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august/september 2008
33
No Ha-Choo with Tai-Chi:
A University of California study
has revealed that Chinese exercise practice of Tai-Chi can
significantly boost your immune system's response to virus
infection. The research is thought to be the first to show that
a behavioural intervention can positively influence a virus-
specific immune response.
My Computer:
My Friend Blogging can help you feel less
isolated, more connected to a community and more satisfied
with your friendships, both online and face-to-face, research
from Swinburne University of Technology has discovered.
After two months of regular blogging, people felt they had
better social support and friendship networks than those
who didn't.
Just Pay a Compliment:
Paying people a compliment
appears to activate the same reward centre in the brain as
paying cash, Japanese researchers say. The study, published
in the journal Neuron, offers scientific support for the long-
held assumption that people get a psychological boost from
having a good reputation. We suspect the research may not
hold up at staff pay review times however.
Sudoku Workouts:
Sudoku puzzles give your brain a good
work-out. Scientists say solving them depends on neural
pathways that even the most powerful computers can't
replicate. To crack Sudoku our brains use a unique set of
neural pathways known as associative memory, which
enables us to discover a pattern from a partial clue. So stand
proud you Sudoku doers...now if only we could all
pronounce the word correctly!
L
Make that lifestyle
change you've
always wanted.
Fernwood Women's Health Clubs are the
undisputed leader in the women's health
and well-being industry in Australia, with
an annual turnover in excess of
$95 million.
We are seeking expressions of
interest from potential franchisees.
To find out more visit
www.fernwoodfitness.com.au or
call Bec Lollback on (03) 9630 8818.
Eat Well:
Australians spend up to one million dollars a day
on fad diets that have little effect on their weight. Even if you
remain on a weight loss program, it is likely that you will
regain one- to two-thirds of your lost weight within one year
and nearly all of your lost weight within five years. Now
that's a great reason to maintain healthy eating.
If you want to boost
your intake of
antioxidants while
keeping your fat intake
low, try drinking
cocoa instead of eating
chocolate, since it
generally has a much
lower fat content
Did you know?