finger on
the pulse
Healthy adults who stay up late and suffer
chronic sleep restriction are likely to gain
weight, shows a study in the journal
SLEEP
.
This is largely due to an increase in meals
and snacks consumed during the late-
night period. The study showed that
night owls not only tucked into more
food than those who hit the hay
early, the proportion of calories
consumed from fat was higher
during late-night hours than at
other times of day.
source:
Australian
Women’s Weekly
Cleanliness may be a virtue, but clutter may inspire your next great
idea. When researchers at the University of Minnesota in the US had
people solve problems in either a clean room or a messy one, they
found that those in the untidy space came up with more creative
solutions. “An orderly room encourages people to do what is
expected. But a messy room can do the opposite, leading
you to brainstorm more innovative ideas,” says Kathleen
Vohs, PhD. So the next time books and papers begin to
pile up, cut yourself – and your kids? – some slack. The
mess could encourage a light bulb moment.
source:
Good Housekeeping
Snooze
and lose
Go, weekend warriors! Exercise is just as
beneficial when you squeeze it into a couple
of sessions per week instead of trying to do
some on most days. In research from Queen’s
University in Ontario, Canada, volunteers who
logged 150 minutes or more of moderate to
vigorous exercise each week were three to
four times less likely to develop metabolic
syndrome – that unhealthy combo of high
blood pressure, high cholesterol, excess belly
fat, and insulin resistance – however they split
up those minutes.
source:
Good Housekeeping
Training
Time
Messy
Works
A study in
Clinical Pediatrics
investigated two
toilet-training methods to see whether one
was more likely to lead to accidents later on.
In one, you wait until your child shows signs
that he’s ready, then follow his lead during
the process. The other approach starts when
you’re
ready; you encourage your kid to go to
the bathroom at set times. Researchers found
that neither method affects the risk of kids
having accidents later, but Ari Brown, MD, a
paediatrician and co-author of
Toddler 411
,
says, “There’s less frustration for both the parent
and child when toilet training starts once the
child is developmentally ready to succeed.”
source:
Parents
Wait for it
18
Playtimes
