TUESDAY: FEELING GOOD Curb Mindless Eating Okay, you've all heard the term "grazing" — you know, picking at food throughout the day instead of (or in addition to) eating regular meals. This constant, indiscriminate eating — especially when you're focused on another task, such as talking on the phone or watching TV — is the downfall of many a committed dieter, but it doesn't have to be.
If you're piling on pounds because you eat when you're distracted or bored, rather than when you're actually hungry, try the following tactics to break the habit.
To curb daytime grazing:
Don't eat while you're standing up, in the car, or on the go or when you don't have time for a full, proper meal. If you sit down at mealtime and pay attention to every bite, you will be more relaxed, you'll notice when you're satisfied so that you won't overeat — and you'll actually enjoy your food!
Don't skip meals. I mean it. You might think you're saving yourself calories, but it will only leave you famished and more likely to consume extra calories later on to feel full. To curb nighttime grazing:
Why do most people graze at night? Because they're bored. If you've been thinking about taking up knitting, crossword puzzles, Ping-Pong, or some other hobby that will keep your brain busy in the evening, now is the time to do it.
Brush your teeth. Food never seems quite as appealing when you have that fresh, minty toothpaste taste in your mouth.
Try a cup of hot tea; the warm liquid in your stomach can help you feel satiated.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Seven Ways to Keep Strong Bones
Women start to lose bone mass in their 30s. But a good diet will lower the risk of a weak skeleton. Here are 7 foods that are great for your main frame. Plus, you can make up for diet deficiencies with supplements, but how much do you know about them? Test yourself with our quiz…
1. SeedsThink of bone-building minerals and calcium first comes to mind. Our skeleton is largely made of calcium, but other minerals play a key role too. In fact, 50% of the body’s magnesium resides in our bones. Low levels are linked to fragile bones and calcium loss, research shows. All seeds are good magnesium sources, but pumpkin seeds outshine the rest.
Here are a few ways to eat seeds:
Measure a 1-ounce portion to take to work for an afternoon pick-me-up.
Sprinkle a tablespoon or two onto your mixed green salad.
Toss some with green beans or sautéed spinach.
2. NutsBones aren’t hard and brittle; they’re living organs with live cells and fluids. Every day, bone cells break down and build up. That’s how they remain strong and heal after a break.Walnuts – rich in alpha linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid – decrease the rate of bone breakdown and keep bone formation constant, according to a 2007 Nutrition Journal study. Brazil nuts are also great sources of magnesium.
So grab a small handful for a snack or sprinkle a couple tablespoons into your oatmeal. Keep in mind that nuts are high-fat and high-calorie, so limit your daily serving to one ounce – about 1/4 cup. Other foods with alpha linolenic acid include: flaxseed oil, ground flaxseeds, walnut oil, soybeans, soybean oil and canola oil.
3. Tap Water Fluoride, famed for its role in preventing cavities, is also a component of your bones and adds to their density. Many communities add this mineral to drinking water to help dental health. So if you drink only bottled water, you may not get enough fluoride to protect your teeth or bones.
4. Leafy GreensMake green your new favorite color. Your salads and steamed greens are packed with bone-building nutrients, particularly calcium, magnesium and vitamin K.
Vitamin K is critical in forming bone proteins and cuts calcium loss in urine. Too little of this fat-soluble vitamin increases risk of hip fractures, research shows.
Just one cup of raw or a half-cup of cooked greens provides several times the recommended intake of 90 micrograms per day. Here are a few ways to sneak some extra greens in today:
Add lettuce to your sandwiches. Even iceberg has vitamin K.
Slip spinach leaves between layers of noodles in homemade lasagna.
Start your dinner with a salad of spinach or mixed greens.
Try dandelion greens or Swiss chard for dinner.
5. Beans Have beans for supper tonight, especially pinto, black, white and kidney beans. You’ll get another good boost of magnesium and even some calcium. The U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends at least 2-1/2 cups of beans and other legumes (peas, lentils) weekly.
Bean-eaters reduce their risk of cancer, heart disease and obesity. Problem is, most people don’t know what to do with them. Here are a few ideas:
At the beginning of the week, open and rinse a can of beans, and store them in your refrigerator. Each night, toss a heaping spoonful into your mixed green salad.
Top nachos with red beans.
Mix any canned bean into vegetable soups.
Add black beans or kidney beans to pasta salads.
Instead of coleslaw or potato salad, take a bean salad to your next potluck supper.
6. Fish When it comes to bones, calcium is nothing without vitamin D, which we need so our bodies can absorb calcium. As with vitamin K, vitamin D deficiency also is linked to hip fracture. In fact, 50% of women with osteoporosis who were hospitalized for hip fracture had signs of vitamin D deficiency, according to a scientific review by the American Medical Association.
The best fish? Salmon. A small serving of salmon – only 3-1/2 ounces – gives you 90% of the daily recommended amount of vitamin D. If you want a double-whammy of bone-building nutrients, don’t just look to fresh fish. Canned salmon provides vitamin D and calcium… as long as you eat the bones. (Don’t worry, they’re soft.)
7. DairyMany of us forget about milk once we outgrow crazy straws and strawberry powder, but bones don’t stop developing in our teens. We add bone mass even in our 20s, but only if we consume enough of the nutritional elements.
Once we reach menopause and begin to lose estrogen, our bones lose calcium more rapidly than at any other time in our lives. Here again, calcium and vitamin D can help delay the loss of bone mass.
Milk is a good source of vitamin D because it is fortified. Cheese, yogurt and ice cream generally aren’t; they contain little vitamin D. Drink nonfat or 1% milk; the others have high saturated fat and cholesterol content. Pour a nice cold glass and enjoy – with or without a cookie.
More Dos and Don’ts for Strong Bones
Do eat fruits and veggies. You’ve been told this over and over, but it’s worth repeating. Higher consumption means greater bone mineral density. Researchers can’t say why, but fruits and vegetables are loaded with an array of nutrients that build strong bones.
Do exercise. Get at least 30 minutes of physical activity each day. Weight-bearing exercises like running, dancing and lifting weights stress your bones in a good way. This signals your body to make more bone cells.
Don’t drink too much. Alcohol can inhibit the formation of new bone cells.
Don’t drink cola. Regular cola drinkers have lower bone mineral density than women who rarely drink cola.
Don’t smoke. The more you smoke, the greater your risk of a fracture.
Don’t worry about caffeine – if you get enough calcium. Drink caffeine and you’ll lose more calcium in your urine one to three hours afterward. Drinking more than two or three cups of coffee per day is associated with bone loss in postmenopausal women when their calcium intake is inadequate. Aim for 1,200 milligrams (mg) of calcium daily – the equivalent of four cups of milk or yogurt – if you’ve hit menopause. Otherwise, 1,000 mg should do.What's Your Supplement IQ?You know taking calcium supplements can help build strong bones when you don't eat enough dairy, but do you know all you should about supplements? Here's your chance to test your IQ with this supplement quiz.
1. SeedsThink of bone-building minerals and calcium first comes to mind. Our skeleton is largely made of calcium, but other minerals play a key role too. In fact, 50% of the body’s magnesium resides in our bones. Low levels are linked to fragile bones and calcium loss, research shows. All seeds are good magnesium sources, but pumpkin seeds outshine the rest.
Here are a few ways to eat seeds:
Measure a 1-ounce portion to take to work for an afternoon pick-me-up.
Sprinkle a tablespoon or two onto your mixed green salad.
Toss some with green beans or sautéed spinach.
2. NutsBones aren’t hard and brittle; they’re living organs with live cells and fluids. Every day, bone cells break down and build up. That’s how they remain strong and heal after a break.Walnuts – rich in alpha linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid – decrease the rate of bone breakdown and keep bone formation constant, according to a 2007 Nutrition Journal study. Brazil nuts are also great sources of magnesium.
So grab a small handful for a snack or sprinkle a couple tablespoons into your oatmeal. Keep in mind that nuts are high-fat and high-calorie, so limit your daily serving to one ounce – about 1/4 cup. Other foods with alpha linolenic acid include: flaxseed oil, ground flaxseeds, walnut oil, soybeans, soybean oil and canola oil.
3. Tap Water Fluoride, famed for its role in preventing cavities, is also a component of your bones and adds to their density. Many communities add this mineral to drinking water to help dental health. So if you drink only bottled water, you may not get enough fluoride to protect your teeth or bones.
4. Leafy GreensMake green your new favorite color. Your salads and steamed greens are packed with bone-building nutrients, particularly calcium, magnesium and vitamin K.
Vitamin K is critical in forming bone proteins and cuts calcium loss in urine. Too little of this fat-soluble vitamin increases risk of hip fractures, research shows.
Just one cup of raw or a half-cup of cooked greens provides several times the recommended intake of 90 micrograms per day. Here are a few ways to sneak some extra greens in today:
Add lettuce to your sandwiches. Even iceberg has vitamin K.
Slip spinach leaves between layers of noodles in homemade lasagna.
Start your dinner with a salad of spinach or mixed greens.
Try dandelion greens or Swiss chard for dinner.
5. Beans Have beans for supper tonight, especially pinto, black, white and kidney beans. You’ll get another good boost of magnesium and even some calcium. The U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends at least 2-1/2 cups of beans and other legumes (peas, lentils) weekly.
Bean-eaters reduce their risk of cancer, heart disease and obesity. Problem is, most people don’t know what to do with them. Here are a few ideas:
At the beginning of the week, open and rinse a can of beans, and store them in your refrigerator. Each night, toss a heaping spoonful into your mixed green salad.
Top nachos with red beans.
Mix any canned bean into vegetable soups.
Add black beans or kidney beans to pasta salads.
Instead of coleslaw or potato salad, take a bean salad to your next potluck supper.
6. Fish When it comes to bones, calcium is nothing without vitamin D, which we need so our bodies can absorb calcium. As with vitamin K, vitamin D deficiency also is linked to hip fracture. In fact, 50% of women with osteoporosis who were hospitalized for hip fracture had signs of vitamin D deficiency, according to a scientific review by the American Medical Association.
The best fish? Salmon. A small serving of salmon – only 3-1/2 ounces – gives you 90% of the daily recommended amount of vitamin D. If you want a double-whammy of bone-building nutrients, don’t just look to fresh fish. Canned salmon provides vitamin D and calcium… as long as you eat the bones. (Don’t worry, they’re soft.)
7. DairyMany of us forget about milk once we outgrow crazy straws and strawberry powder, but bones don’t stop developing in our teens. We add bone mass even in our 20s, but only if we consume enough of the nutritional elements.
Once we reach menopause and begin to lose estrogen, our bones lose calcium more rapidly than at any other time in our lives. Here again, calcium and vitamin D can help delay the loss of bone mass.
Milk is a good source of vitamin D because it is fortified. Cheese, yogurt and ice cream generally aren’t; they contain little vitamin D. Drink nonfat or 1% milk; the others have high saturated fat and cholesterol content. Pour a nice cold glass and enjoy – with or without a cookie.
More Dos and Don’ts for Strong Bones
Do eat fruits and veggies. You’ve been told this over and over, but it’s worth repeating. Higher consumption means greater bone mineral density. Researchers can’t say why, but fruits and vegetables are loaded with an array of nutrients that build strong bones.
Do exercise. Get at least 30 minutes of physical activity each day. Weight-bearing exercises like running, dancing and lifting weights stress your bones in a good way. This signals your body to make more bone cells.
Don’t drink too much. Alcohol can inhibit the formation of new bone cells.
Don’t drink cola. Regular cola drinkers have lower bone mineral density than women who rarely drink cola.
Don’t smoke. The more you smoke, the greater your risk of a fracture.
Don’t worry about caffeine – if you get enough calcium. Drink caffeine and you’ll lose more calcium in your urine one to three hours afterward. Drinking more than two or three cups of coffee per day is associated with bone loss in postmenopausal women when their calcium intake is inadequate. Aim for 1,200 milligrams (mg) of calcium daily – the equivalent of four cups of milk or yogurt – if you’ve hit menopause. Otherwise, 1,000 mg should do.What's Your Supplement IQ?You know taking calcium supplements can help build strong bones when you don't eat enough dairy, but do you know all you should about supplements? Here's your chance to test your IQ with this supplement quiz.
Laughing Helps!!
9 Ways That Humor HealsBy Therese J. Borchard February 17, 2009
Of all my tools to combat depression and negativity, humor is by far the most fun. And just like mastering the craft of writing, I’m finding that the longer I practice laughing at life—and especially its frustrations–the better I become at it, and the more situations and conversations and complications I can place into that category named “silly.”
G. K. Chesterton once wrote: “Angels can fly because they take themselves lightly.” And Proverbs 17:22 says that “a happy heart is good medicine.” I’d add that human beings can heal (at least partially!) from a host of different illnesses if they learn how to laugh. Here are just a few ways our bodies, minds, and spirits begin to mend with a dose of humor.
1. Humor combats fear.
I know this first hand, having sat in a community room of a psych ward watching a video of a comedian poke fun at depression. Like everyone else occupying a chair in that room, I was scared to death. Of many things … That I would never smile again. Or love again. Or even WANT to love again. I was fearful of life, and everything it involved.
That panic didn’t instantly transform into a hearty chuckle once the psych nurse popped in the funny video. But the climate of the room was noticeably different. Patients began to open up more, to share some of the details they had left out in the prior group therapy session.
Humor disengages fear because it changes your perspective: of the past and of the present. The traumatic childhood episode loses its tight grip on your heart if you can place it into the “ridiculous” category of other stories from the past. With a playful perspective, you can remove yourself from the marital problem that has you debilitated with anxiety. Laughter forces a few steps–some much-needed distance– between a situation and our reaction. We all would do well to follow the advice of Leo Buscaglia: “When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on. And swing!”
2. Humor comforts.
Charlie Chaplin once said, “To truly laugh, you must be able to take your pain and play with it.” I suppose that’s why some of the funniest people out there—Stephen Colbert, Robin Williams, Ben Stiller, Art Buchwald—have journeyed through periods of torment.
There is an unspoken message hidden within a chuckle–even the slightest cackle– that says this: “I promise, you’ll get through this.” Just like the comforting hug of your mom when you were three. In fact, New York City’s Big Apple Circus has used humor to console sick children since 1986, when they started sending teams of clowns into hospital rooms with “rubber chicken soup” and other fun surprises. “It’s for the children, yes,” explains Jane Englebardt, deputy director of the circus, in an “American Fitness” article. “But it’s also for the parents who, when they hear their children laugh for the first time in days or weeks, know everything’s going to be O.K.”
3. Humor relaxes.
Like any exercise, laughing relaxes you, and works against chronic stress that most Americans wear on the shoulder. Mehmet C. Oz, M.D., a heart surgeon at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center in New York City, explains why this is so in a 2005 “Reader’s Digest” article:
When you push any engine, including your body, to its maximum, every once in a while it slips a gear. The ways the body manifests that are: irregular heartbeats, high blood pressure, and increased sensitivity to pain. When people use humor, the autonomic nervous system just tones down a bit to take it off high gear, and that allows the heart to relax.
4. Humor reduces pain.
Apparently the psych nurses at Laurel Regional Hospital weren’t the only ones gathering patients around the TV to watch funny flicks or videos. Dr. Elias Shaya, chief of psychiatry at Good Samaritan Hospital in Baltimore also tries to instill the importance of laughter in his patients. Says Dr. Shaya: “I advocate finding ways to laugh by watching comedy or engaging in looking up jokes and sharing them.”
“Humor rooms,” which encourage people to use humor in their recovery from any kind of illness, are now available in some hospitals. And science backs these efforts. In a study published in the Journal of Holistic Nursing, humor very definitely seemed to diminish pain. Says Dave Traynor, M.Ed, director of health education at Natchaug Hospital in Mansfield Center, Connecticut in “American Fitness”: “After surgery, patients were told one-liners prior to administration of potentially painful medication. The patients exposed to humor perceived less pain as compared to patients who didn’t receive humor stimuli.”
5. Humor boosts the immune system.
Whenever I prick myself accidentally, I tell a joke, and my finger doesn’t bleed! Well, not exactly. But if you are laid up in bed with a terrible strain of the flu that your four-year-old brought home from her play date yesterday, try to find an itsy-bitsy thread of humor in your situation, and you’ll be back to work in no time. Or, better yet, dwell in the misery and stay away from the cubicle longer.
In 2006 researchers led by Lee Berk and Stanley A. Tan at Loma Linda University in Loma Linda, Califormia, found that two hormones—beta-endorphins (which alleviate depression) and human growth hormone (HGH, which helps with immunity) increased by 27 and 87 percent respectively when volunteers anticipated watching a humorous video. Simply anticipating laughter boosted health-protecting hormones and chemicals.
In his “American Fitness” article, Dave Traynor explains a separate study at Arkansas Tech University, in which concentrations of immunoglobulin A were increased after 21 fifth graders participated in a humor program. (I’m nervous to hear about the details of that fifth-grade humor program, because my kids roar whenever you throw out a bathroom term.) Laughter was once again found to increase the ability to fight viruses and foreign cells.
6. Humor reduces stress.
The same research team at Loma Linda, California, conducted a similar study recently to see if the anticipation of laughter that was shown to boost immune systems could also reduce the levels of three stress hormones: cortisol (”the stress hormone”), epinephrine (adrenaline), and dopac, a dopamine catabolite (brain chemical which helps produce epinephrine).
They studied 16 fasting males, who were assigned to either the control group or the experiment group (those anticipating a humorous event). Blood levels showed that the stress hormones were reduced 39, 70, and 38 percent respectively. Therefore, researchers suggest that anticipating a positive event can reduce detrimental stress hormones.
7. Humor spreads happiness.
I remember playing the game of “Ha” as a young girl at my third-grade slumber party. I would lay my head on my friend’s tummy, and she would lay her head on another friend’s tummy, and so on. The first person would start the chain of laughs with a simple, “Ha!” The second person, “Ha Ha!” The third, “Ha Ha Ha,” at which point everyone would break into hysterics. About absolutely nothing. The way a person’s abdomen tightens and moves when she says “ha” makes you want to giggle.
My point: laughter is contagious. That’s why there are 5,000 laughter clubs around the world—where people laugh for no reason at all. Say what? According to Dr. Shaya of Good Samaritan Hospital, “These clubs have exercises that teach how to move your face, how to laugh more intensely to involve the shoulders, then the belly.” Laughing yoga classes are also popular today.
8. Humor cultivates optimism.
Humor is like gratitude in that it nurtures optimism, and Dan Baker writes this in “What Happy People Know”:
[Appreciation] is the first and most fundamental happiness tool. … Research now shows it is physiologically impossible to be in a state of appreciation and a state of fear at the same time. Thus, appreciation is the antidote to fear.
So if humor can change a perspective on a painful memory of the past or a gnawing issue of the present into opportunities to laugh at the inherent craziness of life at times, then a person can better facilitate his own healing.
9. Humor helps communication.
This is good marriage advice for anyone. But especially for the person prone to anxiety and depression. Most of Eric’s and my fights end with one of us making a sarcastic remark that is met with a snicker, and then a yuk, and then a roar. Voila! The quarrel is magically resolved! Sort of.
Humor is a way to articulate those truths that are so difficult to express otherwise. It’s handy language for someone like myself that doesn’t like to use big words, who is still fretting about her low verbal SAT scores because the college administrators didn’t think they were funny. If only they had read this article!
Of all my tools to combat depression and negativity, humor is by far the most fun. And just like mastering the craft of writing, I’m finding that the longer I practice laughing at life—and especially its frustrations–the better I become at it, and the more situations and conversations and complications I can place into that category named “silly.”
G. K. Chesterton once wrote: “Angels can fly because they take themselves lightly.” And Proverbs 17:22 says that “a happy heart is good medicine.” I’d add that human beings can heal (at least partially!) from a host of different illnesses if they learn how to laugh. Here are just a few ways our bodies, minds, and spirits begin to mend with a dose of humor.
1. Humor combats fear.
I know this first hand, having sat in a community room of a psych ward watching a video of a comedian poke fun at depression. Like everyone else occupying a chair in that room, I was scared to death. Of many things … That I would never smile again. Or love again. Or even WANT to love again. I was fearful of life, and everything it involved.
That panic didn’t instantly transform into a hearty chuckle once the psych nurse popped in the funny video. But the climate of the room was noticeably different. Patients began to open up more, to share some of the details they had left out in the prior group therapy session.
Humor disengages fear because it changes your perspective: of the past and of the present. The traumatic childhood episode loses its tight grip on your heart if you can place it into the “ridiculous” category of other stories from the past. With a playful perspective, you can remove yourself from the marital problem that has you debilitated with anxiety. Laughter forces a few steps–some much-needed distance– between a situation and our reaction. We all would do well to follow the advice of Leo Buscaglia: “When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on. And swing!”
2. Humor comforts.
Charlie Chaplin once said, “To truly laugh, you must be able to take your pain and play with it.” I suppose that’s why some of the funniest people out there—Stephen Colbert, Robin Williams, Ben Stiller, Art Buchwald—have journeyed through periods of torment.
There is an unspoken message hidden within a chuckle–even the slightest cackle– that says this: “I promise, you’ll get through this.” Just like the comforting hug of your mom when you were three. In fact, New York City’s Big Apple Circus has used humor to console sick children since 1986, when they started sending teams of clowns into hospital rooms with “rubber chicken soup” and other fun surprises. “It’s for the children, yes,” explains Jane Englebardt, deputy director of the circus, in an “American Fitness” article. “But it’s also for the parents who, when they hear their children laugh for the first time in days or weeks, know everything’s going to be O.K.”
3. Humor relaxes.
Like any exercise, laughing relaxes you, and works against chronic stress that most Americans wear on the shoulder. Mehmet C. Oz, M.D., a heart surgeon at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center in New York City, explains why this is so in a 2005 “Reader’s Digest” article:
When you push any engine, including your body, to its maximum, every once in a while it slips a gear. The ways the body manifests that are: irregular heartbeats, high blood pressure, and increased sensitivity to pain. When people use humor, the autonomic nervous system just tones down a bit to take it off high gear, and that allows the heart to relax.
4. Humor reduces pain.
Apparently the psych nurses at Laurel Regional Hospital weren’t the only ones gathering patients around the TV to watch funny flicks or videos. Dr. Elias Shaya, chief of psychiatry at Good Samaritan Hospital in Baltimore also tries to instill the importance of laughter in his patients. Says Dr. Shaya: “I advocate finding ways to laugh by watching comedy or engaging in looking up jokes and sharing them.”
“Humor rooms,” which encourage people to use humor in their recovery from any kind of illness, are now available in some hospitals. And science backs these efforts. In a study published in the Journal of Holistic Nursing, humor very definitely seemed to diminish pain. Says Dave Traynor, M.Ed, director of health education at Natchaug Hospital in Mansfield Center, Connecticut in “American Fitness”: “After surgery, patients were told one-liners prior to administration of potentially painful medication. The patients exposed to humor perceived less pain as compared to patients who didn’t receive humor stimuli.”
5. Humor boosts the immune system.
Whenever I prick myself accidentally, I tell a joke, and my finger doesn’t bleed! Well, not exactly. But if you are laid up in bed with a terrible strain of the flu that your four-year-old brought home from her play date yesterday, try to find an itsy-bitsy thread of humor in your situation, and you’ll be back to work in no time. Or, better yet, dwell in the misery and stay away from the cubicle longer.
In 2006 researchers led by Lee Berk and Stanley A. Tan at Loma Linda University in Loma Linda, Califormia, found that two hormones—beta-endorphins (which alleviate depression) and human growth hormone (HGH, which helps with immunity) increased by 27 and 87 percent respectively when volunteers anticipated watching a humorous video. Simply anticipating laughter boosted health-protecting hormones and chemicals.
In his “American Fitness” article, Dave Traynor explains a separate study at Arkansas Tech University, in which concentrations of immunoglobulin A were increased after 21 fifth graders participated in a humor program. (I’m nervous to hear about the details of that fifth-grade humor program, because my kids roar whenever you throw out a bathroom term.) Laughter was once again found to increase the ability to fight viruses and foreign cells.
6. Humor reduces stress.
The same research team at Loma Linda, California, conducted a similar study recently to see if the anticipation of laughter that was shown to boost immune systems could also reduce the levels of three stress hormones: cortisol (”the stress hormone”), epinephrine (adrenaline), and dopac, a dopamine catabolite (brain chemical which helps produce epinephrine).
They studied 16 fasting males, who were assigned to either the control group or the experiment group (those anticipating a humorous event). Blood levels showed that the stress hormones were reduced 39, 70, and 38 percent respectively. Therefore, researchers suggest that anticipating a positive event can reduce detrimental stress hormones.
7. Humor spreads happiness.
I remember playing the game of “Ha” as a young girl at my third-grade slumber party. I would lay my head on my friend’s tummy, and she would lay her head on another friend’s tummy, and so on. The first person would start the chain of laughs with a simple, “Ha!” The second person, “Ha Ha!” The third, “Ha Ha Ha,” at which point everyone would break into hysterics. About absolutely nothing. The way a person’s abdomen tightens and moves when she says “ha” makes you want to giggle.
My point: laughter is contagious. That’s why there are 5,000 laughter clubs around the world—where people laugh for no reason at all. Say what? According to Dr. Shaya of Good Samaritan Hospital, “These clubs have exercises that teach how to move your face, how to laugh more intensely to involve the shoulders, then the belly.” Laughing yoga classes are also popular today.
8. Humor cultivates optimism.
Humor is like gratitude in that it nurtures optimism, and Dan Baker writes this in “What Happy People Know”:
[Appreciation] is the first and most fundamental happiness tool. … Research now shows it is physiologically impossible to be in a state of appreciation and a state of fear at the same time. Thus, appreciation is the antidote to fear.
So if humor can change a perspective on a painful memory of the past or a gnawing issue of the present into opportunities to laugh at the inherent craziness of life at times, then a person can better facilitate his own healing.
9. Humor helps communication.
This is good marriage advice for anyone. But especially for the person prone to anxiety and depression. Most of Eric’s and my fights end with one of us making a sarcastic remark that is met with a snicker, and then a yuk, and then a roar. Voila! The quarrel is magically resolved! Sort of.
Humor is a way to articulate those truths that are so difficult to express otherwise. It’s handy language for someone like myself that doesn’t like to use big words, who is still fretting about her low verbal SAT scores because the college administrators didn’t think they were funny. If only they had read this article!
Helping Memory Loss--provided by Life Script
You’ve lost your car keys. But it hardly matters since you can’t remember where you parked the car. Some memory loss is normal. But how do you know when something more serious is going on? Read on to find out…
We all want to have instant recall. The sad truth? Once we pass our mid-20s, memory slowly declines.
By our 50s, we start to misplace things, forget appointments, and never mind trying to learn new names. Lists are essential, and we just get better at faking it at meetings.
But what leads to memory loss? And what can we do to safeguard our brains?
Health conditions. Strokes, infections, brain tumors and hormonal disorders like overactive or underactive thyroid can bring on dementia. HIV, tuberculosis, syphilis (in its later stages), herpes and bacterial meningitis can also have a profound effect on thinking and memory.
Vitamin deficiency. Run short on certain vitamins, such as B1 (thamine), B12 and folate, and recall declines as well.
Drugs. These include sedatives, sleeping pills, over-the-counter antihistamines (including many cold remedies), antidepressants and prescription painkillers. Illicit drugs such as Ecstasy can permanently impair memory.
Head injury. Blows to the brain, even mild concussions, have an impact. As boxer Mohammed Ali sadly learned, repeated whacks to the head trigger dementia and lead to Parkinson’s disease.
Alcoholism. Alcoholics eventually deplete thiamine, a B vitamin.
Stress and depression. Prolonged stress, often accompanied by interrupted sleep and a preoccupation with problems.Depression can disrupt focus and responsiveness.
These steps can help keep your brain sharp:
Lower your cholesterol and blood pressure. Both may lead to narrowing of the arteries, lessening blood flow. Less blood to the brain means your memory will suffer. Raising your HDL, or good cholesterol, may stave off the problem as well. In a British study of 3,700 people, those with low levels of HDL had a 53% greater risk of memory loss than those with the highest levels.
Exercise body and brain. Exercise is great for the brain, increasing blood flow and oxygen, and stimulating the growth of new neurons to keep you smart. Exercising your mind is key, too: stimulating puzzles, games and reading helps you stay sharp.
Skip the chips. A healthy diet including lots of green leafy vegetables and fish is a boon to your memory. According to an Italian study, the omega-3 fatty acids in fish, as well as flaxseed, walnuts and soybeans, improve concentration. And green leafy vegetables contain lots of vitamin B (which prevents strokes that can lead to dementia).
Quit smoking. When British researchers tested middle-aged smokers and nonsmokers, they found that smokers had the worst scores on tests measuring memory and other brainy tasks.
Raise a glass. One alcoholic drink a day appears to be healthy for the brain and heart. In fact, one study indicated that people with dementia who had a drink daily had a slower decline than those who drank nothing. But drinking more than 14 drinks a week may raise the risk.
Party on. Have fun with your friends, sign up for new activities, gab on the phone and head to gatherings you enjoy. A University of Michigan study found that just talking to someone for 10 minutes improved memory and intellect on tests shortly afterward.
Unwind. People with higher levels of stress hormones have poorer memory than those with normal levels. So when you feel a stressful moment coming on, try this instant relaxation exercise: Shut your eyes, breathe in deeply through your nose and blow out through your mouth. Repeat at least five times, and you’ll be sure to find your car – and your keys – later.
But how can you tell if it’s a minor memory problem or a serious condition?
Dementia – often called senility – slowly progresses with old age, first eroding memory, attention, language and problem solving. More than five million Americans live with dementia, and two-thirds of them have Alzheimer’s disease, which is a branch of dementia.
Alzheimer’s is more common in women (more than half the cases) than men. Although most dementias strike later in life, Alzheimer’s can hit in the 40s as a slow, steady loss of brain cells. As the disease progresses, patients lose control of their bladders and bowels, and develop severe mood swings. They live about four to six years after diagnosis. Click here for more Alzheimer’s information.
Diagnosing the Brain’s DeclineA neurologist diagnoses Alzheimer’s through memory tests that confirm dementia and by ruling out other causes, such as strokes and tumors.
Ask these questions to gauge how serious the condition is:
How frequent are the memory lapses? Occasional forgetfulness is not unusual. But frequently forgetting where the car is or when appointments are may be a sign of severe dementia or Alzheimer’s.
Do the memory lapses interfere with day-to-day life? Failing to eat meals, manage personal hygiene, clean clothes or remember regular routes are not normal, and may indicate severe dementia.
Does the person sound like a broken record? Frequent repetition of the same information or questions is a red flag. So are forgetting familiar things such as a friend’s or relative’s name.
Does the person seem confused? Henry Fonda’s character in On Golden Pond lost his way, panicking in a familiar place. Like the movie character, a person with dementia may have trouble following a conversation, lose his place in a game or forget how he arrived at a new spot.
Is the memory loss progressive and disproportionate to that person’s age? If the progression is relentless and the person seems much less functional than her peers, she may have Alzheimer’s.
Talk to your doctor if you think you’re experiencing memory loss.
Could You Be Depressed?Depression affects 20 million people a year, compromising their ability to function normally. Find out if you're just blue or if you might be clinically depressed.
The information contained on www.lifescript.com (the "Site") is provided for informational purposes only and is not meant to substitute for advice from your doctor or healthcare professional. This information should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing any medication. Always seek the advice of a qualified healthcare professional regarding any medical condition. Information and statements provided by the site about dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. LifeScript does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, third-party products, procedures, opinions, or other information mentioned on the Site. Reliance on any information provided by LifeScript is solely at your own risk.
We all want to have instant recall. The sad truth? Once we pass our mid-20s, memory slowly declines.
By our 50s, we start to misplace things, forget appointments, and never mind trying to learn new names. Lists are essential, and we just get better at faking it at meetings.
But what leads to memory loss? And what can we do to safeguard our brains?
Health conditions. Strokes, infections, brain tumors and hormonal disorders like overactive or underactive thyroid can bring on dementia. HIV, tuberculosis, syphilis (in its later stages), herpes and bacterial meningitis can also have a profound effect on thinking and memory.
Vitamin deficiency. Run short on certain vitamins, such as B1 (thamine), B12 and folate, and recall declines as well.
Drugs. These include sedatives, sleeping pills, over-the-counter antihistamines (including many cold remedies), antidepressants and prescription painkillers. Illicit drugs such as Ecstasy can permanently impair memory.
Head injury. Blows to the brain, even mild concussions, have an impact. As boxer Mohammed Ali sadly learned, repeated whacks to the head trigger dementia and lead to Parkinson’s disease.
Alcoholism. Alcoholics eventually deplete thiamine, a B vitamin.
Stress and depression. Prolonged stress, often accompanied by interrupted sleep and a preoccupation with problems.Depression can disrupt focus and responsiveness.
These steps can help keep your brain sharp:
Lower your cholesterol and blood pressure. Both may lead to narrowing of the arteries, lessening blood flow. Less blood to the brain means your memory will suffer. Raising your HDL, or good cholesterol, may stave off the problem as well. In a British study of 3,700 people, those with low levels of HDL had a 53% greater risk of memory loss than those with the highest levels.
Exercise body and brain. Exercise is great for the brain, increasing blood flow and oxygen, and stimulating the growth of new neurons to keep you smart. Exercising your mind is key, too: stimulating puzzles, games and reading helps you stay sharp.
Skip the chips. A healthy diet including lots of green leafy vegetables and fish is a boon to your memory. According to an Italian study, the omega-3 fatty acids in fish, as well as flaxseed, walnuts and soybeans, improve concentration. And green leafy vegetables contain lots of vitamin B (which prevents strokes that can lead to dementia).
Quit smoking. When British researchers tested middle-aged smokers and nonsmokers, they found that smokers had the worst scores on tests measuring memory and other brainy tasks.
Raise a glass. One alcoholic drink a day appears to be healthy for the brain and heart. In fact, one study indicated that people with dementia who had a drink daily had a slower decline than those who drank nothing. But drinking more than 14 drinks a week may raise the risk.
Party on. Have fun with your friends, sign up for new activities, gab on the phone and head to gatherings you enjoy. A University of Michigan study found that just talking to someone for 10 minutes improved memory and intellect on tests shortly afterward.
Unwind. People with higher levels of stress hormones have poorer memory than those with normal levels. So when you feel a stressful moment coming on, try this instant relaxation exercise: Shut your eyes, breathe in deeply through your nose and blow out through your mouth. Repeat at least five times, and you’ll be sure to find your car – and your keys – later.
But how can you tell if it’s a minor memory problem or a serious condition?
Dementia – often called senility – slowly progresses with old age, first eroding memory, attention, language and problem solving. More than five million Americans live with dementia, and two-thirds of them have Alzheimer’s disease, which is a branch of dementia.
Alzheimer’s is more common in women (more than half the cases) than men. Although most dementias strike later in life, Alzheimer’s can hit in the 40s as a slow, steady loss of brain cells. As the disease progresses, patients lose control of their bladders and bowels, and develop severe mood swings. They live about four to six years after diagnosis. Click here for more Alzheimer’s information.
Diagnosing the Brain’s DeclineA neurologist diagnoses Alzheimer’s through memory tests that confirm dementia and by ruling out other causes, such as strokes and tumors.
Ask these questions to gauge how serious the condition is:
How frequent are the memory lapses? Occasional forgetfulness is not unusual. But frequently forgetting where the car is or when appointments are may be a sign of severe dementia or Alzheimer’s.
Do the memory lapses interfere with day-to-day life? Failing to eat meals, manage personal hygiene, clean clothes or remember regular routes are not normal, and may indicate severe dementia.
Does the person sound like a broken record? Frequent repetition of the same information or questions is a red flag. So are forgetting familiar things such as a friend’s or relative’s name.
Does the person seem confused? Henry Fonda’s character in On Golden Pond lost his way, panicking in a familiar place. Like the movie character, a person with dementia may have trouble following a conversation, lose his place in a game or forget how he arrived at a new spot.
Is the memory loss progressive and disproportionate to that person’s age? If the progression is relentless and the person seems much less functional than her peers, she may have Alzheimer’s.
Talk to your doctor if you think you’re experiencing memory loss.
Could You Be Depressed?Depression affects 20 million people a year, compromising their ability to function normally. Find out if you're just blue or if you might be clinically depressed.
The information contained on www.lifescript.com (the "Site") is provided for informational purposes only and is not meant to substitute for advice from your doctor or healthcare professional. This information should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing any medication. Always seek the advice of a qualified healthcare professional regarding any medical condition. Information and statements provided by the site about dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. LifeScript does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, third-party products, procedures, opinions, or other information mentioned on the Site. Reliance on any information provided by LifeScript is solely at your own risk.
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