HEALTHY WEALTH MEASUREMENT (C) By Polly Guerin

Do you ever think about your self- worth? If what you are all about in life is merely based on your job status you’re heading in the wrong direction because a superficial attitude can affect your health, depression being one of those symptoms. When people get depressed more often than not it is based on loss of work. It’s easy to succumb and tally up yourself worth in the negative when all along you forgot about your self-worth. Joel Osteen, the popular TV minister, recently addressed the issue of self-worth stating that medical research has evaluated the human body and all of its amazing intricate parts and function as worth six million dollars.

THE SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN AND WOMAN

Osteen further attested that starting at this realization you perhaps never estimated your self-worth at such a high level. You’re actually wealthy, a unique 6 Million Dollar Man or Woman, which right off ought to push you up on the emotional scale of inner strength and self reliance. Now doesn’t that make you feel elated? You’re extremely valuable and can hold your head up high with confidence and dignity despite job loss concerns.

SHE WHO HESITATES

At a time when the job market is flooded with applicants it’s a wise decision to make a compromise. When a friend of mine lost her high figure job she held out for a position with equal remuneration, and refused to accept a position at lower pay. “Take it,” I said, but she did not heed my words and warning that she should not pass up this opportunity. However, by the time she realized her mistake, like Lily Bart in Edith Wharton’s book, The House of Mirth, when my friend and Lily finally decided to compromise the offers had ceased.

VOLUNTEERISM WORKS

It’s always better to be employed in the work force than to be out of it, and although unemployment insurance will tide you over this period in your life, what are you going to do with the time on your hands? In order to keep your skills polished and at top form now may be the time to fill up the vacant hours and volunteer in an organization where your expertise will not only contribute, but be noticed. Sometimes a volunteer job can turn into a permanent position. Volunteering will keep your skills polished and help to build your self esteem and boost your confidence. Giving back to community by contributing your time and skills adds a bonus to your 6 million dollar worth.

PLAN OF ACTION

When the job interviewer asks, “What have you been doing in the interim?” You’re volunteer work skills will provide a positive plus for you. Once you’re gainfully employed again improve upon your self-worth attitude and remember that your self-worth is based on who you are and how you live a healthy, positive life. Get vigilant about how you face any crisis and show family, friends and work associates how you value your self-worth because you have a unique role to perform not only in the workforce but in personal relationships as well.

Balanced Life...A Healthy Outlook (c) By Polly Guerin

Nowadays it seems that everyone’s calendar is so programmed and jammed with appointments that one wonders how they find time to simmer down and find balance in their life. There’s so much that draws us from one extreme to another in this busy, hectic world that it’s easy to overdo it. When it comes to investing time and energy, relating to other people and even eating we are constantly challenged to find balance in our life. The great American prophet, Edgar Cayce, the A.R.E., Association for Research and Enlightenment, often counseled people about the necessity to stay balanced saying in one reading, “All work and no play is as bad as all play and no work. (2597.2)
BALANCING RELATIONSHIPS
The daily pull on your personal resources of energy and nurturing, concern and compassion, can be a drain on a healthy relationship with family, friends and co-workers. When we give so much of ourselves to others we most often get out of balance because we forget to nurture and develop a healthy relationship with ourselves. As Cayce suggests it is possible to go through “burnout” in which so much energy is focused on the needs of others or the demands of the workplace that one loses the appreciation of self.” When the work schedule or pressure cooker family needs invade your personal time zone it’s time to re-evaluate how much you are neglecting yourself and what you need to do to regain balance.
LOVE OF ONESELF
I often think that I need to protect myself from the “needy” people I meet but remember that Cayce said, “Genuine love of oneself is quite different from selfishness, which ignores the needs of others—has a very important role to play in a balanced healthful life. We should find time to invest in ourselves.” Check point evaluation: How balanced are you in your daily life in regard to contributing to the welfare of others versus contributing to the welfare of yourself? In other words, it is important to invest daily in activities and interests that are self-nurturing and elevate your spirit in a balanced harmony that appreciates YOU.
CELEBRATING EACH DAY
My friend Kathy makes it a practice to do something special each day for herself and others. She says, “Every day is a cause of celebration, I do not wait for a birthday or holidays to do something special for myself or someone else. Whether it be listening patiently to a problem, or treating myself to a single rose or sending an unexpected gift of gratitude, these activities nurture my existence as well as the recipient of such gifts. The personal touch contributes to the welfare of others and the self-nurturing through these tokens of friendship helps me to keep a healthy balance in my life.”
INVESTING IN YOURSELF
Balancing relationships and investing sufficiently in yourself contributes to your overall health, your soundness of sleep and your patience in responding with love and compassion to challenging situations both at home and in the workplace, or just out there in the public domain. A healthy balance, a give and take, so to speak, is the key to satisfaction and a means to achieving a happy outlook on life without sacrificing self.

Sun Worshipping For Health (c) By Polly Guerin

The benefit of sunlight has been much maligned and misunderstood. Based on medical advice people have been hiding from the sun to excape its deadly rays that might cause cancer or cataracts. Fearing the worst people would never leave their homes without sunscreen or dark sunglasses, particularly on bright, sunny days. Avoidance of the sun was the rule but new medical research now stresses the importance of sunlight, the major source of vitamin D, as an important daily ingredient for good health.
SUN FIGHTS DISEASE
The great American prophet Edgar Cayce preferred natural food over man-made sources of vitamins. Through the natural process of assimulation sunlight, Vitamin D, is absorbed through the skin with UV rays that benefit your health and on which the body depends to defend itself from infection. A good daily dosage of sunlight boosts your metabolism and can ward off depression and insomnia. At the same time, light signals also enter your eyes to regulate a healthy system. Cayce cautioned, “Let there not be too much activity in the middle of the day, or too much of sunshine. The early morning and the late afternoon are the more preferable times.” (934-2) Sunlight or sunbathing, where it is possible, energizes, rejuvenates and strengthens the body.
ANIMAL WISDOM
Animals instinctively seem to know about the benefits of sunlight. Even my little dog Colby seems to have a sage need for the sun and he didn’t need medical advice to tell him about sunlight’s benefits. On any day I can find him sitting in any very sunny spot basking in the sun’s warmth and nutrition. Sunlight and the penetration of its rays sustain the planet and directly play a part in our mental, emotional and spiritual well being.
SUNLIGHT HEALS
The ancient physicians knew about the power of sunlight. In ancient Greece patients were sent to healing temples in the “sun city” of Heliopolis. Extended sunbathing was a remedy for a host of ailments and when tuberculosis was at its height patients were sent to sanatoriums in the mountains in upper New York State and in Austria and Switzerland to bask in the open air. On a similar note Cayce recommended, “Keep in the sunshine as much as possible, with as few clothing as possible, would be well for the body.” (137-86)
REFLECTIVE RAYS
Standing outside at lunchtime by the concrete of an office building, shoveling or playing in the snow, basking at the beach on the sand can unexpectedly cause excessive sun exposure. That’s because the rays of the sun refocus and bounce back onto the surface of your body? You’ll get less of a burn or tan if you would go to a park than you would in these locations. The sun is at its peak of penetration in the summer months, whereas a midwinter day will affect significantly less damage than a July afternoon.
SUNLIGHT FOR LIFE
Protecting your skin from over exposure is of major concern, but sunlight is a life giving force that should not be denied. For individuals who seek to protect their skin the best choice is a non chemical sun block which is available at health stores. It will form a physical barrier to block out UV rays. After sun exposure it is best to soak in a cool tub to remove accumulated oil, sweat, and suntan lotion and restore the moisture to the skin. Although we are wisely advised that overexposure to the sun can be potentially damaging, the good news is that with controlled exposure to sunlight generates good health and a happy countenance.

BREATHING DEEPLY AND LIVING HEALTHY (C) By Polly Guerin

Breathing is something that we perform so automatically that we frequently take it for granted. Seldom do we concern ourselves with the function that keeps us inhaling and exhaling so consistently with rhythmic motion. However, very few of us realize how poorly so many of us perform this life-giving task. Edgar Cayce the great American psychic said in a reading on this subject, “rarely does the body breathe as deep as it should.” (2360-1) He further advised, “This lack of deep breathing can have serious consequences causing poor assimilation and fatigue.
FRESH AIR BREATHING
More than ever, people need to be concerned about breathing fresh air. The poor air quality polluting big cities, confinement in corporate offices, re-circulation of air on airplanes, enclosed gyms lacking open windows are all warning signs that our health is threatened. Breathing in fresh air, however, clarifies and purifies our system. Not only do our cells breathe, but so too does our skin. All the more reason to start the day breathing in fresh air before an open window. A brisk walk in the open air will also bring benefits replenishing the body with oxygen.
DEEP BREATHING
Why deep breathing? A lot of elimination takes place through the lungs and deep breathing clarifies and purifies the body. Cleansing the lungs is beneficial, especially when you exhale the breath completely, forcing the air out of the lungs and bringing in a complete change of air that will revitalize your body. Deep breathing not only drives oxygen down into the lower part of the lungs, but it also helps to eliminate carbon dioxide, which is the end product of fatigue.
BREATHING EXERCISE FOR HEALTH
Cayce’s readings on the subject of deep breathing exercise also placed great emphasis on stretching and bending exercises in the yoga tradition. One of the easiest exercises he recommended involves a mere three to five minutes in the morning and evening. Before an open window, of course, standing with feet on the floor, gently rise on the toes, and at the same time raise your arms high above the head. Breathe IN as the body rises, stretch backward to open up the chest and breathe OUT as you bring your arms down in front, lower your heels, cross arms and hug the body as you bend forward, forcing all the air out of the lungs. (1773-1) Repeat this exercise for the prescribed minutes and feel refreshed and re-energized.
BREATHE YOUR WAY TO LONGEVITY
Exchanging stale breath for fresh breath in the lungs is one of the best ways to eliminate toxins from the body and keep yourself feeling and looking young. Just for a few minutes a day, morning and evening, deep breathing exercise rejuvenates the body, and improves circulation and elimination. For people seemingly trapped at their computer desk in office buildings in big cities it is important to get outdoors. Do not eat lunch sitting at your desk. Walk around the block, find a pocket park to rest and on weekends engage in outdoor activities that give life restoring energy to the body and bring the mind in harmony with nature.

Toxic Friends And Social Vampires (c) By Polly Guerin

Everyone has problems and needs support sometimes, that’s why good friends listen and offer counsel, solace or confirmation. However, some people just don’t know when to draw the line and become social vampires draining your patience and leaving you exhausted. If a friend demands attention, time and support without regard to your own life they’re being abusive and the friendship is heading for a showdown. Some so called friends use the friendship as a sounding board for their deep rooted anxieties and problems of such a personal nature that you feel like you’ve become an involuntary full time counselor. As Fred Astaire said to Ginger Rogers in one of those romantic comedies. “Let’s call the whole thing off.

REGOGNIZING TOXIC TYPES
You may wonder how you ever became involved in the first place, but it can happen so fast you don’t realize that you’re dealing with a narcissistic, financially irresponsible, selfish or whiny individual. It’s easy to be drawn in by a toxic person because by nature you’re a good listener, but now is the time to cut the ties that bind. Detaching yourself from people and situations that are not good for you is necessary to preserve your own mental health and well being.

THE NARCISSIST

It’s all about “them” and you never get a chance to get a word in edge wise. Even if you try to inject a comment your words are ridden over as unheard as the narcissist drones about every itsy bitsy news about their ills, their uninteresting life and friends who you do not know, nor do you care to know, and a sundry laundry list of self-absorbed topics. The narcissist never concludes with an inquiry into your life, they’re only interested in dumping on anyone who will listen. Do not ever return a phone call to such a person and put a safety net around yourself and banish such a person from your life permanently.

THE COMPLAINER

No matter what you say the complainer never seems to look on the positive side of any situation. They always seem to overreact. Instead they find the negative point of view in every aspect of their life. Unfortunately their constant pessimism can distract you from your positive affirmation and infect your usual sunny personality. Perhaps you need to let the complainer down gently and say, “I know you must have some valued reasons to complain, but I am not qualified and you really should try to speak to a professional counselor to resolve these issues.” Don’t ever return this person’s phone call and if they do trap you don’t answer the phone or answer an email.

THE SELF -APPOINTED CRITIC

The self-appointed authoritative critic has something to say on just about everything and everyone. Whether it’s the way you dress, manage your lifestyle or how you raise your children this self-appointed critic has the quintessential answer and it isn’t pleasant. Often this critic is a family member and manages to cast a pale over any gathering. The critic may say things that are hurtful and sometimes damaging: “Are you sure that’s the right hairstyle for you?” Or “Did you know that Fran and Joe are having financial difficulties.” It’s not so easy to rid yourself of the home-style critic but you can take steps to stop them in their tracks and say, “It’s impolite to say such things, please do not do so in the future?” You may leave them speechless, but they’ve been warned.

THE DREAM SQUELCHER

Everyone needs support, encouragement and enthusiasm, but the dream squelcher can be the worst kind of so-called friend. They never seem to relish anyone’s achievements. They are mum on compliments. Worst the dream squelcher can never bring themselves up a notch to champion your new ideas or dreams of creating something new, changing jobs, moving on to a new adventure. In other words, they are so hideously jealous of anyone’s success they’d just don’t have it in them to rally up with compliments or praise. Steer clear of such an individual, don’t share your joy with them, and refuse all invitations. Worst their negativity can put the flames of your passionate dreams out permanently.

EXERCISE FOR HEALTH

Exercise is often recommended to relieve tension caused by toxic people. Edgar Cayce in one of his readings recommended, “A general exercise, but as stipulated a great deal of exercise would be given to the body, that makes for a better balancing in the system. The better is walking or rowing.” (3374-1)

PERHAPS YOU CANNOT CHANGE A TOXIC PERSON’S BEHAVIOR BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT YOU CAN CHANGE YOUR OWN AND FIND A WAY TO LESSEN THAT PERSON’S PRESENCE IN YOUR LIFE.

WATER, The Ordinary H2O Cure (c) By Polly Guerin

You’ve heard it over and over again, “Drink plenty of water!”





Doctors, chiropractors and health practitioners all agree that dehydration can cause mild to severe health problems. Drinking water therefore is crucial for overall good health and especially for mental clarity. In a polluted society Toxemia, the presence of a toxic substance in the blood is another major concern because being toxic probably applies to most everyone in modern life. Water is a natural flushing agent and can rid the system of disturbing forces in the body. Edgar Cayce, the great American prophet had this to say about the virtue of water.
DRINK TO REPLENISH
Like the other authorities mentioned here, Cayce also recommended six to eight glasses of water for the average person each day unless he/she is suffering from a specific illness. In one of his readings he said, “Drink plenty of water. No stimulants, as tea or coffee. Herb teas, however, are acceptable . The care of the body in general---keeping plenty of water for the system, internal and external will build the body to its normal resistance.” (583-4). He also pointed out the importance of water as an aid to digestion and assimilation.
CHOOSING A BRAND
Plastic bottled water has recently come under fire as a health concern and many people are changing to metal dispensers. However, if you are still purchasing bottled water remember that the label may be enticing, the location of the water source may be exotic, but it is important to check that the brand you buy is what the label claims, not bottled tap water. Cayce recommended to use spring water or distilled water for drinking. However, Spa water is another topic. A spa is a place where nature brings forth a spring whose water is either hot or has an unusually high mineral content. Many people attest to the benefits of drinking these waters but it is best to consult your physician before making travel plans.
WATER ENHANCERS
The prospect drinking six to eight glasses of water may seem like a daunting task to some individuals, but don’t get discouraged, simply add a little flavor to the water to give it a tangy boost. Though a dash of lemon or lime juice will add zest to the fluid, do as the tony spas do and add slices of cucumber or sprigs of lemongrass. Herb teas are acceptable enhancers to plain water, but skip the sugar. Ice cubes also add flavor and can be made more interesting. Just freeze the cubes with berries of your choice or grapes. No ordinary water ice cubes will do however. Remember to use the same distilled or spring water for these tangy ice cube enhancers.
FLUSHING OUT FAT
Fancy diets may be all the fad but water can not only detox the body, it fights fat as well. According to a Virginia Tech University study, there’s a simple trick that makes you feel full even before you start eating. All you need do is to slowly drink a sixteen ounce glass of water before each meal, and as much additional water during the day to complete your 8 glasses full capacity. Of course, you’ll need to coordinate this fat fight cure with a sensible diet, perhaps even consult a nutritionist but most important before starting this regime, consult your doctor first.
SOUND ADVICE
Water is a rich commodity and in some countries it is so rare that there are water wars. Let us give praise to the health benefits of water so freely available to us in this country. Best advice from my savvy mother. “Don’t reach for hot java, upon first arising take a glass of warm spring water, not so hot that it is objectionable, and drink it slowly to let the fluid clarify the system of poisons.”

Hailitosis Bad Breath Health Hazard (c) By Polly Guerin

Even a legendary icon like Clark Gable could have bad breath. It is part of Hollywood legend the Tara’s Vivien Leigh did not like kissing Clark Gable in Gone With the Wind because he had terrible breath. So like these star crossed lovers is bad breath keeping you from having a romantic lifestyle but most importantly is it hampering your health? I can’t understand the movies they portray tony people sitting in bed and being served a breakfast tray. Obviously they did not have to brush their teeth first or gargle away the night’s sludge on their breath. Or how about those commercials about gargling. Here’s the scoop!!!
FOOD LODGES IN THE MOUTH
Well, according to reliable sources probably the most important thing you can do for bad breath is to brush and floss your teeth at least 2 times every day, because food sticks between your teeth, around your gums and on your tongue. The great American prophet Edgar Cayce said that bad breath in most cases also comes from improper elimination and/or decaying teeth. Cayce recommended internal cleansing with colonics, castor oil packs, a balanced diet, and when he was asked, “How can I get rid of bad breath?” Cayce’s replied, “By making for better conditions in eliminations. Take GlycoThymoline as an intestinal antiseptic. Two, three times a day.” (Reading: 5198-1) GlycoThymoline is available at the Cayce Center in New York City.
BAD BREATH CAUSES
Offensive bad breath is most noticeable in the morning and it tends to increase in concentration with advancing age. It can be caused by numerous excesses including smoking, drinking, eating toxic foods like onions, garlic and exotic spices or taking certain medication. Naturally, if you have a decaying tooth in your mouth or diseased gums, the bad breath may be a symptom of a condition that requires a visit to the dentist. It can also be an indication of a health problem, such as diabetes or sinus infection and a warning sign to consult your doctor.
TO GARGLE OR NOT TO GARGLE
Fresh Mint, Spearmint and Peppermint: There are many refreshing mouthwashes on the market but to gargle alone will not entirely eliminate the problem. Good oral hygiene is the basic approach. Even a toothbrush can be toxic. When was the last time you bought a new one? Most mouthwashes do not have a long-lasting effect on bad breath, and the more you use a mouthwash, the more you will have to use it because once the astringency and tart taste are gone, your mouth may need another swishing. If you do use a mouthwash, swish it around in your mouth for 30 seconds before spitting it out. If you have dry mouth drink more water or suck on a sugar-free mint.
THE SOCIAL IMPACT
In general people are so concerned about bad breath that the mouthwash industry is a profitable business. Between the massive purchases of mouthwashes and mouth spritzers people know that bad breath just isn’t socially acceptable. Whether in the workplace or at home truly bad breath can be a deterring factor that may provoke the loss of friendship and even romance. Unpleasant bad breath can easily be avoided. However, if you cannot get rid of bad breath on your own, don’t hesitate to consult your family doctor of find out if there is a more serious condition causing it. Well said, but I'm buying new toothbrush and floss today and will gargle to my heart's content afterward.