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10 Flowers to Boost Your Mood!

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A while back, I researched topics that people search for the most in search engines (an in life, if we were to take it a profound step further). How to be happy, how to boost your mood, how to improve a bad mood, and how to feel happier were among the most searched things… pretty much, year after year.

There are, obviously many things you can do to improve your chances of happiness and there are just as many ways to boost your mood.

Thank goodness!

You absolutely do not have to let a bad mood ever win. One of the simplest things you can do is to surround yourself with things that make you happy. Things that make you smile inside/out, as it were. When these happy-triggers also happen to be beautiful (like flowers), it’s a win-win situation. I love having flowers everywhere in my home – literally in every room. They boost the mood, improve the appearance of the room and bring glorious nature inside.

Below is a wonderful infographic from FTD detailing how 10 especially beautiful flowers can boost your mood.  Do what I do…. surround yourself with them!

~ Joi

10 Flowers to Boost Your Mood

Infographic Credit: FTD


Does Lack of Sleep Increase Chances of Diabetes?

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Bo and Adam Sleeping

 

by Hayden

Adequate sleep is essential for a healthy body. It reinvigorates your mind and relaxes your body. If you lack enough sleep, you’re likely to be irritable and lethargic; this can also lead to more stress and increased appetite. We are all aware that obesity and craving for sweet foods can increase your risk of diabetes.

Regrettably, most people suffer sleep deprivation due to lack of the right mattress.  However, by acquiring smart beds from Eight Sleep, you can be guaranteed of comfortable, good night sleep.

Can lack of sleep cause diabetes? Read on to find out:

  1. Lack of sleep affects your hormone levels. Skimping on sleep drives your hormone levels out of control. If you always lack sleep, your body discharges less insulin after you eat, leading to secretion of more stress hormones like cortisol. Cortisol makes you stay awake but tougher for insulin to do its job efficiently. As a result, you have too much glucose in your bloodstream, which intensifies your risk for acquiring type 2 diabetes.
  2. Lack of sleep impairs the functioning of your pancreas When you lack adequate sleep, the ability of your pancreas to deliver insulin is adversely affected, and this results in diabetes. More so, lack of sleep leads to a decrease in slow-wave or deep sleep which is the most restorative stage of sleep. Deep sleep plays a critical role in sustaining proper insulin sensitivity and blood sugar control.
  3. Lack of sleep results in insulin resistance.Sleep deprivation boosts resistance to insulin, and this heightens the risk of developing diabetes. There’s sufficient evidence to show that sleep deprivation could cause a pre-diabetic state. The body’s response to sleep deprivation can, in most cases resemble insulin resistance which is a symptom of diabetes.
  4. Lack of sleep leads to a craving for sweet foods.Your body is programmed to do most of the critical mending of the immune system during sleep. So, when you suffer disrupted sleep, you interrupt the cycle, and this affects your immune system as well as it’s the ability to fight infections.More so, if you lack sleep, your appetite levels increase, and you crave for starchy and sugary foods. Indulging in such cravings or overeating wreaks havoc in your insulin, blood sugar levels, and your weight, all which are risk factors for diabetes. If you lack sleep, you’re likely to feel sluggish and fatigued. And this makes you less inclined to exercise. Remember, working out helps in weight management and control of blood sugar.
  5. Lack of sleep increases the risk of obesity.How does lack of sleep increase your risk of obesity? Sleep deprivation affects your metabolism and makes your body store extra carbohydrates which can lead to weight gain. We all know that obesity is a risk factor for diabetes. More so, when you lack adequate sleep, the cardiac rhythm of the body is disrupted, resulting in abnormal hormonal changes that lead to diabetes.
  6. There’s a relationship between sleep and diabetes type 2. There’s a link between blood sugar and sleep. When your blood sugar is out of control, having a good night sleep becomes a problem. High blood sugar will prompt the kidneys to try to discharge it by urinating frequently, and this will make you not sleep well. Lack of sleep also increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

 

Bottom line

 Family history, what you consume, and your weight can all affect your risk of developing diabetes. More so, your sleeping habits play a significant role, and lack of sleep is a risk factor for diabetes. Therefore, get adequate sleep daily for better health and lessen your risk of diabetes.

Sleep On It

 

 

Science Behind Human and Dog Bond

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Quote About Dogs

 

by Hayden

The chemistry between dogs and humans is one that has existed over the years. Many people love dogs, and dogs love them. Pet owners go all out to take care of their dogs because of the bond of love that exists between them. In the same way, dogs are very loyal to their owners and fight tooth and nail to protect them. 

Can the strong bond between dogs and humans be explained? Science has an explanation for why things happen the way you do. In the same way, we can explore the science behind the bonding of these two creatures as is in this article:

Use of eye contact

Dogs make eye contact during bonding. Like with human beings, eye contact with another party is the first way to establish a strong bond with them. When dogs want to bond with humans, they maintain eye contact. This is especially so when they are taking instructions and accepting compliments eye contact is the best way to measure whether or not your dog attends to you when you speak. 

Studies have been conducted around this logic. It has been proven by researchers in Azabu University, Japan that when a dog establishes eye contact with his owner, that moment allows for the generation of oxytocin, which is mostly known as the “love hormone”. This is the same hormonal response in human beings that bonds us to babies, even at a very young age.

The power of touch

Human beings are best known to appreciate and acknowledge the power of touch. In the same way, dogs are sensitive to a touch of affection. When human pets a dog, the dog responds with signs of affection. This can be through licking the person, wagging the tail, or jumping up and down around the person.

You can best experience this when you are grooming your pet. After using the best dog shampoo to wash him, the whole process of drying your dog and brushing his fur can instill feelings of love. Notice also how much dogs love to be petted, even by children. 

Social creatures

The reality of both of these species is that they are social creatures. This makes the relationship between a dog and a human mutually beneficial, as both are working to make a new friend and share the love with a different party. In that case, it is easier for a dog and a human to form a relationship than it is for a human and a cow.

Dogs are outgoing

Humans may be outgoing, but not all of them. With dogs, it is not the case. Most dogs, if not all of them, are outgoing by nature. They exist best where they can be active, walk and play around. Given that humans are the most entertaining of such behaviors, it is easy for dogs to form strong bonds with humans. For example, it is like a dog to run out and greet their owners when they walk into their homes. Since human beings also enjoy the warm welcome, the bond is automatically formed. 

Dogs are adaptive to different personalities

Much as a dog gets its personality from the genes, a lot of how a dog behaves has to do with their owners. A great way to observe this is to take a sample of a similar breed of dog raised by different owners. While both are dogs, their personalities will be a lot similar to their owners. In this case, it is easy for dogs and humans to form relationships.

Summary

Evidently, the symbiotic relationship between dogs and human beings has significantly affected both species. As more people become dog owners, and rescue groups gang up to help stray dogs, the bond is yet to grow stronger in the years to come.

Quote About Relaxation

18 Best Mental Health Apps To Try In 2020 (Inforgraphic)

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I can remember the first time I heard the word “apps.” I was almost angry at my daughters for telling me about yet another new-fangled thing I had to learn about and keep up with!

Not even a week later, I had downloaded and was joyfully using even more apps than the three of them had put together!

They were wonderful then and they’re even better now. There is a wealth of information, inspiration, and motivation in the world of apps – but it goes deeper than that. The right apps can help you do everything from remembering your medications to destressing and releasing anxiety.

The following infographic (which is outstanding, by the way) can point you in the right direction when it comes to apps dealing with mental fitness and health, stress, visualization, habits, and many others.

Infographic Credit: A Place for Mom

How Fishing Makes You A Better Person: Psychological Benefits of Fishing

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by Mila Foster

There aren’t as many rewarding and thought-evoking sports as fishing is. Going out to the great outdoors, connecting with nature, having a relaxing and exciting time while at the same time reaping the benefits of your catch is what fishing is all about, and more. Fishing is a type of sport or hobby that allows you to be who you are, lets you wander in your thoughts and enables you to become a better person. If you are wondering how can all of that be true, read on to find out.

Fishing helps you combat stress and agitation

The fact that you are constantly outdoors has numerous psychological benefits. Just listening to nature around you, birds chirping, water splashing on your boat, and even indulging in the dead silence can help you push any stressed-provoking thoughts far from the mind. Fishing can not only help you fight off stress, but it can even enable you to feel more relieved, mindful and grateful. As you sit and wait for minutes, hours for your pray, you are psychologically learning how to be more patient, stress-free, and careless.

Fishing enables you to get more physically active

Amongst many other health benefits of fishing, staying in regular physical motion will help you stay fit and agile. Any type of physical exercise is extremely productive to our organism, and the moment you step outside your car, walk up and down the shoreline, carry your fishing rods and other gear, and even while riveting and casting for hours can help you burn up to 200 calories per hour. These repetitive moments as you have to cast your line into position, retrieve and cast again, trigger adequate muscle movement which is also quite beneficial.

Fishing triggers positive emotions

There are many more reasons that can trigger a keen fisherman to go fishing. Sometimes it is just the will to catch a nice trout and serve it to your guests, in most cases it is the sheer will of doing something productive and psychologically effective. Believe it or not, but when done with a family member, or a buddy or two, fishing can also help you uplift your spirit and boost up your mood no matter how run down or apprehensive you might have been feeling. When you are outside, in a serene atmosphere, surrounded with captivating nature and a peaceful environment, your serotonin level arises and you start feeling more content and ready to take up any challenges.

Fishing helps you sharpen up

Probably you have never wondered that going fishing can help you with your memory problems. Well, one of the most effective ways to keep your mental health in order, improve your memory and brain function is to go fishing. Simply being in a tranquil setting, surrounded by your thoughts, having the time to think about important life’s decisions can stimulate faster brain activities. Therefore, if you wish to fight off memory loss, or any other cognitive declines, you should take up fishing.

Fishing can prolong your life

Going fishing outdoors during daylight increases your vitamin D intake. As you are regularly exposed to the sun, you will also feel more joyous, your mood will be uplifted, plus you will never feel depresses. Not only that but preparing and eating your prized catch can help you intake healthy an nutritious protein. Eating fish on a regular basis can help you live longer since it is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, low-fat protein, and other healthy properties that are vital for the organism. Even if many recreational anglers release their catch, if you were to eat some of them, you can decrease your blood pressure, reduce irregular heartbeats, and even lower the risk of stroke.

All in all, fishing is definitely more than just a sport or a pastime. It is a way of love. And by reading all of these benefits, you will realize that fishing can really make you become a better person.