Giving Birth to a Baby Can Brighten You! - - New Study Findings

New mothers often grumble that their brain has turned into mush.

But having a baby may actually make you brighter, a study has found.

Research shows that a woman’s grey matter grows in the weeks and months after she has given birth.

And it’s the most doting mothers who experience the biggest burst of brain cells.

t is thought that the hormonal changes associated with having a baby ‘supercharge’ the brain, helping prepare women for the challenges ahead.

And the memory lapses that plague new mothers may be explained by a simpler cause – sleep deprivation.

The finding, from a small study published by the American Psychological Association, contradicts the long-held notion that motherhood addles a woman’s brain.

Neuroscientists from the respected Yale University in the U.S. scanned the brains of 19 new mothers in the weeks after they had given birth.

The results showed that the amount of grey matter – brain cells that crunch information – had increased by a small but significant amount by the time the women were three to four months into motherhood.

Such changes usually only occur after intense periods of learning or a brain injury or illness.

The areas that grew involve motivation, reasoning, judgement, the processing of emotions and feelings of satisfaction, and are key to the mother-child relationship.

Expansion in the brain’s ‘motivation area’, said the researchers, could lead to more nurturing, which would help babies survive and thrive physically, emotionally and cognitively.

The mothers who gushed most about their newborns tended to experience the biggest amounts of growth, the journal Behavioral Neuroscience reports.

It is unclear to what extent the changes are due to rises in hormones such as oestrogen and oxytocin that occur when a woman gives birth, and how much they are caused by chemical changes brought on by cuddling and playing with their babies.

Studies of adoptive mothers could help separate the two.

Siobhan Freegard, founder of the Netmums website, said that ‘supercharging’ made sense.

She added: ‘Nature has an amazing way of giving us things that we need. Having a baby is a momentous occasion, so it is not surprising the brain gets that little bit extra to equip us for the challenge.’

She suggested that any ‘baby brain’ memory lapses could be due to changing priorities, with the newborn being deemed more important than most other matters.

The results of the study echo research from last year which concluded that, contrary to popular belief, pregnancy does nothing to dim brainpower.

Professor Helen Christensen, of the Australian National University in Canberra, showed that women did as well on tests of memory and logic when pregnant as they had in previous years.

She said: ‘It really leaves the question open as to why women – and often their partners – think they have poor memories, when the best evidence we have is that they don’t.

‘Perhaps women notice minor lapses in mental ability and then attribute it to being pregnant because that is the most significant thing in their mind at the time.

‘Or sleep deprivation could mask the positive cognitive effect.’

Kill Anxiety - - Some Useful Tips to Stop Anxiety Naturally

A certain amount of anxiety is actually essential in life, and it can even be beneficial in certain situations. But when routine stress piles up over a period of time and doesn't get released, it can be a source of a wide variety of anxiety symptoms and even panic attacks.

Studies even show that anxiety can be harmful to our physical health. Many researches have shown that anxiousness and anxiety actually deteriorate our immune systems, reducing our body's ability to fight against infection and illness. Certainly, anxiety also takes a big charge on our "mental

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Red Onions: Natural Fighter Against Heart Problems

As per Chinese researchers, regular consumption of red onions is quite effective in preventing the risk of heart disease in human body by removing the bad cholesterol responsible for triggering the fatal condition.

Commenting on the study findings, lead-study author, professor Zhen Yu Chen at the Chinese University in Hong Kong, said in a press statement that despite various studies carried out on the benefits of onions to humans “a little is known of how their consumption interacts with human genes and proteins involved in cholesterol metabolism within the body.”

So they decided to conduct this research in order to distinguish this very interaction of “onions with enzymes in an attempt to explore the underlying cholesterol-lowering mechanism.”

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Neti Pot For Sinus Health: Video Presentation

A neti pot is a small ceramic or plastic pitcher. It has two openings, one at the top and another in the spout. It is filled with salt water to cleanse your nasal passages. A sinus wash is recommended as part of your daily personal hygiene regimen. Cleansing your sinuses in this manner relieves symptoms associated with colds, flu, sinus infections, nasal dryness, allergies, and other sinus irritations. It also helps reduce swelling of the nasal membranes.

What You Need:

• neti pot


• lukewarm water


• salt (non-iodized)


• 1/4 teaspoon

 

How To Use (Video Presentation):

1. Fill the neti pot with

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Depression: Signs, Symptoms, Causes and Help

Feeling down from time to time is a normal part of life. But when emptiness and despair take hold and won't go away, it may be depression. More than just the temporary "blues," the lows of depression make it tough to function and enjoy life like you once did. Hobbies and friends don’t interest you like they used to; you’re exhausted all the time; and just getting through the day can be overwhelming. When you’re depressed, things may feel hopeless, but with help and support you can get better. But first, you need to understand depression. Learning about depression—including its signs, symptoms, causes, and treatment—is the first step to overcoming the problem.

What is depression?

We all go through ups and downs in our mood. Sadness is a normal reaction to life’s struggles, setbacks, and disappointments. Many people use the word “depression” to explain these kinds of feelings, but depression is much more than just sadness.

Some people describe depression as “living in a black hole” or having a feeling of impending doom. However, some depressed people don't feel sad at all—instead, they feel lifeless, empty, and apathetic.

Whatever the symptoms, depression is different from normal sadness in that it engulfs your day-to-day life, interfering with your ability to work, study, eat, sleep, and have fun. The feelings of helplessness, hopelessness, and worthlessness are intense and unrelenting, with little, if any, relief.

Signs and symptoms of depression

Depression varies from person to person, but there are some common signs and symptoms. It’s important to remember that these symptoms can be part of life’s normal lows. But the more symptoms you have, the stronger they are, and the longer they’ve lasted—the more likely it is that you’re dealing with depression. When these symptoms are overwhelming and disabling, that's when it's time to seek help.

Common signs and symptoms of depression

• Feelings of helplessness and hopelessness. A bleak outlook—nothing will ever get better and there’s nothing you can do to improve your situation.


• Loss of interest in daily activities.

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Seaweed Extracts: Pimples .... No Problem

Pimples and Acne breakouts is one of life's little irritants and a main result in for loss of self esteem and self worth for our youth. Occurring at any age, but commonly inside your teenage year's Zits and Acne breakouts is one from the most frustrating skin conditions you can have.

Pimples and Pimple is caused by excessive oils on your epidermis that clog your pores and eventually will result in an infection, which produces the pimple with its redness and swelling. A blackhead is merely a pore that has been partially plug by oils or dead skin but still remains open and doesn't have an infection.

An active ingredient from a brown seaweed, off the coast of Brittany, may help kill pimples and oily skin.

Hoisted up from the seabed and converted into an extract for acne treatment, it goes on sale across Britain.

Human trials have shown that the seaweed extract cream had a positive impact, said the manufacturer, reports the Daily Mail.

It said in a trial of 60 males aged 12 to 24 with mild acne, products containing seaweed extract were significantly more effective than a dummy face wash, scrub or gel.

Enzo Berardesca, a director at the Instituto Dermatolgico San Gallicano in Italy who supervised the trial, described the results as 'extremely good'.

'Patients with mild to moderate acne, such as blackheads, whiteheads and skin redness, found their symptoms markedly reduced,' he added. Most importantly, there were no side effects.

Miracle In Medical History - - Macie McCartney: The Born Twice Baby

Macie McCartney: The Born Twice Baby

Macie McCartney's birth was nothing short of a miracle after doctors performed prenatal surgery to remove a grapefruit-size tumor while she was still inside the womb.

When Chad and Keri McCartney say their infant daughter, Macie Hope, is born again, they aren’t referring to religion — the month-old miracle baby really was born twice.

The first “birth” was about six months into Keri McCartney’s pregnancy, when surgeons at Texas Children’s Hospital took the tiny fetus from Keri’s womb to remove a tumor that would have killed Macie before she was born.

The second time was on May 3, when the McCartneys welcomed their surgically repaired — and perfectly healthy — baby girl into the world.

The happy couple talked exclusively to TODAY’s Ann Curry on Friday from the hospital, where they were joined by Dr. Darrell Cass, the fetal surgeon who led the team that performed a surgery that has been successfully completed fewer than 20 times around the world. In Macie’s case, he said, “We were very, very fortunate. It really turned out perfectly.”

The McCartneys’ story began in Keri’s 23rd week of pregnancy, when the couple took their entire family to their obstetrician’s office to discover the sex of the baby Keri was carrying.

“We had our whole family,” Chad McCartney told Curry. “Our four kids had piled into the van, and we headed to our routine ultrasound to find out what the sex of the baby was going to be. That was the big discussion on the way up, so there was lots of excitement.”