The sayings “variety is the spice of life” and “happiness isn’t getting what you want, but wanting what you get” seem to have a psychological basis, according to a new study by an MU psychologist who identified two keys to becoming happier and staying that way. “Although the Declaration of Independence upholds the right to pursue happiness, that search can be a never-ending quest,” said Kennon Sheldon, professor of psychological sciences in the College of Arts and Sciences. “Previous research shows that an individual’s happiness can increase after major life changes, such as starting a new romantic relationship, but over time happiness tends to return to a previous level. Through our research, we developed a model to help people maintain … MORE→

Nitrate, which is found naturally in spinach and other vegetables, has a powerful effect on muscle strength. Scientists at Karolinska Institutet have now uncovered how this happens by identifying two relevant proteins, the production of which is stimulated by the intake of nitrate. The study found that mice supplied with nitrate in their drinking water developed significantly stronger muscles – and this at doses obtainable from a normal diet. The researchers divided the mice into two groups, one which was given nitrate in their drinking water for seven days and a control. While spinach and beetroot are two of the main sources of nitrate, it also occurs naturally in many other leafy vegetables, such as lettuce and chard. The quantity … MORE→

Scientists from the University of South Florida and Fudan University in Shanghai found increases in brain volume and improvements on tests of memory and thinking in Chinese seniors who practiced Tai Chi three times a week, reports an article published today in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. Findings were based on an 8-month randomized controlled trial comparing those who practiced Tai Chi to a group who received no intervention. The same trial showed increases in brain volume and more limited cognitive improvements in a group that participated in lively discussions three times per week over the same time period. Previous trials have shown increases in brain volume in people who participated in aerobic exercise, and in one of these trials, an … MORE→

New research shows that omega-3 fatty acid supplements can lower inflammation in healthy, but overweight, middle-aged and older adults, suggesting that regular use of these supplements could help protect against and treat certain illnesses. Four months of omega-3 supplementation decreased one protein in the blood that signals the presence of inflammation by an average of more than 10 percent, and led to a modest decrease in one other inflammation marker. In comparison, participants taking placebos as a group saw average increases of 36 percent and 12 percent, respectively, of those same markers. Chronic inflammation is linked to numerous conditions, including coronary heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, arthritis and Alzheimer’s disease, as well as the frailty and functional decline that can … MORE→

The world population is over seven billion and all of these people need feeding. However, the energy requirement of a species depends not only on numbers but on its average mass. New research published in BioMed Central’s open access journal BMC Public Health has estimated the total mass of the human population, defined its distribution by region, and the proportion of this biomass due to the overweight and obesity. Up to half of all food eaten is burned up in physical activity. Increasing mass means higher energy requirements, because it takes more energy to move a heavy body. Even at rest a bigger body burns more energy. Using data from the United Nations and World Health Organization, researchers from the London School … MORE→

Character strengths can be defined as traits that are rated as morally positive. That they are positively linked to life satisfaction has already been shown in many studies. That they have a causal effect on life satisfaction and that practicing them triggers an increase in the sense of wellbeing, however, has now been proved by Willibald Ruch, René T. Proyer and Claudia Buschor from the Department of Personality and Assessment at the University of Zurich for the first time. Practice pays off For their current study, the team of researchers randomly divided a sample of 178 adults into three groups: While one group trained the strengths “curiosity”, “gratitude”, “optimism”, “humor” and “enthusiasm” for a period of ten weeks, the second … MORE→

Newswise — Getting a good night’s rest continues to be of utmost importance to your health. New data from researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham shows not getting enough sleep can increase the risk for stroke symptoms in people with a healthy body mass index who are at low risk for obstructive sleep apnea and have no history of stroke. The study, being presented June 11, 2012 at the SLEEP 2012 conference in Boston, looked at self-reported sleep data from 5,666 people ages 45 and older who were followed up to a three-year period. In people with a low risk for obstructive sleep apnea and a BMI of 18.5 to 24.99, which is considered optimal, there was a four-time greater risk of … MORE→

A 25 year study in Northern Sweden, published in BioMed Central’s open access journalNutrition Journal, is the first to show that a regional and national dietary intervention to reduce fat intake, decreased cholesterol levels, but a switch to the popular low carbohydrate diet was paralleled by in an increase in cholesterol levels. Over the entire 25 year period the population BMI continued to increase, regardless of either diet, and both the increase in body mass and increased cholesterol levels are indicators of increased cardiovascular risk. In the 1970′s it was noticed that the incidence of cardiovascular disease was higher in northern Sweden than anywhere else in the country and that for men it was amongst the highest in the world. … MORE→

A new study suggests that eating foods that contain omega-3 fatty acids, such as fish, chicken, salad dressing and nuts, may be associated with lower blood levels of a protein related to Alzheimer’s disease and memory problems. The research is published in the May 2, 2012, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. “While it’s not easy to measure the level of beta-amyloid deposits in the brain in this type of study, it is relatively easy to measure the levels of beta-amyloid in the blood, which, to a certain degree, relates to the level in the brain,” said study author Nikolaos Scarmeas, MD, MS, with Columbia University Medical Center in New York and a member … MORE→

Most people go through life setting goals for themselves. But what happens when a life-altering experience makes those goals become unachievable or even unhealthy? A new collaborative study published inPsycho-Oncology by Carsten Wrosch of Concordia University’s Department of Psychology and Centre for Research in Human Development and Catherine Sabiston of McGill’s Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education and the Health Behaviour and Emotion Lab found that breast cancer survivors who were able to let go of old goals and set new ones showed an improved well-being overall. Once the self-imposed pressure of now unrealistic goals was removed, individuals’ quality of life improved, as did their level of physical activity. Wrosch and Sabiston were interested in looking at how to encourage breast … MORE→

Most Greek-style yogurt are high in protein and therefore filling.(Heather Ainsworth, The New York Times) A low-calorie snack can backfire if it doesn’t fill you up, nutritionists say. “It’s more important to choose something that will satisfy longer than to go for a snack simply because it may be lower in calories, which could leave a person looking for another snack an hour later,” says Crystal Witte, a registered dietitian with the Riverside Wellness & Fitness Center in Newport News, Va. Some tips: Be wary of 100-calorie snack packs.They’re good for controlling portion size but tend to be high in refined carbohydrates and low in fiber. So even those that aren’t inherently “unhealthy” won’t keep hunger at bay for long. Include … MORE→

It is estimated that we can use as many calories in 15 minutes climbing stairs as we would in a 30-minute jog. (Cyrus McCrimmon, Denver Post file) Stair-climbing is convenient, free, requires no special equipment and is an effective way to expend the daily recommendation of 150 calories per day in physical activity. Health professionals, including the U.S. surgeon general, have been recommending stairs over elevators and escalators for decades.It is estimated that we can use as many calories in 15 minutes climbing stairs as we would in a 30-minute jog. The physical benefits of stair-climbing are legion: weight loss, improved blood circulation, bone density, and cholesterol, stronger aerobic and anaerobic endurance, and better agility to name a few. It … MORE→