Laughter Can Improve Health

Laughter Can Improve Health

Posted on by Sally

How Laughter Can Improve Your Overall Health

Laughter can be infectious. When you hear the sound of laughter, you can’t help but laugh yourself. When laughter is shared among others, it causes a binding between people and increases both intimacy and happiness.

It is well known that laughter triggers healthy bodily changes and healthy changes in the mind. Laughter can increase your energy level, lessen pain, strengthen the immune system, and protect you from stress. Laughter is the best medicine because it is free, fun, and easy.

Laughter is Strong Medicine

Laughter can be a strong antidote to conflict, pain, and stress. There is nothing else that works more dependably or quicker to bring your body and mind into balance than laughter. The use of humor can lighten your burdens, connect you to others, inspire your hope, and keep you focused, alert, and grounded.

With this ability to renew your health and heal you, laughter can be a great resource for whatever problems you may have. It can also strengthen your relationships, and can support your emotional and physical health and wellbeing.

How Is Laughter Good For Your Health?

Laughter can do many things for your health. These include the following:

  • Laughter can increase your immune system. It can decrease the level of stress hormones within the body and increase the number of immune cells and antibodies you have, which will help you become more resistant to disease.
  • Laughter is relaxing. A wonderful laugh can relieve you of stress and physical tension so that your muscles can be relaxed for up to 45 minutes following laughing.
  • Laughter releases endorphins. Endorphins are the body’s feel-good hormones. When your endogenous endorphins are released, you feel a sense of well-being and a reduction in the sensation of pain.
  • Laughter can help the heart. Laughter can increase the ability of the blood vessels to nourish all parts of the body. It can increase your blood flow, which in turn can help prevent heart attacks and other types of heart diseases.

The Overall Benefits Of Laughter

Laughter is known to have many health benefits, including physical, emotional, and social benefits. Some of these include the following:

  • Decreases your stress levels
  • Increases your immunity
  • Relaxes your muscles
  • Protects your heart
  • Lessens pain
  • Lessens fear and anxiety
  • Relieves stress
  • Adds joy to your life
  • Enhances your mood
  • Improves your resilience
  • Attracts other people to us
  • Promotes the bonding among group members
  • Improves teamwork
  • Strengthens relationships

Laughter Can Help Your Emotional Health

Laughter simply makes a person feel good. This good feeling persists even when you are done laughing. Laughter helps you maintain an optimistic, positive outlook so you can better get through situations of loss, disappointments, and other difficult situations.

Laughter is more than just a protection against pain and sadness. It gives you the strength and courage to find other sources of hope and meaning. Even when you find yourself in the most difficult of times, laughter or even a smile can take you far when it comes to feeling better. Laugher really is a bit contagious. When you hear someone else laugh, it primes your brain and sets you up to join that person in laughing, too.

Laughter And Mental Health

Laughter is associated with better mental health. Some things laughter can do to improve your mental health include the following:

  • Laughter allows you to relax. A good laugh can lessen stress and increase your energy levels so that you can remain focused and get more things accomplished.
  • Laughter can lessen distress. It is hard to feel sad, anxious, or angry when you are instead laughing.
  • Laughter shifts your perspective. It allows you to see things in a less threatening and more realistic light. Being humorous helps create a psychological distance between you and stressful events so that you don’t feel so overwhelmed.

Laughter Has Social Benefits

When you use humor and engage in playful communication with others, your relationships become stronger and you trigger positive emotions and an emotional connection with those you are laughing with. A positive bond develops—one that can act as a powerful buffer against disappointment, disagreements, and stress. When you laugh with others, this is a more powerful thing than when you laugh alone.

How To Create More Opportunities To Laugh

There are things you can do to increase your chances of laughing. Here are some you might try:

  • Attend a comedy club
  • Watch something funny on television
  • Watch videos of funny animals there are tons on YouTube, or just add the search term “funny” into the YouTube search bar
  • Read the comics in the newspaper
  • Be with people who are funny
  • Share a funny story or joke with another
  • Read a funny book
  • Sponsor a game night with your friends
  • Play with your pet
  • Play with children
  • Do something you think is silly
  • Engage in activities you consider fun

Laugher can do a lot to help you feel better on a physical, emotional, and cognitive level. Don’t be afraid to share a good laugh with others for all around better health.

How to Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions!

How to Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions!

Posted on by Sally
Disclaimer: This publication is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Medical advice should always be obtained from a qualified medical professional for any health conditions or symptoms associated with them. Every possible effort has been made in preparing and researching this material. We make no warranties with respect to the accuracy, applicability of its contents or any omissions.

A New Year Is Upon Us

The last weeks of the year are around the corner, and many people are thinking about food, family gatherings, and new beginnings. That’s why so many people make New Year’s Resolutions. It’s a fresh start, right?

Unfortunately, for most people, the resolve to keep those resolutions usually dies off after a few weeks. In fact, 41% of Americans make New Year’s Resolutions, but only 9.2% achieve those resolutions by the end of the year.

The good news is, if you understand why people find it hard to keep those resolutions, you’ll know what works and doesn’t work for you.

Why Is It So Hard To Keep New Year’s Resolutions?

  •   Discontinuity effect. According to research by professor of social psychology at the University of Bath, Bas Verplanken, “habits can be changed when you change the factors around the habit,” such as location or context. They call this the “discontinuity effect.” New Year’s Eve is not an actual change in circumstances, which means it isn’t motivation enough to change any habits.
  •   Distraction created by past rewards. Research by Johns Hopkins University neuroscientists shows our brains get a surge of dopamine just by seeing things associated with past rewards. In other words, your brain is wired to pay more attention to things that have given you pleasure in the past hoping to get that same pleasure again. That’s why you might find it hard to stop thinking about pizza while trying to eat steamed veggies.
  •   Vague or unrealistic resolutions. Let’s face it – the easier your resolutions are, the more likely you’ll be to keep them for a whole year. For example, if you hate running, don’t make it a resolution to go out for a run every day just because you think it’s healthy.

10 New Year’s Resolutions That Are Easy To Keep

Luckily, making easy-to-keep New Year’s Resolutions is easier than you think. If you need some inspiration, look at these 10 easy, healthy resolution to kick start 2018 on the right foot.

1. Drink More Water

Drinking enough water keeps your digestive system and skin healthy.

However, how much water should you drink? It depends on the climate you live on, your sex, physical activity, and other health-related conditions. According to the Mayo Clinic, The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine suggests 3.7 liters of fluid per day for men and 2.7 liters per day for women. However, remember that 20% of your fluid intake comes from foods.

If you find it hard to remember to drink more water, set an alarm on your phone to remind you to take a sip of water every other hour. Alternatively, you can use one of the many water tracking apps on the market.

While the healthies option is to drink plain water, you can increase your intake of fluids by drinking tea or infused water.

2. Improve Your Eating Habits

This is an easy enough resolution, as long as you define what eating better means to you. To do this, keep a food journal for a couple of weeks and pay attention to any patters in your eating habits. For example, you might notice you eat healthy foods during the day but indulge at dinner time, or that you prefer takeout to homemade meals on weekends.

A good, healthy diet is varied and balanced and the best way to achieve this is to cook more meals at home. Start with easy meals, like breakfast. Instead of picking up

Cooking your own meals gives you more control of what you eat and helps you enjoy food more

3. Workout For 10 Minutes A Day

The best way to keep this resolution is by finding a workout you enjoy. Physical activity is not just going to the gym, after all. Many people think that in order for workouts to be effective you have to exercise for an hour or more a day. Make it easy and start small, commit to 10 minutes a day, even if it’s just a walk around the block and build up from there.

You can take up dancing, spinning, running, yoga, rock climbing, pole dancing, or even walking your dog around the block. If you enjoy the workout, you’ll be more likely to commit to it all year.

Remember to start slow, especially if you’re starting from scratch. Building your strength and endurance progressively will help you prevent injuries and will make the experience more enjoyable. Working out too much, exhausting yourself, or choosing advanced workouts will only make you feel frustrated, which, in turn, will make it more likely for you to quit.

Aim to make the workout experience fun. Sign up for a new class, buy workout clothes you like, or ask a friend to join you.

4. Learn Something New

Health is not just about eating enough vegetables and working out. As human beings, we feel the need to be creative and to improve ourselves.

Learning a new skill keeps your brain sharp and healthy. Moreover, nowadays learning new things is easier than ever. Websites like Coursera, Khan Academy, and Udemy have a wealth of free and low-cost courses by professors from renowned universities and top professionals in their fields.

Language learning is also easier with technology. Duolingo offers free language courses, and YouTube also has free language learning resources.

Use the New Year as motivation to give your brain some well-deserved workout by learning a new skill.

5. Reconnect With Friends And Family

Your emotional health should be just as important as your physical health. So, in 2018, make your friendships and personal relationships a priority.

Sometimes, the stress of daily life makes us forget about the importance of personal relationships in our lives. As social creatures, it’s very important for human beings to have a strong social network that offers support and comfort during difficult times.

A 2010 study confirms these results. Despite the possible negative effects of some relationships, the benefits greatly outweigh the risks. Literature review in the same study has found consistent positive results of strong social relationships. For example, adults with coronary artery disease were at 2.4 times greater risk of cardiac death if they were socially isolated. Low quality of social relationships is also linked to other cardiac conditions, cancer, and even slower wound healing.

6. Cut Down On Calories

Losing weight is a common New Year’s Resolution, but in order to do it, you need to so several things – eat healthy food, work out, get more sleep, reduce your stress levels, and more.

But losing weight is just the result of using up more calories than what you consume. Therefore, you might want to be a bit more specific about your resolution and focus on

Again, a food diary or a meal tracking app will help you determine if you do need to reduce your calorie intake. If that’s the case,

Fortunately, there are simple things you can do to lower your calorie intake without going hungry or limiting yourself too much.

  •   Forget about sugary drinks. A sweet, refreshing drink might taste great with your lunch, but it’s adding up calories with very little nutritional value. For example, a 500-ml bottle of Coke has almost 200 calories. Go for water (plain or infused) instead.
  •   Switch ingredients. Love some milk in your coffee? Go for low-fat milk or even a non-dairy milk, instead or chose healthier side dishes, like salad instead of fries, to get more nutrition for fewer calories.
  •   Use smaller plates. A 2013 study (Portion size me: plate-size induced consumption norms and win-win solutions for reducing food intake and waste, Wansink B, et al) supports the importance of the visual aspect of food, and that the size of the plates “provides a visual anchor of an appropriate fill-level, which in turn, serves as a consumption norm.” Consequently, using smaller plates may help you feel full with smaller portions and reduce food waste, as well.

7. Eat Less Sugar

You probably know that sugar is bad for you. It affects your teeth and puts you at risk of obesity and all the health issues it brings, such as type II diabetes and heart disease.

However, when doctors talk about cutting down on sugar, they mostly refer to added sugar, not those sugars occurring naturally in foods like fruits (fructose) and dairy (lactose). Added sugars are those you put on your foods or drinks to improve their taste, like white and brown sugar, honey, and high fructose corn syrup.

But how much sugar should you be eating to stay healthy?

In a 2009 statement, the American Heart Association recommends the following daily limits of added sugar intake:

  •   For men: 150 calories from sugar (9 teaspoons, or 36 grams)
  •   For women: 100 calories from sugar (6 teaspoons, or 25 grams)

Now that you know how much added sugar you should be consuming, let’s look at some ideas to keep those numbers within your healthy ranges.

  •   Find hidden sugars. Many processed foods have sugar, even though they may not look like it. For example, most commercial tomato sauces have added sugars to stabilize the rather acidic tomato flavor. Make sure to read the labels and look for added sugars.
  •   Choose healthier snacks. Muffins are delicious, but you can satisfy a sweet tooth with naturally occurring sugars from fruits. Their high fiber content helps making you feel full faster.

8. Eat mindfully

In the age of multitasking, side hustles and rush hours, it’s difficult to sit down to just eat. Not checking your email, watching a TV show, or driving. However, making the effort of sitting down and focusing exclusively on your food helps you enjoy it more and eat less.

A 2010 pilot study suggests that using mindfulness when you eat helps you lose weight by helping you control binge and emotional eating.

When you eat distractedly, it takes you longer to notice when you’re starting to feel full. You also eat faster and you’re more likely to eat less healthy foods like snacks or fast food.

You can curb unhealthy eating habits by paying more attention to your meals, like so:

  •   Eat slowly and without distractions. Eat your food away from screens, preferably sitting down in a quiet place.
  •   Notice any feeling of fullness when you eat. Stop eating when you start feeling full. You don’t have to eat everything on your plate.
  •   Learn to tell the difference between hunger and thirst. Sometimes, you may feel like snacking when you’re actually thirsty. If you’re feeling up for a snack after lunch, drink a full glass of water, first. Wait about 20 minutes and ask yourself if you’re still hungry.
  •   Engage all your senses. Notice the appearance of food, its textures, smells, and tastes. 7|Page

9. Cut Down On Social Media

Researchers are only starting to understand social media’s effects with prolonged use and the results so far are not optimistic – for some users, problematic use of social media works just like drug addiction in the brain, which negatively impacts school and work performance and real-life personal relationships.

But for many people, cutting the cord from social media is just not possible. From keeping in touch with friends and family to business networking, social media is a tool many people can’t go without in their personal and professional lives.

So, what to do?

  1. Put a cap on the time you spend on social media. Use browser extensions like StayFocusd and apps to put a limit on how much time you go through your Facebook wall.
  2. Get rid of some accounts. If you have way too many accounts, keep just one or two.
  3. Give yourself a social media free day. Choose one day of the week to go without socialmedia.

Start the New Year with more time spent outside, cultivate your personal relationships face to face, and do more activities that increase your well-being.

10. Make Regular Appointments With Your Doctor

For some people, going to the doctor is a hassle. It opens the possibility of something going wrong with your body, which many people prefer not to think about. In addition, healthy individuals are finding fewer reasons to visit their doctor.

However, according to a 2015 article by Harvard Health Publishing, there are still reasons to schedule that annual check-up with your doctor, no matter how healthy you are.

Needless to say, an annual check-up may help your doctor discover any health concerns before they become problems. Early detections of cancer or chronic conditions like type 2 diabetes may greatly increase your chances of recovering or better managing the disease.

However, checking in with your primary care doctor may also help him or her become more familiar with your needs and offers you more personalized care.

Final Thoughts

There’s so much you can do for your health. Luckily, you can make easy,

healthy New Year’s Resolutions to improve your wellbeing in 2018.

Benefits of Turmeric!

Benefits of Turmeric!

Posted on by Sally

7 Ways Turmeric Benefits Your Health

Turmeric is a commonly used spice that originates from the Curcuma plant. We most likely know it for its spiciness and use in dishes such as curry.

However, Turmeric has been extensively used within Chinese and Indian cultures, including as an anti-inflammatory. Turmeric is best consumed in its pure sense, rather than as a component of curry powder or other spices.

However, the Western world has been slow to notice the health benefits of turmeric, though turmeric can provide many health benefits, some of which are outlined below.

Anti-Inflammatory  
Turmeric has long been used for its anti-inflammatory properties in Eastern cultures; this helps the body to fight infection and repair itself. It is the oil that the turmeric provides that has the scientifically proven anti-inflammatory capabilities.

Curcumin, the oil derived from turmeric, has been studied in numerous experiments, and has been shown to be equally as effective as typical anti-inflammatory drugs. The key difference is there are no side effects associated with curcumin oil. This is good news for those who suffer from joint conditions, such as arthritis, where inflammation plays a key role in exacerbating chronic pain.

Treatment for Inflammatory Bowel Disease

 

Inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn’s disease are common disorders that affect many people throughout the world and can be quite debilitating. Studies have investigated the effect of turmeric in mice who have such diseases.

Although the researchers are not entirely sure how it works, curcumin oil improved cell functions and reduced the symptoms. Certain symptoms such as mucosal ulceration were almost completely removed.

Indigestion and Heartburn Relief

 

Turmeric has also been shown to help with the common conditions of indigestion and heartburn. These are frequently experienced by individuals and can be incredibly frustrating and uncomfortable.

Turmeric stimulates the gallbladder and increases bile production; in Germany, turmeric is prescribed for such problems.

Heart disease

 

Studies have shown that there is a protective effect of turmeric on the heart. Initial research shows that turmeric can help to reduce the build-up of plaque in the heart, a key contributor to heart attacks. Turmeric may help to prevent oxidized cholesterol, which is what damages blood vessels. Damaged blood vessels are a critical factor in many heart diseases, such as health attacks, strokes, and atherosclerosis.

Delays diabetes

 

Research has shown that turmeric can actually delay the onset of diabetes. In a study, participants were tracked over a period of time and given either a placebo or curcumin tablets.

At the end of the study, not one participant who had taken the curcumin had developed diabetes. It is argued this finding is due to the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

Cancer prevention

 

Turmeric has been shown to have important antioxidant properties, which may help to protect cells against cancer, particularly in cells in the colon. Turmeric can help to protect vulnerable cells against free radicals, which can be harmful to the body.

Moreover, turmeric can help the body to expel mutated cells that may have developed cancer already. However, research is still working out how turmeric can help with cancer prevention.

Lowers cholesterol

 

High cholesterol is a common disorder and has been linked to many different, some serious, disorders.

Initial research shows that the oil in turmeric, curcumin oil, can help to lower cholesterol levels. It works on the liver and encourages it to produce more receptors that produce lower cholesterol.

Uses In Cooking

  • Turmeric in dried spice form can add loads of flavor to curries, stews, stir-fries and roasted meat and chicken.
  • Fresh turmeric is a root that looks much like fresh ginger. It can be juiced along with other fruits and vegetables. It can be added to smoothies.
  • It makes a great addition to a chicken marinade adding a bright orange color to the mix; it is a key ingredient in Middle Eastern chicken kabobs.
  • Use it to substitute saffron or mustard as it provides an equal yellow hue
  • Jazz up white rice, by squeezing fresh turmeric through a garlic press and adding it to the rice, offers lots of flavor, and a golden color.
  • Use fresh chopped or grated turmeric in coleslaw to add color, flavor, and key nutrients.

Pre-cautions

Everyone should seek medical advice before adding extra turmeric to their diet and sometimes it may actually have negative effects for some people, for example, its ability to slow blood clotting could be dangerous for anyone taking anticoagulant medication. If in doubt, speak to your medical professional.

 

 

Bruce Lipton Video-The Tapping Solution

Posted on by Sally

This is extremely interesting. It is up to each of us to do our own due diligence and research and decide for ourselves
what is best. This information helps us with what is possible with our “mindset” and how it affects our health. Personally I do not suggest that any one thing is necessarily a cure on its own. I just believe that the mind is an extremely powerful tool!

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