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A) Summer is here. B) Smoothies taste good. C) Smoothies are refreshing. D) Smoothies are a healthy choice. Which of these is false? Maybe none - or maybe D. Just because there is fruit in a smoothie doesn’t make it healthy. Many smoothie stands and stores add all sorts of artificial flavors which add unnatural sugars and calories. And if your smoother vendor adds creme, high cal yogurt or added sugar. Maybe choice D is false indeed.

Try to hold the extra flavorings, the special boosters and the yogurt if possible (or use fat free). If you don’t think you can do without the added sugar - try it once. You may be surprised. Finally, get a small! Too much sugar, even natural sugar, and too many carbs are not good for your waistline. Everything in moderation and you can enjoy your smoothies all summer long without packing on the pounds.

This is a big weekend in Good Elements world. It is one of the weekends where the Company founders get together and check in with each other as friends - almost family - rather than as business partners. It’s a weekend that will be filled with laughter, maybe a few deep conversations, celebrations of recent joys and some reflection on sorrows. So in keeping with the weekend ahead, we did a little research on the impact of friends and laughter on health. And no surprise, it seems that good friends can have a positive impact on your health.

Research indicates that not being socially connected can negatively impact your overall health and wellness while social connectedness can have the opposite, positive impact. The connections experienced in a good friendship increase your feelings of social belonging, self-esteem, and support positive mental health.

John Cacioppo, director of the Center for Cognitive and Social Neuroscience at the University of Chicago, reports that when you are socially isolated, your brain increases the amount of the hormone cortisol. We touched on the impact of cortisol and its role in adrenal fatigue in this news article in February. Other current research states that as human beings, we are biologically created to seek out social connections. Without these social connections, the same part of the brain that responds when we are hurt, responds by making us feel uncomfortable.

When we laugh we stretch muscles throughout our face and body, our pulse and blood pressure go up, and we breathe faster, sending more oxygen to our tissues. Some researchers believe that laughter may offer some of the same advantages as a workout.

One pioneer in laughter research, William Fry, claimed it took ten minutes on a rowing machine for his heart rate to reach the level it would after just one minute of hearty laughter. And as people who spend an inordinate amount of time using the ergometer for fitness, we here at Good Elements will tell you - we’d rather be laughing! In fact, a small study conducted at Vanderbilt University indicated that 10-15 minutes of laughter burned 50 calories.

Other research has shown that laughter can have positive impacts on blood flow, immune response, blood sugar levels, and relaxation and sleep.

So we here at Good Elements hope that this weekend you too will find some time to laugh and enjoy the Company of friends. Your health will thank you!

source: Webmd