Could a 9-Volt Battery Be More Stimulating Than Coffee, Tobacco, or Pot?

Could a 9-volt battery be more stimulating than coffee, tobacco, or pot? David Hornig discusses the newest brain science.

"Flow."

Although it can be annoyingly difficult to define with any precision and virtually impossible to measure objectively, everyone intuitively knows what it is, and most people have experienced some form of it at one time or another. It's that state of effortless concentration that leads to superior performance, either mental or physical. Everything superfluous to the task at hand is shut out of the mind. At the highest level, Michael Jordan sees a basketball hoop that's four feet wide and cannot be missed; Einstein is able to conjure the complete structure of the universe inside his head. Read more

Hammer Ready to Drop on Supplement Industry after Presidential Election

If you can't beat them, buy them up, seems to be Big Pharma's latest strategy against the dietary supplement industry.

• Major Food & Drug Companies Begin Buying Up Supplement Companies As Drug Patents Expire.
• New FDA Safety Requirements Do Bidding For Pharma Companies Who Want To Consolidate Industry, Eliminate Competition

After the Presidential election anticipate what amounts to terrorist attacks upon the dietary supplement industry as regulatory agencies and the news media do the bidding for big business in a predictable industry takeover now that vitamin pills are yielding greater profitability and unit sales growth than the American economy as a whole and drug patent expirations force pharmaceutical companies to search for replacements for their blockbuster drugs.

Proctor & Gamble and Pfizer, two food and drug giants, announced acquisition of two dietary supplement companies, making it clear the vitamin pill business is up for grabs now that it is growing faster than the rest of the economy. One source predicts the supplement industry will grow at the clip of 9% per year during 2011-15. For comparison, the entire US economy is in the doldrums with less than a 2% annual growth rate. This growth is attracting pariahs and predictable pressure from regulatory agencies to rid the industry of competition. Read more

6 New Age Cures That Aren't as Full Of Crap as You Think

Cracked.com admits that some alternative cures sometimes work, but they're a bit naive about conventional medicine: it doesn't always work either.

Let's face it: If alternative medicine worked, it wouldn't be called "alternative." It's no shock to find out that remedies involving magic and ghosts don't really make your pain go away. It would be more of a surprise to learn that they do.

Well, surprise! They do! Sort of!

#6. Acupuncture

They Claim:

You may not know the theory behind it, but you probably know what acupuncture looks like: Someone lies face down on a bed while a Chinese lady sticks a few dozen needles in his back, and this makes his chronic pain go away. The idea is that the needles are directing the flow of "chi" or life energy around your body, and this causes something or other, and then bingo, you're healed.

How It Sort of Works Read more

Crank Up Your Genes to Burn Fat and Sugar

Just 20 minutes of vigorous exercise changes your DNA, says Fiona McCrae.

A series of experiments have revealed that just a few minutes of relatively strenuous exercise can dramatically change a person’s DNA.

The changes are not to the code of life itself, but to its ‘punctuation’. These chemicals activate, silence and crank up genes and their actions.

In the case of muscle, exercise appears to crank up the genes needed to burn fat and sugar and support the body.

Just 20 minutes pedalling flat out on an exercise bike makes a difference, the journal Cell Metabolism reports. Read more

3 New Exercises to Flatten Your Stomach

These three total-body moves blast calories faster than a typical weight session or cardio drill.

The key to turning your body into a fat-burning machine isn't more time in the gym -- it's enlisting more muscles.

"The more muscles you work, the more calories you burn," says B.J. Gaddour, C.S.C.S., owner of StreamFIT.com. Instead of splitting up your workouts by individual body parts -- like legs or chest -- train your entire body at once. Done at a high-speed, these three total-body exercises from Gaddour will blast more calories per minute than a typical weight-training exercise or cardio drill. Swap them into your current routine for bigger strength gains and a smaller waistline in less time.

And if you want more fat-loss moves like these, enroll in The Ultimate Boot Camp Workout. Designed by Gaddour, the routine contains a series of 10 intense exercises that will help you torch belly fat, pack on muscle, and sweat your way to a six-pack. Read more

LSD Helps Alcoholics Give Up Drinking

This is really going to infuriate the drug warriors: One dose of the hallucinogenic drug LSD could help alcoholics give up drinking, according to an analysis of studies performed in the 1960s.

A study, presented in the Journal of Psychopharmacology, looked at data from six trials and more than 500 patients.

It said there was a "significant beneficial effect" on alcohol abuse, which lasted several months after the drug was taken.

An expert said this was "as good as anything we've got".

LSD is a class A drug in the UK and is one of the most powerful hallucinogens ever identified. It appears to work by blocking a chemical in the brain, serotonin, which controls functions including perception, behaviour, hunger and mood. Read more

Lifestyle Changes to Help with Erectile Dysfunction

Erectile dysfunction (ED) affects approximately 30 million men in the United States. The chances of having issues getting or maintaining an erection increases with age, but impotence is not a natural part of aging. One way to improve erectile function is to make some simple lifestyle changes. For some men, lifestyle changes, such as reducing stress, exercising regularly, and quitting smoking, may be all that is needed to find relief.

1) Reduce Stress

Stress is common to everyone. Our bodies are designed to feel stress and react to it. It keeps us alert and ready to avoid danger. However, it is not always possible to avoid or change events that may cause stress, and it is easy to feel trapped and unable to cope. When stress persists, the body begins to break down and ailments can occur, such as erectile dysfunction. The key to coping with stress is to identify stressors in your life and learn ways to direct and reduce stress.

Learning an effective means of relaxation and using it regularly is a good first step. Allow yourself some "quiet time," even if it's just a few minutes. Examine and modify your thinking, particularly unrealistic expectations. Talking problems out with a friend or family member can help put things in proper perspective. Seeking professional assistance can help you gain a new perspective on how to manage some of the more difficult forms of stress.

2) Exercise Regularly

Along with improving erectile function, regular exercise can improve your health in many ways.To get the most benefit, you should exercise at least 20 to 30 minutes, preferably on most days of the week. Current studies suggest that at least five times a week is best. If you are a beginner, exercise for a few minutes each day and build up to 30 minutes. When starting out, you should plan a routine that is easy to follow and stick with. As the program becomes more routine, you can vary your exercise times and activities.

Quit Smoking

Men who smoke cigarettes are at greater risk of developing erectile dysfunction. Quitting smoking can be very difficult and there is no single best way to quit that works for all people. To increase your chances of success, you need to be motivated, have social support, an understanding of what to expect, and a personal game plan. It is possible to learn how to replace your smoking habits, manage your cravings, and join the millio of people who have kicked the habit for good. Quitting smoking is tough, but you can do it.

Although it may be difficult to talk about, erectile dysfunction is a treatable and, in many cases, preventable condition. For those who require more intensive treatment, adopting these lifestyle changes in addition to other treatments can further help. Along with improving erectile function, these lifestyle changes will also improve your overall health.

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Relax and Salt to Taste

Joseph Mercola reveals the health benefits of unrefined, natural salt.

For many decades now, U.S. policy makers have been attempting to get Americans to eat less salt. But the drive to do this has little basis in science.

In fact, a recent meta-analysis by the Cochrane Review involving a total of 6,250 subjects found no strong evidence that cutting salt intake reduces the risk for heart attacks, strokes or death.1

Another study published last year found that lower salt consumption actually increased your risk of death from heart disease.2

A review of the available research reveals that much of the science behind the supposed link between salt and high blood pressure is dubious at best. Read more

Medical Marijuana without the High?

Edward Group discusses the power of eating and juicing raw cannabis.

There’s no shortage of controversy surrounding the use of medical marijuana. Despite the copious amount of scientifically-backed data gathered over decades, if not centuries, which show that cannabis has tremendous therapeutic potential, many lawmakers remain hesitant to approve its use. Regardless, a growing number of dedicated researchers continue to investigate new therapeutic applications for juicing or eating raw cannabis.

For some people, it still remains difficult to distinguish between the plant’s medicinal and recreational uses. This stems largely – let’s face it – from the fact that inhaling the plant’s vapors gets you high, even when that isn’t the primary reason why its being consumed. Read more

Introduction to Traditional Eating

No healthy, indigenous society EVER ate according to the government food pyramid. To find out how they did eat, Weston A. Price Chapter Leader Sarah Pope, the Healthy Home Economist, overviews traditional eating for health and vitality.

Do Joint Supplements Really Help?

Do joint supplements really help? Mark Sisson weighs in on the debate over glucosamine, chrondroitin, and MSM.

Mark,

I’ve searched through the site and surprisingly I’m hitting a wall while trying to find any information in regards to Glucosamine and Chondroitin, MSM. I did find a few bone health articles where you suggest using it, but do not go much further with details. Can you give us the ins and outs of these supplements? I’ve heard quite a bit about the benefits of each, however I’ve also heard quite a bit in regards to this being some kind of placebo effect that is doing nothing to improve joint function. I would love to hear your take on this.

Alan

Glucosamine, chondroitin, and MSM are all separate compounds, though they are grouped together in supplements so often that the names kind of blend together. Let’s go over each of them.

Glucosamine is a structural component of bone, exoskeletons, shells, and fungi cellular walls.

Chondroitin is a structural component of cartilage.

Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) is an organosulfur compound (remember those?) found, in limited quantities, in certain plants.

Most of the studies are either inconclusive or indicate that neither glucosamine, chondroitin, nor MSM have much, if any, effect on humans with osteoarthritis. The latest one said as much. That’s it, then, right? It doesn’t work. And if it does work, it’s a placebo. Period. Throw away your supplements and start mainlining liquefied NSAIDs. How could anyone be so stupid as to use a supplement?

Eh, not so fast. Read more