Monthly Archives: February 2020

Want to feel happier and be more productive?

27 Thursday Feb 2020

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Play some tunes, but put your playlist on shuffle!

Research shows that when we don’t know what song is coming next, the pleasure centers of our brain light up. And every time there’s a musical surprise – which happens every 3 or 4 minutes – we get a flood of feel-good brain chemicals. They not only perk up our mood, they improve our memory and help us solve complex problems.

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To battle a cold and sore throat:

25 Tuesday Feb 2020

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Eat more root vegetables, like carrots, beets, sweet potatoes and turnips. They contain powerful antioxidants that switch on enzymes that heal tissues and boost immunity. In fact, eating a half-cup of root vegetables a day can boost production of virus-attacking white blood cells by 53%! And you get a bonus with orange root vegetables like carrots and yams. Yale researchers say they contain beta-carotene that helps heal throat tissue damaged by acid reflux. So root vegetables can relieve your sore throat – from a cold and acid reflux.

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Sneezing with your eyes open?

21 Friday Feb 2020

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Have you ever wondered why it’s pretty much impossible to sneeze with your eyes open? It’s because reflexively closing your eyes during a sneeze is your body’s way of protecting your eyes from whatever contaminant you’re about to sneeze out of your nose… and it keeps particles from irritating your eyes, or causing damage, like a painful scratch to the cornea.

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Kids and social media

20 Thursday Feb 2020

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Kids spend 9 hours a day on social media. But just ONE hour a day can bum kids out! That’s from the UK’s Institute of Labor Economics. Researchers looked at data on tweens and teens from more than 40-thousand households over a 4-year span. The result: Just an hour a day on social media made kids more likely to feel dissatisfied in ALL areas of their lives, except for friendships. The top 3 reasons kids felt worse: Cyber-bullying, comparing themselves to others, and because social media invaded other activities that could benefit their psychological health, like exercising or spending quality time with family and friends.

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To reduce stress – listen to music!

17 Monday Feb 2020

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While classical music has a particularly soothing effect – it slows heart rate, lowers blood pressure and even decreases levels of stress hormones – ANY music that you love will flood your brain with feel-good neurochemicals like dopamine.

And music is particularly beneficial if you’re in the middle of a stressful event. If you don’t have access to music, make your own. A study on stressed-out nursing students found that singing relieved their stress and prevented burnout.

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If the chardonnay was really flowing on girl’s night…

14 Friday Feb 2020

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…do this when you get up in the morning: Have a cup of coffee and a splash of hot sauce on your breakfast. The plant compounds in coffee – and the capsaicin in hot sauce – can help detox your liver. That’s according to the World Cancer Research Fund. Even better, put hot sauce or chili flakes on avocado toast. The avocado has potassium and magnesium, two minerals that alcohol drains from your system.

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Grilling isn’t just for summer!

10 Monday Feb 2020

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29% of people surveyed say they grill outside even in winter. And registered dietician Melissa Joy Dobbs says, when the weather dips, we crave heartier meals – which you can make with fewer calories on the grill. Because you can get a lot of flavor from meat and vegetables without adding a lot of calories.

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Lift your mood by engaging in a calming leisure activity!

05 Wednesday Feb 2020

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Want to de-stress? Do something soothing and hands-on, like knitting. British researchers surveyed over 35-hundred knitters – and the more frequently they sat down with needles and yarn, the lower their stress. Don’t want to learn a new skill? Try jigsaw puzzles. University of California at Merced researchers found people engaged in calming leisure activities reported a‑third less stress than those without a relaxing hobby. But the best ones create a finished product, whether it’s a completed puzzle or a knit hat. Because the accomplishment lifts our mood and reduces stress.

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If you want to ward off flu germs…

03 Monday Feb 2020

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…hug your loved ones more often! Psychology professor Dr. Thomas Joiner from Florida State University says, in studies, people who do the most hugging are less likely to get sick when exposed to a flu virus. It works because regular physical contact with other humans bolsters the immune system – by challenging it through exposure to other people’s microbes, which makes it stronger. Another reason hugs are a flu fighter? They reduce stress, which makes us more resistant to infections. So get hugging!

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