Monday, July 26, 2021

How Stress Affects the Immune System

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As humans, we cannot survive without stress, no more than we can survive without each other. Stress is necessary because it helps us to cope with everyday life's situations. 

You can say the COVID-19 pandemic probably added more stress to our lives than we care to admit when it comes to our immune system, whose job is to fight disease-causing germs like viruses, and bacteria and to remove those pathogens from the body.   A weak immune system can lead to serious illnesses. However, many people do not know that stress is a major factor that can lead to an exhausted immune system.

Since more of us are vaccinated and getting back to normal activities, it is more important than ever to start doing more to lessen the stress in our lives.

Stress is pressures, strains, or changes placed on the body, which can affect your physical, mental, and emotional well-being. However, too much stress can seriously affect your psychological and spiritual well-being if you do not know how to handle or cope with these demands. When you are under too much stress, it is important to recognize it and do something about it. Unmanageable tension can lead to illnesses and chronic diseases. However, you can improve your resistance to too much worry by learning how to manage and control your life.

It is important to remember there are some occurrences in life that are just out of your control. There are many experiences in life you can learn to handle by identifying the stressors: actions that make you feel anxious and concerned. Here are some recommended ways to deal with stress:

Most of us do not realize that stress affects the digestive system and can lead to ulcers. Stressful responses increase strain on the circulatory system, which increases the heart rate. Moreover, stress affects the immune system by raising blood pressure, which leads to a myriad of illnesses and conditions. The long-term activation of stress leads to overexposure to cortisol and other hormones. As a result, there is a greater risk of developing heart disease, digestive problems, headaches, sleep deprivation issues, weight gain, and memory loss – not to mention anxiety and depression.

Unfortunately, stress is a part of life. It is not something you can control when it comes your way. However, you can take steps to manage how stress affects the immune system.

Some stress-fighting strategies include eating a healthy and well-balanced meal. When you are under additional stress, make certain you eat more foods high in B Vitamins, Vitamin C, Magnesium, and Zinc. These foods would include whole grains, dark green leafy vegetables, citrus fruits, nuts, legumes, and lean meats, respectively.

Getting enough sleep and regular exercise helps. Walking is one of the best forms of exercising because it strengthens the heart. You can also practice relaxation techniques, like yoga, which may enhance your libido. Meditate. Read a book or listen to music. You can dance away the stress, too!

Avoid self-medication. Even though you can use drugs to relieve stress temporarily, drugs will never remove the condition that causes the strain in the first place. Some medications may become habit-forming, and create more problems. Pills should only be taken on the advice of your physician.

Having a sense of humor does not hurt, either. Laughter is known to reduce stress. Add some TV sitcoms, comedies, and movies to your ‘what to watch list.’ The overall point is that learning to manage stress can lead to a longer and healthier life.

Stressed spelled backward is desserts. Researchers found that chocolate takes a bite out of stress. Dark chocolate specifically reduces the stress hormone cortisol.

Have you ever wondered why you reach for a chocolate bar when under a lot of stress? It may not just be a coincidence. Maybe your body is truly telling you something important.

But most of all, share your anxieties with friends, relatives, a lover, or a spouse by talking about your concerns or worries. Maintaining a strong immune system should be your number one priority. As someone once said, “Whatever is causing you bad stress, eliminate it.”


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Monday, July 19, 2021

News for Travelers

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The Inside Scoop From Harriet Lewis - From camping under the stars in the Sahara Desert to cruising the Turquoise Coast in a traditional yacht, our most popular adventures in North Africa and Turkey offer a feast for the senses—and most will begin operating in August-September of 2021. 


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Whether your meal comes from a restaurant, a street cart, or a family table, local cuisine always tells a story—of cultural influences, resourcefulness, and togetherness. From Sicily’s famous arancini to Turkey’s answer to pizza, here are five of our most delicious adventures—all of which we plan to operate in 2021.

 

You can count on Travel Noire to keep you aware of the best spots in any city. If you are making your way to Miami, check out their recommendations for the best of the best in the coastal city by clicking here

 

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How To Spend 48-Hours In Black-Owned New York City - Are you heading to New York City and want to experience time exploring and supporting Black-owned businesses, but short on time? Here is a guide to seeing the real side of the city in 48-hours, while also patronizing Black-owned New York City. For more details, click here.

 


Ten Budget-Friendly Destinations To Consider For Summer Travel Plans
 - Are you planning a summer to remember? If so, you are not the only one. Travel is once again in high demand, which typically means that ticket prices will skyrocket. However, that does not mean budget-friendly options are not available. For additional information, click here

 

When in Rome: Why You Should Always Respect the Host Culture - Wherever your wanderlust takes you, it is important to respect the rules and customs. Just as you would not put your feet up on the furniture, or raid the refrigerator when you are visiting somebody's home, honor the space and its rules. For more details, click here.

 

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How To Enjoy The Perfect Solo Daycation In Maui, Hawaii - If you are a resident of the Hawaiian Islands or neighboring states like California, and in need of a solo daycation, Maui is the perfect place. Here is a guide to the perfect daycation with you, yourself, and well, you! Learn more →  



These US Cities Will Pay You To Relocate As A Remote Worker - Many cities right here in the US are offering paid incentives and relocation fees to remote workers in hopes to boost their city's economy. Here are a few that we found, so if you are a remoter worker, hop on them. Learn More→


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Monday, July 12, 2021

Be Successful at Virtual Dating with Body Language - Tips from a Former FBI Agent

 

                                                         

Photo by Gabby K from Pexels


If you are into your date, mirroring his or her body language shows you are interested, former FBI special agent Joe Navarro explained. Virtual dating is hard. It can seem nearly impossible to make a genuine connection while constrained to the flat rectangle of a video screen, but there is still a lot that people can gather from a person's body language.

 

Photo by Marcus Aurelius from Pexels

When on a video call, a person's body language changes tremendously compared to in-person interactions, said Joe Navarro, a retired FBI special agent and author of Be Exceptional: Master the Five Traits That Set Extraordinary People Apart.

 

Body language experts say a clean, well-lit video can help you make a good first impression on your virtual date. 


“People are used to seeing each other in a more nuanced way, such as seeing all of the body including hand movement and changes in skin and lip color. You don't normally focus on those things because they happen naturally, but the absence of that leaves us lacking, however, there are ways to read your date's body language over video call and put your best foot forward for a successful virtual date,” said Navarro.

 

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Making a Good First Impression 

According to Navarro, one of the first steps to starting a date on a positive note is to show your hands throughout the video call. Humans have a primal necessity to see each other's hands, so include hand gestures when talking.


For a Video Call 


Photo by Artem Podrez from Pexels
Navarro recommended bringing your hand motions closer to your body so they appear on the screen and slowing them down so they do not look like a blur. If you are interested in your date, mirroring the person's body language shows that you are interested, Navarro explained. Some common examples of mirroring include sitting in the same way and copying body language like nodding. 

Be genuine and make sure you are interested in the other person instead of being interesting, said Lillian Glass, a body communication and body language expert based in Beverly Hills, California. "This is your chance to be real and not play games and not waste time so that you can find the perfect person who's good for you," she said. It is also important to hold the video call in a well-lit room with a clean background because it allows the other person to see you better, Glass added. If the lighting where you live is not the best, she recommended investing in a ring light or other portable lighting device.

 

Signs Your Date Likes You 

 

You can read your date's body language to decipher if he or she is interested in you, Navarro said. According to Navarro, someone who is entranced by another person will tilt his or her head toward him or her. "We only expose our necks to people we're really comfortable with," he said. 


Some people may lean their whole bodies toward the camera, Glass said. Frequent and lasting smiles also show your date is off to a good start, she said. 


People who are interested in each other are more likely to preen, according to Navarro. Preening behaviors include fixing your appearance like touching your hair and straightening out your clothes.

 

Signs Your Date is Not That into You  

 

Not all virtual meet-ups end with your date falling madly in love with you and that is all right. One sign a person is not feeling the love is if he furrows the glabella (the spot between the eyebrows) more, Navarro said. "This will happen, especially if the other person is saying something that's really dumb or stupid that's not attractive to you," he said. 

 

Your date also might not be attracted to you if you see she is pulling away from the camera, or if she is moving a lot, Glass said. If your date is looking away frequently or appears distracted, that is another warning sign, she stressed. “Over a video call, people should take reading eye contact with a grain of salt, because it is normal for people not to know where to look or to look away periodically,” said Glass.

 

Navarro said, “Some people may also have more tension in their lips and even shift their jaw if they are not interested in the other person.” 

 

Red Flags to Look Out For  

 

There is no single behavior indicative of deception, said Navarro. Some behaviors indicate stress and anxiety. That can leave hints about whether your date is being truthful or not. When bothered, people often touch the suprasternal notch, the little notch above the sternum, he noted. When a woman is bothered by something, her hands move up there, and if a man is bothered, he tends to grab his neck, according to Navarro. "If I was asking somebody 'Are you dating somebody at the moment?' and they're touching this area, I'd have to wonder why," he said. 

 

Fidgeting can also be a sign someone is not being honest, said Glass. "If they go on and on and they go off on a tangent, that may give you a red flag as to whether or not they're telling you the truth," she added.


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Monday, July 05, 2021

Getting through HARD times | Motivation to Stay MARRIED!

Best selling romance author Stella Eromonsere-Ajanaku will share some practical tips to get you through the hard times in your relationship! Please subscribe to her YouTube page, so you do not miss any of her future videos.