The benefits of birch sap

Purifying and diuretic properties

Fresh birch sap helps purify the body by promoting the elimination of acidic waste (learn more on the Vegetal Water website). It regulates secretions and contributes to the drainage and detoxification of the body by helping it eliminate toxins. Thanks to the active ingredients in its resin, including betulin and salicylic acid, it can facilitate the work of the organs. It activates diuresis and promotes the elimination of organic waste such as uric acid, urea chlorides or cholesterol.

Therefore, consuming birch sap can be suitable for people who have problems with rheumatism, gout, and arthritis. It is beneficial for the kidneys and helps fight kidney stones or urinary stones. It can also improve the appearance of fatty tissue and get rid of skin conditions such as elm, eczema, psoriasis, or scalp dermatitis. It can also make diets more effective and promote slimming thanks to its diuretic properties, which contribute to skin drainage, combat water retention, and treat cellulite.

Remineralizing properties

Birch sap is a real source of vital energy due to its very appreciable content of trace elements and minerals such as magnesium, lithium, silicon, potassium, calcium and phosphorus as well as vitamin C. It can

• Promote mood regulation and help combat mild forms of depression.

• Intervene in the condition of the joints by promoting their flexibility and fighting against osteoporosis

• Improve heart health and blood circulation

• Reduce oxidative stress and strengthen bones and teeth.

How to use it

For birch sap to bring vitality to the body and produce its multiple benefits, it is necessary to consume it fresh, without the addition of chemical preservatives, alcohol or pasteurization processes. The cure consists of drinking 150 ml of fresh birch sap in the morning on an empty stomach, mixed in a large glass of water over a period of 3 weeks so as to consume 3 liters during the cure.

Negative emotions are an integral part of life: without them, we wouldn't be able to appreciate the positive aspects or feel emotionally balanced. Taking care of your emotional well-being and staying positive is not about completely eradicating confusing emotions, but rather about acquiring the skills and resources needed to manage life's ups and downs.

Here are some of Bach's best tips to help you become more self-aware and learn to focus on positivity when emotions are high.

Self-awareness

The first step is to know exactly how you feel. Write down the following questions, along with the first thing that comes to mind in response:

- What am I feeling right now?

-What's bothering me right now?

– How important is it?

– What would make me feel better right now?

Sometimes, seeing things unfold before our eyes can help us better understand the situation. Assessing the importance of things is also a great exercise to help us prioritize and manage our emotions. We know how easy it is to get overwhelmed by the challenges in our lives, and even if some things are important, we may sometimes realize that we are holding on to something that is not so important.

Setting goals

Setting goals is all about starting small and finding realistic, achievable goals. You want to find goals that will help you achieve things without adding pressure—you want to work smarter, not harder. Write down your top three priorities and break them down into small, achievable steps you can take each day to achieve your goal. Then, write down three self-care activities. These might be practicing meditation, reading your book before bed, or journaling. Each day, try to make sure you do one of these self-care activities, along with your other tasks. Over time, these activities will become habits, leading to a gradual change in behavior that should help you gain more control over yourself and your emotions.

Take a break

While it's important to have goals, sometimes the best thing you can do when you're feeling overwhelmed is to take a break and take care of yourself. Burnout is never fun, and our bodies and minds can only handle so much, so make sure you take time for yourself every day. Allow yourself to sleep in if you really need to, indulge in that slice of cake, or just indulge for a moment to give yourself the best chance of succeeding the next day.

Move your body

Regular exercise is good for you: it releases serotonin, known as the “happy hormone.” However, getting active doesn't mean you have to hit the treadmill six days a week. Varying your routine by trying activities like Pilates, yoga, HIIT, walking, stretching, and swimming can help keep things interesting and fun. Listening to self-help podcasts or audiobooks while working out is also a great way to feel more positive both mentally and physically. Over time, you may find that exercise is the perfect way to let go of emotions and clear your head.

Say no

Feeling empowered to say no to things can have a big impact on your emotional well-being. It's so easy to spread yourself too thin, trying to please others or prove to yourself that 'we've got this.' But learning to be resilient also means learning to say no. Learning to say no not only has a positive impact on your own well-being, but it can also help you build fair and trusting relationships with others. If you ever feel doubtful or under pressure, return to the list of goals you've set for yourself—will this little extra help you achieve your goals? Is it a priority? If not, offer to wait another time or simply say no.

Talk to your friends

Staying connected with trusted friends and family can help us get through tough times with a smile. Whether you need a shoulder to lean on or can help support someone, the only way to find out is to connect with people. No one's life is perfect, and sharing our worries with others and hearing theirs in return can remind us that we are not alone.

Melancholic depression: a disease that is not new

Ancient civilizations considered that being depressed or melancholic was caused by the presence of black bile in the body. These aids would be demonized centuries later, with the advent of Christianity. During the Renaissance, deep melancholy (which can be compared to melancholic depression) would become a topic of conversation, thanks to artists who often evoked it in their works. However, at that time, it would be associated with the blues of artists. It would not be until the 20th century that a medical definition would be given to melancholy, which was then considered the most serious form of depression.

Melancholic depression: a profound malaise

Nowadays, melancholic depression is defined as a depressive episode of manic-depressive psychosis. A rather complicated term for "extreme depression."

When a person suffers from melancholic depression, they experience all the symptoms of depression, but to a much more severe extent. However, some signs differentiate melancholic depression from simple depression or melancholia, including: intense hopelessness, self-deprecation, complete demotivation, and a loss of will to live (leading to significant suicidal tendencies). Melancholic depression begins by affecting the patient's state of mind and eventually affects everything about them, both their body and their life.

The causes of the disease are usually associated with manic-depressive psychosis (sudden mood changes accompanied by melancholy), neurological disorders or, in some cases, a triggering event (which is a source of trauma).

Melancholic depression should not be confused with seasonal affective disorder, which appears with the first cold weather, the lack of sunlight, and the shortening of the days. While the two types of depression may have similarities, it is much simpler to treat seasonal affective disorder than melancholic depression because its causes are more profound. In both cases, treatment with light therapy is possible and generally allows for rapid results, particularly for people who have lost all desire and motivation.

An idea of ​​the symptoms:

• Persistent sadness: upon waking up, the individual suffering from melancholic depression lacks willpower, feels sad, and does not know how to fight this sadness.

• Feeling of guilt

• Insomnia

• Appetite disorders

• Bad mood

• Dark thoughts, even suicidal thoughts

Can melancholic depression be treated?

The answer is yes! However, the illness must be treated as early as possible, otherwise the patient risks taking their own life. Dark thoughts are very common in people suffering from melancholic depression; Diagnosing it is the first step to avoiding the worst.

Melancholic depression is generally treated in a hospital, and treatment is most often based on antidepressants. In more severe cases, treatment may involve the use of electroconvulsive therapy. It is often treated within a few weeks with the appropriate treatment; However, recurrence must be carefully monitored, which is very common in patients when the underlying causes of depression are not addressed.

The day hasn't even started yet, so what's already gone wrong? When stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline are running high, some people unwittingly find themselves members of the 5 am shift; They wake up early, anticipating the day ahead, their hearts pounding. For others, it seems impossible to switch off at night and fall asleep. Their minds race, they toss and turn, constantly checking the clock to see how many hours they have left before they have to get up for work or the kids. Sometimes the frustration of not being able to fall asleep creates additional pressure to sleep, creating a vicious cycle.

Many of us live with daily stress, but when it's prolonged, it can have potential repercussions on our mental and physical health. Trying to keep up with the intense demands of modern life can be exhausting. Between family life, career aspirations, personal development goals, social life, and exercise goals, it can be difficult to get 7 to 8 hours of quality sleep each night.

Whatever the reason, the mood we wake up in can linger throughout the day if we let it, affecting our state of mind toward everyone and everything around us. According to one study, lack of sleep causes certain emotions to increase in intensity while we're awake, and we react more strongly to negative stimuli. Research has also shown that the balance between our positive and negative moods tilts heavily toward the negative when we're sleep deprived. Studies in which participants felt stressed before falling asleep showed that they took longer to fall asleep, woke up more often during the night, and did not sleep as well or as long as the non-stressed group. Studies also show that waking up stressed can even hurt our performance, particularly in how we learn and retain information. It's clear, then, that there's a great synergy between sleep and our emotional well-being: taking care of one can improve the other. Poor sleep can affect our mental state, making us feel negative emotions more strongly and making daily life difficult. On the other hand, the stress, thoughts, and conflicts we experience can all hurt our sleep. Not only is sleep important for daily life, but the quality and duration of sleep can also have a major impact on our health. Everyone has a circadian rhythm (or internal biological clock) that helps control our daily sleep and wake patterns. Our circadian rhythm is controlled by a small but very important part of the brain called the hypothalamus. This rhythm is largely guided by genes and other natural factors such as hormones, but it can also be affected by several external elements, the most important being light and darkness. Our bodies naturally respond to darkness by producing melatonin, a hormone that helps induce sleep, and then suppress melatonin when it's light to stay awake. Our bodies then use this to predict our future sleep-wake cycles to prepare for when we need to sleep and stay awake.

While we may not be able to address “all” the factors that interfere with our sleep, there are small lifestyle changes we can make to our daily routines that can have a positive impact on our mental well-being and ultimately promote good sleep. Here are some simple ways to improve your sleeping habits and wake up feeling refreshed.

Try to establish a consistent routine of going to bed and waking up at the same time every day.

● When it's time to sleep, the darker the room, the better: Make your bedroom as dark as possible and let in as much natural light as possible when you wake up. If you have trouble waking up when it does, darkness is because your body needs some form of light to suppress melatonin and reset its clock. Ideally, natural light is best, but this is not always possible, and a dawn simulator (which emits a gradual light spectrum resembling dawn, promoting a gentle awakening) can often help as a suitable alternative. ● Disconnect from devices. The bed is for sleeping – avoid bringing work, phones, and laptops into the bedroom! Phones emit a blue light that can severely disrupt sleep. For the best sleep results, keep these digital devices out of your bedroom at all times. ● Less faking. Caffeine and alcohol are two big culprits. People assume alcohol helps them sleep, but in reality, it causes high levels of sleep disruption. You may fall asleep more easily, but the quality will be lower. ● The best temperature for falling asleep is somewhere between 18 °C and 24 °C. Keeping a cool temperature helps your body regulate its temperature. ● Relaxation. Relaxing is so important when preparing for sleep. This could be doing some stretches, reading a book, or writing a to-do list for the next day to clear your mind. ● Mindfulness can make a huge difference to our stress levels. A lot of our stress comes from dwelling on the past or imagining things that will happenare going bad in the future. But being present and mindful helps us clear our minds, tune into our bodies, and face whatever the moment calls for. When you feel stressed, take a moment to notice the sensation of your belly rising and falling as you breathe deeply. By doing this, you bring yourself back to the present. ● Exercise regularly: Moderate exercise in the morning or early afternoon can help you relax and fall asleep more easily at night. ● Journaling. Writing about our thoughts and feelings has been shown to have a calming effect on the amygdala, the part of the brain responsible for fight or flight. Write in a journal or type into your phone, noting your thoughts and describing how you feel. Why is sleep important for our emotional well-being?

Your emotional well-being influences how you think, feel, and behave in your daily life. It also affects your ability to manage stress and overcome life's challenges, build relationships, and move forward constructively when faced with setbacks and difficulties.

But remember, taking care of your emotional well-being doesn't mean you're always happy and free of negative thoughts and emotions. Rather, it's about acquiring the skills and resources you need to stay able to handle life's ups and downs.

Here are some reasons why you should prioritize your emotional well-being in 2025:

Mood boosting

Like it or not, stress is a normal and unavoidable part of life, and often when we feel overwhelmed or emotionally drained, we can find our moods fluctuating. Taking the time to consciously support your emotional well-being can, in turn, have an incredibly positive impact on your mood, whether that's by taking the time to connect with friends or family, engaging in guided meditation practices, or listening to your favorite playlist. Improving your mood isn't about making big changes; It's often the little things that can make a difference.

Physical health

One of the biggest benefits of taking care of your emotional well-being is the positive impact it can have on your physical health. You've probably noticed that spending time with loved ones or taking time for self-care can help you relax, while an argument or stressful situation can leave you feeling physically tense. The link between emotional and physical health is a two-way street, with one regularly affecting the other. When we feel emotionally strong, we're more likely to feel energized, and when we take the time to exercise or be physically active, we often feel a positive impact on our mood as our bodies release feel-good chemicals called endorphins.

Build confidence and self-esteem

Often, when we feel emotionally overwhelmed or drained, our confidence and self-esteem can suffer. This can sometimes mean we tend to view ourselves and the world around us in a more negative and critical light, feeling less capable of handling the challenges life inevitably throws our way. When these negative emotions arise and you find yourself in a situation of self-criticism, try thinking about what you would say to a friend in a similar situation. Think about the things you're good at and be a little gentler with yourself—we often give much better advice to others than we do to ourselves.

Developing resilience

Taking steps to prioritize your emotional well-being can help you manage stress and give you the coping skills you need to reduce the impact of stress on your life. Emotional resilience is not just your ability to bounce back from difficult circumstances, but also your ability to adapt constructively to challenging situations. If you feel you need to work on your emotional resilience, consider taking a step back and reflecting on the situations that cause you stress or make you feel overwhelmed and breaking them down into smaller pieces. Sometimes, when we feel emotionally drained, we can let feelings of stress or loss of control overwhelm rational thinking.

Improve productivity and concentration

When life gets busy, it's often difficult to focus and find the motivation to achieve our goals, whether at work or in our personal lives. When we focus on things, we need to nurture our emotional well-being, we are better equipped to control our emotions, and in turn, we are more likely to be productive and focused in our daily lives. Consider the steps you need to take to ensure you're ready for the day ahead, including prioritizing good quality sleep and practicing living in the moment rather than worrying about the past or the future.

Empathy and compassion

When you have the skills to understand and manage your emotions, it's easier to build stronger connections with others, demonstrating more empathy and compassion. You're also better able to express your feelings productively and create healthier relationship boundaries, whether with a partner, family member, friends, or even coworkers.

Why simplify your beauty routine?

A simple beauty routine has many benefits. First, it allows you to spend less time and effort on skincare, which is a welcome addition in the morning or at the end of a long day. Additionally, using fewer products allows you to better understand what's truly beneficial for your skin and reduces the risk of irritation or negative effects from combining too many products.

Reducing the number of products doesn't mean giving up on skincare; On the contrary, fewer, well-chosen products can bring more benefits to the skin. With the trend towards minimalism and conscious cosmetics, the key is to choose multifunctional and environmentally friendly products.

Steps to Simplify Your Beauty Routine

1. Limit your routine to three basic steps

For healthy skin, you only need three essential steps: cleanse, moisturize, and protect from the sun. Cleansing removes the day's impurities, moisturizing keeps the skin barrier strong, and sun protection prevents damage caused by UV rays. With these three steps, your skin is cared for and protected, without feeling overworked.

Recommended products:

• Cleaning: Opt for a gentle cleanser, ideally a solid, natural product. Solid cosmetics are more durable, last longer, and take up less space.

• Hydration: Choose a lightweight yet effective moisturizer. If it's multifunctional, even better; For example, one that doubles as an eye cream.

• Sun protection: A natural sunscreen without toxic ingredients is essential. There are conscious cosmetic options that protect without harming the environment.

2. Use multifunctional products

Multifunctional products are a great way to simplify your routine. You can opt for natural oils or soaps that moisturize and nourish the skin and also act as makeup removers, or solid balms that moisturize the face, lips, and dry areas. Solid cosmetics offer many multifunctional options, and their compact size is ideal for everyday use.

3. Favor natural ingredients and avoid unnecessary things

In minimalist cosmetics, less is more. Opt for products with natural ingredients and simple formulations. This way, you'll avoid exposing your skin to artificial ingredients that can cause irritation and other reactions. Conscious cosmetics focus on natural ingredients that are kind to both skin and the planet, reducing your environmental footprint and unnecessary waste.

The benefits of solid and minimalist cosmetics

• Economical and sustainable: Solid cosmetics generally last longer because you don't need to use large quantities. Plus, many brands are eliminating plastic and opting for recyclable packaging.

• Easy to carry: Sturdy and compact products are ideal for travel, as they take up less space and can be carried in hand luggage.

• Fewer ingredients, more effectiveness: Minimalist products focus on active ingredients that benefit the skin, without unnecessary additives.

Simplifying your beauty routine not only saves you time and money, but it's also good for your skin and the environment. Opting for minimalist, conscious cosmetics will help you reduce your environmental impact and maintain healthy skin with fewer products. Remember that in beauty, as in many things, less is more.

In recent years, many nurses have researched the topic, and one of the most relevant aspects they have discovered is the relationship between positive mental health and self-care actions. Several studies have found a direct, two-way relationship between positive mental health and self-care, even if the self-care actions are physical(2,3).

According to Orem, self-care is the practice of activities that individuals initiate and carry out to maintain their own life, health, and well-being. Self-care is a human behavior, a learned behavior that has the characteristics of intentional action, is interspersed in the activities of daily living, and is not in itself an activity of daily living; Its fundamental characteristic is based on intentionality. (4)

According to Orem, the structure of the self-care process contains three sequences (5,6): a) investigation, formulation and expression of the person's regulatory requirements, that is, the self-care requirements; b) making judgments about the course of action to be taken to regulate the self-care requirements and then making decisions; and c) carrying out the self-care actions to produce the regulation of the requirements.

If we relate this process to mindfulness and traditional Buddhist teachings, research on self-care requirements has an important component of conscious attention ( sati ). Without sati, it is not possible to realize the requirements of self-care and therefore undertake any type of action.

Decision-making about the courses of action to be taken would be related to apramada. Apramada is defined as being very careful about what should be adopted and what should be avoided. In this decision-making, we would choose courses of action that distance us from suffering and not bring us closer to it.

Finally, self-care actions are kusala, or skillful actions. Actions that lead us to overcome suffering and discomfort, actions that are not permeated by the three poisons that drive the wheel of worldly suffering (ignorance, hatred, or neurotic desire). On the other hand, akusala, or clumsy, actions are those that lead us to carelessness or negligence.

The idea of ​​introducing more self-care activities can be difficult and very costly in our daily lives with a lifestyle that is full of doing and doing more and more things.

From my point of view, Orem's contribution is very interesting because by saying that self-care is not so much about everyday activities but rather about integrating self-care into them, he can give us good guidance: it's not so much about DOING more, but BEING more in the actions we take.

If we want to increasingly benefit from the well-being that comes with self-care, we don't have to try to do more, but rather perform activities differently, one in which BEING is more present. This means honoring the smallest things that normally go unnoticed. Ultimately, it's about embellishing our actions with more appreciative conscious attention. This has nothing to do with the time we dedicate to an action, but with the appreciation we experience when carrying it out.

Here are some strategies to incorporate self-care into your daily life

• Practice mindfulness. That is, try to be present and nonjudgmental with what's happening in each moment. One strategy might be to spend three minutes of mindfulness to connect with what's happening to us. Or perhaps during a moment of rest, we can connect with the colors, shapes, and smells around us without judgment, with curiosity and kindness.

• Cultivate gratitude for the little things. You can take the first bite of your meal mindfully, being aware of all the people, animals, and elements that have made it possible for this food to reach your plate and become a part of you and sustain life. Or simply be aware of your senses and appreciate them as if you were becoming aware of them for the first time.

• Play. Play is about curiosity, about the unexpected, and it fosters creativity, inquisitiveness, and mindfulness. Perhaps you can play a game of hunting your thoughts and observe whether they are negatively biased or filled with judgmental voices. If you find them, smile at them and remember that “thoughts are not facts.” You can always practice compassion to counteract that negativity.

• Allow yourself to be in touch with nature for a few moments. Look at the sky and marvel at its magnitude and intensity, listen to the rustling of tree leaves in the wind, imagining their words. Or perhaps watch a child play, with shared curiosity and joy.

• Connect with your friends and loved ones. It may be difficult to see them every day, but maybe you can make a quick call to someone you haven't seen in a while and find out what's happening.

• Get moving. One of the self-care requirements most strongly correlated with positive mental health is movement and physical activity. Do something that involves activity and that you enjoy at the same time.

• Practice meditation. Even a little is better than nothing. Just 10 minutes a day can make a huge difference, and you'll notice how it gradually injects your daily life with serenity and practice.

• Give thanks. Giving thanks is a good way to honor the little things in life. It helps us appreciate them and allows us to connect with the present moment.