What can 5 to 10 minutes of meditation a day do for you?

17 Monday Jul 2017

Posted by ConnieSellecca in Intelligence for Your Life

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alpha wave, belly-fat, blood pressure, brain waves, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, cortisol, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, lower blood pressure, meditate, meditation, psoriasis, stress hormone, theta wave

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A lot… in not a lot of time.
For example: It increases alpha and theta brain wave activity – which leaves you in a state of relaxed wakefulness.
Twice-daily meditation sessions have also been proven to lower blood pressure naturally.
Plus, meditation can help reduce symptoms of psoriasis – by controlling the output of the stress hormone, cortisol.
And that reduction in cortisol means daily meditation makes us less likely to retain belly fat, too.

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Try this high-intensity interval training tip!

13 Thursday Jul 2017

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blood pressure, cardio, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, Denmark, exercise, fitness, high-intensity interval training, HIIE, HIIT, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, workout

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If you want to try high-intensity interval training, it’s as easy as remembering these numbers: 30-20-10. That’s an equation that adds up to exercise success according to research from Denmark. So choose your favorite form of cardio and go easy for 30 seconds… increase your exertion for the next 20 seconds… Then go all out for 10 seconds – and repeat that pattern 10 times. That’s the 30-20-10 method. When people in studies tried it, they improved their overall fitness and lowered their blood pressure.

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Don’t go for a nice, steamy sauna after a workout.

11 Tuesday Jul 2017

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blood pressure, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, dehydration, drink water, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, sauna, steam, steam room, steamy, sweat, sweating, sweaty, UCLA, workout

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The health consequences could be deadly.
That’s according to Dr. Daniel Vigil, a health sciences professor at UCLA. And it’s all down to dehydration. You’re already dehydrated after a workout. Then, if you go sit in a steam room or sauna, you expose your body to more heat, leading to more sweating and dehydration, which drives up your blood pressure and makes your blood stickier. Which puts a strain on your internal organs.

Instead, go for a steam BEFORE your workout. It can loosen up your muscles. Just make sure you drink a tall glass of water before starting your workout.

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Go ahead – hug someone!

09 Friday Jun 2017

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blood pressure, bonding chemical, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, health, healthy, heart disease, heart rate, hug, hugging, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, lower blood pressure, lower heart rate, oxytocin, vagus nerve

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Did you know that hugging can keep us healthy? The hug receptors in our skin send signals to the vagus nerve – which lowers our heart rate and blood pressure. Hugging also releases the bonding chemical oxytocin, which has been shown to decrease the risk of heart disease.

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You’ve heard of “white coat hypertension,” right?

18 Thursday May 2017

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blood pressure, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, doctor, exam, hypertension, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, nurse, stress, stressed, stressed out, systolic, white coat hypertension

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Where the minute a doctor or nurse starts taking your blood pressure, it spikes, simply because you’re stressed about being examined. Well, next time they’re about to put a blood pressure cuff on you: Take 3 or 4 deep, slow breaths over 30 seconds. In a study, people who did that lowered their systolic number by 15 points – that’s the top number. Deep breathing works to slow your heart rate, which triggers the reflexes that control blood pressure, and brings it down to where it normally is when you’re not on an exam table.

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To reduce stress in under a minute:

15 Monday May 2017

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blood pressure, breathe, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, deep breathing, exhale, heart rate, hormones, inhale, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, neck, reduce stress, shoulders, stress, stress hormones, stressful

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Inhale deeply, while raising your shoulders toward your ears. Then exhale slowly, and push your shoulders down. Repeat 5 times. Stress management experts say combining a shoulder shrug with deep breathing releases tension in our neck, shoulders and upper back. It also produces endorphins, which cancel out stress hormones, and reduce heart rate and blood pressure. Allowing you to literally shrug off your stress in under 60 seconds.

Here are the pros and cons of letting your pet sleep in your bed:

03 Friday Mar 2017

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allergies, allergy symptoms, blood pressure, calm our nerves, calming, cat, cons, cuddle, dander, dirt, dog, dust mites, feel good, kiss, mold, National Sleep Foundation, oxytocin, partner, pets, pets sleep in your bed, pollen, pros, relationship, sleep, sleeping, snuggle, vulnerable

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Pros: Dr. Natalie Dautovich from the National Sleep Foundation says we humans feel vulnerable in bed and while we’re sleeping… So having an animal nearby can make us feel more secure. Pets also lower our blood pressure and calm our nerves, so we have an easier time drifting off. Plus, if you’re single, snuggling up with a pet provides the same feel-good dose of oxytocin that we get from cuddling with a partner.

So what about the cons of sleeping with your pet? On the relationship front, animals create a physical barrier between you, so you’re less likely to kiss and cuddle each other – and more likely to cuddle your pet. That’s according to marriage and family therapist Dr. Kat Van Kirk. Plus, if you have allergies, you’re getting up close and personal for 8 hours with dirt, dander, pollen, mold and dust mites – all from your pet’s fur. Which can greatly increase your allergy symptoms.

Eating a little chocolate every day is GOOD for you – even if it’s milk chocolate.

21 Tuesday Feb 2017

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antioxidants, blood clots, blood flow, blood platelets, blood pressure, blood vessels, chocolate, cholesterol, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, dark chocolate, flavonols, health, healthy, heart, heart attack, heart disease, Hershey's kisses, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, milk chocolate, stroke

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According to the journal Heart, people who eat 3.5 ounces of chocolate every day (that’s about 20 Hershey’s kisses) – dark or MILK chocolate – had a 14% lower risk of heart disease and a 23% lower risk of stroke than those who ate no chocolate.
Ounce for ounce, dark chocolate contains more antioxidants called flavonols – than any fruit or vegetable out there! And here’s what a good dose of flavonols will do for your health.
It improves the ability of blood vessels to expand and contract, which results in better blood flow to your hands, legs, and brain.
It helps the body regulate blood pressure.
A healthy dose of flavonols also decreases the stickiness of blood platelets – which reduces the risk of blood clots and stroke.
And it increases your ‘good’ cholesterol – which lowers your risk of a heart attack.
But since chocolate is still high in fat and calories, a couple of squares a day is plenty.

Living in a tree-filled neighborhood is good for you!

06 Monday Feb 2017

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blood pressure, Chicago, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, diabetes, hbp, health, healthy, heart disease, high blood pressure, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, metabolic syndrome, nature, obese, obesity, tree, tree-filled, tree-filled neighborhood, trees, University of Chicago

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Researchers from the University of Chicago looked at data on the amount of trees in one city – along with detailed information on the health of more than 30,000 city residents. And people in neighborhoods with more trees reported significantly fewer symptoms of metabolic syndrome – like high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity or diabetes. It’s down to the healing and restorative effect of nature.

Here’s a good reason you should eat avocados:

06 Friday Jan 2017

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Avocado, avocados, banana, blood pressure, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, lower blood pressure, monounsaturated, monounsaturated fats, potassium, relax, relieve stress, stress, stress-reliever

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Avocado can relieve stress. It’s down to the monounsaturated fats in avocado, which can help lower blood pressure. Avocado also has more potassium per serving than a banana, which relaxes muscles and reduces blood pressure, too.

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Tag Archives: blood pressure

What can 5 to 10 minutes of meditation a day do for you?

Try this high-intensity interval training tip!

Don’t go for a nice, steamy sauna after a workout.

Go ahead – hug someone!

You’ve heard of “white coat hypertension,” right?

To reduce stress in under a minute:

Here are the pros and cons of letting your pet sleep in your bed:

Eating a little chocolate every day is GOOD for you – even if it’s milk chocolate.

Living in a tree-filled neighborhood is good for you!

Here’s a good reason you should eat avocados: