What if the secret to a successful and fulfilled life resides in an ancient Sanskrit text known as the Kama Sutra? In the 4th century Hindu world that gave birth to the Kama Sutra, the cultivation of sexual pleasure indepedent of procreation was considered one of life’s highest calling, a sort of religious quest. Hindu sages and artists found the subject so enticing that it led them to immortalize the various teaching and practices of the Kama Sutra in writing and also in stone in various temples around the country.
If you find the subject enticing, I invite you to read my article.
Why do we feel good when we kiss someone, eat sugary treats or achieve career success? Because of dopamine. Dopamine is a type of neurotransmitter chemical that travels through the nervous system to bring a message to our brain. Your body makes it, and your nervous system uses it to send messages between nerve cells. Hormones are also neurotransmitters, but they travel through the blood.
Histographics 2.0 – How Dopamine Work in a human body. Scriptwriter: Joanne Reed
Video Transcript
“How dopamine work in a human body?” I am so glad you asked the question because this video will bring you all the answers that you seek. And don’t’ forget to support our new channel by sharing, commenting, and subscribing.
Dopamine as a neurotransmitter has the effect of giving you pleasure, a sense of reward, and therefore motivation to do something. Dopamine is the molecule that is behind our most sinful impulses and also our cravings such as lust and addiction (whether to chocolate, cocaine, sex, or gambling) and is often referred to as the feel-good hormone.
Histographics 2.0 – How Dopamine Works in a human body. Scriptwriter: Joanne Reed
When you eat junk food, you feel good afterward. Why is this? There is a system in your brain called the Reward System. This system is designed to reward you when you’re doing things that advance your chance of survival. In the olden days, people had to hunt for food; if you didn’t have a good hunting day, you will be left with an empty stomach and your chance of survival will decrease by the day until you cross paths with a bison.
Nowadays, the only thing you have to do to get food is open your fridge or cupboard or drag yourself to the next grocery store, takeaway, or restaurant. Our problem these days is that we are eating too much food. Eating constantly highly increases our chance of being overweight. Eating is becoming addictive because it makes us feel good… until the day when we can’t fit in our favorite pair of jeans and our reflection in the mirror makes all our previous feel-good factor disappears.
Histographics 2.0 – How Dopamine Work in a human body. Scriptwriter: Joanne Reed
Drugs like cocaine for example make people feel good not because of the drug itself but because it stimulates dopamine That is why cocaine and sugar are so addictive, they satisfy your natural reward system in a big way. But repeated drug use also raises the threshold for this kind of pleasure. This means you need to take more to get the same high.
In addition to the risk of making yourself a target for the police, using drugs such as cocaine makes your body less able to produce dopamine naturally. This leads to emotional low when you are sober turning you into somebody people don’t want to be around anymore.
Talking about cocaine and sugar. Did you know that sugar is more addictive than cocaine?
A study published on 28 July 2010 in the Public Library of Science describes a strange rate experiment involving sugar and cocaine. The rats were given cocaine until they became dependent on it. Then researchers provided them with a choice – the rats could choose to switch to sugar. 94% of the rats chose to switch to sugar, even when they had to work hard to access it. The study concluded that sugar was more addictive than cocaine!
Histographics 2.0 – How Dopamine Work in a human body. Scriptwriter: Joanne Reed
If you are dopamine deficient you lack motivation and drive, you become fatigued, you can become moody and depressed. So, make sure to monitor your dopamine level. What kind of things will deplete your dopamine level? Excessive caffeine, alcohol, the use of chemical drugs, too much sugar, stress, and cortisol.
The good news is that this wonderful “machine” called our body is able to produce dopamine naturally. How? I am so glad you ask this question because there are ways to increase the production of dopamine naturally.
Histographics 2.0 – How Dopamine Works in a human body. Scriptwriter: Joanne Reed
Exercise is a dopamine booster. Keep moving.
Eat healthy preferably a keto (low carb high protein) diet, which will help you lower your insulin level and insulin has a huge role in regulating dopamine. Don’t drink too much coffee. Reduce your sugar intake. Reduce your alcohol intake.
Laugh as often as can. Laughter releases feel-good chemicals.
Connect with others. Find a sense of purpose. Go dancing.
Spend time in nature and in the sun. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a well-known condition in which people feel sad or depressed during the winter when they are not exposed to enough sunlight. While sun exposure may boot dopamine levels and improve mood, it is important to adhere to safety guidelines because getting too much sun can be harmful.
Get a massage.
Listen to your favorite music.
Get enough sleep.
Histographics 2.0 – How Dopamine Work in a human body. Scriptwriter: Joanne Reed
The bottom line is that dopamine is an important brain chemical that influences your mood, feelings of reward, and motivation. Levels of dopamine are generally well regulated by the body, but you can boost your level naturally by making a few diet and lifestyle changes. Drop the cocaine, but please do not switch to sugar, go outside for a run or a walk on a sunny day, and don’t forget to like, share and subscribe to our channel because it will give you such a feel-good factor that your dopamine level will for sure increase a notch or two.
Why sleep is so important for fat loss - Histographics 2.0
Video transcript
There is no way to sugarcoat this, trying to get rid of the extra fat around your hips, legs and tummy is not a piece of cake! Everyone knowns that diet and exercise will help you shed a few pounds here and there, but did you know that a good night’s sleep is a critical factor in your quest for a leaner and fitter body?
If you want to look better, the most common suggestion is “eat less and move more.” But life is not that simple; between living your life, working, socializing, and exercising, you’re forgetting to sleep enough. Or maybe, more importantly, you don’t realize that sleep is the key to being rewarded for your diet and fitness efforts. Not sleeping enough – less than seven hours of sleep per night – can reduce and undo the benefits of dieting and exercising.
Why the heck nobody before you told me that the secret to weight loss is to sleep longer?! Thank goodness I bumped into this video – sleeping longer to lose weight?! Hhm sounds like a piece of cake to me?!
So, if you want to find out why sleep is so important to fat loss, drop everything you are doing right now to watch this video. And don’t forget to support our new channel by sharing, commenting, and subscribing.
A lot of us have been on a never-ending journey of trying to lose weight. They are countless diets and exercises out there, and plenty of health gurus to preach to you the virtue of their methods compared to others.
When it comes to weight loss, diet and exercise are usually thought of as being the two key factors that will achieve results. But nobody is talking about how important sleep is to your weight loss journey. The recommended sleep duration for adults is seven to nine hours a night, but many people often sleep for less than this.
Why sleep is so important for fat loss – Histographics 2.0. Scriptwriter: Joanne Reed
Typically, the goal for weight loss is to decrease body fat while retaining as much muscle mass as possible. Not obtaining the correct amount of sleep can determine how much fat is lost. Various studies show that shorter sleep patterns may be associated with higher body weight and affect weight loss. For those of you who have been on that journey you will be familiar with talks such as this:
The secret formula to reducing your BMI is a high metabolism + high RMR and low glucose intake. And don’t forget to increase your leptin level whilst keeping your ghrelin level low. Oh, one more thing, make sure that your cortisol level stays low too. That’s it, really!
Did you get that? The only thing to remember is: low BMI, high RMR, Low glucose, high leptin, and low ghrelin & watch your cortisol?!
I can hear most of you say: Of course, I didn’t get that?! I am not a biologist!
All right, let me unpack this for you.
The Body Mass Index (BMI) is a measure that uses your height and weight to work out if your weight is healthy. The BMI calculation divides an adult’s weight in kilograms by their height in meters squared. For adults, an ideal BMI is in the 18.5 to 24.9 range. If your BMI is below 18.5 – you’re in the underweight range. Between 18.5 and 24.9 – you’re in the healthy weight range. Between 25 and 29.9 – you are in the overweight range. Between 30 and 39.9 – you’re in the obese range.
While we often think of appetite as simply a matter of stomach grumbling, it’s controlled by neurotransmitters, which are chemical messengers that allow neurons (nerve cells) to communicate with one another.
The neurotransmitters ghrelin and leptin are thought to be central to appetite. Ghrelin promotes hunger, and leptin contributes to feeling full. The body naturally increases and decreases the levels of these neurotransmitters throughout the day signaling the need to consume calories. So, you need to control leptin and ghrelin to successfully lose weight, but sleep deprivation makes that nearly impossible. Studies have found that sleeping less than six hours triggers the area of your brain that increases your need for food while also depressing leptin and stimulating ghrelin.
Why sleep is so important for fat loss – Histographics 2.0. Scriptwriter: Joanne Reed
There are several reasons why shorter sleep may be associated with higher body weight and affect weight loss. These include changes in metabolism, appetite, and food selection. This means, that in the long term, sleep deprivation may lead to weight gain due to these changes in appetite. So, getting a good night’s sleep should be prioritized.
Reduced sleep has also been shown to have an impact on food selection and the way the brain perceives food. Researchers have found that the areas of the brain responsible for reward are more active in response to food after sleep loss when compared to people who had good sleep. This could explain why sleep-deprived people snack more often and tend to choose carbohydrate-rich foods and sweet-tasting snacks, compared to those who get enough sleep.
If that’s not enough, scientists discovered that when you don’t sleep enough, your cortisol levels rise. This is the stress hormone that is frequently associated with fat gain. Cortisol also activates reward centers in your brain that make you want food. At the same time, the loss of sleep causes your body to produce more ghrelin. A combination of high ghrelin and cortisol shut down the areas of your brain that leave you feeling satisfied after a meal, meaning that you feel hungry all the time; and that is where you enter the danger zone called “comfort eating.”
Metabolism is a chemical process in which the body converts what we eat and drink into energy needed to survive. All our collective activities from breathing to exercising and everything in between are part of metabolism. Many studies have shown that sleep deprivation (whether due to self-induction, insomnia, untreated sleep apnea, or other sleep disorders) commonly leads to metabolic dysregulation. Poor sleep is associated with increased oxidative stress, glucose (blood sugar) intolerance (a precursor to diabetes), and insulin resistance.
Why sleep is so important for fat loss – Histographics 2.0. Scriptwriter: Joanne Reed
Your Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) is the number of calories your body burns when at rest. It’s affected by many factors, such as age, weight, height, sex, and muscle mass. Studies have shown that sleep deprivation reduces your RMR. Poor quality sleep may also decrease muscle synthesis, which may lower RMR.
Sleep duration also influences metabolism, particularly glucose (sugar) metabolism. When food is eaten, our bodies release insulin, a hormone that helps to process the glucose in our blood. However, sleep loss can impair our bodies’ response to insulin, reducing its ability to uptake glucose. We may be able to recover from the occasional night of sleep loss, but in the long term, this could lead to health conditions such as obesity and type 2 diabetes.
An excess of glucose (both from increased intake and a reduced ability to uptake into the tissues) could be converted to fatty acids and stored as fat. Collectively, this can accumulate over the long term, leading to weight gain.
Why sleep is so important for fat loss – Histographics 2.0. Scriptwriter: Joanne Reed
The good news is that you can fix this with exercise.
Did you really think that it was going to be that easy?! That you could just sleep through your weight-loss journey without breaking a sweat?! NO WAY. It is time to wake up, put your sports gear on, and off you go.
No matter what your fitness goals are, having some muscle on your body is important. Muscle is the enemy of fat – it helps burn fat and stay young. Research has shown that exercise training may protect against the metabolic impairments that result from a lack of sleep, by improving the body’s level of insulin, leading to improved glucose control.
The connection between sleep and weight gain is hard to ignore. Good quality sleep has a vital impact on health and well-being. A lack of sleep can increase appetite by changing hormones, makes us more likely to eat unhealthy foods, and influences how body fat is lost while we are counting our calories.
Why sleep is so important for fat loss – Histographics 2.0. Scriptwriter: Joanne Reed
The moral of the story is that getting adequate, quality sleep is an important part of a healthy weight loss plan. Not getting enough sleep can sabotage your fitness efforts. If your weight loss efforts are not producing results, it may be time to examine your sleep habits.
Thanks for watching and remember the secret formula: low BMI, high RMR, Low glucose, high leptin, and low ghrelin & watch your cortisol?! No need to translate you are not a biologist, but you know the drill by now and don’t forget to like, share and subscribe to our channel.
The Japanese do this to stay young - Infographics 2.0
In 2018, Japan had the second-highest life expectancy in the world. The population aged 90 and over had reached two million in 2017. Japan also has a record number of centenarians: over 80 000. This figure is expected to rise to 400 000 by 2050. Most of Japan’s centenarians (approximately 88 %) are women. In November 2019, Japan was home to 150 supercentenarians (people aged 110 or over).
Now that you are aware of these amazing statistics, the obvious question you should ask yourself is: ‘Have the Japanese found the fountain of youth?’ If you hang around and watch this video, you will find out what the Japanese do to stay young, and don’t’ forget to support our new channel by sharing, commenting, and subscribing.
The human body seems programmed to shut itself down somewhere around the 80th birthday for most people and around the century mark for the more resistant ones, the majority of which seem to be located in Japan.
The Japanese do this to stay young – Infographics 2.0- Scriptwriter: Joanne Reed
There are no verified cases of a person living older than 122. According to researchers the absolute limit of the human lifespan is between 100 and 150. Will improvements in medicine, environment, and technology drastically lengthen the average lifespan and make 150 a reality?
Several factors have combined to improve health among the Japanese population: traditionally healthy dietary habits, access to clean water, a hygiene-conscious culture, and old people’s active lifestyles. Other possible explanations include genetics, a low level of income inequality, and a high level of social cohesion.
Reaching a hundred years old is a privilege not granted to everyone. Centenarians are regularly celebrated in the media. In England, upon reaching your 100th birthday you will receive a letter from the Queen. Japanese centenarians receive a silver cup and a certificate from the Prime Minister, honoring them for their longevity.
Japan’s most celebrated centenarians are from Okinawa and the Island’s legendary longevity is attributed to the local diet and their attitude towards life. The elders seem to have no signs of worry on their faces; stress seems to be a foreign concept to them.
An 88-year-old Japanese farmer (who still works all day in the fields) was asked what the secret was for a long life responded, “I hardly get angry. I enjoy life because Iam happy at work, and I think that that is the medicine for a long life.”
The Japanese do this to stay young – Infographics 2.0 – Scriptwriter: Joanne Reed
Locals eat a daily average of 97 grams of seafood. Fish, especially deep-sea fish like mackerel, sardines, and salmon are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which act as a strong anti-inflammatory and protect against heart disease. They may also reduce the risk of diabetes, stroke, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, some cancers and mental decline.
Other key ingredients in the local diet are vegetables, such as peppers, broccoli, sweet potato and goya (a distant relative of the watermelon) which has been credited for reducing blood sugar levels and is also full of antioxidants.
Antioxidants are known to help slow down the aging process and research suggests that certain antioxidants may help prevent, Alzheimer’s disease and complications of diabetes. The islanders also eat a lot of seaweed and unrefined brown sugar, both of which are rich in minerals, accompanied by green tea. Then there is the water, which reportedly has a very high mineral content compared to the rest of Japan.
Finally, inhabitants of Okinawa consume a diet that is 20 percent lower in calories than those in the rest of Japan, most practice a dietary philosophy known as “hara hachi bu” which means to eat until you are 80 percent full.
The Japanese do this to stay young – Infographics 2.0- Scriptwriter: Joanne Reed
What about exercise? A lot of the residents in Okinawa practice “teodori” a type of traditional slow dance that uses hand movements. They also practice “rajio taiso” which is a set of dynamic aerobic exercises that are easy to perform and won’t take too much of your time. It is customary in Japanese culture for employees who work in offices to start the day with this rajio taiso routine.
The statistics seem to confirm that the Japanese have found the fountain of youth. For centuries the quest for eternal youth, immortality, or just a prolonged life has been a topic of various myths and legends. The fountain of youth is a spring that supposedly restores the youth of anyone who drinks or bathes in its waters. In Japan stories of hot springs that could heal wounds and restore youth are common.
Alexander the Great searched for the Fountain in the 5th century AD and was said to have found a healing “River of Paradise.” Similar stories were prominent among Caribbean people during the early 16th century, they spoke of the restorative powers of the water in the mythical land of Bimini.
Explorers and adventurers have long looked for the elusive fountain of youth or at least some remedy to aging. Has science found the map? It seems that this dream could be at least partly obtainable!
The Japanese do this to stay young – Infographics 2.0 – Scriptwriter: Joanne Reed
Even after you are fully grown, your body is constantly working to replace or repair itself. The body replaces itself on average every 7 years or so but not every cell’s lifespan is the same. For example, the cells that line your stomach can renew as fast as every two days, since they’re often in contact with digestive acid.
Cells that make up your skin are replaced every two to three weeks, your fat cells live a fairly long time — an average age of 10 years roughly the same as your bones which also regenerate about every 10 years. Brain cells don’t regenerate as you age, tooth enamel is never replaced, and the lenses of your eyes are also with you for life.
Enzymes are biological catalysts that speed up chemical reactions in cells. Enzymes play a huge part in the day-to-day running of the human body and are vital for the proper functioning of all human systems e.g., the digestive system, the nervous system, etc.
Some enzymes help break large molecules such as glucose so that the body can use them as fuel. Other enzymes help bind two molecules together to produce a new molecule. Enzymes are a highly selective catalysts, meaning that each enzyme only speeds up a specific reaction.
Every cell in our body contains DNA. DNA is the genetic material that makes each of us who we are. Each time a cell divides – for growth or repair, its DNA needs to be copied. Enzymes help in this process by unwinding the DNA coils and copying the information.
The Japanese do this to stay young – Infographics 2.0 – Scriptwriter: Joanne Reed
Telomeres help in this process by unwinding the DNA coils and copying the information. Telomeres, from the Greek “telos” (end) and “meros” (part), are the caps at the end of each strand of DNA that protects our chromosomes.
Telomeres, like the aglet at the end of the shoelaces, can become frayed until they can no longer do their job. Telomeres are shortened as we age, but can also be shortened by stress, anxiety, smoking, obesity, lack of exercise, poor diet, and lack of purpose. When telomeres get too short, our cells can no longer reproduce, which causes our tissues to degenerate and eventually die.
Breaking news! Each of us has a fountain of youth within us! There have been many experiments that have shown to increase the maximum life span of laboratory animals. Science has found that it is possible to extend telomeres to help you live a longer and healthier life and discovered that there are 6 key triggers that can positively influence the length of your telomeres.
These triggers are:
Good nutrition.
Exercise
Happiness and gratitude.
Positive outlook.
Self-love and love.
Being in service.
We all know that good nutrition and exercise are vitally important. Hippocrates also known as the “Father of Modern Medicine” is credited with being the first person to believe that disease was not a punishment from the Gods, but rather the product of environmental factors, diet, and living habits.
He noticed that bodies grow relaxed and sluggish through sedentary lives which led to various illnesses. Those who walked more stayed well longer, so he often prescribed exercise. Hippocrates’ medicine was humble and passive; his therapeutic approach was based on the “healing power of nature”. According to Hippocrates’ doctrine, the body contains within itself the power to re-balance and heal itself.
Hippocrates is known for saying: “Let your food be your medicine and your medicine be your food.”
Being grateful and having a positive outlook on life will also help you live longer. Be grateful and wake up happy every day, happy to be given another day to be, to strive, to create. Be grateful for your family, your loved ones, and the people around you. Be grateful for who you are and what you can do. Keep a positive outlook on life. Change the things you can change and stop worrying about things you can’t.
“Philautia”, the Greek word for self-love. Self-love is in its healthiest form (not focused on personal fame, gain, and fortune as is the case with narcissism.) It shares the Buddhist philosophy of self-compassion, which is s deep understanding of one’s own self, such that you feel comfortable in your own skin. Self-love is important, as Aristotle described: “All friendly feelings for others are an extension of a man’s feelings for himself.” You cannot share what you do not have, if you do not love yourself, you cannot love anyone else either. The only way to be truly happy is to first find unconditional love for yourself.
Being of service is critically important for our well-being. Not having a purpose, waking up each morning with nothing to do or nowhere to go creates stress and shortens our lifespan. Conversely, studies have shown people who report a greater sense of purpose and direction in life are more likely to outlive their peers.
The Japanese do this to stay young – Infographics 2.0.criptwriter: Joanne Reed
Older age or retirement is a time when we start aging very quickly and when disease and depression are more likely to set in. Having a purpose gives meaning to life, it doesn’t have to be saving the world or anything extraordinary or amazing, every person great or small has important work to do. It can be something very small indeed. Each one of us has our own path to walk and our own mission in life.
The “secret” path that will lead you to your own fountain of youth can be found within you. The “magic triggers” that will show you the way is to eat well, exercise regularly, express gratitude, love yourself, love others and be of service. So, how do the Japanese live so long? They activate their own fountain of youth!
Thanks for watching and don’t forget to like, share and subscribe to our channel because this is where you will find out some secrets such as where to find your own fountain of youth!
Yours Truly, Scriptwriter, Joanne Reed
I wrote a whole chapter about this in Chapter 22 of my book “This Is Your Quest”. You can purchase my book This is Your Quest online at BookLocker, from Amazon or from Barnes & Noble. The Ebook version is available on Amazon (Kindle), Barnes & Noble (Nook), Apple (iBooks) & Kobo. Check out my Amazon Author Page here or my listing on Booksradar.com
