Hate injections? Holding your breath can make the pain of jabs more bearable

Holding the breath triggers blood vessels in the lungs to send signals to the brain to dampen the nervous system, lowering sensitivity to pain, researchers from the University of Jaén found. Dailymail

Business English Buzzwords - Learn Informal Business English Vocabulary

Hello students! Today I’m going to teach you some business English “buzzwords” – informal expressions that you might hear at work or in a professional context.

You’re a creative person, and you try to push the envelope at your company. Topush the envelope means to move beyond the limits of what is normally done, to innovate and go into new areas.

Maybe you want to cause a paradigm shift in your company or industry. That’s a radical change in fundamental beliefs or theory.

Your innovative ideas might get some pushback at the company – pushback is opposition or resistance to an initiative.

Some of your co-workers might tell you, “Don’t make waves” or “Don’t rock the boat” – that means, don’t do anything to disturb the current situation.

Unfortunately, your company is having a budget crunch/squeeze – there is not enough money to do everything that is necessary or planned.

The company needs to streamline its operations – that means to improve efficiency by simplifying things. The company decides to lay off some of its employees, and you lose your job.

Then you decide to start your own company. You’ll have to do it on a shoestring budget – using very little money.

Maybe you pitch your business idea to investors. To pitch an idea means you try to convince someone to invest in or support it.

But nobody’s interested in investing, so you’ll have to bootstrap – do it with your own work and resources, without outside help.

Luckily, you find a business partner who’s on the same wavelength – the two of you have views that are similar; you are thinking and working in the same direction.

And together, you manage to put the company on the map. That means to make something known to the public or famous.

You decide to reinvest the lion’s share of your profit back into improving your products. The lion’s share is the majority, the largest part.

And as a result, your products are world-class – that means of the highest quality.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this little story and learned some business English vocabulary along the way!

If you want to improve your practical skills in Business English, my Business English course will help you learn phrases for meetings, presentations, interacting at work, and much more

How a glass of red wine every night could cut risk of diabetes.

Red wine contains a wonder antioxidant called resveratrol which mops up chemicals responsible for causing blood clots, the primary cause of coronary disease. READ MORE

Can't sleep? Try the 4-7-8 breathing technique that claims to help you nod off in 60 SECONDS.

• Method has been pioneered by Harvard-trained Dr Andrew Weill
• It involves regulating your breathing to various counts of 4, 7 and 8
• It lets oxygen better fill the lungs, calms the mind and relaxes muscles

To do the 4-7-8 breathing technique, you first need to exhale completely through your mouth while making a 'whoosh' sound.

Close your mouth and inhale quietly through your nose to a mental count of four.

Now hold your breath for a count of seven.

After this time has elapsed, exhale completely through your mouth, making another whoosh sound for eight second in one large breath.

Now inhale again and repeat the cycle three times for a total of four breaths.

Dalymail

Forget the seven-year itch, it's the first anniversary which is key: Men's sex-drive hormone levels drop after 12 months

• Significant fall in testosterone after 12 months with a steady partner 
• During the first year a man is poised to fight off competition 
• Scientists interviewed 75 men aged between 18 and 39 about sex drive

Read more

Time for a brew: How a cup of tea can perk up your brain activity in just 30 minutes

• Neurological activity increases half an hour after drinking tea
• Studies suggest antioxidants known as flavonoids may be responsible
• They also help control inflammation, promote blood vessel function and limit clogging of the arteries 

Mailonline

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Drinking COFFEE could be key to stopping Alzheimers Disease

Researchers say caffeine in the drink could halve levels of beta amyloid, a protein fragment which can form plaques in nerve cells that are thought to trigger the disease. Read More