Did you know research from the University of Maryland found you’re 30 times more likely to laugh around other people than when you are by yourself!? _____ Research from Loma Linda University has found laughter to cause the opposite effects of stress on the body and increase levels of feel good neurotransmitters such as serotonin ____ Laughter has been linked to health benefits ranging from lower levels of inflammatory markers in the blood, to improved blood flow and arterial health and increased activity of killer cells, which promote immune system functioning ___ Laughter has been shown to causes a change in the way your brain’s neurons communicate with one each other; laughter can induce “gamma” frequencies, the type of brain waves found in those who meditate. Gamma waves have been linked to improvement of neuronal activity that deals with synchronization, recollection and memory _____ Laughter can even enhance your intake of oxygen-rich air, stimulate your heart, lungs and muscles, increases the endorphins released by your brain (such as oxytocin) and may ease pain by causing the body to produce its own natural painkillers aka endorphins ____ Laughter has been down to shuts down the release of stress hormones like cortisol, while also triggering the production of feel-good neurochemicals like dopamine, which have calming and anti-anxiety benefits ____ Endorphins are brain chemicals known as neurotransmitters that can be found in the pituitary gland and are distributed throughout the nervous system....they can interact with the opiate receptors in the brain to reduce our perception of pain and act similarly to drugs such as morphine ______ Secretion of endorphins can lead to feelings of euphoria, modulation of appetite, reduced feelings of pain, release of sex hormones, and enhancement of the immune response __ #briannapproved #endorphins #laughter #functionalhealth #holistichealth #dopamine #serotonin #HPAaxis #cortisol #recoveringsuperspaz 📷 : @kylediorio (at Ravello, Italy)

Poor cytokines…. Oversimplified and misunderstood. The primary function of cytokines is to regulate inflammation as well as regulate the immune response in both health and disease. it has been well established that a significant portion of those with mood and anxiety related disorders exhibit elevated inflammatory markers and circulating concentration of inflammatory cytokines. Once again, the goal is mitigation, not elimination when it comes to cytokines. #briannapproved #PhDbri #stress #anxiety #inflammation #recoveringsuperspaz #sleep #mentalhealth #emotionalintelligence #phd #dissertation #cortisol #neuroscience #neurotransmitters #integrativemedicine #functionalmedicine #holistichealth #psychiatry #botanicalBri #stressbucket #stress #inflammation #cytokines https://www.instagram.com/reel/CU5bUxDA-6_/?utm_medium=tumblr

🚨Episode 20 Reframing Anxiety & Cultivating Emotional Well Being In episode 20 I am talking all things anxiety, cultivating emotional well-being and coping skills for all of my recovering super spazes out there! I will start with the fun fact of the day, discuss the difference between helpful and unhelpful anxiety, talk about worrying well, refraining anxiety and doing less to get more out of your health! #briannapproved #PhDbri #stress #anxiety #inflammation #recoveringsuperspaz #sleep #mentalhealth #emotionalintelligence #phd #dissertation #cortisol #neuroscience #neurotransmitters #integrativemedicine #functionalmedicine #holistichealth #psychiatry #botanicalBri (at Spring Lake, New Jersey) https://www.instagram.com/p/CUAVyDKrWJ-/?utm_medium=tumblr

Let’s talk about your stress and inflammation bucket! The effects of stress and inflammation are cumulative. Stress itself is not harmful, but rather the frequency, duration, dose and intensity of various stressors that accumulate overtime that can become detrimental to our overall health and mental state. Imbalances in allostatic load, which will refer to ALL of the dietary/ lifestyle factors going into the “bucket” result in overload, which can be referred to as “overflow.” When the bucket gets too full, is not emptied out enough, or some combination of both situations, the result is symptom expression, such as inflammation( as a natural and healing coping mechanism of the body), fatigue, weight gain, hair loss, irregular periods, mood imbalances, anxiety and even sleep issues… you name it!   People who have experienced moderate amounts of stress before may be more resilient to stress in the future. Therefore, when faced with a lot of stress, or as their stress bucket starts to become fuller, the person is able to get through said stressors in a more manageable manner. 🤓Weekend homework assignment : -Assess what’s in your bucket, how you can empty out factors that weigh your bucket down and see how “overflows” manifest for you #briannapproved #PhDbri #stress #anxiety #inflammation #recoveringsuperspaz #sleep #mentalhealth #emotionalintelligence #phd #dissertation #cortisol #neuroscience #neurotransmitters #integrativemedicine #functionalmedicine #holistichealth #psychiatry #botanicalBri #stressbucket #stress #inflammation (at Point Pleasant, New Jersey) https://www.instagram.com/p/CT7A7w3rmJz/?utm_medium=tumblr

Cruising along with my PhD dissertation… “Rather than just focusing on the symptoms of mental illness, this dissertation will take an integrative and naturopathic approach towards understanding the etiology of anxiety disorders.  Understanding the importance of mitigating, not eliminating stress and inflammation should be the focus for natural healthcare practitioners in the field of mind-body medicine in creating treatment plans for mood disorders such as anxiety. The holistic and integrative model of healing takes into consideration all contributing factors affecting mental health and healing, including the role of emotions in disease, the process of inflammation as a secondary response to stress and the effects of chronic long-term stress in creating systemic inflammation, leading to mood disorders such as anxiety.” 📸: @kylediorio #briannapproved #PhDbri #stress #anxiety #inflammation #recoveringsuperspaz #sleep #mentalhealth #emotionalintelligence #phd #dissertation #cortisol #neuroscience #neurotransmitters (at Point Pleasant, New Jersey) https://www.instagram.com/p/CTuDV-crEmq/?utm_medium=tumblr

Did you know the amygdala mainly plays a role in anxiety and fear and newer research has shown that people with depression have higher amygdala reactivity in the brain!? In fact, their amygdala actually stays active longer than people without depression The amygdala is a part of the limbic brain system, which deals with processing and regulating our memories and emotions It’s been shown that stronger emotional bonding can improve the function of the limbic system (aka spend more time with your ride or die homies not that surface level bullshit), while newer research has found that the mood and thoughts of others can directly affect your limbic system, as well as your own thoughts and emotions (why we have to cut out pro-inflammatory thoughts and people) The limbic brain is considered an “older” part of the brain, which allows us to experience and express emotions, such as problem solving, rational thinking, fear and anxiety Your brain’s limbic system is also made up of the Thalamus (it’s jobs is to relay info to and from the outside world and your cerebral cortex), the Hippocampus (which helps take memories and make them long-term), the Hypothalamus (controls our brain neurochemistry that influences hunger, sex, sleep and emotions) and the Olfactory cortex (aka our sense of smell) which also connects to emotional and memory centers of the brain Touch and scent have also been shown to influence your limbic brain, so don’t be afraid to go in for a few hugs when social distancing is over, as well as physical activity, so hit the weights as well ... this is also why essential oils have gotten press for mood support or why you feel happy when you go home and smell your dads home cooking #briannapproved #emotions #limbicbrain #anxiety #recoveringsuperspaz #brainhealth #emotionalintelligence #amygdala #hpaaxis (at Ocean Grove, New Jersey) https://www.instagram.com/p/CKEYAgwDWcw/?igshid=15bacldzc3wor

Let’s talk Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) aka why your mind and body are connected! PNI looks at the bi-directional relationship between and interactions between your central nervous system, your immune system and your endocrine (hormone) system PNI shows a connection between psychology (the study of the human mind and its functions) and physiology (basically how an organism functions); PNI allows us to see that these body systems are interrelated and interconnected with the mind, rather than being separate Basically helping us to understand why there are certain biological changes that can occur when we experience and go through different psychological states (like how your immune system can break down after a super stressful period of your life, or how your weight loss stalls when you have dis-regulated inflammatory issues) “The interactions between behavioral, neural, endocrine, and immune functioning are documented through the interactions between cytokines, neurotransmitters, and hormones” This basically means that our brain uses neural and endocrine (hormone) activity to talk/communicate with the immune system, while our immune cells actually have receptors that response to neural and endocrine activity ….think of it as two friends have an on-going texting conversation back and forth, with good banter and who are always checking in on one another The immune system also creates signals (through cytokines, which again, is why we do in fact want inflammation), which talks to the nervous system (again, why your immune system is just secondary reacting to whats going on with your CNS and thoughts) “PNI shows us that the relationship between these systems is bidirectional, with behavior influencing immune function and vice versa” How are your thoughts influencing your health this week!? Are you supporting your emotional immune system!? #briannapproved #PNI #mindbody #integrativemedicine #immunehealth #holistichealth #recoveringsuperspaz #spaz #anxiety #stress #HPAaxis #CNS #inflammation #emotionalintelligence #emotionalimmunesystem (at Bradley Beach, New Jersey) https://www.instagram.com/p/CJI_Kf6DMBo/?igshid=ui0lh6ea3qjx

Ever notice how when you go and sit at the beach, or find yourself surrounded by trees that you just find yourself taking deeper breaths, feeling more relaxed and at peace? Research has shown that taking nature walks outside can enhance mental health, as well as significantly lower levels of depression and feelings of stress ___ Research gathered from the New Zealand Health Survey found that living somewhere with a view of the ocean is associated with improved mental health __ Studies also found that those who walked for 90 minutes in a natural environment setting reported lower levels of rumination and reduced neural activity in the part of the brain that is related to mental illness ___ Don’t forget to take off your shoes and practice earthing ,which is based on the theory that the Earth carries negative charges, which are rich in electrons, which act as a source of antioxidants and free-radical destroying electrons __ Grounding can promote feelings of well-being, enhance overall health, reduce pain, improve immune responses and positively affect various circulating chemical factors related to inflammation. Grounding also appears to improve sleep, reduce stress and reduce blood viscosity __ Take advantage of the health promoting benefits of playing in the sun with the #dailydchallenge ,as Vitamin D, which our bodies can make when exposed to sunlight, up-regulates your body’s ability to deal with infections, as it produces over 200 various peptides that deal with immune support and is also responsible for producing cytokines, which are small proteins that deal with the immune response __ #briannapproved #grounding #earthing #functionalmedicine #holistichealth #dailyD #vitaminD #sunshine #circadianrhythm #vitaminsea (at Barrio Costero) https://www.instagram.com/p/CB8cOTnjRi2/?igshid=1t28456n71514