Chillax! Chronic stress prompts a surge in the “fight or flight” hormone cortisol, which can tear down muscle fiber, impair blood sugar metabolism and boost the brain chemical neuropeptide Y, which sparks cravings. Plan relaxation time into your day—your waistline will thank you.
“Should food products be labeled with traffic light symbols to make health-related information on ingredients easier to understand? This question has remained a subject of debate. Now researchers have reached the conclusion that the traffic light label is more effective in helping consumers resist high-calorie foods than a purely information-based label. Scientists observed study participants in the brain scanner as they made purchase decisions.” Click here to read the full story.
“We’ve long known about the master clock in our brains that helps us maintain a 24-hour sleep-wake cycle. But in recent years, scientists have made a cool discovery: We have different clocks in virtually every organ of our bodies—from our pancreas to our stomach to our fat cells. ‘Yes, there are clocks in all the cells of your body,’ explains Fred Turek, a circadian scientist at Northwestern University. ‘It was a discovery that surprised many of us.’ We humans are time-keeping machines. And it seems we need regular sleeping and eating schedules to keep all of our clocks in sync.” Click here to read the full story.
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“A vegetarian diet might cut your risk of colorectal cancer by 20 percent, a new study finds. For fish-eating vegetarians, the protective link was even stronger, researchers said.” Click here to read the full story.
“Fat is not a feeling and it shouldn’t be an emoji either. So says a group of body-image activists who have started a petition on change.org asking Facebook to remove the ‘feeling fat’ emoticon. The chubby-cheeked, double-chinned emoji is one of about 50 ‘feelings’ icons the social network’s users can add to their updates. The petition to remove it was initiated last week by Catherine Weingarten of Endangered Bodies, a group that ‘challenges the current toxic culture that promotes negative body image.'” Click here to read the full story.
Eat This, Not That!