Month: September 2014

Peanut allergies: ‘Roasted worse than raw nuts’

Roasted peanuts are more likely to trigger an allergic reaction than raw peanuts, according to an Oxford University study, involving mice. Scientists say chemical changes caused by dry roasting processes may prime the body’s immune system – sparking future allergic reactions. But much more work is needed before humans should consider swapping roasted nuts for raw ones, they say.

Roasted peanuts are more likely to trigger an allergic reaction than raw peanuts, according to an Oxford University study, involving mice.

The research appears in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

Fatal reactions

Mice were exposed to peanut proteins through the skin or the stomach. Animals given the dry roasted samples had a much stronger immune response – the body’s way of fighting things that appear foreign to it – than mice given the raw versions. In humans, immune responses vary. Some can be mild, causing rashes for example, but others can be extremely dangerous, leading to swelling of the mouth and breathing difficulties.

Scientists say it is likely to be the high temperatures used to roast nuts that are responsible for the chemical changes that, in turn, prompt the allergic reactions. Prof Quentin Sattentau, who led the research, said: “This is the first time, to our knowledge, that a potential trigger for peanut allergy has been directly shown.”

And researchers believe the findings may explain the lower allergy rates in East Asian populations where boiled, raw or fried nuts are a more common part of the diet than roasted ones. But they warn that much more work is needed before doctors make any specific dietary recommendations.

Chemical changes
Prof Sattentau said: “We know that children in families with other allergies are more likely to develop peanut allergy. “However our research is at an early stage and we think that it would be premature to avoid roasted peanuts and their products until further work has been carried out to confirm this result.”

Scientists are now exploring methods to get rid of the particular chemical changes that may be responsible for kick-starting the immune system. According to NHS Choices, nut allergies, including peanuts, are relatively common in both school-aged children and adults. And peanuts are one of the most common causes of fatal allergic reactions to food.

People with peanut allergies are advised to avoid them and many carry auto-injector pens to reduce the severity of any reactions that do occur.

Source: bbc news

Nearly 50% of cancers get diagnosed late: Study

A new study has found that nearly half of cancers are diagnosed only when the disease is at an advanced stage, meaning treatment is both more expensive and less likely to succeed.

Cancers, Cancer treatment, Cancer diagnosis, Cancer Research UK, disease

Cancer Research UK said that tens of thousands of patients could have their survival chances improved if doctors were able to catch cancer before it spreads around the body, adding that early detection would also save the NHS nearly 210 million pounds, the Independent reported.

Cancer Research UK’s chief executive Harpal Kumar said that their report “provides a compelling case for substantial investment in efforts to achieve earlier diagnosis” and not to invest in earlier diagnosis is to fail cancer patients.

He said that earlier diagnosis saves lives and it could save critical NHS funds. And in the face of an overstretched NHS and a projected growing number of cancers diagnosed in the years ahead, we need to do everything we can to ensure that all patients have access to the best treatment as early as possible.

Source: zee news

Natural Treatments for Menopause Symptoms

Black Cohosh
Symptom: Hot Flashes, Night Sweats
Benefit:

Black cohosh is derived from a species of buttercup. Studies have had mixed results on whether black cohosh is effective in reducing hot flashes. Some studies indicate it may help with mild hot flashes and night sweats for short-term treatment. May lower blood pressure as well. In rare cases, hepatitis has been reported.

Natural Treatments for Menopause Symptoms

Soy
Symptom: Hot Flashes, Night Sweats
Benefit:

Soy has isoflavones, which are phytoestrogens (plant estrogens). Some studies have observed that soy may be effective in reducing menopausal symptoms. However, other studies have found no benefit. Soy may also lower cholesterol. Only food forms of soy, like tofu and soy milk, are recommended. Soy in tablet or powder form is not advised.

Flaxseed, ground or oil
Symptom: Hot Flashes
Benefit:

Flaxseed has omega-3 fatty acids and lignans, which act as phytoestrogens. Results from studies have been mixed, but it may help symptoms in some women. It is also believed to help lower cholesterol. Avoid whole flaxseed because it is difficult to digest.

Vitamin E
Symptom: Vaginal Dryness, Hot Flashes
Benefit:

Topical vitamin E oil applied to the vagina helps improve lubrication and may also reduce hot flashes.

Yoga, Aerobic Exercise, Breathing Exercises
Symptom: Mood Swings, Sleep Disruption
Benefit:

Exercise and meditation reduce irritability, even hot flashes, in some women. Yoga combines both. Exercise also helps most people sleep better.

Cold Drinks
Symptom: Hot Flashes, Night Sweats
Benefit:

Cold drinks help you feel cooler. Avoid caffeine and alcohol, which are diuretics that encourage dehydration. Try cold water or fruit juices with antioxidant vitamins.

Warning
While the supplements mentioned above are among the most commonly used supplements to help control menopause symptoms, It’s important to note that research is still ongoing to determine their effectiveness. To date, no supplement has consistently been shown to work better than placebo in managing symptoms.

Also, keep in mind that dietary or herbal supplements may have side effects or interactions with each other or with other drugs. Some may be unsafe to take due to certain medical conditions. Consult with your doctor prior to using them.

source: web md

E-cigarettes won’t help cancer patients kick the butt’

E-cigarettes may do more harm than good to cancer patients as researchers have found that those using e-cigarettes (in addition to traditional cigarettes) are equally or less likely to quit smoking traditional cigarettes than non-users. Cancer patients using e-cigarettes are more nicotine-dependent, the findings showed.

E-cigarettes won't help cancer patients kick the butt'

“Consistent with recent observations of increased e-cigarette use in the general population, our findings illustrate that e-cigarette use among tobacco-dependent cancer patients has increased within the past two years,” said co-researcher Jamie Ostroff from the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in the US.

To examine available clinical data about e-cigarette use and cessation among cancer patients, the researchers studied 1,074 cancer patients who smoked and were enrolled between 2012 and 2013 in a tobacco treatment programme within a comprehensive cancer centre in the US. The researchers observed a three-fold increase in e-cigarette use from 2012 to 2013.

At enrolment stage, e-cigarette users were more nicotine dependent than non-users, had more prior quit attempts, and were more likely to be diagnosed with lung or head and neck cancers. At follow-up stage, e-cigarette users were just as likely as non-users to be smoking. Seven day abstinence rates were 44.4 percent versus 43.1 percent for e-cigarette users and non-users, respectively.

The study appeared online in the journal Cancer

Source: business standard

Drinking water contaminated by excreted drugs a growing concern

If we’re taking it, we’re also drinking it: painkillers, blood thinners, hormones, chemotherapy agents, even cocaine and amphetamines. Whatever goes into us, also comes out of us, through our own biological effluent, every time we flush the toilet. The excreted drugs pass right through most sewage treatment processes and end up in rivers and lakes, and then in our drinking water.

Drinking water contaminated by excreted drugs a growing concern

A Canadian study quietly released last month reported record-breaking levels of three pharmaceuticals in river water in southwestern Ontario. Although the chemicals — the diabetic drug metformin, the acid reflux drug ranitidine, and the diuretic hydrochlorothiazide — ?are measured in nanograms per litre, and are extremely low, the levels detected have never been found before in North America.

When Health Canada sampled tap water across Canada, researchers found what they expected to find, traces of drugs in drinking water that comes from rivers and lakes, although that report has not yet been published.  Concern about drugs in the Great Lakes, Minnesota rivers

Last year, a group of researchers detected drugs in the Great Lakes at levels high enough to be “of environmental concern,” according to a study that found traces of acetaminophen, codeine, antibiotics, hormones, steroids, and anti-epileptic compounds, and dozens of other chemicals. Also last year, another group concluded that they’d found evidence of a “global environmental issue” after discovering widespread neuro-active compounds, including antidepressants, anti-seizure compounds, and mood stabilizers, in 24 Minnesota rivers.

In February, Environment Canada officials told a Senate committee hearing that more than 165 individual pharmaceuticals and personal care products have been identified in water samples, as of this year. Two things are happening. New technology is making it easier to detect trace amounts of these pharmaceutical chemicals. And people are taking more and more drugs.

“With aging boomers, the amounts of pharmaceuticals which are being consumed are going up between 10 and 15% a year, here in North America,” said environmental toxicologist Chris Metcalfe of Trent University in Peterborough, Ont. “So we can view this as a developing problem that will probably get worse, in terms of the amount of pharmaceuticals we can expect being discharged into the environment.”

The issue of drugs in the drinking water first made headlines more than a decade ago, and some people were shocked to learn that the drugs they swallowed didn’t magically disappear. Discover Magazine ranked “Drinking Water Drugged’ one of the top 10 science stories of 2002.

‘Intersex’ fish

The immediate concern was for fish swimming in this pharmaceutical soup. And over the last decade, scientists have proven the drugs are creating “intersex” fish, with males developing eggs in their testes, putting the survival of some species in jeopardy.  But scientists still don’t know if these pharmaceuticals are affecting human health. That’s because almost no one studies this, primarily because most experts assume the risk is minimal.

That risk assessment is based on the following assumption: Taking a single compound, the experts believe the trace amounts found in water are so low compared to a therapeutic dose, that someone would have to drink tonnes of water to ingest enough of a chemical to cause a biological effect.

“The amounts that are found in drinking water are far lower than the amounts that you might take if you were prescribed a drug, for instance,” said Metcalfe. “They’re very low in concentration, on the other hand, we have to be concerned because there’s a mixture of these drugs we’re being exposed to in drinking water and so that’s some cause for concern.”

No one knows whether that cocktail of biologically active compounds, consumed at low levels over a lifetime, is a human health risk.

Source: cbc

5 Reasons to Eat Healthier That Have Nothing to Do With Your Weight

While many clients come to me to slim down, in the long run, nearly all find themselves feeling far more motivated by the numerous benefits of healthy eating outside of shedding pounds and inches.

5 Reasons to Eat Healthier That Have Nothing to Do With Your Weight

For example, a new study published in the British Journal of Health Psychology found that young adults who eat more fruits and veggies experience greater “flourishing,” meaning they’re happier, more positive, creative, and curious. I absolutely see these effects among the people I counsel, regardless of age, and it’s this overall enhanced sense of well being that keeps most of them going strong.

Here are five more meaningful benefits of eating well that have absolutely nothing to do with your size or shape.

Better mood

Like the study I referenced above, another from New Zealand has tied a higher produce intake to mood. In the study, nearly 300 young adults completed daily food diaries for three consecutive weeks, along with psychological and mood-related ratings. Scientists found that a higher intake of fruits and veggies resulted in more energy, calm, and greater feelings of overall happiness. They also noted that the effects were seen not only on the days more produce was consumed, but also throughout the following day.

Another study, published in the journal Social Indicators Research, which tracked the eating habits of 80,000 adults, found that downing more servings of fruits and veggies boosted mental well being, with the magic number for happiness being seven daily servings (think half of each meal).

Sounder sleep

Numerous studies have tied better sleep to improvements in overall wellness, and more and more research indicates that eating the right foods can help. Scientists from Taiwan found that when men and women who struggled with sleep disturbances ate two kiwis one hour before bed over a four-week period they fell asleep 35% faster, slept more soundly, and snoozed 13% longer.

Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania and University of Rochester have also found tart cherry juice to be an effective elixir for sleep. In their study, volunteers sipped either one ounce of tart cherry juice or a placebo daily for a week. The cherry drinkers experienced a 25-minute increase in sleep quantity, and a 5-6% boost in sleep efficiency, a measure of overall sleep quality. Not surprisingly, other foods that have been tied to better sleep are all of the good-for-you variety, including fish, whole grains, nuts, and dark leafy greens. In other words, better diet, better slumber.

Better workouts

As a sports nutritionist, I’m always on the lookout for research about foods that enhance athletic performance, and in recent years several healthy foods have been shown to either build muscle, boost recovery, or improve endurance. For example, a study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology found that gulping 16 ounces of organic beetroot juice daily for six days helped male athletes cycle for up to 16% longer compared to a placebo, an effect the researchers say isn’t achievable through training.

Glowing skin

Healthy eating really does give you a natural glow. At least that’s what University of Nottingham scientists found when their study concluded that photographs of people who ate more produce were rated as more attractive than those with suntans. Another from the University of St. Andrews found that people who upped their intake of fruits and veggies by roughly three more daily portions for six weeks were rated as more attractive than those with lower produce intakes. The lesson: you really are what you eat—both inside and out!

Improved brain function

For some time the Mediterranean diet has been considered the gold standard for optimal health. Cornerstones of this eating plan include a eating lots of veggies and fruits, along with fish, beans, whole grains, extra virgin olive oil, avocado, nuts and seeds, a moderate amount of wine—and a low intake of fatty meats, dairy products, refined grains, and sugar. A recent study from the National Institutes found that people who consistently adhere to a Mediterranean-like diet were less likely to have brain infarcts, small areas of dead tissue in the brain linked to cognitive problems.

Researchers also found that over 6 years, Mediterranean diet eaters were 36% less likely to have brain damage than those who least closely followed this eating pattern. This backs other research supported by the National Institute on Aging, which found that close adherence to a Mediterranean diet resulted in a 28% lower risk of developing mild cognitive impairment with aging, and a 48% lower risk of progressing from cognitive impairment to Alzheimer’s disease.

Source: time health land

Ebola outbreak: Guinea health team killed

Eight members of a team trying to raise awareness about Ebola have been killed by villagers using machetes and clubs in Guinea, officials say.

Some of the bodies – of health workers, local officials and journalists – were found in a septic tank in a village school near the city of Nzerekore. Correspondents say many villagers are suspicious of official attempts to combat the disease.

More than 2,600 people have now died from the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. It is the world’s worst outbreak of Ebola, with officials warning that more than 20,000 people could ultimately be infected. Neighbouring Sierra Leone has begun a controversial three-day curfew to try to stop the spread of the disease.

The team disappeared after being pelted with stones by residents when they arrived in the village of Wome – in southern Guinea, where the Ebola outbreak was first recorded. A journalist who managed to escape told reporters that she could hear villagers looking for them while she was hiding.

Read More: Worst-ever Ebola outbreak, by the numbers

A government delegation, led by the health minister, had been dispatched to the region but they were unable to reach the village by road because a main bridge had been blocked.

‘Killed in cold blood’

On Thursday night, government spokesman Albert Damantang Camara said the victims had been “killed in cold blood by the villagers”. The bodies showed signs of being attacked with machetes and clubs, officials say.

Six people have been arrested and the village is now reportedly deserted. The motive for the killings has not been confirmed, but the BBC’s Makeme Bamba in Guinea’s capital, Conakry, says many villagers accuse the health workers of spreading the disease. Others still do not believe that the disease exists.

Last month, riots erupted in Nzerekore, 50 km (30 miles) from Wome, after rumours that medics who were disinfecting a market were contaminating people. Speaking on Thursday, French President Francois Hollande said France was setting up a military hospital in Guinea as part of his country’s efforts to support the West African nations affected by the outbreak.

Read More: US to provide USD 75 mn to expand Ebola care centers

He said the hospital was a sign that France’s contribution was not just financial, adding that it would be in “the forests of Guinea, in the heart of the outbreak”. The World Health Organization said on Thursday that more than 700 new cases of Ebola have emerged in West Africa in just a week, showing that the outbreak was accelerating.

It said there had been more than 5,300 cases in total and that half of those were recorded in the past three weeks. The epidemic has struck Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Nigeria and Senegal. A three-day lockdown is underway in Sierra Leone in a bid to stop the disease spreading.

Source: bcc

How to become happier every day?

Sometime this morning, during your shower or at work, you probably did a mental run-through of your day. You decided when you’d tackle various tasks and errands. Perhaps you vowed to hit the gym at lunchtime. Maybe you plotted to get out of something (apologies, PTA meeting). The one thing you forgot to plan for: happiness.

How to become happier every day

With all the books on bliss and the mood-boosting technology that does everything for us but laugh, we expect happiness to show up on our doorstep, like a pizza. But we have to make it happen.

“When you’re young, other people orchestrate your enjoyment of life,” notes Barbara Fredrickson, PhD, a social psychologist, director of the Positive Emotions and Psychophysiology Lab at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and author of Positivity. “Your parents keep you entertained, and in college your friends make sure you’re OK. But after that, the scaffolding of having a good day is taken away, and nobody is telling you how to provide that for yourself.”

Also tricky: keeping the glee going when you have work to do, kids to raise, bills to pay and more work to do. Mercifully, big, costly, splashy events are not the ultimate bliss bringers. As people get older, they tend to find ordinary treats—such as a latte or a manicure—just as joy-inducing as extraordinary ones like an around-the-world cruise, found a 2014 study by researchers at Dartmouth and the University of Pennsylvania. With age, the authors speculate, we’re more aware of how fleeting time is, so we’re particularly likely to relish everyday bright spots.

What you won’t find here: a step-by-step happiness guide. How draining would that be? Instead, we tapped top positive psychologists for easy ways to infuse your days with more pleasure. Consider this a pick-and-choose list; even doing just a few will help. Ready for more joy? Plan on it!

First up: Make it your goal
Although increasing happiness levels shouldn’t feel like work, having a can-do mind-set really comes in handy. In a study published in The Journal of Positive Psychology, people who were told to listen to music and attempt to feel happier had a greater boost in bliss over a two-week period than those instructed only to relax as they listened to the same upbeat tunes. It comes down to motivation: You can transform into more of a glass-half-full type.

While researchers believe that genetics are behind about 50 percent of the variation in happiness levels among you and your neighbors and that life circumstances account for maybe 10 percent, you’re fully in charge of the rest. “A lot of people think you can’t control happiness—you either have it or you don’t—which is totally not true,” stresses Sonja Lyubomirsky, PhD, professor of psychology at University of California, Riverside, and author of The Myths of Happiness. “It’s like controlling your health. First you need to believe that you can do it before you take those first steps.”

Know your own bliss
When was the last time you mulled over what truly brings you pleasure, aside from biggies like your partner and the kids? “A key to steering your own happiness is reflecting on the things that make you come alive,” Fredrickson says. Perhaps it’s been so long since you’ve done some of them that they’ve fallen off your radar. Make a list, if it helps. “Think back to what gave you joy in your younger years,” says psychiatrist Stuart Brown, MD, founder of the National Institute for Play in Carmel Valley, Calif., and author of Play. Maybe you’re not jamming on a guitar in your bedroom anymore, but “you can recall the carefree state,” Dr. Brown says, “in which the outcome wasn’t as important as what you were experiencing.” You want to find what does that for you now and…

…Prioritize it
Sigh if this sounds familiar: You make a major effort to avoid future stress—say, staying up late to finish laundry so tomorrow will be a better day—only to suck your evening dry of all fun. Happiness researcher Robert Biswas-Diener, PhD, founder and managing director of the consulting firm Positive Acorn in Milwaukie, Ore., knows this treadmill effect well. He delivers a lecture regularly at Portland State University: “I give the students an hour off and tell them to do anything they want that’s legal that will make them happy. Some have a hard time with it—they even do homework! What they say is, ‘I’d be stressed if I didn’t get that task done.’ People think that working toward less stress will make them happier. That’s a minor form of insanity.”

In a get-stuff-done world, it’s hard to avoid our efficiency instinct. The answer, then, is to focus on enjoyable stuff, along with the must-dos. “Don’t fit joyful activities into your days—fit your days around them,” Biswas-Diener urges. “Do you ever hear devoted church attendees say, ‘Can we reschedule church because something came up?’ You need to have that church mentality about whatever it is that gives you pleasure. If you say that your weeks are full, find the next blank spot in your calendar.” Protect that sacred time from “nibblers” (otherwise known as your family), adds productivity consultant Julie Morgenstern, author of Time Management from the Inside Out: “Announce to everyone that it’s your time to recharge your batteries.” Tap a friend to make sure you use that time strictly for fun.

Smell the shower gel
The act of savoring—mining pleasant moments for their joy—is a proven happiness booster. In one study published in The Journal of Positive Psychology, 101 men and women kept diaries for a month, recording positive activities they participated in and how much they did or didn’t savor them. Those who tended to enjoy a good thing—and share their delight with others—maintained high levels of happiness no matter what the day brought, whereas nonappreciators needed positive events to get into a good mood. Savoring is a no-brainer—just tune in to your senses. Inhale that pinot grigio, feel the soft rug under your bare feet. “I leave a little time in the morning to savor my showers,” Lyubomirsky says. “I go out of my way to buy gels with the best scents.” You can even find ways to relish tasks; try running YouTube as you delete junk email. (Why hasn’t anyone yet studied the happiness powers of panda videos?!)

Ration your time
Gold, natural gas and your attention: They’re all scarce resources. Allocate wisely so you can max out time for pleasure, recommends Paul Dolan, PhD, in his new book Happiness By Design. “Every tweet, text or email distracts us from the good experiences and people in our lives,” he says. Some research shows that heavy social media users are less merry than others. One study published in the scientific journal Plos One found that the more people went on Facebook, the more their life satisfaction levels declined. (Click: dis-like.)

Experts widely recommend electronic time-outs; shut off your phone for a couple of hours a night or do email-free Saturdays or Sundays. You also want to dump any activity that “should” make you happy but in reality doesn’t, like the book club that picks crappy reads or an overly earnest yoga class. It’s hard to walk away, Dolan acknowledges, “but you probably haven’t regretted breaking joyless commitments in the past. Remember: Lost happiness is lost forever.”

Think perky thoughts
On those days when you barely have time to breathe, recall something that made you happy and you can get a boost. In one study from Michigan State University, bus drivers who smiled as a result of thinking about a positive event, such as a child’s recital, were in more upbeat moods than workers who fake-smiled. Science suggests that a full, genuine grin—one that involves facial muscles around the eyes—sparks a change in brain activity related to a good mood. So, yep: Say cheese.

Buy some happy
As any woman who has ever bought a trendy, overpriced accessory knows, the kick we get out of purchases wears off fast. However, spending on experiences (like tickets to a Broadway show) rather than things (another black sweater) creates lasting contentment—with one new caveat. A study co-authored by Ryan T. Howell, PhD, associate professor at San Francisco State University and director of its Personality and Well-Being Lab, found that people fail to get pleasure from objects or experiences if they’re acquiring them mainly for bragging rights. That is, if you’re more of a local-Thai-restaurant person and you plan a 40th-birthday blowout at Le Fancy Schmancy Bistro, you may get admiration on Facebook but miss out on feeling personal delight.

Play around in love
If the words Honey, take out the trash! are your idea of foreplay, you know that running our domestic lives sometimes saps the fun out of relationships. “Playfulness energizes both of you and gets your brains in sync,” says Vagdevi Meunier, PsyD, a relationship therapist certified by the Gottman Institute in Seattle and founder of The Center for Relationships in Austin, Texas. “It also lightens the vibe of a relationship and helps us manage the business of our lives—otherwise it’s too much about dishes and bills.” She likes to tell couples she works with, “I can help you fight better, but that’s not nearly as effective as if I help you play better.” One recent suggestion to busy parents of three: Zap each other more playful texts. “They’d send links to funny sites. Or he would text her at work, suggesting she imagine him naked,” Meunier says. “The couple started looking forward to coming home instead of being grumpy. And they’d talk about the texts.”

Have a bad-day backup plan
You have backup in case your electricity goes out, even if it’s just a stockpile of flashlights. Time to come up with one in case your mood fails. Michele Phillips, a performance coach in Piermont, N.Y., and author of Happiness Is a Habit, has a group of friends who’ve dubbed themselves the Village. “I can call them anytime my day is going badly, and they will change my frame of mind,” she says. She recalls sitting in a bar in Colorado after her divorce, feeling lonely and, she says, “like I had loser written on my forehead.” She called a Village friend, “and she said, ‘Look around: You’re in Vail, skiing!’ She helped me shift the thinking from ‘poor me’ to ‘lucky me.'”

Find purpose in pleasure
For total happiness, you need a mix of activities that give you joy and a sense of meaning, what Dolan calls the pleasure-purpose principle. “If happiness were only about pleasure, what would be the point of having kids or helping others?” he says. “To be truly happy, we need feelings of purpose, too.” Think volunteer work or taking a cooking class. The positive feelings that come from these sorts of activities can help train the brain’s neurons to overcome its negativity bias. As neuropsychologist Rick Hanson, PhD, explains in his book Hardwiring Happiness, the brain is all too good at remembering adverse experiences, which he traces to ancestors who had to focus on threats like predators in order to survive. But when you rack up feel-good experiences that give you a sense of achievement, they can serve as a buffer against the disappointing ones.

Think less “me” time, more “we” time
Truly sunny people have one thing in common, and it’s got nothing to do with their paychecks, IQs or gender, Biswas-Diener says: They have plenty of good social relationships. These include interactions that psychologists refer to as social snacking—little ways of connecting with other human beings, including strangers. In one 2014 study by Nicholas Epley, PhD, professor of behavioral science at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and author of Mindwise: How We Understand What Others Think, Believe, Feel and Want, participants heading to work by train either refrained from engaging with fellow passengers or made conversation. Chatty commuters—both introverts and extroverts alike—reported having the most pleasant commute. In another recent study co-authored by Elizabeth Dunn, PhD, at the University of British Columbia, people kept a running tab of social interactions with folks with whom they had either a strong or weak tie. Regardless of the type of person they connected with, they consistently felt more chipper on days when they mingled.

Yes, camaraderie is comforting—that feeling that we’re all in this crazy world together. “But when you talk with strangers, there’s also the pleasant surprise of finding stuff in common and sometimes the exhilaration of their opening up your world when they tell you something interesting you didn’t know,” Epley says. Surprisingly, having conversations with new people can even keep things upbeat at home. As Dunn puts it, “Trying to be pleasant and cheerful ends up improving your mood in ways you can’t foresee.”

Go off the grid
Weekend getaways continue to trend; cruise lines are even creating shorter jaunts for time-crunched travelers. And yet for deeper joy, you can’t beat a long trip. “One of the biggest deterrents to happiness is that we adapt to our situations—you buy your house and it has a beautiful view, but at some point you stop deriving pleasure from it,” Howell says. When you take only a quick journey, the elation spike is brief. How high you go! How quickly you return to reality! An extended vacation—even to somewhere familiar like a beach town three hours away from home—may create more impactful, lasting memories. And having a bank of them to tap into can add to happiness, research shows. So try to budget for a two-week trip. Even just planning gives you a boost: One study from the Netherlands indicated that the bliss of a trip can start months before it begins, owing to the anticipation.

Be nicer
Nobody is calling you evil, but committing to a few do-good gestures a day can increase your general level of contentment. “I’ve found that when people are told to try to do three to five acts of kindness a week, they get happier,” Lyubomirsky reports. “It does not have to be a grand gesture, given that women are already doing so much caregiving. At the store, let someone get in line ahead of you. Give a compliment. Smile at someone.” Or simply do something thoughtful for your significant other, she continues: “We just finished a study in which we asked someone to choose a person in her life to make happier, like her husband, three times a week. It also made the giver significantly happier.”

Make Sunday future-fun day
One enjoyable thing you should do every weekend: Make plans for the next one. “The anticipation powers you through the workweek,” Morgenstern says. The tactic also helps you avoid making passive, meh plans, like accepting the Saturday dinner invite from that couple you don’t totally like just because you have nothing better on tap. Morgenstern has a formula for a blissful weekend: PEP (physical, escape, people). In other words, a mix of physical activities that energize you, escapist activities that relax you and people who inspire you. “It’s a good framework for putting together weekends that leave you happy,” she says. Not to mention entire happier weeks.

Source: health

Sleep deprivation during adolescence can lead to obesity

Teens who think sleep is overrated should guess again, according to a recent study conducted at Columbia University in New York that suggests sleep deprivation during adolescence could lead to obesity.

Sleep deprivation during adolescence can lead to obesity

The research team concluded that 16-year-olds who log less than six hours of sleep per night have a 20 percent increase in their risk of becoming obese by age 21 when compared to those who slept eight hours per night.

“Lack of sleep in your teenage years can stack the deck against you for obesity later in life,” says Shakira F. Suglia, ScD, assistant professor of Epidemiology at Columbia’s Mailman School of Public Health. “Once you’re an obese adult, it is much harder to lose weight and keep it off.”

Suglia and her colleagues are the first to study the long-term effects of sleep deprivation in the teenage years and their results could be some of the strongest evidence to come indicating a risk for elevated body mass index.

The research team collected their data from 10,000 Americans aged 16 to 21 who were participants in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, interacting with them during home visits in 1995 and 2001 to survey their height and weight.

Almost one fifth of the 16-year-olds reported sleeping less than six hours per night, and by age 21, this group was 20 per cent more likely to be obese than peers who reported eight hours of sleep per night.
Researchers say lack of physical activity contributed to participants’ obesity but did not account for the relationship between the obesity and sleep deprivation.

Although they had expected to find a difference between boys and girls and how their bodies responded to sleeplessness, none were found pertaining to obesity.

“The message for parents is to make sure their teenagers get more than eight hours a night,” says Suglia. “A good night’s sleep does more than help them stay alert in school. It helps them grow into healthy adults.” The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend nine to ten hours of sleep for teenagers.

The study was published in Journal of Pediatrics.

source: ctv news

Why is banana healthy?

Bananas are natural repositories of energy.
Bananas are rich in many beneficial ingredients that help us stay fit, but also to prevent the occurrence of lots of diseases.
It’s a great meal to start the day. If you eat a banana in the morning with a glass of milk and a piece of whole-grain bread, it will give us enough energy to start a new day.

Why is banana healthy

But energy is not the only thing that we get from bananas. They help us to stay in good shape. They also contain a lot of vitamin B6, which strengthens the natural immune system. Banana delivers instant energy. Studies have shown that consuming just two bananas a day provides enough power for 90 minutes of hard work.

Bananas are a good source of magnesium. Magnesium plays a very important role in the binding of calcium in bones and muscle relaxation. He also participates in the regulation of heart rate and lowers blood cholesterol. Regulates bowel operation, especially in cases of constipation.Magnesium reduces the risk of miscarriage and premature birth.

Bananas are a natural cure for anxiety and depression.
Bananas contain large amounts of vitamin B, which calms the nervous system. Vitamin B6, which is found in this fruit regulates the level of sugar in the blood, which affects mood. The banana helps with depression. Tryptophan, which is located in the banana, is a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, which is responsible for good mood.

Bananas are a natural cure for heart disease and high blood pressure.
Bananas are full of potassium, so it is great for lowering blood pressure. Potassium is a mineral that helps normalize the heart rate, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates the amount of water in the body.

Banana is rich in potassium and low in salt, making it perfect remedy for those who have high blood pressure. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate speeds up, and the level of potassium decreases. The balance can be restored with the banana.
Banana is a natural remedy for anemia.

Banana is rich in iron and stimulates the formation of hemoglobin in the blood.With that banans helps people with anemia, and potassium aids the concetration and memory.

Banana is a natural remedy for gastritis and stomach ulcers.
Banana is the only fresh fruit which can be consumed by people with chronic diseases of the digestive system without any risk. On the contrary, the banana is helpful to improve the performance of the intestine, reduces gastric acid, thus protecting the stomach lining from damage.

Source: secretly healthy