List of All Articles with Tag 'lifestyle'

A sleep expert has revealed which sounds help you get to sleep – and which ones are the best to wake up to. Sleep expert Hannah Shore claims ocean waves, a crackling fire and the distant buzzing of a fan are among the top ten sounds that help people fall asleep. Whereas hearing a piece of toast being cut or a kettle boiling is most likely to make them rise and shine gently. It comes after a poll which looked at 2,000 adults, found half enjoy listening to white noise to go to sleep or wake them up. The study, commissioned by Premier Inn, found 26 per cent listen to it every night, with rainfall sounds (40 per cent), music (34 per cent) and the sound of a fan (24 per cent) among the top choices. The hotel chain has launched Nod-Flix: an ASMR channel where guests can have their optimal video and soundscape play as they drift off. Hannah Shore, who is working with the hotel brand in partnership with Silentnight, said: “Depending on the individual, watching or listening to something calming before bed can be part of our sleep process. “Different sounds generate different responses from our subconscious when we’re asleep, so what might be soothing to one, might not be for another. “If you’re sharing a bed or a room, be considerate and invest in a pair of headphones or why not try finding a sound that you both find soothing?” The study also found that if they are sharing a room with other people and unable to listen to their white noise, 27 per cent wouldn’t be able to sleep properly as a result. More than half (58 per cent) normally listen to these sounds or noises on their phone, while 34 per cent tune in via an app. But 15 per cent even have a sound machine. Wind sounds (21 per cent), audiobooks (16 per cent) and a cat purring (seven per cent) also made the list of sounds and noises people like to fall asleep to. It also emerged half of the adults polled feel their sleep varies depending on the season we’re in. And 57 per cent reckon they sleep the best during autumn or winter, compared to only seven per cent who get the best shut-eye over the summer months. Respondents were shown a number of hotel-inspired ASMR type videos from the Nod-Flix channel, from the kettle boiling to a suitcase being pulled along hard floor. It found the sound of sizzling bacon was found to be most relaxing, followed by the trickle of running water from the shower. The study carried out via OnePoll.com, also revealed the sound of a vacuum was surprisingly least calming. Hannah Shore, for Premier Inn, added: “Switching off does not come as easy to some people as it does others and sounds are a great way to help with this. “Some people prefer complete silence whereas to others the silence means they listen out for all the little sounds, in a hotel this can be people walking down the hall, doors closing, the lift. “Others may find they need their brain to concentrate on something else, in these cases there needs to be something in the sounds they can focus on like the slow rhythm of calming music, the repetitiveness of waves lapping on the beach or even the noise of the TV. “This can allow the mind to switch off from the day and therefore allowing you to fall asleep, which we hope the Nod-Flix channel will accomplish for many.” Some noises that help Brits sleep better: Rainfall sounds Music Ocean sounds The sound of a fan The sound of favourite TV show/ streaming service Wind sounds Podcasts Audio Books Jungle/forest/woodland sounds Fireplace sounds Static sounds City ambience Animal sounds A cat purring The sound of a vacuum cleaner Here are some tips for a restful sleep: If you’re going to watch something before bed, make sure it’s calming content Keep the space you’re sleeping in tidy Don’t eat a heavy meal before bed Invest in some bed socks – they help increase blood circulation Make sure your pillow supports your sleeping position Dim the lights – it helps our bodies to produce sleep hormones like melatonin Get some black out blinds or curtains to block out bright lights White noise such as fans, hairdryers, hoovers are great for blocking out sound. If you want to go to sleep in a calmer way, pink noise is also good - think of wind, steady rain and reselling leaves. Green noise is similar to pink but will have an undertone of more constant hissing noise but still nature led such as running streams. To help you focus throughout the day, brown noises such as the crack of thunder which have deeper tones works really well. Read More Sleep expert reveals the simple secret to a good night’s rest Irregular sleep patterns linked to harmful gut bacteria, study suggests What is the 10-3-2-1-0 sleep method? How to spend the perfect healthy Super Saturday – according to science Holidays to the homeland could help children hold onto family’s original language The cure for smelly garlic breath? Turns out, it’s simpler than you think

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It’s hard to resist garlic sometimes, but its pungent smell can often last long on the tongue and what better way to get rid of it than good old yoghurt? Garlic contains a compound called sulfur volatiles that can cause a bad odour after being eaten. Researchers wanted to better understand how yoghurt and its components can eliminate or reduce such strong odours. For the study, researchers from the Department of Food Science and Technology at Ohio State University, Columbus tested the garlic deodourising capabilities of yoghurt and its individual components of water, fat and protein to see how each stood up to the smell. As a result, the team found both fast and protein were effective at trapping garlic odours, leading the scientists to suggest high-protein foods may one day be formulated specifically to fight garlic breath. “High protein is a very hot thing right now – generally, people want to eat more protein,” said senior study author Sheryl Barringer, professor of food science and technology at the university. “An unintended side benefit may be a high-protein formulation that could be advertised as a breath deodorizer in addition to its nutritional claims,” she said. “I was more excited about the protein’s effectiveness because consumer advice to eat a high-fat food is not going to go over well.” In the lab experiment, researchers placed equal amounts of raw garlic in glass bottles and confirmed the smell of the garlic was released in concentrations that would be detected by the human nose. Scientists measured the levels of volatile molecules in gaseous form present before and after each treatment. It was revealed that garlic alone reduced 99 per cent of the major odour-producing raw garlic volatiles. When introduced separately, the fat, water and protein components of yoghurt also had a deodorising effect on raw garlic, but results showed fat and protein performed better than water. Looking at fat’s performance, a higher quantity of butter fat was more effective at deodorisation. The proteins which were studied included different forms of whey, casein and milk proteins, all of which were effective at deodorising garlic. This may be because of their ability to trap the volatile molecules before they are emitted into the air. A casein micelle-whey protein complex performed the best. “We know proteins bind flavour – a lot of times that’s considered a negative, especially if a food with high protein has less flavour. In this case, it could be a positive,” Barringer said. Additional experiments that involved changing the pH of the yoghurt to make it less acidic (4.4 pH to 7 pH) actually appeared to lower the yoghurt’s deodorisation effect on the garlic. However, changing the pH of water did not seem to make any difference on the water’s deodorization effect. “That’s telling me it goes back to those proteins because as you change pH you change the configuration of proteins and their ability to bind. That said we definitely should be looking at these proteins,” Barringer said. “It probably depends on the protein, as well, because different proteins react differently to pH. So that may be an important thing as we look at other proteins for their garlic deodorization effect.” The team also tested the deodorising effect of yoghurt and its components on fried garlic, in the process they found that drying garlic alone can significantly reduce garlic odour. Yoghurt and its individual ingredients neutralised a lower percentage of volatile compounds of fried garlic compared to raw garlic. Study authors think this may be because there were fewer volatiles to trap than were present in the raw cloves. The findings have provided a foundation for future studies on proteins that might help fight the garlic breath. In the meantime, Barringer predicts that Greek yoghurt, with a higher protein profile than the whole milk plain yoghurt used in the study, may be particularly effective at getting rid of garlic breath. Fruit-flavoured yoghurts will probably work, too, she said – and whatever is used, it must quickly follow ingestion of raw garlic. “With apples, we have always said to eat them immediately,” she added. “The same with yoghurt is presumed to be the case – have your garlic and eat the yoghurt right away.” The study was published in the journal Molecules. Read More 11 best mouthwashes that will keep your mouth minty fresh Women less likely than men to receive CPR from strangers, study finds Study finds toxic ‘forever chemicals’ may be ‘intentionally added’ to some period products Yoghurt could be the cure for bad garlic breath, study finds Teenager’s death after drinking too much water was ‘preventable’ Could bats hold the secret to beating Covid and cancer?

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