The health benefits of being nice:
How practicing random acts of kindness promotes happiness.

Health benefits of kindess

Not long ago I was running some errands and just before returning home I stopped by Starbucks and went through the drive-through to grab a coffee drink. There was a long line and I was in a hurry to get back on the freeway before the afternoon traffic. You have to beat the rush before 3:30 p.m. at this particular location, or you are in for bumper-to-bumper traffic for the next 25 miles. I was getting a little edgy and wished the line would hurry up a bit.

When at last it was my turn, I reached out my hand to give the young man at the window my $10 bill to pay for my cappuccino but he didn't take my money. Instead he said, "The lady in the car in front of you already paid for your drink."

Excuse me! I looked at the car pulling out of the driveway and I didn't recognize it. I asked the young man to explain to me why she had paid for my coffee. He answered, "No reason that I know of, except maybe as an act of kindness."

SHOP Amazon's Top 100* Best Selling Vitamins & Nutritional Supplements
+ Free Shipping & Returns on Eligible Items.
(*Amazon's Top 100 list updated hourly.)

When I finally had my coffee in hand and I moved toward the freeway, I noticed a smile on my face and my mood was definitely lifted. By this time the traffic had already poured onto the freeway, but I was able to spend the next 30 minutes in bumper-to-bumper traffic enjoying my coffee and listening to some great songs on the radio.

Practicing acts of kindness
Wherever you are at this moment, right now is the perfect time to participate in Random Acts of Kindness. This activity is a selfless act performed by a person or persons wishing to either assist or cheer up an individual. There will generally be no reason other than to make people smile, or to bring them a moment of happiness.

I remember some years back stopping at a fast-food restaurant to get myself a quick lunch to go. I was starved and couldn't wait to get in the car and take my first bite. I was surprised to encounter a very dirty beggar in that neighborhood as I walked across the parking lot to my car. He came up to me and asked for some spare change... or some food. My immediate response was, "I don't have any extra change." Then I quickly remembered he also asked for food. I looked at the bag in my hand and knew what I had to do. I handed it over to him and said, "Maybe this will help." As I walked back into the restaurant to order again I was aware of a lift in my step. It felt good.

No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted. ~ Aesop

Research does bear out that giving to other people, rather than to ourselves, does indeed benefit us. A 2008 study published in Science magazine found that "spending more of one's income on others predicted greater happiness."

In remembering these and a few other acts of kindness, I thought to myself, I wonder what would happen if all of us spent time this week or even this month looking for ways to practice random acts of kindness on family, friends, neighbors and strangers? What stories would we have to share with each other?

Let's do it! Let's do something special for others, be creative and make someone's day!

Excerpt from VITAJOURNAL, February 2011. Judy Ellison, Ph.D., is a psychologist, author and motivational speaker. She has inspired people around the world to reach within and find their passionate purpose to live a more meaningful life.


From the Maui Health Research Desk...

Over a dozen fast, simple ways to eat healthier foods (and enjoy every bite)
easy ways to eat more vegetables

There is no better time than right now to start making informed food choices and developing sound eating and exercise habits.

To help put more healthy "color" in your daily diet, the American Dietetic Association (ADA) offers these tips to enjoy fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat/fat-free dairy products.

  1. Enjoy your pizza topped with broccoli, spinach, green peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms and zucchini.
  2. For a sweet and healthy sauce on grilled or broiled seafood or poultry, puree berries, apples, peaches or pears.
  3. Whip up a breakfast smoothie with low-fat milk, frozen strawberries and a banana.
  4. Have whole-grain rice left over? Heat it up with chopped apple, nuts and cinnamon.
  5. Make a veggie wrap with roasted vegetables and low-fat cheese rolled in a whole-wheat tortilla.
  6. Instead of chips, try crunchy vegetables with your favorite low-fat dip or salad dressing.
  7. Grill colorful vegetable kabobs of tomatoes, green and red peppers, mushrooms and onions.
  8. Banana split: top a sliced banana with a scoop of low-fat frozen yogurt.
  9. Brighten up salads with baby carrots, grape tomatoes, spinach leaves or mandarin oranges.
  10. Prepare instant oatmeal with low-fat/fat-free milk instead of water.
  11. Make an omelet a meal by stuffing it with broccoli, squash, carrots, peppers, tomatoes or onions with low-fat sharp cheddar cheese.
  12. Wake up to fruit. Add it to your morning oatmeal, cold cereal, yogurt or toaster waffle.
  13. Enjoy "nature's fast food:" raw vegetables and fruits that are cleaned, fresh and ready to eat.
  14. Stuff a whole grain pita with ricotta cheese and apple slices; add a dash of cinnamon.

Broccoli: a vegetable for all seasons

Broccoli is a rich source of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and fiber. Developed from wild cabbage in ancient Roman times, broccoli made its way to the U.S. in colonial times, brought over by Italian immigrants. However, its popularity didn't really take off until the 1970s. By 2005, Americans were eating 5.6 pounds of broccoli per person every year.

When choosing broccoli at the store or farmers market, look for firm stalks and florets that are tightly closed and green. Keep in mind that if you overcook it, you won't get the health benefits; overcooking can leach the nutrients out of it.nutritional benefits of broccoli A study in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture found that steaming broccoli is the best way to preserve its nutrients; microwaving is the worst way to prepare it.

Probably the only bad thing you'll hear about broccoli is that it can be odiferous when cooked. But don't let that deter you from enjoying this health-enhancing, delicious treat.


Tips for enjoying the outdoors...

What's the best treatment for sunburn?

You already know it, but we're going to say it again anyway: Preventing a sunburn is much safer and less painful than treating one.

SHOP NOW for Low Prices on Amazon's Top 100* Best Selling Skin Sun Protection
+ Free Shipping & Returns on Eligible Items.
(*Amazon's Top 100 list updated hourly.)

Despite our best intentions, however, most of us will suffer from some degree of sunburn. When this happens, here are tips for minimizing the sunburn damage and discomfort: both the heat injury to the skin and the radiation damage to our skin's protective, outer layer. (The goal is to get the skin cool and keep it from drying out.)

1. Press gently on the skin with a wet, cool washcloth (cool compress) or take a cool shower.

treatment for sunburns

2. While your skin is still wet, apply an alcohol-free moisturizer (or the gel from a filleted aloe vera leaf) to lock in the moisture. Don't use salve, butter or ointment

3. You can take Tylenol to minimize the pain or Ibuprofen to treat both the pain and inflammation.

4. Avoid additional sun exposure and do not burst blisters if they appear.

5. Sunburned infants under 1 year of age or anyone who is experiencing a fever or severe pain should seek medical attention.

Low Prices on Best Selling VITAMINS &
SUPPLEMENTS

SHOP NOW AT AMAZON

spacer
A Sampling of Today's Health News Headlines
L.A. Times - Health
L.A. Times - Health

03/17/2024 06:04 AM
Abcarian: Flamin' Hot Cheetos and iPhones are ruining my kid and yours

I'll take all the help I can get prying the smartphone out of my 13-year-old niece's messy orange hands.


03/14/2024 02:51 PM
Dodgers renew Andrew Toles' contract again. He hasn't played since 2018 due to mental health issues

Andrew Toles last played in 2018. The Dodgers apparently renewed his contract so he could keep his insurance while dealing with mental health issues.


03/14/2024 06:00 AM
Plants saved her life. Now she's helping others heal at her L.A. plant shop

Barbara Lawson used gardening to pull herself out of depression. Now, she's sharing the healing powers of plants with others at her South Bay plant shop.


03/13/2024 06:07 PM
Column: Hubris, thy name is Gavin

Gov. Gavin Newsom should have learned this four years ago: You don't try to sell voters on more government spending in a primary election.


03/13/2024 02:06 PM
Olivia Munn has luminal B breast cancer, resulting in 4 surgeries in 10 months

Olivia Munn revealed Wednesday that she was diagnosed last year with luminal B breast cancer and had a double mastectomy. She considers herself 'lucky.'


03/13/2024 01:06 PM
Christina Applegate says she probably had MS for 7 years before diagnosis

Christina Applegate opened up about how living with multiple sclerosis has been 'kind of hell' and 'isolating' but shares how fellow actor Jamie-Lynn Sigler supports her.


03/13/2024 09:42 AM
11% of high school seniors report using delta-8 THC, advertised as 'legal' form of cannabis

More than 11% of high school seniors said in a national survey that they had used delta-8 THC, a psychoactive compound that is derived from hemp, in the last year.


NYT > Health
NYT > Health

03/16/2024 09:56 AM
When Medicaid Comes After the Family Home
Federal law requires states to seek reimbursement from the assets, usually homes, of people who died after receiving benefits for long-term care.
03/15/2024 07:02 AM
The Surprise Ending of ‘Dune,’ the Popcorn Bucket
What’s in the $24.99 tub, exactly? Lindsay Moyer, a nutritionist, reviews the contents of the movie-snack “vessel.”
03/14/2024 03:15 PM
Teen Pregnancy Linked to Risk of Earlier Death in Adulthood, Study Finds
A large analysis in Canada finds that teenagers who had babies were twice as likely to die before age 31.
03/13/2024 08:25 PM
Colon Cancer Blood Test Shows Promise for Early Detection
Many patients are reluctant to undergo colonoscopies or conduct at-home fecal tests. Doctors see potential in another screening method.
03/11/2024 01:46 PM
Overdose or Poisoning? A New Debate Over What to Call a Drug Death.
Grieving families want official records and popular discourse to move away from reflexive use of “overdose,” which they believe blames victims for their deaths.
03/08/2024 06:58 PM
With Cyberattack Fix Weeks Away, Health Providers Slam United
Hospitals, doctors and clinics expressed frustration that they will have to wait even longer for reimbursements after hackers paralyzed the largest U.S. billing clearinghouse.
03/09/2024 12:07 PM
A New Film at SXSW Warns of the Potential Harm of Microplastics
At SXSW, a documentary traces the arc of plastics in our lives, and highlights evolving research of the potential harm of its presence in our bodies.
03/08/2024 06:45 AM
F.D.A. Delays Action on Closely Watched Alzheimer’s Drug
Eli Lilly’s donanemab was expected to be approved this month, but the agency has decided to convene a panel of independent experts to evaluate the drug’s safety and efficacy.
NPR Topics: Health
NPR Topics: Health
Health
03/17/2024 09:50 AM
Q&A: Author of 'Bottled: How Coca-Cola Became African' on Coke's surprising history
How did the soda giant from America come to be seen as "local" in Africa? And what has the impact been on the continent for worse and for better?
03/17/2024 08:19 AM
Where public health stands 4 years after the COVID-19 pandemic began
NPR's Ayesha Rascoe asks Dr. Nancy Messonnier, Jennifer Greene, and Raven Walters about the state of public health four years after COVID-19 became a national emergency.
03/17/2024 08:02 AM
California lawmakers explore treating happiness as a public policy issue
The California State Assembly's Committee on Happiness and Public Policy Outcomes, inspired by a blockbuster documentary, has had its first meeting. It was an event 11 years in the making.
03/17/2024 08:02 AM
Women who do strength training live longer. How much is enough?
Women who do strength training live longer. A study finds resistance training 2-3 days a week cuts the risk of death from heart disease for women by 30%. (Story first aired on ME on March 11, 2024.)
03/16/2024 05:15 PM
The health care impact of Haiti's violence
The constant state of crisis in Haiti is taking a toll on health care facilities in the country. Some doctors and staff are no longer showing up at hospitals for fear of being kidnapped.
03/16/2024 05:15 PM
Pod Corner: 'Lost Patients'
We hear from Lost Patients, a podcast that tries to make sense of the U.S. mental health care system.
03/16/2024 08:03 AM
New study raises questions about the CDC's data on the maternal mortality rate
A new study raises doubts about the high rate of maternal mortality in the U.S. that was officially reported.
03/16/2024 05:01 AM
Transitioning later in life can feel isolating. One social group wants to change that
Social spaces for trans folks tend to be youth-oriented. Transitioning for those over 50 can bring unique challenges. One New Jersey support group offers community and a path forward.
 
Copyright 2024 MauiHealth.com. All rights reserved. rss Subscribe to our RSS
Information provided here should not be relied on to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any condition, disease or illness. Please consult with your physician or health care professional for guidance on any health concern. MauiHealth.com is a commercial website and is not affiliated with any government agency, university, or private medical center. COMPENSATION DISCLOSURE: This site may be compensated for products promoted here. Read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.