ENDORPHIN HIGH
How to Tap into Your Body’s Natural Painkiller
 | You’ve likely heard of endorphins; I tend to think of them as something you experience while eating a chocolate cupcake, feeling overwhelming love and affection for someone, or while doing some rigorous exercise. Turns out endorphins are morphine-like opiates naturally produced by our bodies. These chemicals can temporarily block pain receptors and dull our sensitivity to pain. | |
EXERCISE ENDORPHINS
Exercise causes us to release endorphins (this feeling is sometimes referred to as a “runner's high”) to the point that they can sometimes mask injury. Always pay close attention to any soreness or aches you feel during exercise, especially if they hurt in the beginning of your session and slowly go away as you continue your workout. That could be endorphins hiding your injury and you don’t want to make it worse by continuing to exercise. It has also been discovered that people with chronic pain disorders tend to have high levels of endorphins.
CHOCOLATE ENDORPHINS Research has concluded that eating chocolate produces endorphins. You knew you felt happy when indulging in a lovely chocolate treat, now didn’t you? Chili peppers are another food that brings on the release of endorphins. The spicier the pepper, the more endorphins are secreted. I recommend eating chocolate and chilies around that time of the month, as endorphins can help relieve those pesky PMS symptoms. RELEASING ENDORPHINS When we experience emotional stress, endorphins are released in the limbic system and cause euphoria, thus lessening feelings of anxiety. The relationship between endorphins and the pleasure center in the brain is very important. The release of endorphins into our system can lessen depression and boost self-esteem. | |
PRODUCING ENDORPHINS
It’s great to know that meditation, massage therapy and deep breathing also produce endorphins. These activities can calm you down, help you feel centered and give you a sense of well being, much like endorphins themselves. Our ability to produce endorphins is said to diminish as we age, so do all you can to get those gleeful juices flowing for as long as you can. Endorphins give you a natural high, the safest and best kind life has to offer!
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Article Written By: Laura Miller; Laura writes on beauty, health and wellness and pursues a healthy lifestyle.
