by Gabrielle on March 10, 2010
A lavender sachet. Long known to soothe the jangled nerves of humans, the scent of lavender has now been shown to calm anxious dogs who are traveling by car, making them more likely to lay down quietly and less inclined to move around or bark, reveals a study published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. Even better? Unlike pricey pet tranquilizers, breathing in the scent of lavender has no dangerous side effects.
[photo: oOlemon]
by Gabrielle on March 9, 2010
Turn off the television! In a recent study, volunteers who cut their TV time in half for three weeks burned an extra 120 calories a day—the equivalent of walking eight [more…]
by Gabrielle on March 9, 2010
Your honey helps you become a better person—and vice versa! According to a new study in the journal Current Directions in Psychological Science, we all tend to improve our partners by encouraging positive personality traits and helping them achieve personal goals. For instance, your sweetie may help you overcome shyness by asking you to share one of your funniest stories at a dinner party. And you might help your sweetie achieve a lifelong dream of learning the guitar by signing him up for lessons.
[photo: rochelle, et. al.]
by Gabrielle on March 8, 2010
Invite pals over to chat, watch a movie, play a game, munch pizza or do another activity that helps you bond. It’s not just fun—feeling an emotional connection with girlfriends melts tension fast by raising your body’s level of [more…]
by Gabrielle on March 8, 2010
The empty wrappers! In a recent study, Cornell University Food and Brand Lab director Brian Wansink, Ph.D., found that people ate about half as many mini-sized candies when they kept the wrappers in plain sight. Turns out, having a visual cue is key for sending the message to your brain that it’s time to stop snacking. “Your stomach can’t count, but your eyes can when they see the empty wrappers,” he says.
by Gabrielle on March 8, 2010
And the savings aren’t only on items at tag sales. A national study by Consumer Reports finds that more than 90% of folks who asked for a better price got it on brand-new [more…]
by Gabrielle on March 7, 2010
Sure, Oscar night is famous for its glitz and glam as our favorite actresses get dressed to the nines and stroll the red carpet. But, special occasions are not the only time actors—or you—should dress up. A study in the Home Economics Journal reveals that wearing your dressier outfits for everyday activities makes people see you as friendlier and [more…]
by Gabrielle on March 7, 2010
Tired of begging your kids to do things that are good for them—such as brushing their teeth, taking their vitamins, buckling up in the car or drinking their milk? Tel Aviv University have found the problem—and the solution! In their recent study, they found that kids [more…]
by Gabrielle on March 7, 2010
Burning a scented candle or spraying a room with your favorite air freshener doesn’t only make your home smell wonderful, it stimulates areas of the brain that change your mood. “Scents can generate reactions in the frontal lobe and the hypothalamus that influence behaviors and personalities,” says Alan Hirsch, M.D., Founder of the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago. According to his research, if you want to be more… [more…]
by Gabrielle on March 6, 2010
Trying to tally your grocery bill as you shop? Need to cut a recipe by one-third? Stumped by your kid’s homework assignment? Try talking aloud as you do the math. When researchers from the University of Granada in Spain videotaped students working on tough math problems, those who spoke aloud while doing the equations found the correct answers faster than those who did the problems in their head. This easy technique helps you understand the problem better and come up with new ways to reach the right solution, the researchers say.
[photo: MelvinSchlubman]
by Gabrielle on March 5, 2010
Many of us think of a temp job as a last resort, yet University of Florida researchers found they’re often just the opposite. Their recent study shows that [more…]