03 Monday Sep 2018
Posted in Intelligence for Your Life
Tags
Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, cortisol, face, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, scalp, stress hormone, tabla, tension, trick
Close your eyes and tap your fingers all over your face and scalp, using both hands, just like you would if you were typing on a keyboard. Massage therapists call that technique “tabla playing” – after the traditional Indian percussion instrument. And it supposedly relaxes tense muscles and reduces levels of the stress hormone cortisol.
15 Friday Sep 2017
Posted in Intelligence for Your Life
Tags
art gallery, art museum, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, cortisol, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, museum, paintings, reduce stress, relax, relaxing, sculpture, stress, stress free, stress hormone, University in Milan
Sure, it can expose you to fine art – but it can also slash your stress by 60%! That’s according to I-U-L-M University in Milan. The researchers measured people’s levels of the stress hormone cortisol, before and after they visited a museum. And they found that just spending a few minutes admiring a painting or sculpture dramatically reduced stress. Their cortisol dropped 60%! That’s because art fills us with positive emotions, which lower levels of inflammatory proteins, reducing stress.
30 Wednesday Aug 2017
Posted in Intelligence for Your Life
Tags
blueberries, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, cortisol, fatty foods, Freddy Krueger, horror movie, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, kale, movies, scary movie, small popcorn, stress eating, stress hormone, thriller movie
If your favorite movie genre is horror or thrillers – get the SMALL popcorn. Because research from Cornell University says movie-goers are more likely to munch while watching scary movies. Why? Blame the stress from the edge-of-your-seat action! It increases the stress hormone cortisol, which prompts us to eat more in case we need energy to run from Freddy Krueger! Cortisol also makes us crave fatty and salty foods – not kale and blueberries. So if you’re going to watch horror movies – get the small popcorn. Cornell’s experts say small portions can be just as satisfying, both physically and psychologically, as servings with 7-times as many calories.
24 Monday Jul 2017
Posted in Intelligence for Your Life
Tags
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.
17 Monday Jul 2017
Posted in Intelligence for Your Life
Tags
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
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.
27 Friday Jan 2017
Posted in Intelligence for Your Life
Tags
allergic, allergies, allergy, attention span, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, cortisol, eucalyptus, focus, grass, houseplant, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, memory, memory test, score, stress, stress hormone, stress-reliever, trees, wax plant, wheeze, wheezing
We know that being out in nature is a major stress reliever. Studies show that breathing in the scent of fresh greenery lowers levels of the stress hormone cortisol by 12%. And that allows us to think more clearly. But what if you have allergies – and inhaling the scent of trees and grass makes you a wheezing, watery-eyed mess? Get fragrant houseplants – like a eucalyptus or wax plant. Research from the University of Michigan found that inhaling those scents improves attention span and focus – and even raises people’s scores on language and memory tests. An added bonus? Those plants also purify indoor air from allergens.
25 Monday Jul 2016
Posted in Intelligence for Your Life
Tags
anxiety, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, drum, drumming, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, reduce anxiety, Stanford University, stress, stress hormone, tap, tap fingers, tapping, white blood cells, wiggle, wiggle toes
wiggle your toes or drum your fingers for a minute. Stanford University scientists say the fine motor control involved in drumming or wiggling fingers and toes tells the brain to dial down the production of stress hormones. And those movements not only reduce anxiety by stimulating our nerves, they also increase activity among our disease-fighting white blood cells.
10 Friday Jun 2016
Posted in Intelligence for Your Life
Tags
Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, contagious, cortisol, couples, fight-or-flight response, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, stress, stress hormone, stressed, stressed out, stressful
Studies show just seeing someone who’s freaking out can flood your body with the stress hormone, cortisol. And if your partner’s the one who’s stressed out, you’re 25% more likely to be affected than a stranger would be. The response is a holdover from our ancient ancestors…… Because if one person flipped out when a lion charged the village, everyone experienced the same fight-or-flight response, so the group could instantly go into defensive mode. Today, our reaction remains the same, but the “danger” is more likely to be a crashed computer.
03 Thursday Jul 2014
Posted in Intelligence for Your Life
Tags
blocks pain, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, cortisol, Cortisol levels, doctor, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, morning, shot, stress, stress hormone, wake up, wakeup
Do it in the morning. You’ll feel the least amount of discomfort then. That’s because when you wake up, your body’s Cortisol levels are high. That’s the stress hormone – but it also blocks pain. And it’s highest in the 2 hours after you wake up.
24 Tuesday Jun 2014
Posted in Intelligence for Your Life
Tags
anxiety, become a volunteer, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, coping skills, immune system, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, live longer, negative thinking, Psychosomatic Medicine, Purdue, stress, stress hormone, worry, worrying
Purdue scientists found that negative thinking triggers your stress hormones. And when stress hormones are elevated for a long period of time, it weakens your immune system and body functions. The good news is, the people in the Purdue study who found good ways to cope with their worries lived longer.
One strategy to eliminate anxiety: become a volunteer. According to the journal Psychosomatic Medicine, selfless actions distract you from stress.
