The benefits of having a good cry

In the 2008 film “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” Peter Bretter (Jason Segel) takes a Hawaiian vacation to get over his recent breakup. But his ex and her new boyfriend turn out to be staying in his hotel. The discovery shatters him, and he ends up sobbing on his balcony. Then the front desk calls: “We’re getting complaints about a woman crying hysterically,” the desk clerk says. “I think it’s from the floor above me,” he replies, trying to deflect blame. “You’re on the top floor,” is the retort.

Being a crier like Peter may sound embarrassing, but science shows that he was getting healthy, on several levels.

• Research indicates that crying activates the parasympathetic nervous system, or your “rest and digest” state. That’s also equivalent to a meditation response to stress, and the opposite of your alert, fightor-flight state — good for the cardiovascular system and the spirit.

• Tears that express emotion contain beneficial chemicals and help eliminate toxins from your body.

• Crying also stimulates release of the love hormone oxytocin, a chemical associated with comforting and happiness.

• It is thought that crying releases opioids in the brain, which helps reduce pain. In short, crying is an effective form of self-soothing. (“There, there, things will be OK.”)

• In the blink of an eye, you’ll be transferring oxygen, moisture, nutrients and antibodies that fight infection to your cornea.

• It helps rally support from those around you when you’re down. Our advice to Peter: Cry it out; hop

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POTASSIUM FOR THE HEART

If you were shopping in a grocery store in the 1940s, you wouldn’t recognize the bananas in the produce section. The Gros Michel species was shorter and stubbier than today’s version, without that signature curve. That banana was wiped out by the TR-1 (Tropical Race-1) fungus. The Cavendish bananas we eat today are resistant to TR-1, and they’re clones of a banana species that was grown in the Duke of Devonshire’s hothouse in China.

Now a new fungus, TR-4, resistant to all fungicides, is threatening Cavendish bananas, and the race is on for a resistant replacement.

We don’t just hope bananas stick around for their great texture and flavour; they’re also a great source of potassium, and mounting evidence shows how important potassium is for heart health. (But don’t go nuts; each one averages 105 calories.)

A new lab study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation found that potassium-rich foods could help protect against atherosclerosis, which reduces your risk for a heart attack. The study showed that animals with lower dietary potassium were more likely to experience artery calcification, hardening of their arteries. In addition, previous research found that increased potassium levels and lower sodium levels reduce the risk of heart disease. Plus, a deficiency can trigger an irregular heartbeat and boost your blood pressure.

So make sure you’re getting enough potassium in your diet: Adolescents and adults should aim for 4,700 mg daily. Not a fan of the banana and its 425 mg potassium)? Try salmon (three ounces gets you 300 mg), beans (1/2 cup equals 300475 mg) and/or a baked potato (925 mg).

EXERCISE FENDS OFF DEPRESSION

In the 2003 movie “Lost in Translation,” over-the-hill American movie star Bob Harris (Bill Murray) rambles around Tokyo — he’s there to shoot a whisky commercial — in a fog of depression. Trying to pick himself up, he hits the elliptical (he had the right idea), but ends up losing the battle of the machines and limping around feeling blue until Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson) shows up. Fortunately for Mr. Harris, those (American) Scandinavians know a thing or two about dealing with depression.

Recently, researchers looked at nearly 34,000 Norwegian adults and monitored their physical activity, along with depression and anxiety symptoms, over the course of 11 years, making it the largest study of its kind. They found that for some folks who suffered from depression, exercising just one to two hours a week fought off their funk. In fact, the study showed that just one round of exercise could snap you out of your funky mood.

So, if you’re feeling down in the dumps, get up and move! Don’t stop at an hour or two a week — start from there. There’s tons of solid scientific evidence that shows working out for at least 30 minutes, five or six days a week, battles everything from the blues to the bulge — and all the associated ailments that make it hard to feel upbeat about your future. Plus, you’ll be well on your way to 10,000 steps (or equivalent) per day. No matter what language you say it in, a sunnier outlook comes with regular exercise, and nothing gets lost in that translation.

DO THE MATH AND STAY YOUNG

The top U.S. elementary school in the 2016-2017 Math League was Medina Elementary School in Medina, Washington. Congratulations, kids! These students know their numbers. Unfortunately, many high school students around the country don’t.

According to the latest results of the Program for International Student Assessment — its worldwide exam is administered every three years; in 2015, it went to 540,000 15-year-olds in 72 countries — the U.S. ranks 40th in students’ average math scores.

Maybe that’s why it’s so hard to convince people that carrying around even a little extra weight damages their health: They can’t add up the info.

Well, a new study in Nature Communications makes it pretty easy: Every 2.2 pounds of extra weight you carry reduces your life expectancy by two months.

For the 30 per cent of U.S. adults who are obese (say, 50 pounds overweight), the lost months can add up to eight years or more! But, there’s hope. The researchers also say losing 2.2 pounds adds two months to your life. And losing a pound a week can undo the 50-pounds-overweight life deficit in a year!

Get there by walking 10,000 steps daily and doing two to three 30minute, strength-building sessions weekly. Eat nine servings of veggies and fruit daily; skip red and processed meats, refined grains and highly processed foods. Get seven to eight hours of sleep nightly (sleep influences weight management). Another boost: You can add a year to your life for each year you spend studying something after your last year of formal education (high school or college).

DO AS I DO

That much-favoured, hypocritical saying bandied about by lazy authoritarians, “Do as I say, not as I do,” never seems very convincing to any kid. And now, research has demonstrated that the exact opposite is actually what motivates kids to tackle tough situations — because when responsible adults communicate “Do as I do,” it’s inspiring to young ’uns, especially if the doing takes effort.

Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, an institution that regularly turns out award-winning mathematicians, rocket scientists, engineering marvels and world leaders, did a study published in the journal Science that showed that kids as young as 15 months old who observe adults struggle at different tasks before succeeding try harder at their own tasks, compared to kids who watch adults sail through their problems/tasks without any trouble.

So folks, the pressure’s off: You don’t have to know how to put together that robot-in-akit right off the bat or put that car seat in the mini-van smoothly. That’s not how you teach your child what it takes to master a task. You teach, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again,” through your calm persistence.