Mystic Cowboy » Mind-Body

Swearing reduces pain

michael — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 16:01:10 +0000

A report in Scientific American summarizing a study, published in the journal NeuroReport, answers that age old question, why do we swear? It appears that swearing helps relieve pain. %*?$#!&) right!

Coffee protects the brain

michael — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 16:06:08 +0000

Image via Wikipedia Recent studies by Finnish and Swedish researchers have shown that drinking moderate amounts of coffee can reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease in people. The reason for this is as yet unknown, although it has been hypothesized that the high levels of antioxidants found in coffee may play a role in preventing dementia and Alzheimer’s. Other [...]

Brain Responds to Valuable Images

michael — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 16:22:25 +0000

Image via Wikipedia According to researchers at the University of California at San Diego, visual areas of our brain respond more to valuable objects than other ones. In other words, our brain has stronger reactions when we see a diamond ring than we look at junk. Similarly, our brain vision areas are more excited by a [...]

Carbs and Weight Loss – What to Believe?

michael — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 22:07:14 +0000

Scientific studies conflict on the issue of low carbohydrate and low glycemic index diets.

Aerobic Exercise Suppresses Appetite Weight Lifting Doesn’t

michael — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 16:31:33 +0000

They found that the treadmill (aerobic) session caused ghrelin levels to drop and peptide YY levels to increase, indicating the hormones were suppressing appetite. ... Stensel of Loughborough University in the United Kingdom, “The finding that hunger is suppressed during and immediately after vigorous treadmill running is consistent with previous studies indicating that strenuous aerobic exercise transiently suppresses appetite” .

High Carb, High Protein Breakfast Helps Maintain Weight Loss

michael — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 17:03:28 +0000

Eat a big breakfast packed with carbohydrates (“carbs”) and protein, then follow a low-carb, low-calorie diet the rest of the day. ... It also is healthier than an extremely low-carbohydrate diet because it allows people to eat more fruit and therefore get enough fiber and vitamins.

Low Leptin Levels Undermine Successful Weight Loss

michael — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 23:05:36 +0000

Continued research has shown that leptin is an important hormone with a hand in many metabolic processes and undoubtedly has widespread effects that may influence diabetes as well as obesity. Losing weight too quickly will fight the body's normal defense against starvation through leptin, thereby sabotaging the program.

Stress Causes Binging with Food or Drugs

michael — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 16:28:27 +0000

Stressed individuals might be particularly prone to binge eating or drug addiction because of the high levels of the stress hormones in their brain. While there are several possible explanations of why this happens, it does appear that stress motivates us to seek rewards .

Walking and light for weight loss

michael — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 19:34:30 +0000

While the researchers are looking for a new drug to help with weight loss, we already know an effective and natural way to boost serotonin levels, exercise . ... As someone who sometimes struggles with seasonal affective disorder (SAD), I know that deliberate exposure to either daily sunlight can make a huge difference in my winter mood. Add that to a walk and things do go better.

Mindfullness Training Enhances Immune Response

michael — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 20:10:58 +0000

In a study titled Effect of mindfulness based stress reduction on immune function, quality of life and coping in women newly diagnosed with early stage breast cancer, researchers found that women with early stage breast cancer benefited from mindfulness based stress management techniques like that pioneered by the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. The training [...]