We all know that eating fast is very harmful for our health. However, we frequently regard eating as nothing else but just a routine activity and eat really fast. Is there anyone who is not aware that eating fast leads to various problems with digestive system, overeating and weight gain? Look at the French or the Japanese: they seem to be healthier and more fit because their culture of eating has been developing for centuries and these people find eating to be a truly enjoyable experience. Read the rest of this entry »

St. John’s Wort (Hypericum Perforatum, also known as Goat weed) is one of the most popular medicinal herbs, which has been known since the times of ancient Greece and used to treat various problems with cardiovascular and digestive systems, liver and bladder, as well as to relieve certain mental conditions and nerve pain. The herb received its name after St. John the Baptist as it blossoms in the middle of June, around the time for the feast of St. John the Baptist. In herbal medicine, flowered tops of St. John’s Wort are used for preparing tinctures, teas extracts, capsules, dietary supplements or other medicines. Read the rest of this entry »

After reading this interesting news, I immediately remembered my dear grandma. She lived in the countryside and passed away more than five years ago. She loved salty foods a lot and always used to add some salt to boiled eggs or fresh tomatoes from her garden. Moreover, she knew an ancient Oriental recipe of some kind of drink called “salty tea” (which involved tea leaves, salt, milk and black pepper – errrgh!). And, you know what, my dear readers: she was always in a good mood, even when she was tied by illness to her bed. Now, the scientists from the University of Iowa discovered unique properties of salt to combat depression and put us in a better mood. Amazing! Read the rest of this entry »

Nightmares and night terrors are usually associated with the dreams causing the feelings of extreme anxiety, distress or terror, making the sleeper wake up in fear and unable to go back to sleep again for a long period of time. Stresses and conflicts, psychological pressure and anxiety, illnesses and side-effects of taking certain medicines, excessive violence in modern mass media and other various conditions are among the most common reasons of experiencing nightmares and restless dreams. Read the rest of this entry »

You know so well, how this happens in our life: some people eat practically  every type of food, they never watch the calories and manage to stay slim all the time. Other people, in order to avoid having extra weight, are ready for eating only natural foods, only raw or only boiled vegetables, or for giving up eating everything that contains sugar, fat, carbs, starch or whatever. And, still, they can be overweight or even obese. Many of us find it unfair, but what to do?

It is obvious that gaining weight is not connected only with the food we eat. For many years scientists were looking for links between our brain impulses and having extra weight. Finally, in 2008 it was found out that obese people usually have smaller amounts of dopamine receptors, responsible for the ability to feel pleasure while eating. Therefore, overweight people tend to consume more and more food in order to experience more satisfaction from eating.

When we eat, our body releases a neurotransmitter called dopamine, which can bring us a feeling of pleasure from eating. The more dopamine is released, the more pleasure we experience. However, the people who are predisposed to having extra weight usually have reduced amounts of dopamine receptors. According to Dr. Eric Stice, a specialist in the Department of Psychology at the University of Oregon, who was a leader of the research, “..obese people may have fewer dopamine receptors, so they overeat to compensate for this reward deficit“.

For about a year, the team of Dr. Stice was studying the responses of the brians of 76 female participants of the experiment. Young ladies were first offered to drink a chocolate milkshake followed by drinking a tasteless solution. With the help of MRI it was possible to monitor and measure the activity in the “plceasure center” of the women’s brain, accompanied by a regular tracking of the ladies’ BMI. As a result, it was revealed that the women with reduced striatal response to milkshakes were more likely to gain extra weight.