Mind Body

Nobody can appreciate the value of sleep more than a parent, especially when it involves a newborn. Scientific research is continually shedding new light on the importance of getting enough rest, especially in light of how sleep takes a back seat to our increasingly busy lifestyles. In fact, a new study out of U.C. Berkeley has determined that something as simple as an hour of napping time during the day can have a significant impact on our brain’s performance, even making us smarter.

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It may strike some of us a hard to believe, but the reality is, for some people, happiness is a state that is difficult or seemingly impossible to attain. This situation may work against them in the long run, however, as experts gain a better understanding of how being happy might help us live longer.

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In the busy and driven world that we live in, one of the things that really seems to suffer is a good night’s sleep, regardless of our age. Whether we’re adults trying to earn our daily bread or kids heading off to school, it is not uncommon for us to be functioning with some degree of sleep deprivation.

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Since ancient Aztec and Roman times, couples have been searching for aphrodisiac foods to boost their love lives. The word “aphrodisiac” comes from the name of the Greek goddess of love and beauty, Aphrodite. The best part of “love foods” is that most of these are healthy.

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Gastroenterologists at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago are conducting a new study to see if mind/body techniques can help patients diagnosed with celiac disease adhere to such a strict diet. Celiac disease is a digestive condition where those afflicted must refrain from eating gluten, a protein present in grass grains such as wheat and barley, because it damages the small intestine and interferes with the absorption of nutrients.

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Wouldn’t it be nice just to smell a food and get the same satisfaction and full feeling you would get from eating it (with fewer calories)? Dutch scientists may have found a way to quench hunger and prevent over eating through the release of anti-hunger aromas through chewing.

Most people think of pleasant food odors as triggering hunger. Most often, a food smell will bring back fond memories, such as the smell of cinnamon reminding you of Christmases past. And often, the food aroma will cause you to eat, even when you are not physically hungry.

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It appears that drinking enough fluids is not only important for peak athletic performance, but it just might help lift your spirits, as well. Research out of Tufts University has found that when people exert themselves, the loss of fluids adversely affects cognitive performance and mood.

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A recent study out of Japan has found that one of the compounds in green tea may help combat “the blues” in older people. When men and women aged 70 or older consumed upwards of four cups of green tea per day, they were less likely to suffer from depression. Experts believe that the presence of a “feel good” chemical is responsible for this effect.

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Without Vitamin D, which can only be derived from the sun, you will find yourself feeling low in spirits, depleted in energy and sick in the mind, body and soul. It is commonly reported that when a person is suffering from a serious illness such as depression, it is the sun that generates the production of much needed chemicals in the brain to rejuvenate the body.

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The next time you cut your finger or stub your toe but choose, out of propriety, to suppress any foul language, you might want to think twice. A recent study published in the journal Neuroreport has found that swearing might be more than simply an uncontrolled response to an injury, it might actually help lessen the pain.

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