10 BENEFITS OF FASTING THAT WILL SURPRISE YOU

"Starvation literally means starvation. It doesn’t mean skipping a meal or not eating for 24 hours. Or not eating for three days even. The belief that meal skipping or short-term fasting causes “starvation mode” is so completely ridiculous and absurd that it makes me want to jump out the window." – Martin Berkhan 

Is it a good thing to ‘starve’ yourself each day, or a few days of the week? Well, a tonne of evidence indicates that timed periods of fasting are a good thing.
Fasting has become increasingly popular over the years, especially among the health community. Whilst most health practitioners are afraid to recommend eating less due to the stigma involved, it still doesn’t alleviate the incredible benefits of fasting when used sensibly.

In this article, we’ll explore 10 benefits of fasting that will surprise you, and how you can incorporate them into your own life.

1. Fasting Helps Weight Loss

Fasting can be a safe way to lose weight as many studies have shown that intermittent fasting – fasting that is controlled within a set number of hours – allows the body to burn through fat cells more effectively than just regular dieting. Intermittent fasting allows the body to use fat as it’s primary source of energy instead of sugar. Many athletes now use fasting as means to hitting low body fat percentages for competitions.

2. Fasting Improves Insulin Sensitivity

Fasting has shown to have a positive effect on insulin sensitivity, allowing you to tolerate carbohydrates (sugar) better than if you didn’t fast. A study showed that after periods of fasting, insulin becomes more effective in telling cells to take up glucose from blood.

3. Fasting Speeds Up The Metabolism

Intermittent fasting gives your digestive system a rest, and this can energise your metabolism to burn through calories more efficiently. If your digestion is poor, this can effect your ability to metabolise food and burn fat. Intermittent fasts can regulate your digestion and promote healthy bowel function, thus improving your metabolic function.

4. Fasting Promotes Longevity

Believe it or not, the less you eat the longer you will live. Studies have shown how the lifespan of people in certain cultures increased due to their diets. However, we don’t need to live amongst a foreign community to reap the benefits of fasting. One of the primary effects of ageing is a slower metabolism, the younger your body is, the faster and more efficient your metabolism. The less you eat, the less toll it takes on your digestive system.

5. Fasting Improves Hunger

Just think about this, can you actually experience real hunger if you eat a meal every 3-4 hours? Of course you can’t. In fact, to experience the true nature of hunger, this would take anything from 12 to even 24 hours.
Fasting helps to regulate the hormones in your body so that you experience what true hunger is. We know that obese individuals do not receive the correct signals to let them know they are full due excessive eating patterns.
Think of fasting as a reset button: the longer you fast, the more your body can regulate itself to release the correct hormones, so that you can experience what real hunger is. Not to mention, when your hormones are working correctly, you get full quicker.

6. Fasting Improves Your Eating Patterns

Fasting can be a helpful practice for those who suffer with binge eating disorders, and for those who find it difficult to establish a correct eating pattern due to work and other priorities.
With intermittent fasting going all afternoon without a meal is okay and it can allow you to eat at a set time that fits your lifestyle. Also, for anyone who wants to prevent binge eating, you can establish a set time in where you allow yourself to eat your daily amount of calories in one sitting, and then not eat till the following day.

7. Fasting Improves Your Brain Function

Fasting has shown to improve brain function, because it boosts the production of a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF.)
BDNF activates brain stem cells to convert into new neurons, and triggers numerous other chemicals that promote neural health. This protein also protects your brain cells from changes associated with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

8. Fasting Improves Your Immune System

Intermittent fasting improves the immune system because it reduces free radical damage, regulates inflammatory conditions in the body and starves off cancer cell formation.
In nature, when animals get sick they stop eating and instead focus on resting. This is a primal instinct to reduce stress on their internal system so their body can fight off infection. We humans are the only species who look for food when we are ill, even when we do not need it.

9. Fasting Contributes To Self-Enlightenment

Fasting has helped many people feel more connected to life during the practices reading, meditation, yoga and martial arts etc. With no food in the digestive system, this makes room for more energy in the body – the digestive is one of the most energy absorbing systems in the body.
Fasting for self-enlightenment, allows us to feel better both consciously and physically. With a lighter body and a clearer mind we become more aware and grateful for the things around us.

10. Fasting Helps Clear The Skin And Prevent Acne

Fasting can help clear the skin because with the body temporarily freed from digestion, it’s able to focus its regenerative energies on other systems.
Not eating anything for just one day has shown to help the body clean up the toxins and regulate the functioning of other organs of the body like liver, kidneys and other parts.

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/10-benefits-of-fasting-that-will-surprise-you.html

Mercury Retrograde and Zodiac Signs

When Mercury is in retrograde, its influence depends on which of the 12 zodiac signs the planet is in when it goes retrograde. Below is a brief look at what to expect:

IN ARIES: Expect to be frustrated and frazzled. Assertive,
 impulsive Aries wants to move
 ahead, and all of the energy is going backward. Watch what you say and how you say it. Pay attention to what people say to you; you might be pleasantly surprised.
IN TAURUS: Take time to formulate your thoughts. Taurus, an unhurried sign, slows down the
mental processes. He also governs banking, so delay money matters. Review financial matters, and position yourself for growth.
IN GEMINI: Because Gemini
rules communications, be prepared for miscommunications
 when Mercury is in this sign. Expect lots of phone calls or none, and lost or misplaced mail. You may not articulate clearly, and gossip abounds. Old friends may reconnect.
IN CANCER: Expect annoyances 
at home with baking, gardening,
 and household duties under domesticated Cancer. Complete repair projects that weren’t finished or done correctly.
IN LEO: Avoid speculative investments. It is not a good time to
 buy and sell or do any trading.
 Instead, analyze your investment
 portfolio. Use your know-how and advisory skills to help friends and associates.
IN VIRGO: Challenging situations arise, especially in the 
workplace. Expect product delays and equipment breakdowns,
 as well as crankiness among coworkers under finicky, detail-oriented Virgo. Double-check your work before you call it finished.
IN LIBRA: Accept your physical
 attributes; do not have a makeover. Indecision reigns, so limit
 purchases—or risk returning
them. Libra, representing beauty, grace, charm, and diplomacy, is out of balance. Refresh, relax, and rejuvenate.
IN SCORPIO: Emotions rule—not common sense—so beware.
 Avoid affairs of the heart. Passionate Scorpio is also secretive,
and your secrets may seep out. Keep them in a diary.
IN SAGITTARIUS: It is not a time 
to travel, so reschedule or expect
 delays, lines, and lost directions.
 Instead, take care of local affairs.
 Patience and a sense of humor are needed.
IN CAPRICORN: Avoid buying, 
selling, or renting real estate un
der Capricorn, the sign that governs property matters. Expect
problems with paperwork, packing, and movers. Reunite with family or vacation at home.
IN AQUARIUS: With Mercury retrograde in Aquarius, the sign 
that governs relationships, 
friendships are put at risk. Petty
squabbles, misunderstandings, and miscommunications abound. Know who your friends are.
IN PISCES: Foggy thinking,
 daydreams, and escapism are 
the norm; day-to-day realities
 confound otherwise clear heads
when Mercury, the planet that rules logic, is in Pisces, which governs illusion. Practice creative pursuits—writing, dancing, photography, film, or painting.
http://www.almanac.com/content/mercury-retrograde-and-zodiac-signs

Interview with Deepak Chopra and Rudolph Tanzi on Super Brain

The authors talk about Super Brain which shows you how to use your brain as a gateway for achieving health, happiness, and spiritual growth.

Your brain is capable of incredible healing and constant reshaping. Through a new relationship with your brain you can transform your life. In Super Brain, Deepak Chopra and Rudolph Tanzi guide you on a fascinating journey that envisions a leap in human evolution.
Interview with Deepak Chopra and Rudolph Tanzi
Q: How would you define super brain?
A: It’s the brain you have now but maximized. Everyone uses the brain at every moment, but we use it unconsciously. We let it run in the background without realizing the power we have to reshape the brain. When you begin to exercise your power, the everyday brain, which we call the baseline brain, starts to move in the direction of super brain.

Q: The power to reshape the brain—can you be more specific?
A: It means being more mindful of your own thoughts and feelings and becoming more proactive in taking charge of your brain. Each of us plays four roles in relation to the brain. We lead, we inspire, we invent, and we use it. Most people do not actively use their brains. They passively let their feelings and thoughts control their lives. Or they only use their brains without giving it much inspiration or leadership. They don’t invent new ways to use their brains, either, settling instead for the same routine and repetitive thoughts every day. But if you master all four roles, you create your super brain. The bottom line is that you when you are the active observer of your feelings and thoughts, you become the user of your brain. Your super brain then serves you, not vice versa.

Q: How did you hit upon this power to create super brain?
A: Directly from breakthroughs in neuroscience. Modern brain-scan technology has revealed that each person shapes a completely unique brain. Other studies have documented the amazing regenerative ability of the brain, which can be reshaped by the power of your mind to bring you the world you desire. Knowing that, the obvious question arose: Why not use your mind to create the brain you want, using conscious choice?

Q: What does that mean on a practical basis?
A: We give a lot of pointers in the book, but the quickest answer is this: All experiences are either positive for your brain or negative. If you maximize the positive ones, you are shaping the brain you want to being you the world you want.

Q: Can you give a few examples of what you call “a positive lifestyle for the brain”?
A: We divide it into inner work and outer work. Outer work includes diet, exercise, stress management, social engagement, intellectual stimulation, and good sleep—very familiar advice, but we have made it specific for the brain. Inner work is even more important and little understood until now.

Q: Can you describe inner work?
A: The brain is a dynamic system that constantly processes and creates your reality. It works best if you balance all the things that the brain is good at. The brain is good at being adaptable, flexible, creative, and intelligent. But it’s also good at playing and just being. A balanced life provides time—every day if possible—so that every function of the brain is allowed to come alive and flourish.

Q: Do you think that “work” might be more than many people want to do?
A: By work, we mean doing the best you can for yourself. If you want lifelong good health, intact memory, reduced risk of Alzheimer’s, and inner fulfillment, your brain plays the central part in all of them. The old adage of “use it or lose it” applies to the brain. The “work” is actually quite simple but requires persistence. One must simply choose to be the observer of the thoughts and feelings brought to them by their brain and use them to create a positive and constructive world that best suits them.

Q: Where is super brain taking us in the future?
A: We believe that super brain is the next evolutionary leap for the human brain. The last leap was the neocortex, the higher intellectual brain, which gave humans the ability to reason, to plan ahead, to love, to feel compassion and empathy, to attribute meaning to the world. Now we can build on that. Choice is the key, because human beings are the only creatures who can choose to evolve, who can shape their destiny. Furthermore, we have been given the gift of “self-awareness,” which allows us to step back into our true selves to observe and use our brains to create the world we wish to live in. For us, super brain is the future and starts now. 

http://crownpublishing.com/feature/interview-with-deepak-chopra-and-rudolph-tanzi-on-super-brain/#.VV2OtkYyGTQ

The Grain That Damages The Human Brain

With increasing recognition among medical professionals and the lay public alike that the health of gut and brain are intimately connected (i.e. the 'gut-brain' axis), the concept that gluten-containing grains can damage the human brain is beginning to be taken more seriously.  
Books like Dr. William Davis' New York Times best-selling Wheat Belly made great progress in opening up popular consciousness to the subject of gluten's addictive properties, my own e-book The Dark Side of Wheat explored the role that wheat and grains in general played as an addictive agent, and Dr. David Perlmutter's new book Grain Brain places significant emphasis on this connection as well. 

After all, if wheat is a common cause of intestinal damage ("enteropathy") both in those with celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity, it is no wonder that gluten-associated damage to the gut – sometimes called the "enteric brain," or "second brain," – could have adverse effects to the central nervous system as well.  

Indeed, our research project at GreenMedInfo.com has identified in biomedical literature directly from the National Library of Medicine over 200 adverse health effects linked to gluten-containing grains, with neurotoxicity top on the list of 21 distinct modes of toxicity associated with this grain's effects.[i]  These neurotoxic properties extend from neuropathy and ataxia, to distinct psychiatric conditions such as acute states of mania, and schizophrenia.

A recent study published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry titled, "Hyperexcitable brain and refractory coeliac disease: a new syndrome," has identified a "new syndrome" within the broader array of so-called "gluten related disorders (GRD)" which the authors are calling "Hyperexcitable brain and refractory celiac disease."

According to the study, "Whilst coeliac disease (gluten sensitive enteropathy) remains one of the best characterised GRD, neurological dysfunction is one of the commonest extraintestinal manifestations with a range of presentations such as cerebellar ataxia, neuropathy, sensory ganglionopathy and encephalopathy (headaches and white matter abnormalities)."

They point out that neurological manifestations of gluten-induced toxicity can occur with or without evidence of intestinal damage (enteropathy). While wheat-induced intestinal damage is far more common than most suppose (read: Research Proves Wheat Can Cause Harm to Everyone's Intestines), the problem with gluten stretches far beyond the intestinal wall to so-called "out-of-intestine" adverse health effects. And given the fact that many of the peptide sequences within the vast array of proteins that we colloquially refer to as 'gluten' -- as if it were a singular entity versus the 23,000 plus proteins it is actually comprised of -- are pharmacologically psychoactive, it is no wonder that adverse neurological/cognitive consequences follow its ingestion. 

The new study describes a case study involving 7 patients (5 male, 2 female) who were identified from a cohort of 540 patients with neurological manifestations of "Gluten related disorders (GRD)." These patients showed signs of "myoclonic tremor," which is an involuntary muscle twitching, which initially occurred in their face, tongue, one arm or one leg, "but then spread to affect other parts of the body."  So severe was the tremor that 5 of the patients suffered from epileptic seizures, progressing from "Jacksonian seizures," a type of epilepsy that are initiated with abnormal electrical activity within the primary motor cortex, and may involve a wide range of behaviors from drooling, smacking of the lips, apparently purposeful movements such as turning of the head, etc. Furthermore, all the patients were described as having "limb ataxia and more prominent gait ataxia" – ataxia being a lack of voluntary coordination of muscle movements.

Electrophysiology 'brain tests' showed evidence of cortical myoclonus, which is defined as 'as involuntary brief muscle jerks originating from an abnormal discharge of the cerebral cortex.' Further clinical, imaging and/or pathological evaluation revealed some evidence of cerebellar involvement, but this was a secondary feature, distinguishing this new condition from gluten ataxia, where cerebellar ataxia is the most disabling feature.

 http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/grain-damages-human-brain

Crown Chakra

The Seventh, and final of the primary chakras, is your Crown Chakra. This is the energy vortex that connects you to your True Self, or the Divine. It also plays a “master” role, much in the same way that the pituitary gland is the “master gland” of your endocrine system. This is the seat of your illumination, godliness, and spiritual enlightenment. Much the same as your Root Chakra is responsible for physical energy and well-being in this life, your Crown Chakra is responsible for your spiritual energy.
 

The Crown Chakra is also known in Sanskrit as Sahasrara, which means “infinite,” “thousandfold,” or “thousand-spoked wheel.” It is the chakra of consciousness, and symbolizes the threshold between psychic and spiritual realms. It is where one attains the highest levels of consciousness and enlightenment.The Crown Chakra also governs the brain, hypothalamus, and pituitary glands.

 

Location: Above the top of the head, over the “soft spot”
Color: Violet, white, gold
Element: Beyond element; Spirit
Musical note: B
Sense: Beyond sense; thought
Symbol for Sahasrara has one thousand petals which represent the Supreme Self, all virtues manifested, and experience in the atom point

Crown Chakra governs:

• Spiritual connection
• Devotion
• Inspiration
• Selflessness
• Oneness
• Nirvana; bliss
• Divine awareness and understanding
• Brain
• Nervous system
• Right eye
• Pituitary gland
• Hypothalamus gland
• Thalamus gland
• Cerebral cortex
• Ability to transcend the physical laws of nature; “miracle working,” performing miracles
• Enlightenment
• Joy
• Divine guidance
• Spiritual energy and well-being

Signs of Crown Chakra imbalance include:

• Depression
• Frustration
• Lack of joy; no “joie de vivre”
• Headache, including migraines
• Catatonic
• Constant worry
• Stress
• Right-brain/left-brain imbalance
• Right eye blindness; right eye vision problems
• Disorientation
• Paralysis
• Multiple sclerosis
• Lack of grounding
• Feeling of disconnect from spiritual source
• Feeling of disconnect from others
• Lack of inspiration
• Indecision
• Lethargy
• Lack of purpose/life purpose unknown
• Hot and cold personality (sometimes passionate, sometimes distant)
• Apathy; indifference
• Bipolar disorder
• Schizophrenia
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Multiple personality disorder
• Attention Deficit Disorder
• Stroke
• Lou Gehrig’s Disease (ALS)
• Parkinson’s Disease
• Brain tumor
• Brain aneurysm
• Epilepsy
• Dyslexia
• Dementia
• Amnesia
• Coma
• Delusions
• Addictions
• Constant frustration
• Destructive feelings
• Inability to manifest physical needs
• Messiah complex
• Out of touch with reality
• Inability to perceive/connect with higher awareness and consciousness
• Inability to recognize Divine signs and answers
• Lack of connection with Spirit; no spiritual life
• Blocked intuition
• Complete belief in only the five senses, the physical; belief in illusion
• Sense of not belonging on Earth
• Anger/blame towards God
• Cynicism; overly skeptical about all things spiritual
• Fear of all things spiritual
• Fear of death
• Lack of faith
• Sense of great personal power with frustration over being unable to connect with it

Signs that the Crown Chakra is in balance include:

• Detachment from illusion
• Intuitive, psychic
• Wise
• Faith beyond what is physically sensed
• Knowing how to “live in this world but not of it”
• Ability to enjoy physical pleasures without becoming addicted
• Ability to recognize and receive intuitive/spiritual guidance
• Ability to know the difference between ego-mind and Spirit-mind
• Sense of oneness; “one is all and all is one”
• Deep sense of divine connection
• Love of life with no fear of death
• Joyful – joie de vivre – spark of joy
• Ability to transcend physical laws, including levitation, telepathy, “miracles”
• Non attachment to the physical
• Healthy nervous system
• Healthy brain and endocrine system
• Total access to subconscious and unconscious mind
• Awareness
• True freedom
• Self-acceptance
• Generosity; able to give and receive freely
• Ability to make good decisions and proceed forward through spiritual guidance
• Feeling peaceful
• Love and acceptance of God/Creator/Source/Divine; no anger or blame
• True power
• Knowledge, acceptance and following of life’s purpose
• Connected with others; comfortable on Earth

Things you can do to help balance your Crown Chakra include:

• Visualizing or wearing the colors violet, white, and/or gold
• Violet/white/gold ball of light meditation – simply visualize a glowing violet, white or gold ball in meditation
• TFT/EFT meridian tapping
• Listening to musical note B
• Meditate, meditate, meditate
• Praying
• All spiritual activity
• MEDITATE
• Breathing exercises
• Physical detoxification
• Wear diamonds (or just stare at them), amethyst, amber, gold, quartz crystal
• Use frankincense, lotus, star tulip, juniper and myrrh oils for aromatherapy
• Did I mention already?… MEDITATE
• Oh yes, and meditate

Your Crown Chakra is indeed sacred to your well-being in mind, body and Spirit in this life – and beyond.  All energy blocks keep you from connecting to your true Source – That Which You Really Are.  To really enjoy living life on Earth, the more we can do to release the limiting programs and emotions, the more quickly and easily we manifest our desires, create our lives as we intend them, live life fully, and achieve real enlightenment – where all things are possible.

http://energetic-mastery.com/crown-chakra/

Optimism and Pessimism are separate systems influenced by different genes

 "... the optimist sees the rose and not its thorns; the pessimist stares at the thorns, oblivious to the rose,” Kahlil Gibran.

Optimists enjoy better health, more success, more happiness, and longer lives, than pessimists. No surprise, then, that psychologists are taking an increasing interest in our outlook on life. An unresolved issue is whether optimism and pessimism are two ends of the same spectrum, or if they're separate. If the traits are separate, then in principle, some people could be highly optimistic and pessimistic – to borrow the poet Gibran's analogy, they would be keenly aware of both the rose and its thorns.

Timothy Bates at the University of Edinburgh has turned to behavioural genetics to help settle this question. He's analysed data on optimism and pessimism gathered from hundreds of pairs of identical and non-identical twins. These were participants from a US survey and their average age was 54. The twins rated their agreement with various statements as a way to reveal their optimism and pessimism such as "In uncertain times, I usually expect the best" and "I rarely count on good things happening to me." They also completed a measure of the "Big Five" personality traits: extraversion, neuroticism etc.

The reasoning behind twin studies like this is that if optimism and pessimism are highly heritable (i.e. influenced by inherited genetic factors), then these traits should correlate more highly between pairs of identical twins, who share all their genes, than between non-identical twins, who share approximately half their genes. And if optimism was found to be more heritable than pessimism, or vice versa, this would indicate different genetic influences on optimism and pessimism.

Another insight from twin studies is to disentangle the relative influence of shared and unique environmental factors – these are the aspects of a twin's upbringing that they share with their sibling, such as parenting style, and those that are unique, such as the friends they keep.

Bates' analysis indicates that optimism and pessimism are subject to shared genetic influences (with each other, and with other personality traits), but also to independent genetic influences, thus supporting the notion that optimism and pessimism are distinct traits, not simply two sides of the same coin.

"Optimism and pessimism are at least partially biologically distinct, resulting in two distinct psychological tendencies," Bates said. He added that this dovetails with neuroscience evidence that's indicated there are separate neural systems underlying optimism and pessimism.

The new findings also suggested there is a "substantial" influence of upbringing on optimism and pessimism (i.e. increasing one and lowering the other, and/or vice versa). This raises the intriguing possibility that optimism might to be some extent a malleable trait that can be encouraged through a child's upbringing.

http://digest.bps.org.uk/2015/04/optimism-and-pessimism-are-distinct.html

A Hug a Day Keeps the Doctor Away

 
 Research demonstrates cold fighting power of hugging

During my final semester of undergrad, I made two signs that read, “Feeling stressed about exams? Have a free hug!” Then I recruited a friend and we stood in the entrance of the campus library, held up the signs, and waited. Passerbys had one of two reactions: Either they quickly looked down at their phones and awkwardly shuffled by, or their faces lit up as they embraced us. Most people were enthusiastic. Some exclaimed, “You made my day!” or “Thank you. I needed this.” One leapt into my arms, nearly toppling me over. After two hours of warm interactions, my friend and I couldn’t believe how energized and happy we felt.

A study published earlier this month suggests that, in addition to making us feel connected with others, all those hugs may have prevented us from getting sick. At first, this finding probably seems counterintuitive (not to mention bizarre). You might think, like I did, that hugging hundreds of strangers would increase your exposure to germs and therefore the likelihood of falling ill. But the new research out of Carnegie Mellon indicates that feeling connected to others, especially through physical touch, protects us from stress-induced sickness. This research adds to a large amount of evidence for the positive influence of social support on health.

Social support can broadly be defined as the perception of meaningful relationships that serve as a psychological resource during tough times. More specifically, this means emotional support, such as expressions of compassion, and may include access to information or other assistance. The researchers measured social support by giving out a questionnaire in which participants rated different statements (e.g. “I feel that there is no one I can share my most private worries and fears with.”). Then, they conducted interviews every night for two weeks to find out how often participants experienced conflict with others and how often they received hugs. Finally, the researchers infected participants with a common cold virus and observed what happened.

Several interesting results emerged. Encouragingly, people overall had a strong sense of social support, as shown by a high median score on the questionnaire. Similarly, they were more likely to be hugged (which happened on an average of 68% of days during the two-week interview period) than to experience conflict (7% of days).

The most important results, however, were what the researchers deemed a “stress-buffering effect.” Keep in mind that interpersonal conflict can cause people a lot of stress and thereby weaken their immune systems. Yet regardless of how much conflict they endured, participants with a strong sense of social support developed less severe cold symptoms than those who felt socially deprived. Likewise, the more often people hugged, the less likely they were to get sick, even among individuals who frequently had tense interactions. In other words, both social support and hugging prevented against illness.

The same lead researcher has previously shown that the more diverse types of social ties a person has, such as with friends, family, coworkers, and community, the less susceptible to colds they are. But relationships impact more than a runny nose. On the extreme end, social connectedness seems to play a role in preventing against death. For instance, researchers in Sweden found that the otherwise robust association between job strain and mortality risk disappeared among men high in social support. In fact, low levels of social support can increase the risk for premature death more than commonly known factors like smoking or alcohol consumption, according to a review paper that examined data for over 300,000 people around the world. It’s no surprise, then, that the World Health Organization identifies social networks as a primary determinant of health.

Interestingly, social support may be beneficial for the giver as well as the receiver. Researchers at UCLA scanned participants’ brains while their romantic partners were receiving electric shocks next to them. If the participants held their partners’ hand during the experiment, their brain regions associated with fear attenuation were activated. This finding indicates that offering social support through physical touch better enabled them to cope with the stressful experience.
On the flip side, loneliness and having a small social network correspond with a lower antibody response to the influenza vaccine, compared to feeling a strong sense of social connection. Socially isolated patients with coronary artery disease have lower survival rates than socially connected patients, even after controlling for demographics, disease severity, and psychological distress. One in three individuals is chronically lonely and therefore twice as likely to say they have poor health. This is especially alarming given that the number of people who have no one to confide in tripled between 1985 and 2004, putting a large portion of the population at risk for poor health.

Evidently, just as we prioritize exercise and nutrition, we ought to prioritize quality time with loved ones; just as we avoid unhealthy habits like smoking, we should make effort to avoid isolation and to counter social exclusion. And even if you don’t want to hug hundreds of strangers (although I recommend trying it), don’t underestimate the healing power of touch.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/a-hug-a-day-keeps-the-doctor-away/