Health and Fitness news

The Michael Jackson Drug

Although the legend has moved on to the Great Gig in the Sky, MJ’s ardent fans still find it hard to reconcile to his death. The trauma has been so bitter that the drug Propofol, to which doctors attributed the icon’s death, is now widely reviled. What used to be just another sleep inducing drug is now called ‘The Michael Jackson Drug’, and many, including patients wh have been prescribed it, choose to skip it fearing it would kill them as well. Of small note is the fact that the real reason for MJ’s death was not its consumption, but unmonitored use of this drug. Well, here’s a classic example of blind belief!

         


Calling won’t kill!

A recent study done by a few Danish researchers has made it very clear that there is no harm in using your cell phones. The study conducted over 350,000 people concluded that there was no difference in cancer rates between the people who had used cell phones in the past decade and those who hadn’t. Two US agencies, Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Communications Commission, also have found no link between cancer and cell phones. This study also reassured that cell phones hardly emit brain-damage-causing radiations. However, whether children are equally safe from cell phone radiations is yet to be ascertained.

    

Pursuit of happiness

What makes us happy? Money, luxury or is it something eternal? According to happiness researcher, Sonja Lyubomirsky, PhD (University of California, Riverside), only 10% of our happiness is reflected in life circumstances and about 40% is derived from what we do ourselves to make us happy. So the next time you feel sad and low, try these out:

• Browse through old photographs.

• Open the blinds and let the rays of the sun in as soon as you wake up.

 

• Go out for long walks on streets that are lush with greenery. Appreciate nature and expreience these simple joys of life.

 

    

Chocolates, not so bad after all!

The French have been talking about it for years and the benefits have finally been highlighted. Yes, we are talking about ‘ze chocolat’, the dessert that proves to be sweeter than it actually tastes. A recent study has made it clear that chocolate (dark, extra-dark or milk) can reduce the chances of a heart attack by 37% and diabetes by 29%! Chocolate contains polyphenols that enhance the body’s level of nitric oxide, which keep the arteries young and flexible.  Chocolate also helps in easing blood pressure and makes your body absorb blood sugar easily. So go ahead, and never mind the guilt trips.