True Health Project

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Health problems such as constipation, lack of energy and abdominal pain results from irregular bowel habits brought about by consuming foods that influences a lot waste to build up inside the colon. We take in generous quantities of food products daily that contribute to such condition. These are artificial sweeteners, caffeine, sugar, white flour (this is a type of flour where most of the bran and wheat germ has been removed), microwave-cooked food and deep fried foods which results to toxin deposits within the colon.

One of the safest method of cleansing our colon is the natural way. One of which is to analyze and plan our meal. Our colon cleansing diet should involve adequate amounts of fiber , 25-30 grams daily in water form or food.

Sufficient water intake is essential for any body system to function properly. To trigger the peristaltic action of involved systems in our body naturally, we should drink adequate amounts of water. Peristalsis is the movement of the stomach, upper and lower intestine to transport or move its contents to the next organ that will process it. For example, a factory that makes sheets of steel have machines that melt the steel and form the sheets. Without enough lubrication on the hinges or parts of the machine, it would slow down or get interrupted by stoppage. So is peristalsis, if there is not much water, the body reacts by conserving its body reserves of water by slowing the peristaltic movement of the organs involve. Consequently there will be delayed emptying of organ contents to their proper reservoir, thus, delayed emptying of wastes, more time for bacteria build up.

The recommended amount of water intake basing on weight is half of your weight in ounces. half of his or her weight in ounces of pure non-carbonated water. Thus, if your weight is 120 pounds, you should drink as much as 60 ounces of water or non-carbonated drinks, about 1.7 or 2 liters. Along with increased fiber in diet, the colon gets back to its well-balanced functioning over time.

Another form of cleansing the colon is by drinking herbs. One common form of herbal colon cleansing kind is the tea leaf. Tea leaves extract aids in bowel movement, thereby preventing formation of toxins as well as killing the harmful bacteria and parasites while improving the function of colon muscles to promote natural and regular bowel movements.

All herbs that supports colon cleansing also have liver cleansing and cathartic actions. Aloe leaf, senna, cascara sagrada, ginger, and cayenne pepper help eliminate unwanted components from the colon by stimulating bowel movements. Garlic, known for its antihypertensive properties also helps in killing colon bactiera as well as preventing gas formation.

With advanced technology, some of the herbal plants are processed and presented to the market as capsules or powders. There’s no fear of mistaking a plant for something its not and get harmed instead. Apparently, our colon’s health depend on the lifestyle we keep in terms of food preferences.

Pimples, acne,zits , rosacea or acne; this is one term, which does not bear out William Shakespeare’s statement of ” What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” Acne is most certainly a pimple flare up and cannot be called a dimple by any stretch of the imagination! As this skin condition is quite prevalent among adolescents, -sometimes following them till they reach their 30s,- naturally one would like to know all about easy to implement natural acne cure treatments, which work.

The moment you see a pimple making an appearance in the form of an inflamed pimple on the surface of your skin, keep your itchy fingers away from it. Many cases of acne are aggravated just because one decides to squeeze it and get rid of all that terrible looking infectious fluid made up of bacteria, dead cells, white blood cells and serum disfiguring the surface of your skin. The key word here is “infectious.” It needs an opportunity to spread. So, you are going to find healthy skin getting infected. Instead, go right into the kitchen and look for these natural acne cure treatments, which not only are extremely effective herbal remedies, but are also going to disinfect your skin beautifully.

Honey is considered to be the best natural disinfectant in the world. Topical skin remedies and treatments have just one drawback. They dry your skin. Well, they are meant to do so, because their main job is to dry the pimple. On the other hand, if you use honey, the natural moisture in your skin is going to be retained. Your pores are not going to be clogged up. The best way to use honey on your skin is to dip your fingers in warm water. Now, dip them in a bowl full of honey and spread it all over the affected areas. Honey used by itself is rather sticky; the water allows it to spread better all over the skin. Honey is also an excellent rejuvenator of the skin. Leave this honey solution on your skin for about 20 minutes and then wash off gently, with warm water. Pat dry.

You can also try a mild exfoliating agent in the shape of raw potatoes. Cooks in medieval times, always had a glowing skin, because they washed their faces with water in which potatoes were boiled. (In fact, they had a tendency of washing their faces with raw milk, or in any water in which a well scrubbed vegetable was boiled, before throwing it away…), but you do not have to go through all that trouble.

Just grate a potato and rub the pieces gently over your skin. You can also rub the affected areas with raw potato juice. The acid found in raw potatoes is a wonderfully effective exfoliating agent. Your skin will also glow thanks to the vitamins C. present in the raw potato. The same goes for tomato pulp and freshly extracted tomato juice — it is an excellent skin moisturizer, exfoliating agent and mild antiseptic. Drink it, and apply it on your face! Use these extremely effective, easy to follow natural acne cure treatments available in your kitchen right away!

Photo by Caitlinator

The brain performs intricate and elaborate functions. The master organ controls all the system of the human body. Along with all its plentiful functions. It is remarkable to realize how it manages to perform all functions with out making any confusion or mistakes that will affect any system of the body.

Nerve Supply

Brain and spinal cord are classified under the central nervous system. They are supplied with rich amount of nerve cells or commonly called neurons. These usually transmit all the way from the brain through the spinal cord messages and signals by neurotransmission to the different areas of the body.

Sexual Arousal

Sexual arousal or commonly known as orgasm is the heightened pleasure of intimacy usually of two people during climatic sexual activity. It involves either the release of male’s seminal fluid or the vaginal contraction of the female. It can be characterized by the physical blushing of the face, erection of the nipples and penis and excitation of the body.

Brain during Sexual Encounters

The hypothalamus of the brain is a center for limbic system as it plays important roles in emotions, pleasures and sex. Our vulnerability to any thing that we seek comfort, security and enthusiasm lies in the pleasure center of this organ.

Usually, the penis and vagina are proliferated with numerous nerve endings, which will send information to the brain through nerves in the spinal cord when these are touched, sensitized, or manipulated. Our brain will send neurotransmitters, chemicals like norepinephrine and dopamine, which then stimulates the hypothalamus to provide this feeling of pleasure or well-being.

Cerebellum

The cerebellum has long been the motor coordinator of behavior but also it has recently revealed its role in emotional processing. It could be the seat of the emotional components of orgasm in men, helping to coordinate those emotions with planned behaviors especially during sexual encounters. The amygdala, which is the brain’s center of vigilance and fear, demonstrated a decline in activity during ejaculation, a probable sign of decreasing vigilance during sexual performance and only concentrating in the pleasure ability of moment.

Lateral Orbitofrontal Cortex The lateral orbitofrontal cortex, which is the regional brain behind the left eye, is usually closed during sexual encounter. This area is intended for reason and control behavior, only reminds us that whenever we encounter the moment of pleasure during sexual activity, we lose control of reason and behavior over this feeling. This is also the very reason why we commit adultery or mistake when we succumb to the delights of sex, by losing our control and mind, and closing this area of the brain. Conclusion The neurons from the brain and spinal cords to the body are copious. Such vital neurons are responsible for sexual pleasure like the hypogastric nerve, pelvic nerves, pudendal nerve, and vagus nerve. Each nerve when simulated transmits sensation in either the stimulation or function of the clitoris of the women, scrotum, penis, or rectum of the men. During the existence of this sexual stimulation, regions in the brain get all the information for orgasm to occur, creating pleasurable feeling, and sensation.

In this competitive world, there is no way you can get by without learning. Continous education is required just to stay in a job.

In this article, I want to introduce you to the 3 laws that all of us have to obey to learn and master any skills. These laws are not made up of thin air - they developed through thorough scientific research. Unfortunately, there are no short-cuts either but if you follow them, you’ll definitely be to learn faster and remember better than ever before.

With that said, let’s get started.

Law of repetition. If you want to be a master in your field, there is no choice but to practice. Some studies of the successful people in their field, people such as Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods, found that there is no such thing as talent. They all have put in more than 10,000 hours of practice before they could achieve what they did.

This is because as you practice, you strengthen the synapses responsible the skills you’re trying to master. The stronger these synapses get, the better you are at what you do. Unfortunately, these synapses also break down if you don’t use it often.

Thus constant practice is required just to maintain your level of expertise.

The next is the law of association. Whenever we learn without going through an experience, we associate what we’ve already known to what we don’t know.

For example, a synapse is like a bridge between two neurons. You don’t know what a synapse - but you do know what’s a bridge. Associating these two, you know that a synapse allows for the communication between two neurons.

When you associate, you learn faster and you remember better. Let’s take a test. In 3 seconds, can you remember this phone number………… 0923492810? Set. Go.

You probably can’t. But what if you associate that number to a date and an age? Like this: 09/23/4928 10? September 23rd Year 4928, someone will be 10 years old.

In 3 seconds, you’re far more likely to remember it than you would if it’s a phone number!

The third law is the law of attention. If you don’t pay attention to a particular stimulus, you don’t learn it. It’s as simple as that.

Studies have shown neural network grows only when subjects pay attention to the stimulus.

There, 3 learning techniques to get you started. Hope that helps!

Learning is crucial to your brain fitness. But in a time where everyone’s so busy, who’s got the time to learn anything?

Well, in this article, I’ll attempt to correct that problem by giving you some tips and tricks to learn any skill you want. Yes, I said any. How is that possible? Because whatever you learn - be it playing the piano or rock climbing - goes through the same process in your brain. If you understand the process of learning, then you can make learning far quicker.

1. Learning, important as it is, is a high order task. This means that if low order needs are not satisfied, learning cannot take place. This includes hunger (skipping breakfast), rest (sufficient sleep) and even mental harmony (do you have troubles, such as a mortgage that is troubling you?).
2. Learning can only take place when you pay attention to the stimulus. A background audio course will not have the same effect as it would have if you had listened to it with your full focus. This is why multitasking is bad for learning - it takes your attention away and causes unnecessary stress.
3. Remember to revise and practice what you’ve learned. Synapses break down if you stop firing the neurons - thus you forget what do not practice. This is why small continuous practice is more efficient than cramping for exams.
4. If you’re learning a skill, experience instead of read. Experiences involve a larger network of neurons because it involves all five of your senses.

Meditation is one of the oldest practice on earth. Practitioners have reported all sort of benefits… but is there any scientific basis?

Well, the scientific community as of today couldn’t prove (just yet) exactly how meditation can improve your brain and your overall health but a handful of studies have done that clearly shows a difference.

The first study was published in the Journal of Neurophysiology back in 1995. The experiment involved 4 group. The first practiced piano with specific instructions. The second group randomly played the piano. The third observed the first group and imagined playing the piano. And fourth group is the control - they didn’t do anything.

The result? The third group - the group that only mentally rehearsed showed almost the same amount of neuronal development as the group that physically practiced. Though the researcher did not actually asked the subjects to play the piano, previous research has established that the stronger your neuronal development is, the better you are at doing something.

To verify this fact, let’s take a look at another study. This study is conducted by Drs Guang Ye and Kelly Cole. They had two groups of subjects. The first performed finger exercises and the second imagined doing the same exercises.

Results? While the first increased their finger strength by 34%, the people who merely imagined also increased their finger strength… by 22%. Though they didn’t quite as well, imagined what would’ve happened if they did both?

Intense imagination, which is a form of meditation, is in fact a common practice among top performers in their field, be it a 100m dasher, a triathlete or a rapper. They imagined how they are going to perform before actually going out to the “stage”.

The principle behind what makes meditation work, is called “Hebbian Learning”. That is - neurons that fire together, wire together. The stronger the link, the better you do. And guess what? Imagining and physically doing something fires the same network of neurons… resulting in the same effect.

It is for this reason that meditation is highly recommended if you want to maintain your brain fitness. It allows you to stimulate your neurons just as brain exercises do and thus keeps them active. This is important because guess what’s the opposite impact of Hebbian Leaning?

Neurons that no longer fire together… no longer wire together.

Counter-intuitive as it may sound, sleeping actually increases your productivity. And I don’t mean the regular night-time sleep (you require that just to survive). I mean afternoon naps.

That’s right. Studies have shown afternoon naps increase the productivity of workers. NASA pilots, for example, increased their performance by a whopping 34% just from a short 26 minutes afternoon nap.

Other studies have shown people who took afternoon naps are more alert, better at learning, focus better and have better memory. In fact, in his book, “Talent is Overrated”, Geoff Colvin mentioned a study about how people who achieved great success in their lifetime did not work through the day and night. In fact, they tend to take more afternoon naps than their “droning” counterparts.

Coincidence?

But why is an afternoon essential for productivity?

Us, human beings, live through various cycles in our life. One of the most popular cycles, is of course, the circadian rhythm. We wake up in the morning, and we go to sleep at night.

What most people don’t know is that later studies found that the circadian rhythm also dictates that we should sleep in the afternoon - at about 3 pm, a full 12 hours from our last REM sleep.

The researchers who found out about this also noted that our body temperature tend to fall in the afternoon - consistent with the pattern of sleep at night. (Yes, unlike what you’re taught at school, your body temperature don’t stay constant at 36.9 degrees Celsius.

By fighting against the natural rhythm, your brain has to separate its attention to deal with it. It’s like there two armies in your brain: the subconscious wants to sleep and the conscious wants to stay awake to work. Believe me: the subconscious always wins.

But have you ever wonder why we need to sleep? If you’re sleeping less than 6 hours a day, you might want to rethink your strategy.

Though cannot be proven to be true, some scientists have theorized that humans need to sleep at night because the brain required the time to consolidate what it learned for the day. Sleeping also clears the way for the information it is expecting tomorrow.

Sleeping, therefore, is a lot like shelving. You brain “shelfs” what it has learned today so that it is free to learn what’s coming tomorrow…

This is probably why people who get enough sleep remember better (shelving) and they learn better (ready for tomorrow’s information).

To verify (not prove), researchers can see (through brain scans) that the brain is never at rest… even when you’re asleep. In fact, it looks like it’s busier than when you’re awake!

So there, another reason to sleep: Brain fitness.

If your parents have been nagging at you to stop listening to your music while you’re studying, then there’s good news for you: Studies have shown music improves memory, focus and even intelligence.

A Stanford University study has even shown music to improve your anticipatory intelligence. Other benefits include less stress, happiness, mood lifting, prolonged attention and better overall test scores. Some neuroscientists have even theorized that music has played a crucial role in our evolution. By hitting on hollow trees, our ancestors have unknowingly trained their brain for intelligence not found in other creatures. This is because the same parts of your brain that processes music also processes memory and control your ability to shift attention.

Although I should mention that the studies are all conducted with Baroque music pieces… or in other words, classical symphonies. Loud music, such as rock and roll, has been correlated with just the opposite effect: Lowered ability to hold attention (increased distractability), decreased memory and poorer test scores are just some of its effects.

As for the reason why, no one really knows. And as such, causation cannot be established.

But if you want to improve your mental fitness, I’d suggest you switch your music preferences. It was hard for me because I was one of those “first-row-maniac” in Led Zeppelin concerts but even I managed to change.

Brain exercises are not the only way to improve your mental functions. Several studies have suggested certain foods that great beneficial causation-effect on your brain too - although these studies have only been conducted on animals.

There is, as of this writing, no way for neuroscientists to know exactly what are the effects of these foods on the human brain without cutting them open.

With that said, there are studies that correlates the increased consumption of these food with higher mental capacity. What are these foods exactly?

1. Berries, specifically strawberries, blueberries and raspberries contain a certain chemical called ellagitannins, abundantly found in the hippocampus. This chemical often declines as you ago - and therefore it stands to reason that if you consume a healthy amount of it, you’ll at the very least slow mental decline. Hippocampus is the part of you brain that converts short-term memory into long-term ones. So if you are having trouble remembering stuff, or learning new skills, berries might be the answer you’re looking for.
2. If you’re always forgetting you place your keys, you might want to start drinking a glass of red wine daily. Red wine, or grapes, to be specific, contain proanthocyanins, a chemical found in the part of your brain responsible for spatial memory, the striatum.
3. Vitamin B12, is responsible for much your cognitive functions but unfortunately cannot be found in any plant source. If you’re a vegan, my recommendation is for you to supplement your diet with vitamin B12 tablets, although these synthetic version are often inferior to the natural ones.
4. If you find yourself unable to concentrate for an acceptable period of time, you might be lacking iron, a university study found. Iron, can be abundantly found in spinach. Be careful: Too much iron can lead to metal poisoning. For most of the time, only women who are menstruating require iron supplementation.
5. For every 10 point you blood pressure increases over the healthy limit, there’s a rise of you developing cognitive problems by 7%. So limit that synthetic salt you’re consuming or replace them with natural sea salts.