Is There A Connection Between Kissing And Allergies?

This must be "Allergy Season". Many people at work are discussing their symptoms and what they are doing to try to feel better.

There are times I sneeze and sneeze and my eyes are red and when the sneezing subsides, I am coughing for another half hour.

I found this information on Net Dr. that sounds good to me:

"A 30-minute kissing session may suppress the body's allergic reaction to pollen, providing welcome relief from hay fever, a new study suggests.

Scientists based at the Satou hospital in Japan found that kissing worked by relaxing the body and reducing the production of histamine – a chemical that the body produces in response to pollen, causing the sneezing, runny noses and streaming eyes that characterize hay fever attacks.

The researchers asked a total of 24 couples, where both partners suffered from hay fever, to spend 30 minutes kissing.

Blood samples were taken before and after to compare levels of histamine, and results showed that after the kissing session levels of the chemical were significantly reduced.

This was not found to be the case, however, when the experiment was repeated with cuddling but no kissing, with no change in histamine levels found.

Commenting on the findings, Dr Hajime Kimata, who conducted the research, said: "The results indicate for the first time that kissing may alleviate allergic responses."

It is already known that stress can cause an increased allergic reactions to allergens, suggesting that kissing has a relaxing effect, causing the reduction in histamine levels."

Thank you, Dr. Kimata!!!!!! If you need any volunteers for future studies.........

JamesRaven says:

We'll be taking the rest of the day off, including the extra hour, to make sure our allergy situation is addressed by this kissing treatment. Mmmm.

Changes

Incredible earth changes are taking place every minute on this planet. We seem destined to destroy this planet while we struggle to maintain a lifestyle that will no longer be possible when we completely eradicate the world as we know it now.
An article in treehugger.com describes a European commission interested in reducing carbon dioxide emissions.

"Trade publications and financial news sources are taking note of the European Commission’s efforts to create energy efficiency standards by 2007. Announced after Al Gore's hero's welcome to Brussels, Europe has made clear that under a voluntary agreement with industries, 14 priority products, including computers, stereo systems, washing machines, lights, air-conditioning, and boilers, will be designed with a focus on conserving energy. The European Executive Commission, author of the draft standard, says the new rules could save 180 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions by 2010, and put EU nations ‘on course for a 20 per cent energy saving by 2020’. The Commission will monitor industry's progress towards agreeing on common standards. It can threaten to impose energy efficient criteria later."

Some of us are creatures of habit; we like things to stay the same. Some changes are by choice; some we are powerless to avoid.

Some changes in life keep things interesting.

When the lights go out and the water rises, maybe even at the same time, it won't be interesting anymore.

Forgiveness

From "Love Story": "Love means never having to say you're sorry."

I disagree. In my opinion, love is solid enough to say I am sorry.

When someone you care about is genuinely sorry for something, forgiveness is the next step in the healing. And a major part of forgiveness is then forgetting. If you need to hang on to the disappointment or hurt feelings, you are not ready to forgive.

In Ottawa Hypnosis, this is a good description:

"It is an act one does with oneself…not with another. One person cannot forgive another! That is the other person's task. Obviously it is very difficult to give up a long held, deeply imbedded emotion such as fear, anger or revenge, etc. Usually the emotion is entangled and ensnared in all sorts of justifications, excuses, defenses, habits, addictions, etc. The pathway to love is forgiveness. Forgiveness dissolves resentments and jealousies, etc. Reluctance to let go of fear keeps people "stuck", alienated from experiencing the present moment, and fully living life. If we learn to continually practice forgiveness we see each other and ourselves as blameless. Forgiveness is a powerful tool in our struggle to transcend "the blame and shame game."

.

Forgiveness. Healing. Moving forward to more adventures.

Oh My Achey Breaky Back

Apparently there are many of us who suffer from back problems. Probably everyone knows at least one person who has had difficulty with some sort of back pain.

According to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital:

"Back pain may be second only to the common cold as the most universal medical complaint. Most of us will experience serious back pain at some point in our lives."

[...]

"Muscle tension caused by stress or poor posture also can make your back ache. Although most backaches aren't serious, there are times when back pain could indicate a more severe condition. The good news is that most minor backaches subside within a few days. In the meantime, here are some tips to help you recover:

* Take a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, such as ibuprofen, for pain relief. If the pain is severe, your doctor may recommend a prescription medication.
Maintain as many of your ordinary activities as your pain will allow.

* Studies show patients who followed this advice recovered more quickly than those who rested in bed.
* If the pain is severe, bed rest should be limited to two to three days. Anything longer will slow your recovery.
Apply an ice pack for 5 to 10 minutes at a time for the first 48 hours. After that, use moist heat. "

At another site on Back info,
Why exercise is good for your back:

"When abdominal and back muscles are toned, they work together like a natural corset for your back, providing support and improving posture

Fit muscles have better fine control and more power in reserve, giving smoother motion during lifting and moving.

Fitness postpones fatigue, helping you avoid tired habits like not lifting correctly.

Exercise makes bones denser and stronger.

With stretching, exercise increases flexibility, helps you use good postures for lifting and sitting

Helps you lose weight and stop smoking! Excess body weight and smoking are bad for backs.

Exercise improves blood circulation, and so enhances nutrition and recovery processes in your back."

We have a healthy vibrator similar to the one in the graphic, and at times we are grateful for the aid in healing a sore back. I would like to get to the place that I am avoiding back pain instead of periodically tending a damaged muscle or some form of back pain.

Click To Enlarge

My List Of Natural Highs

My cousin sent me a list of things that were the top ultimate rewards in life. I decided it would be fun for me to list my own top natural highs and see if any of them are duplicates on her list. These are mine, not in order of priority, just randomly listed:


1. Being loved.

2. A good conversation.

3. Laughing so hard your side hurts.

4. Someone playing with your hair.

5. Holding hands with someone special.

6. Talking to an old friend after a long absence and talking as if
no time had passed.

7. Taking the time to watch an incredible sunset.

8. Knowing you are doing the right thing no matter what others think.

9. Listening to favorite music.

10. A good cup of coffee.

11. A bubble bath.

12. A special glance.

13. Getting out of bed in the morning and being grateful for another day.

14. Watching the expression on someone's face as they read something you lovingly write to them.

15. A perfect, romantic kiss.

These are the things that increase my sense of well being.

These are my natural highs.

Howling At The Moon

There is something exhilarating about standing outside bathing in the light of the moon and feeling the freedom to howl at the moon.

I have actually done that a few times in my life. Not high on anything. Just high on life or at least high on the prospect of something in my future. And wanting to let it out. The sound coming from deep inside, escaping into the night.

There are books with the title "Howling At The Moon", one is actually an autobiography, and there are many folklorical and mythological stories about werewolves who howl at a full moon. I just like the idea of allowing myself the freedom to act spontaneously. Nothing to do with werewolves.
One of my favorite movies is Moonstruck, an easy going romantic comedy starring Cher and Nicolas Cage. In the movie, Cher's character lives with her parents and her grandfather; a charming Italian family. The grandfather has several dogs and he takes the dogs outside at night for walks and encourages the dogs to howl at the moon. Each time the grandfather and the dogs are shown doing their nightly ritual, I want to do the same thing. I have met other people who have liked the movie as much as I do, and they always mention howling at the moon as a major part of the movie.

Sometimes allowing the kid to come out and play is a good thing. I like the kid in me and I also like the adventure I call my life.

Fried Egg Sandwich

Tonight we fixed fried egg sandwiches. I think there must be lots of people who like their eggs like I do: more than over hard, more like crispy and crunchy. I cannot eat a runny yolk. And the white has to be firm.

Turn up the heat under the frying pan and drop a smidgeon of butter in, let it ooze a bit and then crack the egg into the butter, and break the yolk right then with the egg shell. Season a bit. Fry the heck out the egg.

Slap some mustard on toast and set the fried egg on the incredibly tasty (and healthy) Peanut-Butter - Sunflower Seed - Stone Ground Whole Wheat (made by JamesRaven) toast. Add some cheese.
Doesn't have to be a gourmet delight. Just want it to be tasty.

There it is. Dinner.

Nicknames

Everyone has had at least one nickname in their lifetime.

When I was a young tomboy climbing trees and playing baseball with the boys, the neighbors called me Persimmon because I would climb the Persimmon trees and throw down the soft, ripe fruit to people standing below.

When my firstborn daughter was a baby we called her Punkin. When she was in college and money was not in abundance, she decorated a sweatshirt as a Christmas gift for me with some drawings and Punkin dominating the front.

But for the past year I have been called the most endearing nickname anyone has ever called me: Darlin. My sweet boyfriend calls me Darlin. Not all the time, which is really a good thing, because when he emails me or calls me and calls me Darlin it is a thrill and I get a big silly grin on my face.

This is one nickname I never want to outgrow.

Little Sticky Notes

There is quite a collection of little sticky notes accumulating in every room of our house. Yellow Post It notes hanging precariously on a cupboard door, swinging in the breeze each time the door is opened. Blue Post It notes with quickly drawn faces and writing. Sticky notes on the file cabilet. Inside a book, there will be a sticky note with a hand written message to be discovered when a page is turned. It is such a little thrill to lift a lid or a box and find a note.

It is more than sticky notes these days; there are drawings on the hair dryer; hearts written in magic marker on the mouth wash bottle, as well as drawings on the toothpaste tube.

Some of the notes have hearts, some have faces drawn, some say "You are Loved", some say "Have a nice day", some simply say "I Love You". These sticky notes are evidence of a growing love and more adventure.

Reading, Writing, and Surfing

For a year I surfed blogs and read and learned and was comfortable with reading only and not having a blog. Then last month I decided to start writing in a blog of my own; however, I have no expectations or a need to reach certain milestones while writing in this blog. There is absolutely no pressure being put upon me by my boyfriend or me or anyone else to perform in any way. So writing in this little blog is for fun. Yeah, fun being the key word.

While I surfed the blogs during last year, I would see some posts of apology for not writing in awhile, or posts expressing sorrow for being so busy in their LIFE that they did not write a post, or that they were going on vacation in their real LIFE and would not be writing in their blog while they were gone. I don't think I will ever feel like that. Since I have no expectations, and since I have a full and busy life, I am not putting any pressure on myself regarding this blog.

Yes, it is great fun when someone stops by and leaves a comment. I leave comments on all sorts of blogs, not just to leave a comment or to direct them to my blog, but just because I actually want to say something regarding a particular post, to join in the blog conversation.

The reason I am writing about this now is that I am reading a book by James J. Kilpatrick called The Writers Art that was recommended to me by my sweet boyfriend, James Raven. I have never felt like a very good writer, and it will be interesting to see changes and/or improvements in my writing skills as I read this book and others after that and apply the lessons I learn in the books on writing.

This is strictly for my evaluation. Since I am the one critiquing my writing, I am the one who wants to see growth and improvement in my writing.

Looking forward to one more adventure in Technobabe's Adventures!

Peanut Butter Smoothie

If you like peanut butter as much as I do, you would like the peanut butter smoothie my boyfriend makes for me.

Ingredients:

Frozen strawberries
Orange juice concentrate
Vanilla soy milk
Ice cubes
Banana
All natural creamy peanut butter

Blend in smoothie maker or blender.

Enjoy!

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Holding Hands Is Healthy

Could it be that holding hands not only feels good, it is healthy? As I was reading an article in Parade Magazine, it stated just that:

"It starts with the simple act of holding hands and hugging—long and loving embraces, several times a day, according to the latest science.

In the first study of how human touch affects the body’s response to stress and threatening situations, Dr. James Coan, a psychologist in the departments of psychology and neuroscience at the University of Virginia, recruited married volunteers, slid them into MRI machines and warned them to expect an electric shock on their ankles. When spouses reached into the machines to hold their respective partner’s hand—a simple yet loving gesture of support—the part of the brain that registers the anticipation of pain “turned off.” The volunteers also said that they felt less distress.

The hand-holding also reduced agitation in the hypothalamus, the area of the brain that controls the release of stress hormones, which turn off our immune function. Eventually, a weakened immune system can make us sick.

“We can’t see what our spouses are doing to our brains and emotions until a stressful event arises, but it’s going on all the time,” says Dr. Coan. “When a wife holds or caresses her husband, she is really reaching into the deepest parts of his brain, calming down the neural-threat response.”

Everyone needs to be touched, held, cuddled, nurtured. I admit it; I need very little but I do need affectionate hugs, holding hands, loving pats on the backside.

The Parade Magazine article continues:

"When all is said and done, a solid marriage with regular and enthusiastic sex can be the best preventive medicine of all. In a woman, repeated affectionate hugs release the “bonding hormone” oxytocin and reduce blood pressure, which helps to protect her heart. No surprise: Men need more than snuggling. In men, the levels of oxytocin can and do surge up to five times above normal, but only immediately before he reaches orgasm. In a study at Queen’s University in Belfast, the mortality of about 1,000 middle-aged men of comparable health was tracked over the course of a decade. The men who had sex three or more times a week had a 50% reduced risk of heart attack or stroke. And those who reported the most frequent orgasms had a death rate one-half that of the less sexually active men."

In an article by John A. Speyrer, he states:

"The July/August, 2005, issue of Psychosomatic Medicine reports how "warm partner contact" or cuddling can mitigate the effects of stressful activities. A study by Grewin, Girdler, Amico and Light at the University of North Carolina's department of psychiatry reported on two studies of couples, in stabilized relationships, who before undergoing a stressful experience (they were told they would be giving a public speech) received body cuddling from their spouses. Each group and its control were placed in separate rooms, their blood pressure, oxytocin and cortisol (a stress hormone) levels were measured.

During their speeches those speakers who had not received hugs and cuddles from their partners had heart rates and blood pressure rates which were much higher than speakers from the other couples who had held hands and embraced for 20 seconds.

It was reported: "Our findings suggest that when the relationship is supportive and strong, time spent with the partner may be beneficial by reducing blood pressure and protecting against future heart disease," and concluded: "These are the first findings in humans linking oxytocin to the strength of the partner relationship, and it was seen in both men and women.''

The study surmised that oxytocin is one factor which gives marriage its beneficial effects by calming distress. Perhaps the increased level of oxytocin explains why married couples live longer, although I remember reading somewhere that some wag claimed that marriage couples didn't live longer - it only seemed longer ! Statistics show that being divorced, single or experiencing grief can damage one's health. Increased oxytocin may have a number of other unknown health benefits. And not just any hug or touch will do. For example, a perfunctory hug will not raise those desirable hormone levels."

For the people who live by the philosophy "If it feels good, do it", this is a heads up. Hold hands. Cuddle. Be Healthy. Yeah.

Sunday R & R

"Every now and then go away, have a little relaxation, for when you come back to your work your judgment will be surer. Go some distance away because then the work appears smaller and more of it can be taken in at a glance and a lack of harmony and proportion is more readily seen."--Leonardo Da Vinci

Sunday is a day of rest in our house; not a religious practice, more a practical way to rejuvenate and prepare for the next week of work.

R & R for the soldiers in the military is meant as a vacation away for a couple weeks, and usually there is no Rest or Relaxation during that two weeks.

There is a bit of information here about relaxation:

"Here are some ways to recover from stress: proper sleep of course is essential, but meditation, yoga, listening to music or just having a nice warm bath are great for counteracting stress, it slows down the body and reduces fear, anxiety and tension."

So Sunday is a day off work, a day to rest, to recoup, to prepare for another week.