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Five ways to take advantage of rising interest rates to boost your savings

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/fredrick-kibon-changwony-234363">Fredrick Kibon Changwony</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-stirling-1697">University of Stirling</a> With the Bank of England base rate <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-the-bank-of-englands-interest-rate-hikes-are-filtering-through-to-your-finances-210344">currently the highest</a> it has been since early 2008, you may have a valuable opportunity to increase your earnings on pensions, investments and savings accounts. After all, when the central bank raises its main rate – the base rate, which is typically used as a benchmark for loans as well as savings accounts – it is trying to encourage people to spend less and save more. But UK banks and building societies have <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/money/martin-lewis-savings-rates-mortgage-crisis-b2362955.html">recently been accused</a> of letting their savings rates lag the recent rapid rise in the base rate. UK regulator the Financial Conduct Authority has urged these financial firms to offer “<a href="https://www.fca.org.uk/news/press-releases/action-plan-cash-savings">fair and competitive</a>” savings rates in response to the increasing interest rates. Many financial institutions do offer accounts with <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/money/2023/jul/15/uk-savings-accounts-interest-nsi-building-societies-banks-deals">rates of 6% or more</a>. This is good news for avid savers – but only if you keep an eye on the market so you can switch from less competitive products. This is why it’s important to establish a regular savings habit, but many people are unsure about what that should involve. My colleagues and I have studied the <a href="https://dspace.stir.ac.uk/handle/1893/32240">correlation between people’s savings goals</a> (if they have any) and how they invest their money. We also looked at how seeking financial information advice, and being “good with numbers”, both influence this correlation. We analysed data from more than 40,000 individuals in 21,000 UK households from five waves of the Office for National Statistics Wealth and Assets Survey (WAS), conducted between 2006 and 2016. This data captures comprehensive economic wellbeing information and attitudes to financial planning. Our research shows the importance to your finances of setting multiple savings goals, keeping up with financial news, and seeking professional advice. Based on this, here are five research-based ways to make the most of your money. <h2>1. Set specific savings goals</h2> Establishing personal savings goals is one of the first steps most financial institutions and advisers will recommend to their customers, because it’s a good idea to <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/compoundinterest.asp">save regularly</a>. Plus, our study shows that total financial assets increase in line with the number of savings goals you have, and that setting specific, rather than vague, goals leads to higher performance. Specific savings goals should have an end date, target figure, and even a meaningful name – for example, “£1,000 for 2024 trip to Asia” or “£250 for 2023 Christmas present fund”. This will create tangible reference points that encourage self-control and increase the pain you feel if you fail to meet your goal. <h2>2. Seek professional financial advice</h2> Rather than relying on friends, family and social media for financial advice, speak to an expert. Our research shows households that access professional financial advice were more likely to allocate a higher share of their wealth to stock portfolios than those that rely on friends, family and social media for financial advice. This result was consistent even across different wealth and income levels, with lower earners possibly using products like ISAs to make investments in stocks and shares. Other <a href="https://academic.oup.com/qje/article/134/3/1225/5435538">research shows</a> stock portfolios outperform most other types of investment in the long term. We also found that access to professional financial advice can substitute for setting goals, because your adviser should help you to determine the kinds of products to invest in (which is called asset allocation) for specific timelines and aims. <h2>3. Brush up on your maths</h2> <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-5890.2007.00052.x">Several studies</a> show numerical skills affect how households gather and process information, <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/a0013114">set goals</a>, perceive risks, and <a href="https://heinonline.org/HOL/P?h=hein.journals/fedred89&i=791">decide to invest</a> in various financial assets. So, by brushing up on your basic numeracy and financial literacy skills – even with free online videos – you could boost your savings for the long term. Our study shows that individuals with high confidence in their numerical skills tend to have better financial planning habits – such as investing more in stocks and bonds than cash, which carries more risk but also the potential for greater returns. This trend is particularly evident among households with no savings goals, suggesting that numerical ability could compensate for failing to set such goals. <h2>4. Adopt appropriate savings strategies</h2> Diversified stock market portfolios generally outperform bonds and cash savings <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/qje/qjz012">over longer periods</a>. However, stock markets can be volatile, so putting savings into less risky assets like bonds and cash is wise for savings goals of less than five years. In the longer term, investing across different global stock markets for more than five years can help counteract inflation. And you can access low-cost, diversified investment portfolios via financial products based on indices of stocks or other assets, such as exchange traded funds. <h2>5. Set, monitor and adjust your plan</h2> Free financial planning and budgeting apps can help you save money by tracking your spending and savings goals, and encouraging you to adhere to a budget. Most importantly, once you set savings goals and create a budget, don’t forget about them. Check regularly to see how your savings are building up and to monitor for any spending changes. A growing array of fintech tools can prompt and encourage this kind of long-term planning. Keeping an eye on savings rates is also important. As banks change rates or create new accounts, consider switching to get a better deal if you can do so without falling foul of account closure fees. It’s important to make sure your savings are working for you at any time, but its crucial in the current economy, when finances are tight but interest rates are rising.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/208853/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/fredrick-kibon-changwony-234363">Fredrick Kibon Changwony</a>, Lecturer in Accounting & Finance, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-stirling-1697">University of Stirling</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/five-ways-to-take-advantage-of-rising-interest-rates-to-boost-your-savings-208853">original article</a>.

Money & Banking

The happiness diet: 7 foods to boost your mood

Mood boosting foods worth adding to your shopping trolley For decades, our culture has focused on the connection between healthy eating and physiological wellness – most of all, related to weight. But out of a pandemic that made mental health a hot topic, you might also be gaining an awareness that the food you eat can seriously affect your mind. Research published in The British Medical Journal says diet plays a major role in how both our body and our brain are feeling. Poor nutrition can contribute to depression, anxiety, aggression (there’s a reason the word “hangry” exists!). But improving your diet, and knowing the right foods to eat, may help your mental health. Dietitian and certified intuitive eating counsellor Rachel Engelhart says certain foods can support your body’s processes that are responsible for positive moods and strong energy levels. Here’s Engelhart’s list of the greatest mood-boosting foods. Fatty fish Seafood like salmon, mackerel and canned tuna are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which are ‘healthy fats’ with benefits throughout your body – from your heart to your eyes – and your brain. “Omega-3 fatty acids are anti-inflammatory and have the ability to cross into the brain, having a direct effect on mood-regulating molecules and neurotransmitters there,” says registered dietitian Kelsey Lorencz. Research has consistently linked low levels of omega-3s with mood disorders like depression and anxiety – and, according to a review published in Frontiers in Physiology, most of us don’t get enough omega-3 fats in our diet. Yoghurt According to Lorencz, “The bacteria in your gut can actually produce feel-good neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine.” Research has identified a particular bacterium that may have a strong impact on triggering these chemicals: a strain called Lactobacillus. One study published in the journal Nature found that feeding our gut with this good bacteria – found naturally in foods like yoghurt, kefir, and sauerkraut – doesn’t just keep the blues at bay, it can increase our resilience in the face of stress. Bananas Bananas aren’t just shaped like a smile – they’re a mood-boosting powerhouse. That’s in part because they’re also high in vitamin B6, one nutrient behind the production of the ‘happiness hormone’ serotonin. Bananas contain prebiotic fibre, which, along with that Lactobacillus, are essential for gut health that promotes a happy brain. Cottage cheese “The amino acid L-tyrosine is needed to make dopamine and norepinephrine, two neurotransmitters that affect our mood and can easily become depleted,” Lorencz says. She points to high sources like soy products, chicken, fish, nuts, seeds, avocados and bananas. But cottage cheese has a whopping amount of this amino acid, along with a few other mood-boosters in its arsenal. It’s high in protein, which is essential for our body to make and use its mood-promoting hormones, Engelhart says. (This protein is casein protein, which our body absorbs more slowly, sustaining energy levels, and may contribute to elevated moods, according to ongoing research.) Cottage cheese also contains selenium, a mineral that Nutrients research has suggested may be linked with lower rates of depression. Nuts and seeds Magnesium is a mineral that supports our body’s energy production – and not getting enough can lead to irritability, anxiety, sleeplessness and agitation, says Lorencz. Nuts like almonds, walnuts, cashews and seeds like pumpkin, chia and sesame are great sources of this vital nutrient, as well as tryptophan, an amino acid associated with good moods. Nuts and seeds can also be great vegetarian sources of those crucial omega-3 fatty acids. Oysters The ages-old wives’ tale about oysters as aphrodisiacs is still out for debate, but oysters can elevate one’s mood. They pack the highest zinc content of any food – a nutrient that’s linked with anxiety and depression when we’re deficient, says Lorencz – and contain tyrosine, an amino acid that helps our body produce the ‘feel good’ hormone dopamine. That’s great news for the shellfish-loving set. However, if you aren’t a fan of oysters, you can get this one-two mood-boosting punch from food like eggs, nuts and legumes. Your favourite treat “Having a varied diet is the best way to set your body up to produce the ‘feel good’ hormones that it needs,” Engelhart says, adding an important point: while this nutritious balance is important, so is treating yourself to food you enjoy. “So many of my clients are hard on themselves and rather judgmental around their food choices, and it negatively impacts their mood,” she says. “Sprinkling our day with a delicious coffee, a yummy dessert, or one of our favourite restaurant meals is also an important way to positively impact our mental health.” And if you want to be strategic about that treat, reach for some dark chocolate. Chocolate contains natural serotonin, and 2022 research found that dark chocolate has prebiotic effects in our gut, supporting stronger mental health. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.co.nz/healthsmart/conditions/mental-health/the-happiness-diet-7-foods-to-boost-your-mood" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader's Digest</a>.

Food & Wine

How your favourite things can boost your financial wellbeing

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jingshi-joyce-liu-1424398">Jingshi (Joyce) Liu</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/city-university-of-london-1047">City, University of London</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/amy-dalton-1425283">Amy Dalton</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/hong-kong-university-of-science-and-technology-1153">Hong Kong University of Science and Technology</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/anirban-mukhopadhyay-1425284">Anirban Mukhopadhyay</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/hong-kong-university-of-science-and-technology-1153">Hong Kong University of Science and Technology</a> The cost of living crisis has left many people struggling to afford basic necessities such as food and heating for their homes. On the other hand, the top ten richest men in the world <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/04/economic-inequality-wealth-gap-pandemic/">doubled their wealth</a> during the COVID pandemic while 99% of people became worse off. While this is a comparison of two extremes, many people attempt to “keep up with the Joneses” – looking at what the people around them own and striving to afford the same things. Comparing material wealth and resources to those around you is even more common when others are better off. It’s hard not to wonder why someone else has a nicer car or better clothes. Lots of <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jasp.12631">research supports</a> this tendency, <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/00222437221141053">including our own</a>. For example, when we asked American people to watch a video about research on income inequality in their own country, unsurprisingly, it made them think about their own wealth and how it compares to those around them. And we found that it doesn’t matter how wealthy a person is. Relatively well-off people still tend to look upwards in this way. There is nearly always someone who has more money or owns a better car, a bigger house or the latest gadgets. But while money may not buy you happiness, <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/00222437221141053">our research shows</a> that a favourite possession can actually help to make you feel happier when facing income inequality. Thinking about a single treasured possession – even something small like a favourite book gifted by a friend or a keepsake from a trip – can help prevent these feelings of deprivation and actually boost your wellbeing. We used the <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/terms/g/gini-index.asp">Gini coefficient</a> – a common measure of income inequality – to analyse more than 31,000 Instagram posts from 138 countries. We found that posts tend to convey less happiness in places with more income inequality (i.e., when the Gini coefficient of the location of the post increases). We focused on posts that were about favourite possessions (that used hashtags such as #favouritething, #favthing), comparing these with posts about favourite things in general, that is things that aren’t “owned”. The latter posts used hashtags such as #fashion or #favoritepeople. Posts that used hashtags about general consumption and favourite things that aren’t “owned”, such as music or friends, were typically less happy and posted in areas with more income inequality. But when we looked at posts that used hashtags about favourite possessions, such as #favouritething or #favthing, we found there was a weaker relationship with income inequality. So whether a post was happy or not wasn’t linked to the equality of the area it was posted in. These posts about favourite possessions were therefore less affected by income inequality. This means that encouraging people to think differently about things they already own could help some cope better with inequality. Rather than focusing on how much you own, which tends to exacerbate social comparison and undermine happiness, focus instead on your favourite possessions. Our research indicates that people who do this tend to make fewer material comparisons, and are happier as a result. <h2>Simply remember your favourite things</h2> A treasured possession doesn’t even have to be particularly expensive. From a memento purchased on a trip abroad, to your grandmother’s embroidered cushion, a football jersey that reminds you of your old school teammates, or even that tattered t-shirt of your favourite band, such items can feel priceless to their owners because they are unique and their value transcends any kind of price. In a separate multi-country study using an online questionnaire, we asked 1,370 participants from China, India, Pakistan, the UK, Spain, Russia, Chile and Mexico to describe either every item of clothing they had recently purchased, or a single favourite item of clothing. After participants described these things, we asked them about their wellbeing, as well as their perception of income inequality in their country. Those who thought about recent clothing purchases reported lower wellbeing when thinking about income inequality in their country. In comparison, those who talked about a single favourite piece of clothing were not as affected by the income inequality they perceived around them. Three more online experiments with over 2,000 participants <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/00222437221141053">revealed that</a> when people are reminded of their favourite possessions they feel less affected by income inequality because they are making fewer material comparisons. In one of these studies, we found that merely describing a favourite possession made people less likely to compare their wealth to that of others. When people stopped making these comparisons they were happier – even those living in places with more income inequality. <h2>#FavouriteThing</h2> Our research shows the benefits of focusing on a few favourite things that we own, rather than thinking about the amount of possessions we have and what else we need to “keep up with the Joneses”. Hashtag trends like #ThrowbackThursday encourage people to post photos on certain themes. In a similar vein, encouraging more people to post photos of their favourite possessions using hashtags like #FavouriteThing could do a lot to help boost happiness during the cost of living crisis. Income inequality is rampant and the cost of living crisis has only made its effects worse. But we all possess something dear to us that can keep us from comparing ourselves to others and help protect our wellbeing in this difficult economic environment.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/201997/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jingshi-joyce-liu-1424398">Jingshi (Joyce) Liu</a>, Lecturer in Marketing, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/city-university-of-london-1047">City, University of London</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/amy-dalton-1425283">Amy Dalton</a>, Associate Professor of Marketing, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/hong-kong-university-of-science-and-technology-1153">Hong Kong University of Science and Technology</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/anirban-mukhopadhyay-1425284">Anirban Mukhopadhyay</a>, Lifestyle International Professor of Business and Chair Professor of Marketing, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/hong-kong-university-of-science-and-technology-1153">Hong Kong University of Science and Technology</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-your-favourite-things-can-boost-your-financial-wellbeing-201997">original article</a>.

Money & Banking

Top 10 collagen boosting foods

We all know how good collagen is for keeping our skin firm. Chances are good your day or night cream probably contain it as an ingredient and if you have regular facials, it’s most likely integrated into the treatment somehow. While our body is constantly creating new collagen, the rate at which this happens starts to slow right down as we get older. Fortunately, along with your topical products, certain foods can help naturally boost collagen in the skin. Here’s what to include on your plate to give your dermis a boost: Fish – Packed with Omega-3, quality fish helps create stronger cells, which in turn support the structure of the skin. Red fruit and veggies – Veggies like chilli, capsicum and beetroot and fruits like tomato contain lycopene, an antioxidant that acts as a natural sunblock, helping protect skin from UV rays while also boosting collagen. Dark green veggies – Rich in vitamin C and high in antioxidants, veggies like kale, spinach and darker varieties of lettuce can help increase collagen production. Orange vegtgies – Chowing down on carrots and sweet potato gives your body a hit of vitamin A, which restores and regenerates damaged collagen. Berries – Low in sugar and delicious to boot, berries contain antioxidants which help eliminate free radicals and increase collagen levels. Soy products – Whether it’s soy milk, cheese, yoghurt or even tofu, soy contains a hormone called genistein which helps boost collagen production and block enzymes that cause ageing. White and green herbal teas – Sipping a cup of herbal tea can help support the structure of the skin and prevent collagen breakdown. Citrus – Fruits like orange, lime and lemon not only contain high levels of vitamin C but they also have the ability to help convert amino acids to collagen. Eggs – Protein rich foods in general are high in collagen, which can help boost the levels in your skin. Lean meat and nuts are also great for creating a healthy complexion. Garlic – Not only useful for warding off cold and flu, garlic provides the body with sulfur that is necessary for collagen production. Image credit: Shutterstock

Beauty & Style

Fun ways to boost memory in seniors

Memory issues can seriously deteriorate the quality of life for seniors. To reverse the typically progressive process of memory loss, many solutions have been put forward. These include creative leisure activities aimed to work on the senior’s brain while providing relaxation. To work on a senior’s memory, it’s optimal to have them work on a project, focusing and seeing the work being done. There are plenty of games and activities available to help memory. Paint by Numbers Paint by Numbers is a creative art form that involves painting a pre-drawn sketch on a linen canvas with reference numbers. It helps stimulate the intellect and senses. They’re available in colour books as well, you can find them at your local Kmart and select supermarkets. Diamond painting Diamond painting is a manual activity where the senior creates beautiful pictures using rhinestones to stick onto a self-adhesive canvas. It calls for concentration, reflection, memorisation, and patience from the practitioner, which is beneficial for working on memory. Scratch painting Scratch painting is a fun activity that involves scratching a picture with a coin or stylus, like a lottery scratch-off. It requires interest and concentration from the individual, who will enjoy the final picture and benefit their memory. Music therapy Music therapy is used to treat and alleviate disorders, such as relational, behavioural, and communication difficulties. It also has benefits for seniors with memory problems, as it allows them to mobilise concentration, emotions, and memory in a playful way. Image credit: Shutterstock

Mind

How a smartphone app may help boost memory recall

A new study from researchers at the University of Toronto has introduced a smartphone app that can reinforce memories of life events. The app, Hippocampus, is designed to benefit people with memory impairment by imitating the function of the Hippocampus as it helps consolidate memories, working by recording life events and replaying them to lock them in as memories. Our ability to remember life events declines with age, particularly with those with diseases like Alzheimer’s. According to the study, some people were able to successfully reinforce their memories through the app. Research found that people who used it for two weeks experienced a 56% increase in their ability to recall the details of events recorded with HippoCamera. People who used it for 70 consecutive days saw an 84% increase. No one wants to forget their life experiences, and according to the study lead author Dr Chris Martin, a cognitive neuroscientist at Florida State University, “You can better recall a specific moment from your recent past, you will have a stronger mental bridge between your present and past self.” So, start brain training and download Hippocampus to improve memory and recall. Image credit: Getty

Mind

Let’s dance! How dance classes can lift your mood and help boost your social life

If your new year’s resolutions include getting healthier, exercising more and lifting your mood, dance might be for you. By dance, we don’t mean watching other people dance on TikTok, as much fun as this can be. We mean taking a dance class, or even better, a few. A growing body of <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17482631.2020.1732526">research shows</a> the benefits of dance, regardless of the type (for example, classes or social dancing) or the style (hip hop, ballroom, ballet). Dance boosts our wellbeing as it improves our emotional and physical health, makes us feel less stressed and more socially connected. Here’s what to consider if you think dance might be for you. <h2>The benefits of dance</h2> Dance is <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1077800417745919">an engaging and fun</a> way of exercising, learning and meeting people. A review of the evidence <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17482631.2020.1732526">shows</a> taking part in dance classes or dancing socially improves your health and wellbeing regardless of your age, gender or fitness. Another review focuses more specifically on benefits of dance across the lifespan. It <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/17482631.2021.1950891">shows</a> dance classes and dancing socially at any age improves participants’ sense of self, confidence and creativity. Researchers have also looked at specific dance programs. One UK-based dance program for young people aged 14 <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/14647893.2011.561306">shows</a> one class a week for three months increased students’ fitness level and self-esteem. This was due to a combination of factors including physical exercise, a stimulating learning environment, positive engagement with peers, and creativity. Another community-based program for adults in hospital <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/17533015.2020.1725072">shows</a> weekly dance sessions led to positive feelings, enriches social engagement and reduced stress related to being in hospital. If you want to know how much dance is needed to develop some of these positive effects, we have good news for you. A useful hint comes from a <a href="https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-015-2672-7">study</a> that looked exactly at how much creative or arts engagement is needed for good mental health – 100 or more hours a year, or two or more hours a week, in most cases. <h2>Dance is social</h2> But dance is more than physical activity. It is also a community ritual. Humans have <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/223398">always danced</a>. We still do so to mark and celebrate transitory periods in life. Think of how weddings prompt non-dancers to move rhythmically to music. Some cultures dance to celebrate childbirth. Many dance to celebrate religious and cultural holidays. This is what inspired French sociologist <a href="https://iep.utm.edu/emile-durkheim/">Emile Durkheim</a> (1858-1917) to explore how dance affects societies and cultures. Durkheim <a href="https://archive.org/search?query=external-identifier%3A%22urn%3Aoclc%3Arecord%3A689172179%22">saw</a> collective dance as a societal glue – a social practice that cultivates what he called “collective effervescence”, a feeling of dynamism, vitality and community. He observed how dance held cultures together by creating communal feelings that were difficult to cultivate otherwise, for example a feeling of uplifting togetherness or powerful unity. It’s that uplifting feeling you might experience when dancing at a concert and even for a brief moment forgetting yourself while moving in synchrony with the rest of the crowd. Synchronous <a href="https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/529447">collective activities</a>, such as dance, provide a pleasurable way to foster social bonding. This is due to feelings Durkheim noticed that we now know as transcendental emotions – such as joy, awe and temporary dissolution of a sense of self (“losing yourself”). These can lead to feeling a part of something bigger than ourselves and help us experience social connectedness. For those of us still experiencing social anxiety or feelings of loneliness due to the COVID pandemic, dance can be a way of (re)building social connections and belonging. Whether you join an online dance program and invite a few friends, go to an in-person dance class, or go to a concert or dance club, dance can give temporary respite from the everyday and help lift your mood. <h2>Keen to try out dance?</h2> Here’s what to consider: <ul> <li> if you have not exercised for a while, start with a program tailored to beginners or the specific fitness level that suits you </li> <li> if you have physical injuries, check in with your GP first </li> <li> if public dance classes are unappealing, consider joining an online dance program, or going to a dance-friendly venue or concert </li> <li> to make the most of social aspect of dance, invite your friends and family to join you </li> <li> social dance classes are a better choice for meeting new people </li> <li> beginner performance dance classes will improve your physical health, dance skills and self-esteem </li> <li> most importantly, remember, it is not so much about how good your dancing is, dance is more about joy, fun and social connectedness. </li> </ul> In the words of one participant in our (yet-to-be published) research on dance and wellbeing, dance for adults is a rare gateway into fun, "there’s so much joy, there’s so much play in dancing. And play isn’t always that easy to access as an adult; and yet, it’s just such a joyful experience. I feel so happy to be able to dance." Images: Getty <em style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, 'system-ui', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; font-size: 16px; background-color: #ffffff;">This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/lets-dance-how-dance-classes-can-lift-your-mood-and-help-boost-your-social-life-197692" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Body

5 easy ways to boost your memory

As we age, it’s only natural for our memory to decline a little. While it may be indicative of a larger problem, more often than not, memory lapses are nothing to worry about. That being said, there are a number of steps you can take to improve your recall ability, and they require very little time and effort. 1. Get in the habit Think about the little things you do every day, like taking a shower, making a cup of tea, hanging the washing out to dry. These are the habitual actions we perform without needing to rely on our memory. So, it stands to reason that if you want to remember something, making it a habit is a good rule of thumb. Always losing your keys? Keep forgetting to take your tablets or vitamins? Simply put them in the same place every time. 2. Get visual Katya Sebeson, author of Improve Memory in 5 Steps recommends leaving visual markers around the house as subtle reminders. “When there's something I can't forget to do before bed, I put an item on my pillow that isn't supposed to be there – like a can of cat food – to get my attention,” she tells <a href="http://www.preventionaus.com.au/article/5-quick-memory-tricks-to-try-today-445304" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Prevention</a>. 3. Put forgettable items next to essential items What item do you never fail to leave the house without? It could be your mobile phone, wallet, handbag, shoes or something else entirely. Now, when you need to remember to take something with you (for example, a parcel to send at the post office the next day) place it right next to the item you never leave home without. 4. Word association Constantly forget people’s names? Don’t worry, we all do! Australian memory champion and coach, Tansel Ali, suggests associating the name with a similar-sounding or alliterate word, like “Mark” with the “dark” hair. “If we encode a name in our brain so that it becomes an image, from there we can create a story we're sure to remember,” Ali tells Prevention. 5. Turn your to-do list into a story You don’t need to rely on taking a physical to-do list with you everywhere. According to Ali, it’s better to break each item down to its location. Say you need to get a dental check-up, have lunch with Julie and need to buy some pasta for dinner. Be creative and turn that list into a narrative – no matter how bizarre. “If an engaging story is built in your head, that’s the core foundation,” Ali tells <a href="http://www.bodyandsoul.com.au/health/health-advice/how-to-get-a-better-memory/news-story/2063173c32c39221e7bef872f50e8d10" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Body + Soul</a>. “It’s very difficult to forget.” Image: Getty

Mind

6 foods that boost your eye health

Pardon the pun, but don’t be short-sighted – there is more to eating healthy than watching your figure. There are a number of foods that can boost your eye health and help protect against sight-threatening diseases. Here are the ones to add to your shopping basket now (and why)! Legumes   Not only are they a healthy addition to anyone’s diet for their nutritional value, but kidney beans, black-eyed peas and lentils are good sources of bioflavonoids and zinc which can help protect the retina and lower the risk for developing macular degeneration and cataracts. Fish Cold-water fish – think salmon, tuna, sardines and mackerel – are rich in omega-3 fatty acids and thus may help protect you against dry eyes, macular degeneration and even cataracts. If you don’t eat seafood, you can get a good supply of omega-3s by using fish oil supplements or taking vegetarian supplements that contain black current seed oil or flaxseed oil. Greens So, it turn out, Popeye was right all along – spinach is really good for you, even your eyes. Spinach along with kale, collard greens, broccoli, peas and avocadoes – to name a few – are packed full of important plant pigments (lutein and zeaxanthin) which can help stet he development of macular degenetation and cataracts. Eggs This breakfast favourite contains vitamins and nutrients – think lutein and vitamin A – both of which promote good eye health and function. Eggs may even protect against night blindness and dry eyes. Grains Specifically whole grains contain a low glycemic index can help reduce your risk for age-related macular degeneration. So before you reach for the refined pasta come dinner time, why not opt for super healthy quinoa, brown rice instead. For breakfast, switch starchy bread for whole oats and whole-wheat breads. Fruit Oranges, grapefruit, berries and lemons are all high in vitamin C, which some experts suggest, might reduce the risk of cataracts and macular degeneration. Image: Getty Images

Eye Care

Natural ways to boost your vitamin D

Known as the sunshine vitamin, maintaining the right level of vitamin D is essential to keep you healthy. Luckily there are a number of ways you can naturally boost your intake. Research now shows that apart from bone health, vitamin D is also linked to many other functions in the body, too. We’ve done the legwork for you. The sunshine vitamin can also be beneficial for cardiovascular health, rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, glucose intolerance, multiple sclerosis, type 1 and type 2 diabetes, depression and to protect against colds. Here are four ways you can ensure adequate intake – and naturally, too! But like most things in life, a combination of diet, supplements and environment is the key. Sunlight The best source of vitamin D is UV-B radiation from the sun. Approximately five to 30 minutes of sun exposure while you’re not wearing sun screen (between 10am and 3pm), at least twice a week, will do the job. It is worth keeping in mind that UV radiation levels vary depending on things like, location, time of year and time of day, so make sure you wear sun protection when the UV Index is three or above. In some states, UV radiation is higher and sun protection is needed all year round at certain times of the day. The Cancer Council Australia say that for most people, adequate vitamin D levels are reached through regular daily activity and incidental exposure to the sun. To check UV levels and the times sun protection is required, look on the Bureau of Meteorology website at www.bom.gov.au – search for UV alert. Diet There are many food options that you can incorporate into your diet to ensure you have healthy levels of the sunshine vitamin. Think fatty fish (sardines, herring, mackerel, tuna and salmon), canned tuna, milk that has been fortified with vitamin D, egg yolks and cereals that have been fortified with vitamin D. Supplements From tablets and capsules to liquids, supplements are a convenient way to ensure you are getting enough vitamin D. The even better news is, there are some natural supplement options out there. Be careful, though, as too much can be toxic. Depending on your situation, daily dosages vary. The safest way to be sure on what’s best for you is to consult your doctor. Cod liver oil If you’re not a fan of fatty fish, then you’ll be pleased to know that cod liver oil – which comes from the liver of the cod fish – is very rich in vitamins A and D. Women 60-plus should have around 700mcg per day and men 60-plus, 900mcg per day. Image: Shutterstock

Body

10 proven ways to boost creative thinking

Keep your desk a little messy In a study recently published in the journal Psychological Science, students met in either a messy or an organised room, and had to come up with a new use for ping pong balls (a standard test of creativity). Judges rated the ideas, without knowing which rooms the groups were in. The result? Solutions from the messy room were gauged to be more interesting and innovative than those from the neat one. Work at a coffee shop There’s a reason Starbucks is always filled; it has the ideal decibel level for brainstorming, according to the New York Times. Researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign asked study participants to think of ideas for new products with various levels of background noise, and found the best ideas were generated with ambient noise of around 70 decibels, or that of a coffee shop. Moderate noise levels help you think outside the box, study author Ravi Mehta, an assistant professor of business administration, told the paper. Extreme quiet (around 50 decibels, typical of many offices) is good for projects requiring sharp focus – say, crunching numbers – but not abstract thinking, while a too-loud 85 decibels (think: garbage disposal) is too distracting. Drink up Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago recruited Craigslist posters who described themselves as social drinkers. Some panellists were served vodka cranberry drinks until they had a blood alcohol level of 0.075; others did not drink. All participants then performed a cognitive exercise requiring creative problem-solving. The researchers found that the intoxicated subjects solved more of the problems – and, more quickly – than the sober people. However: Alcohol may tamp down working memory, which is crucial for analytical thinking, and may hinder “out of the box” illumination, Psychology Today reported. Hang with a mixed gang In 1999, Martin Ruef, then at Stanford and now at Duke, did a survey of Stanford Business School alumni who went on to start their own businesses. He found that the most creative entrepreneurs spent the most time networking with a diverse group outside of their typical business colleagues. “Weak ties – of acquaintanceship, of colleagues who are not friends – provide non-redundant information and contribute to innovation because they tend to serve as bridges between disconnected social groups,” he said in a press release. “Weak ties allow for more experimentation in combining ideas from disparate sources and impose fewer demands for social conformity than do strong ties.” Colour yourself blue Blue is the hue for creative thinking, a series of experiments from the University of British Columbia found. More than 600 participants did cognitive tasks that demanded either creative or detail-oriented thinking. The tests were performed on computers that had either a blue, red, or white background screen. The blue screens encouraged participants to produce twice as many solutions during brainstorming tasks as other screen colours. (Conversely, red screens improved performance on tasks like proofreading and memory recall by as much as 31 per cent, compared to blue.) “Through associations with the sky, the ocean, and water, most people associate blue with openness, peace and tranquility,” study author Juliet Zhu told ScienceDaily.com. This makes people feel safe about being creative and exploratory, she said. Dim the lights Turning the lights down “elicits a feeling of freedom, self-determination, and reduced inhibition,” which is key to imaginative thinking, according to German authors of a study recently published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology. The researchers assigned a group of 114 students to work on a series of problem-solving tasks that require creative thinking. Those in a dimly lit room (150 lux) solved significantly more problems than those in a brightly lit room (1,500 lux). (Typical office light is about 500 lux.) Work when you’re tired It sounds counterintuitive, but night owls may actually be more creative first thing in the morning, and early birds may do more innovative thinking late at night, according to a study from researchers at Michigan State University and Albion College. The researchers believe that you use more creative thinking when you’re less inhibited, which happens when brain fog compromises your attention span. So early-bird students, for example, may do well to save art and creative writing projects for later in the evening. Budget it in While many a-ha! moments happen spontaneously in the shower or while you’re doing something random, it also pays to slot in time to focus on creative projects outside of your day job or schoolwork – or else you won’t commit to really doing it. This strategy has been made famous by companies like Google and 3M, Business Insider reports. The technology giant allows its engineers to spend up to 20 per cent of their work time on creative projects, which, as it happens, is how Gmail was created. 3M gave its workers “15 per cent” time, which one scientist used to create Post It notes back in 1974. Step into new surroundings Studies have found that students who spend time studying abroad are more creative problem solvers than those who don’t, perhaps because a more expansive worldview allows for more open-minded thinking. Scientific American reports that even thinking of a faraway place can spur ingenuity. In one study, for example, participants who were told that the questions they had to answer were developed by researchers in California (3000 kilometres away) solved more problems than those who were told that the questions were developed by local researchers three kilometres away. The next time you need a creative jolt, try a new environment – or even just imagine or draw on memories of a faraway place. Change up your routine Psychology Today reported that Dutch study participants who prepared their breakfast sandwiches in reverse order had a more productive brainstorm than those who made them their usual way. “If you want to get into a creative mindset, do your normal routine in a completely different way,” cognitive psychologist Dr Scott Barry Kaufman said after analysing the research for PT. “Write with your other hand. Moonwalk backwards on your way to work. Eat something new for lunch. Smile at strangers. Be weird. With your brain re-shuffled, you’ll be in a better position to be creative.” Written by Lauren Gelman. This article first appeared in <a href="https://www.readersdigest.co.nz/healthsmart/10-proven-ways-to-boost-creative-thinking" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader’s Digest</a>. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, <a href="http://readersdigest.innovations.co.nz/c/readersdigestemailsubscribe?utm_source=over60&utm_medium=articles&utm_campaign=RDSUB&keycode=WRA87V" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here’s our best subscription offer.</a> Image: Getty Images

Mind

Metallica see major streaming boost after unlikely feature

Just weeks after Kate Bush’s hit song Running Up That Hill <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/entertainment/music/kate-bush-reflects-on-hit-song-revival">featured in the charts</a> after its placement in the new season of the hit Netflix show Stranger Things, another band is experiencing the same resurgence. Heavy metal band Metallica’s song Master of Puppets featured in the show’s epic season finale, which aired worldwide on July 1st, and has seen a sharp increase in online listeners ever since. The 40-year-old track featured in the form of an epic guitar solo, which prompted the band to share the dramatic scene on their Instagram and thank the fans for their love and support of the song after all these years. The post reads, “The way The Duffer Brothers have incorporated music into Stranger Things has always been next level, so we were beyond psyched for them to not only include Master of Puppets in the show, but to have such a pivotal scene built around it.” <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/tv/Cfom8d8twqG/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/tv/Cfom8d8twqG/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Metallica (@metallica)</a> </div> </blockquote> “We were all stoked to see the final result and when we did we were totally blown away... it’s so extremely well done, so much so, that some folks were able to guess the song just by seeing a few seconds of Joseph Quinn’s hands in the trailer!! How crazy cool is that?” Since the Stranger Things season finale premiere, Metallica has 21.1 million monthly listeners on Spotify as well as 430.88 million streams for Master of Puppets. Image credits: Getty Images

Music

5 ways climate change boosts tsunami threat, from collapsing ice shelves to sea level rise

The enormous eruption of the underwater volcano in Tonga, Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai, triggered a <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/tonga-volcano-generates-tsunami-us-tsunami-monitor-said-2022-01-15/">tsunami</a> that reached countries all around the Pacific rim, even causing a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/oil-spills-business-tonga-peru-trending-news-3a92a17e2101945afcb22f5eb5bfb2ad?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=AP">disastrous oil spill</a> along 21 beaches in Peru. In Tonga, waves about 2 metres high were recorded before the sea level gauge failed, <a href="https://twitter.com/ConsulateKoT/status/1483384039826464768/photo/1">and waves of up to 15m</a> hit the west coasts of Tongatapu Islands, ‘Eua, and Ha’apai Islands. Volcanic activity could continue for weeks or months, but it’s hard to predict if or when there’ll be another such powerful eruption. Most tsunamis are caused by earthquakes, but a <a href="http://tsunami.org/what-causes-a-tsunami/">significant percentage</a> (about 15%) are caused by landslides or volcanoes. Some of these may be interlinked – for example, landslide tsunamis are often triggered by earthquakes or volcanic eruptions. But does <a href="https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/what-is-climate-change">climate change</a> also play a role? As the planet warms, we’re seeing more <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/how-can-climate-change-affect-natural-disasters">frequent and intense</a> storms and cyclones, the melting of glaciers and ice caps, and sea levels rising. Climate change, however, doesn’t just affect the atmosphere and oceans, it affects the Earth’s crust as well. <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-climate-geology-idUSTRE58F62I20090916">Climate-linked</a> geological changes can increase the incidence of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions which, in turn, can exacerbate the threat of tsunamis. Here are five ways this can happen. <h2>1. Sea level rise</h2> If greenhouse gas emissions remain at high rates, the average global sea level is <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/srocc/chapter/chapter-4-sea-level-rise-and-implications-for-low-lying-islands-coasts-and-communities">projected to rise</a> between 60 centimetres and 1.1m. <a href="https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Ocean-fact-sheet-package.pdf">Almost two thirds</a> of the world’s cities with populations over five million are at risk. Rising sea levels not only make coastal communities more vulnerable to flooding from storms, but also tsunamis. Even modest rises in sea level will dramatically increase the frequency and intensity of flooding when a tsunami occurs, as the tsunami can travel further inland. For example, <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aat1180">a 2018 study</a> showed only a 50 centimetre rise would double the frequency of tsunami-induced flooding in Macau, China. This means in future, smaller tsunamis could have the same impact as larger tsunamis would today. <h2>2. Landslides</h2> A warming climate can increase the risk of both submarine (underwater) and aerial (above ground) landslides, thereby increasing the risk of local tsunamis. The <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/stories/permafrost-everything-you-need-know">melting of permafrost</a> (frozen soil) at high latitudes decreases soil stability, making it more susceptible to erosion and landslides. More <a href="https://climate.nasa.gov/news/2951/climate-change-could-trigger-more-landslides-in-high-mountain-asia/">intense rainfall</a> can trigger landslides, too, as storms become more frequent under climate change. <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/how-do-landslides-cause-tsunamis#:%7E:text=Tsunamis%20are%20large%2C%20potentially%20deadly,a%20result%20of%20submarine%20earthquakes.&text=Tsunamis%20can%20be%20generated%20on,a%20rapidly%20moving%20underwater%20landslide.">Tsunamis can be generated</a> on impact as a landslide enters the water, or as water is moved by a rapid underwater landslide. In general, tsunami waves generated from landslides or rock falls dissipate quickly and don’t travel as far as tsunamis generated from earthquakes, but they can still lead to huge waves locally. In Alaska, US, glacial retreat and melting permafrost has exposed unstable slopes. In 2015, this melting caused a landslide that sent 180 million tonnes of rock into a narrow fjord, <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-30475-w">generating a tsunami reaching 193m high</a> – one of the highest ever recorded worldwide. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/441884/original/file-20220121-8856-1regaso.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/441884/original/file-20220121-8856-1regaso.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> Scientists survey damage from a megatsunami in Taan Fiord that had occurred in October, 2015 after a massive landslide. Peter Haeussler, United States Geological Survey Alaska Science Center/Wikimedia Other areas at risk include <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921818121000849">northwest British Columbia</a> in Canada, and the Barry Arm in Alaska, where an <a href="https://dggs.alaska.gov/hazards/barry-arm-landslide.html">unstable mountain slope</a> at the toe of the Barry Glacier has the potential to fail and <a href="https://www.woodwellclimate.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Letter-to-Stakeholders_-Barry-Arm-Landslide-Final.pdf">generate a severe tsunami</a> in the next 20 years. <h2>3. Iceberg calving and collapsing ice shelves</h2> Global warming is accelerating the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com.au/chasing-ice-glacier-calving-climate-change-2014-10?r=US&IR=T">rate of iceberg calving</a> – when chunks of ice fall into the ocean. Studies predict large ice shelves, such as the Thwaites Glacier in Antarctica, will <a href="https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2021/12/17/crucial-antarctic-glacier-likely-to-collapse-much-earlier-than-expected/">likely collapse</a> in the next five to ten years. Likewise, the Greenland ice sheet is <a href="https://climate.nasa.gov/news/3062/warming-seas-are-accelerating-greenlands-glacier-retreat/">thinning and retreating</a> at an alarming rate. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/441878/original/file-20220121-8497-jjkh3d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/441878/original/file-20220121-8497-jjkh3d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="Iceberg near ship" /></a> Icebergs colliding with the seafloor can trigger underwater landslides. Shutterstock While much of the current research focus is on the sea level risk associated with melting and collapse of glaciers and ice sheets, there’s also a <a href="https://nhess.copernicus.org/articles/12/415/2012/">tsunami risk</a> from the calving and breakup process. Wandering icebergs can trigger <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41561-021-00767-4">submarine landslides and tsunamis</a> thousands of kilometres from the iceberg’s original source, as they hit unstable sediments on the seafloor. <h2>4. Volcanic activity from ice melting</h2> About 12,000 years ago, the last glacial period (“ice age”) ended and the melting ice triggered a dramatic <a href="https://eprints.lancs.ac.uk/id/eprint/32995/2/Tuffen_PTRSL.pdf">increase in volcanic activity</a>. The correlation between climate warming and more volcanic eruptions isn’t yet well constrained or understood. But it may be related to <a href="https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/70182772">changes in</a> stress to the Earth’s crust as the weight of ice is removed, and a phenomenon called “<a href="http://people.rses.anu.edu.au/lambeck_k/pdf/152.pdf">isostatic rebound</a>” – the long-term uplift of land in response to the removal of ice sheets. If this correlation holds for the current period of climate warming and melting of ice in high latitudes, there’ll be an increased risk of volcanic eruptions and associated hazards, including tsunamis. <h2>5. Increased earthquakes</h2> There are a number ways climate change can increase the frequency of earthquakes, and so increase tsunami risk. First, the weight of ice sheets may be <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsta.2010.0031">suppressing fault movement and earthquakes</a>. When the ice melts, the isostatic rebound (land uplift) is accompanied by an increase in earthquakes and fault movement as the crust adjusts to the loss of weight. We may have seen this already in <a href="http://www.geotimes.org/oct04/NN_glacier.html">Alaska</a>, where melting glaciers reduced the stability of faults, inducing many small earthquakes and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921818104000487?casa_token=BGo_KzIOuJkAAAAA:UHyQvV-tvVulwAfvOFPJILcG2206iyZhOM9TCVS_VAh0UdLimWrfu_NJRTHJVtwlKBL0cfA">possibly the magnitude 7.2 St Elias earthquake</a> in 1979. Another factor is low air pressure associated with storms and typhoons, which studies have also shown can trigger earthquakes in areas where the Earth’s crust is already under stress. Even relatively small changes in air pressure can trigger fault movements, as <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nature08042">an analysis</a> of earthquakes between 2002 and 2007 in eastern Taiwan identified. <h2>So how can we prepare?</h2> Many mitigation strategies for climate change should also include elements to improve tsunami preparedness. This could include incorporating projected sea level rise into tsunami prediction models, and in building codes for infrastructure along vulnerable coastlines. Researchers can also ensure scientific models of climate impacts include the projected increase in earthquakes, landslides and volcanic activity, and the increased tsunami risk this will bring.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/175247/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jane-cunneen-290217">Jane Cunneen</a>, Adjunct Research Fellow, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/curtin-university-873">Curtin University</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/5-ways-climate-change-increases-the-threat-of-tsunamis-from-collapsing-ice-shelves-to-sea-level-rise-175247">original article</a>. Image: Shutterstock

Domestic Travel

Meditation could boost your immune system

A <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.scimex.org/newsfeed/how-meditation-could-help-boost-the-immune-system" target="_blank">new study</a> has connected intensive meditation with altered behaviour of over 200 genes tied to immunity, with their findings suggesting that meditation may be beneficial for those with a weakened immune system. The research, recently published in the journal <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.pnas.org/content/118/51/e2110455118" target="_blank">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS)</a>, involved analysing blood samples from 106 volunteers who participated in an intensive Samyama meditation retreat. The participants spent eight days in complete silence, followed a strict vegan diet and regular sleep schedule, and meditated for more than ten hours each day. Several samples were taken from each participant, including one two months before the retreat, another five weeks before, two immediately before and after the retreat, and a final sample three months after it ended. After analysing the gene expression in the samples, the team found that there were “distinct” alterations in how genes were expressed after participants meditated. In particular, they found that 220 genes tied to immunity had higher levels of expression without an increase in inflammation. Sixty-eight of these genes were also tied to signalling proteins called interferons. These proteins help our immune systems to identify viruses and trigger immune cells to fight viral cells, stopping them from multiplying. “These findings suggest that meditation has an immediate impact on immune cells and genes,” the authors wrote. They also discovered that there wasn’t an increase in inflammation Though many studies have found that meditation has a positive impact on our health, this new research investigates what happens inside human cells when we meditate to explain why we experience these positive effects. By examining the gene expression before and after meditation, the authors suggest that meditation could be helpful for treating conditions characterised by a weakened immunity and persistent inflammation. “Together, these results make meditation an effective behavioural intervention for treating various conditions associated with a weakened immune system,” they concluded. Image: Getty Images

Mind

Women retire with less than men: Boosting compulsory super won’t help

All sorts of claims are being made following the release of the Retirement Income Review, including that it paid insufficient attention to issues of gender. Among other things we are being told that the gap between female and male super would narrow if compulsory contributions were lifted from 9.5% to 12%. It wouldn’t, not at all. As the <a href="https://treasury.gov.au/publication/p2020-100554">review</a> of which I was a member states, “maintaining the superannuation guarantee at 9.5% would avoid the increases in inequities associated with the superannuation guarantee rate rising to 12%”. Since men on average earn more than women, increasing the superannuation guarantee rate would widen — rather than narrow — the retirement income gap. By design, superannuation is a contributory scheme. That means what you get in retirement depends largely on how long you have been in the workforce and how much you have been paid. In that respect women are at a disadvantage, firstly due to the gender pay gap. Women get less super because they get less pay The review points out in November 2019 the gap in total average weekly earnings was 16.9% for women and men working full-time. The Bureau of Statistics reported in December 2020 that the pay gap had fallen to <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/people-and-communities/gender-indicators-australia/latest-release#economic-security">13.4%</a>. While there is still a way to go, it’s an improvement. However, the second and greater disadvantage for women is that they are far more likely to take on caring roles that lead to career breaks and part-time employment. Some 93% of all primary carer leave is taken by women. The result is a gender pay gap of closer to <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/labour/earnings-and-work-hours/average-weekly-earnings-australia/latest-release">30%</a> when part-time and full-time work are taken together. Several things could help <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/390716/original/file-20210321-15-1jrip39.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/390716/original/file-20210321-15-1jrip39.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> <a href="https://treasury.gov.au/sites/default/files/2021-02/p2020-100554-ud03_equity.pdf" class="source">The Retirement Incomes Review modelled retirement outcomes by gender.</a> To understand the contribution of career breaks to super balances and retirement incomes, the review constructed and modelled <a href="https://treasury.gov.au/sites/default/files/2021-02/p2020-100554-ud03_equity.pdf">five different scenarios</a> for female workers based on observed patterns of career breaks and part-time work. Not surprisingly the modelling found that when women take more time out of the workforce, the gender gap in superannuation balances increases. Breaks earlier in careers have a greater impact on balances than breaks taken later. In recent decades the impact of career breaks has been declining as women take less time out of the workforce. Average female working life climbed from 24 years in 1980 to around 38 years in 2019. There are a number of measures that could improve super outcomes for women. The review found one would be to require the payment of superannuation on employer paid parental leave and <a href="https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/individuals/services/centrelink/parental-leave-pay">government parental leave pay</a>. The super gap isn’t as wide as the pay gap Another would be to require employers to make superannuation contributions to workers earning less than <a href="https://www.ato.gov.au/Business/Super-for-employers/">$450 per month</a>. The present exemption impacts directly on those who work part-time and who work for a number of different employers, 63% of whom are women. Both options would improve the retirement incomes of women, but only marginally mitigate the gender gap inherent in the way superannuation is structured. But here’s what else we found. A number of measures already in place do quite a bit to lessen the gap. Among them are the <a href="https://www.ato.gov.au/Individuals/Super/In-detail/Growing-your-super/Low-income-super-tax-offset/">Low-Income Superannuation Tax Offset</a> and the <a href="https://www.ato.gov.au/Individuals/Super/In-detail/Growing-your-super/Super-co-contribution/">government superannuation co-contribution</a>. Because women earn less than men, both benefit women far more than men. Also, women benefit from the imposition of <a href="https://www.ato.gov.au/Individuals/Super/In-detail/Growing-your-super/Division-293-tax---information-for-individuals/">Division 293 tax</a> which limits concessions for higher income earners, who are more likely to be men. Half as worse off in retirement And women also make higher <a href="https://treasury.gov.au/sites/default/files/2021-02/p2020-100554-ud03_equity.pdf">voluntary super contributions</a> as a proportion of incomes then men. This is particularly so for women over the age of 50, suggesting some make a concerted effort to catch up. As a result, in 2017‑18 the median gap in superannuation balances between men and women aged 60‑64 was <a href="https://treasury.gov.au/sites/default/files/2021-02/p2020-100554-ud03_equity.pdf">22%</a>, considerably less than the <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/labour/earnings-and-work-hours/average-weekly-earnings-australia/latest-release">30%</a> gender gap in pay. And the age pension means test means that once women move into retirement, they are more likely than men to get the age pension, and to get more of it. When the age pension and superannuation income are combined, the retirement income gap for women who have worked full time with no career break falls to <a href="https://treasury.gov.au/sites/default/files/2021-02/p2020-100554-ud03_equity.pdf">8.4%</a> For women with two career breaks and part-time work it falls to <a href="https://treasury.gov.au/sites/default/files/2021-02/p2020-100554-ud03_equity.pdf">14.5%</a>. We could do better, and the review spelled out steps to take. It found that boosting compulsory super contributions was not one of them. An increase in the proportion of income sent to super would lift the retirement incomes of high earners more than the retirement incomes of low earners. Until things change, increases in compulsory super will boost the retirement incomes of men more than women.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/157412/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/deborah-ralston-107436">Deborah Ralston</a>, Professorial fellow, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/monash-university-1065">Monash University</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/yes-women-retire-with-less-than-men-but-boosting-compulsory-super-wont-help-157412">original article</a>.

Retirement Income

Forget more compulsory super: Here are 5 ways to actually boost retirement incomes

This morning the Grattan Institute releases its <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/">submission</a> to the government’s <a href="https://treasury.gov.au/review/retirement-income-review">retirement incomes review</a>, a review called in anticipation of five annual increases in compulsory superannuation contributions, scheduled to begin in July 2021. Our research shows the super increases aren’t necessary. For most Australians, retirement incomes are <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-we-should-worry-less-about-retirement-and-leave-super-at-9-5-106237">already adequate</a>. Since higher super contributions will come <a href="https://theconversation.com/think-superannuation-comes-from-employers-pockets-it-comes-from-yours-130797">at the expense of wages</a>, the scheduled increases should be abandoned. But there are big problems the review will need to confront. Here are <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/">five changes</a> that would tackle them. <h2>1. Boost rent assistance</h2> <img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/317733/original/file-20200228-24685-y74ele.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" alt="" /> While most Australians are comfortable in retirement, the system is failing too many poorer Australians, especially low-income women and retirees who rent. Senior Australians who rent privately are more likely to suffer financial stress than homeowners or renters in public housing. And it will get worse because young Australians on lower incomes are <a href="https://theconversation.com/three-charts-on-poorer-australians-bearing-the-brunt-of-rising-housing-costs-87003">less likely</a> to own homes than in the past. The government’s priority should be boosting <a href="https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/individuals/services/centrelink/rent-assistance/how-much-you-can-get">rent assistance</a>, which has not kept pace with rent increases. Raising rent assistance by 40%, or roughly A$1,400 a year for singles, would cost just $300 million a year if it applied to pensioners, and another $1 billion a year if extended to other renters. A common concern is that boosting rent assistance would lead to higher rents. But that’s unlikely: households would not be required to spend any of the extra income on rent, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/rudds-rental-affordability-scheme-was-a-1-billion-gift-to-developers-abbott-was-right-to-axe-it-122854">most would not</a>. <h2>2. Ease the age pension asset test</h2> <img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/317738/original/file-20200228-24664-1yln6g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" alt="" /> While retirement incomes are adequate for most retirees, the age pension <a href="https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/individuals/services/centrelink/age-pension/how-much-you-can-get">assets test</a> excessively penalises people who save more for their retirement. Before January 1, 2017 retirees with assets above the threshold lost $1.50 of pension per fortnight for every $1,000 of assets above the threshold. In 2017 the Coalition lifted the threshold but also lifted the withdrawal rate to $3 of pension per fortnight for each $1,000 of assets. The changes resulted in very high effective marginal tax rates on retirement savings, so much so that a typical worker who saves an extra $1000 at age 40 increases their retirement income by only $25 each year, or $658 over 26 years of retirement, which is a <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/report/money-in-retirement/">negative return</a> on money saved for decades. The age pension withdrawal rate should be cut to $2.25 per fortnight for each $1,000 of assets above the threshold. This would cost the budget about $750 million a year. For middle and high-income workers, this change would have a bigger impact on retirement incomes per government dollar expended than boosting compulsory super. <h2>3. Boost Newstart</h2> <img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/317734/original/file-20200228-24685-1m16m5p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" alt="" /> <a href="https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/individuals/services/centrelink/newstart-allowance">Newstart</a>, together with the disability support pension, provides an important safety net for Australians who are unable to work right through to retirement age. Yet while the <a href="https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/individuals/services/centrelink/age-pension">age pension</a> and <a href="https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/individuals/services/centrelink/disability-support-pension">disability support pension</a> are indexed to wages, Newstart is not. It only climbs in line with inflation. It should be increased by $75 a week and then indexed to wages going forward. This would <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/sep/17/push-to-raise-newstart-allowance-by-75-a-week">cost a lot</a> but it would help the <a href="https://theconversation.com/5-charts-on-what-a-newstart-recipient-really-looks-like-125937">growing legions</a> of older Australians, many of them women, who find themselves among the long-term unemployed in the years leading up to retirement, or are forced to retire early. And it would lift many more younger Australians out of poverty. <h2>4. Include the home in the pension assets test</h2> <img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/317739/original/file-20200228-24701-1urtm3l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" alt="" /> <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/soaring-cost-of-housing-for-poorest-australians-is-driving-inequality-grattan-institute-20190906-p52ot2.html">Falling rates of home ownership</a> mean we are at risk of creating an underclass of retirees who rent. And our retirement incomes system makes this worse by favouring homeowners over renters. Once a person is retired, their home is <a href="https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/individuals/services/centrelink/age-pension/how-much-you-can-get/assets-test/assets#assetstestlimits">treated differently</a> to their other assets. Which is why <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/elderly-in-1mplus-homes-raking-in-63bn-in-pensions/news-story/30cbe2423577d46f5489ec39b673f8f4">$6 billion</a> in pension payments go to people with homes worth more than $1 million. It’s time for more of the value of the family home to be included in the pension assets test. Counting more of the home above some threshold (such as $500,000) would be fairer and would save the budget up to $2 billion a year. No pensioner would be forced to leave their home. Pensioners with valuable homes could continue to stay at home and receive the pension under the Government’s <a href="https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/individuals/services/centrelink/pension-loans-scheme">pension loans scheme</a>, which recovers debts only when homes are eventually sold. <h2>5. Fix super tax breaks</h2> <img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/317743/original/file-20200228-24676-1whwfak.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" alt="" /> Superannuation tax breaks <a href="https://treasury.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-01/complete_tbvs_web.pdf">cost a lot</a> – tens of billions each year in foregone revenue, with half the benefits flowing to the top one fifth of income earners, who already have enough resources to fund their retirements. And the costs are set to climb further as super balances climb. The cost of the earnings concessions alone is set to climb from $17.4 billion to $20.8 billion over the next four years. Three reforms would keep them in check. <ul> <li> Voluntary contributions from pretax income should be limited to $11,000 a year. This would save the budget about $1.7 billion a year. </li> <li> Contributions from post-tax income should be limited to $250,000 over a lifetime, or to $50,000 a year. It won’t save the budget much in the short term, but in the longer term it will plug a large hole in the tax system. </li> <li> Earnings in retirement – currently untaxed for people with <a href="https://www.ato.gov.au/Individuals/Super/Withdrawing-and-using-your-super/Transfer-balance-cap/">superannuation balances less than $1.6 million</a> – should be taxed at 15%, the same as super earnings before retirement. Doing so would save the budget about $2 billion per year at first, and much more in future. </li> </ul> These changes to super taxes free up money to help Australians who need help without hurting the retirement prospects of middle Australians. Australia’s retirement incomes system works well, but there are things that need fixing. The reforms we propose would make retirement fairer, save taxpayers’ money, and ensure that all Australians can enjoy a comfortable retirement free from poverty. <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/brendan-coates-154644">Brendan Coates</a>, Program Director, Household Finances, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/grattan-institute-1168">Grattan Institute</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jonathan-nolan-575166">Jonathan Nolan</a>, Associate, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/grattan-institute-1168">Grattan Institute</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/forget-more-compulsory-super-here-are-5-ways-to-actually-boost-retirement-incomes-132655">original article</a>.

Retirement Income

What happens when you free unemployed Australians from ‘mutual obligations’ and boost their benefits? We just found out

<div class="grid-ten large-grid-nine grid-last content-body content entry-content instapaper_body inline-promos"> During COVID-19 the government ran what turned out to be a giant real-world experiment into what happens when you boost someone’s unemployment benefits and free them of the “mutual obligation” to apply for jobs. On April 27 2020 the government as good as doubled the $565.70 per fortnight JobSeeker payment, lifting it by $550 per fortnight for what turned out to be six months. In September the boost dropped to $250 per fortnight, and in December to $150 per fortnight. Next Thursday the boost vanishes, although the base rate of JobSeeker will climb by a less-than substantial $50 a fortnight, leaving recipients $100 a fortnight worse off than they have been, $500 per fortnight worse off than back when JobSeeker doubled and back well below the poverty line. From Thursday April 1 they will also be subject to much more demanding work tests, having to show they have applied for a minimum of 15 jobs a month, climbing to 20 jobs a month from July 1. On top of that the government has announced: <ul> <li> a return to compulsory face-to-face meetings with Jobactive providers </li> <li> work-for-the-dole after six months of unemployment </li> <li> a dob-in line for employers to report jobseekers who seem not to be genuine </li> <li> increased auditing of job applications to ensure they are legitimate </li> </ul> They are the sort of “mutual obligations” that were scrapped while JobSeeker was doubled. Yet the government’s natural experiment where they doubled benefits and freed recipients of “mutual obligations” provides us with an opportunity to examine how a more generous approach affected recipients and whether, as the government says, a tougher approach is needed in order to compel people to work. During last year’s more generous approach, we conducted an online survey of JobSeeker recipients and found that (contrary to what appears to be the government’s expectation), it was helping get people into work. Freed of “mutual obligations”, many were able to devote time to reengaging with the workforce. As one respondent said, <blockquote> I was able to focus on getting myself back into the workforce. Yes, mutual obligation activities PREVENT people from being able to start a new business or re-enter the workforce as an employee </blockquote> And the extra income freed recipients to do things that would advance their employment prospects; either through study, through properly looking for work, or buying the tools needed to get work. One said <blockquote> I could buy things that helped me with employment — equipment for online work, a bicycle for travel, a proper phone" </blockquote> An Australia Institute review of unemployment payments and work incentives in 33 OECD countries found something similar — that higher payments correlate to lower unemployment. Another respondent said the suspended mutual obligation requirements made it easier to care for an elderly parent during pandemic and their recovery from major surgery. Another said she had been able to focus on her health needs and her children. People on social security are often accused of being dependent on welfare, but it’s often the economy and society that are dependent on their unpaid labour. Yet (except for during the worst of the pandemic) these people have been denied a safety net that ensures their survival. The inadequacy of payments goes to a major and enduring flaw in the Australian social security system — its inability to recognise all of the productive activities people undertake, including unpaid care largely undertaken by women. The decisions the government took during 2020 made a major difference to the lives of people outside the formal workforce. They enabled them to turn their attention away from day-to-day survival towards envisioning and realising a more financially and emotionally sustainable future for themselves and their dependants. The flow-on benefits, to all of us, ought to be substantial. The government ought to be very interested. If it was, it would examine the findings further, but they don’t seem to be on its radar. </div> <div class="grid-ten grid-prepend-two large-grid-nine grid-last content-topics topic-list"> Written by Elise Klein, Kay Cook and Susan Maury. This article first appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-happens-when-you-free-unemployed-australians-from-mutual-obligations-and-boost-their-benefits-we-just-found-out-157506">The Conversation</a>. </div>

Retirement Income

Boost your veggie intake with a sweet potato chickpea burger

Up your veggie intake with ease thanks to these sweet potato and chickpea burgers. Makes: 4 Prep time: 20 + 30 mins chill Cooking time: 35 mins Ingredients <ul> <li>600g sweet potato, peeled, halved lengthways</li> <li>400g can chickpeas, rinsed, drained</li> <li>1 small red onion, finely chopped</li> <li>2 garlic cloves, crushed</li> <li>1/2 lemon, juiced</li> <li>2 tbs smokey chipotle spice blend or fajita seasoning</li> <li>1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped</li> <li>1 cup fresh breadcrumbs</li> <li>¼ cup raw couscous</li> <li>olive oil cooking spray</li> <li>hamburger buns </li> <li>Wedges iceberg lettuce</li> <li>Onion jam & chipotle mayonnaise, to serve</li> </ul> Methods <ol> <li>Chop the sweet potato into 3cm chunks. Place onto a microwave-safe plate. Cover with a damp paper towel. Microwave 7-8 minutes or until just tender when tested with a skewer. Drain any excess water. Smash with a fork then transfer to a bowl. Cool 15 minutes.</li> <li>Combine chickpeas, onion, garlic, lemon juice and spice in a food processor. Season, process until mixture almost comes together. Add to the sweet potato with the parsley, breadcrumbs and raw couscous. Shape mixture into 4 patties. Place on a lined baking tray, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to firm up if time permits. </li> <li>Place a flat tray into the oven. Preheat oven and tray 220°C fan forced. Spray both sides of the patties with oil. Place onto the hot tray. Cook 15 minutes, turn and cook for a further 10 minutes until light golden.</li> <li>To serve, spread onion jam over the base of burger buns. Top with lettuce and sweet potato pattie. Drizzle with chipotle mayonnaise. Serve.</li> </ol> Recipe credit of <a href="http://australiansweetpotatoes.com.au/">Australian Sweet Potatoes</a>.

Food & Wine

Immune-boosting papaya smoothie bowl

This smoothie bowl will help you start your day right. Add in your favourite berries as preferred. Recipe: Jade Woodd – Panaceas Pantry Ingredients: <ul> <li>1/2 Ruby Rise Red Papaya cut into cubes (skin removed) and frozen first</li> <li>1 cup raspberries</li> <li>1/2 cup activated buckwheat (or sub for cashews)</li> <li>2 cm length fresh ginger, skin removed</li> <li>2/3 cup coconut milk</li> <li>2/3 cup water</li> </ul> Method: Add everything to a high-speed blender. Blitz and very smooth. Enjoy immediately, topped with whatever you fancy!

Food & Wine

5 surprising ways to boost romance

Want to inject a little magic into your relationship to bring back the ‘zing’? Here’s how! It’s no secret that when there is a major change in dynamics such as a new career, adult children moving out or retirement, relationships can go through testing times. It’s an enormous shift bringing with it new challenges, yet there are opportunities for growth and renewal. No matter what stage of life you’re at, there are several things you can do to keep things fresh, says couples therapist Peter Fox, from <a href="http://couplestherapyaustralia.com/">couplestherapyaustralia.com</a>. Here are Peter’s top five tips: Tip 1: Make the first 4 minutes count The most important time in a couple’s day, Fox says, is the first four minutes that they are together, or the four minutes before they part. “If you have an intimacy-sustaining connection with each other in the first four minutes then your body will tend to maintain that sense of connectedness and good will, even if it is challenged by subsequent disharmony,” he says. “Whereas, if you get a disconnect then that tends to set the emotional tone for the following hours, too. Then there is little reserve of good will to deal with disharmony.” According to Fox, you can activate the “cuddle hormone” by reaching for and holding each other the minute you see each other, without any distractions. You can also ask your partner to send you a message when they’re close to home so you can be ready to give them your full attention as soon as they walk in the door. Tip 2: Date jar with a twist If your idea of a brilliant date differs wildly from your partner’s, don’t worry. This is perfectly normal. But it doesn’t mean dates can’t work. Fox recommends writing five to ten date ideas on paper and throwing them into a jar. Each week take turns in picking out a piece of paper, and discuss beforehand how to make the date satisfying for you both. This is where compromise is key. So, if he wants to go fishing, perhaps suggest bringing along a picnic rug so afterwards you can enjoy a wine and cheese spread by the lake. If she wants a candlelit dinner then perhaps it could be in a restaurant in his favourite environment. Tip 3: Take turns Human beings tend to fall into ruts. He does the mowing, she washes the dishes. He prepares breakfast and dinner and she does the gardening. She does yoga and he watches the football. “Talk about the things you can share and consciously take turns doing those things, from the small stuff like making breakfast to the big stuff like managing the family finances,” Fox says. Becoming more familiar with each other’s responsibilities and interests not only helps you to appreciate each other’s talents, but also assists in the development of an understanding and appreciation of the various pressures you each face as individuals. This leads to greater respect. Tip 4: Give your undivided attention “Look at each other the way you look at a beautiful sunset, rather than the way you look at a problem,” Fox says. “Look at your partner with wonder, with relaxation, with complete openness.” “People rarely get anybody else’s full attention in this busy life. But if you can show somebody that you have the capacity to take them in fully, to even take in the things that might hurt you, then it is a wonderful gift.” “For this you need real presence of mind, and this comes more easily to older people. But it can have an immediate and profound effect.” Tip 5: Make “us” special This is really about getting your priorities right, which sounds obvious but is rarely achieved, Fox says. “When couples are very busy and used to each other they can forget to give each other the feeling that they are special." “What can you do? Surprise them. Do something unexpected. Look them in the eyes. Hold them close. Take them for a weekend away. Don’t treat your partner as if they’re just another transaction in your day. Treat them the way you’d never treat your mechanic,” he adds. Written by Chris Sheedy. Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/articles/lifestyle/relationships/5-surprising-ways-to-boost-romance.aspx">Wyza.com.au.</a>

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