ScienceDaily (Mar. 19, 2008) — Individuals who experience military combat obviously endure extreme stress, and this exposure leaves many diagnosed with the psychiatric condition of post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. PTSD is associated with several abnormalities in brain structure and function.
________________________________________
However, as researcher Roger Pitman explains, "Although it is tempting to conclude that these abnormalities were caused by the traumatic event, it is also possible that they were pre-existing risk factors that increased the risk of developing PTSD upon the traumatic event's occurrence." Drs. Kasai and Yamasue along with their colleagues sought to examine this association in a new study published in the March 15th issue of Biological Psychiatry.
The authors measured the gray matter density of the brains of combat-exposed Vietnam veterans, some with and some without PTSD, and their combat-unexposed identical twins using a technology called magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The detailed images provided by the MRI scans then allowed the investigators to compare specific brain regions of the siblings. They found that the gray matter density of the pregenual anterior cingulate cortex, an area of the brain involved in emotional functioning, was reduced in veterans with PTSD, but not in their twins who had not experienced combat.
According to Dr. Pitman, "this finding supports the conclusion that the psychological stress resulting from the traumatic stressor may damage this brain region, with deleterious emotional consequences."
John H. Krystal, M.D., Editor of Biological Psychiatry and affiliated with both Yale University School of Medicine and the VA Connecticut Healthcare System, discusses the need for this kind of research because of two separate sets of prior findings: "On the one hand, compelling data from animal research indicates that stress can cause brain atrophy and even neural death in some brain regions. On the other hand, the volume of several brain regions are highly heritable and small brain volumes, presumably related to reduced function, in the hippocampus may increase stress reactivity or impair the capacity for resilience." He adds that findings from this study "suggest that volume reductions in [the anterior cingulate cortex] associated with PTSD arise as a consequence of stress exposure rather than emerging as a heritable trait," leaving one to conclude that "the extent to which particular genes and environmental exposures interact to shape the development of the brain thus appears to be complex and region-specific."
The article is "Evidence for Acquired Pregenual Anterior Cingulate Gray Matter Loss from a Twin Study of Combat-Related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder" by Kiyoto Kasai, Hidenori Yamasue, Mark W. Gilbertson, Martha E. Shenton, Scott L. Rauch and Roger K. Pitman. Drs. Kasai and Yamasue are affiliated with the Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo in Tokyo, Japan. Drs. Gilbertson, Shenton, Rauch and Pitman are with the Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts. Dr. Gilbertson is also from the Research Service, VA Medical Center, Manchester, New Hampshire. Dr. Shenton is also affiliated with the Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, and the Surgical Planning Laboratory, MRI Division, Department of Radiology, Brigham & Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. Dr. Rauch is also with McLean Hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts. Dr. Pitman is also from the Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts. The article appears in Biological Psychiatry, Volume 63, Issue 6 (March 15, 2008), published by Elsevier.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Stress Reducing Foods
Stress Reducing Foods
These foods will help lower your stress.
Oranges
Sweet Potatoes
Dried Apricots
Almonds, Pistachios, and Walnuts
Turkey
Spinach
Salmon
Avocados
Green Vegetables
More Stress-Busting Tips:
• Exercise regularly.
• Drink an energy shake for breakfast.
• Eat small meals throughout the day, which will keep your blood sugar stable (when blood sugar is low, mental, physical, and emotional energy decreases, and stress increases).
How To Drop A Belt Size Before The Reunion:
http://theguysmanual.msn.com/?Category=catID5&Id=v1&source=msneditorial>1=25050
These foods will help lower your stress.
Oranges
Sweet Potatoes
Dried Apricots
Almonds, Pistachios, and Walnuts
Turkey
Spinach
Salmon
Avocados
Green Vegetables
More Stress-Busting Tips:
• Exercise regularly.
• Drink an energy shake for breakfast.
• Eat small meals throughout the day, which will keep your blood sugar stable (when blood sugar is low, mental, physical, and emotional energy decreases, and stress increases).
How To Drop A Belt Size Before The Reunion:
http://theguysmanual.msn.com/?Category=catID5&Id=v1&source=msneditorial>1=25050
Friday, April 1, 2011
Does Stress Damage The Brain?
Science Daily — Individuals who experience military combat obviously endure extreme stress, and this exposure leaves many diagnosed with the psychiatric condition of post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. PTSD is associated with several abnormalities in brain structure and function.
________________________________________
However, as researcher Roger Pitman explains, "Although it is tempting to conclude that these abnormalities were caused by the traumatic event, it is also possible that they were pre-existing risk factors that increased the risk of developing PTSD upon the traumatic event's occurrence." Drs. Kasai and Yamasue along with their colleagues sought to examine this association in a new study published in the March 15th issue of Biological Psychiatry.
The authors measured the gray matter density of the brains of combat-exposed Vietnam veterans, some with and some without PTSD, and their combat-unexposed identical twins using a technology called magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The detailed images provided by the MRI scans then allowed the investigators to compare specific brain regions of the siblings. They found that the gray matter density of the pregenual anterior cingulate cortex, an area of the brain involved in emotional functioning, was reduced in veterans with PTSD, but not in their twins who had not experienced combat.
According to Dr. Pitman, "this finding supports the conclusion that the psychological stress resulting from the traumatic stressor may damage this brain region, with deleterious emotional consequences."
John H. Krystal, M.D., Editor of Biological Psychiatry and affiliated with both Yale University School of Medicine and the VA Connecticut Healthcare System, discusses the need for this kind of research because of two separate sets of prior findings: "On the one hand, compelling data from animal research indicates that stress can cause brain atrophy and even neural death in some brain regions. On the other hand, the volume of several brain regions are highly heritable and small brain volumes, presumably related to reduced function, in the hippocampus may increase stress reactivity or impair the capacity for resilience." He adds that findings from this study "suggest that volume reductions in [the anterior cingulate cortex] associated with PTSD arise as a consequence of stress exposure rather than emerging as a heritable trait," leaving one to conclude that "the extent to which particular genes and environmental exposures interact to shape the development of the brain thus appears to be complex and region-specific."
The article is "Evidence for Acquired Pregenual Anterior Cingulate Gray Matter Loss from a Twin Study of Combat-Related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder" by Kiyoto Kasai, Hidenori Yamasue, Mark W. Gilbertson, Martha E. Shenton, Scott L. Rauch and Roger K. Pitman. Drs. Kasai and Yamasue are affiliated with the Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo in Tokyo, Japan. Drs. Gilbertson, Shenton, Rauch and Pitman are with the Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts. Dr. Gilbertson is also from the Research Service, VA Medical Center, Manchester, New Hampshire. Dr. Shenton is also affiliated with the Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, and the Surgical Planning Laboratory, MRI Division, Department of Radiology, Brigham & Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. Dr. Rauch is also with McLean Hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts. Dr. Pitman is also from the Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts. The article appears in Biological Psychiatry, Volume 63, Issue 6 (March 15, 2008), published by Elsevier.
________________________________________
However, as researcher Roger Pitman explains, "Although it is tempting to conclude that these abnormalities were caused by the traumatic event, it is also possible that they were pre-existing risk factors that increased the risk of developing PTSD upon the traumatic event's occurrence." Drs. Kasai and Yamasue along with their colleagues sought to examine this association in a new study published in the March 15th issue of Biological Psychiatry.
The authors measured the gray matter density of the brains of combat-exposed Vietnam veterans, some with and some without PTSD, and their combat-unexposed identical twins using a technology called magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The detailed images provided by the MRI scans then allowed the investigators to compare specific brain regions of the siblings. They found that the gray matter density of the pregenual anterior cingulate cortex, an area of the brain involved in emotional functioning, was reduced in veterans with PTSD, but not in their twins who had not experienced combat.
According to Dr. Pitman, "this finding supports the conclusion that the psychological stress resulting from the traumatic stressor may damage this brain region, with deleterious emotional consequences."
John H. Krystal, M.D., Editor of Biological Psychiatry and affiliated with both Yale University School of Medicine and the VA Connecticut Healthcare System, discusses the need for this kind of research because of two separate sets of prior findings: "On the one hand, compelling data from animal research indicates that stress can cause brain atrophy and even neural death in some brain regions. On the other hand, the volume of several brain regions are highly heritable and small brain volumes, presumably related to reduced function, in the hippocampus may increase stress reactivity or impair the capacity for resilience." He adds that findings from this study "suggest that volume reductions in [the anterior cingulate cortex] associated with PTSD arise as a consequence of stress exposure rather than emerging as a heritable trait," leaving one to conclude that "the extent to which particular genes and environmental exposures interact to shape the development of the brain thus appears to be complex and region-specific."
The article is "Evidence for Acquired Pregenual Anterior Cingulate Gray Matter Loss from a Twin Study of Combat-Related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder" by Kiyoto Kasai, Hidenori Yamasue, Mark W. Gilbertson, Martha E. Shenton, Scott L. Rauch and Roger K. Pitman. Drs. Kasai and Yamasue are affiliated with the Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo in Tokyo, Japan. Drs. Gilbertson, Shenton, Rauch and Pitman are with the Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts. Dr. Gilbertson is also from the Research Service, VA Medical Center, Manchester, New Hampshire. Dr. Shenton is also affiliated with the Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, and the Surgical Planning Laboratory, MRI Division, Department of Radiology, Brigham & Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. Dr. Rauch is also with McLean Hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts. Dr. Pitman is also from the Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts. The article appears in Biological Psychiatry, Volume 63, Issue 6 (March 15, 2008), published by Elsevier.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Laugh & Live
I don't understand why people don't laugh more. As children we laugh as much as 400 times a day. As adults it drops to 15 times a day. It seems when we grow up we realize the government has control of our lives and we can't do anything about it. But that's a wrong realization. We have control of our own lives. If you don't like the government, change it with your vote. If you don't like where you're headed, you can change that too. Start right now and laugh more. What a great New Year's Resolution, to laugh more. You laughed as a child, now that you're grown, you've seen a lot, done a lot and you have some knee-slapping times to talk about. Think about the good times, and laugh. I lost a job recently and was feeling really down, until my son walked in and asked if the Flintstones wore underwear. That didn't bother me. What bothered me was, I had to think about it. I laughed for a good 10 minutes. It felt good. Laughter therapy does to the body what jogging does to the soul.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Seven Tips to Relieve Stress By Lyndsay Swinton
1. Acknowledge stress is good
Make stress your friend! Based on the body’s natural “fight or flight” response, that burst of energy will enhance your performance at the right moment. I’ve yet to see a top sportsman totally relaxed before a big competition. Use stress wisely to push yourself that little bit harder when it counts most.
2. Avoid stress sneezers
Stressed people sneeze stress germs indiscriminately and before you know it, you are infected too!
Protect yourself by recognising stress in others and limiting your contact with them. Or if you’ve got the inclination, play stress doctor and teach them how to better manage themselves.
3. Learn from the best
When people around are losing their head, who keeps calm? What are they doing differently? What is their attitude? What language do they use? Are they trained and experienced?
Figure it out from afar or sit them down for a chat. Learn from the best stress managers and copy what they do.
4. Practice socially acceptable heavy breathing
You can trick your body into relaxing by using heavy breathing. Breathe in slowly for a count of 7 then breathe out for a count of 11. Repeat the 7-11 breathing until your heart rate slows down, your sweaty palms dry off and things start to feel more normal.
5. Give stressy thoughts the red light
It is possible to tangle yourself up in a stress knot all by yourself. “If this happens, then that might happen and then we’re all up the creek!” Most of these things never happen, so why waste all that energy worrying needlessly?
Give stress thought-trains the red light and stop them in their tracks. Okay so it might go wrong – how likely is that, and what can you do to prevent it?
6. Know your trigger points and hot spots
Presentations, interviews, meetings, giving difficult feedback, tight deadlines……. My heart rate is cranking up just writing these down!
Make your own list of stress trigger points or hot spots. Be specific. Is it only presentations to a certain audience that get you worked up? Does one project cause more stress than another? Did you drink too much coffee?
Knowing what causes you stress is powerful information, as you can take action to make it less stressful. Do you need to learn some new skills? Do you need extra resources? Do you need to switch to de-caf?
7. Burn the candle at one end
Lack of sleep, poor diet and no exercise wreaks havoc on our body and mind. Kind of obvious, but worth mentioning as it’s often ignored as a stress management technique. Listen to your mother and don’t burn the candle at both ends!
And those are the best stress management techniques I know! Learn them, use them and teach them, and be a great stress manager.
By Lyndsay Swinton
Owner, Management for the Rest of Us
www.mftrou.com
Make stress your friend! Based on the body’s natural “fight or flight” response, that burst of energy will enhance your performance at the right moment. I’ve yet to see a top sportsman totally relaxed before a big competition. Use stress wisely to push yourself that little bit harder when it counts most.
2. Avoid stress sneezers
Stressed people sneeze stress germs indiscriminately and before you know it, you are infected too!
Protect yourself by recognising stress in others and limiting your contact with them. Or if you’ve got the inclination, play stress doctor and teach them how to better manage themselves.
3. Learn from the best
When people around are losing their head, who keeps calm? What are they doing differently? What is their attitude? What language do they use? Are they trained and experienced?
Figure it out from afar or sit them down for a chat. Learn from the best stress managers and copy what they do.
4. Practice socially acceptable heavy breathing
You can trick your body into relaxing by using heavy breathing. Breathe in slowly for a count of 7 then breathe out for a count of 11. Repeat the 7-11 breathing until your heart rate slows down, your sweaty palms dry off and things start to feel more normal.
5. Give stressy thoughts the red light
It is possible to tangle yourself up in a stress knot all by yourself. “If this happens, then that might happen and then we’re all up the creek!” Most of these things never happen, so why waste all that energy worrying needlessly?
Give stress thought-trains the red light and stop them in their tracks. Okay so it might go wrong – how likely is that, and what can you do to prevent it?
6. Know your trigger points and hot spots
Presentations, interviews, meetings, giving difficult feedback, tight deadlines……. My heart rate is cranking up just writing these down!
Make your own list of stress trigger points or hot spots. Be specific. Is it only presentations to a certain audience that get you worked up? Does one project cause more stress than another? Did you drink too much coffee?
Knowing what causes you stress is powerful information, as you can take action to make it less stressful. Do you need to learn some new skills? Do you need extra resources? Do you need to switch to de-caf?
7. Burn the candle at one end
Lack of sleep, poor diet and no exercise wreaks havoc on our body and mind. Kind of obvious, but worth mentioning as it’s often ignored as a stress management technique. Listen to your mother and don’t burn the candle at both ends!
And those are the best stress management techniques I know! Learn them, use them and teach them, and be a great stress manager.
By Lyndsay Swinton
Owner, Management for the Rest of Us
www.mftrou.com
Friday, November 12, 2010
Personal Development
You need to change in three areas of your life. Those three areas are – Physically, Spiritually and mentally.
First: physically. Start by standing up straight. Don’t slouch. When you slouch you look old, you look like life has beaten you down. You don’t have much attitude when you slouch. I noticed one day while walking past a mirror that I slouched, didn’t even know it. I looked like I had been beaten down. I didn’t look like anyone that people could take seriously. I didn’t look like anyone that people would want to listen to or believe in. I just looked like a poor, unsuccessful man. So I immediately held my shoulders back and stood taller. Suddenly, I was five-foot eight, not five-foot seven. That extra inch did wonders for my attitude. People began to notice a change in me. I was walking taller, I was more confident, I had a better attitude, just from holding my shoulders back instead on down. Try it, it’s amazing. Look like someone who has accomplished something because you have. You have accomplished a lot, look like it, walk like it; speak like it.
Next, turn those corners of your mouth upward – smile. A smile will go a long way, believe me. People like to be around those who smile. Do you want to hang around someone who frowns all the time? Of course you don’t. Smile, and mean it. Don’t smile because you think it’s good, smile because you know it’s good, because you want to, because you want people to like you and approach you. Smile because you’re having a good day, and believe me, any day you wake up above the ground is a good day. We don’t smile enough, have you noticed that? We need to smile more. Turn to the person next to you right now, smile and say, “Hello,” or as I say, “Howdy.”
Get a regular exercise plan, don’t diet. Diets don’t work. If you want to maintain a healthy weight and stay fit, just eat right and walk more. It’s that simple. It’s a life style it’s not a two or three month thing, it’s a life style. I work out at the senior center. It’s free, and they have everything the gym that I was paying $300 a year to be a member of has. I work out every day if I can. And I’m starting to watch what I eat and when I eat. I used to eat right up until bed time. That’s not good. That’s not how you lose weight. Beenie Weenies and a large Pepsi are not a healthy dinner. Watch what you eat. Something else I’ve started doing, when I go to the mall, I park my car at the end of the parking lot just so I can walk farther. I don’t understand these people who will spend $500 on an exercise machine, and then spend $1000 on a riding lawn mower. If you get out and push the mower you will get in shape. If you get hot, take a break, drink some water. Sit in the shade for a while. It won’t kill you. You’re walking, you’re burning calories; you’re losing weight. You will feel so much better about yourself when you lose that spare tire around your waist or those massive thighs that are preventing you from getting into those sexy jeans that you wish you could get into and I would love to see you in. Get a friend to exercise with you. It’s easier to stick to a plan if you have someone else doing it with you. Treat your body like your car. You want the best gas and oil for your car so it will run better. Well, you want to run better too, don’t you? Why would you take better care of your car than yourself? Treat yourself like your car and maybe you’ll outlive your car. In the neighborhood I live in we have our mail boxes at the entrance which is less than a quarter mile away. My neighbor gets in his car and drives to the mail box. If he would just walk that quarter mile every day he’d be in shape. He says he doesn’t have enough time to work out. “There just aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done.” You have as many hours as everyone else – 24. I have never heard of anyone who has 25-hours in a day. How you manage those 24-hours is important. You need to learn time management. It’s not difficult, just keep a schedule and stick to it. Write down everything you need to do tomorrow today. And then do it. And give each thing a certain amount of time and stick to it. It’s simple. It’s not rocket science. The ones who are most important to the company are the ones who manage their time well. They are the ones who make $500 an hour, not $5.00 an hour. So get in shape. Take care of yourself.
Next, improve yourself spiritually. Now when I say spiritually I don’t mean you need to go to church every Sunday, and there’s nothing wrong with that. I’m raising my children in church. But what I mean is come to the realization that there is a power that is greater than you or me, and by the way, contrary to popular belief, his name is not OBAMA. But there is a greater force that controls our every move. You can call it what you want, God, Christ, Buddha, Jehovah, you can call it George, but you need to get in touch with it. You need to learn to meditate. It’s gets you closer to that higher power. And meditation is really easy. First, find a place where you can be free from noise of your children, or work or whatever else could prevent you from being peaceful. Sit in a comfortable position either on a cushion on the floor or in a chair. You don’t have to sit with your feet over your head or stand on one foot, that’s yoga. I don’t teach yoga. Sit in a comfortable chair if you like, just remember to sit up straight. You can close your eyes or leave them open, it’s up to you. And you may want to stretch before you meditate. Now, relax all your muscles. Relax your tongue which is usually stuck to the roof of your mouth. Relax every muscle in your body. Now comes the hard part – stop thinking. It’s a lot harder than it sounds. Your mind is constantly running, it’s hard to turn it off. Concentrate on your breathing. Breathe in for a count of seven and breathe out for a count of eleven. You want all the bad air out of your lungs before you let the new air in. So, in seven - out eleven. And if you start having a thought, make yourself aware that you’re having a thought and stop. Start concentrating on all the little aches and pains your body is having, begin listening to all the sounds around you. I live on a lake so I like to sit on the deck at sunset and meditate while the sun sets over the water. I listen to the birds, the crickets, the rippling water, it so peaceful, so relaxing, so good for my mind, my soul, my spirit. If you do this for just 30-minutes a day you will feel so much better. And all the time I hear people say, “But BC, I don’t have enough time to meditate. You don’t know what kind of day I have. There just aren’t enough hours in the day for meditation.” And I have to remind them again, they have just as many hours in a day as everyone else – 24. You really need to manage your time.
So there are the first two places to improve yourself; physically and spiritually. Next is mentally. You need to improve your mind. You don’t stop learning just because you’ve graduated high school or four years of college. That’s only the beginning. You have so much more to learn after that. Read lots of books, they’re free from the library. Listen to tapes and CDs and cassettes of people who can help you. Some people who’ve helped me by way of CDs and tapes: Jim Rohn, Andy Andrews, and Larry Winget. None of these names probably mean anything to you, but they are great speakers. Keep a journal and write down things that you read, hear and see. I keep a journal with me at all times. When I hear something that’s profound, I write it down. Like the other night, my girlfriend and I went with another couple to eat Chinese food. When we read our fortunate cookie, my girlfriend’s read, “You’re due for something great to happen.” My friends read, “When the moon is full you will find success.” I opened my fortune cookie and it read, “Never chase a hungry dog into a dead-end ally.” I don’t know what that means, but I wrote it down. It may come in handy some day.
Here’s something I wrote down that Jim Rohn said. He said, “Don’t worry about making your job better. Worry about making yourself better. If you make your job better you’ll get a paycheck but if you make yourself better you’ll get rich.” That’s profound. You may want to write that one down yourself. If you make your job better you’ll get a paycheck but if you make yourself better you’ll get rich.” That’s good advice. That’s the kind of advice that will change your life. I know it changed mine. Making yourself better instead of your job is how you go from $6.00 an hour to $600 an hour. Powerful words from a powerful man.
Follow these three principles and you will live a healthier, happier and longer life. -BC
First: physically. Start by standing up straight. Don’t slouch. When you slouch you look old, you look like life has beaten you down. You don’t have much attitude when you slouch. I noticed one day while walking past a mirror that I slouched, didn’t even know it. I looked like I had been beaten down. I didn’t look like anyone that people could take seriously. I didn’t look like anyone that people would want to listen to or believe in. I just looked like a poor, unsuccessful man. So I immediately held my shoulders back and stood taller. Suddenly, I was five-foot eight, not five-foot seven. That extra inch did wonders for my attitude. People began to notice a change in me. I was walking taller, I was more confident, I had a better attitude, just from holding my shoulders back instead on down. Try it, it’s amazing. Look like someone who has accomplished something because you have. You have accomplished a lot, look like it, walk like it; speak like it.
Next, turn those corners of your mouth upward – smile. A smile will go a long way, believe me. People like to be around those who smile. Do you want to hang around someone who frowns all the time? Of course you don’t. Smile, and mean it. Don’t smile because you think it’s good, smile because you know it’s good, because you want to, because you want people to like you and approach you. Smile because you’re having a good day, and believe me, any day you wake up above the ground is a good day. We don’t smile enough, have you noticed that? We need to smile more. Turn to the person next to you right now, smile and say, “Hello,” or as I say, “Howdy.”
Get a regular exercise plan, don’t diet. Diets don’t work. If you want to maintain a healthy weight and stay fit, just eat right and walk more. It’s that simple. It’s a life style it’s not a two or three month thing, it’s a life style. I work out at the senior center. It’s free, and they have everything the gym that I was paying $300 a year to be a member of has. I work out every day if I can. And I’m starting to watch what I eat and when I eat. I used to eat right up until bed time. That’s not good. That’s not how you lose weight. Beenie Weenies and a large Pepsi are not a healthy dinner. Watch what you eat. Something else I’ve started doing, when I go to the mall, I park my car at the end of the parking lot just so I can walk farther. I don’t understand these people who will spend $500 on an exercise machine, and then spend $1000 on a riding lawn mower. If you get out and push the mower you will get in shape. If you get hot, take a break, drink some water. Sit in the shade for a while. It won’t kill you. You’re walking, you’re burning calories; you’re losing weight. You will feel so much better about yourself when you lose that spare tire around your waist or those massive thighs that are preventing you from getting into those sexy jeans that you wish you could get into and I would love to see you in. Get a friend to exercise with you. It’s easier to stick to a plan if you have someone else doing it with you. Treat your body like your car. You want the best gas and oil for your car so it will run better. Well, you want to run better too, don’t you? Why would you take better care of your car than yourself? Treat yourself like your car and maybe you’ll outlive your car. In the neighborhood I live in we have our mail boxes at the entrance which is less than a quarter mile away. My neighbor gets in his car and drives to the mail box. If he would just walk that quarter mile every day he’d be in shape. He says he doesn’t have enough time to work out. “There just aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done.” You have as many hours as everyone else – 24. I have never heard of anyone who has 25-hours in a day. How you manage those 24-hours is important. You need to learn time management. It’s not difficult, just keep a schedule and stick to it. Write down everything you need to do tomorrow today. And then do it. And give each thing a certain amount of time and stick to it. It’s simple. It’s not rocket science. The ones who are most important to the company are the ones who manage their time well. They are the ones who make $500 an hour, not $5.00 an hour. So get in shape. Take care of yourself.
Next, improve yourself spiritually. Now when I say spiritually I don’t mean you need to go to church every Sunday, and there’s nothing wrong with that. I’m raising my children in church. But what I mean is come to the realization that there is a power that is greater than you or me, and by the way, contrary to popular belief, his name is not OBAMA. But there is a greater force that controls our every move. You can call it what you want, God, Christ, Buddha, Jehovah, you can call it George, but you need to get in touch with it. You need to learn to meditate. It’s gets you closer to that higher power. And meditation is really easy. First, find a place where you can be free from noise of your children, or work or whatever else could prevent you from being peaceful. Sit in a comfortable position either on a cushion on the floor or in a chair. You don’t have to sit with your feet over your head or stand on one foot, that’s yoga. I don’t teach yoga. Sit in a comfortable chair if you like, just remember to sit up straight. You can close your eyes or leave them open, it’s up to you. And you may want to stretch before you meditate. Now, relax all your muscles. Relax your tongue which is usually stuck to the roof of your mouth. Relax every muscle in your body. Now comes the hard part – stop thinking. It’s a lot harder than it sounds. Your mind is constantly running, it’s hard to turn it off. Concentrate on your breathing. Breathe in for a count of seven and breathe out for a count of eleven. You want all the bad air out of your lungs before you let the new air in. So, in seven - out eleven. And if you start having a thought, make yourself aware that you’re having a thought and stop. Start concentrating on all the little aches and pains your body is having, begin listening to all the sounds around you. I live on a lake so I like to sit on the deck at sunset and meditate while the sun sets over the water. I listen to the birds, the crickets, the rippling water, it so peaceful, so relaxing, so good for my mind, my soul, my spirit. If you do this for just 30-minutes a day you will feel so much better. And all the time I hear people say, “But BC, I don’t have enough time to meditate. You don’t know what kind of day I have. There just aren’t enough hours in the day for meditation.” And I have to remind them again, they have just as many hours in a day as everyone else – 24. You really need to manage your time.
So there are the first two places to improve yourself; physically and spiritually. Next is mentally. You need to improve your mind. You don’t stop learning just because you’ve graduated high school or four years of college. That’s only the beginning. You have so much more to learn after that. Read lots of books, they’re free from the library. Listen to tapes and CDs and cassettes of people who can help you. Some people who’ve helped me by way of CDs and tapes: Jim Rohn, Andy Andrews, and Larry Winget. None of these names probably mean anything to you, but they are great speakers. Keep a journal and write down things that you read, hear and see. I keep a journal with me at all times. When I hear something that’s profound, I write it down. Like the other night, my girlfriend and I went with another couple to eat Chinese food. When we read our fortunate cookie, my girlfriend’s read, “You’re due for something great to happen.” My friends read, “When the moon is full you will find success.” I opened my fortune cookie and it read, “Never chase a hungry dog into a dead-end ally.” I don’t know what that means, but I wrote it down. It may come in handy some day.
Here’s something I wrote down that Jim Rohn said. He said, “Don’t worry about making your job better. Worry about making yourself better. If you make your job better you’ll get a paycheck but if you make yourself better you’ll get rich.” That’s profound. You may want to write that one down yourself. If you make your job better you’ll get a paycheck but if you make yourself better you’ll get rich.” That’s good advice. That’s the kind of advice that will change your life. I know it changed mine. Making yourself better instead of your job is how you go from $6.00 an hour to $600 an hour. Powerful words from a powerful man.
Follow these three principles and you will live a healthier, happier and longer life. -BC
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Laughter & The Brain
The doctors found that A.K. always laughed when they stimulated a small 2 cm by 2 cm area on her left superior frontal gyrus (part of the frontal lobe of the brain). This brain area is part of the supplementary motor area. Unlike laughter that happens after brain damage, the laughter that was produced by electrical stimulation in A.K. also had a sense of "merriment or mirth". Also, A.K. did NOT have the type of epilepsy with gelastic seizures. Each time her brain was stimulated, A.K. laughed and said that something was funny. The thing that she said caused her to laugh was different each time. A.K. laughed first, then made up a story that was funny to her. Most people first know what is funny, then they laugh.
The authors of the paper believe that the area of the brain that caused laughter in A.K. is part of a larger circuit involving several different brain areas. Different parts of the circuit may be important for:
1. the emotions produced by a funny situation (emotional part of humor)
2. the "getting it" part of a joke (cognitive, thinking part of humor)
3. moving the muscles of the face to smile (motor part of humor).
Everyone smiles and laughs. Even monkeys and apes have some facial expressions that are similar to human smiles. It is possible that smiling, laughing and tickling are used to create bonds between babies and parents. When a parent tickles a baby and the baby responds with a smile or laugh, the parent laughs and smiles too. In this way, the baby and parent get to know one another and the baby learns all about laughter by watching and responding to a parent. What a happy way to learn.
The physiological study of laughter has its own name: "gelotology." Research has shown that laughing is more than just a person's voice and movement. Laughter requires the coordination of many muscles throughout the body. Laughter also:
1. increases blood pressure
2. increases heart rate
3. changes breathing
4. reduces levels of certain neurochemicals (catecholamines, hormones).
5. provides a boost to the immune system.
Can laughter improve health? It may be a good way for people to relax because muscle tension is reduced after laughing. There are some cases when a good deep laugh may help people with respiratory problems by clearing mucus and aiding ventiliation. Perhaps laughing can also help cardiac patients by giving the heart a bit of a workout. Some hospitals even have their own "Humor Rooms," "Comedy Carts," and clown kids in attempts to speed a patient's recovery and boost morale.
However, laughter is NOT ALWAYS good medicine. There are a few cases when laughing actually CAUSED a heart attack or a stroke. Also, immediately after abdominal surgery, people should not laugh too hard because they could tear out their stitches accidentally. Care should also be used in patients with broken ribs. So, try not to be too funny around these people.
How laughter affects the nervous system and rest of the body is not completely understood. A new area of neuroscience called Psychoneuroimmunology" studies the interactions between the brain and the immune system. The field of psychoneuroimmunology combines the methods and techniques of psychology, neuroscience and immunology. Psychoneuroimmunological experiments usually focus on how stress affects the nervous system and disease states. Laughter has been shown to cause changes in the autonomic nervous system and also to alter stress hormone and neurotransmitter levels. For example, 60 min. of watching a video with the comedian "Gallagher" caused reductions in the levels of:
1. cortisol
2. growth hormone
3. catecholamines
Further research into how a positive attitude affects a person's health need to be done. This will give a whole new meaning to the phrase:
Off Shore Oil Drilling
Before you get excited about frilling off the coast of your state as we are in North Carolina, please take this into consideration. There is no law that states that the oil that’s drilled will be used for Americans only and it probably won’t. There is no guarantee that the state will get anything from the drilling except maybe an oil spill somewhere down the line. Oil companies and politicians are close friends, they have it all worked out and they worked it out to be in favor of the oil companies, not the country or the costal state where they’re going to build. Every politician in every costal state is saying the same thing, “I’m for drilling off my coast because it’s going to help my state.” That’s a lie. It’s not going to help anyone but the oil companies and the politicians and that’s it. The state and the country will probably never see a drop of oil or any tax money or any jobs created. All it will see is oil on their coast which will hurt wildlife and tourism and the oil companies won’t have to pay a dime. You will pay for the cleanup. Think about that before you vote for a politician who wants the oil companies to drill off their coast – like all the politicians in North Carolina want. They’re pulling the wool over our eyes while the oil companies are probably lining their pockets with green. Wake up America. If a politician says it’s a good idea, is it really a good idea for you and me, or is it a good idea for them and the oil companies? I can almost say with confidence that it’s not good for you and me or the country. I’m voting for the one who is for alternative fuel.
The authors of the paper believe that the area of the brain that caused laughter in A.K. is part of a larger circuit involving several different brain areas. Different parts of the circuit may be important for:
1. the emotions produced by a funny situation (emotional part of humor)
2. the "getting it" part of a joke (cognitive, thinking part of humor)
3. moving the muscles of the face to smile (motor part of humor).
Everyone smiles and laughs. Even monkeys and apes have some facial expressions that are similar to human smiles. It is possible that smiling, laughing and tickling are used to create bonds between babies and parents. When a parent tickles a baby and the baby responds with a smile or laugh, the parent laughs and smiles too. In this way, the baby and parent get to know one another and the baby learns all about laughter by watching and responding to a parent. What a happy way to learn.
The physiological study of laughter has its own name: "gelotology." Research has shown that laughing is more than just a person's voice and movement. Laughter requires the coordination of many muscles throughout the body. Laughter also:
1. increases blood pressure
2. increases heart rate
3. changes breathing
4. reduces levels of certain neurochemicals (catecholamines, hormones).
5. provides a boost to the immune system.
Can laughter improve health? It may be a good way for people to relax because muscle tension is reduced after laughing. There are some cases when a good deep laugh may help people with respiratory problems by clearing mucus and aiding ventiliation. Perhaps laughing can also help cardiac patients by giving the heart a bit of a workout. Some hospitals even have their own "Humor Rooms," "Comedy Carts," and clown kids in attempts to speed a patient's recovery and boost morale.
However, laughter is NOT ALWAYS good medicine. There are a few cases when laughing actually CAUSED a heart attack or a stroke. Also, immediately after abdominal surgery, people should not laugh too hard because they could tear out their stitches accidentally. Care should also be used in patients with broken ribs. So, try not to be too funny around these people.
How laughter affects the nervous system and rest of the body is not completely understood. A new area of neuroscience called Psychoneuroimmunology" studies the interactions between the brain and the immune system. The field of psychoneuroimmunology combines the methods and techniques of psychology, neuroscience and immunology. Psychoneuroimmunological experiments usually focus on how stress affects the nervous system and disease states. Laughter has been shown to cause changes in the autonomic nervous system and also to alter stress hormone and neurotransmitter levels. For example, 60 min. of watching a video with the comedian "Gallagher" caused reductions in the levels of:
1. cortisol
2. growth hormone
3. catecholamines
Further research into how a positive attitude affects a person's health need to be done. This will give a whole new meaning to the phrase:
Off Shore Oil Drilling
Before you get excited about frilling off the coast of your state as we are in North Carolina, please take this into consideration. There is no law that states that the oil that’s drilled will be used for Americans only and it probably won’t. There is no guarantee that the state will get anything from the drilling except maybe an oil spill somewhere down the line. Oil companies and politicians are close friends, they have it all worked out and they worked it out to be in favor of the oil companies, not the country or the costal state where they’re going to build. Every politician in every costal state is saying the same thing, “I’m for drilling off my coast because it’s going to help my state.” That’s a lie. It’s not going to help anyone but the oil companies and the politicians and that’s it. The state and the country will probably never see a drop of oil or any tax money or any jobs created. All it will see is oil on their coast which will hurt wildlife and tourism and the oil companies won’t have to pay a dime. You will pay for the cleanup. Think about that before you vote for a politician who wants the oil companies to drill off their coast – like all the politicians in North Carolina want. They’re pulling the wool over our eyes while the oil companies are probably lining their pockets with green. Wake up America. If a politician says it’s a good idea, is it really a good idea for you and me, or is it a good idea for them and the oil companies? I can almost say with confidence that it’s not good for you and me or the country. I’m voting for the one who is for alternative fuel.
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