Mood and Emotions go Hand in Hand!

It will be my intention to focus on the affects of our emotions and our emotional responses upon our physical being.

It won’t take you long to notice or admit that your emotions often will affect your being. The University of Chicago has released a study that reveals and discusses the physiological alterations that are brought about by our emotions. http://psychology.uchicago.edu/people/faculty/cacioppo/jtcreprints/cbkp97.pdf These affects are often referred to as Somatic Theories of Emotion.

For today, we’ll just take a quick glance of some of the most obvious ways that our emotions can affect us physically.

Emotions affect Mood.

According to Sonoma University our Mood is “A disposition to acquire certain emotional states of mind in certain situations.” http://www.sonoma.edu/users/s/swijtink/teaching/philosophy_101/paper1/listemotions.htm  More clearly stated. Our mood will make it easier to respond to or feel certain emotions. For instance if our mood is “good” then we will be more prone to feel the emotions of joy or elation. If our Mood is “bad” we will more quickly respond with emotions of anger, sadness or sorrow.  Therefore, the contrary is also true. If we want to change our mood, reacting and responding with “positive” emotions will help to affect our Mood. Watching a funny movie, talking to a friend that you know will “pick you up” can change your mood and in turn change your day and ultimately change your physical being.

We should be continuously attempting to better ourselves. This includes socially, educationally and physicaly. we should TRY to make a difference when we CAN make a difference. attempt to have an "open" mood today so that you will be willing to encourage and allow positive emotions. these positive emotions will better your day and possibly add even MORE days!

Happy St. Valentine's Day!

love you, Dad!
~Kathy (your half-dollar-eyes)

Bless Your Heart!

My heart bleeds

My heart longs

My heart breaks

My heart is blessed

Our heart is often ‘blamed’ for many things. But in our culture our heart is understood to be the organ that processes and circulates our blood. The “heart” in the above statements is understood to mean our emotions. Then why do we refer to our heart? It is not a new concept, but an interesting thought. Our feelings do affect our heart.

Often if I find myself in an emotionally stressful situation, I can notice certain physiological changes in my being. If I am worried I will notice my blood pressure rise. If I am content I might realize my blood pressure lowering a bit. These changes in our emotions have an instant affect on our physical health. Over a longer period of time, these emotions can have a literal effect on our physical being.

When completing a physical examination a doctor might ask about a patient’s emotional health. If the person tends to worry a lot or tends to give into anger a lot, they will often attempt to prescribe a “fix” to the emotional problem. These doctors recognize the roll of emotions in our physical health.

Valentine’s Day is coming upon us. And as much as it is fun and fulfilling to think about our emotional heart, take some time to link our emotional heart with our physical heart. If you can make a change in your negative emotions, it stands to reason that you will be able to make a permanent change in your physical heart as well.

“Happy Valentine’s Day”

“Bless your Heart”

“My heart goes with you!”

REHABILITATION!

So, I know my blog's been posting (and I'm so glad it has), but i've been out of commission since October!
I had a stroke on October 5th! what a frightening ordeal! the details would take too long, and seem only interesting to me right now, so I won't make you suffer through them.
I am 45 years old. I have 5 children. I am overweight. I do NOT exercise... or atleast... I didn't!
But of course, now, my health has become extremely important. It was something that I ignored and took for granted. But now I'm a new person, with a hightened awareness of my heart and blood health!
I'll be saying more in the near future about some of the things i have learned, and some of the things that may be able to help YOU!
TTYL :-)

Your Heart - the ELECTRIC Wonder!

Your heart has electrical wiring, which keeps it beating. Electrical impulses begin high in the right atrium and travel through specialized pathways to the ventricles, delivering the signal to pump.
The conduction system keeps your heart beating in a coordinated and normal rhythm, which in turn keeps blood circulating. The continuous exchange of oxygen-rich blood with oxygen-poor blood is what keeps you alive.
The primary purpose for circulation is to provide fresh blood and nutrients to the rest of the body. The lungs are a vital part of the circulatory system as they are used to expel carbon dioxide a deadly toxin.

The health of all of the components of this intricate system are vital. If one area is not working to it's peak, your health suffers.

Pay attention to your bodies functions by taking note of reactions to little things such as:

• Excercise
• Excitement
• Sudden surprises

 If immediately after a heart palpitating episode you feel any unique symptoms, NOTE THEM and check with your doctor. This knowledge may help lead you to early diagnosis and prevention of heart ailments.

"Holiday Heart" - an ER term

Holiday heart syndrome most commonly refers to the association between alcohol use and rhythm disturbances in apparently healthy people, primarily Atrial fibrillation.

Atrial fibrillation is a common heart rhythm disturbance that often produces significant symptoms, and can even lead to stroke. It is a rapid and irregular heart arrhythmia, caused by chaotic electrical impulses in the atria of the heart (the two upper chambers).

http://heartdisease.about.com/od/atrialfibrillation/a/holiday_heart.htm

In many cases, atrial fibrillation is caused by underlying heart disease or by aging. Sometimes it has no identifiable cause. But in Holiday Heart, the cause is an unusual sensitivity to alcohol consumption. This does not indicate however, a person susceptibility is increased by the amount of their consumption. Some individuals are extremely sensitive to alcohol, such that even moderate amounts - two or three drinks, and sometimes a single drink - can trigger episodes of atrial fibrillation.

Up to 60% of people who ‘binge’ drink will experience episodes of atrial fibrillation

Eat MORE Turkey!

Turkey is a good source of protein with 24 g of protein per 3-oz. serving. One 3-oz. serving of light turkey meat has 132 calories and 3 g of fat. Turkey contains no carbohydrates. In addition, turkey is a good source of selenium, vitamin B6, niacin, and tryptophan.

Selenium is a trace mineral that is essential to good health but required only in small amounts. Selenium is incorporated into proteins to make selenoproteins, help prevent cellular damage from free radicals.

Additionally, selenium can protect the heart, primarily by reducing the "stickiness" of the blood and decreasing the risk of clotting, in turn, lowering the risk of heart attack, and stroke. Moreover, selenium increases the ratio of HDL ("good") cholesterol to LDL ("bad") cholesterol, which is critical for a healthy heart. Smokers or those who've already had a heart attack or stroke may gain the greatest cardiovascular benefits from selenium supplements, though everyone can profit from taking selenium in a daily vitamin and mineral supplement

Researchers for more than 20 years animal studies have suggested that tiny amounts of selenium in the diet can reduce the risk of cancer in several organs, but much less is known about the anti-cancer benefits of selenium in humans. In recent years, laboratory experiments, clinical trials and epidemiological data have established the role of selenium in the prevention of a number of degenerative conditions including cancer, inflammatory diseases, cardiovascular disease, neurological diseases, aging, and infections. Most of these effects are related to the function of selenium in the antioxidant enzyme systems.

Tryptophan is an amino acid that the human body cannot make and can only be obtained through food. It is a protein without which humans could not survive. It comprises one of the building blocks of DNA and is vital to the production of serotonin and melatonin.

In the body, tryptophan is converted into 5-HTP, which then can be converted into serotonin (a potent neurotransmitter in the brain). Serotonin is involved in mood, appetite, sleep and impulse control. When carbohydrates are consumed, an increase in insulin is created, removing from circulation other amino acids that compete with tryptophan. This makes it easy for tryptophan to enter the brain to make serotonin, which influences the brain in regulating food intake and sleep patterns.

Certain old-fashioned cures for sleeplessness were based on the consumption of foods with tryptophan. For example, drinking a glass of milk before bed was said to aid in sleeping. Though people were unaware at the time that such a thing as tryptophan existed, it is clear that such early prescriptions for increasing sleepiness were at least mildly effective. Today, one may hear similar prescriptions for including tryptophan foods in the diet not only to promote sleep but also to improve mood.

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-tryptophan.htm

http://www.vitamins-nutrition.org/vitamins/selenium.html

Read more at Suite101: Turkey Nutrition Facts — The Health Benefits of Turkey http://www.suite101.com/content/turkey-nutrition-facts--the-health-benefits-of-turkey-a311757#ixzz16EeH9FBx

http://www.nutritional-supplements-health-guide.com/benefits-of-selenium.html