Raise Your Health Esteem.

Get Some Sunshine

It turns out that a little bit of sunshine is a very good thing when it comes to your health.

Medical studies have found that a modest amount of sunshine can reduce your risk of certain cancers, help you sleep better, lower your blood pressure, and enhance your mood.

Researchers say spending even 10 to 15 minutes in the sun each day can boost your levels of Vitamin D, which are associated with a lower risk of breast and colorectal cancer, and can even reduce your risk of melanoma.

It’s also been found that you sleep better if you go outside first thing in the morning as sunlight can signal to the body that it’s time to wake up. Similarly, you can strengthen healthy sleep patterns by avoiding dimly lit places during the day as your body associates darkness with sleep.

Brief exposure to sunlight can also improve your mood by boosting levels of serotonin and lowering blood pressure for up to an hour after exposure.

Does this medical research mean you should throw out your sunscreen? Absolutely not. While a little sun has a lot of benefits, extended sun exposure, especially without sunscreen, can cause skin cancer and premature aging. So, always remember to enjoy the sun responsibly.

The key to getting the sun’s healthy benefits is making sure you get a little bit every day.

SOURCE: medicaldaily.com, “Sun Exposure: Vitamin D And Other Health Benefits Of Sunlight”

Start Handwriting

Writing by hand, whether it’s a journal entry or even a to-do list, improves memory, calms nerves, and can even spark your creative thinking.

These days, people rely mostly on texts, social media posts, or email for written communication. While they can definitely be fast and efficient, they don’t offer the same stress-reducing benefits of the handwritten word.

Studies have shown typing requires less processing of information while handwriting pushes us to develop our thoughts a little more deeply. Plus, we’re more likely to remember what we write than what we type.

So, if remembering your notes is important or you want the self-expression that you just can’t get from a computer screen, consider carrying a notebook and pen.

SOURCE: journals.sagepub.com, “The Pen is Mightier Than the Keyboard”

Grow a Garden

Turns out Old McDonald was ahead of his time.

Studies now show us that people who garden or farm profit from a variety of health benefits, beyond putting fresh fruits and vegetables on the table.

Exposure to modest amounts of sunlight in the garden—always with sunscreen—boosts serum Vitamin D levels, which help reduce the risk of certain cancers. And gardeners are also 36% less likely to develop dementia in future years, among other core benefits.

A variety of medical studies performed around the world have identified a number of health benefits from gardening:

• Reduces stress, improves your mood, and reduces levels of the stress hormone, cortisol.

• The simple acts of pulling weeds and planting shrubbery can actually be exercise. These activities improve your physical stamina.

• Sharing gardening activities with others, even if it’s a community garden, helps reduce the prolonged effects of loneliness.

So, apply some sunscreen and insect repellent and dig your hands into the soil. Your body—and soul—with thank you for it.

SOURCE: aarp.org, “5 Secret Health Benefits of Gardening”

Listen to Music

For many of us in Louisiana, listening to music is already an integral part of our routine. It’s practically in our blood and certainly in our culture.

But what you might not know is it’s not just fun. It can also have real healing powers. Listening to at least 30 minutes of music a day can release levels of dopamine in your brain that make you feel happier, improve sleep, and even help patients recover more quickly from illness or injury.

One study even found that people who took their love of music to the next level and played a musical instrument or sang for 30 minutes a day enjoyed a significant boost to their immune system, which could play a part in your energy, stamina, and overall health.

Translation: music really does make you feel good.

Another study found listening to music improves emotions by triggering pleasure chemicals in the brain which can improve learning. Musical pleasure even influences performing tasks.

SOURCES: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, “The effects of active and passive participation in musical activity on the immune system as measured by salivary immunoglobulin A”, and “Pleasurable music affects reinforcement learning according to listener”

Find a Good Book

One of the most effective workouts you can do may be performed sitting in a comfy chair.

Reading benefits your mind, soul, and body in more ways than most people realize. These include:

• Expanding your knowledge and better preparing you to tackle challenges
• Growing your vocabulary, which can empower you to express yourself more effectively
• Sharpening your ability to analyze what you read
• Improving your memory by strengthening your existing brain pathways
• Increasing your ability to concentrate
• Reducing stress levels within your body

Think of reading as a productive way to not just improve your mind but also your body.

SOURCE: healthfitnessrevolution.com – “Top 10 Health Benefits of Reading”

Open the Windows

When cooler fall air blows south and reaches the Baton Rouge area, opening the windows lets in fresh air that can reduce the indoor air pollution that builds up when you’re using an indoor fan.

One of the many benefits of circulating fresh air through your house is better sleep. Researchers have found that better-ventilated rooms have less carbon dioxide, which correlated to better and more efficient slumber with fewer instances of waking up through the night.

In turn, this can lead to overall better health and wellness over time and a stronger immune system that is better prepared to ward off disease and illnesses.

SOURCE: webmd.com, “Seeking Better Sleep? Open a Window”

Show Some PDA

Ever had an awful day that suddenly seems alright after someone you care about wraps their arms around you in a warm hug?

Those kind of genuine public displays of affection actually work small wonders, especially if you’re feeling down. A good, old fashioned hug can reduce stress, blood pressure, and even boost your immune system.

Hugs trigger your body to release oxytocin, the same hormone that helps women endure child birth. For the rest of us, oxytocin can fortify bonds with loved ones and build solidarity with complete strangers.

Six minutes of hugs and warm human touch a day can:

• Strengthen bonds with people in your life
• Cultivate trust, increase your confidence, and make you feel happier
• Foster general peace

So, next time someone who matters to you says, “Give me a hug,” you might be in for more positive benefits than you expect.

SOURCE: mindbodygreen.com, “10 Reasons to Give More Hugs”

Disconnect Before Bed

One of the worst things you can do before turning out the lights is gaze at a phone, watch TV, or stare at a computer screen.

Using technology just before bedtime can cause waves to happen in our brains and bodies that make it harder to fall asleep.

While it may seem like responding to a quick email or text before bed is not a big deal, these tasks can actually trigger brain activity that produces stress hormones, which are harder for the body to dispose of at night.

Interestingly, while many people use their devices before bed to relax or settle business for the night, this is actually counterproductive. Whether it’s a work email or a few likes on some Instagram pictures, the lighted screens on cell phones or computers work against your body’s ability to release the necessary brain chemicals you need to fall into a deep slumber.

Some simple solutions to this problem? Shut down all your screens at least 30 minutes before bedtime, keep electronics out of the bedroom altogether, and keep children’s rooms electronics-free – especially before bedtime.

SOURCE: webmd.com, “Power Down for Better Sleep”

Lend a Hand

Volunteering is a great way to help people who need it, but it can also be just as good for the volunteer.

By volunteering your time to a place of your choosing for as little as two hours a week, you can increase self-esteem and reduce stress levels. From feeling better to enhancing well-being to actually being happier, we now have studies that confirm doing something good for others is good for your health.

In one recent study, more than a third of regular volunteers said they felt a physical difference in their body and were better able to manage chronic illnesses, while a whopping 78% reported feeling a new sense of control over their health.

Regular volunteers 50 and older were less likely to develop high blood pressure, thus reducing their risk of heart attack, heart failure, and stroke.

All of which begs the question: Who’s helping who?

SOURCE: newsroom.uhc.com, “Volunteerism Contributes to a Happier and Healthier Life”

Take a Little Time to Pray

While we know prayer can help you in spiritual matters, it turns out prayer is also useful for earthly benefits.

Praying often for yourself or others can alleviate stress levels, help you to maintain a positive outlook on life, and lower the risk of disease.

Prayer and spirituality can also help ease depression and cushion those curve balls life throws your way. Connection to something greater than yourself offers more than just hope — it strengthens your emotional health, too.

One study found that congestive heart failure patients who reported feeling “spiritual peace” and made healthy lifestyle changes lived significantly longer than their peers.

Prayer, along with consistent and preventive healthcare, is a powerful way to improve your quality of life.

SOURCE: everydayhealth.com, “How Prayer Strengthens Your Emotional Health”

Walk Barefoot

The simple act of walking directly on a grassy lawn or a sandy beach can improve your health.

Direct contact with the ground improves posture, reduces pressure on joints, and helps you relax. Why? The subtle but invaluable transfer of electrons into your body.

Simply walking barefoot on natural soil or ground can help to rebalance hormones in your body, diminish aches and pains, and even help you sleep better. Sometimes known as “earthing,” this act’s only requirement is that your skin is in physical contact with the ground. An easy way to reap valuable benefits for your health.

In an age where most of our time is spent wearing shoes and sleeping in elevated beds that separate us from nature, we absorb fewer healing electrons that are being emitted from the earth right below us.

The best way to harness these healthful benefits is to make a point of walking barefoot next time you’re at a park or at the beach.

So, feel free to take off your shoes and stay awhile.

SOURCE: ncbi.nlm.hih.gov, “Earthing: health implications of reconnecting the human body to the Earth’s surface electrons”

Get a Pet

Tough days often leave us or our family members feeling cranky.

Fortunately, pets aren’t as susceptible to bad days, and something as small as their owner walking through the door can be worthy of a celebration.

That’s just one of the many reasons why family pets are a great, reliable source of affection and comfort for humans. According to more than 25 years of medical research, regular contact with pets is just plain good for our health.

Studies have shown that having or being around a pet can improve your mood, boost your tolerance to allergens, and even improve the connections you make with other people.

While it was once believed that pets caused children to become allergic, more recent research has shown kids who grow up with furry animals such as cats, dogs, or even farm animals, are less at risk of allergies or asthma.

Pets can even reduce the instance of eczema, a skin allergy that causes itchy red patches on the skin. Blood tests of people who grew up with animals contain fewer immune system chemicals, indicative of stronger immune systems, while patients with existing conditions, like Alzheimer’s, can experience the benefits of pet life with potentially fewer anxious outbursts.

So, if you have a high stress job, a high stress life, or need a faithful companion, a pet could be the answer you’ve been waiting for.

SOURCE: webmd.com, “5 Ways Pets Can Improve Your Health”