Stand Up For Your Health

Hello Everyone

Is it time to take a stand for your health? And I really mean stand?

The University of Kansas found that people who decrease their sitting time and increase their physical activity have a lower risk of chronic disease.

Just standing throughout the day rather than sitting improves health and lessens the chance of such diseases as cardiovascular, diabetes, heart, stroke, breast and colon cancer.

Anything that reduces sitting time can help.  I, for example, have now placed my computer on top of my filing cabinet so that I can stand and work rather than sit.

Another strategy might be to move the printer well away from the computer so that you have to move, and preferably walk to the printer.

Evidently sitting for prolonged periods of time with little movement,  shuts off a molecule called lipoprotein lipase, or LPL.  Lipoprotein lipase helps to take in fat or triglycerides and use it for energy.  This is important to get our metabolism functioning properly.

This is such an important area for our health and well-being that researchers suggest trying a sit/stand desk as way to decrease sedentary time and add physical activity into the day. A sit/stand desk or workstation can adjust up and down so employees can add more standing time to their days. There are even sit/stand desks for children to stand and do homework or projects.

What can you do to take a stand for your health?

Roz Townsend  www.roztownsend.com

Source:

Richard R Rosenkranz, Mitch J Duncan, Sara K Rosenkranz, Gregory S Kolt. Active lifestyles related to excellent self-rated health and quality of life: cross sectional findings from 194,545 participants in The 45 and Up Study. BMC Public Health, 2013; 13 (1): 1071 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2458-13-1071

Extraordinary Listening Skills

Hello Everyone

Did you know that:

                                   You get to choose who you are as a listener

The skills of extraordinary listening have seldom been taught. Consider that you do not need to take your brain into a ‘random access’ mode when people are talking to you. You could choose to listen in such a way that people love talking and sharing information with you. How will you do this? This is where the deeper philosophical aspects of listening come in. To do this takes a level of personal development and awareness requiring the listener to go  beyond their egos.  It goes into the area of creating communication as a medium for peace and harmony on the planet.

Foundations of extraordinary listening

What do I mean by this? Consider that people do not say anything right or wrong- they just say what they say and either it works or it does not work. If we don’t make people wrong when they are talking to us they will feel more open.

Similarly how we listen will determine what we are told.

Listen for responsibility or passion Often when people are talking they have an underlying passion or responsibility. A comment by a parent to a  20 year old son or daughter about their car such as ‘have you checked the tyres? What about the oil?’ May not be meant to be intrusive and bossy but rather the underlying message could be a parent being responsible saying in ‘code’ that ‘I love you, stay safe!’

Listen for what they are creating in the future – their possibility A comment like “I can’t tolerate the my job, I think I ‘ll leave”. This might be a desire to work more productively or independently rather than being heard as a complaint.

Listen for proaction rather than reaction  As in the above example, “I can’t tolerate the my job, I think I ‘ll leave”. This might be a desire to take more control of their life rather than be a victim.

Listen for the gems  The comment “Have you checked the oil?” could well be important for the longevity and resale value of the car.

Listen to understand “I can’t tolerate the my job, I think I‘ll leave”.  Could elicit a response such as “I did not know how bad the situation was becoming for you. Tell me more...”

These extraordinary filters will give you extraordinary relationships at home and work. And they will take some action on your part.

Roz Townsend  www.roztownsend.com

Source:             Listening Skills Roz Townsend  2012

Could Our Genes Determine If We Are Going To Be More Optimistic or Pessimistic?

Hello Everyone

Is it possible that there is a genetic reason why some people tend to be pessimists and others optimists?

Evidently some people actually do see the world more darkly.  It now seems that what people see in everyday life could depend on their genetic makeup.  There is a specific gene which is known to play a part in emotional memories and this could also impact where people focus their attention.

A Cornell University psychologist, Adam Anderson, believes that "our brains filter what we see and that emotions have a powerful influence on how we see the world."

About half of the Caucasian population have a gene in which specific amino acids are missing and this tends to give them an elevated awareness of negative stimuli.

Individuals with the missing amino acids from the ADRA2B gene have more norepinephrine.  This means they experience memories more intensely and are more likely to observe any negative events.

Could this information create more tolerance in society?  It adds to the saying that there is no right nor wrong in the world - just difference.

Roz Townsend  www.roztownsend.com

Source:             Meeri Kim  Washington Post

The camera and memory

Hello Everyone

In my part of the world, particularly around holiday time there is a trend to take a photo of yourself and post it on social media.  Even a former Prime Minister of Australia was a key proponent of this "selfie" trend.

There could be a good reason to limit this activity.

A study from Connecticut University indicates that taking photos rather than just concentrating and being totally present to a situation prevents memories from forming and taking hold.  They even have a name for this "photo-taking impairment effect".

Some people are almost mindless in their desire to record  every moment rather than take in the present moment.

The key point seems to be that "in order to remember, we have to access and interact with photos rather than just amass  them." The large numbers of digital photos that can be accrued can actually be a disincentive to organise and register them in the memory.

This is interesting research as most people would agree that the greatest gift you can give another is one's presence rather than a photo.  Yet the mere fact of concentrating on getting the photo rather than fully enjoying the situation might mean that the occasion does not live long in the memory.

Roz Townsend  www.roztownsend.com

Source:            Sarah Knapton Science Correspondent                                                                                              10 Dec 2013       Telegraph London

Keep it Sweet and Stay Cool - a little bit of sugar stops aggression

Hello Everyone

There is so much information on diet, health and general well-being around at the moment that sometimes it is hard to get a balance. 

For example there is a great movement afoot in the western world to have people be more accountable for the amount of sugar they eat and the impact it has on health – especially type 2 diabetes.                                               

Consider some of the latest research to come from the University of New South Wales in Australia suggests that aggressive people given to outbursts can gain control of themselves in situations where they normally lose it by eating a little sugar.  They also suggested using the non-dominant hand.

Professor Denson from the University of NSW stated that “self-control is like a muscle so it requires an energy source”.  Sugar is the energy source and practice at being calm or in control is also required hence people are asked to use their non-dominant hand.  Denson found that prisoners given a sweet drink were considerably less aggressive.

The research is really important for those people who want to take more control of their lives and limit aggression. 

It seems that the old adage of everything in moderation is important when it comes to sugar.  Similarly if people tend towards aggressive behaviour they would be wise to attend to any low blood sugar issues before they act.

Roz Townsend  www.roztownsend.com

Source:            The Sydney Morning Herald 3/11/2013 page 5

                        Nicky Phillips Science Editor