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What Does It Mean When Something ‘Scratches Your Brain’?

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“The way she says MFer scratches my brain just right,” one user wrote on TikTok referencing a lyric in Sabrina Carpenter’s song “Please Please Please.” “… something in this performance scratches my brain so well …” one person tweeted about a performance from the TV show “Glee.”

This slang phrase has been all over social media lately. From songs to visual performances to simple sounds, many things are “scratching” people’s brains.

Despite the widespread understanding of what it means, thanks to context clues, the phrase isn’t quite clear. How can something scratch your brain? What does that feel like?

“The phrase ‘scratches your brain’ is often used to describe a sensation that deeply engages your mind, yields a strong emotional response, or provides a sense of relief or satisfaction like an itch,” said Janet Bayramyan, a Los Angeles-based psychotherapist.

Think of the near-euphoric feeling that comes with scratching an itch, but remember it’s mental rather than physical.

The curiosity and wonder that can lead up to that scratching sensation can also be “brain scratchers.” They can signal someone “is attempting to try to figure something out or to try to think hard about something that may be difficult or troubling to understand,” added Hallie Kritsas, a licensed mental health counsellor with Thriveworks in Jacksonville, Florida. Basically, a thought or situation that’s puzzling, provides uncertainty or is confusing, she explained, will do the trick.

What Leads To A ‘Brain Scratch’?

While it’s a fun phrase, it’s not just that, either. Here’s what can trigger the phenomenon, according to therapists:

Something intellectually stimulating.

In other words, a challenge “that captivates your attention and makes you think deeply,” Bayramyan said, listing puzzles and complex ideas as a couple of examples.

That’s what Kritsas believes is the biggest contributor, too. “The cause of ‘brain scratching’ might be something that is puzzling, new or something that our brain cannot automatically come up with an answer to,” she said. If it’s easy or routine, it’s probably not scratching (or engaging) your brain.

A sensory pleasure.

Sounds, textures — all types of sensory input that feel satisfying or pleasurable count, according to Bayramyan. “These can be sensations associated with ASMR,” she added. Think anything from “clicky” keyboards to fidget toys.

Feeling emotionally moved.

Have you ever listened to a song or looked at a piece of art that resonated with your emotions and made you feel “some type of way”? This is another “brain scratcher,” Bayramyan said.

Kritsas agreed that songs, sounds, visual arts and other forms of media can bring about an emotional reaction or memory that feels like a brain scratch or sense of peace. “It can also remind us of something happy or provide ‘relief’ if it is something we’ve been thinking about,” she said.

Solving a problem or curiosity.

There’s almost nothing worse than having a word on the tip of your tongue or a question you can’t quite answer. So, “finding an answer to a question that has been puzzling you can provide a sense of relief similar to scratching an itch,” Bayramyan said.

Music is a big brain scratcher.

MoMo Productions via Getty Images

Music is a big brain scratcher.

The Benefits of Having Your ‘Brain Scratched’

Let’s just say it’s a good thing that “brain scratchers” are everywhere, as they “can definitely have benefits,” according to Kritsas. That goes for both the emotional and cognitive parts of your mental health.

According to Bayramyan, benefits include:

  • Reducing stress and promoting relaxation.
  • Elevating mood, leading to feelings of happiness and contentment.
  • Sparking new ideas and fostering innovative thinking.
  • Providing opportunities for shared enjoyment and bonding with others, which strengthens social connections.
  • Promoting neuroplasticity, or the brain’s ability to form new neural connections, which is essential for long-term cognitive health.

Kritsas added that it can also:

  • Stimulate our brain.
  • Allow us to challenge ourselves to learn a new skill, solve a puzzle or think about something more in depth.
  • Bring about peace of mind.
  • Boost levels of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that deals with pleasure and motivation.
  • Minimise levels of stress, especially when there’s a resolution of sorts.

So go all in with these “brain scratching” experiences. This is your excuse to listen to “Heartbreak is one thing, my ego’s another …” from Sabrina Carpenter’s “Please Please Please” on repeat — not that you needed it.

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The Simple Reason Why You’ve Been Storing Your Cheese Wrong

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Have you found that no matter how well you seal plastic food bags, cheese always tends to go off inside of them very quickly?

Yes, me too. I find myself reaching for the cheese a couple of days later, only to see that it’s suddenly inedible.

Well, it’s not because we haven’t sealed them effectively, according to one medical expert. It’s much more simple than that and in part comes down to the types of cheese we’re having.

Dr Karan Rajan explained in a recent TikTok video that if you’ve been wrapping your cheese in food bags, you’ve been setting yourself up for failure.

How to properly store cheese

So if, like me, you thought that most foods could be refrigerated in the same way, this will be a cold awakening. (Sorry.)

Dr Rajan explained: “Once you finish gobbling your cheese like a hungry little rat, try and avoid putting your cheese in a plastic bag. Especially softer cheeses which have a higher water content.”

These include Havati, Mozzarella, and Gouda.

He said: “This is because moisture can get trapped in the plastic bag and cover the cheese surface. This provides a breeding ground for bacteria and mould — and not the tasty kind.”

Instead, Dr Rajan recommends using cheese paper, which actually is a thing, yes. Alternatively, parchment paper is a good choice, too.

If you are still keen to use plastic bags, Dr Rajan recommends first wrapping the cheese in wax, parchment or cheese paper before placing it inside of the bag.

Fortunately, harder cheeses like Parmigiano can withstand plastic bags no problem.

He did also point out that you could just eat the food very quickly, ‘for science, of course’ and to reduce food waste.

Of course.

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There Is Now More Proof That Alzheimer’s Is Linked To This Key Area Of The Body

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The past couple of years have been incredible for Alzheimer’s research with experts seemingly getting closer to the truth of how Alzheimer’s is developed, and, crucially, how it can be prevented.

Now, researchers have revealed that the gut health link to Alzheimer’s is becoming more apparent with gut inflammation being tied to an increased risk of developing the neurodegenerative disease.

69 humans with Alzheimer’s disease and 64 healthy humans donated blood for research with some also providing gut microbiota via stool samples.

The gut microbiota from Alzheimer’s patients was then transplanted into 16 young adult rats whose microbiomes had been depleted by antibiotics for a week. A matching group of 16 rats received gut microbiota from humans in the healthy control group.

The researchers found that Alzheimer’s could be given to young rats through a transfer of gut microbes, confirming a link between the digestive system and the health of the brain.

This news could mean earlier diagnosis is possible

Lead researcher Yvonne Nolan said: “People with Alzheimer’s are typically diagnosed at or after the onset of cognitive symptoms, which may be too late, at least for current therapeutic approaches.

“Understanding the role of gut microbes during prodromal – or early stage- dementia, before the potential onset of symptoms may open avenues for new therapy development, or even individualised intervention.”

Professor Sandrine Thuret, Professor of Neuroscience at King’s College London and one of the study’s senior authors said: “Alzheimer’s is an insidious condition that there is yet no effective treatment for. This study represents an important step forward in our understanding of the disease, confirming that the make-up of our gut microbiota has a causal role in the development of the disease.

“This collaborative research has laid the groundwork for future research into this area, and my hope is that it will lead to potential advances in therapeutic interventions.”

Here’s hoping there are more developments soon.

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Oprah Names ‘One Of The Most Hurtful Things’ That’s Publicly Happened To Her

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Oprah Winfrey is reflecting on how her weight has been the topic of national conversation for decades.

During a candid conversation on the first episode of The Jamie Kern Lima Show shared on Tuesday, Winfrey spoke about how mocking her for her size was an “accepted” form of ridicule.

“For 25 years, every single week in one form or another, there was some tabloid exploitation of my weight,” she said, adding that “making fun of my weight was national sport for 25 years.”

“Comedians did it, the best comedians did it, the highest comedians did it, people with their shows did it ― it was just accepted that you could make fun of me and my weight,” she said before listing off some of the things people had done that had stuck with her to this day.

Oprah Winfrey attends the premiere for Hulu's "The 1619 Project" at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on Jan. 26, 2023, in Los Angeles.

Axelle/Bauer-Griffin via Getty Images

Oprah Winfrey attends the premiere for Hulu’s “The 1619 Project” at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on Jan. 26, 2023, in Los Angeles.

“One of the most hurtful things was In Living Colour had done a skit where the woman was doing something and she just kept eating and getting fatter and fatter and fatter,” Winfrey explained. “And the comedy bit was that eventually she just exploded, and you know, the whole audience fell out [laughing]. And the woman was me.”

“And that was just accepted! That was just a thing that was accepted,” Winfrey said. “So I have borne this weight thing and carried it to the point where I just feel like, I’ve just recently turned 70 and I’m not carrying it into the next decade. I’m done with it.”

Many celebrities who have long been in the public eye are opening up about what it was like to be scrutinized during a more lawless time in media.

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The Jamie Kern Lima Show Podcast Launch Party on June 26th at 5 PM PST!🎙️✨\nGrab your spot at https://www.jklshow.com/ Get ready for prizes, exclusive behind-the-scenes insights, and more! \n\nSign up for the most amazing soul-filling exclusive content and community at http://www.OprahDaily.com and watch the State of Weight Life You Want class on O Daily Here https://www.oprahdaily.com/life/health/a44964375/oprah-weight-loss-obesity/\n\nAre You Ready to believe in YOU?🙌 https://jamiekernlima.com 👈 Sign up for my FREE Inspirational Newsletter here and you’ll ALSO get special prompt questions to help you grow in your self-worth-building that pair with each episode!🩷 \n\n\nMake sure you Follow the show so you’ll be the first to get each episode! \n____\n\nGet ready for an inspiring, heartfelt and unprecedented conversation with the legendary, iconic Oprah Winfrey like you’ve never seen or heard before! 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To get these questions, please make sure you’re signed up for Jamie’s free inspirational newsletter https://jamiekernlima.com 👈\n\nGet Ready to Believe In YOU! Welcome to The Jamie Kern Lima Show! You Belong Here! \n\nImagine. . .overcoming self-doubt, learning to believe in yourself and trust yourself and know you’re enough. Imagine stepping into all of who you are, and into the person you were born to be. . . unstoppable. Unstoppable in your joy, your success, your faith and in your belief in yourself! \n\nThe Jamie Kern Lima Show is for you if you’re ready to ignite that light inside of you, and learn to shine it brightly, even if it’s for the first time, or for the first time in a long time. IT’s YOUR time, today is YOUR day, and THIS is your show. \n\nThis is How You Trust Yourself. This is How You Love Yourself. This is How You Believe in Yourself. Welcome to the Jamie Kern Lima Show!\n\nI am so honored you are here! And in this and every episode of The Jamie Kern Lima Show, I hope you’ll come as you are. Heal where you need. Blossom what you choose. Journey toward your calling. And stay as long as you’d like. Because YOU belong here! You, exactly as you are, are enough and fully worthy! You are loved, you are love, and I love you! \n\nGet my new book WORTHY plus FREE Bonus gifts including a 95+ page Worthy Workbook and more at https://WorthyBook.com.\n\nListen to The Jamie Kern Lima Show Podcast while you’re on-the-go!\n🎧 Available wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. New episodes drop every Tuesday. \n\nOn Apple Podcasts \nhttps://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-jamie-kern-lima-show/id1728723635\n\nOn Spotify\nhttps://open.spotify.com/show/6I57DuJBTmHSCsNQfGk3uP\n\nChapters:\n[0:00] Welcome to The Jamie Kern Lima Show!\n[6:13] The State of Weight: Challenging Weight Loss Stigmas\n[14:41] Revelations About How Your Weight is Not Your Fault\n[21:09] Modern Medical Insights and Revelations\n[30:00] Overcoming Personal and Public Judgment and Shame\n[34:57] Oprah’s Letter to Her Younger Self\n[48:36] How to Discover Your Purpose and Live The Dream for Your Life\n\nIt’s such an honor to share this podcast together with you. 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Victoria Beckham has shared how being judged for her postpartum weight left her not wanting to go outside, for fear of what tabloids would say.

“I remember after I had Brooklyn, my first outing was on the front page of the newspaper, with arrows pointing to where I needed to lose weight,” she shared in an interview with Grazia last month.

The former Spice Girl said things didn’t get much better after she’d lost the weight she gained during pregnancy. During an appearance on the show Don’t Forget Your Toothbrush, host Chris Evans made Beckham do a particularly gross stunt on TV.

“I’d just had Brooklyn and lost a lot of weight after,” the singer told Vogue Australia in 2022. “It happened to my mum after her pregnancies. It doesn’t mean you have an eating disorder. And he made me stand on scales and be weighed. Can you imagine doing that nowadays?”

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