h-o-r-m-o-n-e-s.

Anguish,despair,fear,anxiety,pessimism,anger,regret,depression,horror,
hatred,tension,excitement,nervousness,stress,depression,mood-swings,
terror,guilt,acceptance,grief,self-esteem,attitude,courage,reckless,wild,
enigmatic,timid,shy,desperate,fury,revenge, dominance,humility,faith,
belief,butterflies in the stomach,thrills,joy andLove...one factor responsible
for all that the human mind endures,the humanheart experiences, the
human brain encounters,the humans live with - Hormones. God is the greatest biotechnologist...!

With that flashy start , just like the bottom (boot) to suit(top) hero entry in the "worship" movies,I begin this post with what I had been bantering about for so long -Hormones^3 ! Hormones are the products manufactured by the MC(N)C-multi "Cell"corporation - the endocrine glands of the Human Body. "The happier people can be,the unhappier they are" (A line flicked from a book I started reading yesterday "Veronica Decides to Die")...Wonder why???You will know at the end of this post. I'm sure that everyone would have atleast come across the word in their 8th std biology textbooks. Some would have heard about them from the media - " love+hormones+duets",the magical word portrayed in songs too many...! Hormones are chemical messengers of the body,which carry signals from one cell to another via the bloodstream. A minute change in its amount can cause a drastic change in the cell and hence affect the entire body. Hormones decide your destiny. They are responsible for who you are, what you are. Every in-built quality can be attributed to the hormones. They are what makes a person - good or bad, beautiful or ugly, sensitive or wild,pessimist or optimist. Hormones are the messengers of God...! There are two types of hormones known as steroids and peptides. In general, steroids are sex hormones related to sexual maturation and fertility. Cortisol, an example of a steroid hormone, breaks down damaged tissue so it can be replaced. Steroids determine physical development from puberty on to old age, as well as fertility cycles.

Peptides regulate other functions such as sleep and sugar concentration. Growth hormone, for example, helps us burn fat and build up muscles. Another peptide hormone, insulin, starts the process to convert sugar into cellular energy.

As I was browsing for information about hormones, I came across an article written by Dr.David Rowland, for the journal Natural choice. He says, " If we would like our hormones to flow in harmony, we need to experience and express the fullness of all of our emotions. We cannot give our bodies full life if we deny full life to our feelings. They are two interrelated aspects of the same being". Guess the "listen to your heart" phenomenon makes sense after all!! " Adrenaline keeps me in the game Adrenaline you don't even feel the pain Wilder than your wildest dreams When you're going to extremes It takes adrenaline " Lyrics from the Song "Adrenaline" -Bush.

Adrenaline is a hormone which prepares the body for the extra effort needed, in case you are being chased by a "Predator". Rate of increase in heart beat, mild shivering,breaking sweat,goosepimples and sometimes even wetting oneself is mainly due to the production of adrenaline.All of this, to help a person survive a dangerous situation.

Scientific Theft : A study reveals that giving people a whiff of a key chemical can make them more inclined to trust strangers with their cash.Just three puffs of a nasal spray containing a hormone called oxytocin increased the chance that people would part with their money.Researchers believe that the hormone reduces people’s aversion to betrayal, overcoming an unwillingness to initiate interaction with strangers.

Hormones-Soul Link: If the 'soul' is responsible for who we are, then why are behaviors so strongly influenced by basic chemical interactions? One example is the hormone testosterone. Take a deep breath before reading the next line. The scientists have concluded that among humans, males with high levels of testosterone are less likely to marry, more likely to engage in extramarital affairs, and divorce more often (they are also more violent, being more likely to assault their spouse). Shocking but true!
If you guys are still reading this, here is the usual pile of interesting facts about hormones...

1. The gland responsible for producing the hormone that regulates hormones is called the pituitary gland which is of the size of a pea.

2.The hormone replacement drug "Premarin" is made from the urine of pregnant horses.

3.The colour blue has a calming effect. It causes the brain to release calming hormones.(blue is the color of my heart?)

4.In females, estrogen creates increased neural connections mainly affecting the left brain so that hearing and speech capabilities develop better than they do in males.Men might see how things are going better than women can, but women listen and hear better.(hear hear!)

5.A hormone called ghrelin makes it more difficult to stay at a healthy weight once you reach it. Ghrelin is a potent appetite booster and dieting seems to spur it into action.(there goes my new year resolution! ;-))

6.Cooking your food in plastic containers in the microwave can lower your testosterone.(beware)

7.Experts agree that chocolate stimulates the release of endorphins, natural hormones that generate feelings of pleasure and wellbeing.(yum)

8.Pursuit of happ"Y"ness : The smell of popcorn gives you more energy to boost the "happy" hormones -Serotonin. (No wonder)!

9.Mating kills frogs and toads : Every year the hormones of the frogs and toads lead them to the so called pairing ponds". The male frogs and toads crowd in groups on one female and eventually get killed by a horde of their own friends in the "rush hour"!(You bet!)

10.Laughter is the best medicine : Stress hormones can constrict blood vessels and suppress immune activity.
Laughing lowers levels of stress hormones and strengthens the immune system. Six-year-olds laugh an average of 300 times a day. Adults only laugh 15 to 100 times a day.
so..open your mouth "HA HA HA!" :) :)

Want more ? Here's an interesting link about Hormones and Emotions :

http://www.naturalchoicejournal.com/Articles/dec02articles/healthnaturallydec02.htm