the Open Door Blog

Do you struggle with an addiction every day? Is an addiction consuming your life and destroying your relationships? Are you tired of the pain and suffering, and ready to experience the peace and success you deserve?

Thankfully, there are steps you can take to conquer your addiction. You can experience freedom and replace self-doubt with confidence. The changes that can lead you to the freedom you deserve may be challenging, but they are simple. Whether your dependence is psychological or biological, your success and freedom may be closer than you think. 

Try these strategies to help you conquer your addiction:

1. Make the decision. The most important step in conquering your addiction is making the decision that you want to be free. Envision all the reasons you want to let go of your addiction. How will your loved ones benefit from these changes? How will your health be affected? To add more power to this process, write it all...

Soaking in a warm tub doesn’t just feel good. Bath time can provide a wide variety of mental and physical health benefits.

Sure, doctors in ancient Rome may have overestimated the therapeutic powers of the water cure. Regardless of what Hippocrates said, you probably don’t want to rely on a bath to cure pneumonia, but you can still find relief for less serious ailments. Just ensure you rinse off completely, get out of the tub after about 10 to 15 minutes, and dry your skin gently to avoid dry skin.

Prepare to unwind with plain warm water or fancy bombs and salts. Learn more about how to enjoy the medicinal value of bathing.

Mental Health Benefits of Bathing

1. Fight depression. Immersing yourself in warm water raises serotonin and endorphin levels. Those are two of the main brain chemicals associated with happiness and wellbeing.

2. Relieve stress. Soaking away tension may be the first thing that comes...

Ancient grains have been found in tombs and other archaeological sites around the world. However, they still grow today and provide many health benefits.

It’s easy to add ancient grains to your diet to strengthen your health.

 Look for these grains at your local grocery store, health food store, or online:

1. Teff. This small grain has been around for centuries and is popular in Ethiopia. It has high levels of protein, fiber, iron, and calcium.

• This ancient grain can help you lose weight by keeping hunger in check. It can also help manage diabetes by controlling blood sugar levels in the body. In addition, it has low saturated fat levels and a nutty flavor.
• You can cook, boil, steam, or bake with teff. The grain is popular in bread and pancake mixes. In Ethiopia, they commonly use teff to make injera, a type of sourdough flatbread.

2. Indian ricegrass. This grain is found in the United States and is popular among Native...

Lifestyle changes can reduce your risk of developing serious heart conditions by more than 90%. That’s true even if you already have high cholesterol or high blood pressure. 

If you want to protect your health but you’re still struggling to make major adjustments, you’re not alone. Many studies show that most adults have trouble making that kind of commitment. For example, less than 2% of Americans meet the targets recommended by the American Heart Association. 

On the bright side, even following through on one or two new tips can make a dramatic difference. Take a look at these heart healthy practices and find the ones that work for you. 

Heart Healthy Diet and Exercise Tips 

1. Eat more vegetables. Eating vegetables just three times a week can lower your risk of heart failure by more than 25%. For an even better outcome, aim for at least 5 servings a day. 

2. Focus...

About four out of five Americans suffer from back pain at some point in their lives. It can take many forms, but lower back pain is the most common. Fortunately, there are many simple lifestyle changes you can make to avoid an aching back.

Daytime Lifestyle Changes

1. Maintain a healthy body weight. Being overweight strains your back and disrupts your balance. Abdominal fat is especially problematic. Spot reducing is a myth but your midsection will usually slim down along with the rest of your body when you lose excess pounds.

2. Exercise regularly. Yoga is a great way to improve your posture and flexibility and strengthen your muscles. Any physical activity can help fight inflammation by increasing the flow of blood and nutrients to your back.

3. Eat more calcium. Strong bones help protect you from osteoporosis, a leading cause of back pain, especially for women. Eat your yogurt and leafy green vegetables like...

When it comes to using meditation to manage anxiety, multiple studies have reached the same conclusion. Mindfulness can help you to stop worrying.

Almost 7 million Americans experience Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and many more have occasional bouts of fretfulness due to pressures at work or home. While you can’t remove the stress from daily life, there are steps you can take to feel more at ease. Try these natural remedies.

Anxiety-Related Benefits of Meditation

Researchers have been studying how meditation affects a wide variety of health issues. Last year, the American Medical Association reported that meditation appears to be most effective in addressing anxiety, depression, and pain management.

1. Focus on now. Most anxiety tends to be centered on rehashing the past or anticipating the future. Meditation encourages you to engage fully with the present moment. Your attention switches from useless regrets and fears...

Do you love your electronic devices? Electronic devices are very stimulating and potentially addicting. While there are some people who routinely misplace their cell phone and couldn’t care less about finding it, there are many others who won’t even go to the restroom or eat a meal without it. Others can’t watch TV or sit on the deck without their tablet computer.

Are you unable to go a single evening without TV, a cell phone, or a computer? How would it make you feel? Do you believe you’d be missing out on something important? If so, you might have an addiction.

Break your addiction to your electronic devices:

1. Make a list of your electronic distractions. In order of preference, list the electronic devices you can’t live without. The most common include: cell phone, tablet, laptop, desktop,  iPod or similar device, computer games, and the TV. Also make a list of the websites that you...

You probably can’t find anyone over the age of 10 who hasn’t felt overwhelmed at some point. It takes more to overwhelm some people than others, but the feeling and the impact are the same.

It can be very challenging to focus on solutions and take the necessary steps to resolve the situation. However, focus and action can ultimately solve most negative situations in your life.

Many of us are prone to worrying and then doing silly things to make ourselves feel better. This doesn’t solve the issue. It just avoids it temporarily.

Take these steps to create a plan and go from feeling overwhelmed to feeling peaceful again:

1. Identify what is under your control. There’s little point to worrying about those things outside your locus of control. Determine what you can control and place your attention there.

2. Focus on solutions. Now that you know what you can and can’t change,...

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that’s involved in many mental and physical functions. That includes regulating your appetite and mood. The way you eat determines your serotonin levels in an indirect, but powerful way.

Serotonin is made from tryptophan, one of the amino acids in protein. However, when you eat protein rich foods alone, serotonin levels drop because the amino acids are competing to get into your brain. On the other hand, when you add in carbohydrates, insulin gets released. The other amino acids are absorbed into your blood making it easier for tryptophan to reach your brain.

Once you understand how serotonin works, you can adjust your diet to improve mood and make weight loss easier. You’ll feel better and get to eat foods like bread and potatoes that you might have thought were too fattening.

Eating to Boost Serotonin

1. Focus on complex carbohydrates. Brown rice and whole wheat bread are...

Meditation and mindfulness are popular topics. There are many benefits to be gained through meditation, but beginners often struggle to develop a meditation practice. There is a lot of confusion around the simple, but challenging, practice of meditation. A few tips can make a significant difference.

Meditate more effectively and enjoy greater benefits:

1. You don’t need anything to meditate. It can be nice to have a proper cushion, loose fitting clothing, and a quiet location. However, you don’t need any of those things. You can meditate on the bus in your three-piece suit. You always have everything you need with you to meditate properly.

2. Start with mindful breathing. Other forms of meditation can require higher levels of focus and discipline. Arguably, mindful breathing is the most valuable form of meditation. Simply focus on your breathing. When your mind wanders, gently return your focus to your...