Meditation and yoga can 'reverse' DNA reactions which cause stress.

Meditation and yoga can 'reverse' DNA reactions which cause stress. Mind-body interventions (MBIs) such as meditation, yoga and Tai Chi don't simply relax us; they can 'reverse' the molecular reactions in our DNA which cause ill-health and depression, according to a study by the universities of Coventry and Radboud. The research, published in the journal Frontiers in Immunology, reviews over a decade of studies analysing how the behaviour of our genes is affected by different MBIs including mindfulness and yoga. source

Prolonged exposure to work-related stress thought to be related to certain cancers.

Prolonged exposure to work-related stress thought to be related to certain cancers. A study on the link between cancer and work-related stress perceived by men throughout their working lifetime. In men,prolonged exposure to work-related stress has been linked to an increased likelihood of lung, colon, rectal, and stomach cancer and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. This is the first study to assess the link between cancer and work-related stress perceived by men throughout their working life. The findings are among the results obtained by researchers at INRS and Université de Montréal who conducted the first study to assess the link between cancer and work-related stress perceived by men throughout their working life. The research results were recently published in Preventive Medicine. source

How to use light to suppress mosquito bites and prevent malaria.

How to use light to suppress mosquito bites and prevent malaria. Scientists at the University of Notre Dame have found that exposure to just 10 minutes of light at night suppresses biting and manipulates flight behavior in the Anopheles gambiae mosquito, the major vector for transmission of malaria in Africa. The study published in journal parasites and vectors shows that periodic pulses of light suppresses the bites and changes flight behavior of mosquitoes. Insecticide-treated bed nets and walls have helped prevent bites and reduce malaria, but researchers say mosquitoes are adapting to preventive conditions, leaving adults and children vulnerable in the early evening and early morning hours -- when they are not under the nets or in the house. more

Social media and weight loss programmes.

Social media has created a platform for various health related issues and programmes but the most trending is weight loss programmes. Countless people,irrespective of age,tribe,sex and location are reaching out on various platforms searching out how to lose weight. Weight loss programmes on social media are multifaceted,there are platforms for nutrition tips,workouts,supplement and various videos and recipes to keep you fit and healthy. There are other forums where you not only lose weight,but you have opportunities to make money by promoting the brand you used and building a network of weight-watchers who keep one another on track. There is another twist to the story,the type of diet you are looking at will also determine your group . If losing weight with ketogenic lifestyle is your pick,you follow thread and pick your meals e.t.c, if herbal is your style,you look for thread and follow the routine. Social media is a new way to get information especially about weightloss as most people plan meals around products especially if ratings of products are high and is backed with powerful testimonials from hype influencers. Oprah Winfrey,known for sharing her weight loss journey with her audience made $12 million from just one tweet, focusing solely on eating bread. The media mogul is a shareholder in Weight Watchers and she posted a short video message about being able to lose 26 pounds, while still eating bread recently. This followed an emotional message on Twitter from the star, as she left fans in tears with her weight loss story recently. read

Mining data for health with social media.

Mining data for health with social media. Data is the new gold and mining data on various social media platforms has provided another method of diagnosis and treatment in man,animals and plants. A simple post on social media describing signs observed by a parent,farmer or breeders on respective subjects can help doctors draw out the perfect line of treatment and combination of drugs to use as well as protocols to prevent recurrence. A mother posting on Facebook about the way her son behaves while playing video games could provide a vital clue for the correct treatment for his epilepsy. This is but one type of social media chatter that is informing data scientists at Penn Medicine's Health Language Processing Lab (HLP). Scientists at Penn Medicine's Health Language Processing Lab (HLP) are using social media content combined with other sources of health information in a unique way has helped researchers understanding how people use language to communicate health needs. Penn Medicine are harnessing data contained in electronic health records (EHRs) and social media to help improve outcomes. The Center for Digital Health focuses its efforts on how social media intersects with health care, working to determine how posts might help providers detect health problems before urgent care is needed, or even how Twitter might play a role in fighting HIV. Data mining with data analysis and analytics on various social media platforms is now a new health hack providing fast diagnostic tools , research models and fast effective treatment protocols for you,your pets,livestock and crops. A post,pic,even comments on blogs and social media are not strictly for your audience,but rather these enter a large data pool helping doctors,scientists and farmers to build a better world.

The work-life -balance to prevent work-family conflict.

The work-life-balance. Every individual must strive to have a balance in their work-life as many health challenges have been linked to repeatedly thinking about work-family conflict. The first step will be doing what you love with perfect time management skills and building your relationships round it, thus creating a win-win situation. Planning ahead and having a backup plan and having a network to support can make you better able to reduce work-family conflict. The role of the organization is also important as policies that foster growth, job satisfaction, job flexibility and job security will provide a platform for employees to build a better work-life-balance. Health related issues such as depression,anxiety,mood swings, and binge eating has been linked to an in balance in work-life experiences,where employees are in constant repetitive thoughts about work ,home,remuneration. The work-life -balance to prevent work-family conflict, according to a new study shows that thinking over and over again about conflicts between your job and personal life is likely to damage both your mental and physical health. The study published in the journal Stress & Health recently shows that thinking repeatedly and attentively about the parts of your job and your personal life that clash with each other such as a late-afternoon meeting that prevents you from attending your child's career day affects mental and physical health. Repetitive thought is related to two other types of cognition that also can have adverse effects on health,these are rumination and worry. Rumination is persistent, redundant thinking that usually looks backward and is associated with depression while worry is also persistent, redundant thinking but tends to look forward and is typically more associated with anxious apprehension. One method that can help is mindfulness, intentionally paying attention to the present-moment experience, such as physical sensations, perceptions, thoughts and imagery, in a nonjudgmental way. Creating a better atmosphere at home and at work,and a review of the WHY of your job and How To will be another method to stay focused.

Male farmers at highest risk of contracting 'monkey malaria' in Malaysia.

Male farmers at highest risk of contracting 'monkey malaria' in Malaysia. A new study published in The Lancet Planetary Health,shows that adult male farmers in Malaysia are more than twice as likely to contract Plasmodium knowlesi malaria, an infection usually found only in monkeys than other people in their communities. The research team found that farmers in the country's Sabah region who work on plantations, clearing vegetation and taking part in forestry work were most at risk. Plasmodium knowlesi is a zoonotic malaria parasite which is common in forest-dwelling macaque monkeys and transmitted between hosts by mosquitoes. It has a rapid growth rate in the blood that can lead to high levels of parasites in a short time and can cause severe and fatal disease. Recent deforestation in the Sabah region has brought humans into closer contact with the forest. P. knowlesi is now the most common form of human malaria in many areas of Malaysia, and has also been reported across South East Asia. The findings suggest that humans working on the fringes of the forest are at risk of contracting P. knowlesi, as well as in the forest itself when they carry out activities such as hunting. more