WATCH: Cat Helps Anxiety-Stricken Boy Say 'I Love You' For First Time

WATCH: Cat Helps Anxiety-Stricken Boy Say 'I Love You' For First Time

Imagine not being able to tell your parents you love them. This is reality for 7-year-old Lorcan Dillon, who suffers from Selective mutism, the Daily Mail reports.

Selective mutism is an anxiety disorder that makes it almost impossible for Lorcan, who lives in Davyhulme in the UK, to speak to classmates and communicate his emotions to family. But all that began changing when his mother got him a cream Birman named Jessi-cat two years ago, reports the Daily Mail. The two quickly became inseparable and Lorcan has since made huge strides in overcoming his disability.

"In the past two weeks he's started communicating with people he doesn't know very well and even reads to one of the teachers now -- something he's never done before," Lorcan's mother, Jayne Dillon told the Daily Mail.

"She is a loving companion and is always interested in what Lorcan is up to," Dillon told lifewithcats.tv.

Dillon recently explained what the cat has meant to her son in a video interview with Cats Protection, a British feline welfare agency. "(Lorcan) was diagnosed when he started nursery school at three and a half. The reason I got Jessi-Cat is because pets and cats in particular are very good with children with special needs," she said.

"It is a way for Lorcan to communicate. He does speak normally at home, he does not have selective mutism with us at all in the house but he does not express his emotions. He would not say 'I love you mummy.' He just does not do it," she said in the Youtube video above.

"But with the cat he can cuddle her, he can stroke her, he can talk to her and he does say, 'I love you Jessi-Cat,' which is really nice and it is a way for him to express emotions which otherwise he would not be able to do."

As a result, both Lorcan and Jessi-cat have made the shortlist as Best Friends in the Cats Protection National Cat Awards 2012, according to the UK's Mirror. "We think all cats are special, but Jessi-Cat especially deserved a place in the final for showing what an incredible impact cats have on the lives of people of all ages," an organizer told the newspaper.

Dillon thinks that Jessi-cat will continue to help her son. If the cat wins, it could be eligible for the 'Cat of the Year' award, according to the Daily Mail.

Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

Life's Too Short! 10 Ways To Live Longer

Life's Too Short! 10 Ways To Live Longer

Life’s too short, but with a few simple everyday lifestyle changes you could increase your chances of sticking around to enjoy it for that little bit longer.

What's more it isn't all about slogging it out at the gym and eating spinach. From indulging in chocolate to having sex and even browsing the HuffPost Lifestyle, increasing your life expectancy just got more interesting.

• 10 Ways To Live Longer

• Sleep... But Not For Too Long

  We all know the importance of getting a good night's sleep but according to research we may not need as much as first thought. A study by San Diego School of Medicine, of 459 elderly women, found that women who slept for between five and six and a half hours a night had the longest survival rates.

• Have Great Sex

  Regular sex improves heart health and brain power as well as giving your immune system a boost. A study by the Italian Society of Sexual Medicine found that men who had active sex lives and were faithful to their partner had fewer heart problems and lived for longer.

• Tie The Knot

  A long, happy marriage could be the key to a longer life. Research from Cardiff University found that marriage improves your mental and physical wellbeing, reducing the chance of premature death by 15%.

• Exercise For 15 Minutes

  
According to a report in the New Scientist, you can live an extra three years by exercising for just 15 minutes a day - half the 30-minute minimum previously prescribed by the World Health Organisation.

• Move To The Countryside

  The stresses of city living could be taking their toll. Research commissioned by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs took a snapshot of life expectancy between 2001 and 2007 and found that people living in rural areas tended to live for around two years longer than town dwellers.

• Eat Like An Italian

  The Mediterranean diet has long since been revered for its health-boosting properties but researchers have calculated that the eating regime could add an extra three years to your life.

• Have Lots Of Children

  Women who have four or more children may be more stressed out than most but they are a third less likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease and 50% less likely to have a stroke, according to a study of 1,300 women conducted by the University of California.

• Be Positive

  A glass-half-full mentality could be the answer to a fuller life. A study of almost 4,000 52 to 79-year-olds, conducted by the University College, London, revealed that those who reported higher levels of contentment and a positive outlook had a 35% lower risk of premature death.

• Eat Chocolate (In Moderation, Of Course)

  According to research from Harvard University, people who eat chocolates and sweets live longer than those who avoid them altogether - but only if they eat them in moderation. The study of 8,000 men found that eating sweets three times a month up live up to three times longer than those who eat too much or abstain completely.

• Read The Huffington Post

  If you're getting your daily fix of The Huffington Post, you're likely to live longer than those who don't keep up-to-date with current affairs. A study of more than 1,000 adults found those most exposed to mass media consumed a healthier diet, reducing their risk of obesity, heart disease and cancer and making them more likely to live longer sleep.

Source: www.huffingtonpost.co.uk

Could WeightLifting Prevent Alzheimer's Disease?

Could WeightLifting Prevent Alzheimer's Disease?

Resistance training could improve brain function in those with mild dementia, suggests research presented at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference.

Researchers at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, found that mild cognitive impairment (MCI) -- often a precursor to full blown Alzheimer's -- could be improved by weekly weightlifting sessions.

Teresa Liu-Ambrose of the University of British Columbia said in a statement: "Twice-weekly resistance training could be a promising strategy to alter the trajectory of cognitive decline in seniors."

In a comparison of weightlifting, aerobic exercise and toning classes, resistance training resulted in improved attention, memory and ability to resolve problematic situations, the researchers found.

Scroll down for ways to decrease your dementia risk (PICTURES)

In contrast, the aerobic training group did not show similar improvements.

In light of the results, William Thies of the Alzheimer's Association has called for further research and long-term studies to learn more about factors that actually raise and lower risk for cognitive decline and Alzheimer's.

"The strongest data for lifestyle-based Alzheimer's risk reduction is for physical activity, yet this data is generally observational and considered preliminary," he says.

Japanese researchers from the National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology also presented research on the significance of targeted exercise.

Older adults with MCI were asked to participate in a program that included aerobic exercise, muscle strength training, and postural balance retraining.

"Our findings suggest that an exercise intervention can, at least partly, improve or maintain cognitive performance in older adults with amnestic MCI," said supervisor Hiroyuki Shimada in a statement.

According to the Alzheimer's Society, the financial cost of dementia to the UK will be over £23 billion in 2012 and two thirds of people suffering with the condition are women.

• Lifestyle Changes To Help Prevent Dementia

• Drink Decaffeinated Coffee

  A study at Mount Sinai School of Medicine found that <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/02/01/decaffeinated-coffee-preserves-memory-diabetes_n_1246240.html" target="_hplink">decaffeinated coffee improves the brain's energy metabolism - linked to cognitive decline</a> - in those with Type 2 diabetes. "This is the first evidence showing the potential benefits of decaffeinated coffee preparations for both preventing and treating cognitive decline caused by type 2 diabetes, ageing, and/ or neurodegenerative disorders," said lead researcher, Dr Giulio Maria Pasinett.

• Play Brain-Teasing Games

  Everyday <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2011/12/01/puzzles-and-exercise-help-beat-dementia-symptoms_n_1122502.html" target="_hplink">games, puzzles and tasks were able to postpone decline in cognitive function and the ability to carry out everyday tasks, in dementia patients, for at least a year</a>, according to research from the University of Erlangen in Germany, published in the journals BMC Medicine.

• Eat Less

  <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2011/12/20/eat-less-remember-more-and-other-memory-boosters_n_1160584.html" target="_hplink">Eating fewer calories could help boost memory and cognitive function</a>, according to a study at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Rome. Researchers hope to mimic the same effect with a drug in the future, bringing hope to Alzheimer's sufferers as well as those suffering from injury-related memory loss.

• Eat Fish

  Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Centre and School of Medicine found that <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2011/11/30/eating-fish-protects-against-alzheimers_n_1120156.html" target="_hplink">people who ate baked or grilled fish regularly reduced their risk of developing Alzheimer's</a>. Reseracher Cyrus Raji said: "The results showed that people who consumed baked or broiled (grilled) fish at least one time per week had better preservation of grey matter volume on MRI in brain areas at risk for Alzheimer's disease."

• Play The Wii Fit

  <a href="http://lifestyle.aol.co.uk/2012/01/17/why-a-wii-workout-could-be-better-than-the-gym-for-over-50s/" target="_hplink">Working out using virtual games such as the Wii Fit could slow cognitive decline in the over 50s</a>, researchers from Union College in the US found. Participants aged between 58 and 99 were given a 3D exercise game to play. Compared to the control group who were asked to use a regular exercise bike, the 'cybercycle' group had a 23% decrease in advancement of mild cognitive impairment and showed improved 'executive function'.

• Do The Seven-Step Plan

  A study in The Lancet Neurology suggest that <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2011/07/19/new-study-shows-seven-way_n_901934.html" target="_hplink">3m cases of Alzheimer's across the world could be prevented in seven simple ways</a>. The report recommends quitting smoking, increasing physical activity, controlling your blood pressure and diabetes risk factors as well as managing depression and obesity to help combat the disease.

Source: www.huffingtonpost.co.uk