Creativity is similar to insanity

Creativity and insanity are not that different according to scientists. 
After many years of studying human's mind, scientists from Karolinska Institute in Sweden found that the though pathways of creative people are quite similar to those of people with schizophrenia. Both lack some important receptors used to direct and filter thoughts. It could be this uninhibited processing that allows creative people to “think outside the box”. That could lead to mental illness in some people. But rather than a clear division, experts suspect a continuum, with some people having psychotic traits but few negative symptoms.

Many of the artists, writers and theorists, who are known for their high creativity have also had mental illnesses – Vincent van Gogh, Salvador Dali, John Nash (mathematician portrayed by Russell Crowe in the movie A Beautiful Mind) and many more. Creativity is often associated with an increased risk of depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

It's a well known fact is that people who have mental illness history in their family have a higher chance of being more creative. Professor Fredrik Ullen believes his discovery could help explain why. He looked at the brain’s dopamine receptor genes which experts believe govern divergent thought. He found that highly creative people who did well on tests of divergent thought had a lower than expected density of D2 receptors in the thalamus – same as people with schizophrenia. The thalamus serves as a relay centre, filtering information before it reaches areas of the cortex, which is responsible, amongst other things, for cognition and reasoning.

“Fewer D2 receptors in the thalamus probably means a lower degree of signal filtering, and thus a higher flow of information from the thalamus,” says Professor Ullen.

He believes that barrage of uncensored information is what ignites the creativity. This would explain how highly creative people manage to see unusual connections in problem-solving situations that other people miss. Schizophrenics share this same ability to make novel associations. But in schizophrenia, it results in bizarre and disturbing thoughts. UK psychologist and member of the British Psychological Society Mark Millard said the overlap with mental illness might explain the motivation and determination creative people share.

“Creativity is uncomfortable. It is their dissatisfaction with the present that drives them on to make changes. Creative people, like those with psychotic illnesses, tend to see the world differently to most. It’s like looking at a shattered mirror. They see the world in a fractured way. There is no sense of conventional limitations and you can see this in their work. Take Salvador Dali, for example. He certainly saw the world differently and behaved in a way that some people perceived as very odd.”

Some companies have  secure, secret laboratories for their highly creative staff where they can freely experiment without disrupting the daily business. Chartered psychologist Gary Fitzgibbon says an ability to “suspend disbelief” is one way of looking at creativity.

“When you suspend disbelief you are prepared to believe anything and this opens up the scope for seeing more possibilities. Creativity is certainly about not being constrained by rules or accepting the restrictions that society places on us. Of course the more people break the rules, the more likely they are to be perceived as ‘mentally ill’.

He works as an executive coach helping people to be more creative in their problem solving behavior and thinking styles.

“The result is typically a significant rise in their well being, so as opposed to creativity being associated with mental illness it becomes associated with good mental health.”

Source: http://endoriot.blogspot.com/2013/11/creativity-is-similar-to-insanity.html

15 FREE Educational Websites

Everyone can now afford to be educated. All you need is access to a computer and Internet, which could be found in most of the free civil libraries. Here is a list of some very useful websites:

(This is worth a bookmark!)

The Internet makes learning very accessible. There is a way to get an education without ending up with a massive debt or bankrupting your family. Even the poorest(economically) people can now afford to be educated, all they need is access to a computer and internet, which could be found in most of the free civil libraries.

1. ALISON - - over 60 million lessons and records 1.2 million unique visitors per month
2. COURSERA - Educational website that works with universities to get their courses on the Internet, free for you to use. Learn from over 542 courses.
3. The University of Reddit - The free university of Reddit.
4. UDACITY - Advance your education and career through project-based online classes, mainly focused around computer, data science and mathematics.
5. MIT Open CourseWare - Free access to quite a few MIT courses that are on par with what you’d expect from MIT.
6. Open Culture - Compendium of free learning resources, including courses, textbooks, and videos/films.
7. No Excuse List - Huge list of websites to learn from.
8. Open YALE Courses - Open Yale Courses provides free and open access to a selection of introductory courses taught by distinguished teachers and scholars at Yale University All lectures were recorded in the Yale College classroom and are available in video, audio, and text transcript formats. Registration is not required
 9. Khan Academy – Watch thousands of micro-lectures on topics ranging from history and medicine to chemistry and computer science.
10. Zooniverse - Take part in a huge variety of interesting studies of nature, science, and culture.
11. TUFTS Open CourseWare - Tufts OpenCourseWare is part of a new educational movement initiated by MIT that provides free access to course content for everyone online.  Tufts’ course offerings demonstrate the University’s strength in the life sciences in addition to its multidisciplinary approach, international perspective and underlying ethic of service to its local, national and international communities.
12.  How Stuff Works? - More scientific lessons and explanations than you could sort through in an entire year.
13. Harvard Medical School Open Courseware The mission of the Harvard Medical School Open Courseware Initiative is to exchange knowledge from the Harvard community of scholars to other academic institutions, prospective students, and the general public.
14. VideoLectures.NET - the title says it all - amazing video lectures on many topics.
15.  TED -  Motivational and educational lectures from noteworthy professionals around the world.

By - Ivayla Ganeva -- from http://endoriot.blogspot.mx/2013/11/1.html

3 Bonus sites* -- edx.org is a joint initiative by MIT and Harvard and is now backed with very good courses from top universities around the world.

Have a look at Maths & Science Solution: http://mathsandscience.com

And last but not least --> http://www.saylor.org/

Everything You Thought You Knew About Milk is Wrong

Marco Torres | Prevent Disease

Image: preventdisease.com

The belief that milk is what builds strong bones is ingrained in our society, but has no based on myths promoted by the dairy industry. Calcium is but ONE of the many minerals your body needs for building strong bones. The calcium in milk is not absorbed by the body and effectively causes osteoporosis rather than prevents it. A recent study published in JAMA Pediatrics, examined the association between teenage milk consumption and risk of hip fracture at older ages in a study of more than 96,000 men and women with a follow-up of more than 22 years and found that drinking more milk as a teenager was not linked to a lower risk of bone fractures as an older adult, and instead appears to increase that risk, according to new research. Make sure you read to the bottom of the article where we talk about some valid options for bone health.

The dairy industy has been hard at work the last 50 years convincing people that pasteurized dairy products such as milk or cheese increases bioavailable calcium levels. This is totally false. The pasteurization process only creates calcium carbonate, which has absolutely no way of entering the cells without a chelating agent. So what the body does is pull the calcium from the bones and other tissues in order to buffer the calcium carbonate in the blood. This process actually causes osteoporosis.

There is no doubt that raw milk is a suitable form of calcium. While there is also evidence to suggest the nutritional effectiveness of the calcium provided by raw milk, there is still some debate as to whether this source of calcium is biologically better than other sources, such as calcium salts or certain vegetables.

Pasteurized dairy contains too little magnesium needed at the proper ratio to absorb the calcium. Most would agree that a minimum amount of Cal. to Mag Ratio is 2 to 1 and preferably 1 to 1. So milk, at a Cal/Mag ratio of 10 to 1, has a problem. You may put 1200 mg of dairy calcium in your mouth, but you will be lucky to actually absorb a third of it into your system.

Over 99% of the body's calcium is in the skeleton, where it provides mechanical rigidity. Pasteurized dairy forces a calcium intake lower than normal and the skeleton is used as a reserve to meet needs. Long-term use of skeletal calcium to meet these needs leads to osteoporosis. Dairy is pushed on Americans from birth yet they have one of the highes risk of osteoporosis in the world.

Leafy green veggies such as kale, broccoli and spinach are also rich in calcium and far more absorbable. Seeds such as sesame and chia are also rich sources of calcium.

No Evidence Milk Makes Strong Bones

Led by Diane Feskanich of Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard University, the authors noted that the role of milk consumption in reducing the risk of fractures later in life has not been established.

Although some teens who consume more milk achieve greater heights, the bones themselves ares also associated with a greater risk of fracture, especially in the hip.

Feskanich and her colleagues reported finding that teenage milk consumption (between the ages of 13-18 years) was associated with an increased risk of hip fractures in men, with each additional glass of milk per day as a teenager associated with a 9 percent higher risk.

"We did not see an increased risk of hip fracture with teenage milk consumption in women as we did in men," said the authors. "One explanation may be the competing benefit of an increase in bone mass with an adverse effect of greater height."

"Women are at higher risk for osteoporosis than men, hence the benefit of greater bone mass balanced the increased risk related to height," they suggested.

Study Details

Feskanich and her team assessed the frequency of milk consumption along with consumption of other foods during ages 13 to 18 years, which along with height were reported at baseline.

During the 22 year follow up, current diet, weight, smoking, physical activity, medication use, and other risk factors for hip fractures were reported on biennial questionnaires.

During the follow-up, 1,226 hip fractures were reported by women and 490 by men.

Analysis of the data suggested that milk consumption was not associated with hip fractures in women, but that a direct association between drinking milk and hip fractures in men was partially influenced by height.

Gender Differences?

In a related editorial, Dr Connie Weaver of Purdue University commented that a main tenet of Feskanich and colleagues is that milk consumption in teens may have led to an increase in height as an adult - noting that it is not clear why this would be true in men but not women, "especially given that men experience about one-fourth the hip fractures that women do."

"The investigators could have tested the contribution of other dietary protein sources (eggs, meat) to height and subsequent fracture risk to help confirm the impact of dietary protein more generally," Weaver added.

The Problem With Some Calcium Supplements

A 2004 study showed that people with excess calcium in their coronary artery and who take statins have a 17-fold higher risk of heart attacks than do those with lower arterial calcium levels; researchers concluded that the two most definitive indicators of heart attack were LDL levels and calcium build-up.

A 2007 study showed that calcium from dietary sources has more favorable effects on bone health than calcium from supplements in postmenopausal women (Am J Clin Nutr 2007).

A 2008 study found calcium supplements are associated with a greater number of heart attacks in postmenopausal women (BMJ 2008)

A 2010 meta-analysis showed calcium supplements (without coadministered vitamin D) are associated with increased risk for heart attack (BMJ 2010)

Most supplements on the supplement market today contain calcium carbonate which is an inferior form of calcium and manufacturers attach a simple chelating agent like citric acid to make it more absorbable, however the end product is inferior to other calcium supplements such as calcium orotate, which is the only known form of calcium which can effectively penetrate the membranes of cells.

Effective Supplementation 

If you want to supplement for calcium intake you must seek a reputable and balanced calcium/magnesium formula. Researchers examined 21 formulations of calcium carbonate (both natural [i.e., oyster shell] and refined). Four out of seven natural products and four out of 14 refined products, including brand products, had measurable lead content. A research team in California found essentially the same contamination in calcium supplements.

Acid rebound. Calcium carbonate may cause acid rebound: the stomach overcompensates for the high dose of calcium carbonate, which is alkaline, by churning out more acid. For that reason, people with a history of stomach ulcers are advised that they may not tolerate it and may have to switch to calcium citrate.

Constipation. Calcium supplements can have a mild binding effect but by themselves don’t usually cause serious constipation. But if you’re taking another supplement or medication that binds the stool, the addition of calcium supplements could cause a problem.

Too much calcium. Although it doesn’t happen often, some people have taken so much calcium that it causes hypercalcemia, an above-normal level of calcium in the blood since most of the calcium carbonate is not absorbed. Hypercalcemia may cause nausea, vomiting, confusion, and other neurological symptoms.

The type of minerals in the formula determines the absorption levels: Opti-Cal/Mag with Vitamin K2 is a co-enzyme complex, heat-stabled molecules that must be associated with another enzyme for them to perform their function in the body. It is necessary in the utilization of vitamins and minerals for proper delivery to the cell nucleus. One study found that Opti-Cal/Mag complex is 8.79 times more absorbed into the blood than calcium carbonate and 2.97 times more than calcium gluconate.

6 Ways to Build Strong Bones

1. Eat calcium rich foods
Eat foods high in calcium. The best food sources are non-pasteurized raw dairy sources such as raw milk/yogurt, as well as bony fish, such as sardines. Leafy green veg such as kale, broccoli and spinach are also rich in calcium. Dried herbs and dried fruits such as figs and currants are also good choices. Seeds such as sesame, chia and flax are also rich sources of calcium. Also, enjoy foods that contain sulfur such as garlic and onions.

2. Food selections/combinations are critical
Try not to eat whole grains and calcium-rich foods at the same time. Whole grains contain a substance that binds with calcium and prevents proper absorption. Some foods that contain compounds such as oxalic or phytic acids, such as sweet potatoes, beans, rhubarb, celery and beets, can also decrease the amount of calcium that's absorbed when eaten at the same time as calcium-rich foods.

3. Avoid the causes of mineral excretion
Pass on phosphate-containing foods such as soft drinks. Phosphorus causes the body to excrete calcium. Limit or avoid high-protein animal foods. A diet high in protein causes calcium to be excreted from your body. Decrease caffeine consumption. People who smoke have significantly lower bone density, while drinking alcohol can also prevent your bones from absorbing the maximum nutrients from your food.

4. Get more Sunlight and Vitamin D
Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium. Although some is found in oily fish, our main source comes from the effect of sunlight on your skin. It's estimated that half of us have a deficiency because we don't get outside enough or because we always use sunblock. It is especially important to maximize sun exposure between May and September to keep vitamin D levels topped up. Just 10 minutes of sunlight a day on bare arms and your face can cut your risk of bone fractures by a third. A half hour exposing your torso is equivalent to roughly 10,000 units of Vitamin D.

5. The right exercise
Another vital way to boost your bones is weight-bearing exercise --basically anything that has you upright and using your body weight. Good choices include squatting, rope skipping, aerobics, plyometrics, dancing or brisk walking. "Research shows that if you don't exercise you end up weeing out all the calcium you take in instead of storing it in your bones," warns Professor Dawn Skelton, an aging and health specialist at Glasgow Caledonian University. "Ideally we should aim for 150 minutes of moderate activity per week. "Put simply, the more hours we spend on our feet, the fewer bone breakages we should have in later life."

6. Avoid Medications and Medical Therapies
Acid-blocking medications used for heartburn and other gastrointestinal conditions can block the absorption of calcium through the stomach walls. Stomach acids break down food during the digestive process, allowing the nutrients to become absorbed into your body. Medications designed to stop acid production or decrease the amount of acids present in your stomach can have a negative effect on calcium.

Sources:
preventdisease.com
harvard.edu
preventdisease.com
jamanetwork.com
naturalcuresnotmedicine.com

30,000 people freed from water fluoridation after Australian town rejects poison

An outstanding ban on artificial water fluoridation has been upheld in the Australian coastal town of Byron Bay, located in New South Wales, following a heated encounter among local residents, scientists, dentists and city officials. The Fluoride Action Network reports that the Byron Shire Council ultimately ended up voting five-to-three to uphold the fluoride ban, relying on modern science which shows that fluoridation is both harmful and ineffective.

A group of fluoride-truth activists showed up to the recent meeting, which threatened to undo the ban, and made their voices heard about the outdated practice. Reports indicate that a large crowd, which included many local residents, showed up waving large signs and banners that said things like "We, the people of the Byron Bay Shire, strongly object to having our water poisoned with FLUORIDE!!!" Others brought letters signed by local doctors opposing the practice and delivered them directly to city officials.

"If Health NSW are truly concerned about dental health and not just fluoride, then they should support us in other ways to achieve better outcomes," stated Byron Mayor Simon Richardson, who received resounding applause for his defense of health freedom.

On the opposing end, in support of fluoridation, were the usual suspects, including government health officials and those with a vested interest in poisoning the water supply with fluoride. Many of these individuals offered the same tired arguments about poor children with bad teeth allegedly needing all those fluoride chemicals in the water to protect against cavities, while at the same time ignoring the scientifically proven dangers of fluoride.

Byron council stands with science, opposes toxic water fluoridation

But the pro-fluoride lobby lost the fight, thanks to the majority of the Byron city council that listened to the will of the people and rejected the pro-fluoride proposal. With the exception of a few stubborn sticklers, the council decided that it is simply not appropriate to forcibly medicate the public with chemicals derived from the waste of phosphate and fertilizer production, which have repeatedly been shown to lower IQ levels and cause hormone problems.

"We the undersigned are medical practitioners and health professionals who have concerns about the efficacy and safety of water fluoridation," read the official letter presented to the council in opposition to fluoride. It is "imprudent to initiate further fluoridation of public water supplies until such time as modern data can either substantiate or refute the alleged benefits and the safety or otherwise is established."

Additionally, the money that otherwise would have been spent on fluoridation can now be used for programs that have actually been scientifically shown to help promote dental health, such as prenatal and postnatal education and free dental clinics. Fluoridation, on the other hand, continues to be a leading cause of some of the very conditions that its proponents say it helps prevent, including dental fluorosis, tooth decay and bone loss.

"Ninety-five percent of the world's population doesn't fluoridate their water," added Merilyn Haines, a local resident opposed to water fluoridation who showed up at the meeting. "It's an aberration what we do in Australia. It's an American idea from the 1940s. Surely science has changed."

Source: NaturalNews

How To Beat Diabetes Naturally

The presenter of this video discusses the causes of diabetes and how to treat it naturally. He suggests that the best way to defeat a lifestyle disease such as diabetes is to stop what is causing it, and take up habits that promote good health.

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Most Americans on a high meat diet eat between 14 and 20 grams of plant fiber every day. The ideal vegetarian diet provides 65-70 grams. Insulin must hook up on one side with sugar (glucose), and the other side must slide into insulin "docking sites" (receptors) on cells. For sugar to be properly utilized, the docking sites must be filled with insulin. Here is another advantage of a high fiber diet--the fiber increases the number of docking sites. 
Obese individuals have fewer insulin receptors, hence fewer sites for sugar-hooked insulin to slide into. Fasting for several days, until the blood glucose returns to normal, multiplies insulin docking sites. This usually takes three to five days, and should be done only in type II (or "adult onset") diabetics. Type I diabetics should never fast. If the person is obese, fasting for a day or two a week, non-consecutively, can be very helpful for diabetic control.

(This is not the video, image used for thumbnail)

Florida couple sues city after being forced to remove family vegetable garden

The village of Miami Shores in Miami, Florida, brands itself as a progressive neighborhood that promotes "green living." But local residents Hermine Ricketts and Tom Carroll have found that this is not exactly an honest designation, as village officials recently ordered them to uproot a family vegetable garden that they have been cultivating peacefully for some 17 years in their front yard, or else face daily fines of $50 per citation.

The couple was ordered to remove their garden back on May 8, 2013, just one day after a controversial zoning revision was passed that suddenly prohibited the planting of vegetables in residents' front yards. However, the same ordinance oddly allows for the front yard planting of fruit trees, fruit plants and other so-called "kitsch" items like pink flamingos and garden gnomes, which some might argue are more obtrusive.

The couple has long grown vegetables in their front yard, because their backyard gets minimal sunlight, which makes it difficult to cultivate the types and amount of food they need to live. And their front yard garden has never been a nuisance, having always been cared for and manicured with love, and with no issues from any of the neighbors.

But Miami Shores officials wanted it gone, threatening the couple with daily fines if they did not uproot it. They repeatedly petitioned the city with formal requests to keep the garden, but the code enforcement board denied these requests. The couple eventually agreed to uproot the garden but are now suing the city for what they say is a blatant violation of their right to privacy.

"The right to grow and harvest your own food on your very own property is certainly part of that right to acquire, possess, and protect property," says Ari Bargil, the couple's attorney. Bargil works for the non-profit public interest firm Institute for Justice (IFJ), which took on the case. "A ban on front yard vegetable gardens makes no sense. A property and a front yard doesn't become unsightly ... simply because you're growing vegetables."

Ban on front yard vegetables is unconstitutional, says IFJ lawyer

Bargil says that the ban clearly violates Florida's "Basic Rights Clause," which upholds the right of Florida residents to use their properties for any peaceful and productive use that does not harm others. A basic vegetable garden, he says, in no way violates these provisions, and the village will have a tough time defending its position in court.

"Miami Shores will have to prove that its ban promotes a compelling governmental interest and is narrowly tailored to advance that interest," reads an official IFJ press release about the case. "We're not suing for money. We're asking the court to rule that this law is unconstitutional so Hermine and Tom can plant their garden again."

In the meantime, Hermine is continuing to tend to a few herbs and a papaya tree that remain in her front yard, as she hopes for the day that she will once again be able to plant all the food that she had before. Buying everything clean and organic from the grocery store, she says, can be expensive, and growing her own vegetables on her own private property is simply a basic human right.

"We are already feeling the impact of shopping for overpriced organic food," she told the Miami Herald. "It's okay to have a cheap plastic thing shipped in from abroad," she added, referring to a symbolic, plastic pink flamingo she now has planted at the front of her yard, "but it is illegal to plant organic vegetables in your front yard."

Source: NaturalNews

How to Eat for Better Sleep

When you’re tossing and turning at night, dreaming about the possibility of real sleep, probably the last thing to cross your mind is what you could eat to help bring deep slumber that much closer. However, studies continually suggest that not only does a regularly healthy diet help promote better biochemical balance – hence, better rest and relaxation, but certain foods are even responsible for helping beat insomnia.

Nourish your regenerative time with the following tasty suggestions and catch up on your valuable Zzz’s.

1. Sleepy-time Snacks

While eating close to bedtime is not optimal, if you’re hungry in the evening, a small snack can be calming. For restful sleep, the best snacks contain both carbohydrate and the amino acid tryptophan, a natural sleep inducer. According to the Sleep Disorders Center at the Cleveland Clinic, foods rich in tryptophan include: dairy products, soy milk, legumes – such as chickpeas and lentils, and nuts and seeds. Because carbohydrates make tryptophan more available to the brain, this explains why carbs can make you drowsy. Natural peanut butter with whole grain crackers, low-fat cheese with apple slices, or a small bowl of whole grain cereal with soy milk are some examples to utilize these options.

2. Caffeine-free Afternoons

Caffeine is a mild stimulant that increases central nervous system activity for hours, so avoiding all sources of caffeine six to eight hours before bed is recommended. This can make a world of difference if you constantly battle insomnia.

While coffee is loaded with 100- 150 milligrams of caffeine, chocolate (12 – 25 mg) and energy drinks (60 – 140 mg) are other sugary, caffeinated substances to also avoid.

Instead, relax and indulge in caffeine-free herbal teas, warm almond milk with raw honey and cinnamon, or your favorite fruit juice with club soda to inspire refreshment but stimulate better sleep.

3. Hormone Producers

Melatonin is the hormone secreted by the body that regulates sleep patterns, therefore if you’re having an difficult time getting rest, there are natural ways to obtain more of this hormone. Researchers have reported that tart cherries, grapes, and walnuts are rich food sources of melatonin.

If that still doesn’t do the trick, consult with your Naturopathic physician about possibly consuming a natural melatonin supplement that best suits you.

4. Mellowing Minerals

According to studies, even a marginal magnesium deficiency can excite the brain, preventing relaxation at night. Good sources of anxiety fighting magnesium include: leafy green vegetables, wheat germ, oatmeal, pumpkin seeds, black beans, and almonds.

By adopting a healthier, un-processed diet, it is estimated you will naturally experience better sleep. However there are plenty of fresh, delicious foods you can also include that will help boost your health while assisting you in obtaining nourishing rest.

By: Amanda Froelich, True Activist, Guest

Sources:

Diet, Exercise, and Sleep

Sleep Disorders Center, Cleveland Clinic

Magnesium, Insomnia

Source: trueactivist

Sea Cucumber Found to Kill 95% of Cancer Cells and Shrink Tumors

Sea cucumber has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for hundreds of years, but they are relatively obscure in the U.S. This may be soon changing, however, as evidence mounts that sea cucumber extracts can kill cancer cells while stimulating the immune system.

As reported by Ethan Evers, author of “The Eden Prescription, previous research on sea cucumber has demonstrated its ability to kill lung, breast, prostate, skin, colon, pancreatic, and liver cancer cells. These extracts have also proven effective in killing leukemia and gioblastoma cells. Looks like we can add yet another food to the list of anti-cancer foods.

Scientists believe a key compound known as frondoside A to be responsible. Frondoside A is a triterpenoid, diverse organic compounds found in the essential oils and oleoresins of plants.

This latest study, published in PLoS One, has confirmed just how powerful frondoside A truly is. Researchers found it to kill 95% of ER+ breast cancer cells, 95% of liver cancer cells, 90% of melanoma cells, and 85-88% of three different types of lung cancer.

As Evers reports:

“But the benefits of this compound don’t just stop at directly inducing programmed cell death (apoptosis). It also inhibits angiogenesis (the ability of tumors to grow new blood vessels to get their food) and stops cancer metastasizing by impeding cell migration and invasion. Even more intriguing is the ability of frondoside A to activate our immune system’s natural killer cells to attack cancer cells. This has been shown for breast cancer in particular but may also apply to all cancers, because it involves the immune system and not cancer cells directly. This may partially explain why frondoside A was so effective at shrinking lung tumors in mice that it rivaled chemo drugs in performance.”

When given to mice with non-small cell lung cancer, frondoside A was found to shrink tumors by 40% in only 10 days. Traditional chemo drugs shrunk the tumors by 47 percent, but the risks of chemo treatment are far greater than any side-effects or risks of sea cucumber. (Namely because there are no known risks associated with sea cucumbers). In addition, the amount of frondoside A needed to achieve such results was miniscule—less than a single milligram for an adult weighing 165 pounds.

While sea cucumber extracts aren’t currently offered as a treatment for cancer—at least not in your traditional doctor’s office—you can find dried and powdered sea cucumber in health stores. It is packaged as a solution to arthritis and similar conditions because of its anti-inflammatory properties.

Additional Sources:

Pubmed/18800890

Pubmed/19162021

Pubmed/21741966

Source of this article: NaturalSociety

Can Coconut Oil Boost Thyroid Health?

Dr. Bruce Fife explains how coconut oil is beneficial to keeping your thyroid in check.



From wellnessmama.com:

Thyroid problems and thyroid cancer run in my family so I want to be as proactive as possible in protecting my thyroid. Thankfully, I love coconut oil and use it for everything already, but I’ve made a special effort to use it in high amounts daily to nourish the thyroid. This is what I do:

-Add up to 1/4 cup a day to hot teas and coffee (Here’s my favorite recipe) 

-Use up to 1/4 cup a day in cooking

-Up to 1/4 cup a day added to smoothies

With all that saturated fat, have I gained a ton of weight? Quite the opposite, as this seems to help me lose weight and maintain a healthy weight during pregnancy. It seems others have had similar experiences too. 

At the very least, this regimen has helped me have enough energy to meet the daily demands of raising five little ones without the afternoon slump I used to get. It has also helped my skin stay clear and improved my sun tolerance, so I’m not complaining! 

If you’re interested in learning more about the benefits of coconut oil and how it helps the thyroid, I recommend the book Virgin Coconut Oil that is distributed by Tropical Traditions. I also order Tropical Traditions gold label Coconut Oil as it is the highest quality coconut oil I’ve found. 

Have you used coconut oil for health reasons? How did it help?

Sources: wellnessmama.com & ihealthtube.com

Pet owners increasingly using medical marijuana to help their pets feel better

Image: 1funny.com

(NaturalNews) As the social stigmas and taboos about marijuana that largely emerged during the "Reefer Madness" generation continue to be stripped away from the public consciousness, an increasing number of people are beginning to look at this all natural herb with fresh eyes, recognizing its incredible potential for healing. This includes a growing number of pet owners who are now using the plant and its essential oils to safely and effectively treat their ailing pets.

CBS New York reports that veterinary cannabis use is on the rise across all segments of society, and particularly among pet owners whose pets have severe or even terminal illnesses that do not respond to conventional treatment. Major conditions like cancer, many pet owners are finding, respond quite well to cannabis use when nothing else does. And unlike conventional treatments, cannabis treatment does not cause any harmful side effects.

One such success story is "Luna" Capers, the beloved dog of Rowyn Capers who reportedly gained her quality of life back after being given a non-psychoactive cannabis oil extract for late-stage lymphoma. When chemotherapy left the dog gravely ill and on the verge of death, Rowyn began to administer the natural therapy instead, which produced incredible results.

"Her lymph nodes were like golf balls and she was coughing constantly and she couldn't breathe, and I just thought it's time to say goodbye," said Rowyn to CBS News about Luna's condition before the cannabis. "The first time I dosed her [with cannabis] I was so scared. We were looking at her all night. [But the] more I increased her cannabis dose the less side effects that she had. The vomiting stopped, the diarrhea stopped."

Similar success was achieved by Mary Lynn Mathre, the owner of a 13-year-old golden retriever who was also diagnosed with cancer. After learning about cannabis, Mary Lynn began to give all of her dogs a daily cracker topped with cannabis-infused butter, which not only helped the sick one but also helped improve the health of all her dogs, including one with a strange bald spot on its leg.

"There was no hair on a circle that it would lick and lick," stated Mary Lynn to CBS New York, noting that both dogs experienced dramatic improvements as a result of the cannabis.

Cannabis helps pets with low energy, cancer, and epilepsy

Al Byrne's three dogs, who range in age from three to 13, have also responded positively to marijuana. Besides noticeable increases in energy among all the dogs, Al says each of his furry family members now has a shinier coat and a "shine in their eyes" that was not there before.

"When you see them enjoying life and feeling better and not being sick, you know you've hit something," says Darlene Arden, a certified animal behaviorist who is a strong advocate for veterinary cannabis use. "I think we can now see marijuana for exactly what it is and what it can do. [It's not] a street drug but a legitimate medication to be used under proper supervision."

Many CBS New York commenters with pets seem to agree with these sentiments, as some of them posted their own stories about how medical cannabis helped their pets. One woman recounts how her three-year-old dog almost died from epilepsy but experienced a dramatic and immediate recovery after being placed on a regimen of medical cannabis.

"As a last ditch effort after her last bout of seizures and being unable to come out of her postictal state, despite being administered a heavy sedative by our vet, we tried marijuana we had received from a friend of ours (it's legal in our state)," writes the commenter. "Within less than 15 minutes, our dog came fully out of its postictal state, laid down, and napped for (about) 2 hours before waking up and wanting to play tennis ball and tug. It was beyond anything I had seen before with this dog."

Sources: naturalnews.com
newyork.cbslocal.com
science.naturalnews.com

Watch this Amazing and Inspirational Transformation

For those of you who haven't seen this, it is one of the most heart touching videos to grace the surface of the internet! If this story can inspire someone you know, please share it with them.



Arthur's story is highlighted from the beginning, in the upcoming documentary, INSPIRED: The Movie.

Arthur Boorman was a disabled veteran of the Gulf War for 15 years, and was told by his doctors that he would never be able to walk on his own, ever again.

Image: YouTube

He stumbled upon an article about Diamond Dallas Page doing Yoga and decided to give it a try -- he couldn't do traditional, higher impact exercise, so he tried DDP YOGA and sent an email to Dallas telling him his story.

Dallas was so moved by his story, he began emailing and speaking on the phone with Arthur throughout his journey - he encouraged Arthur to keep going and to believe that anything was possible.

Even though doctors told him walking would never happen, Arthur was persistent. He fell many times, but kept going. Arthur was getting stronger rapidly, and he was losing weight at an incredible rate! Because of DDP's specialized workout, he gained tremendous balance and flexibility -- which gave him hope that maybe someday, he'd be able to walk again.

His story is proof, that we cannot place limits on what we are capable of doing, because we often do not know our own potential. Neither Arthur, nor Dallas knew what he would go on to accomplish, but this video speaks for itself.

In less than a year, Arthur completely transformed his life. If only he had known what he was capable of, 15 years earlier.

Do not waste any time thinking you are stuck - you can take control over your life, and change it faster than you might think. Hopefully this story can inspire you to follow your dreams - whatever they may be.

Source: whydontyoutrythis.com

Anti-Aging Potential Discovered in one of the Most Common Life Forms on the Planet!

Mae Chan | Prevent Disease

Image: teachbesideme.com

In terms of biomass, krill is one of the most successful animal species in the world. Supplementation with krill powder could help to prevent age-related declines in weight and energy by altering important metabolic pathways, according to new research in mice.

Krill are considered an important trophic level connection -- near the bottom of the food chain because they feed on phytoplankton, converting it into a form suitable for many larger animals for whom krill makes up the largest part of their diet.

Krill are shrimp-like marine crustaceans which are found in all oceans of the world. The common name krill comes from the Norwegian word krill, meaning "young fry of fish."

Recent studies suggest krill oil may boost heart function as well as reduce inflammation and arthritis pain. Moreover, the oil from one of the most successful species on earth as almost 50 times more potent than fish oil.

The astaxanthin found in krill oil provides excellent protection against ultraviolet light and UV-induced skin damage. It is a natural carotenoid-type of antioxidant found in krill that is believed to be 300 times more powerful than vitamins A and E, 47 times more powerful than lutein, and 34 times more powerful than CoQ10.

Study Details: 

Published in the Journal of Functional Foods, the new study investigated the effects of 12 weeks supplementation with Krill Powder on the hepatic gene expression of mice.

The team behind the study reported that supplementation of the powder - which contains a mixture of oil and protein from Antarctic krill modified the pathways of several metabolic processes - showing that glucose metabolism and the degradation of lipids and amino acids were down-regulated while energy metabolism was up-regulated.

Led by Dr Bodil Bjorndal from the University of Bergen, Norway, the team suggested that dietary supplementation with the krill-based formulation may have the potential to prevent age-related declines in weight and energy due to the preservation of amino acids in combination with increased energy production.
"The findings of this study support further investigation into whether a lipid and protein combination product can have additional benefits over omega-3 supplementation alone; in particular, if a krill powder diet vs. a krill oil diet has an added effect on pathways involved in protein metabolism," said Bjorndal.

Krill harvesting is one of the most ecologically-friendly on the planet. Antarctic krill has been harvested for 47 years, starting in 1961, with a historical peak harvest of just under 529,000 tons for the 1981/82 season. The mean annual catch rate from 2002 to 2007 was less than 120,000 tons a year.

Krill oil and powder suppliers are now available worldwide and since quality may vary, it is always imperative to research the company you are purchasing from, their harvesting practices and manufacturing processes to ensure you are receiving a quality product.

About the author: Mae Chan holds degrees in both physiology and nutritional sciences. She is also blogger and and technology enthusiast with a passion for disseminating information about health.

Source: preventdisease.com