Blog
OSHO: Jealousy- Society’s Device to Divide and Rule
Video OSHO: Jealousy- Society’s Device to Divide and Rule What is jealousy? Society has exploited the individual in so many ways that it is almost impossible to believe. Osho goes to the roots of the phenomenon of jealousy. Please leave a comment, and don’t forget to follow us for more articles and videos on Google+, Twitter, via RSS feed, or by simply subscribing to our newsletter at the end of this page! ...
read moreFood Addiction: It’s Not An Eating Disorder
Jowita Bydlowska, The Fix / Waking Times Food Addiction: It’s Not An Eating Disorder Jowita Bydlowska, The Fix Waking Times The Fix Q&A with Vera Tarman about her book Food Junkies: The Truth About Food Addiction “I drink pop all the time. It’s like I’m addicted to pop now,” I remember someone telling me after I got sober almost 10 years ago. She said that I, too, would start drinking soda and I should just give into it—it was normal since my body would crave sugar after taking away alcohol. And soda was a healthier alternative. So were cookies. There were always cookies in meetings. There were meetings I’ve gone to that were known for good cookies—white chocolate, macadamia nuts. There was lots of talk about how some of us became addicted to alcohol because we had a so-called “sweet tooth” so it was natural to eat more sweets while sober—cookies were like a reward for sobriety; they helped you ease into it. Except the cookies might be just as deadly as alcohol and the same goes for chips, in fact, anything that’s processed or made out of sugar, flour, and fat… or anything that you eat even when you don’t want to. Yet, it would be a mistake to stick the Eating Disorder label onto this type of eating. This is because it’s much more than that. In the new book, Food Junkies: The Truth About Food Addiction,Vera Tarman, MD, the Medical Director of Renascent, Canada’s largest treatment center, tackles (along with contributor Philip Werdell) one of the more controversial addictive substances: food. The Fix interviewed Dr. Tarman recently about the distinction between addiction and disorders, the place of food addiction amongst modes of recovery as well as trigger foods and how to deal with them. Food addiction? Really? People have this response that food addiction can’t be as bad as cocaine addiction partly because society doesn’t see overeating as a problem; it is, in fact, encouraged: all-you-can-eat buffets, bigger portions and so on. It’s not seen as being as dangerous as overdrinking. But I think we have a lot more food addicts than other addicts. They’re just undiagnosed. The professionals just want to say that it’s an eating disorder; they don’t want to see it as a syndrome. But what is the difference between disordered eating and food addiction? Overeating relies on emotional eating and it fits the eating disorder paradigm. With binge-eating disorders and bulimia the idea is that people are treating their emotional and psychological state with food. If we can treat underlying emotions then the disorder is better regulated. If we can figure out, for example, if it was an interfering mother as a young child, or sexual abuse…whatever it was that is engineering this bulimia—then we can control it. With food addiction, we’re talking about a biochemical reaction to food. You take some sugar and now you want more. It’s just like with alcohol or cocaine or cigarettes. Everybody has to have the rest of the Mars bar, but the food addict finishes it and then is thinking: I might as well have everything because that’s what I really want. And no amounts of therapy helping to deal with other issues will resolve that. With therapy, food addicts just become really well-informed and insightful food addicts—just like...
read moreHow the Brain Creates Ghosts
Buck Rogers, Staff Writer / Waking Times Photo: Pixabay How the Brain Creates Ghosts Buck Rogers, Staff Writer Waking Times Have you ever seen something or someone out of the corner of your eye, or felt a presence of someone observing you, but when you looked, nothing was there? Many people call this strange feeling, or “presence,” ghosts, wraiths, shadow people, the paranormal, and so forth. And now, a group of researchers has examined where these sensations originate from within the brain by using a robot-controlled induction of an apparition. They concluded that feelings of a ghostly presence reside in the mind, which raises a great question: are these sensations purely imaginary, an error in brain function, or is our mind a gateway to other dimensions? The study, published in the journal Current Biology and conducted by a group of scientists including Dr. Giulio Rognini from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), wanted to understand the often-reported phenomenon of sensing the presence of an invisible apparition, a ghost. The researches had identified that such sensations are often experienced by people in extreme conditions, such as mountaineers, or ones with a neurological condition. Dr. Rognini comments: “The sensation is very vivid. They feel somebody but they cannot see it. It is always a felt presence.” “What is astonishing is that they frequently report that the movements they are doing or the posture they are assuming at that specific moment is replicated by the presence. So if the patient is sitting, they feel the presence is sitting. If they are standing, the presence is standing, and so on.” As part of the study, the scientists examined a group of 12 patients with neurological disorders who had reported that they had previously felt a ghostly presence, and, prior to the experiment, they performed a full brain scan of each patient. The scans revealed that all of these individuals had some damage in the brain, specifically in the area associated with movement, self-awareness and the body’s position in space. The report states: “Our data show that the FoP [feeling of a presence] is an illusory own-body perception with well-defined characteristics that is associated with sensorimotor loss and caused by lesions in three distinct brain regions: temporoparietal, insular, and especially frontoparietal cortex.” To further understand the brain’s role in experiencing paranormal sensations, the researchers recruited 48 healthy volunteers, who reported that they had never experienced paranormal incidents. The experiment then would alter the neural signals in the previously mentioned regions of the brain to understand if a paranormal experience can be created. “Based on these data and recent experimental advances of multisensory own-body illusions, we designed a master-slave robotic system that generated specific sensorimotor conflicts and enabled us to induce the FoP [feeling of a presence] and related illusory own-body perceptions experimentally in normal participants.” The robotic system consisted of one robot that was manipulated by the participants, who were blindfolded, while another robot traced the same movements along the participants’ backs. Dr. Rognini shares the results: “When the movements at the front and back of the volunteer’s body took place at exactly the same time, they reported nothing strange. But when there was a delay between the timing of the movements, one third of the participants reported feeling that there was a ghostly presence in...
read moreFactory Farming Is Destroying Our Environment
Collective Evolution Photo: Pixabay Factory Farming Is Destroying Our Environment Collective Evolution According to the US Department of Agriculture nearly 10 BILLION animals are raised and killed for food each year in the United States alone. While there are multiple reasons for you to start cutting factory farmed animals out of your diet, one of the most important reasons is one that is not often talked or thought about -the destructive toll that is taken on the environment from the mass production and consumption of factory farmed animals and animal products. It’s interesting how this aspect is, for the most part, entirely overlooked. No one ever really stops to think about how much land and resources are actually needed to produce enough animals and products to cater to the excessive over-consumption of animals across the globe. Just think about how much these animals need to eat and drink, feeding 10 Billion animals in the US alone is considerably more than feeding the entire planet. Currently according to the UN, raising animals and producing the feed for them uses 30% of the Earth’s land mass- wow. While doing research for this article I have come across some staggering statistics to support this environmental issue. 260 Million Acres (and counting) of US forests have been clear-cut to create land for producing feed for livestock. 70% Of the grain that is produced in the US is fed to farm animals Scientists at the Smithsonian Institution have stated that the equivalent of SEVEN football fields of land is bulldozed every single minute to create more land for farming animals. 2,400 Gallons of water is needed to produce 1 pound of meat, only 25 gallons is needed to produce 1 pound of wheat. You would save more water by not showering for 6 months than you would by eating a pound of meat! In the 2004-2005 crop season all the wild animals and trees in over 2.9 million acres of the Amazon Rain forest in Brazil were destroyed in order to grow crops to produce feed for chickens and other factory farmed animals. Close to half of all water used in the USA goes to the production of animals for food. A United Nations report from 2006 states that animal agriculture is “one of the top two or three most significant contributors to the most serious environmental problems, at every scale from local to global.” The EPA reports that roughly 80 percent of ammonia emissions in the US come from animal waste. Atmospheric ammonia can disrupt aquatic ecosystems, ruin soil quality, damage crops, and jeopardize human health. Cows and sheep are responsible for 37% of the total methane (23 times as warming as CO2) generated by human activity. I also came across this very interesting piece of information: it takes more than 11 times as much fossil fuel to make one calorie from animal protein as it does to make 1 calorie from plant protein. 1) Grow massive amounts of corn, grain, and soybeans (with all required tilling, irrigation, crop dusters etc.) 2) Transport the grain and soybeans to feed manufacturers on gas-guzzling 18 wheelers. 3) Operate the feed mills 4) Transport the feed to the factory farms 5) Operate the factory farms 6) Truck the animals many miles to slaughter 7) Operate the...
read moreMicroorganism-rich Soil as an Essential Part of the Food Supply
Waking Times Photo: Pixabay Microorganism-rich Soil as an Essential Part of the Food Supply Waking Times Video – Fred Kirschenmann discusses the importance of healthy, microorganism-rich soil as part of a sustainable and safer food supply. Kirschenmann serves as both a Distinguished Fellow at the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University, and as President of the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture in Pocantico Hills, New York. He is the author of a book of essays, Cultivating an Ecological Conscience: Essays by a Farmer Philosopher, which track the development of his thoughts over the past 30 years. Please leave a comment, and don’t forget to follow us for more articles and videos on Google+, Twitter, via RSS feed, or by simply subscribing to our newsletter at the end of this page! ...
read moreChina and the New World Order
corbettreport.com Photo: Pixabay China and the New World Order corbettreport.com Military tensions, cyber espionage accusations, a brewing currency war; with every passing day, the headlines paint a convincing portrait of an emerging cold war between China and the West. But is this surface level reality the whole picture, or is there a deeper level to this conflict? Is China an opponent to the New World Order global governmental system or a witting collaborator with it? Join us in this in-depth edition of The Corbett Report podcast as we explore China’s position in the New World Order. Please leave a comment, and don’t forget to follow us for more articles and videos on Google+, Twitter, via RSS feed, or by simply subscribing to our newsletter at the end of this page! ...
read more10 Reasons To Eat Sprouts Daily & How To Grow Your Own
Collective Evolution 10 Reasons To Eat Sprouts Daily & How To Grow Your Own Collective Evolution Sprouts are an amazing little nutrient dense, powerhouse superfood. Sprouts are shoots from a plant seed. They come in many different varieties and lucky for us a whole bunch of these are edible! Green, red leaf, alfalfa, radish, broccoli, and clover are a few different varieties of sprouts, but did you know that you can also sprout chickpeas, quinoa, lentils and even almonds? There are many reasons why sprouting is a good idea: it is extremely economical, you can ensure that you are getting extremely fresh, organic, local food into your diet daily and you can do it from home all winter long. I don’t think there is one good reason not to sprout. Here are the top 10 reasons to eat sprouts daily. 1. Enzymes It has been estimated that there can be up to 100 times more enzymes in sprouts than in uncooked fruits and vegetables. Enzymes are types of proteins that act as catalysts for all of your bodily functions. Enzymes extract more vitamins, minerals, amino acids and fatty acids from the foods that you eat and ensures your body has the nutritional building blocks to ensure every process works as effectively as possible. 2. More Fiber Fiber is an extremely important factor in any diet, did you know it actually binds to fats and toxins within our bodies and helps us eliminate them? It also ensures that any fat our bodies break down is moved through the body before it has a chance to reabsorb through the walls of the intestines. 3. Higher Vitamin Content The vitamin content from certain seeds, grains, beans and nuts actually increases by up to 20 times the original value after only a few days of sprouting. Mung beansprouts, for example, increase in vitamin B1 by up to 285 percent, vitamin B2 by up to 515 percent and niacin by up to 256 percent. 4. Your Body Can Easily Utilize Sprouts During the sprouting process, minerals bind to the proteins in the seeds, nuts or grains making them more useable in the body. This is true especially for more alkalizing minerals such as calcium and magnesium, they help us balance our body chemistry for potential weight loss and better health. 5. Sprouts Have The Highest Concentration Of Phytonutrients Of Any Food That is a pretty bold statement, but according to this study from the Journal of Applied Science it is true. Phytonutrients play an active role in the amendment of disease. 6. Research Shows Sprouts May Prevent Cancer There have been numerous studies done to show that the consumption of sprouts can actually prevent various forms of cancer. One study in particular that was led by scientists from John Hopkins, found that a highly concentrated source of sulforaphane, a compound they identified in 1992 that helps mobilize the body’s natural cancer-fighting resources and reduces the risk of developing cancer. Broccoli sprouts, contain unusually high levels of glucoraphanin, the naturally-occurring precursor of sulforaphane. 7. Sprouts Can Help Alkalize Your Body Sprouts themselves are quite alkaline, eating them can directly help maintain the acid alkaline balance within the body, which ultimately leads to good health overall. Nobel Prize winner Otto Heinrich Warburgh stated: “Cancer cannot...
read moreB12 Deficiency: A Serious Silent Epidemic That’s Affecting Us All
Collective Evolution B12 Deficiency: A Serious Silent Epidemic That’s Affecting Us All Collective Evolution There are two common criticisms that vegetarians and vegans are accustomed to hearing on a regular basis from those who either disagree or refuse to accept their dietary choice. The first is the famous protein myth, which centres around the idea that without meat in their regular diet vegans and vegetarians are bound to be protein deficient. Although many meats are widely recognized as a great source of protein, there are way more non-meat related protein packed options, many of which outperform popular meats in a per serving protein content comparison (find out more HERE, HERE or HERE). The second is the argument centred around the all important nutrient B12, and for good reason as numerous studies have been done showing that it can be substantially harder -if not impossible -to come by in a vegetarian or vegan diet. It’s this subject that I would like to centre this article around, to help us all better understand B12, why we all need it and why so many of us are lacking it, regardless of whether or not we eat meat regularly. What Exactly Is B12? Vitamin B12 is a nutrient that helps to keep the body’s nerve and blood cells healthy, all while helping to make DNA -the genetic material in all of our cells. B12 is essential in preventing megaloblastic anemia which can make people feel both tired and weak.(2) The daily suggested intake of B12 varies based on age, but ranges from 0.4 – 2.8 mcg. Traditionally B12 can be found in a variety of fish, -such as mackerel, clams and crabs -eggs, certain dairy byproducts and fortified soy products amongst several other things found in a conventional diet.(3) Since B12 is not found in any non-fortified plant based foods the commonly held belief is that animal-derived foods are the only true source of this essential nutrient. However, the truth is that no foods -neither animal or plant -naturally contain vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 is a microbe (bacteria) produced by microorganisms and is the only vitamin that contains a trace element: cobalt.(7) How certain animal meats manage to become a source of B12 is that the animal tissue stores the bacteria-synthesized B12 in that which they also consume. B12 Deficiency Is Impacting Us All A recent Tufts University study found that 40% of people aged 26-83 have B12 levels in the low-normal range, a value that becomes even more significant considering that the measurement scale varies from country to country.(1) The other astonishing factor is that the deficiency has been found to be just as common in younger generations as it is in the elderly, making it an oddball from most degenerative issues. Despite this seemingly widespread deficiency, B12 related symptoms continue to be blindly suffered by many since it is not tested for routinely. Common side effects of a B12 deficiency include: Fatigue/ Tiredness Weakness Constipation Loss of Appetite/ Weight Loss Megaloblastic Anemia It is also worth noting that there are four stages to B12 deficiency: 1) a decline in blood levels of the vitamin, 2) low cellular concentrations of the vitamin, 3) an increased blood level of homocysteine, decreased DNA synthesis rate, 4) macrocytic anemia. (1) The...
read moreObservations from the Future
Video Photo: Pixabay Observations from the Future Waking Times Video – Looking back at history with the knowledge we have today sometimes makes us wonder how ridiculous or foolish people acted. Here’s an interesting and quite humurous take of how today might be viewed from the future, by comedian Simon Amstell. Please leave a comment, and don’t forget to follow us for more articles and videos on Google+, Twitter, via RSS feed, or by simply subscribing to our newsletter at the end of this page! ...
read moreHow do you age in the best way you possibly can…?
Video by Kerry McCarpet How do you age in the best way you possibly can…? by Kerry McCarpet Please leave a comment, and don’t forget to follow us for more articles and videos on Google+, Twitter, via RSS feed, or by simply subscribing to our newsletter at the end of this page! ...
read moreVisit Stanka on Fine Art America
