Every culture has developed their own special sound of music. Music has been a part of our lives ever since the dawn of civilization. Why is this so and what if any are the benefits of making music a part of our every day life? Studies at Cornell University show that music in the workplace increases productivity by encouraging group cooperation resulting in more positive decisions. Music can lower the stress hormone cortisol which has the same benefits as message therapy. Listening to a favorite piece of music enhances a physician’s accuracy during surgery. It has also been shown to have a positive affect on a patient’s recovery 
time. Upbeat music can result in an increase in creativity according to a study done in the Netherlands. It is often referred to as “a type of legal performance-enhancing drug” because it has been shown to motivate runners, bikers and endurance athletes. Listening to their favorite power song gave them that extra boost to continue and reach their goals. The National Sleep foundation has found that listening to soft music before bedtime will lead to falling asleep faster, waking up less during the night and waking up more relaxed in the morning. Research is now showing that music helps the body release the antibody immunoglobulin-A which helps in combating viruses and bacteria. 
It can reduce the sensation of pain in those suffering from fibromyalgia and can increase the comfort level of patients going through cancer therapy. Music can revive memories in patients who have shown little signs of awareness to previous attempts of stimulation such as those suffering from Alzheimer’s. So put on some tunes when you awake, or are cooking or just want to lie back and close your eyes for a few minutes. It will give your body, especially your heart, a shot of revitalization.
Author: Lenny Variano
Resistance Training and Depression…
New research is showing that lifting weights may have an effect on lifting a person’s mood. It has already been established that exercise can reduce symptoms of depression but until recently most of this evidence had to do with studies based on the effects of aerobic exercise. In 2017 research on the positive effects of resistance training on anxiety were published in JAMA Psychiatry but that particular research did not address the effects on depression. These researchers decided to reevaluate 200 previous studies to see if they could determine if indeed weight training eased symptoms of depression. What they found was all subjects had a decrease in depression no matter how severe the symptoms were. It did not matter how often they weight-trained, whether it was 2 times or 5 times a week. What mattered was consistency. The reduction on levels of depression seemed to occur no matter what age the subject was. The results did not suggest that resistance training was better then aerobics or medication but it showed that there is also another avenue to explore when someone suffers from depression.
Be a Collector…
It is great to learn a few recipes that are quick
and easy that you can lean on weekly. However,
this can become mundane and eventually lead
to boredom in attempting to keep eating healthy.
Whenever you are browsing through reading
material whether it be magazines, newspapers
or the internet start making a file of recipes that
you feel will be easy as well as nutritious. When
you have a little extra time pull one out and
attempt it. Eventually it will become part of
your repertoire. There are so many variations
and different ways of preparing certain foods.
Creating a file of menus that seem intriguing is
a good way to take advantage of all of these options.
R-E-S-P-E-C-T…
Respect is taking another person’s feelings, needs and ideas into consideration even if you are not in total agreement with them. In so doing you are showing that you are at least acknowledging them. It is a quality that is felt more so than the actual behavioral act. If it is sincere, the behavior will naturally follow. Our need for respect may go back thousands of years. When many nomad tribes felt a person was of no worth they would be discarded and left behind. Could this still be something that remains in our subconscious? We tend to give respect to those who have a lot of money or power. Is this when respect should be given? Then there are those who feel that having lots of money or power is what will gain them the respect of others. When someone is respected there is a voluntary cooperation by other people. It is a fact that when people respect each other there is less conflict and division. True respect must be earned although some believe it can be forced on another. Showing and gaining respect is a two way street. Each person must be aware of the others feelings. There are those who mistake respect when it may actually be fear. Fear is toxic, forced and destroys self-confidence whereas respect is nurturing, earned and builds self-confidence. It is important to keep an open mind. Even if you are in total disagreement with another person it is better to end the conversation then to pursue it to the point where respect for the other is lost.