November 1, 2016
Story at a Glance. Emotional, social and moral integrity come from a region of the brain referred to as the amygdala. The amygdala is linked to all of our sensory processing systems and gives a corresponding emotional response to the information processed. Psychopaths have an abnormal psychophysiological response to emotional stimuli, resulting in a reduced capacity to feel empathy for others experiencing pain or distress. It’s an interesting question. Why are some people more compassionate than others? What makes one person altruistic and another self serving? Well, perhaps not surprisingly, the answer lies in our brains. To be precise the […]
October 27, 2016
Story at a Glance. There is an astounding correlation between sugar and other drugs of addiction. Cocaine addicted rats picked sugar-water over cocaine in one study. It’s exactly the same dopamine receptors in alcoholic brains that light up when we consume sugar. It’s the same D2 dopamine receptor that identifies alcoholics and addicts that we see in sugar addicts. It’s a dirty five letter word. Sugar. We hear the ubiquitous stern warnings about this white manufactured evil every day. There’s books on how to give up sugar. Books on how to make desserts without it. Books written by celebrities on […]
October 25, 2016
Marvin Oka is a renowned international management consultant and recognised world leader in the field of behavioural modeling. Yet when you sit down to talk with him, you don’t feel like you are sitting with a hard-nosed leadership guru, but rather with an expert and philosopher who cares deeply for the chiropractic profession. Today, we are talking about wellness languaging – how the words we use to frame our message are far more important than we think. In his travels, Oka often asks the question of chiropractors, “How many of you talk now with your clients or with people who […]
October 25, 2016
Story at a Glance. Microwaving your food has been shown in several studies to denature the vitamin and molecular structure of the food. The agitating affect on the water molecules chemically alters the food at the same time. Studies show that microwaving vegetables such as broccoli and asparagus, as well as heating up breast milk, significantly alters the nutritional value of the product. It’s such a staple in our kitchens these days. And it probably ranks right up there with the kettle and the toaster for getting the most workout during the day. But is our drive for convenience and […]
October 20, 2016
Recent ongoing research at the University of Southern California, USA, is studying the mathematics of a unique spinal wave generated in Network Spinal Analysis Chiropractic Care. This research on the electrophysiology of the Network Wave is reinforcing the paradigm suggested by Danish researchers Heimberg and Jackson, which proposes that the nervous system communicates through acoustic, or pulse pressure waves, and that the electrical signal is likely a by-product of this communication. In the mainstream medical paradigm, and often for many chiropractic institutions, biochemistry has been the ruling system. Now biophysics is gaining ground as a way to more fully understand […]
October 18, 2016
Story at a Glance. Leptin is transported across the blood brain barrier (BBB). Animals who are in a state of starvation display elevated triglycerides that block the transfer of leptin across the BBB. Interestingly, obese people also present with the same elevated levels of triglycerides. This tricks the brain into believing it is starving and therefore inhibits the transport of leptin across the BBB. Studies injecting mice brains with leptin directly into their hypothalamus showed considerable weight loss. In our two previous articles we covered the nature of leptin, a hormone that is secreted from your fat cells. It is […]
October 18, 2016
Story at a Glance. The greater the divide between where you are placed and the other person in question, the harder it is to feel an empathic response to their plight. The part of your brain that registers empathy is called the right supramarginal gyrus. You can increase your capacity to experience empathy by practicing it. If science has anything to say about it, it would appear so. Whilst one is sleeping on a soft bed, with fluffy pillows and a warm doona, it’s hard to imagine how bone-chillingly cold and uncomfortable a cold winter night must be for a […]
October 13, 2016
Story at a Glance. As human beings we need connection and love; we are bonding animals. Without that bond, we seek other things to bond with. Science has reviewed that isolated, drug-addicted mice drop their dependency when put in a community of rats in a social setting. This has lead researchers to believe that if we are unable to bond with other humans, addicts will bond with drugs. In today’s fast-paced world, filled with noise, tv’s, internet, computers and phones, we are surrounded by people, but we have never been less connected. There are many people who feel alienated, alone, […]
October 11, 2016
Story at a Glance. A global health crisis has been declared by the United Nations regarding bacteria and viruses that are now resistant to antibiotics. Overuse of antibiotics in animals and humans has developed resistant strains of viruses, bacteria, parasites and fungi. This has far reaching consequences both to the success of medical procedures, in both humans and animals, and to the cost of healthcare globally. The United Nations called a crisis meeting in New York on the 21st of September 2016, to address what has become a global emergency – antibiotic resistance. Viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites, no longer […]
October 11, 2016
Story at a Glance. Obese individuals have high levels of the hormone leptin but the brain is unable to recognise the hormone. High levels of leptin, unrecognised by the brain, is referred to as ‘leptin resistance.’ Insulin levels have become increasingly high in our society, which could be responsible for blocking leptin and its correlating actions on the brain – reduction of appetite and expenditure of calories. As we discussed in the previous article, leptin is the hormone that signals that we are not hungry. Mice genetically engineered(1) to halt leptin production rapidly became obese. Therefore low or zero levels […]
October 7, 2016
Story at a Glance. New study finds that children who read earlier have a high IQ later in their development. The children’s intelligence was measured not only with verbal intelligence testing but nonverbal intelligence testing as well. The differences in reading ability showed a clear link to differences in intelligence later on. These differences where noticeable by as early as the age of seven. We all know reading is important. But for the first time we’ve got some concrete evidence that learning to read early increases the level of intelligence in kids. Researchers at the University of Edinburgh and the […]
October 6, 2016
Story at a Glance. Listening is one of the most important skills you can learn. It’s why hostage negotiators do it first. Active listening, the art of actually listening deeply with the aim to fully understand the other requires more than simply just hearing. Practiced it will deepen your connection to other people and help you develop empathy and understanding bringing with it a more connected loving experience with those around you. We’ve all been there, either in a conversation that’s boring the pants off you, or a conversation that’s so exciting you can’t wait for the other person to […]
October 6, 2016
Story at a Glance. Leptin is a hormone that is secreted from your fat cells. It is often referred to as the ‘satiety hormone’ because it tells you that you’re full and no longer hungry. Mice genetically engineered to remove leptin rapidly became obese. Low leptin or zero leptin causes obesity. However obese humans produce leptin but it’s not recognised by the brain, which is why obese people continue to eat and become fatter. Their brains simply don’t recognise that they are full. You know the feeling. It’s nine o’clock in the evening. You’ve had dinner. Technically you should be […]
September 29, 2016
Story at a Glance. Whilst we think we understand our relationship towards money and our connection to happiness – we don’t. We think having lots of money to spend on ourselves is what will ultimately make us feel happier. Several studies have revealed that spending money on other people is what actually makes us happy. Whilst it’s always easy to imagine that a tonne of money will solve all of your problems, as it transpires, it’s how you spend your money, not how much of it you have, that will put a smile on your dial. And science can prove […]
September 28, 2016
Story at a Glance. Researchers at the University of Glasgow have reviewed social media effects and the effect on teenage depression, anxiety and reduced sleep. Adolescence can be a period of increased vulnerability for the onset of depression and anxiety, and poor sleep quality may contribute to this. While overall social media use impacts on sleep quality, those who log on at night appear to be particularly affected. This may be mostly true of individuals who are highly emotionally invested. It’s always been a pretty tough gig being a teenager, raging hormones, peer pressure, changing body shapes, it’s a veritable […]
September 28, 2016
Story at a Glance. Scientists have studied mice to observe if the maternal microbiome affected their offspring’s immune system during gestation. Offspring born to the infected mothers had increased numbers of innate lymphoid and mononuclear cells in their intestines and different patterns of gene expression in their guts. The study concluded that maternal microbiota shapes the immune system of her offspring. We used to call it gut flora but now it’s referred to by the very scientific name of microbiota. We’ve been researching the role of microbiota and its connection with our immune system since the late 1990’s. If the […]
September 23, 2016
Story at a Glance. Whilst there is no doubt that water consumption is imperative for the survival of the human body, there are some well-ensconced myths about water consumption. Your thirst will be your best gauge as to whether you require more water. Tea and coffee add to your water tally, not take away. Dehydration from caffeine is one of the biggest myths It’s a regular sight these days to see the ubiquitous water bottle carried around like a second limb. It’s almost the accessory du jour. Supermarket shelves are stacked with a plethora of option; spring water, sparkling water, […]
September 22, 2016
Story at a Glance. Once you are asleep your body experiences sleep paralysis. Scientist believe that as you fall asleep your waking brain battles with your asleep brain and fights the paralysis, causing your muscles to jerk. People who drink too much alcohol or coffee and who are stressed or very tired tend to jerk more as they fall asleep. It’s an interesting question. Most of us, actually up to 70% of us have experienced twitching or sudden jerking movement as we’re falling asleep. Sometimes that happens as a result of dreaming we are falling, or tripping over, and other […]