In the new study of 421 students from a large Northeastern university, 229 students had tanned in indoor salons. Of these, 160 met criteria for indoor tanning addiction. In general, indoor tanning addicts tanned more frequently than their non-addicted counterparts. The college students who were addicted to indoor tanning were also more likely to have symptoms of anxiety and/or greater use of alcohol, marijuana, and other substances, than their peers who were not addicted to indoor tanning.

“This study provides further support for the notion that tanning may be conceptualized as an addictive behavior for a subgroup of individuals who tan indoors,” conclude study authors Catherine E. Mosher, PhD, of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City and Sharon Danoff-Burg, PhD, of the University at Albany in New York.

Source: WebMD

Yahoo! Health looks at nine “tells” that your body sends when it’s staring at a hand full of stress (to use poker-speak), and what you can do about each one. Such as confusion:

You can’t decide what to make for dinner, what to wear to work or which exit to take off the freeway. Stress causes distraction and lack of focus, says Mandel. “Stress hormones lodge longest in the brain,” she says. To restore focus, take a walk, she says. “Move the stress out of your body by exercising large muscle groups like the legs. You will gain clarity. Walk out in the light and you’ll reset your natural rhythm while you move out the stress. Sunlight helps the body release serotonin to improve mood, and vitamin D helps you improve your immune system-a great perk.”

Other signs include nausea, sleepiness, the always interesting eye-twitching, and cavities, oddly enough. Check them all out at the link below.

Source: Yahoo! Health

A new study out of England and Denmark finds that needles stuck in two strategic spots on the head can help to reduce the anxiety that some feel in the presence of dental tools.

In a study published in the journal Acupuncture in Medicine, acupuncture treatment was performed in 16 women and four men from eight dental practices. Each of the patients had been rated as moderately or extremely anxious based on a questionnaire scale called the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI).

The BAI scores of the individuals were assessed before and five minutes after acupuncture treatment involving two specific points on the top of the head.

Dentists trained in the use of acupuncture carried out the experiments, and average BAI scores fell to 11.5 from 26.5. The acupuncture treatments worked so well that all 20 people managed to have their dental procedures carried out.

Source: WebMD

Patchouli (Pogostemon cablin) is actually a shrubby mint that grows in the East and West Indies. Long important in traditional Chinese medicine, the essential oil is extracted from the plant through the process of steam distillation. Those in the United States of a certain age will probably most closely link patchouli with the 1960’s and 1970’s when it surged in popularity thanks in no small part to the Hare Krishnas. In the Hare Krishna movement, the god Krsna is said to “inhabit” patchouli.

Patchouli has been put to a great many medicinal uses through the ages. Its scent has been used to help reduce tension and anxiety, cure insomnia and just in general uplift the spirits. It is this soothing aspect that explains why it is used extensively in temples as a way to ground and center the mind prior to meditation. It has been used by various cultures to treat dysentery, diarrhea, colds and nausea. Patchouli has been most widely used as a treatment for skin and scalp conditions, however. Its natural antiseptic qualities make it a good remedy for a wide range of skin problems, including athlete’s foot, dandruff, acne, wrinkles and more. It can also help to rejuvenate cells, making it an effective treatment for wounds and scars.

In terms of non-medicinal uses, think perfumes. Patchouli has long been used as a fixative in perfumes and currently shows up in a third of all women’s perfumes and half of all colognes made for men. And did we mention its qualities as an aphrodisiac? Many cultures believe that patchouli can be worn to attract the opposite sex (this works especially well if your target of affection is an aging hippy). It is also used spiritually to ward off negativity/evil and as an aid to divination and clairvoyance.

Now that’s one versatile little plant.

Introduced by Yogi Swatmarama, a 15th century Indian sage, Hatha Yoga is made up of two distinct Sanskrit words: “ha”, meaning sun, and “tha”, meaning moon. Hatha Yoga seeks to pull together or balance opposing elements within the body.

Hatha Yoga can help to relieve stress, anxiety, and tension, and it is a powerful method of combating even the depths of depression. Many other forms of yoga, such a Power, Bikram, Ashtanga and Kundalini all derive from Hatha Yoga.

Want an easy way to try Hatha Yoga? Welcome to the Internet! The following two videos are both introductory workouts running 43 and 55 minutes respectively. Namaste!

Brain scans of yoga practitioners showed a healthy boost in levels of the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric (GABA) immediately after a one-hour yoga session. Low brain levels of GABA are associated with anxiety and depression, the researchers said.

“I am quite sure that this is the first study that’s shown that there’s a real, measurable change in a major neurotransmitter with a behavioral intervention such as yoga,” said lead researcher Dr. Chris Streeter, assistant professor of psychiatry and neurology at the Boston University School of Medicine.

One of the more interesting aspects here was the fact that the type of yoga — which included hatha, ashtanga, bikram, vinyasa, and kripalu — didn’t seem to matter. Much of the article is actually a slap at the study, suggesting that any movement-based activity might result in the same conclusions.

The study appeared in the May issue of the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine.