We all know how bad smoking is, but researchers at Harvard University have found a link between blood clotting protein levels caused by loneliness, and are suggesting that having no friends is probably just as deadly as smoking, making you more susceptible to strokes and/or heart attacks.

Being alone and not socializing activates what is known as the “fight or flight” stress signal. This signal causes protein fibrinogen levels to go up in anticipation of injury and blood loss. This is not great for health, fatty deposits build up in the arteries thanks to too much fibrinogen.

The researchers at Harvard found a connection by comparing blood-clotting protein levels in people with varying amounts of friends and family, and found that fibrinogen levels were higher in those with less friends and a lack of social networking.

Those who only had 5 friends had 20% higher levels than those with 25 friends, so 10-12 fewer friends drastically diminished health, with the impact being as high as those who smoke.

Having few friends results in people feeling vulnerable and threatened, this then causes the flight or flight response to trigger in an ongoing and sometimes lethal dose.

 Lead Author Dr David Kim  said “Measurement of the whole social network can provide information about an individual’s cardiac risk that is not necessarily apparent to the individual herself.”

“Social connectedness displays a significant association with fibrinogen. Continue reading →

Locked away in the Yale University Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library vault, seen and touched by few, this rare and incredibly old 15^th centuary manuscript has finally been deciphered.

Many of the worlds greatest cryptographers have spent a lifetime trying to figure out this book, which is written in a strange and mysterious coded language, to no avail, however, 900 copies are ready for circulation as a Spanish publishing house has been granted permission to make copies, perhaps someone out there will be able to crack the Voynich Manuscripts mystery.

Juan Jose Garcia who is the director of Siloe, the publishing house who was finally given the go ahead to distribute copies, after requesting for 10 long years, says that “Touching the Voynich is an experience” and “It’s a book that has such an aura of mystery that when you see it for the first time … it fills you with an emotion that is very hard to describe.”

For about US$9,000 dollars you can purchase an exact replica of the Voynich. There are only 898 copies and each one comes complete with identical holes, patched tears and stains like the original.

Folger Shakespeare Libraries Bill Sherman states that “The Voynich Manuscript has led some of the smartest people down rabbit holes for centuries.” In this Washington Post interview he continued to say “I think we need a little disclaimer form you need to sign before you look at the manuscript, that says, ‘Do not blame us if you go crazy.'”

13^th Century Roger Bacon was for centuries believed to have written the book. He was known for being consumed by magic and alchemy, it even landed him in jail. Carbon dating put this idea to rest as they later realized the manuscript was written between 1404 and 1438.

The author is still unknown, some speculate it was Leonardo da Vinci, others think it was written by aliens. Since no author could be identified the book was named after Wilfrid Voynich who is said to have purchased it in 1912.

The book is incredibly odd, filled with strange and disturbing illustrations. These images are nothing compared to the obscure text.

Reed Johnson stated in 2013 that “It doesn’t match any other language that’s been seen in any other book. The drawings often have labels, which would seem to offer a route to deciphering the code. But that hope has proved to be an illusion,”

The manuscript has been digitalised and can be viewed here.

Continue reading →

Forget sleeping pills – the answer to a good nights sleep is in your fruit bowl! It might come as a surprise but bananas are the perfect bedtime food!

Most of us add bananas to our morning smoothies or eat them as a snack during the day, but the best time to have one is an hour or two before you go to bed. Bananas can help increase REM sleep and this is one of the most important sleep stages, helping to refresh your mind after a long day.

If you’d like to find more about how this awesome fruit can help you with your sleep, read on!

Potassium

Bananas are an excellent source of potassium, and potassium complements magnesium which helps keep digestive systems healthy and blood pressure regular, this, in turn, helps to improve sleep.

A sign of a healthy and happy heart is slightly lower blood pressure at night, so if you don’t have high enough potassium levels you could be experiencing heart issues and irregularities and muscle fatigue, both which will disrupt a good night’s rest.

Continue reading →

This amazing, aromatic herb is native to areas around the Mediterranean and the Near East. Related to parsley, dill and carrots with a taste like licorice. The entire plant is edible including the bulb and seeds.

Fennel has been used for a wide range of issues such as low libido, backache, appetite loss and it’s even a nature treatment for colic in babies. Fennel is also well known for its ability to remedy gastrointestinal issues and even used topically to treat snake bites!

Ancient Chinese medicine used Fennel for a many things, appetite stimulation, breast milk flow, congestion and conjunctivitis to name a few.

If you aren’t growing your own Fennel, just remember it loses flavor fast and is best eaten right away after purchase. Store your dried fennel seeds away from light and moisture in an airtight container and they can last up to six months.

Fennel can offer you many important nutrients like vitamin C which is very important for a happy and healthy immune system, it’s an excellent source of fiber, potassium and folate and its unique phytonutrients combination includes rutin and the flavonoids quercetin.

 3 Awesome ways to incorporate fennel into your diet

Tomato Fennel Soup Continue reading →

Harvard University has revealed a shocking study showing that over 6 million American people are in fact drinking tainted water filled with industrial chemicals in highly unsafe levels, these chemicals are also linked to Cancer and other serious health issues.

Polyfluoroalkyl and perfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAFSs, found in the public drinking water were found to often exceed the governments recommended safety levels.

If you are wondering where else PFASs are found, look no further than your own home! You’ll find them in food wrappers, non-stick cookware and firefighting foam.

An increased risk of hormonal disruption, high cholesterol, obesity and cancer have all been linked to long term exposure to these chemicals.

People should avoid drinking unfiltered tap water completely, as water from all over the US is heavy metal and toxin contaminated.

36,000 samples of drinking water were collected from all parts of the country between 2013 and 2015, Xindi Hu and colleagues have examined and screened these samples to find any presence of the 6 types of PFASs. Continue reading →

We all know it’s coming, sooner or hopefully later! Death is just one of those things that happen to us all, eventually.

One thing many of us agree on, is life after death, but now scientists confirm that once your heart has stopped beating, your consciousness continues!

Over 2,000 people were studied by British scientists who say thought persists after death, and they have also found evidence that out-of-body experiences are in fact real in those who are declared dead and then revived.

Commonly believed by most scientists is that the brain was no longer active after the heart stopped pumping blood for 30 seconds and that consciousness awareness then also ceased to exist. The researchers at University of Southampton feels otherwise and have proven that awareness is still experienced for up to 3 minutes after declared dead.

Dr Sam Parnia, the head researcher of the study said: “Contrary to perception, death is not a specific moment but a potentially reversible process that occurs after any severe illness or accident causes the heart, lungs and brain to cease functioning.

“If attempts are made to reverse this process, it is referred to as ‘cardiac arrest’; however, if these attempts do not succeed it is called ‘death’.” Continue reading →