28 Thursday Dec 2017
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bedtime, bedtime snack, breakfast, calcium, calm, cereal, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, eat cereal, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, magnesium, relax, relaxing, serotonin, tryptophan
It makes the perfect bedtime snack. The carbs in cereal increase levels of the brain chemical serotonin, which makes us feel happy and relaxed. And the milk’s tryptophan content converts to serotonin, too. Plus, there’s calcium and magnesium in milk, both of which are calming.
28 Wednesday Jun 2017
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bath, bathroom, bathtub, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, headache, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, migraine, recipe, relax, rosemary, rosemary tea, serotonin, Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation, tea
Make some rosemary tea – but don’t drink it. Pour it in a hot bath and soak in it for 20 minutes. Dr. Alan Hirsch, director of the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation, says hot water relaxes muscles that are spasming. And the aromatic oils in rosemary boost production of the neurotransmitter serotonin – which relieves pain.
Sound good? Here’s the recipe: Steep half-a-cup of dried rosemary in boiling water for 10 minutes. Then strain it, add the tea to your bathwater, and climb in.
26 Monday Dec 2016
Posted in Intelligence for Your Life
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antidepressant, antidepressants, be happy, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, dopamine, exercise, happy, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, sad, serotonin
If you take antidepressants and want to make them more effective, exercise. Scientists from UT Southwestern Medical Center found that being active every day was as effective as taking a second antidepressant. That’s because being active prompts the body and brain to release more natural antidepressant chemicals, like serotonin and dopamine.
17 Friday Jun 2016
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anxiety, bacteria, brain, brain neurons, brainpower, calm, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, garden, gardening, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, plant, planting, plants, reduce anxiety, relax, serotonin, soil, think, thinking
…indoors or out! Studies show that there’s a certain type of bacteria in soil that we breathe in, and seeps through our skin – and it makes us calmer and better thinkers! The bacteria stimulate the growth of brain neurons, and boost production of the brain chemical serotonin, which reduces anxiety.
10 Tuesday Nov 2015
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Alzheimer's, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, depressed, depression, do good, dopamine, feel good, good deed, hormones, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, live longer, longevity, serotonin, University of Michigan, volunteer
•You’ll live longer. Researchers at the University of Michigan tracked over a thousand seniors for a decade. The result: Those who volunteered on a regular basis were 40% more likely to be alive at the end of the study. That’s because volunteering increases the levels of hormones that help cells repair themselves.
•The “helper’s high.” Just thinking about doing a good deed causes your brain to release the feel-good chemical dopamine. And helping others releases so much mood-boosting serotonin that it’s just as effective treating depression as medication.
•Helping others improves relationships. Researchers studied people who took care of a spouse suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. And no matter how challenging things got, the caregiver developed even stronger feelings of love and compassion for their ailing spouse.
20 Friday Feb 2015
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chew sugarless gum, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, diet, dieting, Dr. Pamela Peeke, emotion, emotional, emotions, gum, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, Monday, overest, Saturday, serotonin, stress, sugarless gum, The Hunger Fix, urge
Here are 3 tricks to combat the urge from the book “The Hunger Fix” by medical professor, Dr. Pamela Peeke:
1. Chew sugarless gum. It triggers the release of serotonin, one of our feel-good chemicals. Which soothes stress.
2. Don’t work against your stress and start a diet plan on a Monday. You’re stressed out enough as it is at the beginning of the workweek. Instead, start your diet on a day off – like Saturday.
3. Create a visual reminder of your goal. Maybe it’s a picture of an outfit you want to wear, or a vacation you want to go on. But having a visual reminder of your goal on your fridge, computer, or phone can be the stop sign you need to see before reaching for a snack.
21 Wednesday Jan 2015
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chew gum, chewing gum, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, healthy, healthy meal, high scores, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, minty gum, no appetite, peppermint gum, serotonin, stress hormones
It releases the hormone serotonin, which helps us feel more awake.
Chewing gum can even help you do better on tests…In studies, students who chewed peppermint gum while taking a test felt more alert and got higher scores than those who didn’t.
But there’s one thing chewing minty gum won’t do: Help us eat healthier! That’s because the flavor makes fruits and vegetables less appetizing. So, when people chew mint gum, they eat fewer good-for-you foods.
The lesson: Eat a healthy meal – THEN chew gum.
23 Tuesday Dec 2014
Posted in Intelligence for Your Life
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cold weather, compact fluorescent bulbs, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, depressed, depression, exercise, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, lethargic, lift your spirits, mood, natural daylight, serotonin, short days, sunshine, UV rays
It can leave you feeling depressed and lethargic. So, try these two happiness tips to get over the winter slump: Buy new light bulbs. Get compact fluorescent bulbs labeled “natural daylight.” They mimic UV rays and raise your serotonin levels. Also, exercise during DAYLIGHT hours. The exercise will lift your spirits, and so will the shot of sunshine.
Find all different brands of compact fluorescent bulbs at The Home Depot.
10 Wednesday Dec 2014
Posted in Intelligence for Your Life
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anxiety, bake cookies, baking, brain, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, cookies, feel-good endorphins, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, reduce anxiety, relieve stress, serotonin, stress, stress relief, vanilla, vanilla scent
You have permission to bake cookies – because it’ll relieve your stress! The scent of vanilla is proven to reduce anxiety by nearly 70%. Plus, research shows that eating a little bit of fat increases feel-good endorphins and the happy chemical serotonin in the brain.
26 Friday Sep 2014
Posted in Intelligence for Your Life
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bummed out, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, depressed, feeling bummed out, fish, fresh produce, happy hormone, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, Journal of Clinical Nutrition, olive oil, omega-3 fatty acids, Omega3, sad, serotonin, whole grains
Get more omega-3s in you! According to the Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the omega-3 fatty acids in whole grains, fresh produce, fish and olive oil are known to boost levels of serotonin. That’s the so-called “happy hormone.”
