Thank you for all the great feedback on the Blogger Highlight series, I’ve enjoyed meeting each blogger and sharing their site with you. This week we highlight a new blogger, Matt’s Plants & Co.

Matt’s Plants & Co

I’m Matt, a newbie gardener based in Gippsland, Victoria, Australia. Here, I share my experiences in the garden – with greenhouses, indoor plants, vegetables, fruit, natives and more.

I hope others can learn from my mistakes in the garden as I try to create a water-efficient, sustainable garden which supports native wildlife while decreasing the need to buy produce from the supermarket.

Check out Matt’s blog and grow your gardening skills.

Melinda

Looking for the Light

In the beginning of January 2023, I woke up about 5am and walked downstairs to my office. I sat there for a moment and then went over to the bookcase and picked up a copy of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM V). It’s the book mental health care professionals use as […]

Reclaiming Mental Health – P1 — Shedding Light on Mental Health

In the earliest stages of Chronic Kidney Disease, you can make changes to your diet that will help your kidneys stave off/or slow the progression of the disease.

I’ve only included the basics, so please go to the sites referenced for complete information.

The time to make changes is now, before you get Kidney Disease or if you’ve been diagnosed at the earliest stages.

What is a Kidney Friendly Diet

A kidney-friendly diet should limit sodium, cholesterol, and fat, and instead focus on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, and lean meats (seafood, poultry, eggs, legumes, nuts, seeds, and soy products), says Maruschak. People who have already been diagnosed with CKD may also need to limit certain other nutrients, she adds. 

Here are the basics of diet changes

Portion Your Plate

Limit Your Salt Intake 

Be Mindful of Protein 

Choose Complex Carbs Over Simple Carbs

Limit Saturated Fats and Avoid Trans Fat

Watch Your Alcohol Intake

Talk to Your Doctor About Whether You Need to Limit Phosphorus and Potassium

 Work With a Dietitian 

The changes required can seem overwhelming but you can start one at a time until all are part of your Kidney healthy diet.

For detailed information about diet changes, you can visit The Kidney Foundation.

I was recently diagnosed with Stage 3 Kidney Disease, which means my kidneys are working at 50% and my kidneys are too damaged for them to heal. As I research my own Kidney Disease, I’ll pass along anything important. 

Melinda

References:

Every Day Health

Thank you for all the great feedback on the Blogger Highlight series, I’ve enjoyed meeting each blogger and sharing their site with you. This week we highlight a new blogger, Monicle’s Chronicles.

monicle’s chronicles

living well at 70

I’m sixty, single and surviving. Too old to work, to young to die. I love being retired and living this monotonous life. I waited a long time to live this way!

Stop by you’ll find interesting post and the prompts followed.

Melinda

Looking for the Light

I want to send a special thank you to Vital Field’s Communications Director Nassia Bitha for sending me the New Anti-Aging Cell. If you’ve read my blog long enough you know that my relationship with Vital Field started over two years ago and I’ve reviewed many of their products. I don’t completely understand the science behind each Cell but all of the reviews I’ve done have been positive.

Who doesn’t want to add a Holistic approach to living your best life?

This post contains affiliate links that may earn me a commission to fund my coffee habit. 

About Vital Field

Vitalfield has collaborated extensively with expert scientists and healthcare practitioners in Germany, Switzerland and Austria, with a focus on biophysical and frequency medicine applications. Until early 2018, most of the technology in this field involved significant investments and training before it could be utilized in clinical environments. 

Recent scientific breakthroughs have made this treatment accessible to the general public, in the form of miniature, portable and wearable applications that target specific health problems, such as chronic pain, inflammation, cell regeneration, metabolism, and detoxification of the body. Further patented technology discovered in recent years also enabled some of these natural treatment methods to be implanted into wearable materials that could localize the treatment for the long-term, in an extremely cost-effective manner.

About the Anti-Aging Cell

The Anti-Aging Cell actively supports and shows great results with:

• Skin tissue elasticity and structure
• Stimulation of the connective tissue
• Mind & body balance
• Flexibility and energy levels

You can read more information about the Anti-Ageing Cell and the complete product line of Frequencell’s here.

Use discount code LIGHT20 for 20% off any Vital Field product.

Once my health improves, I”ll let you know my thoughts. I have confidence in the product based on my experience.

Melinda

Looking for the Light

References:

Huffington Post

The goal of each of the many available therapeutic approaches is the same: to facilitate the patient’s growth and development. Thankfully, the stigma surrounding treatment has decreased significantly in recent years. Remember that counseling is about making lasting improvements, not just temporary ones. Here are four positive outcomes that are common among those who participate in therapy.

Raised Confidence

Your sense of value and self-worth is typically formed at an early age. Life events have an impact, and you could develop a negative opinion of yourself as a result. Actually, many people visit therapists to improve their sense of self-worth; it has a significant impact on one’s quality of life. Having a positive self-image can provide you with the strength, confidence, kindness, motivation, and love you need to achieve your goals.

A therapist can assist you in recognizing and changing any destructive thought patterns or actions that may be contributing to your low self-esteem. In general, you’ll be able to improve your connections with yourself by doing things like learning to forgive your harsh judgments of the past. Quitting can be difficult, but professional assistance is available. Things such as The Insight Clinic Neurofeedback Therapy can massively help. 

A Heightened Awareness Of Oneself

Self-awareness is a skill not everyone possesses, but therapists may help with that. Try to picture this as a form of “grip on reality.” But it’s not about the obvious, like eating your vegetables; it’s about the problems that may not seem so severe at first. Anyone who wants to get forward in life should work on developing their capacity for introspection. It helps you get insight into your inner workings and gain control over your life by shedding light on your feelings, character, and responses.

In a broad sense, it’s essential for progress. Setting appropriate boundaries and communicating your needs are facilitated by your increased ability to regulate your own emotions. In the end, this can help you feel more connected to your ideals and the people around you. Gaining a deeper understanding of yourself is one of the primary goals of therapy, and therapists may help by providing a secure environment in which you can do just that.

Facilitates The Formation Of Healthier Connections

It’s true that couples at any stage of their marriage or dating relationship can benefit from therapy. The choice to seek assistance rests with the individual, ultimately. knowledge of one’s own approach to others is essential, as is knowledge of how others may approach one. Developing one’s capacity for mutual understanding and improved communication is just the beginning. Improve your relationships by being self-aware about your behavior towards others.

Improved Capacity For Expression

Therapists will work with you to improve your communication skills and the way you interpret the words and tone of others as they relate to your interpersonal interactions. Successful people in business and in life possess strong communication abilities. These include the ability to express oneself clearly, listen carefully, and collaborate with others. You might use them to concentrate on listening carefully and asking pertinent follow-up questions. It will also involve some serious introspection, the likes of which you might not even be aware you’re capable of. 

These are just four of the main benefits of therapy. Do you have any more? Please share them below. 

This is a collaborative post.

Melinda

I took a minute in the portal for my doctor to see what was new with the practice and discovered I have Stage 3 of 5 Chronic Kidney Disease. I had whiplash and then wrote my doctor. Yes, it’s true. She has told me several times after lab work that my Kidney Function was down but never netted it out. She never said you have Chronic Kidney Disease.

I know this disease intimately because my gramps died from it. He developed Chronic Kidney Disease from years of uncontrolled high blood pressure. This will sound crazy to some but Chronic Kidney Disease is the most peaceful way to die. How bad is falling asleep for two days, then meeting your maker.

It was really four days, two days he was very alert when people came to visit but did tire easily. One the third day we could tell he was going into a coma and said our final goodbyes. He died peacefully, with no pain at the end of the fourth day.

One point*

The doctor gave my gramps a month to live but it was really two weeks. The older you are, he was 92, the time frame may be much less. Talk to the Hospice Nurse and she can give you a better idea.

This was a shock. I went to bed for the afternoon to process everything. Today will be fine because he brought a cupcake home. They always get my mind off my diet and problems.

Melinda

Are You Feeling Overwhelmed and Stressed Out? Don’tDon’t fret – many others feel the same! Organizing your life and taking purposeful steps are all effective strategies for getting life back under control – This blog post will discuss tips to regain your control! This post offers easy tips to organize yourself and rebuild momentum for long-term success in both personal and professional settings – read on if you wish to regain the tools needed to take charge!

Regain Your Confidence

Sometimes life can make us feel like we’re spiraling out of control. It’s in those moments that our confidence can take a hit. However, regaining confidence isn’t as intangible as it may seem. One way to do this is to think about what boosts your confidence. It may be feeling good about your body, in which case committing to fitness could be a solution. If it’s the knowledge that makes you feel confident, find people you admire and learn from them or reach out to a mentor.

Assess Your Time Management

Assessing your time management skills is about taking a closer look at how you spend your time and being honest about areas where you may be wasting it. Whether it’s scrolling through social media, getting lost in email triage, or just taking longer than necessary to complete certain tasks. Identifying time traps is crucial to making better use of your day. Once you clearly understand where your time is going, you can start prioritizing the things that matter most to you and eliminating distractions. Remember, time is a finite resource, so make the most of it by being intentional about how you use it.

Organize the Little Things

Organizing the little things is an excellent way to regain control of your chaotic life. With seemingly endless to-do lists and constant stress, our environment can quickly become cluttered, leading to even more anxiety. Starting with simple steps like decluttering your workspace or organizing your sock drawer can promote a sense of order and balance. Repair that windscreen crack and start taking back your life; visit https://agdnow.com/ to learn more about windscreen repairs. Plus, small victories with middle-of-the-road tasks will motivate you to tackle more significant problems. By taking care of these small details, you can regain the reins and feel empowered to handle harder tasks.

Don’t Be Too Hard on Yourself

Being too harsh on yourself can take its toll on your mental health. Reminding yourself that progress takes time is key. Building routines and taking small steps toward your goals can add up over time to make big differences in life. Don’t be afraid to reassess and try something different if something doesn’t seem to be working; the journey toward improvement should be as rewarding as its end goal, so allow yourself plenty of time.

Life seems out of our control at times, which should serve as an alert that it’s time to slow down and evaluate where we stand in life. When things suddenly crumble all at once, this could be a telltale sign that our balance has shifted out of balance and needs resetting.

Balance is an ever-evolving pursuit and should evolve alongside major life events and the passage of time. Anytime everything seems overwhelming at once, consider it an opportunity to rebuild and get back on track.

This a collaborative post.

Melinda

Are your efforts toward better health more wellness-focused or illness-focused? A silly question? Let me explain….

Where’s Your Focus? Wellness or Illness? — Olive Tree Saints

Stress causes depression, anxiety, and health problems

Chronic Stress and Health — DocTalk, Explorations in Psychotherapy

Thank you for all the great feedback on the Blogger Highlight series, I’ve enjoyed meeting each blogger and sharing their site with you. This week we highlight a new blogger, Dear Jo Anne.

Dear Jo Anne

My name is Hannah. I am 29 years old, from Australia and I’ve never liked introductions – probably because I’m not very good at them!

I adore blogging and find myself drawn to create pieces that are usually inspired by the difficult stuff. Some of my writing interests include adulthood, grief and loss, lifestyle, fiction, humour, social anxiety, mental health, self-improvement, and media.

Hannah’s site is great! Be sure to stop by and say hello.

Melinda

Looking for the Light

This is a topic that I’ve struggled with for quite some time now. You see while I have been living with Fibromyalgia and Chronic Lyme Disease (to name a couple), I also have a great love for ALL things fashion. So what’s the big deal? Well, I’m so glad you asked. HOW I SHOW UP […]

Chronic Illness & My Love Of Fashion — Windy’s Journey

After blowing a gasket to my husband about my health frustrations last night, I took my Xanax and went to bed early. This morning I’m feeling better, even went to the portal and erased the message to my doctor.

Since my appointment was an emergency and they worked me in I had to see a different doctor. Do that once and you may love your regular doctor more. The doctor did not share some basic 101 tips that would have helped me leave with a crumb. When I found it on the Internet, I got angry.

I’ve been headed toward a wall with my health for the past year and yesterday I hit it hard. Thank goodness my husband understands my health challenges, how to put the pieces again, and knows a cupcake goes a long way.

I cut most sweets from my diet a year ago as my weight loss journey began but today I added a large cupcake to lunch. The heating pad will feel so much better now!

Stay strong, get angry, get it out of your system, cry, or scream to release the anger, then take a step forward.

Melinda