Defy Age Naturally

Dr. Luskin of Stanford University is studying how forgiveness can help people become healthy. The 150 volunteers who have taken part in the Stanford Forgiveness Project say that letting go of the hurt caused by other people or by forces they see as being outside themselves say that it is not just one of the greatest emotional stress relievers; they feel better physically, as well.

“Getting angry and needing to forgive are things universal phenomena, but the skills to forgive are inadequately taught.”

Holding on to anger for too long can obviously affect a person’s emotional health. But hanging on to that anger, Dr. Luskin says, can also seriously affect people’s physical health.

He cites several studies that show how anger can affect the cardiovascular system by adding to a person’s general level of stress. Other studies have indicated that patients who have had heart attacks have been able to improve their physical health by practicing forgiveness and working to feel more tolerant and less angry.

Additionally, Dr. Luskin says, when the body releases certain enzymes during anger and stress, cholesterol and blood pressure levels go up, not a good long-term position to put the body in. Forgiveness has been shown to lower blood pressure naturally.

How to Relieve Stress with Forgiveness

I began to think about forgiveness yesterday when I was at lunch in Laguna Beach with my family. We were discussing teachers that have angered us, and I told the story of Mrs. Hayons (or something like that), my high school child development teacher. We had to write a research report on something to do with pregnancy, and I chose cravings.

When I got the report back, I got an A+, but underneath it she had written “If you really wrote this yourself.”

I genuinely still feel annoyed when I think about this. Not just at her for being so patronizing (funny how I turned out to be a health writer) but also at myself for not walking out of the classroom and heading straight for the principle’s office, or at least telling my parents so they could have pulled her up on it.

Even though this isn’t a deep dark anger inside, even as I write this, I can feel a slight feeling of annoyance and tightness in my chest.

So today I am officially forgiving Mrs. H (whatever her name was) for being a very disempowering teacher, and myself for not being more open and strong. I let go of all negative emotions attached to this experience, and will enjoy the improved emotional and physical health benefits that this will bring me.

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If you are on this site, I probably don’t need to tell you that McDonalds and fast food in general is not good for you. You are probably already aware of the benefits of eating a diet rich in living super foods like fruits and vegetables.

But recently I saw this You Tube video that really made me laugh, and thankful that I haven’t had a McDonald’s hamburger in many years. (Yes, I ate them regularly when I was young)

It was a true story about a guy that ordered two hamburgers. He ate one and put the other in his pocket and forgot about it for a year. After a year he pulled out his own coat and found the burger.

To his amazement, and amusement, the burger looked and smelled exactly the same.

No one believed him, so he started a burger museum. He has been collecting burgers for 18 years…and they all still look and smell the same. Apparently, after 6 or 7 days, no animal or insect will even touch it! I’d like to prove this with my sister’s Doberman…he will eat ANYTHING!

You can watch the video and learn more about this fascinating and revolting discovery on http://www.thebestdayever.com/burger.htm

You can even learn how to create your own Burger museum.

The music on the video is brilliant and will make you want to get up and dance…unless of course you have just eaten one of those burgers, in which case you will probably be hanging out on the couch.

More and more evidence is proving that the optimum diet is one that is primarily living foods. Living foods are the total opposite of that hamburger. They are foods that will go off. They are foods that have a life cycle, such as fruits, vegetables, and super foods.

I remember hearing years ago that a Twinkie (the favorite American treat of sponge and cream) has a shelf life of 20 years…Imagine how long that’s going to be hanging around in your body. Imagine all of the chemicals it would take to keep something from going off for 20 years!

So now I am off to make my favorite morning healthy smoothie recipes…packed full of super foods that won’t be hanging around for long.

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