Peak Health Wellness Insights Issue 24
Mental Resilience
This new study by Yale University on monkeys investigated a scenario in which they could share juice or throw it out, and drink alone or with another monkey. Findings show that when monkeys chose the generous and social behaviours, interactions between two key brain regions (the amygdala and medial frontal cortex) were synchronised. However when they chose to be selfish and anti-social, there was significantly less synchronisation. This research helps us to further understand the biological roots of generosity and selfishness.
Sleep
This comprehensive meta-analysis further supports the value of sleep quality and sleep quantity and demonstrates how each phase of sleep provides benefits to the brain and cognitive function. Specifically, Stage 2 sleep helps our response to exposure to new information, while Slow-Wave and REM sleep help with procedural memory, semantic memory, and consolidating memory. This underscores the importance of a complete night of sleep. To achieve this, scientists suggests the following tips for improving sleep hygiene: sit by a window during the day, avoid blue light at night, exercise at the right time (3 hours before bed if it is high intensity exercise), walk more, stay awake during the day, and alter your thinking about sleep.
Nutrition
Social media impacts your food choices and diet
A new study shows that you are influenced by what you think your friends on social media are eating. Study participants ate an extra portion of fruit and vegetables for every portion they thought their peers on social media ate. Additionally, they also consumed an extra portion of unhealthy snack foods for every three portions they thought their social media peers did (suggesting we eat a third more junk food if we think our friends also indulge). This suggests that social media can nudge people into eating similarly to those they are connected with on social media. These findings could be important for utilising social media to encourage healthier eating.
Fitness
New gene has been discovered that impacts exercise efficiency
Stemming from an abnormal patient case, a new genetic mutation has been identified that affects cellular oxygen sensing and exercise capacity. This gene is crucial for cell survival when oxygen availability is reduced such as during exercise, so a mutation to this gene dramatically reduces aerobic exercise capacity.
Productivity Tip
Take advantage of the “morning morality effect” and try to make all strategic and ethical decisions with your colleagues in the morning, while everyone’s moral awareness is at its highest.
Morning mortality effect is a phenomenon whereby a person tends to have stronger moral-awareness and self-control in the morning. This decreases over the course of the day as we make more and more decisions and our self control deteriorates.
Habit Hack of the week
Focus on the emotions you want to feel from your new habit
Habits that don't have an emotional reward will be harder to maintain, as the emotional reward helps to motivate you to do the action again. If you are having trouble pinpointing the exact emotional reward to target, look at what the successful people who do the habit you desire get out of it.
For example, if you want to lose weight or get in better shape, instead of a habit to 'go to the gym' try setting the goal of 'learning to enjoy the gym', 'find gym partners you enjoy spending time with', or 'find a team that you love to play with.'
Read why here