Peak Health Wellness Insights Issue 23

Mental Resilience

It is possible to detect empathy in a person’s brain when it is at rest

Empathy is a crucial pillar of emotional and mental health and well-being, so being able to assess this is an important component of our scientific understanding of this topic. This study shows that even when not engaged in a task that involves empathy, brain activity in certain identified networks can still indicate a person’s empathetic disposition. This supports current growing research that demonstrates brains at rest are as active as brains engaged in a task.

Sleep

Morning light results in greater alertness, better sleep, and improved mood the next day.  (also read here)

Studies show that being exposed to sunlight in the morning sets the bodies circadian rhythm which impacts sleep, hormones, mood and appetite. This is due to the fact that getting morning sunlight regulates melatonin levels, which helps you to sleep better at night and be more alert and energetic in the morning, and also signals the brain to produce more dopamine, norepinephrine and histamine, which are all linked to improved mood.

Nutrition

A diet rich in fat and sugar can play a part in skin inflammation

New study shoes that diet can impact not only your weight, but also your skin health. Specifically, the Western diet (one high in saturated fats and sugar, and low in fibre) has been shown to cause skin inflammation and in some cases dermatitis and psoriasis. In summary, an unhealthy diet impacts skin immunity. 

Fitness

Yoga is helpful for back pain - even more so than medication (also read here)

A new study demonstrates that people with low back pain who practice yoga had significant reduction in pain to a degree that they no longer needed painkillers, and also experienced reduction in psychological distress and improved functional ability. 

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Productivity Tip

Get a standing desk.
Standing while working has been shown to increase productivity by almost 50%. (As an added benefit, you will also experience improved digestive health, decreased fatigue, and burn calories while engaging the major muscle groups in your legs.)

Habit Hack of the week

Top tips for building healthy habits:
-Stack your habits
-Start small
-Do it every day
-Make it easy
-Reward yourself

Read why here