METRO Friday, November 13, 2009 D For information contact; Conference & Banqueting T: 01 6073900 E: info@ocallaghanhotels.com Subject to availability. Conditions apply. Celebrity DJ Papillon @ The OCallaghan Alexander Hotel Halleluia Gospel Choir @ The OCallaghan Davenport Hotel Traditional Christmas @ The OCallaghan Mont Clare Hotel www.ocallaghanhotels.com This Christmas theres a party for everyone at OCallaghan Hotels Eat chocolate to ease your stress levelsBY jo steele Antony Colas became the first person to surf up a crocodile- infested tropical river. the 41- year-old decided to tackle the 3m (10ft) high tidal bore on the Batang lupar in sri Aman, Malaysia, after seeing Youtube videos of locals riding the wave in their canoes. the frenchman compared his sense of achievement to having walked on the Moon Picture: Masons Surf borE who waS firSt to Surf borE Giant iceberg is nearing australia A LARGE iceberg has been spotted off an island about halfway between Antarctica and Australia, a rare sight in these waters. Australian Antarctic Division researchers working on Macquarie Island, about 1,500km southeast of Tasmania, spotted the 50m-high and 500m-long iceberg just off the northwest coast. Scientists, who suspect it is probably part of one of several larger icebergs that broke off Antarcticas Ross Ice Shelf between 2000 and 2002, believe it will break up and melt rapidly as it continues its journey north. Floe: Rare sight, but it will melt Suspect thief caught by own Wanted photo Maynard: Unhappy with police mug shot Fat men dont really careMEN are a lot heavier around the waistline, but not so much around the conscience. A study by the Nutrition and Health Foundation found men are more likely to be overweight than women, but half as likely to do anything about it. Two out of three Irish males are overweight, and a third of them are obese. But, only 15 per cent of men feel they would like to weigh a lot less. Almost 60 per cent of Irish people have tried to lose weight in the past year and while the NHF said this was encouraging, the majority of the group was made up of women, and it believes men need to be educated as to what constitutes a healthy weight. NHFs Dr Muireann Cullen said: Research has shown that the desire to lose weight is certainly evident and attempts at weight control are common. However, compared with overweight women, the overweight men in this study were less likely to report that they had a weight issue and were taking action to reduce their current weight. Chocolate: take it easy TEN squares of dark chocolate a day for two weeks can cure stress in sufferers, according to a new study. Researchers found the regular helping of the treat reduced soaring levels of stress hormones and rebalance other chemicals in the body during times of high anxiety. It adds to the growing reputation of chocolate, as the latest superfood because of its anti-oxidants and health-boosting compoundscalledflavinoids.These have been associated with reducing the risks of heart disease and low- ering blood pressure while a new report showed chocolate prevents skin cancer too. A group of volunteers who rated themselves as highly stressed, ate 40g of dark chocolate every day for two weeks.That amount, is roughly ten squares of a typical bar of plain chocolate. A series of examinations before, during and after, measured their metabolism rates, levels of the stress hormone cortisol as well as other fac- tors like adrenaline related to stress. Those suffering from stress had high levels of stress hormones and lower levels of other mark- ers which are meant to correct stress. If stress levels were normal or slightly above normal, the choco- late had no effect. This suggests its chemical qualities act to cor- rect a metabolic imbalance during stress. Research leader Sunil Kochhar said: The study provides evidence that a daily consumption of 40 grams over two weeks is sufficient to modify the metabolism. A suspECTED burglar who issued a new Wanted picture of himself because he didnt like the police one has been arrested after being recognised. Matthew Maynard, 24, was getting a trim when a passer-by saw him and called the police who swooped on the barbershop in Morriston, Wales, and cuffed their man. This just shows how stupid he is, said one. He has his own picture plastered around and then decides to go for a trim to keep up his image. perhaps he wanted to look good... in court. A photo of Maynard had appeared in a local newspaper in a publicity alert. PlEaSurE iS what drivES THE pursuit of pleasure drives the decisions that direct peoples lives. scientists discovered that dopamine, a neurotransmitter in the brain, linked to reward-seeking behaviour, plays a key role in choices such as where to go on holiday. Dopamine generates pleasant feelings that are associated with stimuli, such as sex or food. Researchers at university College London found volunteers were more likely to chose holiday destinations they imagined under the influence of a dopamine-enhancing drug. index.html2.html3.html4.html5.html6.html7.html8.html9.html10.html11.html12.html13.html14.html15.html16.html17.html18.html19.html20.html21.html22.html23.html24.html25.html26.html27.html28.html29.html30.html31.html