Sweet and natural: 7 Health benefits of raw honey
( Natural News ) Raw honey is a healthier and more natural alternative to regular store-bought honey. Most commercial brands of honey go through extensive processing and pasteurization, which eliminates many of the beneficial nutrients found in raw honey. Processed honey is only a modern invention whereas raw honey has been used in traditional medicine for hundreds of years . Here are seven excellent reasons why you should start using raw honey. Raw honey contains essential nutrients Who knew something so sweet could also be so nutritious? Raw honey naturally contains many beneficial vitamins and minerals , including: Calcium Magnesium Manganese Potassium Phosphorus Copper Zinc Selenium Niacin Riboflavin Folate Betaine Pantothenic acid This impressive nutritional profile makes raw honey a healthier substitute to sugar, artificial sweeteners, or even pasteurized honey. Raw honey is a good source of antioxidants Raw honey is naturally rich in powerful phytonutrients which give honey its antioxidant properties. Other natural antioxidants you can find in raw honey include polyphenols, flavonoids, and ascorbic acid — all of which protect your body against oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is linked to an increased risk of chronic diseases, such as cancer and heart disease. You can reduce your risk of these illnesses and other chronic health conditions by consuming raw honey and other antioxidant-rich foods. Raw honey possesses powerful anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties As a natural antibacterial and antimicrobial agent, raw honey contains hydrogen peroxide, an antiseptic which can kill unwanted bacteria and fungi. In fact, raw honey is so effective at eliminating bacteria that it can even kill off antibiotic-resistant bacteria. It also has a low pH level that helps inhibit the growth of yeast, bacteria, and fungi. (Related: Honey is medicine: 4 Scientifically proven perks to using Nature’s sweetener .) Discover how to prevent and reverse heart […]
How long can you go without sleep? Key facts
How long can you go without sleep? Although it’s unclear exactly how long humans can survive without sleep, the longer time registered has been 11 days. But the effects of sleep deprivation start to show much sooner. In this article, we explore the key facts behind sleeping and the consequences of not getting enough of it Credit: Wikipedia Commons The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that adults between the ages of 18 and 60 years get at least 7 hours of sleep a night. The number of hours varies according to your age. In general, newborns and infants need more sleep, and adults need less sleep. However, approximately 35 percent of adults in the United States do not get enough sleep. Adults should stay awake no longer than 17 hours to meet the CDC’s sleep recommendation. People tend to experience the adverse effects of sleep deprivation within 24 hours. How long can you go without sleep? Randy Gardner beat the record for staying awake the most in 1964, making it into the Guinness Book of Records. Gardner, then 17, was up for 11 days and 25 minutes . Though he did not experience physical symptoms right after his endeavor, he reportedly suffered from insomnia for years. Gardner’s 264 hours remains the longest scientifically verified period without sleep, breaking the previous record of 260 hours. It was described in a 1965 paper by sleep researcher William Dement of the Stanford University School of Medicine in California, who stayed awake with Gardner for the final three days. According to Dement, Gardner did not consume any stimulants during his “wakeathon”. He did, however, have people around him keeping him awake. Without such help, you would be fighting hard to stay awake after 36 hours and would find the urge […]
6 Reasons We Love Screen-Free September And Why You Should Too
Maybe you’ve heard of Screen-Free or Scroll-Free September and you’re participating. Maybe you haven’t, and want to know what it’s all about. We’re loving this movement and we think you should too! They say September is the new January; a time of year when the new season brings about new changes–often new school years (or the end of school years on the other side of the world) for the kids. This typically entails lots of ‘new’ in our schedules: school clothes, uniforms, books, classes, friends, routines and so much more. But did you know there’s a movement to make September screen-free/scroll-free? What is Screen-Free September and How Did It Start? In 2018, The Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) in England launched the first annual Scroll-Free September. It ran from September 1 to September 30 and was the first-ever mass-participation social media-free month. In just a year, the movement has grown not just to include scrolling through social media platforms but to abstaining from screens for the entire month as best as work obligations will allow. In the States, this movement is referred to as Screen-Free September in that more parents are looking to the value in the entire family pulling back from screens. The RSPH launched the Scroll-Free campaign in an effort to encourage people to take control of their social media lives and time back, after surveying citizens and finding the impact of social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook and Twitter not necessarily having the best effects on people’s mental well-being and health. Just like Dry January (a month to abstain from alcohol) and Stoptober (a month dedicated to pushing people to quit smoking) have grown in popularity and in need, We love the concept of Screen-Free September. It allows a month where we look not only […]
September at the Stow Council on Aging
Sign in for activities Sign in for everything you do at the COA. If you attend a class, but you come early to have a cup of coffee and socialize, and pick up food, you need to sign in for all three things. Sign in by using their key tag and the computer touch screen at the reception desk. If you don’t already have a key tag, stop by the COA and fill out the necessary form to pick one up. Trips/events Sign up in person for events costing $5 or more. OK to sign up by phone for events less than $5. Stow seniors have priority. Out-of-towners will be put on a waiting list and called if space allows. Make checks payable to SFCOA. Note: The COA will now meet at Pompo Community Center; park in the row closest to Route 117. If you cancel, your money will not be returned unless the COA can fill your seat. If the COA does not have a minimum of five paid attendees, the event will be cancelled. Shopping available If you want to go shopping (within the transportation service area), you can call the COA by noon the day before you want to go. The COA will work to accommodate, but keep in mind that medical appointments take priority. Upcoming events Sign up by deadline PHONE: 978-897-1880 The COA needs to plan ahead for refreshments, room setup, handouts and transportation if needed. The activity rooms are in high demand; there needs to be a minimum of five participants or the COA may have to cancel the event and need to call you. Veterans Coffee: 10 a.m. Sept. 17. Free. Sign up by Sept. 13. Meet other veterans in a welcoming casual atmosphere. Light refreshments served. This event is open to […]
Here’s What a Brain Expert Wants You to Know About Mood-Boosting Supplements
You might have seen or heard of a variety of natural dopamine supplements out there that promise to boost your mood and energy, some are referred to as nootropics , which we’ve covered before. When you’re feeling sluggish and meh, this might sound very appealing to you—and for some people, they really do work wonders. But are they really effective and are they safe for you? We asked Judy Ho, PhD, a triple board-certified clinical and forensic neuropsychologist and author of Stop Self-Sabotage: Six Steps to Unlock Your True Motivation, Harness Your Willpower, and Get Out of Your Own Way , for her take on them. "The neurotransmitter dopamine has been dubbed ‘the happy chemical’ by many adoring fans and is vitally important to our reward system," Ho says. "When dopamine is released in your brain in response to rewards, it promotes feelings of happiness, pleasure, and well-being. Dopamine motivates you to seek rewards and to persist in your pursuit of goals that meet your needs. As part of the reward pathway, dopamine is made in nerve cell bodies located within the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and is released in the nucleus accumbens and the prefrontal cortex. Natural dopamine supplements are designed to increase dopamine levels in the brain. Most contain some type of amino acid that is thought to be used in the brain’s natural dopamine creation process." Ho says that there are four common nutrients and ingredients that can affect your mood and may be included in these types of supplements: L-Tyrosine: It’s a type of dopamine supplement. It is an essential amino acid that is a precursor of neurotransmitters including dopamine. Tyrosine can be taken through your diet or synthesized in the body. It has been reported to improve mood, regulate sleep, and help ease emotional […]
Kick-start your day on a healthy note with these tips
Owing to our fast-paced and hectic schedules, most of us are often unable to sleep for eight to nine hours on a regular basis on most nights. This often leads to the body feeling tired throughout the day with energy levels sinking to its lowest. Which is why, it becomes extremely important to have a good night’s sleep followed by a healthy morning which is sure to make you feel positive and energetic throughout the day. To help you have a healthy beginning to your day, Dr Vishal Sehgal, Medical Director, Portea Medical suggests a few ways. 1. A king’s breakfast After more than seven hours of fasting, your body needs to wake up on a powerful note. This is why breakfast is considered to be the most important meal of the day. A good breakfast is supposed to be wholesome and packed with enough nutrients that can keep you going all day long. A power packed meal can include eggs, a portion of fruit along with a bowl of whole grain foods like oatmeal, pasta or barley that contain complex carbohydrates that release energy slowly through the day. Replace eggs with your favourite cheese if you are vegetarian. 2. Sleep like a baby Given the workaholic culture, the stressful work environment and erratic bedtime, many people suffer from lack of sleep, and hence disorders like insomnia. Excessive smartphone usage and addiction to social media also eat into our daily quota of sleep. Men need seven to eight hours of sleep, while women need just a little longer for a productive day at work. Good sleep not only improves our memory and cognitive abilities but also keeps the digestive system working properly. To improve quality of sleep, it is ideal that you sleep in complete darkness. If you must […]
A brief guide to cognitive enhancing substances (Nootropics).
Nootropics are a general ‘blanket’ term to describe any compound capable of improving several different aspects of cognitive function, such as memory, focus or creativity, without causing many adverse side effects. This term was coined in 1972 by a Romanian chemist, Corneliu E. Giurgea . He was the pioneer of nootropics research in his time and created a very strict set of guidelines to define what the characteristics of nootropics really were: They should enhance the resistance of learned behaviors/memories to conditions which tend to disrupt them (e.g. electroconvulsive shock , hypoxia ). They should protect the brain against various physical or chemical injuries (e.g. barbiturates , scopalamine ). They should increase the efficacy of the tonic cortical/subcortical control mechanisms. They should lack the usual pharmacology of other psychotropic drugs (e.g. sedation , motor stimulation) and possess very few side effects and extremely low toxicity . This original definition rules out many of the compounds we see in rampant use today to improve cognitive performance. For the purposes of this blog, we will cover all potential compounds that are commonly used today to improve cognitive performance, even if they don’t fit the strict definition as set out by Corneliu many years ago. Therefore, the modern category of nootropics or cognitive enhancing substances can be broken down to include natural supplements/compounds (those synthesised by the body, found in foods or those found in nature e.g. herbal/mushroom types), pharmaceutical drugs (smart drugs) and synthetic nootropics. In this article, we will go over these different types of Nootropics and cognitive enhancing substances, what they can be used for, and whether or not they can be beneficial for you depending on your goals and what you’re trying to achieve. In general, we can see that our society is being directed towards a more […]
MIPT physicists create device for imitating biological memory
Illustration. On-chip brain. Credit: Elena Khavina/MIPT Press Office Researchers from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology have created a device that acts like a synapse in the living brain, storing information and gradually forgetting it when not accessed for a long time. Known as a second-order memristor, the new device is based on hafnium oxide and offers prospects for designing analog neurocomputers imitating the way a biological brain learns. The findings are reported in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces . Neurocomputers, which enable artificial intelligence, emulate the way the brain works. It stores data in the form of synapses, a network of connections between the nerve cells, or neurons. Most neurocomputers have a conventional digital architecture and use mathematical models to invoke virtual neurons and synapses. Alternatively, an actual on-chip electronic component could stand for each neuron and synapse in the network. This so-called analog approach has the potential to drastically speed up computations and reduce energy costs. The core component of a hypothetical analog neurocomputer is the memristor. The word is a portmanteau of “memory” and “resistor,” which pretty much sums up what it is: a memory cell acting as a resistor. Loosely speaking, a high resistance encodes a zero, and a low resistance encodes a one. This is analogous to how a synapse conducts a signal between two neurons (one), while the absence of a synapse results in no signal, a zero. But there is a catch: In an actual brain, the active synapses tend to strengthen over time, while the opposite is true for inactive ones. This phenomenon known as synaptic plasticity is one of the foundations of natural learning and memory. It explains the biology of cramming for an exam and why our seldom accessed memories fade. Proposed in 2015, the second-order memristor is […]
5 Health-Boosting Benefits of Green Tea
The Challenge: Finding a health-boosting drink The Science: Green tea can benefit your body in a huge number of ways The Solution: Try drinking green tea every day When it comes to much-loved hot drinks, it’s time for coffee to step aside, because green tea is well and truly having its moment in the limelight. Green tea is absolutely brimming with antioxidants just waiting to nourish your body. And in recent years, the antioxidizing powers of this hot drink has earned the attention of scientists and researchers across the world, who’re intrigued about the health benefits it can offer. As such, the drink has boomed in popularity. So much so, that fitness fanatics and health enthusiasts are turning to it in their millions to complement their lifestyle. But what does green tea really have to offer? And does it actually deliver health benefits or is it all just hype? In this article, we’ll look into the research surrounding this popular hot drink to find out exactly what benefits you may experience from enjoying a steaming hot cup of green tea. Image credits Antioxidizes your body Green tea is jam packed full of tiny antioxidants called polyphenols, which are responsible for so much of the health benefits we receive from the drink. In fact, just about every benefit on this list comes back to these handy little compounds. The specific polyphenols within green tea are called catechins, of which the most highly researched is epigallocatechin gallate, or EGCG. EGCG’s have been shown to protect the cells within your body, by defending against oxidative stress [1] . This is key as it may help to protect against common diseases and help support metabolic processes. While a cup of your regular green tea is a brimming with health-boosting catechins, if you’re really […]
Spearmint is a cool way to boost your cognitive focus and attention
( Natural News ) Spearmint is commonly used to freshen your breath. However, new research shows that it could also boost your attention . A study published in the journal Nutrition Research found a link between spearmint extract supplementation and enhanced attention. For the study, researchers from Kemin Foods and the MusclePharm Sports Science Institute examined whether spearmint could improve cognitive performance in young, active individuals. To do this, they recruited 142 recreationally active men and women aged 18 to 50. The participants were randomly divided into two groups. One group took 900 milligrams (mg) of spearmint extract supplement, which contained around 14.5 percent rosmarinic acid and 24 percent phenolic acid compounds. The other group received a placebo capsule. Both groups took their assigned supplements every day for 90 days. Each group has similar numbers of young (18-35 years old) and older (36-50 years old) participants of both sexes. During lab visits on days 7, 30, and 90, the participants took cognitive tests, which measured their attention and processing speed. They also completed surveys regarding their sleep , mood, and quality of life. The researchers found that supplementation of spearmint extract resulted in an 11 percent increase in sustained attention performance, compared with 0.6 percent increase in the placebo treatment. This improvement is a significant cognitive benefit for individuals, both at work and during recreational activities. While they did not observe significant differences in mood, sleep, or quality of life, they suggested that spearmint supplementation could improve cognitive performance in young, active people. Discover how to prevent and reverse heart disease (and other cardio related events) with this free ebook : Written by popular Natural News writer Vicki Batt, this book includes everything you need to know about preventing heart disease, reversing hypertension, and nurturing your cardiac health without […]
