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Is Happiness in Your Genes?

May 17, 2012 By Leave a Comment

It’s an unalienable right — the United States Declaration of Independence says so, right up there with life and liberty. Happiness is a complex equation with many variables, but the pursuit of happiness may come easier for some because of a genetic advantage.

Don’t Worry, Be Happy

Research suggests that people have a genetic predisposition for a certain level of happiness, accounting for around 40 to 50 per cent of those joyful feelings. By studying twins and siblings, researchers concluded that genetically determined personality traits, like being sociable, active, stable, optimistic, hardworking, and conscientious, are closely related to happiness.

It also turns out that being male or female does not have a major role in determining happiness, but ethnicity and cultural differences can play a part.

Because happiness is not a medical condition, it’s not measured by a blood test or electric monitors; it’s measured by asking specific questions designed to asses an individual’s subjective well- being. So the research is based on answers given by the participants about their quality of life, satisfaction with the present, and subjective happiness.

In addition to personality traits, the structure of the brain plays a role in the happiness equation. The brain has billions of neurons (brain cells), and between each one are neurotransmitters — chemical messengers allowing brain cells to talk to each other. A person’s genetic make-up is responsible for the level of transmitters, and since certain neurotransmitters dictate emotions and feelings, they must be present in sufficient amounts for the brain to be chemically happy as a clam. The good news is that these “feel good” transmitters can be balanced out by lifestyle changes such as positive relationships,  a healthy diet and even exercise.

Walking On Sunshine

The Dalai Lama, Aristotle, and Bob Marley are just a few who have written about happiness, and bookstores are loaded with self-help books, but if happiness is genetic, are all those books just a waste of paper, or app space?

Don’t throw out those happy DIY books just yet. It’s the interaction between genetic predispositions and other factors, such as upbringing, life circumstances, income, possessions, and relationships that tells the complete story. And adding purposeful activities, like socializing, doing meaningful work, and exercising round out the happily ever after picture.

So even though individuals may have a unique ‘set point’ for happiness, there are ways to improve upon it. Take a walk and get active, listen to music, meet a friend, do a good deed, live in the moment, and engage in meaningful activities that create joy. Those who wish to sing always find a song (Swedish proverb).

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It’s Pregnancy Awareness Month – Happy Mommy, Happy Baby

May 10, 2012 By Leave a Comment

May is Pregnancy Awareness Month, so I thought since it has been seven years (gasp, then sigh) since I have been pregnant, I would have a guest blogger who is passionate and knowledgeable about pregnancy. She loves writing articles about prenatal care, postnatal care, losing baby weight, adjusting to motherhood and much more. Please enjoy this article by Katie over at Moore From Katie

 

Happy Mommy, Happy Baby

 

Pregnancy is a natural process that a woman’s body was made for and is a life changing event that many women look forward to their entire lives. Even though it seems to take forever before they finally get to hold their sweet new baby, many women later feel that the pregnancy went by too quickly and wish they had more time to enjoy such a beautiful time in their lives.

 

When a woman becomes pregnant, the first thing she must do is set up an appointment with her doctor This is the first step in beginning to plan out a healthy pregnancy and delivery. A woman should bring all her important medical questions to the doctor throughout her pregnancy and especially when it comes to planning her delivery; exploring options, like pain management medicine and umbilical cord blood banking for example, should be done with a doctor’s guidance.

 

Most pregnant woman are aware of the fact that alcohol, drugs and nicotine should be avoided at all costs and that caffeine should be had only in very small amounts. Any bad habits a mother has should be stopped right away. There are also some foods that an expecting mother should avoid; sushi, fish that has high levels of mercury, soft cheeses, unpasteurized milk and juices, dough of any sort with raw eggs, undercooked meat and processed meats.

 

Additionally, an expecting mother needs to avoid doing things around the house such as changing the litter box, painting and coming in contact with many household cleaners. Also, pregnant women need to stay off of ladders and chairs, as well as not do any heavy lifting. A woman’s center of balance will be different during pregnancy so she should ask a friend, significant other or family member for help with chores that require any strenuous activity.

 

Something that women should do during their pregnancy is exercise; exercise used to be linked to the occurrence of miscarriages but it’s actually healthy for expectant moms. Pregnancy tends to leave a woman feeling tired and out of energy. Low-impact exercising, like walking and yoga, are beneficial for a woman by keeping weight gain to the recommended amount, helping to increase energy and can improve sleep quality.

 

Pregnancy is an exciting experience for most women; maintaining health and well-being is an even better way to enjoy being pregnant. After all, women only get to experience pregnancy a limited number of times throughout their lifetime, which means that they need to get all they can out of it while they can. Healthy pregnancies promote happy moms and happy, healthy babies.

 

Katie Moore has written and submitted this article. Katie is an active blogger who discusses the topics of, motherhood, children, fitness, health and all other things Mommy. She enjoys writing, blogging, and meeting new people! To connect with Katie contact her via her blog, Moore From Katie or her twitter, @moorekm26.

 

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Housework — It May Be Hazardous To Your Health

May 8, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Housework is something that nobody notices until it’s not done, and as more and more families are made up of DINKs (dual income no kids) and DIWKs (dual income with kids), piles of dishes, dirty laundry, and that funny smell coming from the kitchen can overwhelm even the neatest of freaks. And yes, I am using made-up words again.

Nobody really likes doing housework, hence the name chore, and it’s a surprising adversary in the fight against stress, not because of ruthless dust bunnies or a siege of toxic cleaning solutions, but because of its impact on something lurking inside the body.

Cortisol, which is also referred to as the stress hormone, helps the body respond to stressful or challenging situations. The body produces cortisol when under stress, but like with most hormones, too much is a bad thing. If cortisol levels are constantly peaking, it can raise blood pressure, lower immune response, and can even reduce serotonin, which helps to provide that sense of comfort and calm.

Evening is normally time to R.E.L.A.X and get those cortisol levels back in check. When both partners get home from a long day at work, and housework is looming, both stress and cortisol can start to peak, again. The good news is when housework gets done  cortisol levels drop… depending on who is doing the cleaning. A new study found that when men help out with chores, women’s cortisol levels go down (the more hands the merrier!). But men’s cortisol levels dropped only when they are not doing any housework at all, and their partners are doing everything. So the bad news is that dropping cortisol levels for men and women may be mutually exclusive. Serenity now!

It may be time to wave that white dish cloth and just surrender every once and awhile. Don’t stress about the mess — I know, easier said than done. But it’s not going anywhere…. unfortunately.

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Aloe Vera – Good Goo!

May 3, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Aloe Vera is the Anti Medicine: Anti-bacterial, Anti-fungal, Anti-viral, and Anti-inflammatory.

It is called the plant of immortality, but also goes by aliases such as elephant’s gall, jelly leek, Zanzibar zip, and the plant of life. It’s rap sheet includes an exhaustive list of nutritive and natural health benefits, and some claim it gets users an additional 10-15 years of life (roughly about 10%).

 

Miracle Medicine?

It cleans the insides and feels good on the outside. 

Aloe Vera is famous for regulating the insides by cleaning junk from the stomach, liver, and kidneys, and is considered the finest, natural colon cleanser. (Read: it works as a mild laxative when ingested.) It’s also been shown to help increase the digestive tract’s ability to absorb nutrients more efficiently. 

In addition, it wrestles indigestion, stomach distress, and ulcers by alkalizing digestive juices and preventing over-acidity, which can cause all sorts of digestive ailments. Word to the wise: don’t snap off a branch and bite into it. It’s the inside, gel-like substance that contains the good stuff.

But wait, there’s more. Not only does aloe vera fix the inside of the body, it fixes the outside as well.

The plant’s magical juice is used for treating various skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, inflammations, acne, wounds, frostbite, insect bites, and blisters, just to name a few [5]. It’s a staple in most Floridian’s medicine cabinets for the ultimate post-beach burn relief. It’s also an excellent skin moisturizer that keeps the skin vibrant looking by delivering oxygen to the cells, which in turn increases the production and strength of skin tissue. Goodbye wrinkles.

Aloe Vera is hypoallergenic and has no known side effects. However, too much of a good thing, isn’t a good thing. Be aware that dehydration, intestinal spasms or stomach cramps can result from overdosing on aloe vera, so follow the dosage indicated on the instructions. (If taking prescribed medications, check with the doctor before using aloe vera.)

 

Goo From The Gods

Aloe vera comes in different forms (gel, juice, sap, extracts, pills and tablets) and to make sure to choose the finest goo around, be sure to look for a few things.

1.    Aloe vera should appear as the first item listed on the ingredients panel, and it should be listed as more than 98% pure.

2.    Look for cold processed inner leaf aloe vera. The gel that comes from the inner part of the plant is the best. By cold processing the plant think of juicing an orange, there is no heat involved. Heat can destroy many of the beneficial enzymes.

3.    As a general rule, a product that includes “aloe vera extract” or “reconstituted aloe vera” is likely to be less potent than a pure aloe vera product. 

Aloe vera has become so popular that it can be found in most forms at any health food store, online, or even the local grocery market. For those tummy troubles, swig it, slurp it, or pop it. For healing the skin, smear it, swab it, or slather it. 

 

What do you call an alternative medicine that really works? Medicine.

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Kick Butt Exercises for Great Glutes — Exercise #5

April 27, 2012 By Leave a Comment

So I took a poll among my favorite moms, and the number one body part that most of them want to improve is the BUTTOCKS (as my daughter would say in a kind of English accent). Moms aren’t the only ones either. A poll by Fitness Magazine found that the butt is the one body part that most people don’t like about themselves.

I decided to put together a list of some of the best booty burning exercises to help you get ready for shorts and swim suits.

Five do-at-home exercises for five days. Here is #5. Choose a few faves or do them all to get great glutes.

Another one to do in front of the TV.

 

Killer Butt by Dead Lifts

To round out your summer-ready booty, targeting the area of the butt right where it meets the upper thigh is key. And one of the best exercises for this area is a deadlift.

 The deadlift is a compound exercise that targets multiple muscle groups, but focuses on the hamstrings and glutes, particularly in the hard-to-tone “crease” area between the hamstrings and butt.

While holding a barbell, dumbbells, soup cans, milk containers, (or whatever weighted item you have) in front of your thighs, simply tip forward at the hips, keeping your back straight, knees very slightly bent, lowering the weights down in front of your legs. How far you go will largely depend on the weight you’re using and the flexibility of your hamstrings.

When you lower the weights to around knee-height, return to the starting position and squeeze that butt as tight as you can.  The key to performing this exercise correctly is to keep your back straight (keep your chin up, and this will help to keep your back straight), initiating the movement by tightening the hamstrings and glutes to pull yourself back to the standing position. Don’t “pull” with the back.

As your hamstrings loosen up, you can lower the weights closer and closer to the ground. Just pay attention to the stretch in your hamstrings, and don’t overdo it.

Do 10 – 20 reps for 3 sets.

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