You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.
RECAPPING THE SERIES OF LOVE AND LIVING SUCCESSFULLY WITH SCREWED-UP PEOPLE FROM WEEK OF AUG 1st TO AUG 7th - 2021. ALONG WITH HOW SAFE IS MEXICO?
Hello followers,
The weekend is coming to an end and the new week is approaching.
Dan and I wish you all a healthy, stress less, peaceful and happy new week.
Remember yesterday I posted that we were going to Charlottesville, Virginia; well, we did, but by the time we arrived and went to the doctor’s appointment we didn’t have time to explore.
I guess someday in the future we will have to go back just as an adventure and just explore.
Until then, I did take some pictures of the road trip on the way up there. This Florida born girl loves driving through the mountains.
The last couple of weeks, Dan and I have been posting a series on love. When one receives the news of an illness, we right away are talked into a treatment program.
Not, realizing that there is much more then healing ourselves then just treatment. Love is rapped up with a lifestyle change to correct why we in the first place got sick.
Today will be the final series on love and tomorrow we will be blogging on THOUGHTS AND WORDS.
I’ve been focusing on love as an emotion, but did you know that love can actually improve your health physically too?
It’s true! Research shows that love in all its splendor can put you on the road to health and happiness.
From how you give and receive love to the ways you express affection; it turns out that this remarkable emotion can enrich your life and benefit your well-being beyond just making you feel warm and fuzzy.
There are four ways love can vastly improve your health and the first way is it reduces stress.
We all know how a hug from a loved one at the end of a stressful day can instantly make us feel better, and now research tells us why.
You see, stress can negatively affect your hormones, heart rate, and blood pressure, but in one study of 59 premenopausal women, frequent hugs were linked with balanced blood pressure and higher oxytocin levels, the “cuddle” hormone associated with snuggling and bonding.
In another study of married couples, holding hands with a spouse significantly reduced stress from anticipated electrical shocks when compared to holding hands with a stranger or with no one at all. And, spouses in the happiest, most loving marriages reported the most stress relief from hand holding. And it’s not just non-verbal touching that can be a stress buster—verbal expressions of affection (like saying “I love you”) and supportive affection (like listening to each other) are also associated with lower levels of the stress hormone, cortisol.
The second way is that it boosts immune health. Love and affection can increase levels of Immunoglobulin A (IgA), an antibody found in mucous membranes; such as the membrane lining the gastrointestinal tract, those fights antigens in the body.
In one trial, adults who had sexual encounters 1-2 times per week had significantly higher salivary levels of IgA than those who reported less intimacy.
Fortunately, sexual activity isn’t the only way to increase your levels of immune-boosting IgA, simply spending time with your pet can also do wonders for your immune function.
In fact, researchers discovered that 19 college students who spent just 18 minutes petting a dog showed significant increases in IgA levels when compared to 36 other students who either petted a stuffed dog or sat alone on a couch.
Kissing also benefits your immune system, and it has everything to do with your microbiome.
Scientists studied 21 couples to identify how intimate kissing affected their oral microbiota.
It turns out that each 10 second kiss corresponded to a transfer of 80 million bacteria between partners, bacteria that can help bolster immune function! And, couples who engaged in intimate kissing nine or more times a day had similar oral microbiomes, enabling them to fight off similar harmful microbes they may encounter or transfer between each other.
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The third way is it relieves pain. Feelings of love can influence your brain in such a way that you experience reduced sensitivity to pain, much like opioid pain relievers that trigger your brain’s reward centers.
In one study of 15 college students in the first nine months of a romantic relationship, looking at a photo of their girlfriend or boyfriend significantly reduced self-reported thermal (heat-induced) pain in comparison to looking at a photo of an acquaintance or using distraction techniques.
In another similar study, 25 women in long-term relationships experienced more pain reduction from holding their partner’s hand and from looking at their partner’s photo than from holding a stranger’s hand, holding an object, or viewing photos of an object
The fourth way is love extends your LIFE. Studies show that a loving social network full of friends can not only contribute to your quality of life, it can help you live longer. In a meta-analysis of more than 148 studies with over 300,000 participants, those with the strongest social relationships had 50% increased longevity rates over those who didn’t have strong social networks.
If your social network doesn’t feel up to par, don’t worry: just meditating on love can slow down the aging process. Researchers discovered that people who practiced Loving-Kindness Meditation, which focuses on kindness and warmth towards other; had longer telomeres, the segments of DNA that control aging.
Shorter than average telomeres have been associated with accelerated aging and a shorter lifespan, so the longer, the better!
LOVE YOUR GUT, LOVE YOUR LIFE! Your gut benefits from feelings of love as well! This is because all of love’s wonderful effects help to nurture and support your life-enhancing gut microbiome, the ecosystem of trillions of bacteria residing in your digestive tract.
Love’s ability to reduce stress, which can take a big toll on your body’s beneficial bacteria, helps to keep the good guys in the majority. And what about the boost to your immune system when you experience love and affection?
Because 80% of your immune system (and the vast majority of your body’s microbes) resides in your gut, anything that supports your immune function will help your friendly flora fight off harmful bacteria that can make you feel under the weather.
But, it’s a two-way street! Because your mighty microbiome is responsible for supporting so many important functions in your body; like maintaining a positive mood, supporting your memory, helping you absorb nutrients, and keeping your metabolism humming. It’s hard (dare we say impossible!) to fully experience the benefits of love if your gut is out of whack.
So, as you focus on nurturing and enjoying all the many sources of love in your life, make sure you are also taking these steps to love your gut for vibrant and lasting health and happiness
• Take a daily, multi-strain probiotic formula like PRO-15 to replenish your beneficial bacteria and help keep your microbiome in balance.
• Eat a whole food diet rich in plant-based prebiotics to help all those gut probiotics thrive so they can work hard on your behalf. Also, consider taking an organic prebiotic powder supplement to really support your populations of beneficial bacteria.
• Avoid things that deplete the friendly flora in your body, like stress, antibiotics, antibacterial cleaners, processed foods, and overzealous hygiene habits.
• Keep moving. An active body keeps your microbiome healthy, so pick an activity that you and your loved one enjoy together and go for it!
If there’s one thing the world always needs more of, it’s love. Not only can love change your life for the better every single time you’re fortunate enough to give or receive it, but research shows that it can make you and your loved ones healthier.
So, as you tuck your child into bed tonight, give your partner a welcome home kiss, or meditate on loving kindness, remember that every ounce of love you share has the power to improve someone’s long-term health.
Now that’s a gift worth giving!
Another part of this whole love story is loving yourself. It is often crucial, especially when your mind is deeply engulfed with self-doubt.
You need to accept each trait of your personality including your appearance, your behavior and everything. Indeed, it’s true that loving yourself protects you from all those toxic people who are incapable of respecting you or make you feel less important than others. In other words, be kind to yourself even on the bad days.
No person on this planet should tolerate false promises, lies, betrayal or should settle for anything less. When we say self-love makes you assertive then believe in it. A person’s heart fills with sheer happiness and life seems pretty easier when you surround yourself with your own love.
QUOTES ABOUT LIVING
LOVE
Love means acceptance, kindness, encouragement, and care.
With love, doubt disappears, fear fade, and a comfort develops that makes even being alone a place of solace.
You’ll help to heal and inspire others just by being yourself.
You’ll help them discover that it’s possible for them, too.
It’s a beautiful gift.
If you are interested in reading Dan’s and My Journey Through Cancer without Surgery, Chemo or Radiation, just click on the books for more information:
MY JOURNEY OF COMPLETION (Body, Heart and Soul) – Enjoy Life While Managing Cancer
RCAPPING THE SERIES OF LOVE AND LIVING SUCCESSFULLY WITH SCREWED-UP PEOPLE FROM WEEK OF AUG 1st TO AUG 7th- 2021. ALONG WITH HOW SAFE IS MEXICO?
LOVE IS AN UNCONDITIONAL COMMITMENT TO AN IMPERFECT PERSON. TO LOVE SOMEBODY ISN’T JUST A STRONG FEELING. IT IS A DECISION, A JUDGEMENT AND A PROMISE.
Love is a friendship set to music.
The most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love, and to let it come in.
To the world you may be one person, but to one person you are the world
It is love that makes the impossible possible.
Love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.
A loving heart is the beginning of all knowledge.
CONTINUING THE SERIES ON HOW SAFE IS MEXICO?
with pictures
Dan and I grabbed an opportunity nine years ago, when we took on the adventure and moved to Mexico. Back then, we didn’t know what to expect, except that both of us were alive and ready for a change. We had been going to Tijuana for cancer treatments and knew somewhat what we were heading into. We ended up living in the center of the country however; better for travel purposes and it was nothing like what we had thought about. To this date, we are back in the states living in Virginia and what we took from Mexico was friendships, culture and understanding of their ways of life.
with pictures
Through thousands of pictures that I took, Dan and I are showing how safe Mexico is. There is a saying ‘A picture is worth a thousand words’; this is so true! A picture tells a story just as well as, if not better than, a lot of written words.
"Chinese proverb. One picture is worth ten thousand words."
CLICK THROUGH SLIDE SHOW AND ENJOY
So, we will be posting a gallery of pictures on each post, hopefully you will see each one has a story.
This is where we continue on the book: LIVING SUCCESSFULLY WITH SCREWED-UP PEOPLE, by Elizabeth B. Brown. Dan and I continue to share ways to benefit and help keep one’s health cells healthy. A wise man told me ten years ago, when one is in balance with themselves; one stays healthy.
For more information click on book
Today Dan and I will continue on CHAPTER FOUR – GET OFF THE FENCE.
Research has shown that in only 10 percent of couples who divorce both husband and wife reconstruct happier, fuller lives by the end of the first decade.
Only 25 percent of second marriages form a strong enough bond to avoid a second divorce and even fewer the third go-around.
Experience and statistics show that those who fight through the early years of a relationship generally continue to fight throughout its life.
By no means does this have to be the reality of your experience if you determine to change the way you relate.
Unfortunately, straddling the fence seems to be the easiest, most frequently chosen course; especially in marriages with children.
Sometimes straddling results from fear of involvement, from self-protection, or from an unwillingness to make the necessary compromise and sacrifice.
Some say this in a marriage because they want to walk two paths at the same time, having the security of a family and the excitement of dalliances on the side.
Others stay with their emotions on guard or as victims, sacrificing conspicuously; look how much I am doing for you! I am crushed under your feet, repressing who I am for you.
Straddling the fence is a death sentence for a relationship.
Tomorrow’s post will begin on – MAKING THE CHOICE!
STAY TUNE –
This is the time to get ready for food and remedies that heal; alchemy of herbs. In the coming week, Dan and I will be blogging the benefits of ROSEMARY. It’s amazing what and how rosemary can help keep your body healthy?
Rosemary extract has the ability to fight cancer by inhibiting the growth of cancerous cells and regenerating damaged cells.
Rosemary extract may also help in slowing down the spread of human leukemia and breast carcinoma cells and is used as an anti-tumor agent.
In ovarian cancer, Rosemary may inhibit cell growth and eliminate existing cancerous cells and may be useful for preventing other kinds of cancer affecting different parts of the body including those of the bladder.
Stay tune, more benefits to com
NOTE AND REPEAT – PHRASE TO REMEMBER; Health is Wealth
THIS IS AN ENCLOSURE – will be at the end of all the blogs, for I stress; this daily routine will heal and keep your body cells happy.
As I end this blog, Dan and I for several years have shared our experiences with enjoying life while managing cancer. By keeping healthy, our routine daily has been walking (exercise), meditation (for stress), Qigong (exercise and for stress).
I know some will say they do not have enough time with work, kids and household chores!!!
Dan and I have put together videos from WALK AT HOME together on our website, that you can follow in home; when you have short periods of time and unable to go out. They are from 15 mins up to 30 mins depending on the miles. This is one of the first steps to making your cells happy!!
Also, meditation videos, help to lower stress and is also one of the first steps to making your cells happy; click on https://www.thejourneytogoodhealth.com/meditation
Again, they are no more than 10 to 20 mins and they are guided meditations.
Guided Mindfulness Meditation on Self-Love and Self-Worth
You are worthy of love. And, you are worthy of loving yourself. This means having forgiveness for yourself and taking care of yourself first.
This will, in turn, result in a deeper care for others. This guided mindfulness meditation will focus on these ideas.
Let the ambient music and my relaxing voice allow you to find calm and peace, free from anxiety; whether listening in the morning, before sleep, or any free moment during the day.
“Surrender is a gift that you can give yourself. It’s an act of faith. It’s saying that even though I can’t see where this river is flowing, I trust it will take me in the right direction.” ~ Debbie Ford
We are still working on Qigong video’s to be posted on the website for easy access, until now you can go to the blog https://www.thejourneytogoodhealth.com/blog and on the right-hand side are hash # tag words, just click on the word #walk #Qigong #meditation. The post will pop up and then you can begin. Have fun with it!
❣️YOUR TRUE 🏡HOME❣️
Find the love you seek, by first finding the love within yourself. Learn to rest in that place within you that is your true home.
Until Monday, find the love you seek, by first finding the love within yourself. Learn to rest in that place within you that is your true home.
