Month: February 2023

Today’s Poem ~ She Walks in Beauty

by

She Walks in Beauty 

George Gordon Byron

I.

She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that’s best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes:
Thus mellowed to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

II.

One shade the more, one ray the less,
Had half impaired the nameless grace
Which waves in every raven tress,
Or softly lightens o’er her face;
Where thoughts serenely sweet express
How pure, how dear their dwelling place.

III.

And on that cheek, and o’er that brow,
So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,
The smiles that win, the tints that glow,
But tell of days in goodness spent,
A mind at peace with all below,
A heart whose love is innocent!

 

Source

Today’s Inspiration ~ No Matter, Never Quit!

by

“The one thing you’ve gotta do is that you need to always do the best you can do, no matter what the given situation, no matter what comes up against you. You do the best you can do, and you never give up. Never quit.”

~ James Corden

 

Source

Today’s Joke

by

Joe: “I used to dislike my hair.”

Pete: “Have you changed your mind?”

Joe: “Yah, it’s growing on me.”

Kindness Works ~ Acts of Kindness are Powerful!

by

The research is piling up: Studies have found that being kind can help lower blood pressure and anxiety. Practicing helping behaviors even lessened symptoms of depression in people who had lost a spouse. Experiments show that doing something kind for someone is more likely to boost your mood and lower your stress than doing something for yourself. Plus, a recent sweeping review of data including nearly 200,000 study participants found that prosocial behavior (things like donating money to charity, volunteering, altruism, trust, and compassion) was linked to better physical and mental health.

What makes acts of kindness so powerful? “Each small daily choice we make either nurtures our emotional well-being or aggravates stress, and that helps or hinders our physical health,” Dr. Harding says. Practicing kindness is on the helping side of that equation.

We know kindness triggers a neurochemical response, explains Waguih IsHak, M.D., a professor of psychiatry and behavioral neurosciences at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and editor of The Handbook of Wellness Medicine. Oxytocin and dopamine (two feel-good hormones) get released, and cortisol (a hormone related to stress) falls.

Source: DIGIULIO, S. (2021). HOW KINDNESS CHANGES US. (Cover story). Prevention, 73(12), 28–34.

Today’s Health Tip ~ Prunes Are a Healthy Option

by

6 Health Benefits of Prunes

  1. Prunes contain many nutrients – Plums and prunes are impressively high in nutrients. They contain over 15 different vitamins and minerals, in addition to fiber and antioxidants.
  2. Prunes relieve constipation. – The fiber in prunes is mostly insoluble, which means it does not blend with water. It plays a role in preventing constipation by adding bulk to your stool and may speed up the rate that waste moves through your digestive track.
  3. Prunes are rich in antioxidants – Plums and prunes are rich in antioxidants, which are helpful for reducing inflammation and protecting your cells from damage by free radicals. They are particularly high in polyphenol antioxidants, which have positive effects on bone health and may help reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes.
  4. Prunes may help lower blood sugar. – Plums have properties that may help with blood sugar control. Despite being fairly high in carbs, plums and prunes do not appear to cause a substantial rise in blood sugar levels after they’re eaten.). This is attributed to their potential to increase levels of adiponectin, a hormone that plays a role in blood sugar regulation.
  5.  Prunes may promote bone health. -Prunes may be beneficial for improving bone health. Not only have prunes been shown to prevent bone loss, they may also have the potential to reverse bone loss that has already occurred.
  6. Prunes may benefit health health. – Consuming plums and prunes on a regular basis may have a protective effect on heart health.

Source

Today’s Photo ~ Follow Your Heart

by

 

 

 

Just as the sunflower follows the sun during the day, follow your heart, it won’t let you down.

 

 

 

 

 

Today’s Joke

by

Joe: “My surgeon died.”

Pete: “What happened?”

Joe: “He just couldn’t cut it anymore.”

Today’s Inspiration ~ Love is Forever

by

“Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice,

but for those who love, time is eternity.”

~ Henry Van Dyke

Source

Kindness Works ~ Each Act of Kindness is Empowering

by

“Constant kindness can accomplish much. As the sun makes ice melt,

kindness causes misunderstanding, mistrust, and hostility to evaporate(Albert Schweitzer).”

Each act of kindness is an act of empowerment. Each act of kindness is our way of telling the world our actions make a difference.

Keep making a difference.

Today’s Health Tip ~ Being in Love is Healthy

by

Have you ever considered the benefits love can have on your overall health?

Increases Life Expectancy

Research suggests that married people in particular but those also involved in healthy social relationships typically live longer. The benefits of these relationships can even lower your risk of heart attack, developing certain types of cancer or pneumonia.

  1. Maintains a healthy heart – Studies indicate that those who are involved in good, strong, happy marriages have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease compared to those who are in stressful relationships or tend to feel lonely more often.
  2. Reduces Depression – Falling in love, getting married and maintaining healthy relationships, as well as friendships, have been shown to reduce the feelings of isolation and depression in both males and females while simultaneously increasing the sense of belonging and happiness.
  3. Keeps the Doctor Away – Feeling loved, cared for and secure tends to boosts the immune system and reduce the chance of catching a cold or other viral infections. Those who have a loving support system also tend to recover more quickly from an illness.
  4. Lowers Blood Pressure – Happily married couples have been shown to have the best blood pressure values in relation to those who are unhappily married or single, according to one study.
  5. Decreases Anxiety – MRI scans have shown that those who are involved in stable, long-term relationships had greater activity and activation in the part of the brain that is responsible for the reward/pleasure response and less activation in the area of the brain associated with anxiety.
  6. Reduces Stress Levels – Due to the security and support healthy relationships tend to offer, you are less likely to feel stressed if you have a partner or close friend to help you through difficult situations or emotions.
  7. Eases Acute or Chronic Pain – Similar to how love reduces anxiety, love can also increase activity in the area of the brain associated with the control of pain. Happily married couples have reported having fewer complaints of back pain and headaches.
  8. Helps Your Gut – 80% of your immune system (and the vast majority of your body’s microbes) reside in your gut. The feeling of love can help to nurture and support your life-enhancing gut microbiome and fight off harmful bacteria that can make you feel under the weather.
  9. Betters Your Sleep – Because loving relationships lead to less stress, you are more likely to sleep well and feel refreshed when you wake in the morning.

Source

Verified by MonsterInsights