Endorphins are brain chemicals that boost your mood, health, and well-being.

Check out this article to learn why they are important, and how they make you feel: How to Stimulate Your Endorphins – The Body’s Natural Opiates

Here are five simple ways to stimulate the release of endorphins.

1. Boost Endorphins with Exercise

A good workout can make you feel euphoric and energized. It can give you a positive outlook on life. This is mostly because of endorphin release.

Regular Exercise is the most well-known way to stimulate the release of endorphins.

The study “Endorphins and exercise” says that:

“Elevated serum beta-endorphin concentrations induced by exercise have been linked to several psychological and physiological changes, including mood state changes and ‘exercise-induced euphoria”. [1]

Endorphins make exercise more doable by relieving pain and rewarding you with a good feeling that makes you want to repeat the behavior.

Exercise keeps your body and mind young and feeling good. We also know that exercise promotes growth of new brain cells, especially in the hippocampus; the area responsible for emotions, memory and the autonomous nervous system.

Continue reading →

Have you ever heard of “runner’s high”?

It is the euphoric high you sometimes get after a hard workout. Endorphins are responsible for this, and many other positive effects.

Endorphins Are Opiates Produced by Your Body

The name endorphins comes from the term endogenous morphine. Endogenous means that they are produced by your body.

Like other opiates (e.g. medical morphine and heroin), endorphins’ main task is to mask pain. [1] The most well-known endorphin is 18 to 33 times more potent than morphine. [2] It is, however, produced in fairly small quantities.

Endorphins helped early humans escape from lions and other dangers in prehistoric times, because they let you run fast and long without getting overwhelmed by pain. Continue reading →

These are 10 life lessons from the Bhagavad Gita, an ancient Indian text dense with wisdom.

1. Change is the Law of The Universe

 

“What you have taken, Has been from here
What you gave has been given here

What belongs to you today
belonged to someone yesterday
and will be someone else’s tomorrow

Change is the Law of The Universe”

Nothing is constant. No-thing is permanent. True stillness comes from embracing movement – the ebb and flow of life. The earth is moving through space. Night follows day.

Each moment is completely new. To be wise is to accept change. To be enlightened is to love change.

2. Everything Happens for a Reason

 

“Whatever happened was good
Whatever is happening is good
Whatever will happen will also be good”

This mindset empowers you. This mindset attracts more of the good.

What has happened has happened. There is nothing more to be done. Continue reading →

Flax seeds are nutrition bombs with many health benefits. They are easy to incorporate into your diet.

Flax seeds are packed with Omega-3’s – healthy fatty acids with a plethora of health benefits. Omega-3’s boost your brain functions, your mood [1][2], your heart health, and your joint health. They give you smooth skin and glossy hair, lower blood pressure, and are anti-inflammatory and anti aging [2].

Flax seeds contain high levels of mucilage gum, which keeps food in your stomach longer and helps you absorb more nutrients. This improves digestion.

Flax seeds are rich in fiber, thus they help flush out toxins and clean your colon.

Flax seeds are the richest known source of lignans, a group of chemical compounds found in plant-based foods. Lignans are known to have anti-cancer [3] and anti-inflammatory properties [4], as well as the possible benefit of reducing the risk of heart disease and lowering cholesterol levels [5].

How to Use Flax Seeds Every Day

Flax seeds can be used in nearly anything you eat. Try these tips:

• Blend them into your smoothie
• Sprinkle on a salad
• Sprinkle onto pasta, wok, or stew
• Bake into crackers, cookies, muffins, or bread
• Use as a vegan egg substitute in baking
• Add to youghurt
• Add to oatmeal

About the author:

Vegard Paulsen is one of the two founders of Global Harmony Crew.

Subscribe to Global Harmony Crew to go deeper into self-realization and how to live a life worth living. When you subscribe you get their 20$ inner peace course for free.

Learn more about how to enhance your mood from their Udemy course on brain chemicals.
Resources:

[1] Tanna, Ila R. et al. 7 June 2016. “Protective Role of Ashwagandharishta and Flax Seed Oil against Maximal Electroshock Induced Seizures in Albino Rats.” Ayu 33.1 (2012): 114–118. PMC. Web.

[2] Bourre JM1. 2005 “Dietary omega-3 Fatty acids and psychiatry: mood, behaviour, stress, depression, dementia and aging.” J Nutr Health Aging. 2005;9(1):31-8.

[3] Lowcock EC1, Cotterchio M, Boucher BA. 2013 Jan 25.
“Consumption of flaxseed, a rich source of lignans, is associated with reduced breast cancer risk.” Cancer Causes Control. 2013 Apr;24(4):813-6. doi: 10.1007/s10552-013-0155-7.

[4] Kassuya CA1, Leite DF, de Melo LV, Rehder VL, Calixto JB. 2005 “Anti-inflammatory properties of extracts, fractions and lignans isolated from Phyllanthus amarus.” Planta Med. 2005 Aug;71(8):721-6.

[5] Julia Peterson, Johanna Dwyer, Herman Adlercreutz, Augustin Scalbert, Paul Jacques, and Marjorie L McCullough. 2010. “Dietary lignans: physiology and potential for cardiovascular disease risk reduction”
Nutr Rev. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2011 Oct 1.