Smiling is a universal expression of happiness. Even babies born blind smile. So, what does smiling do for you? Why are we attracted to another person’s smile? Listen as I begin this episode with a brief look at smiling. https://www.livescience.com/5254-smiles-innate-learned.html Our lives are full of rituals. We have religious rituals, family rituals, holidays rituals, personal rituals – rituals are everywhere. By definition rituals don’t really perform a function beyond being a ritual. So why do we have them? Why do we need them? Here to discuss the importance of human rituals is Dimitris Xygalatas. He is an anthropologist and cognitive scientist who runs the Experimental Anthropology Lab at the University of Connecticut. And he is author of the book Ritual: How Seemingly Senseless Acts Make Life Worth Living (https://amzn.to/3Pq7U4b). Even though everyone knows how important exercise is, a lot of people hate it. Why is that? Why is something so important to your health so despised and avoided by so many? It just may be that we never really evolved to exercise – at least not the way we do it today. That’s according to Daniel E. Lieberman. Daniel is a professor of biological sciences and a professor of the Department of Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University. And author of the book Exercised: Why Something We Never Evolved to Do Is Healthy and Rewarding (https://amzn.to/3hoPQea). Listen and you won’t feel so guilty the next time you decide you really DON’T want to go out and exercise.  It is common wisdom that salt can elevate your blood pressure – and reducing the amount of salt will help lower it. Is that true? Listen as I explain the science of salt and blood pressure and why potassium is also a key player in the story. https://healthyeating.sfgate.com/relationships-between-salt-potassium-6609.html PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! Shopify grows with your business anywhere. Thanks to their endless list of integrations and third-party apps - everything you need to customize your business to your needs is already in your hands. Sign up for a FREE trial at https://Shopify.com/sysk ! If you think you’re okay to drive after a few drinks, think again. Play it safe and plan ahead to get a ride. It only takes one mistake to change your life, or someone else’s, forever. Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.  PAID FOR BY NHTSA Did you know that driving under the influence of marijuana is illegal? If you feel different, you drive different. Drive high, get a DUI. PAID FOR BY NHTSA Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices