The circuit relating physical activity and mental health can run both ways, for good or bad effect. Circuit training generally refers to a sequence of varying exercises, often on different machines, resulting in a circuit through both body parts and the gym. But a new study suggests a different meaning altogether, at the interface of mental and physical health. There is a circuit in which each of these influences the other. The study, published in JAMA Psychiatry, relied on a 1958 birth cohort from England, Scotland and Wales to examine the associations between physical activity and symptoms … [Read more...] about Mind-Body Circuit Training

The use of fragrance in products is on the rise -- and so is the number of people affected by them. WebMD offers ways to protect yourself if you're sensitive to scents. In this article by Colette Bouchez, she discusses the rise in the number of people that have fragrance allergies and some suggestions on how to help others with this sensitivity. Do any of these scenarios sound familiar? You catch a whiff of a co-worker's new fragrance, and within minutes, you have a whopper of a headache. You pop open that new bottle of dish-washing liquid, and by the time you've washed the pots and pans, … [Read more...] about Fragrance Allergies: A Sensory Assault

Will that be a pizza for you or will you go for a salad? Choosing what you eat is not simply a matter of taste, conclude scientists in a new study at the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital of McGill University and the McGill University Health Centre. As you glance over a menu or peruse the shelves in a supermarket, your brain is making decisions based more on a food's caloric content. The study, published in Psychological Science, is based on brain scans of healthy participants who were asked to examine pictures of various foods. Participants rated which foods they would like to … [Read more...] about Why your brain makes you reach for junk food