17 Things That Make You Dumber, and other Weekend Reads

Here are this week's reading diversions for your personal enlightenment. Have a truly splendid weekend!

17 Things That Make You Dumber - Business Insider

With all the talk about self-improvement these days, people don't pay enough attention to self-worsening. In fact, there are many common behaviors that have been shown in one or more studies to make people stupider

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Benefits Of Chocolate: Study Finds Eating Cocoa Daily May Improve Cognitive Impairment

Here's another sweet reason to eat chocolate: Consuming cocoa may help people with mild cognitive impairment -- a condition that affects an estimated one in five adults over age 65.

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The benefits of fish oil: Seven surprising... | Chatelaine.com

It’s no secret that fish oil keeps your inflammation down and digestion in check. But what you may not know is that its benefits can impact everything from city living and bone density to fat burning and brain power. Here are seven things you may not know about the benefits of fish oils and how you can go about ensuring you get enough each day:

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C-Sections May Not Provide the Brain Benefits of Vaginal Birth - Yahoo! News

In the study, mice born by a vaginal birth produced a brain protein called UCP2, which is important for the development of the hippocampus, a brain area responsible for short- and long-term memory.

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10 Early Warning Signs Of Diabetes To Watch Out For From SymptomFind.com

Those who suffer from diabetes have extra sugar in their blood, forcing the kidneys to work harder to filter the sugar out of the blood. This causes increased urination and then increased thirst when dehydration results. So if a person notices that he is substantially thirstier than normal, he might want to visit the doctor.

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Crohn's Disease - National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse

In Crohn’s disease, inflammation extends deep into the lining of the affected part of the GI tract. Swelling can cause pain and can make the intestine—also called the bowel—empty frequently, resulting in diarrhea. Chronic—or long-lasting—inflammation may produce scar tissue that builds up inside the intestine to create a stricture. A stricture is a narrowed passageway that can slow the movement of food through the intestine, causing pain or cramps

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Really? During a Heart Attack, Dial 911 and Chew an Aspirin - NYTimes.com

Studies show that for men and women, the symptoms can differ. Men are more likely to experience the classic signs, like chest pain, shortness of breath and radiating pain in the neck and arms. Women are more likely to experience severe fatigue, indigestion and cold sweats.

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Chocolate found to reduce risk of stroke in men - Winnipeg Free Press

A new study finds that compared with men who reported eating little-to-no chocolate on a regular basis, those who had the highest weekly consumption of chocolate -- about 63 grams per week, or just a little more than 2 ounces -- reduced their likelihood of suffering a stroke by 17 per cent.

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Why garlic, oregano, tumeric, rosemary and ginger are good tasting and good for you - thestar.com

What are phytonutrients? They’re compounds found naturally in fruits and vegetables (“phyto” is Greek for plant), and some research suggests there may be 10,000 phytochemicals in nature that could help protect against those aforementioned diseases.

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Breast Cancer Treatment: Two Fruits That Could Kill Cancer

Here are some deliciously promising results in a study on breast cancer. Texas researchers have found that extracts from peaches and plums killed breast cancer cells, even the most aggressive kinds. Not only did the cancerous cells die, but also no nearby healthy cells were affected. A targeted kill by fleshy fruit.

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10 Ways to Defend Yourself Against Negativity

There is little difference in people, but that little difference makes a big difference.  The little difference is attitude.  The big difference is whether it is positive or negative.

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5 Foods to Control Migraines | Reader's Digest

While experts don’t know exactly what causes migraines, they do know that almost anything can cause one – including weather changes, strong odours, stress, loss of sleep, certain foods and drinks, and fluctuations in estrogen levels (why no doubt three times more women than men get them). Avoiding the foods that often trigger migraines while making a point of eating those that help prevent them may reduce the number — and intensity — of headaches you get

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What Really Happens When You Get Angry | Reader's Digest

When we get mad, our rational prefrontal lobes shut down and the reflexive back areas of the brain take over. The left hemisphere also becomes more stimulated as the brain’s hormonal and cardiovascular responses kick in.

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5 Foods Every Man Should Eat More Of | Food & Nutrition for Men

Men and women are built differently, that much is clear -- but that's not where the differences end. Unique health concerns and nutritional needs also separate the sexes. The five foods featured on this list are chock-full of nutrients men need most, including omega-3 fatty acids, zinc, lycopene, magnesium, B vitamins, folate, antioxidants, vitamin E, and boron. These picks support sexual function, protect against prostate cancer, and reduce cardiovascular disease risk -- to name just a few benefits.

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5 Foods Every Woman Should Eat More Of | Food & Nutrition for Women

For busy women of all ages, five foods boast high scores in essential nutrients -- iron, calcium, magnesium, vitamin K, folate, vitamin D, and omega-3 fatty acids, in particular. Best of all, these foods are easy to find at practically every grocery store, no matter where you live, and each of them takes less than 15 minutes to prepare.

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7 Surprising Signs of an Unhealthy Heart - MSN Healthy Living - Heart & Cardiovascular

We've all read the signs of a heart attack listed on posters in the hospital waiting room. But what if there were other, earlier signs that could alert you ahead of time that your heart was in trouble?

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5 Secrets to Lifelong Weight Loss | Yahoo! Health

Most people can lose a quick five or ten pounds before a big event. But how do you keep the weight off -- today, tomorrow, and for the rest of your life? Not even everyone with "lucky genes" can stay slim for a lifetime without the help of a few basic strategies.

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Elena Paravantes RD: 5 Ways to Eat Like a Greek

The traditional Greek diet circa 1960 is considered one of the healthiest, if not the healthiest diet, in the world. It served as the basis of the Mediterranean diet as we know it today. Let's see 5 healthy habits of the Greeks.

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Digestive health: Five fermented foods to... | Chatelaine.com

Did you start the day with kefir in your smoothie? Wash down your lunch with a glass of kombucha? How about pickles or kimchee for dinner? No? Chances are you didn’t eat anything fermented today. If you did, congratulations! Your gut says ‘thank you!

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10 Simple Habits That Could Help You Live To 100 | The Dr. Oz Show

It was not too long ago that living to 100 was considered a nearly impossible feat. Yet with more and more advancements in medicine and modern life, reaching 100 is not as far out of reach as we once thought. To make sure that your journey to 100 is one you can be healthy enough to enjoy, Dr. Oz has put together his favorite 10 simple habits that you can add to your everyday routine.

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10 Vitamins You May Need if You Have Crohn’s - Health.com

In Crohn's disease, damage to the digestive tract, and sometimes the surgery and medication used to treat it, can make it hard for the body to absorb nutrients.

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Stop Nagging! - Oprah.com

You sound like a broken record. And everyone has tuned you out. So why waste your breath?

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