Happiness Within

Brushing with a plastic toothbrush causes microplastic ingestion because the mechanical friction of brushing breaks down the petroleum-based bristles. Most of the time, the bristles are made of nylon or polyester. The friction, combined with our toothpaste's abrasives and our saliva, causes non-visible to our human eye...tiny fragments that sliver off into our mouths, which are then swallowed. We have all heard of microplastics getting onto our bodies and wreaking havoc with them. Yikes!! Research indicates that an estimated 30 to 120 microplastic particles are released per brushing session. Unbelievable!  Here is how the process works:  Mechanical Breakdown: The bristles scrape against teeth and gums. This friction wears out the synthetic polymers, causing them to fragment into microscopic pieces.  Chemical Exposure: The pH of our saliva and the chemical compounds in our toothpaste further weaken the plastic fibers over time.  Ingestion: These broken fibers and frag...

Finding a unique angle for physical health for us who are over 60 often means moving away from general "staying active" advice and focusing on the surprising, the community-driven, or the deeply specialized aspects of wellness. How much fun it is to focus on the physical benefits of high-intensity, detailed hobbies—like leatherworking, woodworking, painting, refurbishing, or just making things like simple toys, storage containers, games, and such from user-friendly kits  for anywhere from beginners to mega-experts?!  Has anyone seen bottle cap art ? What an inexpensive way to create beautiful items! Just save bottle caps and browse ways to create art with them on Youtube and such. On to more clarity about benefits...fine motor skills and precision with hands and even whole body required for handcrafting serve as a form of occupational therapy, keeping hands nimble and our minds fresh and focused while creating something of lasting value for self and/or others. How ideal is th...

We are late, and we are sorry! So, you thought your brain was the undisputed CEO of your life? That’s cute. In reality, your gut is essentially a shadowy, underground "second brain" (the enteric nervous system) that’s currently running a 24/7 smear campaign against your productivity.  While you’re trying to focus on a spreadsheet, your microbiome in your digestive system is busy producing about 95% of your body’s serotonin. That’s right, and what's that? The chemicals responsible for your happiness are being manufactured in the same place that currently feels like a war zone because you decided "extra spicy" was a personality trait at lunch.  If your gut flora is unhappy, you’re unhappy, and no amount of "positive affirmations" can override a trillion bacteria screaming in a language made of bloating and regret. Let’s talk about the biological audacity of the Gut-Brain Axis. It’s a literal high-speed fiber-optic cable (the vagus nerve) that allows your...

This image truly shows the metals we are discussing, created by Google Gemini! Thank you, GG! The left is good to eat, but please refrain from eating what is on the right. Ever feel like you’re running on low battery? It might be that you’re literally missing the "hardware" that keeps your system glitch-free. While we usually think of "metals" as things we build skyscrapers or cars out of, your body is basically a high-tech organic machine that needs a steady supply of certain metals to function. Don't believe us? Read on, brothers and sisters. Here are the MVP (Most Valuable Plate) metals you need to keep in your internal rock band, and you might notice, we include plenty of plant-based choices: 1. Iron  If you aren’t getting enough iron, your cells are basically waiting for a package that’s never coming. Iron is the basic need of your hemoglobin, which carries oxygen from your lungs to the rest of your body. Without it: You’re tired, pale, and have the energy...

(A cuddle with your pet  listening to your favorite song, and playing with a toy will help a lot, silly as it may sound.) We often speak of mental and emotional health as if they are the same. Research tells us how different they are but also how they are very much related. Maybe the combo is like a computer. With Mental Health as the Hardware: It's how we handle information and make decisions. But our mental health does experience depression and anxiety.  And Emotional as the Software: It's how we figure out how we feel and respond to stress and relaxation.  We can have a challenging mental health condition but still ne emotionally healthy. We can have "perfect" mental health but struggle with our emotional regulation. We can take care both...as important as our physical health.  How do we take care of both?  The "Doorway Reset":  When we walk through a physical doorway, we should take one deep, intentional breath, a relaxed one.. It’s a "...

  We’ve all seen the health influencers glowing under ring lights, talking about pie-in-the-sky things like "optimization." We’ve also seen the brave stories of those battling clear, diagnosed illnesses. But there is a massive, silent population living in the Gray Zone of Health. They might be called the Walking Wounded. We're not talking about The Walking Dead . That's a popular TV show. The Walking Wounded? We've all been there, but no one talks about it. These are the people who feel "off" every single day for long periods of time, and they don't know why. Even with a weekend of sleep, still tired, down, and out. Maybe it’s a persistent brain fog that makes simple sentences feel like marathons, or a vague, wandering joint pain or pinched nerve. The writers of this blog know a lot about the latter. Anyways, you go to the doctor. You get the blood work. You wait for the call. And then comes the sentence that should be a relief, but feels like a door...