Thread:61Storm/@comment-29709319-20181110010804/@comment-29709319-20190106011207

January 6th: National Bean Day, National Cuddle Up Day, National Shortbread Day, and National Technology Day.

🍁National Bean Day! Green, red, kidney, lima, or soy are just a few of the different kinds of beans recognized on National Bean Day. This day celebrates the bean in all sizes, shapes and colors. Beans (legumes) are one of the longest cultivated plants dating back to the early seventh millennium BC. Today, just as throughout the Old and New World history, beans are an important source of protein. A very healthy choice for any meal or snack, they are also an excellent source of fiber, are low in fat and are high in complex carbohydrates, folate and iron. Significant amounts of fiber and soluble fiber are found in beans as one cup of cooked beans provide between 9 and 13 grams of fiber. Soluble fiber can help in lowering blood cholesterol. There are approximately 40,000 bean varieties in the world. Only a fraction of these varieties are mass-produced for regular consumption.

🍁National Cuddle Up Day! January is typically some of the coldest days of the year, so what better way to stay warm and reap the health benefits of cuddling and there are multiple benefits to cuddling with human or canine or other pets. Cuddling releases oxytocin. This hormone alone has tremendous health benefits. Besides giving us warm and fuzzy feelings, oxytocin reduces pain. So when the cold has made those muscles and joints ache, cuddling can help reduce those aches and pains. Oxytocin also helps reduce heart disease, blood pressure, stress and anxiety. If it weren’t free, cuddling would probably be covered by health insurance it’s such a huge health benefit! Communication is more than just e-mails, texts or conversation. Physical touch can communicate trust, commitment, safety and reassurance. This goes for human to human contact as well has human to pet contact. Cuddling expresses all these things which are vital to a healthy relationship. Dopamine is released stimulating the brain to seek pleasure. But dopamine also can improve memory and focus as well. Studies show massage provides similar benefits of there's no one to cuddle with.

🍞National Shortbread Day! Shortbread is a classic Scottish dessert traditionally was made with: 1 part white sugar, 2 parts butter, 3 parts flour. Prepared often during the 12th century, shortbread is credited to Mary, Queen of Scots in the 16th century. As it was expensive to make, the sweet cookie was reserved as a luxury for special occasions. Shortbread is so named because of its crumbly texture which is caused by its high-fat content, provided by the butter. “Shortening” is its related word that refers to any fat that may be added to produce a “short” (crumbly) texture. Modern recipes deviate from the 3 ingredient rule by splitting the sugar portion into equal parts of granulated sugar and powdered sugar and add salt. Plain white (wheat) flour is commonly used. However, ground rice or cornflour are also sometimes added to alter the texture. In Shetland (northeast of mainland Britain), it is tradition to break a decorated shortbread cake over the head of a new bride upon her entrance of her new home.

📠National Technology Day! From the wheel to smartphones, technology has been changing the world. Imagine the world without technology. In our daily lives, we can’t take a step without coming into contact with a form of it. Outside of the healthcare sector, tech jobs are one of the strongest and fastest growing divisions. From agriculture, healthcare and fitness to entertainment, food service and security we use technology to keep us organized, connected, healthy and safe. One area of the tech world that continues to advance and affect our lives is apps. With the advent of smartphones, apps are way more than just games or photo editing. If you haven’t made any resolutions yet, resolve to check out these trending apps: 1️⃣Circle of 6 – When talking about personal safety, this is a tool you might consider having. It’s designed to quickly and discreetly get help in dangerous situations. By simply tapping twice, pre-written messages are sent to designated recipients, GPS location included. http://www.circleof6app.com/ 2️⃣Zombies, Run! – It’s a game. It’s exercise. It’s got zombies. It’s a zombie exercise game. If nothing else motivates you, maybe this will. https://zombiesrungame.com/ 3️⃣AXEL – Files move or stream from one device straight to another. No stops along the way. No uploading. No middlemen. www.axel.org. AXEL, a technology-based company headquartered out of Las Vegas, founded National Technology Day.

I'm dropping theses off, going back to the game to get SnowS Orb finished. Need 50 more gifts. Save me a piece of shortbread.

Sending warm hugs!😷🐶💕❄️💕