Mindfully Healing

If you want to run more, use social comparison as motivation. Running is socially contagious, new research finds. Data from 1 million runners collected over five years suggests that the running bug spreads from person to person. Just knowing other people who run is enough to boost your motivation, it seems. Professor Sinan Aral, a study author, said: “Knowing the running behaviors of your friends as shared on social networks can cause you to run farther, faster, and longer.” The study’s authors write: “On the same day, on average, an

This component of the Mediterranean diet protects memory. Extra-virgin olive oil helps to protect the brain from cognitive decline, new research finds. The oil reduces the formation of protein in the brain that is linked to Alzheimer’s. The conclusions come from a study of mice, some of whom were fed a diet enriched with extra-virgin olive oil. Professor Domenico Praticò, who led the study, said: “We found that olive oil reduces brain inflammation but most importantly activates a process known as autophagy. Brain cells from mice fed diets enriched with

The signs of depression are hidden in these type of people. It is harder to spot depression in people who are outgoing and fun-loving, research finds. Indeed, people who are extroverted may find it hard to spot the signs of depression in themselves. People who are highly agreeable are also harder to diagnose with depression, the study found. Professor Paul R. Duberstein, the study’s first author, said: “When a person who has enjoyed socializing and whose mood normally is positive becomes depressed, friends and family often don’t recognize it. Depression