MENTAL HEALTH BREAK 🙂
Archive for November, 2008
Endorphins – The Body’s Natural Painkiller
‘ENDORPHIN’ — A combination of ‘endo’ and ‘morphine’ – meaning endogenously
produced morphine, or internally produced painkiller
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ENDORPHINS AND EXERCISE
Have you ever asked yourself why you are generally in a good mood and feel great after exercising? Well, one answer certainly is an overall feeling of accomplishment, but there is also something to be said about the power of these little, hormone-like substances called ‘endorphins.’ When you exercise, endorphins are being released in your body, giving you a feeling of well-being and a state of euphoria. These feelings can be so powerful that they actually mask pain (the body’s natural painkiller).
Maybe you have heard the term ‘Runner’s High’ or have experienced it yourself. All it takes for most people is moderate-intensity exercise of at least 30 minutes to be in high spirits and feel the elation and joy of a ‘Runner’s High.’ Short, high-intensity workouts have proven to be of little value when it comes to experiencing those benefits. So the most effective stress relief and improvement to your mood may indeed be exercise–who would have thought!
ENDORPHINS AND LOVE
With so much power influencing your mood during and after exercise to the point of giving you a ‘Natural High,’ you probably think that endorphins are also responsible for the incredible feelings of infatuation, falling in love, and then being in love with that ‘special person.’ Well, yes and no. Infatuation or feeling an almost unbearable attraction to someone, when the pure sight of that person can make your heart beat faster and your eyes sparkle, and can make you talk for hours (the same person may seem boring later 🙂 ), is caused by an explosion of neurochemicals similar to adrenaline. At that point you’re basically in love with the idea of being in love.
This passion can last between six months and two to three years and is nearly gone after that for most people. At that stage, if the relationship is not strong enough, it will usually end. However, if it is strong enough, it will advance and then other chemicals, mainly endorphins, play a key role in long-term relationships. Endorphins don’t induce the giddy high you feel when you are first infatuated with someone, but give you a sense of well-being, peacefulness, calmness and stability. They literally are one of the reasons why people stay married because of their addictiveness. Endorphins are the reason why we like loving someone.
ENDORPHINS AND CHOCOLATE
Eating a bite of chocolate will trigger an endorphin release and can impact your mood in a positive way. There’s a reason why I call chocolate my ‘soul food.’ But be sensible; you don’t have to eat a large amount, a little will do. The darker and more bitter the chocolate, generally speaking, the better for you.
BY THE WAY: THINK ‘HAPPY HORMONE’
Looking for an easier way than exercise to release endorphins and get in a good mood? Try a good laugh, think happy and positive thoughts, or make passionate love (or all the above)! 🙂
Just because …..
‘Okay, so God made man first, but doesn’t everyone make a rough draft before they make a masterpiece?’ — Anonymous
Obama 1, Al-Qaeda 0
So, the other day the world was subjected to another PR offensive by Al-Qaeda’s #2, trying to influence impressionable people in the Muslim world with their twisted ideology, yet again. Only this time, the lead character of Al-Qaeda’s nemesis has changed and listening to #2’s diatribe, that seems to cause them a little heartburn.
Trying to convince others that America, where a black man with the name Barack Hussein Obama who looks like much of the rest of the world, was just overwhelmingly elected, is this terrible place that needs to be defeated, all of a sudden has become a lot more difficult and just doesn’t jive anymore. And they know it. The insults thrown at Obama, from calling him a ‘House Negro’ to show casing him as an agent of Jews, clearly show that they feel they are losing the PR battle.
America’s face to the world changed in a very dramatic fashion on election day. And something quite remarkable happened. The fifteen-year-old Muslim teenager in Pakistan all of a sudden realized that if America can elect Barack Obama, it can’t be so bad after all. And with the coming changes of policies and attitudes toward the rest of the world, that new positive feeling will only intensify and America will once again become the beacon of hope for so many around the world.
Now, does that mean that we won’t face any more threats from the likes of Al-Qaeda? Certainly not. When animals are cornered, they are usually the most dangerous, and there may well be an effort to reassert themselves, but one thing is already clear: They are losing the grip on power over certain segments of society in the Muslim world and with that they will have problems recruiting new members and may well face a backlash from the very people they have been popular with up until now.
I never liked the term ‘War on terror.’ I’d much prefer ‘Fighting terrorism,’ as it is a tactic and in my mind can only be defeated by a combination of good intelligence and police work, some limited military action when necessary, and the changing of hearts and minds in the process. However, if this current trend is continuing, we’ll be well on our way to destroying the very network that has brought so much pain and despair to the entire world and Al-Qaeda (The Base) won’t have a base to recruit from anymore. And this may just become one of the most important accomplishments of Barack Obama’s presidency.
Just because …..
‘Instead of getting married again, I’m going to find a woman I don’t like and just give her a house.’ — Rod Stewart 🙂
Farewell To Bush
Here’s a good-bye gift he won’t forget!!! At least somebody is giving him a ‘Heads Up!’ 🙂
What in the world are we going to do without Bush? — Oh, I forgot. We’ll be busy cleaning up his mess…..
In the meantime, click on the following audio link for a ‘Farewell To Bush,’ ‘Bushisms’ that made us laugh and cry…..a lot!!! Courtesy of the ‘Bill Press Show’ www.billpress.com. Enjoy!!! 🙂
Meet A Woman My Age
STOP!!! Before you glance over thinking this is just another feminist rant. It’s not, I promise! Are you ready for this?
WE LOVE MEN !
We really do! However, after a long journey involving many detours, U-turns, heading in the wrong direction, stuck in traffic, being involved in minor fender benders and crashes with total loss and some bruises, taking the wrong exit now and then, and not paying attention to big flashing danger signs, we have finally arrived at our final destination:
LOVING OURSELVES ENOUGH TO KNOW WHAT WE WANT OUT OF LIFE !
We are 35, 45, 55, 65 ….. We are single, married, divorced, in or out of a relationship. We are fit and healthy, sexy and happy, independent and confident, passionate lovers and wonderful partners, looking and feeling great …..
NOT FOR OTHERS, BUT FOR OURSELVES !
You won’t hear us asking the question that was oh, so important in our earlier years “Does this make me look fat?” Instead, we embrace and accentuate our natural beauty. You won’t find us sitting next to the phone for days waiting for any little sign, like a phone call, that you’re the least bit interested in us. We may actually pick up the phone ourselves after a long enough waiting period to call you, or wait to return your call, just to drive YOU a little crazy for a change, and only if it’s worth it. Otherwise: NEXT!!! And what about the question dreaded by so many men around the world “Do you love me?” You may never hear us asking you that question, or at least not as often as we did in our earlier years. We may actually pay attention to your actions to see whether they show the love and respect we deserve because we’re just not willing to settle for less anymore. Been there, done that, didn’t like it. And don’t be surprised to find out that ‘Making Love’ is okay sometimes, but other times we may just want to have ‘Wild Sex.’
Bottom line: We know what we want, are passionate about life and it shows !
WE LOVE MEN ….. AND OURSELVES !
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PHENOMENAL WOMAN by Dr. Maya Angelou
Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size.
But when I start to tell them,
They think I’m telling lies.
I say,
It’s in the reach of my arms,
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal Woman,
That’s me.
I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It’s the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally,
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.
Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can’t touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them
They say they still can’t see.
I say,
It’s in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.
Now you understand
Just why my head’s not bowed.
I don’t shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It’s in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
The palm of my hand,
The need of my care,
‘Cause I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.
The Merchants Of Hate Are Dead !!!
Well, you ought to think that the right-wing hate machine would stop for at least a second, reflect on the election, do some soul searching, and find ways to get the Republican party eventually out of the wilderness. But no, disregarding the entirety of Bush’s presidency, they blamed everything that went wrong over the past eight years up to November 3rd (and the list is long, and there’s still time left …..) on, you guessed it, Bill Clinton. And with the election victory by Barack Obama, starting on November 4th, they have already started blaming him for everything going wrong from now on, before he’s even sworn in.
And without letting themselves being interrupted by inconvenient facts like the complete failure of Republican policies, Bush’s incompetence, and the resulting disastrous situation the country finds itself in, they have focused their hateful rhetoric on Barack Obama. Okay, let me lay it out for you in simple terms:
YOU JUST GOT YOUR BUTTS KICKED. WHAT PART OF ‘OVERWHELMING ELECTORAL DEFEAT’ DON’T YOU UNDERSTAND?
….. Your negativity, fear-mongering and hateful diatribes have been completely rejected. Nobody else, besides your fringe right-wing nutjob supporters, is interested in listening to your BS. The problems we are facing are just too enormous to mess around right now. We have to pull together to find common sense solutions and all you try to do is continue to divide us.
Here’s the bottom line: Until Barack Obama lies us into an unnecessary war, tramples on the constitution, condones torture, crashes the economy, doesn’t respond adequately to natural disasters (….. and on and on and on — the list is endless …..), we don’t want to hear from you. It’s one thing to be the loyal opposition but that’s not what you’re interested in. You’re just out to ‘divide and conquer’ with your fear-mongering and hatred.
AFTER THE NIGHTMARE OF THE PAST EIGHT YEARS, THE ADULTS ARE BACK IN CHARGE !!!
And here’s a reality check for you: Barack Obama had the highest pre-election favorability of any presidential candidate since that question was asked in 1992 at 62%. His favorability right now, a few days after the election is at 72%, and 65% believe the country will be better off four years from now and that he will be very successful. So, I guess you’re not as powerful as you think you are. So sorry!
WE ARE VERY PROUD OF PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA !!!
We know it’s killing you. 🙂 ….. And that’s a good thing!!!
Just because …..
‘If we did all the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astonish ourselves.’ — Thomas Edison
Massage Party With A Surprise
I just love doing massage parties, and over the years, I’ve done quite a few, mostly women getting together to celebrate something, or sometimes for no reason at all. Well, I was on my way to one of those parties. A. had called and told me that a friend of hers had referred me to do massages at a little get-together she was having with five other women.
So, as I approached the house, I thought to myself that it looked all too familiar and all of a sudden, it came to me. A few years ago a guy had called me, also a referral, asking me to give him and his girlfriend massages at this very house. One thing I remembered specifically was his girlfriend being rather young and a bit silly, constantly babbling, but okay. Well, the woman at the door, the hostess A., was somebody other than this young girlfriend I remembered. So, I guess when I went to the house before to give massages, the wife must have been out of town. 🙂 Anyway, as soon as I pulled up, a few women were already eagerly waiting at the door, waving at me, one of them in slippers and robe. ‘I guess you’re my first victim?’ I yelled, ‘Yes I am! And I can hardly wait!’
Well, it was a lovely evening, the ladies had a great time, drinking, dancing, playing cards, and getting massages. A. had told me that she wanted to go last and by the time it was her turn, she was quite tipsy. As I was working on her tight neck and shoulder muscles, I joked with her ‘I think I can see a name engraved in those tight muscles, causing you to be so tense.’ 🙂 ‘Oh, that can be only one person, and that would be my husband. You want him?’ And we both had a good laugh and I felt how she started to relax.
After finishing A.’s massage, I packed my things and was getting ready to leave when all of a sudden the door opened and A.’s husband came in, obviously a bit early as the party was just about to wrap up. He took just one look at me, and instantly recognizing me, mumbled ‘Hi, how are you?’ and I saw his face almost turning red.
Luckily, I don’t think anybody noticed the awkwardness of the moment. It was one of those situations that make you go ‘Huh?’ And it was a little reminder, yet again, how small the world can be sometimes. 🙂
