Anne Curtis covered with rashes after jellyfish sting

MANILA (UPDATED) -- Photos of actress Anne Curtis after she was stung by box jellyfishwhile taping the fantasy series "Dyesebel" emerged late Thursday.

The photos show the actress at a hospital with a large part of her body covered with red rashes.

The incident happened in Batangas on Wednesday night and Curtis was brought to hospitals in San Juan and Lipa in Batangas before she was taken to the St. Luke's Medical Center at the Bonifacio Global City, where she is now confined.

But despite her condition, Curtis seemed upbeat when she greeted her supporters via her personal Twitter account earlier Thursday.

“Morning everyone. Just read all your 'Get well soon' messages. Last night was my first time to be stung by a jellyfish, a box jellyfish. Currently in St. Luke's so they can monitor my jellyfish sting/rash & most importantly the rhythm of my heart,” she said.  

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Five Common Myths about Happiness

We all believe in happiness, but often our beliefs are false. Happiness is associated with many false beliefs. Here are some of the most common ones, which are likely to be present in your life. Once you understand these happiness myths, you can begin to deal with them, becoming happier.

1. Happiness depends on time

Do you expect happiness to come in your life? Will it come after retirement? Or when you get a new job? Or when you get married? Or divorce maybe? People often wait for the coming of happiness. They struggle with the bad things in their life, and hope that in the end good fortune will come.

Happiness does not depend on time. There is no such period of time, when the happiness comes. Simple existence for ten, a hundred, a thousand, a million years is not enough to be happy. It is an illusion to think that at some point in the future you will be happy. You can be happy now, but can not be happy someday. Someday never comes.

2. Happiness depends on events

If you were asked about what makes you happy, you would probably name some event. Events come and go, but they do not bring happiness. Marriage, work, holidays… But did they make you truly happy? Have you ever been unhappy during these events? If so, then it proves that happiness comes from another source.

3. Happiness depends on wealth

Wealth is good since it makes life more comfortable. It can be fun, but it does not bring happiness. To some extent, everyone is aware of this, but most people still live with the belief that material values ​​are the basis of happiness. You can say that “money does not bring happiness”, but deep inside, you will probably still feel that a certain amount of happiness has to do with money.

In reality, if you can not be happy now, material properties will not make you happy. The truth is that happiness and wealth are not connected to each other.

4. Happiness comes from outside sources

You may have noticed that the first three myths are associated with external factors. Many external factors can help achieve happiness, but the true happiness comes from within. It is true that a good relationship can bring happiness, but above all you must be happy within yourself. Have you ever been unhappy next to a good person? Even family can be a source of unhappiness. If you cannot create happiness inside you, then you can not get it from outside sources.


5. Fighting bad things brings happiness

Bad things happen every day. Most people struggle with them. This means that they get upset, experience stress and express negative emotions. You can deal with the bad things in your life, but the struggle against evil does not create good. Drawing attention to the bad moments does not contribute to one’s happiness. Happiness depends on how you appreciate your good moments.

You always have a choice. You can pay attention to your troubles and fight them, or you can focus on the good moments in your life. Most often, we choose the first option. We discuss and complaint about bad things, which does not lead to happiness. Instead of thinking about bad things, just enjoy the good ones.

By the way, unhappiness, in turn, is also subject to these myths. Many believe that it comes from external sources, as well as happiness. But it comes from you and not from your boss, your relationship, your broken car or whatever… No one but you are responsible for your psychological state.

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45 Uses For Lemons That Will Blow Your Socks Off

Most people are familiar with the traditional uses for lemons to soothe sore throats and add some citrus flavor to our foods. However the diversity of applications for lemons far exceeds general knowledge and once you read the following list, you'll likely want to stock at least a few lemons in your kitchen 24-7.

 
1. Freshen the Fridge
Remove refrigerator odors with ease. Dab lemon juice on a cotton ball or sponge and leave it in the fridge for several hours. Make sure to toss out any malodorous items that might be causing the bad smell.

2. High Blood Pressure
Lemon contains potassium which controls high blood pressure and reduces the effect of nausea and dizziness.

3. Prevent Cauliflower From Turning Brown
Cauliflower tend to turn brown with even the slightest cooking. You can make sure the white vegetables stay white by squeezing a teaspoon of fresh lemon juice on them before heating.

4. Mental Health
Lemon water can also prep up your mood and relieve you from depression and stress. Long distance walkers and world travelers as well as explorers look upon the lemon as a Godsend. When fatigue begins, a lemon is sucked through a hole in the top. Quick acting medicine it is, giving almost unbelievable refreshments.

5. Refresh Cutting Boards
No wonder your kitchen cutting board smells! After all, you use it to chop onions, crush garlic, and prepare fish. To get rid of the smell and help sanitize the cutting board, rub it all over with the cut side of half a lemon or wash it in undiluted juice straight from the bottle.

6. Respiratory Problems
Lemon water can reduce phlegm; and can also help you breathe properly and aids a person suffering with asthma.

7. Treating Arthritis and Rheumatism
Lemon is a diuretic - assists in the production of urine which helps you to reduce inflammation by flushing out toxins and bacteria while also giving you relief from arthritis and rheumatism.

8. Prevents Kidney Stones
Regular consumption of the refreshing drink -- or even lemon juice mixed with water -- may increase the production of urinary citrate, a chemical in the urine that prevents the formation of crystals that may build up into kidney stones.

9. Keep Insects Out of the Kitchen
You don’t need insecticides or ant traps to ant-proof your kitchen. Just give it the lemon treatment. First squirt some lemon juice on door thresholds and windowsills. Then squeeze lemon juice into any holes or cracks where the ants are getting in. Finally, scatter small slices of lemon peel around the outdoor entrance. The ants will get the message that they aren’t welcome. Lemons are also effective against roaches and fleas: Simply mix the juice of 4 lemons (along with the rinds) with 1/2 gallon (2 liters) water and wash your floors with it; then watch the fleas and roaches flee. They hate the smell.

10. Anti-Aging
Lemon water reduces the production of free radicals which are responsible for aging skin and skin damage. Lemon water is calorie free and an antioxidant.

11. Fruit and Vegetable Wash
You never know what kind of pesticides or dirt may be lurking on the skin of your favorite fruits and vegetables. Slice your lemon and squeeze out one tablespoon of lemon juice into your spray bottle. The lemon juice is a natural disinfectant and will leave your fruits and vegetables smelling nice too.

12. Treat Infections
Lemon water can fight throat infections thanks to its antibacterial property. If salt water does not work for you, try lime and water for gargling.

13. Deodorize Your Garbage
If your garbage is beginning to smell yucky, here’s an easy way to deodorize it: Save leftover lemon and orange peels and toss them at the base under the bag. To keep it smelling fresh, repeat once every couple of weeks.

14. Keep Guacamole Green
You’ve been making guacamole all day long for the big party, and you don’t want it to turn brown on top before the guests arrive. The solution: Sprinkle a liberal amount of fresh lemon juice over it and it will stay fresh and green. The flavor of the lemon juice is a natural complement to the avocados in the guacamole. Make the fruit salad hours in advance too. Just squeeze some lemon juice onto the apple slices, and they’ll stay snowy white.

15. Purges The Blood
We consume a lot of junk food or food with a lot of preservatives and artificial flavours. This builds up a lot of toxins in the blood and body but daily consumption of lemon water helps to purify the blood.

16. Make Soggy Lettuce Crisp
Don’t toss that soggy lettuce into the garbage. With the help of a little lemon juice you can toss it in a salad instead. Add the juice of half a lemon to a bowl of cold water. Then put the soggy lettuce in it and refrigerate for 1 hour. Make sure to dry the leaves completely before putting them into salads or sandwiches.

17. Oral Health
Lemon juice also stops bleeding gums and reduces toothaches

18. Lighten Age Spots
Why buy expensive creams when you’ve got lemon juice? To lighten liver spots or freckles, try applying lemon juice directly to the area. Let it sit for 15 minutes and then rinse your skin clean. It’s a safe and effective skin-lightening agent.

19. Create Blonde Highlights
For salon-worthy highlights, add 1/4 cup lemon juice to 3/4 cup water and rinse your hair with the mixture. Then, sit in the sun until your hair dries. To maximize the effect, repeat once daily for up to a week.

20. Make a Room Scent/Humidifier
Freshen and moisturize the air in your home on dry winter days. Make your own room scent that also doubles as a humidifier. If you have a wood-burning stove, place an enameled cast-iron pot or bowl on top, fill with water, and add lemon (and/or orange) peels, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and apple skins. No wood-burning stove? Use your stovetop instead and just simmer the water periodically.

21. Clean and Whiten Nails
Pamper your hands without a manicurist. Add the juice of 1/2 lemon to 1 cup warm water and soak your fingertips in the mixture for 5 minutes. After pushing back the cuticles, rub some lemon peel back and forth against the nail.

22. Cleanse Your Face
Zap zits naturally by dabbing lemon juice on blackheads to draw them out during the day. You can also wash your face with lemon juice for a natural cleanse and exfoliation. Your skin should improve after several days of treatment. Lemon water is also a cooling agent, best way to beat the heat.

23. Freshen Your Breath
Make an impromptu mouthwash by rinsing with lemon juice straight from the bottle. Swallow for longer-lasting fresh breath. The citric acid in the juice alters the pH level in your mouth, killing bacteria that causes bad breath. Rinse after a few minutes because long-term exposure to the acid in lemons can harm tooth enamel.

24. Treat Flaky Dandruff
If itchy, scaly dandruff has you scratching your head, relief may be no farther away than your refrigerator. Just massage two tablespoons lemon juice into your scalp and rinse with water. Then stir one teaspoon lemon juice into one cup water and rinse your hair with it. Repeat daily until your dandruff disappears.

25. Get Rid of Tough Stains on Marble
You probably think of marble as stone, but it is really petrified calcium (also known as old seashells). That explains why it is so porous and easily stained and damaged. Those stains can be hard to remove. If washing won’t remove a stubborn stain, try this: Cut a lemon in half, dip the exposed flesh into some table salt, and rub it vigorously on the stain. But do this only as a last resort; acid can damage marble. Rinse well. Use These Lemons To Clean - Easy and Effective

26. Remove Berry Stains
It sure was fun to pick your own berries, but now your fingers are stained with berry juice that won’t come off no matter how much you scrub with soap and water. Try washing your hands with undiluted lemon juice, then wait a few minutes and wash with warm, soapy water. Repeat until your hands are stain-free.

27. Soften Dry, Scaly Elbows
Itchy elbows are bad enough, but they look terrible too. For better looking (and feeling) elbows, mix baking soda and lemon juice to make an abrasive paste, then rub it into your elbows for a soothing, smoothing, and exfoliating treatment. Rinse your extremities in a mixture of equal parts lemon juice and water, then massage with olive oil and dab dry with a soft cloth.

28. Headaches
Lemon juice with a few teaspoons of hot tea added is the treatment of a sophisticated New York bartender, for those who suffer with hangover headaches--and from headaches due to many other causes. He converts his customers to this regime, and weans them away from drug remedies completely.

29. Chills and Fevers
Chills and fevers may be due to a variety of causes; never the less the lemon is always a helpful remedy. Spanish physicians regard it as an infallible friend.

30. Diptheria
Skip the vaccine for this disease. Lemon Juice Treatment still proves as one of the most powerful antiseptics and the strong digestive qualities of the fruit are admired around the world. With the juice every hour or two, and at the same time, 1/2 to 1 tsp. should be swallowed. This cuts loose the false membrane in the throat and permits it to come out.

31. Vaginal Hygiene
Diluted lemon juice makes a safe and sane method of vaginal hygiene. Though it is a powerful antiseptic it is nevertheless free from irritating drugs in douches and suppositories.

32. Forget The Moth Balls
A charming French custom to keep closets free from moths is to take ripe lemons and stick them with cloves all over the skin. The heavily studded lemons slowly dry with their cloves, leaving a marvelous odor throughout the closets and rooms.

33. Stomach Health
Digestive problems are the most common ailments but warm water and lime juice is the solution to most digestive problems. Lemon juice helps to purify the blood, reduces your chances of indigestion, constipation, eliminates toxins from the body, adds digestion and reduces phlegm.

34. Disinfect Cuts and Scrapes
Stop bleeding and disinfect minor cuts and scraps by pouring a few drops of lemon juice directly on the cut. You can also apply the juice with a cotton ball and hold firmly in place for one minute.

35. Soothe Poison Ivy Rash
You won’t need an ocean of calamine lotion the next time poison ivy comes a-creeping. Just apply lemon juice directly to the affected area to soothe itching and alleviate the rash.

36. Remove Warts
You’ve tried countless remedies to banish warts and nothing seems to work. Next time, apply a dab of lemon juice directly to the wart using a cotton swab. Repeat for several days until the acids in the lemon juice dissolve the wart completely.

37. Bleach Delicate Fabrics
Avoid additional bleach stains by swapping ordinary household chlorine bleach with lemon juice, which is milder but no less effective. Soak your delicates in a mixture of lemon juice and baking soda for at least half an hour before washing.

38. Clean Tarnished Brass and Polish Chrome
Say good-bye to tarnish on brass, copper, or stainless steel. Make a paste of lemon juice and salt (or substitute baking soda or cream of tartar for the salt) and coat the affected area. Let it stay on for 5 minutes. Then wash in warm water, rinse, and polish dry. Use the same mixture to clean metal kitchen sinks too. Apply the paste, scrub gently, and rinse. Get rid of mineral deposits and polish chrome faucets and other tarnished chrome. Simply rub lemon rind over the chrome and watch it shine! Rinse well and dry with a soft cloth.

39. Replace Your Dry Cleaner
Ditch the expensive dry-cleaning bills (and harsh chemicals) with this homegrown trick. Simply scrub the stained area on shirts and blouses with equal parts lemon juice and water. Your “pits” will be good as new, and smell nice too.

40. Boost Laundry Detergent
For more powerful cleaning action, pour 1 cup lemon juice into the washer during the wash cycle. The natural bleaching action of the juice will zap stains and remove rust and mineral discolorations from cotton T-shirts and briefs and will leave your clothes smelling fresh. Your clothes will turn out brighter and also come out smelling lemon-fresh.

41. Rid Clothes of Mildew
Have you ever unpacked clothes you stored all winter and discovered some are stained with mildew? To get rid of it, make a paste of lemon juice and salt and rub it on the affected area, then dry the clothes in sunlight. Repeat the process until the stain is gone.

42. Eliminate Fireplace Odor
There’s nothing cozier on a cold winter night than a warm fire burning in the fireplace — unless the fire happens to smell horrible. Next time you have a fire that sends a stench into the room, try throwing a few lemon peels into the flames. Or simply burn some lemon peels along with your firewood as a preventive measure.

43. Neutralize Cat-Box Odor
You don’t have to use an aerosol spray to neutralize foul-smelling cat-box odors or freshen the air in your bathroom. Just cut a couple of lemons in half. Then place them, cut side up, in a dish in the room, and the air will soon smell lemon-fresh.

44. Deodorize a Humidifier
When your humidifier starts to smell funky, deodorize it with ease: Just pour 3 or 4 teaspoons lemon juice into the water. It will not only remove the off odor but will replace it with a lemon-fresh fragrance. Repeat every couple of weeks to keep the odor from returning.

45. Reduce Asthma Symptoms
In addition to a general detoxifying diet, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice before each meal, and before retiring can reduce asthma symptoms.

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Hospitals Love To Serve Overcooked GMO Slop To Sick Patients

Food, far beyond any type of medicine, is the most relevant and effective way to nurture strong and healthy bodies. Frozen, unappetizing, nutritionally deficient, toxin-loaded, and GMO containing platters are not the path to healing. So why do hospitals insist on serving their patients these types of foods?

For starters, hospital food services are centralized in many cities that partner with specific companies that cater to these services. That means the cheapest most effective way to get the food from its unprepared state to its prepared state is the rule of thumb.

While most hospitals do consider the multitude of factors involved in dietary specifics relating to a patient's condition such as if a patient is on solid, minced, pureed food, or if the patient lactose intolerant or on a low-sodium or gluten-free diet, they don't however, consider food quality at all. The choices are extremely limited.

Much of the food that is eventually served to patients arrives frozen at central kitchens, some of it having been specially prepared for facilities, but most of the food is substandard and what could even be considered fast food, prepackaged, processed and even fried.

This occurs all over the world, whether healthcare is private or public. Canada, Australia, United Kingdom, the U.S. and many countries in Europe all have the same problems within their hospital kitchens which cater to this very negligent mentality relating to food for the sick.

All hospitals generally serve GMO corn, GMO soy, GMO zucchini/squash, foods made primarily with GMO Canola oil, as well as factory farmed meat and eggs from antibiotic, vaccinated and medicated animals. There are absolutely no precautions taken on harmful oils, preservatives, artificial flavors/sweeteners, sugars, colors or toxic emulsifiers that make up binding agents and sauces. If there was any nutritional value left in these foods, they are overcooked so that any remaining nutrients are eliminated. The result is slop. Take a look at some of these pictures for a visual:

For some of the meals, it's difficult to even identify what type of food is being served. How many toxins are floating around among these platters? I would estimate that from the perspective of nutrient density, more than 90% of the above foods have little to no nutritional value.

Some of the above images were extracted from a popular blog on the Hospital Food Bingo board a hospital patient has put on his website.

Along with the pictures, the patient, who identifies himself only at 'Traction Man' provides a daily review of the dishes he is served.

Here are some of his entries:

"yesterday's offering plumbed new depths of culinary ineptitude. The macaroni cheese could have doubled as wallpaper paste."

"And as for the potato - let's not even go there. However, my opprobrium is reserved for the treacle suet pudding and custard."

"I don't know whether the chef used an industrial hardener or simply drove out the moisture with a flamethrower but it was the most inedible lump of carbohydrate ever to be passed off as a dessert."

"The entree tends to be uniform beige. Most of the vegetables need to go in a spin dryer before you get to eat them - they are that wet."

"As for the puddings, the jam roly poly takes the cake. It certainly tastes like it's been rolled - right across the kitchen floor."

"Some of the responses to my food postings have been hilarious. People legitimately cannot guess what some of the meals are."

Only One Solution

Food is our life force. We need it to live, grow and thrive. We need it as fuel and healing sources for our bodies. We need to pay more attention to what we give sick patients that need to heal, not from medications, but from food. Food is our medicine and health policy in hospitals needs to reflect this principal. Those in the phases of healing need high levels of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and healthy fats to facilitate recovery. This comes primarily from a raw plant-based diet filled with fresh nutrient dense greens, fruits and veggies. Although I am a strong advocate of eaters for health, in my experience with hospital patients, they do not heal as quickly if animal products are introduced in the early phases of recovery. If you ever require a post-operative or overnight stay at a hospital that involves you receiving any meals, the solution is to bring your own food, herbals and filtered water. Pack up the hospital food on your exit, bring it home, put it in your blender, liquefy it and use it as a deterrent for rodents and insects in the darkest crevasses of your home. They will either avoid that area or consume it and die quickly.

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Antibacterial Agent In Common Household Products Shown To Weaken The Heart And Muscles

Found in a variety of soaps, hand sanitizers, fabrics, toothpastes, mouthwashes and even tap water, researchers have discovered triclosan is far from harmless. Linked to heart failure and decline in muscle strength, the agent has come under scrutiny due to its widespread use in common household products. Considering the Environmental Protection Agency estimates over one million pounds of the chemical are produced each year in the United States, such excessive daily exposure has researchers worried - and for good reason.


Impede muscle strength, stop the heart

Increasingly detected in human blood plasma, urine and breast milk, triclosan is setting off alarms in the scientific community. A study at the University of Davis in California showed that the chemical impairs the excitation-contraction coupling mechanism in mice, thereby hindering the heart's capacity to circulate blood. Limb muscle strength was seriously compromised as well. The researchers exposed the animals to the equivalent level of triclosan as a person is exposed to each day from household products. The first mouse died within a minute of heart failure. The scientists then lowered the dosage and found the chemical decreased heart function by 25 percent within 20 minutes. Limb strength was reduced by 18 percent for 60 minutes after the agent was administered. Dr. Nipavan Chiamvimonvat, the study's co-author and professor of cardiovascular medicine, said in a press release, "The effects of triclosan on cardiac function were really dramatic ... Although triclosan is not regulated as a drug, this compound acts like a potent cardiac depressant in our models."

Despite the fact that it's a leap from animal trials to humans, researchers suspect triclosan may have serious ramifications for people as well. Michelle Castillo, author of the ABC News article, "Antibacterial agent Triclosan shown to hinder muscle movement in mice, fish," notes:

"Triclosan binds to blood proteins and is easily expelled through urine or other body processes, which is why it typically considered to be harmless to humans. However, for people who do not metabolize the agent quickly, it can remain in the blood for quite some time. Also, some of the experiments the researchers conducted was done with blood proteins available, and even though the triclosan was binding to them, it still disrupted the muscle activity. However, most concerning is the fact that people with heart conditions may be more affected by exposure because of their weakened muscle state."


Taking into account the sheer levels an average person is exposed to on a daily basis, scientists are correct to be concerned. Isaac Pessah, principle investigator of the study, warns, "These findings provide strong evidence that the chemical is of concern to both human and environmental health ... We have shown that triclosan potently impairs muscle functions by interfering with signaling between two proteins that are of fundamental importance to life. Regulatory agencies should definitely be reconsidering whether it should be allowed in consumer products."

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4 Solutions for Preserving Brain Health and Preventing Alzheimers

Young people may not be so worried about where their minds will be 40 or 50 years from now, but it’s extremely important to preserve brain health through diet and exercise to really enjoy life at all stages. According to current 2013 statistics, more than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s, with 1 in 3 seniors dying with Alzheimer’s or dementia. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Simple dietary changes along with some physical activity may be more than enough to prevent and even reverse these cognitive issues in many cases.

Here are 4 solutions for Alzheimer’s disease.


1. Coconut Oil

The connection between coconut oil and Alzheimer’s may be one of the most well known dietary connections publicized today, as coconut oil is among the most promising solutions for those suffering from Alzheimer’s. One story in particular reveals just how powerful coconut oil can be for repairing and restoring the brain. In the story, a man named Steve Newport tried numerous pharmaceutical solutions, all of which failed miserably.

Not able to remember how to draw the face of a clock or get water out of the refrigerator, Mr. Newport was becoming more and more lost. Finally, his wife found out about some promising information. What’s known as ketones provide an alternative energy source for brain cells when they have trouble using glucose — as they do in patients with dementia. And when the body metabolizes medium-chain triglycerides derived from coconut oil, it forms ketones that may protect against and even reverse Alzheimer’s.

After taking coconut oil twice daily for a year, Mr. Newport’s dementia had reversed itself.

2. Marijuana

While this treatment may seem far-fetched, marijuana has actually been found to outperform drugs for Alzheimer’s disease. One study from Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology that was published in the journal Molecular Pharmacology, found that the psychoactive component of marijuana, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), both “competitively inhibits the enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE) as well as prevents AChE-induced amyloid β-peptide (Aβ) aggregation”. In plain English, cannabinoid molecules found in cannabis could halt the progression of Alzheimer’s disease and prevent plaque buildup in the brain.


“Compared to currently approved drugs prescribed for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, THC is a considerably superior inhibitor of Aβ aggregation, and this study provides a previously unrecognized molecular mechanism through which cannabinoid molecules may directly impact the progression of this debilitating disease,” says study author Lisa M. Eubanks”.

3. Coffee
A paper published earlier this year in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease demonstrated that higher plasma caffeine levels were associated with a reduced or delayed onset of dementia in 124 individuals, aged 65-88 years. This is presumed to be indicative of coffee intake. The study abstract concludes with:

4. Cinnamon

In one study from Tel Aviv University, cinnamon bark was shown to inhibit the compounds found in the plaque formations of Alzheimer’s patient’s’ brains. These filaments are actually “disassembled and eliminated” when cinnamon is taken with food or as a supplement.

For the study, scientists extracted a compound in cinnamon called CEppt and mixed it into the drinking water for mice and flies. Both the mice and flies were genetically forced to experience Alzheimer’s symptoms. After four months, the scientists found that the disease slowed in progression and the animals experienced almost normal longevity and activity.



And this isn’t the first study to look at cinnamon’s effects on the brain. Two studies from Wheeling Jesuit University found that the scent and flavor of cinnamon affected attention, memory, and other intellectual qualities nearly instantly.

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Soda Addiction As Bad For Your Teeth As Meth Or Crack: Study

Bad news, diet coke junkies: gulping down excessive amounts of soda is no longer just bad for your teeth, now it's as bad for your teeth as crystal meth or crack.

That's according to one study, anyway, which found that excessive consumption of soda - even diet soda - can rot your choppers as badly as ingesting two of the most dangerous narcotics on earth.

The good news is it likely takes far more soda than the amount consumed by a normal human being to achieve the same dental devastation as crack or meth.

Cola mouth: a new study claims that excessive soda consumption can damage teeth as badly as meth or crack

The study - conducted by Dr. Mohamed Bassiouny, a professor of restorative dentistry at the Temple University School of Dentistry in Philadelphia - references a woman in her 30s who drank two liters of soda a day for nearly five years. According to Bassiouny, she had the same amount of dental damage as a 29-year-old meth user and a 51-year-old crack addict.

The meth user, however, also consumed two or three cans of regular soda a day because the drugs made his mouth dry, and the crack addict has been a regular crack user for 18 years, nearly four times as long as the soda drinker had been consuming excessive amounts of soda. Additionally, the soda drinker admitted that she has not seen a dentist in many years.

"None of the teeth affected by erosion were salvageable," Bassiouny tells U.S. News and World Report, noting that all of the study participants had to have all of their teeth removed.

The study also finds that sugar-free soda is just as damaging to teeth as regular soda if they are consumed in the same quantity because of their acidic content - a high acidity level also is what makes crack and meth so bad for teeth.

But soda advocates say the study is flawed, and that comparing soda to illegal drugs is unfair and 'irresponsible.'

'The woman referenced in this article did not receive dental health services for more than 20 years -- two-thirds of her life,' the American Beverage Association said in a statement. 'To single out diet soda consumption as the unique factor in her tooth decay and erosion -- and to compare it to that from illicit drug use -- is irresponsible.

'The body of available science does not support that beverages are a unique factor in causing tooth decay or erosion,' the group said. 'However, we do know that brushing and flossing our teeth, along with making regular visits to the dentist, play a very important role in preventing them.'

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Proof that Your Own Thoughts and Beliefs Can Cause Self-Healing

If you are struggling with any major health concern, it is important to realize that your mind can sometimes be your own worse enemy, or it could be the main reason for treating a problem. Increasingly, it is being recognized that a ‘mind over matter’ approach can actually produce noticeable results in your health.

Numerous studies abound on the nature of the mind body relationship, and how your mind can affect your biological functions. Much like how a hypochondriac may convince himself that he is sick, and subsequently ‘find’ (or make up) symptoms of his illness, a negative or even apathetic mindset may induce you into a lesser state of health.

Conversely, having a generally positive disposition or outlook with regards to your health may actually make you healthier. In clinical studies where patients are given placebos, they often will respond positively to them due to the expectation that they are receiving some form of beneficial medicine. Although not talking about placebo sugar pills specifically this kind of self-treatment can be seen in one case where a woman’s own thoughts made her lose nearly 112 pounds.

What makes these test subjects have a positive response? Definitely not the sugar. An assumed belief that they are being positively affected by whatever they may have been given is what actually causes the change . If this is the case, then it means that your mental state plays a vital role in how your health progresses, or degenerates.

The power of the mind is immense. Its influence can literally bend reality to match its perspective. You can often influence a situation more by thinking about it meticulously, as opposed to simply acting. If you believe something to be true, you will conform the world around you to match this expectation.

If you believe that your illness is getting worse, it will probably get worse. If you believe that your treatment is helping you, you could actually cause massive self-healing to occur. Assuming a disposition will automatically prejudice your mind, and therefore cause your body to react either positively or negatively.

This applies to all things, not just health and wellness. Assuming a positive attitude and an optimistic demeanor will actually help you to overcome your trials in life, whether they are physical, mental, or emotional.

Though we face these trials, let them not be overwhelming or intimidating. Meet them with optimism and enthusiasm, expecting all the while to overcome them.

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Thatcher Effect: Incredible Optical Illusion

The first thing that impresses is definitely its name!

The so-called «Thatcher effect» is nothing more than an impressive optical illusion that was given the name of the “iron Lady” just because its creators used it for the first time in the photo of British Prime Minister.

The second thing that surprises is that nothing seems strange in the inverted picture, aside from the fact that the depicted face is … upside down! Once the photo returns at the right place, the mystery is solved and the effect is revealed! But how is this possible?

 It is very difficult for the viewer to identify local changes in the characteristics of an inverted face (eyes, nose, eyelids, etc.), although these changes are evident in the “normal” face. Therefore, the Thatcher effect is the following:

Image in the normal position has overturned eyes, nose, mouth or eyelids, which can be clearly seen. However, once the same image is turned over, the alterations in the characteristics disappear as if by magic, i.e. the viewer sees a normal image turned upside down! It is believed that this phenomenon occurs due to some psychological processes involved in face recognition and coordinated in the normal upright faces.

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Psychological Concentration Test: Optical Illusion

Here is an optical illusion of motion and color perception, which can reveal if you have normal psychological concentration.

This psychological picture test shows the amazing ability of the human brain, and perhaps, after a successful outcome of the test, it will make you wonder if we perceive the world correctly or maybe our brain deceives us. What if what we see around us is a kind of illusion of perception?

Look at the picture below, and you will see the pink circles move clockwise and disappear one after the other, creating an illusion of the movement of the gray hole between them. If you concentrate your mind in the middle of the circle on the black cross, then you will see that the moving gray hole will change its color to green. And then, as you continue to look at the cross for 10-15 seconds, all the pink circles will disappear and there will be only one green circle that will keep moving in the same direction. If you manage to see all the pink circles disappear and only one green circle move, then you have normal psychological concentration.

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Research: Pineapple Enzyme Kills Cancer Without Killing You

Every once in a while a study pops up on the National Library of Medicine's bibliographic database known as MEDLINE that not only confirms the therapeutic relevance of natural substances in cancer treatment, but blows the conventional approach out of the water. Published in 2007 in the journal Planta Medica, researchers found that an enzyme extracted from pineapple stems known as bromelain was superior to the chemo-agent 5-fluorauracil in treating cancer in the animal model. The researchers stated:

"This antitumoral effect [bromelain] was superior to that of 5-FU [5-fluorouracil], whose survival index was approximately 263 %, relative to the untreated control."

What is so remarkable about this research is that 5-FU has been used as a cancer treatment for nearly 40 years, and has been relatively unsuccessful due to its less than perfect selectivity at killing cancer, often killing and/or irreversibly damaging healthy cells and tissue, as well.

As a highly toxic, fluoride-bound form of the nucleic acid uracil, a normal component of RNA, the drug is supposed to work by tricking more rapidly dividing cells -- which include both cancer and healthy intestinal, hair follicle, and immune cells -- into taking it up, thereby inhibiting (read: poisoning) RNA replication enzymes and RNA synthesis.

The material safety data sheet (MSDS) for 5-FU states:

The dose at which 50% of the animals given the drug die is 115mg/kg, or the equivalent of 7.8 grams for a 150 lb adult human.

Keep in mind that a 7.5 gram dose of 5-FU, which is the weight of 3 pennies, would kill 50% of the humans given it. Bromelain's MSDS, on the other hand, states the LD50 to be 10,000 mg/kg, or the equivalent 1.5 lbs of bromelain for a 150lb adult, which means it is 3 orders of magnitude safer!

How then, can something as innocuous as the enzyme from the stem/core of a pineapple be superior to a drug that millions of cancers patients over the past 40 years have placed their hopes of recovery on, as well as exchanging billions of dollars for?

There is a well-known effect associated with a wide range of natural compounds called "selective cytotoxicity," whereby they are able to induce programmed cell death (the graceful self-disassembly known as apoptosis) within the cancer cells, while leaving healthy cells and tissue unharmed. No FDA-approved chemotherapy drug on the market today has this indispensable property (because chemicals don't have behave like natural compounds), which is why cancer treatment is still in the dark ages, often destroying the quality of life, and accelerating the death of those who undergo it, often unwittingly. When a person dies following conventional cancer treatment it is all too easy to "blame the victim" and simply write that patient's cancer off as "chemo-resistant," or "exceptionally aggressive," when in fact the non-selective nature of the chemotoxic agent is what ultimately lead to their death.

Keep in mind that bromelain, like all natural substances, will never receive FDA drug approval. Capital, at the present time, does not flow into the development of non-patentable (i.e. non-profitable) cancer therapies, even if they work, are safe and extremely affordable. This is simply the nature of the beast. Until we compel our government to utilize our tax dollars to invest in this type of research, there will be no level playing field in cancer treatment, or any treatment offered through the conventional medical establishment, for that matter. Or, some of us may decide to take our health into our own hands, and use the research, already freely available on possible natural cancer treatment, to inform our treatment decisions without the guidance of the modern day equivalent of the "priest" of the body, the conventional oncologist, who increasingly fills the description of an "applied pharmacologist/toxicologist" - nothing more, nothing less

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

SOURCE

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Don't Fall For These Tricks: The 6 Types of Links You Shouldn't Click On

In case you've been hiding in a cave somewhere, Vhong Navarro was subjected to a brutal beatdown in a condo unit in The Fort last January 22, Wednesday. The reason for the attack? According to the comedian, a group of guys wanted to extort money from him. The other camp says the shit went down because they caught him attempting to rape their mutual friend, Deniece Milinette Cornejo. It's all over the local news, and the shady part of the Internet has taken notice. We bet you've seen this link below on Facebook:

Did you click on it? We're hoping you didn't because there's no video. What's worse is you only helped spread a big fat lie. You see, when you click on it, you'll be asked to share the link first before you'll be able to view the non-existent clip. Tsk. This, dear friends, is an example of a negative form of clickbaiting. A clickbait (or link bait) is defined as a link that has a super interesting title or line that will make you click. Think of the links in your News Feed that go like "This blank did something really, really blank. What happened next is blank and utterly blank."

In itself, clickbaiting is not bad. It's actually a great way to spread the videos and articles that you want you want to go viral. However, if it's used for spreading fake and malicious content, then it becomes annoying and even dangerous since hackers can use it to steal confidential info (i.e. your log-in credentials). Spammers and hackers are sneaky and opportunistic. When something big happens, like the Vhong Navarro gulpihan issue, expect them to piggyback on it, using clickbaits to lure you in. So fellas, always be alert and follow the old "Think before you click" rule. Below is our rundown of The Types Of Links You Should Never Click On! THOSE THAT PROMISE A HUGE SUM OF MOOLAH

By this we mean links that promises something really big, like getting a boatload of cash in just a few easy steps. We all want to be rewarded, and this is why spammers and hackers create links that could attract the greedy bastard in us. THOSE THAT SAY SOMETHING IMPOSSIBLE HAS HAPPENED

If you see a link that says something impossible has happened like, say, Jose Rizal was seen in a CCTV footage, be very wary. You can bet your next suweldo that it's fake (duh!) and it's just out to spam the heck out of everyone. However, if you want to make sure, use Google to verify its authenticity. If it's indeed true, numerous reputable sites have most probably written about the topic already—check it out there instead.

THOSE THAT POP UP AS COMMENTS WITH LINKS ON UNRELATED FACEBOOK POSTS

If you see a comment on a Facebook post that: 1) is completely unrelated to the topic and, 2) contains a shortened link, watch out. The poor commenter has been the victim of spamming and is being used by spammers to spread more spam. If you see a comment like this, be a good lad and notify the account it's associated with.
 THOSE THAT SAY THEY HAVE "EXCLUSIVE LEAKED" PHOTOS AND VIDEOS

Photos and videos can be leaked. Just ask Wally B. and Kim K. However, this doesn't mean every article or link that has the word "leaked" is legit. A prime example of this is the CCTV footage that allegedly shows Vhong Navarro getting his ass handed to him. As we've said, that one's as fake as your favorite porn star's ta-tas.

 THOSE THAT ARE SHARED BY YOUR FRIENDS WHO DON'T NORMALLY SHARE LINKS

When you see a link posted by your normally allergic-t0-online-sharing friend on Facebook, he or she probably didn't intend to do so. Spam might be at work here once again. Go ask your friend about it the next time he'sshe's online. If the answer you get is "no, I still don't share shit," then alam na.

 THOSE THAT CONNECT TO A DIFFERENT WEBSITE

Links can mask themselves using the name of a different website. For example, a link can say "Click here to see more FHM babes" but in reality it will send you to a shadier, much less sexy part of the Internet. And if you're really unlucky, you might just land on a site hackers use to get into your rig. There's a really simple way to check if a link won't connect you to another website. Place your mouse cursor (don't click!) over it and the full URL it's linking to will be displayed on the lower left side of your browser. If the address seems unfamiliar or isn't the one you're raring to visit then don't you dare click!

Source

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