In a new research study at the University of Michigan, Eric Kim, a doctoral student, found that optimism was associated with a decrease in rate of stroke!
The researchers have postulated the biological links as well as links with positive self talk and the impact of positive thinking on positive behavior may be connected. In other words, if I have a positive belief system, I am more likely to act on it. Consider this, "everyone in my family has high blood pressure, I am sure I will be stuck with being on medication" vs. "I think if I watch what I eat and exercise regularly, I can compensate for those genes in my family." But all in all, Kim found a connection of optimism with reducing the rate of stroke by about 10%.
The good news here, is that optimism can be learned. It is a mindset that can be taught and practiced. Consider taking a look at your own mindset, your own outlook toward life, and consider working on increasing your positive outlook!
Check out tips and tools for positive thinking here.
Link to study here.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Aging and Memory
In a study at Concordia University, memory of younger and older adults were compared. As expected, the younger participants performed better. But here is the twist. Testing found that older adults had trouble letting go of unimportant information.
In essence, older adults had difficulty leaving information behind after they no longer needed it. Scientists concluded that teaching adults how to use stress management and other strategies to help adults let go could "de-clutter" the mind and improve memory.
Here are some good habits to help you keep that brain doing what it should when it comes to memory!
1. Exercise
2. Practice relaxation therapy
3. Practice meditation
4. Try new things
5. Learn a new language
6. Work on letting go of grievances
In essence, older adults had difficulty leaving information behind after they no longer needed it. Scientists concluded that teaching adults how to use stress management and other strategies to help adults let go could "de-clutter" the mind and improve memory.
Here are some good habits to help you keep that brain doing what it should when it comes to memory!
1. Exercise
2. Practice relaxation therapy
3. Practice meditation
4. Try new things
5. Learn a new language
6. Work on letting go of grievances
Monday, January 31, 2011
7 Facts about your ZZZZzzzzzz's
1. Did you know that when we are sleep walking we are NOT dreaming? Sleep walking is a sleep disorder that occurs in stage 4 of sleep. Sleep walking generally involves carrying out rudamentary daily activities like eating or taking a shower.
2. We sleep walk with our eyes open! Creepy! But safer, right?
3. Stage 5, known as REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep is our dream stage and one in which our body is pretty much immobilized. This is a good thing, as we don't want to be wandering around when we are dreaming about flying!
4. A common sleep disorder is insomnia, the inability to either get to sleep or stay asleep.
5. A hot toddy. Did you know that alcohol can lead to fragmented sleep? So, it might help you get to sleep but can cause you to wake up throughout the night.
6. Sleep debt occurs when we have less sleep than our bodies need.
7. Sleep hygeine is the preferred method for treating insomnia.
Request my FREE Sleep Hygeine Tip Sheet here.
2. We sleep walk with our eyes open! Creepy! But safer, right?
3. Stage 5, known as REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep is our dream stage and one in which our body is pretty much immobilized. This is a good thing, as we don't want to be wandering around when we are dreaming about flying!
4. A common sleep disorder is insomnia, the inability to either get to sleep or stay asleep.
5. A hot toddy. Did you know that alcohol can lead to fragmented sleep? So, it might help you get to sleep but can cause you to wake up throughout the night.
6. Sleep debt occurs when we have less sleep than our bodies need.
7. Sleep hygeine is the preferred method for treating insomnia.
Request my FREE Sleep Hygeine Tip Sheet here.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
The Man Who Hated Christmas
Christmas Story
Inspiring Story Reveals True Meaning of Christmas
Check out the website, Web of Love for more inspiring stories!
The short Christmas story below was originally published in the December 14, 1982 issue of Woman’s Day magazine. This moving story inspired the creation of The White Envelope Project, a caring nonprofit organization dedicated to developing the next generation of givers, civic leaders, and philanthropists. May this inspiring story remind us all of the true meaning of Christmas and giving during the holidays and throughout the year.
Christmas Story: For the Man Who Hated Christmas
By Nancy W. Gavin
It’s just a small, white envelope stuck among the branches of our Christmas tree. No name, no identification, no inscription. It has peeked through the branches of our tree for the past ten years.
It all began because my husband Mike hated Christmas. Oh, not the true meaning of Christmas, but the commercial aspects of it – overspending and the frantic running around at the last minute to get a tie for Uncle Harry and the dusting powder for Grandma – the gifts given in desperation because you couldn’t think of anything else.
Knowing he felt this way, I decided one year to bypass the usual shirts, sweaters, ties and so forth. I reached for something special just for Mike. The inspiration came in an unusual way.
Our son Kevin, who was 12 that year, was on the wrestling team at the school he attended. Shortly before Christmas, there was a non-league match against a team sponsored by an inner-city church. These youngsters, dressed in sneakers so ragged that shoestrings seemed to be the only thing holding them together, presented a sharp contrast to our boys in their spiffy blue and gold uniforms and sparkling new wrestling shoes.
As the match began, I was alarmed to see that the other team was wrestling without headgear, a kind of light helmet designed to protect a wrestler’s ears. It was a luxury the ragtag team obviously could not afford.
Well, we ended up walloping them. We took every weight class. Mike, seated beside me, shook his head sadly, “I wish just one of them could have won,” he said. “They have a lot of potential, but losing like this could take the heart right out of them.” Mike loved kids – all kids. He so enjoyed coaching little league football, baseball and lacrosse. That’s when the idea for his present came.
That afternoon, I went to a local sporting goods store and bought an assortment of wrestling headgear and shoes, and sent them anonymously to the inner-city church. On Christmas Eve, I placed a small, white envelope on the tree, the note inside telling Mike what I had done, and that this was his gift from me.
Mike's smile was the brightest thing about Christmas that year. And that same bright smile lit up succeeding years. For each Christmas, I followed the tradition – one year sending a group of mentally handicapped youngsters to a hockey game, another year a check to a pair of elderly brothers whose home had burned to the ground the week before Christmas, and on and on.
The white envelope became the highlight of our Christmas. It was always the last thing opened on Christmas morning, and our children – ignoring their new toys – would stand with wide-eyed anticipation as their dad lifted the envelope from the tree to reveal its contents. As the children grew, the toys gave way to more practical presents, but the small, white envelope never lost its allure.
The story doesn’t end there. You see, we lost Mike last year due to dreaded cancer. When Christmas rolled around, I was still so wrapped in grief that I barely got the tree up. But Christmas Eve found me placing an envelope on the tree. And the next morning, I found it was magically joined by three more. Unbeknownst to the others, each of our three children had for the first time placed a white envelope on the tree for their dad. The tradition has grown and someday will expand even further with our grandchildren standing to take down that special envelope.
Mike’s spirit, like the Christmas spirit will always be with us.
Inspiring Story Reveals True Meaning of Christmas
Check out the website, Web of Love for more inspiring stories!
The short Christmas story below was originally published in the December 14, 1982 issue of Woman’s Day magazine. This moving story inspired the creation of The White Envelope Project, a caring nonprofit organization dedicated to developing the next generation of givers, civic leaders, and philanthropists. May this inspiring story remind us all of the true meaning of Christmas and giving during the holidays and throughout the year.
Christmas Story: For the Man Who Hated Christmas
By Nancy W. Gavin
It’s just a small, white envelope stuck among the branches of our Christmas tree. No name, no identification, no inscription. It has peeked through the branches of our tree for the past ten years.
It all began because my husband Mike hated Christmas. Oh, not the true meaning of Christmas, but the commercial aspects of it – overspending and the frantic running around at the last minute to get a tie for Uncle Harry and the dusting powder for Grandma – the gifts given in desperation because you couldn’t think of anything else.
Knowing he felt this way, I decided one year to bypass the usual shirts, sweaters, ties and so forth. I reached for something special just for Mike. The inspiration came in an unusual way.
Our son Kevin, who was 12 that year, was on the wrestling team at the school he attended. Shortly before Christmas, there was a non-league match against a team sponsored by an inner-city church. These youngsters, dressed in sneakers so ragged that shoestrings seemed to be the only thing holding them together, presented a sharp contrast to our boys in their spiffy blue and gold uniforms and sparkling new wrestling shoes.
As the match began, I was alarmed to see that the other team was wrestling without headgear, a kind of light helmet designed to protect a wrestler’s ears. It was a luxury the ragtag team obviously could not afford.
Well, we ended up walloping them. We took every weight class. Mike, seated beside me, shook his head sadly, “I wish just one of them could have won,” he said. “They have a lot of potential, but losing like this could take the heart right out of them.” Mike loved kids – all kids. He so enjoyed coaching little league football, baseball and lacrosse. That’s when the idea for his present came.
That afternoon, I went to a local sporting goods store and bought an assortment of wrestling headgear and shoes, and sent them anonymously to the inner-city church. On Christmas Eve, I placed a small, white envelope on the tree, the note inside telling Mike what I had done, and that this was his gift from me.
Mike's smile was the brightest thing about Christmas that year. And that same bright smile lit up succeeding years. For each Christmas, I followed the tradition – one year sending a group of mentally handicapped youngsters to a hockey game, another year a check to a pair of elderly brothers whose home had burned to the ground the week before Christmas, and on and on.
The white envelope became the highlight of our Christmas. It was always the last thing opened on Christmas morning, and our children – ignoring their new toys – would stand with wide-eyed anticipation as their dad lifted the envelope from the tree to reveal its contents. As the children grew, the toys gave way to more practical presents, but the small, white envelope never lost its allure.
The story doesn’t end there. You see, we lost Mike last year due to dreaded cancer. When Christmas rolled around, I was still so wrapped in grief that I barely got the tree up. But Christmas Eve found me placing an envelope on the tree. And the next morning, I found it was magically joined by three more. Unbeknownst to the others, each of our three children had for the first time placed a white envelope on the tree for their dad. The tradition has grown and someday will expand even further with our grandchildren standing to take down that special envelope.
Mike’s spirit, like the Christmas spirit will always be with us.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Feeling Blue? It Could Be SAD... I mean Seasonal Affective Disorder
I have worked with many patients who suffer from SAD, seasonal affective disorder. This illness can disguise itself as the "winter blues." But it is much more than that. It certainly, at the very least, limits a person's ability to live freely in their world and at the most can be debilitating. As with other forms of Depression, SAD can lead to suicidal thoughts, so seeking treatment as soon as symptoms begin is important.
What is difficult with SAD is that it can sneak up on you, beginning with some "down" days that start to pile up. SAD is much more than a few days of the blues, though. It is an illness that traditionally begins in late fall. It leaves in the spring and is very treatable.
Here are the symptoms
Depression
Hopelessness
Anxiety
Loss of energy
Social withdrawal
Oversleeping
Loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed
Appetite changes, especially a craving for foods high in carbohydrates
Weight gain
Difficulty concentrating and processing information
Risks include
Being female
Living far from the equator
Family history of SAD
Treatments include
Light Therapy
Psychotherapy
Medications
If you want to learn more, please click here to read more about this illness from the Mayo Clinic and from NAMI(National Alliance on Mental Illness).
Finally, feel free to email me with any questions. Have a great holiday!
Maria
What is difficult with SAD is that it can sneak up on you, beginning with some "down" days that start to pile up. SAD is much more than a few days of the blues, though. It is an illness that traditionally begins in late fall. It leaves in the spring and is very treatable.
Here are the symptoms
Depression
Hopelessness
Anxiety
Loss of energy
Social withdrawal
Oversleeping
Loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed
Appetite changes, especially a craving for foods high in carbohydrates
Weight gain
Difficulty concentrating and processing information
Risks include
Being female
Living far from the equator
Family history of SAD
Treatments include
Light Therapy
Psychotherapy
Medications
If you want to learn more, please click here to read more about this illness from the Mayo Clinic and from NAMI(National Alliance on Mental Illness).
Finally, feel free to email me with any questions. Have a great holiday!
Maria
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Everything You Want to Know about Vitamin C
Vitamin C?
Hey, this is an important vitamin.
Want to know the benefits of C and all the fabuous food that are chock full of C?
Click here for Dr. Stanley's Vitamin C tips!
Hey, this is an important vitamin.
Want to know the benefits of C and all the fabuous food that are chock full of C?
Click here for Dr. Stanley's Vitamin C tips!
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Great Food
I have attended this program and it is fabulous! Great Hispanic home cooking, a welcoming environment, and just drop a donation in the box! Try it on your way to the movies or if you are stopping downtown to go to the library, etc. Have fun!
Maria
The Hispanic Ministry “ The Promised Land”
Will Host a Dinner Featuring an array of Hispanic dishes
Saturday, August 28, 2010
5:00 - ? p.m.
416 Alachua Street
Fernandina Beach, FL
(The Old Baptist Church Building)
We Will Have Food From
MEXICO El SALVADOR HONDURAS
PUERTO RICO URUGUAY
No charge for admission.
Though donations will be happily accepted,
All donations will go to fund the new building for the
Spanish Ministry.
“The Promised Land”
Maria
The Hispanic Ministry “ The Promised Land”
Will Host a Dinner Featuring an array of Hispanic dishes
Saturday, August 28, 2010
5:00 - ? p.m.
416 Alachua Street
Fernandina Beach, FL
(The Old Baptist Church Building)
We Will Have Food From
MEXICO El SALVADOR HONDURAS
PUERTO RICO URUGUAY
No charge for admission.
Though donations will be happily accepted,
All donations will go to fund the new building for the
Spanish Ministry.
“The Promised Land”
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