When it comes to natural medicines and therapies, I’ve always been a bit wary. While I’ve had a few instances where a natural remedy might have helped me feel better, I’m certainly not about to throw good ol’ science-based medicine out the window!
The news isn’t great for natural remedies these days. While mainstream medicine (and the health care system in the U.S.) has a LONG way to go, it’s still the best way to get treated – and that’s backed up by research. A study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute states that cancer patients are twice as likely to die from their cancer if they choose natural remedies over regular medicine. And if you have breast or colorectal cancer, you’re FIVE TIMES more likely to die if you choose alternative medicine.
To be clear, these statistics do not reflect people who use alternative medicine along with traditional treatment.
The research shows that natural treatments do not address the actual problem when it comes to cancer. Your body likely won’t recognize the problem when cancer cells are growing because the cancer isn’t trying to kill, the cells are trying to multiply.
Bottom line: modern medicine isn’t perfect, but it is your best bet. Cancer treatments are harsh and invasive, but your chances of living longer are greatly improved if you take advantage of them. And more people are living with cancer today than ever before.
Cancer is a grim subject, but there is absolutely room for hope!
Everybody always has that one friend – you know, the one who can take down a whole pizza and some beer all by themselves, then turn around and ask for dessert… all while maintaining their seemingly impossibly svelte physique. Oh, and they don’t work out either. Nope, they just go around eating whatever they like with no consequences at all. No pounds piling on, no ours of atonement at the gym. Must be nice.
Well, you’ll be interested in the results of this study, which claims to have the answers…though they’re probably not going to make you feel any better.
Basically, your body type depends on the genes you were born with far more than on any diet or exercise routine you employ as an adult.
The new research aimed to pinpoint the genetic architecture of skinniness and severe obesity, and their findings, published in PLOS Genetics, could help explain why some people find staying thin easy while others have the opposite experience.
That is not to say that environmental factors like high-calorie diets or sedentary lifestyles don’t play any role, but obesity, as many people have realized, is more complex than eating too much fast food.
The study leader, Professor Sadaf Farooqi, issued this statement:
“This research shows for the first time that healthy thin people are generally thin because they have a lower burden of genes that increase a person’s chances of being overweight and not because they are morally superior, as some people like to suggest. It’s easy to rush to judgement and criticize people for their weight, but the science shows that things are far more complex. We have far less control over our weight than we might wish to think.”
No one tell the billion-dollar diet industry that they’re bunk.
Or wait. Maybe we should.
This study included the DNA of around 14,000 people – 1622 thin people, 1985 obese people, and 10433 people with average body mass, and identified the genes linked to slimmer people. Adds researcher Dr. Ines Barroso,
“As anticipated, we found that obese people had a higher genetic risk score than normal weight people, which contributes to their risk of being overweight. The genetic dice are loaded against them.”
The research supports previous studies, which have suggested that though a number of variables dictate weight gain (or loss), your natural metabolism has a lot to do with how you look.
With obesity posing a huge health risk, particularly in Western countries like the US and the UK, these researchers hope their findings will help doctors and laypeople alike gain a more attenuated understanding of what causes it – and how we can adjust our weight-loss strategies accordingly.
The study might also lead to different approaches in the future, as our science continues to advance. Professor Farooqi suggests,
“If we can find the genes that prevent them from putting on weight, we may be able to target those genes to find new weight loss strategies and help people who do not have this advantage.”
Which is to say, you might be able to find a diet and exercise routine that compliment your genetic makeup, therefore not applying unrealistic standards and goals in each specific case.
Having your work critiqued is always difficult. It’s a very vulnerable position to put yourself in, because you never know how someone will react to your work. Particularly for beginners, it can be a disheartening process.
A Reddit user wanted to encourage his mother, Cindi Decker, to stick with her artwork, so he decided to post a photo of her holding one of her first paintings.
Here is the photo of Decker and her painting with the caption, “My mom painted this and said no one would like it. It’s her 2nd painting.”
Little did mother and son know that the online floodgates were going to open, in a good way. A Reddit user suggested “Someone paint the photo of his mom holding her painting and repost it with the same title for extra extra karma.” And what do you know…
Cindi Decker said of all the hoopla, “Even though people say, ‘You inspired me to paint,’ I don’t know that it was so much me. I really give credit to the first artist who painted. You know, I’m not a painter. I’m just somebody who went out and did a little painting thing, so I got lucky to get caught up in all this fun craziness.”
I love when the Internet comes together for good instead of evil! Let’s see more of this!
Degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s are absolutely devastating. They affect not just the person suffering, but also all the loved ones who can only watch helplessly as someone they love so much gradually fades away. Alzheimer’s steals a person’s mind and memories. What’s worse, as the Reddit post below illustrates with heartbreaking accuracy, it also robs them of what makes them unique.
A 34-year-old Redditor from Camden, NJ, posted a photo that captures exactly what Alzheimer’s took from her mother — her ability to crochet, along with so much else.
The photograph shows 14 crocheted pieces that the woman knitted during the 2 years after her diagnosis, and the progression is breathtaking in the worst way possible.
You can clearly see her abilities fade along with her mind as she goes from knitting squares to circles to nothing at all.
“She made squares for a while, then the circles, then the little pieces of crochet, until she got to the point where she just carried around the needles and yarn in her purse,” the woman’s daughter wrote. “It has been a few years since she was able to speak and several since she was able to identify who I am.”
Her mother is just 66, and has already lived 12 years with her diagnosis, though it’s surely hard to say whether that is a blessing or a curse.
Others on Reddit responded with commiseration, stories of their own experience with the disease, and simple messages of encouragement to remind the woman she’s far from alone.
If you’re worried someone you love might be showing signs of Alzheimer’s or dementia, or if someone you love is suffering and you’re struggling to cope, please call the Alzheimer’s Association Helpline at 1-800-272-3900.
Marie Kondo’s recent Netflix series, “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo,” has inspired people everywhere to take stock of how much stuff they own and probably don’t need. I’m actually doing it myself, and the method is easy to follow and really does help you become more mindful about your possessions and patterns of consumption. What’s more, decluttering has now been proven to not only increase the happiness of the adults in the home, but also kids. According to psychologist Dr. Ryan Sinclair, there is a “direct relationship…between clutter and tension” that can increase stress levels for human beings in general.
First off, what is clutter? It’s not the dirty clothes left on the floor instead of tossed in the hamper, and it’s not the pile of crap in that one chair that never seems to stay empty for more than a couple of hours.
Lisa Krohn, a professional organizer, told Romper that while messiness isn’t anything to panic about, true clutter can signal a larger problem, and can have an impact on a child’s wellbeing.
“Clutter causes confusion, accidents, paralyzes children from making decisions, and creates anger and temper tantrums. Clutter is too hard to process. They can’t see the forest through the trees.”
Who knew you could blame your kid’s tantrums on your space instead of your parenting or their general toddler mood swings?
In a 2016 article in the Journal of Environmental Psychology, scientists argue that being in an overly-cluttered space can lead to a cluttered mind unable to function as cleanly as it would in a tidy environment. Similarly, a study in Environment and Behaviorfound similar results with students learning in cluttered classroom environments – they had a harder time completing their work to the best of their ability.
If your kids’ play space is a total disaster, with each and every item not having a “home” to return to when cleaning up, the little ones will instinctively avoid the area for their own mental well-being – even if they don’t know why they’re averse to playing there.
The good news is, you and the kids can tidy the space together, and everyone will be the better for it. Your children will feel a sense of reward by completing a task that leads to a positive effect on themselves, as well as others.
A tip from the professionals: Kids need clear, visual clues in order to truly be able to help keep their own spaces tidy. That means clearly labelling boxes and drawers so that they know where things go at the end of the day.
Still, they’re kids, so don’t expect perfection or for crap-pile to disappear seemingly overnight. Just keep in mind how much better it is for everyone when you pitch a bunch of their stuff while they’re over at grandma’s.
Everyone will be happier for your sneakiness. Fact.
Parenting is a hard job, and I’m literally only saying that with the experience of being a puppy parent! Whether you have a fur baby or a real baby, it’s hard to always find the energy to play with them – especially when it’s cold outside.
That’s why I gotta give mad props to Greg Eichhorn of Ohio, who is a father to 9 adopted, special needs children. Although two of those kids are wheelchair-bound, Greg figured that shouldn’t stop them from enjoying a snow fort like every other kid on the block.
“We built a bigger igloo – one that had a handicap-accessible hole so Elijah and Zahara could experience it, because I did when I was a kid,” he explained.
The adorable, thoughtful act garnered attention on social media when a friend of Eichhorn shared a picture of the fort and his buddy’s ingenuity on Reddit.
Comments poured in and were, true to Reddit form, all over the board. That said, the majority of people thought he was a pretty awesome dad for not only getting out there, but going above and beyond to ensure that all of his children were able to enjoy the day.
As far as Eichhorn himself, he doesn’t think he did anything special. But he is using his moment in the spotlight to advocate for adoption.
“Our family is getting kind of full and it would be great if people stepped up, took on the same roles and enjoyed the kind of joy that we do. Because yeah, we get a lot of joy out of life.”
What’s more, when people reached out with offers to donate money to Eichhorn and his family, he declined, suggesting they donate the money to their local adoption agencies instead.
He sounds like a stand-up guy – and one with some pretty serious snow fort building skills. I’m not sure what else you need to be voted Dad of the Year.
Think you’ve got what it takes? Feeling like a smartypants today? Well, if you’re feeling your mental prowess today, then take a shot at these 5 brain teasers.
#1. A cowboy rides into town…
Continue reading when you’re ready to check your answer!
For those of us in the United States, this year has been a particularly cold, wet winter. As I write this, there’s a major snowstorm blanketing the East Coast, and seasoned natives of these cold parts know that warming up your car is an important step for keeping your car running smoothly throughout the winter. A 2009 study showed that most Americans believe that, when temperatures drop to below freezing, you should let your car idle for at least 4 minutes before driving off.
Unfortunately, it turns out there are several reasons why starting your car up and letting it run isn’t the best idea. Read on to find out why you shouldn’t make it a habit.
According to Stephen Ciatti (whose credentials include drag racing and a PhD in mechanical engineering), newer model cars don’t need to idle to “warm up,” and the practice can actually lead to a shorter lifespan for your engine.
Older car models relied on carburetors, and frigid weather did pose a threat to their performance because the cold temperatures made the gasoline less likely to evaporate. That could lead to carburetors failing to get the right mixture of air and fuel to the engine, which could cause cars to stall out.
Since the 1980s, however, most cars have been made with electronic fuel injection. That means your car is aware of the colder temperatures and can adjust automatically by introducing more gasoline to compensate. So if you let your newer engine idle, you’re subjecting your engine to more gasoline-rich fuel than necessary. That could lead to trouble, says Ciatti.
“Gasoline is an outstanding solvent and it can actually wash oil off the combustion chamber’s walls if you run it in the cold idle conditions for an extended period of time and can have a detrimental effect on the lubrication and life of things like piston rings and cylinder liners.”
Once your engine reaches a temperature of around 40 degrees, the car switches back to its usual fuel mixture, but “warming it up” doesn’t help it reach that point any faster. The fastest way to heat up your engine is to just drive.
Bundle up, though, because it will take your engine between 5 and 15 minutes to climb to a normal temperature from the time you hit the gas.
Spring is coming though, y’all. The groundhog says so.
We all have something we do that’s kind of lame. Some silly, nerdy behavior that others might look down on if they knew, but that we just can’t stop enjoying. These 15 things definitely fall into that category.
I say let your freak flag fly!
#1. Alone in my house.
“Act out conversations with people…alone in my house.”
#2. At least 5 hours a day.
“I spend at least 5 hours a day watching meme compilations and gaming videos. Sometimes I won’t even be watching them. I’ll have them playing in the background as I work. I swear to god I know like every single Vine by heart.”
#3. I hate small talk so much.
“You have no idea how many times I’ve pretended I’ve never met someone with the hopes that they would pretend they never met me too. I hate small talk so much. It’s worked more than half the time.”
#4. Real life.
“Cry over fictional characters more than I cry over my own real life scenarios.”
#5. My precalc teacher.
“go to tutoring everyday because my precal teacher is honestly one of the only people i relate to”
#6. It stung.
“There was a shop that offered to rent rooms by the hour for games. Good for groups of four or six since they offered interactive motion detect games like Just Dance. The console was put at the top middle of the room so it could project the image in the entire surface of a wall. Imagine an enclosed room and an entire section of the wall was the game. It was fun playing with people. I asked my friends out to play there many times but they always had some excuse so I decided to go there alone and enjoy it.
The look the girl gave me when she learned I was renting the room by myself stung. Normally I don’t pay attention to those kind of things. In my mind, I’m here to have fun and I’m not bothering people but still, that look she gave me made me self-conscious. I spent my hour there and never came back.”
#7. Mommy dearest.
“I’m 36, single, child-free (prefer it that way), live with my mother (She had a stroke a few years ago, so I came back to help out). Last year she had a blood clot in her leg that freaked us out. She asks me to quit my job so I could be here full time with her. I did.
Now I have no job, no money, and rely on my mother to pay my bills. Since my mom is mostly independent (She can’t drive anymore, but can get around with the help of her cane or wheelchair), I have a ton of time on my hands, so I just play video games all day when I’m not doing house work.”
#8. League of Legends.
“I’m 29 and I play League of Legends. And I honestly prefer making some coffee and nachos, putting on some music in the background, and just jamming on a Friday night playing League while just hanging out on my own.
I feel like a loser explaining this haha.”
#9. A dinosaur Instagram page.
“Im 19 and i run a dinosaur instagram page”
#10. Nothing better to do.
“I work weekends because I have nothing better to do. At least I’m making money”
#11. I literally sit at home.
“I moved to a new city three months ago and I have 0 friends herel, so I literally sit at home alone every single Friday and Saturday night.”
#12. To unwind.
“I love to drink alone. I have a family, I have friends, I’m more than happy to go out and hang with them, but I also like to just chill by myself and have a few drinks to unwind. I usually watch a movie, listen to music, or read, and just unwind.”
#13. 100% more relaxing.
“Every day on my lunch break at work I take my lunch to the stairwell and just sit by the window on the top floor and watch youtube videos while I eat . It may be loser-ish but it’s also 100% more relaxing then listening to people loudly talking in the break room.”
#14. Play video games.
“Play videogames instead of worrying about my future”
#15. All the ideas.
“I add ideas to my Wedding Pinterest Board. I’m not in a relationship, nor engaged.”
Love yourself, friends. Loser-y tendencies and all.
Everyone has their morning routines, and starting your day off on the right foot is vital to the success of your day. Some of us find it a lot harder to start our days out productively, but it’s a new year so what better time than now to get inspired for a little self-improvement?
And, what better place to get started than taking advice from some of history’s most successful people? Here are morning routines from some names you will definitely recognize. It might be time to incorporate some of these tasks into your daily routine.
Morning meditation can help get your head on straight and help you focus on what you need to achieve throughout the upcoming day. It also helps reduce anxiety.
Philosopher Immanuel Kant was a huge proponent of meditating each morning before he began his work day.
Even though it may feel like you’re procrastinating, doing something that you enjoy or that helps you relax each morning is very important. Before jumping into their work days, Freud had a barber trim his beard each morning, and Napoleon and Mozart spent a good amount of time primping and getting dressed.
Let’s look to Benjamin Franklin for this one. One of America’s greatest figures followed the same routine each day: He arose at 5 a.m. and said to himself, “What good shall I do this day?” Make each day count, just like Mr. Franklin did!
Is there anything more relaxing and mind-clearing than taking a long walk? I think not, and I’m in good company. Charles Darwin and Georgia O’Keeffe are two examples of brilliant minds who took morning walks in order to get the creative juices flowing.
This one may sound a little odd, but look at the proof: The legendary French writer Voltaire regularly worked from bed and he was incredibly productive during his life, writing more than 50 plays. He was known to work 18 hour days, too, so he was clearly not a lazy guy.
Winston Churchill was also a prolific bed worker, working from there for hours each morning.
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