Wally Backman goes F*CKIN OFF!
12 things that will change everything...
To say this music video is somewhat disturbing is an understatement!
5 easy to grow remedies...
Introducing the milk glove...
Got milk? Skip it!
How to create 1.3 trillion dollars out of thin air...
An animated tale of love...
How to skip the non-skippable DVD trailers...
Top 10 new species...
Do you have a short fuse?
A miniature Hobbiton...
Batman meets Sin City in French...
Speaking of the French...some sick acrobats...
Major Lazer -- Hold the Line...
Microsoft Office prank...
Drink your coffee!
If video game characters have their own will...
Anchored...
This drummer is at the wrong gig...
Olivia Newton John meets KISS...
Slave America...
Animals have personalities too...
The happy hour...
Rhyme and Reason...
Holes in Space...
Iceland, Eyjafjallajökull - May 1st and 2nd, 2010...
Genetically modified organisms are REALLY BAD for you...
Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in your food may make you sick. Studies link GMOs with toxins, allergies, infertility, infant mortality, immune dysfunction, stunted growth, accelerated aging, and death. Whistleblowers were fired, threatened, and gagged. Warnings by FDA scientists were ignored. Expert Jeffrey M. Smith, author of the #1 GMO bestseller Seeds of Deception, and Genetic Roulette, presents SHOCKING evidence why these gene-spliced crops may lead to health and environmental catastrophes. Learn how to protect yourself and discover the Campaign for Healthier Eating in America—a brilliant plan to quickly end the genetic engineering of our food supply.
When it will be silent...
KNOWLEDGE:
Beer Genie
A bevy of online beer knowledge
Obsession is the handmaiden of greatness, as with Samuel Johnson, whose obsession with words led him to create the first dictionary, or Thomas Andrews, whose obsession with his own johnson led him to create the Titanic. Now, one man's freakish dedication to barley pops has borne fruit: Beer Genie, just gone live.
Neutralizing the Free Radical Threat
Every day of your life you face exposure to dangerous free radicals. No matter how healthy a lifestyle you lead or how healthy your diet is, this is simply a fact of life.
Fortunately this is not all bad – as your normal bodily functions (breathing, metabolism, and physical activity) naturally generate free radicals. Your immune system also generates free radicals to help neutralize viruses and bacteria.
But some free radicals are the result of environmental factors such as pollution, radiation, pesticides, and cigarette smoking.
The problem starts when these free radicals attack your healthy cells and cause them to weaken and become more susceptible to health disorders. Plus, this can also have a profound effect on how you age.
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Eat a diet consisting mostly of processed junk food
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Cut corners on getting enough sleep on a daily basis
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Ignore your need for regular exercise
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Find yourself under a great deal of stress
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Expose yourself to a high number of environmental free radicals
Exposing your body to these types of conditions may overwhelm it with free radicals and cause damage.
Plus, free radical damage accumulates with age. So, the longer your lifestyle and environment expose you to this damage, the greater your consequences as you age… the greater potential consequences to your overall aging process.
So what can you do?
Well, first of all, it would be helpful to address the unhealthy habits listed above.
Additionally, consider going the next step and find ways to fortify your healthy diet with antioxidant rich food.
I’m sure you’re well aware of the benefits of antioxidants from all the discussion on my site. I’ve spent literally decades researching this topic and cannot stress their importance to you enough.
Antioxidants provide your body with natural protection against free radicals and help you neutralize and keep them under control.
Why Organic Food is Your Best Choice
for Natural Free Radical Protection
There are many sources of antioxidants available to help boost your health.
Most of these sources come directly from consumption of high quality, fresh, organic and preferably locally grown vegetables and fruits. But there is a catch.
The catch is that, to get the most potent antioxidant content from the fruits and vegetables – they need to be organically grown and processed.
Here’s why.
Research shows that certain organically grown fruits and vegetables have significantly higher levels of potent antioxidants than traditionally grown foods.
The key to all this is a large family of natural antioxidant compounds called polyphenols.
Polyphenols exist in plant floods and their contribution to the antioxidant capacity of the human diet is much larger than even that of vitamins.
And a subclass of this antioxidant-rich family found in fruits and vegetables is flavonoids.
In response to environmental stressors like insects and other competing plants, plants produce flavonoids with potent antioxidant activity.
Unfortunately, conventional growing methods that use pesticides and herbicides hamper the production of flavonoids.
Plants exposed to pesticides and herbicides have less of a need to produce such compounds. And therefore, these plants produce fewer antioxidants than organically grown food.
You don’t want to miss out on polyphenol flavonoids because they can:
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Improve your memory and concentration
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Boost the effectiveness of vitamin C in your antioxidant network
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Regulate nitric oxide – a potent free radical that regulates your blood flow
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Help promote your healthy heart
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Bolster your immune system
So, to take advantage of the highest potency flavonoids and rich antioxidants, always choose organically grown fruits and vegetables.
Fresh organic foods are important not only for what they give you, higher levels of antioxidants and nutrients, but also for what they don’t give you… exposure to pesticides, herbicides, and non-organic fertilizers.
Now let’s take a closer look at some common and not so common food sources of antioxidants – keeping in mind that for you to receive the highest antioxidant potential, organic is best.
Consumer Alert: Berries are a Great Source of
Antioxidants, but Watch Out for the Sugar
A specific polyphenol flavonoid compound called quercetin is a potent dietary antioxidant found in certain berries: lingonberries, cranberries, bilberries, and black currants.
Not only do berries contain many flavonoids like quercetin, but also fiber… vitamin C… and other nutritious antioxidant-rich polyphenol compounds.
Ideally, berries should be eaten raw and as you already know – organic is best.
Another great source of antioxidants in berries is from blueberries. In fact, Europeans recognize their bilberries as blueberries.
Only a few years ago, the USDA Human Nutrition Center (HNRCA) ranked blueberries #1 in antioxidant activity. This research compared 40 other fresh vegetables and fruits.
This is all great but there is a red flag I have to raise – watch out for too much sugar.
If you overdo your fruit consumption, even berries, you risk releasing too much sugar into your system. This could cause your insulin levels to rise and eventually your health could worsen instead of improving.
So, moderation is the key when eating fruit. Choosing fruit relatively low in sugar, like blueberries, should not only boost your antioxidant intake but help keep your insulin levels in check as well.
Eat Your Veggies for Healthy Antioxidants – but Which Ones?
Broccoli, greens, beans, artichokes, and onions, to name a few, are good sources of polyphenol flavonoids. And of course, raw organic vegetables help you maximize the antioxidant benefits.
However, just like you need to be careful on how much and the types of fruit you eat, the same holds true with vegetables.
For example, from the USDA Human Nutrition Center research, potatoes ranked high on the list of vegetables with potent antioxidant content. But they are not necessarily your best choice because they may cause increased insulin levels.
In order to determine the amount of fruits and vegetables your body requires, I recommend you first determine your Nutritional Type™ (NT).
You see, foods and individual nutrients do not behave the same way in two people with different Nutritional Types. Your Nutritional Type determines your individual nutritional requirements and dictates your individual responses to what you eat and drink.
Please check my site for more details on how to determine your NT. It’s well worth your time.
Here’s a great table showing examples of fruits and vegetables along with their polyphenol content. Remember, polyphenols are natural antioxidant compounds that help you neutralize free radical damage.
This table also shows another beneficial subclass of polyphenols called phenolic acids.
Vegetables:
Yellow onion (100g) Flavonoids 35-120
Broccoli (200g) Flavonoids 8-20
Leek (200g) Flavonoids 6-45
Artichoke (100g) Phenolic acids 45
Potato (200g) Phenolic acids 20-38
Fruits:
Blueberry (100g) Flavonoids 25-500
Black Currant (100g) Flavonoids 130-400
Blackberry (100g) Flavonoids 100-400
Strawberry (200g) Flavonoids 30-150
Plum (200g) Phenolic acids
Why Not Add a Little Spice to Your Life and Health?
A bountiful source of antioxidants that many people don’t know about is herbs and spices.
Researchers within the U.S. Department of Agriculture discovered that herbs are an abundant source of antioxidants – not to mention how they make your food tastier.
According to the research, on a per gram fresh weight basis, oregano and other herbs ranked even higher in antioxidant activity than certain fruits and vegetables.
In comparing antioxidant activity against a few selected fruits and vegetables, oregano came out on top with:
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42 times more antioxidant activity than apples…
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30 times more than potatoes…
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12 times more than oranges
And there are other herbs and spices that pack an antioxidant punch as well: cloves… turmeric… cinnamon… garlic… basil… and curcumin… to name a few.
Herbs and spices have emerged as a quick and convenient way for you to get a concentrated source of antioxidants – without all the extra calories of many foods.
Now, your key to taking advantage of the antioxidant activity from herbs and spices is to find an organic source and consume them fresh and raw. For example, the antioxidant activity of fresh garlic is 1.5 times higher than dry garlic powder.
Just as consuming too much of any food product can carry health risks, herbs should be used with moderation… and only as a complement to your healthy diet.
So, add a little seasoning and spice to your life and feel good about the antioxidant benefits they provide you.
Maybe All You Have to do is Drink a Glass of Red Wine Every Day?
Many folks believe that a good way to promote your health is to drink a glass of red wine on a regular basis.
Certainly there’s the “French Paradox” theory… the observation that French people with poor diets who drink wine have better cardiovascular health than you might expect.
This opinion happens to be based on a potent polyphenol found in red wine and grape skins called resveratrol.
This powerful antioxidant potentially:
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Helps improve the overall health of your cells as a component of your cardio and neuro protection*
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Aids you in protection against age-related health disorders*
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Provides therapeutic support for your immune system against abnormal cell activity*
Researchers also believe that resveratrol helps keep your cholesterol within its normal range while promoting your healthy heart.*
You of course know that wine contains alcohol. And too much alcohol isn’t a healthy choice for anyone and it may outweigh the benefits of the resveratrol content
But, with all this said, resveratrol is such a powerful antioxidant that there must be a way you can benefit from it without taking undo risks.
This potent antioxidant is somewhat different from the rest. It not only helps you neutralize free radicals, it can cross the blood-brain barrier to help protect your brain and nervous system as well.
Studies show that resveratrol may increase the lifespan in human cells.* So, it could be a determining factor in extending your longevity.*
Resveratrol helps reduce oxidative stress damage to your cardiovascular system by neutralizing free radicals.* And it helps support your body’s natural defense system.*
Plus, resveratrol benefits you by how it…
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Protects your cells from free radical damage*
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Helps you keep your blood pressure within the normal range*
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Keeps your heart healthy and helps improve blood vessel elasticity*
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Boosts your protection against the spread of abnormal cell activity*
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Helps you better control the aging process*
Insight
Who does nothing can do nothing wrong.--German Proverb
You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don't try.
--Beverly Sills
Today's Quotes
HEALTH“The health of your body influences what you experience in your mind. There is no split. If you can engage your whole spirit in the pursuit of total fitness—not just your intellect, not just your emotions—but, instead, everything inside you that is truly you, you’ll discover what it is to be a whole person.” —David Patchell-Evans
“It is not work that kills men; it is worry. Work is healthy; you can hardly put more upon a man than he can bear. Worry is rust upon the blade. It is not the revolution that destroys the machinery, but the friction. Fear secrets acids; but love and trust are sweet juices.” —Henry Ward Beecher
“It may be possible to incorporate laugher into daily activities, just as is done with other heart-healthy activities, such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator. The recommendation for a healthy heart may one day be exercise, eat right and laugh a few times a day.” —Michael Miller
“Cardiovascular problems alone in America create over a thousand funerals a day… and 90 percent of the problem is neglect.” —Jim Rohn
The industrialized nation-states around the world are broke! Their plans to keep things rolling along will mean a worldwide hyperinflation. Egon von Greyerz shows why destruction and despair worldwide are certain...but keep reading for what you can do right now to make sure you save yourself and protect your wealth.
Whiskey & Gunpowder
By Egon von Greyerz
May 24, 2010
Zurich, Switzerland
Alea Iacta Est! Past the Rubicon
and the Point of No Return
Yes this is it! We have crossed the Rubicon and events in the world economy are now likely to unfold in a totally uncontrollable fashion. Clueless governments still don’t understand that it is their ruinous actions that have created a credit infested and bankrupt world. They will continue to prescribe the same remedy that caused the problem in the first place, namely more credit and more printed money. The consequences are clear; we will have hyperinflation, economic and human misery as well as social unrest.
When will the world finally begin to understand that we have reached the point of no return and that “the voyage of their life is bound in shallows and in miseries” (Shakespeare, Julius Caesar)? Sadly, we are probably not very far from that point. It is already starting to happen in many countries.
The latest EU and IMF package of $1 TRILLION (Euro 750 billion) is yet another futile attempt by governments to abolish poverty by printing paper. Let’s be absolutely clear, this money does not exist and the EU governments are hoping by declaring such a large amount that they can con the Wolfpack speculators. At this point the EU has just picked a large round figure out of the air. But when their bluff is called by the Wolfpack and the next attack happens, EU governments will after initial huffing and puffing start printing unlimited amounts of paper.
So the world is now on its road to ruin and there is no action, no leader and no new amount of printed money that can save the world or prevent a hyperinflationary depression.
Never in history has the world been in a situation when virtually all industrialised countries are bankrupt. Therefore there is no precedent for what will happen in the next few years. What we can be quite certain about is that events will happen in a seemingly random pattern and that it will be impossible to forecast where the next crises will start.
But although we will not be able to predict in what order events will take place, we can expect much of what is outlined below to happen.
Already back in 2007 we warned about the very high risk of the CDS (credit default swap) market. This is now one of the primary instruments used by the Wolfpack (expression coined by the Swedish Finance Minister Borg). The Wolfpack, speculators with enormous fire power such as hedge funds and investment banks, use the CDS market to attack any weak financial sector, be it a country, a bank or a company. The combination of the leverage of the CDSs and the massive capital available to the Wolfpack makes it possible for them to bring down or badly maul whatever they attack. It was not the Wolfpack that caused the problem in for example Greece but they can bring down a weak victim quickly and profit immensely and immorally from it.
There are so many weak potential victims that the Wolfpack can attack and they will start with the most vulnerable ones like, Portugal, Spain and Ireland etc. But when the time is right they will also attack the US and the UK.
So in the coming year we will see country after country coming under attack from the Wolfback which will lead to acceleration in money printing and higher interest rates.
The EU support package of $ 1 trillion is supposed to be sufficient to protect the rest of Europe from another Greek tragedy. The dilemma with such a massive EU commitment is that no government expects to have to pay the money out. If they did the voters in the respective EU countries would throw out their government. Why should the German people, who are also having hard times, pay for the Greeks, Portuguese or the Spaniards, especially since these loans will never be paid back?
Greece is bankrupt but is still taking on additional EU loans of € 140 billion. In addition, their austerity measures are supposed to bring the deficit down from 12% of GDP today to 3% in a few years time. But who can be so stupid as to lend to a bankrupt nation which will sink into the Ionian and Aegean Seas in the next few years. With massive cuts in government expenditure, with major falls in output, with unemployment rising fast, with tax revenues collapsing how can Greece possibly be expected to improve the economy and pay a high interest rate on their exploding debt? In addition, as long as they have the Euro they will be totally uncompetitive. So if they couldn’t manage their economy in the so called good times, it is absolutely guaranteed that they have no chance of surviving in bad times. So Greece will default and so will Portugal, Spain, Italy, France, the UK, the US and many more. But before that there will be the most colossal worldwide money printing exercise which would have used up most of the trees in the world but for electronic fiat money.
So, if virtually bankrupt nations don’t cut their deficits, they will definitively go under and if they try to cut, they will also go under due to collapsing output and tax revenues and colossal debts. Thus whatever actions governments take or don’t take, they are damned.
The table below shows debt as a percentage of GDP for various OECD countries. The official debts (in red) are massive and unlikely to ever be repaid in real money. Total debts (grey bars) include unfunded liabilities such as pensions and health care. Spain has the lowest total debt to GDP of 250%. Germany and the UK have around 400%, the US over 500% and Greece over 800% debt to GDP. These figures are absolutely astronomical and prove that most governments in the world will be totally incapable of repaying their debts or funding the pensions or medical care which they have committed to. It doesn’t matter however much governments cut expenditure or raise taxes, all these countries are insolvent and nothing can save them.
Most governments still believe that deficit spending and money printing is the solution to all their problems. Because the world economy’s expansion in the last 100 years and particularly in the last 40 years has been primarily based on credit and not real growth, governments live under the false impression that money printing will work this time too. But we have reached the point when investors will no longer buy worthless government debt that will never be repaid with real money. We will first go through a period when governments issue and buy their own debt thus monetising the debt or print money. This will be the hyperinflationary phase. Thereafter the world will realise that none of the government debt and very little of the bank debt will ever be repaid. Credit will then implode and so will also the assets financed by credit. Eventually there will be a new monetary and financia l system and the world will start afresh. The adjustment period will be very long and will involve economic and human misery, leading to social unrest and major political change. It will be a horrible experience for the world during this extended period of adjustment. But it will be like a forest fire that clears out the deadwood and creates the conditions for strong new growth. Once the new era starts it will therefore be from a very much lower level and individuals will be rewarded for hard work with little or no social security safety net. Credit will only be granted for sound capital investment projects, not for consumption or speculation. Ethical and moral values will return and the golden calf will not be worshipped. But before that, the period of readjustment will be very long and extremely difficult for the whole world.
Peace, love and happiness...until next time...
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