How to get motivated?

The typical advice for finding motivation is to "keep your eyes on the prize," to remind yourself of your ultimate goal. However, a recent study found that the secret to accomplishment may be to focus on effort first and rewards last.

The authors hypothesize that the parts of the brain involved in reward processing seem to be particularly active during choice, but less active during execution.


The study's results suggest following two steps: 
First, when deciding between goals, consider how much work each option involves so you are mentally ready for the degree of difficulty. 



Second, when things get hard as we work toward our goal, we should focus on the end reward, rather than the effort. Imagining the reward in these moments can help you to push through when you need the help.

Science says that a healthy diet may help you to stay motivated by reducing inflammation in the body. Inflammation has been found to have an effect on the brain's dopamine system, which determines motivational drive and how the brain perceives the value of investing effort in the pursuit of rewards. Dopamine release creates feelings of satisfaction and reward, which motivate you to repeat a specific behavior.

Inflammation may alter dopamine by depleting an enzyme called BH4, which helps regulate functions of the heart, brain, gut and reproductive systems and is also essential for the synthesis of dopamine, the report said.

In this way, it is that inflammation may reduce the amount of effort the brain expends by increasing the perceived cost of the effort itself. Studies testing the strengthening or reduction of dopamine in humans have shown "a real shift in an individual's willingness to expend efforts for rewards," said Michael Treadway, author of the study, a clinical psychologist and associate professor in Emory University's Department of Psychology.

Foods that can increase dopamine levels include almonds, bananas, avocados, eggs, fish, beans and chicken. 

Exercising, getting enough sleep, meditation and listening to music can also help raise dopamine levels, according to recent studies.

Engaging in these activities and eating a healthy diet can set you off on a cycle in which being healthier helps you to stay motivated and vice versa. In addition to a routine and a healthy diet, working toward a goal with others can also help you to stay motivated, as it keeps you accountable to someone other than yourself. Focusing on what the achievement will mean to you once it happens is also productive.

Does money buy happiness?

"The way to happiness is not by choosing to be happy, it's to find meaning in life," according to psychology professor Lyle Ungar.

"Go volunteer, spend time at a charity, give something of yourself. The people who are doing fine in that way are living longer," Ungar said.

Volunteering and other good deeds reduce physical pain, a study finds.

Volunteering has been shown to minimize stress, improve depression, reduce the risk for cognitive impairment -- even help us live longer. One reason for this is because giving to others contributes to our sense of community and belonging. And that is a key contributor to a healthy, longer life.

Giving is good for your health.

Prior analyses of brain scans found giving stimulates the reward centers of the brain, flooding out system with feel-good chemicals that produce what is known as a "helper's high".

Giving can also reduce pain perception, research shows. By studying scans of people's brains while they were thinking about giving, it was found that those who said they would donate money to help orphans were less sensitive to an electric shock than those who declined to give. 

"Prosocial spending," which is giving donations of money to others, reduced blood pressure and improved heart health. The study found that the act of donating money to save a life produced happiness at first.

In addition, the more helpful people thought their donation would be, the less pain they felt.

How to live longer?

When we eliminate bad health habits of smoking, not exercising, being overweight, drinking too much alcohol and eating an unhealthy diet, what would happen to our life?

"We found that following a healthy lifestyle can substantially extend the years a person lives disease-free," said senior author Dr. Frank Hu, who chairs the department of nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

"In particular, women who practiced all five habits gained over 10 years of disease-free life, and men who did so gained almost eight years," Hu said.

The research followed more than 38,000 men for 28 years and 73,000 women for 34 years. It was designed to see how five healthy behaviors interacted to affect disease risk: never smoking, keeping a healthy BMI below 25, doing at least 30 minutes of physical activity each day, drinking alcohol moderately and eating a good quality diet.

The research found that women who adopted all five healthy habits at age 50 lived 14 years longer than women who did not; men who were following all five lifestyle factors at age 50 lived 12 years longer than men who followed none.

Women who practiced four or five of the healthy habits over the next 20 to 30 years, Hu said, had an additional 10.6 years of disease-free living compared to women who adopted no lifestyle changes. 

When broken down by disease, the healthier women gained an average of eight years free of cancer, 10 years with no cardiovascular disease and 12 years without diabetes.

Men who practiced four to five healthy behaviors gained 7.6 years' longer life expectancy; an average of six more years without cancer, almost nine more years free of heart issues and over 10 years without diabetes.The results held true even after adjusting the data for age, ethnicity, family medical history and other potentially influential factors.

What happened if a person was diagnosed with a disease during the study? The data showed half of people diagnosed with cancer lived an additional 23 years if they adopted four of five healthy practices. Among those who didn't change, half only survived an additional 11 years. The same patterns were seen for both heart disease and diabetes.

Global food waste at 1.3 billion tons

A third of all food available for human consumption is wasted, with people in wealthier countries wasting more, according to a recent study.

The study estimated food waste using consumer expenditure and found that, globally, people were wasting as much as 727 calories a day in food in 2011, or 25% of calories available for human consumption. The UN estimates annual global food waste at 1.3 billion tons, or around $1 trillion.

Researchers looked at the relationship between food waste and wealth and found a direct link between the two. They said that food waste is not a problem in developing countries but people in poorer nations begin wasting more food as they earn more money. Consumers begin rapidly wasting food when their incomes increase to $6.70 a day or more per capita. "The resources needed to produce the food that becomes lost or wasted has a carbon footprint of about 3.3 billion tons of CO²."

Climate experts have identified food waste as one of the top sustainability problems worldwide and the United Nations environment program has an ambitious goal of eliminating half of all food waste by 2030 and suggests ways to help address the huge resource waste, including reduction in personal waste and always choosing a sustainable option when possible. The UN's Sustainable Development Goals program seeks to promote sustainable food consumption and production through "energy efficiency, sustainable infrastructure and access to basic services..."

How to manage COVID-19-related Mental Health

Aiysha Malik, a Technical Officer at the World Health Organization’s Mental Health and Substance Use Department, said, “It’s really important to think about mental health as part of the public health response to COVID-19."

Sandro Galea, Dean and Robert A. Knox Professor at Boston University of Public Health and a population health expert who has focused on the social causes of health, mental health and trauma, also said he does not dismiss the risk of spread of the novel coronavirus, but it is also important to consider unexpected risks associated with the response to the outbreak. “The fact that social isolation is associated with poor mental health is unquestionable,” he explained.

Besides, now, many healthcare workers around the world stretched by demand, Many consultants have headaches and nausea when they deal with stress and emotion, said Yu Lei, a psychological consultant at Daqing Oilfield General Hospital, Daqing, Heilongjiang Province, China. "Consultants are easily overly involved and fall into a sense of powerlessness."

There are also times when there is nothing they can do. "You must always return to yourself, be aware of yourself, and distinguish which emotions are yours, which are the patients, and which are your empathy," Lei said. 

In addition, macro-level stress across society could have an undue social burden on specific populations. "There will be medium and long-term consequences on people whose employment is in sectors like retail and transportation," Galea explained. "Adding economic pressures will inevitably result in worse mental health.”

Galea also noted the effects of quarantining on people’s mental health. Galea pointed to a study of the 2003 SARS outbreak of the psychological effects of quarantining on residents in Toronto, which found that a substantial portion of those quarantined displayed symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.

If quarantining is necessary, there are steps that can mitigate the effects of being isolated, including:

• Staying connected with your social and family networks via technology

• Keeping your daily routines as much as possible

• Exercising regularly and practicing habits that you enjoy and find relaxing

• Seeking practical, credible information at specific times of the day
• Leaning on technology - using technology to manage mental health, which will likely become more common and necessary as the need to practice “social distancing,” maintaining a physical distance from others to avoid the spread, increases. For example, in China, many cities and universities opened psychological assistance hotlines. According to the head of the Beijing Normal University Epidemic Psychological Support Hotline in an interview, the general public had the most psychological consultations (about 50%), followed by those who were isolated (about 15%), frontline medical staff (about 10%), those were quarantined at home (5%) and other cases (about 20%). 
• Shifting narratives away from number of deaths toward number of recoveries. There often seems to be a dearth of positive stories about coronavirus and those who recover. “We’re not seeing the stories of recovery," said Ken Carswell, Technical Officer, World Health Organization. "We need to shift narratives away from number of deaths toward number of recoveries.” 
• Additionally, the negative effects of stigmatizing language – such as attaching region or ethnicity to the virus or blaming people for transmission – exacerbate the sense of fear at a macro level.

Overall, the common thread among all experts on mental health and COVID-19 is that we need to stay informed by trusted sources. For managing fear in the COVID-19 response is to get facts. Facts minimize fear. There is a risk of an infodemic, in which misinformation spreads.

In addition, a sense of hope instead of fear could allow leaders and everyday citizens to better cooperate with one another – a vital element in defeating this outbreak. Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO Director-General, said.

"We are not at the mercy of coronavirus. The great advantage we have is that the decisions we all make – as governments, businesses, communities, families and individuals – can influence the trajectory of this epidemic."

Waist size more important than weight for multiple heart attack risk

The latest study published in the European Journal of Preventative Cardiology found a link between belly fat and the risk of a subsequent heart attack or stroke besides having a pot belly increases the odds of having the first heart attack.

The link was particularly strong in men. "Abdominal obesity not only increases your risk for a first heart attack or stroke, but also the risk for recurrent events after the first misfortune," said Dr. Hanieh Mohammadi of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm.

"Maintaining a healthy waist circumference is important for preventing future heart attacks and strokes regardless of how many drugs you may be taking or how healthy your blood tests are."

The study tracked more than 22,000 Swedish patients after their first heart attack and looked at the link between their waist circumference and events caused by clogged arteries like fatal and non-fatal heart attacks and stroke. Patients were followed for nearly four years.

The study found that belly fat was associated with heart attacks and stroke independent of other risk factors like smoking, diabetes, hypertension, body mass index and prevention treatments. The researchers stressed that waist circumference was a more important marker than overall obesity.

However, they said that the link was stronger and more linear in men than women.

In women, Mohammadi said, the relationship was "U-shaped" rather than linear, meaning that the mid-range waist measurement was least risky.

This may be due to the fact that men may have more visceral fat that goes deep inside the body and wraps around the vital organs. This fat can be turned into cholesterol that can start collecting along and hardening the arteries, perhaps ultimately leading to a heart attack or stroke.

In women, a greater portion of the abdominal fat is constituted by subcutaneous fat which is relatively harmless.

In addition, excessive body fat around the middle linked to smaller brain, study says

Abdominal obesity is defined as a waist circumference of 94 cm (37.6 inches) or above for men, and 80 cm (32 inches) or above for women. The risk of cardiovascular disease like heart attacks or strokes is considered to be higher in those with a waist measurement of above 94 cm in men and above 80 cm in women, according to the World Health Organization. The risk is thought to be substantially increased in men with a waist wider than 102 cm and 88 cm in women.

The authors said that belly fat was best tackled by a healthy diet and regular exercise. Earlier studies have shown that regular moderate cardio, like walking for at least 30 minutes a day, can help fight a widening waistline. Strength training with weights may also help but spot exercises like sit-ups that can tighten abs will not touch visceral fat.

How many hours of sleep do you need?

Sleep is essential for optimal safety, mood, performance and health. The amount of sleep you get can dramatically improve or hinder your quality of life in various ways.

The amount of sleep a person needs each day varies with age, according to the National Sleep Foundation.

• Newborns (0-3 months) need 14-17 hours 
• Infants (4-11 months) need 12-15 hours
• Toddlers (1-2 years) need 11-14 hours
• Preschoolers (3-5) need 10-13 hours
• Children (6-13) need 9-11 hours
• Teenagers (14-17) need  8-10 hours
• Adults (18-64) need 7-9 hours
• Older adults (65+) need 7-8 hours

Older adults need about that same amount of slumber as other adults, but they tend to sleep more lightly and for shorter time spans than younger adults. Older adults’ sleep difficulties are often related to the natural aging process. Many sleep disorders increase with age.

Inadequate sleep negatively affects health in a number of ways, says the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. For example:

Sleep deprivation can affect your mood and performance. It can make you feel irritable, anxious, or depressed. It can make it difficult to concentrate on everyday tasks. Lack of sleep can become a safety hazard when it results in drowsy driving and workplace injuries.

Digestive problems are very common in individuals who have poor sleep quality and probably account for the most common reason why people miss work.

Regular lack of sleep can make symptoms of an existing chronic condition seem worse and may even increase the risk of developing certain conditions—high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes and heart attack, to name a few.

Individuals who are not getting enough sleep also are more susceptible to illnesses, as poor quality sleep weakens the immune system.

“Cancer is another disorder that's been linked to poor quality sleep,” notes Dr. Christopher Winter, owner of Charlottesville Neurology and Sleep Medicine in Virginia and medical director of the Martha Jefferson Hospital Sleep Medicine Center. “Individuals who work unusual schedules and have unpredictable sleep timing over time may show an increased risk for certain types of cancers, particularly women and breast cancer.”

To improve your sleep, it is recommended limiting exposure to bright light in the evening, turning off electronic devices at least 30 minutes before bedtime, not eating a large meal before bedtime, avoiding consuming caffeine or alcohol before bedtime and reducing your fluid intake before bedtime.

Consistency is important. Dr. Winter recommends going to bed and waking up around the same time every day and not having a wide span of sleep timing.

Did eating eggs increase risk for heart attacks, coronary heart disease or stroke?

An egg a day may be fine for you after all, a new study says.

"Moderate consumption -- up to one egg per day -- is not associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease," said study author Dr. Frank Hu, who chairs the department of nutrition at Harvard University's T.H. Chan School of Public Health.


The research team analyzed data from large, longitudinal studies that were following 215,000 women and men who had no major chronic disease at the start of the study. 

To verify the results, the team did a meta-analysis of studies from Europe, Asia and the United States. Combined, the studies looked at the egg-eating habits of 1.7 million people and found that eating up to one egg a day had no negative impact on heart health. The only association between a higher intake of eggs and cardiovascular risk was for people with type 2 diabetes.

In fact, moderate egg consumption was associated with a slightly lower risk for heart disease in Asian populations, possibly because of the way Asian food incorporates eggs into recipes rather than eating them separately. The dietary models that recommend replacing full-fat milk, unprocessed red meat or processed red meat with eggs showed a benefit in terms of cardiovascular disease risk.

For a mere 75 calories, an egg delivers 7 grams of high-quality protein, 5 grams of fat and 1.6 grams of saturated fat, along with iron, vitamins, minerals and disease-fighting nutrients like lutein and zeaxanthin. In addition, eggs are affordable, making them a cheap nutritional powerhouse for families with limited food budgets. But one large egg can deliver about 185 milligrams cholesterol. Nutritional guidelines used to recommend an upper limit of 300 milligrams of cholesterol a day. Today the guidelines suggest eating as little as possible by keeping saturated fats to less than 10% of daily calories.

"Nutrition is more dynamic than many other areas of research because the relationship between dietary factors and health outcomes tend to change, for example with type 2 diabetes," Hu said.

"So when we make recommendations on egg consumption, the metabolic conditions and health conditions need to be considered as well."

Herbs for Respiratory Health

Nowadays, respiratory health is especially important for us. Some herbs may help give us respiratory system a boost.

Astragalus

Astragalus has been used by Chinese herbalists for thousands of years. Loaded with over 100 active compounds, including saponins, polysaccharides, amino acids, flavonoids and more, aside from its respiratory-friendly benefits, astragalus is also a stellar source of antioxidants and supports immune health, cardio function and more.

Mullein

Also known as Verbascum thapsus, the plant can be found in Asia, Northern Africa and Europe. This useful plant provides us with the highly beneficial mullein leaf. Like astragalus, the mullein leaf has a rich history; in fact, its usage can be traced all the way back to ancient Greece. Today, mullein leaf is perhaps most commonly used for its ability to boost respiratory and lung health. Traditional herbalists believe that mullein plays a role in helping to soothe the respiratory tract.

Wild Cherry Bark

Taken from the bark of the black cherry tree, wild cherry bark is packed with minerals like iron, calcium, zinc and magnesium as well as phytochemicals like quercetin and kaempferol. Studies have shown that wild cherry bark may help calm and support the respiratory system, which is due in part to its ability to help soothe the respiratory muscles lining the bronchioles. 

Quercetin and Bromelain

Quercetin is a powerful antioxidant flavonoid found in a wide range of foods and plants including apples, various berries, green tea, red grapes, onions and ginkgo biloba. Quercetin’s antioxidant effects help promote immune health and studies have also shown that it can support sinus and respiratory health. Bromelain enhances the absorption of quercetin, but bromelain offers benefits of its own.

Bromelain is derived from the stem of pineapples and features an impressive range of proteolytic enzymes. Bromelain has been studied for its benefits for sinus and lung health. Together, quercetin and bromelain are a winning combo for respiratory support.

Elecampane Root

Elecampane root’s scientific name is Helenium. Elecampane root has long been used as a traditional supporter to boost respiratory health and soothe the respiratory system, useful benefits for battling seasonal effects.

Oregano

It provides antioxidants while promoting digestive function, immune function and respiratory health. Researchers have reported that oregano promotes a soothing of the respiratory system and improve airflow while boosting immune health.

Coleus Forskohlii

This member of the mint family has been used for centuries as a respiratory health staple in Ayurvedic traditions. Modern science agrees that this Indian and South Asian herb is a great option for seasonal support. According to studies, taking a coleus forskohlii can have a soothing effect on the smooth muscles of our airways.

Plantain Leaf

The plantain is a perennial plant that originates from Europe and northern and Central Asia, but can also be found in North America and Australia. It is a source of flavonoids including apigenin and luteolin, plus minerals like zinc, iron and potassium and vitamins A, C and K. 

Plantain leaf has been traditionally used for boosting respiratory health and seasonal wellness. While its effects on respiratory health are not fully understood, its benefits may be related to vitamin C content, which according to studies can play a role in supporting healthy lung function.

Red Raspberry Leaves

The red raspberry leaf is practically bursting with nutrients like alpha-carotene, alpha-tocopherol, niacin, boron, calcium, magnesium, selenium, zinc, tons of antioxidants and a whole lot more. Herbalists dating back centuries have used red raspberry leaf as a traditional tonic to help support the body against the effects of seasonal blahs and boost respiratory function.

Thyme Leaf

Like oregano, thyme leaf is another culinary favorite that doubles as a supporter of good health and its use dates all the way back to the time of the Romans. Thyme is a flowering evergreen shrub and a member of the mint family. Its leaf has been used throughout the ages to boost immune function, support healthy blood pressure already within the normal range, and even promote a healthy mood. 

Thyme is also particularly suited for supporting respiratory health. Part of thyme’s respiratory health benefits may come from carvacrol, a plant phenol that boosts the body’s immune defenses.

How to Prepare for the Coronavirus

The coronavirus continues to spread in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, the United States and other countries.

By following some basic steps, you can reduce your risk and protect others.

Here are what you can do:

Wash your hands frequently

Regularly and thoroughly clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water to kill viruses that may be on your hands.

Wet your hands with clean running water and then lather them with soap; do not miss the backs of your hands, between your fingers or under your nails. Make sure to scrub for at least 20 seconds and dry them with a clean towel or let them air dry.

Alcohol-based hand sanitizers, which should be rubbed in for about 20 seconds, can also work, but the gel must contain at least 60 percent alcohol.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands. Hands touch many surfaces and can pick up viruses. Once contaminated, hands can transfer the virus to your eyes, nose or mouth. From there, the virus can enter your body and can make you sick.

Practice respiratory hygiene

Make sure you, and the people around you, follow good respiratory hygiene. This means covering your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze so as to avoid leaving germs on your hands, which can then quickly spread to other surfaces, then dispose of the used tissue immediately.

Meanwhile, if someone else is showing flu- or cold-like symptoms, try to stay six feet away as the virus might spread through droplets in the air from a cough or sneeze.

Stay home if you are sick

Protect other people from infection by being extra cautious if you are not feeling well.

Coronavirus starts deep in the lungs and the most common signs are fever and dry cough, followed by fatigue and shortness of breath. If you have any of these symptoms, please make every effort to remain at home.

Still, if you are sick, do not travel. Pregnant women and others with compromised immune systems should also think twice about nonessential travel.

When to use face masks

Face masks have become almost synonymous with the coronavirus outbreak. But they do not do much to protect you — most surgical masks are too loose to prevent inhalation of the virus. And so unless you are already infected, face masks will not help.

But if you are infected, masks can help prevent the spread of a virus.

Actually, the infectious disease specialists do not recommend face masks if you are healthy. If you are healthy, you only need to wear a mask if you are a health care worker or are caring for sick people at home or in a health care facility or when you are coughing or sneezing.

Masks will not help against the spread of the coronavirus but will take away important resources from health care professionals.

Also, masks are effective only when used in combination with frequent hand-cleaning.

Others

Alcohol is a good disinfectant for coronaviruses to keep surfaces in your home clean.

Most important: Do not panic. While the outbreak is a serious public health concern, the majority of those who contract the coronavirus do not become seriously ill. Only a small percentage require intensive care.

Another good news is that coronavirus cases in children have been very rare.

The Benefits of Exercise for Mental Health

Recent research on the link between physical activity and depression risk in adults has suggested that exercise may offset the genetic tendency toward depression. Adults with genetic risks who exercised regularly were no more likely to develop depression than those without the genetic propensity.

There is good evidence that this same association holds in adolescents, a group with a generally high risk of depression and with concerningly high suicide rates.

A study published in the March issue of the journal The Lancet Psychiatry found that even light activity — and a corresponding decrease in the amount of time that kids spent being sedentary — was linked to better mental health as they got older.

The researchers looked at the activity of adolescents at the ages of 12, 14 and 16, who were then assessed for depression at around 18 and found that the activity levels when kids were younger were linked to their mental health later on; the depression scores at 18 were lower for every additional 60 minutes per day of light activity at ages 12, 14 and 16, and higher for every additional sedentary hour.

Xihe Zhu, an associate professor of human movement science at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Va., said that research shows that “some exercise is going to be much better than no exercise at all.” Dr. Zhu was the first author on a 2019 study of 35,000 children and adolescents from 6 to 17 in the United States, which found that those who reported no exercise were twice as likely to have mental health problems, particularly related to anxiety and depression, compared with those who met the exercise guidelines.

Even if children exercised only one to three days a week, he said, there was a strong correlation with lower rates of anxiety and depression — and there was no significant difference between them and those who exercised four to six days a week.

Good sleep duration and extracurricular activities were also associated with better mental health. In fact, physical activity may improve sleep quality, which is closely linked to mental health.

In addition, on a 2017 study on European adolescents, it was found that there was a clear association between more frequent physical activity and lower levels of depression and anxiety, but the most significant difference was between the least active group (active for 60 minutes or more on zero to three of the past 14 days) and the somewhat active group (four to seven of the past 14 days). The most active group (eight to 14 of the past 14 days) had the highest levels of well-being and the lowest levels of depression and anxiety, though within that group, daily activity conferred no special benefit.

The cross-sectional studies that show an association between exercise and better mental health cannot actually show causality, and being depressed or otherwise affected by mental health problems might stop a person from exercising. 

“When you look at populations with mental health issues, they typically have low physical activity or exercise,” Dr. Zhu said. In adults, those populations also typically have high levels of obesity and cardiovascular health problems, he said.

A 2019 review cited a number of possible ways exercise may affect depression, including biological mechanisms like stimulation of neurological pathways and processes, and reducing inflammation, but also that “exercise promotes self-esteem, social support and self-efficacy.”

“Moderate activity of any kind, getting out and doing something, is associated with improvements, lower levels of depressive symptoms, lower levels of anxiety, better well-being,” Dr. McMahon, a research fellow at the National Suicide Research Foundation and the School of Public Health, University College Cork in Ireland, said.