An Anti-Inflammatory Diet Can Help You Live a Longer Life
Following a diet packed with foods that lower the markers of inflammation can lower risk for an early death. An anti-inflammatory diet isn’t just about what you eat, but what you don’t eat. Foods high in salt, saturated fat, sugar, and refined carbohydrates should be limited or avoided. . . . When these kinds of foods are consumed in excess they’re linked to higher markers for inflammation — which is tied to almost every kind of chronic disease — and presents a greater risk for cancer and diabetes. There is some research to support that eating recommended amounts of foods like fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, and whole grains can reduce risk for chronic diseases that have an inflammatory component, such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and some types of cancer.
Source
Taking the time to feel gratitude may improve your emotional well-being by helping you cope with stress. Early research suggests that a daily practice of gratitude could affect the body, too. For example, one study found that gratitude was linked to fewer signs of heart disease. The first step in any gratitude practice is to reflect on the good things that have happened in your life. These can be big or little things. It can be as simple as scoring a good parking space that day or enjoying a hot mug of coffee. Or, perhaps you feel grateful for a close friend’s compassionate support. Next, allow yourself a moment to enjoy that you had the positive experience, no matter what negatives may exist in your life. Let positive feelings of gratitude bubble up. . . . Practicing gratitude is part of a set of skills that her research team encourages people to practice. These skills have been shown to help some people increase their positive emotions.
Source
I write as I go. Many novelists write an outline that has almost as many pages as their ultimate book. Others knock out a brief synopsis. Do what is comfortable. ~ Clive Cussler
Courage
Anne Sexton
It is in the small things we see it.
The child's first step,
as awesome as an earthquake.
The first time you rode a bike,
wallowing up the sidewalk.
The first spanking when your heart
went on a journey all alone.
When they called you crybaby
or poor or fatty or crazy
and made you into an alien,
you drank their acid
and concealed it.
Later,
if you faced the death of bombs and bullets
you did not do it with a banner,
you did it with only a hat to
comver your heart.
You did not fondle the weakness inside you
though it was there.
Your courage was a small coal
that you kept swallowing.
If your buddy saved you
and died himself in so doing,
then his courage was not courage,
it was love; love as simple as shaving soap.
Later,
if you have endured a great despair,
then you did it alone,
getting a transfusion from the fire,
picking the scabs off your heart,
then wringing it out like a sock.
Next, my kinsman, you powdered your sorrow,
you gave it a back rub
and then you covered it with a blanket
and after it had slept a while
it woke to the wings of the roses
and was transformed.
Later,
when you face old age and its natural conclusion
your courage will still be shown in the little ways,
each spring will be a sword you'll sharpen,
those you love will live in a fever of love,
and you'll bargain with the calendar
and at the last moment
when death opens the back door
you'll put on your carpet slippers
and stride out.
Who dares nothing, need hope for nothing. ~ Friedrich Schiller
Chronic stress can wear down the body’s natural defenses, leading to a variety of physical symptoms, including the following:
The key to healthy aging is to engage fully in life—mentally, physically, and socially. “Transitioning to older years isn’t about sitting in a rocking chair and letting the days slip by,” Bernard says. “Older adults have unique experiences, intellectual capital, and emotional involvement that can be shared with younger generations. This engagement is really key to helping our society move forward.”
Source
Researchers have found a myriad of instances when a coffee habit may have some protective health benefits. Aside from the caffeine giving you an early-morning energy buzz, [coffee’s] high levels of antioxidants can help protect your body from damage caused by free radicals, as well as fight off disease. The list of potential diseases and conditions that are less common in coffee drinkers is long. Caffeinated coffee is associated with lowering the risks for certain cancers and liver disease. . . . Daily consumption of three cups of coffee, whether caffeinated or decaffeinated, was associated with a 17 lower risk for all-cause mortality compared to no coffee intake. Caffeinated coffee also conveyed lower risks for cardiovascular disease and stroke with the highest benefits being seen in those consuming between three to five cups per day.
Source
Write about what you know personally, limited though it may be. Get your facts right. Try to write a story with a beginning, middle, and an end. ~ Frederich Forsyth
