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Mr. W's Inspirational Quotes
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage
to continue that counts.” ~ Winston Churchill
Caregiver of the Month
February Birthdays
The Benefits of De-Stressing on the Heart
pain of losing a loved one, getting caught in traffic when you are in a hurry. Everyone feels stress; what triggers stress, how much we feel it, how we respond to it varies from person to person. The level of response can also cause any number of health problems ranging from high blood pressure to hypertension to irritable bowel syndrome.
Many studies have been conducted on the connection between heart health and stress (and many more are needed). Research has shown that high stress can put pressure on the heart and cardiovascular system, as well as the other systems in your body - endocrine, respiratory, digestive etc. Stress can directly affect behaviors that increase one’s chances of heart disease. When stressed, people may turn to excessive drinking, smoking, not exercising, poor sleeping habits, eating too much. All these factors contribute to poor health and an increased chance of heart issues.
Such bad habits make your heart and other body systems work harder to maintain decent health, and like any system, overuse causes worn out parts and breakdowns. In the case of the human body, that means health issues like heart disease or death. Heart disease is the leading cause of death, and high stress doesn’t help that situation.
The History of Valentine's Day
Our modern Valentine’s Day seems to originate in ancient Rome and early Christendom. The Catholic Church declared a St. Valentine, or Valentinus, from the time of the early church, but the person is shrouded in mystery. Several legends exist: 1) Valentine was a priest who defied Emperor Claudius’ orders to cease performing marriage’s for young lovers and was executed when discovered. 2) Valentine was martyred for helping Christians escape from horrible Roman prisons. 3) Yet another describes him as falling in love with the daughter of his jailer when imprisoned in Rome. He allegedly wrote her a letter and signed it “from your Valentine”. St. Valentine probably died around AD 270. In the 5th
century, Pope Gelasius declared February 14 as St. Valentine’s Day. Some speculate that “St. Valentine’s feast day” was set in February to help “Christianize” the pagan festival of Lupercalia, a fertility celebration. Regardless, down through history, Valentine has been seen as heroic, empathetic and romantic. In the Middle Ages, people in France and England associated February 14 with the start of mating season for birds, further cementing the association of
Valentine’s Day and love. The oldest known written Valentine in existence today was given in 1415 from the Duke of Orleans to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London. Great Britain began celebrating Valentine’s Day as we know it, in the 17th century. It became pervasive in the 18th century, crossing borders into the US, Canada, France, Mexico and Australia as well as Great Britain. With the rise of the printing press and other technological
advances, we now find ourselves with the modern recognition of love: Valentine’s Day. Spread the love this February!