amygdala-related stories
Brain, Not Brawn May Make Men Drop Weight Faster
Ever been on a diet simultaneously with a guy? He drops the weight with ease while you struggle, chiseling away in super slow-mo. Incredibly frustrating. I always figured the male metabolism was behind their drop-the-pounds-fast bodily response. A higher muscle mass good for looking cut in the gym, lifting refrigerators and stoking their metabolism furnace when dieting.But an article over at TIME reveals it may be brain, not brawn, behind male dieting magic. Ooh, if this is true, I'm going to scream. A new study examined how men and women's brains respond to looking, smelling and even taking a teeny taste of a favorite food after a 17-hour fast. First participants were instructed not to dig in, then they were asked to try and think about something else for 40 minutes while the brain-imaging PET scanner recorded the results. Sorta like standing in a buffet line ravenous, forcing yourself to think about the laundry.
Turns out both sexes were able to lower their hunger sensation, but there was one big difference. Women couldn't stop the conscious desire to eat, men could. Guys had an easier time disciplining their amygdala, a primitive part of the brain that can be difficult to inhibit. Male hormones may play a role. Okay, I'm consciously screaming now ... for chocolate.
FitSpirit: Doing nothing good for your health
Healthy Habits, Stress Reduction, Diet & Weight Loss, Motivation
FitSpirit explores the mind-body connection and the intangible benefits we gain from our efforts to stay physically fit.
I don't do well with sitting still. Truth be told, it makes me tired. If I keep moving, I stay awake. So in general, I keep moving. On occasion, I do give in to relaxation. I love pedicures, a good massage, vegging in front of the TV at night, and sometimes, I might even be caught sitting silently, soaking up the peace around me. If done properly, this practice is known as meditation.
Meditation means sitting quietly and focusing on one neutral thing, like your breathing or a single repeated word. The long-term goal of meditation is to become less dependent on the ego and its constant cravings for novelty, attention, power, sex, food, and so on. Proper meditation makes us more centered and less stressed out. It can make people happier, maybe even smarter. One study showed that meditators shift their brain activity to different areas of the cortex -- brain waves in the stress-prone right frontal cortex move to the calmer left frontal cortex. This shift decreases the negative effects of stress, mild depression, and anxiety. Meditators also enjoy less activity in the amygdala, where the brain processes fear.
I don't do well with sitting still. Truth be told, it makes me tired. If I keep moving, I stay awake. So in general, I keep moving. On occasion, I do give in to relaxation. I love pedicures, a good massage, vegging in front of the TV at night, and sometimes, I might even be caught sitting silently, soaking up the peace around me. If done properly, this practice is known as meditation.
Meditation means sitting quietly and focusing on one neutral thing, like your breathing or a single repeated word. The long-term goal of meditation is to become less dependent on the ego and its constant cravings for novelty, attention, power, sex, food, and so on. Proper meditation makes us more centered and less stressed out. It can make people happier, maybe even smarter. One study showed that meditators shift their brain activity to different areas of the cortex -- brain waves in the stress-prone right frontal cortex move to the calmer left frontal cortex. This shift decreases the negative effects of stress, mild depression, and anxiety. Meditators also enjoy less activity in the amygdala, where the brain processes fear.
