Doctors Enroute Dr NP Veliotes 082 451 2810

 

If you have a sweet tooth, you may have read studies talking about the health benefits associated with eating moderate amounts of chocolate.

Research has found a potential health risk in popular chocolate products that’s been flying under the radar – some chocolate contains toxic metals like lead and cadmium.

The following manufacturers, including Trader Joe’s, Hershey’s, Mondelēz, Lindt, Whole Foods, Kroger, Godiva, See’s Candies, Mars, Theo Chocolate, Equal Exchange, Ghirardelli, Earth Circle Organics, and more, did not provide the legally required warning to consumers that the products contain cadmium or lead, or both.
No level of lead is safe for children. Lead exposure has been a significant public health issue for decades. Lead is linked to a variety of neurological impairments, including learning disabilities, seizures, and a lower IQ. Developing fetuses and children are especially vulnerable to lead exposure because their brains are in critical growth and development stages.

“Young children and pregnant women especially should avoid exposure to lead.”

Cadmium can cause damage to the kidney, liver, and bones, while also impairing neurobehavioral development. Lead and cadmium are both listed under the act as reproductive toxins.
California law ensures consumers receive warnings before they are harmed.

To protect consumers, companies should take immediate steps to remove these toxic heavy metals from their products or, at a minimum, to provide consumers with warnings according to Proposition 65.

If the heavy metals are not removed, people need to be informed so they can protect themselves and their families.

A consumer health protection organization, commissioned an independent state-certified laboratory to measure levels of lead and cadmium in 50 chocolate products available at retailers across California. Thus the product requires a warning under California’s Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act.

* The asterisk reflects testing that was performed in 2016.

Alfred Ritter Gmbh & Co Kg

Ritter Sport 73% Cocoa Fine Extra Dark Chocolate with fine cocoa from Ecuador

Lead and Cadmium*
Endangered Species Chocolate, LLC

Endangered Species Chocolate Natural Dark Chocolate with 88% Cocoa

Lead and Cadmium*
Equal Exchange, Inc.

Equal Exchange Organic & Fairly Traded Dark Chocolate Very Dark (71% Cacao)

Lead and Cadmium
Ghirardelli Chocolate Company

Ghirardelli Chocolate Premium Baking Bar 100% Cacao Unsweetened Chocolate

Lead and Cadmium*
Godiva Chocolatier, Inc.

Godiva Chocolatier 85% Cacao Extra Dark Chocolate

Lead and Cadmium
Hershey Company

Dagoba Organic Chocolate Eclipse Extra Strong Dark Chocolate (87% Cacao)

Lead and Cadmium*
Hershey Company

Dagoba Organic Chocolate New Moon Rich Dark Chocolate (74% Cacao)

Lead and Cadmium*
Kraft Foods Global, Inc.

Cote D’Or 86% Noir Brut Belgian Dark Chocolate Confection

Lead and Cadmium*
Lake Champlain Chocolates

Lake Champlain Chocolates Dark Chocolate Organic (57% Cocoa)

Lead and Cadmium*
Lindt & Sprungli (Usa) Inc.

Lindt Excellence 70% Cocoa Smooth Dark Chocolate Bar

Lead and Cadmium*
Lindt & Sprungli (Usa) Inc.

Lindt Excellence 85% Cocoa Extra Dark Chocolate Bar

Lead and Cadmium*
Mars, Incorporated

Dove Eggs Dark Chocolate Silky Smooth

Lead and Cadmium*
Mondelez International, Inc.

Green & Black’s Organic Dark 85% Cacao Bar

Lead and Cadmium*
Newman’s Own Organics- The Second Generation, Inc.

Newman’s Own Organics The Second Generation Super Dark Chocolate Premium Organic Chocolate 70% Cocoa

Lead and Cadmium*
See’s Candies, Inc.

See’s Candies Premium Extra Dark Chocolate Bar 62% Cacao

Lead and Cadmium*
Taza Chocolate

Taza Mexicano Super Dark Direct Trade 85% Dark

Lead and Cadmium
The Kroger Co.

Private Selection 72% cacao Dark Chocolate Swiss Bar

Lead and Cadmium
Trader Joe’s Company

Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate 73% Cacao Super Dark

Lead and Cadmium*
Trader Joe’s Company

Trader Joe’s The Dark Chocolate Lover’s Chocolate Bar 85% Cacao

Lead and Cadmium*
Trader Joe’s Company

Trader Joe’s Single Origin Chocolate Passport Tanzania 73% Cacao

Lead and Cadmium*
Trader Joe’s Company

Trader Joe’s Single Origin Chocolate Passport Papua New Guinea 70% Cacao

Lead and Cadmium*
Trader Joe’s Company

Trader Joe’s Single Origin Chocolate Passport Dominican Republic 70% Cacao

Lead and Cadmium*
Trader Joe’s Company

Trader Joe’s Single Origin Chocolate Passport Venezuela 70% Cacao

Lead and Cadmium*
Trader Joe’s Company

Trader Joe’s Single Origin Chocolate Passport Ecuador 66% Cacao

Lead and Cadmium*
Trader Joe’s Company

Trader Joe’s Single Origin Chocolate Passport Peru 60% Cacao

Lead and Cadmium*
Whole Foods Market, Inc.

Whole Foods 72% cacao Organic Dark Chocolate & Almond Tanzania Schoolhouse Project

Lead and Cadmium
Whole Foods Market, Inc.

365 Everyday Value Organic Dark Chocolate Coconut 56% Cacao

Lead and Cadmium*
Bissinger’s Handcrafted Chocolatier

Bissinger’s All natural 60% dark chocolate, whole almonds

Lead*
Cadbury Uk Ltd

Cadbury Mini Eggs Royal Dark Dark Chocolate With A Crisp Sugar Shell

Lead*
Cadbury Uk Ltd

Cadbury Royal Dark Dark Chocolate Indulgent Semi-Sweet

Lead*
Creative Natural Products, Inc.

Chocolove Extra Strong Dark Chocolate- 77% Cocoa Content

Lead*
Creative Natural Products, Inc.

Chocolove Strong Dark Chocolate Bar 70% Cocoa Content

Lead*
Endangered Species Chocolate, LLC

Endangered Species Chocolate Natural Dark Chocolate (72% Cocoa)

Lead*
Godiva Chocolatier, Inc.

Godiva Chocolatier 50% Cacao Dark Chocolate Sea Salt

Lead
Godiva Chocolatier, Inc.

Godiva Chocolatier 72% Cacao Dark Chocolate

Lead*
Hershey Company

Hershey’s Special Dark Mildly Sweet Chocolate

Lead*
Moonstruck Chocolate Co

Moonstruck Solid Dark Chocolate Hand-Painted Calico Bunny

Lead*
Moonstruck Chocolate Co.

Moonstruck Dark Chocolate Chile Variado (68% cacao)

Lead
See’s Candies, Inc.

See’s Candies 4.5 oz Sitting Rabbit Dark Chocolate

Lead*
Trader Joe’s Company

Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Bar Toffee With Walnuts and Pecans (70% cacao)

Lead
Trader Joe’s Company

Trader Joe’s Swiss 72% Cacao Dark Chocolate

Lead*
Trader Joe’s Company

Trader Joe’s Pound Plus 72% Cacao Dark Chocolate

Lead*
Trader Joe’s Company

Trader Joe’s Pound Plus- Dark Chocolate

Lead*
Trader Joe’s Company

Trader Joe’s Single Origin Chocolate Passport Sao Tome 70% Cacao

Lead*
Trader Joe’s Company

Trader Joe’s Single Origin Chocolate Passport Ghana 70% Cacao

Lead*
Vosges, Ltd.

Wild Ophelia All Natural New Orleans Chili Dark Chocolate Bar (70% cacao)

Lead
Earth Circle Foods Dba River Canyon Retreat Inc.

Earth Circle Organics Organic Balinese Cacao Nibs Cold Pressed

Cadmium
Ghirardelli Chocolate Company

Ghirardelli Chocolate Intense Dark Twilight Delight (72% Cacao)

Cadmium*
Hershey Company

Scharffen Berger Semisweet Fine Artisan Dark Chocolate (62% cacao)

Cadmium*
Hershey Company

Scharffen Berger Extra Dark Fine Artisan Dark Chocolate (82% cacao)

Cadmium*
Mars, Incorporated

Dove Silky Smooth Dark Chocolate Bar

Cadmium*
Taza Chocolate

Taza Wicked Dark 95% Stone Ground Organic Chocolate

Cadmium*
Theo Chocolate

Theo Organic Fair Trade Pure 85% Dark Chocolate

Cadmium*
Albertson’s, LLC (SuperValu, Inc.)

Wild Harvest Organic Rich Chocolate Hot Cocoa Mix

No warning required
DeMet’s Candy Company

Flipz 50% cacao Dark Chocolate Covered Pretzels

No warning required
Ferrero USA Inc.

Ferrero Collection Fine assorted Confections

No warning required
Ghirardelli Chocolate Company

Ghiradelli Intense Dark Midnight Reverie (86% Cacao)

No warning required
Ghirardelli Chocolate Company

Ghirardelli Chocolate Milk Chocolate Eggs

No warning required*
Ghirardelli Chocolate Company

Ghirardelli Chocolate Premium Baking Bar 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate

No warning required*
Hershey Company

Hershey’s Kisses Milk Chocolate

No warning required*
Hershey Company

Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Eggs

No warning required*
Hershey Company

Hershey’s Solid Milk Chocolate Snapsy Snap-Apart Bunny Easy To Snap And Share

No warning required*
Jo’s Candies

Jo’s Candies Dark Chocolate Covered Graham Crackers All Natural

No warning required
Kraft Foods Group, Inc.

Toblerone Swiss Milk Chocolate Bar with Honey and Almond Nougat

No warning required
Lindt & Sprungli (USA) Inc.

Lindt Excellence A Touch of Sea Salt Dark (with Fleur de Sel sea salt crystals)

No warning required
Lindt & Sprungli Gmbh (Germany)

Lindt Gold Bunny Milk Chocolate

No warning required*
Mars, Incorporated

Snickers

No warning required
Mars, Incorporated

CocoaVia Daily Cocoa Extract Supplement

No warning required
Mars, Incorporated

Snickers Bar

No warning required*
Mars, Incorporated

Dove Solid Milk Chocolate Bunny Silky Smooth

No warning required*
Mars, Incorporated

M&M’s Chocolate Candies Milk Chocolate, Made with Real Milk Chocolate

No warning required*
Mondelez International, Inc.

Green & Black’s Organic Milk Chocolate (34% Cacao)

No warning required
Mondelez International, Inc.

Toblerone of Switzerland Milk Chocolate with Honey and Almond Nougat

No warning required*
Mondelez International, Inc.

Green & Black’s Organic Milk Chocolate (34% Cacao)

No warning required*
Nestle Holdings, Inc.

Nestle Crunch

No warning required
Nestle Holdings, Inc.

Ovaltine Classic Malt Mix

No warning required
Nestle Holdings, Inc.

Nestle Crunch Milk Chocolate with Crisped Rice

No warning required*
Russell Stover Candies, LLC

Russell Stover Milk Chocolate Break-Apart Bunny

No warning required*
Starbucks Corporation

Starbucks Dark Chocolate covered grahams

No warning required*
The Hershey Company

Hershey’s Kisses Milk Chocolate

No warning required
The Hershey Company

Reese’s Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

No warning required
Whitman’s Candies, Inc.

Whitman’s Solid Milk Chocolate Rabbit

No warning required*

 

 

 

It is perfectly normal for people to become tired. Nearly everyone experiences fatigue, however, some professions, such as aviation, medicine or the military, demand precise, rapid and well-informed decision making as well as communication with little margin for error.
Concern about the potential for fatigue to negatively affect human performance in the aviation context extends back decades, with both airlines and pilots agreeing that fatigue is an issue posing a very troubling threat to millions of passengers as well as valuable cargo supplies that are carried by various means of air transport each day.
Obviously, this is an acceptable risk which cannot be fully excluded; however, this problem is not given enough credits. Exhaustion in the cockpit can be deadly as seen in 2009 when an American commuter plane crashed killing everyone on board. That accident was blamed in part on fatigue.

Another example might be 16 passengers on an Air Canada flight that were injured as a result of pilot fatigue. The co-pilot woke disorientated from a nap and, believing that the plane was going to collide with another aircraft, put the jet into a dive, sending passengers sprawling in the cabin. What the pilot thought was another plane was actually the planet Venus.

In light of possible fatal outcomes, aviation authorities are actively discussing pilot fatigue-related concerns and are putting dozens of efforts to resolve this problem and minimize all the potential risks.

Quality Sleep The Only Effective Fatigue Countermeasure

ICAO defines fatigue as “a physiological state of reduced mental or physical performance capability resulting from sleep loss or extended wakefulness, circadian phase, or workload (mental and/or physical activity) that can impair a crew member’s alertness and ability to safely operate an aircraft or perform safety-related duties”.
So, no doubts that primarily the pilot fatigue problem comes out of the lack of quality sleep which is the only effective fatigue countermeasure. Whilst muscles can recover with rest, the brain can only recover with sleep.
An average adult person needs between 6 and 8 hours of sleep per day to sustain optimal performance. In turn, the quality of sleep depends on the structure and continuity of sleep. The quality of sleep depends, amongst other factors, on the time of the day.

Professor Torbjorn Akerstedt, a sleep expert based at Karolinska University in Sweden, said that most people are able to stay alert for 16 hours during the daytime, but that reduces at night. It has been well established scientifically, Mr Akerstedt said, that the impairments a pilot experiences landing a plane at 05:00 in the morning are the equivalent of having a blood alcohol level of 0.08%.

For example, pilots who fly on long-haul routes or operate planes at night have to fight with body’s natural internal clock which reminds a person that this time his body needs relax. The imbalance of the body’s natural circadian rhythm makes a pilot feel tired. This is especially true for those pilots that have varying schedules or alternate day and night shifts.

Actually, a lot of reasonable insights regarding pilot fatigue issue were provided by a famous pilot, Charles Lindbergh. He managed to fly from New York to Paris without falling asleep. During his record-breaking 33.5 hours transatlantic flight he hardly fought to stay awake and later wrote in his journal that “nothing life can attain, is quite so desirable as sleep”.
Is The Lack Of Quality Sleep The Only Reason Behind Pilot Fatigue?

The lack of sleep is the main cause of fatigue, but not the only one. A bomb scare at 30 000ft, bird strikes, drunken passengers, medical emergencies, or simply a handbrake forgotten to disengage during take-off might contribute to general pilot’s condition as well.
Moreover, besides the accumulation of duty hours, cumulative fatigue can be caused by such factors as disruptive schedules (for example, starting early in the morning or ending late in the evening), extensive time zone crossings or combinations of rotations (for example, flying first to the east and then to the west or vice-versa).
One more reason is long commuting. A recent survey of European pilots found that more than half of those interviewed commute to work. These pilots are forced to start their work day 2-3 hours earlier than others to get to work on time.

Sometimes this happens due to the fact that a pilot lives far from the airport. However, more frequently this problem appears because a pilot lives at a totally different base and must fly from a different airport which are located far from each other and add hours to the beginning of a pilot’s working day.

Consequently, even a pilot who slept enough to perform his duties might get exhausted even before his job begins. According to a transportation safety watchdog, the commuting issue is “one that everyone wants to turn their head away from” pilots included.

Also, jet-lag is considered a huge problem impacting pilot fatigue on long-haul flights. Most operators give ample time for pilots to adjust to jet lag, but the body does go through stress when its circadian rhythm is interrupted, making it hard for pilots to sleep when they need to, and difficult for them to stay awake later when they have to.

Additionally, pilots that fly the same aircraft on the same routes into the same airports daily are prone to boredom fatigue. Nevertheless, it important to keep in mind that every pilot is a human that apart from his job deals with different problems that occur in his personal life. These psychological matters also greatly impact a pilot while carrying his duty in the cockpit.

Therefore, in the result of exhaustion pilots become affected both personally and generally. They lose their motivation to work, perform their duties carelessly without paying the necessary amount of attention. Also their decision-making skills diminish, especially this one is important for decisions that must be made rapidly.

However, the most important outcome of pilot fatigue is an aircraft accident and potential fatalities.

Aviation Authorities Taking Actions To Prevent Fatalities

In February 2016 new controversial European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) flight time limitation laws came in to force. Now, almost a year has passed since European airlines started flying under new fatigue management rules which place stricter limits on when pilots fly, how much they fly and how much rest they get in between.

The Agency undertook an extensive and in its depth unprecedented consultation process, which included the assessment of a large amount of information and comments with the assistance of a group of industry experts and scientists.

It reflected the findings of all relevant publicly available scientific studies and proposed many key measures to mitigate the risks arising from major factors affecting human fatigue. Sleep loss, extended wakefulness, circadian phase, workload and the cumulative effects of fatigue were managed by a combination of limitations to flight time, flight duty periods, duty periods.

However, pilots fear these changes are made to force pilots work even longer and harder leading to dangerous levels of fatigue. Pilot unions still argue that the proposals do not go far enough and put passengers in danger.

Do Pilots Exaggerate The Level Of Their Exhaustion?

Of course, pilot fatigue related discussions make people sympathize with aviators complaints. However, Forbs notes that there are several reasons to remain skeptical about such claims.

Recently a large number of surveys were conducted to find out pilots’ assumptions regarding this problem. Accordingly, the results made it obvious that many pilots are bad at judging how fatigued they are.

Automatically, this raises questions about the validity of their claims.
However, there is no need to blame pilots. Humans generally fare badly when questioned about their health. One group of scientists has found that the more tired people get, the less tired they feel.

Legislating tiredness out of the workplace is another matter. As the BBC’s David Robson notes, “cities (and technological devices) are always buzzing with life, and this ‘24/7’ culture can make it difficult to rest at any hour of the day or night.” After juggling spouses, children, exercise and chores, the real surprise would be that pilots – and indeed workers in general – are not tired when they show up at the office.

Responsibility Lies on Pilots’ Shoulders

Aviation accidents are still extremely rare, but when they have occurred, figures show that 80% are a result of human error, with pilot fatigue accounting for 15-20% of human error in fatal accidents.

Thus, fatigue is a very real problem for flight crews. While aviation authorities can help mitigate the risks of pilot fatigue through education, changes to flight hour limitations and other fatigue management programmes, the ultimate responsibility of fatigue management lies with pilots themselves.

An automated external defibrillator is used in cases of life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias which lead to cardiac arrest. The rhythms that the device will treat are usually limited to:

Pulseless Ventricular tachycardia (shortened to VT or V-Tach)[1]
Ventricular fibrillation (shortened to VF or V-Fib)
In each of these two types of shockable cardiac arrhythmia, the heart is electrically active, but in a dysfunctional pattern that does not allow it to pump and circulate blood. In ventricular tachycardia, the heart beats too fast to effectively pump blood. Ultimately, ventricular tachycardia leads to ventricular fibrillation. In ventricular fibrillation, the electrical activity of the heart becomes chaotic, preventing the ventricle from effectively pumping blood. The fibrillation in the heart decreases over time, and will eventually reach asystole.

AEDs, like all defibrillators, are not designed to shock asystole (‘flat line’ patterns) as this will not have a positive clinical outcome. The asystolic patient only has a chance of survival if, through a combination of CPR and cardiac stimulant drugs, one of the shockable rhythms can be established, which makes it imperative for CPR to be carried out prior to the arrival of a defibrillator.

Effect of delayed treatment Edit
Uncorrected, these cardiac conditions (ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation, asystole) rapidly lead to irreversible brain damage and death, once cardiac arrest takes place. After approximately three to five minutes in cardiac arrest, irreversible brain/tissue damage may begin to occur. For every minute that a person in cardiac arrest goes without being successfully treated (by defibrillation), the chance of survival decreases by 7 percent per minute in the first 3 minutes, and decreases by 10 percent per minute as time advances beyond ~3 minutes.

AEDs are designed to be used by laypersons who ideally should have received AED training. However, sixth-grade students have been reported to begin defibrillation within 90 seconds, as opposed to a trained operator beginning within 67 seconds. This is in contrast to more sophisticated manual and semi-automatic defibrillators used by health professionals, which can act as a pacemaker if the heart rate is too slow (bradycardia) and perform other functions which require a skilled operator able to read electrocardiograms.

The use of easily visible status indicator and pad expiration date on a Cardiac Science G3 AED
An AED is “automatic” because of the unit’s ability to autonomously analyse the patient’s condition. To assist this, the vast majority of units have spoken prompts, and some may also have visual displays to instruct the user.

“External” refers to the fact that the operator applies the electrode pads to the bare chest of the victim (as opposed to internal defibrillators, which have electrodes surgically implanted inside the body of a patient).

When turned on or opened, the AED will instruct the user to connect the electrodes (pads) to the patient. Once the pads are attached, everyone should avoid touching the patient so as to avoid false readings by the unit. The pads allow the AED to examine the electrical output from the heart and determine if the patient is in a shockable rhythm (either ventricular fibrillation or ventricular tachycardia). If the device determines that a shock is warranted, it will use the battery to charge its internal capacitor in preparation to deliver the shock. This system is not only safer (charging only when required), but also allows for a faster delivery of the electric current.

When charged, the device instructs the user to ensure no one is touching the patient and then to press a button to deliver the shock; human intervention is usually required to deliver the shock to the patient in order to avoid the possibility of accidental injury to another person (which can result from a responder or bystander touching the patient at the time of the shock). Depending on the manufacturer and particular model, after the shock is delivered most devices will analyze the patient and either instruct CPR to be given, or administer another shock.

Many AED units have an ‘event memory’ which store the ECG of the patient along with details of the time the unit was activated and the number and strength of any shocks delivered. Some units also have voice recording abilities[18] to monitor the actions taken by the personnel in order to ascertain if these had any impact on the survival outcome. All this recorded data can be either downloaded to a computer or printed out so that the providing organisation or responsible body is able to see the effectiveness of both CPR and defibrillation. Some AED units even provide feedback on the quality of the compressions provided by the rescuer.[19]

The first commercially available AEDs were all of a monophasic type, which gave a high-energy shock, up to 360 to 400 joules depending on the model. This caused increased cardiac injury and in some cases second and third-degree burns around the shock pad sites. Newer AEDs (manufactured after late 2003) have tended to utilise biphasic algorithms which give two sequential lower-energy shocks of 120 – 200 joules, with each shock moving in an opposite polarity between the pads. This lower-energy waveform has proven more effective in clinical tests, as well as offering a reduced rate of complications and reduced recovery time.

 

When you’re a nice person, conflict can be a real challenge. Not that mean people are any better at conflict; they just enjoy it more.

How you handle conflict determines the amount of trust, respect, and connection you have with your colleagues.

Conflict typically boils down to moments when the stakes are high, emotions run strong and opinions differ. And you cannot master these moments without a high degree of emotional intelligence (EQ).

With a mastery of conflict being so critical to your success, it’s no wonder that, among the million-plus people that TalentSmart has given an emotional intelligence test, more than 90% of top performers have high EQs.

New research from Columbia University shows that how you handle conflict can make or break your career.

The researchers measured something scientifically that many of us have seen firsthand—people who are too aggressive in conflict situations harm their performance by upsetting and alienating their peers, while people who are too passive at handling conflict hinder their ability to reach their goals.

Passive-Assertive-Aggressive

The secret to effective handling of conflict is assertiveness—that delicate place where you get your needs met without bullying the other person into submission.

Assertive people strike a careful balance between passivity and aggression (that is, they never lean too far in either direction).

How To Handle Conflict Assertively

It’s easy to think that nice people are too passive. While that’s often true, unchecked passivity can boil over into aggression.

So there are plenty of very nice people out there who have exhibited both extremes of the assertiveness spectrum.

To be assertive, you need to learn to engage in healthy conflict.

Healthy conflict directly and constructively addresses the issue at hand without ignoring or trivializing the needs of either party.

The strategies that follow will get you there.

1. Consider the repercussions of silence.

Sometimes it’s hard to muster the motivation to speak up when the likelihood is high that things will turn ugly.

The fastest way to motivate yourself to act is to fully consider the costs of not speaking up—they’re typically far greater than not standing up for yourself.

The trick is that you need to shift your attention away from the headache that will come with getting involved to all of the things you stand to gain from your assertiveness.

2. Say “and” instead of “but.”

The simple act of replacing the word “but” with “and” makes conflict much more constructive and collaborative.

Say, for example, that your teammate John wants to use the majority of your budget on a marketing campaign, but you’re worried that doing so won’t leave enough money for a critical new hire. Instead of saying, “I see that you want to use the money for marketing, but I think we need to make a new hire,” say “I see that you want to use the money for marketing, and I think we need to make a new hire.”

The difference is subtle, but the first sentence minimizes the value of his idea.

The second sentence states the problem as you see it, without devaluing his idea, which then opens things up for discussion. Saying “and” makes the other party feel like you’re working with them, rather than against them.

3. Use hypotheticals.

When you assert yourself, you don’t want it to look like you’re poking holes in their idea (even when you are).

Hypotheticals are the perfect way to pull this off. Telling someone, for example, “Your new product idea won’t work because you overlooked how the sales team operates” comes across much more aggressively than suggesting the hypothetical, “How do you think our sales team will go about selling this new product?”

When you see a flaw and present a hypothetical, you’re engaging with the original idea and giving the other party a chance to explain how it might work. This shows that you’re willing to hear the other person out.

4. Don’t speak in absolutes (“You Always” or “You Never”).

No one always or never does anything. People don’t see themselves as one-dimensional, so you shouldn’t attempt to define them as such.

Using these phrases during conflict makes people defensive and closed off to your message.

Instead, point out what the other person did that’s a problem for you.

Stick to the facts.

If the frequency of the behavior is an issue, you can always say, “It seems like you do this often.” or “You do this often enough for me to notice.”

5. Ask good questions until you get to the heart of the matter.

Failing to understand the motive behind someone’s behavior throws fuel on the fire of conflict, because it makes everything they do appear foolish and shortsighted. Instead of pointing out flaws, you should seek to understand where the other person is coming from.

Try asking good questions, such as Why did you choose to do it that way?

What do you mean by that? and Can you help me to understand this better?

Even when you don’t see eye to eye, using questions to get to the underlying motive builds trust and understanding, both of which are conflict killers.

6. When you challenge, offer solutions.

People don’t like it when they feel as if you’re attempting to take apart their idea right off the bat.

When you challenge someone’s idea, but also offer a solution, you demonstrate that you want to work together to come up with a fix.

This reinforces the value of their idea, even if it’s full of holes. For example, you might say “One potential problem that I see with your idea is ___.

However, I think we can overcome this problem if we can just figure out a way to___.”

In this example, you aren’t even providing the solution.

You’re just acknowledging that you’re willing to work together to find one.

Bringing It All Together

Mastering conflict requires emotional intelligence.

Emotionally intelligent people know how to craft their message in a conflict, whether they’re naturally assertive or not.

They take other people’s feelings into account while still asserting themselves confidently.

How have you used assertiveness to your advantage?

These 7 Ways Can Help Clean Your Arteries Naturally

The largest cause of death in the United States of America is the cardiovascular disease. However, that should not worry you because the good news is that you can avoid that.
All you need to do is to take care of your arteries. If there is fat and cholesterol build up on the walls of your arteries with that, there is a formation of plaque.
When that happens your arteries become narrow and hard, this is a condition that is known as arteriosclerosis.

And when this happens, there is a reduction of the flow of blood to the heart, and that can lead to discomfort and chest pain, a condition that is known as angina.
If the plaque breaks open that can create a blood clot. And in case the blood clot is big that in turn can create a complete blockage of the blood flow and that lead to heart attack.
And in case it is an artery that is located or leads to the brain, and this artery blocks a stroke will occur.
Furthermore, blockage of the arteries might occur due to LDL and excessive amounts of that cholesterol.
The triglycerides are harmful as well. The triglycerides are produced in your liver after an excessive amount of calories and drinking alcohol.
What can also cause plaque buildup and damage the arteries and its inner layer can be blood vessel inflammation, high blood sugar, stress, high blood pressure and smoking.
But it doesn’t mean that you cannot reverse the plaque buildup. All you need to do is maintain a better diet and lifestyle.

How To Make A Thorough Detox For The Arteries

1. Stop Smoking

Do you know the statistic? Well it goes like this, 1 out of every 3 deaths of cardiovascular disease occurs because of smoking.
There are many harmful chemicals in your cigarettes that actually inflame your cells that line the blood vessels.
Because of smoking low HDL cholesterol levels and plaque might occur.
If you stop smoking you can undo some of the done damage. One year after you quit smoking, the risk of heart attack can decrease drastically.
Moreover, 5 years after you quit smoking the risk to have a stroke will almost be the same as the risk of stroke for a person that does not smoke.

2. Eat The Mediterranean Way

By now, you are surely aware of the fact that a diet that is well-balanced can help you a lot when it comes to the health of your heart.
The Mediterranean diet is said to be very beneficial for your heart because it has an abundance of antioxidants and unsaturated fats.
People that actually live in the Mediterranean region maitain a typical diet that is with limited amounts of sweets, red meat, butter, and eggs.

On the other hand, these people enjoy good diet such as seafood, fish, olive oil, whole grains, nuts, legumes and small portions of chicken and lean meat.

In fact, this diet includes vegetables, fruits and is high in fiber. Which is more than what there is in the usual American diet.
If you eat the Mediterranean way that can help you reduce the risk of heart diseases, lower your triglycerides and cholesterol and stabilize your blood sugar.

3. Sleep For Better Health

It is crucial to be well rested and to get the amount of sleep you need to. Sleeping is important for your overall health and also for your cholesterol levels.
In fact, deprivation of sleep is associated with obesity, and it might affect the balance of leptin and ghrelin. The leptin and ghrelin are hormones which regulate your hunger.

4. Focus On Your Fats

The recommendation of the American Heart Association is to consume more polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats and to restrict on the trans fat and saturated fats.
You should limit these fats to be only from 5 to 6 percent of calories you consume on a daily basis i.e. on a 2, 000 calorie diet that would be around 13 grams.
To be more accurate, reduce on cream, butter, cheese. Also on baked goods such as donuts, cookies, and cakes that have trans fats which are very harmful.
As a substitute, you can eat fatty fish such as sardines and salmon. You can also eat seeds and unsalted nuts. If you want red meat, you should go for the leanest cuts.

5. Start Moving

If you want to maintain your triglyceride and cholesterol levels, bear in mind that you should exercise 5 times per week, more than 30 minutes on a daily basis.

You should also combine resistance training with low-intensity such as pushups with the aerobic exercise of moderate intensity such as cycling and brisk walking.

In case you already have high cholesterol, you should consider increasing the intensity of your resistance training to high or moderate level.

And in case you are someone that is just starting with any type of exercise you can start with yoga. Because it is said that when it comes to the health of your heart yoga is just as good as the general aerobic exercise.

The yoga can help you to lower your blood pressure, your LDL cholesterol and it can also help you to lose the unwanted weight.
And moreover, it is a stress-buster which means that it can help you relax.

6. Cut Back On Salt and Sugar

Consuming sugar can contribute to obesity, cholesterol, and high blood sugar.

According to the American Heart Association, when it comes to men they should not consume more than nine teaspoons i.e. 150 calories of sugar on a daily basis, while women should not consume more than 100 calories on a daily basis i.e. six teaspoons.
In order to satisfy your sweet tooth, you can eat fresh fruit that is rich in antioxidants. An excessive amount of salt especially processed table salt can clog your arteries and raise the blood pressure.

7. Enjoy Foods That Are Artery-Friendly

You might do not know this, but certain types of food can actually help you clean your arteries.

6 Foods for Clean Arteries

1. Ayurvedic Herbs
To lower your cholesterol, you can use the guggul herb, and you can also make a blend of honey and garlic.
For people with arteriosclerosis, the herbs such as saffron, turmeric, myrrh, calamus, and safflower may be beneficial.
2. Oats and Chickpeas
Oats and chickpeas have soluble fiber that may bind to the cholesterol in your digestive system and help remove it before it goes to the arteries.
According to studies both chickpeas and oats can help lower your total cholesterol and LDL, and they can do that without having an influence on your HDL levels.
3. Nuts
If you consume nuts 5 times or more on a weekly basis that is around 50 to 100 grams of nuts such as walnuts, almonds, and pecans that can help you reduce the LDL.
And it can also contribute reducing your total cholesterol. In fact, it is proven to be even better than a diet that is low in fats when it comes to your heart.
4. Pomegranates
According to one study people that had carotid artery disease consumed pomegranate juice.
They drank it for 3 years , and they managed to reduce their arterial thickening up to 30 percent and to lower their blood pressure.
On the other hand, those that did not drink pomegranate juice notice increase in thickness of their arteries by 30 percent.
5. Avocado
The avocado is rich in soluble fiber, monounsaturated fats, antioxidants, and vitamin C, vitamin E, and vitamin A.
The avocado can lower the total cholesterol and LDL and increase the HDL.
Instead of butter, you can put avocado on your toast, you need to try it, and you might just love it.
6. Garlic
The Garlic has sulfur compounds that can help lower your cholesterol.
According to one study consuming garlic for 6 to 8 months can lower the triglycerides and serum cholesterol.
Also, it can raise the HDL cholesterol in healthy people and people with coronary heart disease.

Australian researchers have come up with a non-invasive ultrasound technology that clears the brain of neurotoxic amyloid plaques – structures that are responsible for memory loss and a decline in cognitive function in Alzheimer’s patients.

If a person has Alzheimer’s disease, it’s usually the result of a build-up of two types of lesions – amyloid plaques, and neurofibrillary tangles. Amyloid plaques sit between the neurons and end up as dense clusters of beta-amyloid molecules, a sticky type of protein that clumps together and forms plaques.

Neurofibrillary tangles are found inside the neurons of the brain, and they’re caused by defective tau proteins that clump up into a thick, insoluble mass. This causes tiny filaments called microtubules to get all twisted, which disrupts the transportation of essential materials such as nutrients and organelles along them, just like when you twist up the vacuum cleaner tube.

As we don’t have any kind of vaccine or preventative measure for Alzheimer’s – a disease that affects 343,000 people in Australia, and 50 million worldwide – it’s been a race to figure out how best to treat it, starting with how to clear the build-up of defective beta-amyloid and tau proteins from a patient’s brain. Now a team from the Queensland Brain Institute (QBI) at the University of Queensland have come up with a pretty promising solution for removing the former.

Publishing in Science Translational Medicine, the team describes the technique as using a particular type of ultrasound called a focused therapeutic ultrasound, which non-invasively beams sound waves into the brain tissue. By oscillating super-fast, these sound waves are able to gently open up the blood-brain barrier, which is a layer that protects the brain against bacteria, and stimulate the brain’s microglial cells to activate. Microglila cells are basically waste-removal cells, so they’re able to clear out the toxic beta-amyloid clumps that are responsible for the worst symptoms of Alzheimer’s.

The team reports fully restoring the memory function of 75 percent of the mice they tested it on, with zero damage to the surrounding brain tissue. They found that the treated mice displayed improved performance in three memory tasks – a maze, a test to get them to recognise new objects, and one to get them to remember the places they should avoid.

The incidence of fatty liver disease is increasing steadily in many parts of the world.

It is a disease that is linked to type 2 diabetes, obesity, and insulin resistance.

If it is not addressed in its initial stages, it may progress into a severe liver disease and may cause other health problems.

What Is Fatty Liver?
Fatty liver is caused when excess fats accumulate in your liver cells.

Your liver is considered fatty if its cells contain more than 5 percent fat.

One of the main causes of fatty liver is an over-consumption of alcohol, but there are other causes too.

A wide range of fatty liver conditions falls under the category of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

NAFLD is common in both adults and children in many Western countries.
The initial stage of the disease is non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) is a reversible stage of the disease.

If it is not diagnosed at the right moment, then it may lead to a serious condition known as non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).

NASH involves a very high accumulation of fat and inflammation that can cause damage to the liver cells.

Damage to the liver cells can cause scar tissues as the cells die off due to injury, and it can also lead to fibrosis.

It is extremely difficult to predict whether fatty liver will progress to NASH due to which the risk of cirrhosis, excessive scarring that damages the liver, and liver cancer increases significantly.

NAFLD is also associated with an increased risk of diseases like diabetes, kidney disease, and heart disease.

What Are The Symptoms Of Fatty Liver?

Symptoms of fatty liver include weakness and fatigue, increased levels of insulin, triglycerides, and liver enzymes, and slight pain in the center or the right side of your abdomen.

When fatty liver progresses to NASH, the symptoms include nausea or vomiting, severe or moderate abdominal pain, yellow eyes and skin, and loss of appetite.

How To Get Rid Of Fatty Liver?
You can follow some of these strategies to get rid of fatty liver.

1. Lose Weight

If you have fatty liver a great way of getting rid of it is by losing weight.

It does not matter if you lose weight by making changes to your diet, by exercising, or by going under the knife as any form of weight loss promotes the loss of liver fat.

Do keep surgery as the last option, and consider it only if you are unable to lose weight through regular exercise and healthy eating, and if you are advised by your doctor to do so.

2. Cut Back On Carbs

You can get rid of fatty liver by cutting back on refined carbs.

When you consume excess carbs, they are converted into fats which get accumulated in the liver.

Eat more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains instead.

3. Be More Physically Active

Being physically active can help reduce liver fat.

You can incorporate a mixture of strength training and cardio into your schedule to get maximum benefits.

Even if you do not lose weight, exercise can still reduce the total amount of fat from your liver.

4. Try Supplements
Vitamins, herbs, and other supplements can help reduce the amount of fat in your liver and can prevent the condition of your liver from becoming worse.

Always consult your doctor before you take any supplement.

Your health is very important so always be physically active and always follow a healthy diet.

If you notice any of the symptoms of fatty liver, get it checked immediately as it is reversible in the earlier stages.

Don’t wait until it is too late.

The Ultimate List of Foods for Diabetics

1. Apples

Apples are one of the best foods for diabetics. Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health discovered that consuming at least 5 apples per week reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes by 23%.

According to the American Diabetes Association, diabetics should include apples rich in fiber in their daily diet.

The right way to eat apples and other foods which contain carbohydrates is to spread their intake through the day.

People with diabetes have to pay more attention to the size of their portions. Eating too much can cause spikes in their blood sugar levels, so they have to eat in moderate amounts.

In addition, this fruit contains antioxidants which reduce the bad cholesterol levels – the main cause of heart diseases.

2. Asparagus

This healthy vegetable is abundant in glutathione which is an antioxidant that protects from many diseases like heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.

Asparagus prevents the effects of aging, increases the production of insulin, and helps control blood sugar levels.

3. Avocados

The abundant amounts of unsaturated vegetable fats in avocados make them ideal food for diabetics.

A 2008 study showed that the risk of developing type 2 diabetes in women who consumed a lot of good fats was 25% less than in those who consumed good fats in significantly lesser amounts.

You can add avocado to your sandwich or different salads.

4. Legumes

Consuming a cup of legumes on a daily basis can help reduce the A1C and blood glucose reading, as well as blood pressure.

Besides helping you to control your blood sugar, the fiber-rich legumes can also reduce the chances of a first-time stroke.

5. Blueberries

Blueberries are loaded with fiber which controls and prevents high blood sugar levels and cognitive decline.

This fruit reduces inflammation and suppresses tumor growth, thus preventing cancer.

Moreover, blueberries contain anthocyanins which decrease the risk of type 2 diabetes.

According to researchers, consuming this fruit on a regular basis means 23% less risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

6. Broccoli

Broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables contain abundant amounts of the sulfur-containing compound glucosinolates.

These compounds provide powerful anti-cancer effects, and they also reduce the risk of heart-related diseases.

7. Carrots

This vegetable is popular for its ability to boost eyesight and immune system due to its high beta-carotene and antioxidant content.

It also helps protect against different types of cancer.

Its beta-carotene content is said to lower the risk of type 2 diabetes in those prone to this disease.

8. Cranberries

Cranberries are known to prevent and treat urinary tract infections, but they are also a great food for diabetics due to their anthocyanin content which includes phytonutrients.
Studies have shown that this fruit contains antioxidants which reduce the bad cholesterol, and increase the good cholesterol, thus decreasing the risk of heart disease.

9. Fish

Fish is high in omega-3 fatty acids and low in cholesterol and saturated fat, including mackerel, sardines, tuna, lake trout, halibut, salmon, and herring.

These fish help lower the risk of arrhythmia, or irregular heartbeat, which can even lead to sudden death.

Keep in mind that fish like shark, swordfish, and king mackerel might contain too much mercury.

Include fish in your diet plan to lower the risk of stroke caused by diabetes – a risk which can be increased if eating fried fish.

10. Flaxseed

Flaxseeds can help lower the A1C reading in those with type 2 diabetes.

A research conducted on type 2 diabetes patients who added flaxseeds in their diet showed a drastic drop in their total cholesterol, fasting blood glucose levels, low-density LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides.

11. Garlic

This is one of the healthiest ingredient in the world.

It’s been used for treating high blood pressure, high cholesterol, cancer, and heart disease for thousands of years.

As health experts recommend, let garlic rest for ten minutes before using it in cooking, to boost its cancer-fighting abilities.

To improve its active and sulfide compounds, use it chopped or crushed.

12. Turmeric

The active compound in turmeric – curcumin, helps regulate the fat metabolism, reverse insulin resistance, and reduce high cholesterol and high blood sugar.

Turmeric has been used for centuries in the Indian cuisine due to its anti-cancer properties.

13. Melons

Melons, including cantaloupe, watermelon, casaba, honeydew, muskmelon, Persian, Crenshaw, and pepino, are loaded with lycopene, an antioxidant which helps prevent cancer and cell damage linked to heart disease.

According to the American Heart Association, raw watermelon is low in cholesterol and saturated fat, and the richest in lycopene.

14. Walnuts

Due to their anti-viral, antioxidant, anti-high cholesterol, and anticancer properties, walnuts cans top and reverse diabetes and heart disease.

Their content includes many heart-friendly substances including omega-3 fatty acids, L-arginine, vitamin E, fiber, and phytochemicals.

Experts recommend consuming 2oz of mixed nuts per day to reduce the bad cholesterol and blood sugar levels.

15. Oatmeal

Oatmeal contains soluble fiber which delays digestion and provides a barrier to digestive enzymes, thus preventing increase in the blood sugar levels.

Moreover, their low glycemic index helps control diabetes.

16. Quinoa

There are more than 150 varieties of quinoa, the most common being white, black, and red quinoa. It helps delay hunger and prevent blood sugar spikes.

Quinoa is loaded with magnesium, folate, iron, vitamin B6, fiber, and manganese, and is very low in sodium.

17. Raspberries

This fruits, especially its edible seeds, contain lots of dietary fiber.

They are packed with ellagic acid which can counter inflammation, reduce blood sugar levels, and prevent insulin resistance.

Raspberries are classified as a superfood according to the American Diabetic Association.

18. Red Grapefruit

Another fruit regarded as a superfood by the American Diabetes Association. It’s high in antioxidants, soluble fiber, and vitamin C, which makes them better than white grapefruits.

But, since they can interact with anti-arrhythmic medication, statins, and other drugs, it’s good to consult a doctor.

19. Red Onions

This type of onion contains a lot more antioxidants than the white and yellow type. It is loaded with flavonoids, especially quercetin which has been proven to reduce the risk of cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and asthma.

20. Red Bell Peppers

Red bell peppers contain abundant amounts of antioxidants, lycopene, and vitamins A and C.

This combination improves the overall health by lowering the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.

21. Soy

Due to their incredible nutrient content, soy products can reduce serum cholesterol levels.

They contain high-quality protein, folate, niacin, iron, potassium, zinc, and the fatty acid ALA which can be converted into omega-3 fatty acids.

22. Spinach

The high amounts of beta-carotene present in spinach are used in the production of vitamin A in our body.

This antioxidants prevents free radical damage – the main culprit of cancer. Regular consumption of spinach and other leafy veggies lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes.

23. Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are healthier than the white ones when it comes to controlling blood sugar and high cholesterol levels due to their high soluble fiber content.

They are loaded with carotenoids which improve the body’s insulin response.

What’s more, the presence of chlorogenic acid in sweet potatoes helps decrease insulin resistance.

24. Cinnamon

Chromium is a mineral which improves the action of insulin, and cinnamon is abundant in it.

This is why it helps decrease blood sugar levels.

Adding this spice in your daily diet can reduce fasting blood sugar in those with type 2 diabetes.

Furthermore, cinnamon contains high amounts of polyphenols, antioxidants which prevent free radical damage and decrease systemic inflammation, thus preventing heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.

25. Olive Oil

This is one of the healthiest oils due to its powerful anti-inflammatory properties.

Its healthy fat content prevents insulin resistance, thus reducing the risk of diabetes and heart disease.

Try to include as many of these foods as you can in your diabetes diet plan.

They will help control your blood sugar levels, but also prevent various diseases.

Feeling sluggish? Ditching these bad habits that drain your
energy will help.

Lack of sleep isn’t the only thing sapping your energy. Little things you do (and don’t do) can exhaust you both mentally and physically, which can make getting through your day a chore. Here, experts reveal common bad habits that can make you feel tired, plus simple lifestyle tweaks that will put the pep back in you
You skip exercise when you’re tired
Skipping your workout to save energy actually works against you. In a University of Georgia study, sedentary but otherwise healthy adults who began exercising lightly three days a week for as little as 20 minutes at a time reported feeling less fatigued and more energized after six weeks. Regular exercise boosts strength and endurance, helps make your cardiovascular system run more efficiently, and delivers oxygen and nutrients to your tissues. So next time you’re tempted to crash on the couch, at least go for a brisk walk—you won’t regret it.
You don’t drink enough water
Being even slightly dehydrated—as little as 2% of normal fluid loss—takes a toll on energy levels, says Amy Goodson, RD, a dietitian for Texas Health Ben Hogan Sports Medicine. Dehydration causes a reduction in blood volume, explains Goodson, which makes the blood thicker. This requires your heart to pump less efficiently, reducing the speed at which oxygen and nutrients reach your muscles and organs. To calculate your normal fluid needs, take your weight in pounds, divide in half and drink that number of ounces of fluid a day, Goodson recommends.

You’re not consuming enough iron
An iron deficiency can leave you feeling sluggish, irritable, weak, and unable to focus. “It makes you tired because less oxygen travels to the muscles and cells.” Boost your iron intake to reduce your risk of anemia: load up on lean beef, kidney beans, tofu, eggs (including the yolk), dark green leafy vegetables, nuts, and peanut butter, and pair them with foods high in vitamin C (vitamin C improves iron absorption when eaten together), suggests Goodson. Note: an iron deficiency may be due to an underlying health problem, so if you’re experiencing these symptoms of iron deficiency, you should visit your doc.
You’re a perfectionist
Striving to be perfect—which, let’s face it, is impossible—makes you work much harder and longer than necessary, says Irene S. Levine, PhD, professor of psychiatry at the New York University School of Medicine. “You set goals that are so unrealistic that they are difficult or impossible to achieve, and in the end, there is no sense of self-satisfaction.” Levine recommends setting a time limit for yourself on your projects, and taking care to obey it. In time, you’ll realize that the extra time you were taking wasn’t actually improving your work.
You make mountains out of molehills
If you assume that you’re about to get fired when your boss calls you into an unexpected meeting, or you’re too afraid to ride your bike because you worry you’ll get into an accident, then you’re guilty of “catastrophizing,” or expecting that the worst-case scenario will always occur. This anxiety can paralyze you and make you mentally exhausted, says Levine. When you catch yourself having these thoughts, take a deep breath and ask yourself how likely it is that the worst really will happen. Getting outdoors, meditating, exercising, or sharing your concerns with a friend may help you better cope and become more realistic.

You skip breakfast
The food you eat fuels your body, and when you sleep, your body continues using what you consumed at dinner the night before to keep your blood pumping and oxygen flowing. So, when you wake up in the morning, you need to refuel with breakfast. Skip it, and you’ll feel sluggish. “Eating breakfast is like starting a fire in your body by kickstarting your metabolism,” Goodson says. Goodson recommends a breakfast that includes whole grains, lean protein, and healthy fat. Good examples include oatmeal with protein powder and a dab of peanut butter; a smoothie made with fruit, protein powder, low-fat milk, and almond butter; or eggs with two slices of whole-wheat toast and low-fat Greek yogurt.
You live on junk food
Foods loaded with sugar and simple carbs (like the ones you’ll find in a box or at the drive-thru window) rank high on the glycemic index (GI), an indicator of how rapidly carbohydrates increase blood sugar. Constant blood sugar spikes followed by sharp drops cause fatigue over the course of the day, says Goodson. Keep blood sugar steady by having a lean protein along with a whole grain at every meal, says Goodson. Good choices include chicken (baked, not fried) and brown rice, salmon and sweet potato, or salad with chicken and fruit.
You have trouble saying ‘no’
People-pleasing often comes at the expense of your own energy and happiness. To make matters worse, it can make you resentful and angry over time. So whether it’s your kid’s coach asking you to bake cookies for her soccer team or your boss seeing if you can work on a Saturday, you don’t have to say yes. Train yourself to say ‘no’ out loud, suggests Susan Albers, a licensed clinical psychologist with Cleveland Clinic and author of Eat.Q.: Unlock the Weight-Loss Power of Emotional Intelligence. “Try it alone in your car,” she says. “Hearing yourself say the word aloud makes it easier to say it when the next opportunity calls for it.”
You have a messy office
A cluttered desk mentally exhausts you by restricting your ability to focus and limits your brain’s ability to process information, according to a Princeton University study. “At the end of each day, make sure your work and personal items are organized and put away,” suggests Lombardo. “It will help you have a positive start to your day the next morning.” If your office needs major reorganizing, avoid becoming totally overwhelmed by taking it one step at a time: start by tidying what you can see, then move through your desk and cabinets drawer by drawer.
You work through vacation
Checking your email when you should be relaxing by the pool puts you at risk of burnout, says Lombardo. Unplugging and allowing yourself to truly unwind allows your mind and body to rejuvenate and return to the office stronger. “When you truly take breaks, you will be more creative, productive, and effective when you return,” says Lombardo.
Related: 24 Fat-Burning Ab Exercises (No Crunches!)
You have a glass of wine (or two) before bed
A nightcap sounds like a good way to unwind before falling asleep, but it can easily backfire. Alcohol initially depresses the central nervous system, producing a sedative effect, says Allen Towfigh, MD, medical director of New York Neurology & Sleep Medicine, P.C., in New York City. “But it ultimately sabotages sleep maintenance.” Alcohol creates a rebound effect as it’s metabolized, which creates an abrupt surge in the adrenaline system, he says. This is why you’re more likely to wake up in the middle of the night after you’ve been drinking. Dr. Towfigh recommends stopping all alcohol three to four hours before bedtime.
You check e-mails at bedtime
The glaring light of a tablet, smartphone, or your computer’s backlit screen can throw off your body’s natural circadian rhythm by suppressing melatonin, a hormone that helps regulate sleep and wake cycles. Sensitivity to the digital glow of tech toys can vary from person to person, but in general it’s a good idea to avoid all technology for one to two hours before bedtime, he says. Can’t avoid checking your device before your head hits the pillow? Then hold it at least 14 inches away from your face to reduce the risk of sleep interference.

You rely on caffeine to get through the day
Starting your morning with a java jolt is no big deal—in fact, studies show that up to three daily cups of coffee is good for you—but using caffeine improperly can seriously disrupt your sleep-wake cycle, says Dr. Towfigh. Caffeine blocks adenosine, the byproduct of active cells that drives you to sleep as it accumulates, he explains. A study published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine revealed that consuming caffeine even six hours prior to bedtime affects sleep, so cut yourself off by mid-afternoon and watch out for these surprising sources of caffeine.
You stay up late on weekends
Burning the midnight oil on Saturday night and then sleeping in Sunday morning leads to difficulty falling asleep Sunday night—and a sleep-deprived Monday morning, says Dr. Towfigh. Since staying in can cramp your social life, try to wake up close to your normal time the following morning, and then take a power nap in the afternoon. “Napping for 20 minutes or so allows the body to recharge without entering the deeper stages of sleep, which can cause you to wake up more tired,” he says.

1. Eggs

Egg yolks contain choline. Studies are showing how deficiencies in choline may contribute to age related mental decline.
Weekly Recommendation: 4-5 times

2. Leafy Greens
Our mothers were so right to make us eat vegetables, since leafy greens are rich in folic acid which is essential for the metabolism of the long chain fatty acids in your brain.
Weekly Recommendation: Daily

3. Lean Beef
Lean beef is one of the best brain foods because is rich in vitamin B12, iron and zinc. These vitamins and minerals have been shown to maintain a healthy neural tissue. Iron deficiency may affect mental performance.
Weekly Recommendation: 3 times

4. Berries Including Blueberries, Strawberries or Blackberries
Studies show that people who eat strawberries improve their memory and their motor skills. In addition, their critical antioxidant properties can protect your brain from the oxidative process.
Weekly Recommendation: Daily

5. Dark Chocolate
Who doesn’t like a nice piece of dark chocolate? I do. Dark chocolate does not only taste good but it is also an excellent nutrient for the brain. Dark chocolate is one of the best natural stimulant offering incredible concentration powers and very powerful antioxidant properties containing natural stimulants that increase the production of feel-good endorphins. Trick: You need to find dark chocolate with less than 10 grams of sugar per serving for optimal benefits.
Weekly Recommendation: 4 pieces, 4 times a week

6. Salmon
Salmon contains omega-3 fatty acids, which studies have shown to be essential for brain function.
Weekly Recommendation: 3 times

7. Ground Cinnamon and Dried Oregano
Certain spices have powerful antioxidant properties.
Weekly Recommendation: Daily

8. Walnuts
“A snack that looks like a brain it can’t be bad for your brain” Walnuts are rich in protein and contain omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins E and B6, which all promote healthy neural tissue.
Weekly Recommendation: Daily

9. Whole Grains
Whole grains deliver fiber and vitamin E that help promote cardiovascular health, which helps improve the circulation to the brain.
Weekly Recommendation: Daily

10. Yogurt
Yogurt and other dairy foods are filled with protein and vitamin B that are essential to nerve cells and improve the communication between nerve cells
Weekly Recommendation: Daily
Last and not least add plenty of water  since proper hydration helps your brain perform at a high levels.
Nutrients are not only for your body they are absolutely crucial for your brain. Life is about choices and selecting the right nutrients can play a key role in your health.

In a nutshell:   Brain Foods: Eggs, Leafy green vegetables, lean beef, blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, dark chocolate, salmon, ground cinnamon and dried oregano, walnuts, whole grains and yogurt. Add plenty of water since proper hydration help brain function. Avoid fried foods and include Omega 3 rich foods, essential for cognitive processing.
Food For Brain
Who wants to become smarter? Who wants to feel healthier? I do! Many recent studies show the importance of how certain nutrients can positively affect the brain, specifically in areas of the brain related to cognitive processing or feelings and emotions.

Healthy Foods To Sharpen Your Brain
In general terms, you want to follow a healthy diet for your brain that will lead to a healthy blood flow, improvement of mental sharpness and reduction of the risk of heart disease and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
According to Gomez Pinilla, a neurobiolgist “Exercise and select diets have important influences on health and plasticity of the nervous system”. According to his line of research – The key is to avoid fried foods and add more Omega 3 fatty acids like Salmon or walnuts and always remember when ingesting fish to watch the mercury level and keep it as low as possible.
According to Dr Pinilla’s study “New evidence indicates that exercise, in combination with dietary factors, exerts its effects by affecting molecular events related to the management of energy metabolism and synaptic plasticity”

Why are Omega 3 Fatty Acids So Important for our Brain?
According to one study, the super-fats your brain needs most are omega-3 fatty acids. Your brain converts them into DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) which enhances neuronal communication and promotes neuronal growth.

Food for thought: Food and nutrients represent energy to our bodies the same way that when we use our car we need to fill the gas tank. Unfortunately, we generally take better care of our cars than our bodies. Why is that? Science is telling us that consuming the right nutrients can help our health, aging process, and more efficient brain-body functioning.