7 Proven Health Benefits of Forgiveness

July 7th is Global Forgiveness Day. It’s an excellent time to reflect on the importance of forgiveness and what forgiveness means to you. Forgiveness can be a difficult concept for many of us. It may feel like forgiving someone means we’re giving them permission to behave badly, and they don’t deserve our forgiveness.

In fact, forgiveness simply refers to letting go of negative or painful emotions about a person who has hurt you. It doesn’t mean you’re condoning their behavior. Sometimes it may be appropriate to stop having contact with a person because of their hurtful actions. Regardless of whether or not the person is currently in your life, you can still forgive them.

Forgiveness helps rid you of painful emotions you may be carrying, which is a benefit in itself. But letting go of feelings of resentment, anger or judgement towards others has also been shown to have a wide range of other health benefits. 

HEALTH BENEFITS OF FORGIVENESS

1. Boosts Immune System

Forgiveness has been shown to enhance the production of antibodies, which increases the effectiveness of your immune system. Forgiveness can also help reduce the amount of adrenaline and cortisol your body releases. These two hormones are known to lower your production of natural killer cells, which in turn will suppress your immune system. Whereas, studies on HIV patients found that those who went through a process of forgiveness had higher levels of immune cells and improved immunity.

2. Strengthens Relationships

Research has discovered that forgiveness works in a variety of ways to promote happier, healthier relationships. It reduces the tendency to retaliate against someone who has hurt you and replaces that with a sense of empathy and understanding towards others. It’s been shown that this attitude of forgiveness promotes stronger, longer-lasting and more supportive relationships. And the outcome of relationships that foster forgiveness is a greater sense of wellbeing and happiness in life. 

3. Improves Sleep

Improved sleep quality has been linked to forgiveness. You’ve likely experienced this yourself – have you ever been kept awake by angry thoughts towards another person? This is nothing to beat yourself up about, but the sooner you can let go of the anger and resentment you feel towards that person, the faster you can start sleeping soundly again.

4. Lightens Your Load Physically

Two studies from Erasmus University investigated how forgiveness can change your physical perceptions and abilities. In both studies, participants were asked to write about a time they could either forgive, or not forgive, someone who had hurt them.

The first study brought the participants to the base of a hill and asked them to estimate its steepness. The forgiving group perceived the hill to be less steep than those who could not forgive. The second study asked participants to jump in place five times. On average, those who had written about forgiveness jumped higher than those who lacked forgiveness.

These studies show that forgiveness can actually change how we perceive physical challenges, such as going up a hill. And we may be able to physically perform better when we lighten our emotional load by forgiving others. 

5. Helps Trauma Recovery

Research by Dr. Fred Luskin, director and cofounder of the Stanford University Forgiveness Project, found that forgiveness can even help recovery from severely traumatic events. He surveyed adults from Northern Ireland who had lost family members to the violent conflicts in that area. He found that people who were taught to forgive became less angry and stressed overall. They also gained more optimism, compassion and self-confidence.

6. Supports Heart Health

An attitude of forgiveness has been shown to reduce blood pressure and heart rate. Forgiveness is also linked to a greater release of the hormone oxytocin. Oxytocin is sometimes called the “love hormone” because it enhances many positive emotions and strengthens social bonding. But part of oxytocin’s feel-good action includes lowering blood pressure and heart rate. This could be one reason why forgiveness gives your heart a boost, both physically and emotionally.

7. Improves Cognitive Function

Researchers have also examined the effects of forgiveness on the brain. When someone is feeling forgiving, brain scans reveal higher activity in the frontal lobe of the brain. Among other things, this area of the brain is responsible for problem-solving and morality, as well as higher functions of thinking and reasoning.

Whereas, a University of Pisa study found that emotions such as anger and vengeance inhibit rational thinking and increase activity in the amygdala, which is the area in your brain responsible for the “flight or fight” response.

TIPS ON PRACTICING FORGIVENESS

1. Keep It Real

Many studies have highlighted the importance of practicing forgiveness from your heart, not your head. For instance, research has found that conditional forgiveness is linked to a higher risk of early death. Conditional forgiveness refers to expecting something from a person before you forgive them, such as an apology or compensation.

Interestingly, the same study found that believing in a forgiving God also did not improve your longevity. It appears that as long as you view forgiveness as something outside of yourself, you won’t get the benefits. Forgiveness needs to come from within.

Another study compared those who logically decided to forgive to those who worked on forgiveness from an emotional level. Those who emotionally forgave others had distinct psychophysiological changes as well as greater benefits to health and wellbeing compared to those who approached forgiveness mentally.

2. Do It Regularly

Forgiveness isn’t a one-time action. A lifetime of cultivating forgiveness will bring the most benefits. Try doing this brief forgiveness exercise each day:

• Bring to mind a person who offended or hurt you.
• Sit with the feelings this brings up for a few moments, but then bring awareness to the fact this event was in the past. There is nothing you can do now to change what happened.
• Do your best to embrace what you learned from the situation and let go of the rest.
• Commit to moving forward today without the emotional baggage left by a past event you cannot change.

This is a great exercise to do before bed to help clear your mind for a peaceful sleep.

Bananas are under threat of extinction — here's why

According to the BBC, a wild banana that may hold the key to protecting the world’s edible banana crop has been added to the extinction list.

The banana grows in Madagascar, where there are reportedly only five mature trees left existing in the wild.

Scientists believe that saving them is crucial to saving the existence of bananas worldwide. 

Why?

The vast majority of bananas sold in supermarkets are known as Cavendish bananas, named after William Cavendish, the sixth Duke of Devonshire, whose gardens are where the first plant originated before being cloned. 

Bananas might be in serious danger of going extinct.

However, Cavendish bananas are under threat from Panama disease, a disease of the roots of banana plants,  which is affecting plants across Asia.

Richard Allen, senior conservation assessor at the Royal Botanic Gardens in London, said the Madagascan banana species, Ensete perrieri, could have a built-in tolerance to the disease.

“It doesn’t have Panama disease in it, so perhaps it has genetic traits against the disease,” Allen told the BBC. “We don’t know until we actually do research on the banana itself, but we can’t do the research until it’s saved.”

Scientists hope that the vulnerable banana’s inclusion on the latest official Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature will highlight its threat.

The Vitamin that May Stop Brain Cell Death in Parkinsons Disease

A vitamin that stops brain cell death? It sounds too good to be true but scientists are telling us that the key to stopping the progression of brain diseases like Parkinson’s may be found in a readily-available and affordable vitamin.

That’s the conclusion of a new study published in the medical journal Cell Reports. According to the study, researchers found that a form of vitamin B3 called nicotinamide riboside preserved brain cells, which are also known as neurons, by improving the function of their energy centers—called mitochondria. Having strong and healthy cellular energy centers is critical for great health, so it’s no surprise that anything that can help ensure the health of the mitochondria in brain cells can help prevent the progression of brain diseases.

Parkinson’s disease is a disorder of the nervous system that affects movement. The condition develops gradually and usually starts with barely noticeable tremors in one hand. Tremors are the most known sign of the disease, but the condition also causes stiffness or slowing of movement, lack of expression and slurred speed. While there is no known cure for the disease, diet and lifestyle may help slow the condition and improve quality of life for suffers. 

Well-known actor Michael J. Fox, the most notable sufferer of the condition, has used his celebrity status to help raise awareness of the disease and to start the Michael J. Fox Foundation which funds research to find a cure for the serious condition.

Niacin is the most common form of naturally-occurring vitamin B3 while niacinamide is the synthetic version of the same nutrient. The study used nicotinamide riboside, which is frequently referred to as the cellular regenerator in the nutritional world. According to the study’s author, Dr. Michela Deleidi, leader of brain research projects at the University of Tubingen and the Helmholtz Association, in Germany, nicotinamide riboside “stimulates the faulty energy metabolism in the affected nerve cells and protects them from dying off.”

Parkinson’s disease arises and worsens over time in large part due to the death of neurons, particularly those involved with dopamine production, movement, walking, coordination and balance. Dopamine is a feel-good brain chemical. Impaired production of this chemical is involved in brain diseases like Parkinson’s.

Other Benefits of Vitamin B3

Vitamin B3 is involved in many functions to help keep you healthy, some of which include maintaining the health of your skin, hair, liver, eyes and nervous system. It is involved in the production of hormones and in the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats and proteins.

Food Sources of Vitamin B3

Vitamin B3 is found in many foods. Some of the best food sources include: tuna, chicken, turkey, salmon, lamb, beef, sardines, peanuts, shrimp and brown rice. Other good sources include: passionfruit, yellow tomatoes, avocado, dates, potatoes, mushrooms, peas, edamame (green soybeans), rice bran and barley.

Supplementing with Vitamin B3

While there are many vitamin B3 supplements available, nicotinamide riboside was the form used to achieve the brain health benefits. A typical dose is between 2 and 17 grams daily, although more may be needed for those already experiencing Parkinson’s disease. Check with your doctor before using.

While this study specifically explored Parkinson’s disease, it is likely helpful to other brain diseases and overall brain health as well. Maintaining healthy brain cell energy centers is critical for brain health. While we won’t know for sure if the new research applies to other conditions until further research has been completed, eating more vitamin B3-rich foods and taking a B-complex supplement is supportive of our overall health that people will want to consider while they await additional research.

8 Vegan Foods that Support a Frisky Sex Life

Everybody needs a little love. Whether you fly solo, or you’re celebrating your 50th anniversary, sexual pleasure plays a major role in all of our lives. But millions of men and women experience sexual dysfunction on a regular basis, which can be a frustrating and emotionally challenging issue to deal with.

While sexual dysfunction can have all sorts of causes, sometimes, all you need to do to reinvigorate your sex drive is feed yourself the wholesome, sexy-boosting fuel you deserve.

And, no, you don’t need to be a fan of ocean snots (ahem, oysters) to reap aphrodisiac-like benefits from your diet. Here are eight vegan foods that support your libido and a balanced sex life.

1 & 2. AVOCADOS AND ALMONDS

Healthy fats are crucial for healthy sex hormones. Our bodies simply cannot function without adequate amounts of fat. Both avocados and almonds are great sources of healthy fat, but that’s not the only thing that makes them libido powerhourses. They’re both also loaded with magnesium.

Foods rich in magnesium have an anti-anxiety effect on the body. Stress and anxiety are major libido killers (anxiety never makes for good sex), so keep up on your magnesium intake (the vast majority of us are probably deficient) to reap the sweet, stress-busting benefits of this mineral. 

3. FIBER-RICH GREENS

Greens like mesclun, bok choy, and kale are detoxifying to the body in a pretty major way — they help you, er, excrete. These plant foods are rich in both anti-aging antioxidants and fiber, they help keep things vibrant and regular.

Don’t underestimate the importance of fiber in your sex life. Let’s be honest, nobody feels very sexy when they’re bloated and constipated. Plus, fiber helps the body cleanse itself of excess hormones that can disturb sex drive.

Fiber-heavy greens like spinach and chard also have the added benefit of being magnesium rich, so pile your plate high!

4. HOT PEPPERS

Ah yes, a classic aphrodisiac. Capsaicin, the compound that makes hot peppers spicy, has the added effect of causing our bodies to release more endorphins (and also a little boost of adrenaline).

Their lingering effects can both relax you and hit you with a solid endorphin high, making you more mentally ready to get frisky. For some people, overcoming mental libido blocks can be the biggest challenge, so don’t be afraid to make things a little more spicy.

5, 6 & 7. PUMPKIN SEEDS, OATS AND CHICKPEAS

These foods are rich in the mineral zinc. And while zinc doesn’t really sound like a big deal, it is essential for testosterone production, the sex hormone that acts as a major driver of libido.

Whether you’re a guy or a gal, if your testosterone is out of whack, odds are your libido will be, too. Zinc is also known to reduce male sterility and reduce complications during pregnancy. It also lowers cortisol levels.

Eat these foods regularly, because they are great sources of fiber, too.

8. DARK CHOCOLATE

Yes, the hype around dark chocolate is true. While it might not have a direct effect on libido, the compound phenylethylamine in dark chocolate causes the brain to release pleasure-boosting dopamine. Dark chocolate just makes you feel really good, and if that isn’t a recipe for a better sex life, what is?

The secret to a healthy, balanced sex life is feeling good, relaxed, and confident in your own body. Our day-to-day stresses can cause our hormones to go out of whack, forcing libido into a nosedive. By eating nourishing foods that support your sex hormones and counteract damaging stress levels, you’ll start to notice a real difference, both in the bedroom and out.

Foods Proven to Lower Cholesterol

While there are a lot of self-proclaimed health experts on the internet telling people not to concern themselves with high cholesterol levels, the reality is that excessive levels of cholesterol are a factor in many health conditions, including: Alzheimer’s, cancer, dementia and heart disease. On the flip side, there’s no reason for panic because there is so much you can do to lower cholesterol levels.

A plant-based diet has long been held as the gold standard to lower cholesterol levels, and for good reason: it works. New research published in the medical journal Progress in Cardiovascular Disease, shows that a plant-based “Portfolio Diet” is even better. The diet, given its name for the inclusion of a portfolio of research-proven foods that reduce cholesterol levels in the body.

Of course, there are some excellent foods that are research-proven to lower cholesterol levels, namely: plant-based proteins like beans and lentils, fruits like apples, oranges and berries, oats, barley, plants that contain sterols such as nuts, some grains, etc. The ones you’ll find in the Portfolio Diet includes four main categories of foods: nuts, plant-based protein, fiber and plant-based foods that contain sterols.

The Portfolio Diet, which has been found to lower cholesterol by 17 percent, as well as improve other markers like C-reactive protein, triglycerides, reduced blood pressure, all of which are factors for heart disease and other chronic health conditions. The diet includes a portfolio of daily foods, including 42 grams of nuts (about 1.5 ounces), 20 grams of soluble fiber, 2 grams of plant sterols and 50 grams of plant-based protein.

Nuts about Heart Health

Ideally, choose raw, unsalted nuts, including any of the following: almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, pine nuts, walnuts or other types.

Understanding Fiber

There are two types of fiber: soluble and insoluble. Insoluble fiber is the type that people once referred to as “roughage.” It’s the kind that passes through your digestive tract undigested but helps to keep things moving. Soluble fiber forms a gel when it mixes with liquids in your gut. Getting sufficient soluble fiber helps to reduce high cholesterol and improve heart health. Whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, and vegetables and fruit tend to contain soluble fiber. Here are some of the top sources of soluble fiber, along with he soluble fiber content of each:

Black Beans: 3/4 cup contains 5.4 grams soluble fiber

Lima Beans (also known as butter beans): 3/4 cup contains 5.3 grams soluble fiber

Kidney Beans: 3/4 cup contains 3 grams soluble fiber 

Avocado: One-half an avocado contains 2.1 grams soluble fiber

Brussels Sprouts: 1/2 cup contains 2 grams soluble fiber

Figs: 1/4 cup dried figs contains 1.9 grams soluble fiber

Oats: 1 cup cooked oats contains 1.9 grams soluble fiber

Sweet Potatoes: 1/2 cup contains 1.8 grams soluble fiber

Turnips: 1/2 cup contains 1.7 grams soluble fiber

Broccoli: 1/2 cup contains 1.5 grams soluble fiber

Pears: 1 medium-sized pear contains 1.5 grams soluble fiber

Carrots: 1 cup chopped carrots contains 2.4 grams soluble fiber

Plant Sterols

Plant sterols are cholesterol-type substances found in fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans and grains. Ironically, eating more plant sterols can help reduce your cholesterol in your body. There are many foods high in plant sterols but some of the best ones include:

Pistachio Nuts: 1/2 cup of shelled, unsalted pistachio nuts contains 135 milligrams of plant sterols

Sesame Oil: 1 tablespoon contains 118 milligrams of plant sterols

Wheat Germ Oil: 1 tablespoon contains 75 milligrams of plant sterols

Sesame Seeds: 1 tablespoon contains 64 milligrams of plant sterols

Macadamia Nuts: 1 ounce (about 10 to 12 nuts) contains 33 milligrams of plant sterols

Olive Oil: 1 tablespoon contains 30 milligrams of plant sterols

Almond Butter: 1 tablespoon contains 22 milligrams of plant sterols

Sage, Oregano, Thyme, or Paprika: 1 tablespoon contains 12.5 milligrams of plant sterols

Plant-Based Protein

While most people tend to think of meat as the only source of protein, the reality is that all fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes and seeds contain protein. Some of the best sources of plant-based protein include: avocados, coconut, legumes, nuts, quinoa, seeds, tofu, miso, tempe and dairy alternatives such as almond milk, coconut milk and hemp seed milk.

Eating burgers can increase your risk of asthma

Eating hamburgers three or more times a week can raise your risk of asthma, experts have warned.

Chinese scientists found that junk food was associated with the chronic lung condition, which affects five million people in the UK.

It also raised your chance of wheezing and other allergic diseases such as hayfever and allergic rhinitis. The research was published in Respirology.

Other junk foods such as fizzy drinks and takeout did not have such a severe effect.

The researchers, from Sichuan University, said: “In recent decades, fast foods have become an important component of the diet, especially in westernized, high-income countries.

“Fast foods consumption is associated with poor diet quality, high-calorie intake, overweight and obesity in children and adolescents. Obesity is an independent risk for asthma and allergic sensitization.

“Poor quality diet is likely to contribute to the development and progression of asthma or wheeze via multiple mechanisms. For example, saturated fatty acids can activate receptors which lead to the release of pro-inflammatory chemicals which can contribute to chronic inflammatory diseases of the airways.

“A high-fat meal exacerbates airway inflammation in asthma. In addition, the consumption of fast foods reduces the consumption of foods that are rich in protective nutrients, such as fruits and vegetables.

“Fruit and vegetables contain many chemicals that have anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory properties. A reduction in fruit and vegetable intake is likely to have an unfavorable impact on asthma prevalence.”

Lead author Dr. Gang Wang said: “Additional studies are needed to confirm the relationships seen in this analysis, however and to identify potential causal associations between the consumption of fast food and allergic diseases.”

This Is When You Should Eat Your Heaviest Meal

When it comes to eating healthily, in the right amounts and maintaining your body shape, we’ve heard so many different rules, it’s a little exhausting. Some people say you can eat whatever you want as long as you hit around 1,200 calories a day, others say throw out calorie counting, just eat whatever you want as long as the foods are “clean.”

Healthy eating advice get even more crazy when you throw timing into the mix. We’ve been told to only eat carbs in the morning, or to try intermittent fasting, or to make sure we only eat certain snacks at night. It can all feel so contradictory and leave your head spinning.

While we're at it, here's another question for you: Which meal should be the smallest of the day? Are we better off eating six small, similarly-sized meals throughout each day? Is breakfast really the most important meal of the day? We’ve been told the French eat lunch as their longest and heaviest meal of the day and they look pretty great. We set out to find an absolute answer, consulting both experts and research. Here's what we found:

What The Research Says

Have you ever had a crazy day at work that involved a skipped breakfast and skimpy leftovers at your desk? After a full day of activity and little eating, you come home completely ravenous and feel as though you could eat your entire kitchen. That pattern of consuming all your calories at night can leave you feeling awful, and for good reason, according to science.

According to one study, those who eat most of their calories in the evening hours, during a delayed lunchtime of approximately 4 p.m., may have poor blood sugar metabolism, which could over time lead to insulin resistance issues and weight gain. 

Another study published in Pharmacological Research found that participants who ate more calories at breakfast experienced greater weight loss than those who ate the majority of their calories at dinner. Researchers concluded from the observational study that there was a “negative impact of later meal timing and calories distribution on body weight and metabolism.”

Additionally, many reviews suggest that “light” and “heavy” meals can be categorized beyond mere calorie count. One review suggests that consuming 20 to 40 grams (where you fall in the range depends on weight) of high-quality protein every three to four hours is the most supportive of muscle protein synthesis, a process that aids in muscle repair and growth. Additionally, this type of eating promoted improved body composition. As we’ve learned before, a body composed of more muscle and less fat is more likely to have a higher metabolism, which would help with weight loss.  

This sentiment was echoed in a study from the journal Steroids that suggested your “heavy” meal of breakfast should contain both protein and carbohydrates in order to support a healthy weight. 

What The Experts Say

“I think the rule to follow is that your heavier, in terms of caloric value, should be prior to the most active times of your day so you have energy for your workout or whatever your activity is,” says Albert Matheny, R.D., C.S.C.S, nutritional advisor to Promix Nutrition and co-founder of SoHo Strength Lab. “The lightest meal of the day should be when you are the least active, for most people this is dinner before bed.”

The reasoning behind this is that food is designed to give you energy, he says. This energy can be used to fuel activity or recovery from activity (muscular repair and/or muscle glycogen replenishment). However, if you eat in excess of these needs, it will only result in an increase in your blood sugar and then excess calories will be stored as fat, he says.

Agreeing with the research, Matheny says that it’s extra important to make sure you are consuming enough protein post-workout to keep your metabolism functioning well and aid in muscle recovery, as these are keys to long-term health and weight maintenance/loss.

“I never like to say that there are really any strict rules to eating including timing of meals and what to eat when,” says Jaime Mass, R.D. “However, there is certainly some interesting and fairly strong science to consider when it comes to portion control, meal size, nutrient intake and time of day.”

Based on scientific research, it’s wise to consume the majority of your calories earlier throughout the day, she says. This is not to suggest eating only before a certain time or to stop eating after half the day has passed, but rather to eat meals that are increasingly less calorie dense as the day goes on. That doesn’t mean you can’t have your dark chocolate in the evening-you should if you want it-but it’s how much you consume that makes the difference. 

The Bottom Line

Of course you should listen to your body and eat when you’re hungry, but research and experts agree that eating a huge meal right before bed doesn’t make much sense since your body won’t be burning anything off while you’re sleeping. Instead, stick to nutritionally balanced meals that get smaller as your activity level lessens.