Television is supposed to be a diversion from the rest of your life, not the other way around.  Like any other purely pleasure based thing that humans enjoy, television is a sickly sweet, seductive addiction.  Both comforting and entertaining, TV can expand to fill every free space in your schedule, demanding attention like a chatty know-it-all camping in your living room.  Defeat the TV that dominates your living space, and use it for what it was meant: an entertaining, occasional diversion that you can enjoy with your friends and family.  You don’t have to eliminate television altogether, just try these small steps to regain control over your own domain.

Change the focal point of your living room. Are all of the chairs pointing at the TV?  If you have a box style TV try tucking it in the corner of the room.  If you have a flat screen, mount it on the wall and set it to display a pleasant background image.  You may want to get longer cables and hide your media equipment in a cabinet or shelf.  Turn the couches and chairs to face each other, and make sure that you have a sturdy, good sized coffee table that is big enough for everyone to fit around when you want to play games.

Cut the cord. Unsubscribe or physically unhook your cable or satellite service.  If you just can’t kick the cable, try using your dvr or Tivo to its fullest potential.  Program it to record just a few shows that are your family’s favorites, plus movies or educational specials, and never watch live TV again.  There is a big difference between having the television on in the background all evening and sitting down with your family for an hour to watch the latest Nat Geo special.

Learn to love movies. Sign up for an account with an internet movie rental service like Netflix and get a new movie in the mail every day.  Some newer televisions and video game consoles can access online movies directly through the TV.  There are quite a few really good movies out there that you have never seen, and many of them are amazing pieces of art with all the same elements as a good book.  www.rottentomatoes.com is a great resource for finding a movie that you will really enjoy.

Try watching your favorite shows online. There are always a couple of shows each season that are hard to miss no matter how much you hate TV.  Most shows are now available online immediately after they air, so you can watch them on your laptop or iphone.  Look on hulu, fancast, or on the show’s network website for the latest episodes.  Depending on the types of your equipment, you may be able to easily purchase a special cable for your laptop and watch online shows through your TV.

Get some good games. I know, there’s always someone who hates to play games but believe it or not, there’s a game for everyone.  There are lots of games out there that involve no strategy at all and are just designed to allow people to be silly and have fun.  Set, Sorry, and Apples to Apples are three great games everyone will like.

Just like a fairy tale, an important life lesson has been delivered to us from the unlikeliest of sources – a bunch of mice.  According to recent news, scientists have determined that social isolation makes cancer worse.  Scientists at University of Chicago have shown that in a study of mice that were genetically predisposed to breast cancer, isolated mice developed larger tumors than mice living in groups.

The moral of the story:  be a social mouse.

For many people this information comes as no surprise but is instead a confirmation of an idea that has been around for as long as we have: human interaction can have a measurable difference in our health and well being.  Evidence has begun to pile up as study after study shows things like the positive effects of skin contact between mother and infant, a higher death rate in people with chronic diseases who are isolated, and an improved outcome in cancer patients with social support.

What is the science behind this? OR Breast Asymmetry: Breast Cancer Predictor?

Biodrux Blog is produced by JBNI Biodrux Naturaceuticals – The producer of “BIOPRIN” Proven to safely and gently effect EMT-6 (equivalent to human metastatic breast cancer cells) as or more effectively than common chemotherapy drugs. The tests were conducted by The Leading PhDs from Dana Farber Cancer Institute / Harvard Medical School: See Reports. Try It Yourself. Most Physicians recommend Bioprin for pain and inflammation.

Fewer cancer causing genes activated in the social mice

Recent studies have shown that some types of cancer are genetically predisposed, meaning that there are certain inherited genes which, if expressed, will trigger cancer growth.  In other words, just because you have a cancer causing gene doesn’t mean that it will be expressed – some genes never are. 

The University of Chicago scientists have shown that in the isolated mice with the breast cancer predisposition the expression levels of the genes expected to increase tumor growth – metabolic pathway genes – were different than in the mice living in groups.  Fewer cancer causing genes activated in the social mice.

The moral of the story?  Be a social mouse.  If you know someone who is struggling with illness without any social support do what you can to help and you may make more of a difference than you thought you could.

Breast Asymmetry: Breast Cancer Predictor? OR Loneliness and Cancer:  Supplement chemo with family game night

This Blog is produced by JBNI Biodrux Naturaceuticals – The producer of “BIOPRIN” Proven to safely and gently effect EMT-6 (equivalent to human metastatic breast cancer cells) as or more effectively than common chemotherapy drugs. The tests were conducted by The Leading PhDs from Dana Farber Cancer Institute / Harvard Medical School: See Reports. Try It Yourself. Most Physicians recommend Bioprin for pain, inflammation and feeling vibrantly healthy overall.

There are three types of people: those who hate photos of themselves, those who love them, and those who don’t care about them.  However, these types do have one thing in common -  bad holiday photos.  The haters hide from photos or make silly faces, the lovers are always strangely posed even during candid moments, and those who don’t care serve as props for the other two groups or end up posing for endless family portrait sessions.  How can we avoid this misery?  You can’t eliminate it completely (although you can avoid your family) but you can make the best with what you’ve got.  Try these tips for memorable, misery-lite photos this season:

Figure out how to use your camera. Obvious, right?  No.  Digital cameras have many of the same functions as film cameras, such as the options to adjust the shutter speed, flash, and other settings to suit the environment.  Read the manual!  Often, indoor photos are blown out with too much flash too close to the subjects of the photo.  If you can get the lighting just right you can lessen the impact of the flash or sometimes eliminate the flash altogether.  That way the photos look better and people aren’t as aware that you’re walking around taking pictures of them.  Take a few minutes and some sample pictures to adjust the settings on your camera.  Then, if you need to go outside or somewhere with different lighting you can readjust the settings or just set your camera back to auto.

You can be sneaky…just delete the ones that don’t work.

Candid and casual photos are a great way to deal with the haters and the lovers, because they don’t know that you are taking the picture.  Digital cameras are perfect for this, because you don’t have to hold the camera up to your face in order to take a picture.  You can be sneaky and hold it in less conspicuous ways, and you just delete the ones that don’t work.  Even if you only get one great moment captured out of ten sneaky photos, it’s no loss to you.  Be sure to adjust the quality of the images so that you can take pictures faster and less conspicuously and then zoom in on the subjects later.

Take some extra pictures during the dreaded family posing. You know, where everyone stands together and shuffles around uncomfortably while one person scampers back and forth between the tripod-mounted camera.  If you can, take some extra photos while people are laughing and rearranging themselves.  Do some smaller group shots and take as many pictures as you can while people are not paying attention.  Later, delete all of the bad ones and keep a few of the less formal family shots for your album.

It’s not going to be perfect, but you’re bound to get some good pictures and have fun taking them.  One thing that is important to remember while reviewing all of the photos that you’ve taken: if you keep bad pictures of people (like in the middle of a bite of food) they’ll make it that much harder for you to get them in pictures next time.  So, delete the embarrassing, ugly photos and share the really good ones with your family.  After a couple of poignant, flattering photos of themselves the haters will hate a little less, the lovers will pose a little less, and those who don’t care will like them just as much as they did before.