Improve Your Health; Change Your Life

11/27/2008

Improve Your Health; Change Your Life

The glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand, not the kindly smile, nor the joy of companionship; it is the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when you discover that someone else believes in you and is willing to trust you with a friendship.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

In "The Quickest Fix" in Pink Magazine (November 2008), Kathleen Hall offers "23 ways to improve your health and change your life —in two to three minutes." Here are some of our favorites....

Sing. Singing your way to work releases physical tension, oxygenates the blood, exercises your muscles, and liberates suppressed emotions.
Look into the eyes of someone you love. The brain chemical oxytocin is produced during bonding experiences. This hormone increases trust, according to a study in Nature.
Hug someone. A brain team from the University of North Carolina studied the effects of hugging in 38 couples and found that hugs reduce blood pressure, which cuts the risk of heart disease.
Eat chocolate. Just a little, left to melt slowly in your mouth while you saturate your taste buds, will make you happy and even boost your immune system.
Laugh! Laughter actually makes blood flow more efficiently. Artery diameter increases 22 percent during laughter and decreases 35 percent during mental stress, according to a study by the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
Show gratitude. Write a note to someone who has made a difference in your life. Long-term research has found that individuals who report a high level of gratitude and optimism have a 23 percent lower risk of health-related death.

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