You should find time in the day to laugh, what I and many others consider to be one of the most enjoyable reactions human beings are capable of. There's nothing like cracking up -- when something is so funny that you can't help but cry, or drool. There have been several occasions where my wife, friends, and I are having dinner, and someone says something so funny that I all but choke on my food. And then the icing on the cake is when your laughter provokes the same reaction in those you're with. A second person starts laughing, then a third, and so on. When I'm feeling angry or sad, there's nothing like a hilarious joke or incident to turn my frown upside down. It's just what the doctor ordered. A good laugh is so powerful that it can completely change one's mood in a matter of seconds. If I had to make a list of the things I enjoy doing the most, laughing would be high up the list, along with sleeping and eating. Not only is it therapeutic, but it...

There are certainly many perks to using our smart phones. How convenient is it to be able to check the weather, our email, or our home (remotely via our home security app) through these small yet highly sophisticated devices while on the go? However, cell phone use has infiltrated our lives in a way most of the phone manufacturers probably never imagined. We take the phones with us to the bathroom, use them while eating dinner and conversing with people and -- worst of all -- while driving. Cell phones have made our lives easier in myriad ways while making society far more impersonal. These days, wishing people a Happy Birthday via Facebook has supplanted the more traditional methods of calling by phone or sending someone a card in the mail. But when phones become so intrusive as to disrupt family time, that's when you know we've taken our usage of them to a whole new level. My wife often uses her while we're watching movies in the living room, resulting in my admon...

Thinking, of all things, can make us overeat. Studies show that intellectual activities -- from reading to writing -- can make people eat more than when they're merely resting. Researchers discovered that intellectual work leads to more pronounced fluctuations in glucose levels than rest periods, perhaps because of the stress of thinking. The body reacts to these fluctuations by demanding food to restore glucose, a sugar that serves as the brain's fuel. Glucose is converted by the body from carbohydrates and is delivered to the brain through the bloodstream. Because the brain cannot produce glucose, it needs a constant supply. Moreover, brain cells require twice as much energy as other cells in the body. Interestingly, studies in animals have shown that consuming fewer calories overall leads to sharper brains and longer life, and most researchers concur that the findings generally extend to human beings. Caloric overcompensation following intellectual work, coupled wi...

A recent study found that 40% of millennials prefer not eating cereal if it means having to clean up after eating it. Such respondents say they'd rather pick up a smoothie or protein bar instead. Now, I know this doesn't apply to everyone -- some of us are very diligent about washing the dishes, even if it's the last thing we want to do in the morning or evening. (I'm that way myself.) But those who do fall into this group seem awfully spoiled or lazy, if you ask me. Seriously -- how long could it possibly take to wash a bowl thoroughly? I'd say it can be done in 10-15 seconds, if that. Technology has made things so easy for people that many just don't want to lift a finger anymore. I suppose they care more about wasting time on their smartphones than being a responsible adult. And the worst part about it is that many people don't "outgrow" this. Many of these millennials will merely rely on their partners to wash the dishes for them. And o...