In December 2021 Mark Anns qualified as a Certified Lifestyle Medicine Practitioner as certified by the Australian Society of Lifestyle Medicine. For information on the certification process go to Board Certification - Australasian Society of Lifestyle Medicine.
CBS Health – Brain Health
Measure Your Cognitive Performance to Optimize Brain Health—CBS Health is Now Available The population is living longer than ever, but cognitive health is often lost in the discussion around physical health. Conditions such as dementia are on the increase, but many healthcare practitioners do not attempt to measure brain health. At psychandhealth.com we are committed …
Memory and Context – “The Doorway effect”
Comment: I read this article on "the doorway effect" which refers to a finding that at times entering a doorway may impact what we remember. However, it is not just doorways, the phenomena describe is what is termed context-dependent memory. That is we often code memory to a specific context. If I return to visit …
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Measuring Stress
Comment: I usually get excited when I read about how technology can improve our health unfortunately, I often get disappointed about either the slowness of bringing a device to the market or that it does not live up to the hype. However, I continue to be optimistic, this new wearable device (still in development so …
Vaccines, depression and stress
Decades of research show that depression, stress, loneliness, and poor health behaviors can weaken the body’s immune system and lower the effectiveness of certain vaccines.
Weighted Blankets – Do they help with anxiety?
Comment: Recently someone asked me about weighted blankets and whether they were worthwhile. Not knowing much about them, being a person who likes the air-condition on cold while I sleep with minimal covering I looked around for any information and came across this article in Popular Science, which is based on a systematic review published …
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Does the Moon affect your sleep?
Comment: Interesting study on the impact of a full moon on sleep. It appears from this research discussed at neurosciencenews.com that in the days leading up to a full moon you are more likely to go to bed later and sleep less. For centuries, humans have blamed the moon for our moods, accidents and even …
How culture may influence spiritual aspects of our life –
Comment: For many people, spiritual health is important to mental health. In my role as a psychologist clients will sometimes indicate they have had contact with aliens/ghosts/spirits and or other outer worldly experiences. In these situations, it is important to differentiate between those who may be having a psychotic episode, and those having an experience …
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Change your lifestyle to impact your mental health
Comment: Over the years I have seen clients who experience a wide range of concerns, they are sometimes surprised when I focus on the basics of health - nutrition, exercise, sleep, substance use, stress management. There is a complex relationship between these factors and mental health and it is often a "chicken and the egg" …
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High Blood Pressure – Take Action
Comment: I found a short article on myths associated with high blood pressure (Hypertension) - In the USA it is estimated that 45% of adults have hypertension. The bottom line get assessed by a medico and take preventive action to avoid health issues. This is the list of myths in a newsletter by Medical news …