Cinco Vidas

Who doesn’t enjoy a nice foot rub now and then? It’s soothing and relaxing, and can ease aching muscles and joints. However, according to recent studies, a certain type of foot massage—called reflexology—can do a lot more than that. Researchers from Michigan University found that reflexology was the most effective complementary therapy (when compared to scalp massage and self-initiated support) for breast-cancer survivors, reducing depression and anxiety, and increasing quality of life.

This isn’t the first time reflexology has been shown to benefit cancer patients. A British study found that compared to regular foot massage (in which reflexology pressure points weren’t stimulated), reflexology improved quality of life in 100% of the participants, compared to only 33% of the regular massage group. “Not only did the patients in this study enjoy the intervention,” said the researchers, “they were also ‘relaxed,’ ‘comforted,’ and achieved relief from some of their symptoms.” (more…)

When you were growing up, you probably had some favorite smells. Fresh bread, home-baked cookies, your mother’s perfume, or the spring air after a soft rain. Inhale these scents again and they can take you right back to a sweet memory.

“The sense of smell is by far the most powerful of all our senses,” says Steve Pearce, one of the UK’s top experts on smells. “There is nothing between [the nerve receptors] and the brain, unlike other senses. Its direct contact means we get a very quick, very intensive reaction to odours.” (more…)