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Tuesday 30 May 2017

These Vitamins Protect Your DNA From Air Pollution

What if there was a vitamin that could actually protect your genetic material against damage from toxic substances in our air? Well, according to recent research, not just one vitamin can do this but a whole set of vitamins have this amazing protective ability.
According to researchers at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health in conjunction with Harvard’s T. H. Chan School of Public Health, in Sweden, China, Singapore, Mexico and Canada, the B-complex vitamins protect DNA against common pollutants in our air. The researchers identified a gap in our understanding of natural substances that could protect our bodies against the health-damaging effects of air pollutants, so they sought solutions.
Participants in the study were given either a placebo or a B-complex vitamin supplement containing 2.5 mg of folic acid, 50 mg of vitamin B6 and 1 mg of vitamin B12 daily. Study participants were healthy non-smokers between the ages of 18 to 60 who did not take any other supplements or medications. Air pollutants were extracted from a heavy traffic area in downtown Toronto and administered to the volunteers. Researchers found that those who took the B vitamin supplement had greater protection against DNA damage resulting from air pollutants.
The research is valuable as a growing body of research links air pollution to a wide variety of health conditions, including: respiratory diseases (asthma, COPD, emphysema, etc.), heart disease, and even brain diseases like dementia, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. While we obviously need to find ways to reduce air pollution, it is also imperative to find natural solutions free of harmful side-effects to help manage these health conditions. 
Food Sources of B-Vitamins
Vitamin B6: bananas, avocados, cantaloupe, molasses, soy, walnuts, pecans, leafy greens, green peppers, carrots
Folic Acid: mushrooms, nuts, broccoli, asparagus, lima beans, lettuce, spinach, beet greens, sweet potatoes, leafy greens
Vitamin B12: foods fortified with the vitamin, mushrooms and fermented foods. The primary foods that are fortified with B12 are almond milk, rice milk, soy milk (be sure it’s organic since most soy is genetically-modified), hemp milk and oat milk, along with fortified breakfast cereals and vegan meat substitutes.  
B Complex Supplements
Most B vitamin supplements come in either 50 milligram or 100 milligram dosages, with either 50 or 100 milligrams of each of the B vitamins, including: B6, B1, B2, niacin (B3), along with 50 or 100 micrograms of each of folic acid and vitamin B12. Take one or two capsules or tablets daily, as directed on the package of the product you select.
Ideally, because B-complex vitamins are involved in energy production in the body, it is best to take them in the morning or early afternoon to avoid excessive alertness at bedtime. Most people find that the energy boost is a pleasant benefit of supplementing with B vitamins. The B-complex vitamins work best together and as a result are best taken in a combination supplement, rather than as individual vitamins. You may notice that your urine becomes darker while taking B vitamins. Contrary to what some people think, you are not just urinating the supplements out of your body. Instead, they also offer a protective effect against infection or other health conditions to your urinary tract.

Richest Americans Live Up to 15 Years Longer Than the Poorest

The health–wealth gap continues to divide us, a new mega-study finds.
Money can’t buy love or happiness. But it may buy health and a longer life.
In a new mega-review of 26 studies, U.S. Census information, and Social Security records published in The Lancet, Boston University Center for Global Health & Development researchers compared extensive data on Americans’ income disparities and health histories for the years 1980–2015. 
They found that the wealth–health gap between the poor and rich is deepening — and that’s translating to a larger difference in how long people live.
“A ‘health–poverty trap’ may be emerging,” explains study lead author Jacob Bor, ScD, SM, assistant professor of global health, “keeping the poor sick, and the sick poor.”
Among the key findings:
  • The richest 1 percent of Americans live more than a decade longer than the poorest 1 percent. Among men, the wealthiest 1 percent benefit from an average of 14.6 years greater longevity; women live 10.1 years more.
  • Since 2001, the poorest 5 percent of Americans are not living any longer — while middle- and high-income people have gained more than two years in life expectancy.
  • Income disparity has “increased dramatically” among Americans in the past four decades: The share of income going into the pockets of the wealthiest 10 percent increased from 33 percent of all earnings in 1978 to 50 percent in 2014 — “a level of inequality not seen since before the Great Depression,” the study authors note. They also found incomes for poor and middle-income Americans have barely changed since the 1970s and, adjusted for inflation, have actually declined since 2000.
  • Poverty has long been linked to poorer health outcomes because people in lower-income groups cannot afford as much or the same quality of healthcare as wealthy people. Numerous studies found that poorer people also are statistically more likely to adopt less-healthy habits, such as smoking, substance- and alcohol-abuse, and an unhealthy diet, and have higher incidences of obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and lung and some other types of cancer.
  • Because they die younger, the poor are often “short-changed” by age-related healthcare programs such as Medicare and Social Security retirement benefits.
  • This wealth–health gap keeps getting deeper for several reasons, the authors note. Among these is a gulf between the richest and poorest in the adoption of healthcare innovations; access to health-risk and preventive-care information due to cost barriers; and the erosion of public subsidies for health insurance and other health inputs.
The result is a looming health–poverty trap, Bor explains. This is vicious circle “where poverty leads to poor health (because the poor face greater disease risks and have fewer resources to invest in their health), and in turn, poor health leads to deeper poverty (through medical expenses and productivity losses).”
“Low-income Americans are increasingly left behind,” he and his coauthors write in the study. “Without interventions to decouple income and health, or to reduce inequalities in income, we might see the emergence of a 21st century health–poverty trap and the further widening and hardening of socioeconomic inequalities in health.”

The Magic of Frozen Bananas

With the hearty appetites in our busy vegan household, the freezers must always be chock-full of frozen bananas.
A naturally healthy and sustaining food, bananas give an instant energy boost that is long lasting, yet light on the digestion. They’re fantastic for smoothies, snacks and even raw vegan desserts. (See Marble “Nice Dream” Pie below)
When you take the extra step of freezing them, bananas undergo a remarkable transformation that creates a whole other texture and flavor, and can be used in some fantastic ways that everybody ought to know about.
Following are some of our favorite ways to use frozen bananas, as well as some simple guidelines to make sure your banana freezing goes smoothly!

Choose very ripe bananas

Ideally, when you’re freezing bananas, they should be so ripe that they’re covered in brown spots, just as for baking banana bread. This is when the bananas are at their sweetest, and most intensely flavored. Even if they would be too sweet and soft to eat normally, this is the perfect time to peel and freeze them. You can still freeze bananas that are not yet spotted, but the flavor and sweetness will be milder.
Frozen bananas can still be used for baking. Simply remove them from the freezer, allow to defrost, then use them just as you would use fresh bananas.

Remove the peels

When bananas are ripe, remove the peels, tip the ends if necessary, and cut away any bad spots and loose “strings.” Place peeled bananas in a plastic bag and freeze overnight or longer.
In a good freezer, they will last for a very long time. If your frozen bananas ever turn brown on the outside, they will still be fine to use, but the sweetness and flavor will intensify. My personal preference is to use them for baking at this point.
When you’re ready to use your frozen bananas, simply remove the bag from the freezer, and use a knife to separate them from each other and cut them into slices.
Sliced frozen banana is a delicious treat all on its own! You can even add a little vegan chocolate/carob sauce for an extra decadent treat (see page 8 for a home-made recipe). For a healthier alternative, you can add raisins, dates, sliced walnuts/pecans, vanilla, and a dash of tahini or peanut butter if you like.
Now that you have a supply in your freezer, you can use frozen bananas for smoothies, sorbets, yogurt and “Nice Cream” (a soft ice cream alternative – see below).
But don’t forget to read below for Gentle World’s famous Banini – the Vegan Vanilla Malted Shake… Or, as one of our friends calls it, “The Milkshake without the Tummy Ache!”
The Banini or Vanilla (Malted) Shake is one of our all-time favorite recipes, and one of Gentle World‘s classic food inventions. After 40 years of experimenting with vegan recipes, we still offer a Banini to almost everyone who walks through our doors – especially if they’ve never had vegan food before.
The great thing about this recipe is that it tastes like a dessert without any of the unhealthy effects of eating sugar. Adding a vegan sweetener like maple syrup or agave nectar might improve this recipe for those with a strong sweet tooth, but I find that it isn’t necessary, especially if the bananas were very ripe when frozen. (Keep in mind that different types of tahini taste different, and the strength or bitterness of the flavor might affect the finished product. A little added sweetener helps in this case.)
The following quantities will yield one full blender, or enough for about four people. I like to make myself a two-glass serving (half of this recipe) for a light lunch that fills me up but doesn’t leave me with a heavy feeling. The quick energy burst from the bananas is a great afternoon pick-me-up.
 Banana “Nice Cream
6 frozen bananas
Optional: 2 Tbsp. tahini, peanut butter, or any nut butter
Homogenize frozen bananas through a Champion juicer (or a food processor). Add tahini or nut butter for a richer ice cream, or whip a dash of vanilla into the finished product. Eat immediately for a ‘soft-serve’ consistency, or freeze for a firmer “Nice Cream.”
~ Variation: Make a serving of carob-tahini fudge and swirl through the “Nice Cream” before freezing. Alternatively, top with Chocolate Sundae Sauce. Recipes below.
My friend Sky invented the following recipe when he wanted an alternative to a fruit smoothie for breakfast… Or maybe he just wanted a way to eat ice cream at any time of the day without feeling guilty… In any case, I’m very grateful for the invention, because Smush (rhymes with “push”) is one of my all-time favorite breakfasts. It’s quick, easy, healthy and filling. And yummy.

Sky’s Smush
serves 2–3 people
2 strawberry papaya (or other soft fruit, such as peaches, nectarines, or berries)
6–7 frozen bananas (depending on size)
Optional: vanilla, to taste
Removing the seeds, gently scoop papaya from skin (or peel and stone whichever fruit you are using), and slice bananas into rounds. Combine in food processor, and homogenize well using the S-shaped blade. Process until smooth and creamy.
Eat immediately for a soft-serve consistency, unless you want to freeze it for later. Freezing will change the consistency to firm.
Fresh Fruit Sorbet
serves 2–3 people
3 frozen bananas
1/2 cup frozen pineapple, sliced
1 cup frozen mango, sliced
1 cup papaya (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
Mix all ingredients together in a food processor (or Vita Mix®) a little at a time, blending into a cream. Delicious and creamy served immediately, or frozen to make sherbet.

Marble Nice Dream Pie
yields 1 pie
Crust
1/3 cup dried shredded coconut
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup almonds
1/2 cup sunflower seeds, soaked for 15 minutes
1/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup raw carob powder
6 dates, soaked for 10 minutes
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1.  Blend crust ingredients in a food processor using the “S” shaped blade.
2.  Sprinkle a little dry carob into the bottom of a pie plate. Press crust into pie plate.
Carob Sauce
1 frozen banana
3/4 cup raw carob
4 Tbsp. raw tahini
8 dates, soaked for 10 minutes
1/2 tsp. vanilla
a small amount of water from the soaked dates
In a blender, blend all ingredients until thick and creamy. Freeze until ready to use.
Nice Dream” Filling
12 frozen bananas
15 dates, soaked for 10 minutes
5 Tbsp. raw tahini
Topping
2–3 Tbsp. shredded coconut
1.  Homogenize filling ingredients using a food processor or a Champion® juicer, alternating ingredients.
2.  Mix half of the filling with Carob Sauce, to make carob-flavored Nice Dream.
3.  Put the carob and vanilla Nice Dream into the pie crust and swirl. Top with shredded coconut. Cover and freeze overnight. Remove from freezer five minutes before serving. For a soft freeze, serve immediately.

Chocolate / Carob Sundae Sauce
1/2 cup non-dairy milk
4 Tbsp. cocoa or carob powder
2 Tbsp. unrefined sweetener such as Rapadura (or maple syrup)
3 or 4 Tbsp. peanut butter
1 Tbsp. rice syrup
In a blender, blend all ingredients until smooth and creamy. Pour over “Nice Cream” (page 5).

Carob Tahini Fudge
yields about 2 cups
1 cup raw carob powder
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup raw tahini
2 dates, pitted, soaked
1/8 cup water (from date soak)
Blend all ingredients thoroughly in a food processor. Freeze and serve.
Alternatively, swirl it through “Nice Cream” without freezing first.

Monday 29 May 2017

Fake Media prevent Americans from hearing real story: DonaldTrump

Trump's attacks on the media come as his campaign team faces increased scrutiny over its contacts with Russia.
 US President Donald Trump has alleged that the "fake media" does not want him to use the social media to prevent Americans from hearing the "real story".
In a series of tweets, the president said he believed the leaks coming from his administration are actually "fabricated lies."
 "The Fake News Media works hard at disparaging & demeaning my use of social media because they don't want America to hear the real story!" Trump said in a tweet yesterday, a day after he returned from his maiden overseas trip, which he described as a big success.
"Just returned from Europe. The trip was a great success for America. Hard work but big results," he said as he slammed the US media for using leaks against him.
 "It is my opinion that many of the leaks coming out of the White House are fabricated lies made up by the #FakeNews media," he said in another tweet to his more than 30.8 followers.
 "Whenever you see the words 'sources say' in the fake news media, and they don't mention names... It is possible that those sources don't exist but are made up by fake news writers. #FakeNews is the enemy!" Trump said in a series of tweets.
 "Does anyone notice how the Montana Congressional race was such a big deal to Dems & Fake News until the Republican won? V was poorly covered," he wrote.
 "British Prime Minister (Theresa) May was very angry that the info the UK gave to US about Manchester was leaked. Gave me full details!" Trump tweeted.
Trump said the massive tax cuts/reforms that he has submitted is moving along in the process very well.
 "Actually ahead of schedule. Big benefits to all!" he said.
 "I suggest that we add more dollars to Healthcare and make it the best anywhere. ObamaCare is dead - the Republicans will do much better!" said the US President.
Trump's attacks on the media come as his campaign team faces increased scrutiny over its contacts with Russia.
Members of Trump's White House have regularly requested anonymity when speaking to the press.

NASA's first ever mission to 'touch the Sun': US space agency to make big announcement this week


The US space agency, NASA, is expected to make a big announcement about its plan to launch a new spacecraft that will fly directly into our Sun's atmosphere this week.
NASA will reveal details about its new mission at an event at 11 a.m. EDT Wednesday, May 31. The event will air live on NASA Television and the agency’s website.
The Solar Probe Plus, which the agency called it as the first ever mission to 'touch the Sun', is scheduled to launch in the summer of 2018.
Jonathan Lunine, the director of the Center for Astrophysics and Planetary Science at Cornell University, said, "Solar Probe Plus will pass within four million miles of the Sun - that's almost eight times closer to the Sun than the orbit of Mercury - and provide incredible detail on the dynamic solar atmosphere."
"Solar Probe Plus will fly closer to the Sun than the distance at which even close-in exoplanets orbit their own Suns, giving us unprecedented information on the kinds of environments these planets experience," he noted.
Facing heat and radiation unlike any spacecraft in history, the probe will explore the sun’s outer atmosphere and make critical observations that will answer decades-old questions about the physics of how stars work.
NASA says the resulting data will improve forecasts of major space weather events that impact life on Earth, as well as satellites and astronauts in space.

There’s No Sport in Killing Lions (14 pics)


The post about Melissa Bachman is till getting a lot of attention and comments. Here is an interesting story about lions and why it is not cool to kill them. 













Background actors who have no idea what they are doing (17 gifs)


These background actors have no idea what they are doing.

The guy who has no idea how brooms work:

This guy who definitely just fought a ghost:
These fierce warriors performing in their brutal fight:
And these guys too:
This guy that is pretty sure he was just kicked:
Whoever that stormtrooper in the back is who didn’t realize there was a DOOR THERE:
This guy who has no control over his arm movements:
This little kid who wanted everyone to look at…something.
This woman who is unsure of how cutting food works:
This dude who doesn’t know how he even ended up where he is:
This guy THROWING AN ACTUAL DOG INTO THE WATER:
That dude back there who literally is just standing there with his pants open:
That girl in the back who doesn’t realize you aren’t supposed to stop running and just look at the camera:
This guy who really thought it was important to fall and roll over:
This guy, who finally realized he’d just been shot:
This guy who looks a little too jolly to be running into shark-infested waters:
And this cat who clearly will never work another day in his life: