Stephen P. Williams: From an Amazon backwater to the Nobel Peace Prize

Stephen P. Williams: From an Amazon backwater to the Nobel Peace Prize

Lenin Moreno, the vice president of Ecuador, never set out to win the Nobel Peace Prize. But sometimes the most deserving nominees find their life's work at the point of a gun - literally.

Moreno grew up in Nuevo Rocafuerte, an Amazonian backwater near the Peruvian border. Despite his isolated upbringing, Moreno transformed himself into an elite lawyer in this country of over 14 million people astride the equator on the Pacific Coast of South America. Life was good, and then it wasn't.

One afternoon two teenagers decided to steal his car in a grocery store parking lot in Quito, the country's capital. Moreno handed over his keys and wallet, but still they shot him in the back, paralyzing him for life. One minute he was buying bread for his family; the next he was on a path that would turn him into an accidental activist, responsible for bringing a strong measure of peace to tens of thousands of disable people in Ecuador.

Ecuador is not a wealthy place, though it's incredibly rich in natural resources - both the extractable kind, and the less tangible ones, like natural beauty, human intelligence and creative thinking. The country was born out of the conquest, with Indian groups and the descendants of African slaves kept in submission by a dominant class descended from the Spaniards. The notion that some people weren't worth as much as other people was built into the culture, and endures to this day. Sadly, the burden is even greater for physically and mentally handicapped people, who until recently were often seen begging on cobblestone streets, strips of old inner-tubes tied to their hands and knees to protect their skin as they dragged themselves along.

Like most Ecuadorians, Moreno hadn't thought much about these people. They were background images, just more of the huge poverty class that still plagues Ecuador. But the bullet in his back changed all that. The injury plunged Moreno into a dark crevasse of neuralgia and depression. Bedridden and in extreme pain, he sank as low as a man can go. Drugs didn't work. Doctors were baffled.

But then Moreno discovered the value of laughter as a healing agent. His doctors thought it was ridiculous, at first. But his wife and three daughters believed in him. And together they laughed him out of his nightmare situation, and inspired him to write a number of books about the power of laughter to heal. After four years he was able to use a wheelchair to move around. He came to realize that the best way to cure his own chronic pain was with love, humor, friendship, respect of himself and others, optimism, faith and hope. These principals became the basis of his wildly popular motivational talks.That would be enough for most people, but not Moreno.

Able to move now, he returned to his legal work, and politics, and in 2007 was elected Vice President of Ecuador, serving under Rafael Correa. This was the first time that many Ecuadorians had seen a disabled man, in a wheelchair no less, in a position of power. Moreno knew how lucky he was to be educated, wealthy, and powerful, living with his family in a house filled with paintings, many of them the work of his oldest daughter Irina. And still he knew how tough it was to be handicapped. So he used the power of the former to help the latter.

In that first year, Moreno was astounded to learn that Ecuador spent little more than 100,000 dollars a year assisting its handicapped citizens. He took a fact-finding trip around the country and uncovered handicapped people living in chicken coops, caves, and rat-infested grass shelters. And not just one, but many.

Soon after taking office, Moreno raised the amount spent annually on help for the disabled in Ecuador by over 5,000 percent. He also founded the Manuela Espejo Solidarity Mission for the Disabled, which offers rehab, technical help, and psychological support to thousands of disabled Ecuadorians. Between 2009 and 2010 the Solidarity Mission visited over a million homes around the country and interviewed nearly 300,000 disabled people to find out what needs were most pressing. Many of those people received free medical checkups. And now the Solidarity Mission is spreading to Paraguay, Peru, Guatemala, Chile, El Salvador and Colombia.

These days, the baroque lobby of the vice presidential palace is often crowded with blind boys holding their mothers' hands, developmentally disabled adults clustered in groups, and people in wheelchairs and on crutches who believe that the vice president is someone who understands their needs.

Moreno downplays his exceptionalism. He once told a reporter from the Miami Herald: "We're all handicapped at some moment in our life--whether it's as children or as seniors. So I'm sure I'm not the only one."

But let's hope the Nobel committee plays it up. It would be good to see Moreno in Oslo this year.

To support Lenín Moreno for the Nobel Peace Prize follow @ANobelCause on Twitter.

Follow Stephen P. Williams on Twitter: www.twitter.com/@stephenwilliam

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Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

Do Educated People Live Longer?

Do Educated People Live Longer?

If you struggle to lose yourself in your studies, this might help motivate you – people who are more educated ‘live longer’ claim a team of Swedish researchers.

According to scientists from the Centre of Health Equity Studies and the Swedish Institute for Social Research, people who are educated for at least nine years have a lower mortality rate after the age of 40 than those who study for eight years or less.

The research, based on the study results of 1.2 million Swedish people, found a link between education and life expectancy. They discovered that those exposed to an additional year of education adopted a more positive outlook on life during their ninth year of education, meaning they were more likely to look after their health and wellbeing.

“If your life is a little better, you take a little better care of yourself,” explains lead researcher Anton Lager in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, as reported by HealthDay.

“If you make a little more income, have a job with a little more flexibility, more control of time, then maybe you use less tobacco and alcohol," says Lager.

The researchers looked at data from 1949 to 2007, and discovered that people who received nine years of education as opposed to eight years and under, were less likely to die from all types of cancer (particularly lung cancer) and accidents.

Women with nine years of education behind them were less likely to die from heart disease.

• Brain-Boosting Foods

• Avocado

  Avocados are a great source of 'healthy fats' as well as a good blood circulation booster. This is important when it comes to brain power, as it enhances the blood flow to the brain, maintaining healthy brain function.

• Oily Fish

  The essential omega-3 fatty acids, found in oily fish like sardines, herring, trout and mackerel, as well as walnut oil and flaxseeds (linseeds) - are high in Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a fatty acid crucial to maintaining a healthy nervous system. Low DHA levels have been linked to a higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and memory loss. Fish also contains iodine, which is known to improve mental clarity. For brain and heart health, eat two servings of fish weekly.

• Whole grains

  Whole grains improve circulation and help regulate glucose levels in the blood as the steadier the glucose levels, the easier it is to concentrate. This is why it's important to eat breakfast in the morning, as it not only revs up the metabolism, but keeps your sugar levels balanced as well as protecting against diabetes and heart disease.

• Sugar

  Sugar is the brain's preferred fuel source, however before you reach for the table sugar, it's glucose that your body needs. The body metabolises glucose from the sugars and carbohydrates in food. That's why a glass of something sweet offers a short-term boost to memory, thinking processes, and mental ability. Too much sugar on the other hand, can result in impaired memory, so go easy on the sweet stuff and consume enough to boost your brain power.

• Caffeine

  Like sugar, caffeine perks up the brain but if you have too much, it can have negative effect on your mental state. Found in coffee, chocolate, energy drinks, and some medications, caffeine gives you that unmistakable wake-up feeling. But beware, the effects are short-term and if you overdo it, the brain can go into overdrive and make you more jittery than sharp thinking.

• Nuts And Seeds

  Nuts and seeds are great sources of antioxidant vitamin E, which is associated with less cognitive decline as you age. A good intake of vitamin E is linked to preventing poor memory. Nuts are a great source of vitamin E along with leafy green vegetables, seeds, eggs, brown rice and whole grains. Pumpkin seeds are especially good for boosting brain power, as a handful a day is all you need to get your recommended daily amount of zinc, vital for enhancing memory and thinking skills.

• Blueberries

  Blueberries and strawberries contain antioxidants, which are thought to protect brain neurons from damage, build communication receptors between each brain cell, and flush out waste. They also help protect against age-related diseases like Alzheimer's. Blackberries are also a great brain booster, as it contains Vitamin C which has long been thought to have the power to increase mental agility.

• Sage

  An unlikely contender, the humble sage has long had a reputation for improving memory. Although its recommended to try sage oils, try and sprinkle some sage into your diet.

• Vitamins

  Folic acid and vitamin B12 help prevent homocysteine from building up in the body, which is higher in those with Alzheimer's. Vitamin B, C, E, beta-carotene, and magnesium are also good vitamins to stock up on when looking to boost brain power.

• Tomato

  Tomato's contain lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that helps protect against the kind of free radical damage to cells which occurs in the development of dementia, particularly Alzheimer's.

• Broccoli

  A great source of vitamin K, broccoli which is known to enhance cognitive function and improve brainpower.

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Source: www.huffingtonpost.co.uk

Dr. Isaac Eliaz: Insights Into Mother's Day

Dr. Isaac Eliaz: Insights Into Mother's Day

What a gorgeous time of year it is! As we enjoy the delights of spring, I am continually inspired and uplifted by the beauty and energy of this season. This is an excellent time of the year to enhance your health with a gentle seasonal detox or cleanse -- simple and so beneficial on every level. This time of year also offers an excellent opportunity to release old patterns, fears and frustrations, so we can move forward in a more harmonized way. The strong life energy of this season moves our emotions, and if we are listening, we can find the places where our energy is stuck -- the places that need healing.

It is no coincidence that Mother's Day comes at just this time of year. The archetype of motherhood is the source of all life -- the most primary and primal connection that marks the beginning of our individual existence. This season ushers in a real opportunity to get in touch with the life force flowing within us, and to feel a deep sense of gratitude for our own life.

In ancient spiritual traditions, one of the fundamental tenets is that "everyone was once your mother." This concept has many important meanings. Human beings and living beings are interdependent and interconnected, whether we recognize it or not. Respecting all beings, and treating each with the kindness that we would extend to our own mother, are powerful tools that we can practice moment-to-moment. This image, this metaphor, can inspire us to develop greater kindness toward our own mothers, toward ourselves, and toward anyone we are connected with.

I encourage you to make some time to contemplate your relationship with your mother. Often in our culture people have challenging relationships, or have had particular experiences that were difficult, with their mothers. We tend to continue carrying this burden throughout the years, which can create a deep but perhaps unconscious wound in our fundamental relationship to life.

Healing this relationship is very important, and this time of year enhances our ability to transform these old wounds. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the spring season is associated with the liver. The liver, as you know, processes what comes into our bodies, so that we can use what's beneficial and safely eliminate what's not. If the liver and digestion are not functioning well, toxins get recycled back into our bodies. This is true on an emotional level as well. In TCM, the liver is associated with anger and frustration, common feelings that many in our culture have had with their mothers, at some point in life. We can work on it, but more importantly, we can simply allow the attitude and practice of deep love and gratitude to our mothers as the ones who gave us life, to open our hearts toward all living beings.

It is always possible to heal and restore this relationship to our mothers. You can do this even if your mother is no longer alive.

I'd like to share some excerpts from a writing called "A Rose for Your Pocket" by Thich Nhat Hanh, who writes beautifully on the subject of healing our relationship with our mothers.

Even an old person, when he loses his mother, doesn't feel ready. He too has the impression that he is not yet ripe, that he is suddenly alone. He feels as abandoned and unhappy as a young orphan. When I was a child I heard a simple poem about losing your mother, and it is still very important for me.
That year, although I was still very young
My mother left me.
And I realized
That I was an orphan.
I realized that to lose your mother
Is to lose the whole universe.
We swim in a world of tender love for many years,
And, without even knowing it, we are quite happy there.
Only after it is too late do we become aware of it.

We tend to think that healing this relationship is complicated, and many times we get stuck not knowing how or what to do. Thich Nhat Hanh, in his beautiful straightforward way, gives us a starting path that is simple and yet very powerful:

The next time you visit your mother, you may wish to go into her room and, with a calm and silent smile, sit down beside her. Without saying anything, make her stop working. Then, look at her for a long time, look at her deeply. Do this in order to see her, to realize that she is there; she is alive, beside you. Take her hand and ask her one short question to capture her attention, "Mother, do you know something?" She will be a little surprised and will probably smile when she asks you, "What, dear?" Keep looking into her eyes, smiling serenely, and say, "Do you know that I love you?"
Ask this question without waiting for an answer. Even if you are thirty or forty years old, or older, ask her as the child of your mother. Your mother and you will be happy, conscious of living in eternal love.
Then tomorrow, when she leaves you, you will have no regrets.

This kind of approach, this kind of profound experience, does not only have the potential to heal your relationship with your mother; it has the potential to heal your relationship with yourself and others.

If your mother is not alive, you can do this practice by visualizing your mother and talking with her. You may have many layers of feelings to experience and release as you go through this process. Allow it to unfold and peel away, letting go of everything that is arising. You will eventually come to this very simple place of unconditional love, acceptance, and if necessary, forgiveness. It's important to recognize that it is okay to ask for guidance from a qualified therapist or healer as you navigate this process. The tools you develop will benefit all of your relationships, and restoring this connection with your mother can transform the life she gave you. Love and compassion, an open heart, are the greatest healers. They protects us and offers us the opportunity to heal ourselves and others.

May this spring season bring healing and renewal to all aspects of your life.

For more by Dr. Isaac Eliaz, click here.

For more on Mother's Day, click here.

Source: www.huffingtonpost.com