Are You Happy?
Knoxville – One man’s junk is another man’s treasure. I’m sure you’ve heard that old saying. I’m sure you’ve experienced it, too. Happiness is very similar. After all… what is “being happy” anyway? The fact of the matter is – it is different for just about everyone. Your definition is most certainly different than your family’s and friends’ definitions. And there is a good chance it will change several times over your lifetime.
For example – if you are single, you may define happiness as finding your soul mate.
If you are poor, it may be making enough money just to pay your bills. If you already make a good living, it may be to become rich. If you are sick, just having your health back would do the trick.
And, if you live in a third world country plagued by constant corruption and war, your definition of happiness is going to be WAY different than those of us lucky enough to live in the United States.
It’s All Relative. However, all this is relative, as you are about to see. You are also about to see – no matter how relative – emotions (and how happy you are) play a major role in your overall health.
Here’s why: A British psychologist has produced what he says is the first world map of happiness
This “happiness researcher” pieced together information from more than 100 studies and ranks 178 countries to see who was the most and least happy.
"While happiness is intangible, the scales used in these studies are very accurate," said Adrian White, an analytic social psychologist who is working toward a doctorate at the University of Leicester. "Happiness research is far from an exact science, but it is the best way we have of looking at it."
Data such as health, wealth and access to education were used to rank the 178 countries. Results?
Denmark sits at the top of the happiness heap. Burundi came in dead last. So, where was the United States?
Good question. The United States came in 23rd, which the researcher said was relatively low and stated one reason may be due to American’s low life expectancy. I think the reason is quite different… which we will get to in a moment. But first, let’s look at some other VERY interesting statistics from this study…
Money Can’t Buy You
Happiness Or Can it?
A brilliant person once said, “Anyone that says money causes problems is absolutely correct. Having money will cause a whole different set of problems in your life. When I was broke, my problem was survival. Paying my bills, eating and getting by. Now that I am financially stable… my problems have changed. My car has a setting that remembers two seat settings so my wife and I can just push a button and the seat automatically moves to where we like it. That setting is broken. Yes, having some money creates new problems… but… I would rather have my “new” problems than my old. And it seems as though that’s what this study found. As reported in Yahoo News July 28, 2006: “One finding of the Pew study that will disappoint romantics was that, to some extent, money does buy happiness. While 49 percent of Americans with an annual income over $100,000 reported themselves happy, only 24 percent of those whose annual income was under $30,000 said the same.”
"According to our report, yes, people with higher levels of income were happier," Craighill said. "It was a pretty straight line." Besides money, marriage was a very important factor in the happiness formula. According to the study, married people consistently reported themselves happier than their unmarried counter-parts.
Happiness And Your Health
If you are wondering what all this has to due with your health, the answer is… A LOT!
In a new study, as reported on www.mercola.com, “University of Texas researchers decided to test their theory on mice based on the high levels of VEGF protein (a protein that stimulates the growth of blood vessels in tumors) they found in human ovarian cancer patients with elevated stress levels.
Mice were infected with ovarian cancer, and some were placed alone in small, confined spaces for up to six hours. Animals confined in stressful situations for that long had almost four times the number of tumors versus those that weren't. Cancerous tumors among half of those stressed had also spread to their livers and spleens. Additionally, stress activated not only VEGF proteins, but MMP2 and MMP9 compounds that also sustain tumors.”
Looks like happy… or at least… happier mice are healthier mice. Big deal. It’s mice not men (pun intended!). Here’s the results of a study on HUMANS that draws similar conclusions… as reported in Reuters August 30, 2006: “In a study of 670 men ranging in age from 45 to 86, they found that males who had higher levels of long-standing anger at the start of the eight-year project had significantly poorer lung function at the end of it."This study is one of the first to show prospectively that hostility is associated with poorer pulmonary function and more rapid rates of decline among older men," said Dr Rosalind Wright, of Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, Massachusetts, in a report online in the journal Thorax.
The scientists used a scoring system to measure the levels of anger of each of the men and they tested their lung power three times during the study.Even after taking into account other factors such as smoking that can also have an impact on lung power, hostility and anger had a negative effect.
Anger, hostility and stress have also been associated with heart disease, asthma and other ailments.
Wright and her team suggested that the negative emotions could change the biological process and may disturb the immune system and cause chronic inflammation.
"Stress-related factors are known to depress the immune function and increase susceptibility to or exacerbate a host of diseases and disorders," said Dr Paul Lehrer, of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, in an editorial in the journal.He added that it is unknown how chronic anger contributes to physical deterioration but said the researchers established a link between chronic anger and age-related deterioration in lung function.” You know, it’s funny. Chiropractors (and other alternative health practitioners) were laughed at by many in “mainstream” medicine not too long ago for talking about the importance of the mind-body connection. Research is now proving that the brain – through emotions – has a serious affect on your immune system.
Maybe the secret to health can’t be found in a scientific laboratory… because it’s already inside us. And we can start simply by being HAPPY. And don’t forget, if you ever have any questions or concerns about your health, talk to us. Contact us with your, questions. We’re here to help, and don’t enjoy anything more than participating in your lifelong good health.
Inspirational Story Of The Month –
(Names And Details Have Been Changed To Protect Privacy.)
“Most Of Us Are Just Simply PATHETIC!!!”
I’ll agree. It’s a strange headline. And you probably don’t think you are pathetic. But in a moment… I bet you will. I also bet you will wake up tomorrow morning a new person. With a new “non-pathetic” outlook on life. Or… at least you should after reading this…I’m not impressed easily. Actually, I’m quite unimpressed with most of what goes on in our society. The news hypes common acts every day. That’s why, when I heard this story…
It Stopped Me Dead In My Tracks
The story is about a father and son team that competes in marathons. Naturally, I said, “big deal.”
And then it went on to say after they got good at marathons… they stepped it up to triathlons. You know, those grueling combination races: 26.2 miles of running, 112 miles biking and 2.4 miles of swimming. Now that’s a little more impressive. But still… there are tons of people that complete those races every year. If you compare it to the entire population, it’s not common. But, it’s no superhuman feat. But the father and son team in this story… as it turns out… were…
SUPERHUMAN!
The father’s name is Dick and he is 65. The son’s name is Rick and he is 34. And Rick can’t walk or talk… Rick was born in 1962. During his birth, the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck and cut off the oxygen to his brain. Doctors told Dick and his wife Judy there was no hope for there son to develop. Dick has been quoted as saying, “When he was eight months old, the doctors told us we should just put him away – he’d be a vegetable all his life, that sort of thing. Well those doctors are not alive any more, but I would like them to be able to see Rick now.”
Dick and Judy had two more children after Rick. And they soon learned he was as intelligent as his two siblings. They spent $5,000 in 1972 for a revolutionary computer that helped Rick communicate with them for the first time. He could move boxes on the computer screen with words by the slightest head movement. In 1975, Rick finally was admitted into a public school. They were having a five-mile run to benefit a lacrosse player who had been paralyzed and Rick told his father he wanted to participate.
Dick was not much of a runner… but… he pushed Rick in his wheelchair the entire way. They finished second to last. Rick told his father he didn’t feel handicapped when they were competing. That was the beginning of it all – the origin of what is now “Team Hoyt.”
In interviews, Dick has said it was hard in the beginning. No one wanted Rick in the race. They all would just look at them and no one wanted to have anything to do with them. Even with all that –
Team Hoyt Finished In The Top Quarter Of The Boston Marathon In 1981 Even though things are changing – Team Hoyt still has resistance. Dick says it’s mostly older people that are intolerant of Rick. For example, Rick does not have complete control of his tongue when he eats. Sometimes older people will get up and move away from them in a restaurant. But, it’s all education and the younger generations are light years ahead.
One of the most inspiring moments of the story was a testimonial Rick typed out about his father,
“Dad is one of my role models. Once he sets out to do something, Dad sticks to it whatever it is, until it is done. For example, once we decided to really get into triathlons, dad worked out, up to five hours a day, five times a week, even when he was working.”
Looks like Team Hoyt has found the formula for success. A formula we all could use to make our lives better and more enjoyable. No matter how bad we THINK we have it – life is what you make of it. So was I right? Compared to Team Hoyt – most of us are simply PATHETIC!!!
The final message from Team Hoyt is: “Everybody should be included in everyday life.”
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Did You Know?…
(Our monthly feature of tidbits of news and info to make your life easier and more fun, so you’re healthy all the time!)
Drinking a glass or two of water can often cure that depression and fatigue? Brain tissue consists of 85% water, and with dehydration, the level of energy production in the brain decreases. Depression and chronic fatigue syndrome are often the result of dehydration. Migraines may be an indicator of critical body temperature and water helps to regulate the temperature of our bodies through respiration and perspiration. The complex mechanism that controls body temperature works by means of water and is controlled by the central nervous system, which controls the internal temperature. Dehydration causes an increase in the internal temperature and plays a major role in leading to migraines. It sounds strange, but we need water in order to breathe. In order to take in oxygen and eliminate carbon dioxide, our lungs must be moistened by water. We lose between half a liter and a liter of water every day just by breathing. Water also reduces the risk of certain cancers. It improves our memory of recent events and helps to maintain our weight at the correct level. Water contains no calories and it helps to reduce the appetite and assist the body in metabolizing fats. It is the most important food consumed during the day. When you feel hungry, your body is often only dehydrated.
The volume of water stored in the spinal column supports 75% of the weight of the body and 25% by the fibrous material around the disc. The joints in the spinal column are dependent on the hydraulic properties of the water stored in the disc. Back pain is often relieved by hydration.
Drinking plenty of water is one of the most effective means of ensuring good health.
Tip Of The Month…
“Common Cause Of Weight Gain And What To Do About It…”
Did you know it is possible to gain TEN pounds over the course of a year if you only eat ONE HUNDRED extra calories a day? It’s true. Sure, it depends a little on your age and individual metabolism… but… the point is clear: Just eating a little extra every day adds up in a very BIG way in a relatively short period of time. Understanding this principle is very important if you want to either lose weight or maintain the weight you are currently at.
Portion Distortion
Why? Because a new study shows that people’s perception of normal portion sizes have changed… quite drastically… over the last 20 years. Researchers think a phenomenon they call “portion distortion” is the biggest problem. This is when you think large portions are the norm to eat at one sitting. Researchers also stated, “"It has previously been established that portion sizes of virtually all foods and beverages served at restaurants and packaged for single-serve have dramatically increased over the last two decades.
Our study compared what people perceive to be a typical portion size now to what was perceived as typical two decades ago, before portions began to grow. We also compared current perceptions of typical portions to reference portion sizes, defined in this study as the serving size on the Nutrition Facts panel." ---A Lot Has Changed In 20 Years…The study closely duplicated one from 20 years ago. 177 young adults were asked to pick out 8 meal items for one breakfast or 6 meal items for lunch or dinner.
The results were surprising: The typical portion of orange juice was 40% larger than it was 20 years ago. This equates to 50 additional calories per day. Remember, we mentioned before that 100 calories a day for a year could pack on an additional 10 pounds?
Well, just drinking this portion size of orange juice could lump on half that – or 5 pounds. JUST FROM ORANGE JUICE!!! Twenty percent more Corn Flakes and 30% more milk on that cereal was also the new standard. On average, less than 45 percent of portions selected at the breakfast meal were within 25 percent of the reference portion size. And only around 30 percent of the lunch and dinner portions were within 25 percent.
It’s no wonder obesity rates are going through the roof. Research shows they are up in 31 states. And many of the health care problems we face in the United States can be directly linked to obesity.
And it looks like “super-sizing” is not just a quickly passing fad. I’m afraid it may be here to stay.
So what’s the answer? That’s what this tip of the month is about. EDUCATION.
When you eat, make or take smaller portions. Eat slowly and stop eating as soon as you do not feel hungry. Notice – I did not say when you are FULL. There is a BIG difference.You are not a goldfish. You know when your next meal is coming. There is no need to eat as much as possible with each sitting. No need to eat ‘till you pop, like the goldfish.
If you eat small portions and only until you are not hungry, you can eat more often throughout the day. This is beneficial because it speeds up your metabolism and will help you burn calories and lose weight.
And you do not want to wait until you feel hunger pangs to eat. That’s too late and will cause you to over-eat. Learn your body and what it needs. Then eat something BEFORE you go into hunger mode. Just like a little extra calories add up as weight gain over the course of a year – so does a little fewer calories. You’ll be surprised at the way you look next year!
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