Chewing gum can improve your mood and help you focus, say Japanese researchers. People who popped a piece of gum twice a day for 2 weeks lowered their scores on tests of depression and mental fatigue by as much as 47% while those who sucked on a mint instead saw almost no change. The act of chewing may keep you happy and alert by increasing blood flow to your brain and reducing your levels of stress hormones, says the study author. Note: You need to keep chewing for at least 5 minutes to experience any benefits. (Men’s Health)
I told my grade 3 teacher that chewing gum in class was ok!

See ya in the morning,
Lou-Anne

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As a general rule, kidnap victims don’t have too many kind words for their abductors. But that’s only because they’ve never been kidnapped by Bedouin tribesman in Egypt. Two California women got to experience that little slice of life last Friday and were held for several hours by armed men, while they were on a minivan tour of Sinai. But what started out as a scary experience actually ended up being rather pleasant. First, the abductors allowed the Egyptian tour guide to come with them and while they had visible guns, they never pointed them at the hostages. They then joked to the women that they were just continuing their tour of the area. One of the captors also put his cigarette out when the woman claimed the smoke was bothering her. When the car stopped, they made a fire and offered them coffee. When one of the hostages said she didn’t drink coffee, they offered tea instead along with pita bread, nuts and dried fruit. They were finally released unharmed and with all their belongings intact. (shortlist.com)

See ya in the morning,
Lou-Anne

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You’re not getting older, you’re getting happier. That’s the result of a recent study that shows life is rosier after age 50. Researchers say those in their mid-to-late 50s experience fewer worries and less stress than those whippersnappers in their 20s. During their survey, scientists headed by Arthur Stone, a psychologist at New York’s Stony Brook University, learned that stress and anger slowly decreased from young adulthood through old age. But worry remained at a constant level until it briefly increased in the 40s, then declined at age 50.

Ooooh .. that’s why I’m not always happy .. harumph!
See ya Monday morning,
Lou-Anne

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Making a midnight snack will soon be easier than ever, thanks to a team of sandwich making robots coming soon to a kitchen near you. A group of German engineers has developed a duo of mechanical kitchen assistants named “James” and “Rosie” just like on “The Jetsons” which can make lunch meat sandwiches, popcorn and even pancakes. Although they work together, the robots differ significantly in design. Rosie, who has a built-in camera and two four-fingered hands on the ends of her long arms, is the real brains of the pair and is described as having a “high degree of cognition.” She is able to sense her environment and respond to it without constant human input, say her creators at the Technical University of Munich. James, on the other hand, is more mobile than his partner and uses a Kinect 3D camera sensor, as well as cameras mounted on his forearms, to get around the kitchen. While Rosie’s sandwich making ability is on the “slow” side, sources who have seen the pair at work admit James makes a mean bowl of popcorn. (Sun)

Finally, breakfast in bed!
See ya in the morning,
Lou-Anne

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Chicago-based cologne company Farginnay is hoping people’s mouths will water for their sizzling new pork scented perfume because everything is better with bacon. According to legend, John Farginnay was an early 20th century butcher who bottled a bacon scented bouquet, which was an instant hit with entertainers and politicians. Unfortunately, in 1924, his formula was lost in a fire. Entrepreneur and bacon lover John Leydon decided to reinvent the fragrance, available in spicy maple Classic and sizzling citrus Gold. While men can not wait for the pig fat to hit store shelves, women are less certain about the smell. “I would not want it associated with me,” says New York City executive Rachel Cooper. “It would undermine my ability to be valued for my intelligence. At the end of the day, I would smell like a piece of meat.” (Sun)

See ya in the morning,
Lou-Anne

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If you’re having one of those days when you feel a little low, wash your troubles away. Literally. University of Michigan researchers have determined that just washing your hands with warm water and plenty of soap not only cleans your hands, but also your psyche–making you feel better. “Cleansing is about the removal of residues,” said study leader Spike W.S. Lee. By washing the hands, taking a shower or even thinking of doing so, “people can rid themselves of a sense of immorality, lucky or unlucky feelings, or doubt about a decision. The bodily experience of removing physical residues can provide the basis of removing more abstract mental residues.”

Not a bad idea during flu season either no?
See ya in the morning,
Lou-Anne

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Happy news for the anxious: Daily fretting does a mind good, reports Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics. The key lies in when, not how, you do it. Researchers found that people greatly reduced their anxiety and depression levels when they scheduled time to stress out. In fact, those who dedicated 15 to 30 minutes a day to fret ended up more chilled out than others who followed more traditional stress management methods like deep breathing.
Ok .. 1 .. 2 .. 3 .. and worry! I’d worry about making sure I wasn’t running out of time!;)

See ya in the morning,
Lou-Anne

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An old wives’ tale blames chilly temperatures and soggy conditions for causing colds. Colds do become more prevalent in bad weather, but it is because bad weather drives people indoors. “Remaining indoors makes it easier to spread bacteria,” says an expert. “If you are staying indoors, you also get less vitamin D because you are getting less sunlight.” At the University of Sydney, Professor David Isaacs recalls a study where volunteers lounged around a pool in mid-winter. By the end of the study, non of the volunteers had caught a cold. “Getting cold does not give you a cold,” says Isaacs. “Stress and the time of year, because you are crowded indoors, are much more important factors.”
OK! Everybody outside for a BBQ and drinks this weekend….don’t forget your toque if you go out by the pool. ; )

See ya Monday morning,
Lou-Anne

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Mean people make more money than nice guys. Researchers from Notre Dame, Cornell and the University of Western Ontario have found that those who are nice at work — that is, in the sense of being agreeable — make less money than people who are mean. The Wall Street Journal reports that while there are definite advantages to being nice to others at work, including the fact that you will be better liked by your co-workers, the bottom line is that “agreeableness is negatively related to income and earnings,” conclude the authors. Translation: Nice guys earn less. And it really does apply mostly to guys. Men who are nice at work in defiance of gender stereotypes take a hit financially, while women who are mean don’t reap the same benefits in their paychecks as do mean men.
Know any bazillionaires? ; )

See ya in the morning,
Lou-Anne

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Penning cheesy poems may not win your intended’s heart but eating cheese can rev up your love life. Pizza Pizza, Canada’s largest chain, insists cheese is an aphrodisiac because it is packed with “phenylethylamine, or PEA, a natural amphetamine that the brain manufactures in response to feelings of love,” the company says. “In fact, cheese contains 10 times the levels of PEA normally found in chocolate.” They say toppings like olives, jalapenos and tomatoes also turn up the bedroom heat, but pale in comparison to cheese.
…I’ll have an extra large please!

See ya in the morning,
Lou-Anne

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