Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
PRIMARY FOOD, LIFESTYLE AND OUR HEALTH~CAREER by: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT Most people do not think about their career and work environment when discussing their personal health and wellness. However, it can be a driving force in managing a healthy lifestyle. I even …
All About Detox Part 1 Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND Liver health is important for our overall health for so many reasons. One of the most well-known functions of the liver is to detox our bodies. Doing a detox, or cleanse is one of the topics …
PRIMARY FOOD, LIFESTYLE AND OUR HEALTH~JOY
by: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT
“The best way to choose what to keep and what to throw away is to take each item in one’s hand and ask: ‘Does this spark joy?’ If it does, keep it. If not, dispose of it. This is not only the simplest but also the most accurate yardstick by which to judge.” —Marie Kondo
“If you carry joy in your heart, you can heal any moment.” —Carlos Santana
Joy…it is such an interesting topic when exploring one’s health and wellness. I love the two quotes above as it shows how everyone has a different view on joy. Joy and happiness, while similar, have different definitions. Happiness is something that gives you a short term, outward reaction. Joy is a more internal and long-term emotion. For example, having a delicious meal makes you happy, but meeting friends for dinner and having enjoyable conversation and laughs gives you joy.
So why is JOY so important for health and wellness? It has to do with serotonin, or the happiness hormone. Serotonin helps regulate such areas like sleep, digestion, sexual health and, of course, mood. The more balanced your serotonin, the more balanced the areas of your life become…in turn elevating joy and happiness.
According to articles from both Psychology Today and Harvard Medical School, joy and happiness have a direct effect on our health and well-being. Joy and happiness can lead to creating better eating habits, enthusiasm for exercise and even experiencing less pain. This is in addition to better mental health and lowering the risk of chronic illness and disease.
While having a joyful lifestyle can sound easy, it can sometimes be stressful when one is trying to figure out joy as it pertains to themselves. Just like so many things, we are all different, so we’re going find joy in different ways. It can be simple like smiling or saying “hello” to someone, having realistic goals and perspective, or even cozying up with a cup of tea and a book or a favorite TV show or movie. Some of my favorite ways to bring joy to my life is to look though old pictures and relive the memories, connecting with a friend for conversation or going for a walk to breathe in some fresh air. How will you incorporate joy into your week?
RHODIOLA is an herb commonly used to help support those who suffer from stress and anxiety. Rhodiola can even be beneficial for those struggling from cognitive fatigue. Using rhodiola to help manage any of these issues can help any of us to enjoy life on a weekly basis.
ALCAR/ALA or Acetyl L-Carnitine with Alpha Lipoic Acid are nutrients that many people are familiar with regarding brain health and memory. ALCAR has been shown to be helpful in increasing serotonin levels. This is important for those dealing with anxiety or depression. As ALCAR helps to increase the serotonin levels, one’s anxiety can start to balance out, therefore allowing us to become happier and more joyful.
When you have the ability to have joy throughout, you’re life, you can set yourself up for a happy and healthy life. How will you incorporate more joy into your week?
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9228580/
www.webmd.com/diet/health-benefits-rhodiola
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22549035/
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32408706/
my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/22572-serotonin
www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/the-happiness-health-connection#:~:text=Scientific%20evidence%20suggests%20that%20positive HYPERLINK
www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-happiness-health-connection/202104/the-happiness-health-connection?msockid=102ffcee009769fa30f8f11d011f685e
What exactly is Liver Cirrhosis? Part 2 Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND This is part 2 of our discussion on cirrhosis. If you haven’t read the first part I suggest you do that first since it will contain important background information. In this blog I …
PRIMARY FOOD, LIFESTYLE AND OUR HEALTH~HEALTH By: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT HEALTH seems like a no brainer when discussing wellness and lifestyle. However, what does it really mean? Let’s break this down and I’ll go over what this means to me as it …
PRIMARY FOOD, LIFESTYLE AND OUR HEALTH~SOCIAL LIFE
By: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT
Many people don’t think of having a social life as being part of a healthy lifestyle. I didn’t either for a long time. However, like many of us, my mind was changed during the COVID pandemic and lock down. I can to realize how much I missed being out and interacting with old and new friends alike. So, is the idea of a social life a product of COVID, or is it really a wellness essential?
Believe it or not, socializing or having an active social life, is not only an important part of one heath, but it’s also been the subject of studies in support of this theory. Social interactions have been shown to be helpful in supporting our cognitive functions. An article from Harvard Health Publishing/Harvard Medical School titled ‘Get Back Your Social Life to Boost Thinking, Memory and Health’ discusses how any form of socializing can decrease risk of cognitive decline and improve memory. It can also help to lower the risk of depression. It seems as though it doesn’t matter the type of socializing you partake in, as long as there is some form that you enjoy. As humans, we are social by nature, so we can have a natural craving and need for socialization. It can be as simple as a weekly call with a friend, a monthly meal “date”, a shopping trip or a ball game. Some feel more comfortable in more group social gatherings as parties, BBQs, picnics or happy hours. These can be one-on-one, small groups, community activities or even volunteer work. Find your comfort level and make it part of your monthly routine. How will you make socialization a priority in your wellness plan?
I can tell you from person experience that I never realized how important socialization was to my own well-being until the COVID pandemic hit and caused lengthy shutdowns. I always felt fortunate being an “essential worker” which allowed me to get out of my home, go to work and be around people, even though we were following social distancing guidelines. I even had standing weekly get-together with a friend, still following guidelines, when we sat outside, got fresh air, had something to drink or a snack (at our usual place we licked to visit) and took the time to chat and check in with each other. This was important to us because we always did this and we found that finding a way to keep this routine helped keep things as normal as possible. I often said that this helped me to have “sanity” during such a difficult, stressful and uncertain time. Little did I know that this has actually been shown to be essential?
There are a couple of nutrients that I like to help aid in keeping healthy when increasing social activities. I have always found that adding B-vitamins and supporting the immune system is always important.
B-COMPLEX 100 can be an absolute must-have for many people that have an active social life. One of the things that can often be part of socializing is the incorporation of cocktails. Whether you are someone who only drinks on occasion or someone who is a little more experienced, it can sometimes be easy to over indulge, especially when conversing with friends. The consumption of alcohol can often contribute to some dehydration, as well as deplete the B-vitamins in the body. The result of these deletions is often the “hangover” feeling that some may experience.
IMMUNITY HX is a formula which contains a combination of Vitamin C, Vitamin D and Zinc. While most people are familiar with Vitamin C and Zinc for the immune system, they are often surprised having Vitamin D also recommended. This is because Vitamin D helps to regulate the immune system for proper and health function.
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mayo-clinic-minute-the-benefits-of-being-socially-connected/
www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/get-back-your-social-life-to-boost-thinking-memory-and-health
www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/social-life?msockid=102ffcee009769fa30f8f11d011f685e
www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/7-steps-to-cure-your-hangover
www.buoyhealth.com/health/best-hangover-vitamins
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7281985
