Do You Have the Holiday Spirit? How (and Why) the Holidays Impact Our Mood

December 16, 2022 Vera

If Scrooge and the Grinch can find the holiday spirit, can you?

Research shows that holiday images, memories of childhood, songs and even Hallmark movies can all help contribute to a sense of happiness that can be dubbed the “holiday spirit” or “good cheer.”

“There is a subconscious code of generosity, kindness and charity that the holidays promote, known as ‘holiday spirit,’” notes Carla Schnitzlein, DO, medical director of Natchaug Hospital, part of the Hartford HealthCare Behavioral Health Network.

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But where does that ‘holiday spirit’ come from?

This, research shows, is due to a variety of factors, including:

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If your holiday memories are happy, your brain will be too.

Several years ago, a researcher performed brain scans on one group of people who celebrated Christmas and another that did not. When shown holiday images, those in the former group showed activity in the front of the brain, where happiness registers.

“Many of us associate the holidays with positive memories and our brains are wired to respond in certain ways when we view certain images, either pleasant or unpleasant,” Dr. Schnitzlein says. “If the holiday memories you have are happy, your brain is more likely to respond in a way that represents happiness or joy.”

It works for music, too, she adds.

“Musical concepts like tempo, rhythm and key impact mood,” she notes. “Major keys, in which many holiday songs are written, are considered happy sounding and can put us in the holiday mindset and spirit.”

This, research indicates, might be why retailers start playing holiday tunes early, hoping they encourage spending.

Not feeling so happy? This might explain why.

The music, lights and trappings of the holidays don’t feel joyous to everyone, however.

“Certainly, may people have strong family connections and wonderful family traditions, which helps promote a positive outlook during the holidays,” Dr. Schnitzlein says. “That said, not everyone has these connections, and they can feel isolated during the holidays.”

Another consideration, she adds, is the 38% of people who, when surveyed, reported increased stress, anxiety and other mental health concerns.

“We have to remember that, although the holidays can spark joy in a large part of the population, it can also be challenging to those with strained family relationships or limited financial means,” Dr. Schnitzlein says.

How 15 Minutes of Workout Can Have Major Benefits?

December 16, 2022 Vera

The best workout plan is a short one. In fact, 15 minutes of workout can have a tremendous effect on your health an well-being.

You can easily do it whenever you have time and also in a small area. If you have to work for eight hours and still want to be fit, this is the best way of improving your health without any expenses or gym memberships required.

Benefits of 15-minute workout

Here are some benefits:

Can make you feel more energetic

To have the best effects, you should aim to do at least 15 minutes of workout before you start your day. However, if that’s not possible, try doing it after work or during your lunch break. If possible, try doing it before starting work in the morning.

Apart from building muscle size, boosting athletic performance, and facilitating daily activities, bicep curls build strength in the upper arm, train the shoulder to be more stable, and teach the practitioner’s core to engage. https://t.co/9z69SfB8Po

Boost healthy cells and increase chances of longevity

What you eat and how you exercise are not only essential for maintaining your physical health but also for decreasing your chances of an early death.

It’s important to know that when you’re constantly working out, it helps boost the number of calories burned during the day. That means it’s possible for one person to burn up more calories even if they perform only 15 minutes of workout than another who doesn’t work out as much.

Improve sleep

You may have heard that exercising helps you sleep better. When the body is in a state of rest, it releases chemicals called endorphins, which help relax the muscles and reduce stress.

These compounds also bind to receptors in the brain that influence mood and emotions, producing a feeling of euphoria. The more you exercise, the more endorphins the body produces, which can improve sleep quality.

Exercising regularly can also help you sleep better at night, as exercising requires muscle exertion, which eventually causes fatigue. As a result, that makes it easier for the body temperature to go down while sleeping. That makes sure that the body gets its required rest before waking up again

Which supplements are good for heart health, which are not?

December 14, 2022 Vera

With a substantial rise in several cardio-metabolic diseases over the years, questions regarding which food supplements to take and which to avoid have become relevant, diet and nutrition being two of the most important factors in causing and preventing several long-term ailments. And it all begins with demolishing the devil called cholesterol.

Cardiometabolic diseases are a variety of common yet preventable ailments, including cardiovascular events like heart attack, stroke and metabolic disorders like diabetes, insulin resistance and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease among others. These present some of the most serious health challenges for the global healthcare system in the 21st century with cases rising rapidly every year. But research, technology and treatment modules have also evolved at a brisk pace over the years, making the conditions not only curable but also preventable.

Several studies have suggested that diets rich in antioxidants, minerals and vitamins lower the risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and Type-2 diabetes. On the contrary, diets rich in saturated fat and sodium up the threat quotient. Micronutrients consist of various vitamins and minerals like Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, which tend to reduce the risk of CVD mortality, heart attacks and other heart diseases due to their anti-inflammatory effect while folic acid decreases the risk of strokes by lowering the blood total homocysteine (tHcy) concentrations. Being a key family of polyunsaturated fats, Omega-3 fats not only prevent heart diseases and strokes but also help in controlling lupus, eczema and rheumatoid arthritis while playing a major role in cancer and other conditions.

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Polyphenols like curcumin, genistein and quercetin have shown health benefits for preventing cardiovascular diseases as well as reducing HbA1c (a measure of longer-term blood sugar levels) and fasting blood insulin levels. And although several micronutrients have various health benefits, others like vitamin C, E and selenium have a neutral effect on cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. It is also worth noting that Vitamin D reduces oxidative stress and improves cardiometabolic outcomes but still studies have been inconclusive about whether it can prevent heart disease.

In fact, Johns Hopkins researchers say that consuming too much of certain vitamins can be harmful. Too much calcium and vitamin D are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

Nutrients like magnesium play a major role in muscle and nerve functioning. The heart is a muscle which requires a large amount of magnesium to keep

3 Health-Fitness Businesses Coming to Huntington Commons – Huntington Now

December 13, 2022 Vera

Three health and fitness businesses have signed leases to open at Huntington Commons, the center’s owner said Thursday, with a fourth business expected to move in next year.

CycleBar, GOLFTEC and iStretchPlus 11 are the new businesses that will be operating in the space previously occupied by Outback Steakhouse, which closed abruptly in 2018, Phenix Salons expected in 2023 and will move into the old Famous Footwear space.

They are part of a renewal of the center, formerly known as the Big H, at 839 New York Ave., with ShopRite opening Sunday. The grocery store will be joining other tenants, including Home Depot, Marshalls,which recently changed locations in the center, Tommy’s Tacos, Old Navy, Petco, Burger King and New China Restaurant.

Urban Edge Properties said it has signed leases for a total of 7,299 square feet for the new businesses.

“These new, health and wellness uses share a target demographic with ShopRite and will benefit from synergies and the increased convenience of adjacency for multiple weekly visits,” said Scott Auster, senior vice president and head of leasing at Urban Edge.  “And, with a brand-new Marshalls store in place, Huntington Commons will truly combine the best of essential and discretionary retail alongside in-demand services such as fitness and beauty.”

CycleBar was founded in 2004, and offers a variety of low-impact, high-intensity indoor cycling workouts for all fitness levels. CycleBar offers “CycleTheaters,” enhanced with high-energy “CycleBeats” playlists and tracked using rider-specific “CycleStat” performance metrics.

GOLFTEC was founded in 1995, and offers golf lessons and instruction. It features proprietary OptiMotion technology, measuring how golfers swing the club.

“The two biggest things that drove us to this center are the visibility and access from New York Avenue and the renewed energy within the center as the redevelopment and new tenants are announced and open,” said Chad Covak, vice president of real estate at GOLFTEC.

iStretchPlus: This will be the first location for this locally owned stretching concept that will provide assisted stretching, cupping, infrared sauna, plunge cold therapy, acupressure, and additional wellness services that will focus on but not limited to injury relief, injury recovery and injury prevention.

“The freshly remodeled Huntington Commons is geographically perfect for us to service the hard-working people of Huntington as well as its surrounding cities,” said James Haas, owner of iStretchPlus. “We are very excited to be part of this makeover and pleased

Tuesday, November 22, 2022 | Kaiser Health News

December 12, 2022 Vera

Health Systems, Patient Care Impacted By Rising Claim Denial Rates

Modern Healthcare draws attention to a “significant” rise in denied insurance claims over the past year, which has increased administrative work, reduced hospital cash flow, and delayed patient care. Separately, Axios reports on how medical inflation is affecting big employers.

Modern Healthcare:
Insurance Claim Denial Rates Rising As Health Systems Struggle

Health systems across the country have experienced a significant rise in denied claims over the past year, leading to more administrative work for providers, less cash flow for hospitals and, in some cases, postponed patient care. (Devereaux, 11/21)

No place like home | Penn Today

December 10, 2022 Vera

Robin and Lauren Magaziner got the bad news at just about the same time. After a relative learned that her breast cancer was tied to having a BRCA1 gene mutation, the New Hope, Pennsylvania, mother/daughter pair also underwent genetic testing, and found that they, too, carried the harmful mutation.

Along with other elevated cancer risks, a BRCA1 mutation brings a 55 to 72% chance of developing breast cancer over an individual’s lifetime, according to the National Cancer Institute. The Magaziners came to the same conclusion: Rather than having what Lauren calls a “ticking time bomb” in their bodies, they both underwent double mastectomy with DIEP flap breast reconstruction, which uses abdominal tissue in place of implants.

Lauren, an author of middle-grade fiction, went first, in March 2022 and mother Robin, a retired school teacher, six weeks later. Each accompanied the other to appointments prior to surgery, providing shoulders to lean on at every step of their shared journey. Afterwards, instead of repeatedly driving from their remote Bucks County home to their surgeon’s office in West Philadelphia, they both also received regular visits from Erin McCarthy, registered nurse case manager with Penn Medicine at Home. McCarthy did everything from adjusting medication to checking and eventually removing their surgical drains. One time, when Robin developed an open wound, McCarthy used telemedicine to contact her surgeon so they could, as a team, examine and address the problem.

“Erin reached one of my doctors right away, and I was able to get medicine quicker because of her,” says Robin. “She was able to get the care I needed before it got worse.”

nurse talking with patient at home kitchen table — Robin Magaziner, a retired schoolteacher, had a prophylactic double mastectomy and breast reconstruction six weeks after her daughter, Lauren. Nurse Erin McCarthy helped both of them review medications, checked on wounds, and removed their surgical drains.

Having care at home saved the Magaziners time and stress after major surgery. “I loved that I was able to do this right from the house, because otherwise we’d have to drive 40 minutes and then wait in a doctor’s office,” says Lauren.

“Longer in traffic!” Robin interjects.

Plus, “during recovery, I didn’t feel comfortable being in the car because the seat belt pulls on your chest and stomach,” Lauren says.

“The vibrations from the car can make it painful,” Robin adds.

Penn Medicine provided nearly 730,000 home care visits for patients like Lauren