calmly. Maybe your family member made you angry. Has anger helped you solve the issue? Probably not. So how about speaking in a calm way and using a different approach to tackle this? Maybe your loved ones will be more receptive when you speak calmly and nicely to them. Many of us are really seeking for love, understanding, and respect when we communicate, and shouting and being angry denies the other person of this basic understanding, which escalates an angry exchange. Read: What to Do When You Live with Angry People: 7 Gentle Tips
2. Find ways to address the issues frustrating you without anger. When you feel angry, it’s usually because your frustration has compounded to a point of explosion, and it’s too late to reel back the emotions. Plan before you get angry, not after you get angry. Make a list of things frustrating you. Address each problem and act on it before it blows up vs. dealing with it only when it happens.
3. Be the bigger person. Many times our anger comes from people not meeting our expectations. We think the person is not kind enough, not sensitive enough, not considerate enough. What are your expectations, and are they really important? Can you be the bigger person and let them go? After all, when you feel angry at others, you are the one who suffers, with the anger burning in your heart. Forgiving, not subjecting people to sky-high expectations, and learning to embrace flaws will make you a much happier person, which creates harmony for everyone. Sometimes, the difficult people are the ones who need love the most. If you have Be a Better Me in 30 Days Program, check out Day 25: Forgive Someone.
4. Cut off toxic relationships. You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. Spend time with happy, conscious people. If you are regularly frustrated with a friend, such as by his/her insensitivity or close-mindedness, then talk to him/her less often and spend your time with those who make you happy. If you don’t have such friends, maybe it’s time to make new friends. Read: Why I Parted Ways With My Best Friend of 10 Years
5. Spend more time in nature. Nature has a healing effect on our soul and body as proven in scientific studies. In a study by Japanese researchers, it was found that walking or staying in a forest (a practice known as forest bathing) decreased hostility and depression significantly while increasing liveliness among participants.^[4] If you don’t live near nature, play videos of nature to mimic being in nature. Check out: 10 Meditation Tracks to Bring You Back to Nature
6. Divert your energy to constructive things. Frustration can come when you’ve pent up energy that’s not put into good use. Perhaps your workplace isn’t letting you utilize your skills fully. Perhaps your home environment has a lot of constraints that prevent you from resting/working. Take the time to address these environmental issues. In your spare time, read enriching sites, listen to audio books, and listen to educational podcasts. Channel your energy into your goals rather than frustrating things.

Beyond these tips, if you are constantly angry, understand the source of your anger. Why are you angry? What are you angry about? And why do these things anger you? Anger doesn’t have to be the reaction even when a situation is frustrating, and when we are constantly angry, it reflects latent anger in us that should be looked into. Read my series on how to let go of anger for life: How to Let Go of Anger in Your Life (series)
Be sure to check out: The Science of Happiness [Infographic]
Check out more infographics here | PE manifestos here