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.
