31 Monday Jul 2017
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Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, friends, good friends, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, Oxford University
If you have a bunch of friends, you probably experience less pain! That’s according to Oxford University. They found that people with large, supportive networks of friends had high pain tolerance. That’s because being around our friends makes our body release pain-killing, feel-good chemicals. So the next time you’re hurting, hang out with your friends.
28 Friday Jul 2017
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antibacterial gel, antibacterial hand sanitizer, antibacterial soap, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, FDA, hand sanitizer, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, triclosan, use soap and water, wash your hands
The Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy found you’d have to soak your hands in antibacterial gel for 9 hours to kill more germs than you would simply by washing with regular soap and water. And the FDA says antibacterial soaps and gels don’t prevent illnesses any better than regular soap. Plus, the active ingredient in many antibacterial products – triclosan – can lead to antibacterial resistance. That’s why the FDA recently banned it… and companies have a year to take it out of their products. So, skip the antibacterial gel – and wash with plain old soap and water.
27 Thursday Jul 2017
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apple peels, apples, beautiful, beauty tip, beauty tips, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, exfoliate, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, peel an apple, skincare, vitamin A, vitamin C, Vitamin E
Next time you eat an apple, save the peel and rub the inside on your cleanly-scrubbed face. Skincare expert Cecilia Wong says the dose of vitamins C, A and E will soften your skin and help minimize lines. Plus, the peel has malic acid, which has an exfoliating effect similar to enzyme facial peels… But it’s gentle enough to do every day. Just rub the inside of the apple peel on your face, wait 5 minutes, then rinse.
26 Wednesday Jul 2017
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appointment, backfire, bed, bedtime, can't sleep, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, early appointment, fall asleep, go to bed, insomnia, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, sleep, University of Colorado
What’s the best time to go to bed when you have an early appointment the next day? The common wisdom is to go to bed early if we have an early start the next day. But Dr. Kenneth Wright Jr., who directs the University of Colorado’s Sleep Lab, says that can backfire… Because if you force yourself to go to bed, and you’re not tired, the stress can make it harder to fall asleep. Instead, always go to bed at the same time every night, no matter what. Even if you know you have to be awake again in a few hours. The sleep you do get will be more restful and you won’t throw off your sleep schedule.
25 Tuesday Jul 2017
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bonding hormone, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, dog, dog eyes, gaze into my eyes, I love my dog, immune system, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, my dog, oxytocin, puppy dog eyes, risk of heart disease, stress relief, stress-proof, stress-reliever, your dog
When your dog gives you those giant, brown, puppy-dog-eyes – drink in their gaze. According to the journal Science, looking into your dog’s eyes increases levels of oxytocin – the bonding hormone that makes you feel all squishy and lovey-dovey inside. Those puppy-dog eyes also stress-proof your heart, lowering the risk of heart disease – and improving your immune system. The prescribed dose of puppy-dog eyes is 2 minutes, to get the brain chemical benefits. It makes your levels of oxytocin go up 300%! And your dog gets a boost too. Their levels of oxytocin go up 130%.
24 Monday Jul 2017
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antioxidants, belly-fat, blueberries, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, cortisol, de-stress, destress, dopamine, feel-good brain chemical, feeling tense, folate, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, lower blood pressure, peaches, potassium, stress hormone, sunflower seeds, tense
Here are a few foods proven to help you de‑stress:
Starting with Blueberries. They contain antioxidants so powerful, they counteract the production of cortisol, the stress hormone that increases blood sugar levels. And high levels of cortisol are linked to belly fat.
Another anti-stress food: Peaches. The potassium in peaches helps lower blood pressure.
Finally, when you’re stressed, load up on sunflower seeds. They contain high levels of folate, which helps your body produce the feel-good brain chemical dopamine.
21 Friday Jul 2017
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best day, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, drinking beer, eating french fries, eating habits, exercise, free time, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, lifting weights, quinoa, running, running on the treadmill, Tuesdays, workout, Yoga
You’d think we’d be working out more on weekends, since we have more free time. But Saturdays and Sundays are the days we’re LEAST likely to exercise. The most popular day of the week for a sweat session is Tuesday. That’s according to data compiled by Twitter. It seems Mondays are too hectic for a workout – and on the weekends we’re too busy having a good time. And our eating habits follow a similar pattern. Quinoa and kale consumption peak on Mondays and Tuesdays, then things start going downhill… with more beer and French fries being consumed as the week goes on – and peaking on Fridays.
20 Thursday Jul 2017
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can't sleep, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, diet, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, Journal of Research in Medical Sciences, magnesium, nuts, relax, rest, seeds, sleep, sleeping, stress, trouble sleeping
If you can’t sleep, get more magnesium in your diet. According to the Journal of Research in Medical Sciences, people who get enough magnesium in their diet have less trouble sleeping. Because it helps neurotransmitters in the brain shut things down at night, so we can relax and rest. To get the optimal amount, all you need is a handful of nuts and seeds daily.
19 Wednesday Jul 2017
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Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, cookie, cookies, crème brulée, dessert, eat dessert, flan, homemade cookies, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, mmm, nom, nomnom, round desserts, satisfied, satisfy, yum, yummy
When it’s time for dessert – choose something round… Like a cookie, flan or crème brulée in a ramekin. Research shows our brain finds round desserts sweeter, with an overall better flavor. So even if you’re making homemade cookies, use a cookie cutter. You’ll enjoy the cookies more – and that’ll help you eat fewer of them. Because your brain will be more satisfied.
18 Tuesday Jul 2017
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Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, feel better, hormonal cycle, hormones, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, nausea, nauseous, sick, sick to your stomach, stomach, stomach ache, stomach acids
There’s a good reason. Internist Dr. Keri Peterson says, just like our daily sleep and hormonal cycles, our stomach and digestive processes run on a daily rhythm. And during sleep, our stomach makes extra acid to move along whatever’s lingering in there. And by morning, that acid has emptied out. But if you wake up earlier than usual – or the middle of the night – that unfinished process can leave you feeling queasy. If that happens to you, Dr. Peterson says to eat a little something to neutralize the acid, and you’ll be feeling better in no time.
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