The Art of Smiling

The Art of Smiling

The saying goes that even if you are in a bad mood, smiling affects the brain and can make you happy the more you do it. Smiling is a beautiful experience that has facts that are backed up by both psychology and even science. According to experts, it is good for both mental and physical health which is one powerful strategy to stand by in our practice for well-being. Having the world smile back at you can be a great experience. even if you just post an emoticon with a large smile or a good laugh.

The Art Of The Smile

Social media may even become a little addicting for some. That is why you need to be careful about chasing the likes and rather attempt to live in the moment regardless of whether you decide to share them with others. The reason for this is because it may take away your serotonin and replace it with anxiousness or depression. Smiling and laughter is a very natural response for most people, especially in a comfortable setting that allows the joy to spread. It’s a very good thing because it is healthy for us. Regardless of whether you want to go to the dentist to perfect that smile and get dental implants or just give it a little tender loving care, try and own your smile with confidence. As they say, the secret to happiness is with a smile and some laughter.

What smiling does to your brain

There are numerous strategies to help you perfect your smile. As well as reasons why smiling is good for your health. Smiling tricks your brain into believing it is happier than it is, as many studies have shown to increase serotonin and productivity. It triggers those amazing feel-good chemicals we search for in our lives from our brain’s pleasure center. Smiling is known to be excellent for your brain and health. But it may be hazardous for your mental or emotional health in the long run if individuals use it to disguise how they feel all the time. Since you might never fully allow yourself to feel your emotions and process your ideas in a secure and supportive environment. Both aspects of smiling can have a significant role in a person’s happiness and life satisfaction.

What smiling means in different cultures

Smiling is good for you but in other countries, it may be interpreted differently. Understanding a smile from around different parts of the globe can give you an interesting take on what we may not give much consideration to at times. There have been a lot of studies surrounding expressing your happiness in different cultures around the world. According to certain research, the western culture is more vocal about their feelings and pleasure in general than certain cultural backgrounds found in the east. Smiling would be viewed differently depending on the situation and person you are conversing with. It all may also boil down to faking it so that you can feel that emotion and respect.

How to Rebalance Your Diet in a Healthy Way

health

Eating a healthy diet on a consistent basis is always easier said than done. We all want to eat well and look after our health, but we also have bad habits that hold us back and stop us from doing that sometimes. If you’ve been in a rut with your diet and it’s impacting your health, it might be time to rebalance.

There are lots of ways in which you can do that. Although it can be quite overwhelming when you’re not sure what to do or which approach to take. We’re going to discuss the right approach in more depth today.

So if you want to rebalance your diet and achieve a much healthier way of eating from day to day, we’re going to discuss that more below, so read on.

Get All the Major Food Groups in Your Diet

In order to properly balance your diet, you need to make sure that you’re giving your body a bit of everything it needs. A truly balanced diet will include a vast array of different types of foods, including fruit vegetables, carbs and protein. You need to make sure that you’re covering all of those bases from day to day if you want to make sure your diet really is as balanced as it can be. It’s something that most people want to get right but struggle to enact in reality, but it all starts by paying attention to those major food groups and getting them into your meals.

Don’t be Too Black and White When it Comes to Foods

There’s nothing wrong with eating food that might be considered bad if it’s done in moderation. That’s why you should avoid being too black and white when it comes to food. It’s not really true to say you can split foods into a good group and a bad group. It simply doesn’t work like that. If you want to make sure you get the most out of your diet, you should eat in moderation, eat what you enjoy but keep things generally healthy. That’s more sensible than trying to be too black and white about it.

Keep a Food Diary

If you’re not sure where you’ve been going wrong with your diet up to now, it might be a good idea to start keeping a food diary for a while. When you do that, you start to get a better idea of what you’ve been eating as a whole from day to day. When you can sit down and look at it, you might notice that you’re eating too much or too much of a certain type of food. It can be hard to see that with such clarity when you’re simply trying to remember what you ate; a food diary delivers that clarity.

Don’t Let Eating Out Derail You

Many people have great intentions when it comes to their diet and eating habits, and then it all goes badly wrong as soon as they’re not in their own kitchen. But just because you’re going out to a restaurant or eating at a friend’s house, that doesn’t mean you have to stop paying attention to the food you’re eating. Finding excuses for unhealthy choices won’t pay off for you in the end, so try and stay consistent. There’s always a healthy option on the menu you can opt for if you want to.

Look for Healthy Alternatives

If you often struggle to stay on track with your health because there are certain foods that you feel as if you simply can’t resist, it probably makes sense to look for some healthy alternatives to those foods. We all have certain foods we love no matter how unhealthy we know they are. But there are ways to swap out less than ideal foods for options that are at least a little more healthy. That’s something that you should at least give some thought and consideration to.

Keep an Eye on What You’re Drinking

It’s also a good idea to give some thought to the calories you might be consuming in the form of drinks. If you’re someone who drinks far too many sugar-filled drinks throughout the week, that’s going to have a big impact on your overall health and fitness. It’s a much better idea to stick to the sugar free options or, even better, simply stick to drinking water. You can’t go too far wrong if you just do that. It’s something to at least keep an eye on because if you get it wrong, you’ll end up consuming far more calories than you want to.

Speak to a Nutritionist

If you’re someone who’s always struggled to achieve a balanced diet and you’re not sure what’s at the core of these problems, one of the things you might want to do is speak to a nutritionist. There are lots of people out there who can help you with your diet and plan it correctly in a way that’s right for you. One of the best reasons to work closely alongside a nutritionist is the fact that they can get to know you and begin to understand your specific needs much better.

Make Use of Meal Replacement Products

For many people, meal replacement bars and shakes can be a fantastic aid when it comes to losing weight. That doesn’t mean that you replace every meal, but it provides a way to cut out some extra calories at certain times, while still getting the nutrition you need. You should also look at granola bars and other healthy snacks to tide you over. We’ll talk more about that later. Be sure to explore these products and find the ones that you feel will work best for you. There’s plenty to consider and try out, so there’s something for everyone.

Stay Motivated

Staying motivated is often one of the most difficult things to do when you’re looking to improve your health and your diet. So think about why you’re doing this. What do you actually want to achieve by rebalancing your diet and what are the benefits you’ll feel as a result of doing so? These are the kinds of questions whose answers will be very personal to you. Only you are capable of finding the motivation that you really need, so it’s worth giving this some careful thought.

Stock Up on Healthy Snacks

Healthy snacks are really important when you’re trying to make progress with your diet goals. You’ll want to make sure that when hunger does strike, you’re not immediately reaching for foods that are no good for you and that will more than likely throw your diet plans completely off track. It doesn’t need to be that way, so make sure you have nuts, dried fruit and granola on hand to satisfy any hunger pangs you might experience during the day.

It’s a Marathon Not a Sprint

Finally, you should try to remember the fact that this is a marathon and not a sprint. You don’t need to see instant results overnight. Instead, it’s about making sustainable changes that’ll support your health for years and decades still to come.

Rebalancing your diet can be tough. But if you know that your diet has been poor recently and you know things need to change, the rebalancing tactics discussed above will help you out a lot. Before you know it, you’ll have a diet plan in place that’ll aid your overall health and provide you with the nutrition you need.

How Cannabis Could Affect Your Sleep

How Cannabis Could Affect Your Sleep

Cannabis has many different effects on the body. Depending on whether you are new to using cannabis or have been using it for a long time, your experience will vary. Cannabis affects people differently depending on their size, weight and genetics. Some of its expected effects include an increased appetite known colloquially as “the munchies”, reduced blood pressure, red eyes/dilated pupils and slower reaction times.

When it comes to sleep, though, there is no single set of reactions that apply equally across all users. In fact, some evidence suggests that cannabis can be used medicinally to improve sleep quality in patients with insomnia or other sleep disorders! The strain of cannabis you use may also have an impact on how it affects your sleep. For example, Indica Cannabis is more likely to have a sedative-like effect on you. Sativa Cannabis might increase energy and mental clarity. Always be sure to discuss these options with your healthcare provider or the dispensary supplying your Cannabis. 

NREM And REM Stages Of Sleeping

Before going into more detail about how cannabis affects sleep, let us talk a bit about the different stages of sleep. Without getting too scientific, it is essential to understand that there are two main types of sleep: NREM and REM. Non-rapid eye movement (NREM) occupies 75% of your sleep, whereas rapid eye movement (REM) makes up 25%.

In sleep, you have four progressively deeper stages as follows: drowsiness, light slumbering – when alpha waves begin to occur in our brainwaves; deep slumbering – where delta waves become predominant which is considered “true” or slow-wave sleep; then finally rem – also known as a paradoxical phase because during this phase our muscles become paralyzed while our brain becomes active, this is also when we experience dreams.

How Cannabis Affects Sleep Quality

Cannabis can be used medicinally to improve sleep quality in patients with insomnia or other sleep disorders. There are three primary ways that cannabis affects the sleep cycle: it reduces rapid eye movement (REM) latency, increases slow-wave deep sleep, and decreases the number of awakenings during the night, all big positives for getting a good nights’ rest! When you use any kind of medicine before bedtime, there may be some residual effects on your ability to fall asleep, but studies suggest that they dissipate after an hour or two. As far as improving the overall quantity of REM cycles throughout your slumbering hours, the research is promising!

In conclusion, although cannabis can have some residual effects that affect your ability to fall asleep or stay asleep throughout the night, it’s generally a good choice as far as sleep aids go. Compared with other options such as pharmaceuticals and alcohol, there are fewer side effects associated with using cannabis medicinally before bedtime. If you find yourself struggling to get a restful nights’ slumber, give medicinal cannabinoids a try.

4 Signs Your Child Has Behavioral Problems

4 Signs Your Child Has Behavioral Problems

We’ve all been in that situation when a child is being unruly. We can’t help but judge and think the child has no discipline or they are just brats. We have also been in the situation when we look at the parent and have sympathy for what they are going through. Sometimes, a parent just has no idea why their child won’t listen or why their child just can’t seem to sit still. Here are four signs that your child may have a behavioral problem and you may need to seek a professional opinion to find a possible diagnosis. 

Temper Tantrums

Every once and awhile, a child throws a temper tantrum. It’s actually quite normal. They want a toy that you don’t want to buy. Perhaps they don’t want to eat the food you prepared for them. Or maybe they just don’t want to go to bed and the tantrum is directly related to the fact that they’re very tired. Then there are those children that throw a tantrum every single time you ask them to do something. 

Researchers say that if your child is constantly throwing a tantrum it may be a sign of an emotional behavior disorder. It can be that your child doesn’t know how to deal with anxiety that is caused from everyday life. Ask a doctor if you think your child falls into this category.

Defiant to Authority

If your child seems to not listen at all and talks back to you or other adults, your child may need to see a doctor for an ODD diagnosis. ODD stands for Oppositional Defiant Disorder. In some cases, this can be the result of ineffective parenting. Researchers say that if a child is not taught early on to control their impulses and respect authority, by the age of three, they can start being disruptive whenever they feel like it. There are ways to get your child to change this behavior. Consult the proper pediatrician so you can find your way to a specialist who can tell you how to switch your style and get your child back on track. 

Trouble Maintaining Relationships

Many may feel a child is shy and that is why they aren’t relating well to others. If you feel your child is too shy, it can be a behavioral disorder brought on by social anxiety. Many children may feel overwhelmed by being social, and if this is the case for your child, you can help them get better social skills to bring healthy relationships into their life. Consult with a professional who specializes in this field, and they will be able to get your child on the right track in no time. 

Blaming Others

No child wants to get in trouble, but if yours is always in the midst of some kind of chaos and they are constantly blaming the other people involved, that could be a behavioral problem. If their blaming is chronic, your child may be dealing with a disorder.

5 Ways To Get A Good Night’s Sleep

motivation

Sleep is an essential part of our every day, and getting less of it, can have severe effects on your physical and mental health. Insufficient sleep will cause you to feel tired and irritable. It can also impair your memory and ability to concentrate. 

Unfortunately, it can also lead to depression and anxiety, as well as mental health issues. Studies have also linked lack of sleep to illnesses such as heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.  

According to recent sleep studies, around 62% of adults feel that they don’t get enough sleep during the night, while between 10%-30% of adults experience insomnia—the reasons for lack of sleep range from physical to mental ones. 

Physical reasons include long-term injuries or chronic pain, side effects of medication or drugs, or conditions such as arthritis. Mental reasons include anxiety, depression, fear of the dark, or being alone in the dark. 

But, no matter the reason, there are things you can do to get the help you need so you can get a good night’s sleep. Here are five ways to get a good night’s sleep: 

Manage Your Stress

Stress can be a huge factor in your life and can cause sleep deprivation. Stress causes a state of alertness that can delay the onset of sleep, causing anxiety which can occur during the night. Managing your stress can help to promote a good night’s sleep. In some cases, those who find themselves dealing with stress may turn to activities such as exercises and products such as health and herbal remedies, similar to Delta 10 that can help them unwind after a stressful day.

Make Your Sleep Area Cozy

Where you sleep can also affect whether or not you get a good night’s rest. For example, if you are sleeping in a cluttered area can make you feel uneasy and affect your sleeping habits. On the other hand, making your bedroom cozy with no clutter and soft lighting can help you get a good night’s sleep. 

Don’t Take Too Many Naps.

While there are many good advantages to taking a nap during the day, naps can help you replenish your energy if you’ve had a hard day. However, taking too many naps during the day can affect your sleep. It’s recommended that your nap doesn’t last more than 20 minutes, as anything longer can affect your sleeping pattern. 

Get Exercise In Your Daily Routine 

Exercise can regulate your sleeping habits by increasing the amount of oxygen in your blood. The more oxygen you have flowing through your system, the more likely you are going to sleep deeply and well at night without any interruptions. Exercise also has a calming effect on the brain, which will help put you into a better mood before bedtime.

Go To Sleep The Same Time Every Night 

You can do many things that will help you have a good night’s sleep, but one that we often overlook is setting yourself a bedtime routine. This means going to bed and waking up at the same time every day. Experts say that this will help regulate natural body rhythms, making it easier for your body to fall asleep. 

These are just a few ways that you can have a good night’s sleep. If you find yourself having trouble sleeping, you can also speak with your local physician, who can also recommend some more helpful tips so you can have a well deserved rest throughout the night. 

Hacking Your Nutritional Approach to Health

Hacking Your Nutritional Approach to Health

Nutrition has the power to positively affect our lives. One of the most profound areas where this can occur is in the process of cancer treatment. Nutrition, in concert with traditional medical interventions, can help make cancer therapies more effective to increase chances of survival. 

Nutritional Approach to Health

In this episode of Curves Welcome podcast, I chat with Martha Tettenborn, RD about hacking chemo using “the ketogenic diet, therapeutic fasting, and a kickass attitude to power through cancer.”

Podcast

Listen to this episode on your favorite podcast player.

 

Hacking Chemo Book
Cancer thrives on sugar. Cancer cells need it, unable to grow and multiply without a steady supply of glucose. But after a cancer diagnosis, medical and dietary recommendations from oncology doctors often result in increased blood sugar and insulin levels—the essential elements that cancer cells need to thrive.

In Hacking Chemo, Registered Dietitian and cancer survivor Martha Tettenborn uncovers the secrets of cancer metabolism, offering a refreshing new way of treating the disease with minimal side effects and maximum effectiveness. Cancer treatment like chemotherapy doesn’t have to derail your life. You can be your own bio-hacker by decoding how cancer works in your body…and your life.

 

About Martha Tettenborn, RD 
Martha Tettenborn RD is a Registered Dietitian and certified Primal Health Coach with over 30 years of experience working in many areas of nutrition. She currently works in long term care with a focus on nursing homes and gerontology. Her private health coach practice, The Cancer Doula, promotes a low-carb, whole-foods-based approach to disease prevention and cancer symptom management.

When diagnosed with Stage 1 ovarian cancer, Martha began exploring the research of the disease and discovered the science of cancer metabolism. This led her to develop and use a protocol of ketogenic diet with targeted therapeutic fasting to significantly impact her response to chemotherapy. Inspired by her own journey, Martha wants to help others see cancer differently – as an experience that will give you strength, wisdom, and more love for your body and life than ever before.

A featured speaker at the Low Carb Long Weekend Summit and on numerous podcasts, Martha shares her knowledge as a dietitian and experience as a cancer patient to inform others about the power of metabolic interventions to support conventional cancer treatment. Martha also instructs courses teaching the ketogenic approach to cancer treatment for the Nutrition Network and Udemy.

A cancer survivor since 2018, Martha is an avid hiker, cyclist, live theatre backstage crew member and a wannabe world adventurer. She lives on the beautiful Bruce Peninsula in central Ontario, Canada.

Connect with Martha

To connect with Martha visit her website.

Resource mentioned in this episode

For a list of organic must-haves check out this curated list: The Dirty Dozen