10 Steps to Keep Your Brain

The Alliance for Aging Research, a nonprofit organization, recommends following these 10 steps to keep your brain and your body in shape. Eat a Brain-Healthy Diet. Diets rich in omega-3 fatty acids (commonly found in fish), protein, antioxidants, fruits and vegetables, and vitamin B; low in trans fats; and with the recommended levels of carbohydrates optimize brain health. Stay Mentally Active. Learning new skills or languages, working on crossword puzzles, taking classes and learning how to dance all challenge and maintain cognitive function. Exercise and Keep Fit. Exercising increases circulation, improves coordination and helps prevent conditions such as heart disease, stroke and diabetes, which increase the risk of developing dementia. Stay...

28 Ways Stop to Start Simple Life

Life is not complicated.  We are complicated.  When we stop doing the wrong things and start doing the right things, life is simple. So starting today… Stop berating yourself for being a work in progress. – Start embracing it!  Because being a work in progress doesn’t mean you’re not good enough today.  It means you want a better tomorrow, and you wish to love yourself completely, so you can live your life fully.  It means you’re determined to heal your heart, expand your mind and cultivate the gifts you know you’re meant to share. May we all be works in progress forever, and celebrate the fact that we are!    Stop doing immoral things simply because you can. – Start being honest with yourself...

Life Quote Today #1

Love is Life. And if you miss love, you miss life....

The Benefits of Love

It doesn't just put a sparkle in your eye—love can fight disease, boost immunity, and lower stressWho doesn't love being in love? A true Valentine listens to you vent about work, lets you have that last slice of pizza, and (usually) remembers to take out the trash. He doesn't expect you to watch the Super Bowl. And he always thinks you're sexy, even in thermal underwear and bunny slippers. Scientists have long been keen to prove that love gives us health benefits, too—beyond the obvious advantage of always having a date for New Year's Eve. Researchers can't say for sure that romance trumps an affectionate family or warm friendships when it comes to wellness. But they are homing in on how sex, kinship, and caring all seem to make us stronger,...

Smile! Now

We smile because we are happy, and we frown because we are sad. But does the causal arrow point in the other direction, too? A spate of recent studies of botox recipients and others suggests that our emotions are reinforced—perhaps even driven—by their corresponding facial expressions.Charles Darwin first posed the idea that emotional responses influence our feelings in 1872. “The free expression by outward signs of an emotion intensi­fies it,” he wrote. The esteemed 19th-cen­tury psychologist William James went so far as to assert that if a person does not express an emotion, he has not felt it at all. Although few scientists would agree with such a statement today, there is evidence that emotions in­volve more than just the brain. The...

Keep Your Spirit Alive

Do you remember when you were a kid when your spirit was so high, you had tons of energy and all you wanted to do is go play outside? That youthful spirit, fearlessness and active lifestyle disappears slowly as you get older. If you observe kids you will see they live in the present moment and they rely on their instincts. They aren’t concerned about tomorrow or what will happen next. This attitude towards life is how each of us are born. So what happens to this spirit? It still exists in each one of us and there are days when you can feel it on the surface but those days are limited. When you feel this presence you know its there and you feel like you are living on a high. That’s tapping into the soul. The soul exists in...

Love Your Life: 5 Simple Steps

What really makes you happy?Mounting obligations and hectic schedules can make it all too easy to lose track. But whether it's the little things in life that make you smile, or the joy of working toward a larger goal, focusing on your happiness each day can help protect your emotional well-being and your physical health.Follow these simple steps to rediscover your passion for life.   1. Value Your Daily Diversions  When you're adding items to your to-do list, don't forget the good stuff. If you look forward to reading in bed, going out to breakfast, taking long walks, listening to music, or just sitting quietly outside, make time for at least one of your favorite diversions every day.Consider crossing out pesky items on your...