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…]
From the category archives:
energy
Find that you’re less active during the colder months when blustery weather makes it hard to bike, hike, garden, swim and do all your usual outdoor exercises? Then, you’re also missing out on the great benefits from being active—such as a stronger heart, more energy, a smaller waistline, a brighter mood and less stress. Luckily, there are lots of easy, inexpensive ways to make indoor workouts just as enjoyable as outdoor ones:
* Relive your childhood with a hula hoop. They’re not just for kids anymore. Adult-sized versions are slightly heavier to give you an easy workout that tones your hips and tummy. [more…]
Which of these do you think is best at increasing daytime alertness and energy:
A. Sleeping in extra hour and a half
B. Two cups of strong coffee
C. A brief afternoon nap [more…]
You read right—less caffeine! Harvard Medical School scientists say that sipping a little caffeinated tea or coffee throughout the day keeps you more alert and energized than downing an oversized mug-full in one gulp. [more…]
Nope, not sheep! If you have trouble falling asleep or tend to toss and turn all night, before turning in, try counting [more…]
University of Michigan researchers trying to pep up sleepy college students during a boring day-long lecture discovered that easy self-applied acupressure moves did the trick. Those who were [more…]
If you tend to get energy lulls during the day and your whatever-cino isn’t kicking in, try carrying a sprig of rosemary around. Then, whenever you need to recharge, take a whiff. In addition to enjoying the herb’s minty pine aroma, you’ll be breathing in ursolic acid, [more…]
Love making smoothies, guacamole, waffle batter and other blender recipes, but hate how hard it is to scrub the blender’s small, sharp, hard-to-reach parts afterward? Terri McGraw, founder of MrsFixIt.com, has an easy solution: After pouring out your delicious fixin’s, fill the blender halfway with lukewarm soapy water and a handful of ice. Then, turn it on high and let it run for a couple of minutes. “The ice scours the blades and forces the soapy water into all the nooks and crannies, wiping them clean.”
[photo: wrestlingentropy]
Scientists have long known that eating yogurt helps prevent yeast infections as well as colds and other ills by supporting the immunity system with its rich stores of the good bacteria Lactobacillus. Well, now scientists say those same bacteria improve your mood and erase fatigue. The proof: In a landmark study, volunteers who were given the bacteria every day for two months had significantly less anxiety and higher energy levels than [more…]
