Ninja Web Commercial
Recently, we uploaded a “ninja commercial”. ever since, I’ve received requests from people volunteering to star in or participate in a video.
If you have any suggestions or ideas, please let us know!
How did you like it?
Video: Introverts Run The World-Quietly.
I’m an introvert. I’ve been told repeatedly by many people that I’m not. Just because I enjoy the company of people does not mean that I don’t long to go off and to “my thing”. I recognize when I don’t experience “Dan Time” I may get testy or irritable. Coming back from solitude is wonderful and I’m usually more engaged and personable (and have gotten stuff accomplished!)
I found that this video resonated with me!
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Become a Good Listener
Good listening skills are vital to healthy relationships. Whether you’re strengthening a relationship, resolving a conflict, or offering support in facing a crisis, good listening skills can be a lifeline to peace. Learn how to be a truly supportive listener and you may find yourself surrounded by others who are able to do the same.
Here are some important steps to becoming a good listener:
- Listen, Listen, Listen. Ask your friend what’s wrong, and really listen to the answer. Let them vent their fears, frustrations and other important feelings, maintaining eye contact and showing that you’re interested in what they have to say. Resist the urge to give advice, and just let them get it out.
- Reframe What You Hear. Summarize and repeat back your understanding of what they’re saying so they know you’re hearing them, and focus on the emotions they might be feeling. For example if your friend is talking about family problems, you might find yourself saying, “It looks like things are getting pretty hostile. You sound like you’re feeling hurt.”
- Ask About Feelings. Ask them to expand on what they’re feeling. Asking about their feelings provides a good emotional release and might be more helpful than just focusing on the facts of their situation.
- Keep The Focus On Them. Rather than delving into a related story of your own, keep the focus on them until they feel better. You can reference something that happened to you if you bring the focus back to them quickly. They will appreciate the focused attention, and this will help them feel genuinely cared for and understood.
- Help Brainstorm. Rather than giving advice in the beginning, which cuts off further exploration of feelings and other communication, wait until they’ve gotten their feelings out, and then help them brainstorm solutions. If you help them come up ideas and look at the pros and cons of each, they’re likely to come up with a solution they feel good about. Or they might feel better after just being able to talk and feeling heard.
Tips:
- Stay Present. Sometimes people are listening, but they’re really just waiting for their friend to stop talking so they can say whatever they’ve been mentally rehearsing while they’ve been pretending to listen. People can usually sense this, and it doesn’t feel good. Also, they tend to miss what’s being said because they’re not focused.
- Don’t Give Advice. It’s common to want to immediately give advice and “fix” your friend’s problem. Unless it’s specifically requested, don’t. While you’re trying to help, what would work for you might not work for your friend; also, advice can feel condescending. Unless they ask directly for advice, your friend probably just wants to feel heard and understood, and then can find their own solutions.
I Walked Into a Doctor’s office for Flu Shot Information
by Tedd Koren, DC
I walked into a doctor’s office that was advertising flu shots and asked for a product insert for the 2011-2012 flu vaccine (Flulaval® made by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK).)
The nice MD at the counter handed me a CDC (Center for Disease Control) paper urging everyone to get the flu shot. That wasn’t what I asked for.
I needed to be more specific. I said, “Thanks, but can I get the actual paper that comes with the vaccines?” She gave me an odd look (“Why would anyone want to read that?”) but went into the back and got me one.
I left it in hand, curious as to what the drug company told doctors that perhaps wasn’t in their ads to the public.
But before I left I said to the MD, “Did you know that there is mercury in the shots?” ”No, I didn’t know that,” she said. (Why should she know that, she only gives the shots.)
“You know if you vaccinate a pregnant woman the mercury can go through the placenta into the fetus,” I said to her.
She said nothing. I might have been speaking Klingon. Then again if we were Klingons the interaction may have involved high explosives and lots of bad language. (Please forgive me, the other day I watched a Star Trek movie).
OK, back to the flu. After I left her office I began to engage in an unnatural act, I actually read the product insert. The print was very small but I slogged through it. These are quotes directly from the product insert. Read them and be amazed (doesn’t anyone actually read these?)
Does the flu shot protect someone from getting the flu?
“There have been no controlled trials adequately demonstrating a decrease in influenza disease after vaccination with FluLaval®.”
It’s given to nursing mothers
“It is not known whether FluLaval® is excreted in human milk . safety and effectiveness of FluLaval® in pediatric patients have not been established.”
What’s in the shot?
“The virus is inactivated with ultraviolet light . followed by formaldehyde . disrupted with sodium deoxycholate . 45 mcg.
Hemagglutinin (HA) . each dose contains 25 mcg mercury . the vial stopper does not contain latex.” (Nice to know for those who are concerned about latex reactions).
(Note: Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen, mercury is a known neurotoxin and has been linked to autism and other neurological conditions.)
Can it cause cancer or affect the reproductive system (what about the baby?)
“FluLaval® has not been evaluated for carcinogenic or mutagenic potential, or for impairment of fertility.”
(Note: it is unknown whether the flu shot may cause malformations in the baby if a pregnant woman takes it very early in her pregnancy).
Adverse events associated with influenza vaccines:
Anaphylaxis . “the 1976 swine flu influenza vaccine was associated with an increased risk of Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS). Evidence of a causal relation of GBS with subsequent [influenza] vaccines is unclear.”
(Note: and it’ll stay “unclear” if the pharmaceutical companies and their friends in the FDA have anything to say about it.)
How long were the test subjects observed after vaccination to see if the flu shot caused long-term damage?
“Individuals were observed for three days [not counting the first day] after the flu shot was administered” in order to find out if there were adverse reactions. What if a problem surfaces weeks or months later? The drug company’s response is: ”We have no research to show that the condition you now suffer from has anything to do with the flu shot you received.” That is true because they did no research to find out. By the way, that is true with all vaccines.
Post marketing surveillance.
Post marketing surveillance answers the questions, “What is happening in the real world when these shots are given?” Since research studies cannot account for all the different kinds of people and their reactions post marketing means the reports that are received after the shot is used in real life.
From the insert:
“Because these events are reported voluntarily from a population of uncertain size it is not always possible to reliably estimate their incidence rate or to establish a causal relationship to the vaccine.”
“Lymphodenopasthy, eye pain, photophobia, dysphagia, vomiting .influenza-like symptoms . rhinitis, cellulitis, muscle weakness, arthritis, tremor, syncope, Guillain-Barre syndrome, convulsions, seizures, cranial or facial nerve paralysis (Bell’s palsy), encephalopathy, limb paralysis .”
Cost
Fluarix® (single dose) for ages 3 years and older. Multidose has Hg, single dose does not. Fluarix: $101.20 for ten single vial doses (approximately $10/shot cost to MD).
There is no mercury in single vials.
FluLaval ® Multidose: $70.80 for one vial of ten doses ($7.08 cost of one shot). (Nice markup. I bet CVS, Walgreens and the other big purchasers get even better prices).
In Conclusion
This product does not prevent the flu, is filled with toxic chemicals and has the potential to cause serious, life threatening conditions.
What could be bad?
PS. Flu shots do immunize pharmeutcial companies from low profit
Want to see the product insert for yourself?
Go to: http://us.gsk.com/products/assets/us_flulaval.pdf
PS. I recently updated our Mythbusters report on the flu shot that can be personalized with your office information. Please check it out and click on the flu (and perhaps other) reports you’d like to give to your patients here
http://www.korenpublications.com/kp/category/myth-busting-reports
My Weight Loss “Secret”
A lot of you have been asking me what exactly I have done to lose approximately 30 lbs. The reality is that there is no secret-I’ve been watching calories…basically that’s it.
Nutritionally, I am doing the JumpStart program from NSP, with ONE exception…I don’t take the Solstic Energy. Not that it’s not a good product…I don’t generally need an extra “boost” of energy. The Protein meal replacement is wonderful..I can actually skip a meal after having just a shake. No hunger or cravings. One of the reasons is because the SmartMeal contains fats and vitamins as well as the other vitamins that are included in the JumpStart pack.
If you are feeding your body “good stuff” it won’t ask you fot “junk”.
In the interest of full disclosure-I just wanted to let you know that I am a NSP distributor and that if you click on these links and order product, my account will be credited and that results in a financial benefit to me.
Another product I really like is the Clif Builder’s Bar it’s delicious and has 20 g of Protein.
And lastly, probably the one thing that’s helped me the most is the MyFitnessPal Application for my phone. (you can join on the website if you don’t have a smart phone) It allows me to track my calories (even dining out), exercises, tracks my progress, and it even has a social feature that lets you cheer on friends and let them cheer YOU on your weight loss goals.
Other things I do:
- No artificial sweeteners
- Cut down on breads and pastries (not that I’m on a strict no carb plan, it’s that they’re too “expensive” calorically!
- I have eliminated milk from my diet-It wasn’t on purpose..I just found that since I was mixing my SmartMeal shakes with it. It started to upset my stomach. I have switched to Almond Milk and think it’s absolutely delicious!
- I used to drink Orange Juice in large quantities..no more. Too many calories.
- I’m working out. I don’t have 5 hours a day to be able to spend in the gym, but I do have 45 minutes…long enough for mr to run for 30 minutes and do one or two sets of something and get out! If I burn 300 calories in a workout..that’s 300 calories I can splurge on something I really want to eat.
- I have to watch myself with eating out. places like Chili’s and Applebee’s must use preservatives or MSG or something in their food, because even though I’ve watched my calories-my progress gets bogged down for days after eating at one of those places. Fortunately, I have a Natural Food Supermarket close by where I have meals several times a week. (too many times, I’m told)
- I go over my calorie limit sometimes. I get over it. I will be better tomorrow. When that happens, I ask myself “Was it worth it?” sometimes it is..Most times it isn’t.
So that’s it! Has it been hard? Actually, no! Does it take some dedication, yes. Is it worth it? Definitely! I’m liking what I see in the mirror, and that has increased my self-esteem and confidence level.
Hopefully some of my tips and experiences here can be of some help to you in your weight loss adventures!
Created by MyFitnessPal – Free Weight Loss Tools
