Laughter is strong medicine for mind and body

Laughter is a powerful antidote to stress, pain, and conflict. Nothing works faster or more dependably to bring your mind and body back into balance than a good laugh. Humor lightens your burdens, inspires hopes, connects you to others, and keeps you grounded, focused, and alert.

With so much power to heal and renew, the ability to laugh easily and frequently is a tremendous resource for surmounting problems, enhancing your relationships, and supporting both physical and emotional health.

Laughing with others

Shared laughter is one of the most effective tools for keeping relationships fresh and exciting. All emotional sharing builds strong and lasting relationship bonds, but sharing laughter and play adds joy, vitality, and resilience. And humor is a powerful and effective way to heal resentments, disagreements, and hurts. Laughter unites people during difficult times.


Using humor and laughter in relationships allows you to:


• Be more spontaneous. Humor gets you out of your head and away from your troubles.


• Let go of defensiveness. Laughter helps you forget judgments, criticisms, and doubts.


• Release inhibitions. Your fear of holding back and holding on are set aside.


• Express your true feelings. Deeply felt emotions are allowed to rise to the surface.

Yawning Is One Of The Best-Kept Secrets In Neuroscience- Reduce Anxiety and Hypertension

Go Ahead Yawn!

Go ahead: Laugh if you want (though you’ll benefit your brain more if you smile), but in my professional opinion, yawning is one of the best-kept secrets in neuroscience. Even my colleagues who are researching meditation, relaxation, and stress reduction at other universities have overlooked this powerful neural-enhancing tool. However, yawning has been used for many decades in voice therapy as an effective means for reducing performance anxiety and hypertension in the throat.

Teeth Whitening Home Solutions and Natural Ingredants..Save On Your Dentist Bills

Teeth Whitening

Everyone wants a glamorous movie-star smile, and by today's standards, the whiter your teeth, the better. Of course, we all can't afford multiple visits to the dentist and stains do come back, making it a recurring problem.


Even with proper care, your teeth can be stained by coffee, soda, tea, medicines, and smoking. The residue of food seeps into the fine cracks of your teeth, making it nearly impossible to brush out. Whitening toothpastes only bleach out minor discolorations. The older the stain, the more difficult it is to get rid of.

Home Remedies

 In most cases, cheap toothpaste doesn't cut it. An expensive toothpaste is often needed for a brighter smile. Unfortunately, getting your teeth whitened professionally is not an option for everyone. If you want to forego the creams, bleaches, trays, and gels found in drugstores, you can take the natural approach and use any of the following home remedies for whiter teeth that are both cheap and effective.


Baking Soda: An old-time favorite, baking soda has many purposes, including tooth whitening. Most dentists agree that it's safe to use and works fairly quickly. You can use it alone on a damp toothbrush or mix it with toothpaste to help neutralize the salty taste.


Hydrogen Peroxide: One of the most popular home remedies, peroxide, is cheap and most people have it on hand. Chances are, you will feel some burning in your gums, but you'll be left with clean, whiter teeth. Typically, most people will see results within a couple of weeks but it can happen much sooner. It's also safe to gargle, but don't swallow.


Brush your teeth as you normally do, and then swish for about a minute. Follow up by spitting it out and rinsing thoroughly with water. Another way to use it is by dipping a cotton swap in the solution and gently rubbing it into your teeth, front and back.


Strawberries: Not many people are aware that strawberries contain natural teeth whitening agents and the seeds work great for cleaning. Since they also contain sugar and acids, it's important to brush immediately afterwards with a fluoride toothpaste. For easy and quick application, you can either rub the strawberry against your teeth, or mash it up and use it like toothpaste.


Wood Ash: Strange as it may sound, hard wood ash helps whiten teeth. It contains potassium hydroxide, a compound that will bleach your teeth. The tiny crystals scrape off plague in hard to reach places and will scrub them clean. However, using wood ash often or scrubbing too hard can wear down your tooth enamel, so it's best to avoid using it for long periods of time. To apply it to your teeth, you can put it directly on your toothbrush or mix it with a small amount of toothpaste.


Homemade tooth paste: One of the better home recipes for whiter teeth is a paste consisting of baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, table salt and a dab of toothpaste. Mix it all together and brush away stains.


More Options for Whiter Teeth
Orange Peel: An orange peel rubbed across the teeth can also help whiten them. Citric acid naturally has properties that help to whiten the teeth, so either an orange or lemon peel could be used for this purpose.


Lemon Juice: The acid in lemon juice is strong and can eat the enamel off of your teeth. Combining it with baking soda helps to buffer it and won't destroy the enamel, as long as this treatment isn't overused. A paste made with a teaspoon of lemon juice mixed with a teaspoon of salt can also be used as a tooth whitener. Brush your teeth with this paste to help exfoliate and remove stains from the teeth. Again though, don't use this paste often because the acids in lemon juice can eat away the enamel on your teeth.


You can combine any of the above ingredients with wood ash, strawberries, hydrogen peroxide or baking soda for some extra whitening power. Always clean the ingredients off of your teeth when you're finished by rinsing and brushing with commercial toothpaste.


Remember that teeth naturally have a yellowish tint because of calcium, an essential mineral for strong tooth enamel. Brushing too hard and using lemon juice, an acid, or any form of vitamin C will eat away the surface. Once your tooth enamel is ruined, it's permanent. Your teeth will be considerably weaker and much more prone to cavities and sensitivity. All home remedies should be used in moderation and monitored closely.



Breast Cancer Awareness Month..Early Dection Is The Answer..See Your Doctor..Get Your Mammogram

Early Detection Is The Answer

http://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/About-Breast-Cancer/Breast-Self-Exam.aspx

You may have noticed a lot of pink around campus lately. West Virginia University has changed its website from Gold and Blue to pink. The football team will soon be sporting pink ribbons on their helmets.

The pink ribbon is used to signify National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an important, month-long reminder to raise awareness of the second-most common cancer among women in the U.S. and around the world.


The National Cancer Institute estimates 207,090 women will be diagnosed with the disease in 2010, claiming the lives of 39,840. I do not have these figures world wide. In any event such numbers are troubling, and are a disturbing reminder of this terrible condition.


To help raise awareness, the WVU community is playing its part. Already, free examinations have been given at the Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center. The Cancer Center will hold a fashion show Oct. 25 with local designers and stores at Lakeview Resort.


Athletic teams will also contribute to the cause. The volleyball team will host a "Dig Pink" game against Georgetown, with the crowd encouraged to wear pink.

The Christ the Redeemer statue is lit up in pink at night for Breast Cancer awareness in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and the list of supporters goes on.

Breast cancer is a tumor that grows in one or both of the breasts, according to the National Breast Cancer Awareness Month website. The cancer typically develops in ducts, lobules or milk-producing areas of the breast.

The American Cancer Society recommends women 40 and older should have a mammogram every year, continuing to do so "as long as they are in good health."


Women in their 20s and 30s should have a breast exam administered by a health expert every three years.


Women in their early 20s, and throughout their lifetimes, should perform self-examinations.


Trouble signs include: lumps or swelling, skin irritations or dimpling, nipple pain or nipple turning inward, unusual redness or scaliness of nipple or breast skin or a discharge other than breast milk.


Medical experts agree early detection can save thousands of lives a year. By combining regular screening and self-examination, the number of those falling victim to the disease should drop.


"The majority of women diagnosed with breast cancer live a long life," Dr. Jame Abraham, chief of hematology and oncology at the WVU School of Medicine and medical director of the Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center, told WVU Today. "Early detection and effective treatment offers great help and will enhance their chances for survival."


Awareness is the key to eliminating breast cancer once and for all. Simple techniques at home, coupled with money raised, can help rid the world of a senseless killer.

Quick Reference Guide to all the most common (and some uncommon) herbs and spices! Cooking Creatively...

Ever get coriander confused with cumin? Or wonder if saffron is really essential to the flavor of a dish? As much for our benefit as for yours, we've put together this quick reference guide to all the most common (and some uncommon) herbs and spices!

DRIED HERBS AND SPICES

• Allspice - Similar to cloves, but more pungent and deeply flavored. Best used in spice mixes.

• Bay Leaf - (also: Indian Bay Leaf) Adds a woodsy background note to soups and sauces.

• Cardamom - This warm, aromatic spice is widely used in Indian cuisine. It's also great in baked goods when used in combination with spices like clove and cinnamon.

• Cayenne Pepper - Made from dried and ground red chili peppers. Adds a sweet heat to soups, braises, and spice mixes.

• Cinnamon - (also: Vietnamese Cassia Cinnamon) Found in almost every world cuisine, cinnamon serves double duty as spice in both sweet and savory dishes.

• Cloves - Sweet and warming spice. Used most often in baking, but also good with braised meat.

• Coriander - Earthy, lemony flavor. Used in a lot of Mexican and Indian dishes.

• Cumin - Smoky and earthy. Used in a lot of Southwestern US and Mexican cuisine, as well as North African, Middle Eastern, and Indian.

• Fennel Seed - Lightly sweet and licorice flavored. It's excellent with meat dishes, or even chewed on its own as a breath freshener and digestion aid!

• Fenugreek - Although this herb smells like maple syrup while cooking, it has a rather bitter, burnt sugar flavor. Found in a lot of Indian and Middle Eastern dishes.

• Garlic Powder - Garlic powder is made from dehydrated garlic cloves and can be used to give dishes a sweeter, softer garlic flavor.

• Mace - From the same plant as nutmeg, but tastes more subtle and delicate. Great in savory dishes, especially stews and homemade sausages.

• Nutmeg - Sweet and pungent. Great in baked goods, but also adds a warm note to savory dishes.

• Nutritional Yeast - Very different from bread yeast, this can be sprinkled onto or into sauces, pastas, and other dishes to add a nutty, cheesy, savory flavor.

• Oregano - Robust, somewhat lemony flavor. Used in a lot of Mexican and Mediterranean dishes.

• Paprika - (also: Smoked Paprika) Adds a sweet note and a red color. Used in stews and spice blends.

• Rosemary - Strong and piney. Great with eggs, beans, and potatoes, as well as grilled meats.

• Saffron - Subtle floral flavor. Used mostly as a coloring agent.

• Sage - Pine-like flavor, with more lemony and eucalyptus notes than rosemary. Found in a lot of northern Italian cooking.

• Smoked Paprika - (also: Paprika) Adds sweet smokiness to dishes, as well as a red color.

• Star Anise - Whole star anise can be used to add a sweet licorice-y flavor sauces and soups.

• Sumac - Zingy and lemony, sumac is a Middle Eastern spice that's great in marinades and spice rubs.

• Turmeric - Used more for its yellow color than its flavor. Can be used in place of saffron.


• Thyme - Adds a pungent, woodsy flavor. Great as an all-purpose seasoning.

• Vietnamese Cassia Cinnamon - (also: Cinnamon) Sweet and spicy. Can be used in both sweet baked goods and to add depth to savory dishes.

FRESH HERBS

• Chervil - Delicate anise flavor. Great raw in salads or as a finishing garnish.

• Fenugreek - Although this herb smells like maple syrup while cooking, it has a rather bitter, burnt sugar flavor. Found in a lot of Indian and Middle Eastern dishes.


• Marjoram - Floral and woodsy. Try it in sauces, vinaigrettes, and marinades.


• Mint - Surprisingly versatile for such an intensely flavored herb. Try it paired with lamb, peas, potatoes - and of course, with chocolate!

• Oregano - Robust, somewhat lemony flavor. Used in a lot of Mexican and Mediterranean dishes.

• Rosemary - Strong and piney. Great with eggs, beans, and potatoes, as well as grilled meats.

• Sage - Pine-like flavor, with more lemony and eucalyptus notes than rosemary. Found in a lot of northern Italian cooking.

• Tarragon - Strong anise flavor. Can be eaten raw in salads or used to flavor tomato dishes, seafood, or eggs.

• Thyme - Adds a pungent, woodsy flavor. Great as an all-purpose seasoning.

SPICE BLENDS, RUBS, AND MIXES

• Baharat - Black pepper, cumin, cinnamon, and cloves. Used to flavor soups, tomato sauces, lentils, rice pilafs, and couscous, and can be a rub for meats. (Middle Eastern)

• Bouquet Garni - Thyme, parsley, and bay leaf. Used to flavor broths and soups. (Classic French)

• Chinese Five Spice Powder - Star anise, Szechuan peppercorns, fennel, cassia, and clove. Adds sweetness and depth to savory dishes, especially beef, duck, and pork. (Chinese)

• Curry Powder - Typically includes tumeric, coriander, cumin, fenugreek, and red pepper, but mixes can vary. Used primarily to quickly flavor curry sauces. (Indian)

• Dukkah - Includes nuts (most often hazelnuts), sesame seeds, coriander, and cumin. Great spice rub for lamb, chicken, and fish. (Egyptian)

• Garam Masala - Typcially includes cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, cumin, coriander, nutmeg, and pepper. Sweeter than curry powder. Also used to season curry sauces. (Indian)

• Herbes de Provence - Usually savory, rosemary, marjoram, thyme, and sometimes lavender. Use as a marinade or dry rub for roast chicken, fish, and vegetables.

• Pickling Spice - Most often, bay leaf, yellow mustard seeds, black peppercorns, allspice, coriander. Used for pickling vegetables in vinegar.

• Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix - Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Used for seasoning pumpkin pie, but also great in other spiced baked goods.

• Ras el Hanout - Cardamom, clove, cinnamon, paprika, coriander, cumin, mace, nutmeg, peppercorn, and turmeric. Use as a spice rub on meat or a simple condiment. (North African/Moroccan)

• Za'atar Seasoning Blend - Thyme, sumac, and sesame seeds. All-purpose seasoning for many Middle Eastern dishes like grilled meats, grilled vegetables, flatbread and hummus. (Middle Eastern)


For more detailed discriptions of these and many other spices use this link below for access:

http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/quick-reference-a-guide-to-herbs-and-spices-108770