Are your eyes bigger than your stomach? Portion control is troubling for many of us – whether it’s a case of getting it right and not cooking too much, to prevent wastage, or making sure we’re eating the right amount for our nutritional needs.

If you’re cooking too much, it’s likely you’re also eating too much – but where do we start in working out what’s just the right amount?

The British Nutrition Foundation is trying to keep it simple with this new guide – just use your hands.

Manchester’s Christie hospital has the UK’s first dedicated treatment centre for the pioneering treatment.

A company in Israel is using virtual reality computer games to help patients deal with chronic pain.

Researchers of the Department of Conservation Biology at the University of Göttingen have carried out research in Southwest Cameroon to assess which proportion of forest would be necessary in order to provide sufficient habitat for rainforest bird species. The results of the study were published in the journal Biological Conservation.

The hagfish dates back at least 300 million years. The secret of survival for these eel-like sea creatures can be found in the rate and volume of slime it produces to fend off predators. Interestingly, the oldest fossils of these eel-like sea creatures, were found in Illinois, and today researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are beginning to uncover the mystery of how the hagfish uses this substance to choke its predators.

A new study by WCS looks at the job satisfaction of front line conservation rangers working in challenging conditions at a national park in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and identifies ways to improve motivation to make them more effective at enforcing the law.

People who develop type 2 diabetes before they turn 40 are twice as likely to be hospitalised for mental illness as those who develop the blood sugar disease after 40, a new study shows.

About 37% of all hospitalisation days in the under 40 group were due to mental illness, the researchers noted. Mood and psychotic disorders were the most common conditions. Mood disorders include depression, bipolar depression and self-harm. Psychotic disorders include delusions, hallucinations and schizophrenia, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services.

Mental and physical ills

Not surprisingly, physical conditions also landed this group in the hospital more often. The study showed rates of kidney disease that were nearly seven times higher in younger people with type 2 diabetes. The risk of hospitalisation for heart disease or stroke was twice as high, and the risk of hospitalisation from infection was nearly doubled in the young-onset group.

The study authors suspect there are a number of reasons why the younger group with type 2 diabetes is more at risk of hospitalisations for mental and physical ills.

“The early onset of disease, long disease duration, poor control of risk factors [in part due to delayed treatment intensification] and suboptimal self-care are some of the factors that contribute to this high risk of hospitalisation in youth-onset diabetes,” explained study co-author Dr Juliana Chan.

She said the psychological burden that comes with managing diabetes may activate stress hormones, which can worsen control of blood sugar, add to obesity and cause inflammation.

Inflammation can affect the central nervous system and may “worsen psychological well-being,” Chan said. She’s director of the Hong Kong Institute of Diabetes and Obesity at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the Prince of Wales Hospital.

More prevalent in younger people

Chan said there’s a known connection between diabetes and depression. But it’s not clear which condition comes first. It’s also possible that the conditions contribute to each other.

Dr Joel Zonszein, director of the clinical diabetes centre at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City, said this study is “a wake-up call. What’s going on in Hong Kong is what’s going to be taking place in this country.”

Zonszein added that “type 2 diabetes is becoming more prevalent in younger people, and it’s more aggressive and harder to treat than in the past. It used to be extremely rare to see diabetes in someone under 65.”

Type 2 diabetes is a condition that causes high blood sugar levels. If untreated, high blood sugar can lead to a number of complications, such as heart disease, kidney disease, infections and vision problems, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Two major risk factors for the disease are obesity and not getting enough physical activity.

For the new study, Chan and her colleagues looked at health information on more than 400 000 people with type 2 diabetes in Hong Kong. Nearly 21 000 were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes before the age of 40. Just over 200 000 were diagnosed between 40 and 59 years, and just under 200 000 were diagnosed at age 60 or older.

The researchers found that someone diagnosed before age 40 could expect to spend nearly 100 days in the hospital by his or her 75th birthday.

A complex disease

Good control of modifiable risk factors was associated with a decrease to 65 estimated days in the hospital up to age 75. Modifiable risk factors are things such as blood sugar levels, cholesterol and blood pressure.

According to Zonszein, “These are people who are getting very sick from complications of diabetes and mental illness compared to people that get type 2 diabetes when they’re older. We need to keep young people healthier.”

Chan explained that “diabetes is a complex disease and it is not just about medications and medical follow-up. Diabetes imposes a lot of demands on a person who needs to be educated, empowered and engaged in order to change their lifestyle and learn how to cope with the disease.”

She added that health care providers, governments, insurers and society need to work together to help “support these individuals to make the management of this lifelong condition more user-friendly, affordable and sustainable.”

The report was published online in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

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Astronauts tend to complain of back pain after returning to Earth. Now, researchers think they can explain that discomfort.

Long stays in space can cause spinal muscles to shrink and become more fatty, they found.

Future countermeasures

In some of those muscles, increased fat levels last for years, said study author Katelyn Burkhart, of Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and her colleagues.

Besides low back pain during and immediately after space missions, astronauts appear to be at increased risk of spinal disc herniation, the researchers report in Spine.

“As NASA plans for future missions to Mars and beyond, these results can be used to guide future countermeasures,” Burkhart’s team said in a journal news release.

The researchers analysed CT scans of the lower spine in 17 astronauts and cosmonauts who served on the International Space Station for an average of six months.

They assessed the paraspinal muscles, which run up and down the spine and control spinal movement and posture. Previous research has suggested that these muscles shrink after long stretches in space due to the lack of gravity.

Amount and type of exercise

The scans showed that the astronauts’ paraspinal muscles were nearly 5 to 9% smaller after their time on the space station. But all muscles returned to normal size within a year.

The scans also revealed increases in the amount of fatty tissue in the muscles, with a roughly 6 to 9% corresponding decrease in muscle density. Fat content in two muscles remained higher than normal even two to four years after returning to Earth.

Those two muscles – the quadratus lumborum and psoas muscles – run alongside the spine and connect the spinal column to the pelvis. Muscles behind the spine regained normal density, according to the study.

In some cases, changes in muscle size were at least partly linked with the amount and type of exercise performed in space, either resistance exercise or cycling.

However, exercise while in space did not seem to affect changes in muscle density, according to the study.

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Many South Africans and others across the world experienced 2018 as a tumultuous and uncertain year. New Year is traditionally a time for renewed energy, positive thoughts and intentions, but the emerging 2019 may not automatically be filled with hope and vigour. We have put the old year behind us, but are we steaming ahead into the new one believing that everything is going to be better?

Somatic psychologist and best-selling author of The Mindful Body, Noa Belling, takes a different view. According to Noa, we can certainly forge ahead into 2019 with the optimism, energy and motivation to make it an excellent year for ourselves and those around us. In The Mindful Body, Noa presents practical, quick and easy strategies to build emotional strength and manage stress through body mindfulness. Here are her top tips to find the energy to face 2019 and ensure that it is a year of personal fulfilment and achievement.

1. Enforce a positive mindset, no matter what

“Each time a new year begins it can bring with it a sense of hope and renewed possibility that we can lean into.”

Body awareness or body mindfulness can help with inflicting positivity. For example, when we are negative, we tend to constrict, tense up and hold our breath or perhaps fall into lethargy. A simple postural shift, like righting our posture, opening our chests, allowing ourselves a good few deep breaths and holding our heads up high can trick our brains into more positivity, even if we have to “fake it” at times. 

2. Build resilience

Resilience is made up of a number of moments of facing our stresses with qualities like courage and confidence. How can we build our courage and confidence to face our daily stresses? Power poses can be helpful here. Harvard research by Amy Cuddy has shown that when we puff up or open our chest and shoulders, encouraging ourselves us to stand tall and proud, it raises our confidence hormone, testosterone, and lowers our stress and anxiety hormone, cortisol.

“Next time you need a courage and confidence boost, take a two minute break to practice standing tall and proud, with arms wherever feels best, such as on your waist like Wonder Woman, or with elbows open and hands behind your head. Let your breathing be comfortable and feel grounded through your feet too to help maximise the calm, grounded confidence effect that this pose can have.”

3. Take control of anxiety

“A hand to the heart or even a few fingers to the chest – whatever feels best in the moment, can be helpful here. When you do that, it is natural to want to take a spontaneous deep breath, which can be helpful too,” says Noa. 

Fear and anxiety can cause tightness in our body, often centred in our chest, throat and solar plexus areas. A hand on the chest can naturally soften these areas in a matter of seconds. This is aided by the almost instant increase of oxytocin levels through touch. Oxytocin is our snuggle or cuddle hormone, which helps us feel more intimately connected with ourselves and others. It can remind us of self-care and can wake up compassion in us that we can direct as we choose. It is also a feel-good hormone that counteracts stress hormones.

In other words, our feel-good levels tend to go up and our fear and anxiety levels down, allowing our brains to function better.

“When anxiety creeps up on you, place a couple of fingers or a hand to your chest and allow your breathing to become fuller. To make this even more effective, add a small smile (even if you feel you are faking it) and think of something or someone that makes you happy. Hold onto this gesture, the smile and the happy memory for as long as you can, or for at least 30 seconds, and notice the effect it has on you. Then apply your mind, heart and attention to whatever you need or wish to.”

4. Keep up the momentum

“Get moving in whatever way works best for you! It could be through your exercise of choice or in the moment it could be loosening up your posture, aligning your posture to feel comfortable and uplifted and placing a smile on your face. This can keep oxygen and energy flowing throughout our body and mind to keep us feeling alert and alive. As mentioned earlier, changing our posture can also change our mind, mood and outlook towards greater positivity.”  

There is also a version of the power pose that can be used on the spot for a boost in energy and positivity. It is called the Victory Pose. Stand with your feet well-grounded and reach your arms and fingers up high to the sky. Breathing evenly and perhaps deeper than usual but comfortably, hold this pose for one or two minutes. You can start your day in this energising way or you can use it on the spot when you can for a quick mood lift. 

Any time we set out to accomplish a task and complete it, it tends to give us a dopamine rush. Dopamine gives us a rush of motivation, excitement, positivity and energy. Accomplish smaller tasks by making a list and ticking them off as you go. It may also make bigger goals seem less daunting when you break them up into smaller units. 

5. Connect to others

“There is nothing that can beat contact with our special people. Focused, connected time with others is a powerful antidote to feelings of isolation or polarisation. As humans we are social animals wired to respond well to sincere and caring contact with other people.

“Phone or message a friend to revive connections instantly. Make concrete plans to meet up. From board games to deep and meaningful conversations, or sharing sporting activities or spending time together in nature, shared activities knit us into a wonderful sense of connection with each other. It is so important to make the time.”

In conclusion, Noa reminds us that 2019 is like every New Year, full of challenges and opportunities.  How we experience it will be up to us as individuals. “We are completely in charge of whether we open our hearts more and make more time for the important people and causes in our lives,” she says, “Each of us can make good use of the two-way channel between mind and body, so that we choose wisely when to stretch ourselves and when we might need rest and recuperation to avoid burnout and replenish our energy.  To help us we might ask ourselves this question from time to time: “What might be helpful to me now to open to greater fulfilment in 2019?”

Disclaimer: Mental health issues such as depression and anxiety should always be addressed by a medical professional. While coping strategies are important, you should always contact a doctor or professional if necessary. If you feel that your anxiety or depression is out of control and your current treatment plan no longer helps, contact your doctor or psychiatrist immediately to re-evaluate current treatment and to help you find a new strategy. Then you can start practising measures such as mindfulness to aid your mental wellbeing and get the best out of the new year. 

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Auditor general Adrian Crompton says he hopes NHS Wales can “continue to bring down and control” costs.