Results showed a 17 percent decrease in anxiety associated with mild stress among gum chewers, and moderate stress decreased by almost 10 percent. Cortisol levels were even lowered significantly.
So reach for a stick of gum the next time you’re feeling anxious. Pick your fave flavor and chomp away.
- Sensory Deprivation
The popularity of sensory deprivation has created a wave of “float spas” across the country. And while it sounds like a strange concept, it is said to offer a range of life-changing health benefits.
According to Men’s Journal, sensory deprivation and isolation are now called REST. This is an abbreviation for restricted environment stimulation technique. In this technique, flotation tanks are used to create an experience that some compare to being in the womb.
Experts say that this is a great way to reset the body. In fact, Dr. Peter Suedfeld, a REST researcher, tells Men’s Journals that this technique can help with "problems involving the autonomic nervous system, such as insomnia, stress symptoms, dysfunctions of the skeletomuscular system, chronic headache, and the like."
Studies have shown positive effects associated with REST. For example, REST has been shown to lower cortisol levels, assist in pain management and even elevate mood.