Working from home benefits – are you making the most of them?

While it may have seemed a year ago that everyone was working from home, that wasn’t the case.¹ Even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, with its required social distancing and stay-at-home mandates, remote working was increasing in popularity but it certainly wasn’t the ‘new normal’ it is accepted to be now. Certain job sectors, such as start-ups and technology firms, allowed working from home and listed it as a perk. Some companies have entirely remote teams, with work-from-home intentionally built into their culture.

Change is often challenging to begin with. If working from home is new for you, you may find it challenging but quite rewarding. It’s important to emphasise that whether you live alone or suddenly have your children home from school, there will be an adjustment period as you transition to working efficiently from home.

Working from home and productivity

It’s important to separate your work life from your home life, as working from home and productivity do not easily go hand-in-hand if you are not set up for it. Create specific zones or spaces for work. If you do not have to worry about childcare or if your children are more independent, find a spot in your home that is separate from your living or sleeping space.

If you do have to participate in childcare (or do it all alone!), try to set up a workspace slightly removed from play or relaxation areas, such as a small desk in a corner of the dining room, rather than the living room.

Have specific working hours and turn off notifications for work-related communication after those hours. During your work hours, work efficiently and intensely (no lurking on social media or news pages!), and respect your time off. Talk with your team about how you will prioritise work, but not overwork.

Struggling? Try to focus on the working from home benefits

Working from home is not for everyone but as we’ve seen in recent times, we may not necessarily have the choice. Without a commute, you are going to have a lot more time with your spouse, children or roommate (or yourself, if you live alone).

Embrace this time — it is a treasure and there really are a number of working from home benefits! Without a commute in the morning, you can linger longer over breakfast, or perhaps take time out to meditate or read a chapter of a book before you start your day.

Hopefully you’ll be able to use your lunch break to also detach from work and spend time with your loved ones. And not having a commute home in the afternoon means you can spend that time having dinner with your family and going on an evening walk. Take time for special things you wouldn’t normally do, like eating lunch outside with your family.

Get dressed, brush your teeth, make your bed. The point is, get up and get ready in the morning to start your day. This helps you transition into a work mindset. It prepares your mind for a workday. It also helps you respect your non-working time.

The importance of breaks

A study found that working from home can make it difficult to relax outside of working hours if you don’t allow yourself adequate personal time and space.² Take hourly breaks. Just like you should be doing at the office, stand up from your desk, walk around, stretch and disconnect from work for just a few moments. This provides a short mental break but also gets your blood flowing and your body better oxygenated.

If you have children you have to take care of while working at home, experiment with a schedule that coincides with their learning or play time.

If you haven’t already, now is the time to really encourage independent play in younger children.

If more intensive childcare is necessary, talk with your work team about flexible hours. Build a quiet time or nap into your children’s days and really focus on work then. Perhaps a few hours before your children are awake in the morning could be a time to do work that takes your full attention.

It’s ok to ask for help

We never know what life is going to throw at us so it’s important to be kind to ourselves and get support if we need it. Challenging times can cause extra stress. Although you may be physically apart from people, just remember, you’re not alone and technology has made it even easier to stay connected – whether it’s for work or social purposes!

1. https://iaap-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/apps.12290 [↩]
2. http://www.nomads.usp.br/documentos/textos/modos_vida/02_bladerunner_working_from_home.pdf [↩]

Doesn’t it feel good when you’ve completed a big project, learned something new, or achieved a set goal?

That sense of accomplishment and fulfilment is a reward that’s attributed to our state of happiness.

Quite often, that’s due to the neurotransmitter dopamine.

Dopamine is one of four neurotransmitters known as happiness chemicals. Along with serotonin, oxytocin, and endorphins, it sends messages throughout the body to the brain, particularly when it comes to feeling happy.

This particular neurotransmitter is associated with reward. It boosts mood and contributes to the excitement of anticipating events (such as looking forward to a date, time with the family, or a vacation).

Think about the things you love to do, the food you crave, and the information you like to learn. The motivation to enjoy these things is pleasure-seeking and dopamine boosts this feeling.

On the contrary, low levels of dopamine have been associated with Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and addiction (such as gambling, drugs, and shopping). It’s even a main ingredient in medications that support people with ADHD because it can help with focus and attention. Increasing levels of dopamine naturally may help ward off future disease.

To increase dopamine levels in your body:

1. Consume food with tyrosine

Tyrosine is an amino acid that serves as a building block for dopamine. Foods such as seeds, meat, dairy, soy, and beans contain tyrosine and can help boost amounts of the neurotransmitter.

Supplements such as L-tyrosine and L-theanine provide can additional support.

2. Pat yourself on the back

Did you cook a great homemade dinner? Have you reached your goal of running a 5k? Did you receive a compliment on your hard work?

If so, celebrate – get a massage, spend a night watching a favorite movie, or break out the bubbly for a toast and experience higher levels of dopamine as you reward yourself for a job well done.

3. Avoid certain foods

Processed foods, as well as those with high sugar and caffeine content, can deplete dopamine. 

Reduce or eliminate these as much as possible.

4. Get good sleep

Dopamine is an important part of the sleep-wake cycle and is associated with feelings of alertness.

Lack of proper sleep may decrease dopamine receptors and can result in fatigue and an overall sense of feeling tired. Practice healthy sleep habits to support your happiness.

5. Take care of yourself

Self-care is an easy and effective way to raise levels of dopamine. 

Consider what works for you – a warm bath at night? Some quiet time to read and reflect? A hike on your favorite trail?

Among innumerable others, these are all options that can help you manage stress and increase dopamine levels.

An increase in happiness may be more available that you ever imagined. With good eating habits, proper sleep, and the implementation of healthy stress-management tools, you can start increasing your chances of feeling good – starting today.

REFERENCES:

https://www.longdom.org/open-access/happiness-role-of-dopamine-and-serotonin-on-mood-and-negative-emotions-2165-7548-1000350.pdf
https://www.cedars-sinai.org/blog/science-of-kindness.html

The term ‘toxic emotions’ is regularly used, but what are they exactly?

They are feelings of anger, guilt, shame, anxiety, fear, self-loathing, regret, bitterness, and resentment – feelings that bring no positive benefit to our lives or our mental wellbeing. These are all toxic emotions that are harmful not just to us but to everyone around us, at home and at work. Toxic emotions, when left unchecked, can impact our mental and physical health. Fortunately there are many ways you can learn to deal with toxic emotions and align your thoughts with positive patterns.

Protecting yourself and your loved ones from the consequences of too much negativity starts with an understanding of how your emotions influence the world and how the world influences your emotions. It’s a two-way path—or better yet, a web of connections. No wonder it has been said that it’s easier to catch an emotion than it is to catch a cold.

Why is it so easy to find yourself feeling toxic emotions?

Research on a range of habits and feelings, both good and bad, reveals that they can be contagious. For example, a study of interpersonal chemistry through negativity found that sharing negative ideas about a third party is particularly effective in promoting closeness between people. In other words it’s bonding over a mutual dislike of someone else.¹ While this may create an initial bond, it is hardly a healthy basis for a friendship. This is likely a holdover from primitive times when there was survival benefit in small groups of humans bonding together and seeing other groups as “the enemy.”

Today such bonding patterns have become dysfunctional and may have an “anti-survival” effect. In other words, what used to help us survive is now a force that attracts negative people and bad influences into our lives. This is compounded by unrelated findings that show your chances of being unhappy are doubled after you come into contact with just one negative experience.²

How to deal with toxic emotions?

Luckily happiness and acts of kindness are contagious too. Just like learning how to deal with toxic emotions, you can also learn how to feel more positive ones. The effects of performing one good deed can spread outward through complex social connections affecting people you may never meet.³ Perhaps better still, for every “happy” friend you have, your chances of being happy yourself increases by almost 10 percent.⁴ We tend to attract into our lives the thoughts and emotions we focus on. On top of that, a primitive instinct to mimic our companions’ expressions, body language and speech makes us even more susceptible to “catching” emotions from the people we interact with the most.⁵

It’s clear that our emotions affect the people around us and that the people around us affect our emotions.⁶ Naturally, it follows that if you surround yourself with people who dwell on negative experiences and toxic emotions, you will begin to align yourself with the same thoughts and experiences.

Conversely if you spend your time with people who focus on joy, gratitude, happiness and other positive emotions, you will find your own thoughts and emotions to be aligned with positive things, people, experiences, ideas and concepts.

This is easiest to do at home, where we have the most control over our lives. You choose who to let walk in your door, what music is played on the stereo and what channel the television is on. It might seem trivial at first but these environmental factors can have a major impact on your emotional state.

After a stressful day, coming home to your personal sanctuary and spending time with positive-minded friends, listening to uplifting music, watching a light-hearted show, reading a motivational book or doing any other activity that helps you feel less stress will help you realign your thoughts with positive frequencies and will reduce the risk of toxic emotions taking hold.

How to deal with toxic emotions at work

At work it can take a little more practice to avoid catching toxic emotions. This is because often we can’t choose the people we have to spend time with. Whether it’s a boss who shouts at subordinates or a co-worker who gossips about people in the office, sometimes there is no avoiding negativity in the workplace.

When toxic emotions abound, the best way to avoid becoming infected is to bolster your positive thoughts by seeking out other people in the office who want to keep a positive outlook and find joy at the office. When you invest time and energy in these relationships, your own good deeds and positivity will ripple through the office and counteract negativity. The effect can snowball as more and more co-workers feel the difference made by not dwelling on toxic feelings which can lead to not just less stress and better feelings but also improved cooperation, decreased conflict and increased work performance.⁷

Whether you’re at work, at home, out with friends or meeting new people at a dinner party, always remember that you don’t need to react to every negative influence you come across.

Negatively focused people often seek out others to join them. When you consider what toxic emotions are, you will most likely be able to recall a conversation in which someone tried to get you to complain about another person or situation. The next time this happens to you, remember that you don’t have to react. You don’t have to agree and let negative emotions take hold. You also don’t have to confront the person which can spark an argument.

What if you can’t avoid a toxic person or environment?

If you have no choice but to be around people displaying toxic emotions, your most viable option is to simply not let the negative comments influence you. Take a moment to examine your own inner thoughts and make sure that you are staying true to your desire to focus on positive thoughts and experiences.

When possible, remove yourself from the situation quickly but politely. At work, this can be as easy as saying you have a deadline to meet. At a dinner party, you can excuse yourself to refresh a drink.

Much like germs, emotions are contagious. And if we don’t take some precautions, we can catch toxic emotions without realising it. The absolute best way to bolster your immunity to toxic emotions is to surround yourself with other people who intentionally align their thoughts with positive frequencies.

1. Bosson, Jennifer K., Amber B. Johnson, Kate Niederhoffer, and William B. Swann. “Interpersonal Chemistry through Negativity: Bonding by Sharing Negative Attitudes about Others.” Personal Relationships 13, no. 2 (2006): 135–50. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-6811.2006.00109.x [↩]
2. Hill, Alison L. et al. “Emotions as Infectious Diseases in a Large Social Network: The SISa Model.” Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 277.1701 (2010): 3827–3835. PMC. Web. 3 May 2017 [↩]
3. James H. Fowler and Nicholas A. Christakis. “Cooperative behavior cascades in human social networks.” PNAS 2010 107 (12) 5334-5338; published ahead of print March 8, 2010, doi:10.1073/pnas.0913149107 [↩]
4. Christakis, Nicholas A, and James Fowler. “SOCIAL NETWORKS AND HAPPINESS.” SOCIAL NETWORKS AND HAPPINESS | Edge.org, n.d. https://www.edge.org/conversation/social-networks-and-happiness [↩]
5.  Colino, Stacey. “Are You Catching Other People’s Emotions?” U.S. News & World Report, n.d. https://health.usnews.com/health-news/health-wellness/articles/2016-01-20/are-you-catching-other-peoples-emotions [↩]
6. Larson, Reed W., and David M. Almeida. “Emotional Transmission in the Daily Lives of Families: A New Paradigm for Studying Family Process.” Journal of Marriage and the Family 61, no. 1 (1999): 5. https://doi.org/10.2307/353879 [↩]
7. Barsade, Sigal G. “The Ripple Effect: Emotional Contagion and Its Influence on Group Behavior.” Administrative Science Quarterly 47, no. 4 (2002): 644. https://doi.org/10.2307/3094912 [↩]

Exercise. Whether the word brings a rush of excitement or sparks a fear in you, there’s no denying the fundamental truth that it’s good for us.¹ Taking part in regular exercise not only makes you feel better about yourself; it has a couple of pretty impressive shorter-term effects too.

Exercise helps us sleep better, reduces stress and flushes out toxins to help leave us with fresher skin and a healthier glow. There is a misconception though that exercise has to be hard work. This is not the case! Exercise can be fun and, what’s more, if you exercise as a family you will be able to share these fun experiences together.

Wondering what activities you can do as a family? Here are a couple of great ideas to get you started:

Walking²

It’s free, it’s simple and virtually anyone can do it. We should all be aiming for around 10,000 steps a day but the vast majority of us are doing way less than that. Think walking sounds boring? Think again! Try a new route, drive to the coast, explore your nearest woods or follow a public footpath that you have never ventured along before. With so much to see you will barely know you’re exercising. Have a pet dog? Even better! Follow their nose and see where you end up. You can take things even further by wearing a smart tracker and challenge your family members to see who can complete the most steps!

Swimming³

Most towns have a local swimming pool and they are generally a fairly inexpensive way to keep fit. Swimming is a great family-friendly activity where all can be included. If you have young children that can’t swim there are armbands and floats to help them and if you have family members who are elderly or who suffer with mobility issues, the water will provide extra buoyancy and protection so that they can still get a workout with a lower risk of injury.

Watching television…

If you can’t tear your family away from the television, then why fight it? Perhaps it’s time to take an “if you can’t beat them, join them” approach? We don’t mean sitting on the sofa of course, but how about investing in a games console that subtly forces everyone to remain active? Many of the leading brands now come with motion detection technology that means you can simulate playing sports, running, dancing and much more. Essentially, you can get a fun workout as a family without ever leaving your living room!

1. https://greatist.com/fitness/13-awesome-mental-health-benefits-exercise#1 [↩]
2. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/5-surprising-benefits-of-walking [↩]
3. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321496 [↩]

A snuggly night on the couch watching movies and snacking on popcorn may be a family favorite, but an afternoon of soccer in the park, swimming in the neighborhood pool, or hiking in the nearby woods can be just as enjoyable.

However, the latter may not seem as easy these days. In recent times, many families have noticed the struggle with living a more sedentary lifestyle.

Whether it’s due to the abundance of technology, a global pandemic, overly structured schedules, or any other reason, parents and children may not be as active as they’d like to be. And, unfortunately, this can lead to an increased risk of physical disease as well as anxiety and/or depression, of which research shows rising numbers.

But families don’t have to succumb to societal shifts when it comes to daily movement. One answer to this dilemma lies in discovering what works best for your own family.

Not every child is the same nor is each family, so don’t get stuck in needing to be like everyone else when it comes to living an active life together. Some may enjoy team sports while others prefer more unstructured play. Find a motivational point that works for you and, well, run with it.

There are endless ways to be active as a family; here are ten ideas to get you started:

1. Create a jar of exercises.

Have each family member write down exercise ideas (that everyone agrees on) which someone can draw from a jar when family time is available.

2. Learn something new together.

Take tennis lessons, go on a rafting trip, schedule a rock-climbing class, etc. Being together while discovering a new hobby makes for special memories and a strong bonding experience.

3. Go on a scavenger hunt.

Whether it’s around the house on a cold rainy day or outdoors in your neighborhood park during the peak of summer, make a list of searchable items that gets the family moving and exploring.

4. Create a tournament.

Stimulate a little competition with a family tournament. Try ping-pong on the dining room table, relay races in the backyard, or cornhole in the park.

5. Make a family ritual.

Kids like structure and knowing what to expect. Use that to support daily movement with outdoor play after lunch, a nightly walk after dinner, or weekend morning yoga.

6. Incentivize.

Develop a reward system that allows kids to log their activities to complete a course and work towards a goal. This can be everything from hiking so many trails to bike riding a certain number of miles.

7. Plan a game night.

Think outside the (game) box. Make some room by pushing the living room furniture back and turn a typical board game night into a fun active night. Enjoy a game of Twister, fitness bingo, hot potato, musical chairs, or freeze dance.

8. Explore together.

Create an experience that inspires kids and bonds the entire family. Hike a state or national park, walk around an outdoor sculpture garden, or kayak or canoe to a beautiful view.

9. Get pets involved.

If Fido loves to fetch the ball, or even if he/she just needs a walk around the block, ask kids to help exercise the family pet.

10. Plant a garden.

Gardening is one interest that keeps giving long after the original physical work is done. Build a creative kid’s garden that encourages activity and good eating habits.

These are just a few of the plethora of options out there for enjoying an active family lifestyle. 

Learn why inspiring an active childhood lifestyle is so important as you consider what you and your kids enjoy.

When we talk of children and physical exercise, it’s a lot different to how we would approach a movement workout for an adult – you certainly wouldn’t expect to see a child lifting weights at a gym, for example.

For a child, any form of movement could be classed as physical activity, from running around with friends to dancing around the living room.

Why is exercise so important for children?

Exercise is usually something that is done to keep fit and well, and while that’s true for any age, there are other factors that make it so important to encourage activity in children from an early age. Exercise enhances and promotes the development of motor skills, bones and muscles, cognitive and social skills and brings a number of other health benefits too:¹

• Improving fitness
• Providing an opportunity to socialize
• Increasing concentration
• Improving academic scores
• Building a stronger heart, bones and healthier muscles
• Encouraging healthy growth and development
• Improving self-esteem
• Improving posture and balance
• Lowering stress
• Encouraging a better night’s sleep     

What type, and how much exercise does your child need?

Both the amount and type of exercise your child should be getting depends on their age:

Less than 5-years and not yet walking – NHSguidance states that children under the age of 5, who are not yet walking, should be encouraged to enjoy any type of movement activity to benefit their development. Examples of suitable exercises would include floor-based activities that encourage them to hold different positions, such as rolling over or reaching for a toy. You could also enjoy water-based activities, such as play time in the bath or you could go to your local swimming pool with them.

Less than 5-years and walking unaided – In this scenario, the guidance is that you should ensure your child is active for a minimum of three hours each day. Time in front of the TV or computer should be minimized and instead, they should be encouraged to enjoy activities like running or playing in the garden, throwing and catching a ball, climbing, walking and bouncing on a trampoline.

Children and young people between 5-18 years – NHS guidance is that children and young people should be doing at least one hour of moderate to vigorous activity each day to fully reap the health benefits of physical exercise. Examples might include riding a bike, swimming, gymnastics, skipping, playing a sport such as football, martial arts or even taking the family dog for a brisk walk, which would benefit them too!

Whatever the age of your child, it’s important to remember that physical movement should form the basis of their development and should always be encouraged over spending time in front of the television. As with most things though, it’s all about balance, so there’s certainly nothing wrong with sitting down and watching a movie with them occasionally either.  Physical exercise has been shown in studies to enhance self-esteem, reduce stress and benefit children’s overall mental health,² so should always be actively encouraged.

1. https://www.gosh.nhs.uk/conditions-and-treatments/general-health-advice/leading-active-lifestyle/exercise-children-and-young-people/ [↩]
2. https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1994-05137-001 [↩]

A healthy diet and a strong immune system can help to avoid meningitis

Meningitis is a serious infection whereby the lining around your brain and spinal cord becomes inflamed. There are two types of meningitis – viral and bacterial. Bacterial meningitis can be life-threatening. Viral meningitis is usually not but can still leave you with some long-term after-effects. There are ways to keep your immune system healthy and prevent the disease and its severity, so while it can be serious, it doesn’t have to be fatal.

Why teenagers have an increased risk for meningitis

While most cases of viral meningitis are seen in children under the age of five, bacterial meningitis is common in people under 20 years of age such as teenagers and college students. ¹  These two groups are at particular risk due to the way in which meningitis is spread. The infection passes through close and prolonged contact and is spread through droplets of respiratory or throat secretions from carriers. Kissing, sneezing or coughing on someone, as well as living in close quarters with them, puts you at a higher risk. Preventing meningitis is therefore particularly important for these groups.

Treatment and preventive measures of meningitis

Typical symptoms of meningitis can include a fever with cold hands and feet, headache, muscle pain and vomiting or diarrhea. Babies and young children may also appear unsettled, drowsy or irritable.

Treatment for bacterial and viral meningitis differ but both may require the same initial tests to confirm the diagnosis. Bacterial meningitis will usually need to be treated in a hospital with antibiotics, fluids and oxygen being needed, whereas viral meningitis tends to improve on its own and can often be treated at home.

There is the possibility of being vaccinated against meningitis ² but there are additional ways for parents to protect their children from meningitis besides vaccination too. These include not allowing them to put shared toys in their mouths, not sharing food or drinks and practicing good hygiene, such as regular hand washing.

Preventing meningitis with a strong immune system and healthy diet

Teaching children and teenagers to take care of their body is one of the best ways to help prevent many illnesses, including meningitis. Good health starts within and studies have shown that a healthy and balanced diet can help to strengthen the immune system. ³   This is especially important for teenagers at universities who might be responsible for their own cooking for the first time. They may not be eating well or making the best choices to ensure their diet contains all the necessary micronutrients.  They may be lacking vitamins A and D as well as antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids, have been shown to be helpful in maintaining health. ⁴

Include antioxidants in your child’s diet

Antioxidants can be found in fresh vegetables and fruits. ⁵ Citrus fruits, red peppers, green leafy vegetables, broccoli and kiwi are all high in Vitamin C, which contributes to the normal function of the immune system.

Omega-3 fatty acids help to decrease inflammation

The Omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA contribute to the maintenance of normal blood pressure and have been shown to help protect the immune system and decrease inflammation, which is one of the side effects of meningitis. ⁶  Foods high in DHA and EPA include oily fish like salmon, tuna and trout, as well as mussels, oysters, vegetable oils and flaxseed oil.

Probiotics

A strong immune system is key to helping protect your child or teenager against meningitis and studies on probiotics and immune health, have shown that probiotics are beneficial in strengthening the immune system. ⁷  Good sources of probiotics to include as part of a healthy diet can be found in foods like yogurt, tempeh and sauerkraut. ⁸

Prevent meningitis with Vitamin B6

According to a study published in Experimental Biology and Medicine in 2014, Vitamin B6 has been shown to support the immune system, as well as the nervous system, making it harder for meningitis to develop.⁹    Foods rich in Vitamin B6 include pork, poultry, fish, eggs, wholegrain cereals and brown rice, and should be eaten in abundance for a healthy immune system that is better able to prevent meningitis.

Avoid fast food and refined sugar

Unhealthy nutrition can promote inflammation in the body. ¹⁰   As inflammation is a major factor in meningitis, it’s recommended to talk to children and young people about the harmful effects of junk food and sugar and the importance of making healthy choices to protect themselves.

Both rest and movement also form part of a healthy lifestyle, and children should get plenty of exercise and rest to ensure that their body’s reserves are in top condition. ¹¹

Ways to prevent the spread of meningitis

A doctor should always be consulted if meningitis is suspected or you or your family have been in contact with a sick person, but it’s better of course to do what you can to avoid becoming unwell in the first place. Following good rules of hygiene, like those listed below, is one of the best ways to prevent infections with germs that can cause meningitis:

• Washing your hands for 20 seconds after social situations, before meals, and after using the toilet. It is also wise to wash hands after a shopping trip, going to a restaurant, or using public transportation, because the spread of illness can often happen when we put our hands to our mouths and face.
• Don’t share personal items like drinks, food, lip balm and toothbrushes.
• Teach your teenager to not be physically intimate with someone who appears sick, or during a meningitis epidemic at their school or university.
• Cough and sneeze into your elbow (or a tissue) and then promptly wash your hands.

1. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/meningitis/symptoms-causes/syc-20350508 [↩]
2. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/mening/public/index.html [↩]
3. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/nutrition-and-immunity/ [↩]
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2906676/ [↩]
5. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27881064/ [↩]
6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3257651/ [↩]
7. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4006993/ [↩]
8. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/how-to-get-more-probiotics [↩]
9. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24903161/ [↩]
10. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/foods-that-fight-inflammation [↩]
11. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30920354/ [↩]