Preserve memory and cognitive abilities by following a Mediterranean diet

Preserve memory and cognitive abilities by following a Mediterranean diet.

NaturalNews

May 16, 2013

by: John Phillip

The scientists found that those individuals who most closely followed the Mediterranean diet were 19 percent less likely to develop problems with their thinking and memory skills.

It should come as no great surprise to those following a natural diet and healthy lifestyle that the foods we eat and the environment in which we live directly influence our risk of developing many chronic illnesses, degree of aging and ultimately, lifespan. Although considered by many to be a normal part of the aging process, dementia, and specifically Alzheimer’s disease, is not a natural progression as we get older and is largely the product of the type of foods we eat over the course of many decades of life.

While many environmental factors contribute to disease progression, diet remains the most influential cofactor in the development of memory and personality-robbing diseases. Researchers from the University of Alabama report the results of a study suggesting that the Mediterranean diet, emphasizing foods that contain omega-3 fatty acids found in fish, chicken and salad dressing, and avoiding saturated fats, meat and dairy foods, may be linked to preserving memory and thinking abilities.

Reporting in the prestigious journal, Neurology, scientists explain how limiting sugars, refined carbohydrates and hydrogenated fats help to preserve memory and cognitive abilities through mid-life and into our senior years. Study author, Dr. Georgios Tsivgoulis noted “Since there are no definitive treatments for most dementing illnesses, modifiable activities, such as diet, that may delay the onset of symptoms of dementia, are very important.”

To conduct their study, the team analyzed 30,239 people over age 45 for a period of four-and-a-half years and monitored them regularly for health changes and adherence to a Mediterranean-style diet. Participants underwent tests to measure memory and thinking abilities over the study period. The scientists found that those individuals who most closely followed the Mediterranean diet were 19 percent less likely to develop problems with their thinking and memory skills. Interestingly, the Mediterranean diet was not associated with cognitive decline in people with diabetes.

While the team did not provide an explanation why diabetics did not benefit from this type of diet, one can theorize that diabetes results from years of dietary transgressions and the resulting cellular and metabolic changes require more intense measures to resolve. Dr. Tsivgoulis concluded “Diet is an important modifiable activity that could help in preserving cognitive functioning in late life, however it is only one of several important lifestyle activities that might play a role in late-life mental functioning. Exercise, avoiding obesity and not smoking cigarettes are also important.”

Related articles

• Mediterranean Diet Protects Against Cognitive Impairment (medicaldaily.com)
• Mediterranean Diet Helps Preserve Memory And Thinking Abilities (medicalnewstoday.com)
• Study Links Mediterranean Diet to Preserving Memory (scienceworldreport.com)

The secret to a long life may be deep inside your brain

The secret to a long life may be deep inside your brain | MyScienceAcademy.

May 15, 2013

MyScienceAcademy.org

Scientists could be one step closer to slowing down aging. Photo courtesy of Flickr user Paolo Margari

It may have been the word retrieval adventure I had the other night when I couldn’t remember the name of thinly sliced cured ham. (I nailed the “p,” but didn’t come close to conjuring up “prosciutto.”) Or it could have been the annoying pain I feel in a knuckle on my right hand these days. Probably both.

All I know is that when I read about a recent study in which scientists were able to slow down the aging process in mice, I was more than a little intrigued.

According to the researchers at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, the key to stalling the harsh march of aging is likely deep inside your brain, specifically the almond-size section called the hypothalamus.

It has long been associated with our sense of hunger and thirst, our body temperature and feelings of fatigue. But the scientists, in the study published in the journal Nature on Wednesday, say they found that by deactivating a molecule found in the hypothalamus called NF-kB, they were able to get mice to live 20 percent longer, and also show fewer physical signs of aging.

More specifically, when they blocked the substance from the hypothalamus, the animals lived up to 1,100 days, about 100 days longer than the normal limit for mice. But when they gave other mice more NF-kB, they all died within 900 days. The mice without NF-kB also had more muscle and bone, healthier skin and were better at learning.

During the study, the researchers also determined that NF-kB lowered levels of a hormone called GnRH. And when they gave the mice a daily treatment of that hormone, it too helped to extend the animals’ lives and even caused new neurons to develop in their brains.

This is where I need to raise the caveat about research with mice, namely that what works with them often doesn’t carry over to humans. Or as io9 noted, “comparing the aging processes of mice to humans is a precarious proposition at best.”

That said, the lead scientist for the study, Dongsheng Cai, says he’s excited by what the research suggests. “It supports the idea that aging is more than a passive deterioriation of different tissues,” he told The Guardian in an interview. “It is under control and can be manipulated.”

Thanks for my memory

Then there is Theodore Berger. He’s a neuroscientist at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles and he believes that one day in the not too distant future, it may be possible to use electrical implants in the brain to help people retrieve long-term memories.

So far, Berger and his research team have been able to show how a silicon chip externally connected to rat and monkey brains by electrodes can process information as actual neurons do. And last fall, the researchers demonstrated that they could help monkeys bring back long-term memories.

They focused on the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain that retrieves the memories created by the hippocampus. The scientists placed electrodes in the monkeys’ brains to capture the neuron code formed in the prefrontal cortex that, the researchers believed, allowed the animals to remember an image they had been shown earlier. Then they drugged the monkeys with cocaine, which impaired activity in that part of their brains. Next they used the implanted electrodes to send electrical pulses carrying the captured code to the monkeys’ prefrontal cortex, and that, according to Berger, significantly improved the animals’ performance on a memory test.

Of course, the more you study the brain, the more complex it gets. And it’s quite possible that Berger hadn’t captured a code for how all memories are stored, but rather a code related only to the specific task of recalling an image. He says that within the next two years, he and his colleagues plan to implant a memory chip in animals, one that should, once and for all, determine if they have indeed cracked the code of creating long-term memories of many different situations and behaviors.

As he told M.I.T.’s Technology Review, ““I never thought I’d see this go into humans, and now our discussions are about when and how. I never thought I’d live to see the day, but now I think I will.”

The ticking clock

Here’s other recent research on aging and memory:

• Be still, my heart: After tracking more than 5,000 men for 40 years, Danish scientists concluded that those with high resting heart rates–above 80 beats per minute–were considerably more likely to die at a younger age, even if they were considered healthy.
• Not to mention it was a lot safer than actually having them drive: According to a study at the University of Iowa, elderly people who played a video game called “Road Tour” for as little as 10 hours, were able to measurably sharpen their cognitive skills.
• And throw in a side of olive oil: More kudos for the Mediterranean diet. A study published in the journal Neurology earlier this week found that people who followed the diet, built around eating fish, olive oil and vegetables and very little meat, were 19 percent less likely to suffer memory problems or cognitive decay.
• Although now they only dream in pink: And then there’s this report from German scientists: By having people listen to “pink noise” sounds that matched their brain wave oscillations as they slept, researchers were able to help them remember things they had learned the previous day.
• Dead and famous: Research by Australian scientists based on obituaries published in the New York Times over a two-year period found that people who were famous were more likely to die younger, particularly performers and athletes. The study also determined that performers were at a particularly high greatest risk of dying of lung cancer.
• We’re gonna need more fists: And finally, scientists at Montclair State University in New Jersey say their research shows that by clenching your right fist before memorizing something, and then your left when you want to remember it, you have a better chance of your memory coming through for you.

Source: blogs.smithsonianmag.com

How Do the Chinese Treat Arthritis?

How Do the Chinese Treat Arthritis? – Waking Times : Waking Times.

May 14, 2013 | By Dylan Charles | Reply

Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming, YMAA
Waking Times

The best way to treat arthritis is to prevent it from happening. However, if it has already occurred, then the appropriate course is to prevent it from getting any worse, and then to rebuild the strength of the joint so that it can resume functioning normally. Generally speaking, if a case of arthritis has already reached the stage of serious physical damage, special treating is needed before any rebuilding can proceed. During the treating and rebuilding process, alleviating pain is always the first concern.

1. Massage

When done properly, massage will improve the Qi circulation in the joint area. Massage is commonly used when a patient suffers from Feng Shi before arthritis and physical damage have occurred. At this time the Qi circulation is unbalanced, which may affect the nerves around the joints and cause pain. Feng Shi can occur when a joint is weak or injured, or when a joint has degenerated because of aging. The pain usually increases when rain is coming on, because clouds and moisture accumulate great masses of electric charges that affect the Qi in our bodies. Pain can also occur when the joints are exposed to cold wind, which can significantly affect the Qi of the joints.

If the Feng Shi is caused by a minor injury, massage can help to heal the injury and ease the pain. The massage can usually prevent the Feng Shi from developing into arthritis, which the Chinese call “joint infection” (Guan Jie Yan). However, if the Feng Shi is caused by a weak joint or one degenerated because of aging, then once the pain is alleviated, Qigong exercises are necessary to rebuild the strength of the joint and prevent the Feng Shi from returning and developing into arthritis.

Massage is not used just to heal Feng Shi. It is very effective in increasing Qi circulation and easing the pain even when the joint infection (arthritis) has already become serious. However, because massage cannot reach deep enough into the body, it is not wise to rely on it for a cure.

2. Acupuncture

Acupuncture is another method of temporarily stopping the pain and can increase the Qi circulation in the joint area to help its healing. The main difference between massage and acupuncture is that the former usually stays only on the surface, while the latter can reach to the center of the joint. One of the advantages of acupuncture is that, if the arthritis is caused by an old injury deep in the joint, it can heal the injury or at least remove some of the stagnated Qi or bruise.

In acupuncture, needles, or other newly developed means such as lasers or electricity are used to stimulate and increase the Qi circulation. Although acupuncture can stop the pain and can, to some degree, cure the arthritis, the process can be so time-consuming as to be emotionally draining. Acupuncture is an external method, and while it may remove the symptoms, it can usually heal arthritis only temporarily or only to a limited degree. Therefore, after arthritis patients have received some treatment, the physician will frequently encourage them to get involved in Qigong exercises to rebuild the joint.

3. Herbal Treatments

Herbal treatments are used together with massage and acupuncture, especially when the arthritis is caused by an injury. The herbs are usually made into a paste or ground into powder, mixed with a liquid such as alcohol, and then applied to the joint.

Herbal treatments are used to alleviate pain, to increase the Qi circulation and help the healing of the injury, and to speed up the process of re-growth. Patients who work to rebuild weak joints through Qigong exercises can speed the process with herbal treatments.

4. Cavity Press

Cavity Press (Dian Xue) is the method of using the fingertips (especially the thumb tip) to press acupuncture cavities and certain other points (pressure points) on the body in order to manipulate the Qi circulation. Acupuncture cavities are tiny spots distributed over the entire body where the Qi of the body can be manipulated through massage or the insertion of needles. According to our new understanding of bioelectricity, these cavities are places where the electrical conductivity is higher than in neighboring areas. They are, therefore, more sensitive to external stimulation, and allow it to reach to the primary Qi channels.

Strictly speaking, cavity press (acupressure) should be discussed under massage. However, its theory is deeper and somewhat different from general massage. General massage covers a larger area of the joint, while cavity press focuses on the acupuncture cavities and certain non-acupuncture points. Normally, the power in cavity press can reach much deeper than in general massage. Furthermore, cavity press mostly uses the Qi channels to improve Qi circulation inside the joint, while general massage can enhance Qi circulation only superficially.

The theory of cavity press is very similar to that of acupuncture. There are a few differences, however:

• Acupuncture uses needles or other means of penetration such as lasers, while cavity press uses the fingertips to press the cavities.
• Acupuncture can reach much deeper than cavity press.
• Cavity press is easier and more convenient than acupuncture, which requires equipment and a higher level of training. This means that anyone can learn to use cavity press to treat arthritis after only a short period of training and some experience. However, it takes years of study to learn acupuncture.
• A patient can use cavity press on him or herself much more easily than acupuncture.

In cavity press, stagnant Qi deep in the joint is led to the surface. This improves the Qi circulation in the joint area, and reduces the pain considerably. The use of cavity press to speed up the healing of injured joints is very common in Chinese martial arts.

5. Qigong Exercises

The main purpose of Qigong exercises for arthritis is to rebuild the strength of the joint by improving the Qi circulation. Traditional Chinese physicians believe that since the body’s cells are alive, as long as there is a proper supply of Qi, the physical damage can be repaired or even completely rebuilt. They have proven that broken bones can be mended completely, even in the elderly. Even some Western physicians have now come to believe that damaged or degenerated joints can be returned to their original healthy state.

Practicing Qigong not only can heal arthritis or joint injury and rebuild the joint; it is also known to be very effective in strengthening the internal organs. Many illnesses, including some forms of arthritis, stem from abnormally functioning internal organs. For example, an improperly functioning liver and kidneys cause gouty arthritis.

According to Chinese medicine, almost all illnesses are caused by abnormal Qi circulation. Internal organs are the devices that produce and manage the circulation of Qi. Keeping organs healthy is the key to health and longevity, and Qigong is one of the most effective ways of doing this. Chinese physicians also believe that when the internal organs are healthy, the immune system will be healthy and the potential for resisting sickness will be high. A weak immune system is responsible for many illnesses, and is considered to be closely related to the occurrence of arthritis. For examples lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, Lyme disease, Sjogren’s syndrome, and scleroderma are all linked to a weak immune system.

Below are some differences in how Chinese and Western medicine treat arthritis.

1. Prevention:

Western medicine:  There are few documents that discuss how to prevent arthritis. It just does not seem to be considered important. Only when the symptoms of arthritis appear, treatment is started. Even if there is some joint pain and if there is no sign of arthritis in the X-rays, the physician may prescribe some medication for the pain, but other than that, he or she will all too often tend to ignore it.

Chinese medicine:  When a patient has a joint injury, Chinese physicians will first usually use acupuncture, massage, and herbal treatment to eliminate any bruises or Qi stagnation inside the joint. When the injury is almost healed, the physician will encourage the patient to do Qigong exercises to increase the Qi circulation and speed the healing. The most important effect of the Qigong, however, is to insure that all the bruises and stagnation in the joint are cleared up. This can be done only through the patient moving the joint. If this is not done, the bruises and stagnation will eventually develop into Feng Shi and continue to interfere with smooth and balanced Qi circulation in the joint.

In China, when people start getting older and feel their bodies getting weaker, they will often start practicing some form of Qigong such as Taijiquan or Ba Duan Jin (The Eight Pieces of Brocade). The practice helps them to keep their Qi circulating smoothly and to slow down the degeneration of their bodies. It also prevents Feng Shi and arthritis.

2. Stopping the Pain:

Western medicine:  Western medicine sometimes uses massage to alleviate pain, but more commonly drugs such as aspirin, prednisone, naprosyn, Motrin, colchicine, and many others are prescribed. The problem with drugs is that very often they have side effects, such as the disturbance of the gastrointestinal tract and skin rash caused by using Motrin, and the weakening or damaging of the internal organs caused by other medicines.

This is a very common problem in Western medicine, which will frequently cure one problem only to inflict another one on the patient.

Chinese medicine:  Acupuncture, massage, cavity press, and herbal treatments are commonly used to stop the pain. The treatments are used only to make the patient feel more comfortable, and are not considered part of the healing.

3. Healing:

Western medicine:  Drugs can be effective in treating some forms of arthritis. For example, certain drugs can be used to regulate the liver and the kidneys, curing gouty arthritis. This approach can get quick results. However, the patient is then reliant on the drugs, which may eventually disturb the normal functioning of some organs. Doctors now encourage arthritis patients to do certain exercises, often with significant results.

As the West increases its understanding of bioelectricity (Qi), it is quite possible that ways will be found to use electricity to speed the healing and re-growth of arthritic joints.

Chinese medicine:  Massage, cavity press, and/or acupuncture are usually used first to increase the Qi circulation. If the arthritis is not too serious, these methods may be sufficient for a cure. If the arthritis has become serious, external and internal herbal treatments are also called for. The herbs taken internally help to increase the Qi circulation, remove bruises, or prevent further infection of the joint. Chinese medicine seeks to cure the cause of the arthritis. For example, if it is caused by an injury, then bruises and Qi stagnation must be cleared up. And if the arthritis is caused by degeneration due to aging, then Qigong exercises must be used to rebuild the joint and slow the degeneration.

About the Author

Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming, is a renowned author and teacher of Chinese martial arts and Qigong. Born in Taiwan, he has trained and taught Taijiquan, Qigong and Chinese martial arts for over forty-five years. He is the author of over thirty books, and was elected by Inside Kung Fu magazine as one of the 10 people who has “made the greatest impact on martial arts in the past 100 years.” Dr. Yang lives in Northern California.

(The above excerpt is from Arthritis Relief-Chinese Qigong for Healing and Prevention by Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming, YMAA Publication Center, 2005)

This article is offered under Creative Commons license. It’s okay to republish it anywhere as long as attribution bio is included and all links remain intact.

Turmeric: Most Important Supplement of Them All ? 6 min video

CANCER CURE – TURMERIC! StopTheRobbery.com – YouTube.

We live in a culture of inflammation which is being linked more often to cancer, heart disease, and other deadly illnesses.  If you are not familiar with turmeric and its healing properties, this video will surprise you. Lou

60 thoughts about turning 60

60 thoughts about turning 60 | Life and style | The Guardian.

It’s a landmark birthday, the perfect time to take stock of one’s life so far. So what has The Thick Of It writer Ian Martin discovered now he has entered his seventh decade?

• Ian Martin
• The Guardian, Monday 29 April 2013

Now we are 60: Ian Martin has reasons to be cheerful. Photograph: Christopher Thomond for the Guardian

1. People who “hate getting old” are idiots. Every year is a privilege. Let me tell you, callow miserabilists: getting to 60 feels like a triumph. I have no idea how I made it this far, but I am very grateful.

2. Memory is a fickle friend, it something something in the end.

3. I mean, I know all the words to (I’ve Got a Gal in) Kalamazoo (1942). And the Nicene creed from the Book of Common Prayer (1662). Yet, oddly, I can’t remember the lyrics to any of those profound, politically charged power-pop songs I wrote to shame the world into becoming a better place (1980s).

4. For instance. It was 1968. Early summer evening, a Saturday. My mate and I were hitching home in the Essex countryside. We got a lift from a happy couple in a boaty car that smelled of leather and engine oil. We were 15, they were proper old, 20-ish. Relaxed and so very much in love. They treated us as equals, laughed at our jokes, we smoked their cigarettes. Walk Away Renee by the Four Tops came on the radio. We all sang along to the chorus. I felt a blissful certainty that life as an adult might genuinely be a laugh. The entire encounter lasted no more than 10 minutes. I have thought about that couple every day since. Every day, for 45 years. Imagine that. A Belisha Beacon of kindness pulsing through the murk of a whole life.

5. I am full of admiration for the human race and its capacity for kindness. So it can have another observation all to itself. Kindness kindness something blindness, I’ll come back to this later.

6. When someone starts a sentence ”I’m not being …”, they always are.

7. Actions speak louder after four pints.

Bach: beats misogynistic hip-hop any day. Photograph: Stock Montage/Getty Images 8. All these memories darting through my mind like discarded fairground goldfish in a sewer. The random kindnesses of strangers, how they glide and shimmer.

9. Compatibility is hugely overrated. I have little in common with most of my friends and with just about the entirety of my wife.

10. Grandparenthood is a beautiful revelation. You have kids, you know you will never experience that feeling of unconditional love for anyone else, ever, and then it happens all over again. A heart-stoppingly beautiful miracle.

11. I have nothing against pets in theory. It’s just that, in reality, pets are noisy, selfish, practically incontinent, morally depraved and just really stupid. They are walking, flapping analogs of your own paranoid self-loathing. You take your soul-searching labrador for a walk and a chat. I’ll just watch a bit of telly.

12. One of the very best things about being old is you no longer have to pretend to like hateful music eg misogynistic hip-hop.

13. Or that awful whiney, bedwetting drivel everyone on Twitter recommends to one another.

14. And please don’t get me started on the subject of “jazz” again. In the garden of music, jazz is bindweed.

15. Bach, that’s your man. Bach, Bach, Benjamin Britten, Motown, rhythm and blues.

David Cameron: oily dollop. Photograph: Action Press/Rex Features 16. There is only one book in my life I genuinely regret ever having read: Ian McEwan’s The Comfort of Strangers. God, it hurts just to type the words. Really well written and so chillingly horrible. It left a nasty stain. Brr. Maybe I have purged it now. If that’s the case, thanks for listening.

17. The scarier the world becomes, the more important it is to focus on the correct use of “less” and ”fewer”.

18. But I cannot remember ever before feeling the visceral contempt I have for this gang of posh sociopaths. As a rough guide, I would say any government that sets the welfare of the comfortably off above the welfare of the old, the young, the sick, the poor, the oppressed, the disabled … well, call me old-fashioned but any government like that wants hosing down the drain.

19. Every journey of a thousand miles begins with some fat cabbie moaning about the economy.

Link to video: Barton’s Britain: The Whitsun Weddings 20. A pre-internet world is unthinkable.

21. There wasn’t any internet 30 years ago.

Of course He exists: it says so in the Bible. Photograph: Stephen Sweet/Alamy 22. In 30 years’ time, they will be looking back at our world and it will be unthinkable.

23. Sixty observations is suddenly feeling like quite a lot, to be honest.

24. Holidays seem so much more arseache than they are worth.

25. A poor workman always blames his ex-wife, or the meds.

26. A stitch in time saves act three of most Star Trek episodes.

27. No news is BBC Breakfast.

28. All British prime ministers are cartoonish. Churchill was at the dispatch box when I was born. Coronation year, 1953 – a world of smog and tripe. Since then I have coughed and chewed my way through a lot of prime ministers. Eden: suave man-cloud. Macmillan: human coelacanth. Douglas-Home: skeletal gasbag. Wilson: squeaky pillock. Heath: juddering berk. Wilson again: deflated blimp. Callaghan: lumbering clod. Thatcher: pitiless monster. Major: mumbling sod. Blair: lying shit. Brown: gasping boulder. Cameron: oily dollop. I never warmed to any of them.

Respect: the Queen has been on the throne for 60 years. Photograph: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images 29. In my experience, NHS bureacracy will conspire to kill you.

30. In my experience, NHS staff will conspire to save your life.

31. Seriously, when was the last time someone in the NHS bent the rules to help you or a member of your family out? Exactly. Two days ago, for me. I wonder if privatisation will discourage that sort of thing.

32. Obviously I don’t wonder if those politically connected bastards siphoning wealth from a system set up as a public benefit will discourage compassionate, off-book favours. At all.

33. Here’s another observation. How in the name of Dawkins’s bollocks did those of us opposing the unmandated dismantling of the NHS get to be labelled anti-progressive? I want the NHS to be reformed and to remain in public ownership. Stop pretending we can’t do both.

34. Bah!

35. There is not a single bad mood that cannot be lifted, however grudgingly, by reading a Larkin poem.

36. I did some home-schooling once. It is possible to teach the entire 20th-century social history of Britain from Larkin’s The Whitsun Weddings.

37. It’s funny and comforting to know that after you are dead, you will still get spam.

38. I believe saturation CCTV surveillance to be a blessing for society.

39. I fell under the spell of the satirist Brian O’Nolan when I was 20. He has been my flag ever since. Recreate yourself (Flann O’Brien) and from there, recreate the world. Genius. Heartthrob.

40. I am definitely going to give up smoking.

41. Oh shut up, of course God exists. Even if God turns out to be just science in fancy pyjamas. Honestly, you think all this stuff “militant here in Earth” is not being saved to some “memory cloud”? There are Tumblr accounts for people’s bloody cats.

42. You can’t judge a book by the shrill reviews on Amazon.

43. A problem shared is all over the Mail on Sunday.

44. Two’s company, three’s your friend’s irritating new iPhone app.

45. I love the BBC, the way I loved my frail and elderly mother.

46. Yes, now I realise I have got to No 46 already, we are all the children of postwar Britain. The BBC is our frail, elderly mother and the NHS is our frail, elderly father.

47. But those 10,726,614 people who voted Tory three years ago. Yeah, thanks to some voodoo mathematics, they are apparently in charge of everything now. It’s like when Marlo and his heartless soldiers took the corners in The Wire and now they are mugging our frail, elderly parents and we just stay out of sight like the useless bubbles we are.

48. Never mind the evidence, accept my anecdotage: this weather’s not right.

49. I abhor violence. It solves nothing.

50. Why, then, do I keep thinking that if I had two weeks left to live and just one decent throw of the arm left in me, oh man, I would really want to punch Iain Duncan Smith in the face.

51. Saying sorry and thanks. That is what happens in church. People counting their blessings and acknowledging they have done wrong. I struggle to understand why some people want this to be snuffed out.

52. In Lunch Top Trumps, “armagnac” beats “pudding”.

53. I don’t entirely trust people who use the word “vile” a lot.

54. The royal family. Bunch of trust-funded hippies. Good riddance.

55. But not quite yet. I respect the Queen. I do, honestly. She has been Queen for as long as I have lived. Good effort. Once she is dead, though, enough’s enough. The idea of my grandchildren having to stand up for organic sausage king Charles III or any of those other doughnuts, ha ha, come on.

56. Before you say anything nasty about someone, just pause for a second and browse through some really good adjectives in your head.

57. Leave the euthanasia law alone. We all know how it works. A smudge, a nudge, a slipping away.

58. “Nice snare sound.” Always say this to someone you like when they are playing you terrible music, especially if it’s their demo. This insincere but specific observation allows both parties to sidestep more general, and potentially cruel, discussion. If the person insists, they deserve everything they get, starting with “shit snare sound”.

59. I am proud to be part of a culture in which attitudes towards sexuality are moving rapidly from fear and outrage to love and apathy. Let’s not forget that Glad to be Gay was banned by the BBC in 1978 on completely non-musical grounds.

60. When people finish a sentence by saying “the list is endless”, it always means they have run out of things to list.

 

Nurses’ Health Study

What can I tell you ? I love good information. For example, take this longitudinal study that began in 1976. It has  a wealth of sociological and medical information. One look at the chart and you are bound to spot little gems of truth. Like the title says, thousands of nurses contributed to this study.  Lou

Nurses’ Health Study – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

From Wikipedia

 

The Nurses‘ Health Study, established in 1976 by Dr. Frank Speizer, and the Nurses’ Health Study II, established in 1989 by Dr. Walter Willett, were long-term epidemiological studies conducted on women’s health. The study followed 121,700 female registered nurses since 1976 and 116,000 female nurses since 1989 to assess risk factors for cancer and cardiovascular disease. The studies are among the largest investigations into risk factors for major chronic diseases in women ever conducted. The studies include clinicians, epidemiologists, and statisticians at the Channing Laboratory. Participating organizations from the Massachusetts medical community include the Harvard Medical School, Harvard School of Public Health, and several Harvard-affiliated hospitals, including Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Dana–Farber Cancer Institute, Children’s Hospital Boston, and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.^[1]

The study is recruiting a new cohort of 100,000 female LPNs^{[clarification needed]} and RNs^{[clarification needed]} (or those studying to become one) aged 20-46 called the Nurses’ Health Study 3 (NHS3).^[2] NHS3 is completely online, using social media for recruitment.^[3][4][5]

Design

A cohort of nurses aged 30 to 55 were initially surveyed in 1976 and biennially thereafter. A second cohort of nurses were enrolled in 1989.

Over time additional questions have been added, most notably the dietary assessment added in 1980. Deaths, usually reported by kin or by postal authorities, were followed up. Where possible and permitted, in cases suggestive of CVD/CHD^{[clarification needed]} the followup went beyond death certificates to gather available documentation from autopsy reports and other records. Mortality followup is better than 98 percent.

In 1996, over 16,000 children of women in the second Nurses’ Health Study cohort were enrolled in their own follow-up study called the Growing Up Today Study, or GUTS.

Selected studies

Studies to date have led to the publication of hundreds of peer-reviewed papers.^[6]

NHS researchers have examined the effect of exposures like smoking, oral contraceptive use, alcohol consumption, and diet on disease risk. ^[7]

	Breast Cancer	Coronary Heart Disease (CHD)/Stroke	Colon Cancer	Hip Fracture	Cognitive Functioning	Eye Disease
Smoking	No relation with past or current smoking	Strong positive association with CHD and stroke; risk reduced within 2-4 years of smoking cessation.	Increases risk of colon cancer	Increases risk of hip fracture for current smokers. Risk increases with greater number of cigarettes smoked per day.	Not examined.	Increases risk of cataracts and “wet” AMD (the most severe form of Age-related Macular Degeneration).
Oral Contraceptives	Current use increases risk. Past use no association.	Current use increases risk. Past use no association.	Reduces risk of colon cancer.	Not examined.	Not examined.	Reduces risk of “wet” AMD.
Alcohol	One or more drinks per day increases risk.	Moderate alcohol intake reduces the risk of CHD.	Two or more drinks per day increases risk.	High consumption increases the risk of hip fracture. However, low or moderate consumption is associated with greater bone density.	Moderate intake (½ –1 serving per day) reduces risk of cognitive impairment.	No relation to age related eye diseases.
Diet	Higher intake of red meat increases risk of premenopausal breast cancer.	A Mediterranean-type diet reduces risk of incident CHD and stroke. Fish intake reduces risk of stroke. Nut and wholegrain consumption reduces risk of CHD. Refined carbohydrates and trans fats increase risk.	Higher intakes of folate, vitamin B6, calcium and vitamin D reduces risk. High intake of red and processed meats increases risk.	Reduction of risk with calcium supplement use among women with low calcium diets; higher dietary calcium intake has no effect. Vitamin D intake reduces risk and retinol intake increases risk.	Higher vegetable intake, especially green leafy vegetables, reduces risk of cognitive impairment.	Some antioxidants reduce risk of cataracts and AMD. Higher intake of fish may reduce risk of cataracts and AMD.

References

1. ^ http://www.channing.harvard.edu/nhs/?page_id=73 NHS official site – participating organizations
2. ^ Nurses’ Health Study 3 (official site)
3. ^ http://www.facebook.com/nhs3.org NHS3 on Facebook
4. ^ http://www.twitter.com/nhs3 NHS3 on Twitter
5. ^ http://ccn.aacnjournals.org/content/31/6/9.full NHS3 appeal in December 2011 issue of Critical Care Nurse
6. ^ List of NHS publications indexed by year
7. ^ http://www.nhs3.org

External links

• Channing.harvard.edu – ‘The Nurses’ Health Study’, Channing Laboratory, Harvard University

Video

• Video series on history of Nurses’ Health Studies

Audio

• PBS Frontline interview with Walter Willett (April 8, 2004)

Childhood Photos Recreated Decades Later

http://twistedsifter.com/2013/04/recreating-childhood-photos-decades-later-irina-werning/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Twistedsifter+%28TwistedSifter+%29

Irina Werning is a photographer from Buenos Aires, Argentina. She holds three degrees including a BA in Economics, a Masters in History and Masters in Photographic Journalism from Westminister University in London.

In her ongoing series (two parts have been completed) entitled, Back to the Future (part 1, part 2), Werning faithfully recreates childhood photos, taking great care to match the clothing, scenery and expressions. While other artists have also attempted childhood recreations, I have yet to see anyone else match the scenery and clothes as well as Irina.

The first two parts of the series have taken Irina to England, Germany, USA, the Netherlands and France (and many from her hometown of Buenos Aires). For the next installment, Werning is looking for amazing old portraits from Korea, Taiwan, Dubai and Tokyo. If you have any, be sure to send to: backtothefuturepics@ gmail.com

To see the entire series, check out Irina’s official site: irinawerning.com
You can also find her own Back to the Future page on Facebook

1. Christoph 1990 & 2011, Berlin Wall

Photograph by IRINA WERNING | ‘Back to the Future’ on Facebook

2.Carol 1960 & 2011, New York

Photograph by IRINA WERNING | ‘Back to the Future’ on Facebook

3. Carlos 1982 & 2011, Buenos Aires

Photograph by IRINA WERNING | ‘Back to the Future’ on Facebook

4. Lea B 1980 & 2011, Paris

Photograph by IRINA WERNING | ‘Back to the Future’ on Facebook

5. Giorgio 1982 & 2011, Paris

Photograph by IRINA WERNING | ‘Back to the Future’ on Facebook

6. Campbell Twins 1976 & 2011, London

Photograph by IRINA WERNING | ‘Back to the Future’ on Facebook

7. Diego 1970 & 2011, Buenos Aires

Photograph by IRINA WERNING | ‘Back to the Future’ on Facebook

8. Daphne 1986 & 2011, Paris

Photograph by IRINA WERNING | ‘Back to the Future’ on Facebook

9. Patrick 1968 & 2011, Paris

Photograph by IRINA WERNING | ‘Back to the Future’ on Facebook

10. Majo 1983 & 2011, Buenos Aires

Photograph by IRINA WERNING | ‘Back to the Future’ on Facebook

11. Fer F 1981 & 2011, Buenos Aires

Photograph by IRINA WERNING | ‘Back to the Future’ on Facebook

12. Rif Raff 1976 & 2011, London

Photograph by IRINA WERNING | ‘Back to the Future’ on Facebook

13. Hari 1970 & 2011, New Delhi

Photograph by IRINA WERNING | ‘Back to the Future’ on Facebook

14. Duquesa de Alba 1930 & 2011, Madrid

Photograph by IRINA WERNING | ‘Back to the Future’ on Facebook

15. Kolla 1971 & 2012, Iceland

Photograph by IRINA WERNING | ‘Back to the Future’ on Facebook

Miracle Solution? Coconut Oil an Incredible Alzheimer’s Treatment

Miracle Solution? Coconut Oil an Incredible Alzheimer’s Treatment.

http://naturalsociety.com

Elizabeth Renter
April 10th, 2013

Alzheimer’s disease affects an estimated 5 million Americans. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, one in three senior citizens dies with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia. So what is being done about this disease that leads our older populations to lose their memory, have delusions, and even lose the ability to feed and care for themselves? While the most common treatments are pharmaceuticals, there are other options available. One such solution for Alzheimer’s that has been gaining massive recognition is the use of coconut oil.

Coconut Oil Reverses Dementia, Alzheimer’s

While solid scientific studies on the role of coconut oil in the treatment of Alzheimer’s are lacking, several case studies have been presented to the public in recent years that have drawn a positive connection. In these, we learn of Alzheimer’s patients who began taking coconut oil daily and found significant improvements in their condition.

In one such case, a 67-year old British man had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s so serious that any drug treatment would simply be pointless. His son remarked to the Daily Mail that his father couldn’t wash himself, use the toilet, or feed himself. He had lost much of his faculties. After finding a YouTube video from Dr. Mary Newport suggesting coconut oil, he began mixing it in his father’s food. Within a period of six months, his father’s condition dramatically improved—to the point of him having normal conversations, going on walks with family, and even remembering his insurance number.

That YouTube video from Dr. Mary Newport was the first to bring major attention to the Alzheimer’s/coconut oil connection. It was Dr. Newport who initially researched the potential application of the oil after her husband’s condition dramatically deteriorated with Alzheimer’s.

Dr. Newport discovered that Alzheimer’s was similar to a “diabetes of the brain”, where the brain couldn’t use glucose properly due to an insulin problem. Because Alzheimer’s brains can’t utilize glucose as fuel, they began to die, cell by cell. Dr. Newport found that ketones provide an alternate fuel source. Ketones are created by the liver when we eat medium chain triglycerides, like those in coconut oil.

Three weeks after beginning a coconut oil regimen, Dr. Newport’s husband saw major improvements. He improved intellectually, emotionally, and physically.

Obviously, more research is needed on how the oil works and if it could be an effective treatment, but if a loved one is suffering from Alzheimer’s, supplementing with organic coconut oil may be a simple natural solution. After all, it’s also effective at killing viruses, bacteria, fungi, yeast, and parasites. In other words, it’s a healthy choice for everyone. Experience coconut oil health benefits today.

Related articles

• Just one dose of coconut oil can tremendously boost brain function and cognitive performance (talesfromthelou.wordpress.com)
• Coconut oil can stop dementia and Alzheimer’s disease (talesfromthelou.wordpress.com)

The Real Reason Flu Shots Are Recommended – (Hint: Think Money) – 2 min video

The REAL Reason Flu Shots Are Recommended – YouTube.

Apr 1, 2013

Reports in 2013 state that flu shots were only 9% effective for the elderly. Yet some healthcare workers were dismissed for refusing to get them. Why are flu shots still highly recommended and even mandated? Robert Scott Bell has an opinion on why that is the case here.

Related articles

• Flu vaccine less effective, especially among elderly (cnn.com)
• Flu vaccines failed to provide protection this year, particularly among elderly (rvnewstoday.com)
• ‘Confirmed Swine Flu Vaccine link to Narcolepsy in Children’- Caution Required (thescifact.wordpress.com)

Just one dose of coconut oil can tremendously boost brain function and cognitive performance

Just one dose of coconut oil can tremendously boost brain function and cognitive performance.

NaturalNews

April 06, 2013

by: PF Louis

It’s amazing how coconut oil has recently been acknowledged for the healthy oil that it is after having been vilified for decades as a heart attack oil. Now it’s been discovered to boost even brain health.

Defaming coconut oil saturated fat was part of the 1950s creation of low and no fat foods, margarine, and hydrogenated trans-fatty cooking and salad oils, which have recently been proven as actually detrimental to overall health.

High triglyceride blood readings are red flags for obesity, diabetes, and heart health issues. Most dietary fats contain long chain triglycerides (LCT), which are not easily metabolized and can be stored as fatty deposits in one’s body.

Long chain triglycerides contain chains with 14 to 18 carbon atoms. But coconut oil contains medium chain triglycerides (MCT) with shorter chains of 5 to 12 carbon atoms, which are easily metabolized by the liver to produce ketone bodies that can replace glucose as metabolic fuel.

As we age, the brain’s ability to metabolize glucose for energy wanes, especially for those who have a metabolic disorder or insulin resistance. But MCT-created ketones can be used as cellular fuel in the brain when glucose is not available.

As far back as 2004, a study published in the journal Neurobiology of Aging determined that coconut oil MCTs improved cognitive function among older folks with memory problems and even Alzheimer’s disease.

They took 20 subjects and randomly fed them coconut oil or placebos on different days. Some of the Alzheimer’s group demonstrated improved scoring on a special Alzheimer’s cognitive rating scale, and all of them demonstrated better paragraph recall shortly after taking each dose of coconut oil.

This wasn’t a long term study. They got immediate positive cognitive and memory results from single doses of coconut oil compared to placebos.

So why wasn’t this publicized by the mainstream media (MSM) and reported to medical practitioners everywhere? Maybe because Big Pharma was trying to synthesize and patent a ketone body producing pharmaceutical for the increasing Alzheimer’s disease market.

Around 2009-10, MD Mary Newport’s husband had deteriorated from Alzheimer’s so badly he couldn’t draw a simple illustration of a clock or perform daily functions without being micromanaged.

Since the Alzheimer’s drug developed in 2004 was not effective, Dr. Newport tried to get him into a trial for a new Alzheimer’s drug. But he was so bad off he didn’t qualify.

After discovering that this new drug was a synthetic version of MCTs for creating ketone bodies and improving brain function, she researched and realized that palm and coconut oils also contained MCTs.

After feeding her husband coconut oil, he started making a remarkable comeback from almost total dementia to being able to start and finish tasks and remember people and events.

Dr. Newport observed that only two doses spaced eight hours apart were sufficient, while the pharmaceutical version required doses every three hours (http://www.naturalnews.com/030373_coconut_oil_Alzheimers_disease.html)

If Mary would have enrolled her husband into that 2009-10 Alzheimer’s drug trial, she could have lost him completely.

The drug trial at that time was halted early because of nine deaths among those taking higher doses(http://www.naturalnews.com/028753_Alzheimers_drug_trials.html).

Newport’s success without side effects places coconut oil as the dementia food medicine of choice over expensive and harmful pharmaceuticals. Because they went viral on the internet with their experience, several others experiencing Alzheimer’s or memory problems have benefited from coconut oil.

Here’s a video interview of Dr. Newport (http://tv.greenmedinfo.com).

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/039811_coconut_Alzheimers_dementia.html#ixzz2Pj9ohX1e

Related articles

• Coconut oil can stop dementia and Alzheimer’s disease (talesfromthelou.wordpress.com)
• What Women Must Know – Alzheimer’s Disease: What If There Was a Cure? – 04/04/13 (prn.fm)
• Holy Health: 13 Evidence-Based Medicinal Properties of Coconut Oil (vineoflife.net)
• Coconut Oil Can Help Fight Alzheimer’s (but the Drug Companies Don’t Want You to Know This) (liveinthenow.com)