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Category: Natural Science Discoveries

Some Science type Articles – nothing complex or complicated. Some of these Articles are what I call Natural Science based on Natural Principles. I find some occasionally. Enjoy!

Published on Leave a comment on A 60-Minute Walk In Nature Decreases Activity In Brain Regions Involved In Stress Processing

Researchers in Germany have found that a one-hour walk in nature reduces
stress-related brain activity.

The amygdala is the brain region involved in stress processing. It has been shown to be less activated in people who live in rural areas, compared to those who live in cities, hinting at the potential benefits of nature.

Nature Walks Are Good For Your Brain

However, no study so far has examined the causal effects of natural and urban environments on stress-related brain mechanisms.

"But so far the hen-and-egg problem could not be disentangled, namely whether nature actually caused the effects in the brain or whether the particular individuals chose to live in rural or urban regions," says Sonja Sudimac, predoctoral fellow in the Lise Meitner Group for Environmental Neuroscience (LMGEN) and lead author of the study.

To address this question, researchers from LMGEN examined brain activity in regions involved in stress processing in 63 healthy volunteers before and after a one-hour walk in Berlin's Grunewald Forest and a busy city street using functional magnetic resonance imaging.

The results of the study revealed that activity in the amygdala decreased after the walk in nature, suggesting that nature elicits beneficial effects on brain regions related to stress.…

Published on Leave a comment on The Art of Self-Kindness and How it Helps Us Cope with Stress

By Juandri Buitendag and Prof Margareta James - Psychologists

Self-kindness can boost our mental health and help us navigate stressful situations. This is what we can do to nurture more of it.

Importance Of Practicing Some Self-Kindness - An Absolute Must!

Observing the breeze blow gently through the trees, savoring the delicate taste of a morning cuppa and curling up with a diverting novel in hand: far from being an extravagance, as these acts of self-kindness have sometimes been treated, they are in fact the fundamental building blocks of strong mental health.

In a world that is increasingly time-pressured and an economic model that has an unyielding focus on improving efficiency, it is easier than ever to overlook or de-prioritise your personal feelings and needs.

But according to psychologists, the art of self-kindness, although something that can be honed, is not something that should be optional. Whether it be in the realms of the physical, emotional, spiritual, or indeed professional, being conscious and sensitive towards yourself, they say, is key preparation for everything that life throws at us.

“It can change your life massively,” says Juandri Buitendag, a counseling psychologist who founded JB Wellness Dynamics, a London-based psychology therapy practice.…

Published on Leave a comment on What Does Reading Before Bed Do For Our Brain?

By Gemma Curtis – Sleep Matters Club Journalist

Some people can’t sleep without reading, but for others, the bedtime story is left in their child years. Reading before bed is an age-old tradition. Some people can’t sleep without reading, but for others, the bedtime story is left in their childhood. In recent times, reading interest has surged enormously. Whether it’s because people are running out of hobbies to try when they’re stuck at home or because they’re looking to expand their vocabulary is up for debate. Yet, the key question still remains: can the practice of reading before bedtime be beneficial? We explore how it affects the brain and see what the experts have to say.

Bedtime reading reduces stress

Reading before you sleep could relax you significantly. A study highlighted in the Telegraph by the University of Sussex raised a number of participants stress levels and then attempted to reduce them. Cognitive Neuropsychologist Dr David Lewis found that ‘reading worked best, reducing stress levels by 68 per cent’. It was better than listening to music (61%), drinking tea or coffee (54%) and taking a walk (42%). It only took 6 minutes for participants’ stress levels to be reduced.…

Published on

San Francisco. When the roads emptied of traffic in March and April because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bay Area residents reported hearing more birds—and they were halfway right.

Jennifer Phillips, a researcher at Cal Poly, and Elizabeth Derryberry, a professor at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, collaborated to evaluate whether and how songbirds responded to the quieter environment with much less traffic.

They compared the soundscapes and songs of the white-crowned sparrow recorded across the San Francisco area prior to and during the statewide shutdown.

“When I saw photos of an empty Golden Gate Bridge, it struck me just how little traffic there was,” said Derryberry, lead author of the study. “I realized we were in a unique position to look at how changes in human behavior might affect wildlife and what the noise reduction might mean for the songbird we study.”

The researchers found that the birds responded by producing softer songs that could travel over a larger distance, unimpeded by noise. The urban songs also became “sexier” in terms of vocal performance—meaning birds sang a wider range of notes in their song, in a wider bandwidth, during the shutdown.…

Published on Leave a comment on Sunny Days Ahead – Don’t Stay Away From Sunshine

So many are told to "Stay Away From Sunshine" in Western Countries like USA and Australia. That is based on Flawed Health Science. The Medical Profession is into a lot of that. Many times, if something is GOOD For You, they will tell you it's Bad for you, and Visa-Versa. I've found that through the years. As for taking our beautiful SUNSHINE away, no wonder so many people are feeling Bleak. Let's have Sunshine Inside (of us) and Outside. Both are Healthy, hey!?

Let's Have Sunshine And Brighten Up Our Days!!!

By Dr Al Sears Integrative Medicine Practitioner/International Researcher

Remember the first day of Spring when you opened the blinds to let the Sunshine in? Remember that full-of-energy, ‘happy-go-lucky’ feeling? Have you been missing those Sunny Days?

Many of my patients avoid the Sun like the plague. All they hear is that Sunshine poses serious threats to your health. With all these warnings about the Sun, why wouldn’t they?

Despite the bad rap it often gets, Sunshine is Good for You — if, like everything else, you don’t abuse it. Today, I’ll share some of the benefits of enjoying Sunshine each day – to Lift your spirits and Improve your Health.…

Published on

By Janet Vargas - Owner Of This Website

DID YOU KNOW THAT 75% OF FOOD WORLDWIDE IS LIMITED TO 12 PLANT CROPS (and 5 animal foods) AND THAT WESTERN COUNTRIES......... MORE INTERESTING FACTS IN THIS POST, PLUS WHICH FRUITS AND VEGGIES THE AFORE MENTIONED ARE AND SOME INSIGHTS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF ENCOURAGING BIODIVERSITY HERE IN AUSTRALIA. ON A LIGHTER NOTE, I WILL ALSO MENTION SOME IMPROVEMENTS WE'VE HAD IN OUR FOOD CULTURE IN RECENT DECADES AND RECENT TIMES, TO WHAT WE HAD YEARS AGO. I HOPE YOU READ THIS POST.

According to TheFutureMarket.Com  we only grow a small percentage of Plant Food Crops in Western Countries that does not allow for much Food Diversity in our Diet or our Health. As mentioned, they state that 75% of the World’s Food comes from 12 Plants (and 5 Animals).

In this order, the highest turnover of Plant Foods produced are 1. Sugar, 2. Corn, 3. Rice, 4. Wheat, 5. Potatoes,  6. Soya Beans, 7. Cassava, 8.Tomatoes, 9. Bananas, 10. Onions, 11. Apples and 12. Grapes. We eat only 150 out of 30,000 edible plant species (worldwide). For example, the USA has lost 90% of it’s Fruit and Veg varieties since 1900.…

Published on Leave a comment on How Blue Light Affects Your Sleep And What You Can Do

 By Maureen Salamon from WebMd.Com 2020

Have you ever woken up to bright morning skies feeling energized? A big reason for your mood is the high-intensity blue light coming from the sun. Among the visible light spectrum, blue wavelengths have the most powerful effect on your sleep-wake internal body clock.

Both natural and artificial blue light can boost your alertness and mental sharpness. But too much of it may keep you awake when your body needs to wind down.

Sunlight

Need help waking up in the morning? Open the blind or get outside to feel more alert.

Light From Screens

Their “blue” light has a powerful effect on your brain. Turn them out about 2hrs before bed.

Artificial Light

Bright lights after dark signal our brain to wake up. In the evening. In the evening. Use dim light, and block outside light.

Block Out Light To Get Good Sleep

How Blue Light At Night Hurts Sleep

Your eyes aren’t good at blocking blue light. So almost all of it passes straight through to the back of your retina, which helps your brain translate light into images.

Exposure to all colors of light helps control your natural sleep-and-wake cycle, or circadian rhythm.…

Published on Leave a comment on How Do Sleep And Weightloss Relate? A Wise Strategy We Should Put Into Practice!

THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE I FOUND ON THE NET THIS WEEK MAKES A LOT OF SENSE AND MOST OF IT GOES HAND IN HAND WITH WHAT I HAVE RESEARCHED AT DIFFERENT TIMES. I THINK THIS WILL BENEFIT MANY OF YOU WHO HAVE NOT BEEN GETTING RESULTS WITH VARIOUS PROGRAMS AND SUCH BECAUSE THIS COULD BE THE MISSING ELEMENT IN YOUR ROUTINE. PLUS SOME OF YOU WHO HAVE BEEN GOING TO GYMS HAVE NOT HEARD THAT STRENUOUS EXERCISE THAT MAKES YOU PRETTY MUCH EXHAUSTED CAUSES THE ADRENAL GLAND TO MAKE TOO MUCH CORTISONE (a stress hormone) THAT IS ANOTHER HIDDEN CAUSE FOR KEEPING ON THE WEIGHT - EVEN GAINING EXTRA, BELIEVE IT OR NOT - SO NOT ALL GYM INSTRUCTORS ARE WISE, PLUS SOME OF THE EQUIPMENT IS DAMAGING TO YOUR BODY IN CERTAIN WAYS ACCORDING TO RESEARCHERS. PLEASE BE CAREFUL.

Sleep And Weight Loss Connection: How Sleeping Well Can Actually Help You Feel Less Hungry, And Lose Weight

By Kirti Pandey

We must stop treating sleep hours as a waste or an optional exercise. Adequate sleep is the key to everything our body does.

Several studies show that sleep deprivation (regularly less than 7 hours of sleep a night) is a risk factor for obesity.…

Published on Leave a comment on Whats The Verdict? Kids Playing Outside Like They Did Years Ago Is In. Its OK!

By Janet Vargas - Natural Health Researcher

So don't be frightened of germs because there are Good Germs as well, kids are missing out on that benefit their Immune System. It’s much Safer than text books say – just one of many practices grandparents and their grandparents encouraged, and their kids were healthier than children Today. No they weren’t mistaken – less educated but not silly. We have been, to take so much notice of information we have been brought up with medical influence. TV and TEC are not Baby Sitter, but we have substituted them for Good Healthy Outdoor Play, Aye?

Encourage Your Kids To Get Their Hands Muddy Or Sandy - Its Good For Them!

And today’s Medical System always scaring us into Antibiotics and Vaccines  - half of which are not appropriate for or country here in Australia. We are not in a Third World Country, and people who live in the Islands are healthier than we are without a Medical Establishment, who are always finding more ways to rake in more profits.

I don’t think there are many of us who remain ignorant to the likes of Big Pharma after 2020 – what a boost to the Industry.…

Published on Leave a comment on 14 Health Benefits Of Sleeping Early – Do Read!

From The Good Body Website

DON'T MISS THIS, THESE ARE WONDERFUL BENEFITS MANY OF US DON'T EXPERIENCE BECAUSE WE'RE LATE OWLS ETC WE WOULD NOT BE ACQUAINTED WITH THE VALUE OF A GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEP - IT IS NOURISHING TO MIND AND BODY. WHEN PRACTICED CONSISTENTLY, OUR FACULTIES IMPROVE. YOU DON'T NEED MENTAL GYMNASTICS,YOU JUST NEED TO LOOK AFTER YOURSELF BETTER MOST TIMES. THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS EVEN YOUNG PEOPLE DON'T THINK VERY CLEARLY THESE DAYS, BECAUSE OF SLEEP DEPRIVATION. BE KIND TO YOURSELVES.

There Are Good Benefits In Sleeping Earlier

Science has shown there’s some truth in Benjamin Franklin's words about the importance of hitting the pillow early. This works best in conjunction with getting the recommended 7 - 8 hours sleep each night.

Sleep is a powerful force that dispenses a multitude of life-changing benefits – from making us more productive, to extending our lives.

Check out our top 14 benefits of sleeping early – all backed-up with solid scientific evidence:

1: BETTER SLEEP QUALITY

Be wary of burning the midnight oil because there’s a clear link between sleeping early and improved sleep quality.

Matthew Walker, leading sleep expert (currently Professor of Neuroscience and Psychology at the University of California, as well as founder and director of the Center for Human Sleep Science), in his New York Times bestseller Why We Sleep: The New Science of Sleep and Dreams explains the science behind this:

Sleep is made up of 90-minute cycles, during which the brain moves from deep non-rapid eye movement (non-REM) sleep to rapid eye movement (REM).…