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7635. thoughtful - 4/5/2012 11:42:08 PM Yep...the mind-body connection is undeniable. 7636. thoughtful - 4/6/2012 11:54:15 AM Re mind-body connection, physically you are safe in a darkened theatre in a reasonably comfortable chair surrounded by friends or family...yet your heart is racing, or you're squirming or shouting or crying...all because of what your mind is telling you because of what you are seeing and hearing. No doubt the mind affects the physical.
What's really surprising though is how the physical effects the mind. The people who were studying all the muscles of the face...the human lie detectors based on micro movements of these muscles...found that when they were making lots of frowning or depressed or sad expressions to study those muscles, they were actually getting sad and depressed. When they were studying the smile and laugh muscles, they were feeling better. Apparently the brain says, I'm smiling so I must be happy. An unexpected surprise. So if you're feeling down, smile and you will feel better. 7637. judithathome - 4/6/2012 4:34:01 PM An unexpected surprise
This brought up a memory that made me smile...I was talking to Keoni's late father a few years back and asked him what Keoni's rather unusual middle name meant in Hawaiian...he'd always claimed it meant "the dark one"...his dad laughed and said "That's very creative of him but it actually means 'unexpected surprise' ".
I'll never forget that.
And yes, he's the oldest. ;-) 7638. Wombat - 4/6/2012 4:45:28 PM Concerned,
It was in 1893 (second term). 7639. concerned - 4/6/2012 7:49:01 PM Thanks for that info. 7640. concerned - 4/6/2012 7:52:56 PM Re. 7636 -
thoughtful -
Thanks for all the information about meditation and sorry I haven't responded to it before now, but I am following the posting.
I'm becoming increasingly concerned that I might experience a sudden health crisis brought on by stress (having just turned 57). This might be aggravated by my worries about staying employed at a good salary for at least 2-3 more years (in electronics design) now which I figure would be the absolute minimum to provide a minimally comfortable retirement while keeping my house. The good news is that nothing serious has happened yet, but I'm a worrier which probably doesn't help. 7641. Wombat - 4/6/2012 8:19:17 PM Concerned (no wonder you go by that monicker),
I am a couple of years younger than you, but I had a frightening incident last year. I experienced a constellation of symptoms that may have indicated a heart attack. I dialed 911 and an ambulance arrived in less than ten minutes. They were a bit surprised when I opened the door for them. After a morning's worth of tests, they determined that I was not having a heart attack; and subsequent--more exhaustive--tests determined that my cardiovascular system was in good shape, particularly for someone in as poor physical condition as myself. I was heavily stressed for a number of reasons, so I am sure that played a role.
7642. vonKreedon - 4/6/2012 8:50:08 PM My wife and I both got CAT scans of our coronary arteries at the beginning of the year, $200 not covered by insurance, and were delightfully surprised to hear that our coronary arteries are 100% clear. I'm not sure how we both won that genetic lottery, but grateful for it. 7643. arkymalarky - 4/6/2012 11:40:54 PM I had that done due to an abnormal stress test. All was fine. I had to pay too, but I didn't want an angiogram. 7644. thoughtful - 4/7/2012 1:19:14 AM Concerned, then you ought to give it a try. It couldn't hurt and can help, a lot. I was meditating daily for a month and then I let other things get in the way and I found myself getting stressed and anxious for no reason...then I remembered my lapse. I've gone back and am feeling so much better. I have also found my creativity improving. I'm sure it would help with your profession as well. It also just plain feels good. A vacation that is at hand any time at no cost.
7645. thoughtful - 4/7/2012 1:24:25 AM Wombat, I am so glad that you called for help. A buddy at work actually drove himself to the hospital while having a heart attack. Not only could he have died on the way, but he could've killed someone if he passed out or died. 7646. thoughtful - 4/7/2012 3:42:08 AM Seriously, concerned, given your reactions here in politics, you should take time off from the rabid political commentators. There is a lot of evidence that the brain grows in those areas that are most used. stress and agitation can affect the amygdala which is responsible for generating stress hormones, putting you in a constant state of stress. the amygdala shrinks with meditation, while gray matter increases. And it doesn't matter whether the stress is real...like being chased by a bear...or in the mind...like worrying about your job future or obamacare. The effects on the brain and the body is the same.
how meditation affects the brain 7647. thoughtful - 4/7/2012 3:48:08 AM HDL vs LDL
Which is bad? Neither. The latest is that some LDL is good...the large fluffy kind. Some LDL is bad...the small cell stuff. Problem is current blood tests don't distinguish between the 2. So pay attention to your HDL and your triglycerides. The LDL isn't informative. 7648. thoughtful - 4/9/2012 4:11:59 AM growing evidence of the ill health effects of lack of sleep including increased weight gain and risk of diabetes.
and with that, I'm off to bed! 7649. concerned - 4/10/2012 4:52:27 AM I'm maybe in an interesting health situation. As I believe I mentioned here a little while ago, I notice a few months back that I was starting to develop a bald spot at the crown of my head, so I started using minoxidil 5%.
A couple months later, companies began offering 15% minoxidil, so I figured that would result in improved hair regrowth (I had noticed a small amount with the 5%), so I got a couple bottles of the 15%, which did seem to help a little.
Then a couple months ago, the FDA apparently outlawed all 15% minoxidil sales in the US, so I was back to 5% but did not want to give up any progress I had made or even regress, so I did some internet research and found a recipe for something called 'oz brew' which some guy had concocted in New Zealand using 5% minoxidil and DMSO.
So I made my own version of Oz Brew and it seems to have made some further improvement or at least arrested further spread. As a side benefit, it seems to control my blood pressure somewhat - something I can use because of my hyptertension and stress. I know that when I went off the Oz Brew for a few days I was getting some angina and the day I went back on, the angina stopped. 7650. thoughtful - 4/10/2012 2:19:47 PM Angina, serious business and should not be ignored.
Also, studies have shown that men who get a bald spot on the back of their head have a higher incidence of heart disease, so your experience is consistent.
7651. thoughtful - 4/11/2012 2:02:04 PM Most fascinating article on why we overeat...done by a behavioral economist, including how educating people doesn't even help.
How External Cues Make Us Overeat 7652. judithathome - 4/11/2012 7:00:34 PM Finally getting my needle biopsy tomorrow...with Dr. WISE. I hope she is.... 7653. vonKreedon - 4/11/2012 7:03:58 PM Here's hoping for the very best in every way for you Judith. 7654. arkymalarky - 4/12/2012 12:10:55 AM What Vk said.
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