What's On Your Food? - Breathing Space Blog

What's On My Food? cites any pesticide residues associated with nearly 100 common supermarket foods and products. The app, free on iOS, is designed by a nonprofit agency that draws upon data from the U.S. Dept of Agriculture and highlights the possible health risk of each chemical.

Noise: Hazardous to Your Health - Breathing Space Blog

"Noise Busters" by Richard and Joyce Wolkomir writing in Smithsonian Magazine said, "Natural quiet is now preserved in only 7% of Arizona's Grand Canyon national park and nowhere in Hawaii's volcano's National Park."

"Among city dwelling Americans, 87% are exposed to noise so loud it has the potential to degrade hearing capacity over time. But you will not necessarily find piece in the suburbs or country side either, not with the onslaught of leaf blowers, snow blowers, lawn mowers, chain saws, snow mobiles, power boats, and all terrain vehicles.

They went on to say, "Researchers have demonstrated that noise can raise your blood pressure and change your blood chemistry. Adrenaline levels can rise, indicating the imposition of stress."

Did you know that "noise" referring to unwanted sound is derived from the Latin word for nausea? In 1997 Automobile traffic was 360% of 1960 levels, while large truck traffic was 430% of 1960 levels. Airliner travel in 1998 was 600% of 1960 levels and air cargo traffic was 2460% of 1960 levels.  Today, across the board, noise levels are even higher.

In 1960 there were no leaf blowers, no jet skis, no car alarms, and few snowmobiles. Noise on one side of a school has been shown to diminish children's test scores, compared with that of children on the other side of the school in a relatively noise free zone, who otherwise have the same academic capabilities and demographic profile.

Noise. Who needs it?

The Art of Meaning in the Everyday - Breathing Space Blog

I recently re-read LifeCraft: The Art of Meaning in the Everyday by Forest Church, Beacon (1999) which contained some eye-opening assertions.The author says that to a greater or lesser degree everyone shares the following characteristics. They are:

* Self conscious about their appearance

* Feeling guilty about things that they have done or have failed to do

* Sometimes have a hard time accepting themselves or forgiving others

* Have secrets which they feel may betray them at any moment

* Fail in ways that matter both to themselves and their loved ones
   ...despite success in other aspects of their lives

* Feel stressful, as if happiness is fleeting.

* Worry about aging or concerned with dying

* Have been betrayed

* Wonder what is the meaning of life.

Personal Debt is no Joy - Breathing Space Blog

An AP report indicated that "Americans are falling behind on their credit card payments at an alarming rate. Racking up heavy personal debt is the antithesis to Breathing Space!

Stay Fresh and Vibrant - Breathing Space Blog

I know people who will take courses on topics completely out of their field, who try new dishes at restaurants, and who strive to keep themselves open to new ideas. You can do all kinds of new and different activities in your personal life that will serve to stimulate your creativity at work, to help you break free of attachment, and to help you overcome the inertia of immobility when you want to get things done.

Here are a few ideas:

At work:
* Take a planned 15-minute break twice daily
* Eat away from your desk
* Brainstorm with people not in your department
* Furnish your workspace with plants, pictures, or art that inspires you
* Learn some aspect of the organization that is completely foreign to you

Away from work:
* Change your magazine subscriptions
* Read a literary novel or epic
* Dress differently for different occasions
* Relax on your porch
* Install a hammock in your backyard

In general, to develop your awareness:
* Take an impromptu weekend trip to someplace you haven't visited
* Enroll in a course
* Join a book discussion group
* Volunteer at a charity
* Take up a new sport

We Are Older and Wiser - Breathing Space Blog

Behavioral scientists have long believed that old age and cognitive decline went hand-in-hand.  Rather than cognitively declining, we are simply accumulating more and more information. This accumulation causes us to be a little slower when it comes to recalling specific details, but we're actually smarter as we age.

As our median age of membership increases, dispelling the myth of cognitive decline is encouraging to NSA members because it broadens an array of possibilities for our advancing years and those of our audiences. Do you want to tackle an intellectual challenge which, until this point in your life, has not been on the front burner? You have the capability.

Reference: "The Myth of Cognitive Decline: Non-linear Dynamics of Lifelong Learning" by Michael Ramscar, et al. In Topics in Cognitive Science, volume 6, issue 1, pages 5 to 42, January 2014.

Book Review: Emotional Longevity - Breathing Space Blog

A mini review of Emotional Longevity by Norman Anderson

    Why do optimists have lower blood pressure and heightened immunity? Why have studies found asthmatics breathe easier after writing down traumatic events? And how is it that good relationships are a buffer against everything from heart disease to the common cold and religious observance so often goes hand-in-hand with longevity

    Norman Anderson, CEO of the American Psychological Association, believes in a new approach to health as a way to understand longevity. Instead of the traditional view of physical health, Anderson says the interaction of six "well-being" factors can explain the differences in longevity.

        1) biological
        2) psychological
        3) behavioral
        4) economic
        5) religious/spiritual
        6) emotional

    * He argues that there must be a scientific explanation for why some people recover from serious illness such as a heart attack while other patients remain disabled.

    * This multifaceted approach goes beyond the increasing acceptance of nontraditional medicine; it is an entirely new way to approach life, with specific medical support.