Love, Love, Love

Love Hormone for a better Life!
10 Tips to keep the pleasant flow in your body - mind - soul system!

Today I want to talk about a wonderful molecule that nature gives us whenever we decide to enjoy life. For 5 years I have been working as a doula and this hormone, ‘The hormones of love’ was the very first encounter with the endocrinology world, since mothers and babies, naturally, can produce a huge quantity of this wonderful molecule in order to ‘fall in love with each other’ right after birth. Actually when you assist to a beautiful natural birth you get also a shot* of oxytocin and you feel so in love with life for the next 12 hours. Let’s start from the beginning: what is oxytocin?

According to Wikipedia Oxytocin is a mammalian neurohypophysial hormone. Produced by the hypothalamus and stored and secreted by the posterior pituitary gland, oxytocin that acts primarily as a neuromodulator in the brain.

Oxytocin plays an important role in the neuroanatomy of intimacy, specifically in sexual reproduction, in particular during and after childbirth. It is released in large amounts after distension of the cervix and uterus during labor, facilitating birth, maternal bonding, and, after stimulation of the nipples, lactation. Both childbirth and milk ejection result from positive feedback mechanisms.

Recent studies have begun to investigate oxytocin's role in various behaviors, including orgasm, social recognition, pair bonding, anxiety, and maternal behaviors. For this reason, it is sometimes referred to as the "bonding hormone". There is some evidence that oxytocin promotes ethnocentric behavior, incorporating the trust and empathy of in-groups with their suspicion and rejection of outsiders. Furthermore, genetic differences in the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) have been associated with maladaptive social traits such as aggressive behaviour. 

It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines, a list of the most important medications needed in a basic health system.

. What does it do?

It has been called the ‘love - trust - cuddle... hormone’ but it does way more things than just bring couples together (they discovered this hormone studying the behavior of a wild mammal that was considered very monogamous). Oxytocin plays a very important role in enabling us to forge and strengthen our relationships but does also help a several number of psychological and physiological problems as well. Basically is one of the elements that makes us more ‘human’ (socially speaking). 

This amazing hormone can be produced with very little ‘effort’ like give someone an hug, or even shake hands, the simple touching in kind way is a way of releasing it, as simple as that. Thinking about someone that you like can also trigger it! 

It is in fact a love potion and helps couples to find intimacy and attachment, it helps a lot with our sexual life, it is a really important factor to reach an orgasm, during which our brain is flooded with this sparkling molecule. 

Right after birth it is the hormones that make the mother (and the father) to fall in love with her kid and vice versa. It helps the uterus to contract during labour and to release milk when breastfeeding. Induce feelings of optimism and self esteem, build trust, so oxytocin can really help to overcome feeling of fears around the diversity. 

Oxytocin has been proven to have anti inflammatory properties and can relieve pain. It has been seen that mice with less oxytocin levels could develop more obesity than the once with more ‘love hormones’ in their system, with a better outcome also for reducing glucose intolerance and insulin resistance, so it could be very helpful to keep the weight in balance.  

It is an antidepressant, recently researchers were able to predict post partum depression in those mothers whose oxytocin levels was low in their bloodstream during pregnancy, new studies are showing that this hormone can help also with anxiety, therefore also with the reduction of stress. 

It has been observed that the Love Hormone can also increase generosity thanks to the feeling of empathy promoted with its release. 

What are you waiting for? Let’s go out and produce some healthy Love Hormone!

This is my 10 step schedule to enjoy life!

1. Hug your loved ones: and kiss them! At least once a day grab someone you love and hug him/her, your cat is fine too!
2. Eat good food with some company: at least one meal a day try to share it with other people!
3. Get a treatment: personally I try to receive as much treatments as I can, particularly with ATMAT I have learned how to treat myself and every day I have my OXYTOCIN personal moment!
4. Talk with some girlfriend: especially for women to talk with a girlfriend is vital, grab the phone and chat with someone!
5. Run a nice bath: or do something for you, it could be 5 minutes of facial mask, a feet bath with salts, a V steam (my favorite), or anything that put you in contact with your body.
6. Play with your kids: or dog, cat, husband, yourself, give yourself some funny time!
7. Meditate: and focus on yourself, your self love and your abundance. Be grateful and thankful, get full of loving energy.
8. Do some groups activity: I am totally addicted from women’s circles and groups, I organize and teach several workshops because it is a constant oxytocin release!!!!!
9. Create romantic moments: be creative, I don’t have to tell you what to do with your intimacy ;)
10. Give to others: when you are full, really full, more than full of love, share it, be generous and enjoy the others! 

* I do believe and I experimented that feelings are contagious, so if someone is really happy and in love you can jump in the same mood and get a good vibes shot! FOR FREE!