Love Is In The Air

February is the month our hearts and minds turn towards “love” as Valentine’s Day approaches. Not only does love make us “feel good,” research has shown that love can heal as powerfully as medicine! The following are some great reasons to love those that are special in our lives:

Love helps fight cancer –
There is a new study from the University of Iowa proving that ovarian cancer patients with strong connections to others and satisfying relationships have more “natural killer cells” at the site of their tumors than those without close ties. These are the cells that kill cancerous cells as part of our body’s immune system.

Love can make you smarter –
Love produces a calming effect on the body and mind and raises nerve growth. This in turn helps to restore the nervous system and improve memory by triggering the growth of new brain cells.

Love benefits your immune and endocrine systems –
Research has shown that performing acts of love can neutralize the kind of negative emotions that adversely affect our immune and endocrine systems. So be sure to give someone that extra hug today!

Love is good for your heart –
The heart tends to beat faster when we are around someone we find attractive. This in turn results in increased blood supply to the body.

A study performed at the University of North Carolina also found that close physical contact with those you love promotes higher levels of oxytocin (a good hormone in our bodies). Another benefit found in women in the study was lower blood pressure.

Love can lower your cholesterol – Expressing your feelings of affection can reduce cholesterol levels. A Study in Human Communication Research found that people who wrote about their feelings of love for significant friends, relatives and/or romantic partners had significantly lower cholesterol levels than those who don’t.

Love helps keep you looking young – When we love someone, our body produces endorphins that increase blood flow to the skin which helps keep it soft and smooth and reduces the development of wrinkles. The increased supply of oxygen to skin cells gives the face a healthier glow as well.
And last but not least….

Love makes you live longer –
Studies have shown that a lack of love and social isolation increases the risk of early death by up to FIVE times.

Take the time to express your love to those that are special to you. It is beneficial to all!
“There is ALWAYS room for love, You may just need to move a few things around.”

Saving Precious Energy

As a respiratory patient, it is important to stay as active and independent as possible. The following are things to remember that will help you best use your energy to the fullest potential. Give considerations to these suggestions as you go through your day:

	•	Don’t push yourself. Slow the speed at which you do things and stop and rest when you are tired.
	•	Do your most strenuous activities during the times of the day when you have the most energy. For example, if you feel the best after you take your bronchodilator medications, then plan to do your daily exercise at that time.
	•	Sit on a chair or stool in the shower, while you shave, comb your hair, and brush your teeth.
	•	Avoid products that make it harder for you to breathe such as hairsprays, aerosol deodorants, and/or strong perfume.
	•	Use the exhaust fan in your kitchen to avoid breathing in smoke and vapors while you are cooking.
	•	Wear slip-on shoes so you do not have to bend over to tie your shoe laces.
	•	Keep an eye on the daily air pollution report and don’t go outside on the days with moderate to severe pollution.
	•	Ask people not to smoke in your home or work area.