1. Boost Mood and Calm

Research published in the Journal of Physiological Anthropology in 2015 found that indoor plants can make you feel more comfortable and soothing. Specifically the study found that an indoor gardening task such as repotting a house plant lowered stress response. In contrast, a computer task project caused a spike in heart rate and blood pressure even though participants were young men who were very experienced with computer work. Researchers concluded that indoor plants help reduce physiological and psychological stress. Horticulture therapy has been around for many centuries. A story published on the Manchester England website discussed the benefits of doctors prescribing plant therapy to patients with symptoms of depression or anxiety. So with remote work here to stay, we can follow the example of Manchester, England, and use horticulture therapy to help us thrive better in our home offices.

2. Sharpen Attention and Focus

In a study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research on Public Health in 2019, researchers found that having real plants in study spaces helps students be more attentive and concentrate better. Brain scans of participants in the study showed that the students who studied with live plants were more attentive and better able to concentrate than students without a real plant. But importantly, it must be be a real plant, not a fake plant or photo of a plant. So a bromeliad may be one of the best study aids to put in your workspace to help increase focus and attention.

3. Improve Productivity and Creativity

Many studies have found that plants in the workspace increase both productivity and creativity. One study frequently cited is a study published in the International Journal of Environmental Horticulture in 1996. The study found the people working in a computer lab  12% faster and were less stressed when there was a live plant nearby. In another study published in the Scandinavian Journal of Psychology in 2004, researchers challenged students to make creative word associations. The scientific evidence supports that having alive indoor plant in a workspace can improve productivity and creativity. So putting a plant near your study or work space can help increase your creativity and productivity.

4. Improve Brain Health

Many studies have shown that surrounding yourself with greenery and house plants can improve the white and gray matter in your brain. A recent article in the International Journal of Environmental Horticulture found that plants have far reaching benefits for mental health, including reduced anxiety and stress, decreased depression, enhanced memory retention, increased creativity, and improved self-esteem. Being around plant life, whether indoors or outdoors, can help improve our psychological and cognitive well being, which may help to more happiness and life satisfaction.

Thrive More with Indoor Plants

There are many self-care ways to fight the negative impact of the pandemic and adjust to more remote working. One of the simplest, proven ways to thrive more is to add indoor plants to your remote workspace. Imagine a bookshelf with a cute family of plant friends that makes you smile. Or imagine a favorite plant friend always near your computer workspace, helping you stay calm and focused. Or imagine a big, beautiful plant in the corner of your room oozing feel-good positive vibes.

Easy Solutions to Order Plants Online

In today’s remote work environment, there is a lot more shopping online, even for house plants. You can view plants, make your selections, purchase with a credit card, and have them shipped directly to your home. Most online retailers package the plants in protective layers and use expedited shipping to ensure safe arrival. One of my favorite online plant retailers is called The Sill. You can sign up for their newsletter and get discounts and tips and even sign up for a monthly plant purchase plan.  You can also enjoy browsing for plants at  your local plant nursery shop. My favorite local plant therapy store in Fort Worth is called Grow Plant Shop which also provides online shopping

Believe in the power of plants to help you thrive more.  Have fun browsing plants online or at your local nursery and treat yourself to a new plant buddy today.

Live Well with Zest!

Cheers,

Bev

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“The discovery of a new dish does more for human happiness than discovery of a new star.” Anthelme Brillat-Savarin—

Food is a joyful part of holidays and life’s celebrations. But there are many small ways to find joy and happiness in food every day. All we have to do is take time to savor “food moments” each day.  For example, appreciate everything from creating a new recipe to sharing a cup of warm cocoa with a loved one, to joining friends and family at life’s celebration meals. Food is a source of daily joy that contributes much more to human happiness than we give it credit. To quote a famous foodie, the French epicure and gastronome Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, “The discovery of a new dish does more for human happiness than the discovery of a new star.”

Here are five fun and easy ways to find joy in food.

1. Let Go of Expectations

Try a new recipe or add a new ingredient to a recipe that inspires you. Don’t worry whether your recipe ends up looking like the picture on the box or in the magazine. Enjoy the creative process and let it unfold.  Invite a few friends over for brunch and don’t obsess over the souffle. You’ll be amazed at how great the food tastes when you focus on friends, family, and good conversation.

2. Embrace Each Moment

Whether it’s cooking, or pretty much anything else in life, the best results come when we enjoy the moments along the way. Finding pleasure in food means taking the time to enjoy the cooking process and not just the end result. When you focus on the joy of each step of preparing food, the dish always tastes better in the end.

3. Keep It Simple

Sometimes the best dishes are those with the fewest ingredients. Sriracha, peppercorn, garlic, balsamic vinegar, cinnamon, are a few tasty yet simple ingredients that can add amazing flavor and zest to dozens of dishes. Enjoy the simple ways to add more taste and zest to foods you eat each day.

4. Make It Pretty

A few cinnamon sprinkles or a dollop of whipped cream can make even the most basic dishes more appetizing. Cooking and baking should embrace all the senses. A lit candle or pretty dish towels are simple, inexpensive ways to make your kitchen more inviting.

5. Share the Love

Food is always more enjoyable when it is shared.  Participating in potlucks, baking for a sick neighbor or donating food to a charity are simple ways to share food, joy, and a part of yourself with others.  When you pour your love into your food, others will enjoy it all the more too.

I hope you try a few of these ways to experience more joy in food each day!

Enjoy and Live Well with Zest!

Bev xo

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Looking for delicious appetizers to share on game day? This gluten-free dip recipe is a sure winner for game day, potlucks, or movie nights. The mixture of roasted red peppers, almonds, and garlic creates a vibrant, diverse, and tangy range of flavors and textures that will enhance any chip, cracker, vegetable or favorite crudité you love to eat with dip.

Game Day Winner

The first time I made this Romesco Red Pepper Dip was on Super Bowl Sunday. I wanted a healthy option for me and my sons to nibble on whether the game turned out to be a thriller or a dud. We were rooting for the Patriots that year and we all liked Tom Brady and wanted him to win one more Super Bowl.

In the past we would have eaten an entire bag of tortilla corn chips with queso and salsa by half time. Much to my surprise, we had eaten half of the platter by half time and forgotten the chips. I knew it was a keeper recipe—no matter which team won the Super Bowl that year.

We were thrilled with the Patriot’s win that year and we also fell in love with this incredible Romesco Red Pepper Dip. Now it has become a favorite for every football Sunday. My sons even spread it on their favorite bread with cheese, turkey, some greens and make a quick and easy meal out of it. It’s a gluten-free, Paleo style dip that makes a great dip, topping or spread. Delicious, healthy, quick and easy, –it’s not only a winner, it’s an unbeatable keeper.

Here are the vibrant, diverse ingredients that blend into a perfect mouth-watering, tangy Mediterranean flavor you can’t resist.

Roasted Red Peppers

Roasted Red Peppers form the base of the dip giving it the red color and tangy flavor. Red peppers have a high concentration of vitamins A and C, provide over 200% of your vitamin C requirements, are rich in antioxidants, and help support your immune system and fight off free radicals and disease.

Almonds

Almonds are one of my favorite nuts for their taste, texture and vast health benefits. They are rich in healthy fats, fiber, protein, magnesium, vitamin E, antioxidants and help support cardiovascular and heart health. They add a thickness and creamy texture to the dip that is hard to beat, and pairs well with the taste of most crackers or crudité’ dippers.

Garlic

Organic garlic gives this dip a little kick and mixes well with the feta cheese. Garlic is a super food that is loaded with antioxidants that help fight off diseases and infections and is one of the most medicinal foods for supporting heart health.

Feta Cheese

Greek Feta Cheese adds a luscious creamy texture that goes well with the almonds too. Feta cheese is rich in B vitamins, phosphorus, and calcium which helps support bone health. It also has many fatty acids and bacteria that are good for the gut health.

Sherry Vinegar

Sherry Vinegar is a dry, aged vinegar from Spain I like to have on hand because a small spoonful can enhance the flavor of sauces, dressings, and dips. But sherry vinegar is also known to support healthy cholesterol and blood sugar levels. Vinegars have been used for centuries to support digestion and promote liver detox. A spoonful a day can keep the doctor away.

Romesco Red Pepper Dip Makes Appetizers More Tasty and Healthy

Delicious and nutritious dips help make your crudites and appetizers more tasty and healthy. This Romesco Dip recipe will pep up your next party. Share with your friends and family and let me know what you think!

Grace Notes

Healthy eating and colorful eating go hand in hand. If it’s colorful, it’s probably good for you. It adds to the sensory delight and appeal of the dish. Be creative—the possibilities for enjoying this dip are countless. It’s a simple dish that brings health and happiness. What more can you ask for?

Enjoy and live Well with Zest!

Bev xo

 

Written by Bev Hope

Print

Romesco Red Pepper Dip

• Author: Bev Hope

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup whole roasted almonds
• 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 1 cup drained roasted red peppers (from a jar)
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 2 tsp sherry vinegar
• 1 tsp hot paprika
• Salt and Pepper

Instructions

1.  Pulse almonds in a food processor until finely chopped.
2.  Place oil and garlic in skillet on medium low heat. When mixture sizzles, wait 30 seconds then transfer to processor.
3. Add remaining ingredients to the food processor except salt and pepper.
4.  Process until well blended.
5. Season with salt and pepper.

Notes

ADD-INS

Make your own food rainbow around the dip. My favorites are red, orange, yellow and green peppers, colorful red and orange cherry tomatoes, purple endive, green celery, yellow squash, orange mini carrots.

Try any of your favorite Paleo style crackers and dippers. One of my favorite dippers is crisp plantain chips.

OPTIONS

If you don’t have Sherry Vinegar, you can replace it with other vinegars such as Rice Vinegar, Red Wine Vinegar, Apple Cider Vinegar, or Champagne Vinegar.

Add red pepper flakes to add some extra spiciness.

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Stress and anxiety are often the most common experiences in modern life and unfortunately can be very toxic to our minds and bodies. Chronic stress is at epidemic levels across all age groups from young adults to seniors and is the main cause behind so many chronic health conditions. Work, personal relationships, children, finances, pets, almost anything can cause daily stress. When daily stress becomes chronic stress, risk of chronic disease escalates.  Luckily, there are many ways to quickly reduce stress so you can stay in balance physically and emotionally day to day.  The key is to figure out what works best for you and turn them into daily habits. The following is a list of my 12 best stress management tips that you can easily implement into your daily lifestyle.

1. Take Deep Breaths

Deep breathing is one of the best ways to lower stress. Belly breathing is a technique where you fill your belly up with air and then let it out slowly. Take a few minutes to inhale slowly and deeply through your nose and then exhale slowly through your mouth. As you blow the air out, keep your lips slightly open and blow slowly. Deep breathing sends messages to our brains to calm down and relax.

2. Meditate

If you ask an expert on how to better manage stress, the simplest answer is to meditate. Numerous studies have shown that those who meditate a greater sense of wellbeing thus lower stress levels. Meditation releases chemical in the brain that lower stress. There are many forms of meditation available; you just have to find the form that works best for you and just do it.

3. Cuddle

Cuddling, hugging, kissing, and intimate relations all relieve stress. Physical contact releases oxytocin and lowers cortisol levels, which lower blood pressure and heart rate, two symptoms of stress. Humans aren’t the only creatures who cuddle chimpanzees cuddle friends who are stressed as well. And what pet doesn’t like to be stroked by its owner.

4. Use Calming Essential Oils

Burning a scented candle or using essential oils can often help you relax when sitting at home or at work. There are specific scents that are soothing and calming such as bergamot, frankincense, geranium, lavender, neroli, orange, rose, sandalwood, vetiver, and ylang-ylang. Carry a kerchief with drops of your favorite calming scent to smell anytime you need some calm. Or soak in a bath with calming bath salts. Combine essential oils, bath salts and mediation for unplugging and getting deep relaxation. Whatever way you choose, make it a pleasure and it’s easier to make it a habit.

5. Laugh

Think about how difficult it is to feel stressed when you are laughing! One of the top ways to manage stress is to laugh regularly. Laughter relieves muscle tension and your stress response. Try watching funny movies or TV shows, or hanging out with funny friends,or reading and collecting funny comics. Turn your mind to a “comedy station” when you are in a stressful situation and look for the humor in it. As Shakespeare said, “Life is a stage and we are all players”. Look for the humor of the scene on stage and your stress will dissipate.

6. Exercise

One of the best ways to manage stress is through exercise, such as walking, jogging, tai chi, yoga, dancing, anything that gets you moving. Adding physical stress on the body through exercise helps to relieve mental stress. Regular exercise lowers the stress hormones, improves sleep quality, and can greatly build your confidence.  Choose an exercise activity you enjoy and find a partner or group to help you get out and do it regularly. Whether listening to music, being out in nature, socializing with friends, find a way to make exercise a pleasure and it’s easy to make it a habit.

7. Reduce Caffeine Intake

Limit caffeine intake to one cup or two cups at the maximum to avoid being over-exposed to stimulants that can increase anxiety. Everyone has a different caffeine tolerance, but if you notice extra anxiety or jitters then it is time to cut back on the caffeine. While coffee is healthy in moderation, it is not good in excess and is not for everyone.

8. Spend Quality Time with Loved-Ones

Social time with your family and friends is essential to getting through stressful situations. Don’t let stress isolate you because that can make it even worse. Keep in close touch with your friend network. We all receive a sense of self-worth from belonging to a group. It’s part of being Human and is core to our health and survival.

9. Avoid Procrastination

Focus on the top of your priorities and avoid procrastination. When you have a difficult task, it can be easy to avoid it, but then you can end up rushing to meet a deadline. Choose to tackle difficult things first and then reward yourself with pleasurable fun things along the way. Use a daily planner or a to-do list app to help you prioritize your time and focus on what’s important each day. Review your progress each week as ongoing overall life improvement. Also, identify when your mind is the sharpest and your energy is the highest during the course of the day to tackle your top priorities; this will make you more efficient in “getting the job done.”

10. Get Your Vitamins and Minerals

Eat well to get enough vitamins and minerals from food with dense nutrients. Then add supplements for extra support. Several supplements can help relieve stress. The most common include ashwagandha, green tea, kava, lemon balm, Omega-3 fatty acids, and valerian. Some supplements interact with medication, so it is best to consult with a doctor if you currently have a medical condition.

11. Get a Good Night’s Sleep

It’s known that people who get enough sleep have a better chance of achieving emotional well-being. The happiest people get an average of eight hours of sleep night. Be sure to not get less than the recommended 7 hours of sleep per night. Sleep is necessary to not only manage stress but also to prevent risk of long-term chronic disease. So, make it a daily priority to get 7 hours of sleep.

12. Find Purpose in Daily Pleasure

Make a daily habit to choose something that gives you pleasure each day- whether getting out in Nature, listening to music, reading a book, watching a movie, working on a creative project, playing a favorite sport, cooking a special meal, connecting with friends and family. Think of choosing daily pleasure like choosing daily medicine to help control your stress and your health.

I hope you try a few of these stress management tips. Let me know your best ways to manage stress.

Enjoy and live Well with Zest.

Bev

xo

Written by Bev Hope

The post 12 Best Ways to Manage Daily Stress appeared first on Well with Zest.

Irish Influence in My Life–

Throughout my life I’ve met many people with a mix of Irish heritage in our American ethnic melting pot. When I was a child in Catholic School, many kids in my classes had an O’ name like O’Malley. When I was a young a professional working in Philadelphia, New York and Chicago, my Irish American colleagues would introduce me to their favorite Irish pubs to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. All Americans are Irish on St. Patrick’s Day! Later in my career, I worked with Irish colleagues on global project teams and made numerous business trips to Ireland.

Gift of the Irish

Looking back, the funny coincidence is that virtually all of my “Irish” friends and colleagues made me laugh more than most people. Laughter was just in them, turned on high. They didn’t force being funny by telling a joke, they couldn’t help it—they carried a natural sense of humor. Laughter just spilled out of them with a bubbling effervescence that made me smile and added joy to my day.

Lessons from the Irish

I have wondered if the “Irish” sense of humor comes from Nature- in their genes, or from nurture– their cultural heritage. Wherever it comes from, I am grateful for the extra dose of laughter and levity I feel whenever I’m around “Irish” folks. They’ve taught me that no matter how rough things might be, a little levity and laughter helps make you feel better so you can deal with the day to day challenges of life more easily. The Irish must have known for centuries, long before the Industrial Age and discoveries in modern science, that good laughter and good sleep are not only essential to human survival but are also necessary for thriving and living a healthy, happy life.

Laughter is Medicine

This Irish proverb “A good laugh and a long sleep are the two best cures for anything” reminds me that “laughter is medicine.” Laughter not only helps a single person feel better, but it’s so contagious that it can help an entire group of people feel better. And the benefit of laughter spreads and it keeps spreading. It can literally boost the immune system of an entire community.

A day full of laughter is like giving the body physical and mental exercise. You can’t help but feel happily tired and have good sleep after a daily “laughter workout” So get your daily dose of laughter, wake up well rested, smiling, and spread laughter medicine–and then do it all over again. Take a page out of the Irish Proverbs and their secret to a happy, healthy life—and live well with west!

Live Well with Zest!
Bev xo

Written by Bev Hope

The post Daily Medicine: Laugh, Relax and Enjoy Life! appeared first on Well with Zest.

“One kind word can warm three winter months.” Japanese Proverb–

One of my favorite Japanese proverbs goes, “One kind word can warm three winter months.” We know kind words can have a lasting impact. But kind words can do much more—they can affect a person’s entire life without our even knowing it. The proverb should probably go, “One kind word can warm the coldest nights for an entire life”.

Kindness Matters

Kindness really matters. It is at the heart of what we need to live happier lives and to make the world a better place.  Kindness invokes positivity in one person that can spread to others like wildflowers. Philosophically, kindness is like an energy or “angel dust” that can ignite positivity and progress across the entire planet. Scientifically there are physical and mental benefits we gain from small acts of kindness.

5 Physical and Mental Benefits of Kindness

1. Ease Anxiety

Feeling anxious is something we all face from time to time. But chronic anxiety is debilitating and needs to be managed. One way to help reduce anxiety is by providing inspiration and motivation to others through intentional acts of kindness. Next time you are feeling anxious, do something nice for someone and see how your mood changes from worry to happy.

2. Illness Prevention

Inflammation is associated with a variety of chronic health problems including cancer, chronic pain, diabetes, migraines, and obesity and many more health problems. In a recent study comprised of adults between the ages of 57 and 85, volunteering equated to lower inflammation levels due to the release of oxytocin (a social bonding hormone) in the body. When we intentionally do something kind for others, such as volunteering for a charity, we are releasing chemicals that can ease inflammation in our own bodies. The power of kindness is one of the keys to living a happier and healthier life–and a more socially engaged life.

3. Longer Life

People who do not maintain a strong network of relatives and friends have a higher risk of heart disease. Kindness is key to developing and maintaining meaningful close relationships with friends, family, community and colleagues. Feeling connected to people we care about gives us purpose and is an essential ingredient to living a happy, healthy life. Being kind and staying connected helps us live longer.

4. Stress Reduction

Many of us are looking for ways to reduce stress in our fast-paced, hyperconnected, but yet more isolated lives. When we choose to do something kind, we turn off the stressful routines playing in our brains and turn on pro social routines that reduce emotional stress. Choosing kindness adds peace and calm and reduces the stress and inflammation in our bodies that makes us sick. A worthwhile goal in daily our lives is to make kindness virtually second nature in our interactions with others–in other words have kindness become a way of life for us. This will be good for our physical and mental health!

5. Kindness Spreads Wellness

When we give kindness, it spreads. It not only helps us live well with zest, it helps our circle of friends and countless other people live healthier happier lives. Spread kindness like wildflowers to improve your health and help improve lives across the whole planet.

Be Kind and Live Well with Zest!

Bev xo

Written by Bev Hope

Reviewed by Board Certified MD

The post Spread Kindness Like Wildflowers! appeared first on Well with Zest.

There’s some debate about this quote: the where, when, and who of it. The quote sounds like something Shaw would say, but it also reminds me of Eliza Doolittle, Shaw’s fictional character from Pygmalion (1912), and also in the musical spin-off, My Fair Lady (1956). I’ve always loved My Fair Lady because Audrey Hepburn is one of my favorite actresses and she played Eliza perfectly. But it’s also one of my favorites because Eliza’s story is so universal–it’s the iconic journey of self-transformation. I’ve always been inspired by people, whether real or fictional, who have radically re-defined themselves, overcome extreme challenges and difficulties, moved past self-doubt or limiting beliefs, to achieve their dreams and find immense joy.

Lessons from Pygmalion: Create Yourself!

Long before there was George Bernard Shaw’s Cockney flower girl turned into a Fair Lady, there was the original Greek myth of Pygmalion and Galatea. Pygmalion was a Cypriot sculptor, who carved the perfect woman out of stone. He named her Galatea, and then he fell so deeply in love with his creation that he begged the Greek goddess Aphrodite to give her life. Myths are stories that teach us universal lessons. Pygmalion teaches us we are all a work in process, we are creating our own Galatea. It’s up to us to sculpt ourselves and to love ourselves. We are our own creation to love!

Every day, we have decisions to make about who we are creating. We can allow the tragedies of life (deaths, loss, illness, disappointments all kinds) to harden us and turn us into cold stone. Or, we can follow the old adages and choose to live a vibrant full life:I can allow the tragedies of life harden me and make me into stone. Or I can Create My Dreams… Live Well with Zest!

• Create Your Dreams!
• Live Your Dreams!
• Be You!

For me, Shaw’s quote is a reminder to wake up every day and choose how we sculpt our own lives, how we create ourselves. It’s up to us to make the choices that will help us become our best self and live our best life. 

Be You! And Live Well with Zest!

Bev

xo

Written by Bev Hope

The post Be You! – Choose to Live Your Best Life appeared first on Well with Zest.

Laughter is no joke! I first learned the seriousness of laughter when my late husband was dying from cancer. Friends and family brought us piles of funny movies. Whenever he was in the hospital, the nurses kept the TV in his room on the comedy channel. I remember we watched his favorite comedies “Oh God” and “Dumb and Dumber” over and over again! Laughter was good for all of us.  It helped us communicate and focus on the joy in the moment.

Looking back, our caregivers were very intentional about including humor in Paul’s cancer treatment journey. In the many years since Paul passed, I’ve learned a lot about the science-based, therapeutic benefits of humor. Humor affects the biochemistry in our bodies. It affects our mind, body and heart. Laughter is a powerful natural medicine we can give ourselves every day to live Well with Zest!

My Top 7 Reasons to Keep Laughing

I’ve gathered up what I’ve learned about laughter. Here are my top 7 reasons to keep laughing!

1. Laughter Strengthens the Immune System

Building a strong immune system is necessary whether you have a chronic illness or you’re a professional athlete in training. A hearty dose of laughter each day can do wonders for your immune system. Laughing can help prevent getting sick in the first place. This happens because laughter actually helps reduce stress hormones and inflammation in your body. Stress is a major trigger that contributes to many types of chronic illnesses. It’s great to know that you can help relieve stress and inflammation in the body with simple laughter.

2. Laughter Releases Endorphins 

Endorphins are the body’s natural feel-good chemicals. They are also natural painkillers. This means that regular laughter may be able to reduce chronic pain. Releasing these types of chemicals into your body may also reduce depression. There are at least 20 different types of endorphins in your body.  The sooner you start laughing the sooner your body can release these feel-good hormones.

3. Laughter Reduces Stress

Our fast-paced culture tends to produce a lot of stress and with it anger. Whenever you’re frustrated or angry at another person, a little bit of humor can go a long way. Laughter helps diffuse a negative, tense situation. It’s hard for people to stay mad at each other when they’re laughing. Reducing anger is one of the most important mental health benefits of laughter.

4. Laughter Helps the Heart

Laughing can provide a great cardio workout. If you’re not able to do a regular workout, try laughing. Laughing increases blood flow to your heart, which can help lead to overall good health. Laughter can make your heart pump at a rate that will burn calories similar to walking at a slow pace. Laughing can also lower your blood pressure. That can help keep your heart healthy and prevent a heart attack or stroke.

5. Laughter Boosts Resilience

Humor can help us spring back from a painful situation. Humor helps us boost our psychological resilience. When we learn to laugh when we are facing a difficult situation, we strengthen our ability to master the challenges in life. When we learn to change our mental channel to the “Comedy Channel”, we learn to change our outlook and use the power of positivity to help get through the tough times in life. Laughter is like continuing education that helps us become a master at surfing through the everyday challenges of life with a smile on our face.

6. Laughter Improves Memory

Laughing can help lower cortisol levels in the brain which helps with higher recall ability and learning ability.   Scientists continue to study the link between humor and memory. So, when you are watching funny videos, you are actually working on your memory skills too.

7. Laughter Makes Life Fun

One of the most important reasons to laugh is that it’s enjoyable. It can reduce stress and make life more fun. Laughing is something that regardless of age, culture, or background is innate to all humans.  We are born with a built-in sense of humor and all we have to do is use it to live a healthy, happy life. Many people remain unaware of our innate sense of humor and of the importance of using it for health and happiness. Whether it’s with family, friends, a co-worker, or that person you just met in the grocery store line, sharing a laugh will make your life healthier and happier.

Laugh Every Day!

If an apple a day can help keep the doctor away, then laughter every day can help keep chronic disease away (or at least diminished). With so many health benefits of humor, it’s time to turn up the laughter in our lives. Get those comedy videos out. Read (and save) cartoons. Listen to humor podcasts. Go to your stand-up comedy theatre. Watch children playing in the park–and see how they spontaneously hop, skip and laugh. Look at funny pictures of animals.  Visit to the zoo and watch the funniest animals in action, just being themselves. Or hang out with your funny human friends. There are endless ways to stimulate more laughter to help relieve stress, reduce anger, boost immunity, release those wonderful endorphins that make us feel good, and strengthen our hearts and minds both physically and figuratively.

Laugh and Live Well with Zest!

Xo

Bev

Written by Bev Hope

Reviewed by Board Certified MD

The post 7 Ways Laughter Improves Your Health appeared first on Well with Zest.

When I think of what fruit makes me feel the happiest, I would put lemons on the top of the list. One reason is obvious. They have a happy bright yellow color like the sun. The other is I have many happy childhood memories I associate with lemons. Whenever I saw a big pile of lemons on the kitchen counter, I knew my mother was going to let me put out my lemonade stand! We had fun getting out my arts and crafts and poster board material to make my “lemonade for sale” sign. Then my mom would help me get my lemonade inventory prepared in a big pitcher. We would set up my stand and the best part was serving my curb side customers a cup of fresh lemonade and receiving a nickel in return! I felt like I was making them happy and they were certainly making me happy with each additional nickel I added to my money jar.

Then later when I was in college, I worked as a waitress at the Jordan Pond House in Acadia National Park. One of our customers’ favorite items on the menu was fresh lemonade served with a sprig of fresh mint. Hundreds of people ordered it every day. I learned that everyone loves fresh squeezed lemonade, especially served with a pretty garnish!

Lemon Water Makes Us HAPPY

As a mom, my sons’ go-to drink when we went out to eat at a nice restaurant was always lemonade— and it had to be fresh!  Happy sons make happy moms! So, lemons bring me so many happy memories that I like to keep a big bowl of them on my kitchen counter. I often see a bowl of lemons in decorating magazines or even in classic still life paintings. No wonder they are there—artists and designers know lemons make us happy.  But now I’m learning much more about lemons—their amazing health benefits! I’ve begun making a habit of adding a lemon to my first glass of water each day. Here’s why.

Lemon Water Makes Us HEALTHY

Here are some of the top 10 lemon water health benefits I’ve discovered that keep me motivated to start each day with a glass of lemon water.

1. Provides an Immune System Boost

Lemons have plenty of vitamin C, antioxidants and other nutrients that improve immune system function. This helps avoid colds and the flu, and it helps fight infection in general. It also protects against oxidative stress that promotes a host of diseases.

2. Helps Dental Health

Along with good oral hygiene, lemon water prevents gingivitis from setting in or becoming worse. Gingivitis is one of those nasty dental problems that can come with aging if we don’t take proper oral care.

3. Helps with Cleansing the Kidneys

Good hydration is good for the kidneys and adding lemon to water makes this effect even more powerful. Apparently, this is because lemon water has a diuretic effect. The citric acid in lemon water helps prevent or flush out kidney stones.

4. Keeps Body Hydrated

If you don’t like the taste of plain water, adding a lemon to it makes it tasty and fun to drink. This helps you stay hydrated because if you enjoy it, you’ll keep drinking more of it.

5. Helps with Weight Loss or Reduce Weight Gain Can Help

A study shows that mice given lemon water, along with a high-calorie diet, didn’t gain as much weight as mice that were fed just plain water with the same food. This study implies that it will make your weight-control efforts easier.

6. Makes Skin Look Better

Good hydration is very important for keeping your skin healthy. By chugging a glass of lemon water first thing in the morning, I know I’m helping my skin, and making it part of my daily anti-aging regimen.

7. Helps with Digestion

Lemon water can improve bowel motion, thereby reducing constipation. Keeping normal movement is important to feeling good, and lemon water is more convenient and appetizing than other things that are often recommended for gastrointestinal health.

8. Improves the Breath

Lemons have a strong, natural deodorant effect, so drinking some lemon juice with water improves the smell of the breath.

9. Supports Heart Health and Nerve Communication

Lemons have plenty of essential nutrients. Along with vitamin C,  lemons provides electrolytes like magnesium and potassium, critical for heart health and nerve communication. This makes lemon water almost like a sports drink, but without all the calories.

10. Helps Fight Inflammation 

The anti-inflammatory properties of lemons are obtained when drinking lemon water each day. The natural ingredients in lemon water help reduce joint and muscle pain, inflammation in general, irritation from gingivitis, and more.

Lemon Water is a Fun and Happy Way to Improve Health

Lemon water is simple to prepare. You can have fun with it. You can mix it up and be creative— adding other fresh sweet, spicy or savory ingredients such as mint, basil, cinnamon, ginger, turmeric.

Lemon Water Recipe

Ingredients

• Organic fresh lemon
• Natural spring water
• Optional add-ons: mint, cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, basil

Directions

• Pour warm water into a glass.
• Squeeze half a lemon for each 8-ounce glass
• Add favorite garnish.

Suggestions 

Some experts mention that the lemon water should be warm, and that it is the warmth that produces much of the digestive system benefits of the mixture. It is also noted that the lemon juice should come from fresh, real lemons, ideally organic lemons. Lemon water made with fresh lemon is better for boosting the immune system function because some phytonutrients in lemons degrade with processing. Some people caution that too much citric acid from lemons can harm the enamel on teeth. But as long as you don’t suck on lemons every day, that should not be a problem.

Grace Notes

Try sipping lemon water with a colorful paper straw and feel like a kid again.

Good luck trying lemon water as a daily habit! You can turn lemons into more than lemonade! Turn lemons into lemon-AID and enjoy the health benefits and happy feelings they can bring.  Let me know how it works for you!

Enjoy and Live Well with Zest!

Bev xo

Written by Bev Hope

Reviewed by Board Certified MD

The post 10 Reasons to Drink Lemon Water Every Morning appeared first on Well with Zest.

Our bones are our body’s framework and much more. Made of up calcium, they manufacture and store our blood cells and bone marrow.  Bone density is important because our systems and organs in our body rely on what they produce. But unfortunately, by the time we are about 30, we’ve reached our peak bone mass.  This means that building strong bones when you’re young is essential. And maintaining your bone strength as you get older is doubly important!

Bone Loss Impacts Over Half of Americans Older than 50

Keeping healthy bones may seem like a tall order when you look at the statistics. About 54 million Americans (about half of Americans older than 50) have osteopenia, and another 10 million Americans have osteoporosis. These are the two conditions related to a loss of bone mineral density (osteoporosis is more severe). Recently I joined the 50% of Americans over 50 who have osteopenia.  So now I am taking steps to keep my osteopenia from progressing to osteoporosis because I know how important bone density is to overall wellness.

To reduce risk of developing chronic health conditions and protecting against bone fractures, check out the following research-based bone health tips for building strong bones. Having hyperthyroidism, I am at greater risk of developing osteoporosis. But smart lifestyle choices can manage osteopenia, prevent osteoporosis and make bones stronger!

5 Ways to Make Bones Stronger

1. Fill your diet with bone health foods.

Bone health foods need to be a part of every person’s daily diet. These include dark green leafy vegetables, healthy protein from foods like chicken, fish, and eggs, and high quality fats from foods like nuts, seeds, and olive oil. Make sure you’re eating enough to support exercise and avoid pro-inflammatory food like processed foods and refined carbohydrates.

P.S. It’s not just the calcium you need! Other minerals, including magnesium and zinc, and also Vitamin D, are just as important, if not more so, for building strong bones. It’s important to get these nutrients in your food or in high-quality supplements.

2. Get moving.

Studies show that performing weight-bearing exercises like walking and lifting weights helps prevent bone loss when you’re older and may actually make bones stronger and larger during bone growth. So, get yourself moving and have fun doing it with friends, family, colleagues. The key is to stay active.

3. Maintain a healthy weight.

Being underweight or overweight can impair bone quality and increase your risk of fractures. And yo-yo dieting isn’t doing you any good, either—repeatedly losing and regaining weight, or losing a lot of weight too quickly (can we say crash diet?!) is not good for bone health (nor mental health).

4. Choose the right dairy.

The media has told us for years that milk “does a body good” and that dairy is one of the best foods to fight osteoporosis. But mixed research data reveals that dairy products actually do not increase bone calcium and bone density.

For example, countries with the lowest rates of dairy and calcium consumption also have the lowest rates of osteoporosis and hip fractures. Plus research published in the British Medical Journal  in 2014 revealed that high milk intake actually increased risk of bone fractures and mortality!

Possible explanations for this surprising conclusion are that dairy tends to be loaded with antibiotics and hormones, pro-inflammatory compounds. Plus, many people are lactose intolerant!

If you are going to consume dairy, opt for grass-fed and organic cow milk options or try dairy products from goat’s milk, almond milk, cashew milk, or oat milk for example. There are many good options to reduce consumption of cow milk.

5. Take a calcium supplement.

Getting adequate dietary calcium is necessary to prevent bones from weakening, plus adequate vitamin D is necessary to help our bodies absorb calcium. Women over 50 need 1,200 mg of calcium and 1000 IU of vitamin D a day, given the drop in estrogen that can cause a loss of 20% bone density within five to seven years after menopause. Talk to your doctor about taking a dietary supplement to help keep your bones strong.

6. Stop smoking—or never start.

If you smoke, it’s never too late to quit…and it’s never too late to find a reason why! Smoking increases your risk for osteoporosis and even delays bone healing after a fracture.

Build Strong Bones to Maintain Optimal Health

In summary, bone health tips don’t just help you build a healthier skeleton—they’ll help you build and maintain a healthy body overall! We need strong bones to live well and keep thriving.  I hope these tips help you take good care of your bones so you can stay strong and maintain optimal health.

Build strong bones and live Well with Zest!

Bev xo

Written by Bev Hope

Reviewed by Board Certified MD

The post 5 Proven Ways To Build Strong Bones appeared first on Well with Zest.