Sarah

One remarkable ability of the human body is changing food into nutrients, allowing us to survive and thrive.

When we eat food, it ends up in our digestive system that is composed of several organs. The goal is to turn the food into nutrients.

• Mechanical digestion starts in the mouth, where food is chewed into small pieces and mixed with saliva.
• When this mass (the bolus) lands in the stomach, it is acidified and further pressed until it becomes a liquid paste called chyme.

If one can squeeze some time off from a day, napping is a great option to catch up on lost sleep, feel rested or increase alertness, as many famous daytime nappers like Albert Einstein or Leonardo Da Vinci would tell you.

Napping increases our cognitive function, something which is required as we are forced to work in confinement, isolation and under increased stress.

• A cappuccino is milky, foamy and equally caffeinated.
• A latte is a shot of espresso and steamed milk with a tiny amount of foam.
• A flat white is like a latte, but made with a velvety, steamed micro-foam milk.
• A Mocha is a latte with chocolate flavouring.

In 1806, Napoleon tried to stop British commerce in an attempt to win the Napoleonic wars.

His actions resulted in a continental blockade which caused the cost of chocolate to rise steeply. But the creative chocolatiers of northern Italy started adding chopped hazelnuts to chocolate to make supplies last longer. They named it 'gianduia'.

• Many different civilizations have practiced different breathing techniques as a part of their culture and their lifestyles, such as Taoists and Hindus.
• Proper breathing allows the bodily functions, mental health, and overall well-being to perform better. It is the focal point to distract the self's attention from negative thoughts.
• Breathing is the lowest common denominator in calming the body and the mind.

When it comes to preventing aches and pains, there is no right way to sit.

• It is a myth that sitting upright is good, and slouching is bad. There’s actually no evidence to support this.
• Sitting up straight for a while becomes uncomfortable. We all realize this but are quick to suggest sitting upright is the best.
• Sitting up straight is more socially acceptable than slouching.
• Slouching and bad posture will not cause chronic back pain.
• Genetics, anxiety, sleep patterns and stress play a role in poor posture.

Cortisol is a stress hormone and has a particular circadian rhythm that is regulated by the brain. According to a 2009 study, interrupting this rhythm can lead to metabolic abnormalities, fatigue, and poor quality of life.

Consuming caffeine when your cortisol levels are high can lead to interference in production of cortisol and increase your tolerance. You may then need more caffeine over time.

Our molecular clock inside our cells aims to keep us in sync with the sun. 

When we disregard this circadian rhythm, we are at a greater risk for illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease, and dementia.

The "science of happiness" was born as a result of Martin Seligman's (the father of positive psychology) endeavour to approach psychology beyond the idea of restoring normality in individuals and to look at happiness and contentment as ways to not only restore normality, but also to prevent and protect as well as potentially cure.

Positive psychology has three main areas: Generation of both short and long term healthy pleasures, joy obtained through the connection with others and happiness that comes from a meaningful life.

Finding a weight-loss diet is usually not a problem, be it paleo, low-carb, or wine-based. The real challenge is sticking to it. A recent study used data from a diet app and concluded that small, short-term goals that responded to the dieter's progress helped them reach their long-term goals.

Despite the goals being self-directed, people take their daily goals seriously. Even if there is no kind of punishment attached, they will reduce their consumption or increase their exercise to keep them near their goals. Those who achieved their short-term goals were more likely to meet subsequent goals.