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20 winter revival tips
Forget the pressure of new year resolutions. It's time to stop
planning and start relaxing!
By Alison Garwood-Jones
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14 LOL
More good health news on laughing. Researchers at the University of Maryland report that frequent laughter protects against heart disease by increasing the blood flow to the heart. Ninety-five percent of volunteers experienced increased blood flow during a screening of There's Something About Mary, with the effects lasting 12 to 24 hours, while 74 percent experienced a decrease in blood flow watching tense flicks like Saving Private Ryan.
15 "We can't hold onto our youth, but what you can hang onto is all the things we've been told a zillion times: you have to find the light in your life that you had when you were a little girl that made you happy."
-- Goldie Hawn
16 Spot remover
Alternative medicine's integrated approach to mind, body and soul appears to be changing the face of traditional medicine. The number of dermatologists who are opting to earn second degrees in psychology has given rise to a new field of study: pyschodermatology. Now, rather than rummaging through the medicine cabinet for a cure, pyschodermatologists are helping patients with severe skin problems deal with stress through relaxation techniques, exercise and music therapy.
17 Call in sick
• Live and learn So you've always wanted to try your hand at illustrating children's books. What's stopping you? Take a class! And while you're at it, sign up for another course on how to make a sock monkey! (artworksartschool.com) If it's too cold to leave the house, you could always find out more about "Dreams and the Subconscious Mind," "How to Cook for a Crowd" or "Living the Russian Way" by registering for free online classes at suite101.com.
• Tu or vous? Watch a foreign film without the subtitles. Studies show that learning another language opens you up to new cultures and world views while protecting the brain against the early onset of dementia.
• Make a splash Take up synchronized swimming. Not only does it tone and reduce stress but it also does wonders for your sense of rhythm and grace. And did you know that retro flowered bathing caps are in again? The nose plugs are another story! (synchro.ca)
• Spend the whole day reading
a great book Sarah McLachlan loves Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke. "I always come back to it for inspiration." Julia Roberts is a fan of Thomas Hardy's short story An Imaginative Woman. Brooke Shields recommends The Hours by Michael Cunningham.
18 Good vibrations
Harry Winston take note. The Aris Institute in Los Angeles, spa to the stars, has found a new way to mesmerize women with diamonds, emeralds and rubies. Clients are treated to a relaxing head massage in which a glass transmitter, filled with the vibrations of these precious gems, is combed through the hair. To increase the harmony in the room, the walls of the spa are painted with a special finish made from crushed minerals. (arisinstitute.com)
19 M x O + Bh (H + R) x S
This wacky formula, conjured up by Cliff Arnall, a psychologist at Cardiff University, is proof that the middle of May, and not January 1, is the best time of year for making new year resolutions. M is for motivation (it's sunny out and only getting warmer), O is for opportunity (think birds and bees), Bh is for proximity to a bank holiday, H is for the increasing hours of daylight, R is for reflection time and S stands for success. Mark May 18 on your calendar, says Arnall.
20 Food mood
If your tone of voice and choice of words don't give away your mood, your food order might. A recent study by a team of American psychologists involving 500 volunteers found that angry people favour hard-to-chew food, like steak, that allows them to be physically expressive. The sexually frustrated cram in the carbs in search of a quick fix, while depressed people try to stimulate themselves past their gloom with caffeine and sugar.
Photo courtesy of Tahiti-Tourisme.com
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