A rare and deadly plague sweeps through Madagascar

Relatives dancing with the corpses of their loved ones contract and then spread the plague. IMAGE: AFP OR LICENSORS

After a span of almost 50 years, a rare and deadly plague broke out in Madagascar affecting major cities and surrounding areas. The plague has caused 143 deaths while around 2,000 more were affected. Due to the severity of the deadly plague, WHO raised alert level and issued warnings have been issued for nine other countries, including South Africa, Tanzania and Kenya.

According to reports, the plague is said to be spreading because of the hundreds-year-old tradition of Madagascaran people which includes digging out the graves of their loved ones and dancing with it.

This tradition is held once a year and it involves the family touching the coffin of the dead and thus getting in contact with the infected dead bodies. The tradition is known as Famadihana or the body turning. The tradition is under scrutiny as the plague is known to have started spreading in the time of its celebration.

Different types of plague cases have been reported including Pneumonic plague, the most deadliest type that can spread from human to human. There have also been cases of other types of plagues such as Bubonic and Septicemic, plagues caused by bacterium. The death toll has increased up to 8% in just a week while scientists are working to make sure the infection doesn’t spread to mainland Africa.

Free medication to treat the plague available but the locals refuse to seek help or go to the doctor out of fear of being diagnosed with the plague. Some families are refusing to give up on the infected corpses of their family members which are seized by the police.

The neighboring country of Malawi prompted officials to put the country on high alert due to fears that the disease could spread across international borders. Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Dr Dan Namarika, said Malawi has a special team that is involved with the Mozambique counterpart of report on the plague in case any outbreak occurs.

Delinquency and Juvenile Justice System in Pakistan

Juvenile delinquency is a problem currently affecting the population and societies round the globe. Understanding the juvenile delinquency is important for the masses in order to know what really it is and how to react to it.

A widespread, continuous and chronic behavior by a psychologically identified deviant group, threatening general well being of society, is termed as antisocial behavior. Antisocial personality is thus an individual with traits which consequently prohibits him performing as normal being in a society. Juvenile delinquency, also known as juvenile offending is actually a bio-psycho-social phenomenon.

Legally speaking, the definition differs cross countries. European Union terms a child  as delinquent if his breach of penal code affects society in general, while in USA, a minor can be accused to be delinquent if he shows antisocial behaviors, like consumption of drugs, disobedience of parents and smoking in institutions etc.

Hence juvenile delinquency is a minor’s participation in committing a crime before the statutory age of maturity. Statutory age of maturity again, differs from country to country and even region to region within a single country.

Causes of juvenile delinquency can be rooted to the aspects of economic, social and biological situations of society and individuals. Poor economy, increased rate of inflation, lack of jobs and scarcity of basic necessities can be a cause of deviant behavior in children.

On the other hand, psychological stresses, conflicts between parents, single parenthood, bad school environment and teacher’s torture may also induce delinquency in child. Additionally, the raised level of serotonin in brain has been proved a major cause of juvenile recidivism among minors.

Unfortunately, Pakistan is among countries where child delinquency rate is relatively high. What make the situation more critical is that out of Pakistan’s population of 200 million, half or about 49% are under the age of 18. Among them, 22% are adolescents of age 10-18.

More than four million children are engaged in child labor according to an estimate. Which means, such a high number of children are susceptible to being exploited and are at risk of being delinquent.

Surprisingly, Pakistan lacks a clear cut difference line between juvenile criminals and adult culprits, in practice. Fundamental difference between juvenile justice system and criminal justice system is that the earlier system rehabilitates delinquents and the later is a system of retribution against adult criminals.

Juvenile crimes are relatively high in urban areas, particularly in Lahore and Karachi because of amalgam of different economy classes which consequently increases class conflict. Poorest to richest difference urges will of crime committing among youngsters.

Following CRC in 1990, government of Pakistan promulgated the “Juvenile Justice System Ordinance 2000, (JJSO 2000),” This was provided for the protection of juveniles involved in criminal litigations. It was proved a step forward and promulgated immediately. The statuary age in Pakistan is furnished as seven to twelve.

Juvenile between age 7-12 lies responsible if he/she realizes what he/she has committed, otherwise up till 12 minor falls under the category of juveniles. Contrarily, Hadood Ordinance establishes separate age of maturity for men and women, i-e 16 for females and 18 for males.

Additionally, it also refers an individual as mature if he/she reached to age of puberty. Under the Hadood Ordinance, juveniles were sentenced to capital punishments even of the age below twelve. On the other hand, according to “society for the protection of rights of the child, (SPARC)” in PATA and FATA where there are no normal courts, juveniles are not treated under JJSO 2000.

Moreover, in Pakistan juveniles are reported to be harassed by police officers. Still there are no rehabilitation centers established separately for delinquents. Though in Karachi and Lahore some reforms are introduced but its need of hour to spread them to all districts. Juvenile offenders are even kept with adult criminals. Researches showed that delinquents if accompanied adult offenders, repeat crime litigation after release.

Along with governmental reforms, as an individual of society it’s our social responsibility to work for the welfare and rehabilitation of these juvenile delinquents. There must be campaigns to make masses aware about the delinquency and the ways how to react it. Parents, teachers, and all responsible must be informed and furnished clear-cut concept of juvenile delinquency and factors causing criminal recidivism.

Reasons why Tsimané are world’s healthiest people

On average, Tsimane women have nine children. Credit: Michael Gurven

The healthiest hearts in the world have been found in the Tsimane people, who forage and fish in the Bolivian forests. Previous reports of Japanese women being the world’s healthiest still hold true, say researchers, but the Japanese group will be a close second to the overall health of the collective Tsimane group.

Researchers looked carefully at both diet and exercise, along with CT scans to check lifestyle along with signs of clogged arteries in every age group of the hunting and gathering community.

The men of the community averaged 17,000 steps per day and the women averaged 16,000 steps, with those over 60 still averaging an impressive 15,000 steps each day. This highlights the comparison of their western counterparts struggling to maintain a much lower reading of 10,000 steps per day.

Their diet consists mostly of wild pig, tapir (a wild pig-like mammal), capybara (a large rodent), freshwater fish, rice, maize, plantains, and fruit and nuts. A high amount of their calories come from carbohydrates, and about 14% come from protein.

Compared to other communities with a higher rate of heart disease, the Bolivian natives eat much leaner meat and much less saturated fat.

Experts and nutritionists have long purported carbohydrates are the enemy of a healthy diet, but the healthy Tsimanis eat about the same portion as other civilizations around the world.

The real difference it seems, as many doctors have always said, is exercise. With many populations experiencing more sedentary lifestyles, the rate of 80% of Americans with signs of heart disease by age 75 should not be too surprising.

What can we learn? Of course, the moral of the story is to keep moving, no matter your age. Whether it’s taking the stairs, biking to work, or walking every day, the idea of exercising on the weekends won’t do much in the way of overall health, said the experts.

Food waste – The 3rd largest emitter of CO2

(Photo by Jill Toyoshiba/Kansas City Star/MCT via Getty Images)

When food rots, it creates methane (CH4) which has 21 times the global warming potential of carbon dioxide. If food waste was a country, it would be the world’s 3rd largest emitter of CO2. The Food waste network recently reported these facts. Food waste hurts people, costs money and harms the planet.

Climate change and food security are interlinked. The former affects the latter and vice versa. Changes in climatic conditions have already affected food production. Earlier this year, a research study at Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research revealed that proper management of food use and distribution may lead to immense decrease in carbon emission. The study further suggested that up to 14% of emissions from agriculture in 2050 could be avoided by better managing food use and distribution.

Another research study published in the Environmental Science and Technology journal highlighted the fact that as poorer countries develop and the world’s population grows, emissions associated with food waste could soar from 0.5 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year to between 1.9 and 2.5 gigatonnes annually by 2050. The researchers have also stated that the share of food wasted is expected to increase drastically if emerging economies like China and India adopt western food habits, including a shift to eating more meat.

Agriculture is a major driver of climate change, accounting for more than 20% of overall global greenhouse gas emissions. If we avoid food loss and waste, we don’t have to produce at much food as we produce now. It would therefore avoid unnecessary greenhouse gas emissions and help mitigate climate change. Every time food is wasted, the water, energy, time, manpower, land, fertilizer, fuel, packaging and MONEY put into growing, preparing, storing, transporting, cooking the food is wasted.

Hundreds of thousands of smallholder farmers in Africa lose 15-42% of their fruit and vegetable crops due to issues such as improper storage, lack of access to finance and inability to link to sustainable markets. The World Bank estimated that just a 1% reduction in post-harvest losses in sub-Saharan Africa could lead to economic gains of $40m a year, most of which would go directly to farmers.

The Australian Business Review reported that consumers waste 20% of the food they buy, which sees more than 4 million tonnes end up in landfill each year in Australia and costs the Australian economy about $20 billion a year. Between 30 and 40% of food produced around the world is never eaten, because it is spoiled after harvest and during transportation, or thrown away by shops and consumers.

FAO estimated that 1.3 billion tonnes of food, worth $1 trillion, is wasted each year. Food waste in the developed world nearly equals annual food production in sub-Saharan Africa. Just think of the economic, environmental and social benefits that would flow if we did not waste so much food.

The potential for food waste curbs to reduce emissions should be given more attention. However it is not a strategy of governments at the moment. Over eight hundred million people in the world do not have enough to eat. Minimizing food wastage is one of the many ways to feed these people.

We need trees in our cities more than ever

The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) reported in 2014 that over 54 percent of the global population lives in cities and it is expected to increase to 66 percent by 2050. It means more cars, more factories and more power plants in the cities. As cities grow, leaders are funding creative and often expensive solutions to curb the air pollution problem.

Like in London the local administration spent over a million pounds, spraying cities with an adhesive that was supposed to glue pollutants to the roads. Similarly in the Netherlands, designers have created a giant air purifier which is called “the smog free tower”. These are effective but quite expensive ways to curb air pollution. There is a simpler solution that is often overlooked. That is, planting trees.

Cities are centers of industry. The resulting pollution is adversely affecting the urban population. One major reason is particulate matter. Air borne particles of dust and smoke released when we burn fossil fuels. When we inhale these particles they may cause asthma, heart diseases, stroke and even death. Experts estimate that outdoor pollution kills about three million people annually.

A new report from The Nature Conservancy show that planting trees could be a cost effective way to improve public health which they do two ways. First, a tree removes particulate matter when polluted air blows through its branches. The particulate matter settle on the leaves and when it rains the dust is washed down the drainage so the humans don’t inhale it. Second, trees cool temperatures by providing shade and release water through photosynthesis which cools summer temperature by about 2-4 F. But tree plantation need to be properly planned. Trees can only clean and cool the air within a close radius of about 100 feet so cities officials need to consider it where they plant the trees.

Officials can maximize pollution reduction by planting trees according to the population density and air pollution spots. Government departments and NGOs use data from developed cities to create maps showing where planting trees will have the highest return on investment. Moreover, type of trees also matters in this regard. Some trees might work better than others like trees with larger and stickier leaves are more effective.

Many cities around the world are considering minimizing air pollution by planting trees. It can be more cost effective than other ways like converting public transportation to use less diesel fuel. However, cities in majority of the developing countries don’t think of trees as a public health resource which is unfortunate.

Trees are actually giant air filters. The sooner we start thinking of them that way the sooner the air we breathe might be cooler and cleaner in cities around the world.

Eat less meat and save the environment

Every acre of land gives us a choice: we can either use it to grow 113 kg of meat, or over 11300 kg of plant based food. To produce just one pound of beef takes over 2000 gallons of water. People in many countries are starving due to our inefficiency. Instead of people using vegetables as food, they are instead fed to animals for the privileged people to eat meat.

Even though it’s even more extreme for most of the people, it’s worth considering that a person who follows a vegan diet produces 50 percent less CO2 and uses 1/10 the amount of oil, 1/13 the amount of water and 1/18 the land compared to meat eating people. However, going completely vegan is not an easy choice but by becoming more educated and mindful about the cost to our environment, we need to cut down the amount of animal products in our daily consumption. Apart from environmental benefits, switching to a non-meat diet has numerous health benefits as well.

Automobiles and power plants seem to be the biggest contributors to our total greenhouse gas emissions, but actually our consumption of meat is the leading cause of the climate change. When its effects and bi-products are taken together, animal agriculture accounts for about half of global emissions. Average global meat consumption is in excess of 42 kg per year. It means, every human eats about 800 grams of meat per week.

Global population of cows is over 1.5 billion and each of these cows emits 65 gallons of methane per day as a result of their feed digestion. We already know that methane is a potent greenhouse gas, trapping 25 times more heat in our atmosphere than CO2. When it just comes to sheer waste, 2500 cows are equivalent to a city of over 400,000 people.

Every minute, the animals raised for food in the U.S. produce 7 million pounds of waste which goes into our waterways and oceans creating large dead zones. To make room for such a large number of animals we turned to deforestation. In Brazil, Amazon has been cleared at an astounding rate. Each second, an acre of the world’s rainforests are cleared. Our most diverse biosphere is disappearing. 110 animals and insects species go extinct on a daily basis.

Livestock has taken their place and it covers almost 45 percent of the total land on our planet and uses one third of our freshwater supply. Moreover, we are pulling about 90 million tons of fish from the oceans each year. For every one pound of fish caught, five pounds of unintended marine species are brought up along with it and discarded as “by-kill’.

A large number of people consider themselves as environmentalists. But as more and more of us learn that our animal consumption is the leading cause of species extinction, dead zones in ocean, water pollution, habitat destruction and climate change-causing greenhouse gas emissions, the question remains, are enough of us really prepared to make necessary changes to our lives to truly protect our environment?

How can we solve this problem? Simply put, we can eat a lot less meat and dairy.

Famous celebrities reveal their fitness secrets

Dear ladies, whether you like exercise or not, but when you see those X bodies with slim stomach, bubble butts and toned legs on TV screens you find yourselves in awe. Well, we all accept these celebrities are a great inspiration that motivates most of the ladies to the gym or exercises at home.

But getting a desirable figure needs consistency, and a realistic approach. Sticking to a regular workout schedule is not easy, not even for celebrities or fitness freaks. Specially when you see your favorite “Aalu Paratha”, “Cheese Naan”, “Sizzling steak” and crispy burgers. This is where most of the ladies throw in the towel and give up on healthy food.

So what do you do to achieve that models-like physique or at least shed those tons of fats? Here are some of the secrets and advises by famous celebrities which may boost your motivation level.

1. Find a workout that makes you feel pretty.

“I like being trained by ballerinas, so I go to someone called Mary Helen Bowers in New York, and here I met someone called Andie Hecker about five years ago, and I’ve been training with her on and off for five years. She’s like the naughty ballerina. She’s great, and she’s in L.A. So when I’m here for longer, I try to see her. [When I’m not in town], I do the Ballet Beautiful videos.” — Phoebe Tonkin

2. Focus on mind over body

I work out not only to balance food but also to keep my mind focused. … It can be taking a walk outside, boxing, or going to dance. Anything physical has such a positive impact on people; the dopamine and serotonin that get released when you work out—afterward, you feel amazing.” — Shay Mitchell

3. If you can’t motivate yourself- pay someone to do it.

Cardio is the key. I have a personal trainer who travels with me if we have a big event coming up. I work out every day, but I need a trainer to motivate me.” — Rihanna, as told to Harper’s Bazaar

4. Switch up your fitness routine so you never get bored.

“I’m a vegan and I’m into Pilates and yoga. I do this diet called Ayurveda. … It’s really important to get outside and switch it up. Two days a week I try to work with a personal trainer.” — McKayla Maroney

5. Get excited about your workout playlist.

“I do a lot of things with little weights—like, I’ll put on a song that I really like and I’ll do [bicep curls with] five-pound weights for the duration of the song and just try to burn out.” — Beyoncé, as told to Harper’s Bazaar

6. Don’t force yourself to do anything.

“I hate cardio. I’d rather just stand there and lift some weights than run in place.” — Kendall Jenner

Here is what causes cancer and how it can be defeated

Cancer in humans is as old a disease as human beings on the earth. Some of the earliest traces of bone cancer were found in mummies of ancient Egypt and in ancient manuscripts which date back to 1600 B.C. However, most of the important research work on Cancer took place in 19th century. Until then, there were different beliefs about this deadly disease. Some physicists believed that acidic lymph fluid was the cause of cancer. Whereas some called it a poison that slowly spread in the body.

Cancer treatment became possible only when medical scientists, physicists, discovered the reason behind Cancer.

Medical science says, Cancer is a class of disease characterized by out-of-control cell growth. Normal cells divide in an orderly way. They die when they are worn out or damaged and new cells take place. The cancer cells behave abnormally. They keep on growing and crowd out normal cells.

According to Dr. Ananya Mandal, Cancer cells originate from normal cells with damaged DNA. Every cell contains its DNA which directs all the cell’s action, growth, death, protein synthesis etc. When DNA is damaged in normal cell, the cell either repairs the damage or the cell dies.

In cancer cells, the damaged DNA can not get repaired somehow, and the cell does not die. Instead it gives rise to more such abnormal cells with abnormal DNA.

Cancer cells can also spread to other parts of the body. For instance, cancer cells in the lung can travel to the bones and grow there.

There are over 200 types of Cancerous cells. Tumors in our bodies are the result of abnormal cell growth, however not all tumors are cancerous. Benign tumors do not spread to other parts of the body. They can only be serious if they press on vital structures such as blood vessels or nerves.

Research has shown that certain risk factors may increase a person’s chance of developing cancer, says US-based National Cancer Institute. Some of the suspected risk factors for Cancer are; eating junk or fast food, alcohol consumption, eating too much or too less, smoking, lack of exercise, obesity, infections and viruses, etc.

Modern research studies show that processed meats, microwave popcorn, farmed fish, artificial sweeteners, and various other foods, vegetables etc. may also cause Cancer.

The most critical explanation of what exactly causes cancer is stated by an 80-years-old Oncologist and researcher Dr. Gul Rehman, from Peshawar city. According to Dr. Rehman he worked for 30 years, treated thousands of patients suffering from cancer. Some died and some survived. However, no one knew exactly why a person develops Cancer.

It was after his retirement from the Institute of Radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine (IRNUM) that he opened his clinic, started researching on different diseases and found out the basic reason behind Cancer and other diseases. He says it is the lack of Oxygen that develops cancer or other problems in the body.

Dr. Rehman  suggests Ozone therapy and bitter almond, to accomplish body’s need for oxygen and fight cancerous cells. Bitter almond has Vitamin B17 in great quantity which helps in Cancer prevention.

A normal person on daily basis should eat five to eight such almonds to prevent cancer and a cancer patient can eat 15 to 20 almonds to cure cancer, says dr. Gul Rehman.

On the other hand he talks about Ozone therapy which at first cures depression in a patient. As a matter of fact, most of the cancer patients suffer from chronic depression that weakens their immune system. Dr. Rehman says, the sooner cancer gets diagnosed, the better your odds of getting a successful treatment for it are.

Essential oil mothers should use for babies over six months

There are many kinds of oil that we regularly use in our lives to achieve different results. Essential oils however are not just used to improve skin conditions or hair, in fact, it is used to relax muscles and can help in reducing different kinds of conditions.

Just like adults, our kids also need such aromatic essential oil to relax and sleep calmly or to help with conditions like colic or dry skin.

Six-month old babies are supposed to be given an oil massage on regular basis in order to keep them relaxed and help them with their sleeping routine.

While many essential oil can help in a baby growth, there are certain oils that are to be avoided because either it’s too strong for the baby or simply not good for their health.

Essential oil has been a reliable and trusted source of relaxation for thousands of years.

It is harder to get natural oil these days, as most companies are mixing chemicals into it so while you are at it, make sure you check the label and read the ingredients before buying any such essential oil for your babies.

It might not show much reaction on an adult but for a baby it can be a disastrous experience as the skin is new to such products and delicate.

Pure, authentic and unadulterated essential oil should be preferred for a baby as mixing might irritate their skin and cause them rashes.

Essential oil are not to be used directly to the skin there should be a carrier oil to mix with it before using it on skin and there is a certain dilution ratio and a way of applying this oil before they are applied to skin .

Babies however are more sensitive to this topic. Babies should not be made to drink or ingest these oils as it is unsafe for a baby. Instead it should be used as a topical.

Vegetable oil, coconut oil and almond oil can be used as a base oil for mixing as it brings its own qualities along with it and moisturize the skin and help in anti-aging for adults.

While essential on babies under six months is strictly forbidden, the dilution ration, according to the National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy (NAHA), for babies is 0.5 to 1. While the ratio for adults is 2.5 to 10 percent as babies skin is more sensitive thn adults.

As diluted essential oil can also cause skin irritation and sun sensitivity, it is recommended that one should first perform a spot test on a small area for confirmation of no allergic reaction.

There are a few essential oil that mentioned below that can help in baby growth.

LAVENDER OIL

Lavender can be used to calm many symptoms as in reducing itchiness and can be used on insect bites. It is known for its calming effect and helps the baby stay relaxed and help them sleep more.

Though those that are allergic to any thing lavender ( like me ) can get a very bad allergy from it so better safe than sorry, a spot test for sure to make sure if your baby is allergic or not.

Eucalyptus OIL

A natural expectorant, it is used in curing cough and other respiratory symptoms. Its uses include being an anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, decongestant, deodorant, antiseptic, antibacterial, stimulating, and other medicinal qualities. And thus it is mostly used in cold weather.

There are two types in this oil. One eucalyptus radiate that can be used on babies while eucalyptus globulus is safe for adult but not for children under two.

It can also help them relax and sleep well at night. Thought the face should be avoided in kids under 10 year old.

DILL OIL

The basic components of dill essential oil are D-Carvone, Dillapiol, Eugenol, Limonene, Terpinene and Myristicin. Dill seeds are known to be having healing power and been used for it since ancient times.

It is also used as Antispasmodic and helps with spasm of different body parts. It can be used on wounds of babies and help it heal. It also works as a carminative for babies and if taken regularly it helps grow Galactogogue in the mother breast which helps in making more milk.

TEA TREE OIL

Tea tree oil is known for its anti-acne properties and are used in different skin products that helps in healing the skin from conditions like eczema or dermatitis.

It can be used in addition to other oil to cure early eczema and skin problems in babies. It helps in relaxing the skin causing to stop the inflammation.

MANDARIN OIL

Mandarin oil also does almost the same effect as chamomile as it helps in relaxing the baby and thus boosting long sleep hours. Both of them together can do wonders for one baby.

Two drops of chamomile in mandarin oil with a sweet almond as a carrier oil can help the baby get better sleep and thus grow healthier with time.

Depression: how to effectively treat it without medication

Shutterstock Photo

Depression is an enemy that kills you from the inside; you feel dead, nothing interests you, and you just want to stay alone away from all your friends and family. All in all, this ruthless enemy isolates you from the world and then there comes a time when you think, “well, what’s the point of this life?”

Hold it right there. That is the exact pattern of depression. Its goal is to lead you towards that question and make you take a stupid decision at a time when you are in no position to take any decisions.

No matter how depressed you are, no matter how pointless everything might seem, you were simply not born to die a depressed soul. There is more to life than staying depressed and feeling dead.

Say it out loud

Like most of the people suffering from depression, you might be keeping your condition hidden from your friends and family. There are various reasons why you don’t seek their help.

First, you might feel ashamed of telling people about your debilitating situation because you believe they might think you’re weak. You should remember that bravery has nothing to do with not being afraid.

Bravery is acknowledging the existence of your enemy, and fighting it with all you have got. Acceptance doesn’t show you as a weak person, hiding it and giving up on it, does show weakness.

Secondly, you might not share your feelings with your family because you think why should you disrupt their happy life by telling them about how lifeless you feel. This is where you are wrong. You do need the support of your family and friends, especially your family. There is no shame in seeking their help.

By telling them how you feel, two wonderful things will happen: first, you’ll feel good just by telling them how you feel as it will reassure your mind that that you are not alone anymore; second, your family will help you fight your depression and it’s better to fight this battle together with your friends and family than all alone.

Change your lifestyle

Depression usually strikes when you are bored, have a monotonous routine, or when you spend most of your time alone with not much to do. (indeed there could be many other reasons)

What you have to do is completely change your lifestyle. If you weren’t wearing shorts, wear shorts from now on. If you mostly wore black color, wear white from now on. The change should start from what you wear. Start wearing different colors. Have a hair-cut; try a different style.

The point is that you should start doing whatever ever you were not doing before; do something different, and break the monotony.

Sleep early, wake up early, exercise

Depression comes from the dark world. It feeds on darkness. That is why one feels more depressed at night. If you’re suffering from depression, you should try to sleep as early as possible.

Many people with depression have a routine of staying up all night and sleeping during the day. The problem with this routine is that most of your time is spent in darkness which exacerbates your condition.

Sleep early and wake up as early as possible. Go for a morning walk to a near by park. Exercise!

Exercise not only keeps you healthy physically but it helps balance homeostasis of your internal body. Keeping this routine will definitely help you control your depressive thoughts.

No medication

The best way to effectively treat depression is to resist taking any medication. While I am not underscoring the effectiveness of medications, the problem with taking them is that there is a chance you might get addicted to them.

Even a more bigger problem with medication is that you always feel like it’s not you who defeated depression but the pills did it. Once depression is defeated without the help of any drugs, you’ll feel in control of your depression.

Find a purpose

Look around you, there are hundreds of reasons to stay alive and work for than keeping yourself consumed with those negative thoughts. You have to find a purpose; anything that you’ll enjoy doing.

Help feed a hungry homeless person, help animals, help environment. Become selfless. There are hundreds of better things you can do than to die from depression.

Food insecurity is a bigger problem than it looks

Picture: REUTERS/Faisal Mahmood

Hunger and food security are the world’s number one health risks. Increased food prices was one of the reasons that triggered Arab spring. Unless we figure out new strategies to improve global food security, we may be entering a new and dangerous phase of human history where food, water, and energy shortages may not only cause worse poverty but also civic unrest and international conflicts.

Scientists believe that we will need 50 percent more food by 2050. Producing this food is going to be hard. Rising energy prices and climate change challenges are making food harder and more expensive to produce.

We need to understand the causes of food insecurity. Why some communities are more vulnerable to hunger and famine? Why can’t people access food? And why does it strike some places or people more frequently?

There are a lot of reasons why it happens: crops fail due to drought, conflict or disaster; forming a system of vicious circle and recurring poverty. Due to less food production, it has to be imported from outside which leads to increased demand which pushes prices up. Those who used to sell their crops now have nothing to trade and so, have less money. It becomes harder to feed livestock and keep it healthy.

Troubled times like conflicts mean people have to leave their homes and may have lost their jobs and way of life. Meanwhile, with the food prices keep going up forcing them to eat less, or to eat cheap or wild food with little nutrition. After some time, this makes them malnourished and weak which makes it even harder to grow food or to work. Buying food may have been sacrificed to pay for school, or medical treatment, or water. This way the cycle keeps repeating itself, only worse each time.

There are several ways through which we can attain food security. The first strategy is that we need to develop new technologies that help farmers reach their potential in terms of the amount of food they can produce. According to scientific studies, we can boost our production by 50 percent by employing currently available technologies. This is especially important in some of the African and Asian countries where farmers only produce about 20 percent of what they could really produce due to lack of good quality seeds, fertilizers and better equipment.

The second strategy is to improve food distribution. For this, we need to consider an uncomfortable truth about our food system. If we take all the available food on earth and divide equally among all the people on this planet, there will be about 2700 calories and 75 grams of proteins available per person per day, which is more than enough.

However, we also feed lot of food to animals, turn corn to ethanol and waste a substantial amount of food which has led to hunger in some parts of the world. We waste about one third of our food. We need to minimize our food wastage and devise strategies which ensure a fair distribution of food.

We also need to make sure we keep the farms and farmers around our cities. It means, we need to support our local food systems which are important because they stand as a buffer between individuals and consumers, and problems that might occur in global markets. Even if local food systems do not feed all of us all the time, they are very critical line of defense against hunger.

None of this will be possible without stronger regulation and proactive government policies. There is dire need for the government to get serious about promoting sustainable farming.

Stem Cell Therapy: What’s The Hype About?

The FDA is set to crack down on a number of clinics across the United States that offer expensive stem cell therapies to treat various diseases, as they claim.

Diseases and conditions, which stem cell therapies are said to cure, range from erectile dysfunction to autism. However, there is no scientific proof that they actually do cure those diseases.

Over 200 stem cell clinics have appeared in the U.S. over the last few year, but they didn’t go through heavy regulations for the reason that those clinics extract from a person’s own body and nothing is really done before reinjecting the cells.

Just recently, the FDA released guidelines in which it states that the stem cells used in most clinics are drugs and that’s why approvals need to be issued before the use on patients.

There are two types of stem cells used by such clinics: derived from embryos and adult stem cells. Both of the cells are said to be capable of curing various diseases thanks to their regenerative properties. It must be noted that stem cells extracted from bone marrow have been used to treat cancer, blood and immune diseases and conditions for a long time now.

Cell Surgical Network, a forefather of dozens of stem cell clinics in the United States, claims that there are over two dozen conditions that could be treated with stem cells, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, lung disorders, congestive heart failure, Parkinson’s, muscular dystrophy and a number of others.

According to clinical trial evidence, stem cells could also speed up wound healing, treat scleroderma and strengthen the heart.

However, to date there is no clinical evidence that stem cells cure serious conditions such as strokes and lung diseases, while clinics that offer expensive stem cell therapies claim that they are extracting stem cells cleanly. But there is no evidence of that as well as there is no evidence that they are extracting those cells at all.Just recently, the FDA released guidelines in which it states that the stem cells used in most clinics are drugs and that’s why approvals need to be issued before the use on patients.

There are two types of stem cells used by such clinics: derived from embryos and adult stem cells. Both of the cells are said to be capable of curing various diseases thanks to their regenerative properties. It must be noted that stem cells extracted from bone marrow have been used to treat cancer, blood and immune diseases and conditions for a long time now.

Cell Surgical Network, a forefather of dozens of stem cell clinics in the United States, claims that there are over two dozen conditions that could be treated with stem cells, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, lung disorders, congestive heart failure, Parkinson’s, muscular dystrophy and a number of others.

According to clinical trial evidence, stem cells could also speed up wound healing, treat scleroderma and strengthen the heart.

However, to date there is no clinical evidence that stem cells cure serious conditions such as strokes and lung diseases, while clinics that offer expensive stem cell therapies claim that they are extracting stem cells cleanly. But there is no evidence of that as well as there is no evidence that they are extracting those cells at all.Just recently, the FDA released guidelines in which it states that the stem cells used in most clinics are drugs and that’s why approvals need to be issued before the use on patients.

There are two types of stem cells used by such clinics: derived from embryos and adult stem cells. Both of the cells are said to be capable of curing various diseases thanks to their regenerative properties. It must be noted that stem cells extracted from bone marrow have been used to treat cancer, blood and immune diseases and conditions for a long time now.

Cell Surgical Network, a forefather of dozens of stem cell clinics in the United States, claims that there are over two dozen conditions that could be treated with stem cells, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, lung disorders, congestive heart failure, Parkinson’s, muscular dystrophy and a number of others.

According to clinical trial evidence, stem cells could also speed up wound healing, treat scleroderma and strengthen the heart.

However, to date there is no clinical evidence that stem cells cure serious conditions such as strokes and lung diseases, while clinics that offer expensive stem cell therapies claim that they are extracting stem cells cleanly. But there is no evidence of that as well as there is no evidence that they are extracting those cells at all.Just recently, the FDA released guidelines in which it states that the stem cells used in most clinics are drugs and that’s why approvals need to be issued before the use on patients.

There are two types of stem cells used by such clinics: derived from embryos and adult stem cells. Both of the cells are said to be capable of curing various diseases thanks to their regenerative properties. It must be noted that stem cells extracted from bone marrow have been used to treat cancer, blood and immune diseases and conditions for a long time now.

Cell Surgical Network, a forefather of dozens of stem cell clinics in the United States, claims that there are over two dozen conditions that could be treated with stem cells, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, lung disorders, congestive heart failure, Parkinson’s, muscular dystrophy and a number of others.

According to clinical trial evidence, stem cells could also speed up wound healing, treat scleroderma and strengthen the heart.

However, to date there is no clinical evidence that stem cells cure serious conditions such as strokes and lung diseases, while clinics that offer expensive stem cell therapies claim that they are extracting stem cells cleanly. But there is no evidence of that as well as there is no evidence that they are extracting those cells at all.Just recently, the FDA released guidelines in which it states that the stem cells used in most clinics are drugs and that’s why approvals need to be issued before the use on patients.

There are two types of stem cells used by such clinics: derived from embryos and adult stem cells. Both of the cells are said to be capable of curing various diseases thanks to their regenerative properties. It must be noted that stem cells extracted from bone marrow have been used to treat cancer, blood and immune diseases and conditions for a long time now.

Cell Surgical Network, a forefather of dozens of stem cell clinics in the United States, claims that there are over two dozen conditions that could be treated with stem cells, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, lung disorders, congestive heart failure, Parkinson’s, muscular dystrophy and a number of others.

According to clinical trial evidence, stem cells could also speed up wound healing, treat scleroderma and strengthen the heart.

However, to date there is no clinical evidence that stem cells cure serious conditions such as strokes and lung diseases, while clinics that offer expensive stem cell therapies claim that they are extracting stem cells cleanly. But there is no evidence of that as well as there is no evidence that they are extracting those cells at all.Just recently, the FDA released guidelines in which it states that the stem cells used in most clinics are drugs and that’s why approvals need to be issued before the use on patients.

There are two types of stem cells used by such clinics: derived from embryos and adult stem cells. Both of the cells are said to be capable of curing various diseases thanks to their regenerative properties. It must be noted that stem cells extracted from bone marrow have been used to treat cancer, blood and immune diseases and conditions for a long time now.

Cell Surgical Network, a forefather of dozens of stem cell clinics in the United States, claims that there are over two dozen conditions that could be treated with stem cells, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, lung disorders, congestive heart failure, Parkinson’s, muscular dystrophy and a number of others.

According to clinical trial evidence, stem cells could also speed up wound healing, treat scleroderma and strengthen the heart.

However, to date there is no clinical evidence that stem cells cure serious conditions such as strokes and lung diseases, while clinics that offer expensive stem cell therapies claim that they are extracting stem cells cleanly. But there is no evidence of that as well as there is no evidence that they are extracting those cells at all.Just recently, the FDA released guidelines in which it states that the stem cells used in most clinics are drugs and that’s why approvals need to be issued before the use on patients.

There are two types of stem cells used by such clinics: derived from embryos and adult stem cells. Both of the cells are said to be capable of curing various diseases thanks to their regenerative properties. It must be noted that stem cells extracted from bone marrow have been used to treat cancer, blood and immune diseases and conditions for a long time now.

Cell Surgical Network, a forefather of dozens of stem cell clinics in the United States, claims that there are over two dozen conditions that could be treated with stem cells, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, lung disorders, congestive heart failure, Parkinson’s, muscular dystrophy and a number of others.

According to clinical trial evidence, stem cells could also speed up wound healing, treat scleroderma and strengthen the heart.

However, to date there is no clinical evidence that stem cells cure serious conditions such as strokes and lung diseases, while clinics that offer expensive stem cell therapies claim that they are extracting stem cells cleanly. But there is no evidence of that as well as there is no evidence that they are extracting those cells at all.Just recently, the FDA released guidelines in which it states that the stem cells used in most clinics are drugs and that’s why approvals need to be issued before the use on patients.

There are two types of stem cells used by such clinics: derived from embryos and adult stem cells. Both of the cells are said to be capable of curing various diseases thanks to their regenerative properties. It must be noted that stem cells extracted from bone marrow have been used to treat cancer, blood and immune diseases and conditions for a long time now.

Cell Surgical Network, a forefather of dozens of stem cell clinics in the United States, claims that there are over two dozen conditions that could be treated with stem cells, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, lung disorders, congestive heart failure, Parkinson’s, muscular dystrophy and a number of others.

According to clinical trial evidence, stem cells could also speed up wound healing, treat scleroderma and strengthen the heart.

However, to date there is no clinical evidence that stem cells cure serious conditions such as strokes and lung diseases, while clinics that offer expensive stem cell therapies claim that they are extracting stem cells cleanly. But there is no evidence of that as well as there is no evidence that they are extracting those cells at all.Just recently, the FDA released guidelines in which it states that the stem cells used in most clinics are drugs and that’s why approvals need to be issued before the use on patients.

There are two types of stem cells used by such clinics: derived from embryos and adult stem cells. Both of the cells are said to be capable of curing various diseases thanks to their regenerative properties. It must be noted that stem cells extracted from bone marrow have been used to treat cancer, blood and immune diseases and conditions for a long time now.

Cell Surgical Network, a forefather of dozens of stem cell clinics in the United States, claims that there are over two dozen conditions that could be treated with stem cells, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, lung disorders, congestive heart failure, Parkinson’s, muscular dystrophy and a number of others.

According to clinical trial evidence, stem cells could also speed up wound healing, treat scleroderma and strengthen the heart.

However, to date there is no clinical evidence that stem cells cure serious conditions such as strokes and lung diseases, while clinics that offer expensive stem cell therapies claim that they are extracting stem cells cleanly. But there is no evidence of that as well as there is no evidence that they are extracting those cells at all.Just recently, the FDA released guidelines in which it states that the stem cells used in most clinics are drugs and that’s why approvals need to be issued before the use on patients.

There are two types of stem cells used by such clinics: derived from embryos and adult stem cells. Both of the cells are said to be capable of curing various diseases thanks to their regenerative properties. It must be noted that stem cells extracted from bone marrow have been used to treat cancer, blood and immune diseases and conditions for a long time now.

Cell Surgical Network, a forefather of dozens of stem cell clinics in the United States, claims that there are over two dozen conditions that could be treated with stem cells, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, lung disorders, congestive heart failure, Parkinson’s, muscular dystrophy and a number of others.

According to clinical trial evidence, stem cells could also speed up wound healing, treat scleroderma and strengthen the heart.

However, to date there is no clinical evidence that stem cells cure serious conditions such as strokes and lung diseases, while clinics that offer expensive stem cell therapies claim that they are extracting stem cells cleanly. But there is no evidence of that as well as there is no evidence that they are extracting those cells at all.Just recently, the FDA released guidelines in which it states that the stem cells used in most clinics are drugs and that’s why approvals need to be issued before the use on patients.

There are two types of stem cells used by such clinics: derived from embryos and adult stem cells. Both of the cells are said to be capable of curing various diseases thanks to their regenerative properties. It must be noted that stem cells extracted from bone marrow have been used to treat cancer, blood and immune diseases and conditions for a long time now.

Cell Surgical Network, a forefather of dozens of stem cell clinics in the United States, claims that there are over two dozen conditions that could be treated with stem cells, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, lung disorders, congestive heart failure, Parkinson’s, muscular dystrophy and a number of others.

According to clinical trial evidence, stem cells could also speed up wound healing, treat scleroderma and strengthen the heart.

However, to date there is no clinical evidence that stem cells cure serious conditions such as strokes and lung diseases, while clinics that offer expensive stem cell therapies claim that they are extracting stem cells cleanly. But there is no evidence of that as well as there is no evidence that they are extracting those cells at all.Just recently, the FDA released guidelines in which it states that the stem cells used in most clinics are drugs and that’s why approvals need to be issued before the use on patients.

There are two types of stem cells used by such clinics: derived from embryos and adult stem cells. Both of the cells are said to be capable of curing various diseases thanks to their regenerative properties. It must be noted that stem cells extracted from bone marrow have been used to treat cancer, blood and immune diseases and conditions for a long time now.

Cell Surgical Network, a forefather of dozens of stem cell clinics in the United States, claims that there are over two dozen conditions that could be treated with stem cells, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, lung disorders, congestive heart failure, Parkinson’s, muscular dystrophy and a number of others.

According to clinical trial evidence, stem cells could also speed up wound healing, treat scleroderma and strengthen the heart.

However, to date there is no clinical evidence that stem cells cure serious conditions such as strokes and lung diseases, while clinics that offer expensive stem cell therapies claim that they are extracting stem cells cleanly. But there is no evidence of that as well as there is no evidence that they are extracting those cells at all.

10 Ways to Prevent Cancer

Cancer is the ruin of human lives of the 21th century. According to statistics, every person on earth faces cancer: either he/she is diagnosed with cancer himself/herself or someone of their family is diagnosed.

In order to get a victory over cancer you must begin treatment at early stages of diagnosis and in case the treatment is taken seriously. Annually, cancer claims the lives of about 8 million people around the world.

But that’s enough with the frightening statistics. You can still prevent cancer and lower the risk of developing cancer. All you need to do is follow the following recommendations:

1. Don’t smoke, don’t take any kinds of tobacco and try to avoid rooms with smoke, as tobacco smoke is one of the most potent carcinogen.
2. Keep your normal body weight in check. Being overweight or too skinny promote bad health conditions.
3. Be physically active: move more, do more fitness, walk more.
4. Follow a healthy diet. Your everyday diet must include: vegetables, fruits, whole grains and dairy products. Say no to high-calorie foods with a high content of sugar and fat. Avoid sausages, bacon, canned and processed food.
5. Limit your alcohol intake as much as possible. Scientists have recently found that by completely avoiding alcohol beverages, you lower the risk of developing cancer.
6. Avoid direct interaction of sunrays with your skin: wear headwear, sunscreen and use creams with SPF 30.
7. If you’re a woman, do breastfeeding. According to recent studies, breastfeeding lowers the risk of developing breast cancer.
8. Be careful about your health, regularly do medical check-ups that would diagnose cancer at early stages.
9. Drink coffee. A British study found back in 2010 that drinking coffee lowers the risk of developing brain cancer by 40%

Benefits of Some Foods is Overestimated – Scientists

You can often hear that certain foods have magically healing properties. But that’s not always true. According to scientists, there are some foods that don’t really have all the benefits ascribed to them.

In the list of foods that have been overblown by numerous Internet articles are: orange juice, tomatoes, green coffee, oysters and pineapples.

Benefits of Some Foods is Overestimated – Scientists

Orange juice is not as healthy as many would believe due to its content of sugars, which is absorbed by the body almost immediately. Sugar raises glucose levels in the blood, promoting an uncontrollable spike in insulin, which in turn exhausts the pancreas and increases the risk of developing diabetes.

Tomatoes have also disappointed scientists because not all tomatoes contain the so-healthy element lycopene, which effectively fights cancer and helps maintain the youth. However, it has been found that chemicals used in tomatoes production decrease the levels of this healthy element by about 3 times.

Green coffee, which have been advertised as a weight loss product for a few years now, is also useless. Green coffee, according to scientists, may have a laxative effect, but in terms of promoting weight loss – it’s useless.

Oysters are believed to be effective in raising men’s libido. But turns out that it’s not exactly true. Such an effect is present in oysters when raw and fresh and in case they have accumulated enough zinc and glycogen in the water.

Pineapples, although they contain tons of vitamins and nutrients, break down not fats, as many would think, but proteins, which means it’s a useless fruit for those who are trying to lose weight. Besides, pineapples have a high glycemic index and a potent ability to boost the appetite.

7 Healthy Benefits of Bananas

Bananas are one of the most popular fruits on the planet. Their advantages are obvious: bananas are available all year round, you can cook various dishes made of bananas and, most importantly, bananas are de-li-ci-ous!

Besides, our bodies need bananas. Don’t believe us? Well, here are 7 healthy benefits of bananas.

Bananas improve the function of the cardio-vascular system

Bananas contain a large amount of micro and macro elements: calcium, potassium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, zinc, sodium, copper, all of which have a positive impact on the heart and blood vessels, improving their function.

Bananas are the best snack

This fruit is considered to be the perfect snack, as it contains such vitamins as B1, B2, B3, B9, A, PP, C and E. Such a combination of nutrients gives a potent energetic boost to the body, making it function properly and more productively.

You need bananas for mental and physical activities
Bananas can quickly raise the sugar levels in the blood, which promotes various activities in the body. This fruit is ideal to be eaten after a workout session, and bananas, added to smoothies or cereals, are great for breakfast.

Bananas boost mood

It was scientifically proven that bananas are effective and natural antidepressants, which positively affect the nervous system, help deal with stress and improve the sleep quality.

Bananas improve the state of your skin

Bananas are great for the whole body, but they have a particularly good effect on the skin. Bananas are recommended to not only be eaten, but also used externally in the form of masks for the skin and hair. Bananas are capable of smoothing out small wrinkles and relieving any inflammation on the skin.

Bananas have healing properties

Nutrition experts recommend including bananas into the everyday diet for those who suffer from disorders of the kidneys and liver, atherosclerosis, as well as those who have hypertonia, heartburn and constipation.

Bananas increase libido


Vitamins and microelements in bananas make this fruit a natural aphrodisiac.

3 Myths about Healthy Lifestyle DEBUNKED

Nowadays, it’s popular to advertise a healthy lifestyle. But not all of the rules of a healthy lifestyle give results, because some of them are wrong. Here are 3 myths about healthy lifestyle you need to know about!

Drinking freshly-squeezed juices is healthy

This misconception is widespread quite broadly. People believe that fresh juices is a true source of health and drink it for breakfast as well as use it as snacks. In reality, that’s not true. Juice is a concentrated substance and it contains many fruit acids, which make the stomach feel upset. For example, if you’re drinking apple juice, there will be about 3-4 big apples in the glass. It’s unlikely that you’d eat them not in the form of juice. Besides, juice is deprived of fiber, which is contained in whole fruits.

So eat fruits instead of drinking freshly-squeezed juices.


Eating egg yolks is unhealthy

It is believed that cholesterol contained in egg yolks can raise the levels of cholesterol in the blood. Today, scientists have found that this is a myth. Cholesterol contained in foods cannot affect cholesterol in the blood.

So the rule of eating no more than 3 egg yolks per day cannot be applied to the modern healthy lifestyle.

You cannot eat after 8pm

Some people are confident that eating after 8pm will result in excess weight. And many people still stick to this rule. But that’s just a myth.

The main rule of having a beautiful and slim body is a fast metabolism, which requires food in order to not slow down. And a break in food consumption of over 12 hours is no good: not for the body, nor for the health. Keep in mind that your last meal should be 3 hours before heading to sleep.

Gluten-free Diet: Lose 10 Pounds in 2 weeks

Gluten-free diet is one of the fastest and most effective ways to lose weight. Originally, gluten-free diet was designed for those, the body of which cannot digest gluten or those who’re allergic to fibrin.

After that, it was noticed by nutrition experts that by excluding flour and grains from the diet, you lower your body weight. And that’s how gluten-free diet became a diet for weight loss. You can lose up to 10 pounds in just 2 weeks.

It must be noted that many regular products are now available without gluten (grains, pasta, sweets).



You can eat 4-5 times per day, while the last meal shouldn’t be less than 2 hours before sleep. You can choose from the variety of foods: brown rice, gluten-free oatmeal, corn, fruits, vegetables, butter, meat, fish, vegetable oils, tea, coffee, cocoa, legumes, milk and dairy, grains, honey and eggs.



You should exclude: wheat, barley, rye, as well as processed foods (beer, whiskey, chips, white vinegar, spices). It must be noted that you also cannot consume starch, which is contained in many products – sauces, some yogurts, sausages, etc.



Before buying foods, study their composition and make sure they don’t contain the products you cannot eat. Also, people who stick to the gluten-free diet, don’t receive a number of nutrients, which is why you must consume foods with a high content of calcium, thiamine, niacin and folic acid.



Here’s a 3-day sample menu of the gluten-free diet for weight loss:



Day 1



Breakfast: rice



Brunch: corn toast with cheese and tomatoes



Lunch: vegetable soup with chicken



Snack: fruits



Dinner: baked fish with vegetables



Day 2



Breakfast: gluten-free cornflakes and milk



Brunch: yogurt



Lunch: meat with vegetables



Snack: fruits



Dinner: Greek salad



Day 3



Breakfast: fried eggs



Brunch: kefir



Lunch: beans with tomatoes



Snack: fruits



Dinner: baked meat with potatoes