Have you ever wondered how your life will end?

I don't usually think about death, but lately, I have been pondering this question. I have witnessed older relatives, who have been a part of my entire life, as well as some distant friends who have passed away due to incurable diseases or accidents.
These experiences have led me to reflect on my mortality and to consider how I want to live my remaining years.

I am not afraid of death, but I am curious about what lies beyond.

One particular story made me think and wonder about death: a not-too-close friend from when I was a teenager suddenly and tragically lost his life while body rafting. He was always very adventurous, loved nature, and had a special connection with rocks and mountains.
He taught me how to rock climb.

While I was of course very saddened by the news of his death, I also found some comfort in knowing that he died doing what he loved most: being outdoors in nature, climbing rocks. He didn't have to suffer through a long and painful illness, and he died doing something that brought him joy.

He lived a life that was true to himself.

We often delude ourselves into thinking that we are in control of everything and that we have endless time. But the truth is, we are all mortal, and our time on this earth is limited. We spend too much time complaining, taking everything for granted and wasting precious time.
We need to wake up and realize that life is short and that we should make the most of it.

Death can arrive suddenly, and we have no control over when it will happen. I wonder about the exact moment when life is ebbing away, the few seconds before, during, and after. Will I be conscious at that moment?

And where will I go?

These are questions that philosophers and theologians have pondered for centuries.
There is no easy answer, and it is ultimately a mystery to all of us.

However, I find it difficult to believe that death is the end of everything. After all, we are energy, intangible energy, and we are always connected.
Now that we have embraced the reality of the multiverse, I am more convinced that our life on earth is just one of many lives that exist simultaneously elsewhere.
Perhaps our consciousness transitions to another universe after death, or perhaps a new form of life is created each time one ends.

Whatever happens after death, I believe that it is something beautiful and mysterious. I am grateful for the opportunity to experience this life, and I look forward to whatever comes next.

Can a simple flowery shrub like the wild black elderberry be so naturally powerful and have so many health benefits?

Elderberry is indeed one of the most commonly used medicinal plants in the world, a traditional well-known natural remedy for colds and the flu.

Its botanical name is Sambucus nigra.

It originates in Europe and later naturalized in areas of North America, especially the Northeast.

It has a long history of use to treat health conditions.

In 400 B.C., Hippocrates, the Greek physician known as “the Father of Medicine,” referred to the elderberry shrub as his “medicine chest.”

The Sambucus nigra variety is the most common type of elderberry, also known as European elderberry or black elderberry.

The berries are usually gathered and made into elderberry wine, jam, syrup, supplements, and pies.

Elderberries are high in vitamin C and are rich in antioxidants, which can help lower inflammation, treat colds and the flu, as well as cholesterol and blood pressure.

Our kitchen counter always has a bottle of elderberry syrup on it in the winter.

We all take a tablespoon of it as soon as we feel under the weather.

It's our secret weapon against colds.

I like to think of elderberry syrup as the same "magic medicine" that Mary Poppins used to give to the kids while singing "A Spoonful of Sugar".

It is quite sweet and delicious, and my kids not only don't mind taking it, but they actually look forward to it!

The only downside to keep in mind:

In certain areas, elderberry shrubs can be invasive, which is a minor thing, while a big FLAG goes up for raw elderberries.

** Elderberries MUST NOT be consumed raw because they are poisonous. **

Elderberry leaves, stems, and seeds contain a cyanogenic glycoside called sambunigrin, which is poisonous when raw.

Fortunately, cooking elderberries destroys the sambunigrin, making them safe to eat.

When cooking elderberries, it is important to heat them to at least 190 degrees Fahrenheit (88 degrees Celsius) for at least 10 minutes.

This will ensure that the sambunigrin is completely destroyed.

Make a good habit to keep a bottle of elderberry syrup in your pantry available for use for the entire family.

Can't focus when studying?

You're not alone!

Many people find it difficult to maintain active focus for an extended period of time when studying. This is especially true for teenagers from the Zoomer or Alpha generations who have grown up with smart technology at their fingertips.

The introduction of smart technology in the past 20 years, which is now ubiquitous in our lives, has drastically changed the way we live and interact with each other.
While this has made many aspects of our lives easier, it has also led to the loss of some important things, such as our connection to reality and the present moment.

I have two teenage boys.
When I watch them try to do their homework, I can sense their frustration and inability to stay focused for more than 10 minutes at a time, due to the inevitable bombardment of notifications and distractions from their devices.
It would be easy to say to keep your phone in another room or turn it off, but they need their devices for homework, staying in touch with classmates, plus all the information they have available on the internet, the Google engine, Google Classroom, and now the AI, can be quite overwhelming.

Although I may sound ancient (I'm not), as a teenager I grew up without computers or cell phones. We only had notebooks and books to study from. Technology is constantly evolving at a rapid pace, reshaping our lives and daily habits.

Today, staying focused and avoiding distractions requires a lot of effort and self-discipline, even for adults. But it's even more difficult for teenagers, who are already more prone to distraction due to their developmental stage.

Imagine being a teenager with ADD or ADHD, with your brain constantly bombarded by notifications and distractions from smart technology.
It's like a rock concert in your head, all day and all night long!

Before resorting to prescription drugs for attention disorder, consider natural therapies such as behavioral therapy, Bach flower therapy, Homeopathic remedies, and Mindful Meditation.
Based on my personal experience and holistic practice, I have found Bach flower therapy and guided meditation to be especially useful for improving attention and focus, along with a healthy sleep pattern and good nutrition.
These therapies can help to calm the mind, reduce distractions, and increase concentration.
There are also meditation apps and YouTube videos with music to help you stay focused.

Don't let your devices distract you!

Turn on Focus mode to silence notifications and boost your focus.

You'll be amazed at how much more productive you can be.

With summer vacations over and kids back to school, let's discuss the importance of healthy eating, especially at breakfast time.

Glucose is the body's main source of energy. When we sleep, our bodies use up the glucose that we have stored from the previous day.
Eating breakfast in the morning helps to replace this glucose and gives us the energy we need to start our day off right.
Kids who skip breakfast are more likely to be irritable, moody, and have difficulty concentrating.

A healthy breakfast is essential for kids' learning, especially during school hours. It provides them with the nutrients, energy, and focus they need to succeed in the classroom.
Studies have shown that kids who eat breakfast perform better on cognitive tasks, such as memory, attention, and problem-solving.
If kids rely mostly on processed or junk food and skip breakfast, they will likely have difficulty concentrating, they might feel tired and sluggish, be malnourished, and experience mood swings and emotional problems.

I understand that mornings can be chaotic, especially in large families, but with a little planning, it's possible to have a healthy breakfast before leaving the house.

The keys to a successful morning breakfast include:

• Planning ahead and discuss options with your kids.
• Shopping for ingredients and gathering all the ingredients, pots, plates, and utensils you need the night before

I know that a bowl of cereal with milk is a quick and easy breakfast option, but unfortunately, many store-bought cereals are ultra-processed and high in sugar. If you're short on time or not in the mood to cook, try choosing a healthier cereal option with less processing and sugar.

A healthy breakfast should include a variety of nutrient-rich foods, ideally with a protein base, such as eggs. Protein helps build muscles and keeps kids feeling full and satisfied, which can help them avoid reaching for empty calories throughout the morning.
If your kids aren't egg fans, choose whole-grain cereals instead. Whole grains are healthier than refined grains because they're packed with fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals.
Pancakes are a good breakfast option because they can be made ahead of time (even frozen) and reheated in the morning, and they can contain both eggs and whole wheat flour.

Help your kids grow in a healthy way!

"What doesn’t kill you makes you strong!"

It might be true in some cases, but certainly it does not apply to every aspect of life, especially health.

Our fast-paced modern society often leads us to adopt a quick-fix attitude towards health, disease, symptoms, and cures. This can lead to superficial solutions that don't address the underlying causes of our problems.

Most people underestimate the potential long-term health risks of processed foods, dietary habits, and toxins, even when they are warned about them. This is because these health risks are often not immediate, and people tend to focus on the present more than the future.

We can spend years or even decades accumulating toxins in our bodies from processed foods or the environment without taking precautions, often because we are young and healthy.

By the time we notice the damage, it may be too late.

Negligent and careless attitudes towards health can have a high price. When health problems arise later, many of them related to the endocrine system, infertility, and neurological disorders, we fail to connect the dots, even when all the evidence is there.

Lately I have been increasingly concerned about the unnecessary and constant exposure to endocrine disruptors in food stickers, which are present on produce in every supermarket in the USA.

Did you know that many food stickers contain dangerous endocrine disruptors such as BPA and BPS, as well as other toxic chemicals?

These toxins are everywhere, not only on food produce but also on receipts from groceries, prescriptions, gas, clothing, and restaurant meals.

These receipts are normally printed on thermal paper, which is coated with either Bisphenol-A (BPA) or its chemical cousin Bisphenol-S (BPS).

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical used to make plastics. It can enter our bodies through ingestion, inhalation, or skin contact.
Studies have shown that BPA can be absorbed through the skin and end up in the bloodstream after handling receipt paper for just a few seconds or minutes.

This is very alarming.

Most European countries have banned thermal paper and food stickers on most products, but the US has not taken similar precautions.

This is a serious issue, especially for growing children and young women who wish to become pregnant.

I was so shocked by the lack of serious regulation on thermal paper and produce stickers that I started a petition to urge the FDA to take action.

You can find the petition, and sign if you wish, "Say NO to thermal receipts and produce stickers!".

In the meantime, handle receipts as little as possible and go paperless whenever possible by asking for e-receipts instead.

Be your own health advocate.

Stay informed and honor your precious body!

I was born before the introduction of gender-neutral pronouns, so I understand the confusion that many people feel about them. The pronouns you learned at school were "she/her/hers," "he/him/his," and the plural "they/their," which was used to refer to a group of people.
Nowadays, gender-neutral pronouns (also known as neopronouns) are becoming more common. These pronouns are used to identify ourselves and others without specifically using given names, and they do not specify a person's gender.

Here is a list of some of the most common gender-neutral pronouns:
• They, them, theirs
• Ze/zir/zirs
• Sie/hir/hirs
• E/em/eir
• Xe/xem/xyr
• Tey/ter/tem
• Mx

Recently, I went to a yoga class, and the teacher introduced herself with her name and specified that she identifies as she/her. After class, I left the studio a bit puzzled, wondering if it was really necessary for her to inform me or anyone else in the room about her gender before starting class. Would knowing that she identifies as she/her or with any other pronoun have changed the experience of the yoga class?
Absolutely not.

There are many situations where I don't see the point of specifying someone's sexual orientation, gender identity, or non-gender. Virtual Zoom meetings are another example. Why can't I just learn your name without being informed about if you identify as he/him, she/her, they/them, or something else?
Are we maybe pushing a bit too much with these gender pronouns?

In my opinion, it's important to be respectful of people's pronouns, but we don't need to go overboard. If someone tells you their pronouns, simply use them. And if you're not sure what pronouns to use, just ask. It's always better to ask than to make an assumption.
I wouldn't be surprised if sometime soon the most common question used when you introduce yourself to someone for the first time, "What's your name?", will be replaced with an alternative gender-neutral question such as “What’s your pronoun?”.
I have absolutely nothing against the introduction of new pronouns to be more inclusive, however, exasperating the use of these new pronouns doesn't help, especially not with older people.
I can't even imagine starting this conversation with older people and explaining neopronouns to them.
The problem here, I think, goes back to the basic human need to constantly categorize and label everything, including people.
We like to complicate things when they could be much simpler.
We should all strive to be more inclusive and respectful of people's identities, but we don't need to make things more complicated than they need to be.

We live in a world where many people believe that being kind and grateful is a sign of weakness.
They may criticize Millennials, who are often seen as being too sensitive.
While I agree that there is a limit to how sensitive we should be, and that we should not be offended by every little thing,
being kind and grateful is a different matter.

I believe that kindness and gratitude are two of the most important qualities that a person can have.
Being kind is not about being weak or letting people walk all over you. It’s about doing something nice for someone else, without expecting anything in return. It’s about being kind to others and to yourself. A simple gesture such as holding the door open for someone or give someone a compliment.
Gratitude can help you to appreciate the simple things in your life that we often take for granted. When you are grateful, you are choosing to focus on the positive aspects of your life. This can help you to feel happier and more optimistic.

Both kindness and gratitude have been shown to have also numerous health benefits for both the giver and the receiver: they can reduce stress, improve mood, promote better sleep and even boost the immune system.

In a world that is often filled with hatred and bitterness, especially in social media interactions, I truly believe that if everyone was just a little bit kinder to each other, the world would be a much more peaceful and enjoyable place to live in.

I often find myself observing people when I take the subway in the morning. While most, if not all, are usually self absorbed in their own world with their eyes glued on their phones, the ones who are not, sometimes look ‘upset’ or ready to ‘attack’, as if everyone on the train is an enemy.
Sure, the subway is not always the safest place to be on earth, you need to be aware of your surroundings, but I see this even when I walk to an office or go to do the grocery shopping.

I remember listening to a song back when I was a teenager and still living in Italy, which caught my attention and it stayed with me since. The title of the song was: *“GENTILMENTE” *
There are many benefits to being kind. When you do something nice for someone else, it releases endorphins in your brain that make you feel happy. Kindness can also improve your relationships with others. When you are kind, you are choosing to see the good in people, you make people feel loved and appreciated, like they matter.
When people see that you are a kind and considerate person, they are more likely to want to be around you.

If you are looking for a way to improve your life, start being kinder to others. It is a simple act that can have a big impact.

Here are some ideas for practicing kindness and gratitude:

• Meditate: Meditation can help you to focus on the present moment and to appreciate the good in your life.
• Write in a journal: Writing in a journal can help you to track your gratitude and to reflect on the good things in your life.
• Let someone go ahead of you in line (especially elderly people). This is a simple act of kindness that can make a big difference.
• Donate to a charity: This is a great way to show your gratitude and to help others.
• Make sure you wear a smile on your face on most days.
• Say "thank you" or write a letter of gratitude to someone who has done something nice for you.
  This is a simple but effective way to show your appreciation.

Kindness is not always easy, but it is always worth it. Next time you go out, give it a try and and see how it makes you feel.

Anxiety is a very common disorder in modern society.
It can affect young and older people and it can be highly distressing.

There are several types of anxieties:

• General anxiety,
• Social anxiety,
• Performance anxiety,
• Fear of specific places or situations, which can lead then to panic attacks.

We all know that anxiety, negative thoughts, or emotions can affect our mood, our everyday life, and even our physical health.
But what can we do to manage it then?
I could have used the word 'treat' or 'cure' instead of 'manage', but I specifically used 'manage' because usually once you realize that you have an anxiety disorder (unless is a short-lived episode due to a particular stressful circumstance ), you need to understand that you are not necessarily going to get rid of the anxiety, but instead you are going to learn how to MANAGE it. And if you get to the point where you master that strategy really well, every time anxiety is triggering you, the outcome at the end will look very much like you 'cured' your anxiety.
The first step is to work on acceptance:
‘Ok, I have an anxiety disorder and so what?
I can learn how to manage it.’
But how?
Thankfully there are many tools and strategies out there that can be used to control the level of stress and anxiety in our daily life.
Because every person is unique, with different needs and predispositions, you simply need to find the right tool and strategy that work best for you.

One of these tools that I found extremely helpful and consistent over the years is BACH FLOWERS THERAPY.
I have used it for myself, to help my clients, friends, family members, and even pets!
It's my number one tool where I always go back every time I'm going through a rough time, and it never lets me down.
It's a tool that you can learn how to use on your own, or you can go to a specialized Bach Flower practitioner who will select for you the right mix of Bach Flower remedies for your specific emotions.
Bach Flower remedies are generally much more popular in Europe, ( the founder, Dr. Edward Bach, was from England).
The remedies were discovered by Dr. Bach, between 1931 and 1935.
They have been around for almost a century!
There are 38 Bach Flower remedies in total, plus the Rescue Remedy, also known as the 39th remedy.
Each of them treats a specific negative emotion, and they can be mixed based on the individual emotional needs of that moment.
They are plant-based remedies, alcohol preserved, and completely safe to take.
They are supposed to be taken a minimum of 4 times per day (or more), 4 drops each time, for as long as it feels they are helping.
A 30 ml. remedy mix bottle usually lasts about 3 weeks.

What's interesting to me is that usually the person in need initially will start taking the Bach flower remedy mix diligently as advised, but then all of the sudden will spontaneously start forgetting to take it.
That's when you know that the remedy mix worked and it's no longer needed.
It's a gentle, and effective therapy to bring emotions back to balance.
If you want to avoid conventional drugs to treat your anxiety disorder and want to try a more natural, holistic approach give a try to Bach Flower Therapy.

It might not work for everybody, but it worked for me and that's how I ended up deciding to become a Bach Flower practitioner because I wanted to share this precious tool and help other people.
I am proud to be a Bach Foundation Registered Practitioner.