Does Smiling Make You Feel Better?

On one of the exercise videos I have, the instructor claimed one should smile even if one doesn't feel happy because it can change your mood to being happy. I'd never heard that claim before but it sort of makes sense but after a bit of reading, it appears that it can or it might make you feel more upset depending on the circumstances.  

If you have a job with the public and your boss says you must always smile, it might not make you feel happier because you feel forced to do it.  Some jobs will fire you if you do not provide service with a smile which can make a person feel stressed.

On the other hand, if you are not forced to smile but choose to, that is a whole different scenario.  Many, many stars have sung about the power of a smile being quite powerful but in recent research, scientists have discovered, the smile may indeed be quite powerful.  Look at the painting of Mona Lisa with mysterious smile.  People see it, smile, and remember it. 

In one experiment, people placed a pencil between their teeth so they forced their muscles to smile and the  person started feeling happier.  It was as if the muscles of the body smiling, told the body it has happier and the emotion of the person changed so they feel happier.  Psychologically, when a person smiles, it sends a activates the amygdala which is the emotional center of the brain and the amygdala releases neurotransmitters that make a person feel more positive.  It's like they feel the same reward as when you eat chocolate.  Research has indicated a smile can give you the same level of stimulation as eating 2,000 chocolate bars or receiving $16,000 in cash.  

This discovery provides some interesting applications to the area of mental health because it might be possible to trick the mind into being happier. There is a strong connection between action and perception so this is a reasonable possibility. In addition, it supports the saying of "Fake it till you make it" in regard to being happier.

So in addition to making you feel happier, it can make others feel better because smiling is contagious.  When you see a person smiling, you automatically want to smile back and you automatically begin feeling more positive.  Furthermore, when you smile, your face lights up, and you attract the attention of others so you might find the perfect mate, a best friend, or even land a job.  This is due to a smile making you seem more open and people have less fear and uncertainty about relating to you.

 Another side effect of smiling is that your brain works about 31% more effectively so if you smile at a person you have to work with, it can make collaboration or just working together more effective. What most people don't know is that the brain keeps tract of how often you smile and uses that to help judge your emotional state.

The other thing about smiling is that it provides instant feedback to everyone in a time where immediate feedback is the norm.  People don't have to think about what a smile means.  If you do well, you get a smile or you smile.  In addition, happiness is a state of being not a collection of things so the smile helps us again the state of happiness.  So rather than gritting your teeth and bearing it, smile, so the world smiles with you.  Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.  Have a great day.

Love Bears!

Love You!

I'm Reading.

"And the wee little pig cried wee!, wee!, wee! All the way home!

Is Honey Better Than Sugar?

 

When people want to cut down on sugar, they tend to switch to honey because it has a reputation for being healthier but is that true?  I use both, honey for putting on hot bread with butter and sugar in my breakfast cakes.  

The thing is that both sugar and honey are composed of fructose and glucose but their percentages are different.  In addition, both are composed of carbohydrates and both can cause weight game if consumed in too high a quantity.

Honey is made up of nectar collected from flowers by bees.  Honey is made up of about 40 percent fructose and 30 percent glucose combined with water.  In addition, it contains trace amounts of enzymes, amino acids, B vitamins, Vitamin C, minerals, and antioxidants known as flavonoids. 

Since honey is made from the nectar of flowers, it comes in so many different flavors and colors. Some flavors are milder while others are heavier and they range from light colored to a deep dark amber.  I tend to like the milder flavored ones that are usually lighter.  No matter what, honey will cause a persons blood sugar levels to spike. 

Because honey has a higher proportion of fructose and less glucose, it has a sweeter flavor which means a person uses less sweetener but it is high in calories and may not be safe for children under a year old.  On the other hand, although sugar is also made up of about 50 percent glucose and 50 percent fructose.

Sugar is primarily made from sugar beets or sugar cane and must go through a multistep process to reach the granulated form we are most familiar with. If you go to a store, you'll see sugar mostly as white, brown, or raw.  The brown sugar offered in stores is actually white sugar mixed with molasses while raw sugar is a bit less processed than white.

The nice thing about sugar is that it has a long shelf life where as honey crystalizes, its lower in calories, and it naturally occurs. In addition, it is a good form of fast energy and it contains 16 calories per teaspoon while honey is 22 calories for the same teaspoon.  Sugar has a higher glycemic index than honey so it raises blood sugar a lot faster

Unfortunately, it can cause weight gain, make a person more likely to get certain diseases, and can be harder to digest.  The bottom line is that both can cause weight gain is too much is consumed, can increase dental decay, cause certain diseases, and cause blood sugar to rise and then crash.  It is strongly recommended that people watch the amount of both sugar and honey they consume. 

There are ways to reduce the amount of sugar people use.  One way is to substitute unsweetened apple sauce or bananas into your cooking so as to use less sugar.  Another way is to cut the amount of sugar required by half for sweetening drinks or on cereal.  If you are baking, reduce the amount of sugar called for in the recipe by one-third. Add flavorings such as vanilla or spices such a cinnamon, or ginger to add sweetness without adding more calories.

Although there are sugar substitutes such as saccharin are not recommended because they can increase sugar cravings, mess with the bacteria in your guts, and effect insulin sensitivity.  I am aware of alternate types of sweetness such as those made out of jackfruit or other and I'll explore those in the near future.  Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.  Have a great day.

What Causes Belly Fat.

I was working out to a new DVD the other day.  The person leading it stated that belly fat is caused by stress.  That struck me as maybe not quite correct because I tend to have some and it goes away and comes back, almost on a cycle.   I am one of those women who have always been a bit goofy in the abdomen area and have accepted it but I'd still like to know what causes it and how to get rid of it.

First, there are two types of belly fat.  One type is visceral which is the fat that surrounds organs while the other is subcutaneous which is the fat just under the skin.  

In general, one can gain fat in the belly area by eating poorly, not exercising, and stress. There are significant reasons one would want to get rid of the excess belly flat.  When a person has extra belly fat, it can lead to or increases the chances of heart disease, heart attacks, high blood pressure, strokes, type 2 diabetes, asthma, certain types of cancer and dementia or Alzheimers.

If someone eats too many sugary foods such as cake, candy, soda, or too much fruit juice can lead to a weight gain, slow a person's metabolism thus making it harder or a person to burn calories.  One other thing that can cause a person to gain belly fat is to not include enough protein in their diet.  In addition, people should eat more grains, cut down on the transfats and increase monosaturated and polyunsaturated fats as they are healthier.

Unfortunately, drinking too much alcohol can also cause men to gain wight in the abdomen.  It can also cause liver disease and inflammation.   In addition, if a person does not get enough exercise they will put on weight and it becomes harder to loose any weight. As far as stress, stress causes the body to produce cortisol which helps the body deal with stress and can slow down a person's metabolism.  Furthermore, when people are under stress, they often eat way more than is good for them and gain weight.  In addition, when people do not sleep well, it can effect their weight.

Fortunately, there are things a person can do to help loose any fat gained in the belly region.  One of the first things is to improve what you eat.  One should eliminate sugar, fatty foods including commercial baked goods with transfats and refined carbohydrates.  Instead, eat whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins.  One should also cut back on  alcohol at the same time.

Then one should also increase the amount of exercise. For the most effective results, combine cardio, strength training, high intensity training and resistance training.  It is recommended people get a minimum of 30 minutes per day. Exercise also helps to decrease the amount of stress a person is undergoing.  Add in a bit of meditation and mindfulness.  In addition, try to get out and enjoy the sun more.  One way is to walk outside when you can because sunlight helps regulate metabolism.

One also needs to learn to sleep better at night by relaxing, turning the lights down in the room by replacing lightbulbs with lower wattage and planning to slow down one to two hours before going to bed.  I go to bed and lay in bed at least one hour before I plan to sleep so I can read a book with the lights down and just ease me into being sleepy.  It works most evenings, except when I have something on my mind.  Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear. Have a great day.

Why Is It Named "Candy Corn"?

Halloween is over and people bought over 9 billion pieces of this one candy that most people only eat once a year.  When we played a couple Halloween games of Kahoot, Candy Corn came up as being a favorite but my students said "Yuck" to it.  No matter what they think, it is a traditional part of Halloween.  

It is said this favorite was first made back in the 1880's when candy companies made a slurry of sugar, corn syrup and a marshmallow creme and turned them into vegetables like pumpkins, turnips, and other foods.  

You may be wondering why agricultural products? At this time in history, about half of the population lived on farms, ranches, or lived off the land so candy companies always made agricultural themed candies to sell to this portion of the population.

The first candy corns were marketed by Wunderle Candy Company out of Philadelphia.  It is said that one of their employees, George Renniger, created the three color, hand cast candy.  There are records showing Wunderle as the first company to market these treats.  It wasn't until 1898 when the Goetz Candy Company (later the Jelly Belly Candy Company)  got the recipe and began producing it.  It wasn't marketed as Candy Corn because most people didn't eat corn, so it instead it was sold as "Chicken Feed".

In fact, it wasn't until World War I when a wheat shortage occurred that people began eating corn and corn based products such as corn meal, corn flour, etc.  Even into the early 1920's the company used a rooster to help sell the product with the pitch of "King of the Candy Corn Fields."  However, over the first half of the 20th century, Candy Corn became one of the common "penny" candies which are cheap candies kids could easily buy in bulk and enjoy. 

At this point in time Candy Corn was sold year round so it appeared at Halloween, Thanksgiving, or Christmas, and was eaten by kids just because it was cheap and good. Then in 1950, the company made a push to increase consumption of this candy around Halloween even though it was sold year round.  Even today, it is well known at Halloween and honestly, that is the only time I think about it.

In the beginning, the company cooked up a slurry of sugar and other ingredients and once it was nice and gooey, men would walk backwards filling molds where the concoction cooled and then tipped out for another run.  Now, they still make the slurry but the process has been mechanized but they still make it doing the white first, the orange second, and the yellow bottom last. 

If you surveyed people on the proper way to eat candy corn, you'll find people have their favorite way of consuming the treat.  About 65 percent of Americans believe you should eat the whole thing at once while 27 percent think one should begin at the white end working through to the yellow part and 7 percent want to begin at the yellow end and go to the white.  

Candy Corn candy is such a part of the culture that October 30th has been declared national Candy Corn day. Brach's candies markets a variety of flavors that combine peanut butter and chocolate, or maple and French toast, or caramel or Birthday cake.  I don't like the stuff so I avoid it at all costs.  Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.  Have a great day.

I Hate Time Changes

I remembered the clocks and I still don't want to get up!