Abstaining from food could trigger white blood cell regeneration. White blood cells help the body fight off infection.

It’s often used as a quick weight loss method – but fasting could also help the body to fight off disease.

Refraining from food for as little as two days can regenerate the immune system, helping the body to fight infection, according to a new study.

These findings could have major implications for the elderly and people suffering from damaged immune systems, such as cancer patients. Long periods of not eating significantly lowered white blood cell counts.

Each cycle of fasting then “flipped a regenerative switch” that triggered stem cell-based regeneration of new white blood cells, thereby renewing the body’s defence system.

It gives the OK for stem cells to go ahead and begin proliferating and rebuild the entire system and the body gets rid of the parts of the system that might be damaged or old, the inefficient parts, during the fasting.

If you start with a system heavily damaged by chemotherapy or aging, fasting cycles can generate, a new immune system.

Fasting reduces levels of the enzyme PKA, an effect which is known to increase longevity in simple organisms, as well as levels of the hormone IGF-1, which has been linked to ageing, tumour progression and cancer risk.

“Fasting for a 72-hour period prior to

chemotherapy protected patients against toxicity.”

While chemotherapy saves lives, it causes significant collateral damage to the immune system. 

Fasting may mitigate some of the harmful effects of chemotherapy.

Researchers are now carrying out further studies to investigate the link between diet and stem cell regeneration. It could not be predicted that prolonged fasting would have such a remarkable effect in promoting stem cell-based regeneration of the hematopoietic system.

MEMORANDUM:

A Brief Overview of South Africa’s Cannabis Regime

 INTRODUCTION

1. Please note that:

1.1. in relation to recreational cannabis, this memorandum analyses the effect of the order handed down on 18 September 2018 (“the Order”) in the case of Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development and Others v Prince; National Director of Public Prosecutions and Others v Rubin; National Director of Public Prosecutions and Others v Acton and Others [2018] ZACC 30 (“the Judgment”);

1.2. any reference to “cannabis” herein is also a reference to “the whole plant or any portion or product thereof” excluding cannabidiol ;

1.3. in relation to the sale of cannabis, this memorandum, for reasons explained below, deals exclusively with:

1.3.1. the supply of medical cannabis;

1.3.2. to medical practitioners;

1.3.3. for the purpose of prescribing same to human patients.

AS AT: 04 OCTOBER 2018

DECRIMINALIZATION OF CANNABIS

2. The Order has profoundly changed the rights of South African adults in relation to cannabis. In the wake of the Judgment, the full extent of the changes to the day to day lives of cannabis-smoking South Africans has

yet to crystalize, but, as of 18 September 2018, the following is of application:

2.1. Adults may, for their personal consumption, use, possess and cultivate cannabis in private. In this regard, privacy is not confined to the dwelling (home) of the adult in question. Adults may, for their personal consumption, use, possess and cultivate cannabis in any place that is private and not public. The Judgment, while not setting it out expressly, appears, in paragraphs 98 to 100 thereof, to suggest that adults may have cannabis on their private person while

passing through a public space, provided that same is concealed and is intended to be used for personal consumption in private. Readers are, however, advised to exercise extreme caution in this regard, at least until the attitudes of the police, prosecutors and Courts are established.

2.2. It is still illegal for:

2.2.1. adults to use cannabis in public or in the presence of children or in the presence of non-consenting adults;

2.2.2. children to use, possess or cultivate cannabis, although readers should note that the Medicines and Related Substances Act 101 of 1965 (“the Medicines Act”) may, in exceptional circumstances, permit the use of cannabis for the treatment of a child’s medical condition;

2.2.3. adults to possess or cultivate cannabis for any reason other than for their personal consumption; and

2.2.4. any person to buy or sell cannabis (unless in accordance with the Medicines Act).

3. The Judgment also specifically notes the following: –

3.1. A cannabis-possessing adult can only be arrested if it can be said that there is a reasonable suspicion that such possession was not for personal consumption. In this regard, the amount of cannabis in the possession of adult in question will assume special importance, but all relevant factors will be taken into consideration.

3.2. The Order does not operate retrospectively, which means that people who were charged for the use, possession and cultivation of

cannabis before 18 September 2018 cannot, without more, escape their convictions by way of the Order.

3.3. The Order has, in the interim, changed the law as set out in paragraph 2.1 with immediate effect, by reading certain words into the relevant statutory provisions. However, the Order has also granted Parliament 24 (Twenty Four) Months, from 18 September 2018, within which to amend the relevant statutory provisions in its own terms.

4. Lastly, the Constitutional Court, while handing down the Judgment on 18 September 2018, mentioned that it is for Parliament to determine the quantity of cannabis which may be used, possessed and cultivated in terms of the Order, but this does not change the interim arrangement, as detailed above.

THE SALE AND SUPPLY OF CANNABIS

5. In order to bring about the results detailed in paragraphs 2 to 4 above, the Constitutional Court had to undo a number of statutory limitations, which were previously imposed by the Drugs and Drug Trafficking Act 140 of 1992 (“the Drugs Act”) and the Medicines Act.

6. The Order has effectively invalidated sections, 1(1), 4(b) and 5(b) of the Drugs Act as well as section 22A(9)(a)(i) of the Medicines Act (“the Offending Provisions”) inasmuch as they prevented adults from consuming, using or cultivating cannabis in private, for their personal consumption in private on the basis that such limitations offended against the constitutional right to privacy.

7. However, the scope of the Offending Provisions, inasmuch as cannabis is concerned, extends beyond the scope of invalidity set out in the Order. In other words, certain aspects of the Offending Provisions still apply to cannabis in other ways.

8. In this regard, the Offending Provisions, in terms of the Order, still prevent the sale of cannabis and the use, possession and cultivation of cannabis for any purpose other than for personal consumption by adults in private.

9. With respect to the sale of cannabis, section 22A(10) of the Medicines Act provides that no person shall sell or administer any scheduled substance or medicine for anything other than medicinal purposes. Naturally, there can be no sale without purchase. Therefore, it is apparent that the purchase and sale of cannabis can only be for medicinal purposes as envisioned in the Medicines Act.

THE MEDICINES ACT

10. For the purposes of this memorandum, as set out in paragraphs 1.3 and 9 above, section 22A(9)(a)(i) will only be considered inasmuch as it relates to medical practitioners and their patients. In this regard, the combined effect of sections 22A(9)(a)(i), 29(k) and the Order is that:

10.1. it is a criminal offence for a person to sell or purchase cannabis, or to use, possess, and cultivate cannabis for any purpose other than for personal consumption by adults in private, without a permit duly issued by the Director General of the Department of Health

(“the Director General”);

10.2. such a permit may only be issued in order to provide a medical practitioner with cannabis; and

10.3. such a permit may only be issued for the purpose of treating or preventing a medical condition in a particular patient (“Medicinal Purposes”).

11. However, section 22A is silent on from how or where medical practitioners are to source their cannabis. But it is also apparent that permit-bearing medical practitioners must be able to obtain cannabis to provide to their patients. Therefore, they must, at the very least, be able to purchase cannabis locally from a third party.

12. From a supply perspective, section 22C(1)(b) of the Medicines Act effectively allows any Supplier to apply to the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (“SAHPRA”) for a licence to import, export, act as a wholesaler of or distribute cannabis. However, this provision directly contra dicts section 22A(9)(a)(i), which states that no person may acquire,

use, possess manufacture or supply cannabis for medicinal purposes without a permit duly issued by the Director General. More

problematic is the fact that section 22A(9)(a)(i) only allows for the Direc tor-General to issue a s22A permit to a “medical practitioner, analyst, researcher or veterinarian” but makes no mention of other prospective suppliers of cannabis.

13. Notwithstanding the aforegoing, the Guidelines on Cultivation of Cannabis and Manufacture of Cannabis-Related Pharmaceutical Products for Medicinal and Research Purposes, published by the Medicine’s

Control Council (SAHPRA’s previous identity), in November 2017, (“the Guidelines”) provide that applicants for a licence in terms of section 22C(1)(b) (“a s22C Licence”) must also apply for a s22A permit in order to acquire, possess, manufacture, use or supply cannabis for medicinal purposes. This position is, for the reason stated in paragraph 12 above, incorrect. Nevertheless, section 22C(1)(b) remains the only avenue available to prospective suppliers who wish to import, export, act as a wholesaler of or distribute cannabis.

14. In any event, the practical requirements, to which applicants in terms of section 22C(1)(b) must adhere, are not affected by the contradictions contained in the Medicines Act and are, to a large extent, a manifestation of South Africa’s international obligations in terms of the United Nations Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs (1961) (“the Single Convention”) and a number of adopted international best practices.

15. To this end, the procedure which underpins the acquisition of a s22C Licence is unlikely to change to any great extent following any conceivable changes to South Africa’s cannabis laws.

S22C LICENCES

16. Before taking any steps towards obtaining a s22C Licence, applicants are required to meticulously consider and implement the requirements set

out in the Guidelines. Once applicants have done so, the next step in applying for a s22C Licence is to complete the requisite form as formulated and publicised by SAHPRA (“the s22C Form”).

17. The s22C Form must be accompanied by either the prescribed application fee itself, or proof of payment in respect thereof. At the time of writing, applicants are charged:

17.1. a fee of R1,800.00 (One Thousand, Eight Hundred Rand) upon submission of the s22C Form;

17.2. a fee of R650.00 (Six Hundred and Fifty Rand) per hour once the s22C Form has been approved and an inspector has been appointed to inspect the applicant’s intended site of operations;

17.3. a collection fee of R1,400.00 (One Thousand, Four Hundred Rand) once further approval has been obtained from the inspector and the s22C Licence is collected by the successful applicant; and

17.4. an annual retention fee of R3,000.00 (Three Thousand Rand).

18. Upon submission of the aforementioned documents, applicants will be issued with a receipt, recording their submission.

SECTION 21 AUTHORISATION

19. The last provision bearing relevance to the supply and use of cannabis is Section 21(1) of the Medicines Act which provides that SAHPRA:

“… may in writing authorise any person to sell during a specified period to any specified person or institution a specified quantity of any

particular medicine … which is not registered”.

20. Medical cannabis certainly, meets the definition of “Medicine” in section 1 of the Medicines Act as purports to be suitable in the terms listed therein. Furthermore, it goes without saying that cannabis is not a registered medicine.

21. The wording of section 21(1) would then suggest that, in contradiction to section s22(9)(a)(i) and the Order, any person can be authorised by SAHPRA to sell cannabis to any specified person or institution in a specified quantity.

22. However, regulation 29 of the Medicines Act Regulations, which regulates the authorisation of the sale of an unregistered medicine in terms of section 21 of the Medicines Act, provides that SAHPRA may determine the require- ments and conditions pertaining to applications in terms of section 21(1).

23. In this regard, SAHPRA has made it clear that only medical practitioners can apply to sell an unregistered medicine, such as cannabis, to

specified patients.

CONCLUSION

24. Overall, South Africa’s cannabis laws, albeit indirectly in part, only provide a mechanism for prospective suppliers to supply cannabis to medical practitioners who in turn may only supply same to specified patients for medicinal purposes. Although no section 21 authorisations, s22A permits or s22C Licences have been granted to date, prospective suppliers, medical practitioners and patients are advised to ensure that their intended engagements with cannabis meet the requirements set out in the various laws, applications forms and guidelines set out above and to submit their duly completed applications so as to place themselves in an advantageous position when SAHPRA and the Department of Health eventually begin issuing permits and licences.

25. Furthermore, the Order, in a ground-breaking turn of events, has, to as yet unknown extent, changed the day to day lives all cannabis-using adults in South Africa, inasmuch the use, possession and cultivation of cannabis for personal consumption in private is concerned.

Following a healthy diet plan is essential if you want to be healthy. Improper diet leads to reduced levels of hemoglobin, the oxygen-transporting part of the blood cells. If the hemoglobin levels are reduced, you may experience chronic fatigue and weakness and can even develop anemia. In order to prevent this condition, it is very important to consume iron-rich foods.

Iron is a mineral that plays a very important role in maintaining the red blood cells as well as the production of hemoglobin. You can increase your iron levels by consuming these 20 foods more often.

10 Fruits that increase the hemoglobin levels

1.Sun-dried tomatoes

Tomatoes are loaded with iron as well as vitamin C which improves the iron absorption in the body. You can add them in hummus, an omelet or a salad and enjoy the great taste and the health benefits it provides.

2.Raisins

Raisins are also a rich source of iron and can easily be included in your cereal, oatmeal or yogurt. However, if you are a diabetic you should not consume lots of raisins as they can cause spikes in the glucose levels.

3.Persimmons

Rich in iron and vitamin C, they have an excellent ability to increase the hemoglobin levels. You can consume them raw by adding them to smoothies or salads. However, they are very low in fructose, so limit their consumption if you have diabetes.

4.Dried apricots

Another excellent fruit with lots of iron and vitamin C as well as fiber that eases constipation. You can eat them by themselves or add them to your oatmeal.

5.Mulberries

Mulberries are actually the richest berries in iron, and they also contain lots of protein which increases hemoglobin levels.

6.Dates

Dates can efficiently reduce food cravings as well as boost your iron levels. You can add them to salads and smoothies and enjoy their deliciousness. However, as they are high in sugar, diabetics should limit consumption.

7.Pomegranates

Pomegranates will increase your hemoglobin due to the high amount of vitamin C that increases the bioavailability of iron. You can consume the fresh fruit or prepare juice and you can even add the seeds to salads.

8.Currants

They are very similar with blueberries and can be added to pastries, pancakes and smoothies. They are loaded with both iron and protein which are beneficial for the blood.

9.Watermelon

Watermelon does not only rehydrate and refresh your body, but it also boosts hemoglobin levels efficiently.

10.Prunes

Prunes are rich in fiber which is why they are excellent for treating constipation. They are also loaded with iron that boosts the production of hemoglobin.

10 more foods that increase hemoglobin levels

11.Liver

Liver is rich in fiber, protein, minerals, vitamins and particularly iron. The best choice is pork liver as it contains vitamin C too. However, consume moderately because it contains lots of cholesterol.

12.Oysters

Besides iron, oysters are a great source of many other nutrients including zinc and vitamin B12. If you don’t enjoy eating them you can always choose salmon and tuna, however they don’t contain that much iron as oysters.

13.Chickpeas

Chickpeas is the best choice for vegetarians as they are rich in protein and iron. You can include them in your salads or pasta or use them to prepare your own hummus.

14.Fortified cereals

If you enjoy eating cereal for breakfast, always pay attention to labels when buying it to make sure they are fortified with iron as well as other nutrients.

15.Pumpkin seeds

Eating a handful of pumpkin seeds will provide you with lots of iron and other healthy nutrients.

16.Soybeans

Consuming just ½ cup of soybeans will provide you with more than 4 mg of iron as well as lots of vitamins, amino acids, fiber and protein.

17.Beans

Beans can provide you with iron too and you can combine them with broccoli, kale, cauliflower and bell peppers because they are very high in vitamin C.

18.Lentils

Lentils are not only rich in iron but also in fiber which helps reduce the bad cholesterol levels thus protecting your heart.

19.Spinach

Spinach provides with lots of iron, particularly when cooked because that way our bodies are able to absorb the nutrients faster and easier.

20.Sesame seeds

Sesame seeds provide a delicious iron boost to the body as well as vitamin E, copper, zinc and phosphorus. They can easily be included in your everyday diet.

Mentors

   “The best mentors can help us define and express our inner calling, but rarely can one person give you everything you need to grow.”

Mentorship is a two-way street — a relationship between humans — and not a transaction. 

So don’t just march up to people and ask them to advise you. 

Take the time to develop genuine connections with those you admire, and assist them whenever you can.

Mentor #1: The master of craft

“If you know you want to be the best in your field — whether it’s the greatest editor, football quarterback, entrepreneur — ask, Who are the most iconic figures in that area?” 

This person can function as your personal Jedi master, someone who’s accumulated their wisdom through years of experience and who can provide insight into your industry and fine-tuning your skills. 

Turn to this person when you need advice about launching a new initiative or brainstorming where you should work next. 

They should help you identify, realize and hone your strengths towards the closest state of perfection as possible.

Mentor #2: The champion of your cause

This mentor is someone who will talk you up to others, and it’s important to have one of these in your current workplace. These are people who are advocates and who have your back.

They’re more than just boosters — often, they can be connectors too, introducing you to useful people in your industry.

Mentor #3: The copilot

Another name for this type: Your best work bud. 

The copilot is the colleague who can talk you through projects, advise you in navigating the personalities at your company, and listen to you vent over coffee. 

This kind of mentoring relationship is best when it’s close to equally reciprocal. 

You are peers committed to supporting each other, collaborating with each other, and holding each other accountable. 

And when you have a copilot, both the quality of your work and your engagement level improve.

Mentor #4: The anchor

This person doesn’t have to work in your industry — in fact, it could be a friend or family member. 

While your champion supports you to achieve specific career goals, your anchor is a confidante and a sounding board. 

We’re all going to hit speed bumps and go through uncertainty in life. 

So we need someone who can give us a psychological lift and help us see light through the cracks during challenging times. 

Because the anchor is keeping your overall best interests in mind, they can be particularly insightful when it comes to setting priorities, achieving work-life balance, and not losing sight of your values.

Mentor #5: The reverse mentor

When we say the word ‘mentor,’ we often conjure up the image of an older person or teacher.

The counterpoint is as important. 

Pay attention to learning from the people you’re mentoring, even though they may have fewer years in the workplace than you.

Talking to my mentees gives me the opportunity to collect feedback on my leadership style, engage with the younger generation, and keep my perspectives fresh and relevant.

Stress and life usually depresses us, however there are a few things we can involve in our lives in order to improve our mood and brighten the day.

Positive thoughts can get rid of every day issues like workload and headache.

60% of happiness depends on environmental factors and genetics where 49% of happiness depends on us.

1. Learn how to live in the present

Happy people do not allow negative experiences from the past to depress them. 

Moreover they do wait pleasant experiences to happen to them. 

Namely they live in the present and they try hard to achieve their aims.

They spend their time with their family and friends and they strive for the things they are longing for. 

They enjoy in the present and not allow time to passes by.

1. Smile to be happy

As people say, laughing is the best medicine. 

No matter if you are in a good or in a bad mood. 

It affects other people.

Happy people always try to smile or to be happy. 

Smiling will boost up your happiness level and make you more productive.

According to the studies a fake smile can lead to negative experience that may worsen your mood. 

Despite all of their negative or positive experiences in life, they try to stay positive and enjoy on other people‘s company.

1. Be grateful for the things you have

Despite a negative experiences that you have faced up with, you should always find a thing that you’re grateful for. 

It can be your family or friends or your work.

Never forget the things that you have. They will help you to pass through bad experiences in life.

1. Don’t worry so much about other people’s opinions

If you constantly worry about what other people say about you may experience mental or physical issues. 

Happy people know the secret that it is simply not possible to please everybody.

In addition they don’t allow the negative opinions of other people to influence their life they respect people who give them support and make them happy.

1. Make positive changes to the world around you

One of the most effective ways to spread happiness and to be happier is to make changes to the world around you. 

It can be achieved by smiling to a foreigner, volunteering for charity or helping people.

Happy people always try to make the world a better place for living.

1. Always be friendly

to other people. If you have a bad day somebody may be facing upward bigger problems.

You should be always friendly and kind to everybody no matter if it is your colleague the coffee barista or the grocery store clerk.

1. Keep learning

Happy people are usually very curious. They love investigating and learning more about the world around them.

They know that there are things that they have not learned or found out yet. 

They’re interested in positive things as draft achieve their goals would you give them additional energy and make their life meaningful.

1. Cultivate resilience

Resilience is a country of depression, happy people know how to come back from. 

The Japanese proverb says: fall seven times-stand up eight.

1. They appreciate small pleasures

Sometimes were trapped in our daily routine so that we are unable to enjoy the small pleasures in our lives. 

Happy people know how important it is to go out for fresh air to spend time with friends enjoying your meal.

1. They do exercise

Doing exercises for at least 10 minutes releases GABA a neurotransmitter that relieves the brain and controls the impulses happy people exercise regularly as they know that exercise improves mood.

1. They stay positive

All people face up with negative experiences rather than sitting at home and complaining about what had happened to you happy people are grateful for the things they have overcame.

They try to find the right to their problem and go on with their life because pessimism fuels and happiness people with pessimistic attitude damaged their mood and begin to predict negative feelings. 

If you expect negative feelings it is likely that they will happen to you.

1. They forget grudges

Forgetting and forgiving is necessary to be happy if you have a grudge against somebody it means that you are angry to him/her. 

These negative emotions are hindering your happiness.

Letting go of this will keep your life empty from negativity and filled with positive things.

1.  A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE STIMULATES HAPPINESS

The habits of happy people are the same with those necessary for healthy lifestyle like doing regular exercises. 

Happy people are considered to be healthy people and vice versa.

Healthy people are happy people because of how they diet and exercise. 

These healthy strategies can help you to enhance your happiness level.

Proper sleep : the lack of sleep is related to psychiatric disorders like depression or anxiety where sufficient sleep is related to positive characteristics such as self-confidence optimism inability to deal with problems.

Sun exposure: it is essential for the production of vitamin D. If there is lack of vitamin D people suffer from depression. 

Except for vitamin D production, exposure to sun is considered improve mood and energy through the endorphin release.

Animal-based omega-3 fats lack of omega-3 fats:  is not decrease the change of mood and leads to more disorders. 

People who suffer from depression are considered to have a low levels of a mega three fats animal-based omega-3 fat.

Lack of omega-3 fats is known to increase the change of mood and leads to more disorders. 

People who suffer from depression are considered to have low levels of a mega three fats.

Emotional freedom technique:  in order to overcome negative experiences in life you can try emotional freedom technique which is a form of psychological acupressure. 

This technique will help you to clear your mind and body of negative feelings so that you can focus on positivity in your life.

Depression is one of the most common, yet one of the most complex illnesses in the modern world.

It is generally believed that it is caused by chemical imbalance in the brain, but some scientists oppose to the idea. 

Nevertheless, what everyone agrees is that the prescribed medications rarely work, particularly if used more than the prescribed dose.

The good news is that there is a simple and all-natural way to manage depression and its symptoms. 

1. Dancing

As strange as it seems, dancing serves as a great mental exercise. Once you start doing it, you will feel calmer, more relaxed, and happier. 

Please This activity soothes the nerves and positively affects the brain. 

Try out different dance moves to see which one works the best for you, such as line dancing, break dancing, or ballroom dancing.

2. Working Out

When you are physically active, the heart pumps more blood and improves the overall health. 

Exercise also helps release endorphins, which reduces stress and boosts brain cell growth. 

This activity is particularly helpful when you are stressed out or angry, as it calms you down and drains away the negative emotions.

3. Travelling

Traveling doesn’t necessarily have to be somewhere far away. 

You can take a day off and visit the hotel nearby and enjoy your stay. 

The staff will treat you the best way possible, which will in turn give your mood the long- needed boost. 

Travelling alone is the best way to alleviate depression, as it helps you boost your self-confidence while facing the challenges on the way.

4. Lifestyle Changes

Even the tiniest changes in your lifestyle can go a long way! 

For instance, if you indulge in greasy and processed foods, swap them for fresh fruits, veggies, and healthier alternatives. 

If you are a night bird, try to fall asleep earlier and wake up rejuvenated and ready to seize the day.

5. Do What Makes You Happy

Do more of the things that make you happy, whether it is hanging out with your friends, watching a movie, enjoying a long walk alone, shopping, or something else.

6. Avoid Being Alone

If you spend a lot of time alone, the chances are you will get stuck in this state of loneliness and feel depressed. 

So, try to stay as much socially active as possible and engage your mind in something creative.

7. Plan Your Future

Having no idea about your future and goals is one of the reasons why people feel scared and depressed. 

Stop for a moment and think about the things that make you happy and about the way your future should look like. 

Once you determine what is that you want, work on it!

8. Genuine Faith

These days, half of our job is done by machines, so our minds are not pre-occupied with creative things that much. 

Plus, we have plenty of time to sit down and think rubbish.

9. Appreciate The Good

It seems like we are so busy with ourselves so we rarely take the time to think about others and their actions as well as to appreciate the things they do for us. This must be changed! 

Any act of goodness and kindness should be acknowledged and appreciated.

10. Two Sides of The Coin

Happiness and sadness are two sides of the same coin. 

As soon as you accept the fact that you have to deal with both of them at certain point, things will get easier.

Habit is probably the most powerful tool in your brain’s toolbox. It is driven by the basal ganglia at the base of the cerebrum. It is so deep- seated and instinctual that we are not conscious of it, though it controls our actions.

If you do just about anything frequently enough over time, you will form a habit that will control you.

Good habits are those that get you to do what your “upper-level you” wants, and bad habits are those that are controlled by your “lower-level you” and stand in the way of your getting what your “upper-level you” wants.

You can create a better set of habits if you understand how this part of your brain works. 

For example, you can develop a habit that will make you “need” to work out at the gym. Developing this skill takes some work.

The first step is recognizing how habits develop in the first place. Habit is essentially inertia, the strong tendency to keep doing what you have been doing (or not doing what you have not been doing).

Research suggests that if you stick with a behavior for approximately eighteen months, you will build a strong tendency to stick to it nearly forever.

The three-step “habit loop.”

The first step is a cue—some “trigger that tells your brain to go into automatic mode and which habit to use.” Step two is the routine, “which can be physical or mental or emotional.” Finally, there is a reward, which helps your brain figure out if this particular loop is “worth remembering for the future.”

Repetition reinforces this loop until over time it becomes automatic. This anticipation and craving is the key to what animal trainers call operant conditioning, which is a method of training that uses positive reinforcement.

For example, dog trainers use a sound (typically a clicker) to reinforce behavior by pairing that sound with a more desirable reward (typically food) until the dog will perform the desired behavior when it merely hears the click. In humans, rewards can be just about anything, ranging “from food or drugs that cause physical sensations, to emotional payoffs, such as the feelings of pride that accompany praise or self-congratulation.”

Habits put your brain on “automatic pilot.” In neuroscientific terms, the basal ganglia takes over from your cortex, so that you can execute activities without even thinking about them.

If you really want to change, the best thing you can do is choose which habits to acquire and which to get rid of and then go about doing that.

Write down your three most harmful habits.     Now pick one of those habits and be committed to breaking it. Can you do that? That would be extraordinarily impactful. If you break all three, you will radically improve the trajectory of your life. Or you can pick habits that you want to acquire and then acquire them.

 The most valuable habit I’ve acquired is using pain to trigger quality reflections. If you can acquire this habit yourself, you will learn what causes your pain and what you can do about it, and it will have an enormous impact on your effectiveness.

A single dose of a new influenza drug can significantly shorten the duration of the illness in teens and adults, according to a study. The article reports the results of two multi-centre, double-blind, randomised clinical trials.

Both found that the drug, baloxavir marboxil, shortened the duration of flu symptoms by about one day and more quickly cleared virus compared with placebo in otherwise healthy teens and adults. The larger, phase 3 trial also found that baloxavir’s effect on symptoms was similar to that of a five-day course of oseltamivir but that baloxavir had significantly greater antiviral potency. The studies identified no important side effects.

“Baloxavir shows remarkable antiviral potency in uncomplicated influenza, and if approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), it would be an important addition to our treatment options for influenza,” said researcher Dr Frederick G Hayden, of the University of Virginia School of Medicine. “Of note, because baloxavir has a novel antiviral action in inhibiting the endonuclease of the virus, the drug is inhibitory for influenza A and B viruses including those that may be resistant to currently available drugs.”

The first trial was conducted in Japan in 2016 and evaluated the drug’s safety and effectiveness in 389 adults, ages 20 to 64. Study participants received either the drug or a placebo. Median flu symptom duration among those who received the drug was 23.4 to 28.2 hours shorter than among participants who received the placebo. (Baloxavir, developed by drug company Shionogi, was approved for use in Japan in children and adults in February 2018.)

The second study was conducted in the US and Japan in the 2016-17 influenza season. It compared baloxavir with both a placebo and an approved drug, oseltamivir, in 1,064 otherwise healthy study participants ages 12 to 64, with proven influenza. The median time to resolution of flu symptoms was 26.5 hours shorter among those who received baloxavir than the 80.2 hours reported among those who were given placebos. Baloxavir and oseltamivir produced similar reductions in symptom duration, but baloxavir required only a single dose compared with the standard five-day oseltamivir regimen.

“Single-dose baloxavir was without evident safety concerns, was superior to placebo in alleviating influenza symptoms and was superior to both oseltamivir and placebo in reducing the viral load one day after initiation of the trial regimen,” the researchers note in their paper.

In both trials, the rate of adverse events reported by study participants was similar regardless of whether participants had been given a placebo or baloxavir.

To become available in the US, baloxavir would need approval from the FDA. The drug was accepted for priority review by the FDA in June, so that a decision is expected by 24 December at the latest.

The drug was tested for its safety and effectiveness among flu sufferers with a higher risk of complications during the past influenza season, but the results of that testing have not yet been formally presented.

Studies of its effectiveness in hospitalised influenza patients, likely in combination with other influenza antivirals, and in preventing transmission of influenza virus are planned.

Abstract
Background: Baloxavir marboxil is a selective inhibitor of influenza cap-dependent endonuclease. It has shown therapeutic activity in preclinical models of influenza A and B virus infections, including strains resistant to current antiviral agents.
Methods: We conducted two randomized, double-blind, controlled trials involving otherwise healthy outpatients with acute uncomplicated influenza. After a dose-ranging (10 to 40 mg) placebo-controlled trial, we undertook a placebo- and oseltamivir-controlled trial of single, weight-based doses of baloxavir (40 or 80 mg) in patients 12 to 64 years of age during the 2016–2017 season. The dose of oseltamivir was 75 mg twice daily for 5 days. The primary efficacy end point was the time to alleviation of influenza symptoms in the intention-to-treat infected population.
Results: In the phase 2 trial, the median time to alleviation of influenza symptoms was 23.4 to 28.2 hours shorter in the baloxavir groups than in the placebo group (P<0.05). In the phase 3 trial, the intention-to-treat infected population included 1064 patients; 84.8 to 88.1% of patients in each group had influenza A(H3N2) infection. The median time to alleviation of symptoms was 53.7 hours (95% confidence interval [CI], 49.5 to 58.5) with baloxavir, as compared with 80.2 hours (95% CI, 72.6 to 87.1) with placebo (P<0.001). The time to alleviation of symptoms was similar with baloxavir and oseltamivir. Baloxavir was associated with greater reductions in viral load 1 day after initiation of the regimen than placebo or oseltamivir. Adverse events were reported in 20.7% of baloxavir recipients, 24.6% of placebo recipients, and 24.8% of oseltamivir recipients. The emergence of polymerase acidic protein variants with I38T/M/F substitutions conferring reduced susceptibility to baloxavir occurred in 2.2% and 9.7% of baloxavir recipients in the phase 2 trial and phase 3 trial, respectively.
Conclusions: Single-dose baloxavir was without evident safety concerns, was superior to placebo in alleviating influenza symptoms, and was superior to both oseltamivir and placebo in reducing the viral load 1 day after initiation of the trial regimen in patients with uncomplicated influenza. Evidence for the development of decreased susceptibility to baloxavir after treatment was also observed.

Do you know why most people set goals but fail to accomplish them? Many people try to set goals, especially in the New Year period; many come up with their New Year resolutions, but unfortunately, most of them never set out to achieve according to their plans.

Most people started out strong. They are motivated and are determined to achieve their goals in the beginning. However, as time goes by, people lose their steam; they lose their motivation and get distracted by the business of their lives. As a result, they procrastinate and their laziness kicks in and they give up on their goals.

The main reason people fail to accomplish what they have set out to achieve is that they are trying to achieve too much and too fast.

It is true that people want to be rich, to become a millionaire, to build a multi-million dollar business, and to be successful as quickly as possible, but doing so requires tremendous effort to break the old habit.

Habits can be difficult to change, especially bad habits that have been ingrained deeply in you. Thus, if you are trying to achieve something too fast and trying to do too much in the early phase, you will suffer a drastic habit change. And this is not a good approach to achieve what you want in life.

Most people cannot cope with a drastic habit change. They quickly feel tired and exhausted. For example, if you used to wake up at 7AM each day, try to get up at 5AM from tomorrow on. Your body cannot cope with the change and you are not used to it. You will feel tired, sleepy, and difficult to concentrate and cannot get much done even if you wake up early and have more hours to do things.

This is why most people find it difficult to achieve what they have set out for. Eventually, they will choose to procrastinate and let their laziness take over their lives. Never let this happen to you.

The Technique to Overcome Laziness

In Japan, there is a powerful and effective technique that anyone can use to overcome their laziness and get things done.

It is called the Kaizen technique, which can also be known as the one-minute principle. This technique is so powerful that it is used by most leaders in managing their businesses in Japan.

In Japanese, the word “Kaizen” comprises of two single words, “Kai”, which means change, and “Zen”, which means wisdom. In other words, the Kaizen technique suggests people cope with change slowly and wisely. This technique was invented by Masaaki Imai. When it comes to achieving what you desire in life, you should act on it slowly and wisely, not spontaneously.

Why the Kaizen Technique Works

The Kaizen technique is based on the one-minute principle for improvement. In other words, it says that if you want to achieve something, you should practice it every day for a minute at the same time, and no more.

This is extremely important because anyone can do it for just one minute a day. In the western culture, the majority will think that this technique is ineffective and many are doubtful because they believe that people can only achieve success through pouring in enormous effort and time.

On the contrary, when you try to pour in tremendous effort and put in a huge chunk of your time into doing something, it will exhaust you and makes you burnout. This is definitely not a good way to start any project or goal.

Besides that, when you apply this technique, you will need to break down your goals into smaller chunks of actionable steps because the technique requires you to work on it for just one minute.

Kaizen technique turns your big audacious goals into smaller actionable steps that you can do each day. More importantly, this principle allows you to see your progress. You will know if you are following through or you are falling behind. And for most people, acting on their goals for just one minute a day will not be an issue at all. No matter what you are trying to accomplish, be it push-ups, writing an article or reading a book, start by doing it for just one minute. When you do it for one minute, you will see your progress, you will experience a sense of victory and success, and this will motivate you to move forward. From one minute of action becoming five minutes. And from five minutes of actions evolving into 15 minutes and then more. The key is to start small and grow. Most people try to tackle their goals and do everything all at once, and this is what causes them to fail.

Anyone can achieve their goals, live their dreams and accomplish what they want in life. First, you must understand what it is that you want to achieve. And then do it for just one minute a day. Practice the principle of Kaizen and start small. When you do it for just one minute a day, it will take you no energy and it does not require much of your motivation, and anyone can do it if it is just for a minute. Plus, you will be able to see yourself making the progress and start seeing small victories. This will boost your motivation and encourage you to go forward even more. Furthermore, this one-minute technique helps you develop the right habit that you need to achieve success in life. As what Lao Tzu said, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” Therefore, apply the Kaizen technique into every area of your life and see how it can help you overcome laziness and change your life forever.

BURNOUT

Do You Have It? 

What Can You Do?

Are you burning out?

Are you worried about yourself, both in your work, and in your personal world..?

Do you feel a little brittle, and a lot “on the edge”?

It seems appropriate, in the early part of a week, to pose these questions, and to offer you three sure-fire signs that you may be heading for a bit of trouble. And a few powerful strategies to “catch it” while you still can.

At some point, earlier on in my career, I did some work for an Executive Wellness clinic. Corporate executives would come in for an holistic wellness-screening day, and get assessed on all facets of general well being (nutrition, exercise, blood markers, etcetera).  And they would see me, to assess, primarily, the extent to which they are managing the demands of their lives, without being at risk of burnout.

For this purpose, we used “The Maslach Burnout Inventory”, which is a simple but robust series of self-report questions, and, on completion, yields a risk profile. This psychometric assessed for three indicators of burnout risk, and it is these that I want to share with you, briefly, now.

Specifically so that you can check in with yourself, and reflect on how you are faring.

THREE INDICATORS OF BURNOUT RISK

1. Emotional Exhaustion

Emotional exhaustion is more than just garden-variety tiredness.  This is fatigue in your soul… Yes, there is most certainly a physiological component. But when we speak about emotional exhaustion, we’re talking about a “profound spiritual and psychological flatness”, a de-motivation, and a general sense of “I couldn’t be asked”. It’s an energy issue. It’s almost as though one has unwittingly “sprung a leak”, and is hemorrhaging the will and courage to go on.

And it’s dangerous.

It’s dangerous because sleep doesn’t really help. The “usual reliefs” don’t touch sides. Everything, no matter how innocuous, starts to feel like a drain on you, and it leads to social and professional withdrawal and shut down. Left untended, it can start to skew perspective, and lead to faulty cognitive processing and therefore poor decision-making. An otherwise sane and rational person starts to come apart at the seams…

1. Cynicism

 I really don’t like cynicism.  Not in myself, nor in others. (Sure, a humorous, satirical diatribe can relieve stress, but that’s not what I’m talking about). Cynicism is a thief. And it’s the hallmark of a very, very injured person. And this saddens me.

When I see true cynicism, I see a part of a human that has been really badly burnt. Cauterized, if you will, to stop the bleeding. Bleeding, from the wound of just NOT winning… From the wound of trying with all your might, but going nowhere slowly. From the wound (perhaps) of your best just not meeting the demands of the moment. And so, faced with this on a chronic level, the belief emerges that we are rigged to fail… That succeeding isn’t possible. And that energetic and energized peers are naive, idealistic and have imbibed the KoolAid. The stupid KoolAid :-).

And so we start to see only the darker sides of life… of people… of possibilities.  We may even feel that we know a truth that others don’t know. And, in a sense, there’s truth in this – because non-cynical people won’t and don’t embrace such truths about futility and nihilism and the inevitability of failure. (And thus this is mostly not their experience).

And it’s dangerous.

It’s dangerous, because we give up. Not necessarily consciously. But somewhere deep in our soul, we stop trying, because there’s no point.

1. Reduced Sense of Professional Efficacy

 Ai, the age-old Loss of Confidence.  I’ve seen it in my clients, and I’ve seen in myself. It seems to creep up out of nowhere.  We go from feeling “in the zone” and “in flow” (on top of our game, and professionally “on fire”), to wondering if we have any value at all… (Or even any grey matter between our ears). Tasks that were previously really effortless suddenly feel profoundly challenging. We second-guess our every move and motive. We become desperately insecure, and genuinely concerned about being exposed as a fraud. I’ve even worked with people who almost appear to have incurred a head injury, through burnout, in the sense that they are literally less capable than they were before (it doesn’t have to last – recovery is possible – but it’s tangible!).

And this is dangerous.

Because, as with all facets of burnout, a little begets a lot, and it spirals, escalates, grows teeth and takes on a life of its own. Confidence is such a precarious issue; “whether you think you can, or you think you can’t you’re right…’.  So truly, perception of performance determines performance, and so on.

DO YOU RELATE? WHAT NOW? Catch it while you can!

 So perhaps you’ve scrolled through my list, and feel settled that you’re mostly actually ok…

But perhaps a little more of this has resonated, than you strictly would like… What now?

Simply REALISING this is a large part of the battle won… It means that you have come up for air sufficiently even to have been “hooked” by this article. The mere fact that you are reading it is useful, and testimony to an inner wisdom that wants to “catch it before it lands”. “Catching it before it lands” is a metaphor I use quite a lot, almost instinctively, in my private practice.  I have a mental image of a ball or bomb or grenade hurtling at a person, but a swift hand manoeuvre managing to literally halt the destruction, in its tracks, through skill and foresight. Perhaps I watch too much fantasy TV, and too little science.

But nonetheless, my reader is emotionally exhausted, cynical, and has lost faith in his/her ability to be professionally excellent.  What now?

1. Seek REPLENISHMENT, not REST.

 Conventional wisdom says, “take leave”, “take a break” etcetera. And, in some senses, conventional wisdom is correct. However, I have too often worked with people who have activated such a “mental health holiday” for themselves, only to return sluggishly to work, feeling that they are resuming their burnout right where they left it several weeks earlier.  (Think of the common response to “how was your holiday” – “lovely, thank you, but I already feel like I never went”.

So “leave” is not necessarily the answer. But REPLENISHMENT is… Replenishment is finding what people and activities sooth you, and restore your soul, and learning, with discipline, to incorporate these into your normal daily life. Regularly. Always.

Most drug rehabilitation centers teach their patients that, every morning, they should set two goals: a physical one, and a spiritual one, and be sure to attend to both in the course of each waking day. This is useful for many reasons, not the least of which are to have a sense of purpose and accomplishment, and to stay grounded in one’s own process.

What REPLENISHES you..?

What PEOPLES’ company nourishes you, and restores your soul..?

What ACTIVITIES make you feel like you can breathe again, and “come up for air”?

Are you prioritizing a healthy amount of sleep? (I find that SO MANY ISSUES start with a lack of quality sleep, and I’m a firm proponent of the use of whatever reasonable and managed aids assist in getting enough of this very basic human need).

If you are feeling burnt out, rather than taking mindless days off, apply MINDFUL consideration to the replenishment of your soul more regularly. I believe daily journaling, if that’s your thing, would go further to rejuvenate than two weeks at home. Ditto, a regular evening walk with a good friend and confidante… Ditto the practice of meditation, or yoga, or 30 minutes in a boiling bubble bath on a daily basis. Ditto the application of work-life boundaries, or taking 10 minutes at teatime to listen to a podcast or a favorite playlist.

REPLENISHMENT is key. It’s bigger that rest.

1. EVALUATE WHY YOU SPRUNG A LEAK, AND CHECK YOUR VALUES

In my work with burn(ing) out people, I am very often aware that the initial problem emerged from an issue which clashed with their values. Something happened, and caused them to feel a sense of cognitive dissonance. (Cognitive dissonant is a rather exhausting condition, which involves one’s beliefs and one’s behavior being at odds with each other). Sometimes this can be due to a Serious Issue, like being complicit to fraud or negligence. But often, it’s even the result of a restructure, an organogram shift, or a change in reporting lines. The point is that the change creates an environment which no longer feels “right”, nurturing or peaceful. We know that each individual is driven and motivated fundamentally by one or two guiding “professional values”, and if the environment changes, away from their preference, this can set up an inner angst which, untended, can result in a burnout.

So my advice to burning out people is to assess what the initial point of impact was, that served as a turning point and critical moment in where you now find yourself. My sense is that you would not have to dig too deep… Once you’ve pinpointed this, you may wish to then do some self-work to determine what is, and isn’t possible, within the situation that feels untenable.

Can you live with it? Yes? Then RESOLVE to live with it, and GET ON with living with it…

Does LIVING WITH IT serve a bigger life goal or value for you (like financial/family peace), and should you then FIND A WAY to LIVE WITH IT?

Do you need to find creative strategies to make the environment kinder and more palatable..? Is it perhaps a courageous conversation with key players in your turmoil? A desk change?

My biggest advice in THIS portion is to DO SOMETHING… Not just to let the circumstance and sentiment build and dominate you, as though you were completely at its mercy. We are NEVER completely at its mercy. There is ALWAYS something creative that can be done, to navigate through a precarious situation. And we know that anxiety is reduced by action, and that action is important as it restores our sense of power and agency.