A government Agency or a banking cartel? The Fed is one of the most secretive organizations in the United States. It has been said that Congress is more aware of what the CIA does than what the Fed does. What does the Federal Reserve do? Would you like to know why inflation is so high?! All is revealed in my article “The Truth About the Federal Reserve” published today on History of yesterday.
I joined the team of History of Yesterday and will be publishing articles on their platform on a regular basis on forgotten history. My first article has just been published. I invite you to read it over there!
“The essential joy of being with horses is that it brings us in contact with the rare elements of grace, beauty, spirit and freedom.”
Sharon Ralls Lemon.
It has been said that the mind is like a horse, we should learn how to ride it. Horses are always ready to share an adventure with you, they stand firm and strong always willing to let you lean on them when life gets too rough. Horses are also hypersensitive creatures, they can sense fear, nervousness and they can react to that in unexpected ways. Some horses will test you. Some will teach you. And some will bring out the best in you.
History records the physical and emotional benefits of horseback riding as early as the days of the ancient Greeks. The concept of horses being partnered with humans in a therapeutic capacity was noted in “Natural Exercise” a text written 460-375 BCE by Hippocrates, the Greek physician, and philosopher. Fast forward to today, several studies have confirmed that equine-assisted therapy may help treat autism, PTSD, depression, and pain.
The mind is like a horse, learn how to ride it
The mind is like a horse, learn how to ride it. Photo taken by Joanne Reed featuring Maya Reed. The Savannah, Reunion Island.
It has been said that the mind is like a horse, we should learn how to ride it. The analogy helps us understand how the mind and body work together. The sensations, impulses, and reactions in our bodies are like the untamed instincts of an animal, in this particular analogy our sensations, impulses, and reactions are the horse. When we get on the horse and ride it we learn how to ride this energy.
The horse within us is the animal-like part of our being. Like a horse, we have instincts, lust, and passions that drive us. Those impulses are part of what makes us human we are driven by impulses of self-preservation (i.e., food), self-gratification (i.e., pleasure), and power (i.e., money). Sometimes those impulses can go unchecked and run wild; that is why it is important to have a competent rider to ride on the ‘horse’. The rider within us can direct these passions and animal instincts. The rider can decide which passions to pursue, which to delay pursuing, and which not to pursue at all. The rider within us allows us to discern between worthwhile and less-worthwhile activities.
As the rider of the horse, we can determine what and when we eat, and what career we wish to pursue, we can control our inner passions and desires. We can control our horse-like tendencies. And we should remind ourselves every day that it is we who are in the saddle. Therefore, we can direct ourselves to meaningful activities because we are in control of the reins.
As good equestrians know, the best way to ride a horse is not to try to control it with fear, force, or frustration, but by confidently offering a partnership. We should listen and respond to the horse’s need for reassurance, guidance, and gentleness, as well as recognize its natural animal inclination to follow its instincts and act in a horse-like way. Based on what the horse tells us, we should adjust our journey as needed, not lose sight of our intended destination. In this way, riders and horses can travel in perfect harmony.
This horse analogy helps us better understand how the mind and body work. When we encounter danger our body’s response is to fight, flee or freeze. At this point, our thinking mind comes into the frame to analyze the situation and make a rational decision as to whether the situation really puts us in danger. By noticing what’s going on in our bodies and mind we ride the horse steadily instead of riding it like a horseman or woman in a frenetic and futile battle with a frightened mount. Instead, we relax and settle in our saddle, bumpy though the ride may be, and we take control of the reins. We may talk to ourselves softly just like a horse whisperer would do and find the right words to appease our fear and calm our nerves. We can train our minds to do things differently, and the more practice we get the better at it we become. Life becomes less like a crazy rodeo, and a little more akin to Olympic showjumping; with plenty of hurdles, but a bit more poise.
Riding lessons for your mind
The mind is like a horse, learn how to ride it. Photo taken by Maya Reed featuring Joanne Reed. The Savannah, Reunion Island
Saddle up: Mount the horse, stay mounted, and enjoy the ride.
Listen to the horse. If you want a stable relationship, get a horse. If you are not a humble person, your horse will make you one. If you don’t have your own horse, go and check next door. What do you call a horse who lives next door? Neigh-bor!
Acknowledge the rider. If the horse tries to buck you off, hold on tight. Chat with your horse and ask him to be nicer to you. Stay in control of the reins. As a peace gesture offer your horse some bread. What kind of bread does a horse eat? Thoroughbred!
Notice the terrain. Be aware of the terrain, your environment, and of the forecast. If the weather is rainy, stormy,or icy best to postpone the ride. Don’t take a chance, it is not worth it. Be aware of those horses who like traveling around the world. They can be a handful. What do you call a horse that’s a world traveler? A globe-trotter!
Come back to the center. Check your posture and state of mind. Is your mind present, awake, and attentive? If needed, re-settle by focusing on your breathing, and ask yourself why the horse was feeling so stressed. It was saddled with responsibility!
Ride into the sunset. Now, ask yourself: Based on what’s here, in this body, mind, and the world around me, what course would be helpful to take right now? In which direction, toward what or whom, shall the onward journey take? Listen to your gut, your heart, your head, and the feedback you receive from the environment and people around you. Recognize that there may be more than one course to take, and remember that you can re-navigate at any time, by checking in again with the rider and horse. Allow yourself to be still, and not make a move, if this is what’s most needed for the moment.
Advice from a horse by Ilan Shamir. Take life’s hurdles in stride. Loosen the reins. Keep stable. Be free-spirited. Gallop to greatness. Keep the burrs from under the saddle. Carry your friends when they need it.
People have the ambition to become rich and famous to become an influencer, the truth is the majority of us will have to be content with a less ambitious but more obtainable goal of being happy and content with what we have whilst exercising some kind of positive influence within our community. Instead of thriving to become a world-famous influencer how about becoming more compelling within our community?
Whether we are realizing it or not we are always influencing people, whether it is to get our toddler to eat their carrots and broccolis or convince your boss to adopt alternatives way of doing things, or to help your friends and family adopt healthy living habits, being compelling is how we make things happen in this world. It is how movements are started and how ideas come to life.
How to become more compelling?
How to be more compelling. Photo by Lookstudio via Freepik
We are always influencing people. The moment we step into a room we create an impression of ourselves by the way we are dressed, the expression we have, and the energy we exalt. But is it the one we mean to be creating and could we be forging better connections and a stronger influence if we knew how to be more intentional about the impressions we are generating? People thrive for connection and hanging out with people with positive vibes will for sure give you a positive boost; do not underestimate the power of exchanging something as simple as a smile with a total stranger or holding the door for someone who is behind you.
Being compelling is all about learning the art of striking a perfect balance of strength and warmth and finding your authentic self in the process. We don’t need to portray something we’re not, but we do need to play up our positives and pay attention to the signals we’re sending others.
You play up to your strengths when you are able to display your skills and convey your capability in a straight and effective manner with confidence and no arrogance. You convey warmth when you are able to create a sense of connection, understanding, compassion, and genuine care for the other person. You put these two ingredients together and you end up with a powerful elixir that can generate respect and affinity. How much strength and affinity can you display? It will depend on your visual, verbal, and vocal communication style.
Become more compelling by doing the following:
1. Be confident and be yourself.
Confidence is difficult to define because it is subjective, elusive, and hard to pin down; but you know it when you see it, and you know what it feels like to be around it. Being confident is an experience. We also know when we don’t feel it when we hide underneath a blanket of self-doubt, anxiety, and insecurity. Confidence and lack of confidence are some of those rare qualities that are infectious. When you act confident you exude good positive vibes, people want to be around you, follow your lead, and be inspired by you. When you feel wary, insecure, and defeated people tend to stay away from you. Being confident matters a great deal.
Confidence should not be an end in and of itself, and it will never compensate for good old-fashioned hard work. Even the most confident people need to be confident about something, themselves, their work, their identities, and confidence divorced from content will fall apart sooner rather than later. Confidence isn’t just about style, it’s also about substance; the two are intimately connected.
“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to change you is the greatest accomplishment.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
No matter how independent-minded you think you are, it is easier – and unknowingly more seductive – to follow a widely accepted dogma, than create your own. Human beings have a natural desire to be accepted into a group or community. Being an outsider is not a good place to be, it is lonely and uncomfortable. That is why a lot of people prefer to follow the crowd, without realizing that it could lead straight to the slaughterhouse. I say, Honey, stop following the crowd, they are lost.
Numerous studies have confirmed the fact that the actions of a large group greatly influence an individual’s decision. Pushed by the herd, people act the same way or adopt similar behaviors as people around them, ignoring their own feelings in the process. Are most humans sheeple? Sheep are docile, compliant, kind, quite pleasant animals – and very tasty too; being described as a sheep, has no doubt pejorative connotations. The truth of the matter is that most of us are more sheepish than we might like to admit it and we would rather follow the crowd wherever it goes, than venture on our own lonely road.
“Most people would rather be wrong within the company of the herd than be right outside of it.”
Unknown Author
I say, Honey, stop following the crowd they are lost. Be compelling by being confident and by being yourself. Don’t be a sheep be a lone wolf.
2. Be an effective communicator
How to be more compelling. Photo by Lookstudio via Freepikpelling
How good are your communication skills? Every problem big or small starts with bad communication. Someone is not communicating their message clearly and/or someone is not listening. Being an effective communicator requires that you are able to speak, listen, write and read effectively and clearly.
Communication is a process where at least two individuals are involved, a sender and a receiver. For it to be successful, the receiver must understand the message in the way that the sender intended. It sounds simple and pretty straightforward, but it is not. Misunderstanding and confusion are commonplace and can cause conflicts and frustrations on a professional level but also on a personal level.
Effective communication on the other hand can help understand people and situations, leading the way for an effective way to share ideas, meet challenging situations, and build better relationships at home and at work. Effective communication starts with understanding the 7-38-55% communication rule. Did you know that only 7% of communication is verbal, 38% is tone and inflection of voice and a staggering 55% is body language?
“If you propose to speak, always ask yourself, is it true, is it necessary, is it kind.”
Buddha
3. Be mindful. Show appreciation for people and the world around you.
How to be more compelling. Photo by Lookstudio via Freepik
I am sure you have all heard the saying “don’t let the future steal your present”. Although we all know the saying, a lot of us don’t put this into practice, but we should because it could save us from depression and anxiety. Psychologists often say that depression lives in the past; anxiety lives in the future and calmness and peace of mind live in the present.
The trend these days is to learn to be more mindful, which inherently means learning and practicing the art of being more present in the moment. Mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not be engrossed in obsessive thoughts about something that just happened or fretting about the future.
You can practice mindfulness anytime, anywhere, and with anyone by being fully engaged in the here and now. Many people go about their daily lives with their minds wandering from the activity they are participating in, to other thoughts, desires, fears, or wishes; but it has been said that “a wandering mind is an unhappy mind”.
Be compelling by being grateful for all the things and events in your life (happy or less happy ones) that made you the person you are today. And whatever you do practice mindfulness so that you can be peaceful too.
4. Walk your talk
Being compelling means that you are able to display your skills and convey your capability in a straight and effective manner with confidence and no arrogance. You convey warmth when you are able to create a sense of connection, understanding, compassion, and genuine care for the other person. You put these two ingredients together and you end up with a powerful elixir that can generate respect and affinity.
We are living in a world full of hypocrisy. People say and preach one thing and do another. Politicians are the worst offenders and this is why they do not command respect and admiration anymore. They are full of fluff, they are pandering to their audience saying whatever they need to say to get elected to office and as soon as they get to sit in the Big Chair, they conveniently forget all the promises they made the day before. “Rule for thee and not for me.” Politicians also have a bad habit of not taking responsibility for their bad decisions, conveniently finding some ‘boogeyman’ to take the blame for all the bad stuff that is happening during their mandate. So please be compelling by not talking or acting like a politician but walk your talk instead. Grow a spine. Show warmth and compassion. Take responsibility for your mistakes, own them, and learn from them.
What is the biggest problem with the world today? There are endless problems in the world. Too many to list, but I was thinking that it would be an intellectually challenging exercise to try to put my finger on it. A foolish endeavor you may think. Maybe. Only a fool or a Wise Man could seriously pretend to know the answer to this question. I happen to know a wise and eccentric philosopher (Bertrand Russell) who pondered over this question and who came up with an answer that is quite remarkable. The world is a masquerade. We are run by fools and fanatics.
“The Problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser people are always full of doubts.”
Bertrand Russell
The world is a masquerade. We are run by fools and fanatics
What is wrong with the world?
We are run by fools. The fool is grandiose (borderline annoying), confident (borderline arrogant), flamboyant (borderline tacky) and walks through life feeling absolutely certain about everything. And then you have the fool-clown who is not grandiose, not confident and not flamboyant; he is just a clown. A fool is set in his opinions and feels that he has a duty to share his way of thinking about this and that and everything important. There are 2 types of fools. The first type is the one that does not care to take counsel from others nor listen to their opinions. The second one is the one who takes counsel and opinions only from people he knows will echo his own way of thinking, shielding himself (in the process) from any kind of responsibility if things gets wary.
The fool has no fluidity of mind and is set in his ways. New opinions are rejected and opposed just because they don’t fit the accepted idea and concepts that the fool has adopted as hard truth. The fool’s arrogant certainty about everything is set in stone and even King Arthur would not be able to dislodge him from that position. The problem with the fool is that he doesn’t know enough to know that he doesn’t know about the things he thinks he knows. He hasn’t got enough self-awareness to realize that what he knows is only half the story.
“In the kingdom of the blind, the one-eyed man is king. ”
Erasmus.
The fanatic is not a fool because he is a true believer in his cause but just like the fool, he feels absolute and resolute certainty in his belief. The fanatic refuses to hear and contemplate opposing views. You can find fanatics in all areas of life religion politics, media, and the entertainment industry. Fanatics can be leaders or followers, they are people who indulge in a toxic concoction of self-affirming, know-it-all attitude backed up by half-knowledge; they believe they have access to absolute truth, truth so perfect that they have to impose them on everyone.
It is not what they believe that makes them fanatics, it is how they believe it – no need to provide further evidence, no need to question or doubt. They operate in an irrational and emotional manner hiding their irrationality by rehearsed arguments that have been repeated and learned over time, not refreshed updated, or put to test. The truth does not matter anymore, repetition does.
“Some things are believed because they are demonstrably true. But many other things are believed simply because they have been asserted repeatedly.”
Thomas Sowell
Hence the critical role of the media who are guilty of spreading a certain type of sensational narrative that makes people either afraid or angry. Hence the need to look for a boogeyman to vent their anger on. Fanatics are highly emotional and rigid in their thinking. The problem with this is that nothing is really certain what is true today may not be true tomorrow.
“Uncertainty is an uncomfortable position, but certainty is an absurd one.”
Voltaire.
The world is a masquerade. We are swimming in an ocean of stupidity.
According to Robert Greene what really causes human stupidity is not ignorance but half knowledge. When you are ignorant you are humble, you don’t put yourself out or volunteer to do something that you have no knowledge of. I know nothing about plumbing. Knowing that, I am not going to suddenly try to fix the plumbing in my house when the tap leaks because that would be an act of rampant stupidity. Stupidity is actions that lead to unintended consequences, stupidity can lead to economic disasters, wars, and all kind of unpleasant things.
Take the case of someone who thinks that they are pretty smart because they have read a few books and have done a few searches on the internet and on Wikipedia. Based on that initial research, that person goes into full action mode and makes important decisions having only seen half of the picture. People who are doing this, are generally falling into confirmation bias, they are looking for the kind of information that confirms their set-in-stone-belief. Low and beholds things don’t turn out the way they expected, chaos ensues, and bad things start happening. The problem is that that person became too certain. The little bit of knowledge that they’ve done makes them think they know the answer. They get filled with excitement, certainty, and conviction and they go charging into action and the opposite of what they expected happens. They react and make things worse and more unintended consequences occur with a kind of cascading effect. And now, they find themselves swimming in tumultuous waters.
People who know enough about a subject don’t actually feel so certain about it, because they realize that the situation is more complex and therefore, they kind of tamp down the emotional surge, and enthusiasm. People who act outrageous based on their convictions are usually trying to convince themselves more than anything else. And if they can drag some unsuspected souls with them into that sea of ‘certainty’ all the better because it feels ‘safer’ to be wrong amongs the crowd than be right outside of it.
What is wrong with the world?
“Ideologies are substitutes for true knowledge and ideologues are always dangerous when they come to power, because a simple-minded-I-know-it-all approach is no match for the complexity of existence.”
Jordan Peterson.
Jordan Peterson has an interesting solution to help people avoid unintended consequences following stupid acts. He calls it the the death of stupid. Let’s say you are an animal, and you act stupid in the middle of the jungle. The result of your stupid act is that you die. Imagine that there is a box with a snake in it and your coffee cup is inside the box with the snake in it. Imagine you are picking up the coffee cup. Then the snake bites you and you die. Based on this, you decide that picking up the coffee cup with the snake in the box is probably not a good idea, so that stupid idea has to die instead of you. The idea is that human beings should develop several versions of themselves, several avatars. Then they should put those avatars in various simulations/scenarios to see which one of those scenarios/projections should die and which one should be given the time of day. If you are smart enough and you live your life like the Wise Man of Greece does, you should be humble enough to let your stupidity die before it kills you.
The world is a masquerade. The Wise Man is the only one that can save the day
“The only true wisdom consists in knowing that you know nothing.”
Socrates.
According to the Wise Man of Ancient Greece, you may find the path to wisdom, if you start from a position of humility and if you accept the extent of your ignorance. A lot of us like to think of ourselves as pretty smart, rational individuals and funny too. But what if we’re wrong? What if we are just fools and fanatics completely blind to our own failings?
We should try to act more like the Wise Man of Ancient Greece. The Wise Man is humble in his knowledge, and because he knows that there are so many things that he doesn’t know he has doubts. The Wise Man understands that someone else may have knowledge that he doesn’t have, he is also able to think critically about things and will take time to look into things more deeply; and this could lead him to change his opinion on this and that. Nothing is set in stone. The Wise Man has a fluidity of mind; he is not rigid in his view and his pursuit of the truth will lead him to question everything. Be open to learn, unlearn and relearn.
We are living in a weird kind of world. Our physical needs are well catered for in a modern and comfortable environment, but our mental state is in turmoil, we often feel disenchanted and disempowered. The world does not make sense anymore and everything seems to be upside down. Go Figure!
This article is my attempt to shed some light on this current state of affairs. Let’s pause for a minute or two and think about some essential life lessons. Before you assume, learn the fact. Before you judge, understand why. Before you hurt someone, feel. Before you speak think.
Thinking is part of what makes us human. What differentiates humans from animals is our cognitive abilities such as fully developed language, reasoning capabilities, and the ability to make plans for the future. We are all born with the capacity to think, but not everyone is capable of critical thinking, and it is a skill that needs to be learned and practiced with discipline.
The problem is that most people don’t know what thinking is, they confuse it with feeling. Go figure!
“The problem isn’t that Johnny can’t read. The problem isn’t even that Johnny can’t think. The problem is that Johnny doesn’t know what thinking is, he confuses it with feeling.”
Thomas Sowell
We all like to think of ourselves as rational, strategic creatures, but in reality, humans are deeply irrational and are often governed by emotion rather than logic. Moreover, we tend to operate within our own echo chamber, where the only information that goes through our brain is information that validates our prior knowledge, vindicates our prior decision, or sustains our existing beliefs.
Critical thinking means many things, but at heart, it is a search for the truth. Critical thinking helps us determine what is real and what it is not. But before we can exercise our cognitive ability to think critically, we need to have a certain knowledge base as a starting point. We can only think critically about things we have knowledge of. We don’t have the structure to think deeply if we haven’t spent time mastering a body of knowledge related to that thinking.
The way to arrive at the truth is through discussion because the truth is never absolute it is always complex and dynamic. You can’t have a deep discussion about some important issues without having freedom of expression. You know that you live in a free society if you can speak your mind without fear of being harassed, bullied, censored, canceled, or dismissed from your job because of something you said. You know that you live in a tyranny if you are censored, bullied, harassed, and the “Thought Police /The Ministry of Truth” are after you because of something you said that goes against the official narrative.
“History books are full of stories of people being violently silenced because of their opinion. The people doing the silencing are never the good guys.”
Politicians want to establish themselves as morally and intellectually superior to the population, [warning: you may lose some brain cells watching them speak.] People in positions of power tend to think that Common people are incapable of thinking for themselves so they step in, and talk to the citizenry with a condescending tone to make them understand that the government can think for them instead and dictate to them how they should live their life.
Freedom of expression is the lifeblood and cornerstone of a free society, without the freedom to think and express ourselves freely, there is no free society. So, we’d better start thinking for ourselves freely before it becomes illegal. Don’t get all romantic about your ideas and the ideas that the group promotes. You are not married to those ideas. Some ideas are good and others not so good. Stay free to adhere to the ideas that are congruent with your outlook in life and toss aside anything that makes you uncomfortable.
People should be able to stand for what they think is right. They should be able to fight for what is honorable and they should have the freedom to reject what is slimy and unacceptable. The problem these days is that people are becoming more and more unhinged about all kinds of issues, and they do this with a kind of totalitarian certainty about their beliefs that is concerning. You are entitled to your opinion. But you are not entitled to tell me what mine should be and don’t try to shove your ideas down my throat because I am perfectly capable of forming my own ideas about this and that.
“Just because I disagree with you, does not mean that I hate you. We need to relearn that in our society”
Morgan Freeman
If you don’t read the newspaper, you are uninformed; if you do read the newspaper you are misinformed. Go figure!
Thomas Jefferson is believed to be the true author of this quote; he explained his thinking further by adding that the man who never looks into a newspaper is better informed than he who reads them; in as much as he who knows nothing is nearer to the truth than he whose mind is filled with falsehoods and errors.
We are living in a world of information overload, data about almost everything is available to all who wish to access it at the click of a button. We are constantly bombarded by a steady stream of information (sometimes misinformation, and disinformation) about a whole range of subject matters, making it very difficult to know what and who to believe.
Misinformation is false information that is being spread, regardless of intent to mislead. Disinformation on the other hand is false information that is deliberately misleading, manipulated narrative or facts or propaganda that is being spread with the intent to hurt or damage a person or organization. Did you know that the world media is owned by only 9 corporations who have a near-monopoly on the type of information that people receive? Those 9 corporations are exercising an enormous amount of influence on how people perceive the world they live in.
“The media is the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that’s power.”
Malcolm X
We are living in the age of deception. The truth is not the truth anymore. Facts don’t matter anymore, what matters is how you feel about this and that. People get triggered and enraged by inconvenient facts that they are not ready to receive. Those who are in control need the masses to constantly live in a state of fear and anger. Fear drive people to turn to the government to protect and save them. Anger is always useful because governments like to have the masses turn their anger and frustration onto the boogeyman who can be blamed for everything. Go figure!
The most disturbing aspect of what is going on in the world today is that it is tearing apart our society and family. Take a family of 4 individuals, each member of this family has their personalized information funnel that they come to rely upon, and trust and it is typically different for all 4 members of this family, tearing them apart. Those narratives purposefully polarize our families and society.
The net effect is that people are exhausted from the conflicting narratives, people are getting sick and tired of trying to figure out who and what to believe. More and more people are suffering from media fatigue they are becoming so disillusioned by all the lies and nonsense that they reject all kind of information that is coming through. Go figure!
But there is a silver lining, this media fatigue is driving people to learn to trust a deeper source of truth i.e., their truth. People are saying: to themselves “I don’t know what’s true and what’s not true out there, but I know what is true for me.” For some people is just a gut feeling for others is a deeper form of personal truth. When things get really crazy, they stop for a minute or two and say to themselves. “That doesn’t sound right at all. Am I being played? Well, there is no way for me to be sure of anything, but I am not playing this game.” This way of thinking opens a path for us to become less vulnerable and less susceptible to all those manipulation media tactics because we empower ourselves and become no longer the victims of misinformation and disinformation.
We need people who are so strong they can be gentle. So educated, they can be humble. So fierce, they can be compassioante. So passionate, they can be rational and so disciplined, they can be free.”
Unknown author
And this, my dear friend is Your Quest. Go figure how the world works and find your own silver lining.
Happy 4th of July to all my American friends and followers.
Infrographics 2.0 - Is there life after death - Scritpwriter: Joanne Reed
Death is a difficult topic of conversation. People would rather not think about or talk about death. While we all know that we will die, this is a fact upon which few wish to dwell. Even though, each day countless individuals reach an untimely demise in the prime of their life, rarely do we contemplate that this risk hangs over our heads as well. Despite its inevitability, death is one of the least discussed events in our lives. Nobody wants to talk about death, but everybody wants to know if there is life after death.
Histographics 2.0- Is There Life After Death? Scriptwriter: Joanne Reed
Video Transcript
In this video we will try our best to shed some light on this obscure subject and don’t forget to subscribe to our channel, like, share, and leave us a comment, we’d love to hear what you think.
What is death? Death occurs when the heart stops beating. We call this death by cardiopulmonary criteria, and it is how death is defined for more than 95 percent of people. A person stops breathing and their brain shuts down, causing all life processes to cease.
Let’s investigate this further by zooming down to the level of our cells to understand the process of life and death. Chemical reactions are constantly occurring inside our bodies, those reactions are powered by the glucose and oxygen that our body converts into the energy-carrying molecule Adrenosine 5’-Triphosphate known as ATP. ATP captures chemical energy obtained from the breakdown of food molecules and releases it to fuel other cellular processes.
Infrographics 2.0 – Is there life after death – Scritpwriter: Joanne Reed
ATP is the principal molecule for storing and transferring energy in the cells. It is often referred to as the energy currency of the cell and can be compared to storing money in a bank. ATP can be used to store energy for future reactions or be withdrawn to pay for reactions when energy is required by the cell.
Cells use this energy for everything from repair to growth and reproduction. Not only does it take a lot of energy to make all the necessary molecules, but it takes even more energy to get them where they need to be.
Eventually, the entire cell succumbs to entropy, and this will eventually result in death. In biology, the term entropy refers to the unavailable energy in a closed system, simply put entropy means disorder in any system.
In biology, death is the point of no return, the point where there is no coming back. Tremendous progress in medicine and technology have been achieved, but still doctors can only delay the inevitable but cannot reverse the finality of death.
Infrographics 2.0 – Is there life after death – Scritpwriter: Joanne Reed
Some animals are known to extend their life span and survive extreme conditions by slowing down their biological processes to the point where they are virtually paused. Humans are hoping to achieve the same through cryonics procedures. Cryonics is the low-temperature freezing and storage of human remains, with the speculative hope that resurrection may be possible in the future.
This idea may sound completely baloney to a lot of you out there, but scientists seem to back up (in theory) the feasibility of such a crazy idea. If the cells are frozen, they are very little molecular movement and diffusion practically stops even if all a person’s cellular process had already broken down. This could still conceivably be reversed by a swamp of nanobots moving all the molecules back into their proper positions and injecting all the cells with ATP at the same time, causing the body to pick up where it left off.
Infrographics 2.0 – Is there life after death – Scritpwriter: Joanne Reed
Presumably, a large amount of money is necessary to cover the cost of having your decrepit body frozen until such time that some tech persons can build some clever nanobots with the power to bring people back from the dead.
For the rest of us, normal people with no such financial power, we just have to face the reality of our own mortality with courage and grace. There are countless reports and testimonies of people who encountered near-death experiences. It is quite eerie to realize that those reports relate very similar experiences.
Infrographics 2.0 – Is there life after death – Scritpwriter: Joanne Reed
People with near-death experiences describe floating above their bodies, traveling through a dark tunnel, and encountering a beam of light that enveloped their whole being with a feeling of pure love and acceptance. Some recall being accompanied by deceased loved ones.
During this journey towards the light, people take stock of their entire lives before death. They don’t review their lives on what people usually strive for, like a career, promotions, or amazing vacation. Their perspective is focused on their humanity. They notice incidents where they lacked dignity, acted inappropriately towards others, or conversely, acted with humanity and kindness.
They re-experience and relive these moments. If they caused pain, they experience the same pain that other people felt, even if they didn’t realize it at the time. They judge themselves. They suddenly realize why their actions were good or bad, and many claim to see the downstream consequences of their actions.
What about reincarnation? Where does it fit in the existential question as to whether there is life after death? Reincarnation simply means that we leave one life and go into another. The purpose of reincarnation is for the soul to get purified and gain wisdom so that it comes out of the cycle of life and death. The soul may take the form of a human, animal, or plant depending on the moral quality of the previous life’s actions.
Infrographics 2.0 – Is there life after death – Scritpwriter: Joanne Reed
If you practice Hinduism, you believe in reincarnation; the soul or spirit begins a new life in a new body after the biological death. One is reborn through desire. A person desires to be born because he or she wants to enjoy a body, to try to find lasting happiness and peace. The Hindu belief in reincarnation is connected to their belief in karma, which is the belief that our soul bears the impression of every good and bad deed we perform while we’re alive. Evil is punished by being low born and goodness is rewarded by being high born.
After many births, and through the process of self-awareness and self-development, people will come to realize that the true “self” is the immortal soul rather than the body or the ego; all desires for the pleasures of the world will vanish since they will seem insipid compared to spiritual peace. When all desire has vanished, the person will not be born again. When the cycle of rebirth comes to an end, a person is said to have attained liberation.
Infrographics 2.0 – Is there life after death – Scritpwriter: Joanne Reed
The Buddhist concept of reincarnation differs from others in that there is no eternal “soul”, “spirit” or “Self” but only a “stream of consciousness” that links life with life. At the death of one personality, a new one comes into being, much as the flame of a dying candle can serve to light the flame of another. Buddhists also believe in karma or intentional action. Through good actions, such as ethical conduct, and by developing concentration and wisdom, Buddhists hope to either gain enlightenment or ensure a better future for themselves.
The concept of reincarnation is refuted by Islam. The reason for this is that it is against their basic teachings of a finite life for the human upon which he/she is judged and rewarded accordingly. The principal belief in Islam is that there is only one birth on this earth. Doomsday comes after death and people will be judged as to whether they will go to hell or be unified with God.
The major Christian denominations reject the concept of reincarnation. Christians believe that when a person dies their soul would sleep in the grave along with their corpse until the “final judgment.” Christians believe in the resurrection of the dead. This is the belief that our dead bodies will someday, like Jesus, be revived and brought back to life. They reject the concept of an immaterial soul being inserted into a new human life through reincarnation, but they believe that the dead would be brought back to full and pulsing life through resurrection. This said, there is evidence in the bible of Jesus himself teaching reincarnation to his discipline when he was talking about the concept of everlasting life.
Infrographics 2.0 – Is there life after death – Scritpwriter: Joanne Reed
Whether you believe that there is life after death or not is up to you and nobody can claim to know for sure that there is life after death. What is clear however is all the people who had near death-experiences came back to the world of the living with a completely new mindset and a will to live their life more intentionally and more intensely.
Although those out-of-the-ordinary experiences are interesting, it is not surprising to think that if you were at death’s door, went on the other side, then came back into the world of the living, for sure you will feel ecstatic and motivated to live your life differently. More difficult to tackle is trying to ascertain how contemplating death could teach us how to live without having to travel to the other side.
Philosophers spent their days thinking about the meaning of life and you can’t talk about life without having to talk about death. Countless philosophers, theologians, and psychologists did not hesitate to tackle this tricky subject and spend countless hours dwelling on it. Their conclusion: death is inextricably part of life and lifelong consideration of death enriches rather than impoverishes life. These individuals recognized that far from a morbid practice, periodically thinking about death can be life-enhancing.
Infrographics 2.0 – Is there life after death – Scritpwriter: Joanne Reed
The truth of the matter is that we mortals should be reminded from time to time of our own limitations. To live fully we must be cognizant of our limitations, the most significant of which is the scarcity and uncertain duration of time we are each granted. Failure to recognize this limitation and to live accordingly is one of the most tragic tendencies of mankind. We tend to sacrifice and devalue the present in the false hope that there will always be a future in which to make amends. But the future does not belong to us. Contemplating death forces us to reorient ourselves toward the present moment, and to live life with a renewed sense of urgency.
When de Dalai Lama was asked in an interview, what surprises him the most; he offered an insightful response:
“Man, because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as he is never going to die, and then dies never really lived.”
Thanks for watching, we hope that this brought you some clarity on this obscure subject, and don’t forget to subscribe, like, share and comment!
Why do we feel good when we kiss someone, eat sugary treats or achieve career success? Because of dopamine. Dopamine is a type of neurotransmitter chemical that travels through the nervous system to bring a message to our brain. Your body makes it, and your nervous system uses it to send messages between nerve cells. Hormones are also neurotransmitters, but they travel through the blood.
Histographics 2.0 – How Dopamine Work in a human body. Scriptwriter: Joanne Reed
Video Transcript
“How dopamine work in a human body?” I am so glad you asked the question because this video will bring you all the answers that you seek. And don’t’ forget to support our new channel by sharing, commenting, and subscribing.
Dopamine as a neurotransmitter has the effect of giving you pleasure, a sense of reward, and therefore motivation to do something. Dopamine is the molecule that is behind our most sinful impulses and also our cravings such as lust and addiction (whether to chocolate, cocaine, sex, or gambling) and is often referred to as the feel-good hormone.
Histographics 2.0 – How Dopamine Works in a human body. Scriptwriter: Joanne Reed
When you eat junk food, you feel good afterward. Why is this? There is a system in your brain called the Reward System. This system is designed to reward you when you’re doing things that advance your chance of survival. In the olden days, people had to hunt for food; if you didn’t have a good hunting day, you will be left with an empty stomach and your chance of survival will decrease by the day until you cross paths with a bison.
Nowadays, the only thing you have to do to get food is open your fridge or cupboard or drag yourself to the next grocery store, takeaway, or restaurant. Our problem these days is that we are eating too much food. Eating constantly highly increases our chance of being overweight. Eating is becoming addictive because it makes us feel good… until the day when we can’t fit in our favorite pair of jeans and our reflection in the mirror makes all our previous feel-good factor disappears.
Histographics 2.0 – How Dopamine Work in a human body. Scriptwriter: Joanne Reed
Drugs like cocaine for example make people feel good not because of the drug itself but because it stimulates dopamine That is why cocaine and sugar are so addictive, they satisfy your natural reward system in a big way. But repeated drug use also raises the threshold for this kind of pleasure. This means you need to take more to get the same high.
In addition to the risk of making yourself a target for the police, using drugs such as cocaine makes your body less able to produce dopamine naturally. This leads to emotional low when you are sober turning you into somebody people don’t want to be around anymore.
Talking about cocaine and sugar. Did you know that sugar is more addictive than cocaine?
A study published on 28 July 2010 in the Public Library of Science describes a strange rate experiment involving sugar and cocaine. The rats were given cocaine until they became dependent on it. Then researchers provided them with a choice – the rats could choose to switch to sugar. 94% of the rats chose to switch to sugar, even when they had to work hard to access it. The study concluded that sugar was more addictive than cocaine!
Histographics 2.0 – How Dopamine Work in a human body. Scriptwriter: Joanne Reed
If you are dopamine deficient you lack motivation and drive, you become fatigued, you can become moody and depressed. So, make sure to monitor your dopamine level. What kind of things will deplete your dopamine level? Excessive caffeine, alcohol, the use of chemical drugs, too much sugar, stress, and cortisol.
The good news is that this wonderful “machine” called our body is able to produce dopamine naturally. How? I am so glad you ask this question because there are ways to increase the production of dopamine naturally.
Histographics 2.0 – How Dopamine Works in a human body. Scriptwriter: Joanne Reed
Exercise is a dopamine booster. Keep moving.
Eat healthy preferably a keto (low carb high protein) diet, which will help you lower your insulin level and insulin has a huge role in regulating dopamine. Don’t drink too much coffee. Reduce your sugar intake. Reduce your alcohol intake.
Laugh as often as can. Laughter releases feel-good chemicals.
Connect with others. Find a sense of purpose. Go dancing.
Spend time in nature and in the sun. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a well-known condition in which people feel sad or depressed during the winter when they are not exposed to enough sunlight. While sun exposure may boot dopamine levels and improve mood, it is important to adhere to safety guidelines because getting too much sun can be harmful.
Get a massage.
Listen to your favorite music.
Get enough sleep.
Histographics 2.0 – How Dopamine Work in a human body. Scriptwriter: Joanne Reed
The bottom line is that dopamine is an important brain chemical that influences your mood, feelings of reward, and motivation. Levels of dopamine are generally well regulated by the body, but you can boost your level naturally by making a few diet and lifestyle changes. Drop the cocaine, but please do not switch to sugar, go outside for a run or a walk on a sunny day, and don’t forget to like, share and subscribe to our channel because it will give you such a feel-good factor that your dopamine level will for sure increase a notch or two.
Histographics 2.0 - Can superhumans actually exist
Video transcript
We are all fascinated by superheroes movies where the main character (such as Captain America or The Incredible Hulk) has all kinds of superpowers abilities. Hollywood has a new hero, the main character of the new Dune movie Paul Atreides has superman powers (such as precognition and omniscience), a result of genetic engineering across many generations.
Histographics 2.0 – Can Superhumans Actually Exist? Scriptwriter: Joanne Reed
The question is: how do you fancy having superhuman abilities like those portrayed in the movies? Would you like to be a real-life avenger and use your superpowers to save the world for the most ambitious or just to save yourself and a few souls for the less ambitious?
You will find out if you watch this video till the end that it is actually possible for humans to have superpowers, and don’t forget to support our new channel by sharing, commenting, and subscribing.
Enhancing human capabilities has been on the mind of people for ages; science has made tremendous progress in that area making this prospect of us becoming superhumans a not-so-far-away-reality.
Governments, including the United States, China, and Russia, have been particularly interested in gene mutation technology to enhance human abilities to create super-soldiers. These soldiers would have to be immune to pain, need no sleep, have super-intellect, strength, stamina, and exhibit superpowers like extra-fast reflexes.
But before we get too excited about the prospect of having a go at being a superhero or a super-soldier we should pause for a minute or two and reflect on the possible consequences of going down that road. Enhancing our abilities, be it permanently or temporarily is a tempting but risky business.
First, we need to ask ourselves what ‘enhancement’ exactly is. Biological enhancement started as a restoration of a certain human function, such as eyesight, hearing, or the replacement of a missing limb. Technologies like CRISPR (gene editing), nanotechnology, and even the revolution of wearables and sensors brought new possibilities to human enhancement.
On a vertical level starting with the least controversial to the most controversial, this process of restoration of certain human functions can go in 3 possible directions:
Brain-computer interfaces or BCI are tools that provide constant monitoring of the brain’s electrical activity; this could support a wide range of applications from monitoring epilepsy or ADHD to pain management and sleep assessment. The concept was also thought to be a solution for paralyzed people to move and control things around them with only thoughts. It could also be used to reduce the cognitive effects of aging. I don’t know how you feel about this, but the prospect of giving paralyzed people the ability to move and control things around them with only thoughts gives me hope.
Muscle strength and robotic exoskeletons allow paralyzed people or those who lost a limb to move again. The next step will be A.I. powered prosthesisand the step after that will be to go full Robocop-mode where body, senses, and machine will be mixed together into some kind of AI-Fleshy-Frankenstein. I don’t know how you feel about that, but personally turning into an AI-Fleshy-Frankenstein gives me the creeps – even if it gives me superpowers. And what if the machines take over your body and your senses completely and make you lose all your humanness?
Enhancing the senses. Joint replacements routinely restore mobility, but what if they could provide superhuman speed? Laser eye surgery returns peoples’ vision to 20/20, but what if it could let them see for miles? What if technology could aid humans to have better hearing than bats? Or what if implants could let us see microscopic objects? These temporary or long-term sensory enhancement proposals are not limited to people with certain disabilities, the technology can go beyond that, leading us to take you straight into the futuristic world of augmented reality. I don’t know how you feel about that, but personally having a neural implant in my brain to augment my reality somehow gives me the creeps – even if it could give me ‘bats-power!’
Histographics 2.0 – Can superhumans actually exist
Genetic Engineering – a brave new world? CRISPR stands for Clustered Regularly Interspaces Short Palindromic Repeats, otherwise known as gene therapy. It is a genome editing technology that allows scientists to cut DNA with incredible precision and insert or delete DNA to correct unwanted mutations. This method was discovered by two women biologists: Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer A Doudna. They received the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 2012 for this gene-editing tool. Scientists discovered that this CRISPR pattern coded for a defense mechanism in the bacteria’s cells. When it is attacked, by a virus, for example, the bacteria are able to copy and paste a section of the virus’ DNA into its own genome. Then the bacteria could develop a pair of genetic scissors – an enzyme names Cas_ specific to that virus so that any further attacks could be defended by a single snip.
This concept of human enhancement is also known as ‘transhumanism’; a movement that advocates for the transformation of the human condition by developing and making widely available sophisticated technologies able to greatly modify or enhance human intellect and physiology. The concept states that humankind will evolve into a new intelligent species.
So, what do you think? Do you like the idea of us mortals becoming superhumans in the not-to-distant future? Well, someone took it upon himself to ask that question to a whole bunch of people and wrote the results in a study. It transpires from that study that there is a huge cultural acceptance with technological solutions for restoration vs. tech for boosting performance.
According to this study, the public almost unanimously agrees with technological enhancement if it is used for restorative purposes: 95% support physical restorative applications, and 88% support cognitive restorative applications. But when it comes to the enhancement of human capabilities for the reason of boosting performance – well that’s a big no-no. Only 35% agree with the concept.
Transhumanism is a scary concept. It is critical for people to really understand who we are as human beings before we think about giving away our humanity. Those new technologies are being developed to replace our natural biological functions but the danger of these wires, chips and devices that are implanted in our body is that they can comprise the unique qualities that make us humans. The unintended consequence of biological enhancement is that our natural biology begins to atrophy.
We are still discovering what we are and what it means to be human. Researchers recently discovered a neuron that surprised the medical world. A new scan of the human brain revealed a new kind of neurons that are unique to humans that regulate our consciousness and the state of our awareness. This new discovery was announced in the prestigious publication ’Nature’ in 2018.
Some scientists believe that we need to re-think this idea that human biology is limited, with us being powerless victims of our circumstances. The better we know ourselves the less we need external technology because we are the technology. The human body is a technically advanced, highly sophisticated, soft technology. And we have the ability to self-regulate all the energy that runs through this soft biology in our affirmations, thoughts and belief.
The human body contains 50 trillion cells; every cell has about 0.7 volts of electrical potential. We are the only form of life that can harness on demand that electrical potential in our body and we can harness it towards our own healing and in order to create resilience. Tesla famously said: “If you want to find out the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration.”
The problem we have these days is that technology is pushing morality out of the equation; just because we have the technology doesn’t mean that we have to use it. We are at a critical crossroad, we must determine where we want to go with that technology because once we go down the path of replacing human biology with artificial chips, wires and devices we can’t go back. So, we need to make that choice right now.
May the road you choose be the right road.
Thanks for watching and don’t forget to like, share and subscribe to our channel because this is where you will get to enhance your human potential by one or two notches!
Why sleep is so important for fat loss - Histographics 2.0
Video transcript
There is no way to sugarcoat this, trying to get rid of the extra fat around your hips, legs and tummy is not a piece of cake! Everyone knowns that diet and exercise will help you shed a few pounds here and there, but did you know that a good night’s sleep is a critical factor in your quest for a leaner and fitter body?
If you want to look better, the most common suggestion is “eat less and move more.” But life is not that simple; between living your life, working, socializing, and exercising, you’re forgetting to sleep enough. Or maybe, more importantly, you don’t realize that sleep is the key to being rewarded for your diet and fitness efforts. Not sleeping enough – less than seven hours of sleep per night – can reduce and undo the benefits of dieting and exercising.
Why the heck nobody before you told me that the secret to weight loss is to sleep longer?! Thank goodness I bumped into this video – sleeping longer to lose weight?! Hhm sounds like a piece of cake to me?!
So, if you want to find out why sleep is so important to fat loss, drop everything you are doing right now to watch this video. And don’t forget to support our new channel by sharing, commenting, and subscribing.
A lot of us have been on a never-ending journey of trying to lose weight. They are countless diets and exercises out there, and plenty of health gurus to preach to you the virtue of their methods compared to others.
When it comes to weight loss, diet and exercise are usually thought of as being the two key factors that will achieve results. But nobody is talking about how important sleep is to your weight loss journey. The recommended sleep duration for adults is seven to nine hours a night, but many people often sleep for less than this.
Why sleep is so important for fat loss – Histographics 2.0. Scriptwriter: Joanne Reed
Typically, the goal for weight loss is to decrease body fat while retaining as much muscle mass as possible. Not obtaining the correct amount of sleep can determine how much fat is lost. Various studies show that shorter sleep patterns may be associated with higher body weight and affect weight loss. For those of you who have been on that journey you will be familiar with talks such as this:
The secret formula to reducing your BMI is a high metabolism + high RMR and low glucose intake. And don’t forget to increase your leptin level whilst keeping your ghrelin level low. Oh, one more thing, make sure that your cortisol level stays low too. That’s it, really!
Did you get that? The only thing to remember is: low BMI, high RMR, Low glucose, high leptin, and low ghrelin & watch your cortisol?!
I can hear most of you say: Of course, I didn’t get that?! I am not a biologist!
All right, let me unpack this for you.
The Body Mass Index (BMI) is a measure that uses your height and weight to work out if your weight is healthy. The BMI calculation divides an adult’s weight in kilograms by their height in meters squared. For adults, an ideal BMI is in the 18.5 to 24.9 range. If your BMI is below 18.5 – you’re in the underweight range. Between 18.5 and 24.9 – you’re in the healthy weight range. Between 25 and 29.9 – you are in the overweight range. Between 30 and 39.9 – you’re in the obese range.
While we often think of appetite as simply a matter of stomach grumbling, it’s controlled by neurotransmitters, which are chemical messengers that allow neurons (nerve cells) to communicate with one another.
The neurotransmitters ghrelin and leptin are thought to be central to appetite. Ghrelin promotes hunger, and leptin contributes to feeling full. The body naturally increases and decreases the levels of these neurotransmitters throughout the day signaling the need to consume calories. So, you need to control leptin and ghrelin to successfully lose weight, but sleep deprivation makes that nearly impossible. Studies have found that sleeping less than six hours triggers the area of your brain that increases your need for food while also depressing leptin and stimulating ghrelin.
Why sleep is so important for fat loss – Histographics 2.0. Scriptwriter: Joanne Reed
There are several reasons why shorter sleep may be associated with higher body weight and affect weight loss. These include changes in metabolism, appetite, and food selection. This means, that in the long term, sleep deprivation may lead to weight gain due to these changes in appetite. So, getting a good night’s sleep should be prioritized.
Reduced sleep has also been shown to have an impact on food selection and the way the brain perceives food. Researchers have found that the areas of the brain responsible for reward are more active in response to food after sleep loss when compared to people who had good sleep. This could explain why sleep-deprived people snack more often and tend to choose carbohydrate-rich foods and sweet-tasting snacks, compared to those who get enough sleep.
If that’s not enough, scientists discovered that when you don’t sleep enough, your cortisol levels rise. This is the stress hormone that is frequently associated with fat gain. Cortisol also activates reward centers in your brain that make you want food. At the same time, the loss of sleep causes your body to produce more ghrelin. A combination of high ghrelin and cortisol shut down the areas of your brain that leave you feeling satisfied after a meal, meaning that you feel hungry all the time; and that is where you enter the danger zone called “comfort eating.”
Metabolism is a chemical process in which the body converts what we eat and drink into energy needed to survive. All our collective activities from breathing to exercising and everything in between are part of metabolism. Many studies have shown that sleep deprivation (whether due to self-induction, insomnia, untreated sleep apnea, or other sleep disorders) commonly leads to metabolic dysregulation. Poor sleep is associated with increased oxidative stress, glucose (blood sugar) intolerance (a precursor to diabetes), and insulin resistance.
Why sleep is so important for fat loss – Histographics 2.0. Scriptwriter: Joanne Reed
Your Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) is the number of calories your body burns when at rest. It’s affected by many factors, such as age, weight, height, sex, and muscle mass. Studies have shown that sleep deprivation reduces your RMR. Poor quality sleep may also decrease muscle synthesis, which may lower RMR.
Sleep duration also influences metabolism, particularly glucose (sugar) metabolism. When food is eaten, our bodies release insulin, a hormone that helps to process the glucose in our blood. However, sleep loss can impair our bodies’ response to insulin, reducing its ability to uptake glucose. We may be able to recover from the occasional night of sleep loss, but in the long term, this could lead to health conditions such as obesity and type 2 diabetes.
An excess of glucose (both from increased intake and a reduced ability to uptake into the tissues) could be converted to fatty acids and stored as fat. Collectively, this can accumulate over the long term, leading to weight gain.
Why sleep is so important for fat loss – Histographics 2.0. Scriptwriter: Joanne Reed
The good news is that you can fix this with exercise.
Did you really think that it was going to be that easy?! That you could just sleep through your weight-loss journey without breaking a sweat?! NO WAY. It is time to wake up, put your sports gear on, and off you go.
No matter what your fitness goals are, having some muscle on your body is important. Muscle is the enemy of fat – it helps burn fat and stay young. Research has shown that exercise training may protect against the metabolic impairments that result from a lack of sleep, by improving the body’s level of insulin, leading to improved glucose control.
The connection between sleep and weight gain is hard to ignore. Good quality sleep has a vital impact on health and well-being. A lack of sleep can increase appetite by changing hormones, makes us more likely to eat unhealthy foods, and influences how body fat is lost while we are counting our calories.
Why sleep is so important for fat loss – Histographics 2.0. Scriptwriter: Joanne Reed
The moral of the story is that getting adequate, quality sleep is an important part of a healthy weight loss plan. Not getting enough sleep can sabotage your fitness efforts. If your weight loss efforts are not producing results, it may be time to examine your sleep habits.
Thanks for watching and remember the secret formula: low BMI, high RMR, Low glucose, high leptin, and low ghrelin & watch your cortisol?! No need to translate you are not a biologist, but you know the drill by now and don’t forget to like, share and subscribe to our channel.
The Japanese do this to stay young - Infographics 2.0
In 2018, Japan had the second-highest life expectancy in the world. The population aged 90 and over had reached two million in 2017. Japan also has a record number of centenarians: over 80 000. This figure is expected to rise to 400 000 by 2050. Most of Japan’s centenarians (approximately 88 %) are women. In November 2019, Japan was home to 150 supercentenarians (people aged 110 or over).
Now that you are aware of these amazing statistics, the obvious question you should ask yourself is: ‘Have the Japanese found the fountain of youth?’ If you hang around and watch this video, you will find out what the Japanese do to stay young, and don’t’ forget to support our new channel by sharing, commenting, and subscribing.
The human body seems programmed to shut itself down somewhere around the 80th birthday for most people and around the century mark for the more resistant ones, the majority of which seem to be located in Japan.
The Japanese do this to stay young – Infographics 2.0- Scriptwriter: Joanne Reed
There are no verified cases of a person living older than 122. According to researchers the absolute limit of the human lifespan is between 100 and 150. Will improvements in medicine, environment, and technology drastically lengthen the average lifespan and make 150 a reality?
Several factors have combined to improve health among the Japanese population: traditionally healthy dietary habits, access to clean water, a hygiene-conscious culture, and old people’s active lifestyles. Other possible explanations include genetics, a low level of income inequality, and a high level of social cohesion.
Reaching a hundred years old is a privilege not granted to everyone. Centenarians are regularly celebrated in the media. In England, upon reaching your 100th birthday you will receive a letter from the Queen. Japanese centenarians receive a silver cup and a certificate from the Prime Minister, honoring them for their longevity.
Japan’s most celebrated centenarians are from Okinawa and the Island’s legendary longevity is attributed to the local diet and their attitude towards life. The elders seem to have no signs of worry on their faces; stress seems to be a foreign concept to them.
An 88-year-old Japanese farmer (who still works all day in the fields) was asked what the secret was for a long life responded, “I hardly get angry. I enjoy life because Iam happy at work, and I think that that is the medicine for a long life.”
The Japanese do this to stay young – Infographics 2.0 – Scriptwriter: Joanne Reed
Locals eat a daily average of 97 grams of seafood. Fish, especially deep-sea fish like mackerel, sardines, and salmon are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which act as a strong anti-inflammatory and protect against heart disease. They may also reduce the risk of diabetes, stroke, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, some cancers and mental decline.
Other key ingredients in the local diet are vegetables, such as peppers, broccoli, sweet potato and goya (a distant relative of the watermelon) which has been credited for reducing blood sugar levels and is also full of antioxidants.
Antioxidants are known to help slow down the aging process and research suggests that certain antioxidants may help prevent, Alzheimer’s disease and complications of diabetes. The islanders also eat a lot of seaweed and unrefined brown sugar, both of which are rich in minerals, accompanied by green tea. Then there is the water, which reportedly has a very high mineral content compared to the rest of Japan.
Finally, inhabitants of Okinawa consume a diet that is 20 percent lower in calories than those in the rest of Japan, most practice a dietary philosophy known as “hara hachi bu” which means to eat until you are 80 percent full.
The Japanese do this to stay young – Infographics 2.0- Scriptwriter: Joanne Reed
What about exercise? A lot of the residents in Okinawa practice “teodori” a type of traditional slow dance that uses hand movements. They also practice “rajio taiso” which is a set of dynamic aerobic exercises that are easy to perform and won’t take too much of your time. It is customary in Japanese culture for employees who work in offices to start the day with this rajio taiso routine.
The statistics seem to confirm that the Japanese have found the fountain of youth. For centuries the quest for eternal youth, immortality, or just a prolonged life has been a topic of various myths and legends. The fountain of youth is a spring that supposedly restores the youth of anyone who drinks or bathes in its waters. In Japan stories of hot springs that could heal wounds and restore youth are common.
Alexander the Great searched for the Fountain in the 5th century AD and was said to have found a healing “River of Paradise.” Similar stories were prominent among Caribbean people during the early 16th century, they spoke of the restorative powers of the water in the mythical land of Bimini.
Explorers and adventurers have long looked for the elusive fountain of youth or at least some remedy to aging. Has science found the map? It seems that this dream could be at least partly obtainable!
The Japanese do this to stay young – Infographics 2.0 – Scriptwriter: Joanne Reed
Even after you are fully grown, your body is constantly working to replace or repair itself. The body replaces itself on average every 7 years or so but not every cell’s lifespan is the same. For example, the cells that line your stomach can renew as fast as every two days, since they’re often in contact with digestive acid.
Cells that make up your skin are replaced every two to three weeks, your fat cells live a fairly long time — an average age of 10 years roughly the same as your bones which also regenerate about every 10 years. Brain cells don’t regenerate as you age, tooth enamel is never replaced, and the lenses of your eyes are also with you for life.
Enzymes are biological catalysts that speed up chemical reactions in cells. Enzymes play a huge part in the day-to-day running of the human body and are vital for the proper functioning of all human systems e.g., the digestive system, the nervous system, etc.
Some enzymes help break large molecules such as glucose so that the body can use them as fuel. Other enzymes help bind two molecules together to produce a new molecule. Enzymes are a highly selective catalysts, meaning that each enzyme only speeds up a specific reaction.
Every cell in our body contains DNA. DNA is the genetic material that makes each of us who we are. Each time a cell divides – for growth or repair, its DNA needs to be copied. Enzymes help in this process by unwinding the DNA coils and copying the information.
The Japanese do this to stay young – Infographics 2.0 – Scriptwriter: Joanne Reed
Telomeres help in this process by unwinding the DNA coils and copying the information. Telomeres, from the Greek “telos” (end) and “meros” (part), are the caps at the end of each strand of DNA that protects our chromosomes.
Telomeres, like the aglet at the end of the shoelaces, can become frayed until they can no longer do their job. Telomeres are shortened as we age, but can also be shortened by stress, anxiety, smoking, obesity, lack of exercise, poor diet, and lack of purpose. When telomeres get too short, our cells can no longer reproduce, which causes our tissues to degenerate and eventually die.
Breaking news! Each of us has a fountain of youth within us! There have been many experiments that have shown to increase the maximum life span of laboratory animals. Science has found that it is possible to extend telomeres to help you live a longer and healthier life and discovered that there are 6 key triggers that can positively influence the length of your telomeres.
These triggers are:
Good nutrition.
Exercise
Happiness and gratitude.
Positive outlook.
Self-love and love.
Being in service.
We all know that good nutrition and exercise are vitally important. Hippocrates also known as the “Father of Modern Medicine” is credited with being the first person to believe that disease was not a punishment from the Gods, but rather the product of environmental factors, diet, and living habits.
He noticed that bodies grow relaxed and sluggish through sedentary lives which led to various illnesses. Those who walked more stayed well longer, so he often prescribed exercise. Hippocrates’ medicine was humble and passive; his therapeutic approach was based on the “healing power of nature”. According to Hippocrates’ doctrine, the body contains within itself the power to re-balance and heal itself.
Hippocrates is known for saying: “Let your food be your medicine and your medicine be your food.”
Being grateful and having a positive outlook on life will also help you live longer. Be grateful and wake up happy every day, happy to be given another day to be, to strive, to create. Be grateful for your family, your loved ones, and the people around you. Be grateful for who you are and what you can do. Keep a positive outlook on life. Change the things you can change and stop worrying about things you can’t.
“Philautia”, the Greek word for self-love. Self-love is in its healthiest form (not focused on personal fame, gain, and fortune as is the case with narcissism.) It shares the Buddhist philosophy of self-compassion, which is s deep understanding of one’s own self, such that you feel comfortable in your own skin. Self-love is important, as Aristotle described: “All friendly feelings for others are an extension of a man’s feelings for himself.” You cannot share what you do not have, if you do not love yourself, you cannot love anyone else either. The only way to be truly happy is to first find unconditional love for yourself.
Being of service is critically important for our well-being. Not having a purpose, waking up each morning with nothing to do or nowhere to go creates stress and shortens our lifespan. Conversely, studies have shown people who report a greater sense of purpose and direction in life are more likely to outlive their peers.
The Japanese do this to stay young – Infographics 2.0.criptwriter: Joanne Reed
Older age or retirement is a time when we start aging very quickly and when disease and depression are more likely to set in. Having a purpose gives meaning to life, it doesn’t have to be saving the world or anything extraordinary or amazing, every person great or small has important work to do. It can be something very small indeed. Each one of us has our own path to walk and our own mission in life.
The “secret” path that will lead you to your own fountain of youth can be found within you. The “magic triggers” that will show you the way is to eat well, exercise regularly, express gratitude, love yourself, love others and be of service. So, how do the Japanese live so long? They activate their own fountain of youth!
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Yours Truly, Scriptwriter, Joanne Reed
I wrote a whole chapter about this in Chapter 22 of my book “This Is Your Quest”. You can purchase my book This is Your Quest online at BookLocker, from Amazon or from Barnes & Noble. The Ebook version is available on Amazon (Kindle), Barnes & Noble (Nook), Apple (iBooks) & Kobo. Check out my Amazon Author Page here or my listing on Booksradar.com
