December 13, 2016
Probiotics are linked to improved microbia in the gut. These microbia are directly linked to the physical, mental and emotional health of your body. Fermented foods are a natural powerhouse of various strains of probiotics that are essential to good gut health. But what are fermented foods? And what’s so darn good about them?
December 12, 2016
We’ve all been there, caught up in our anxious thoughts or lying in bed awake at night worrying. But new research suggests1 the smarter you are, the more likely you are to suffer from anxiety, or as they refer to it in scientific circles – psychopathology. This link between intelligence and a predisposition towards worrying has been closely studied over the years. According to Catheline-Antipoff and Poinso2, “The higher the IQ, the greater the psychological fragility.” Research suggest that intelligence and worry may have co-evolved with humans for the purpose of survival. Findings published in The Frontiers in Evolutionary Neuroscience […]
December 8, 2016
Accents. Ever notice how easy it is for some people to pick them up? Ten minutes in New York and an Australian voice is already adopting the American drawl. Or traipsing around London and you find yourself starting to articulate the ends of your words in a more precise way? It’s called The Chameleon Effect; it’s when we subconsciously copy someone else. Human beings are constantly imitating each other, copying everything from each other’s facial expressions, mannerisms, even our postures. Researchers at The University of California, Riverside, found we also imitate speech patters and inflections. That is we have the […]
December 6, 2016
“What’s With Wheat?” It’s a question many have asked as a growing prevalence of Coeliac’s Disease and Non-Coeliac wheat intolerance seems to have swept the Western World. It was this topic that Australian nutritionist Cyndi O’Meara examined in a documentary of the same name. Launched in July of this year, What’s With Wheat brought together world-renowned researchers and authors to scour the rise of wheat into the pervasive pantry staple that it is today. O’Meara is joined by best-selling author and researcher David Perlmutter (of Grain Brain fame), leading researcher Dr. Terry Wahls, and twelve other experts in fields ranging […]
December 6, 2016
In Chiropractic care, every one of your gestures makes an impression on those you interact with. From your first smile hello, the way you welcome someone to enter the room and of course through your hands and your adjustments. Combine your personal interactions and your physical environment and you have a holistic experience that creates the environment for deep relationships to develop. Architects have long studied and practiced the creation of space that aims to shape and enhance the human experience. The philosophy and practice of theories such as phenomenology in architectural design (study of how space is experienced) […]
November 29, 2016
Ritalin (methylphenidate) and dexamphetamine are classed as schedule 8 drugs. In the US, these drugs are prescribed to at least 6 million children for what we have come to understand as Learning Disorders (LD), which includes Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). These psychiatric labels are given to children who we are told have chemical imbalances in their brains, a medical problem, a brain disease, that requires sustained, long term medication to right the body’s incorrect auto-regulation. One source states “The stimulant prescription rate for Australian children increased 34-fold in the past two decades. In addition […]
November 29, 2016
You love it. You hate it. It’s like watching a train crash, sometimes you just have to even though you know you shouldn’t. It’s like a New Years Resolution you can only keep for a week. Facebook, let’s face it, is hard to break up with. Researchers from Cornwell University1 have been exploring why it’s so hard for us to quit Facebook and why some of us eventually return. Like any love hate relationship, it’s complicated. Individuals were asked to abstain from Facebook for 99 days. During that period some of the participants returned to Facebook before their allotted time had expired. The researchers […]
November 24, 2016
Rejection hurts. But it doesn’t just hurt emotionally, it hurts physically. We refer to hurt and pain when we refer to our emotional status. Interestingly, they’re the same adjectives we use to describe physical pain. When we break up with a lover, or feel ridiculed or rejected by our peers we feel ‘hurt’. And it’s not just poets that know that a lover’s quarrel or parting can cause ‘pain’. But why is that? As it turns out, it’s because of the way our brains are wired. Researchers from Michigan University’s, Department of Psychology, have been studying the pain of rejection and the results […]
November 24, 2016
Turns out a person’s swagger isn’t just about the way they walk into a room, it’s in an integral part and parcel of a person’s personality. In a new explorative study from the University of Portsmouth in England, has found that exaggerated movement of both the upper and lower body indicate aggression. The lead researcher of the study Liam Satchell said, “People are generally aware that there is a relationship between swagger and psychology. Our research provides empirical evidence to confirm that personality is indeed manifest in the way we walk.” The researchers from the Department of Psychology ran 29 […]
November 24, 2016
Dr. Don MacDonald, chiropractor and Spinal Research advocate, has released his first book. Upon its release in July, The Underdog Curse reached international best-seller status, attaining top rankings in Amazon’s stress management, happiness, personal health, personal development and self-esteem categories in the US and a number of other countries. The Underdog Curse takes a critical look at the personality traits that propel us to our first victories, but reveals how those same traits can hold us back from true and lasting success. When it comes to the plight of the underdog, most of us would have to admit carrying a […]
November 18, 2016
Story at a Glance. Spanish researchers in a new study looked at aggressive behaviour in boys and girls between the ages of 8 and 10. Over the two year period they reviewed if there was a link between aggressive behaviour and an increase in the children’s hormonal levels. Subjects who showed the highest levels of aggression also displayed the highest increase in cortisol. It’s not easy being an adolescent, all those hormones flying around wreaking havoc. But new research has found it may not be all that easy being a kid either. Particularly kids who are inclined towards aggressive behaviour. […]
November 16, 2016
In our last article we looked at why we need to build resiliency in our working lives. So what can we do to build resiliency? Fundamentally the difference between a resilient person and a person who feels weak and fearful is the way the two people view the situation. Some call this optimism. But it could just as well be called learned optimism. In psychological circles they call it cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). When something bad happens instead of seeing it as something to be ashamed/scared /humiliated by you turn the thought around to see the event as something to learn and grow from. Now […]
November 15, 2016
Scientists have been pondering the reason for the male species. That is, from a biological perspective, the existence of the male sex has been somewhat confusing. What is the value of only half of ones offspring being able to reproduce the species? Why not only have daughters, after all they’re the ones who will birth the next generation? So why do men exist? Research from the University of East Anglia, published in Nature(1) shows that an evolutionary process known as ‘sexual selection’, that is the continuation of sex as a means to reproduce, improves the overall population health and protects […]
November 10, 2016
According to the Australian Psychological Society1 (APS) survey of 2014, two in five Australians rated their work lives as a source of stress. Job stress is the biggest cause of absenteeism at work. Professor Dollard, a stress expert and director of the Centre for Applied Psychological Research at the University of South Australia said, “The surge in the number of employees taking time off for mental health disorders and filing stress claims is one of the greatest workplace crises facing the nation.” There’s no doubt the lives we lead now are significantly different to the lives of 50 years ago. […]
November 10, 2016
Fasting has been referred to throughout history. The Bible refers to Jesus fasting for 40 days and 40 nights. Muslims fast during Ramadan. And in Buddhism fasting is considered an ascetic practice, one used to invigorate and shake things up! Now whilst we may chose to put fasting into a spiritual context, the science behind fasting is that it is incredibly beneficial for the human body. New research1 suggests it may not only help us live longer, but it reduces age related diseases, increases neurogenesis in the hippocampus (cognitive brain function skills) and reduces cancer incidences. Dr Valter Longo from the University of […]
November 10, 2016
Story At A Glance Emotional, social and moral integrity come from a region of the brain referred to as the amygdala. The amygdala is linked to all of our sensory processing systems and gives a corresponding emotional response to the information processed. Psychopathic brains have amygdalas that on average are up to 20% smaller than normal people. Altruistic people have amygdalas which are around 8% larger than average. In our previous article we covered the brain architecture and personality traits of psychopaths. In this follow up article we will explore the traits and brain architecture of altruists. Abigail Marsh, […]
November 3, 2016
Story at a Glance Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are causing about 70% of deaths worldwide. Focusing on bioscience, pharmaceutical treatment and public health messages have not dented the worrying rise in these conditions. Whilst lifestyle choices are important, it’s more important to influence the environments that have caused the rise in NCDs; poverty, lack of education, processed food, regulation of tobacco, alcohol and unhealthy food. Yes you’ve heard of them before, the diseases we attribute, without trying to sound pithy, to our lifestyle. Obesity. Heart disease. Diabetes. Stroke. Cancer. Chronic respiratory diseases. But they’re not called lifestyle diseases. They’re called NCDs, […]
November 1, 2016
Story at a Glance. BPA, a toxic chemical found in plastic is leached from some plastic containers during the microwaving process. The backlash towards BPA has pushed producers to make plastic without BPAs. Scientific American reported in their article, BPA-Free Plastic Containers May Be Just as Hazardous. BPS a common replacement for BPAs have just as many problems. In fact many of the BPA replacements are a significant concern to our health. In our last article we covered how the molecular nature of food is changed through the microwaving process. But it’s not just the food you put in your […]