Everyone knows money can’t buy happiness ... or can it? Researchers interviewed people about their incomes and spending habits. Overall spending levels were not related to happiness, but “prosocial spending” was. Prosocial spending is buying gifts for others and making donations to charity. The effect of spending a dollar on other people was similar in magnitude to earning an extra dollar in income. The question then becomes whether spending money on others makes you happy or do happy people spend more money on their friends? So the researchers gave people an envelope with $5 or $20 and assigned them to either spend money on themselves or spend it on friends. At the end of the day, people who had given away their money were happier than people who spent it on themselves. So make someone happy today: let them give you money. Source: Science
The power of the scratch
C’mon, fess up. In the quiet confines of your home do you expose select bits of flesh in the hope your beloved will drag their nails across them? If so, you will be gratified to know that the latest research suggests why scratching is so pleasurable and that it may even be a spiritual experience. Using magnetic resonance imaging to see which areas of the brain are active during scratching, researchers found that scratching reduced activity in the anterior cingulate cortex and the posterior cingulate cortex — areas linked with anticipating pain aversion and memory. So expectation of pain is decreased and memories are suspended, bringing you right into the present moment. The spirituality of the scratch: never doubt it. Source: Journal of Investigative Dermatology
Global seed vault opens
The first seeds have been placed in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, sometimes referred to as the Doomsday Vault. It is a bunker in a frozen Arctic mountainside far north of the Norwegian capital, Oslo. The hope is that the repository will one day hold seeds from every variety of every important food crop in existence. Its aim is to act as a back-up to other, smaller seed banks that exist elsewhere. In the event of damage to governmental collections, agricultural officials could request fresh copies from Svalbard. The first batch of seeds, weighing 11 tonnes overall, represents some 92 different crops, including major cereals, fruits and bean plants. They will be stored in perpetuity at -18°C to provide an insurance policy for the world’s diversity of crops. Source: www.croptrust.org
Toddler wrangling
A new study has some reassuring news for mums and dads who feel they are in constant conflict with their toddlers. It’s the quality of that conflict, not the quantity, that affects the child’s healthy emotional and social development. The toddler years are a peak time for parent-child conflict. Some child development experts suggest this conflict can help children learn important emotional lessons in addition to “social and moral norms”. The frequency and quality of this conflict vary dramatically among parent-toddler pairs. The child-parent pairs who were the most securely attached (meaning the child trusted that the parent would be available and would respond sensitively, especially when the child experienced negative emotions) were more likely to engage in constructive arguments. The other valuable advice from the researchers to parents: “You don't always have to win the argument.” Source: Child Development
Fishy news about wine
Both wine and fish are known to reduce risk for heart disease. This has been thought to be because wine contains antioxidants and fish contains omega-3 fatty acids. However, the fact that eating fish and drinking alcohol have similar cardiovascular effects has led researchers to wonder if these substances might be working together. A new study had people consume a Mediterranean-style diet for 27 months with half the participants abstaining from alcohol. Despite the fact that they consumed approximately the same amount of fish, the group drinking wine had higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids than the non-drinkers. This suggests that alcohol, particularly wine, might enhance the conversion of other fatty acids into heart-friendly omega-3 fatty acids. Cheers! Source: American Heart Journal
Fast food hammers your liver
Cutting down on fast food and excessive calories may improve liver function. In one study, 18 people agreed to increase their weight by 5 to 15 per cent by eating at least two fast-food meals per day, doubling their daily kilojoules, and adopting a sedentary lifestyle for four weeks. After one week, most of the people developed significantly higher levels of a liver function test called alanine aminotransferase (ALT) compared with their previous dietary habits and with a control group of people who made no changes in their diet. The fast-food group also experienced increased triglyceride levels, weight gain and increased insulin resistance. These changes were probably due to increased carbohydrate and sugar intake. Based on this, just one week of eating fast food and being sedentary has the capacity to affect liver function. Source: Gut
In This Issue:
Single-minded Opinions on why the dating game is so difficult are rife, but one thing everybody agrees on is that men and women want the same thing: an authentic partner. Psychologist Cynthia Hickman shows you how to get beyond the superficial and attract someone who is real and right for you.
Sustainable Abundance Our globalised economy is further widening the chasm between the haves and the have-nots, but as Martin Oliver shows, the rise in alternative currencies could close the gap and spread around some monetary prosperity.
Soul Searching — Dan Millman Dan Millman’s partially autobiographical novel Way of The Peaceful Warrior has grown into a film, a teaching resource, speaking engagements, children’s books and workshops. But the journey doesn’t end there. Aleney de Winter finds out what else is in store and what makes Dan Millman tick.
Special Report: Circulation Good circulation is as important as a good diet if you want to live to a ripe old age and maintain a healthy body and mind. In this Special Report we look at how circulation works and the food and lifestyle choices that will keep your circulation at its best.
Introducing Dr. Spiller's new Hydratain™ Emulsion System which takes the concept of natural skin care to new levels of gentleness, effectiveness and results - not just 'natural ingredients mixed into a cream' but formulated in a way that imitates the protective barrier found on young healthy skin. They are gentle on your skin, and ensure it remains beautifully hydrated all day long. Skin friendly actives like vitamins, peptides and skin-identical substances develop their full potential for a healthy, radiant and smooth appearance. Find out more
Evalife® is a mineralised water that contains both magnesium and bicarbonate. This form of magnesium bicarbonate solution is a modern advance on the mineral ingredients found in many natural spring waters in Australia, New Zealand, Europe and North America. These natural spring waters have been used traditionally for centuries, indeed for thousands of years, as traditional foods and natural medicines. Find out more
“Sweating is the body’s safe and natural way to detoxify and stay healthy". By utilising Sunlight Saunas scientifically tested and proven Solocarbon far infrared technology for deep sweat therapy, you can effectively detoxify the body! Find out more
