Healthy Living Headlines is a feature where I report on new research of interest.
Self-sabotage peaks at your favorite time of day
If you’re a “morning person,” you’re more likely to undermine your performance on a stressful task early in the day, according to new research by Indiana University. The same goes for “night owls” and performance in the evening.
“People who are feeling uncertain about themselves and start to fear that they might fail are more likely to identify potential excuses and self-handicap when they’re at their peak than when they’re not,” said researcher Ed Hirt.
Paleo diet may improve heart health
Findings from a small study at the University of Houston suggest that people who followed the Paleo diet for only eight weeks experienced positive effects on heart health, and weight loss.
The popular Paleo diet is based on eating foods thought to be available to our ancestors, before the advent of dairy or processed grains.
“This study’s findings add to the possibility that short-term dietary changes from a traditional Western pattern of eating to foods promoted in the Paleo diet may improve health..,” said researcher Chad Dolan.
Excess weight linked to eight more cancers
An international team of researchers has identified eight additional types of cancer linked to excess weight and obesity: stomach, liver, gall bladder, pancreas, ovary, meningioma (a type of brain tumor), thyroid cancer and the blood cancer multiple myeloma.
Limiting weight gain over the decades could help to reduce the risk of these cancers, the data suggest.
The findings, published Aug. 25 in The New England Journal of Medicine, are based on a review of more than 1,000 studies of excess weight and cancer risk analyzed by the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Cancer on Research (IARC), based in France.
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