5 WAYS TO VALUE YOUR BODY

5 WAYS TO VALUE YOUR BODY

By Mickey Z., Planet Green

Think outside the box!Image Credit: © iStockphoto.com / Thinkstoc

How much do you value your body?

In the film noir classic, The Third Man, Orson Welles (as the supposedly dead Harry Lime) looks down from the top of a Ferris wheel and asks Joseph Cotton (as the very naive Hollie Martins) about the people moving about on the ground..."dots" he calls 'em. Welles poses the tantalizing question of just how many dots Cotton would allow to "stop moving" if offered $20,000 for each (remember, this was over 60 years ago). How might we respond if presented with such an offer? Surely, it's obscene to talk about humans having a monetary value?

Perhaps so, but here's but one example of human life as commodity: the Ford Pinto scandal in the 1970s. It seems that the hapless Pinto couldn't withstand a rear-end impact of 30 mph without risking a fuel tank rupture. The government stepped in and actually tried to create a new regulation. The Big Boys at Ford balked, providing a mathematical formula to prove their greedy point. Here's how consumer advocate Ralph Nader explains it:

"Ford set the cost of a human life at $200,000, a burn injury at $67,000, and the value of an incinerated auto at $700. Ford then figured in that in Pintos there would be 180 deaths, 180 burn injuries, and 2100 burned vehicles per year. Using those figures, Ford set the benefit of the 30 mph standard at $49.5 million per year. Ford then stated that it would cost the company $11 per auto to meet the standard for a total cost of $137.5 million."

Fortunately, the type of "value" I'm talking about here in relation to our bodies is far more positive. It's about the steps we can take to demonstrate how much we value our precious time here on Earth and how that value can translate into us being better earthlings.

Keep reading to learn 5 Ways to Value Your Body.

1. Avoid Toxins

There are 63 synthetic chemical products found in the average American home, translating to roughly 10 gallons of harmful chemicals. According to US EPA estimates, indoor air pollution levels can be 100 times higher than outdoor air pollution levels. So, whether you choose to remove tour shoes before entering your home or leave windows open to circulate fresh air or make the crucial switch to more earth-friendly cleaning products, start taking steps to detoxify your body.

2. Exercise

Thousands of books have been written on the thousands of benefits of exercise so here's just one factoid to pique your interest: Research studies have found consistent moderate intensity physical activity may reduce a person's risk for developing type 2 diabetes by 40% to 60%. As fitness expert and owner of Core Fitness, Michael Margulies toldme: "Exercise is the fountain of youth."

3. Stress Relief

Two thirds of Americans say they are likely to seek help for stress and 54% of Americans are concerned about the level of stress in their everyday lives. Here are 12 ways a stressed but Earth-friendly human find inner peace without the stress of substantially deepening her/his carbon footprint.

4. Planet-Based Diet

At 98.7° (body temperature), animal fat is solid (think: pork chop) while plant fat (think: olive oil) is liquid. Not surprisingly, the risk of death from heart attack for the average American is 50%. For a vegan: 4%.

5. Green Your Mind

The above steps can value our bodies and our minds. More abstractly, we can green our mindsin a few other ways, like mindfulness, interdependence, awareness, and speaking out. As some guy named Proust once said: "The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes."

Early-life stress can affect long-term health

Early-life stress can affect long-term health

Those who are exposed to pressure and stress whether prompt by 

family or society they are more likely to suffer from depression.

Stress in early stages of life may expose a person 

to bad health in coming years of life.

Those who are exposed to pressure and stress 

whether prompt by family or society they are

 more likely to suffer from depression‚ heart 

disease and diabetes.

Scientists from University of virgina found out

 that the sense of control tends to decline as one

 descends the socioeconomic ladder‚ with 

potentially grave consequences.

Those on the bottom are more than three times 

as likely to die prematurely as those at the top.

Perhaps most devastating‚ the stress of poverty early in life can have consequences that

 last into adulthood.

Even those who later ascend economically may show persistent effects of early-life hardship.

 Scientists find them more prone to illness than those who were never poor.

Educational attainment and school performance have long been linked to socioeconomic

 class‚ and a divergence in skills is evident quite early in life.

These associations raise profound questions about stress' role in hindering life achievement.

26 TIPS FOR MANAGING STRESS

26 TIPS FOR MANAGING STRESS

The first tip to control stress is‚ always take time for yourself‚ at least 30 minutes per day.  

1. Always take time for yourself‚ at least 30 minutes per day.

2. Be aware of your own stress meter: Know when to step back and cool down.

3. Concentrate on controlling your own situation‚ without controlling
everybody else.

4. Daily exercise will burn off the stress chemicals.

5. Eat lots of fresh fruit‚ veggies‚ bread and water‚ give your body the best for it to perform at its best.

6. Forgive others‚ don't hold grudges and be tolerant -- not everyone is as capable as you.

7. Gain perspective on things‚ how important is the issue?

8. Hugs‚ kisses and laughter: Have fun and don't be afraid to share your feelings with others.

9. Identify stressors and plan to deal with them better next time.

10. Judge your own performance realistically; don't set goals out of your own reach.

11. Keep a positive attitude‚ your outlook will influence outcomes and the way others treat you.

12. Limit alcohol‚ drugs and other stimulants‚ they affect your perception and behaviour.

13. Manage money well‚ seek advice and save at least 10 per cent of what you earn.

14. No is a word you need to learn to use without feeling guilty.

15. Outdoor activities by yourself‚ or with friends and family‚ can be a great way to relax.

16. Play your favourite music rather than watching television.

17. Quit smoking: It is stressing your body daily‚ not to mention killing you too.

18. Relationships: Nurture and enjoy them‚ learn to listen more and talk less.

19. Sleep well‚ with a firm mattress and a supportive pillow; don't overheat yourself and allow plenty of ventilation.

20. Treat yourself once a week with a massage‚ dinner out‚ the movies: Moderation is the key.

21. Understand things from the other person's point of view.

22. Verify information from the source before exploding.

23. Worry less‚ it really does not get things completed better or quicker.

24. Xpress: Make a regular retreat to your favourite space‚ make holidays part of your yearly plan and budget.

25. Yearly goal setting: Plan what you want to achieve based on your priorities in your career‚ relationships‚ etc.

26. Zest for life: Each day is a gift‚ smile and be thankful that you are a part of the bigger picture.

Sleep boosts brain cell numbers

Sleep boosts brain cell numbers

In contrast‚ the genes involved in cell death and stress 

responses were turned on when the mice were forced to 

stay awake.

Scientists believe that

 they have discovered 

a new reason why we 

need to sleep it replenishes

 a type of brain cell.

Dr Chiara Cirelli and 

colleagues from the 

University of Wisconsin

 found that the production

 rate of the myelin making

 cells‚ immature 

oligodendrocytes‚ doubled

 as mice slept.

The increase was most marked during the type of sleep that is associated with 

dreaming - REM or rapid eye movement sleep - and was driven by genes.

In contrast‚ the genes involved in cell death and stress responses were turned on when the

 mice were forced to stay awake.

Dr Cirelli said that for a long time‚ sleep researchers focused on how the activity of nerve 

cells differs when animals are awake versus when they are asleep.

Psychological benefits for inmates doing yoga: Study

Psychological benefits for inmates doing yoga: Study

Yoga can improve the mood and mental well-being of 

prisoners‚ and may also have an effect on impulsive behavior‚

 an Oxford University study suggested.

Reported their findings

 in the Journal of 

Psychiatric  Research‚

 researchers said prisons

 see rates of mental health

problems that are many

 times higher than the 

general population‚Xinhua

 news agency reported.

Inmates from a range of 

ages were randomly assigned 

to either a course of ten weekly

 yoga sessions of 90 minutes‚ or

 to a control group.

"We found that the group that did the yoga course showed an improvement in positive

 mood‚ a decrease in stress and greater accuracy in a computer test of impulsivity and 

attention‚" said Dr Amy Bilderbeck‚ who led the study.

If yoga is associated with improving behavior control‚ as suggested by the results of 

the computer test‚ there may be implications for managing aggression‚ antisocial or

problem behavior in prisons and on return to society‚ researchers noted.