New 7.0 update features....

This update features a beautiful new design and also contains hundreds of new features, including the following:

• New design
• Redesigned interface updates the entire system and every built-in app
• Subtle motion and animation; layers and translucency provide depth
• Elegant new color palette and refined typography 
• Updated system sounds and ringtones
• Control Center
• Quick access to commonly used controls and apps with a swipe up from the bottom of the screen
• Turn on & off Airplane Mode, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Do Not Disturb; adjust screen brightness; access media controls; turn on AirPlay and AirDrop
• Quickly access flashlight, timer, calculator, camera and music controls
• Notification Center improvements
• New Today view gives you an overview of your day, including weather, calendar, and stocks 
• Notifications dismissed on one device dismisses across all your devices
• Multitasking improvements
• Preview screens of open apps when you switch between them
• Permits any app to keep content up to date in the background
• Camera improvements
• Swipe through different camera modes – video, still photo, square aspect, and panorama
• Real-time photo filters with iPhone 4S or later, and iPod touch (5th generation)
• Photos improvements
• Automatically organizes your photos and videos based on time and location into Moments
• iCloud Photo Sharing supports multiple contributors and videos, plus a new Activity view
• Add photo filter effects
• Flickr and Vimeo support
• AirDrop
• Quickly and easily share content with people nearby
• Securely encrypted transfers with no network or setup required
• Supported on iPhone 5, iPad (4th generation), iPad mini, and iPod touch (5th generation) and requires an iCloud account
• Safari improvements
• New iPhone tab view that lets you easily switch between open web pages 
• Unified smart search field for both search terms and web addresses
• Shared Links shows web pages shared by people you follow on Twitter
• iTunes Radio
• Streaming radio service
• Pick from over 250 featured and genre-focused stations
• Start your own station from your favorite artist or song
• Siri improvements
• New, more natural sounding male and female voices for US English, French and German
• Integrated Wikipedia, Twitter search, and Bing web search results
• Change settings including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and brightness
• Supported on iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPad with Retina display, iPad mini, and iPod touch (5th generation)
• App Store improvements
• See apps relevant to your current location with Popular Near Me
• Discover age-appropriate apps in the Kids category
• Keep your apps up to date automatically
• Find My iPhone Activation Lock
• Turning off Find My iPhone, erasing your device, reactivation, and signing out of iCloud requires your Apple ID password 
• A custom message can be displayed on your device even after a remote erase
• iTunes Store improvements
• Preview and buy songs you've heard on iTunes Radio while inside the iTunes Store
• Add to, and shop from, your iTunes Wish List
• Scan code with camera to redeem iTunes Gift Cards 
• Music improvements
• Play music purchases from iCloud 
• Rotate your iPhone or iPod touch to browse your music with the Album Wall
• Videos improvements
• Play movie and TV show purchases from iCloud 
• View similar movies and TV shows from Related
• Maps improvements
• Turn-by-turn walking directions
• Automatic night mode 
• Bookmarks shared across devices via iCloud
• Mail improvements
• New Smart Mailboxes, including Unread, Attachments, All Drafts and To or CC
• Improved search
• View PDF annotations
• FaceTime audio calling
• Block unwanted Phone, Messages and FaceTime callers
• Support for sending long MMS messages
• Pull down on any Home Screen to reveal Spotlight search
• Scan to acquire Passbook passes
• New ringtones, alarms, alerts and system sounds
• Definitions of a selected word for additional languages: Italian, Korean, and Dutch
• Inclinometer in the Compass app
• Wi-Fi HotSpot 2.0 support
• Accessibility features
• Individuals with limited physical motor skills can now control their device using Switch Control
• Customize closed caption style
• Handwriting input support in VoiceOver
• Math input support using Nemeth Braille in VoiceOver
• Select from multiple premium voices for speak selection and VoiceOver 
• Support for Made for iPhone Hearing Aids and stereo audio for iPhone 5 and iPod touch (5th generation)
• Enterprise features
• Manage which apps and accounts are used to open documents and attachments
• Per App VPN
• App Store license management
• Enterprise single sign-on
• Remote configuration of managed apps
• Automatic data protection for third-party apps
• Exchange Notes syncing
• Install custom fonts
• New management queries and restrictions
• Education features
• Mobile device management for Apple TV
• Request AirPlay Mirroring from a student device to Apple TV
• Pre-configure AirPlay destinations and AirPrint printers
• Streamlined MDM enrollment
• Ability to restrict changes to accounts
• Web content filtering
• Authorized apps can initiate single app mode
• Configure accessibility settings for single app mode
• Features for China
• Tencent Weibo integration
• Chinese-English bilingual dictionary
• Improved handwriting input with improved accuracy, stroke order independence and support for simultaneous multiple character input
• Bug fixes

Some features may not be available for all countries or all areas.

For information on the security content of this update, please visit this website:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1222

~A.

http://lifehacker.com/15-brilliant-things-you-can-do-with-command-hooks-1355369802?utm_campaign=socialflow_lifehacker_facebook&utm_source=lifehacker_facebook&utm_medium=socialflow

15 Brilliant Things You Can Do with Command Hooks

I think we all agree: 3M's Command hooks are awesome. You can stick them anywhere and easily remove them without damaging the wall or having to break out the drill. But they can do a lot more than hang your coats and keys—here are 15 ingenious ways to use them.

Hide Cables

The little Command hooks can hide pesky cords on even the thinnest furniture, as these photos from the Hi Sugarplum blog shows. Cassie uses the hooks to disguise lamp cords, but you can do this with any kind of cable or cord (e.g., by sticking the hooks at the back of your desk and running cables through them).

Mount a Router to the Wall

Related

Lifehacker reader Guy mounted his router to the wall with a couple of 3M Command hooks and as a result has much better Wi-Fi reception in his house.

Hang Headphones on a Monitor

SExpand

Second grade teacher Kelly mounts headphones on monitors in her classroom, and you can do the same at home. If you don't care for the look, there are clear Command hooks or you could hang the headphones behind the monitor too.

Hang Curtain Rods

The easy way to put up a curtain rod without poking holes in your wall. This picture's from 3M itself.

Keep Garbage Bags from Slipping into the Can

Attach a hook on either side of the can and keep the garbage bag in place.

Mount Foil and Plastic Wrap

While you're in the kitchen, stick up some hooks for keeping aluminum foil and plastic wrap within reach. Blogger Anna Moseley uses a different brand of self-adhesive hooks, but you get the idea. If you don't want them on your wall, they'd fit great on the inside of a cupboard door.

Organize Pot Lids

Related

We saw this simple trick earlier this year. It's a smart, space-saving idea for storing pot lids.

Hang Hook-Unfriendly Items with a Command Hook and Binder Clip

You can hang anything from these hooks, even if they don't "hook" onto things well. For example this trick from The Borrowed Abode blog hangs rubber gloves out of sight but in reach (and hanging to dry) with a command hook and that other indespensible tool, a binder clip.

Attach Scoops to Containers

Hang a measuring cup to the outside of an oats container (or flour container, etc.) for easy access, the A Thousand Word blog shares.

Mount Toothbrushes

Pinterest user Kelly N Jared Stover says: "I used the small clear 3M Command hooks turned sideways on the inside of my medicine cabinet to store toothbrushes. They fit perfectly!"

Hang a Wreath

Stick a hook upside down on the back of a door for a simple way to hang a wreath on the other side, Jeralyn writes at the Lemonade blog.

Hold Glasses/Sunglasses

Professional organizer Andi Willis posted these tips to hold eyeglasses on your bedside table. If you have a bunch of sunglasses or glasses, you could also hang them on string stretched across two hooks.

Create Tablet Stations

Related

With a few hooks, you can create a tablet station in any (or every) room of your home.

Make a Changeable Artwork Display

Hang skirt hangers from hooks for an art gallery that can easily be switched up, as the Be a Fun Mom blog shares.

Make a Shoe Rack

Finally, if you have a collection of shoes with heels, hang a curtain rod between two hooks and, voila, instant shoe rack, Kayla25 adds at 3M.

Ready to start hooking everything up? If you head to Command.com you can pick up a few coupons to stock up on their hooks.

~A.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/builtlean/exercise-quotes_b_3929821.html

10 Inspiring Quotes for Exercise Motivation This Fall

By Nate Morrow

As fall approaches, many of us may find ourselves struggling to stay motivated to exercise as the weather gets colder. Luckily, it's a great time for fresh starts and new goals to get healthy; whether you're a seasoned gym veteran or just beginning your fitness journey, a little extra motivation can be just what you need to kick-start the fall season.

With that in mind, I've put together 10 of my favorite exercise motivation quotes from a wide variety of athletes, authors, and philosophers to help you start out fall on the right track.

Find Inner Strength

1. "Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength."
-- Arnold Schwarzenegger

2. "If we could give every individual the right amount of nourishment and exercise, not too little and not too much, we would have found the safest way to health."
-- Hippocrates

3. "I do not think that there is any other quality so essential to success of any kind as the quality of perseverance. It overcomes almost everything, even nature."
-- John D. Rockefeller

4. "Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will."
-- Mahatma Gandhi

There Are No Limits

5. "If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus; and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them."
-- Bruce Lee

6. "Most of our obstacles would melt away if, instead of cowering before them, we should make up our minds to walk boldly through them."
-- Orison Swett Marden

7. "You can't depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus."
-- Mark Twain

Never Give Up

8. "Energy & persistence conquer all things."
-- Benjamin Franklin

9. "I've missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."
-- Michael Jordan

10. "The secret of getting ahead is getting started." -- Agatha Christie

That last one is my personal favorite. I know it's sometimes difficult to make changes in our lives, especially with busy work and family schedules, but I truly hope you can find some inspiration here to make your health a priority this fall. Yes, going to the gym as it gets colder is not as easy as sleeping in your nice, warm bed, but you'll be glad you did.

We spend so much time and energy focused on professional and financial pursuits that we tend to overlook the importance of exercise and our own physical well-being.

So I'd like to leave you with one last thought from motivational speaker Jim Rohn that summarizes the main idea here pretty well: "Take care of your body. It's the only place you have to live." 

Follow BuiltLean on Twitter: www.twitter.com/builtlean

Comet ISON Coma Debris, Meteors and ET Fossils - Sept 19, 2013 |UFO Sightings Hotspot

http://ufosightingshotspot.blogspot.com/2013/09/comet-ison-coma-debris-meteors-and-et.html

Comet ISON Coma Debris, Meteors and ET Fossils - Sept 19, 2013

Fireballs, Meteors, Meteorites, Asteroids and Comets have increased over the past 3 years.
       (.....Corrupted Atmosphere)
Around 15,000 tons of meteoroids, micrometeoroids and different forms of space dust enter Earth's atmosphere each year.

The meteor that rocked the world in February 2013 also left a trail of dust around it. NASA's Suomi NPP Satellite tracked the plume and showed that it had traveled around the northern hemisphere and back to Chelyabinsk, Russia in 4 days.

Video Chelyabinsk meteor dust traveled around the world

Could Earth be threatened by extraterrestrial bacteria and chemicals from Comet ISON's coma debris, or from meteorites in general?

Reports of microfossil or microbial life discoveries in meteorites have a long and tangled history stretching over half a century.

The Polonnaruwa Meteorite

Minutes after a large fireball was seen by a large number of people in the skies over Sri Lanka on 29 December 2012, a large meteorite disintegrated and fell in the village of Araganwila, which is located a few miles away from the historic ancient city of Polonnaruwa.

At the time of entry into the Earth's atmosphere on 29 December 2012, the parent body of the Polonnaruwa meteorite would have had most of its interior porous volume filled with water, volatile organics and possibly viable living cells. A remarkable coincidence that should be noted is that within several days of the meteorite fall, various parts of Sri Lanka experienced episodes of red rain, yellow rain, green rain as well as black rain (period December 2012/January 2013).

There is tentative evidence for the presence of organisms, including diatoms, in meteorites falling over the same time period. These microorganisms are likely to have served as nuclei for the condensation of rain drops.

Image: Microorganisms found in the black Rain and in the Polonnaruwa Meteorite.

The identification of fossilised diatoms in the Polonnaruwa meteorite is firmly established and unimpeachable. Since this meteorite is considered to be an extinct cometary fragment, the idea of microbial life carried within comets and the theory of cometary panspermia is thus vindicated.

Comets and Meteorites can contain living bacteria from space along with other chemicals including arsenic. But with around 15,000 tons of space dust enter Earth's atmosphere each year including the larger cometary fragments made it to the ground, you would think space dust is no threat to the Earth and humanity.

But 'what if' space dust or cometary fragments contains life threatened organisms or chemicals?

Soon the earth will be doubled dusted with unknown biological and chemical debris from comet C2012 S1- ISON.

The space dust from ISON could be in our atmosphere for years. In the event the debris contains fossils as in the meteorite dust Sri Lanka, it will be interesting to see what effect, if any, it will have on the biology of earth or.. we may expect a pandemic? Like the Black Death of 1347 (1347-1350) one of the most deadly pandemics in human history. The Black Death of 1347 was probably caused by a corrupted atmosphere.

 

~A.

GeoengineeringWatch.org

http://www.geoengineeringwatch.org/


~A.

New World Order Chemtrail Mural in Portland Oregon

http://www.geoengineeringwatch.org/new-world-order-chemtrail-mural-in-portland-oregon/

documenting the chemtrail-geoengineering coverup

Sick, sick, sick......~A.

This is the 72,000 Sq. Ft. Eco-Mansion Going Up in the Ozark Mountains — But Why? | TheBlaze.com

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2011/07/19/this-is-the-72000-sq-ft-eco-mansion-going-up-in-the-ozark-mountains-but-why/

THIS IS THE 72,000 SQ. FT. ECO-MANSION GOING UP IN THE OZARK MOUNTAINS — BUT WHY?

There's a 72,000 sq. ft., 13-bedroom, 14-bathroom, mansion going up in the middle of the Ozark Mountains. And as the walls take shape, so do the theories about what exactly it is. According to the New York Times, some say it's a military bunker, others say a low-profile getaway for local phenom Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. And still others speculate it's there to host aliens.

"It's really strange, and we're thinking something's up," Michele Grider, who lives just down the road from where the mansion is being built, told the Times. "If there was a nuclear thing they could hide a bunch of important people there."

It's called Pensmore, and its location is the opposite of its architecture: inconspicuous. It's located halfway between Springfield and Branson, MO. And it's bigger than the White House.

The owner, 60-year-old Steven T. Huff, used to own a company that makes software for military and intelligence agencies, further fueling speculation about the complex's use. According to him, it's just a large second home.

But while speculation exists about the mansion's primary purpose, it's clear what it's secondary purpose is (if not really the first): to trumpet green technology.

"Energy efficiency and enduring sustainability are the twin missions of Pensmore," the complex's website says. "The values and beliefs behind these principles are firmly held: a belief in good stewardship to the earth and fellow man, a belief that oil, gas, and coal as energy resources will become increasingly expensive and thereby unsustainable, and a belief that one ought to leave a positive impact in the world."

"Sustainability means more than just energy efficiency. It also means minimizing total life-cycle costs through low and zero-maintenance materials, and reduced use of non-renewable products during construction," the facility touts on another part of its website.

"Perhaps one of the biggest environmental advantages of Pensmore is its inherent durability. Designed to endure for centuries, the chateau will leave a minimum impact on the environment while other structures are built, demolished and built again and again."

The site explains some of the technology that will be utilized:

Pensmore's heating system utilizes a cutting-edge technique for harvesting solar heat energy that exploits the vast energy storage potential of its steel reinforced TransForm™ concrete shell. Many builders already make use of traditional solar heat collectors, which are highly efficient at moderate temperatures. But until now, it has been expensive and impractical to "bank" the excess solar heat generated on sunnier days. Pensmore's newly-developed technologies enable it to store millions of BTUs of thermal energy while the sun shines, slowly releasing this "green" heat back into the interior at night and during cloudy days.

Secondary sources of heat include combustion of wood products grown on the estate (net carbon neutral) and "conventional" geothermal systems.

It will also take advantage of a new product called TRransForm — a super-insulated energy-storing concrete forming system. That's important because Huff is an investor in the product. He told the Times he wants to test out the material on a large scale.

An architect's rendering of the finished mansion.

So why rural Missouri?

According to Huff, he wanted to test out the technology in a climate that offers both warm and cold temperatures. But there's also another reason: rural Missouri shields him for building inspections.

"[B]y locating in an area famous for a small government approach," the Times reports, "he is not subject to building regulations or inspection, which he said would have complicated his efforts."

According to the Times, construction has been ongoing for the last two years, and probably won't be completed for another two.

~A.

http://www.rebellesociety.com/2013/09/16/i-need-you-to-know-something/

I Need You to Know Something... | Rebelle Society

via Jessica Hesser on Sep 16, 2013 | 0 comments

{Source: newvintageleadership.com}

My heart aches lately, but after thinking about it for a while, I'm pretty certain it's not just for me. My heart is aching for all of us, for this beating, throbbing collection of human hearts.

My friends, we are at a critical and precious point in time and I think there is a mass need for healing and love on this sweet planet right now.

I feel, then, I must tell you something, and it's very important, so although we might not have met yet, (and may never), I need you to believe me when I tell you this.

I need you to know how loved you are, how tremendously loved you are. I need you to understand how much the very universe from which you were born is madly, deeply and truly in love with you. I need you to understand that in all ways you are perfect, magnificent and divine.

"Your task is not to seek for Love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it." ~ Rumi

I know it doesn't always feel like this.

I know that sometimes you think you are not good enough, that you would be better if this or that were different. I know you think there are times you have failed, or that maybe you are failing right now.

I know that sometimes your chest gets so tight, the air so heavy with the weight of regret and worry and shame that you think you can not possibly go on.

I know you think you have done things that can't be undone and that there are parts of you that are bad, selfish or unclean. I know there are things about yourself that you don't like and sometimes secretly hate.

I know there is a loneliness that can take hold, a loneliness so big that it stretches to the edges of eternity and pushes on your heart so hard you shake in fear that it will never end. I know at times you have hurt so badly that the pain has dropped you to your knees.

Sometimes the layers of life can pile up so high that it seems impenetrable and you start to forget your true self, to mistake the experience for who you are. But it is not who you are, my friend.

"Your problem is you're … too busy holding onto your unworthiness."
 ~ Ram Dass

Let me tell you what I see when I look at you:

In you, I see the Infinite. I see the very seeds of Life itself. I see universes being born into existence.

I see the mother of all that is. I see the wind that blows the mountains into form. I see the awesome and endless enormity of the sea. I see the fierceness of the mighty sun. I see the graceful allure of a silver, siren moon in a cobalt sky.

I see the roots of history, the old blood and the new blood, fresh and vital. I see the ancient stories, and the ones not yet written.

I see the kind of hope that can only be found on the breath of angels. I see the unbearable sweetness of a baby's touch and the soft warmth of its skin.

I see endless, passionate, consuming love. I see gentleness. I see deep, deep joy.

I see the courage of a warrior's heart. I see the endurance of one who's loved from the depths of their being.

I see all the things you sometimes forget about yourself.

"You are very powerful, provided you know how powerful you are." ~Yogi Bhajan

All the things that you are create an amazing, intricate and unique expression of life. All that you are is exactly as it should be. The idea that you are somehow not good enough is a lie, so let go of the judgments you hold for yourself.

Know that at all times you are being and doing exactly what you should be. Life is unfolding exactly as it should. Everything is happening for your awakening and for your highest good, even when you can't see it. Your path is supremely designed and if you find the faith to follow it, it will always lead you back to love.

So soften, my friend, move closer into the heart, trust that all is well and give yourself permission to be exactly who you are and to celebrate the light that you have brought onto this earth. Fill your life with love and joy and beauty and know that you deserve these things always.

You are never alone, you are held at all times in the arms of love. When everything starts to feel heavy and hard it is only because you have forgotten your inherent radiance, you have forgotten the awe-invoking brilliance of your soul. You have forgotten that this remarkable life has been given to you for your own delight, born from your breath, and bathed in your godliness.

If you could catch even a glimpse of what I see, of the stunning power and exquisite perfection that dwells within you, you would never be the same.

When you see who you are you will know the love that universe has for you and you will love yourself in equal measure and, really, this is the most important thing you can learn to do.

There is unequivocal magic created when you find the grace to truly embrace and love who you are. It transforms your life and the lives of those around you.

"To love yourself right now, just as you are, is to give yourself heaven. Don't wait until you die. If you wait, you die now. If you love, you live now." ~ Alan Cohen

Offer yourself kindness, forgiveness and acceptance and you will automatically and naturally offer this to others and then, my friend, the world (and you) will have the love and the healing that it needs so much right now.

If you feel sad, broken, lonely, wrong, unworthy or not good enough in any way, I need you to know that you are loved. There is nothing that you have ever done or that has been done to you that can take away from the perfect wholeness of your being, nothing that can diminish your greatness or the love that the universe has for you.

I need you to know how loved you are, how tremendously loved you are.

 

*****

 

 

{P.S. You are more than enough.}

 

 

 

• Bio
• Latest Posts

Jessica Hesser is an insatiable learner, mama, wife, explorer, creator, and above all else, seeker of Truth. She seldom stays in one "place" too long, finding it impossible to resist the fervor to experience it ALL, but she understands the power of her stillness. She will try anything once, but more likely three times, just to make sure... Jessica has certifications in Yoga, Personal Training, Holistic Fitness, and Reiki. She offers yoga classes, private yoga, workshops, meditation, personal training, energy healing and original jewelry in Naples, FL. Find her on her website Mantras & Miracles or on Facebook.

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More Rebelle...

• How to Avoid the Spiritual Backlash (Against Yourself).
• The Miracle of Mantras.
• In the Spotlight: Creative Healing through your Archetype.
• Forces of Nature: The Healing Benefits of Reiki.

Rebelle on Facebook & Twitter / General contact: editorial@rebellesociety.com
Submissions: create@rebellesociety.com / Advertise: advertise@rebellesociety.com

 

~A.

Mental Health Problems on the Rise Across the Globe

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/09/12/mental-health-disorders.aspx?e_cid=20130912Z1_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20130912Z1

Mental Health Disorders Now Leading Cause of Non-Fatal Illness Worldwide

By Dr. Mercola

Depression is a pervasive health issue today. According to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in 10 American adults report some form of depression. Eleven percent of the US population over the age of 12 is on antidepressant medication.

Just two years ago, Marcia Angell, former editor-in-chief of the New England Journal of Medicine, discussed how a shocking 46 percent of Americans fit a diagnosis for one form of mental illness or another. This problem is not limited to the United States, however.

In fact, according to a recent study published in The Lancet, mental disorders and substance abuse combined were the leading cause of non-fatal illness worldwide in 2010, contributing nearly 23 percent of the total global disease burden!

Data for the study was obtained from the 2010 Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study, which includes data from 187 countries. Depressive disorders were the most common, followed by anxiety disorders, drug use disorders, and schizophrenia.

Mental Health Problems on the Rise Across the Globe

The analysis also found that mental disorders and substance use disorders were the fifth leading cause of death and disease worldwide. Only China, North Korea, Japan and Nigeria had a statistically lower burden of death and disease from mental disorders and substance abuse. As reported in the featured article:

"The authors say that this difference in non-fatal illness compared with the cause of death and disease is supported by the fact that mental and substance use disorders caused a low death rate in 2010 at 232,000, relative to the overall illness they caused."

In all, mental and substance use disorders were responsible for higher global death and illness rates than HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, diabetes, and car accidents. Females over the age of 14 had a higher risk of death and disease from mental disorders compared to males.

Males, on the other hand, had a higher risk of death and disease from drug and alcohol dependence across all age groups. According to the authors:

"Despite the apparently small contribution of years of life lost to premature mortality—with deaths in people with mental disorders coded to the physical cause of death and suicide coded to the category of injuries under self-harm—our findings show the striking and growing challenge that these disorders pose for health systems in developed and developing regions.

In view of the magnitude of their contribution, improvement in population health is only possible if countries make the prevention and treatment of mental and substance use disorders a public health priority."

This overall trend of rising mental disorders and drug abuse can also be seen in a 2010 US government survey in which 1 in 10 American children was found to have attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)—a 22 percent increase from 2003.

A whopping 48.4 million prescriptions for ADHD stimulants were written in 2011 in the US, a 39 percent jump from 2007. Meanwhile, emergency room visits due to adverse reactions to such drugs rose by more than 400 percent between 2005 and 2011.

What's Causing This Rise in Worldwide Mental Health Disturbances?

While I'm sure there are many contributing causes, from impoverished circumstances and poor health to poorly managed day-to-day stress and high-tension due to regional wars and strife just to name a few, I also think it's important to consider massive recent shifts in food choices throughout the world.

Countries across the globe have shifted to far more industrialized processed and devitalized foods that rely heavily on the use of genetically engineered corn and soy. This denatured Western diet has spread its pernicious influence into the developing world as well.

I simply cannot overstate the importance of your food choices when it comes to your mental health. In a very real sense, you have TWO brains—one in your head, and one in your gut—both of which are created from the same tissue during fetal development.

These two systems are connected via the vagus nerve, the tenth cranial nerve that runs from your brain stem down to your abdomen. It is now well established that the vagus nerve is the primary route your gut bacteria use to transmit information to your brain.

Maintaining optimal gut health is therefore paramount when trying to address your mental state. In this regard, the modern "Western" diet has several things working against it:

• Genetically modified foods can significantly alter your gut flora, thereby promoting pathogens while decimating the beneficial microbes necessary for optimal mental and physical health
• Glyphosate—the most widely used herbicide on food crops in the world with nearly ONE BILLION pounds applied every year—has been shown to cause both nutritional deficiencies, especially minerals (which are critical for brain function), and systemic toxicity.

According to the researchers, glyphosate is possibly the most important factor in the development of multiple chronic diseases and conditions, and this includes mental health disorders such as depression. Dr. Don Huber believes it is far more toxic than DDT

• High-fructose diets also feed pathogens in your gut, allowing them to overtake beneficial bacteria. Furthermore, sugar suppresses activity of a key growth hormone in your brain called BDNF. BDNF levels are critically low in both depression and schizophrenia.

Sugar consumption also triggers a cascade of chemical reactions in your body that promote chronic inflammation. In the long term, inflammation disrupts the normal functioning of your immune system, and wreaks havoc on your brain. Last but not least, sugar (particularly fructose) and grains contribute to insulin and leptin resistance and impaired signaling, which also play a significant role in your mental health

• Artificial food ingredients, the artificial sweetener aspartame in particular, can wreak havoc with your brain function. Both depression and panic attacks are indeed known potential side effects of aspartame consumption

The Gut-Brain Connection Will Profoundly Influence Your Mental Health

The impact of your microflora on your brain function was recently reconfirmed by UCLA researchers who, in a proof-of-concept study, found that probiotics (beneficial bacteria) indeed altered the brain function in the participants. As reported by UCLA:

"Researchers have known that the brain sends signals to your gut, which is why stress and other emotions can contribute to gastrointestinal symptoms. This study shows what has been suspected but until now had been proved only in animal studies: that signals travel the opposite way as well. 'Time and time again, we hear from patients that they never felt depressed or anxious until they started experiencing problems with their gut,' [Dr. Kirsten] Tillisch said. 'Our study shows that the gut–brain connection is a two-way street.'"

Similarly, as explained by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride, a medical doctor with a postgraduate degree in neurology, toxicity in your gut can flow throughout your body and into your brain, where it can cause symptoms of autism, ADHD, depression, schizophrenia and a whole host of other mental and behavioral disorders. With this in mind, it should be crystal clear that nourishing your gut flora is extremely important from infancy into old age. To do so, I recommend the following strategies:

• Avoid processed, refined foods in your diet.
• Eat traditionally fermented, unpasteurized foods: Fermented foods are the best route to optimal digestive health, as long as you eat the traditionally made, unpasteurized versions. Some of the beneficial bacteria found in fermented foods are also excellent chelators of heavy metals and pesticides, which will also have a beneficial health effect by reducing your toxic load. Healthy choices include:
• Fermented vegetables
• Lassi (an Indian yoghurt drink, traditionally enjoyed before dinner)
• Fermented milk, such as kefir
• Natto (fermented soy)

Ideally, you want to eat a variety of fermented foods to maximize the variety of bacteria you're consuming. Fermented vegetables, which are one of my new passions, are an excellent way to supply beneficial bacteria back into our gut. And, unlike some other fermented foods, they tend to be palatable, if not downright delicious, to most people.

As an added bonus, they can also a great source of vitamin K2 if you ferment your own using the proper starter culture. We tested samples of high-quality fermented organic vegetables made a specific starter culture, and a typical serving (about two to three ounces) contained not only 10 trillion beneficial bacteria, it also had 500 mcg of vitamin K2, which we now know is a vital co-nutrient to both vitamin D and calcium. Most high-quality probiotic supplements will only supply you with a fraction of the beneficial bacteria found in such homemade fermented veggies, so it's your most economical route to optimal gut health as well. 

• Take a high-quality probiotic supplement. Although I'm not a major proponent of taking many supplements (as I believe the majority of your nutrients need to come from food), probiotics is an exception if you don't eat fermented foods on a regular basis.

Things to Avoid to Protect Your Gut Flora

A variety of lifestyle factors can hinder optimal gut health, so as a general rule, it would be wise to avoid the following:

Antibiotics, unless absolutely necessary (and when you do, make sure to reseed your gut with fermented foods and/or a probiotic supplement)	Conventionally-raised meats and other animal products, as CAFO animals are routinely fed low-dose antibiotics, plus genetically engineered grains, which have also been implicated in the destruction of gut flora	Processed foods (as the excessive sugars, along with otherwise "dead" nutrients, feed pathogenic bacteria)
Chlorinated and/or fluoridated water	Antibacterial soap	Agricultural chemicals

There's a Strong Link Between Sugar Consumption and Mental Disorders

There's plenty of research showing the intimate link between high sugar consumption and mental and behavioral problems. Entire books have been written on this topic, such as William Duffy's book, Sugar Blues. I will only include a few examples here.

Most recently, preliminary findings presented at the 65th annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology showed that drinking sweetened beverages―whether they're sweetened with sugar or artificial sweeteners—is associated with an increased risk of depression. Over the course of a decade, those who drank more than four cans or glasses of diet soda or other artificially sweetened beverages had a nearly 30 percent higher risk of depression compared to those who did not consume diet drinks. Regular soda drinkers had a 22 percent increased risk.

As reported by WebMD: "Researchers say the findings suggest that cutting down on sweetened drinks or replacing them entirely with non-sweetened beverages may help lower depression risk."

In 2004, noted British psychiatric researcher Malcolm Peet published a provocative cross-cultural analysis of the relationship between diet and mental illness. His primary finding was a strong link between high sugar consumption and the risk of both depression and schizophrenia. Keep in mind that "sugar" refers not only to refined sugar, but to many other sources as well, including high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and grains, which break down into sugar in your body. In fact, the evidence^15, suggesting that gluten sensitivity may be at the root of a number of neurological and psychiatric conditions is also quite compelling...

Now, according to Peet:

"A higher national dietary intake of refined sugar and dairy products predicted a worse 2-year outcome of schizophrenia. A high national prevalence of depression was predicted by a low dietary intake of fish and seafood. The dietary predictors of... prevalence of depression are similar to those that predict illnesses such as coronary heart disease and diabetes, which are more common in people with mental health problems and in which nutritional approaches are widely recommended. Dietary intervention studies are indicated in schizophrenia and depression."

One of the key predictors of heart disease and diabetes is in fact chronic inflammation, which, as Peet mentions, is also associated with poor mental health. Sugar consumption is a primary driver of chronic inflammation in your body, so consuming excessive amounts of sugar can truly set off an avalanche of negative health events – both mental and physical. Following my recently revised nutrition plan is a simple way to automatically reduce your intake of sugar from all sources. As mentioned earlier, grains turn into sugar in your body and therefore must be accounted for. Beyond that, wheat and other grains also contain a variety of highly pro-inflammatory compounds that, in and of themselves, can contribute to mental health problems.

Another study published in the International Breastfeeding Journal found that inflammation may be more than just another risk factor. It may in fact be THE risk factor that underlies all others... According to the researchers:

"The old paradigm described inflammation as simply one of many risk factors for depression. The new paradigm is based on more recent research that has indicated that physical and psychological stressors increase inflammation. These recent studies constitute an important shift in the depression paradigm: inflammation is not simply a risk factor; it is the risk factor that underlies all the others. Moreover, inflammation explains why psychosocial, behavioral and physical risk factors increase the risk of depression."

Key Factors to Optimize Your Mental Health

There's no doubt in my mind that radically reducing or eliminating all forms of sugar and artificial sweeteners from your diet is a crucial step to prevent and/or address depression and other mental health problems. Simultaneously, you need to address your gut, and take steps to reseed your gut with beneficial microbes (probiotics) as delineated above.

Quite simply, if you fail to address the root of the problem you could be left floundering and struggling with ineffective and potentially toxic band-aids, such as antidepressants, for a long time. Your diet does play a huge part in your mental health, so please don't ignore the impact it may be having. Here are six additional strategies that can help you even further:

1. Exercise – If you have depression, or even if you just feel down from time to time, exercise is a MUST. The research is overwhelmingly positive in this area, with studies confirming that physical exercise is at least as good as antidepressants for helping people who are depressed. One of the primary ways it does this is by increasing the level of endorphins, the "feel good" hormones, in your brain. It also helps to normalize your insulin and leptin signaling.
2. Eat a healthy diet – A factor that cannot be overlooked is your diet. Foods have an immense impact on your mood and ability to cope and be happy, and eating whole foods as described in my nutrition plan will best support your mental health. Avoiding sugar and grains will help normalize your insulin and leptin levels, and eliminating artificial sweeteners will eliminate your chances of suffering its toxic effects.
3. Optimize your gut health -- Fermented foods, such as fermented vegetables are also important for optimal mental health, as they are key for optimizing your gut health. Many fail to realize that your gut is literally your second brain, and can significantly influence your mind, mood, and behavior. Your gut actually produces more mood-boosting serotonin than your brain does.
4. Support optimal brain functioning with essential fats -- I also strongly recommend supplementing your diet with a high-quality, animal-based omega-3 fat, like krill oil. This may be the single most important nutrient to battle depression.
5. Get plenty of sunshine – Making sure you're getting enough sunlight exposure to have healthy vitamin D levels is also a crucial factor in treating depression or keeping it at bay. One previous study found that people with the lowest levels of vitamin D were 11 times more prone to be depressed than those who had normal levels. Vitamin D deficiency is actually more the norm than the exception, and has previously been implicated in both psychiatric and neurological disorders.
6. Address your stress -- Depression is a very serious condition, however it is not a "disease." Rather, it's a sign that your body and your life are out of balance. This is so important to remember, because as soon as you start to view depression as an "illness," you think you need to take a drug to fix it. In reality, all you need to do is return balance to your life, and one of the key ways to doing this is addressing stress.

Meditation or yoga can help. Sometimes all you need to do is get outside for a walk. But in addition to that, I also recommend using a system that can help you address emotional issues that you may not even be consciously aware of. For this, my favorite is Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT). However, if you have depression or serious stress, I believe it would be best to consult with a mental health professional who is also an EFT practitioner to guide you.

~A.