Our Blog - SHAW Center for Healing in Austin, Texas

Bittersweet Data

7/31/2017

Article Summary By Michael Estlack, Director of Connectivity

How could something that tastes so good be so evil? Researchers from University College London have postulated that increased levels of sugar in a male diet can be more detrimental to them than just an oversized waistline. After looking at a generous sample size of 7,000 males over a 22-year period, they have found that high levels of sugar can be directly correlated with an increased chance for mood disorders like depression and anxiety. One might raise the question: Do depressed and anxious people just happen to eat more sugar and that’s why we see these results? Well, according to these researchers and some fancy footwork, they were able to rule out any possible cases of reverse causation, and sadly, the blame still falls on sugar.

Of course, the inner sweet tooth in all of us wants to know why?

For one, BDNF, a protein synthesized in the brain and in charge of creating new brain cells is greatly inhibited in its performance when high levels of sugar are present. Also, sugar is linked to causing inflammation in the brain, a known problem in people with mood disorders. Insulin levels are also greatly affected after high sugar intake, which can crash both your mood and hormonal responses.

Not sure if your diet is affecting your mood? Book a session today with our Functional Health and Wellness advisor, Andrew Sartory, where he will guide you on your journey toward physical and emotional health.

For more information: http://www.menshealth.com/health/sugar-and-depression

Pursuing Positivity

7/26/2017

Article Summary By Michael Estlack, Director of Connectivity

No matter who you are or where you have come from, everyone has had his or her fair share of happy moments in life. These bouts of happiness sometimes happen without a rhyme or reason, but what we do know about them is that they usually leave us only wanting more.

So what if we could actually reprogram our brains to put us in those happy moments more often, would we do it?

It is common knowledge that our brains are plastic in nature and that we can mold them to some extent for learning and making it through our day-to-day. Walter Chen believes that we can take this further and actually rewire our brains to think more positively and thus, bring about more happiness. Naturally, our brains are searching for all the negatives in life because it’s a means to keep us safe from possible dangers. The practice of living with more happiness asks us to do just the opposite and instead focus on the positives we see in our lives.

Chen says scanning for three positive things a day and reflecting on them should do the trick. Chen also suggests giving thanks to at least one person a day. By recognizing their efforts and letting them know you value them, you are taking a step outside of yourself for just a second. Chen also claims that doing something nice for others will also help with your own positivity. Volunteering, donating to charity, or any other random act of kindness can boost your own happiness tremendously. Lastly, Chen suggests practicing mindfulness and bringing your attention to the present. He believes that living anywhere but the present can lead to negative feelings.

Aside from Chen’s suggestions, we can also do the following to maintain a positive lifestyle:

Choose to become a realistic optimist
Control our automatic negative thoughts
Keep a gratitude journal
Recite positive affirmations
Cultivate mindfulness
Surround yourself with positive, supportive people
Stay Active

Don’t sit with negativity, and learn to accept it as part of life. Let SHAW Center for Healing join you on your journey to more positive thinking and happiness.

To learn more, please click here:
https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/297676?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email

The Stages of Recovery: A Partner's Journey

7/24/2017

Article Summary By Michael Estlack, Director of Connectivity

Photo Credit: https://michaelhyatt.com/059-what-i-learned-about-leadership-from-a-fight-with-my-wife-podcast.html

Sex addiction takes a toll on not only the addict but also on any romantic partners and/or family members that may be involved. In the beginning, there is generally a lot of focus on getting the sex addict into recovery. It is equally important that partners and family members begin their own journey of recovery.

Dr. Stephanie Carnes has assembled a list of 6 stages one might expect to go through when your loved one is acting out in sexually compulsive ways:

1. Stage one consists of the developing, or pre-discovery, stage. At this stage the partner has no idea about the sex addict exploits, but they may have suspicions about something being off in the relationship.

2. Stage two involves discovering the addicted partners true ways of lashing out due to their addiction. This stage may involve feelings of betrayal and failed attempts at managing the disease, but it may also bring in valuable information from outside resources such as 12-step fellowships and certified sex-addiction therapists.

3. The third stage is characterized by shock. Harsh resentment and avoidance may surface, but with the help of outside resources, this painful stage can be surpassed as well.

4. The fourth stage involves a personal grieving process for the partner. After such an emotional third stage, partners often turn inwards and focus on themselves at this point in the recovery process.

5. The fifth stage is where the relationship goes through some much-needed repairs. Healthy boundaries have been set, emotional stability has been regained, and the addict is actively working towards a plan of recovery at this stage.

6. The last stage, stage 6, deals with growth. The addict continues their lifelong pursuit of recovery and the partner works towards ridding themselves of any remaining feelings of victimization.

No matter what stage you may find yourself, there is hope...hope for yourself, the recovering addict, and the relationship itself. Let our experts at SHAW Center for Healing support you and your family through this incredibly traumatic experience.

Gratitude and Finding Happiness Within

7/19/2017

Article Summary by Michael Estlack, DIrector of Connectivity

Gratitude oftentimes doesn’t seem to have a place in our fast paced, consumerism focused society. We are constantly being told we want more and what we have isn’t good enough. This wanting more and not being content with what we have can really turn into a sickness for us. Thankfully, we find that we can cultivate this gratitude as a spiritual practice and allow it to enrich our lives. According to Zen teacher David Loy, gratitude can help us stay grounded as we face our troubles, find compassion for the world and the people in it and reach an inner happiness only we can unlock.

So how does one cultivate gratitude?

Zen teacher David Loy believes incorporating gratitude in ones life can be as easy as making a list of ten things one is appreciative of. With each successive list, we find gratitude easier throughout the day because we now look for it. It’s all about the mindset and when we live in such a headspace, happiness and contentment finds us.

Another way we find this gratitude is by showing it to the people we have in our life. Appreciating them can benefit not only their self-esteem, but also bring about this elusive gratitude in us. Doing so can also have the added benefit of making us feel the strong interconnection we have as humans. When we find this interconnection, we can realize that we are not alone on our journey and that our wellbeing spans further than our physical self.

Let our experts at SHAW Center for Healing join you on your journey to gratitude and true happiness. Find what your soul craves.

To learn more about gratitude, please visit: http://www.spiritualityhealth.com/articles/zen-gratitud

Bullying and Eating Disorders: The Underlying Connection

7/17/2017

Article Summary by Michael Estlack, Director of Connectivity

Eating disorders are a well-known problem in our society today, and research now points us to a possible early trigger for its later devastating effects. According to the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Activity, “people who have been bullied—and those who did the bullying—are more likely to be obsessed with weight loss than those who said they never encountered these problems.” These individuals who report having been a bully or being bullied themselves find that they are consumed with their body image in general.

Danielle Shelov, Ph.D. reports that eating disorders are usually never about the food, and in this case, it can’t be more true. These individuals find that they seek control that they once did not have. Today, they find control in what they eat and how they appear, and sometimes, they push this control to the limits. Bullying often targets body image and this may be the reason these victims of bullying choose to focus their control in that area of their life later on.

If anything in this article summary resonates with you and warrants further exploration, our experts at SHAW Center for Healing are here to help. Begin your journey today by contacting us.

To learn more, visit http://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/weight-loss-bullying

A New Perspective On Why Men Cheat

7/10/2017

Blog review by Michael Estlack, Director of Connectivity

In his latest book entitled, "Out of the Doghouse: A step-by-step Relationship-Saving Guide for Men caught Cheating," international sexual health expert Rob Weiss explains that cheating on one’s spouse can come in many different forms. Whether its watching porn or having actual intercourse, these rules are usually defined within the relationship early on. While these cheating rules may be clear, many are confused as to why men cheat in the first place.

Often, therapists find that men place blame on outside reasons, but what are the real, underlying reasons for cheating?

According to Weiss, one major contributing reason comes in the form of insecurity. These men may not feel they are good enough and have enough going for them so they seek outside validation from other woman. Entitlement also plays a role, says Weiss. These men may be feeling as if they deserve this external release. A third reason might just be pure selfishness, which most probably already considered as a reason in the first place. Cheating men may simply be only concerned with themselves and their desires, leaving their vows behind in pursuit of sexual release.

"For most men, there is no single factor driving the decision to cheat," says Weiss. "And sometimes a man’s reasons for cheating evolve over time as his life circumstances change. Regardless of a man’s reasons for cheating, he needs to understand that he didn’t have to do it. There are always other options—couple’s therapy, taking up golf, being open and honest and working to improve the relationship, even separation and/or divorce. All of these are choices that don’t involve degrading and potentially ruining one’s integrity and sense of self."

Infidelity does not have to destroy your relationship. Heal from infidelity, restore trust, and find freedom. Contact our sexual health experts at SHAW Center for Healing today to begin your journey.

Read Rob Weiss's full blog post here:
https://blogs.psychcentral.com/sex/2017/02/infidelity-why-do-men-cheat/

Finding Fulfillment In What You Are Already Getting

7/5/2017

Article Summary by Michael Estlack, Director of Connectivity

In Sanskrit, the word Diksa takes on several meanings. One of which is “receiving what you get”, but doesn’t one always have to receive in order to get something? Not always. Take in point a relationship between a teacher and its pupils. The teacher may offer years worth of insightful information, but the pupil may only receive a portion of said information. The pupil is not open to receive everything they are being given.

So what does this mean for me?
So often in today’s society we focus on what we are not getting, rather than what’s already being offered to us. We hone our minds onto specific wants and if they don’t materialize, we feel unfulfilled. We feel these wants are warranted because who knows what we need more than ourselves. For instance, in times of struggle we may feel that financial support is what we need, but what if all that’s offered is love and support? Or in a relationship, we may feel our sexual needs aren’t being met and we are left with hugs and kisses? When we focus on what we are not getting, there is no room to receiving what’s being offered. This leads us down a road of resentment and discontentment.

How can we change?
As with most things, a simple change is perception is all that is required of us. If we can make it a habit to see what’s being offered to us, instead of what we feel we need, we can surely find a life of happiness and wellbeing. Life will never give us all that we want, but it usually gives us exactly what we need. We just have to find a way to see that for ourselves.

Our experts at the SHAW Center for Healing offer hope and healing. Join us, be receptive and start your journey to a better you.

Click here to find out more: http://www.spiritualityhealth.com/blog/julie-peters/art-receiving-what-you-are-getting

7 Pill-Free, Unconventional Tricks to Easily Achieve a Perfect Sleep Cycle

7/3/2017

Article by Andrew Sartory, Functional Health and Wellness Advisor

Photo Credit: http://www.mensfitnes.com/weight-loss/success-stories/10-best-ways-get-better-sleep

I used to be dependent on cocktails of natural supplements, Benedryl, Ambien and Xanax to fall asleep for years, no matter how tired I felt. Now, I sleep like a baby at normal hours. These are the best tricks I've learned!

Do you have problems with getting great, restful sleep?

Everyone knows it’s important to get good sleep, but the average night’s sleep amongst adults and teenagers is getting shorter and shorter. And now, 63% of Americans reporting that their sleep needs are not met during the week (1).

In fact, researchers believe that the average adult has FORGOTTEN what it feels like to be truly well rested!

However, those few people who obtain an adequate 7-9 hours a night are earning some great benefits! These include…

maintaining more lean muscle
burning more fat
improved mood and sense of wellbeing
more energy
improved learning and memory function

So why is this epidemic happening?

It all has to do with MELATONIN, the hormone that controls your sleep and wake cycles.
And in a nutshell, our use of artificial light at night is driving this problem.
Your pineal gland produces this in the evening when it gets dark, and puts you in a relaxed, sleepy state.

However, in your home, you’re exposed to TVs, cell phone screens, laptops and general overhead lighting. The blue lightwaves in these sources of light signal to your body that it’s still daytime, thus suppressing melatonin secretion.

And as we’d expect, shutting down your melatonin production at night is NOT GOOD.
First, it can make you feel wide-awake and restless, as if it were daytime (2, 3).
What’s worse is that the melatonin suppression on its own, regardless of your sleep hours, is associated with increased risks of…

cancer
poor immune system function (getting sick more often)
type 2 diabetes
cardiovascular disease
obesity

Ouch! But don’t worry – there are EASY ways to combat all of this without turning off your phone, laptop, or TV after 7pm.