Skip to main content

Negative Ions!


Today I went for a walk with my boyfriend down to the beach. It was a beautiful day with bright blue skies. Walking down to the beach, there were so many gorse bushes in bloom, giving off a coconut scent in the warmth of the sun. We paused to practice a little thai chi. We carried on down the beach, which was completely silent apart from the sound of waves washing the shore. A magical moment happened when we looked up at the cliffs and saw two adolescent foxes playing. We were totally memerised by this brief encounter. The foxes stopped and stared back at us, before sneaking away into the shrubbery. Magical. We carried on walking in the sunshine, letting all those negative ions wash over us.

"Generally speaking, negative ions increase the flow of oxygen to the brain; resulting in higher alertness, decreased drowsiness, and more mental energy ... they also may protect against germs in the air, resulting in decreased irritation due to inhaling various particles that make you sneeze, cough, or have a throat irritation," says Pierce J. Howard, PhD, author of The Owners Manual for the Brain: Everyday Applications from Mind Brain Research and director of research at the Center for Applied Cognitive Sciences in Charlotte, N.C.

An ion is an atom in which the total number of electrons is not equal to the total number of protons, giving the atom a positive or negative electrical charge. If an atom gains electrons, it has a net negative charge, since electrons are negatively charged and protons are positively charged. I was told by my physics teacher, many years ago, that when you have a shower, ions become negatively charged, and that this is what perks you up. It's something to do with the movement of the water, sunlight, and wind, which charges the air particles. This is why negative ions are found in places like the seaside, waterfalls, mountains, and right after a summer rainstorm. Somehow, these negative ions have the ability to make you feel good, improving both your mood and your physical health. They actually increase levels of the mood chemical seroton, boost production of protective antioxidant enzymes, and lead to beneficial changes in neurotransmitters and hormones in the body. Indoor environments tend to have very low levels of negative ions, due to the effect of computers and other electrical appliances. The average home or office building may contain mere dozens of negative ions, whereas places like the beach have tens of thousands of negative ions.

"The action of the pounding surf creates negative air ions and we also see it immediately after spring thunderstorms when people report lightened moods," says ion researcher Michael Terman, PhD, of Columbia University in New York.

And that's why I intend on visiting the beach every single day, if I can! It is so good for you! I am also investigating ways to produce more negative ions at home. Any thoughts? Leave a comment! Thanks for reading, I hope this was interesting to you!



Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Thank you for sharing your thoughts )O(

Popular posts from this blog

The Dorset Ooser

  A massive wooden head with snapping jaw mechanism, real horns and hair. Photo from 1883-1891.  The Dorset Ooser has possible connections to the horned costumes sometimes worn by participants in English Mummers plays. The etymology of Ooser is also disputed, with various possibilities available, but I think it's most likely the same as the Oss, a snapping skull paraded around during midwinter. The pronunciation is very similar, and it's simply a way of saying "horse" without pronouncing the h. These teeth-gnashing heads are also known as 'obby 'oss or hobby horse.  One use of the Dorset Ooser was to strike fear into villagers who were perceived as shameful. Usually the target was an unruly wife who had disobeyed her husband by raising her voice, scolding him, beating him, or cheating on him. A woman who was perceived as a bad wife was forced to ride backwards on a donkey or horse while the angry Ooser snapped his jaw at her and a crowd of villagers beat their...
Post a Comment
Read more

Decolonise

There is an interesting phrase I heard, that Britain colonised itself before the rest of the world. How can a country colonise itself? Well Britain was an island of many cultures, many nations, before the United Kingdom was created and a uniform British culture imposed on everyone here. Regional variations were extinguished, while amateur folklorists attempted to record the dying traces. What a huge sacrifice for the sake of homogenisation. To this day, we feel that one part of Britain is ruling over the rest, sucking up all of the wealth, leaving the rest of us impoverished. This is the same process of colonisation which was then inflicted upon other countries captured by the British Empire. I would say that London and the surrounding South East area is the "Imperial Core" of an Empire which still exists, although in a neo-colonial form.  Poka Laenui suggests five stages of decolonisation: Rediscovery and recovery Mourning Dreaming Commitment, and Action
Post a Comment
Read more

Back Again

I found my old blog by accident. I forgot all about it. Apparently I have to pay a subscription fee to be able to access the same features that used to be free. Maybe that's why I stopped blogging. I've been using instagram as a blog for a few years now. So it's been almost a decade since I last logged in here. What can I update you with? There's a little bit too much to say. I split up with the boyfriend I was blogging about last. He was a lovely guy, but it ran its course. I found a little studio flat in the centre of town and lived by myself for a year. That was a really nice experience. While I was there I met a new guy and started a whole new chapter. We moved to Weymouth in 2021. It will have been 4 years in August. The time has passed quickly. I turned 40 last year. I don't feel any older than when I was 30, but I feel frustrated that I could have done more with my time. The state of the world hasn't gotten any better, and I'm increasingly aw...
Post a Comment
Read more