Healthy living today: digital brain fatigue, less equals more happiness and protecting preemies
Healthy living articles and features from around the web
Overuse of digital devices may lead to brain fatigue (MercuryNews.com): "Even though people feel entertained, even relaxed, when they multitask while exercising, or pass a moment at the bus stop by catching a quick video clip, they might be taxing their brains, scientists say. “People think they’re refreshing themselves, but they’re fatiguing themselves,” said Marc Berman, a University of Michigan neuroscientist."
But will it make you happy? (New York Times): "Practices that consumers have adopted in response to the economic crisis ultimately could — as a raft of new research suggests — make them happier. New studies of consumption and happiness show, for instance, that people are happier when they spend money on experiences instead of material objects, when they relish what they plan to buy long before they buy it, and when they stop trying to outdo the Joneses."
Medical team uses Facebook to promote healthy living (Guelph Mercury.com): "The executive director sees considerable potential for the Facebook resource, though one that hasn’t caught on yet with the larger medical community outside the area. “Health care’s never gone this way,” Kirkconnell said, adding he sees that changing in future. “There’s a whole population out there we want to get information to.”
Chemical in plastic tied to preemie problems (MSNBC): "A chemical used in many plastic products and already under scrutiny for potential health risks is suspected of raising the risk of liver problems in premature babies, according to a new study. The small study in a German hospital suggests that DEHP, a chemical known as a phthalate, used in some intravenous feeding bags and tubing, may raise preemies' chances for liver damage."
Healthy living, for two (Wall Street Journal): "Yet with all the conflicting evidence, erring on the side of caution seems wise. When Ms. Paul tells one expert that she turned out fine even though her mother drank during pregnancy, he offers the unnerving reply: "Are you sure you're fine? What could you have been if she didn't drink?"
(Image courtesy of Simply Fit Reminder)
