Reading the Human Genome: Creating Humans
Science has come a long way over the past few decades. We can predict height, weight, hair color, and there are even fertility clinics that claim to help you 'design' your baby's eyes, skin, and hair color.
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Parenting and Health by Bernie Siegel, M.D.
There are two aspects of the relationship between parenting and health. One is the health of the parents, and the other is the health of their children. First, let me address the parental issue, since it is not often looked at, and then, discuss why parental love, for self and one’s children, is the most significant public health factor on this planet.
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Putting Light on Microbial Dark Matter
Credit: © ridvanarda / Fotolia
Did you know that bacteria makes up only 2% of our body weight--- but, their imbalances in our gut microbiome contribute highly to many of our health conditions? Specifically, many conditions and diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, allergies, and obesity, directly correlate to these imbalances.
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Foundation Proposes New Study on Prayer and Weight Management
Did you know that approximately 65% of people are overweight? Not only that, recent data show that 31% of people now suffer from Obesity, as compared to only 23% in 1994. And, the proportion of children in America who are overweight has tripled since 1980. Ironically, obesity in America is dramatically increasing, in spite of the equally dramatic increase in nutrition awareness, diets, nutritional supplements, and other related products that promote and marry weight management and health.
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Alzheimer's is a Disease, NOT Normal Aging
Alzheimer's Disease was first diagnosed in 1906 when Dr. Alois Alzheimer analyzed the brain tissue of a deceased patient. She had been his patient since 1901 with an 'unusual' mental illness, and her symptoms were memory loss, and language and behavior issues. Dr. Alzheimer discovered sticky plaques and tangles in her brain.
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Handling Parkinson's Disease
Close to one million people in the U.S. are living with Parkinson's Disease. At this time, there are not any known cures, but there is a significant amount of scientific studies that are focusing on this area.
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Division of Labor and Cooperation Between Microorganisms
Life can be challenging, and therefore, many have learned the value of cooperation in order to survive. Scientists are discovering this also to be true for microorganisms. They work together as partners and share nutrients. Specifically, researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Gena, Germany, worked on bacteria that were deficient in certain amino acids, to discover that these deficient microbes depended on their partners for the missing nutrient.
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How To De-Stress and Stay Calm
Stress has its place when it is really needed, such as alerting your body to get into action when a calamity is striking. It releases cortisol in stressful situations, which may cloud your mind and thinking, but can help you in survival situations. Neuroscientist Daniel Levitan gives an interesting Ted Talk on ways to help yourself de-stress in stressful situations. His main point is that when you are in very stressful situations, there are things that you can be aware of and prepare for in order to avoid even more stress. Watch here.
Our Personal Microbial Cocktails
Did you know that we humans have TRILLIONS of microorganisms that live inside of us and on our skin? And, did you know that the majority of these organisms are bacteria? As a matter of fact, according to a Science Daily article, we possess more bacterial cells than human cells. But, the difference is that the human cells are much larger, approximately 10,000 times larger. As a result, although in greater number, these bacterial cells only translate to about 3% of our body mass.
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Making Personal Health Happen
In the TED Talk below, social scientist Eric Dishman, Intel Fellow and General Manager of Intel’s Health Strategy & Solutions Group, takes us through his personal learning experience of taking charge of his own health. Eric was told in college that he only had 2-3 years left to live. But, instead of giving up, he took charge of his life and health. Today, he is internationally recognized for making healthcare reform happen through home and community-based technologies and services. His special focus is on enabling independent living for seniors.
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