January 2025 & Happy Hormones
Updates
Happy 2025! We hope all of our wonderful patients and families have had a nice holiday and some much deserved time off to spend with family, friends and/or to recharge. Thank you to everyone for managing while we were closed over the holiday break. Our staff and doctors had a nice time taking some time for themselves and are very ready to serve you all for 2025! Read on for our holiday highlights.
Dr. Johnston’s family had a great Christmas with the girls, who are at the fun ages of 6 and 4. They saw the Lion King play in Toronto, the Buffalo Bills game and spent some time catching up with friends who were home for the holidays. Dr. Johnston’s oldest daughter turns 7 at the end of January, wow how time flies!
Drs. Leguard and Hubbel took off to spend a few weeks in Hawaii with their family- Dr Leguard’s parents and two sisters. They toured around quite a bit, we will update you more next month on all the details.
Karen hosted “Vintage Christmas”; she always has a great theme. Her 2 year old great-grandson, Rhodes, was wonderful entertainment!
Julie enjoyed special memories with family and their granddaughter Chelsea’s first Christmas.
Carleigh was surprised with a kayak from her husband and kids! Lucky lady, watch out for her on the lake this summer.
Louise was gifted beautiful jewelry from her sons. She spent a great holiday with both her family and her in-laws.
Myranda will be cooking up a storm with some new bake and cookware in her favourite colour… you guessed it, PINK!
Carolyn spent a beautiful holiday with her granddaughter and kids and extended family.
How to Use your Happy Hormones
Do you ever think about WHY your body feels so good when you’re happy, exercising, in the sun or in love? An even better question may be WHY you feel so good after a visit to your favourite chiropractor? These things may seem more similar on a physiological level than you’d anticipate.
Our emotions are regulated by our brain’s ability to release different hormones, our body’s natural chemicals, during specific activities. There are FOUR “happy hormones” we can focus on boosting to improve your mood in the winter months:
Oxytocin is the famous “love hormone” whose main function is to facilitate childbirth (and rewards your brain for processes related to that). Oxytocin is released by our brain when we’re with our partners, touching another person, giving someone a hug or cuddling with our children. One of the best ways to increase oxytocin in our bodies naturally is through exercise.
Endorphins can act as your body’s “natural painkillers”. Endorphins are actually released in response to pain or stress. Interestingly, endorphins are released after an adjustment, which may explain in part why some of our patients feel so great immediately after their adjustment. Other ways to release endorphins include exercise, acupuncture, meditation and UV light from the sun.
Serotonin helps to balance your mood, and promotes feelings of well-being and reward. Serotonin also functions in memory, digestion, addiction, breathing and body temperature, among other physiological functions. Low levels of serotonin are linked to depression, with one of the most common types of antidepressants being SSRIs (or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors), which block the reabsorption of serotonin in your brain so you feel happier longer. Some of the best natural ways to increase serotonin are exercise and sunlight.
Dopamine plays a role in feeling happiness, pleasure and reward. We can help to have a healthy baseline dopamine level by viewing early morning sunlight for 10-30 minutes, taking a cold shower in the morning, and avoiding bright (blue) light between 10pm-4am. Interestingly, caffeine also makes your body less sensitive to dopamine’s effects… (take this as you will!)
Utilize some of these tricks to help improve your mood throughout the winter months. Chiropractic’s effect on the nervous system can help to release all of these hormones, through adjustments, exercise and commuting outside to our office. Yet another reason to call us for an appointment… If anyone in your circle could use a happiness boost, think of chiropractic as a part of the solution!