mood boosting Archives - Amazing Health Advances

Benefits of Laughing + How to Laugh More Often

AHA Publisher — Fri, 05 Feb 2021 08:00:00 +0000

Jillian Levy, CHHC via Dr. Axe – What’s one way you can hack your brain chemicals to boost your happiness? It’s as simple as laughing more. Not only does it feel good to laugh out loud, but it also makes you more attractive, can lead to stronger friendships, and is even considered “natural medicine” for both your physical and mental health. Why do we laugh, and what does a laugh mean biologically? Let’s dive in to the science of laughter below, including why having a sense of humor might help you live a longer, more fulfilling life. Benefits of Laughing How do you describe laughter? Laughing is defined as “showing emotion (such as mirth, joy or scorn) with a chuckle or explosive vocal sound.” Is laughter an emotion? Most experts consider it to be. In fact, it’s often called a “contagious emotion” because it tends to spread from person to person. In terms of what takes place in our bodies when we laugh, there’s actually still a lot of unknowns. According to Psychology Today, “Although laughter is one of the distinguishing features of human beings, little is known about the mechanisms behind it.” We know that people tend to laugh in several scenarios, including: To communicate to others we think something is funny Due to embarrassment and social discomfort To facilitate bonding and understanding across groups of people Is laughing a sign of happiness? Laughing tends to occur more among people who are already happy, and it can also make you feel happier too. In humans and primates, laughing releases endorphins and other “feel good” chemicals that help strengthen social bonds, reduce pain and increase motivation, all of which contribute to overall mental/emotional well-being. Laughing even burns calories, although not as much as most types of moderate exercise. When you laugh, you naturally buffer yourself against some of the damaging effects of stress, since laughing puts the brakes on your defensive stress responses, including our “fight or flight” response. Laughing also draws others closer to you, since the happier you appear, the more those around you feel happy too. What are the benefits of laughing? Laughter has been shown in studies to contribute to dozens of health benefits. In fact, laughing more often may even help you live longer. One study done in 2016 found that people with a strong sense of humor had a longer life expectancy than those who didn’t laugh often due to reduced risk for issues like heart disease and infections. Laughing is associated with some of the following health benefits: Improves your mood, reducing anxiety symptoms, anger, resentment, depression and sadness Boosts your immune system by decreasing circulating stress hormones and increases immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies Relaxes muscles and relieves tension Increases blood flow/circulation and can help protect against heart disease Improves mental and physical resilience (some even compare it to exercise in this regard!) Decreases pain Boosts social bonds between friends and attraction between men and women; in fact, women are sometimes called greater “laughter appreciators” because they tend to laugh over 120 percent more on average than men do Helps you to forgive sooner and gives you new perspective when dealing with challenges Improves alertness, productivity and memory, including in the workplace Gives you a generally more positive, optimistic outlook, which you bring to new and challenging situations How to Bring More Laughter Into Life Robert Provine, Ph.D. at the University of Maryland, believes that laughter isn’t necessarily just about humor, but also highly tied to communication and relationships. His research has shown that people actually laugh more in conversation and through interactions, rather than when watching or reading something funny while alone. Some studies have even shown that we’re about 30 times more likely to laugh at something when we are with other people! As HelpGuide.org puts its: Sharing humor is half the fun—in fact, most laughter doesn’t come from hearing jokes, but rather simply from spending time with friends and family. And it’s this social aspect that plays such an important role in the health benefits of laughter. Drawing upon what we know about how laughing usually occurs and how it benefits us, here are some ways to bring more laughs into your everyday life: Pay attention to what other people in your social circle think is funny. Laughing together is a great way to build stronger relationships, which is powerful at reducing loneliness-related stress. While socializing, put your phone away and try to avoid distractions. The more present you are with others, the more you’ll relish in other people’s jokes and senses of humor. When you hear laughter, seek out the source and feel free to ask about what others find to be funny. Spend more time with funny, playful, happy people. Some simple ways to increase opportunities for laughing with others include hosting game nights, going to comedy shows together, sharing jokes and stories, or making time for fun activities like playing board games or non-competitive sports. Seek out funny shows, books, podcasts, etc. Purposefully making an effort to bring more humorous content into your life is a great way to lift your mood. Attend comedy shows or watch them online. Try using humor to manage conflicts, in a respectful way of course. When you have a disagreement with someone, you can bring some humor to the situation to reduce tension, decrease defensiveness and anger, and put things into perspective. Make an effort to smile more often. Smiling is “the beginning of laughter” and is usually equally as contagious as laughing is. You’re more likely to smile more often if you pay attention to people while in face-to-face situations, so try making better eye contact and avoiding looking away or other distractions. Practice gratitude to boost your mood. The more grateful you feel, the higher the chances are that you’ll feel happy and in a good enough mood to laugh often. You can boost gratitude by keeping a journal/list or writing other people letters of appreciation. If you’re religious, you may be wondering, “What does the Bible says about laughter?” Laughter has been said to be a “gift from God” and a great way to cope with sadness — plus it can help you “count your blessings” by shining the light on joys in your life. Try “simulated laughter” by taking a laugh yoga or laugh therapy class. Developing a Sense of Humor Maybe you hold the belief that you’re not naturally a very humorous person. If you want to work on bringing more laughter into your life, here are tips from comedians and researchers who study laughter on boosting your sense of humor: Be more silly and spontaneous. You’ll find more opportunities to laugh when you take yourself less seriously. Build your self-esteem, and let go of judgment. If you tend to be insecure, defensive and critical of others and yourself, it’ll be hard to laugh at different situations, including at yourself. The more you can approach life with a non-judgmental, self-assured attitude, the more humor you’ll be able to find. Become emotionally intelligent and self-aware. People who are in tune with their feelings, who can manage stress and who are empathetic to others’ feelings are better able to connect and laugh together. Look for the humor in different situations, even those that seem bleak or frustrating at first. Risks and Side Effects Is laughing a lot a bad thing? For example, have you ever wondered: Can too much laughing kill you? Overall, laughing is completely natural and a healthy thing to do. It poses very minimal risks and benefits your well-being in numerous ways — such as by improving blood vessel function and reducing stiffness of the arteries. If you laugh hysterically for a long period of time, you may potentially become winded, and some people even tear up or pee themselves when they laugh very hard. For most people, however, adding more laughs to their days is a very wise thing to do. Conclusion Laughter is capable of supporting both physical and emotional health, as well as enhancing your relationships. Studies have found that people who laugh often benefit from stronger immune systems, more social support, boosts in their happiness and mood, diminished pain, protection against many diseases tied to stress, and even a longer life expectancy. People who incorporate humor and play into their daily lives tend to be more attractive to others, have higher self-esteem and have better coping skills when faced with challenges. You can bring more laughter into your life by seeking out funny people, consuming humorous content, socializing more in groups, becoming more self-assured and less judgmental, and practicing more gratitude. To read the original article click here. For more articles from Dr. Axe click here.

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Turkey Chili with Adzuki Beans Recipe

AHA Publisher — Thu, 05 Nov 2020 08:00:42 +0000

Dr. Josh Axe, DC, DMN, CNS – Fall weather calls for chili making, and this white turkey chili recipe with adzuki beans will hit the spot. With not one, but two kinds of turkey, and a hint of smokiness from paprika, you’ll want to enjoy a piping hot bowl by a bonfire. This is a Texas-style chili: heavier on the meat. So invite the meat-lovers in your life, and show them that eating healthy doesn’t have to mean giving up their favorite food! Key Healthy Ingredients Is turkey chili good for a diet? If you use the right ingredients like this turkey chili recipe calls for, it’s a resounding yes! This turkey chili recipe features adzuki beans, the red bean traditionally used in Asian cuisine. Adzuki beans are a part of the healing diet because they contain lots of iron (about 25 percent of your recommended daily intake in this recipe), magnesium, potassium, zinc and folic acid. If you’ve ever experienced an iron deficiency, you know that getting enough of this essential mineral can up your energy, help you sleep better and help you maintain a positive mood. Those are all good things when the days are getting shorter. Did you also know that eating iron-rich animal sources of food along with plant-based foods can help your body absorb the iron even better? So chili, with its combination of meat and beans, is an iron powerhouse. What kind of meat is best for chili? You can use the traditional ground beef (so long as it’s grass-fed) or chicken, but turkey is the meat of choice for this recipe because it offers lean protein as well as iron and healthy fat. You want to look for organic, pasture-raised turkey to be sure you’re getting the most nutritious protein food. You’ll get the benefits of improved mood, more energy and stronger muscles. The bottom line: If you’re craving chili this season, listen to your body! It might be telling you to eat the perfect food for what it needs. How to Make Turkey Chili How do you make turkey chili from scratch? This turkey chili recipe makes it easy, whether you want to use a stock pot or are looking for a turkey chili slow cooker recipe. We’ll start by soaking the adzuki beans overnight in water and whey or apple cider vinegar. This breaks down antinutrients that prevent your body from absorbing the good stuff, and it preserves the good nutrients since it means you don’t have to cook the beans as long in the chili. After a good soak, drain and rinse the beans. Now comes the fun part: layering the flavors of the turkey chili. You’ll start by boiling the beans in some low-sodium broth and salt (starting with low-sodium broth or salt-free homemade chicken bone broth and adding salt as needed means you can control the sodium level better). Once those have simmered for a while, add the pulled smoked turkey, diced tomatoes (with the juice) and spices. While that’s simmering, grab a skillet and sauté the ground turkey and red onions in butter or coconut oil — flavor layer number two! When the ground turkey has lost most of its pinkness, add the green peppers and garlic. Continue cooking until the turkey is browned and cooked through. Add the ground turkey and vegetables to the chili and let it simmer for 15–20 minutes. You want the flavors to marry and the consistency to slightly thicken. You can taste it at this point and see if it needs salt or more spice. Add chili powder if you’d like more spice. This is a good time to get your toppings ready, which will make this stew really shine. Try avocado, goat milk yogurt, salsa or green onions — or all of them! Once the turkey chili is ready, ladle it into bowls, top it to your liking and enjoy. If you have any leftovers (which I highly doubt you will if you’re serving four to five people), refrigerate it, and the flavor will be even better over the next few days. If you want more of a set-it-and-forget-it recipe, you can make this a slow cooker turkey chili recipe as well. Simply add the ingredients into your slow cooker, let it stew for a few hours (or even more) and — viola! — you have slow cooker turkey chili. Similar Recipes Looking for other healthy chili recipe variations? Try these recipes: Buffalo Chili Recipe Slow Cooker Bison Chili Recipe Paleo Chili Recipe — With or Without Meat! White Chicken Chili Recipe Turkey Chili with Adzuki Beans Recipe Author: Dr. Josh Axe Prep Time: 5 min Cook Time: 70 min Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes Yield: 4–5 1x Diet: Gluten Free DESCRIPTION Turkey chili with adzuki beans is packed with protein and iron and sure to warm you on a chilly night. Try this healthy turkey chili recipe! INGREDIENTS 1 cup dry adzuki beans 4 cups filtered water ¼ cup whey from yogurt or 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar 4 cups low-sodium chicken or turkey broth ¾ teaspoon sea salt ½ pound smoked turkey, pulled 32 ounces diced canned tomatoes, sugar & BPA free 1 tablespoon chili powder 2 teaspoons smoked paprika 1 teaspoon cumin 1 pound ground turkey 1 tablespoon grass-fed butter or coconut oil 1 large red onion, diced 2 green peppers, diced 3 medium garlic cloves, pressed or minced INSTRUCTIONS Soak adzuki beans overnight in the filtered water with the whey or vinegar. Drain and rinse after soaking. In a large pot or dutch oven, combine the beans with the broth and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the pulled smoked turkey, tomatoes, chili powder, smoked paprika and cumin to the beans. Stir to incorporate and continue to simmer while completing the next step. In a skillet over medium-high heat, sauté the ground turkey and onion in butter or coconut oil. When the turkey is half done, add the green peppers and garlic. Continue to sauté until the turkey is browned. Add the ground turkey and vegetables to the chili and simmer, uncovered, for 15–20 minutes, until the chili is slightly thickened. Taste for seasoning and add salt for flavor or chili powder for more spice. Enjoy with avocado, goat’s milk yogurt, salsa or green onions. Flavor will improve over the next few days. NOTES You can save some energy and make this recipe in a slow cooker, though it’ll take longer overall. Feel free to adjust this recipe using a meat of your choice, or try a vegetarian version with some added beans or a plant-based protein of your choosing. Cook time does not include soaking the beans overnight. NUTRITION Serving Size: 1 bowl Calories: 900 Sugar: 7.3g Sodium: 731mg Fat: 65.5g Saturated Fat: 18.7g Unsaturated Fat: 46.8g Trans Fat: 0g Carbohydrates: 40g Fiber: 10.2g Protein: 40.2g Cholesterol: 144mg To read the original article click here. For more articles from Dr. Axe click here.

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Exposure to Nature Promotes Psychological Well-Being in Children and Offsets Excessive Computer Use

AHA Publisher — Fri, 18 Sep 2020 07:00:58 +0000

Lori Alton via NaturalHealth365 – Virtually every Baby Boomer can probably recall this recurring parental suggestion: “Why don’t you kids go outside and play?!” Scientific research now agrees on the wisdom of this advice, with recent studies supporting the benefits of “green time” in lowering blood pressure, lifting mood and reducing levels of stress hormones in children and adults alike. Over the past two decades, however, the use of screen-based technology has soared, with restorative “green time” often sacrificed to “screen time” – a particularly troublesome scenario for children and teens. For the first time, a new systematic review explores the benefits of green time – and the effects of screen time – in children and teenagers. Review: American Preteens May Spend Only a Handful of Hours a Week Enjoying the Benefits of Green Time – with Troubling Consequences Shockingly, one study revealed that 12-year-old children in the United States report spending less than six hours a week outside – less than they report spending on screen time in a single day! Keep in mind, according to psychologist and screen technology expert Dr. Mike Brooks, PhD, many teens spend as much as nine hours (not including school or homework!) on screen-based media, while children may spend eight to 12. In addition, roughly 25 percent of all adolescents describe themselves as “constantly connected” to the Internet. Many researchers believe that excessive screen time is detrimental to young people, as it stimulates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and dopaminergic circuits at a time when those sensitive systems are developing and changing. On a practical note, excessive screen time can interfere with mental health necessities such as adequate sleep, in-person social activities, academic activities and regular exercise. Warning: High Screen Time with Low Green Time is Associated with Poorer Psychological and Cognitive Health In a systematic review published September 4 in PLOS One, the authors evaluated 186 studies to assess the effects of green time and screen time on mental health, cognitive function and academic achievement in children and teens in the United States, Canada, the UK, New Zealand and Australia. The researchers evaluated studies that explored the use of visual screen-based technologies such as TV, video games, smart phones, surfing the internet, social media and texting – as well as investigating exposure to green spaces and outdoor activities. In young people of all age groups, higher screen time was found to be associated with detrimental effects (although positive consequences from moderate exposures were found). The authors reported that in schoolchildren 5 to 11 years old, screen time exposures were generally associated with unfavorable psychological outcomes such as depressive symptoms, behavioral problems, sleeplessness and poorer cognitive function and attention. In a study published in Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, the researchers found that higher screen time was associated with reduced happiness and poorer academic outcomes. And, in older teens, high levels of screen time were associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms and anxiety. Green time, on the other hand, was associated with favorable outcomes such as reduced anger, healthier cortisol profiles, more energy and increased happiness. In addition, green time decreased long-term anxiety – and one study found that learning in a forest setting was associated with a steeper daily decrease in cortisol levels, when compared to traditional indoor classes. The authors pointed out that natural areas and green spaces tend to have better air quality and less noise pollution when compared to congested, high-traffic areas. And, direct sunlight promotes restful sleep by regulating circadian rhythms and spurring the production of vitamin D – a potent anti-inflammatory, immune system booster and natural antidepressant. Important Caveat: Researchers Credit “Moderate Screen Time” with Many Benefits The fact is: an estimated 47 percent of U.S. employment is classified as being at high risk of computerization in coming years. Stressing the need for young people to be “tech-literate,” the authors were careful to point out the upside of computer use. They noted that “moderate” screen time can aid academic achievement while allowing young people to forge new connections, enhance existing relationships and access the world beyond their immediate surroundings. And, some studies found that computer gaming was associated with increased reading and problem-solving scores. But, How Much Screen Time Is too Much? When it comes to recommending guidelines, Dr. Brooks points out that this is a highly individual matter, dependent on context, type of media, quality of content and the age of the child or teen. As a general rule, Dr. Brooks notes that one to two hours of recreational screen time on a school day is reasonable for teens, with three to four permissible on weekends and holidays. He adds that devices should be kept out of bedrooms when it’s time to sleep – and away from family meals. Boost Mental and Psychological Health with Nature-Centered Activities When it comes to getting quality green time, the options for both adults and young people are almost unlimited. Wilderness hiking, rock climbing, strolling in parks, swimming in oceans and lakes, jogging on outdoor paths, climbing trees or simply playing tag in a field – all qualify as green time. And, practices like “forest bathing” and “earthing” – in which contact with nature is used to lower blood pressure and reverse harmful electrical charges in the body – are steadily growing in popularity as well. Of course, common sense, safety guidelines and age-appropriate supervision must be observed – whatever the activity. Today’s technology offers a rich source of information, opportunity and inspiration for young people – but it also presents hazards. This new review shows that green time can act as a buffer for the toxic effects of too much screen time, while promoting physical and psychological health. So, unplug and log off for a while – and encourage your family to do the same. The rewards are tremendous! Sources for this article include: ScienceDaily.com, PsychologyToday.com To read the original article click here. For more articles from NaturalHealth365 click here.

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