Originally most popular throughout Asia, the green tea has made its way to the West where black tea is consumed most traditionally. Now that we’re getting a glimpse of this new found tea, it’s time we take a look at what the differences actually are and get a sense of the overall essence of green tea.

Green tea is made using the leaves of Camellia Sinensis, which is a tea plant that has gone through a minimal amount of oxidation. Most teas are in fact derived from this plant, as it offers a variety of different oxidation levels. The leaves vary depending on their harvesting time as well as on the conditions in which they are grown.

Containing about one third the caffeine of coffee, green tea is much better for those who would rather relax than wind up on chemicals that could be harmful to the body. Green tea has also shown to promote something many Americans would love, fat oxidation. What this means is that, over time, the powerful and healthy chemicals in the all natural green tea ware away fats and help prevent things like obesity and as a result, prevent terrible things like diabetes as well.

Who doesn’t want to help their body rid itself of excess fat? Not only does it help cleanse your body of these fats, but it also helps burn even more fat when you exercise and can even improve the glucose tolerance of some people.

Esophageal cancer is a form of cancer that affects both men and women and can become incredibly painful and spread to other vital organs in the body. Green tea has been known to reduce the risk of esophageal cancer by up to sixty percent. That’s a large percentage, and that isn’t the only cancer that green tea can help reduce the risk of getting.

Cancer fighting, while a major task achieved by green tea, is not the only thing green tea helps with as far as our body is concerned. It is also known to improve blood circulation as well as blood regulation and as a result helps reduce the chances of blood disorders.

Along with all of its amazing health benefits, green tea also tastes amazing, especially when accompanied by a small amount of honey, so what are you waiting for? Grab a glass of green tea, cold or hot, and start your day off from a healthier place. - via GreenTeaInformation

Image courtesy of Eduardo Mueses

Image courtesy of dotbenjamin

Not enough sleep. You feel tied, angry and don’t have enough energy? When you don’t sleep enough body functions change and fats are being assimilated easier. More to it, when we’re tired we can’t fight stress and we could be tempted to go for a snack in the middle of the night, which could lead to a chain reaction system. Try to sleep the right way.

Stress. For most of us stress acts like an appetite stimulus while metabolism functions decrease. Under stress the body releases hormones like cortisone which are responsible for fats on your abdomen. How about a pet or ways of fighting stress?

Pills. There are pills like antidepressant, sleeping pills, birth control pills or steroids could be responsible for the extra weight. They could lead to an increased appetite or the way fats are being ’stockpiled’. Check with your doctor (if it’s a good doctor) and make sure the pills are right for you and ask if it’s all right for you to stop the treatment.

Age. After 30 years, your metabolism slows down even if your lifestyle is the same. To make sure nothing changes, you will need to put in some extra effort with daily exercises and make sure you have a healthy diet.

Thyroid problems. You feel tired, have headaches and you can’t focus? See your doctor and make sure everything is all right with your thyroid which can cause a slow metabolism.

Any more tips other than eating less chocolate and more salad? Any trickier ones?

Of those that received help treatment broke down as follows: abuse treatment was received by 2.5 million people followed by 1.23 million people treated for addiction to marijuana, cocaine addiction patients fell just under the 1 million mark and pain relievers, stimulants, heroin and hallucinogens were each responsible for about 500,000 addiction treatments.

Of those people that needed treatment, only 2.5 million got it at a specialized treatment facility. Specialized treatment centers can range from outpatient facilities to residential drug and alcohol rehab centers. Most offer extended care for those suffering from addiction.

Treatment philosophies vary but include a variety of components all with the aim of developing an effective addiction treatment program.

One such specialty treatment center is Cliffside Malibu. Cliffside is a residential center that offers an alcohol rehab center, drug rehab and extended care. Treatment is individualized to meet each patient’s specific needs and goals and residents are assigned a primary therapist who will manage all aspects of therapy such as one on one therapy, cognitive-behavior therapy and family programs.

The center is staffed with a range of qualified professionals that include doctors, a psychiatrist, psychologist, equine therapist, personal trainer, spiritual advisor and other all with the sole goal of aiding in development and maintenance of an individualized addiction treatment program.

In keeping with a concept of holism in theory and practice Cliffside Malibu also includes the services of herbologists, massage therapists, acupuncturists and holistic medicine practitioners. Outdoor activities include horseback riding, surfing and hiking to help ensure a healthy and active aspect to alcohol and drug rehab treatment programs.

Recovery from addiction is a necessity and while the rehabilitation is the responsibility of the patient, having the right support is crucial and can make the difference between failure and success. Recovery is difficult and challenging but those who chose to seek help from professional addiction recovery centers are putting the odds in their favor to have the sober future they deserve.

A competition

Find a competition you can attend. For example if you like playing tennis, find a veterans championship. If it’s outside of town and you have to pay for transportation and accommodation it would be even better, you’re even more motivated. If you’re motivated you’ll remember to practice and you’ll do it better.

Make a bet

It’s like setting a deadline or goals. If you want to lose weight and you decide to lose 20 pounds in 3 months you may not be able to be that motivated and could give in when you see the first pizza. But what if you make a bet with your best friend or better with someone you don’t like or have a direct competition with? You get double motivation!

Training and health, connect them together

If you are aware of the fact that you train for a better health and physical condition then it’s great. You will be motivated by looking better and obviously, feeling better. Let’s take cardio exercises. If you are aware that it helps burn the fats which leads to a lower cholesterol level and then to a healthier heart, you’re on the right track.

Training partners

Training with a partner is a extremely motivational at first, but have you noticed that the same old buddy each time, leads to some sort of monotony? Best friends and family are not the best to train with because they tend to allow “cheating” (those abs exercises for example?). Try to find a new partner each month. It will keep you from getting close and falling in the comfort trap.

These are just four easy tips for staying motivated when it comes to training. Hope they helped and if you know more, go ahead and comment bellow.

picture by schoolbookdepository

These are just simple steps that may not significantly shrink the big hole in the ozone layer but will make you feel good to know you’re taking steps for a better environment and a better you.

photo by aaardvaark

1. Forget paper towels.

They are always easy to get and seem hygienic to use. Right, but what about all those trees they need to put down to make the paper towels? If you care about them, you may want to consider cloth towels that you can later put in your washing machine and use them again the next day.

2. Save some power

Studies showed that your computer or the TV, when plugged in, even if turned off still consumes electricity. Therefore if you’re leaving for a trip or something that will take a few days un-plug the electronics you don’t need. You can even do it in the morning when you leave for work and plug them back in when you get back 8 hours later.

3. Recycle

Not sure if you’ve heard but the Vatican talked about modern sins. Pollution and not recycling are some of them. Therefore if you want to be closer to God and live a greener life consider recycling. Old materials are used to create new products and reduces the need for raw materials and energy.

4. Use less packaging (plastic bags)

Plastic bags pollution or plastic pollution is already a big threat. For example in some cities (like San Francisco for example), supermarkets have been banned to offer their customers plastic bags. Isn’t it true that you always seem to get more plastic bags than you need and you end up stacking them under the sink? Use a bigger bag that you can put all your groceries in or re-use your carrier bags

5. Drive less

You can set your own targets like “this month I will drive 200 miles less”. Car emissions are one of the biggest threats to global warming and if we don’t do something about it, we will be the ones to suffer the consequences. If you can shop locally and walk to the store instead of driving outside the town to a huge store you will not only put less CO2 in the atmosphere but your body will feel better because you walked.

6. A-rated electronics

If you have an old (collection) fridge that you don’t want to get rid of, you can turn it into “furniture” if it looks that good. A-rated products they build these days are using less power, so you may want to change the one you have with one of these. By the way, I’ve chosen the fridge example because from what I know they contain CFCs which contribute to the hole in the ozone layer. We don’t want that to happen, right ?

7. Cleaning. Watch out

Did you know that many of the products you use to clean your kitchen for example are extremely toxic? Polycarboxylates, phosphonates or bleaching agents are harmful for plants or pets so if you want to make sure you clean “green” make sure you’re using green kitchen products like Ecover for example.

8. Take showers instead of a bath

Many call this one a myth, but taking showers not only uses less water than a bath does but will also use less energy. Save water, take showers! However, if you feel stressed out and a good old bath is your thing do it.

9. Plant a tree

I don’t think this one needs any comments, because it may not only be a green decision but also a great life decision. Imagine when the tree grows and you see it bigger and bigger, fighting with CO2 emissions?

10. Switch lightbulbs

Though Compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFL) are a little bit more expensive they will probably lower your electricity bill by 60%. Another great thing for using them is they last 12 times more than traditional bulbs.

11. Travel by train

Air transportation is currently responsible for 3.5 percent of all greenhouse gases that are helping the ozone layer hole getting bigger and bigger. Therefore, if the distance is not very big and you can travel by train do it at least 2-3 times a year (instead of flying).

If you can think about more ways don’t hesitate to comment below.

New York City - Times Square (by FraukeFoto)

For many people, living in a new city is a big challenge and if you break through, you’ll eventually have to make friends. If finding out things like crime rate, school systems, medical care, taxes, cell phone coverage or bars and restaurants to spend your time, is just as easy as searching on Google, making new friends is not very easy.

This little guide may help you out.

First things, first

Alone in the city or not, you should know what type of people you enjoy spending time with. This is the first step you should consider. If you don’t like people that are frequently spending time in bars or clubs you should avoid such places. Be honest to yourself and decide what people you should meet.

1. Radiate positive energy. Smile, be funny and confident because your behavior will attract or keep people away. You need to be interesting, not boring. This is how you keep shyness away, a main problem for most of the people I’ve seen the first time.
2. Start at work or school. The best way to meet new people in a place you’ve never been before, is to start with the place you spend the most time during the day. Be it school, be it work find someone (nice enough) to show you the area and make a quick list of interesting things you could do. Some of you will say that after 9 hours of work, they have no energy left to spend time with the same people again. Could be true, but these are the first people you meet that could at least open your horizon.
3. Activities, activities, activities. Another great way to find people sharing the same things you do is to find activities to join.
   • sports : go jogging in the park, find a swimming pool or a gym to join, find a group for mountain expeditions, tennis lessons and actually every sport you enjoy.
   • social and cultural: you may want to consider dancing lessons, taking a drama class, find new events in your city on different websites/blogs, attend church on Sundays and so on.
   • for families the easiest way to meet new people is through your kids. Join the charity fund at school, take your kids to soccer practice or swimming lessons. It’s easier to meet other parents, discuss problems that concern both parts and then throw in a barbecue party at your place and invite all those parents.
   • for teenagers or young people, a very good idea to making your first friends is sharing an apartment with someone. I know it could be dangerous but you’ll have to trust your instincts on choosing the right person.

The Lion Conversation Continues by (tberling)

A better you, for better relations

Just attending events or running in the park is not enough to get you friends to spend time with. The most important thing is starting a conversation because a good first impression is very important.

• Don’t be rude. You may not like the person you’ve just met, but it doesn’t mean you have to send them away with bad words. You never know who “they know” and you end up feeling sorry.
• Overcome shyness. Shyness is rooted in fear. The fear of being public humiliated or ignored. The fear of embarrassment is so big that people prefer to sit back and watch others do the talking. If there’s no battle, there’s no winner. Be confident in your self-worth and practice (start conversations). One more thing, make sure everyone knows you’re a newcomer, they will take you easier and you’ll feel better.
• Smart conversation. Don’t ever expect to start a conversation by asking a question that can give a quick “yes” or “no”. Instead of asking “Do you like these paintings?” you can try to say “I like/dislike these paintings because …. What do you think about them?”. Different people require different approaches. If you’re meeting geeks you may want to talk about the gadgets you own and why you like them, but if you meet people working in advertising most likely you’ll have to refer to the latests billboards you’ve seen across town.
• Be funny. That’s a must and I don’t need to explain it, right?

Mistakes you should avoid

1. Old friends. For the first few months until you accommodate and make new friends you’ll probably keep in touch with old buddies. Sometimes the biggest mistake one could do is to hang on old friends too much, so that they have no time for their own. Save time for yourself, it’s an “order”.
2. Don’t be too clingy. If you’re not invited live with it. Don’t take desperate measures and call over and over again or make a scene because those people may have other friends, too. Friendship is a slow motion thing so take your time,be patient and relax. It will come.
3. Couples. They tend to rely only on each other and miss the part where they go out to meet new people.
4. Less TV and Internet. This is good for anyone reading this. Watching TV and surfing on the Internet is very addictive and could keep you tied up to a chair for long hours. On the funny part, keep in mind that I’m not saying to forget about reading SocialPacks, that’s allowed.

I hope these little tips are going to help you out if you plan to move to a new city, and if you have your own tricks I’d love to hear them all.

I’ve had a lot of friends that had to suffer because their parents divorced and I think there are ways to prepare your kids to face the feelings avalanche they’re about to experience. Here are a few tips I could think of.

When to bring up the divorce with your kids

Don’t lie to your kids, this time it’s not going to work. Most of the times children can see and can feel the communication difficulties between the parents and usually anticipate what is about to happen so if the two of you fight try not to mention “divorce” every time you raise your voice.

If you feel that everything you’ve tried is in vain and a divorce is the ultimate solution this is when you should tell your kids. My advice is to try and let them know what’s going to happen before they will see the change, usually a few days before your spouse moves out.

How to tell your kids about the divorce

Don’t use smart words with your kid, simple communication skills are the only ones needed. Therapists advise people to use clear words and simple sentences, that the kids will understand. Blame, could be the hardest part you should overcome. It’s not their fault the two parents are not getting along anymore and you should emphasize on it as much as you can.

Another advice would be, the whole family (both parents and children) to be there. The kids need a reason but don’t expect them to understand that “daddy had an affair” or “mommy loves her boss”. Just give them a reason they’ll accept like “We two don’t love each other like we did when we were young, but nothing will change our love for you.”

What to tell your kids when you’re getting a divorce

One other thing about telling them is that kids need to know what is going to happen with them. Will they change schools or move out with one of the parents and what role each parent will have in their lives from now on. Make it clear to them.

Your children may feel that the family is breaking up if Mommy and Daddy are not together anymore, this is why continuing to communicate after the divorce is extremely important. Do it on the phone, on the Internet or pay them a visit if you were the one leaving home and reassure them no matter what happens a parent will always love the child.

If the divorce is the result of family violence it’s well known that the child takes sides and will tend to stay with the victimized parent. Even if you’re that person, don’t put all the blame on the spouse. The divorce is going to happen because the two parents can’t get along anymore and because there’s no more love. When the kids will grow up they will be able to judge for themselves what happened, right now they just need to be safe and loved.

These are just a few pointers that I could think of, but searching online I came up with a few question that your child may ask about the divorce. Read them and make sure you have a proper answer when they ask.

1. Will I be left alone?
2. Where will I live?
3. Will I ever see Daddy (Mommy) again?
4. What happens if I get sick?
5. Will I stay with my brothers and sisters?
6. If I’m really good and never act up again, will Daddy (Mommy) come back?
7. Who will feed me? Will I have enough to eat?
8. Now that Daddy (Mommy) is leaving, will Mommy (Daddy) leave soon too?
9. My friend _____ had to move to an apartment and share a room with a brother or sister when her parents divorced. Will we do that too?
10. What did I do to cause this? Maybe it was (some recent transgression). Or maybe it was (something else they’ve done wrong recently). I’ll make sure I never, never do that again, and then we’ll all be together again.

As you probably read the whole article was about younger children. But what if your kids are not little anymore, what if they’re teenagers? Sometimes the effects could be even worse because added to the specific problems of their age they are living the drama of their parents divorcing. Don’t forget the medical help of a therapist that has experience with such cases, because it could be the difference between a child that can get over the critical problems of a divorce, and one that won’t.

photo by a bird named su

But what if we can be just like the elephant. What if we can improve our memory skills and memorize all the important things we used to forget, wouldn’t that be a big victory? There are certain memory stimulating games and all sorts of techniques that should help someone improve their memory.

picture by Shutterscript

There are two different approaches to help your memory. Internal techniques that involve association, visualization and observation and external techniques that include written instructions, organizing, environmental factors or sound triggers.

Here are a few ways to improve memory, that helped me and you may benefit from.

1. Keep an active brain. This is probably the best advice I can give you. Your brain is not a muscle so exercising inside your head is needed to keep it “growing” and to create new nerve connections.
   How to do it. More complex ways require learning. A new language, skiing, roller-blading, dancing or playing a musical instrument are all great ways to create activity inside your brain. Just consider how many images or happenings you could associate that new French word you’ve learned. Easier tasks than learning, are puzzles and games.
2. Make associations. Creating a mental link between the things you already knew and new information is very important. Associating things is a very good memory booster. It’s like filing your documents on letters and you go to B to find Bill’s invoices. Let your imagination free when you associate things.
3. Visualize and observe. When you want to remember something in particular you should create a mental picture of what you’re interested in. Be very attentive to details and take a benchmark.
   How to do it. The most common example is forgetting where you’ve parked the car. When you get out look around and see if there are any signs near you, count the lanes to the entrance or see if you’re in front of a certain building. You will most likely remember the color or the architectural elements of that building.
4. Repeat things. Practice makes it perfect, some would say. One of the biggest concerns when talking in front of people is that you may forget your speech. It is true, but how can we make sure we won’t? The more times you hear, see or speak about something the easier you will remember it. Go in front of the mirror and tell the speech loud or focus about it in bed and do it silently.
5. Meditation. I remember when I read The Silva ”Mind Control’ Method (printed book by José Silva) for the first time I was amazed. The guy was a city planner and he lost the drawings for a proposed shopping mall in the area. What he did?
   

   He sat at his desk. In a moment his eyes closed and he became still and quiet. Anyone might have thought he was composing in the face of disaster.

   A full ten minutes later he opened his eyes, rose slowly, and walked outside to his secretary. “I think I’ve found them,” he said calmly. “Let’s look at my expense account for last Thursday, when I was in Hartford. What restaurant did I have dinner in?”

   He telephoned the restaurant. The drawings were there.

   I guess it explains things very well. I always try to meditate 10 minutes a day when everything is peaceful in the office. I put both of my hands over the abdomen, I breathe deep and I try to concentrate on the calmness that surrounds me.

6. Exercise. If you’re fighting a sedentary lifestyle and exercise daily not only your muscles will be happy. You will improve blood circulation throughout your body (brain included), be more alert and relaxed
7. Eating and sleeping. If you’ve been a reader on SocialPacks you already know that we care a big deal about eating and sleeping. There are certain things you can eat to have more energy and a few tips to getting a good night’s sleep that will keep your brain healthier. Try to include fish in your meals, foods containing anti-oxidants, Vitamin E, Niacin, Vitamin B-6.
8. Organize your life. I remember what Grandpa was saying that the way you make your bed is how you sleep. Later on I realized that he was right. Living a complicated life is not going to make it easy for your brain to remember things. If your office is filled with files and papers that no one ever try to put in order, don’t expect to find what you’re looking for. Same goes for your brain.
9. Reduce stress. A cluttered life, eating problems, sleeping problems or a bad job could lead to living a very stressed life. When you’re stressed out you won’t be able to concentrate and makes remembering a very difficult process. Declutter your desk and the whole work environment, relax when you have time and play sports when you can. All these help to have a healthier brain.

I hope these are going to help you out and I am certain you guys have more tips and tricks to improve memory. Just leave your thoughts in the comments below.

photo by RCWW, Inc./Corbis

But these are not the only concerns one should have when having a sedentary lifestyle, because the lack of exercise cause muscle atrophy and weakening that could lead to possible injuries. Daily exercise will reduce the chances for colon cancer by 60 percent and heart disease by 50 percent, scientists say.

The same scientists, say that modern people don’t care about walking or jogging anymore. It’s mainly true. I remember myself a few years ago. I was working late and I was getting home very tired, or at least that’s how I felt. A 30 minutes walk was a no-no. I was wrong. First time I tried it, I went for a 30 minutes run in the park and I noticed not only that I had more energy but more important I wasn’t as tired as I thought.

TVs, computers and using a car are the biggest threats to a healthy lifestyle. I’m not saying we don’t need them, but people are not putting a limit to using them. The best example is the car. I know people that won’t walk to the grocery store even if it’s less than 500m away and the reason is “I can’t carry all that food back home” and this is how over-eating starts.

Globally, one person out of three is aware of the benefits those 30 minutes of exercises a day could bring. These are 10 simple steps for spending half an hour of your time to healthy habits.

1. Forget the car for small distances. This sounds like a cliché I know the benefits of walking are incredible. Drive less, get off the metro or the bus one station before and walk or buy a bicycle. That way you will probably earn up to 10 minutes of exercise.

2. Use the stairs. Forget the elevator, bring back the stairs. So many of you will say I’m crazy and some could have a point if we consider that buildings these days have tens or hundreds of floors. The explanation is that you can always take the elevator and get off three or four floors below and use the stairs for the rest of them. Do it 2-3 times a day and you have a 7-10 minutes of exercise as well.

3. Lunch break. Now that we know how to make the most of the lunch break you can probably see the benefits of walking 10-15 minutes in the park. Simply forget about the office chair or the laptop. The effect is doubled if it’s a sunny day.

4. Home exercise. No one says you have to go to a gym in order to exercise. Yoga, stretching or an indoor training bike are great for healthy muscles. Do all these things outside and your body will use the “healing effects” of sunlight which many of us miss these days.

5. Go to the pool. For me the best time is early in the morning. The blood starts flowing and the whole body begins work. Don’t exaggerate, because you won’t make it to the Olympics. Do it for fun and for staying healthy. Swimming is one of the most complex sports when it comes to muscles.

6. Be active during weekend. Take your kids and wife if you have or your loved one and make a small trip to a new place. River rafting, a trip in the mountains, or playing tennis with a friend, water sports, rollerblading or rollerskating are just a few simple ideas I got right now. Your imagination could be better than mine and as long as you avoid the Internet, over-sleeping and the TV it’s a good thing.

7. Physical activity. It gets everything moving in your body, the blood, the oxygen, nutrients, the nervous system and so on, therefore if there’s work to do at home don’t pay someone to do it if you can manage just as well.

8. A pet. I love dogs and probably so do you. Going with the dog in the park for example shouldn’t be an obligation but a reason to walk for a few minutes outside.

Exercising is a low priority for many and that has been long researched. Just to make my point, studies say that a sedentary lifestyle causes more death than smoking, so this is how important physical activity is. Oh, and if you were wondering how you can exercise without having to move your body the answer is there isn’t a solution. No pills, no nothing. Go out and move a little bit.

Getting rid of a headache is sometimes as simple as taking a breather. If not, a cup of coffee or a quick nap might do the trick.

This is why I have put together a list of things that help prevent or get rid of both chronic and temporary headaches.

1. Stress headaches. I know I get these a lot. Chances are you might not even notice this type of headache creeping up on you as you are busy worrying about everything under the sun. If you get stress headaches often the first thing to do is to pinpoint the stressors that trigger the headaches. This will allow you to avoid, or brace yourself better, for the future annoying headaches that feel like they will never leave. Sometimes simply identifying triggers can help alleviate the symptom as the symptom is usually there to tell you something is wrong.
2. Check your diet. Some foods can trigger headaches if you eat too much or too little. For example, sugar and caffeine. Too little or too much of these can cause persistent headaches until you satisfy your body’s need. If you don’t drink coffee, there is still an added benefit to drinking a small cup when a headache arises. Studies have shown that a nice hot cup of coffee can curb an asthmatic reaction as well as headaches. They have also shown that caffeine can help alleviate muscle pain.
3. Exercise. This can prevent as well as get rid of headaches. A good, sweaty run can get rid of toxins in your body as well as charge neurotransmitters that help alleviate pain.
4. Drink lots of water. Some headaches are due to not drinking enough liquids, especially water.
5. Get enough sleep. Too little sleep can lead to headaches as your body is trying to signal you to sleep more. Also, too much sleep can also cause that dull aching in your head that makes it difficult to move and think. Most people do not realize the cons of oversleeping.
6. Keep a consistent sleeping pattern. Now that you drink enough liquids, keeping a consistent sleeping pattern will also avoid headaches by helping to prevent oversleeping or under sleeping. A consistent pattern is also important because your body will habituate to the cycle and it is by breaking this cycle that some headaches are formed.
7. Check your pillows or posture when you sleep and sit. Straining your neck during sleeping or when you sit can also cause headaches! Make sure your pillow is not so fluffy that your head is at and odd angle, and make sure that it is firm enough to support your head. When sitting, try to keep your back and neck straight.
8. Limit screen time. Watching too much t.v or spending too much time in front of a computer screen is also a cause of headaches. Especially if the screens are bright and the room is not well lit.
9. Check with your doctor. You might need glasses. Eye strain can cause headaches, and some eye strain is the product of needing to adjust your eyesight. A quick checkup with your doctor can also signal any other, potentially dangerous reasons you could be having chronic headaches.

Exercise is an important deterrent to headaches as well as keeping hydrated and watching your diet. You do not always have to turn to medications to help alleviate pain.

Finally, sometimes a simple smile will help get the endorphins going and the dopamine flowing and therefore getting rid of, or preventing an oncoming headache from turning into a monster.

photo by Mrs. Maze