We’ve all done it: enjoyed a delicious meal only to nod-off in a comfy chair for a while. A habit for some but unavoidable for others, what is it about food that can make us so sleepy?
Think of it as a useful signal from your body.
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In many of the workplaces I visit as a neuroscientist, stressed workers behave much like addicted lab rats. But you don’t have to quit the rat race to start feeling better at work.
Some people believe stretching reduces the risk of injury, reduces soreness experienced after exercise, or enhances sporting performance.
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Many people stretch when they exercise or play sport. Others don’t stretch but feel they should. And some people don’t see any reason to stretch at all.
Around the world, tea is the most common drink after water.
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The decision to use protein supplements is based more on marketing claims than anything else. They offer few real performance benefits that an athlete’s normal diet isn’t already delivering.
The head louse is usually relatively harmless and more of a nuisance than a disease.
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We humans think we sit on top of the food chain, but the pediculosis capitis mite – the head louse – sits above us, on the top of our heads.
Too much sitting may increase the risk of developing diseases including heart disease and type 2 diabetes, and it may even cause premature death.
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More people are getting standing desks in response to our increasing knowledge about the harms of sedentary lifestyles. But can you transition to standing at work without causing yourself harm?
Tension-type headaches feel like a dull or heavy, non-pulsating band of pain, usually on both sides of the head.
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Nearly every second person in the world had a headache at least once in the past year. But these can feel very different, depending on which of the nearly 200 types of headache you have.
There are many reasons why some people get very grumpy when they haven’t eaten for a while.
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“Hangry” is an amalgam of hungry and angry that describes the distinct grumpiness that some people experience when they haven’t eaten for a while. Ring a bell?
People aren’t productive at work when they’re ill and they risk infecting others.
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You wake up and feel under the weather. If you’re vomiting or have a fever, the decision to stay at home is probably clear cut. But what if you generally feel unwell but are torn about missing work?
Children in particular experience a multitude of viral illnesses during their early years.
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Viruses cause all kinds of infections from relatively mild cases of the flu to deadly outbreaks of Ebola. Clearly, not all viruses are equal and one of these differences is when you can infect others.
Eating three meals a day (rather than two) makes it easier to meet the body’s needs for many nutrients.
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We’re told to breakfast like kings but is the first meal of the day really one for champions, or chumps who’ve been taken in by the marketing of ready-to-eat cereal manufacturers?
The dimpling of cellulite is caused by alterations to the layer of fat beneath the skin.
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Most women (85%) and a small number of men have cellulite, usually on the thighs, buttocks and upper arms. It’s a normal pattern of fat for people of all shapes and sizes.
Don’t worry, the risk of catching these diseases can usually be mitigated by washing your hands.
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Household pets are often a great source of joy and have positive effects on our mental well-being. For most of us, this outweighs the risk of coming into contact with the bugs they may carry.
Generic medicines may have a different colour, shape, size and taste than the original brand.
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Fiona Kumfor, Neuroscience Research Australia and Sicong Tu, Neuroscience Research Australia
The brain is truly a marvel. A seemingly endless library, whose shelves house our most precious memories as well as our lifetime’s knowledge. But is there a point where it reaches capacity?
Systematic reviews of the research judge the current evidence as mostly in favour of drinking coffee.
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Sports drinks claiming to contain electrolytes have innundated stores in recent years. So what are electrolytes? Are they good? How can we best get them?
If your symptoms are above the neck, you’ll still be able to manage a lighter-than-normal workout.
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Toby Mündel, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University
As we move into winter, the cold mornings, dark evenings and rain tend to bring out the best excuses to miss a session at the gym or run around the park.