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Category: Interesting Discoveries

Published on Leave a comment on Gardening 2 or 3 Times A Week To Relieve Stress

By SunnySkyz - Based on Survey!

A new study suggests that frequent gardening may be linked to increased health benefits.

According to the study posted on ScienceDirect, gardening just two or three times a week maximized the benefits of better wellbeing and lower stress levels. Gardening Encourages Family Togetherness, and it Keeps You Company if you live on your own too - I love to do this, my plants are great company. Folks, you don't have to have a lot of Plants to do this!

Benefits Of Gardening - Discover Them

The research explored why residents engaged with gardening and the extent to which they recognized any health benefits from the activity.

A questionnaire was distributed electronically within the UK, with 5,766 gardeners and 249 non-gardeners responding. Data was collated on factors including garden typology, frequency of gardening and individual perceptions of health and well-being.

"This is the first time the 'dose response' to gardening has been tested and the evidence overwhelmingly suggests that the more frequently you garden – the greater the health benefits," said Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) wellbeing fellow and lead author Dr Lauriane Chalmin-Pui. "In fact gardening every day has the same positive impact on wellbeing than undertaking regular, vigorous exercise like cycling or running.…

Published on Leave a comment on Mood-Boosting and Over-all Benefits of Having Pets

WE BENEFIT FROM THE COMPANY OF AND INTERACTION WITH PETS AND ANIMALS. GUESS WHAT BENEIFITS HAVING A PET AT HOME AFFORDS? PHYSICALLY, MENTALLY AND EMOTIONALLY. AND THE BETTER WE LOOK AFTER THEM, THE HAPPIER THEY ARE. HAVING A WELL CARED FOR PET/PETS IS A RELATIONSHIP OF RECIPROCATION. PEOPLE DERIVE A SENSE OF COMFORT, CONTENTMENT OR HAPPINESS INTERACTING WITH THEIR PETS. WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT WE BENEFIT PHYSICALLY AS WELL? IT'S AMAZING WHAT SCIENTISTS AND RESEARCHERS CAN TELL YOU ABOUT THESE THINGS NOW. LET'S HAVE A PEAK AND SEE:)

Pets are Cute and Pets are Cuddly - Pets are Great!

Pets come with some powerful health benefits. Here’s how caring for a dog, cat, or other animal can help relieve depression and anxiety, lower stress, and improve your heart health.

The benefits of pets
Most pet owners are clear about the immediate joys that come with sharing their lives with companion animals. However, many of us remain unaware of the physical and mental health benefits that can also accompany the pleasure of snuggling up to a furry friend. It’s only recently that studies have begun to scientifically explore the benefits of the human-animal bond.…

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Published on 1 Comment on Do You Eat Quickly? Try Savoring Your Meals and Enjoy them More!

Discover the Health Advantages for Digestion and Weight Reduction.

I've been researching articles on this topic today. Shall I share with you what I found?

Slow Down, You're Eating Too Fast
by Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, LD

Have you ever noticed how long it takes most thin people to eat their meals? My sister was always the last one to finish her meal, and it drove the rest of the family crazy. We were sure it was her ploy to get out of clearing the table or doing the dishes! It was not until years later that I realized her slow eating is the secret to her slim figure.

Most Westerners eat too fast, and, as a result, they take in too many calories before they realize they've eaten enough. It takes approximately 20 minutes from the time you start eating for your brain to send out signals of fullness. Leisurely eating allows ample time to trigger the signal from your brain that you are full. And feeling full translates into eating less.

Recent research presented at a meeting of the North American Association for the Study of Obesity showed that overweight men and women took in fewer calories when they slowed their normal eating pace.…

Published on Leave a comment on Natural High: Why Birdsong Is The Best Antidote To Our Stressful Lives

From The Guardian Website - Past Edition

Dawn Chorus Day is a good time to celebrate the benefits to mental and physical health of birdsong.
Let us all speak up for protecting the different Species of Birds needing our voice.

A Beautiful Nightingale Photo by National Geographic

When I hear the first willow warbler of the spring, the first cuckoo, or the first booming bittern on my local patch, I feel an enormous sense of comfort and satisfaction. As the poet Ted Hughes wrote about the annual return of swifts, “They’ve made it again, which shows that the globe’s still working…”

It’s International Dawn Chorus Day on Sunday 5 May, and this year the RSPB has released a single of birdsong (currentlyat number 11 in the charts) as part of a campaign to draw attention to the situation facing British birdlife. Populations of once-common species such as the house sparrow, starling and swift are falling fast, while the nightingale, turtle dove and grey partridge are rapidly sliding towards extinction in Britain.

Climate change, intensive farming and pollution are just some of the genuinely existential threats to the future of our birds.…

Published on Leave a comment on A 60-Minute Walk In Nature Decreases Activity In Brain Regions Involved In Stress Processing

Researchers in Germany have found that a one-hour walk in nature reduces
stress-related brain activity.

The amygdala is the brain region involved in stress processing. It has been shown to be less activated in people who live in rural areas, compared to those who live in cities, hinting at the potential benefits of nature.

Nature Walks Are Good For Your Brain

However, no study so far has examined the causal effects of natural and urban environments on stress-related brain mechanisms.

"But so far the hen-and-egg problem could not be disentangled, namely whether nature actually caused the effects in the brain or whether the particular individuals chose to live in rural or urban regions," says Sonja Sudimac, predoctoral fellow in the Lise Meitner Group for Environmental Neuroscience (LMGEN) and lead author of the study.

To address this question, researchers from LMGEN examined brain activity in regions involved in stress processing in 63 healthy volunteers before and after a one-hour walk in Berlin's Grunewald Forest and a busy city street using functional magnetic resonance imaging.

The results of the study revealed that activity in the amygdala decreased after the walk in nature, suggesting that nature elicits beneficial effects on brain regions related to stress.…

Published on Leave a comment on The Art of Self-Kindness and How it Helps Us Cope with Stress

By Juandri Buitendag and Prof Margareta James - Psychologists

Self-kindness can boost our mental health and help us navigate stressful situations. This is what we can do to nurture more of it.

Importance Of Practicing Some Self-Kindness - An Absolute Must!

Observing the breeze blow gently through the trees, savoring the delicate taste of a morning cuppa and curling up with a diverting novel in hand: far from being an extravagance, as these acts of self-kindness have sometimes been treated, they are in fact the fundamental building blocks of strong mental health.

In a world that is increasingly time-pressured and an economic model that has an unyielding focus on improving efficiency, it is easier than ever to overlook or de-prioritise your personal feelings and needs.

But according to psychologists, the art of self-kindness, although something that can be honed, is not something that should be optional. Whether it be in the realms of the physical, emotional, spiritual, or indeed professional, being conscious and sensitive towards yourself, they say, is key preparation for everything that life throws at us.

“It can change your life massively,” says Juandri Buitendag, a counseling psychologist who founded JB Wellness Dynamics, a London-based psychology therapy practice.…

Published on Leave a comment on What Does Reading Before Bed Do For Our Brain?

By Gemma Curtis – Sleep Matters Club Journalist

Some people can’t sleep without reading, but for others, the bedtime story is left in their child years. Reading before bed is an age-old tradition. Some people can’t sleep without reading, but for others, the bedtime story is left in their childhood. In recent times, reading interest has surged enormously. Whether it’s because people are running out of hobbies to try when they’re stuck at home or because they’re looking to expand their vocabulary is up for debate. Yet, the key question still remains: can the practice of reading before bedtime be beneficial? We explore how it affects the brain and see what the experts have to say.

Bedtime reading reduces stress

Reading before you sleep could relax you significantly. A study highlighted in the Telegraph by the University of Sussex raised a number of participants stress levels and then attempted to reduce them. Cognitive Neuropsychologist Dr David Lewis found that ‘reading worked best, reducing stress levels by 68 per cent’. It was better than listening to music (61%), drinking tea or coffee (54%) and taking a walk (42%). It only took 6 minutes for participants’ stress levels to be reduced.…

Published on Leave a comment on Are There Health Benefits In Walking Backwards? Lets Find Out – Hey?

I'M RESEARCHING ON ANTI-AGING, OUR BRAIN AND PHYSICAL EXERCISE THIS WEEK AND DISCOVERED THIS FASCINATING NEWS SOME PHYSIOS AND COACHES ARE MAKING KNOWN IN RECENT TIMES. NEUROSCIENTISTS ARE COMING UP WITH SOME INTERESTING DISCOVERIES NOW FOR OUR BRAIN, AND SO ARE SOME PHYSIO THERAPISTS. LET'S SEE WHAT THEY HAVE TO OFFER US. IT HAS OTHER BENEFITS AS WELL. WOULD MAKE A GOOD DISTRACTION TECHNIQUE FOR STRESS - WE WOULD START LAUGHING INSTEAD OF FROWNING AT OURSELVES MAYBE:)

The Health Benefits of Walking Backward, According to Fitness Experts

By Karla Walsh

See the very real physical and mental health benefits of turning your steps around.

You've heard it time and time again: Walking is one of the best forms of exercise for your body and your brain. In addition to being free and easy to do inside your home, on vacation, using poles as part of a hike, with your pup and beyond, walking has been proven to boost mood, promote weight loss, boost heart health and so much more. (And if you've been convinced that only running and higher-impact exercise "counts," we can confirm that walking can be a legit, super-effective workout.)…

Published on Leave a comment on Do You Skip Breakfast? Reasons Why It Is Not A Good Idea!

I FOUND A REALLY GOOD ARTICLE TODAY, THAT EXPLAINS SEVERAL REASONS WHY IT IS NOT GOOD FOR US, COVERING VARIOUS ASPECTS OF HEALTH. THE INFORMATION IS EXCELLENT, AND I THOUGHT I WOULD SHARE IT WITH YOU WITH THE LINK. SOME OF YOU COULD BE SO PLEASED YOU READ IT BECAUSE IT COULD GIVE YOU ANSWERS ABOUT WHY YOUR METABOLISM OR HEALTH HAS BEEN AFFECTED IN SOME WAY. SHALL WE GO?

9 Reasons Why Skipping Breakfast is the Biggest Mistake of Your Day
Time to eat breakfast like a "King"

Srishti Seth - University of Delhi

"Eat your breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper."

You must often hear or read this valuable and long-known phrase, but have you ever pondered why breakfast is a quintessential meal of your day? Well, the answer in most cases will be no because, somewhere in our busy lifestyles, we've lost the time to actually find the reasons behind all those things that we're told.

So, lets be rational for a few minutes and understand why skipping breakfast everyday is our biggest mistake.

THEY ARE

  1. Causes Weight Gain

If you're dieting or dreaming of a "perfect body", you tend to miss breakfast as a part of your weight loss regimen.…

Published on

San Francisco. When the roads emptied of traffic in March and April because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bay Area residents reported hearing more birds—and they were halfway right.

Jennifer Phillips, a researcher at Cal Poly, and Elizabeth Derryberry, a professor at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, collaborated to evaluate whether and how songbirds responded to the quieter environment with much less traffic.

They compared the soundscapes and songs of the white-crowned sparrow recorded across the San Francisco area prior to and during the statewide shutdown.

“When I saw photos of an empty Golden Gate Bridge, it struck me just how little traffic there was,” said Derryberry, lead author of the study. “I realized we were in a unique position to look at how changes in human behavior might affect wildlife and what the noise reduction might mean for the songbird we study.”

The researchers found that the birds responded by producing softer songs that could travel over a larger distance, unimpeded by noise. The urban songs also became “sexier” in terms of vocal performance—meaning birds sang a wider range of notes in their song, in a wider bandwidth, during the shutdown.…