Why Having A Best Friend is Good for You

If you’re ever feeling under pressure, it might be an idea to see your best friend. Being in their presence can reduce stress levels – at least according to a study of children.

‘One of the interesting things about these findings is that it’s not just any friend – it’s the best friend,’ said Ryan Adams, the study’s lead author and an assistant professor of paediatrics at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Centre.

A hundred children aged ten to 12 were asked to fill out a diary five times a day for four school days, and rate how they felt about what they’d experienced in the past 20 minutes.

They were also asked whether they’d been alone or with parents, siblings, a best friend, a boy or girl friend, classmates, strangers, teachers or some other person.

And they had saliva samples take to measure for the stress hormone cortisol. Researchers found that the presence of a best friend, more than anyone else, buffered the physical effects of a negative experience, so the child produced less cortisol.

When no friend was around during stressful times, cortisol levels shot up. Although the study only looked at children, experts say its findings are likely to apply to adults too.

Dr Karen Majors, an education psychologist with Barking and Dagenham Community Educational Psychology Service, said: 'A child’s close friends can be problematic and lead them astray, but they can also be incredibly positive and supportive.

'Friendships serve really important purposes socially, emotionally and cognitively as well as being a playmate and companion. For example, previous research shows if you transfer school with friends you know, it bodes well for making new friends.'

Underwear run sets world record

A protest of Utah's uptight laws that featured people running through the streets of Salt Lake City in their underwear has set a new world record.

Guinness World Records says the Utah Undie Run broke the previous record for largest gathering of people wearing only underpants or knickers by 1,720 people.

Records officials say 2,270 people stripped to their underwear during the Utah Undie Run on Sept. 24. The previous record of 550 people was set last year in Great Britain.

Utah Undie Run organizers are planning another run next August. The event's goal is to protest the state's conservative politics.

Organizers prohibit nudity. Participants donned bras, panties, nightgowns, swimwear or colorful boxer shorts.

What to Eat for Strong and Healthy Hair and Nails

Certain foods can improve the way you look. The following nutrients will give your hair and nails extra luster, strength and shine.

Biotin (a.k.a. vitamin H) can improve hair that is splitting or thinning as well as strengthen weakened nails. Taken with zinc and the corticosteroid clobetasol propionate, biotin has even been used to treat alopecia, an autoimmune skin disease marked by the loss of hair. A deficiency in biotin may result in brittle hair or even hair loss. An easy way to remember: The H in vitamin H stands for hair. Try: Bananas, beans, cauliflower, eggs, lentils, peanuts and salmon.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids
To get shinier hair, introduce more omega-3s into your diet, which “help support scalp health and may give your locks extra luster and shine.” The three active ingredients—alpha-linolenic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid—are all essential fatty acids and "are important components of the stratum corneum, which is the outermost layer of the epidermis that contains keratin and has water-holding capabilities. Deficiency in essential fatty acids can result in dry scalp or dandruff." Try: Eggs, flaxseed, fish oil, mackerel, salmon, sardines, spinach, tuna and walnuts.

Protein
Protein intake is important for many reasons, notably when it comes to hair and nails. Both "are made of structural proteins known as keratin, so adequate dietary protein is important for providing the building blocks for growing strong hair and nails, lean meats are the easiest way to pack protein into your diet—just make sure to steer clear of any that are overly fatty. Try: Chicken, eggs, lean red meats, lowfat dairy, nuts, seafood, soybeans and whole grains.

Vitamin A
Vitamin A helps produce a conditioning substance for the scalp known as sebum, which keeps hair looking and feeling healthy. In addition to these beauty benefits, this vitamin contributes to better eye health and immune system function, which keeps you vital and strong from head to toe. Try: Apricots, broccoli, cantaloupe, carrots, Cheddar cheese, egg yolks, mangoes, oatmeal, spinach and sweet potatoes.

Zinc
Zinc is another nutrient active in helping the immune system function properly, and DiBona also notes that it plays an important role in the formation of your connective tissues. Try: Cashews, green beans, lean beef, lobster, oysters and soybeans.

Why Sleep is The Key to Success

It is one of our most basic functions, as important as the in and out of our breath. Our need for sleep is primal, yet the pace of life means it's often pushed to the periphery, sacrificed at the altar of work, friends, study and fun.

But now science is beginning to show that getting the right amount of sleep might be the key to making the rest of our lives run more smoothly.

Increasingly, research is indicating that the quality and quantity of our sleep affects every part of our lives, from success in work and school to our likelihood of developing problems such as obesity or mental illness.

Writing in the journal Frontiers in Neurology last year, American researchers highlighted the growing body of research confirming that students who have insomnia, inadequate sleep, daytime sleepiness, irregular sleep patterns or poor sleep quality do not perform as well in school as others.

Many sleep researchers now advocate the introduction of staggered start times for older high-school students - one of the most under-slept groups in society after shift workers.

But the most cutting edge of sleep research is beginning to show it seems also to be linked to mental illness.

Nicholas Glozier is at the forefront of such research in his work as a professor of psychiatry and sleep research at the Brain and Mind Research Institute at the University of Sydney.

Five health reasons to not quit coffee

The morning ritual of brewing a cup, the smell that perks you up before you take a sip and, of course, the flavor all make it your favorite beverage aside from water (water’s delicious!). You have 5 health reasons not to quit coffee, here they are:

1. It protects your heart: Moderate coffee drinkers (1 to 3 cups/day) have lower rates of stroke than noncoffee drinkers, an effect linked to coffee’s antioxidants. Coffee has more antioxidants per serving than blueberries, making it the biggest source of antioxidants in American diets. All those antioxidants may help suppress the damaging effect of inflammation on arteries.

2. It diverts diabetes: Those antioxidants (chlorogenic acid and quinides, specifically) play another role: boosting your cells’ sensitivity to insulin, which helps regulate blood sugar. In fact, people who drink 4 or more cups of coffee each day may have a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to some studies.

3. Your liver loves it: OK, so the research here is limited, but it looks like the more coffee people drink, the lower their incidence of cirrhosis and other liver diseases. One analysis of nine studies found that every 2-cup increase in daily coffee intake reduced liver cancer risk by 43 percent.

4. It boosts your brain power: Drinking between 1 and 5 cups a day (admittedly a big range) may help reduce risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, as well as Parkinson’s disease, studies suggest. Those antioxidants may ward off brain cell damage and help the neurotransmitters involved in cognitive function to work better.

5. It helps your headaches: And not just the withdrawal headaches caused by skipping your daily dose of caffeine! Studies show that 200 milligrams of caffeine—about the amount in 16 ounces of brewed coffee—provides relief from headaches, including migraines. Exactly how caffeine relieves headaches isn’t clear. But scientists do know that caffeine boosts the activity of brain cells, causing surrounding blood vessels to constrict.

Now, that’s not to say that coffee doesn’t have any pitfalls—it does. Some people are super-sensitive to caffeine and get jittery or anxious after drinking coffee; habitual coffee drinkers usually develop a tolerance to caffeine that eliminates this problem (but they then need the caffeine to be alert and ward off withdrawal headaches). Coffee can also disturb sleep, especially as people age. Cutting some of the caffeine and drinking it earlier in the day can curb this effect. Lastly, unfiltered coffee (like that made with a French press) can raise LDL cholesterol, so use a filter for heart health.

Study: Negative experiences can stop painkillers working

A patient's belief that a drug will not work can become a self fulfilling prophecy, according to researchers. They showed the benefits of painkillers could be boosted or completely wiped out by manipulating expectations.

The study, published in Science Translational Medicine, also identifies the regions of the brain which are affected. Experts said this could have important consequences for patient care and for testing new drugs.

Heat was applied to the legs of 22 patients, who were asked to report the level of pain on a scale of one to 100. They were also attached to an intravenous drip so drugs could be administered secretly. The initial average pain rating was 66. Patients were then given a potent painkiller, remifentanil, without their knowledge and the pain score went down to 55.

They were then told they were being given a painkiller and the score went down to 39. Then, without changing the dose, the patients were then told the painkiller had been withdrawn and to expect pain, and the score went up to 64. So even though the patients were being given remifentanil, they were reporting the same level of pain as when they were getting no drugs at all.

Power Balance bracelets: provide no scientific edge

Power Balance bracelet, the popular performance accessory worn by athletes including Drew Brees, Kevin Durant and Kobe Bryant, provide no scientific edge, the company confessed this week.

The California-based company was forced to admit the lack of evidence supporting its claims of natural power after coming to an agreement with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, the Associated Press reported.

Athletes who wore the bands insisted they provided a boost. Science said otherwise.

The bracelets, first released in 2007, were embedded with holograms and supposedly designed to interact with the energy flow of a body. They sold for $29.95 and were worn by athletes and celebrities like Shaquille O'Neal, David Beckham and Robert De Niro.

Why even bother making the claim that the bracelet gave power? Why not dance around the issue and refuse to make a definitive statement about them? Issue vague comments about natural energies and positive karma (like a hippie selling a crystal at a Phish show) and let fans of the product do the rest of the promotion by word of mouth.

Just like lucky socks, those titanium necklaces worn by baseball players or that $5 putter you bought from a sale rack at a pro shop, the only benefit derived from the Power Balance bracelet is the idea that it makes you better. Belief is a powerful thing; just watch a basketball player during a hot shooting streak or a golfer with the yips. Deep down we all know wearing the same sweatshirt on NFL Sunday doesn't change the outcome of our favorite team's game, but we wear it anyway, just in case.

Food Could Cause You Age Faster

Watch out what you eat! It turns out that the type of sandwich fixing you choose could cause you to age faster. And the bread stuffing that really sticks it to you? Processed meat. In a study, researchers found that people who ate the highest amount of processed meat -think salami, pressed ham, and bologna- showed the greatest signs of wear and tear in a key marker of cellular aging.

Telltale Telomeres

The people who ate the most processed meat had the shortest telomeres. Not a good thing, because telomeres are those tiny protective coverings on the ends of your DNA strands. The shorter they get, the older your body is on a cellular level -and the wider the door opens to problems such as heart disease, diabetes, and other chronic conditions. In the study, the telomeres of the processed-meat lovers showed about 3.4 extra years of aging compared with those who ate the least processed meat.

A Processing Problem

What's so bad about processed meats? The trouble is that they tend to be packed with a whole bunch of bad things like saturated fat, sodium, cholesterol, nitrates, and nitrites - all things believed to be linked to telomere-shortening inflammation.

Coffee Doesn't Wake You up

The most recent study conducted by researchers found that Coffee doesn’t really wake you up. So why do we have such feeling? According to researchers it is just an illusion triggered by public opinion, as coffee has been widely correlated with wake up process.

We often hear from many that their brain doesn’t start working properly in the morning until they drink a cup of coffee. But the stimulating effect for which caffeine is famous may be an illusion, say researchers.

Those who drink a lot of coffee may feel more alert after their first cup of the day. But this is probably because it reverses the fatiguing effects of overnight caffeine withdrawal, say the researchers.

Their study suggests coffee drinkers may actually be better off without their habitual morning mug as it raises the risk of anxiety and high blood pressure.

Sleep Better and Save Money

You don't have to spend a fortune on bedding to get a good night's sleep. Taking good care of the pillows, comforters, and sheets you already own will help you sleep like a baby and also save you money because you won't have to replace them as often.

Below are some tips for making the most of what you have:

Pillows:
Cover your pillow in two layers to protect it from dust, dirt, and body oils. The first layer should be a case with a zipper and then put a traditional pillowcase over the zippered cover.

You can throw polyester, feather, and down pillows into your washing machine. Use the delicate cycle. Be sure to check the seams on down pillows first so that feathers don't leak out. Good Housekeeping columnist Heloise suggests washing two at a time for balance.

Comforters:
Use a duvet cover to protect your comforter and wash it regularly.

Shake out your down comforter once a week to keep the down from bunching up. Airing it outside occasionally will keep it fresh.

Sheets:
Stay away from laundry sheets and fabric softeners. Why? They dull colors, and it's difficult to get rid of the residue they leave behind. (They'll also make your towels less absorbent.)

Don't use bleaches or detergents with optical brightens because they can weaken and discolor your sheets. Using a delicate detergent and rinsing well will keep your sheets soft.

Consume Too Much Good Things Can Be Bad

There are some things that you just can't have too much of. It can be damaging if you consume too much. Below are some surprising examples.

Vitamin C is an essential nutrient that needs to be ingested every day because our bodies don't produce or store it. What your body doesn't need is flushed out in your urine, but it's still possible to take too much. Mega-doses of vitamin C can cause gastritis, nausea, diarrhea, and kidney stones, according to the Mayo Clinic. In rare cases it can make you tired and dizzy.

Protein helps build muscle, blood, skin, hair, nails, and more. There is a long list of health benefits associated with eating proper amounts of protein from providing energy to keeping the immune system in good shape. But eating too much protein can cause kidney problems, dehydration, and osteoporosis, and it may be linked to certain cancers.

Soybeans are popular because they boast many health benefits from lowering cholesterol to reducing the risk of certain types of cancer, but that doesn't mean you should eat soy foods with abandon. Some compounds in soybeans mimic the hormone estrogen. Animal studies suggest that large amounts of soy might reduce fertility in women, trigger early puberty, and disrupt development in fetuses and children.

Exercise is something most of us don't get enough of. About 30 minutes of moderate exercise a day is enough to ward off chronic diseases such as diabetes, improve mood, and deliver a whole bunch of health benefits. Shoot for at least 60 minutes a day, 5 to 6 times a week if you want to get the most benefits from exercise. Is there such a thing as too much exercise? Yes, and it can lead to injuries, exhaustion, depression, and long-term health problems.

The same rules apply for things that are traditionally thought of as being bad for you. Moderate amounts of dark chocolate, coffee, and red wine can be good for you, so go ahead and indulge every now and then.

Study in Progress: The Impact of Cell Phones

Some researches have shown that cell phones had no impact on the health of a person, but experts said the study period is probably not long enough to detect certain diseases, like cancer. That is why, Cosmos research will be undertaken in a period of five years.

The researchers said the current best way to do it is to monitor the health of mobile phone users in certain period of time. "In this way we can get a real picture to determine whether there is a link between cell phones and disease," said Dr Mireille Toledano, researchers from Imperial College London.

Later the study was not limited to brain cancer, given the current people use mobile phones in a variety of ways, including to open the site, so the phone does not always have to be used near the head.

"We'll see a variety of health impacts that may arise, including various cancers, such as the skin cancer and diseases related to brain nerves. Disorders and complaints such as headache, tinnitus, depression, and sleep disorder also will be monitored," said Toledano.

Let's wait for the results. Does electromagnetic radiation that has been accused of a health hazard actually proven.

Surprising symptons of Stress

Stress can come with some pretty surprising symptoms, from forgetfulness to nausea to skin rashes. Most of the time, you didn't feel quite like yourself. Find out about how your body is telling you that you’re too anxious!

1. Cavities
We all know that slacking off on dental hygiene is the first way to get cavities, but stress can also be a culprit especially when you're grinding your teeth at night or during the day.

2. An eye twitch
Have you ever had an eye twitch? The often temporary condition can be annoying and worrisome, and for some, can be triggered by stress, this condition is known as blepharospasm.

3. Rashes
It sounds strange, but your skin can be a pretty good barometer of your stress level. Stress can cause a rash, usually raised red spots or hives on the stomach, back, arms and face.

4. Forgetfulness
Lost keys, forgotten appointments, missing cell phone are just few signs that you are under stress. Research shows that chronic stress can literally shrink the size of the hippocampus, which is responsible for some memories, that's why you forgot!

5. Confusion
Stress causes distraction and lack of focus. Stress hormones lodge longest in the brain. Sunlight helps the body release serotonin to improve mood, and vitamin D helps you improve your immune system.

6. Nausea
Have you ever been worried about a loved one's (or your own) health condition, Googled it and suddenly felt nauseated? Stress can upset the stomach, and nausea can be a byproduct of worry.

7. Ragged Cuticles
Do you have ragged, unkempt cuticles or nails? Their condition could be the result of a stress-induced nervous habit. Nervous habits like nail-biting are how several people channel their stress by distracting ourselves with what is known as oral satisfaction.

8. The pain in your neck
The pain in your neck that you attributed to long hours at the computer could actually be a symptom of stress. "Stress definitely affects our musculoskeletal system, resulting in tight, contracting muscles and/or spasms in muscles."

9. Sleepiness
Feeling sluggish? Stress hormones cause your body to surge with adrenaline and then crash into sleepiness.

Seven Reasons Why You Should Drink Fresh Coconut Water

Since long times ago, the coconut is known as benefit-rich plants. Almost no part of the coconut trees that are not useful.

This post will reveal to you how drinking fresh coconut water regularly will improve your health and fitness. Here are seven reasons why you should keep drinking fresh coconut water, especially applies to you who live in areas where coconut is so abundant!

1. Coconut water is more nutritious than milk, because it does not contain cholesterol and it is low fat.

2. Coconut water can improve blood circulation and known to cleanse the digestive system.

3. Coconut water is not only good for your body's immune system, but also helps the body to fight some types of viruses that cause disease.

4. If you are suffering from kidney stone disease, make it a habit to drink coconut water regularly. The habit of drinking coconut water will help dissolving kidney stones and facilitate their exit from the body.

5. Coconut water is also known from earliest times to cure urinary tract disorders. A glass of coconut water and drink it regularly can relieve the pain of urinating trouble.

6. If you want to release motion sickness, no one can recover as quickly as consuming coconut water.

7. Coconut water has this soft taste and it contains rich potassium electrolytes. Potassium helps the body to regulate blood pressure and cardiac organ function.

Five Tips Prevent Memory Losses

Most of the time memory losses can be triggered by too many tasks at once (multitasking) or effect from menopause, but do not give up by accepting it as a natural thing. This article will explain to what you should do so memory losses can stay away from you longer than you expected:

Flossing every day. The formation of plaque on teeth is not good for our brain, and then the memory. According to Michael Roizen, MD, co-author YOU-The Owner's Manual: An Insider's Guide to the Body that Will Make You Healthier and Younger, plaques that form between the teeth can trigger an immune reaction that attacks the blood vessels, so blood vessels can not send nutrients to the brain. The solution? Do not forget flossing every day. Keep forgetting? Then keep your floss in your makeup case, it would be easily seen.

Multitasking at the gym. Just as body exercise that keep your body in good shape, so does exercising your brain, it will be in good shape too. Do both it will bring a double benefits. How to multitasking at the gym? Try to fill in a crossword puzzle while pedaling stationary bikes or listen to language lessons or iPod while running. Scientists say, train your body and mind at the same time can rejuvenate brain cells. Do not like multitasking? Fill out the crossword puzzle right after the exercise, when the brain is still really energetic.

Consume more fish. Omega-3 contained in fish such as salmon and fortified foods such yogurt for instance, is a super food for memory which is the DHA, a type of omega-3, effectively reducing inflammation and improving arterial nerve protective layer. Again, according to Roizen, will reduce memories losses due to age factor, reducing the risk of dementia, depression, and accelerate the intellect.

Sports. Increasing the heart rate 3 times a week for 20 minutes, even just walking, will increase the oxygen in the brain that helps the growth of new cells. According to Sam Wang, Ph.D., associate professor of neuroscience at Princeton University, aerobic exercise is as effective as the other brain training activities. You don’t even have to go to the gym. Studies show that physical activity of moderate to strong, even just once a week, proved to be able to help you maintain cognitive function up to 30%.

Use chopsticks. According to Maoshing Ni, PhD, author of Second Spring: Dr. Mao's Hundreds of Natural Secrets for Women to Revitalize and Regenerate at Any Age, studies show that engaging in activities that involve the fingertips will directly stimulate the brain. Activities with your fingertips, such as using chopsticks, spinning, or even twirling a pen or pencil between the fingers can also help the brain; all this fingertips activity helps blood circulation to brain. As we all aware good blood circulation will help remove waste products which prevent nutrients reaching the brain.

Anger management everyone can practice

One of the ways used to manage anger is a method of distraction. When the heart is controlled by anger, just do things that can confiscate your concentration, like writing letters or doing tasks that are not yet settled. You can also listen to music, washing cars, cleaning houses, visiting malls to shopping activity.

For those who are aggressive, they can get over the anger through sports, or something like boxing. Provide sandbags as a target and pretend it to be the object of your anger is one powerful alternative. Meanwhile, cleaning up your house will help your mind to organize things, and the side result is neatly place.

Perhaps at first, it will turn out to be a bit difficult, because your heart and mind are still controlled by anger. But, do keep exercise. Let your concentration torn between doing something and thinking about the anger. After quite some time, you will get used to it and be aware that anger is just something natural that does not need the act of yelling, screaming or punching.

But, if one day you're really angry, the first step to remember is to take a deep breath, and exhale slowly. Do it several times and always bear in mind that anger is always preceded by unconscious and ended with regret. So, if you want to be controlled by the consciousness, and do not want to experience regret, why should you angry?

8 Foods That Help You on Fat-fighting!

Fat-fighting is something we hear almost everyday, if you are dealing with fat fighting right now or just want to have a good and healthy life, it is strongly recommended always to have the following items added into your daily meal.

Almonds, yummy nuts that are high in alpha-linolenic acid, which can accelerate your metabolism of fats. In fact, dieters who ate 3 ounces of almonds daily slashed their weight and body-mass index by 18 percent, while those who skipped the nuts reduced both numbers less— just 11 percent—a study in the International Journal of Obesity revealed. Chomp almonds à la carte (limit yourself to 12 per serving to keep calories in check). Go nuts!

Berries are nature's candy! Turns out they're also your body's best friends. Strawberries, raspberries and other vitamin C–spiked fruit can supercharge your workout, helping you burn up to 30 percent more fat, research from Arizona State University at Mesa has found. If they're not in season, buy the little gems frozen in a bulk-sized bag so you'll always have them on hand to whip up a Berry Bliss Smoothie or Strawberry-Sunflower Pops, regardless of whether berries are in season.

Cinnamon Adding 1/4 teaspoon to your plate may prevent insulin spike—an uptick that tells your body to store fat. Sprinkle it on your morning cereal or coffee or on your yogurt in the A.M., or savor it in Apple-Cinnamon-Raisin Oatmeal.

Mustard, it's heaven on a soft pretzel, but mustard may also be a weight loss wonder. Turmeric, the spice that gives mustard its color, may slow the growth of fat tissues, a study in the journal Endocrinology finds. Use it on sandwiches instead of mayo, or sprinkle turmeric on cauliflower pre-roasting to give it a kick. Try it on tuna salad—I promise it adds zest.

Oranges, this citrus fruit, which contains fat-blasting compounds known as flavones, deserves to be your main squeeze. Women who ate the most flavones had a much lower increase in body fat over a 14-year period, a study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition notes. Eat oranges sliced or swig fresh OJ (including pulp!) to get the best benefit from the fruit.

Soybeans, reason to toss a half cup on your salad? Soybeans are rich in choline, a compound that blocks the absorption of fat and breaks down fatty deposits. Oh, and they're addictively delish! But if breast cancer runs in your family, experts suggest you should talk to your doc before adding soy to your diet.

Sweet potatoes, the colorful spuds' high-fiber content means they keep your insulin steadier than their white sisters, which means less fat packed on your hips, research finds. Top a small baked tater with lowfat cottage cheese for a tempting side dish, or whip up Miso Soup With Sweet Potato Dumplings.

Swiss cheese, Calcium-rich foods reduce fat-producing enzymes and increase fat breakdown, and Swiss has more calcium than many of its cheesy peers. Choose the reduced-fat variety, such as Sargento. Slip it into your sandwich, put it on top of high-fiber crackers or use it for a healthier grilled cheese. Yum!

Improve your memory!

Although future medical advancements will hopefully find a cure for Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia, most folks will be left to fend for themselves. So, to keep your mind and memory sharper than the rest, below is a short list of secret memory enhancers

Gum
Believe it or not, chewing gum can actually improve alertness and memory. At least that’s the conclusion that two medical studies reported in the journal Appetite back in 2002 and 2004, respectively. Although the exact reasoning behind why gum would enhance memory isn’t yet clear, one simple explanation said that chewing gum increases heart rate, which subsequently increases blood flow to the brain.

Exercise
A slew of research over the past decade has confidently shown that exercise can be a secret memory enhancer. In fact, just cutting calories may help you remember where you left your keys. According to a 2008 study in the journal PNAS, eating a calorie-restricted diet had beneficial effects on memory performance in healthy elderly subjects. Even a simple exercise is a better secret memory enhancer than none at all. Better yet, it’s free.

Caffeine
As one of the most hotly contested food items, caffeine has strong backers on both sides of the health debate. Some swear by its benefits while others vilify caffeine for its unhealthy effects. However, almost no one can argue the effect of caffeine on alertness (and consequently memory). According to various studies conducted in the last five years, caffeine boosts short-term memory, protects older women against memory loss and may even reverse Alzheimer’s memory loss (at least in mice).

Daytime naps
Our next secret memory enhancer might actually contradict the last. After all, it’ll be hard to catch a little daytime shut-eye if you’re all hopped up on java beans. If you’re into daydreaming, you’ll be happy to know that science strongly supports the idea that daytime napping improves your declarative memory. That’s the memory you use to store facts (for example, the memory used when cramming for a final exam).

Alcohol
Rounding off our list of secret memory enhancers is alcohol, a substance that men are probably familiar with. Although this list is sounding more and more like justification for a bunch of bad habits, alcohol make that moderate levels of alcohol may actually enhance memory. Recent research has found that having a daily drink or two may improve memory and may even help prevent dementia. However, higher levels of alcohol may actually impair memories or may even reinforce negative ones!

Better Mood Fast

According to a recent study, less than a half-hour of moderate exercise can substantially improve your mood. In the study, which was conducted at the University of Vermont, “everyone in the exercise group showed significant positive effects on mood—regardless of age, gender, or fitness level—for up to 12 hours after only 20 minutes of moderate-intensity cycle exercise,” says lead author Jeremy Sibold.

The participants worked at 60% of aerobic max capacity, which is the equivalent of light cycling or brisk walking. Some evidence suggests that exercise may boost feel-good endorphins, relieve muscle tension, help you sleep, and reduce the stress hormone cortisol.

According to the Mayo Clinic, it also increases body temperature, which can have a calming effect. If nothing else, it gives you a break from thinking about the things that are making you depressed or stressed. It may even be helpful just to get out and interact with other people. So, the next time you’re having a bad day, go for a walk with friends or work out to your favorite music.

Diet Myths Exposed

If you're so committed to losing weight that you refuse to eat a baked potato for fear of eating empty carbs, you might be missing out on important nutrients and backing your diet into a corner. Open your mind to the truth behind these diet and weight myths and learn how to enjoy some of your favorite foods again.

Myth 1: Potatoes and bread are fattening.
Actually: It's just the opposite. Starchy vegetables and bread (whole-grain bread, that is) are quality carbs needed to fuel every part of you, from your brain to your muscles. What gets you into trouble is how you eat them: Smear butter on a slice of whole-wheat bread or deep-fry potatoes and you can double, triple, or quadruple the calories.

Myth 2: Drinking a glass of water before a meal curbs appetite.
Actually: Yes and no. Water tames appetite if it's incorporated into food, such as soup, or a thick drink, like V8 100% Vegetable Juice. Apparently, when water is bound to food, digestion is slower, explains Elizabeth Somer, RD, author of 10 Habits That Mess Up a Woman's Diet.

That's why women in one study found chicken-rice soup more satisfying than chicken-rice casserole and a glass of water -- even though the soup had 27% fewer calories! One exception to this rule: It's easy to confuse hunger and thirst, so if you find yourself craving something -- but what? -- drink a big glass of water and wait a few minutes. You may find that's what your body really wanted.

Myth 3: Shellfish is high in cholesterol.
Actually: On the one hand, it's true: Just 3 ounces of shrimp delivers more than a third of your daily cholesterol. But there's a surprising flip side to this story: Shrimp is low in saturated fat -- the kind that becomes artery-clogging bad cholesterol -- and has a smidgen of heart-healthy omega-3s. In fact, University of Southern California researchers discovered that eating shellfish, such as shrimp, every week reduced heart attack risk by 59 percent!

Myth 4: The occasional burger and fries won't kill you.
Actually: It depends on your definition of "occasional." If occasional means every Friday night and then some, well, you may be pushing it. But if it means every few months, and you're fit, and you've got good numbers (i.e., weight, waist size, cholesterol, blood pressure), AND you're chowing down on vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and other nutritious fare most other days, hey, you'll live. But few of us are that perfect. If you do occasionally indulge, offset the effects of a fat fiesta with a brisk 90-minute walk afterward.