Friendship – good for your health

Friendship makes your whole life better, as you get support and companionship from good friends. They just not make you happy but also make your life beautiful and healthy. Researches have found that friendship has importance like regular exercise. If you have good friends you will experience less stress, will recover quickly from illness, and will even live longer than people who don’t have good friends.

Release Your Inhibitions

“Open up the dirty window

Let the sun illuminate the words that you cannot find

Reaching for something in the distance

So close you can almost taste it

Release your inhibitons..”

Unwritten – Sarah Beddingfield

Wow.. “release your inhibitions”.. “lepaskan hambatan-hambatan anda”.. Mungkin istilah itu adalah istilah yang sangat tepat untuk saya. Karena memang, saya seperti terlepas dari hambatan-hambatan yang sepertinya “menyumbat” pembuluh darah di leher dan kepala saya. Lho, maksudnya apa toh?

Saya mau cerita sedikit nih, semalam migrain saya kambuh lagi. Mungkin karena sepanjang hari saya tidur-tiduran aja, bangun hanya untuk mandi, sholat, terus baca buku dan nonton tv, dan tidur lagi. Beginilah kalau saya mendapat jatah liburan, malah diisi dengan tidur-tiduran sepanjang hari, mentang-mentang bulan puasa.. Jangan ditiru yach, hehehe.. Karena apa?

Ternyata nikmatnya tidur seharian dapat mengakibatkan efek samping. Untuk kasus saya, migrain saya malah kambuh deh. Senut, senut.. sampai sore dan menjelang malam. Gak selesai-selesai. Memang, sudah lama juga sih migrain ini gak pernah muncul. Kalau toh muncul, biasanya langsung saya hajar dengan minum obat analgesik semacam panadol atau aspirin. Namun semalam, saya malas minum obat apa pun. Aneh juga sih.

Lah, sampai menjelang tidur malam pun migrain saya masih senut senut, terutama di bagian pangkal leher belakang sampai ke bagian belakang kiri kepala saya. Wuih, rasanya itu loh.. gimana gituh.. well, nothing sexy about it for sure, hehehe... Kepikiran juga untuk menyerah dan ambil panadol di lemari, tapi ada gengsi-gengsi dikit..”mosok sudah jadi Praktisi NLP selama 2 tahun masih butuh obat hanya untuk melawan migrain?” “Well, tahan dikit napa?”

Nah, kemudian saya tarik nafas dalam-dalam... mencoba berbaring dengan santai dan nyaman.. Mulai bicara dengan unconscious saya.. “tolong tunjukan teknik yang tepat untuk menghilangkan migrain ini doong.. “ gitu kira-kira saya berkomunikasi dengan unconscious mind saya. Yang jelas, saya males mengingat-ingat teknik NLP apa pun, pasrah aja dengan si unconscious, karena saya yakin, unconscious saya selalu melindungi saya.

Well, serasa ada yang memandu, saya mulai memvisualisasikan rasa senut-senut tadi, “letaknya dimana yach.. “ eh, suara siapa tuh? Oh ya, kira-kira di sebelah kiri atas deh.. Okey, saya mengejapkan mata untuk membersihkan gambaran tadi. Kemudian.. serasa ada yang menanyakan, “Hey, coba kamu pikirkan suatu hal yang sangat kamu tidak percayai, pikirkan sesuatu yang universal dan memang tidak mungkin tidak kamu percayai lho.. “ Yeap, berhubung sudah terbukti secara ilmiah, maka saya sudah sangat tidak mempercayai bahwa bumi ini datar, hehehe.. ya itulah yang kemudian saya pilih. “Nah, kira-kira, letaknya dimana yach..” Hmm.. seperti ada bayangan yang muncul sepersekian detik, bahwa saya tidak percaya bahwa bumi itu datar muncul di sebelah kanan atas saya. Lalu saya mengkedip-kedipkan mata lagi untuk menghilangkan bayangan tadi.

Seolah unconscious saya terus memandu, saya pun memindahkan bayangan pertama, yang senut-senut tadi, ke lokasi bayangan kedua, yaitu bayangan yang muncul karena saya gak percaya bahwa bumi ini datar. Kemudian, bagaikan ada suara tutup tupperware, bayangan pertama tadi mengunci di posisi dan menutupi bayangan kedua. Jelas sekali suara tutup tupperware tadi mengunci gambar pertama tersebut. Apa yang terjadi selanjutnya cukup mengejutkan saya.

Sekejap setelah bayangan pertama masuk ke posisi bayangan kedua, eh ya dhalaah.. senut-senut tadi kok ya hilang gitu loh.. I mean, it’s really gone, almost instantly. Beneran saya sampai terpana beberapa saat. Bahkan untuk memastikan, saya coba mengakses kembali senut-senut tadi, tapi gak ada bekas-bekasnya. Completely dissapeared. Wow..

“Eit, belum selesai..” suara tadi muncul lagi, karena saya musti tetap meneruskan dengan memikirkan sesuatu yang saya sangat percayai. Well again, since the modern science already proved it, saya memilih bumi ini bulat. Bayangannya muncul di tepat di depan mata saya. Anggaplah ini bayangan ketiga. Kembali saya kedip-kedipkan mata. Hingga tahap ini, saya yakin ada beberapa dari kalian yang mulai berpikir kalau mata saya kelilipan yach.. Lalu, suara tadi meminta untuk memikirkan keinginan saya agar leher dan kepala saya relaks, ringan, dan tidak senut-senut, sekarang. Lah, bayangannya muncul lagi tapi kali ini di bagian kiri atas yang lebih ke atas dari bayangan pertama, saya namakan ini bayangan keempat.

Seperti langkah terdahulu, saya memindahkan bayangan keempat ke posisi bayangan ketiga. Kembali terdengar suara tutup tupperware yang mengunci bayangan keempat di posisi bayangan ketiga. Yupeee.. tuntas sudah. Kali ini senut-senut tersebut benar-benar hilang bersih.
Saking semangatnya karena berhasil menghilangkan migrain, saya bangkit dari tempat tidur, dan melakukan sedikit pelemasan di bagian pundak dan leher. Wow, lega banget karena akhirnya saya berhasil menaklukan migrain tanpa bantuan zat analgesik apa pun. Dan semua itu dilakukan hanya dalam waktu kurang dari lima menit lho, luar biasa.. very amazing..

Saking semangatnya, saya gak jadi tidur deh. Malah, saya iseng-iseng kirim sms dengan seorang sahabat, eh dibalas, hingga akhirnya kami saling kirm sms lucu-lucuan. Hayoo, yang merasa sms-an dengan saya semalam hingga terkikik-kikik coba ya mengaku.. tunjuk tangan??! Hahaha..

Okelah, segitu aja. Mudah-mudahan teknik di atas bisa teman-teman pergunakan juga kalau sewaktu-waktu mengalami hal yang sama. Semoga membantu.

The Importance of Drinking Water

No matter where you look today you will invariably encounter someone carrying bottled water. Water has become the earmark of a healthy lifestyle – offering hydration and purification. It's no wonder so many of us have heeded the advice of the experts and significantly upped our water intake. Drinking water for health makes sense when you understand the role that water plays in the human body.

Over half of the human body is made up of water; for this reason, drinking water for health is absolutely crucial in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Experts have long recommended the drinking of at least sixty-four ounces of water a day in order for our systems to function at optimum levels. Water allows our body to effectively absorb the nutrients that we need from food and systematically flushes our kidneys of waste. In fact, all of our internal organs operate at higher capacity when we are well hydrated. When we are drinking water for health our blood thins as it should; when we are dehydrated, blood becomes thicker making our bodies work harder to pump it; this makes the overall functions of the body slow and inefficient.

A part of drinking water for health is to allow our body to effectively digest our food; without water our body cannot effectively eliminate waste. Water has an enormous effect on weight loss as well, speeding our metabolism and acting as a natural appetite suppressant. Drinking water for health throughout our lifetime means, in many cases, the long term successful maintenance of a healthy weight.

Drinking water for health also means an outward glow and youthful appearance. Experts relate a clear complexion to the adequate intake of water that flushes toxins from our bodies.

The evidence is clear; in order to keep our bodies functioning at an optimum level drinking water for health is vitally important. Keep water with you at all times and drink throughout the day.

You will find that your overall health – and appearance – is improved.

Phobias

Author: Unknown.

Phobias are an anxiety disorder. All phobias respond very well to hypnotic treatment and there is no reason that anyone need suffer the debilitating effects of a phobia.

Anxiety is characterized by any of the following symptoms. They include shortness of breath, heart palpitations (rapid or irregular beat), trembling or shaking, sweating, choking, nausea or abdominal distress, numbness, dizziness or unsteadiness, feeling of detachment or being out of touch with yourself, hot flashes or chills, fear of dying, fear of going crazy or out of control. If four of more of these symptoms occur at the same time, the individual is having a panic attack.

If anxiety arises only in response to a specific situation, it is called situational anxiety or phobic anxiety. Social phobias, agoraphobia, simple phobia are all examples of situational anxiety. The situation certainly differs, for instance, social phobia is fear of social situations where the sufferer risks humiliation or embarrassment. The most common form is fear of public speaking. Agoraphobia is a fear of being away from home, a safe person or more accurately "fear of panic attacks" and what other people might think. Simple phobia can be a fear of animals, heights, elevators. I found over a 1,000 phobias listed at www.phobialist. com. All these phobias are much stronger than normal everyday anxiety so much so that the phobia sufferer will persistently avoid the situation that produces the strong anxiety. The anxiety has become out of control and the sufferer feels powerless to direct what's happening. The anxiety is interfering with the normal functions of their lives.

The symptoms of panic attack are the same as the symptoms of anxiety except that four or more of the symptoms happen at one time. It is not in response to a certain situation so therefore is different to phobic anxiety. Panic attacks happen "out of the blue". Panic attack becomes panic disorder when the individual has a panic attack and then spends the next month worrying if another one is going to happen (anticipatory anxiety).

Generalized anxiety disorder is characterized by chronic anxiety that persists for at least six months, but is unaccompanied by panic attacks, phobias or obsessions.

Phobic anxiety is not to be confused with Obsessive-Compulsiv e Disorder which is made up of both obsessions and compulsions. However, it is possible to have obsessions without having compulsions. Obsessions are recurring ideas, thoughts, images or impulses that seem senseless but haunt the sufferer. Examples include images of doing violence to someone else, or fears about having left the house unlocked, or leaving the lights on. The person realizes the thoughts and fears are irrational but cannot suppress them. Compulsions are the behaviors and rituals that the person performs in order to dispel the anxiety brought on by the obsessions. The most common compulsions include hand washing, checking, and counting. Obsessive-compulsiv e disorder is often accompanied by depression and in this way, is dissimilar to phobias. However, obsessive-compulsiv es may also have a phobia. For instance, a person with an obsession about dirt may have a phobia about public restrooms or touching doorknobs.

Phobic anxiety is also different to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, PTSD which has a variety of symptoms that develop following a traumatic event. The latter can be war, earthquake, car crash, tornado, rape, assault or other violent crime. The persistent symptoms include repetitive distressing thoughts about the event, nightmares, flashbacks, emotional numbness, feelings of detachment and estrangement from others, persistent anxiety, loss of interest in things that used to give pleasure and attempts to avoid thoughts or feelings associated with the trauma. These latter attempts at avoidance set up a situation where phobia can develop. For instance, a person who has been in a car crash and has post-traumatic stress disorder may develop a phobia about driving a car.

The good news about phobias is that they are all respond well to treatment including hypnosis and standard psychotherapy. Treatment protocols include relaxation therapy, desensitization therapy involving removing the emotions from the event (phobia theater is an excellent protocol for this), insight-oriented therapy focusing on expressing feelings, overcoming negative self talk, overcoming mistaken beliefs and maintenance of a healthy diet and exercise program. For obsessive-compulsiv e disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder, there may well be real depression and medication may be necessary.

Tertawa itu Sehat

Ada banyak emosi yang dapat mempengaruhi kesembuhan tubuh dan jiwa kita; seperti cinta, keyakinan, keikhlasan, dll. Saya jadi ingin tahu apakah kalian pernah merasakan pengalaman yang saya akan tuliskan ini.

Beberapa kali dalam hidup saya (dengan sepupu, sahabat, adik, dll), saya pernah mengalami suatu tawa yang tak terkendali, yang apabila ada orang menodongkan pistol ke kening saya dan berkata, "berhenti tertawa!" Saya tetap tidak bisa berhenti tertawa.

Pertama-tama saya ingin tekankan bahwa tawa tersebut tidak terjadi karena ada sesuatu yang sangat lucu. Justru biasanya tidak ada kejadian yang lucu. Namun, tiba-tiba saja, kami berdua tergelak sampai keluar air mata, memegang perut kami, memukul-mukul meja, terus tertawa sampai muka kami merah. Kalau ada seseorang yang bertanya, "Kalian gak apa-apa?", tawa kami malah semakin parah.

Tawa tersebut begitu hebatnya, hingga berasa sakit. Setiap otot perut kami menjadi sangat sakit sampai-sampai kami berdoa supaya bisa berhenti tertawa, tapi tidak bisa. Tak perduli seberapa sakitnya atau tidak pantasnya tawa kami, kami malah tertawa semakin kuat.

Ketika sudah selesai, saya merasa setiap sel di tubuh saya telah tertawa dan sembuh. Sungguh merupakan pengalaman yang sangat luar biasa.

Jadi, apakah kalian pernah tertawa seperti itu? Bila belum, andaikan saja saya bisa memberitahu kalian bagaimana caranya... dan saya pun pasti akan melakukannya tiap hari.. ^_^

Laughter is Healing

There are so many emotions that affect healing in the body and soul. Love, faith, gratitude, etc. I am just curious how many of you have ever felt what I am about to describe.

Several times throughout my life (with cousins, with friends, with a lover) I have experienced uncontrollable laughter where, literally, if someone held a gun to my head and said, "Stop laughing!" I would not have been able to. I know this because these periods of uncontrollable laughter are normally at times where I really ache to stop laughing because I know it is totally and completely inappropriate or at least not desired in the particular situation.

First of all, I want to emphasize that this laughter doesn't occur because something is really funny. Normally, nothing funny has happened. But, all of a sudden, the two of us have tears rolling down our cheeks, we are doubled over, and gutteral sounds are coming out of us that are primal. If someone comes up and says, "Are you guys OK?," it just makes the laughter worse.

The laughter is so intense that it is physically painful. Every abdominal muscle hurts horribly and you pray to stop laughing but you can't stop. No matter how bad it hurts or how inappropriate the place, you just laugh harder and harder.

But when it is over, I feel like every cell in my body has laughed and been healed. It is quite an amazing experience. So, have you guys ever laughed like this? If not, I wish I could tell you how to bring it on. Shoot, I wish I knew how to bring it on and then I would do it everyday at will. It is that healing.

Jalan Kaki

“Wah, sudah hampir makan siang yaa..”, mataku tertuju pada angka “11.45” pada layar jam digital yang bertengger di pojok meja kerjaku. Pikiranku pun teralihkan dari rasa suntuk pekerjaan. “Pantesan aja perut sudah bergemuruh nih. Lunch dulu aaah”. Aku pun mematikan komputer dan lampu kamar kerja, mengunci pintu dan keluar dari kantor HROD. Eh, di teras kantor ada Pak Budi, Superintenden HROD. “Mau kemana Dit?” beliau bertanya sambil menghembuskan asap rokok dari mulutnya. “Ke kota pak, mau makan siang”. “mau nebeng pakai mobilku?” Beliau menawarkan. “Terima kasih pak, aku mau jalan kaki aja, sudah biasa kok”. Aku menolak dengan sopan. “Mendung lho Dit, bentar lagi kayaknya hujan deh..” Ups, iya ya.. aku melihat sekilas langit yang agak kelabu karena ditutup awan-awan. “Gak apalah pak, kalau hujan paling juga basah.” santai banget jawabanku, tidak biasanya. Kali ini kok pasrah. Dengan tanpa menunggu tanggapakan Pak Budi yang bengong mendengar jawabanku, aku pun mulai melangkah kaki menuju jalan setapak ke luar halaman kantor HROD, ke arah bangunan Akademi Teknik Sorowako (ATS), tepat di samping bangunan HROD.

Baru saja aku berhasil membebaskan diri dari kepungan banyak motor yang parkir di tempat parkiran ATS, pikiranku kembali kepada masalah pekerjaan yang tadi sempat terlupa. Beberapa saat aku berpikir-pikir mencari solusi; kalau begini gimana, kalau begitu gimana. Uh, kok jadi macet lagi. “Bodo ah.“ Aku pun mengusir gambar-gambar awut-awutan yang ada di kepala, dan mulai membuka mata melihat pemandangan di sekitar seraya kakiku semakin cepat melangkah, memasuki jalan setapak di antara tanaman dan rumput liar. Pikiranku kembali tenang. Dengan santai aku menatap pemandangan hijau di depan mata. Tentram banget. Kalo di Jakarta, jarang-jarang ada pemandangan yang masih alami seperti ini. Suara-suara serangga seolah mengiringi lenggangan kaki. Tak berapa lama, ada beberapa burung maleo lewat di atas kepala. Senang sekali mereka berterbangan bebas begitu.

Tiba-tiba, awan-awan di langit berbaik hati memberi kesempatan buat matahari memancarkan kehangatannya ke bumi. Hangatnya terpaan matahari di wajah disusul dengan rasa sejuk yang membelai. Hmmm.. ini pasti angin dari arah danau Matano. Aku berhenti sebentar dan mengarahkan pandanganku ke ke danau di kejauhan, di balik toko-toko kota Sorowako dan bangunan Hotel Transisco. Pemandangan yang luar biasa. Karena mendung, airnya berwarna agak kelabu. Lalu pegunungan di ujung danau Matano yang biasanya kelihatan jelas, sekarang agak menghilang karena ditutup awan-awan rendah. Syahdu banget. Kalau lagi musim panas, pemandangannya berbeda. Air danau akan berwarna kebiruan, ada pantulan-pantulan sinar matahari, seperti kristal. Pengunungannya agak kehijauan karena hutan-hutan, sementara langit yang menjadi latar belakangnya berwarna biru cerah, dengan sedikit awan-awan putih bersih. Kalau sudah gitu, aku jadi berpikir, gimana aku melukisnya ya? Yah, seberapa maestronya aku melukis, sepertinya gak bakalan bisa mengalahkan keindahan aslinya deh, hehehe…

Perjalanan kecil ini pun kulanjutkan. Sekarang aku sudah mendekati jembatan besi yang menghubungkan jalan setapak yang sedang aku lewati dengan lapangan bola camp site. Aku mendengar pekikan ceria anak-anak. Saat aku di atas jembatan, aku melongokan kepala ke bawah, mencari asal suara-suara tadi. Eh, ada beberapa anak SD yang baru pulang sekolah pada mandi-mandi di sungai lho. Air sungainya agak kecoklatan. Tapi kelihatan banget mereka tidak perduli. Lagian, ngapain juga memikirkan warna air sungai kalau kita bisa bermain-main ceria dengan teman-teman, saling siram-siraman kayak gitu. Mereka memang sedang menikmati masa-masa kecil mereka, masa bermain gitu. Asyik deh.

Kembali aku berjalan di jembatan besi. Eit, di ujung jembatan ada seekor sapi sedang memamah biak, berdiri agak menutupi jalan keluar jembatan. Wuih, gede juga sapinya. Apalagi tanduknya itu, kelihatan tajam. Ciut juga nih. Tapi, biar gimana pun aku ya harus melewati sapi itu. Aku berani-beranikanlah. Dengan sok cuek aku jalan mendekati sang sapi. Kayaknya dia ngerti deh. Matanya yang bulat besar dan lucu itu menatapku penuh perhatian. Mulutnya gak berhenti mengunyah rumput, ada beberapa daun rumput yang jatuh. Lho, tanganku ini kenapa, kok nekat bergerak ke arah kepala itu sapi… Secara otomatis aku menepuk-nepuk kepala sapi itu. Membelai-belai dikit. Lho, lho, kayaknya si sapi keenakan tuh kepalanya ditepuk dan dibelai lembut gitu. Matanya merem-melek, hehehe.. Ya udah, aku cabut aja, jalan agak cepat menjauhi si sapi sambil cengar-cengir. Aku melewati si pemilik sapi yang duduk di bawah pohon gak jauh dari situ. Terheran-heran dia melihat aku berjalan tapi senyum-senyum sendiri, hahaha.. Gak tahu apa dia, aku barusan menaklukan sapinya? Dengan penuh kemenangan aku pun meloncat-loncat kecil menghindari beberapa daerah becek di lapangan bola Camp Site itu.

Nah, aku sudah mau keluar lapangan bola Camp Site. Sekarang ada 3 pilihan. Belok kiri, ke rumah makan ikan bakar Transport; lurus dan menyebrang jalan ke rumah makan Jawa Timuran, atau belok kanan, ke pasar Magani? Tiba-tiba di mataku muncul image ayam goreng lengkap dengan lalapnya. Wah, berarti ke rumah makan Jawa Timuran nih. Tapi, bukankah biasanya mereka menggoreng ayamnya pakai minyak goreng yang sudah beberapa kali digunakan? Ah, gak usah berpikiran jeleklah, lagian perutku sudah berbunyi lagi nih. Ya udah, aku pun bergerak ke rumah makan tersebut, masuk, dan duduk manis. Pelayannya datang. “Mbak, ayam goreng satu ya, minumnya es jeruk deh”. Aku kembali bersender di bangku.

Aku baru sadar, karena berjalan kaki aku jadi agak berkeringat. Huh, gerah juga. Keringat di kening kembali menetes. Tapi ini tandanya aku kan sehat ya. Metabolisme tubuhku sedang bekerja dengan baik kan? Keringat mengeluarkan kotoran-kotoran dari dalam tubuh, detoksifikasi alami, hasil pembakaran lemak. Hmmm.. setelah jalan kaki tadi, aku merasa lebih segar, fresh, dan semangat. Gak suntuk lagi. Aku kembali ingat dengan problem pekerjaan yang belum ada solusinya tadi. Bagaikan kotak schedule reminder yang muncul di tengah layar komputerku, “tung..!”. kok ya tiba-tiba sekarang solusinya muncul di kepala ya? Eh, eh, gambar-gambar yang berantakan di dalam kepala tadi seperti mulai menyusun diri menjadi suatu jawaban yang jelas akan masalah pekerjaanku tadi pagi ya? Wuih, aku jadi semangat gini deh. Ternyata, dengan berjalan kaki aku malah bisa menemukan jawaban dari problem pekerjaan yang dari tadi nyangkut.

Aku jadi ingat pelajaran biokimia saat kuliah dulu, tentang hormon-hormon. Ada yang namanya hormon adrenalin, yang meningkatkan mood kita. Terus ada hormon endorfin, yang membangkitkan rasa tentram, sense of well-being. Kayaknya, kedua hormon itu bekerja lebih banyak ketika aku tadi jalan kaki sambil menikmati pemandangan tadi. Ternyata, berjalan kaki bukan hanya membakar lemak, tapi juga menyehatkan mental dan pikiran. Pikiranku jadi terang dan rileks. Kalau pikiran terang dan rileks aku pun menemukan jawaban problem pekerjaan. Effortlessly, begitu aja. Belum juga selesai rasa kagumku akan efek dari jalan kaki, datanglah si ayam goreng yang tadi aku pesan. Lho ? Kok ayam gorengnya berwarna terang dan bersih, gak seperti digoreng dengan minyak bekas? Persis dengan aku bayangkan tadi. “Mbak, ayamnya digoreng pakai minyak baru ya?” Si embaknya menjawab, “iya pak, pakai minyak yang baru saya buka, barusan aja..”. Alhamdulillah deh, aku bisa makan siang yang lebih sehat. Ternyata law of attraction baru saja bekerja. Bekerja saat hati dan pikiran lagi terang, rileks, dan nyaman. Jadi tambah lahap nih makan ayam gorengnya. Efek positif dari berjalan kaki sudah tidak aku anggap remeh lagi. Olah raga yang murah dan berpengaruh besar.

Walk to Burn Fat

Get Started

Turn on the TV and you're bound to see an ad for a miracle weight loss gimmick. With all the pills and contraptions, it seems hard to know what will help us lose weight safely. But the answer really is simple: To rid yourself of unwanted pounds all you need are your own legs, some comfortable shoes, and a little open space.

Energy In, Energy Out

When it comes to body weight, remember this: 1 pound = 3500 calories. For every pound you want to lose, you must burn 3500 calories worth of energy. The only way to do that is to move more.

Walking is one of the best forms of exercise. It uses up oxygen, causing your body to burn stored fat. For example, you'll expend about 100 calories by walking a mile. That might not seem like a lot at first, but just think about it. Most people average just under 3 miles through the course of their day. If you add an enjoyable morning jaunt or a brisk evening walk you could easily move 4 miles a day. If you walk 4 miles 4 times a week, you can burn 1600 calories! That's half a pound of fat gone. Add more steps to your day while making sure not to eat more calories than you use, and your body can't help but trim down.

Walking also strengthens muscles, which tones and shapes your body. The increased muscle mass boosts your metabolism. This means you burn calories long after you stop moving. And you don't have to get all of your walking in at once. If you don't have time for long walks, find pockets of time throughout your day for short jaunts.

Maximize Your Walk

Any form of walking burns calories and improves muscle definition. But to get the most from your walk, concentrate on these main points:

Choose distance over speed. It's better to walk at a steady pace than walk too quickly and have to quit early. As your fitness level improves, you can speed up gradually.
Go for the hills. To help build your muscles, alternate inclines. Try walking up stairs, bleachers, or hills.
Warm up slowly. Walk the first few minutes at an easy pace to get your body prepared. If your start is too brisk, you risk burning only the immediate sugar supply in your body rather than the stored fat you want to lose.

Physical activity doesn't have to be hard to produce results; it just has to be steady. Walking lets you work your muscles and burn off stored fat. It's simple, enjoyable, and a good weapon in the battle against bulge.

What is Mental Health?

It has always been easier to define mental illnesses than to define mental health. In the United States the American Psychiatric Association has traditionally been the organization to define mental disorders (beginning as early as 1917 when it was known as The Association of Medical Superintendents of American Institutions of the Insane). More recently many have recognized that mental health is more than the absence of mental illness. Even though many of us don't suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder, it is clear that some of us are mentally healthier than others. The study of the characteristics that make up mental health has been called "positive psychology." Here are some of the ideas that have been put forward as characteristics of mental health:

The ability to enjoy life - The ability to enjoy life is essential to good mental health. James Taylor wrote that "The secret of life is enjoying the passing of time. Any fool can do it. There is nothing to it." The practice of mindfulness meditation is one way to cultivate the ability to enjoy the present. We, of course, need to plan for the future at times; and we also need to learn from the past. Too often we make ourselves miserable in the present by worrying about the future.

Resilience - The ability to bounce back from adversity has been referred to as "resilience." It has been long known that some people handle stress better than others. Why are some Viet Nam combat veterans handicapped for life, while others become United States senators? Why do some adults raised in alcoholic families do well, while others have repeated problems in life? The characteristic of "resilience" is shared by those who cope well with stress.

Balance - Balance in life seems to result in greater mental health. We all need to balance time spent socially with time spent alone, for example. Those who spend all of their time alone may get labeled as "loners", and they may lose many of their social skills. Extreme social isolation may even result in a split with reality. Those who ignore the need for some solitary times also risk such a split. Balancing these two needs seems to be the key although we all balance these differently. Other areas where balance seems to be important include the balance between work and play, the balance between sleep and wakefulness, the balance between rest and exercise, and even the balance between time spent indoors and time spent outdoors.

Flexibility - We all know people who hold very rigid opinions. No amount of discussion can change their views. Such people often set themselves up for added stress by the rigid expectations that they hold. Working on making our expectations more flexible can improve our mental health. Emotional flexibility may be just as important as cognitive flexibility. Mental healthy people experience a range of emotions and allow themselves to express these feelings. Some people shut off certain feelings, finding them to be unacceptable. This emotional rigidity may result in other mental health problems.

Self-actualization - What have we made of the gifts that we have been given? We all know people who have surpassed their potential and others who seem to have squandered their gifts. We first need to recognize our gifts, of course, and the process of recognition is part of the path toward self-actualization. Mentally healthy persons are persons who are in the process of actualizing their potential.

These are just a few of the concepts that are important in attempting to define mental health. The ability to form healthy relationships with others is also important. Adult and adolescent mental health also includes the concepts of self-esteem. How we deal with loss and death is also an important element of mental health.

How Walking Buffs Your Brain

You lace up your walking shoes, stretch, and set out on a brisk walk…all with the goal of being fit and healthy. What you might not know is that your walk benefits your mind just as much as your body. Recent research finds that physical activity is good for mental skills, too.

Simple forms of steady exercise, such as walking, give you the best mental boost. Walking improves your ability to make decisions, solve problems, and focus. Even small doses of walking, like a 15-minute trek, can increase your brain power.

These benefits are not just short term. The mental perks continue long after your body has cooled down from a walk.

Perk Up by Walking

When life gets you down, walking can ease some of the burdens and relieve sadness or anxiety. Here's why:

1. Aerobic activity releases hormones like adrenaline in your body. These hormones are key players in your nervous system and in boosting your mood.
2. Endorphins also release in your body during activity. They help relieve pain and create a sense of well-being.

Try to find time for brain breaks each day by walking. Remember, you can break your treks up into several short walks.

Expand Your Outlook

Many people use walking as a time to pray, meditate, or just think. Alone time spent walking can help you gain perspective and balance. Walking lets you:

1. Reduce stress
2. Clear your mind
3. Tap into your creative side
4. Think of new ideas
5. Solve problems

If you walk with a friend or family member, you also can enrich your mind by talking about issues of interest. Intelligent banter sharpens your wit; this, in turn, increases your mental skill. It's enjoyable to plan what topics the day's walk will explore.

Walking beefs up your mind in many ways. Here are more benefits:

1. Exercise helps you sleep better. Restful nights are essential for clear thought processes.

2. As you continue to walk, you'll deepen your self-motivation and personal will. This can help you muster the mental drive you need each day.

The point is this: Any time you can dedicate to walking is time your brain and mind need for clarity and strength. When you feel overwhelmed, find the time to walk. You'll get quick relief from your mental load and long-term enhancement to your mental health.