When the Holiday Fairy Tale Comes to Life

Once upon a time, I was a little girl who loved fairy tales and believed in them. It would be a cliché to say that I wanted to be a princess one day, rather, my desire was someday to dance a small part in the most beloved Christmas ballet of all time, The Nutcracker, which was my first introduction to classical music and the magical world of dance. I was hypnotized by the first sound of the music’s chords and I was impatient for the theater curtains to be opened and the performance to be started. At four years of age, I fell in love with The Nutcracker ballet, especially the story of Clara’s adventure while she is dreaming on Christmas night. In some productions, the young heroine is called "Marie", "Maria", or "Masha". 

The Nutcracker Ballet

During her dream, Clara’s Christmas tree grew to a gigantic size, and all Christmas ornaments came to life, including her toy nutcracker. There was even a battle between the evil Mouse King and the Nutcracker. The conflict ended happily for the protagonist and was followed by a magical transformation of the Nutcracker to the Prince. Clara and her Prince Charming traveled to the Land of Sweets, where they were greeted by the Sugar Plum Fairy and saw many wonderful things in the Candy Castle until the morning light, when Clara woke up under the Christmas tree holding her toy nutcracker in her arms.

The plot of the Nutcracker ballet is a simple story, which was based on Alexander Dumas’ adaptation of the story by E.T.A. Hoffmann, “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King”. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky composed the music to The Nutcracker ballet. It was originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and premiered at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia, on December 18, 1892.

Today

One hundred and twenty-six years later, many different versions of The Nutcracker ballet have been performed worldwide during every Christmas season. The toy solder nutcracker lost its functional use long ago, but it has become one of the most popular Christmas decorations and symbols of Christmas around the world. The music of The Nutcracker represents some of the most beloved and well known music in the history of ballet, and has come to be closely associated with holiday magic. It is difficult to say what exactly made this ballet beloved around the globe over the past one hundred twenty-six years. Could it be the combination of the timeless classical music with the graceful choreography of the ballet movements? The Nutcracker certainly has inspired the holiday spirit in its audiences throughout its existence.

 Introduction to High Culture

For many children, The Nutcracker ballet is the first introduction to high culture represented by classical music and theatrical performances. It takes some time for children to appreciate classical music and ballet, and it is better to start introducing kids to classical music as early as possible, so that they may develop an appreciation for it. People of all ages can enjoy classical music, which speaks to each listener in a different way by touching them on an emotional level. There are other proven healthy benefits from classical music exposure.

Benefits of Classical Music 

Classical music’s tempo has been compared to the human heartbeat and can be associated with reducing the anxiety level by lowering the production of the stress-related hormone cortisol. Listening to classical music makes people feel peaceful by increasing their dopamine level, which is a neurotransmitter that contributes to well-being and helps them to stay calm, focus on the task at hand, and resist depression. Listening to classical music even boosts brain wave activity that is associated with the memory function.

All of these benefits increase even more when a child or adult can play a musical instrument. Live music creates a magical atmosphere during family gatherings, especially close to the holiday season. It is impossible not to feel a strong emotional response when a family musician plays a famous Christmas song and fills the family room with a kind of magic that builds timeless memories.  

Do not get frustrated if the initial introduction to culture does not go as smoothly as planned. For a child, the first visit to the theater may last just 5 minutes. Do not give up after one unsuccessful trip to see a live performance. The first time at the theater should not be the last time to help a child to discover the love of classical music and the fine arts.  

The Holiday Fairy Tale Comes to Life        

One December evening, my childhood dream came true and I was a part of The Nutcracker ballet. In the second act, I danced in the Spanish Dance and also in the Reed Flutes, but my dream did not end there. After the performance, I went outside. It was dark. I saw the city lights. I felt the freshness of the cold winter air. I looked up and I saw the brightest star in the clear sky… and it started snowing. Each snowflake was falling down, one by one. They were gliding in the air and landing slowly on the ground like in Tchaikovsky’s Waltz of the Snowflakes. I felt this melody with my heart. I was alive in a fairy tale or the fairy tale came to life around me. It did not matter because it was a magical moment and I was in the middle of it…

 The holiday season is full of miracles, which are hiding all around us. We just need to look for them with our hearts and see them! One of them is The Nutcracker ballet! Is it just a performance? Or is it the magic of Christmas come to life?  

Happy Holidays and Enjoy the Magic of Christmas with Your Loved Ones!

Kay

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A Healthy Heart Is In Your Hands With Each Step You Take

As cardiovascular disease (CVD) continues to be a global epidemic, it has become a popular subject for many researchers. Most of the peer-reviewed articles in exercise physiology journals focus on the benefits of exercise for cardiovascular health. The majority of the articles are primary research studies that have analyzed theories of the benefits of exercise in the prevention of CVD using quantitative data.

The Conversation Between Researchers

Researchers around the whole globe develop new studies and test different methods to evaluate the strong connection between physical activities and heart health. The results of findings and new methods are presented in scholarly articles. This is how researchers transmit their knowledge to their main audience, such as healthcare professionals. Health providers keep their knowledge current by reading articles in medical journals and they become responsible for spreading and translating this knowledge into practice. Healthcare providers prescribe a medication and treatment plan to the public. This guidance will not provide good results without the commitment of patients. Patients are responsible for making a healthy change towards their wellness. Everyone can be in charge of his/her heart health with a lifelong commitment to an effective exercise program. In a general sense, the health of our heart is in our hands and we can stop the epidemic of CVD when the majority of people adopts an active lifestyle.

What Is CVD?

The cardiovascular system, also called the circulatory system, consists of blood vessels and the heart. Its main purpose is to supply the body with blood. There are many types of CVD, such as the following: myocardia infarction, atherosclerosis, arrhythmia, valvular heart disease, hypertension, coagulopathies, cardiomyopathy, aorta disease, stroke and etc. All of the illnesses listed above can be divided into two main categories. One type of CVD refers to conditions with narrowed or blocked blood vessels by plaque. Another type of CVD affects the heart’s muscles, valves or rhythm.

The most common type of CVD is atherosclerosis, which develops when plaque builds up in the walls of the arteries. Plaque narrows the arteries and makes it harder for blood to flow through. This medical condition can cause a heart attack or stroke. A heart attack occurs when the blood flow to a part of the heart is blocked. An ischemic stroke happens when a blood vessel that feeds the brain gets blocked. No matter the type of CVD, the treatment, symptoms and prevention are similar.

There are two groups of risk factors for CVD: non-modifiable and modifiable.  Non-modifiable risk factors include heredity: age, gender, and family history. Modifiable risk factors are lifestyle-related and include obesity, poor diet, physical inactivity, smoking, excessive consumption of alcohol, hypertension, abnormal lipid levels, and high blood glucose.

Physical Activity

Physical activity is one of the most fundamental factors involved in maintaining good health and avoiding the risk of CVD. Exercise training commonly features aerobic activities such as brisk walking, cycling, swimming and running; common type of muscle strength training includes weight lifting exercises. Yoga and Tai Chi are examples of mind-body therapy and flexibility exercises.  

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends moderate intensity aerobic activity for at least 2 hours and 30 minutes a week to lower the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Moderate intensity aerobic activity is defined as 60%-79% VO2 max training. It means that 60-79% of the maximum amount of oxygen is consumed by the body during aerobic exercise. Two hours and thirty minutes per week can be simplified as 30 minutes of brisk walking five times per week.

Fitness activities should be designed to bring health benefits while reducing the risk of injuries. Each exercise session should include three phases: warm-up, conditioning, and cool down. Warm-up and cool down periods can be around five minutes long each and include steady walking. A conditioning phase can consist of brisk walking for 20 minutes. There is no need for a gym membership or athletic background. Everyone is invited to participate, which means that everyone should at least go outside and feel the benefits of a brisk, healthy walk. The result of regular brisk walking will be a benefit to cardiovascular health through reduced body weight, increased exercise tolerance, decreased blood pressure, diminished low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and total cholesterol level, increased high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and improved insulin sensitivity.

Stopping the CVD Epidemic

CVD continues to be a global epidemic and many researchers keep proposing new theories and developing new studies. As long as a sedentary lifestyle is predominant in our society, these studies will not help to improve the cardiovascular health of the public and stop the global epidemic of CVD. The potential for change is within our power; we just need to perform regular exercise! We can do this by simply going outside, breathing fresh air and walking.

What are you waiting for? Tighten your shoelaces and walk!

http://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/fitness/walking

Health, Happiness, and Harmony

Kay

References

Ching, L., Chen, S., May-Kuen, W., & Jin, S. (2013). Tai Chi Chuan exercise for patients with cardiovascular disease. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/983208. Retrieved September 9, 2018

Drenowatz, C., Sui, X., Fritz, S., Lavie, C., & Beatties, P. (2015). The association between resistance exercise and cardiovascular disease risk in women. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 18(6), 632-636. Retrieved September 9, 2018 from https://search.proquest.com/pqrl/docview/1737518931/fulltext/2F7ADE62A2034A22PQ/2?accountid=14541

Gidlow, C., Cochrane, T., Davey, R., Beloe, M., Chambers, R. (2014). One-year cardiovascular risk and quality of life changes in participants of a health trainer service. Perspective in Public Health, 134(3), 135-144. Retrieved September 9, 2018 from https://search.proquest.com/pqrl/docview/1536865453/abstract/8EFA3540C195496DPQ/1?accountid=14541

Kenney, W. L., Wilmore, J. H., & Costill, D. L. (2012). Physiology of Sport and Exercise (5^th ed.). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics

Rioux, J.,  & Ritenbaugh, C. (2013). Narrative review of yoga intervention clinical trials including weight-related outcomes. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, 19(3), 32-46. Retrieved September 9, 2018 from https://search.proquest.com/pqrl/docview/1365776034/fulltext/D2B09E33ED4747F1PQ/9?accountid=14541

The World Health Organization, (n.d.) Retrieved September 19, 2018 from http://www.who.int/cardiovascular_diseases/guidelines/Full%20text.pdf

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The Calming Glow of a Campfire with the Power of Anions

What is the matter with you? This was my reaction to my son’s misbehavior at the store. His response was a short question, “ Matter? What is it?” he shouted while standing under the shelf with salt lamps.

Matter is a physical substance that has mass, takes up space and is made of atoms, which consist of positively charged protons, neutral neutrons, and negatively charged electrons. My physical science lecture was abruptly interrupted by my son’s exclamation, “Rain! It’s raining outside.” It was a perfect time to go outside and calm down through the power of negative ions or anions.

Negative Ions

Negative ions are oxygen atoms, which are created in nature when air molecules break down through Earth’s radiation, sunlight and moving air or water. It is not a surprise that many of us feel energized after taking a morning shower, breathing fresh air, walking on a beach, or standing in front of a waterfall. All of these relaxing and refreshing moments are due to the power of negative ions.

The negative charge allows ions to attach positively charged particles in the air, such as pollen, mold spores, pet dander, dust, bacteria and viruses. Additionally, most modern electrical equipment produces positive ions as well. When a large amount of negative ions is bound to positively charged particles, it causes positive ions to become too heavy to stay airborne. They drop down to the ground or furniture surfaces and floors. This results in purer air and a healthier environment.

Fresh air and the sound of summer rain relaxed my son and we were ready to go back to the store to pick up our first Himalayan salt lamp.

Himalayan Salt Lamp

       Common Himalayan salt lamps are made from a large block of Himalayan salt with a small bulb inside for generating light and heat. Some Himalayan salt lamps are in the form of big crystals that fill metal or glass decorative vases above a tiny light bulb. The design of salt lamps can be different but good quality lamps may provide additional health benefits and not just a pleasant glow inside of the home. 

True Himalayan salt lamps are handmade from pink rock salt, which comes from the Punjab region of Pakistan. Himalayan salt crystal is similar to table salt (sodium chloride) but it also contains trade minerals. These minerals are responsible for the lamp’s pinkish orange hue that brightens a room with a warm and relaxing glow.

Heated Himalayan salt lamps do not generate enough negative ions to clear the air like nature does. Instead, these lamps can purify indoor air by attracting water molecules that carry pollutants such as pollen, mold spores, pet dander, and dust. After attaching to these water molecules containing various pollutants, this undesirable mixture of air particles stays on a surface of salt lamp and does not disperse into the room. It is a good idea to keep a salt lamp clean by regularly wiping it down with a wet cloth.

The number of water molecules in the air attracted to a heated salt lamp depends on the size of the lamp and square footage of the room. The most common Himalayan salt lamp weighs from 5 to 7 pounds. A lamp this size will be effective in a small room approximately 10 x 10 square feet. The larger the room is, the bigger the size of rock salt lamp is required for effective use. It is not easy to find a rock salt lamp that weighs more than 15 pounds, which will be the appropriate size for a large room (14 x 14 square feet). The combination of two or three small salt lamps will work as well and fill the open space with a calming pinkish-orange glow.

This relaxing light with adjustable brightness works well in the bedroom for a number of reasons.

Bedtime

On average, each person sleeps from 6 to 8 hours each night and the normal working day is about 8 hours long. The environment in our sleeping space and working area is important for our well-being because we spend the majority of our time there. We are not always in charge of our workspace environment, but we have control over our bedroom.

Quality of sleep is even more important than quantity of sleep, because good quality nighttime sleep leaves us well rested and gets us ready for a new day. Clean air and a calming atmosphere in the bedroom promote better sleep quality. The salt lamp can be a good fit for this relaxing environment. If you like to sleep without a nightlight, you can keep the salt lamp on during the day hours and evening and then turn it off during the nighttime. The warm orange glow of a salt lamp is a calming presence in the room compared to the harsh blue light emanating from a computer or television screen.    

In the modern world, blue light exposure is very common through our heavy use of computers, smartphones, televisions and LED lighting. During the daytime, blue light promotes alertness, boosts energy and even improves mood. During the evening and bedtime hours, blue light disturbs the circadian biological clock, interfering with our sleep. To minimize exposure to blue light during the evening hours, adjust devices’ screen brightness to nighttime mode.

Choosing “do not disturb” or airplane mode will provide piece of mind, and a chance to relax and fall asleep faster without disruptions.

The calming orange glow of Himalayan salt lamps may promote good sleep quality. The hygroscopic effect of Himalayan salt lamps can improve air quality, which results in a reduction in airborne infections, asthma, and other allergic symptoms.

In The End 

It is important to know that major studies have not yet verified the health benefits claimed by manufacturers of Himalayan salt lamps and tend to just focus on their decorative functions. Despite the absence of scientific proof of their health benefits to date, salt lamps have a calming warm glow which is similar to campfires. They are also a reminder of natural beauty.

Next time it rains (which happens often in the fall), do not allow the autumn weather to put you in a melancholy mood inside your home; rather, try to bring a childlike positive attitude outside and take advantage of the beneficial negative ions which are generated naturally by Mother Nature and are scientifically proven to have many benefits to our health. 

Health, Happiness, and Harmony

Kay

References

Ibrahim, B. (2018, May 24). Everything you need to know about buying a Himalayan salt lamp. Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/24/cnn-underscored/himalayan-pink-salt-lamp-shop/index.html

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