3 Reasons A Balanced Life Is A Better Life

At Work And At Home, Success Depends On Finding Equilibrium, Magazine Editor And Stroke Survivor Says

Life sometimes can seem off kilter as responsibilities mount and people plow all their physical and mental resources into what seems to be the most pressing crisis of the moment.

But Lumbie Mlambo says that's a good time to take a step back. Everyone has the potential to shine in life's darkest moments, but the key to achieving goals and an overall better existence is to maintain a balance so that one aspect of your life isn't consumed by another.

While some people might say balance in life is an impossible goal, she disagrees and says when each of us find our equilibrium, we become more productive and a greater asset to our communities.

"There's balance in everything we do, be it walking, talking, eating, sleeping, working or spending time with family," says Mlambo, editor of Equanimity Magazine, an online publication that features inspiring stories of life and success.

"For example, look at how we try to deal with our work-life situation. We balance our workload so that we can still make room for other activities, to spend more time with our spouses or our children. We do that because we understand how important it is."

She offers these reasons for why living a balanced life is essential.

• The health factor.

Staying balanced is a key to a healthier and successful life. Both mental health and physical health benefit, and as a result, so do our overall lives. "When we're healthy, we're able to care for ourselves and others in our community," Mlambo says.

• The empathy factor.

When we find balance in life, we can better understand the importance of helping the underprivileged, says Mlambo, who grew up in a rural area in Zimbabwe. You begin to realize that someday you could be in their situation, which makes you a more empathetic person. "Your economic situation is like your health," she says. "Nothing is guaranteed."

• The role-model factor.

Sharing our stories – whether it's a tale of success or even a tale of failure – is important because others can learn from us or be inspired by us as they too strive for a balanced life. "When you tell your story, it empowers, motivates and encourages people to not give up on their dreams and goals," Mlambo says. "Maybe you think your story is just not that interesting or important. But for someone out there, it may be the spark that ignites them to great things."

Mlambo always strove to find balance in her life. But she became even more passionate about it after she suffered a stroke in 2001 that left her partially paralyzed. She since has recovered, but says the event had a profound impact on her and she will always consider herself a stroke patient.

"Before the stroke, I thought my life was balanced in a way," she says. "I mean, I ate healthy foods. I exercised seven days a week. But it was not balanced in the way I wanted. I had been too focused on myself. I realized that life was not just about me, but about others."

Finding balance in life isn't just a feel-good concept, Mlambo says. As people achieve balance, they realize they have the potential to rise above their circumstances. They can become more productive in their communities and that is good for everyone.

"Staying proactive and shifting the way we think can even help the economy to grow and can help create more jobs," she says.

Certainly, maintaining a balanced life may be tougher than ever because technology allows work – emails, text messages, telephone calls – to intrude on people's "off" hours. But that's just all the more reason to make a concerted effort to strive for balance, Mlambo says.

She says it's become popular in some circles to argue that a balanced life is a myth and can't be achieved. But regardless of their views, she says, most people seem to be trying to bring balance to their lives, even if they don't think of it that way.

"We eat healthy to stay balanced, we get enough sleep or rest to avoid stress, we juggle our daily activities to stay balanced," Mlambo says. "To be successful in anything we do, we must have some sort of balance."

About Lumbie Mlambo

By Dr Jared Cooper OD

If your child has been diagnosed for a learning disability, ADD/ADHD, or dyslexia, you might be surprised to learn that perhaps it's none of the above. It's entirely possible that your child has been misdiagnosed and actually has a vision problem.

You might be able to prevent an otherwise miserable life

Some call it a diagnosis; others call it a label. No matter how you look at it, it's undeniable that a learning disability can have a profound effect on your child's school and home life. Common as they are nowadays, learning disabilities can be frustrating and difficult to treat or even understand. When problems just don't seem to get any better, it is understandable for parents to wonder whether it's really a learning disability at all, or a misdiagnosis. You're torn because you trust that the psychologists and social workers who work with your child have considered all the possibilities. They couldn't have gotten it wrong ... or could they have?

Actually, they could have. It may not necessarily be their fault, as a number of unrelated issues have similar symptoms to learning disabilities. That's why, before allowing your child to be given the learning disability label, it is crucial to consider other possibilities. This means getting your child examined by doctors, including a vision specialist. With eyesight issues American children having uncorrected vision issues, it might very well be the case that your child actually has an eyesight problem masking itself as a learning disability.

Kids are, by nature, extremely visual in how they absorb and process information. In fact, in the first 12 years of a child's life, 80 percent of what is learned comes through visual information processing. This close connection between seeing and learning might help to explain why eyesight problems and learning issues are so easily confused. Symptoms such as compromised academic performance and difficulty paying attention in class can be common to both visual and learning disorders. To confuse the matter even further, up to 40 percent of kids with learning disabilities also have eyesight issues In other words, while some children seem to have a learning disability, but instead have an eyesight problem, other kids may have both issues. Either way, one would think that checkups from an eye care specialist would be standard procedure, right?

Wrong. Vision screenings, while they ought to be an integral part of the process, are surprisingly lacking. Whenever a learning disability, ADD/ADHD or dyslexia is suspected in a child, a thorough eye examination should be one of the first steps taken, but unfortunately does not always happen. It is a startling truth that in America, 20 percent of kids have eyesight issues that are uncorrected, despite being treatable. Perhaps this is because children don't always talk about their vision problems, instead choosing to hide or ignore the problem or express the issue through misbehavior. Ignoring the issue should not be an option, though, as untreated vision problems are only likely to get worse, not better. Over time, a child can develop a condition called amblyopia, where the vision is reduced because the child's eyes and brain aren't properly working together. This condition can typically be prevented when regular eye exams are given, starting at a young age.

So, what is a good age to start these vision screenings? Some may think eight, 10, or maybe 12, but that's not what the experts recommend. According to The American Optometric Association and the American Public Health Association, an examination should be given at approximately six months of age. This should not be considered odd or unusual, as the eye doctor will need to check for eye structure and muscle health, along with an examination of the baby's tear ducts and eyelids; such an examination will not be frightening or uncomfortable for the child, and is generally easy and trouble-free. In any case, regardless of the exact age at which the child starts getting vision screenings, the message from the experts is clear: Checkups from a highly qualified eye care practitioner should occur early and often.

In addition to regular checkups, it is worthwhile for parents and teachers to be on the lookout for possible symptoms of eyesight-related issues. Some children will squint or strain to read a book or the board, but others will give up trying and use excuses or misbehavior as an attempt to avoid reading tasks. This is where symptoms may be confused with the symptoms of learning disabilities; when a vision issue causes a child not to read, self-esteem issues, disruptive behaviors and poor grades can result, thereby reinforcing the learning disability misdiagnosis. Besides squinting and straining to read, other symptoms to watch for include habitually keeping the head close to a book when reading, headaches or eyestrain, closing or covering one eye or excessively rubbing the eyes or blinking. However, sometimes it may be a combination of these symptoms, or none of them, which reinforces the idea that regular checkups from a qualified eye care specialist are the first and best line of defense against long-term vision problems in children.

The simple act of getting an eye exam can have profound and immediate effects on a child's life. Reports have been made of young students who stopped looking at the board simply because they couldn't see it, or who wouldn't stop talking in class due to the frustration of not being able to see properly. Dramatic turnarounds occurred when the children's eyesight was screened and glasses were issued; for these children, academic performance and quality of life were improved almost immediately. As parents, we don't have to let it get to that point if we stay aware and take precautions. Early prevention of eyesight issues is generally much simpler than having to address problems later on.

Staying informed and taking action can help prevent misdiagnosis and progressive eye problems for your child. Confusing learning disabilities and vision issues is not uncommon, but does not need to happen to your kids. Bring clarity to the issue — and to your child's vision — with a comprehensive eye exam today.

About The Author:

Memphis, TN (August 2015) - As you close the restaurant menu and place it on the table, you feel pretty darn proud of yourself. After all, you've just bypassed quite a few unhealthy entrée options and decided on the grilled chicken. You certainly don't suspect that your side dish - a choice between corn on the cob, steamed broccoli, or a baked potato - might sabotage your efforts to lose weight. (They're all vegetables, right? How unhealthy could they be?) But according to Warren Honeycutt, that's exactly what could happen if you aren't familiar with the glycemic index (GI). Turns out, the best choice is broccoli, the next best is corn, and in last place - dead last - is the baked potato. In fact, you might as well eat a candy bar.

If you're thinking something along the lines of, Huh? What is the glycemic index and what does it have against baked potatoes?, read on.

"The glycemic index is a reliable way to measure how various foods and drinks will affect your blood sugar," says Honeycutt, author of Get Lean for Life: 7 Keys to Lasting Weight Loss (Get Honeycutt, Inc., 2014, ISBN: 978-1-5008011-7-5, $19.95, www.getlean.guru). "In particular, the GI can help you make choices that will leave you feeling satisfied longer, and that won't turn to fat soon after you eat them."

If you take the time to learn the basics about what the glycemic index is, how it works, and how to apply it to your daily habits, you will see results in your weight loss efforts, promises Honeycutt.

A respected expert in weight loss, fitness, and nutrition, Honeycutt speaks from experience. He is a championship bodybuilder who has been a Southern Classic Physique Champion, two-time Mr. Tennessee, and six-time Mr. America finalist. Now, at age 62, he enjoys perfect health without any prescription medications. Honeycutt offers personalized fitness training through his comprehensive Get Lean program, which features detailed fitness videos for exercising at the gym, at home, at the office, and while traveling; personalized meal plans; motivational material; and more.

Here, Honeycutt shares seven things you should know about the GI and how to use it:

The GI is like golf: You'll want to avoid high scores. In a nutshell, the glycemic index measures how quickly the body will break down the carbs in a given food and convert them to glucose. Each food is assigned a rating on a scale of 0-100, with 100 being pure glucose.

"Generally speaking, the higher on the glycemic index any given food is, the greater the effect it has on raising your blood sugar," Honeycutt says. "As we'll discuss, high blood sugar is something to avoid if your goal is to maintain a healthy weight."

Not all carbs are created equal. As Honeycutt has pointed out, high-GI foods cause a spike in blood sugar. This prompts the body to store fat and tricks the brain into craving more food. It's easy to see why these carbs are considered "bad" for individuals who want to improve their health and lose weight.

"Meanwhile, foods that are lower on the GI take longer for the body to break down, creating a slow and balanced rise in blood sugar," Honeycutt explains. "These 'good' carbs leave you feeling satisfied longer and help regulate your metabolism. So don't be put off if you see that a particular food has a high number of carbs. Check its GI rating first. If those are 'good' carbs that create a slow burn, you'll be better off in the long run than if you ate lots of low-carb, high-GI foods that leave you feeling perpetually hungry."

Steer clear of heavy loads. While a food's glycemic index indicates the effect its carbohydrates have on blood sugar, its glycemic load represents the amount of these carbohydrates in each serving. For example, while watermelon has a fairly high glycemic index of about 72, it has a glycemic load of only 4, meaning that while the carbs in watermelon can raise blood sugar quickly, the fruit is not dense enough with them to do so.

"In general, foods with a glycemic load of 10 or less have a low load, foods with a glycemic load of 11-19 have a medium load, and foods with a glycemic load of 20 or more have a high load," Honeycutt explains. "The lower a food's glycemic load, the less of an impact one serving will have on your blood sugar. Remember, to get the most accurate picture of how a particular item will affect you, be sure to look at both GI and GL."

The (GI) devil's in the details of freshness, ripeness, and preparation. The glycemic index of many foods can change depending on their freshness, ripeness, or preparation. Bananas, for instance, can go from a GI of roughly 40 to around 65 as they ripen because of the transformation of the starches within them. Similarly, freshly harvested potatoes have a lower GI than those that have been stored for some time.

"The way a food is prepared also affects its GI," Honeycutt points out. "Fruit juice has a higher GI than whole fruit, refined flour products have a higher GI than those made with whole grains, and mashed potatoes have a higher GI than a baked potato. Paying attention to these details will help keep the overall GI of your diet down without having to cut out foods like this completely.

"A quick Internet search will uncover a wealth of information about how to prepare foods in a way that keeps their GI rating as low as possible," he adds. "In general, though, try to maintain each item's natural structure as much as possible, since large particles take longer for the body to break down and digest. Processing foods and cooking them to soften them does some of that important 'work' beforehand."

It's fine to have the white rice (or other high-GI treat). Just order beans (or a low-GI item) as your other side. If you love certain foods that are high on the glycemic index but are concerned about raising your blood sugar, try balancing your meal by consuming some low-GI foods along with those higher on the GI. The net result will be a more balanced rise in blood sugar than the high-GI food alone would give you.

"A healthy meal should have a balanced overall glycemic index and a wide range of foods," Honeycutt comments. "If you can work in some low-GI proteins, healthy fats, and minimally processed carbs or grains, you'll be giving your body a healthy dose of many of the nutrients it needs while keeping weight gain down."

Eat dessert before dinner. (Yes, really!) Whoever created the tradition of eating dessert after dinner probably wasn't aware of just how unhealthy a habit it is. The rapid rise in blood sugar brought on by a late-night slice of cake or bowl of ice cream will disrupt your sleeping pattern and leave you feeling sluggish in the morning, not to mention that lying asleep for hours is a sure way for your body to convert all that sugar to fat.

"If you find yourself craving something sweet before bed, have an apple or a cup of strawberries," recommends Honeycutt. "The fiber in fruit slows the processing of its natural sugar, so you don't get the blood sugar spike you'd get with cookies or sweets. And what about those high-GI desserts you just can't give up? Consider having them with lunch instead. You'll remain more active as your body is breaking down all of those carbs, and fewer of them will be converted to fat. "

Remember that GI isn't the be-all and end-all of nutrition. Remember that nutrition should be the central goal of any diet. The glycemic index isn't the sole determinant of a food's health value. There are many high-GI foods that are filled with essential nutrients and vitamins, and just as many low-GI foods that are still fatty and unhealthy. For example, cantaloupe has a relatively high GI compared to other fruits, but contains a spectrum of valuable nutrients, such as potassium, fiber, and vitamins A and C, while cheesecake has a relatively low GI but is full of fat and sugar.

"Keep in mind that the glycemic index is a tool for measuring effect on blood sugar, not overall nutrition," says Honeycutt. "Some foods need to be considered on a case-by-case basis. Not all low-GI foods are healthy, and many high-GI foods are very nutritious - in fact, a high-GI snack after a workout helps the body build muscle. The point is, the glycemic index is a handy rule of thumb, but there are also other things to take into consideration when building your diet."

"The glycemic index is an extremely valuable addition to your dietary tool belt," Honeycutt concludes. "When you can make a connection between what you eat and how it directly affects your body, picking the foods you need will become much easier. If you evaluate your diet choices using both GI and GL measurements, you have full control over your carb intake - and that's key to weight loss."

About the Author:

Warren Honeycutt is the author of Get Lean for Life: 7 Keys to Lasting Weight Loss. An expert in weight loss, fitness, and nutrition, he is a championship bodybuilder who has been a Southern Classic Physique Champion, two-time Mr. Tennessee, and six-time Mr. America finalist. Now, at age 62, he enjoys perfect health without any prescription medications and a physique that is the envy of most 25-year-olds.