Regular exercise stimulates new cell growth in vertebral discs in rats.

Swedish investigators reported at the International Society for the Study of the Lumbar Spine (ISSLS) Conference that in rats, one hour of exercise daily on a treadmill increased new cell growth in the vertebral discs compared with rats just allowed their usual activities. This is encourging news as regular daily exercise may help prevent disc related problems.

PositiveTip:  Regular physical activity can improve the function of the whole body--and back.  Did you get yours today? 

Reprogram your brain's reward centers to love healthy food by restricting access to fatty foods.

One study found that when rats were given unrestricted access to tasty, calorie-rich food they ate twice as much and gained substantial weight.

Measurements in their brains indicated that the threshold for experiencing reward was elevated (in other words, they worked harder for the brain stimulus) and their overeating was not diminished by electrical shock to their feet. Eating too much rich food seems to trigger addiction-like responses in the brain circuits and most likely causes the development of compulsive eating habits. 

PositiveTip: In humans, restricted access to fattening foods for prolonged periods can help the brain reactivate its reward centers to respond to healthier foods.