Published November 23, 2005
in General.
When Thanksgiving arrives next week, people should be groaning from full stomachs, not food poisoning.
More than 200,000 Americans get sick each day from what they eat, and turkey dinner with all the trimmings complicates it all. The government is offering some tips to keep holiday cooking from becoming an intestinal curse.
At the top of the list is washing your hands often, followed by keeping raw food separate from cooked food, using a food thermometer and storing leftovers in small portions in the fridge.
“It’s a little bit more dangerous, obviously, when you have large gatherings and food laid out like this,” said Richard Raymond, the nation’s top food safety official. “We tend to feast and nibble and snack all afternoon.”
Continue reading ‘Thanksgiving tips: Hold the bacteria’
Published November 23, 2005
in General.
A study has concluded that being in regular email contact with a shrink does as much good for sufferers of anxiety disorders as face-to-face sessions:
Preliminary results, based on more than two years of research, showed that internet therapy was comparable with face-to-face treatment in reducing disturbing thoughts and improving stress and anxiety.
When undertaking internet-based therapy, sufferers of panic disorder have an initial face-to-face consultation with a psychologist and are then in regular email contact with the therapist.
Internet may aid in treating panic sufferers
Published November 22, 2005
in General.
Scientists have discovered a gene that appears to control whether fear reactions to impending danger are appropriate or not.
Mice lacking the gene stathmin appeared fearless in conditions that should instinctively inspire fear.
The gene is expressed in particularly high levels in a part of the brain, called the amygdala, known to be important in human fear.
The US team told Cell their findings could shed light on anxiety disorders.
via BBC News
Published November 15, 2005
in General.
Neuroscientists from Massachusetts General Hospital report that meditation actually increases the thickness of the brain’s cortex, specifically regions associated with attention and the processing of sensory information. They conducted MRI brain scans on 15 meditators of varying experience and 15 non-meditators. From New Scientist:
“You are exercising (the cortex) while you meditate, and it gets bigger,” (researcher Sara Lazar) says. The finding is in line with studies showing that accomplished musicians, athletes and linguists all have thickening in relevant areas of the cortex. It is further evidence, says Lazar, that yogis “aren’t just sitting there doing nothing”.
