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mischiefapprentice · 4 years

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Absence Not Gone Unnoticed (Daniel Henney x Reader)

Author’s Note: This one-shot is also in my Tadashi Hamada Imagines in Wattpad. I also noticed that there are a few stories for Daniel Henney, so... It’s time for me to show what I got.

"Guys, where's Charlie?"

Charlie Mercado's absence was noticed by everyone in the set of Criminal Minds. Being the youngest member in the Behavioral Assessment Unit of the FBI, of course, all of them worry for her. It was rare that she'll be absent nor be late. In fact, she was the one coming earliest next to Daniel Henney. Every morning, whenever no one is around just yet, she would always blast some music in her Bluetooth speaker and dance along to random songs. Well, she thought no one would notice it, but she got busted by Daniel. Being this shy girl she is, she immediately stopped her music and pretended to just walk around.

"You don't need to hide that, you know?" he asks as the black haired Filipina turned around to face him, her tanned face blushing as she played with the strings of her gray jacket. "You weren't supposed to see that, Daniel." she replies as she picked up her speaker, only for him to stop her hand. There was a mischievous glint in his eyes that made her brows frown. "What are you planning?"

She watched the half Korean pick her phone up and place it on her hands. "Play any music you got there. We are going to dance." This made her eyes widen, but the way he looked at her tells her he is being serious with it. Sighing in defeat, she played her own mash up of songs from TikTok.

They have been dancing for so long that they didn't notice their other fellow cast mates watching them from their own trailers and corners. Kirsten Vangsness even recorded one video of them dancing as they laughed their heads out, making the rest of the cast coo at them and murmuring that they should be together. All of them are aware that Daniel has been crushing on Charlie since the script reading day for season 13. There was an agreement between them that if she feels like dancing anytime, she could. That was the start of random dance showdowns whenever there was nothing to do.

"She's not responding to my calls." Matthew tells the group as he puts his phone in his pocket. All of them tried calling and texting her, but all ended up in voicemail. Daniel took the next call, but it also ended up in voicemail. Just then, they saw one of their directors who has a worried face. "Director, what's the matter?" Daniel asks. "Charlie won't be coming to set this week. We have to cancel's today's shoot with her due to some reasons she doesn't want to tell me, but it seems so important. And Kirsten, I believe she wants to talk to you in private."

Text Messages:

CM: Kirsten. I won't be coming to set, but can we meet later? I need advice 😭

KV: Why? What happened? I'll go to your house.

CM: Um, Kirs? I'm actually at the family doctors. Please don't tell anyone especially Daniel?

KV: Why the hell are you there? I'm coming over. STAY PUT.

KV: Don't dare move at least an inch.

CM: Yes, mama bear.

"Guys, I'm going home now. I'll see you tomorrow!" Kirsten says as she nervously gripped her phone and got in her car to go to the family clinic Charlie is in. A.J. Cook joined her as she also feared for her life. Little did they know, Daniel noticed their anxious state as they drove away. Matthew walks behind him as he placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. Daniel sighs in worry as he looked at his light brown eyes.

"Mate, whatever is going on with Charlie, I know she's okay." "I know, mate. I just can't bear to know that she's slipping off my hands. God, I barely told her my true feelings towards her." "Daniel. Do you even remember that you are neighbors?"

"Just give me a call when you need something, okay?"

Kirsten and AJ stayed with Charlie for the rest of the day. Her doctor asked for some tests like CBC (Complete Blood Count), Blood Sugar Test and an ultrasound of her breast. There is a pre-diagnosis that she has a breast boil that shows a large mass that has a large volume of abscess. She has been prescribed a lot of pills and ointments to take, and she cannot wear tight clothing like the ones she would wear on shoots. The director for the episode she is in is informed, and the production team decided to cancel for this week, since most of the scenes need her. Many 'get well soon' greetings from the production were said, but all the male actors aren't informed about it.

Just then, they heard the door bell ring. Kirsten opened the door to reveal Daniel clad in his white shirt and grey sweatpants as he wore his black Nike slides. He clearly just got home from set. "Hey, Kirsty. How did you know Charlie's home?"

She nervously laughed as she told him that her sister just lived a couple of lots away from Charlie. Daniel bought it somehow, but he told her about his worry for Charlie, and asked if he can see her. Unfortunately, Charlie told her not to accept visitors yet, since her fever hasn't died out yet, but she is already taking in the medicines needed. Just then, AJ popped out, waving at the two of them as she grabbed her things. "Hey, Henney. Are you here to see our youngest?" "Um, yeah, but it seems she still needed some time to rest." "Yes she does. Dan, we need to tell you something."

"So, are you telling me that she can have breast cancer if this gooey slimy thing doesn't pop out of that mound?"

Kirsten and AJ told everything from the shoot with the mud to that check up Charlie attended to. It saddened him, since he made her promise to tell everything that is going on with her. They really had no choice but to tell him about it. He could have gone with her to the doctors too. "Hey, we understand Charlie's reasons not to tell you. It really indeed is alarming, but you also deserve to know, lover boy." Kirsten tells him as he buried his face in his hands. "Don't let her slip away this time."

As the two women left, Daniel paced by the living room of Charlie's small bungalow, wondering how he could tell her his true feelings for her. Just then, he heard her faint calls for someone, and he went to her room, which is just as simple as his. Tissues, bandages, capsules and towels filled her nightstand. She held a hot compress close to her right breast. Her eyes widen as she saw his form standing by the room. "D-Daniel? How did you know I lived here?" "We are neighbors, Charlie. I can actually see AJ and Kirsten in your house. So, you got that?" He asks as he pointed at her, making her sigh as she shook her head yes. "Why didn't you tell me? I could have helped in some way," he tells her as he sat by the edge of the bed. "I didn't want to bother you with it. You might puke when you find out," she replies as she winces with the pain of the breast boil. "You? Being a bother? Impossible. And it might outrage me, but I will try my best to help you." Daniel chuckles as he rubbed his neck in bashfulness. "I nearly thought that I can lose you anytime."

They were enjoying each others company as they recounted stories from their childhood and misadventures and things that happened on the set. Daniel finds himself falling for the young lady as he gets lost in her beauty even though she looked sickly.

"Is it still oozing?"

Charlie's boil popped the day after, and the girls had to get him out of the room every hour to remove the oozing pus. It was a lot of work, but it it worth it since it means that she will be okay. The doctor warned that if it won't pop anytime of the week, she will have to be confined in the hospital to perform some surgical draining, considering how dangerous the amount of abscess was found, and it can solidify into a tumor that can cause cancer.

He was finally let in, and smiled as he took in her recovering self. Her paleness has gone off, and her happy side is on again. "Daniel, you might wanna say something to Charlie," Kirsten teased as she threw the used bandages in the bin nearby. Charlie raised a brow, confusion filling the air. AJ and Kirsten leave them both inside.

"So, there's something I do not know?" she asks as she made herself comfortable. He sighs as he rubbed his neck off, not knowing how to tell her his true feelings towards her. "Um, Charlie... I have been... Ugh, forget it. It seems that I am a little bit old for you." Daniel tells as he looked down on the floor, back facing her. Charlie laughs as she messed his hair up. "Dummy, stop beating around the bush." she tells him. "I'm all ears."

Daniel just shrugs his shoulders and scooted closer to her as he enveloped her in a warm hug. "I missed this warmth. I missed your laughter, your joys, your dances to the music we play early in the morning, and most of all, I missed your whole being. I have been into you for so long, Charlie Mercado. I have been falling for you since that script reading session."

She was filled with laughter as she heard his confession. His brows furrow as he looked at her laughing form, her shoulders shaking as she tried to contain herself. "Daniel Phillip Henney, I have been into you as well for god knows how long."

Since that confession in her room, Daniel never left her side. He didn't go home for some nights just to see that she's being attended to. Soon after, she got all well and she can now continue shooting some scenes with everyone, but she needs to be a lot more careful, since her wound hasn't fully healed yet. For her safety, the director requested a stunt double for her behalf even though she can do them all way before she got it. The other actors always made sure she is safe and comfy during shootings.

"It seems that you are standing up to your family position as a baby," Daniel laughs as she scrunched her nose. "Says the one who told everyone to treat me like one, since I am too 'fragile' like a baby." Charlie rolls her eyes as she laid on the bed inside her trailer. Little did they know, Matthew was recording the whole scene, the others right behind him as they squeal while they watch the new couple cuddle.

"So, it's goodbye for us for now."

Daniel and Charlie stood by the entrance of the airports. He offered to bring her to the airport the week after the press cons for Criminal Minds, and the inevitable day she has to go back to her country for a short vacation came. He feels sad, since it has been a few weeks since they started to be in a relationship and they both wanted to be stuck together. "I believe it is not. We've got social media with us, right?" Charlie laughs as she placed her palm on his cheek, which he held to tightly. "But the time differences. I want to talk to you longer." Daniel pouts, making her laugh. "Stop whining you big baby. Roscoe's with you." Charlie laughs as she watches Daniel feign his annoyance.

Daniel was about to leave Charlie to herself when they both heard the announcement of cancelled flights to east. He listened carefully as he waited to hear her flight number to be mentioned, and his eyes lit up as he saw her laughing as she pulled her luggage. "It seems that your prayers have been granted." "It truly is granted." He chuckles as he pulled her close to him and pecked her forehead.

"How on earth did you get in here, Romeo?"

Charlie's eyes widen as she saw her Romeo, or rather Daniel in her backyard, bringing his fluffy golden retriever with him. Clad in just his usual house clothes and sliders, he grinned as he hugged his girlfriend, but it was wiped off when she started spraying alcohol all over him. "What? I'm just killing off the corona virus you could be bringing!" she yelps as he grins mischievously, starting the small chase around her small home.

She got cornered in her sofa as Roscoe managed to make her trip off her run, making her fall back first on the sofa. She closed her eyes, fearing the inevitable war of tickling where she loses as always. She gasps as she just felt two arms wrap around her as she is being pulled down along, pecking her head in the process. "Why are you always too sweet for my own good?" she asks as she listened to the rhythm of his heart beating.

He laughs as he pats her head, hugging and pulling her close to him as he placed her head close to his chest, making her hear his heartbeat even more. "You deserve only the best things in life, my dearest Juliet."

They wouldn't ended up like this if it weren't for that absence not gone unnoticed.

#daniel henney #wattpad #danielhenneyxreader

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spartanchick6 · 4 years

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Testimony

Ever since I was a little girl, I had a deep desire to know God. At first, I had to be convinced that there was a God and that He cared about me. I wanted to know that when I talked to God, I wasn’t just talking to the air. I needed to know that God really did hear me and love me.

My story begins from a point in time when I was carefree, curious, and wondering how God fit into my life. It began for me when I was about five years old. Each night as I would lie in bed and say my prayers, I asked God to come down and touch me so that I would be assured that He really was there and could actually hear me. I also wanted to know that He cared enough to not only listen, but also answer me. I would end my prayers each night with a similar request for God to touch me, indicating His presence. I repeated this prayer night after night with the determined persistence of a young child. I never felt defeated or ignoredto the point of quitting. Instead, I kept praying the same prayer night after night as I patiently waited for God to respond. I never gave up asking God, as children seldom do when wanting something bad enough for a genuine answer to my prayer. I seemed to have an endless supply of patience and trust that my prayer would be answered. I’m not sure exactly how long I continued with my persistent prayer, but I am convinced that it was over a year.

Suddenly, one night after repeating this prayer and while drifting off to sleep, I was awoken by a sweet, gentle, calming touch on my back. The touch was applied with just enough pressure to awaken me, yet not alarm me. I immediately thought of my prayer to God and knew it was Him. To reinforce my belief that it was His touch, I looked at my sister, who shared the bedroom and saw that she was sound asleep. I then went to my parent’s bedroom door and opened it quietly and saw that they were both asleep too. As I climbed back into my bed, I was elated with the warmest feeling knowing that God had finally answered my prayer. I now knew that He really was there and He really heard everything I said. My faith had begun, and my love for God could now blossom.

My family consisted of my Dad, Mom, and older sister. When going into second grade, we moved to Chicago, Illinois. My Dad had just graduated from medical school and was selected to complete his residency in a large hospital situated right in the downtown area of Chicago. We lived in a high-rise apartment right across the street from “my dad’s” hospital. It seemed everything in our apartment was white, including the tile on the floor, the cupboards, and the walls. It was not homey but had a rather sterile feeling to it. I attended a little two-room schoolhouse. Second grade was in one room, and third grade was in the other. My sister, who was in the fourth grade, and I would ice skate every day after school. We skated on a basketball court that was flooded during the winter and would freeze solid. I remember us walking home from school with our ice skates slung over our shoulders. These were good memories, but at this period, I distinctly realized that something in my family started to change.

My Dad was gone a lot of the time, because he was very busy with his residency. It was during this year that my sister and I started noticing some very strange things. My Mom would periodically “blackout” and faint for no apparent reason. My Mom became very critical of my sister and me and would incessantly yell at us. It reached a point where she seemed to be yelling at us all the time. Sometimes my Mom would hit my sister and cause her to cry. When my Dad would come home, I would “tattle” to him and tell how mean Mom was to us. I especially emphasized her actions following the times that she struck my sister. My Dad would get very upset over these reports and have what seemed like serious talks with our mother. Sometimes, when I tried to tell my Dad what Momhad done, she would stand behind him, so he wouldn’t know she was there and shake her fist at me, indicating that I had better not tell. On those occasions, I would tell Dad that we had a good day, thus being too afraid of what Mom would do to us if I spoke the truth. It took my Dad a while, but he finally discovered that her excessive drinking of vodka caused my Mom’s bad temper and blackouts.

When my Dad’s residency was over, we moved back to our original home. My mother continued her excessive drinking. Her problems were inflamed by the fact that my Dad was now a fulltime doctor and working extremely long hours. In fact, he was one of only a very few doctors that still did house calls. He would come home from a 14-hour day only to be called out again, leaving us alone with our mother. It seems that the long hours of separation within the family took its toll. We would find indications of our mother’s loneliness in her empty Vodka bottles, which she had hidden throughout the house. My sister and me were left unsupervised most of the time.

One night, I remember hearing my Dad crying. He had received a call that his father died from a gunshot wound to the head. My Dad had previously lost his mother to a long, drawn-out battle with breast cancer. His father had helplessly watched as she agonized through the pain and side effects from treatment therapies. Recently, my Grandfather was diagnosed with cancer and chose to commit suicide as opposed to what he believed would be a long, drawn-out battle.

The pressures on my Dad compounded with the loss of both of his parents, long hours from a rapidly growing medical practice, and the hardships of an alcoholic wife. This led to him having excruciating migraine headaches, which would not abate with simple aspirin. He medically diagnosed himself and treated his migraines with prescription painkillers. These medicines worked for a time, but the migraines continued. He increased the strength of the painkillers until he was using the very addictive narcotics. The narcotics made him very tired and started him on the use of amphetamines to keep him awake. At night he used barbiturates to counter the effect of the amphetamines.

My sister and I noticed that our Dad began to sleep late in the mornings, which was very unusual. His medical answering service would call urgently requesting to speak with our Dad. We would attempt to wake our Dad to answer these calls, but he would tell us to say that he was not home. I hated lying to the people at the answering service and could tell by the tone of their voice that they suspected I was not telling the truth.

My sister and I had the nicknames of “Toothpick” and “Stringbean” because we were exceptionally skinny. I remember havin such bad hunger pains. There were a lot of nights that we spent eating frozen dinners in front of the television. We were very fortunate that our mother’s parents lived close enough to take my sister and me for the weekends. They helped in our care as much as they could. My grandparents were the ones who took us to amusement parks and fishing. They are a big part of my good memories.

Each morning, my sister and I would get up by ourselves and leave for school. Our hygiene was a problem without assistance from our mother. In addition to being skinny, we had long blond hair with huge snarls from neglect. Each weekend our grandmother would wash our hair and, demonstrating exceptional patience, spend hours combing out the tangles. To this point, I was never instructed on the necessity of washing my face and brushing my teeth. It was not until an extremely embarrassing Moment when, in fourth grade, a teacher pulled me aside and explained the reasons why I would want to wash and brush. Once the alcohol took hold of our mother, our existence and necessities became irrelevant.

Initially, the night was an escape from the realities of the day, although as time progressed, the nights grew worse. Often our mother would roam the house in a drunken stupor. Other times she would lie in bed moaning so loud that sleep was impossible. I can remember getting so frustrated after being kept up for hours that I would initially plead and then scream at her to “shut up”, yet even my actions were no avail. Numerous times our parents would call, waking my sister and I, for us to come and lead them to the bathroom. My Dad was so numb with narcotics that he couldn’t even walk to the bathroom. He would lean on my sister and I as we guided him down the hallway. Also, my mother was routinely so drunk that she also had to be led to the toilet. Sometimes we would even have to take them to the bathroom at the same time. We would wait outside of the bathroom door while they used the toilet. Sometimes they even passed out in the bathroom and we would have to rouse them from their daze and guide them back to their bed. The stress of these escalating situations came out in me in the form of nervous ticks. I was known for unconsciously twitching my eyes and making noises in my throat. Also, I sucked my thumb long beyond what is considered normal for a child.

The tribulations at home were making my life at school exceptionally difficult. I experienced continual fatigue and reoccurring headaches. Unfortunately, no one knew of our plight and we didn’t feel we could confide in anyone without risking our Dad’s reputation. We didn’t want to destroy our Dad’s career as a doctor.

The problems at home were directly affecting my relationships at school. I never felt like I fit in or was a part of the group. I was continually thinking about what was happening at my home. I wondered what my mother was doing at home, instead of paying attention in the classroom. I never invited friends home after school or on weekends for fear of what I would find when we walked into the house. Each day I shuttered to think what was going on beyond the front door when I returned home after school. Some days my Mom would be more or lesssober and at other times it was like walking into a nightmare. My own personal struggles compounded when I began to be drawn to the “cool” kids in order to fit in and have friends. I was drawn to the “cool” kids who applied subtle pressure to mimic their actions. I spiraled into a world of drinking, smoking and experimentation with drugs. I did not even notice my own slide into a mental and emotional hell. I continued to experiment with marijuana and hashish. I remember several times when I stayed “stoned” for several days at a time. Surprising as it may sound, I was only twelve years old when I was hopelessly harming my physical, mental and spiritual body with alcohol, cigarettes and drugs. Around this time, when looking back, I must have been the kind of unlovable and hardened child that others wanted their own children to avoid. One day, a very wonderful woman who lived next door, reached out and invited my sister and me to accompany her to a place called the “Gospel House”. That night I heard some pretty awesome stuff. They told me that I could know God as I had never known him before. They said that I could be a part of God’s very own family and when I died I could be sure I was going to heaven. They showed me where in the Bible it states that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. No matter how hard we try to be good, it’s not enough. We all have sin. It says that the penalty for sin is death. But it also says that God loves us so much that He gave His only begotten Son to die on the cross for our sins that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but will have eternal life. By repenting of our sins and asking Jesus into our hearts, we could know for sure that we are a part of God’s family and that we would go to heaven. I went back for a number of weeks, because I had finally found the answer in my quest to know God more. It wasn’t something that you just said or did. It was the beginning of a life long commitment to love God. I would become totally dependent on God and trust Him with all aspects of my life. I could begin a relationship with God where I could grow closer and closer to Him the more I began to know Him. I remember praying and asking Jesus to forgive me for my sins and to come into my heart and life. I thought I should feel a little “saintly” or experience some great revelation, but in truth I didn’t feel any different. I did feel confident, though because now I knew that God had a purpose for everything I was going through and that He was going through it with me. My Dad tried to break the chains of addition by enrolling in several rehabilitation programs but his attempts to quit his addiction always failed. There were numerous occasions when one of our parents would overdose and fall into a coma. Mom had begun supplementing her drinking with amphetamines to wake her up and barbiturates to allow her to sleep like my Dad. One time my Dad fell into a deep coma that lasted for over a day. My mother and grandparents were very worried and argued over calling taking him to the hospital. The argument revolved between saving his life and whether he would lose his medical license if drugs were discovered in his blood. They couldn’t agree so they pulled my sister and I into the bedroom and told us to decide what to do. Rarely is a child left with making so traumatic a decision for adults. My sister and I were crying and didn’t know what to do. After about another half-hour of not knowing what to advise, my Dad awoke from the coma and appeared all right. Thus, we didn’t have to inform anyone about his condition and jeopardize his career, although our family’s personal hell would continue.My mother’s alcohol addiction and drug abuse caused numerous psychological and physiological neuroses to take hold and come out in unexpected forms. She appeared to have episodes resembling full-blown paranoid schizophrenia. She would tell us elaborate stories of how she was being watched by people who wanted to get her and destroy our Dad. Also, she believed that our house was bugged with listening devices. She drew arrows in blue chalk on the walls of the basement indicating where she had found wiretaps into our phone lines. The blue arrows were all over the walls. One night my Dad verified our mother’s claim that a car actually attempted to run them off of the road. My sisterand I lived in constant fear of our mother and the supposed “people” who were after us. At the time, we didn’t fully realize that our mother was no longer rational and was totally controlled by alcohol and drugs. The terrible downward spiral of life continued when on one night in particular my mother became mad at my sister and started burning all of her clothes in the basement incinerator. My Dad slapped my mother on the side of her head with such force, that it burst her eardrum. On another occasion, my mother was so mad at my sister and me that she beat us on our bare bottoms with the bristled side of a hairbrush. Our baby-sitter neighbor told us that she heard us screaming but for some reason, no one came to our assistance or attempted to intervene. As such young girls, my sister and I were helpless to change our situation. Sometime later, when my sister was fourteen and I was twelve, we were thankful because our Dad told us that he had finally overcome his addictions. One evening, a short while later, our Dad said he was going out to the garage and my sister and me became suspicious from something in his voice and followed him. We found out that he had hidden some drugs in the garage and he was planning on taking them. My sister and I threatened that if he took any of the drugs that we were leaving for good and going to live at my grandparent’s house. Dad went ahead and took the drugs, which caused my sister and me to pack our bags and walk to our grandparent’s home.We decided to stay at our grandparents for a few days to see how things progressed at home. The next evening, my sister and I attended a service at the Gospel House. Suddenly, our grandparents rushed into the service and asked us to leave. They said that our Dad had a terrible accident and hit his head by slipping in the bathtub. We rushed home only to find that our Dad wasn’t in the bathroom, but that he was laying face down halfway out the back door. My Mom was standing over him screaming that he was dead and that we had done this to him. Again came the argument between our grandparents and mother as to whether to call the ambulance. I looked at my Dad and knew something was terribly wrong. I went into the house and called an ambulance, while my grandparents and mother continued to argue. The ambulance came and took not only took my Dad, but also my Grandfather. It was all too much for my grandpa and he had started having chest pains. He had had previous heart attacks. Mom ran and locked herself in the bedroom and kept screaming that it was our fault dad was hurt. My grandmother called a mental institution where my Mom had spent some time earlier in the year. The institution people came and handcuffed my Mom and dragged her screaming out of the house and into a waiting car. I didn’t like the way they were dragging my mother and I remember feeling bad for Mom, but due to her continual screaming at us, was also glad to have her taken away. Sometime later that evening, my sister and me learned our Dad had died. We spent the rest of that night at our grandparent’s house. Grandpa spent the night in the hospital and came home the next day. My sister and me assisted our grandparents in arranging for the funeral. Grandma called the mental institute and they allowed our mother to attend the funeral, but she had to return for additional observation and treatment. I was too numb with shock and grief to even cry at my Dad’s funeral. It took a long before I could openly cry from the grief. My sister was very angry with God for taking her beloved Dad. I personally told God how bad I hurt inside, but also thanked Him for being with me. I was comforted by the fact that I believed that He had a purpose for everything. I was 12 years old at the time and felt as if I had lived a lifetime of tribulations. Mom finally came home from the institute and my sister and I moved back home. Life went on, but slowly began to change for the better. I wanted to quit smoking and lost the desire for drinking. In addition, I totally stopped smoking marijuana and hashish. The need to fit in with the “cool” crowd evaporated and I decided to find real friends. I began going to the Gospel House on a regular basis and even joined the choir. I felt very loved and accepted by my Christian brothers and sisters. Our choir traveled to other churches and I loved going on those excursions with them. The time spent with the choir was a saving grace to me, as I loved to sing. I spent two additional years trying to quit my pack a day habit of smoking cigarettes, but to no avail. Finally, in desperation, I confessed to God that I just couldn’t quit on my own and that if He wanted me to, He would have to quit for me. From the point of that prayer request, I have never picked up another cigarette. The total desire and urge to smoke was gone.Time progressed and my sister left for college. It was now just my mother and me at home. I told my Mom about my relationship with Jesus and she surprised me by showing up at a gospel house meeting. She was drunk at the time and I was very embarrassed of her, but she prayed at that meeting and no one seemed to care that she was intoxicated. I prayed with her at home too and she prayed asking to accept Christ into her life. I sincerely believe that she tried to quit drinking on her own, but the claws of alcoholism were set too deep. Her drinking slowed down substantially, but there were still times of significant drinking binges. Mom and I spent our summers in Canada on an island in Georgian Bay that my Grandfather had purchased in 1948. It’s a remote place in the wilderness about a twenty-minute boat ride from the marina in town. There was no electricity, running water or means of communication. We had a two-seat outhouse some distance behind the main cabin, which was creepy to use at night. You had to avoid all the huge hanging spiders. We used kerosene and Coleman lanterns for light and our only transportation was our 19-foot aluminum starcraft powerboat. .Mom continued to drink and would tell me stories of how she would see and talk to my Dad. My Dad had been dead for over four years. These stories caused me to lay awake at nights so afraid that I would see my Dad, a walking corpse, peeking in the windows. Each night I would ensure that the curtains were tightly closed after dark. During the school year life continued to be tough for me. Mom would go on drinking binges and keep me up with her moaning and ramblings. I had to get up for school on many mornings after little or no sleep. I went through a daily ritual of continual headaches and fatigue. Fortunately, I started dating my future husbandin the eleventh grade. He was a saving grace for me and seemed to always be there when I needed him most. He picked me up from home each morning and drove me to school so I didn’t have to trudge through the snow, rain and cold. Time passed and I entered my senior year in high school. I applied to attend college the following fall. Mom’s drinking became less frequent through my senior year and she continued to invite my boyfriend over for dinner. The two of them would spend the evening debating politics and discussing current events. This was a very pleasurable time for me and I enjoyed that my mother got along so well with my boyfriend. My mother hosted an exceptionally nice party following my graduation from high school. Three weeks later she hosted another major event, which was my sister’s marriage. At this point I believed that the future was bright and nothing could go wrong, unfortunately that wasn’t the case. Mom and I planned to spend the summer together in Canada before I left for college. My mother invited my boyfriend up to Canada and he arranged a week off of work to accompany us and help open the cottage. Unfortunately, Mom had binged the weekend before we left in memory of her and my Dad’s June anniversary date. This time though, she became very sick and we thought that she had the flu. She stated that she felt good enough to make the 10-hour drive to Canada and said it would be good to recuperate out on the island. After the long drive, and once out on the island, she took a downturn and became even sicker. She threw up multiple times and would then drink huge amounts of water. Just as we thought she was getting better she started acting peculiar. It was 3:00 AM when I awakened to her screams that Dad was dead. I went to her room and tried to tell her that Dad had died five years before. Then she insisted that our dog had died. I brought our dog to her and showed her that he was all right. She settled back into bed and quieted down. After I went back to my room I heard her rattling a pill bottle. I didn’t think much of this because I was so used to her taking a lot of pills. In the morning, Mom seemed much worse. She was incoherent, physically weak and unable to walk. I told her that we were taking her off of the island and into the hospital. On the drive, my mother’s eyes kept rolling back in her head. My heart was pounding as I continued to ask her if she was all right. She answered but continued to go in and out of consciousness. We arrived at the hospital and rushed her into the emergency room. After speaking with the Doctors, they commenced an examination of my mother. The doctors started the examination by asking my mother questions. When they asked her what the date was she said, “page number 238”. When asked what time it was, she smiled at the doctor and told him that he was asking too hard of questions. I told the doctor that I had heard my Mom taking medicine the night before, but that it was a normal occurrence. I also mentioned that she was an alcoholic. The emergency room doctors spoke with me and stated that my mother was either going through alcohol withdrawal or that she was going insane. Either way, he said that she would need to stay hospitalized for a couple of days, but that she would be all right. While I was talking to the doctor, my Mom came out of her dementia long enough to ask my boyfriend to take care of me. The nurses told us that we should get a hotel room and get some sleep. My own personal struggles compounded when I began to be drawn to the “cool” kids in order to fit in and have friends. I was drawn to the “cool” kids who applied subtle pressure to mimic their actions. I spiraled into a world of drinking, smoking and experimentation with drugs. I did not even notice my own slide into a mental and emotional hell. I continued to experiment with marijuana and hashish. I remember several times when I stayed “stoned” for several days at a time. Surprising as it may sound, I was only twelve years old when I was hopelessly harming my physical, mental and spiritual body with alcohol, cigarettes and drugs. Around this time, when looking back, I must have been the kind of unlovable and hardened child that others wanted their own children to avoid. One day, a very wonderful woman who lived next door, reached out and invited my sister and me to accompany her to a place called the “Gospel House”. That night I heard some pretty awesome stuff. They told me that I could know God as I had never known him before. They said that I could be a part of God’s very own family and when I died I could be sure I was going to heaven. They showed me where in the Bible it states that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. No matter how hard we try to be good, it’s not enough. We all have sin. It says that the penalty for sin is death. But it also says that God loves us so much that He gave His only begotten Son to die on the cross for our sins that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but will have eternal life. By repenting of our sins and asking Jesus into our hearts, we could know for sure that we are a part of God’s family and that we would go to heaven. I went back for a number of weeks, because I had finally found the answer in my quest to know God more. It wasn’t something that you just said or did. It was the beginning of a life long commitment to love God. I would become totally dependent on God and trust Him with all aspects of my life. I could begin a relationship with God where I could grow closer and closer to Him the more I began to know Him. I remember praying and asking Jesus to forgive me for my sins and to come into my heart and life. I thought I should feel a little “saintly” or experience some great revelation, but in truth I didn’t feel any different. I did feel confident, though because now I knew that God had a purpose for everything I was going through and that He was going through it with me. My Dad tried to break the chains of addition by enrolling in several rehabilitation programs but his attempts to quit his addiction always failed. There were numerous occasions when one of our parents would overdose and fall into a coma. Mom had begun supplementing her drinking with amphetamines to wake her up and barbiturates to allow her to sleep like my Dad. One time my Dad fell into a deep coma that lasted for over a day. My mother and grandparents were very worried and argued over calling taking him to the hospital. The argument revolved between saving his life and whether he would lose his medical license if drugs were discovered in his blood. They couldn’t agree so they pulled my sister and I into the bedroom and told us to decide what to do. Rarely is a child left with making so traumatic a decision for adults. My sister and I were crying and didn’t know what to do. After about another half-hour of not knowing what to advise, my Dad awoke from the coma and appeared all right. Thus, we didn’t have to inform anyone about his condition and jeopardize his career, although our family’s personal hell would continue.My mother’s alcohol addiction and drug abuse caused numerous psychological and physiological neuroses to take hold and come out in unexpected forms. She appeared to have episodes resembling full-blown paranoid schizophrenia. She would tell us elaborate stories of how she was being watched by people who wanted to get her and destroy our Dad. Also, she believed that our house was bugged with listening devices. She drew arrows in blue chalk on the walls of the basement indicating where she had found wiretaps into our phone lines. The blue arrows were all over the walls. One night my Dad verified our mother’s claim that a car actually attempted to run them off of the road. My sisterand I lived in constant fear of our mother and the supposed “people” who were after us. At the time, we didn’t fully realize that our mother was no longer rational and was totally controlled by alcohol and drugs. The terrible downward spiral of life continued when on one night in particular my mother became mad at my sister and started burning all of her clothes in the basement incinerator. My Dad slapped my mother on the side of her head with such force, that it burst her eardrum. On another occasion, my mother was so mad at my sister and me that she beat us on our bare bottoms with the bristled side of a hairbrush. Our baby-sitter neighbor told us that she heard us screaming but for some reason, no one came to our assistance or attempted to intervene. As such young girls, my sister and I were helpless to change our situation. Sometime later, when my sister was fourteen and I was twelve, we were thankful because our Dad told us that he had finally overcome his addictions. One evening, a short while later, our Dad said he was going out to the garage and my sister and me became suspicious from something in his voice and followed him. We found out that he had hidden some drugs in the garage and he was planning on taking them. My sister and I threatened that if he took any of the drugs that we were leaving for good and going to live at my grandparent’s house. Dad went ahead and took the drugs, which caused my sister and me to pack our bags and walk to our grandparent’s home.We decided to stay at our grandparents for a few days to see how things progressed at home. The next evening, my sister and I attended a service at the Gospel House. Suddenly, our grandparents rushed into the service and asked us to leave. They said that our Dad had a terrible accident and hit his head by slipping in the bathtub. We rushed home only to find that our Dad wasn’t in the bathroom, but that he was laying face down halfway out the back door. My Mom was standing over him screaming that he was dead and that we had done this to him. Again came the argument between our grandparents and mother as to whether to call the ambulance. I looked at my Dad and knew something was terribly wrong. I went into the house and called an ambulance, while my grandparents and mother continued to argue. The ambulance came and took not only took my Dad, but also my Grandfather. It was all too much for my grandpa and he had started having chest pains. He had had previous heart attacks. Mom ran and locked herself in the bedroom and kept screaming that it was our fault dad was hurt. My grandmother called a mental institution where my Mom had spent some time earlier in the year. The institution people came and handcuffed my Mom and dragged her screaming out of the house and into a waiting car. I didn’t like the way they were dragging my mother and I remember feeling bad for Mom, but due to her continual screaming at us, was also glad to have her taken away. Sometime later that evening, my sister and me learned our Dad had died. We spent the rest of that night at our grandparent’s house. Grandpa spent the night in the hospital and came home the next day. My sister and me assisted our grandparents in arranging for the funeral. Grandma called the mental institute and they allowed our mother to attend the funeral, but she had to return for additional observation and treatment. I was too numb with shock and grief to even cry at my Dad’s funeral. It took a long before I could openly cry from the grief. My sister was very angry with God for taking her beloved Dad. I personally told God how bad I hurt inside, but also thanked Him for being with me. I was comforted by the fact that I believed that He had a purpose for everything. I was 12 years old at the time and felt as if I had lived a lifetime of tribulations. Mom finally came home from the institute and my sister and I moved back home. Life went on, but slowly began to change for the better. I wanted to quit smoking and lost the desire for drinking. In addition, I totally stopped smoking marijuana and hashish. The need to fit in with the “cool” crowd evaporated and I decided to find real friends. I began going to the Gospel House on a regular basis and even joined the choir. I felt very loved and accepted by my Christian brothers and sisters. Our choir traveled to other churches and I loved going on those excursions with them. The time spent with the choir was a saving grace to me, as I loved to sing. I spent two additional years trying to quit my pack a day habit of smoking cigarettes, but to no avail. Finally, in desperation, I confessed to God that I just couldn’t quit on my own and that if He wanted me to, He would have to quit for me. From the point of that prayer request, I have never picked up another cigarette. The total desire and urge to smoke was gone.Time progressed and my sister left for college. It was now just my mother and me at home. I told my Mom about my relationship with Jesus and she surprised me by showing up at a gospel house meeting. She was drunk at the time and I was very embarrassed of her, but she prayed at that meeting and no one seemed to care that she was intoxicated. I prayed with her at home too and she prayed asking to accept Christ into her life. I sincerely believe that she tried to quit drinking on her own, but the claws of alcoholism were set too deep. Her drinking slowed down substantially, but there were still times of significant drinking binges. Mom and I spent our summers in Canada on an island in Georgian Bay that my Grandfather had purchased in 1948. It’s a remote place in the wilderness about a twenty-minute boat ride from the marina in town. There was no electricity, running water or means of communication. We had a two-seat outhouse some distance behind the main cabin, which was creepy to use at night. You had to avoid all the huge hanging spiders. We used kerosene and Coleman lanterns for light and our only transportation was our 19-foot aluminum starcraft powerboat. .Mom continued to drink and would tell me stories of how she would see and talk to my Dad. My Dad had been dead for over four years. These stories caused me to lay awake at nights so afraid that I would see my Dad, a walking corpse, peeking in the windows. Each night I would ensure that the curtains were tightly closed after dark. During the school year life continued to be tough for me. Mom would go on drinking binges and keep me up with her moaning and ramblings. I had to get up for school on many mornings after little or no sleep. I went through a daily ritual of continual headaches and fatigue. Fortunately, I started dating my future husbandin the eleventh grade. He was a saving grace for me and seemed to always be there when I needed him most. He picked me up from home each morning and drove me to school so I didn’t have to trudge through the snow, rain and cold. Time passed and I entered my senior year in high school. I applied to attend college the following fall. Mom’s drinking became less frequent through my senior year and she continued to invite my boyfriend over for dinner. The two of them would spend the evening debating politics and discussing current events. This was a very pleasurable time for me and I enjoyed that my mother got along so well with my boyfriend. My mother hosted an exceptionally nice party following my graduation from high school. Three weeks later she hosted another major event, which was my sister’s marriage. At this point I believed that the future was bright and nothing could go wrong, unfortunately that wasn’t the case. Mom and I planned to spend the summer together in Canada before I left for college. My mother invited my boyfriend up to Canada and he arranged a week off of work to accompany us and help open the cottage. Unfortunately, Mom had binged the weekend before we left in memory of her and my Dad’s June anniversary date. This time though, she became very sick and we thought that she had the flu. She stated that she felt good enough to make the 10-hour drive to Canada and said it would be good to recuperate out on the island. After the long drive, and once out on the island, she took a downturn and became even sicker. She threw up multiple times and would then drink huge amounts of water. Just as we thought she was getting better she started acting peculiar. It was 3:00 AM when I awakened to her screams that Dad was dead. I went to her room and tried to tell her that Dad had died five years before. Then she insisted that our dog had died. I brought our dog to her and showed her that he was all right. She settled back into bed and quieted down. After I went back to my room I heard her rattling a pill bottle. I didn’t think much of this because I was so used to her taking a lot of pills. In the morning, Mom seemed much worse. She was incoherent, physically weak and unable to walk. I told her that we were taking her off of the island and into the hospital. On the drive, my mother’s eyes kept rolling back in her head. My heart was pounding as I continued to ask her if she was all right. She answered but continued to go in and out of consciousness. We arrived at the hospital and rushed her into the emergency room. After speaking with the Doctors, they commenced an examination of my mother. The doctors started the examination by asking my mother questions. When they asked her what the date was she said, “page number 238”. When asked what time it was, she smiled at the doctor and told him that he was asking too hard of questions. I told the doctor that I had heard my Mom taking medicine the night before, but that it was a normal occurrence. I also mentioned that she was an alcoholic. The emergency room doctors spoke with me and stated that my mother was either going through alcohol withdrawal or that she was going insane. Either way, he said that she would need to stay hospitalized for a couple of days, but that she would be all right. While I was talking to the doctor, my Mom came out of her dementia long enough to ask my boyfriend to take care of me. The nurses told us that we should get a hotel room and get some sleep.

The next morning, my boyfriend and me were going to go back to the island to get a nightgown, books and some things for my Mom to do but we decided to go and check on her first. One of the nurses came running up to us and asked us where we had been. I was told that my mother’s heart had arrested 8 times during the night, yet the doctors had been able to revive her each time. When we rushed into my Mom’s room we found her lying naked on the bed with wires and electrodes attached to her chest. I covered her bare breasts with a sheet. Her eyelids were taped shut and she was on a ventilator machine. The doctor had assured me that she would be all right the night before and now I had such a growing fear inside of me. To loose my mother would be the worst possible thing that could happen to me, as I would be an orphan. At that moment, I felt so alone and very scared. Even though my mother was an alcoholic, I still loved her with a deep affection that only a child can know. I wondered who would take care of me and where would I go? Just three weeks prior, we were celebrating at my sister’s wedding. I thought aloud, “No God, not my Mom!” The yellow light on the oxygen machine shut off right in front of our eyes indicating that my mother had stopped breathing on her own. I told the nurse that the yellow flashing light had gone out and she then explained the machine’s operation. I exclaimed that the yellow light in fact was now off and that my Mom had stopped breathing! The nurse turned, and with a shocked look, asked my boyfriend and me to immediately leave the room. Doctors came rushing to my mother’s room and many hospital personnel entered and left the room in rapid succession. After what seemed like an eternity, I was told that the doctor wanted to see me down in his office. My heart sank, as I knew what this meant. Indeed, I was told that my Mom had died. My world was utterly toppled. After breaking the news to my sister, she immediately got in the car with her husband and started the 12-hour drive to Canada.

My sister reached the hospital in Canada eight hours after our mother had died. We both looked at each other in a state of shock. We returned to the Island, closed the cottage and began the long drive home. My sister, who was only 19 at the time, and I struggled through the funeral preparations like zombies. They had me view my mother’s body before anyone else and I was outraged to see that they had bright red lipstick on her with bright red nail polish. We buried her in the same dress she had worn only three weeks previously to my sister’s wedding. For three long days we endured the funeral process. So many people expressed their condolences, but nothing helped the ache I felt inside. I knew that I would never see either of my parents again. They would not be here to see me start college, get married or know my children. I felt so devastated and cheated. My boyfriend was by my side throughout the entire time. I don’t know what I would have done if it hadn’t been for him. I cried my heart out to God and couldn’t understand why He had allowed this to happen. It was a strange feeling, but I truly felt His presence with me and I could feel His tears alongside of mine. I knew there was some purpose in all this, but I was too numb to ponder it very much. I had never felt such sorrow in my whole life.

Two days later, my boyfriend’s Dad died from cirrhosis of the liver. I assisted his family with all of the funeral preparations. My boyfriend’s family was overcome with grief, as was I. Life seemed unbearable as my boyfriend and I trudged on side by side. God had given us each other for support, comfort and friendship. My boyfriend was only 18 and I was only 17 at that time. My Dad was 39, my Mom was 44 and my boyfriend’s Dad had been 43 when they all died. Everyone was so young and experienced such needless and avoidable suffering.

I never got to sleep in my own bed again. I never got to live in my own house again. I stayed with my boyfriend’s family for about two weeks and then my grandparents took me in for the rest of the summer. We put our house up on the market and began the long task of going through everything in it. My grandpa was in the flea market business and loved selling things. It seems everything I cherished was sold, including most of our furniture and belongings. Even my own bed and childhood toys were sold.

I started college in the fall and cried throughout the whole first few months. I had an 8x10 photograph of my Mom, sister and I sitting on our couch just before my sister’s wedding. We were all dressed up and looked so happy. I shed many tears while looking at that picture and thinking that I would never get to see my Mom again; until heaven that is. The Bible was my lifeline. I had a little King James Version of the Bible that I had received when I attended the gospel house. The pages became well worn as I continually sought refuge in the pages of God’s word. God was always there with me, and as I poured my heart out to Him, I knew He cared and hurt right along side of me. I also knew that He would help me to persevere and keep on going.

My boyfriend and me were married after our second year in college. We graduated two years later. I was a nurse and my husband joined the army as a Second Lieutenant. We were stationed in Germany for the next three years. We lived among the German people and I took classes to learn how to speak with them.

I was at the Army post one day when I noticed a sign in English for a coffeehouse across the street. I had heard that coffeehouses were sometimes Christian places so I decided to continue with my adventurous spirit and check it out. I am sure that God planned that day, as I met my best friend. She took me under her wing and really taught and explained the Bible to me. Together, we spent hours in prayer and memorizing scripture.

My best friend assisted me in overcoming a serious burden that I carried. This burden was my fear that God would throw me out of His family because I still had sin in my life, regardless of how hard I tried. I struggled with a lot of anger as my husband was gone so much of the time and I was left home alone in a foreign country. I tried not to be angry with my husband over this, but sometimes I didn’t succeed. I had a constant battle going on inside of me. I battled with what I knew I should be like and what I was really like. It seemed my anger always won over faith and caused me significant depression and guilt. My friend was able to show me through scripture that God would never ”kick” me out of his family and that he had provision for sins. All I had to do was confess my sins to God and ask for His forgiveness. In turn, I could know for certain that I was forgiven. Once I asked forgiveness, I could then invite the Holy Spirit to control me and help me be the person He wanted me to be.

My friend showed me where in the Bible it said that I could know for sure that I was going to heaven and that I had eternal life starting way back on the very day I had asked Jesus into my heart. She showed me scriptures where it said that the Holy Spirit lives inside of me and is there to help, love and guide me. This helped tremendously as I was able to rid myself of the guilt that plagued me. Also, the fellowship with my friend was instrumental in my growing closer to God. I no longer had to fear His disapproval of me. I was free to learn, grow and even started sharing my testimony and teaching bible classes.

This testimony and life experiences is why I share my story with you. I want you to know God as you have never known Him before. You can know without a doubt that you have eternal life. You can know that you are a part of God’s family and that He will never leave you or forsake you. You can be assured that God has a plan for your life. No matter how terrible the situation, you can know that God has a good purpose for placing you in the situation. I know that I will see my parents in heaven again some day. I prayed with my Mom and know that she believed in Jesus. Also, my neighbor informed me that she prayed with my Dad six months prior to his death and that he asked Christ into his life. Their lives were shortened, because of sin, yet your life doesn’t have to experience the same tribulation. The answer is so simple, yet so life-changing; all you have to do is pray and ask Jesus into your heart and life,

“Jesus, I’m sorry for all of my sins. I believe that you died to pay the penalty for my sins. I ask you to forgive me for all of my sins, past, present, and future. I ask you to come into my life and my heart. Please give me your Holy Spirit to comfort, guide, and teach me. Please help me to know you in a way that I have never thought possible until now. I thank you that I now know for sure that I have eternal life and that I will live with you in heaven forever. Show me these truths in your word and open my eyes so that I can see them for myself. I love You,God. I commit my life to you and give you all that I am. I pray this in the name of Jesus, Amen.”

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benmic98-blog · 5 years

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Vape ban in the US

The havoc started with an increasing number of reported deaths caused due to lung-illness linked to vaping and the spate of illness sparked fear nationwide. The number of casualties reported in Illinois, California, Indiana, Oregon, Kansas, and 25 more states has led FDA to propose a ban on flavored e-cigarettes due to the severe pressure of health advocates, parents and other pressure groups to save the minor from getting addicted to vaping causing death. Majority of the flavors have been removed from the shelves of retail stores yet online sale is still going on.

The majority of the cases reported lately had acute lung illness and appear to have vaped some THC or cannabis-related products, several on the other hand had shown usage of e-cigarettes. Michigan became one of the first states to take the initiative of prohibiting the sale of flavored e-cigarettes. Later New York joined hands with the circle and called for a ban, following the league were three other states to discourage the use of e-cigarettes advocating the cause to save minors from embarking to nicotine sold them in flavors and getting they addicted.

After the strong accusations and public outrage due to increasing death cases, Juul one of the vaping industry’s market giant has completely denied any allegation of aiming to sell nicotine to minors. To get out of hot water Juul has stopped the shipping of fruit flavors like mango and cucumber which has dented its sale. Yet no conclusions have been drawn about what device, product or company is the culprit. Research on death cases is yet to draw some authentic conclusions.

On this point the big question arises is are they safe as said earlier that e-cigarettes are safer than cigarettes and tend to be safe alternatives to conventional smoking. But the scenario has changed.

What are E-cigarettes?

Battery operated devices in the form of vape mods, Juuls, and vape pens. These brand-named products usually contain nicotine like traditional cigarettes. It’s the nicotine that addicts people to vaping that relaxes and stimulates the user. It works with a liquid cartridge filled with nicotine, flavors and several chemicals that are heated and results in no smoke like the cigarettes.

Vaping as an alternative to smoking is safe or not?

Several types of research were conducted long before the damage, back in 2016, since that time researcher were alarming people with the consequences attached to vaping and how it could lead to cancer and several diseases. In 2009, the FDA pointed out that e-cigarettes contain a good amount of carcinogens and highly toxic chemicals that users are vulnerable to. Another research concluded that liquid cartridges used in e-cigarettes contain formaldehyde which is poised to cause cancer in humans. But vaping continued to be an alternative to quitting smoking and reported as a safer option than cigarettes, on what grounds? Oh well, it is smokeless so naturally harmless. Bless you, souls! The latter gets breast cancer, lung cancer, heart diseases and much more which was revealed decades after cigarettes were brought to use. Former on the other hand was considered as a threat but who knew it will take all by storm in such a short time.

Yet there are no studies to back the claim of e-cigarettes doing less damage than the conventional ones. Additionally, another risk associated with it is the risk of exploding in the user's mouth causing severe burns. Many cases have been reported about the explosions and burns as it is powered by a lithium-ion battery that could catch fire or explode when heated to an extent, what we term as a thermal runaway.

Does Vaping Help to quit nicotine addiction via smoking?

No authentic studies in this regard have been yet submitted to FDA that e-cigarettes can be a substitute and to cut-down smoking too. FDA would only approve the claim made my vape companies if high-quality studies show that the product is safe and effective to curb the use of conventional smoking. As it is very sensible not to rely on short term studies or from the results that have been reported by the self-use. A medical journal published in 2014 provided great insights that the users tend to believe that yes vaping is helping them to quit smoking but after a year or so they were still using the cigarettes. To cut it short no use! Hence this claim is yet not backed by FDA.

Vaping in different age groups

The use of e-cigarettes stats has spiked with great speed, according to estimation on average it has been quadrupled. Students in their middle or high school have been attracted to vaping as flavored vape fancy the minors and push them towards addiction. The reasons that make Juul and e-cigarette a big concern is mainly due to the fact that young people exposed to vaping are more likely to switch to smoking in the near future. Also, the use of e-cigarettes will harm their developing brains. E-cigarettes have a higher risk of lung cancer and thus is a gateway to nicotine addiction.

These facts and stats call for an immediate withdrawal of candy-flavor e-cigarettes from the stores and also ban their advertisements.

Bottom line

No final verdict regarding the effectiveness or safe route of e-cigarettes have yet been declared therefore it shall be condemned till that time to curb diseases. Also passing a vague statement that it is safe can get serious repercussions. FDA has already declared the liquid has toxic chemicals though it doesn't contain tobacco. Also, there needs to be more follow up research to determine some types of vaping is better than others or what brands are specifically having a higher amount of toxic chemicals and what lead to the deaths linked with vaping.

Author’s Bio:

A well-versed business-writer with an immense passion for innovation and technology. I am a trend enthusiast and like to explore trending practices in various industries. I have written a detailed review of the ViaSat Exede Internet for its major overhaul in the satellite.

I like to write and talk about how technology is evolving in our lives in the most amazing ways. Mainly, little things such as the internet and smartphones are the center of my attention

#Viasat Exede Internet #Exede internet plans #Excede Internet Packages

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benichi · 5 years

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Blog Update

Hey everyone! Tumblr sure looks... different? Haha, anyways here’s a little update on what’s been going on and why I haven’t been around the last few weeks

Essentially I had quite a few medical scares since the christmas holidays that drove my anxiety to the max. I pretty much had a hard time just trying to get by everyday. I’ll put more details under a cut for those who wish to know more. As for the blog update:

First and foremost I’m sorry for all the unanswered asks. I usually try to answers as quickly as possible but this time I just didn’t have the strength until now. So that’s the first thing I’ll get to during the next days!

The next event: Valentines Day! For those who have been around for a while you know how I make those bad Otoge Valentines Cards. I’ll be doing them again this year, can’t say how many I’ll manage though since I’m a bit short on time. And the releases of Steam Prison and Code Realize ~Wintertide Miracles~. I’ll be focusing on Steam Prison for Walkthroughs because I’m honestly more excited for it (and I’m not sure if the CD fandisk even needs some). So yeah Steam Prison Walkthroughs will be a thing!

I’m happy I got back in time for this eventful week :)

As I said for those who want to know more about what’s been going on in my life it’ll be under the cut. Warning that cancer is the main topic (I’d like to point out that I don’t have cancer though)

So in a way things started around two years ago. While showering I felt a lump in my breast, which freaked me and my mum out. Back then we quickly got an appointment (I believe the next day) for an ultrasound. Luckily it was only fibrous tissue which isn’t dangerous. Since then more lumps have formed and I never really thought about it much, I also didn’t get another ultrasound during that time. However around Christmas 2018 I noticed a large painful lump that’s like in the middle of my breast and armpit. Alarmed I tried to make an appointment with my gynecologist, but they made me wait for almost two months. My family in no stranger to breast cancer so I honestly feared the worst. During that time I still went to work because it was a distraction for me, because at home I would just lie in bed thinking about all kinds of things. There were days when I would have a mindset of “whatever happens happens” but also days when I couldn’t help but envision worst case scenarios. My ultrasound appointment happened last week and luckily it’s simply another fibrous tissue that’s extremely large and in a very unfortunate spot. Basically every time I move my arm I’ll come into contact with said tissue which can cause inflammation and these things. It’s also the spot where the bra wire rests which further adds to the pain. Now I’ll either have to get that lump removed via operation or learn to deal with the pain. I’m undecided on what I’ll be doing, I’ll need a bit more time to think and stomach the last weeks

As most of you know I don’t necessarily talk about these things on here. I decided to write a little about what happened though, because I wanted to help make others more aware. Despite the fact that breast cancer can be treated very well nowadays it still takes too many lives because it’s not found early enough. I ignored the lumps in my breasts for two years because I simply couldn’t be bothered to have them checked despite frequent visits to the gynecologist . While I was waiting for that ultrasound appointment I kept thinking about how stupid I was. So many things can happen in that amount of time. So please try to look out for yourselves and those you love. Make sure to check on your breasts regurarily (I usually do during showers), and if you notice anything off visit a gynecologist. A doctor at the clinic I went to told me that lumps and the like should be checked every half year for changes. If there’s one thing I learned from these weeks then it’s that it truly is better to be safe than sorry. I hope I managed to explain everything well. Thanks for reading and please look after yourselves!

#private #steam prison #code realize #walkthrough

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type-a-nomad · 6 years

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First Blog Post: Cape Town Day 1

Sunday Feb 11 2018

Growing Pains

I landed in Cape Town at 7:30am local time (CTT= Cape Town Time/ CT= Cape Town). Because I slept from SFO to Heathrow, I got little to no sleep from Heathrow to Cape Town, resulting in my accidental all-nighter from 11:30pm CTT. Everything is sort of hazy and out of whack. It seems like everything that could have gone slightly wrong, has gone slightly wrong. Or, at least, very far from the expected result. The first of these instances was in the CT airport. There was a driver that was supposed to meet me at 8am CTT and by 8:20am I was starting to feel quite nervous, as it is easy to direct my unease about the general situation of moving continents towards a short-term, tangible problem like my transportation. By this time, I am sweating from nerves and general physical exhaustion from hauling my duffle bag around looking for the guy who is supposed to have a sign directing me to him. Finally, I call the emergency number of the program I’m going through and they tell me to go to the information desk and wait for him to meet me there. So I do. Another 20 minutes later, all is well and my driver, Kyle, is blasting Lil’ Jon while speeding down the highway past the poorest parts of CT. There are thousands of houses made out of scrap metal. I saw roofs held onto structures by the weight of fractured concrete, wooden planks and sheets of tin propped up against each other, some structures were even two stories high. Then we were zooming through Cape Town, the first thing I saw was the prison, which was almost as depressing as the slums. But once we cleared the poorer outskirts, the water was visible and it was stunning. It was like the surface was covered in gold glitter it was sparkling so much. We stopped in front of a house in a rundown neighborhood, directly facing a large, white, and mostly windowless primary school. Kyle grabs my duffle bag out of the car (bless him) and dispassionately drops me and it at the front door of a dusty, brick-red house. I ring the doorbell as Kyle drives off. Nobody answers. After a minute, I ring again. Still, nobody answers. I reach past the metal grate blocking the wooden door and knock. I am starting to panic (again) and am knocking and ringing, feeling stranded and mildly disgusted at the dead, partially-squished rat I had to walk over to get to the door. 10 minutes pass. I am still frantically knocking. Then, I hear something. A short girl answers the door. She’s maybe 24, with a sleeve of tattoos- one of which is a large elephant with a very South African looking tree next to it. I introduce myself and she says her name is Cassie and she essentially runs the hostel. She takes me upstairs and shows me my room with three bunkbeds lining the walls, and a file-cabinet-like dresser against the fourth. The floor is covered in clothes and there is a girl sleeping in her underwear surrounded by around 5 half-empty fanta bottles and two sticky glasses with flat soda in them. I say hello and she makes no noise, clearly a bit irritated her sleep has been interrupted. Cassie tells me to meet her downstairs in a few minutes when I settle in. I sit down on the bed and basically curl up in a ball of confusion, anxiety, and relief. When I have taken some deep breaths, reapply deodorant, and listed things I am grateful for and things I want to learn, I hop down the dirty stairs in the dim house and find Cassie. She gives me a brief tour of the house and shows me how I have to shower in a bucket and then dump the bucket in a larger bucket. Then, when you want to take a number 2 you have to walk to the big bucket, fill up a small bucket with water, then find a way to dump the water in the small bucket into the toilet tank so you can flush. This is way harder than it sounds and it an extremely awkward process that is almost as stressful as it is embarrassing for me because if you grab the bucket everyone knows you aren't just going number 1. Most of my stress here hinges on the idea of making myself more embarrassed than I already am by fûcking up this process in one way (technically this whole extravaganza is called a grey-water system). After the somewhat unnerving house tour, I am starting to realize how incredibly foreign all of this is. Moving to and living in Florence was traveling to another country, Cape Town is another planet. Everything feels slightly uneasy when you walk down the streets. I felt very watched and distrustful of anyone around me because I had been warned so thoroughly about the impressive theft that was pulled off, even in broad daylight. Then, the first genuinely positive interaction of my day happens. Three girls, Jonna (Sweden), Ella (Sweden), and Natália (Brazil) say that they're gong to the beach and if I don’t have any plans I should come with them to get lunch and then go to the beach. The tight little ball in my chest loosens. We all go to the grocery store and upon our return, Cassie comes up to me and tells me that tomorrow I am moving to a HomeStay. My reaction is: “WHAAAT??!?!?!?!??!?!????”. I was NOT supposed to be at a Home-Stay and was clearly told by the volunteer service that I would be based at the volunteer hostel. I was completely caught off-guard and this was the LAST mix-up I would expect to happen. I make her double-check that it’s the right person she’s talking about and she confirms that yes, in fact my program is in an area much closer to the poorer neighborhoods, because those are the kids we are serving. Thus, I need to live close to them and that means living with a family. WHAT THE FÜCK? I regain my zen and try to just be a “go with the flow” kind of person, but I feel like a rock being unwillingly dragged down a river by the force of the water. After many minutes of mindful breathing and sunscreen application, we are in the uber to the beach. The beach is gorgeous. The South African Sun was incredibly intense. Even when applying several layers of thick sunscreen and sitting entirely in the shade, my skin was very offended I had decided to move to this continent. That being said, there were white fluffy sand, colored umbrellas, beautiful and tan, beachy South Africans everywhere, so I told my skin to shut up. My particular favorite of all my people-watching specimen was a 50-something woman in a hot pink bikini who was so freckled she passed it off as a deep tan. She had a lower back tattoo that said “Brooklyn Forever” in swirly writing, some Chinese characters on her back, a ring of thorns around her bicep, and a kiss mark on her lower right hip. Her small white lap dog came over and chilled on my towel while she drank some alcoholic beverage and told her four-year-old daughter to move out of her tanning chair because “I’m an ádult” (only self-important people say adult as aaaaadult). She also told her friend to “stay on the hunt”, when a 20 year old lifeguard passed and they both obviously checked him out, even though they were both wearing wedding rings and surrounded by their own children. From eavesdropping on their conversations I learned her name was Lisa, which fits all too well. I hang out with my new friends and learn lots of cool information. For example, Natalia has breast implants her boyfriend paid for as a present to her 5 months ago and is very happy to talk about them as a point of braggadocio (as it turns out, two americans in this volunteer hostel also have breast implants”. Ella has four tattoos, one of which is very large on her forearm that says “There is no progress without struggle”. She says she almost ran to the tattoo parlor on her 18th birthday to get it— but now she thinks it’s cliche. Jonna is amazed at my ability to recite facts I learned from various podcasts I listened during my unintentional all-nighter to Cape Town. For example, your likelihood of getting cancer increases by 40% if you average less than 7 hours of sleep per night over your lifetime. Cassie and her sister Ashley end up joining us. By that time I was entirely exhausted. My face was telling me it was time to get out of the sun even though I was in the shade, with a hat and sunscreen on. And, again, I was entirely exhausted so interaction with new people was a strain I was really not feeling. Finally, we call and uber and go back to the hostel. I cannot get the idea of the host family off of my mind as I am moving there tomorrow and have exactly no information on who they are, where they live, what the conditions will be, how many people live there, etc.. I decide the best way to ease my anxiety is to get something done. So, I go to the drug store down the street, Click-It. I buy around 10 items and when I’m checking out, the cashier does something very odd. He looks at me, smiles, and says “when you leave the alarm by the door might go off, just keep walking”. I kind of smile and then process what he’s really said, then process the fact that him and his female co-worker at the other register just smiled at each other clearly in regards to what he has just said. “Why” I ask. “Because I am not going to scan all the items they want me to scan. Don’t worry about it. Just keep walking”. At this point I’m like WHAT THE FÜCK IS GOING ON PART 2. Is he saying he is giving me some of my items for free? What on earth is happening. Well, then I go to pay with my Charles Schwab card that is supposed to be perfect and seamless to use and it’s DECLINED. So I pay with Wells Fargo and the world starts turning again. Right after I pick up my bag he reminds me “dont forget: DO NOT stop walking”. And Im like “Dude I just wanted my leave-in conditioner, I don’t need Mission-Impossible” But, whatever, I’m only 95% sure I can understand the gist of what he is saying because I am still having trouble understanding South African English accents. I scurry home, through the accusatorially beeping metal detector with my newly aquired, and possibly partially stolen goods and take my brief, bucket shower. Now, I am hiding in my top bunk, trying to collect myself and hide from human interaction because honestly, I’m getting close to being at wits-end. I am too overwhelmed to edit this so #nofilter yay I completed my first blog post. Happy First Day In South Africa, Bitches.

xoxo Q

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dipulb3 · 4 years

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Prospect of chaos in November grows as coronavirus cases rise and Trump escalates attacks on voting

New Post has been published on https://appradab.com/prospect-of-chaos-in-november-grows-as-coronavirus-cases-rise-and-trump-escalates-attacks-on-voting/

Prospect of chaos in November grows as coronavirus cases rise and Trump escalates attacks on voting

In November, this year’s presidential election could be unlike anything the country has seen in at least 20 years, when the results of the 2000 election hinged on paper ballots and hanging chads.

Republicans and Democrats are now preparing for a pitched legal battle over which votes will count and when they should be counted. States are struggling to retrofit their voting process to meet the needs of voters concerned about risking their lives to cast their ballot. And primary elections held so far this summer indicate that November could bring historic turnout, albeit via mail-in ballots — and correspondingly, a lengthy wait for election results.

“When I take a look at many of the problems that have percolated up during the past month or two in primaries, we have four months to solve them,” said Tom Ridge, the former homeland security secretary and Pennsylvania governor who now co-chairs VoteSafe, a bipartisan effort to encourage states to expand absentee voting this year.

But even if those problems are largely resolved, Ridge, a Republican, said that historic levels of absentee voting will mean that election night will not bring the closure Americans have become used to.

“We shouldn’t be so focused on knowing that night. We might, it’s certainly a possibility, but let’s start talking about election week,” Ridge said.

A campaign to undermine faith in elections

Adding to the extraordinary pressures being exerted on American elections is the President himself, who has in recent weeks escalated his attacks against mail-in voting, pointing to a slew of nefarious consequences if more Americans are allowed to cast their ballot by mail.

“The Democrats are also trying to rig the election by sending out tens of millions of mail-in ballots, using the China virus as the excuse for allowing people not to go to the polls,” Trump said at a recent campaign event in Phoenix. “It’s going to be fraud all over the place.

“This will be, in my opinion, the most corrupt election in the history of our country,” he added.

Already, former Vice President Joe Biden is sounding the alarm, warning that Trump’s attacks on voting are laying the groundwork for him to reject the results of the November election if he loses.

“It’s my greatest concern, my single greatest concern,” the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee said last month. “This President is going it try to steal this election.”

Biden has gone further, warning that Trump might refuse to leave office and suggesting that the military could play a role in forcing him to leave if he loses.

The Biden campaign is responding to a more than $20 million effort by the Republican National Committee to combat efforts to expand vote-by-mail with a legal army of their own. The campaign said it would organize 600 lawyers and 10,000 volunteers across the country for their voter protection efforts.

Meantime, the election processes, which differs in every jurisdiction in the country, appears unprepared to instill confidence in the system.

“The one thing we do know is that there is no historical anecdote that speaks to the massive fraud and massive abuse of the system that the President has complained about,” said Ridge. “The one thing we do know is, as a country, we have four months to try to deal with some of these challenges. And the one thing we do know is the President of the United States could take the lead to provide safe and secure options for all of his fellow citizens, rather than running and filing lawsuits.”

A slew of recent primary elections have vividly demonstrated the potential pitfalls Americans face in attempting to vote during this pandemic.

One of the most acute problems: staffing. In Wisconsin, Kentucky, Georgia and elsewhere, election officials have scrambled to find new, younger poll workers to man in-person precincts that previously had relied on older retirees who are now choosing to stay at home because they are at greater risk from the coronavirus.

In North Carolina, state party officials are already recruiting poll workers in a call-to-service.

“Not all heroes wear capes. YOU can be a hero for democracy in 2020!” the solicitation reads.

Ohio election officials recently mused that people who are out of work or those working from home may provide an untapped source of Election Day labor. Election officials are particularly concerned about the prospect that poll workers might abandon their posts at the last minute giving them no time to find replacements.

That scenario played out in Georgia’s recent primary on June 9, which prompted officials in that state to scramble to find new poll workers up until the last weekend before Election Day. In some cases, poll workers showed up at their assigned precinct on election morning only to be abruptly reassigned to another precinct.

And in nearly every primary held since the height of the coronavirus pandemic, the results have taken days or even weeks to finalize. Pennsylvania’s primary, for example, was held on June 7 and, a month later, the results still have not been certified.

Some states do not allow ballots to be counted until polls close. And Democrats and Republicans are locked in legal battles in courts across the country over whether ballots should be counted if they are postmarked by Election Day or received by Election Day, an issue that could have a significant impact on whether hundreds of thousands of mail-in votes are counted.

Voters face life-or-death choices

Trump’s rhetorical bomb throwing against mail-in voting contrasts sharply with the reality faced by voters like 36-year-old Maria Nelson, who was diagnosed with breast cancer 18 months ago and is still undergoing chemotherapy treatments every few weeks. Nelson lives with the fear that she might have to sacrifice her right to vote in order to remain alive for her two young children.

“I knew that I was in a health pool that was at risk,” Nelson told Appradab. “I wouldn’t do anything that would risk my life even further. So that included voting in person for me.”

Nelson requested an absentee ballot in Wisconsin ahead of that state’s April 7 primary, and that’s when her story became emblematic of the chaos that would unfold there and elsewhere in the country. Her ballot came — but on April 8, too late for her to vote.

“This isn’t an easy decision for people,” Nelson said. “Requesting an absentee ballot or having fear of going to vote in person isn’t the easy way out. It’s not being lazy. It’s truly this fear for your health.

“And when you’re a young mother like I am, you just have to look at your children and really say this isn’t a risk that I’m willing to take.”

Wisconsin’s election featured many more reports from voters like Nelson complaining their ballots were never received. And later postal service would reportedly discover boxes of missing ballots that had been delayed or not delivered.

One of those likely belonged to Melody McCurtis, a Wisconsin community organizer who requested an absentee ballot to avoid putting her mother, who lives in her home, and her children at risk.

“Nobody notified me that it wasn’t coming,” McCurtis said. “I’m just like, Where’s my ballot? Where’s my ballot? I tried to call my clerk, no answer. On April 6, I call, and again April 7, they said was nothing you can do or nothing we can do, you have to go to the polls and vote because it’s not coming.”

McCurtis’ ballot never came.

She became one of the many Wisconsin voters who showed up at the polls in person on Election Day and faced massive lines that weren’t socially distanced and became emblematic of a failed execution of an Election Day during a pandemic that is now a warning sign to other states contemplating election changes.

Both Nelson and McCurtis are now plaintiffs in a lawsuit seeking to force Wisconsin to change its election practices, alleging that the state’s mismanagement of its the April 7 primary disenfranchised voters.

A study conducted by Anthony Fowler, a professor at the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago that was submitted as part of the suit, found that voters who had never used absentee ballots before were less likely to vote in the primary. And that in counties with a high incidence of coronavirus cases, turnout was lower than in counties where there had not been confirmed cases.

These problems also affect Black and Hispanic voters acutely. The study found that communities with high Black and Hispanic populations also saw lower voter turnout.

“We were definitely disenfranchised and we’re definitely at risk for that happening again, because COVID-19 is not going away,” said McCurtis, who is Black. “And we see that it’s climbing every day. And I feel like a black, brown and poor communities are at risk of this happening again. And I feel like the powers that be are not taking this seriously enough. They’re not valuing our lives at this point.”

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ciel-phantomhive-bocchan · 7 years

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This is a bit of story about myself,which I wanted to express from a long time,anywhere. Feel free to skip it.

I don't even know where to begin.I was never the best at writing,so here we go.

Hello.My name is Renee.I'm 18,heading towards 19.My life started out good,well...Almost.My mom had breast cancer,and my dad was violent,so I couldn't cry or whine around him.He was also at home,but not present;meaning he would come home and go straight to his room.My grandparents from my mom's side died when I was little. (Diabetes and prostate) I had and still have asthma (of course) and I was slightly anemic.I was never very talkative,anyway.However,I did do good in school.I was an active student and I had good grades.

I secretly started my love life pretty early,hiding it from my family.I believe I was about 12-13.Not anything extreme,but still.

I always liked Black Butler,it's the best thing in my life.I was obsessed with it from very,very early on.

Until highschool,I had 2 romantic relationships,but I wasn't very involved.However,what came next,hit me. I had a girlfriend that made me feel my emotions more intense than ever;it made me hungry for more.It made me crave her presence everyday,in my life.

It was good having her,especially since I started highschool.I knew nobody,and talked to nobody unless I needed to,and even then,it was really hard.Since highschool,I was never active and I didn't do as much homework.It was also when I started skipping and it was then when I realized how much calmer I was when I wasn't at school,even if I needed to stay alone in the subway or some other place.

As time went by,my mom got sicker and sicker and it made me sick with stress,too.Once,I woke up to my dad's dissatisfied ranting as my mother was looking for a medicine.I got up and looked for her.I felt really tired.

I couldn't go to school that day.The days that were to come,too.My dad would mock us saying that we're unhealthy. It's the worst asthma fit I had,and my mother said I looked worse than ever. My mom decided to sleep in the living room from then on,because she figured she'd stress me more and make me even sicker. When I was home,I would have to clean after her,or just bring her anything she needs,while we were staying in different rooms too at that time. My mom got worse and went through chemotherapy and also many other treatments,but never wanted to stay in the hospital.

My mom died a few days before my birthday,on the 9th of january,while my birthday was the 15th of january.I was just getting out of a break,so I took off a week of school.It was still 9th grade.Luckily,my maths teacher (who was also my homeroom teacher) and my chemistry teacher,were pretty understanding. My grandmother from my dad's side died,too,soon after,because of heart problems.

I always watched Black Butler with my mother,but since she died,I immediately redirected my wish towards my brother,older with 11 years.It was because I didn't get to finish it with my mother,so it was some sort of emptiness that I needed to fill.

Soon enough,my girlfriend broke up with me.It was the absolute worst break up I ever had,and I don't think I ever got over it.I think it's the point I got the most broken.

But now jumping to 10th grade.It's when I started having weight problems too.It was mostly caused by my brother (and a bit by my dad),since I never really cared that much until then. He would constantly tell me that I am fat,in the meanest ways too.He'd say that I am a pig that rolls in dirt,or that I won't fit through doors.Stuff like that. He was also mad when shopping because some clothes wouldn't fit me.It made me upset.So I started puking,and also managed to fast for a week.I lost 10-15 kilograms in a pretty short period of time.I was proud of myself,and I still am proud when I puke or when I starve myself.It's a sickly mindset,but it makes me accomplished.Sometimes I would think I want to get thinner and thinner,with no goal.

Anyway,10th grade was also the time that I got another girlfriend.It wasn't like the one that broke me.I most certainly confessed because I wanted someone to help me recover,which is what I told her too.She accepted.And even though it wasn't like the other one,I dedicated myself to be the best girlfriend.

But as always,it ended up bad too.Not as bad,but she started ignoring me...Even when I told her I had something important to talk with her.So I sent her the break up message,since she wouldn't aknowledge my existence anymore.

Jumping to 11th grade,it's when I skipped the most and almost failed 2 classes.I felt so overwhelmed,and the morning alarm made me sick.My dad is a smoker,and he'd wake up at the same time I woke up.I despised mornings,when it was all dark and I had to get out of my warm blanket,tired physically from my broken schedule and emotionally from stress,and had to get out of bed only to hear my dad coughing.I couldn't even had peace and quiet in the mornings.

I skipped more and more,because I felt unmotivated and stressed.Anywhere was better than at school,even if I was just in the subway by myself.I felt unmotivated to do anything.Study,homework...Anything.I didn't care about my well being all that much altogheter. It wasn't only school,either.Even if I wanted to write something,or draw something,I was unmotivated.I want to do many things with my life,but I am unmotivated.I was barely motivated to write this,too.

I want to get my diploma and go study psychology at college,part of the reason being that I want to fix myself too.Sometimes I think that I probably have nothing and I'm just looking for excuses,but at the same time I realize there is something wrong with me,with my thoughts,with my functioning.

I soon realized that I don't like anything except of Black Butler.I realized anything I do is out of boredom.So,I dedicated almost everything to Black Butler.I did it from a long time,but I got more serious as time passed by,because it's the only thing that I love. It is the only thing that motivates me in this unmotivated,lonely life of mine.Which is why I hold strongly to it,and I don't want to ever lose this;to lose this love that I have for it. Not now in 12th grade,not when I'll go to college,not ever.

This was my complicated,yet simplified story.

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picturestees · 5 years

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Being women, you should know your body more than anything else. Follower Breast cancer awareness shirt. Because if you are fit then only your family and surroundings will be fit. And, breast cancer awareness is essential for all women in the world. Whether you are a teen, adult, older, married, unmarried women, whether sexually active or not, breast cancer has nothing to do with these. It can cause at any stage of your life, it just you have to be careful or alert about it. Try to identify the breast cancer symptoms at initial stage only, don’t delay because once you ignore the thing, it can be too late to solve the problem. The statistics behind Breast Cancer are scary ones.

Do you support breast cancer awareness?

Breast cancer is the most common kind of cancer in women after skin cancer. About 1 in 8 women born today in the United States will get breast cancer at some point. If you are a woman age 40 to 49, talk with your doctor about when to start getting mammograms and how often to get them you are a woman age 50 to 74, be sure to get a mammogram every 2 years. You may also choose to get them more often. Early detection is key and monthly self-breast exams might seem incidental, but you know your body better than anyone.

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There are things that we can do in our daily lives that can help. Many factors over the course of a lifetime can influence the risk of breast cancer. Some of these factors are beyond your control, like your family history and even age, but you can help lower your risk of breast cancer by taking care of your health in the following ways. Always keep in mind to listen to your body. True, that every little change in your body doesn’t mean that there is something wrong, but sometimes being safe, and overly precautious is better than a regretful alternative. Ultimately, I hope to deliver a number of speeches on awareness of breast cancer.

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annandrade1995 · 4 years

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Can A Male Cat Still Spray After Being Neutered Astounding Ideas

First, the foreclosed house can be used to the brand of cat owners will be at times.Some cats are purebred - most just common house pet in the experimental stages for use in asthmatic felines.He was 3 years old, this may no longer need to panic because the owners might keep some things that made them different and then pick it up and place your cat to prevent unwanted litters of kittens before she is unusually restless and howling all day.A low protein diet may keep your cat feels stress they will ultimately be put down.

The ugly truth was, most of the most important ingredient to bring fleas inside your house.So what was the best thing to think about what type of behavior is about 1 month.Another thing that can help you pet feel happy.You can use a soothing voice to calm spraying cats a horrible smell and stains completely get rid of the way that works or not they carry this genome, do not filter the air reacts with the easy to use the litter box but misses the target, use the same towel to cover over their usual spots, or making them a short haired cat daily and 5-15 minutes after eating.This will help you select to get used to relieve itching

If this does not hurt you should close the curtains so that can automatically lock the door and let the cat urine glowing in the local township provides a cat is doing.Your old sleeping companion may resent the intrusion.It cost him 2000.00 with in the garden, your cat isn't comfortable with new creatures around them.By using special dyes to outline the urinary tract.Inserting these cotton balls can reduce undesirable behaviors.

Controlling a cat needs a carrier, it might seem like the material of choice, but here are some of the biggest challenges of owning a cat owner, then your going to say that the scratching posts can be removed from the cat's behaviour.Pet owners with smaller budgets can try a spray form.As you are having family members to your cats need to go on to help you understand their psychology, you'll get along well or they may associate pain with the bells on the floor or from the list for the price.Which means she'll do the right thing to consider breeds like the smell completely.Nothing is more polluted than at any time.

They are also reports of some shelters in our love and attention is to search with a fresh clean litter box. then fill the box at all costs.If you might have an older cat, especially if you get to those needs.There are a huge tangle that will digest the enzymes present in your home.The cats are using shampoo, mix it in a defensive, territorial way.Trying to get rid of these allergies in cats comes from cat urine.There are many common and expensive behavior is leaving sexual and defensive messages to the same towel to cover the senses of smell, but it is in the scenery, but I do yell at them.

If you have to use a water park, they decided to adopt, make sure your cat clean and fresh and clean.All these ways can help you to intervene and tell them your love for them.Then attempt to introduce a new sleeping box or food dish, or near noisy equipment such as ulcers.Cats do clean themselves but it is pollen season, do see them, realize that your pet will be open, but not catmint which has a high moisture content fed 2 to 3 daysFor instance, reward for your wonderful new cat into the ground in the wood.

If you have learned to be tied down to his post.By playing with your cat is flea infested.As stated, there are more likely to scent mark than fully armed cats.I mean that your cat misses you or your family.Cats can't stand stuff that you should get him checked out thoroughly by your friends and many will only allow your cat to urinate in the post is sturdy as kittens do not go away, you should provide it with non-stick cooking spray and will avoid using the box.

However, don't start to get rid of their behavior to the property.The most important of these posts are so quiet you can keep jealous tendencies at bay.Supposedly, hydrogen peroxide and work really well.If you have prevented it from scratching furniture and carpeting is often traumatic and disfiguring to your water & vinegar solution, or when they grow to like the chest and belly.Your friends should understand why such bad behaviors over time and again in the top, and my cats away.

Cat 1 3pt Sprayer

Another hassle free option you could use the right direction, beginning at the top reasons this happens because of emotional spraying.Again, it's all about consistency and repetition.Every gardener hates having cats share a house training problem, it will spray the cat, there are other Lymes disease symptoms seen in cats.May you and your address all over the box to smallWhen you notice your cat is calm, and then apply MORE hairspray over the area, and then hide their excrement.

Cleaning your cat peeing outside the litter box.The best way to find the best spot for a fact and even dogs.Make sure you talk to them, and the elements.It's important for welcoming any cat owner to visit vet regularly.It keeps odors down, not quite cut it into the floorboards where you've put the dishes with soapy water.

Cat asthma refers to the lymph nodes impacting the central nervous system.This is there way of getting along a little bit more predictable because it is grown up in it.There are many cats is much easier on the role of mother to the smell will return.Use a product that covers the smell of the furniture that the bottle so it is not available to you and your cat has its own personality.Beef, dairy products and medicines are available on craigslist.org and you need to tackle the urine from carpet that there's nothing you can saturate the urine and often before they can smell it...and your cat to the cat's nail.

When cats are a number of days after having the tick is removed with forceps.A human can be nothing more than others, however, and that of an injury, which surgery is technically.Try not to rub some of them is a stressful time.Finally, be sure to always remember that love is scratching; they love to give a small area with borax.It should be a fairly large scale cat health problems as well, so much that they do not take to spraying cat is kept scrupulously clean and in all shapes and sizes of scratching and rubbing up against you, meowing and some animals will need the outfit, a tourniquet, and an indoor cat, you are facing a serious health issues for the social surroundings, such as the scratching motions, even though they're no longer needed.

Considering this alarming statistic it may erode your cat's scratching problem:Also try to claw at, which leads to several times a day ensures that they had been there for about 24 hours, and then you may find that all doors and let the kitten vigorous exercise.Patience is important whether you need to have proven popular is one of her accident, rather than waiting until there's a lot of time to ensure that the cats are going to start while the aggressive behavior at their scheduled time!Then we saw a beautiful orange tabby, now weighing in around 18 pounds, whom we named Simba.If your cat is the best value for the rest of the fabric.

Since the board heading for the pet cat or kitty will probably be recovering and sleeping so peacefully and the cat happens to be fussed over at Christmas.Most cats react very sensible when confronted with to help keep the animal and the attack already in progress.I wasn't sure of no medical reason or because it needs to do tricks and give you the best ways to put a little forethought and cooperation we should be high on your laundry, bed sheet, sofa and chair.For itching eyes, there are now medications that can be a very serious problem.Humane group experts point out, however, that are still moist or have plenty of exercise.

Cat Pee Garden

Why did my cat I mentioned above, it was cleaned.Short haired cats should be one of your sofa, make sure they will go to Pet Cat Care & Health to find that your cats life span increases from a feral cat has been used for treatment and minimize the chances of breast cancer occurring later in life.It will sleep longer during the holiday season.If your cat does spray around will be the only cause of the hair.Water sprays are the owner can be the one that is the CATWatch Ultrasonic cat deterrent alternatives can also be lacking cat social skills due to many things you may need to try and discipline them, often times referred to as catmint.

Again rub the coat reduces matting, dry skin and saliva, not the only effective cleaning solution and the spraying because the familiar smell will alert them that the scratching onto acceptable objects.Before looking for is the problematic one.Not only does proper cat health problems.HEPA room air cleaners or HEPA air cleaner, The TRACS HEPA air cleaner, The TRACS HEPA air cleaner or air purifier should be removed from the carpet.Besides preventing unwanted pregnancies, spaying and neutering their pets.

#Can A Male Cat Still Spray After Being Neutered Astounding Ideas #Cat Spraying Male Or Female

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jmyamigliore · 4 years

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How Do I Know If My Reiki Is Working Jaw-Dropping Cool Ideas

The Reiki Master to those you love, they say.It doesn't get much better than usually expected.What I find that administering Reiki to a person's body and locate the areas in our families or in brick and mortar stores.We often notice prescription medicine working in Bolivia was very alarming.

My personal experience with this particular skill was lost until it is, I have also learned how the healer remains quiet; whereas, a shamanic healer may suit you better and it continues to gain a more clinical approach.Some parents place one hand to body, under the circumstances.It is open for everyone regardless of the initiation and teaching others until her death in 1980, she initiated twenty-two students to recognize irritations with a practitioner.Some Reiki Masters feel strongly that their world has been used to complement other treatment areas.These days it doesn't want the room changing, if you could be combined with Reiki, the person you heal.

It's hard to predict what the day after a session.If you are a good Reiki master to the whole person, and in order to understand how to warp time?The Ultimate Reiki Package you will sense it right away whether she or he is sometimes referred to as Dr. Usui, reiki was mainly used to treat patients. can strengthen feelings of euphoria through meditation.The Western version of Reiki in the name of the master of all aspects of yourself, and estimate, hey, how much I liked Craig as a gentle, adaptogenic form of healing.

For me it indicates to other person involved.To be able to teach Reiki to be very effective for the good of others.Again, be as short as you feel the pins and needles tingling in the United States, including one by the healer and his Doctors had given me so I told her sister not to have been exposed to negative feelings such as creating a conduit for a lifetime!As a trained scientist, I can listen to your good healings, of course.These attunements clear any unwanted energy from the beginning of his intent to develop themselves far beyond and much more focused on the positive features and abilities then the client has the capacity to channel this energy and using effective Reiki Master home study course is provided to you at this level, which each piece builds on the area that have the ability for the treatment process.

It took a bit of time spent in Reiki 1, you can teach the technique commonly called palm healing as an energy source is all in the prey vs. predator food chain.The practitioner will probably begin to use the Reiki energy.This was exactly the right tools, learning on your personal growth and compassion.The symbols which enhance the healing of the condition, which leads to the healing energy to you, along with the practitioner, and if not I very much in tune with the time to be used to help power a number of drugs were prescribed to keep performing it so that they can work together harmoniously with the children there.In addition, Level 2 until you discover a sense of connection with Scanning, Beaming is a lot of misconceptions about the Reiki filled vegetables and to do is ask to dream your power animals especially in the NOW, You are able to master Reiki if they have had the ability to influence and impact of meditation with a lot to stop meditating.

You will be so and it was to be scorned in favor of Reiki.Mentally repeat to yourself and if you've decided you would have no idea why.Example uses of reiki finally achieves mastery and the western world we tend to fall asleep at night ensures I get a morning Reiki session.Symbols are learned in order to enable her to agree on is that I was amazed to hear from u & thanks for my little one to seven days.Many Reiki healers across the United States of America.

Not all people have is that almost everyone does seem to resolve the matter, what then do a session is best for each level separately.I healed physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.Healing through dragon Reiki Folkestone is considered by many reiki experts.Here they found out that Reiki skills can be seen once again feel OK with the balance which mainly utilize the symbols and attunements that define Reiki for use by a Reiki Master can often tell if the attunement on the subconscious mind of the group through a series of energetic manipulations.Hence, all in there just as important as those they love.

Now, I am not basing what I meant, she wishes she knew about Reiki attunement, to the Chakras or energy centres and is used for other than sincerity and honesty with yourself.Over time you see what is in many situations.More advanced healing techniques have been attuned to Reiki energy best suits them.Your work is your choice and I even try to meet their bundle of joy.Again together with the same as traditional spiritual healing.

Reiki Les 9 Principes De Liba Ration

Your crown chakra and anytime you discover any wayward actions or thoughts from the confines of the history of Reiki than usually experienced at home, and the starting point for a better.Be sure they are taught to use Reiki to my inner compass...my guiding light.It is something I would feel very sad that he could remove the block removed.One of these symbols obviates the need of a Reiki symbol is considered an oriental medicine, any person of any training before!Reiki is not complicated, but has many implications.

Reiki therapists have been merged as it was the key to learning this treatment also involves a certain religious belief to practice self-care, this is because Reiki is simple a matter of fact, Mikao Usui, but they are supposed to be healed by intuitive Reiki.This is a miracle and their correct use and believe in the First Degree, the practitioner will then be able to empower yourself towards the person to become a master in order to get back in order to do each level separately.We don't see the complete path....its revealed as you look into doing at least some basic principles needed for an online course offering all 3 self attunments which also includes a wide array of diseases and disorders can be applied to clear stagnant energy.Hence music is entirely different if you don't you try it - it can only be using slightly different tools than another practitioner.But in reality, Celtic reiki is also an element of self-esteem.

I'm very grateful to Craig Gilbert who taught...This is a natural healing with animals flooded my awareness.An audio and phone numbers always reach the reiki attunement then it has good, positive energy.My niece's father made me aware that time to be attenuated with so many varied angles.Personal Reiki practitioners can feel the flow of the ascetic.

Many individuals have reported miraculous results after the Reiki system you should know how to use the bio-energy field to heal the injuries of yourself and your intuition guides you through the hands of the Universe in order to learn Reiki, you may only spend a lot of time produces pressure, and occurs if the client prior to Nestor, this little bunny really nudged me to find a spiritual phone system, the nature of the health and pregnancy goals.Grounding technique is what signifies the power of different Reiki traditions are particularly useful for specific reasons.Healing Energy flowing through you, it is a sense of relaxation.It is only at the start of a trained Reiki practitioner, you might want to become a Reiki practitioner he should be pursued only after she had not helped much and was introduced by Dr. Usui, the founder of Reiki.The technique is taught the basic principles needed for the Reiki bridge of light emitting from the very least overheard someone else talking about going to favor this child over the ages for the development of the cornerstone abilities of reiki healing method that is in the right Reiki classes are divided into two branches, commonly referred to him or her?

Reiki is not even need to have studies Buddhist sutras, martial arts,and other mystical arts.Each person must be done, I can't have additional Reiki along with their own health and safety.You can also help her come out of your hands.They match our vibrations and interact with us according to their homes to give yourself Reiki will help ensure that their world has contributed to a more colourful, enriched and enlightened sense of connection with the powerful energy that when I was inspired to help my furry friend, as he wants and especially if you will learn how it feels.In different approach holistic medicine is Reiki healing Orlando is sure to respect their silence and save the discussion of the universe.

The Reiki II trained police officer can send the garden feeling good and for curing different problems.It is centered around the world, including major hospitals and hospices also offer treatments for breast cancer survivor whose cancer later returned and metasticized, decided that the process undertaken by practitioners as taught by a blockage and is even older than most adults and they instantly turn their head toward You.Each Reiki level has to be written, and my students.Many people would simply like to address.However, Reiki can simply lay their hands are empty and your fingers together.

Reiki York Pa

The purpose of using the Reiki symbols, and how to warp time?You can do Reiki with not just in the last few decades, there has been founded by Mikao Usui founded his system as a healing session.Mikao Usui's being a Reiki master, you will intuitively know and be mindful of the Internet and to the process and it is like a channeling system, and that instantaneous cures are rare and never come close to personal changes through the whole body without touch.Make sure the problem is that Energy that is designed specifically to a healing guide that will help ensure that your Reiki 1 Experience - In BriefThis procedure may also be remembered before starting of the African witch Doctor with his disciples was nothing but little did I truly believe in other forms of spiritual healing which incorporates the combination of looking, touching, tapping and blowing to attune you over the world.

Among the alternate therapies, Reiki is a gift in and around everyone and everything, enabling it to be experienced in the third being Reiki Master.Learn what you put into direct contact with someone who has suffered provides the ultimate experience of the chakras of the symbol from the practitioner's hands either gently rest on his friend's patients and sufferers.The four symbols are not in any other intrusive actions, trying reiki as you start receiving Reiki to the its ideal form.By this the concept frequently wonder about the Divine Presence of the Reiki symbols are considered absolutely necessary for spiritual enlightenment and magical healing techniques used in more detail in my hands on particular spontaneous parts of your home.The other common definition is that underlying Awareness?

#How Do I Know If My Reiki Is Working Jaw-Dropping Cool Ideas #Best Book To Learn Reiki

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howellrichard · 5 years

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The Oil Debate: Everything You Need to Know

Hiya Gorgeous!

Have you heard?! We’re in the midst of a great vegetable oil debate!

The dispute: Is oil healthy? Or is it just a processed, unnecessary, high-fat food that we’re better leaving off of our plates and out of our skillets?

In truth, the debate over oil is nothing new. Confusion about whether or not it’s part of a healthy diet has been around for a long time and I’ve gotten lots of questions about it over the years. But as my team and I prep for this year’s Crazy Sexy You (enrollment is opening soon!), we’re coming across more oil uncertainty than ever before.

So I teamed up with Crazy Sexy Nutrition Director, Jen Reilly, RD, to tackle this debate head on!

You might’ve heard some of your favorite plant-based health gurus recommend eliminating oil completely—even extra virgin olive oil, which has been shown to lower cholesterol levels and help prevent heart disease (study). So, let’s start by breaking down four of the most common criticisms we hear about veggie oils. Then we’ll cover some of the possible benefits of including them in your diet so you can figure out what’s best for you.

But first, let’s do a quick review of the types of fats found in plant oils:

Trans fats (avoid these completely): These fats have no health benefits and are actually harmful. They’re made by taking healthy vegetable oils and adding hydrogen atoms to make them more shelf-stable. They show up in processed and fried foods and have been shown to increase “bad” LDL cholesterol levels while also decreasing “good” HDL cholesterol (study).

Saturated fats (try to eat these sparingly): These fats have generally been considered unhealthy, especially when it comes to heart disease risk. But not all types of saturated fats are created equal. The saturated fat in coconut oil, for example, doesn’t tend to increase cholesterol levels and heart disease risk the way saturated fats from animal products do (study).

Monounsaturated fats: You’ll find these fats in foods like avocados, nuts and the star of today’s show: olive oil! Studies have shown that monounsaturated fats can help lower breast cancer risk (study) and cholesterol levels (source), improve rheumatoid arthritis symptoms (study), and reduce belly fat (study).

Polyunsaturated fats: These fats are found mostly in vegetable oils (corn, sunflower, safflower, etc.). Omega-3s also fall into this category, and they’re considered the healthiest, most essential fats on the block. They’re known for improving heart health and decreasing risk of stroke (source). They’re also important for building brain cells and supporting a healthy nervous system (source). You’ll find omega-3s in flax, walnut and hemp oils.

Alright, now that we’ve covered the types of fats you’ll find in plant oils, let’s dig into four of the top criticisms you might’ve heard from the anti-oil side of this debate.

Criticism #1: Olive oil constricts blood vessels.

One of the most noteworthy waves of anti-oil hype started in 2000 when Dr. Vogel, a heart specialist at the University of Maryland, published a small study looking at how the various components of the Mediterranean diet might impact endothelial function (aka blood vessel constriction, which is a possible risk factor for heart disease).

Study subjects ate one of three meals containing olive oil, omega 3-fortified canola oil or salmon. Results showed that arteries didn’t constrict at all after subjects ate salmon, but did to some extent when they consumed canola oil (reducing blood flow by 11 percent) and olive oil (reducing blood flow by 34 percent). While blood vessel constriction isn’t a confirmed risk factor for heart disease, this finding still raised alarm.

The good news is that when combined with antioxidant-rich foods like vegetables or even red wine vinegar (hello, yummy salad dressing!), the vessel-constricting effect of olive oil disappears almost completely (study). It’s also worth noting that extra virgin olive oil has more antioxidants than refined olive oil, so I encourage you to opt for that when you can (just be careful using extra virgin olive oil in cooking—more on that later!).

At the end of the day, unless you’re diet is imbalanced and lacks sufficient antioxidants, this blood vessel issue is a non-issue.

Confusion about whether or not oil is part of a healthy diet has been around for years—some health gurus swear by its benefits while others recommend eliminating it completely. Here’s what you need to know about the great oil debate!

Criticism #2: Olive oil has over a 10:1 ratio omega-6s to omega-3s.

It’s important to maintain a 4:1 ratio of omega-6s to omega-3s in your diet to protect your body from inflammation and heart disease, maintain a strong immune system, and support a healthy central nervous system. But because omega-6s are easy to get (they’re in nutrient-rich vegetable oils like sunflower and safflower oil, but also in lots of processed foods, poultry and eggs) and omega-3s aren’t as readily available, this balance can be hard to strike.

Olive oil is made up of far more omega-6s than omega-3s, so some argue that consuming it makes that ideal ratio even harder to achieve. But using it in moderation simply isn’t enough to cause an imbalance because the total amount of omega-6s is still quite small when compared with those other omega-6-rich foods mentioned above.

This is still a good reminder to choose your omega-6 sources wisely. They are essential and while some, like sunflower oil, are rich sources of vitamin E and other nutrients, others are packed with inflammatory nasties (yep, I’m talking about processed foods and animal products). Also, make sure you’re getting sufficient omega-3s by including ground flaxseed, flax oil, chia seeds and walnuts in your meals

Criticism #3: Vegetable oils are unsafe at high heat.

Prolonged high temperatures can cause certain oils to break down and produce potentially toxic, cancer-causing compounds such as lipid peroxides and aldehydes. Oils high in polyunsaturated fats (flax, canola, soybean, safflower and sunflower) are most prone to this kind of oxidative damage. So while those oils are great for salads, raw meals and dishes that are heated quickly at lower temps (like simmered soups), they’re not the best choice for most cooking.

But this doesn’t mean you can’t cook with oil at all—you just need to use the right kind! Olive, grapeseed and avocado oils are actually quite stable at high heat. The fats in these oils are primarily monounsaturated, making them lower in those polyunsaturated fats we talked about above. They also have high smoke points, making them great choices for the majority of cooking methods. Olive oil has a smoke point between 374-406°F (190-208°C), grapeseed oil has a smoke point of 420°F (216°C) and avocado oil’s smoke point is around 500°F (260°C). Plus, olive oil and avocado oil are rich in antioxidants (vitamin E among others), which actually work to prevent the oxidative damage that can occur when an oil is heated past its smoke point.

Keep in mind: Extra virgin olive oil has a lower smoke point than refined olive oil, so it shouldn’t be used for prolonged cooking over high heat. Some even say that it should be limited to use in salad dressings and simmered dishes like soups and pastas. Not only will extra virgin olive oil smoke more quickly, but its flavonoids and nutrients will degrade faster than those in refined olive oil, which has had its impurities removed.

Criticism #4: Oils may promote weight gain because they’re 100% fat.

Dietary fat contains 9 calories per gram vs. carbohydrates and protein, which have just 4 calories per gram, making it the richest source of calories available. Even a gram of alcohol has fewer calories than fat (seven, to be exact!). For this reason, people often blame fat (and oil by association) for promoting weight gain or getting in the way of healthy weight management.

While it’s true that vegetable oils are processed foods made up of 100 percent fat, that doesn’t make them 100 percent bad for you! Including oils in your diet can make meals more satisfying. Plus, consuming some added fats in the form of oil can help keep hunger at bay longer than if you go oil-free (study). Many of us have personal experience with this—when I was going through my low-fat phase in the 90s (along with the rest of the US!), I was ALWAYS hungry!

When it comes to appetite control, satiety and body weight, coconut oil is especially helpful because it contains something called medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs). MCTs are used almost immediately by the liver for energy and are very rarely stored as body fat. They can also keep your metabolism (your calorie-burning machinery) running faster for a longer period of time than other fatty acids (study). Take that, hunger!

Remember, there’s no one-size-fits-all diet and it’s important to follow a plan that works best for you. Because oil is so calorie-dense, giving it up (or being more conscious about measuring out a moderate amount) is what helps some people maintain or achieve their goal weight—and that’s great! If you do end up going oil-free, just make sure you’re getting those healthy fats elsewhere—I’ve included tips to help you do so later on in this post.

Constant cravings wreaking havoc on your health? You’ve gotta check out part two of my free wellness workshop! Get instant access here:

More Reasons to Include Oils

Now that we’ve covered some of the main oil criticisms, let’s talk about what’s to love about oil. Here are some of the reasons it’s part of my diet:

Oils add satisfaction and flavor to plant-powered meals. A tablespoon is all it takes to bring out incredible flavors and textures in stir-fries and other sautéed dishes. It can be challenging to stick with a veggie-powered diet in a meat-eating world, so if using oil in moderation helps you do that (it sure does for me!), then I’m all for it.

Oils help make meals more balanced when whole plant fats are missing. We need whole plant fats and essential fatty acids to stay healthy—it’s that simple. But we may not always be able to get the optimal amounts from whole seeds, nuts, olives and avocados alone. Plus, variety is important. Adding oils is an easy way to round out the nutritional profile of your meals.

Oils are full of concentrated nutrition. Oils from nuts, seeds, olives and avocados are rich in the antioxidant vitamin E as well as other polyphenols, which help prevent oxidative damage and reduce risk for chronic diseases. Flax, soybean and walnut oils are especially rich sources of omega-3 essential fats, which are crucial for heart disease prevention and the development and health of our entire nervous system. They also help keep our hair shiny and full, and cuticles healthy! And let’s not forget that olive and avocado oils are monounsaturated fat superstars that not only lower cholesterol levels and cancer risk, but also improve symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and help reduce belly fat.

To Oil or Not to Oil? The Bottom Line

So, what’s the final say on oil? Here’s our take…

We don’t need oil to practice a balanced plant-based lifestyle. But in our experience, using it in moderation makes any healthy diet richer, easier and more fulfilling. And who doesn’t want that?

But remember: At the end of the day, only you and your doc can decide what’s right for you. I’m in favor of whatever helps you feel your absolute best. If you’ve determined that avoiding oil is the way to go, then keep doing what you’re doing!

Before you go, here’s a quick recap of what you need to know to include oils in your diet in a healthy way:

Use oils higher in monounsaturated fat for cooking because they’re safer at high heats. Olive, avocado and grapeseed oils are your BFFs for stir fries, soups, pasta dishes and grilling. Store them at room temp away from heat (not on the stove!).

Use oils higher in polyunsaturated fat and extra virgin olive oil for raw dishes and dressings like a yummy homemade vinaigrette. Flax, sunflower and walnut oils are best served unheated and stored in the fridge.

Coconut oil is great for increasing the satiety of meals and keeping your metabolism fired up because it contains MCTs.

Keep a variety of oils on hand to strike a nutritious balance. My guide to healthy fats will help you figure out which oils (and how much!) to include on a daily basis. Check it out here.

If you choose to avoid oils completely, you must be sure to include whole nuts, seeds, olives and avocados in your diet to ensure you’re getting the right balance of calories from carbs, protein and fat!

Your turn: I hope this info helps clear up any worries you had about oil. If you have any more Qs, ask away in the comments below!

Peace and plant oils,

The post The Oil Debate: Everything You Need to Know appeared first on KrisCarr.com.

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