Recipe For Happiness

For you ultimate pessimists reading this, perhaps you should skip this entry to prevent slight nausea and potential vomiting.  But on the other hand, perhaps this entry has been written especially for you.  Although happiness is relative, below is my own personal recipe for happiness.  Feel free to add more ingredients in the comments section :) 


Recipe for Happiness
Ingredients:
2 Heaping cups of Patience 
1 Heart full of Love 
2 Hands full of Generosity 
1 Head full of Understanding 
1 Dash of Laughter (very large) 
1 Pinch of Hope and Faith  


Directions:
Mix ingredients.  Sprinkle generously with kindness, add plenty of faith and mix well. Spread over a period of a lifetime and serve to everyone you meet.

One More Reason to Get Moving

We know that exercise does a body good (certainly more so than drinking milk!). But even more evidence is being discovered--irisin being the most recent. Named after the greek messenger goddess Iris, this hormone is debuting as a critical communicator between the two different types of fat cells.

Many More Reasons to Get Moving: Part 2

Although the role of exercise in preventing various cancers is not clear, researchers have suspected the maintenance of a healthy body weight to contribute.  This reference to a healthy body weight relates more to the amount of fat (white fat to be exact, more on that later) that’s in the body as opposed to your actual weight.  It's now well-known that fat releases a host of hormones and what are known as cytokines.  In fact, in some circles, fat tissue is considered an endocrine organ, similar to your adrenal glands and reproductive organs.  Cancer development may be related to the release of these cytokines and hormones in excessive amounts.  Exercising and cutting back on the amount of white fat stored in the body therefore leads to the reduction in these circulating compounds.  

Many More Reasons to Get Moving: Part 1

It’s 4:30 pm and the countdown has begun until quitting time (only 60 min to go, 59 min, 58 min...).  For many, the idea of going to a gym or taking a brisk walk after work is the last thing on their mind after a long day.  Although physical activity has been engineered out of most of our lives, this does not disregard the fact that movement has historically been used for our productivity and survival (how else would we be getting our food!?).  It’s well-known that physical activity is beneficial for our health as seen by a host of studies showing a reduction in risk of disease with more exercise.

Food for the Soul: Service to Others

Today, Americans celebrate the national holiday dedicated to the life and accomplishments of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (well some may be catching up on sleep instead).  Most known for his work as a pioneering civil right’s leader and advocate for justice and peace, Dr. King also championed for overcoming poverty and education inequities for all people.  "Life's most persistent and urgent question is: 'What are you doing for others?'" King once proclaimed. In line with this, President Bill Clinton established the King holiday as a national day of service in 1994, and dedicated it “a day on, not a day off.”  So the question lies in what are you doing to serve others in honor of Dr. King and beyond?