What better way to start off the new year by reading some great tips on getting healthier! Are you inspired? Make 2012, the ‘year of health’!

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1. Have a healthier barbecue
Before you throw another snag on the barbie, consider that cooking or chargrilling meat at high temperatures has been linked to the formation of carcinogenic compounds called heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).

2. Make the beach your gym
Rather than queuing for the treadmill, head to the beach for a full-body workout. “It’s free and the equipment is all there: sand dunes, stairs, benches, pools and the surf,” says Tina Rutzou, master trainer at Beachside Personal Fitness.

3. Sound out the ocean
Listening to the sound of ocean waves can not only help to reduce your blood pressure and heart rate, it can regulate brain waves to promote a state of “alert relaxation”.

4. Sip chilled water
Drinking chilled water boosts metabolism by 24 percent for up to 90 minutes after consumption, due to the energy the body expends warming up the water, German researchers say.

5. Know the signs of heat stress
Also known as sunstroke, heat stress occurs when the body is unable to cool itself, leading to cramps, headaches, dizziness and nausea. “As soon as heat stress occurs, it’s vital to cool the person down and rehydrate them,” says Dr Ronald McCoy, spokesperson for the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners.

“If their body temperature keeps rising, they can develop heatstroke [where body temperature reaches 40.5°C or higher], which is a medical emergency,” Dr McCoy says. Warning signs for heatstroke include a high temperature, rapid pulse, dry swollen tongue, lack of sweating, and confusion. “Call an ambulance, get the person into a cool, shady area and dampen their skin, but don’t give them fluids
as they could choke if unconscious,” Dr McCoy says.

6. Know your SPF rules
Do choose the highest possible protection. The Cancer Council Australia recommends using a broad-spectrum SPF 30+, which blocks both UVA
and UVB rays.

Don’t use old sunscreens. “Sunscreens contain chemical formulations that break down over time, so re-stock at the start of each summer,” advises Dr Terry Piva, skin-cancer expert at Melbourne’s RMIT University.

Do apply enough. “Sunscreens are supposed to be applied 1mm thick — if you apply them too thinly you won’t get the full SPF reading,” explains Dr Piva.

Don’t forget to reapply. “Don’t assume that applying sunscreen in the morning will cover you for the day,” Dr Piva says. Apply sunscreen 20 minutes before stepping outdoors, then every two hours throughout the day.

Do broaden your defence. Sunscreen alone can’t give you 100 percent UV protection, so be sun-smart by avoiding being outdoors during peak UV times — between 11am and 3pm in the summer months — and wearing a hat and
protective clothing.

7. Make a super-salad
If you’re planning to live on salads over summer, make sure they are nutritionally balanced. “A good salad should contain complex low-GI carbs, beneficial fats and lean protein,” says nutritionist Zoe Bingley-Pullin, author of Eat Taste Nourish (New Holland, $29.95). “Tinned salmon, tuna, beans or tofu are great protein sources, and a little bit of mashed avocado or olive oil will give you the good fats,” she adds.

8. Take the 21-day challenge
Simply swap your normal milk for soy milk on your cereal for 21 days. Sanitarium So Good is challenging Australians to give it a go. Research shows that 21 days
is the length of time it takes for a new habit to form, and you could be reaping soy’s health benefits, such as lower cholesterol and blood pressure and strong bones. To sign up, visit www.deltasogoodrem.com.au.

9. Get fit with a frisbee
“Carry a frisbee in the back of your car as an excuse for a run around with your children,” suggests Susannah Marriott in 1001 Ways to Get in Shape (Dorling Kindersley, $39.95). “Running, leaping to catch, and throwing build cardiovascular fitness and endurance,” she says.

10. Put your feet first
As much as we love them, thongs can harm foot health. “Thongs make the small muscles in your feet work harder and can lead to poor posture, shin splints, and knee and hip pain,” says Brenden Brown, president of the Australasian Podiatry Council.

The good news is, you can still wear thongs — but in moderation. “It’s okay at the beach or pool, but avoid them if you’re going to be out of the house for a long time. Choose supportive, lace-up shoes, like sneakers, instead,” Brown says.

Article source: http://health.ninemsn.com.au/family/goodhealthandmedicine/981653/ten-ways-to-a-healthier-summer

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In our harsh Australian climate, well all need to do just more than apply sunscreen for skin protection! Here’s an article with some great tips/facts & suggestions to help our skin this summer.

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SIMPLY slipping on a singlet and slopping on some sunscreen before hitting the beach, sporting field or backyard isn’t enough, experts say.

Sunscreen should be the last line of defence against the hot summer sun,
not the first.

“Sunscreen … is more effective when it is combined with other sun protection strategies,” says Professor Michael Kimlin, program head of the Australian sun and health research laboratory at the Queensland University of Technology.

“The World Health Organisation recommends sunscreen as a last line of defence.”

Australia’s clear skies and proximity to the equator means that our predominantly pale population cop a roasting all year round.

“Levels of UV exposure in Australia are extraordinarily high, in fact, the summertime UV levels that are recorded in the Netherlands are equivalent to the wintertime UV levels we record in Brisbane,” says Kimlin.

Australia’s clean air also contributes to our UV exposure with very little pollution to filter the suns’ rays.

“We should be looking at reducing our time outside at peak UV times between 10am and 3pm and using protective clothing and shade where possible,”
Kimlin says.

For those worried about getting their vitamin D dose, slopping on the sunscreen won’t stop you getting it.

While some studies have found that sunscreen stops the body producing vitamin D, a recent Australian study found this wasn’t the case.

“People who used sunscreen the most had the highest vitamin D levels of the people we tested in Brisbane,” Kimlin says.

This is because, unlike in lab tests, people don’t apply sunscreen to every inch of their body so are still able to absorb the vitamin.

“Vitamin D is not reduced through the use of sunscreen, what we found was that it might even be enhanced because people are actually spending time in the outdoors,” says Kimlin.

Even when using sunscreens with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30+ most people are only getting the protection of SPF 15 + sunscreens, says Gavin Greenoak, the scientific director of the Australian photobiology testing facility Sydney University.

“There are many studies showing that the amount of sunscreen people use is a half or a third of the amount we use in laboratories,” says Greenoak.

“So if a person applies SPF 30+ but only uses half the amount, then they are only getting around SPF 15+ protection,” he said.

UV radiation is the biggest risk factor for skin cancer in Australia with 98-99 per cent of skin cancers related to excessive sunlight exposure, Kimlin says.

And people who use sunscreen are at lower risk of certain types of non-melanoma cancer and sunspots, Kimlin says.

Skin cancer facts

What is skin cancer?
Skin cancer occurs when skin cells are damaged from over exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun.

More than 200,000 Australians are treated for skin cancer each year.

Fair-skinned Aussies are in the highest risk but those with olive complexions are not immune to the problem.

A tan is a sign that the skin is getting UV radiation damage. It is not a sign of good health, rather that skin cells are in trauma.

The Australasian College of Dermatologists says exposure to sunlight during childhood and teenage years is a major factor in causing skin cancers.

There are three main types of skin cancer.

Melanoma

• Melanoma is the most dangerous form of skin cancer.
• Australia and New Zealand have the world’s highest incidence of melanoma.
• In summer, the earth’s orbit brings Australia closer to the sun, resulting in an additional 7 per cent solar UV intensity.
• Increased UV levels are also a result of the hole in the ozone layer.
• There are more than 10,300 cases diagnosed each year in Australia.
• In 2006, there were 1250 deaths from melanoma.

Non-melanoma skin cancers

• There were an estimated 430,000 new cases non-melanoma skin cancers diagnosed in Australia in 2008.
• In 2006, there were 410 reported deaths from non-melanoma skin cancers.

The two types of non-melanoma skin cancers are:

Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC)

• BCC is the most common type of skin cancer with an estimated
• 296,000 cases in 2008.
• It grows from cells in the lower part of the upper layer of the skin.
• This type of skin cancer appears on the face, head, neck and can occur in difficult to treat areas such as near the eye and the lower legs.
• BCCs are more easily and successfully treated in their early stages.

Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC)

• The second most common form of skin cancer is the SCC and tend to grow much faster than BCCs.
• There were an estimated 138,000 SCC cases in 2008.
• They form a scaly, quick growing pink lump or wart-like growth.
• They most commonly occur on areas exposed to a lot of sunlight such as the face, ears, bald scalps, lips and backs of the hands.
• People who have had organ transplants, or medications to suppress their immune system, are at higher risk of developing SCCs.

What to look out for?

• The sooner a skin cancer is identified and treated, the better.
• Early detection means it’s possible to avoid surgery, scars and disfigurement or even death.
• People should watch out for any crusty, non-healing sores, small lumps that are red, pale or pearly in colour.
• They should also look for new spots, freckles or any moles changing in colour, thickness or shape over a period of weeks to months, especially those dark brown to black, red or blue-black in colour.
• People should see their doctor or a skin cancer clinic for a yearly skin check.

Risk factors:
Risk factors include increased numbers of unusual moles, a family history of skin cancer, fair skin, a tendency to burn rather than tan, freckles, light eye colour, light or red hair colour, previous melanoma or non-melanoma skin cancers.

How are skin cancers treated?
Skin cancers are always removed. In cases of advanced skin cancers surrounding tissue is removed to make sure that all of the cancerous cells have been taken out.

Skin cancers can be treated with ointments, radiation therapy and surgery (usually under a local anaesthetic), cryotherapy (using liquid nitrogen to rapidly freeze the cancer off), curettage (scraping) or cautery (burning).

How to convince teenagers that sun protection is important?
Parents should focus on the health and beauty effects of sun exposure such as premature ageing, wrinkles, blotches, freckles or burnt, peeling skin.

Another tip for parents is to allow teenagers to choose sun protection clothing and sunglasses that they will be happy to wear.

Some surf clothing companies produce funky bucket hats and wraparound sunglasses that will get the thumbs up.

*Sources: Cancer Council of Australia, Better Health Channel, Australasian College of Dermatologists.

Article source: http://www.lifestyle.com.au/style/saving-your-skin-this-summer.aspx

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If there ever is a reason to bring out the narcissist in you, this is it!!
The fab tip of taking photos of yourself – to use them to monitor your moles!! Have you ever had your moles checked?

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ALMOST everybody has moles. They are more common in pale-skinned people – such as European caucasians – but all races can have them. Some are present
at birth, but most come on during childhood or adolescence.

In their teenage years up to early adulthood, it is perfectly normal for people to develop further moles. Even if you develop a new one after the age of 15, it is unlikely to be something to worry about. But according to David Gawkrodger, professor of Dermatology at Sheffield University, it’s a good idea to spend a few minutes checking any newly appearing mole. The things to look out for are: if the mole rapidly enlarges, changes in colour (ie it becomes darker or lighter or goes red), if it is irregular in outline, if it starts to itch – and certainly if it starts to bleed
or ulcerate. If any of these changes occur, seek medical attention immediately.

A good tip to monitor moles is to use old photographs: sometimes people think a mole has suddenly appeared when it’s been present for years. If you do see a change, ask your doctor to refer you to a dermatologist who will place a dermascope over the mole to make any abnormalities visible.

Article source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/jun/07/three-minute-fix-moles?INTCMP=SRCH

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No time to meditate? No time for a relaxing massage. Then read on for some super quick strategies to help you de-stress in a jiffy!

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STRESS can harm your heart and compromise your immune system, resulting in a lowered resistance to infection. Try these three quick tips to beat stress and bring instant calm.

1. Shrug Your Shoulders
This releases tension held in your neck and back. Slowly and deliberately raise your shoulders as close to your ears as you can while breathing in deeply; then slowly push them back and down in a rolling motion, breathing out. Repeat five times.

2. Take A Whiff
Several essential oils have powerful calming effects. Keep a bottle of lavender, sandalwood, or chamomile oil in your desk drawer and sniff as needed.
Or, dab a few drops of the oils on a hanky and carry it with you.

3. Find Your Pressure Points
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, applying pressure to particular acupressure points on your body helps release stagnant qi (chi, or life force or energy); blocked qi can make you feel sluggish and lethargic. On your right leg, find the small depression located four finger-widths down from your kneecap and one finger-width over toward the outside of your leg. Press your middle finger into this point for a count of one minute. Repeat with your other leg.

Article source: aww.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=775687

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Take, well, take 5 and read through this article we’ve found…maybe while having a cuppa with your fav tunes in the background!
Feel better. Good.

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HERE’S some advice to help you unwind over the weekend.

Dr. Bruce McEwen, author of The End of Stress As We Know It, says the wisdom of the ages is now being proved by the latest science, and that de-stressing can be much simpler than we think.

He shows that exercise, a healthy diet, regular sleep, moderate alcohol intake and no smoking are all the keys to basic, long-term physical relaxation. But if you’re looking for an extra short-term boost to your physical wellbeing, here are ways
to unwind.

1 Have a cuppa
Those Brits know a thing or two: researchers at King’s College in London have found tea a more efficient hydrator than water. The caffeine content of coffee or the sugar in soft drinks won’t help your stress, but a nice cup of tea might. “Ensure that you’re adequately hydrated,” says Anne McMahon at the University of Wollongong’s School of Health Sciences. “Plenty of evidence suggests dehydration impacts mental and physical performance and can lead to stress.”

2 Feel the music
Music has been used in hospitals to combat depression and induce sleep in those suffering chronic insomnia. The Royal Melbourne Hospital uses music therapy to promote relaxation and reduce stress, even in palliative cancer patients. “Music offers opportunities for increased expression, positive experiences and an increased sense of meaning,” says the hospital’s Senior Clinician Emma O’Brien. Take time to listen to some of your favourite music, and your body will thank
you for it.

3 Have some scents
Aromatherapy has a physical effect on our wellbeing and can actively change our mood. Burn a candle or fragrant oil, or use herbs to perfume your pillow. “The sense of smell is poorly understood, but we do know that it is linked to the oldest, most primitive part of our brain and seems to have a direct link to our emotions,” says the Victorian Department of Health. Lavender is the most soothing aroma, but chamomile, ylang-ylang, bergamot and sandalwood also have relaxing properties.

4 Play golf
A study of 300,000 regular Swedish golfers shows they have a 40 per cent lower mortality rate than similar non-golfers. Of course, that is likely because of the exercise regular golfers get, so don’t despair if you’re no good with the nine-iron. “Just keep active on the weekends,” says Simone Comtesse from Mentally Healthy WA at Curtin University. “Take a walk, ride a bike, dance a little, dig the garden and it will do you the world of good.”

5 Join a club
“Mentally healthy people tend to surround themselves with other people and are involved in lots of different activities, even on the weekends,” says Simone Comtesse. “Being socially active and having good friends and people to talk to are the fundamental factors for good mental wellbeing.” Go along to a community event, take an art class or join a book club: it can be the perfect weekend de-stressor.

Article source: www.bodyandsoul.com.au/soul+happiness/wellbeing/five+ways+to+relax,12697

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Reading this article makes me want to meditate right now! Do you incorporate meditation into your busy life? What are your tips?
Share them here!

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MEDITATION is an age-old practice that bestows a raft of benefits on the mind
and body. Discover how to meditate your way to better health and happiness.

Doctors recommend it. Scientists are now proving its health-giving powers and millions of people – who are not members of strange religious cults – practise it every day. Meditation is a take-anywhere, anti-stress strategy that really works. Meditating for 40 minutes each day can help relieve stress, alleviate depression, reduce the risk of heart disease and can even help beat the flu. But if 40 minutes sounds daunting, don’t panic. Even five to 10 minutes of meditation twice a day will help you to significantly increase your level of health and happiness.

It might seem obvious to any busy person that sitting comfortably with your eyes closed would make you feel more relaxed. Who doesn’t long for an excuse to take some down time to chill out? However, evidence is increasingly mounting that meditation does a lot more than just make you feel calm or ‘blissed out’.

In a study published in 2003 by the American journal Psychosomatic Medicine, doctors from the University of Wisconsin in Madison gave flu shots to both non-meditators and newly-taught meditators. They found that the meditators had more antibodies in their blood after four and eight weeks than non-meditators. Researchers speculate that regular meditation may result in a healthier immune system.

“The human body has an immense capacity to heal itself, given the right conditions,” says Dr Craig Hassad, a senior lecturer in Monash University’s Department of General Practice in Melbourne. The ‘right’ conditions are when your mind and body are relaxed (a state that, ideally, you would carry with you throughout your day).

Researchers from the University of Wisconsin also made some surprising discoveries about how something as simple as meditation can actually alter the brain and the way we behave. In 2001, Dr Richard Davidson, who is internationally renowned for his research into meditation and emotions, used brain imaging to show that meditation shifts activity in the prefrontal cortex – right behind your forehead – from the right hemisphere to the left. Simply translated, this means you are more likely to be relaxed and happy. People who have a negative disposition tend to be right-prefrontal orientated; those with a left-prefrontal tendency are the opposite. Dr Davidson’s research also suggested that, through regular meditation, the brain is reorientated from a stressful flight-or-fight mode to one of calm and acceptance.

If that’s not enough to get you interested in meditation, this might: meditation can actually help you look and feel younger.

According to a study published in the American Psychoneuroendocrinology journal in 1997, meditation increases the production of a youth hormone called DHEA, which drops off as we age. This hormone is vital to maintaining libido, body fat ratio, energy and memory, and in protecting against high levels of the ageing stress hormone cortisol. Says Erica Angyal, a nutritionist and author of Gorgeous Skin in 30 Days (Lothian Books, 2005): “Production of DHEA in turn causes your pituitary gland to release more of the anti-ageing growth hormone HGH, which has a powerful impact on how your skin looks and ages.”

In one study on meditation (published in the International Journal of Neuroscience), participants practising for five years were physiologically 12 years younger than their non-meditating counterparts! Even the short-term participants were physiologically five years younger than the control participants. One reason among many to get meditating.

Getting started
The question that remains, of course, is how do you actually meditate? To novices, the whole process can seem confusing and even a bit ‘hippy trippy’. But meditating is actually easier than you might imagine. In fact, most of us have dabbled in meditation or self-hypnosis by consciously relaxing ourselves in stressful situations, such as a visit to the dentist or before a test.

To meditate, first find a room, or even a space, where you can sit without being disturbed by children, partners, pets or a ringing phone. It could be indoors or outdoors. Many people think that you have to meditate in silence but this is not true. You can play something relaxing, whether that’s classical music or the sounds of nature – rock or pop music isn’t any good. Or you might like to try meditating using a tape or CD for help. Internationally-acclaimed intuitive counsellor, author, teacher and life coach Tricia Brennan has a series of meditation CDs that address different mind-body aspects of health (for details, visit www.triciabrennan.com).

Once you have chosen your environment and music or sounds, you need to get into a relaxed posture. Yes, you can sit on the floor, but if you need a bit of back support, a chair is okay too. Before settling in, you may like to light a candle, or some incense to get you more in the mood.

Now, take a deep breath in, hold it to the count of four then exhale and repeat.
You should let your awareness focus on the rhythm of your breath. As a result, your breathing will become slower and deeper, and your mind more tranquil and aware.

With repeated effort the goal of clearing your mind – to think of nothing – will occur and the process of meditation will take on its own energy. Remember, there is no right or wrong way to meditate; it’s all about letting go. With time and practice, the more you do, the better you will get at it. And before very long, you will start to see and feel the benefits of meditation.

Article source: www.homelife.com.au/life+ideas/wellbeing/learn+to+meditate,5115

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If sleeping is a problem and stress is the cause of your insomnia,
then this article might help get you get back on track and getting
those zzzz’s.

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YOUR brain won’t shut down, your body won’t relax — overall, you feel wired. Sleep is the last thing you’re going to accomplish in this state. If it happens once
or twice, no big deal. But, all the time? We’re here to help.
It’s annoying enough to be kept awake by a music-blaring neighbor, but when it’s you who is sabotaging your own opportunity for rest, it really makes a girl want to scream…and cry from exhaustion.

Stress-induced insomnia is rampant these days among 20- and 30-something women. Thanks to job and money craziness, hectic social schedules, and the pressure to be totally together, the typical chick is more tense than ever, and that means she’s getting less sleep than her body needs, explains Joyce Walsleben, PhD, associate professor of medicine at the New York University School of Medicine and coauthor of A Woman’s Guide to Sleep.

Here, we explain how stress messes with your nocturnal schedule. Plus, we give tips to help you quiet your reeling brain and racing heart so you can get the R & R you need.

How Chronic Stress Screws Up Your System
It should be simple: You are tired and it’s bedtime, so you drift away within minutes of putting head to pillow. But when you’re stressed, things go haywire, and the exact opposite happens instead. Being even a little anxious can make your muscles tense, prompt your body to release the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline, and elevate your heart rate.

You can feel these effects when you’re worried during the day. But at night, they have a stronger impact, overriding your ability to sleep or preventing you from staying asleep so you wake in the middle of the night, says Thomas Roth, PhD, director of the sleep center at the Henry Ford Hospital, in Detroit.

Even if you do manage to snooze, stress will make the rest you get more fitful. Plus, you’ll spend more time in the lighter stages of sleep rather than in deeper slow-wave and REM sleep, which leaves you vulnerable to waking in the middle
of the night, explains Barry Krakow, MD, medical director of the Maimonides Sleep Arts and Sciences, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and author of Sound Sleep, Sound Mind.

Why Women Have It Rougher
Hormonal shifts may make a woman more susceptible to anxiety during certain points in her cycle, such as during her preperiod week. But insomnia is also caused by the way so many chicks run their lives: cramming a ton of tasks and responsibilities into their schedules and not saying no to bosses, friends, and family members who ask them to take on more, says Walsleben.

When you’re juggling a zillion things all day, it’s almost impossible to chill out at night — especially since the time you’re waiting to fall asleep may be one of the only free moments during which you can contemplate your life. If you’re stressed, thoughts and worries will flood your mind, triggering physiological changes incompatible with drifting off.

The Snowball Effect
If stress kept you up only once every so often, it wouldn’t be that big of a deal. Unfortunately, it’s the snowball effect that makes the stress-sleeplessness trap
so pernicious. “It’s called psychophysiologic insomnia,” says Walsleben. “After worrying about how you got no sleep the night before, you get into bed early the next night, worried that it’ll happen again. But this panic produces brain activity that makes it even harder to sleep, and the cycle continues for days, even weeks.”

Besides leaving you tired and cranky, insomnia also decreases your immunity, makes you forgetful, and can even lower your metabolism so you pack on pounds. It’s a health issue that affects your entire body, Walsleben adds.

Beating the Stress/No-Sleep Cycle
Getting a handle on this kind of insomnia means learning how to reduce your stress levels during the day and keeping yourself from wigging out at night.
These anxiety reducers will help.

Unplug yourself. Always being hooked up to your cell and social- networking sites boosts anxiety because you’re constantly anticipating the next call, text, or message. “Turning off your gadgets for an hour or two before you hit the sheets gives your brain time to turn off as well,” explains Allen Elkin, PhD, director of the Stress Management and Counseling Center, in New York City, and author of Stress Management for Dummies.

Take a nap. It sounds counterproductive, but a 30-minute nap will lower levels of cortisol, so you’ll wake up feeling less anxious. Try to nap before 2 p.m., when it’s less likely to cut into your regular sleep hours.

Write a been-done list. Instead of a to-do list, jot down everything you’ve accomplished at the end of the day, even small tasks. Seeing the list in writing will remind you that your life is less frazzled and out of control than you think it is, and that’ll help you chill.

Set a daytime worry slot. Late in the afternoon, take 20 minutes to think about only whatever it is that’s making you nervous at the moment. “Worries are never as bad in the day as they are at night, so you’re more likely to put things in perspective and come up with a plan of action,” says Walsleben.

Sink into sleep. While you’re lying there, obsessing over whether sleep will ever come, ease your nervous system with this trick: Imagine the muscles in your feet relaxing and melting into your mattress. Picture the same scenario with your calves, then your thighs, until you have worked your way up your entire body.
In addition to relaxing your muscles, it’s a visualization tactic that calms your brain as well.

Take advantage of being up at night. Instead of freaking out about how tired you are going to be in the morning, treat your being awake at 2 a.m. as a lucky break, giving you time to enjoy soothing activities like reading. By viewing insomnia as a positive thing, you’ll have nothing to stress about, and paradoxically, you will likely have trouble keeping your eyes open much longer.

Sleep Tricks
Below, little tactics that bring on the zzz’s and some that backfire.

What Works

Taking a hot bath before bed. Besides being relaxing in its own right, the steamy water also raises your core body temperature, and the subsequent drop in body temperature after you leave the tub puts you in hibernation mode.

Sipping a cup of warm milk. The warmth is comforting, but it’s really the milk that has a soporific effect. Milk contains tryptophan, an amino acid that is converted into serotonin — a body chemical in the brain that makes you drowsy.

Playing quiet, soothing music. Folk, classical, and even lite-FM tunes that maintain a steady pitch and rhythm have a lulling effect on your system.

What’s Bunk

Exercising close to bedtime. Working out prompts the release of adrenaline and endorphins, hormones that keep you awake. Better to hit the gym at least three to four hours before you go to sleep so you give your body time to cool down and the hormone rush time to subside.

Having a drink. Alcohol can make you sleepy initially, but it will likely wake you up later as your body metabolizes the booze.

Snacking late at night. It varies depending on the type of food, but in most cases, eating will just pep you up. Even a rich, heavy snack that leaves you feeling woozy at first may cause you to wake in the middle of the night as your body digests the fat.

Article source: www.cosmopolitan.com/advice/tips/stress-affects-sleep

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We live with a host of bugs everyday, and a lot are on our very own skin! However, not all bacteria are bad guys according to this study. Hopefully research like this will go a long way towards finding new ways to combat skin diseases like eczema and psoriasis. We can hope!

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IT appears that the skin, the largest organ in our body, is a kind of zoo and some
of the inhabitants are quite novel, according to a new study. Researchers found evidence for 182 species of bacteria in skin samples. Eight percent were unknown species that had never before been described.

It is the first study to identify the composition of bacterial populations on the skin using a powerful molecular method. Not only were the bacteria more diverse than previously estimated, but some of them had not been found before, says
Martin J. Blaser, M.D., Frederick King Professor and Chair of the Department of Medicine and Professor of Microbiology at NYU School of Medicine, one of the authors of the study.

“The skin is home to a virtual zoo of bacteria,” he says. This study is published February 5, 2007, in the online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The researchers analyzed the bacteria on the forearms of six healthy subjects; three men and three women. “This is essentially the first molecular study of the skin,” says Dr. Blaser. The skin has been, he says, terra incognita, an unknown world that he and his colleagues have set out to understand much like explorers.

“There are probably fewer than ten labs in the U.S. looking at this question,” says Dr. Blaser. “It is very intensive work,” he adds. Zhan Gao, M.D., senior research scientist in Dr. Blaser’s lab, led the research, which took more than three years
to complete.

Some of the bacteria on the skin appear to be more or less permanent residents; others are transient, according to the study.

This research is part of an emerging effort to study human microbial ecology.
Dr. Blaser’s laboratory has previously examined the bacterial population in the stomach and the esophagus. “Many of the bacteria of the human body are still unknown,” he says. “We all live with bacteria all our lives and occasionally we smile, so they’re not that bad for us.”

The most numerous cells in our body are microbial–they outnumber our cells
10 to 1. The body has microbes native to the body, including the skin, and these populations change according to how we live, he says. “Ultimately what we want to do is compare disease and health,” says Dr. Blaser. Keeping bacterial populations in our body stable may be part of staying healthy, he says.

In the new study, the researchers took swabs from the inner right and left forearms of six individuals picking the region halfway between the wrist and the elbow for its convenience. “It’s not where they wash their hands,” explains
Dr. Blaser. “And they don’t have to undress.” The researchers wanted to be able to compare two similar parts of the body. Because they also wanted to study change over time, they took swabs from four of the individuals 8 to10 months after the first test.

Roughly half, or 54.4%, of the bacteria identified in the samples represented the genera Propionibacteria, Corynebacteria, Staphylococcus and Streptococcus, which have long been considered more or less permanent residents in human skin.

The six individuals differed markedly in the overall composition of the bacterial populations on their skin. They only had four species of bacteria in common: Propionibacterium acnes, Corynebacterium tuberculostearicum, Streptococcus mitis, and Finegoldia AB109769. “This is a surprise,” says Dr. Gao. “But many things affecting the skin affect bacteria, such as the weather, exposure to light, and cosmetics use.”

Almost three-quarters, or 71.4%, of the total number of bacterial species were unique to individual subjects, suggesting that the skin surface is highly diversified in terms of the bacteria it harbors, according to the study.

Three bacterial species were only found in the male subjects: Propionibacterium granulosum, Corynebacterium singulare, and Corynebacterium appendixes. While the sample is too small to draw conclusions, the scientists believe that women and men may harbor some different bacterial species on their skin.

In each individual, the bacterial populations varied over time while revealing a core set of bacteria for each individual. “The predominant bacteria don’t change much,” says Dr. Gao. “But the more transient bacteria did change over time,” she says.

“What that suggests,” adds Dr. Blaser, “is that there is a scaffold of bacteria present in everybody’s skin. Some stay and others come and go.”

Finding the method
To obtain a sample Dr. Gao rubbed a swab on each individual’s forearms.
“We didn’t tell them to be particularly clean, we just made sure they didn’t take antibiotics up to one month prior to the test,” Dr. Gao explains. She chose three men and three women to have a balance of genders. She set up a clean room
so the samples didn’t risk contamination.

Traditionally, bacteria are cultured in the lab in petri dishes, which contain a medium to grow bacteria. But the method leads to inaccuracies, she explains, because only a fraction of bacteria in a sample grow in that medium. So the team used a powerful molecular method that involved extracting a subunit of genetic material called 16S ribosomal DNA from the samples. “It is kind of a common currency, it’s a conserved gene,” says Dr. Blaser. Another advantage is that there is a large database of 16S ribosomal DNA available to scientists.

The ambitious task for this study was to gather samples, prepare them, amplify the bacteria creating colonies of each single species of bacteria present in the skin samples. Then Dr. Gao used established tools–primers–to pick out the species-specific genetic regions in the bacteria. After sequencing those regions, the 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) in each colony, she consulted 16S rDNA databases to determine the bacterial species present in each sample. Many bacteria in the database only exist as sequences and have nether been named or extensively studied. Those are termed SLOTUs, or species-level taxonomic units.

Taxonomy and the study results
To distinguish organisms from one another, biologists group and categorize them. Species or SLOTUs are small categories. There are larger groupings such as genera and phyla. Humans, for example, belong to the phylum chordata, the genus Homo and the species Homo sapiens.

The molecular method used in this study revealed differences between the bacterial populations in individuals. Other methods had previously not shown those differences.

The team found a total of 182 species or SLOTUs and 91 genera of bacteria in the skin samples.

The samples yielded mainly three phyla of bacteria: Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria. Ninety-four point six percent of the bacteria were in these phyla. These phyla were found in all six tested individuals. When compared with earlier studies, the researchers found that these three phyla are also dominant in the esophagus and the stomach. In terms of bacterial species, however, the insides of the body, for example the stomach, and the exterior of the body, the skin, show vast differences in bacterial populations.

Skin condition can change markedly due to a variety of factors such as climate, diet, personal hygiene, and disease. But skin is never devoid of bacteria, particularly its more permanent residents. That is not bad news, after all, in healthy individuals these bacteria are not pathogens. “Without good bacteria, the body could not survive,” says Dr. Gao.

The next step for the research team is to look at diseased skin. “We plan to ask the question: Are the microbes in diseased skin, in certain diseases like psoriasis or eczema, different than the microbes in normal skin?” says Dr. Blaser.

The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), by a Senior Scholar Award from the Ellison Medical Foundation, and by the Diane Belfer Program in Human Microbial Ecology in Health. The authors of the study are
Zhan Gao, M.D, Chi-hong Tseng, Ph.D., Zhiheng Pei, M.D., Ph.D, and
Martin J. Blaser, M.D.

Article source: www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/02/070206095816.htm

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It would be good if we could eat (guilt free) as much choccy as we want, but alas, even this study suggests that while chocolate appears to be good for your heart, like anything, too much is just that! Do you think chocolate contributes to a healthy life?

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(Reuters Health) – OLDER women who eat more chocolate are less likely to develop heart problems over a nearly 10-year-period, new study findings report.

The authors found that women older than 70 who ate chocolate at least once per week were 35 percent less likely to be hospitalized or die from heart disease over the course of the study, and nearly 60 percent less likely to be hospitalized or die from heart failure.

What’s nice, study author Dr. Joshua Lewis told Reuters Health, is that women did not have to eat a ton of chocolate to see benefits.

“We would therefore caution against people eating foods with high sugar and fat regularly and believe our findings support moderate rather than frequent chocolate consumption,” said Lewis, based at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital in Australia.

But it is probably too early to begin recommending people eat more chocolate, cautioned Dr. Brian Buijsse at the German Institute of Human Nutrition, who did not participate in the study. And even if additional large studies confirmed its benefits, doctors still may not want to prescribe chocolate, he added.

“The danger is that many people will start eating more of it than is necessary, without cutting back in calories from other snacks, which will result in weight gain and will counteract any beneficial effects of chocolate,” Buijsse said.

This is not the first study to tout chocolate’s potential benefits: in 2008, Italian researchers found that eating dark chocolate regularly may help lower levels of inflammation, which is strongly associated with heart and blood vessel disease.

The previous year, another study showed that foods rich in antioxidants known as flavonoids – including dark chocolate and apples and red wine — may help shield postmenopausal women from coronary heart disease, cardiovascular disease and stroke.

Flavonoids are thought to reduce the risk of heart disease, the leading cause of death in many industrialized countries, by helping to increase nitric oxide, which
in turn helps boost the functioning of blood vessels and lower blood pressure.

To investigate further, the authors reviewed data collected from 1216 older women, who estimated how often they ate chocolate, and the amount. One serving consisted of the equivalent amount of cocoa in 1 cup of hot cocoa.
The authors tracked the women for almost a decade, noting who was hospitalized or died from heart disease.

Roughly half of the women said they ate less than one serving of chocolate per week. Nearly 90 of those who ate chocolate rarely were hospitalized or died from heart disease during the study period, versus 65 women who ate chocolate more frequently.

Another 35 of the infrequent consumers experienced heart failure, while only 18 women who reported eating chocolate at least once per week were hospitalized or died from the same condition, the authors report in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Although they grouped women who ate chocolate daily and weekly together,
the authors also looked at each separately, and found that both appeared to fare equally well, suggesting that only one serving per week might suffice to get heart benefits.

The study’s nature means researchers can’t prove any cause-effect relationship. Given the growing body of evidence suggesting the benefits of chocolate, the next step should be a large clinical trial that vigorously tests chocolate’s benefits, Lewis said in an e-mail.

Buijsse agreed that more research is needed, in part because other factors in the current study may explain its results. For instance, he said in an e-mail, elderly women with early signs of heart disease may have reduced their chocolate intake, perhaps because their doctors told them to adopt a healthy diet.

“For now, I would say that if people want to eat chocolate to improve their health, they should keep it to low amounts and replace it for other energy-dense snacks,” Buijsse said.

Article source: www.reuters.com/article/2010/11/08/us-chocolate-eaters-idUSTRE6A74XG20101108

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Trying to lose those extra kgs can be hard enough without the myriad of tips and advice that can steer you in the wrong direction! Here’s an article with some common diet myths and facts.

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FINDING a quick-fix weight-loss solution is high on the agenda of many Australians, yet the search often yields empty promises. We seek to untangle dieting fact from fiction.

Grapefruit is a unique and highly effective dieting aid
In theory: Grapefruit contains an enzyme that operates as a fat burner.
Eating grapefruit at every meal – as part of a calorie-restricted diet – increases weight loss.

In practice: The Grapefruit Diet dates back to the 1970s, and advised dieters to eat approximately 800 calories per day and include half a grapefruit in every meal. However, any diet consisting of only 800 calories per day will result in weight loss as it is well below the recommended minimum intake of 1,200 calories. But it’s hardly a healthy or safe way to shed kilos!

An updated version of the diet emerged around 2004, advocating a more balanced, reduced-calorie eating plan and an intensive exercise program, along with a grapefruit at every meal. This diet will also result in weight loss, however grapefruit is unfortunately still not the cause.

Sadly, research does not support the claim that grapefruit contains fat-burning enzymes, although it has been shown to reduce insulin levels. Having said that, grapefruit is a valid addition to any diet. It is low in calories and sodium, and high in vitamin C, potassium and lycopene – an antioxidant that can protect against heart disease and breast cancer. Pink grapefruit is also a good source of beta-carotene, another beneficial antioxidant the body converts to vitamin A.

Caution: Consuming large quantities of grapefruit or grapefruit juice may be dangerous for people taking certain medications. Check with your doctor or pharmacist.

Instead: Rather than choosing a diet that advocates eating vast amounts of
a small number of ingredients, enjoy a wide variety of foods to ensure you are getting plenty of valuable nutrients.

A small reduction in the quantity and a small increase in the quality of food you eat every day should see you drop excess weight over time. The benefit is this method is relatively painless while also being sustainable.

Low-GI foods are best for dieting
In theory: If you choose foods with a low GI you will be eating less calories without feeling hungry and will lose weight.

In practice: The Glycemic Index ranks foods from zero to 100 according to how much they raise blood glucose levels. The energy from foods with a high GI is rapidly absorbed, causing a sharp increase in blood glucose, and a comparable release of insulin to stabilise blood glucose. The energy in foods with a low GI is absorbed slowly, causing a gradual rise in blood glucose. As a result, these foods are more filling and satisfy hunger for longer. However, just because a food has a low GI doesn’t mean it should be eaten in large quantities. For example, porridge is 63, while chocolate is 41. Also, the GI scale generally rates individual ingredients, but combining these ingredients with other foods alters the rate of digestion and absorption of energy.

Instead: Brightly coloured fruits and vegetables contain a host of beneficial chemicals known as phytonutrients – a beneficial aid in the prevention of cancer, diabetes, obesity and heart disease. We are advised to eat five serves of vegetables and two serves of fruit each day, so try to choose as many different coloured options as possible. Dairy products, eggs, fish and poultry also provide essential nutrients for optimal health and brain function.

Eat high-protein, low-carb foods to lose weight
In theory: Glucose, derived from carbohydrates, is the body’s usual source of energy. When we dramatically reduce carbohydrates (and boost lean protein to form 30 to 50 per cent of our diet) the body enters a metabolic state called ketosis, where it burns fat stores for fuel instead of glucose. When the body is in ketosis we also feel less hungry.

In practice: People on this regimen do lose a lot of weight, however prolonged ketosis can cause serious health problems, such as an increased risk of kidney stones and kidney failure, in addition to bad breath and headaches. A restricted diet also results in a lack of vitamins, minerals, fibre and antioxidants, all essential for optimum health. Plus, eating large amounts of protein, particularly from meat, causes us to excrete more calcium than normal, increasing our risk of osteoporosis.

Instead: Not all carbohydrates are equal. Limit your intake of simple carbohydrates, such as refined sugars and grains. They place extra strain on adrenal function and can contribute to weight gain when combined with any fat – even healthy fats.

The healthiest carbohydrates are complex carbohydrates such as fresh vegetables and fruits, whole grains, beans and legumes. These foods provide
a slower release of energy and a wide range of important nutrients, vitamins, minerals and fibre. The fibre in these foods aids our digestion and also fills us up, so our hunger is satisfied for longer. Milk and fruit contain the simple carbohydrates lactose and fructose respectively. Provided you can digest these, they are both worthy of inclusion on a regular basis. Those with lactose intolerance could try natural yoghurt, where the lactose has been all but consumed by the culturing bacteria. Ghee (clarified butter) is also a lactose-free option.

Weight gain is an inevitable part of menopause
In theory: Menopause causes women to gain weight, particularly around the midriff. Because it’s hormonal, menopausal weight gain is impossible to avoid or reverse.

In practice: As we age, muscle mass declines, which in turn slows our metabolism. That means we need about 200 less calories a day than we used to. So unless we reduce our food intake or increase our exercise, surplus calories result in weight gain. Sadly, decreased oestrogen levels cause excess body fat to be stored in the mid section rather than the hips and thighs. Plus, menopause often coincides with life circumstances that are particularly stressful, such as raising teenage children or caring for elderly parents. This can tempt us to comfort eat more.

Instead: Mid life and menopause provide us with an excellent opportunity for self-enquiry and greater self-acceptance as we move into the realm of the wise ones. In the meantime, there’s nothing to stop you from losing weight. The same principles apply, no matter your age. A strength training program will help to increase muscle mass and tone, plus improve bone density, while keeping our weight in check can reduce our risk of associated health problems such as diabetes, breast cancer and heart disease.

Cardio training is the best way to shed kilos
In theory: Raising cardiovascular function for extended periods of time increases our metabolic rate and burns more calories.

In practice: Cardiovascular training provides massive benefits to your health and particularly to your heart. Running, jogging and aerobic exercise will increase circulation, build endurance and burn lots of calories. However, on its own, cardiovascular exercise is not the best way to ensure weight loss and it isn’t an effective way to tone muscle.

Instead: Combine cardiovascular exercise with resistance training such as weight machines, free weights or resistance bands. You might also consider circuit or interval training. This can improve muscle tone, cardiovascular fitness and increase weight loss. Circuit and interval training involves constantly changing the type of exercise and the level of intensity to prevent your body from adapting to a routine.

A range of activities are typically done at high speed or intensity, for short measured bouts, with lower intensity training in between. It makes efficient use of the time you spend exercising and increases the body’s resting metabolic rate for longer after training than regular endurance training and results in a greater reduction of body fat. This type of exercise can also encourage the release of endorphins (feel-good hormones).

Before you begin circuit or weight training, seek the advice of your doctor and ask a qualified instructor to design a program to suit your needs.

Don’t eat late in the evening before you go to bed
In theory: Any calories consumed when we are about to go to sleep will be stored as fat.

In practice: Calories don’t keep track of time! Our body utilises energy 24 hours
a day and if the energy derived from the food we eat is not immediately required,
it will be stored and made available when we next need it. That said, digestive processes do decrease when the body is at rest, making it harder for us to digest late-night meals. Eating just before bed can lead to disturbed sleep, flatulence, bloating, indigestion and heartburn.

Instead: If you must eat later in the evening, make your meal smaller and choose foods that are nutritious and easier to digest than complex carbohydrates and proteins, such as a cup of chicken broth or vegetable soup. You could keep small containers of homemade stock and soup in the freezer for such times.

To assist your digestive function, make or buy naturally fermented vegetable pickles, natural yoghurt or probiotic drinks to have with every meal, or as a snack. These provide live bacteria and enzymes that assist digestion and help to reduce sugar cravings. Alternatively, use a good probiotic supplement and take as directed.

Article source: www.homelife.com.au/life+ideas/wellbeing/diet+myths,4190

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