Whenever I smell the pages of an old book, I’m immediately time-warped back into my Grandad’s house: encyclopedias, volumes of Readers’ Digest, dictionaries… and thanks to him my enthusiasm to learn and to discover. And I am not alone! Anecdotally, many of us have had experiences where a certain smell—perhaps chlorine, fresh baked scones, or the […]
The concert starts…a few bars from your favourite song…and moments later you’re swept up in the music, happily tapping your foot, clapping your hands and swaying along. (Unless it’s a classical music concert in which case you’re probably doing this much more quietly…) You look around. All around, people are doing the same. Many are […]
I’m not talking about the trousers (jeans) you wore in school but can’t fit into anymore. No, skinny g-e-n-e-s genes are factors found in people who are naturally svelte. And researchers have just identified one that appears to tell the body’s adipose tissue to burn more fat. We all know these people who can eat […]
Loneliness hurts! Did you know that loneliness is so psychologically distressing and physically unhealthy that it increases the likelihood of an earlier death by 26 percent? The flip side of that is that this feeling may serve a purpose. Psychologists theorise it hurts so much because, like hunger and thirst, loneliness acts as a biological […]
When the fear of something outside of us (and especially something invisible like a virus) takes hold, there’s a tendency to feel powerless. But that’s exactly the time to take your health back into your own hands. Here are 10 practical actions you can do keep your immune system and outlook on life up and […]
You’ve probably had a similar experience to this: I’m holding a mixing spoon in my hand and I can feel how soft the butter is, and how crunchy the sugar is through the spoon. Sensing touch through tools is not a new concept, though it has not been extensively investigated. In the 17th century, philosopher René […]
People who celebrate Christmas with their in-laws get stressed out. Could that possibly be true? What started out as a joke between two colleagues from the the Academic Medical Centre and VU University Amsterdam turned into bona fide scientific research published in Human Microbiome Journal. We all probably experience that Christmas can be a stressful, […]
Why sleep has restorative—or damaging—effects on cognition and brain health has been an enduring mystery in biology. Researchers think cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) may flush toxic waste out, “cleaning” the brain and studies have shown that garbage clearance is hugely improved during sleep. They were not sure exactly how all this works, however, or why it should […]
How does drinking coffee help your body and your brain? Are there differences to the health benefits of coffee versus espresso? Is coffee really good for you – or just okay? Let’s take a look at the science behind – and in – your cup of coffee. The Netherlands ranks number 3 in the world’s […]
At Ernest Hemingway’s old home in Key West (Florida) you’ll find gorgeous gardens filled with tropical palms, a hand-crafted wooden yacht and an in-ground pool—the only one within 160 kilometres at the time of its construction. You’ll also find more than 40 cats, most of which have six toes on their front feet instead of […]
Five-year-olds invent imaginary friends, teenagers visualise what an amorous crush would be like, and adults plan for job achievements, buying a house or traveling the world. Imagination is a trait that we all possess and use in our daily lives. But if we try to think of situations that are too far from our reality […]
As a therapist I’ve never subscribed to the ‘you need to do X number of sessions with me’ school of thought. Over the course of the years I’ve noticed that there is no set pattern. Some people are helped with just one session, others come more regularly, and others fall into all the variations in […]