If you're worried about the onset of middle age (and we're not just talking the spread) research has shown that for osteoarthritis of the knees, adherence to a strength training program, a self management program or a combination of the two significantly improves mobility and reduce pain.
Don't have a diet soft drink before an important meeting or when you're about to make an important decision. Psychological scientists from the University of South Dakota found that changes in glucose levels affect a person's self control. Blood glucose levels can affect how we think about immediate rewards verses future plans. The study found that those who drank diet soft drinks were more prone to seeking instant gratification. Study authors say making difficult choices takes energy and cognitive resources and these are depleted when you're sucking in a carbonated can of diet soda. Regular soft drinks however gives you more energy and you then have the ability to be more future minded.
Remember when mom used to feed us our cough syrup with a large spoon when we were kids? Well, fine as those memories were, this is one practice that you should stop immediately. The use of improper spoons to measure liquid medications is a major cause of dosing errors says the FDA. Researchers found that using spoons from your kitchen you run the risk of overestimating your dosage by up to 11.6% or underestimating it up to 8.4%. These discrepancies add up and if you're running a fever, you need the right dose for faster healing. The study authors suggest using a measuring cup or a dosing spoon when using liquid meds.
No matter what your body mass index (BMI) is, moderate to high levels of physical activity can lower your risk of heart failure, according to research carried out in Finland. However, it was also noted that obese men were twice as likely to develop heart problems.
Your level of masculinity may be linked to phthalates (commonly found in plastic food wrappers) your mother was exposed to while you were still in the womb,according to a study by the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, New York. Boys with fetal exposure to phthalates were less likely to engage in play fighting or playing with toy guns and more likely to choose neutral games like sports or quizzes.
Meanwhile, exposure to too much estrogen as an unborn baby could result in reproductive abnormalities as an adult. Experiments on rats showed that exposure to ethyl estradiol (the main estrogen in birth control pills) increased the likelihood of penis deformity and low fertility. Higher doses are as dangerous for baby boys as DES - a drug banned in the US as a contraceptive in the 1970s.
