Day: 11/28/2015

Loneliness Is Bad For You, And This Study May Help Explain Why

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Feeling lonely may trigger changes in our cells that could make us more susceptible to illness.

Scientists have long known that spending time with loved ones is good for our long-term health and may reduce our risk of cognitive decline, whereas loneliness is linked to high blood pressure, inflammation and a weakened immune system.

But why exactly does loneliness have such bad effects on our health and well-being?

One reason, according to a new study, may have to do with the way loneliness triggers cellular changes in our bodies that can make us more susceptible to viral infections.

“Feeling lonely means you are not in a socially affine environment but rather in a relatively hostile environment,” Dr. John Cacioppo, a professor of psychology and behavioral neuroscience at the University of Chicago and a co-author of the study, told The Huffington Post in an email.

“In socially affine environments, protection against viral infections is especially important, whereas in hostile environments, protection against bacteria is important,” Cacioppo wrote. “The pattern of gene expression in the lonely [environment] decreases protection against viral infections and instead may increase protection against bacterial infections.”

In other words, as Live Science notes, the cellular changes that result in a shifttoward protection against bacteria may come at the cost of the ability to protect against viral infections.

For the study, researchers analyzed the regulation of the leukocyte gene — which is involved in protecting the body against both bacteria and viruses — in 141 older adult humans over a five-year period, and in a separate group of rhesus macaque monkeys that displayed behavior indicative of social isolation.

The researchers noticed increased activity in genes that produce inflammation in the body and less activity in genes that help to fight off illness in the adults who were lonely and in the monkeys, The Telegraph reported.

In the monkeys, researchers also found that loneliness causes the body to produce “fight-or-flight” stress signals, which can impair the body’s antiviral responses.

For instance, when the researchers infected monkeys with simian immunodeficiency virus, the virus grew faster in the monkeys that were classified as socially isolated than in monkeys that were not “lonely,” according to Live Science. This may be a result of the immune system releasing monocytes, a particular kind of immune cell linked to high levels of inflammatory proteins and low levels of antiviral proteins.

The researchers concluded that inflammation and impaired antiviral responses contribute to the bad health effects of loneliness. The findings appear to support previous research suggesting that for older adults, feelings of social isolation mayincrease the risk of premature death by 14 percent.

“This study specifically showed loneliness causes a physiological reaction in people,” Dr. Matthew Lorber, acting director of child and adolescent psychiatry at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, who was not involved in the new research, told CBS News.

“This is the first study I have seen that has actually gone into the details of showing loneliness leading to a decreased production of leukocytes (disease-fighting cells) and an increased production of immature monocytes,” Lorber said. “Leukocytes are what our body needs to fight infection. The fact that loneliness is leading to a decreased production of the leukocytes is really fascinating to me.”

But to be clear, the research doesn’t conclusively prove anything. The U.K.’s National Health Service pointed out in a blog post on Tuesday that “this study has not proved that socially isolated humans are more likely to become ill or die earlier. … Feelings of loneliness and social isolation can be complex emotions that may be influenced by many personal, health and life circumstances.”

Still, the NHS went on, “what is fairly apparent from this and previous research is that, whatever the biological mechanism(s) that may be behind it, loneliness and social isolation do seem to be associated in some way with disease and illness.”

The researchers said that they plan to continue examining how loneliness leads to poor health outcomes, and how these effects can be prevented in older adults.

Doctors Could Be 5 Years Away From Uterine Transplants for Men

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News that doctors in Cleveland, Ohio have begun screening applicants for a clinical trial of uterine transplantation has prompted some to wonder if science will ever find a way to transplant a uterus into a man, and according to a Yahoo article, we may be just five years away from doing just that.

The article published Nov. 18, quoted Dr. Karine Chung, director of the fertility preservation program at the University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine, as saying, “My guess is five, 10 years away, maybe sooner.”

Theoretically, the article said, a man could receive a uterine transplant, “carry a baby to term, and give birth.”

Modern medicine has already found a way to suppress male and introduce female hormones in transgender women, causing the breasts to lactate and obtaining “surgically constructed vaginas that include a ‘neoclitoris,’ which allows sensations.”

Biological women have “vasculature needed to feed the uterus with blood, pelvic ligaments designed to support a uterus, a vagina and cervix, and natural hormones that prepare the uterus for implantation and support the pregnancy.”

However, according to Chung, “Male and female anatomy is not that different.” At some point, someone “will figure out how to make that work,” she said.

Biological women have a leg up on biological males when it comes to accepting and nurturing a transplanted uterus. Women already have: vasculature needed to feed the uterus with blood, pelvic ligaments designed to support a uterus, a vagina and cervix, and natural hormones that prepare the uterus for implantation and support the pregnancy.

Men have none of those support systems — naturally — but none are impossible to create. “Male and female anatomy is not that different,” said Chung. “Probably at some point, somebody will figure out how to make that work.”

“It’s possible to attach a branch of a large vessel, like the internal iliac, to the uterus” in males to take the place of the uterine veins and arteries natural women have to nurture the womb,” the article said.

“It’s doable, it just hasn’t been done,” Chung was quoted as saying.

“Hormone therapy can shut off testosterone and introduce progesterone and estrogen needed to prepare the uterus for pregnancy,” the article said. Also, while it’s better for “a vagina to support the uterus, it’s possible to attach a transplanted uterus to other ligaments in the pelvis.”

According to the article, “Uterus transplants are still in the research stage for women suffering from uterine factor infertility (UFI). A Swedish team already has successfully transplanted uteri harvested from live donors and achieved five pregnancies and four live births. In the coming months, the Cleveland Clinic team plans to transplant uteri from deceased donors into UFI female patients.”

Patients who receive a uterine transplant will have to take anti rejection drugs throughout their pregnancies, which puts them at risk for infection, the article noted.

Furthermore, beside the ethical questions involving such a transplant procedure in men, there are “long-term health outcomes for transplant recipients and subsequent children” to consider, the article pointed out.

Top pop songs of all times.

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greatest of all time

A memorable hook only needs a few seconds to worm its way into your head.

 

When Team Billboard sat down to discuss our personal picks for great, catchy pop hooks, by necessity a lot remained on the cutting room floor. What emerged, however, is 25 hooks that we can’t stop humming, and we feel confident we won’t be able to for many, many years to come.

25. “Bad Romance,” Lady Gaga
“Bad Romance” is special because — like many great songs — one could make a case for a few different parts of the song technically being the hook. We’re sticking with the ultra-catchy chorus here– between the thumping drum line and can’t-get-out-of-your-head “Oh oh ohs” this is one recent tune that deserves to be in the conversation as much as classics from decades ago.

 

24. “MmmBop,” Hanson
For Hanson, going nonsensical when it came to the lyrics of their breakout single “MmmBop” made sense: they were young, carefree and didn’t really have much of a message to impart. And it’s why the resulting chorus became classic –not only did they score a hit altogether without a message, but they had the world singing in gibberish.

 

23. “Hey Ya,” Outkast
​Whether it’s the rampant handclaps or splotchy synths, the chorus for “Hey Ya!” provides a satiating break from the breathless verses that bookend each side. Consider it the perfect singalong section from Outkast’s catalog.

 

22. “Like A Prayer,” Madonna
Madonna has given fans plenty of hit singles over the years, but her catchiest hook may be the chorus of “Prayer,” which practically demands you stand up and clap along.

 

21. “Call Me Maybe,” Carly Rae Jepsen​
“Call Me Maybe” came out of nowhere, all thanks to a Justin Bieber co-sign and instant virality. But it’s because there hasn’t been a pop hook in the past five years that hits all the right notes: uplifting string instrumentation, zippy percussion, airtight melodies and lyrics that feel just millennial enough to appeal across demographics.

 

20. “Don’t You Want Me,” The Human League
The tune is a karaoke mainstay for a reason — it inspires everyone to sing along. The 1981 hit’s chorus — as with many tunes on this list — is lyrically simple, but those sliding ohhhh-ohs, backed by an array of instruments, are destined to never be forgotten.

 

19. “Happy,” Pharrell
In hindsight, it was so easy. ​The tune may have been originally written for a kids’ movie (2013’s Despicable Me 2), but the uptempo, pulsating beats quickly got stuck in the heads of everyone who listened — parent or child.

 

18. “Sweet Caroline,” Neil Diamond
Its hook may be short, but sing just one note and whomever you’re with is practically compelled to “bah bah bah” the phrase out with you. Proof? Just check out any game at Fenway Park.

 

17. “Believe,” Cher
Long before T-Pain and Future co-opted Auto-Tune, Cher was the first pop artist to employ the filter on her smash single “Believe.” Without the effect, the hook is strong, but there’s something about computerizing her vocals that adds a dimension to the chorus that still feels futuristic, years after its release.

 

16. “I Will Survive,” Gloria Gaynor
​Gloria Gaynor ruled the discotheque with her breakup comedown “I Will Survive,” perhaps one of the grooviest pick-me-ups after the demise of a relationship. The song is essentially all chorus, but it’s when the hook actually comes in that it reaches peak earworm.

 

15. “Since U Been Gone,” Kelly Clarkson
For her first notable hit post-American Idol, Kelly Clarkson linked with Max Martin and Dr. Luke for the hyper-anthemic “Since U Been Gone.” While the verses bop along with a thumping backbeat and sparse guitar lines, it’s the chorus where Clarkson drives this home, singing with an empowering sense of complacency in the wake of a breakup.

 

14. “YMCA,” The Village People
Four notes/four syllables are all you need to invoke one of the most popular songs of all time.

 

13. “Hound Dog,” Elvis Presley
Elvis made dozens of classic songs in his career, but when it comes to pure catchy hook heaven, the repeated line “You ain’t nothin’ but a hound dog, cryin’ all the time” is inescapable. You hear the title and you instantly hear the song’s recurring melody — there’s no real chorus here, since all the verses follow the same structure — and that hound dog line.

 

12. “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It),” Beyonce
A couple of arguments could be made for the hook here: Is it “All the single ladies, all the single ladies”? Or is it “If you liked it then you should’ve put a ring on it”? The real question: Why decide? They’re both instantly recognizable and instantly iconic — and tailor-made for the bouquet toss at your next wedding.

 

11. “Good Vibrations,” The Beach Boys
As far as pop songs go, this one is pretty strange. It’s meandering and can’t quite decide its tempo or style. But we all know the “Good, good, good! Good vibrations” hook, which successfully ties all the seemingly disparate pieces into an ultimately peppy package.

 

10. “Under Pressure,” Queen and David Bowie
This hook even made Vanilla Ice a star! We kid, but in all seriousness, 99 percent of this hook — along with the repeated “Under Pressure” refrain — is that dum-dum-dum-di-di-dum-dum beat borrowed by “Ice Ice Baby” 10 years later. There’s a reason this beat works across genres and decades.

 

9. “Stayin’ Alive,” Bee Gees
This song is iconic for a number of reasons (it perfectly encapsulates the disco era, it immediately recalls John Travolta’s Saturday Night Fever dance moves) and the main reason behind its, well, staying power is that grabby hook. “Ah ah ah ah, stayin’ alive, stayin’ alive” — you’re already dancing, aren’t you?

 

8. “Respect,” Aretha Franklin
Never has spelling been so badass. While Otis Redding wrote and recorded “Respect” first, the major departure in Franklin’s version — when she spells out R-E-S-P-E-C-T — is both the most memorable piece of the song and the moment that really drives home her request for respect.

 

7.“The Twist,” Chubby Checker
There’s a reason “The Twist” still sits atop Billboard’s all-time Hot 100 chart: Chubby Checker’s signature hit, which topped the Hot 100 in 1960 AND in 1962, features a refrain that’s as timeless as it is influential.

 

6. “She Loves You,” The Beatles
Is it possible to sing the three words “She loves you” and not follow them with a hearty “yeah, yeah, yeah”? Lennon and McCartney placed an indelible hook in the middle of a story about someone trying to help reconnect estranged lovers, and history was made.

 

5. “Stop! In the Name of Love,” The Supremes
A full 40 years before Panic! At The Disco, the Supremes used the mid-sentence exclamation point to masterful effect. “Stop! In The Name of Love” has inspired countless covers, but Diana Ross and co. will always deliver the signature hook with the most heartbreaking vibrancy.

 

4.“ABC,” The Jackson 5
Sometimes, the most astonishing pleasures in popular music are the simplest ones. The Jackson 5’s “ABC” contains a hook that any kindergartner could understand, and it’s for precisely that reason that the single remains one of pop’s most innocently exuberant singles ever.

 

3. “Dancing Queen,” ABBA
In a modern era of pop music in which the Swedes so clearly understand what the people want (thanks, Max Martin!), it’s easy to see where they get their inspiration. ABBA created a monumental hook with “Dancing Queen,” a chorus that resonated far beyond the group’s native country and is now beloved around the world.

 

2. “Beat It,” Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson understood how to fashion, bend and deliver a hook better than nearly anyone in the history of modern music; “Beat It,” more than any of his other smashes, is his hook-stuffed opus. The fiery chant of the chorus is not just a battle cry, but a challenge for the music world at large to top him. We’re still waiting for someone to come close.

 

1.“I Want to Hold Your Hand,” The Beatles
Imagine being in your early 20’s and writing the perfect pop hook. That’s exactly whatJohn Lennon and Paul McCartney did with “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” the 1963 single that became The Beatles’ first No. 1 hit in America and the beginning of the most storied run in musical history. Out of all the legendary tunes the group released over the following years, none came close to the sheer wonder of the “I Want to Hold Your Hand” hook, which towers above the other hooks on this list and over popular music in general.

 

 

What bottled water costs the environment — and your health

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Bottled water is the world’s best-selling drink, and Americans are its most loyal customer. You pay hundreds or even thousands of times more for the prepackaged water than you would if you got it from the tap. Yet nothing has proved that “ultra-purified,” “mountain-sourced,” “glacial-runoff,” or “oasis-obtained” water is any better for you.

What we do know is that bottled water takes a lot more energy, resources, and—yes—water to produce and transport. That takes a toll on the environment and your health.

Below are a few of the lowlights for water bottles:

Plastic Bottles Can Raise Your Blood Pressure
Applying blood pressure cuff

A recent study examined the effects of bisphenol A, or BPA, a chemical compound found widely in water bottles and soda-can linings. BPA has been associated with everything from heart disease to lowered sperm counts in men. In this study, people who drank from a BPA-lined container experienced a rise in blood pressure within two hours. People who drank from a BPA-free glass saw no change in blood pressure.

Recently, bottling manufacturers have been moving away from BPA and switching to the “safe substitute” bisphenol-S, or BPS. But new research is showing that BPS could cause its own health issues, including hyperactivity.

Bottled Water Probably Isn’t as Clean as Tap Water
Social Issues: African Black Child Drinking Fresh Water From Tap

The label on that plastic water bottle may say “Triple-purified, virgin water source,” but in the United States, the water-bottling industry is nowhere near as strictly regulated as your local tap is. That’s because the Environmental Protection Agency oversees tap water safety, while the Food and Drug Administration regulates bottled water.

Simply put, one government agency has more power than the other. While local water agencies regularly test tap water and release the results to the public, a survey of 188 bottled-water brands found that only two made that kind of information available to the public.

Billions of Bottles Are Adding to the World’s Pile of Plastic Debris
Polluted rivers

The U.S. recycles just 12 percent of the 32 million tons of plastic waste it generates each year. We’re also consuming almost 10 billion gallons of water from bottles each year, but only one of every five of those bottles is recycled. That’s leading to a large percentage of plastics clogging landfills or washing away into the ocean.

Water bottles, straws, toys, coffee-cup lids, and other plastic trash degrade into microscopic bits that end up in the bellies of multiple marine animals, causing thousands of deaths each year. Cleaning up the mess once it reaches the ocean is expensive. Cleanup projects on West Coast beaches alone cost an estimated $500 million annually.

Bottled-Water Companies Are Sourcing From Drought-Stricken California

Keeping people malnourished and hungry boosts corporate profits, study finds – NaturalNews.com

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It would not be a good idea to shop at a department store on an empty belly. The hungrier a person is, the more willing they are to buy not only food, but also clothes, toys, tools — any kind of nonfood item. According to new findings from the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management, hungry, malnourished people are more apt to buy practically anything.

This could be related to the way people are marketed to. People are told they are lacking things and that they need to buy more and better to be happy. When hunger strikes, people feel need and lack. Instead of just searching for food, they feel the need to buy other things as well.

“Hunger makes us think about seeking, acquiring, and consuming food,” said Alison Jing Xu, assistant professor of marketing at the Carlson School. “The acquisition-related thoughts can spill over and put us in a mode of also getting nonfood items even though they are incapable of satisfying our hunger.”

Hungry participants requested more nonfood items

In a specific study, Xu and her colleagues asked participants to refrain from eating for four hours. They split the participants into two groups. One group was given a blind taste test of cakes. Their hunger was satiated. The other group was given no taste test. When Xu and her colleagues presented both groups with the opportunity to request as many office supply binder clips as they liked, the hungry group asked for 70 percent more of the clips. Those who were already satisfied by taste, didn’t ask for many binder clips.

The study showed Xu and her colleagues that unsatisfied hunger causes people to want more things in general, whether it is food or not.

Hungrier shoppers spend 64 percent more

In another study, participants were allowed to shop at a large department store. When the participants were through shopping, their purchases were analyzed in relation to their hunger. The time the shoppers spent in the stores was used as a control to eliminate error. The researchers found out that hungry shoppers spent 64 percent more money on average than those who were less hungry. Hungry shoppers spend more on anything, as if they are filling some kind of void.
“If you go for a shopping trip with an empty stomach you may spend more money and buy more stuff than you otherwise would,” said Xu. “Why not feed yourself before a shopping trip? Alternately, if you are hungry and you have to make purchasing decisions, think twice before you buy.”

Nutritionally depleted population seeks fulfillment from consumption

If these same rules are applied to nutritional nourishment, then lack of nutrients may be the underlying reason why people long for things, new clothes, new cars, etc. Malnourishment in the cells of the human body may be at the heart of American consumerism.

The dominance of corporations in America and the culture of consumption that grips people of all ages may be the greatest sign that America is more malnourished and hungrier than ever. And the more we buy these empty products, the more we feed corporate profits, as we are starved and hollow, growing hungrier and more depressed, always needing, lacking and wanting.

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/052122_malnourishment_consumer_behavior_corporate_profits.html#ixzz3sn8lMyK7

How to activate your FAT burning hormones in just 3 steps!!

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How to activate your FAT burning hormones in just 3 steps!!

How to activate your FAT burning hormones in just 3 steps!!

If you remove all foods high in sugar, starchy veggies, sweet fruits especially the juice, snacking, and half of your carbs especially grains and rice, and then workout with light weights for 30 minutes every other day, the body will build new muscle from the protein and burn fat for energy for the next 12-48 hours after the workout.

Here is my challenging but very effective 3-step fat burning approach:

Step 1:

Back Pain Gone in Just 7 Minutes Upside-Down

STOP consuming ALL sugar!

  • No starchy veggies.
  • No fruit juice at all and only fruit low in sugar like apples.
  • No sweets of any kind or any product with any type of sugar or sweetener (OK, some stevia and a little honey is fine).
  • No alcohol, cookies, candy, cereals, processed foods with added sugar, etc. Nothing with sugar.

Why? Because if your body has simple carbohydrates then it will just use the calories or energy from this source and not bother burning any existing fat reserves.

Don’t bother with further steps until you have completed step #1!

Step 2:

Eat A LOT of vegetables with beans.

  • Have greens for breakfast, (fried or steamed is fine, even juiced is ok).
  • Have large salads for lunch and dinner (follow individual body-type recommendations).

Half your plate for each meal should be vegetables!

Prefer raw vegetables and steamed cruciferous vegetables.  Why?  Because it takes more calories or energy to digest raw vegetables and with their high fiber makes them very cleansing, thus perfect for weight-loss. Easy, eat LOTS of greens!

Juicing vegetables every day helps too but without the fiber it is not as cleansing as fresh veggies.  If you have blood sugar issues, focus on dark greens.  Celery, kale, parsley, spinach are the best.  For a heavier juice with more protein add asparagus, string beans and cauliflower. To sweeten it up use limes not carrots, beets or apples. To replace a meal just add about 6 tablespoons of hemp seeds and a couple teaspoons of freshly ground flax seeds.

Use only vegetable protein, reduce carbohydrates and add healthy oil/fat

  • Stop all animal protein and replace with legumes: Beans (kapha-type and Pitta-type) and lentils (Vata -type).
  • Use coconut oil instead of butter, and sunflower oil instead of olive oil
  • Gradually reduce carbohydrates such as rice and other whole grains to half servings (1/2 of a fist size)

Prefer meals of beans or lentils with lots of veggies and a small portion of whole-grains with a little oil.  Why? Your body needs protein to build new muscle and tissue as a result of the light weight training.  Both protein and oil (fat) are very satisfying for the body and takes away cravings.   Remember, there must be some oil and a good portion protein with each meal.  Otherwise, you will become nutritionally deficient and will start craving more carbs, and we know that leads to fast weight gain!

Step 3:

EAT LESS! :Stick to a tight eating schedule

  • Never eat after 7pm even fruit. Try to eat earlier like 5 or 4.
  • Drink only water with lemon or herbal teas between meals; no fruit juices etc.
  • Eat 3 small meals a day or just 2 meals, or just have a salad for dinner. In other words: EAT LESS!

Why? The body burns fat between meal so the longer you can make the space between meals the more fat you will burn. But don’t skip meals even breakfast.  Do a late breakfast and early dinner or skip dinner sometimes.  No matter what,  don’t start snacking on “healthy” snacks. You need to be cooking and preparing two or three complete meals each day.  Also don’t start juicing every meal and not using a plate!  Cook, prepare, sit down, eat slowly and when you are starting to feel full, stop. Simple.

You may have to work at this for a few weeks or even a month.

Step 4 – Bonus Step

Add some light weight training and/or juice fasting

Do 30 minutes every other day

  • Do 10 minutes of solid cardio first, like running in place or biking to break a sweat and get your heart rate up
  • Do at least two sets each and rest 1- 2 minutes in between sets
  • Each set should be until you have some muscle strain (work up to it).
  • Do some cardio to warm up and cool down but focus on the weight training to build muscle.

You don’t need a gym to to do this, just run in place, use a step or go up stairs etc. and then lift some weights or some big cans of beans! Just works those muscles!

If you cannot work out everyday, then the next option is to do juice fasts and eat only two meals a day.  Make your choice, workout or eat a lot less.

  • A juice fast will further “force” the body to lose more weight if this type of therapy is suitable or even necessary.

This protocol is the final focus of my weight loss program since good eating habits, food combining and meal planning should be done first. Additionally, a colon cleanse and liver detoxification are absolutely necessary to successfully lose weight and naturally keep it off. Thus, digestion and eliminate must good as well as sleep.  Just as important, a person should be nutritionally sound without nutritional deficiencies and have good energy levels before following this program.

Can we guess how old you are based on your favourite sweets? Take our quiz | Lifestyle | The Independent

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http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/can-we-guess-how-old-you-are-based-on-your-favourite-sweets-take-our-quiz-a6751741.html

w old you are based on your favourite sweets? Take our quiz

Can we guess how old you are based on your favourite sweets? Take our quiz

What were your favourite sweets as a child? They may say more about your age then you think.

Adult ADHD: The diagnosis that changed my life

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My dad’s nickname for me as a child was ‘The Whirlwind’. I was always on the go. I was skinny with knobbly knees and couldn’t finish anything I started, or I’d be so focused on whatever game I was playing that everything else faded into the background.

As early as my first year at school, my teachers approached my parents saying they thought I might have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, and suggested they consider putting me on Ritalin, the drug that treats the condition in children.

My parents were reluctant to put me on any kind of drug and took me to see a child behavioural psychologist instead. I remember him giving me fun games to play that I really enjoyed, and his assessment to my parents was that I was just a bright kid with a lot of energy and there was nothing wrong with me.

My teachers, on the other hand, said I was disruptive in class and couldn’t sit still, I constantly interrupted – and my marks weren’t great. As I was only six years old, I was oblivious to these conversations and my parents didn’t discuss it with me. I continued to be known as hyperactive anddisruptive all through school.

I was teased and bullied mercilessly because my reaction would be explosive – and therefore entertaining. As a result, I went to seven different schools but it was always the same: I excelled in the subjects I loved, and caused problems in the classes I hated.

I know now that people with ADHD are either easily distracted or hyper-focused, depending on what they enjoy doing. I also had difficulties socially. People often liked me at first but then found me a little strange; I’d blurt out things that others seemed to think were inappropriate, although they didn’t feel inappropriate to me.

And I interrupted a lot because my mind moved faster than other people’s. Sometimes when people started to realise I was unconventional and erratic, they’d retreat and I would be ostracised, which was incredibly hurtful. As an adult in the working world, I left or got fired from every job I tried – and I tried all kinds: receptionist, data entry, project management, office admin, PA.

There were endless regimented jobs that didn’t suit me, so I couldn’t apply myself to a satisfactory level. I was often rebellious and resented being chained to the specific hours and behaviour expectations of the workplace. I simply couldn’t sit still for long periods and would often finish my day’s work in a couple of hours and be left with nothing to do.

Lisa, aged six, at the time her teachers suggested her parents medicate her
Lisa, aged six, at the time her teachers suggested her parents medicate her

Eventually I left the workforce altogether and explored various non 9-5 options, like dancing. But gradually I realised that it would best suit me to work for myself from home. I started making some money from freelance blogging and content creation and was lucky that my mother could help me out financially. I’m an only child and have always been very close to my mother and she was always sympathetic.

After studying to be an integrative nutrition coach for a year, I had big plans to set up my own practice and saw running a business as my chance to finally be a success at something. However, I just could not focus enough to prioritise and do the things needed to set everything up to run a successful business. By then I was in my 30s, with years of struggling behind me, so I became really down on myself, assuming that my problems were my fault.

I’ve always known I am intelligent and capable – but why couldn’t I get anything done and produce results? When I looked back at the things in my life that hadn’t worked out, I began to think there was something seriously wrong with me. Consistently trying and failing to do the things I wanted to do was so demoralising that eventually I just retreated from the world.

I didn’t want to be around my friends because I felt embarrassed and humiliated about my failures. Those feelings soon developed into a deep depression – something I had experienced before – but this time it was more serious and really debilitating.

I became a recluse and wanted to die instead of live with this unexplained issue. But there was one upside to the depression: it finally led to my diagnosis at the age of 36. After a few months, I went to see my GP and he referred me to an assessor who talked through my symptoms and suggested I may have adult ADHD(although, like me, most adults tend not to have hyperactivity part of the condition).

I remembered that my mother once told me that I had ADHD as a child and that my teachers begged her to put me on Ritalin. But, although this may seem surprising, it had never occurred to me as an adult that I could have ADHD, partly because, like most people, I didn’t know that it was possible to suffer from it after childhood.

In fact, it’s only recently been recognised in the UK as a condition in adults. After doing some research at home and reading a list of the symptoms, I was overcome by tears of relief. I learned that ADHD in adults can appear alongside many related problems, one of the most common of which is depression; that any problems you had as a child are likely to persist into adulthood; and that adults with ADHD often have trouble finding and keeping employment, as well as maintaining relationships.

I tick every single one of the symptoms: from speaking out of turn, to continually starting new tasks before finishing old ones, to an inability to deal with stress, to extreme impatience. Having a diagnosis meant that, suddenly, my whole life made sense. I could see why I had struggled so much to function like ‘normal people’. Finally, I was able to stop blaming myself.

I was referred to a specialist psychiatrist and in September this year started taking a prescription drug called Concerta, which is a slow-release stimulant that treats ADHD. Having a diagnosis meant that, suddenly, my whole life made sense. I could see why I had struggled so much to function like ‘normal people’.

‘I left or got fired from every job I tried. I felt rebellious and resentful’

Although it’s still early days, once we found the right dose, the effects were immediate: I get things done now. My to-do list is no longer a decoration, it actually gets crossed off. My house is tidier. And these days I can plan, prioritise and take action, so my online business is growing and I’m earning more money than I have before, all of which is life-changing.

Overall, I’m happier, more positive. The people in my life have noticed and are very happy for me. Most importantly, I don’t hate myself any more. I’m not in a relationship at the moment and generally I still don’t socialise much. And people who meet me still think I am different – there’s no change there!

But, on the whole, I am a happy go-getter, I’m confident and feel like I’m realising my dreams and goals in a way I’ve never been able to before. In just a few months, the right medication has turned my life around, and – at last – I feel like I am thriving.

Scientists capture black hole eating a star and then vomiting it back out | Science | News | The Independent

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Astronomers have captured a black hole eating a star and then sicking a bit of it back up for the first time ever.

The scientists tracked a star about as big as our sun as it was pulled from its normal path and into that of a supermassive black hole before being eaten up. They then saw a high-speed flare get thrust out, escaping from the rim of the black hole.

Scientists have seen black holes killing and swallowing stars. And the jets have been seen before.

Black holes are a passage to another universe, says Stephen Hawking

But a new study shows the first time that they have captured the hot flare that comes out just afterwards. And the flare and then swallowed star have not been linked together before.

“These events are extremely rare,” Sjoert van Velzen, who led the analysis, said in a statement. “It’s the first time we see everything from the stellar destruction followed by the launch of a conical outflow, also called a jet, and we watched it unfold over several months.

“Previous efforts to find evidence for these jets, including my own, were late to the game.”

Supermassive black holes are thought to exist on the edge of most massive galaxies. The one that was seen is towards the smaller end, at only a million times as big as our sun — but big enough to easily eat up a star.

The team made the study by learning about the first observation of a star being destroyed on Twitter, in December 2014. Straight after that, Mr van Velzen followed up on the black hole and used radio telescopes to capture the after-effects.

The team are now sure that the sudden burst of light that they saw came from a trapped star. They first had to rule out that it was coming from the “accretion disk” that is often seen when a star is newly-trapped.

“The destruction of a star by a black hole is beautifully complicated, and far from understood,” van Velzen said. “From our observations, we learn the streams of stellar debris can organize and make a jet rather quickly, which is valuable input for constructing a complete theory of these events.”

The galaxy itself is about 300 million light years away. Previously observed black holes have been about three times as far away.

25 Best Mindblowing Movies That Will Blow Your Mind!

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Let me warn you! If you are looking for the movies where the guy gets the girl, have a good laugh, the movie ends in a fairy tale style, and they live happily ever after then this list is not for you. These are the movies that will Fuck with your mind, will screw it, turn you upside down. Once you’re done watching these movies, the first thing you’re gonna say is WTF? That’s why they are called the mindufuck movies. If you haven’t seen any movies of such style before then this is gonna be a wild ride for you! Have you ever seen a movie which makes you question your mind? Which makes you question whether what you saw is real or not. Which questions your reasoning, surround your rational thinking with the clouds of doubt. These are the type of movies which you won’t understand at first, you simply can’t figure out the concept in one watch, but when play it over and over you get it.

These minfuck movies will play with your little head, you can feel pretty stupid for not understanding what’s happening around. The films mentioned below are for serious watchers, not for the Disney audience. You’ll need patience, a clear head, and a bowl of pop-corn to enjoy these movies. The best thing about these films are that they are cleverly scripted, well-directed and with a superb piece of acting. There are so many twists, turns, and a mind blending plot. You have to be incredibly clever to follow-up the storyline, it will keep you guessing right till the end. In the end you’ll either praise the movie or you’ll curse it for blowing your mind. In no particular order here are the 25 best mindfuck movies that will blow your mind! These movies will leave your mind completely fucked.

1. Fight Club – Over the time Fight Club has become a cult hit, based on the novel of the same name by Chuck Palahniuk. This movie has some deep philosophy and it questions our lifestyle as consumers. Different people have different interpretations of the movie. Starring Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, directed by David Fincher, this movie is a must see. This is all time favorite movie of all the mindfuck movies.

If you wake up at a different time, in a different place, could you wake up as a different person?

If you wake up at a different time, in a different place, could you wake up as a different person?

2. Predestination – Like the title says, the movie deals with the predestination time paradox. This movie is unexplainable, the best way to understand it is by seeing it.

What if I could put him in front of you? The man who ruined your life? If I could guarantee that you’d get away with it would you kill him?

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3. Shutter Island – Brilliance is what happens when Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio come together for a movie. Once again another psychological thriller based on a novel. The characters are well-developed, has all the elements of a good psychological thriller; sense of tingling paranoia, a life infused with delusions, and a good mystery to blend your psyche.

This is a sick fucking world we live in.

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4. Donnie Darko – This movie has a very loyal cult following. A teenage who is afflicted with these visions to commit crimes, the teenager is troubled with his emotional problems at the same time. The movie deals with the philosophy of time travel, worm-holes, tangent universe and time travel stuff. The ending of the movie is ambiguous, if you’re still confused about what happened then do visit the various forums, blogs made by the viewers of the movie.

Every living creature on earth dies alone.

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5. The Machinist – In my opinion this movie is one of the finest movies of Christian Bale’s career. We know Bale is a method actor, but for the movie Bale lost 62 pounds! The dedication of Bale makes it a must-watch movie. Although this movie is a bit depressing, it can leave you low in spirit. It’s not for the faint hearted people.

How do you wake up from a nightmare when you are not asleep?

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6. Oldboy – It is one of the dark, disturbing, hard-hitting movies of all time. You won’t be the same person after watching this movie. It will leave you shocked, gloomy, and saying WTF! It is controversial, sick, disgusting, and most importantly a mind fucking movie.

Laugh and the world laughs with you. Weep and you weep alone.

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7. Pi – You know it’s true what they say that Mathematics can drive you insane. Pi is a movie about a reclusive mathematician who is looking for the number which is the key to everything. He’s searching for the ultimate pattern. This movie is bizarre and disturbing, but very well crafted, directed by Aronofsky and Gullette.

Everything can be represented and understood through numbers.

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8. The Butterfly Effect – Travelling in past is something everyone has dreamt of, hoped for. But there are some consequences when you travel back in time to change something. This movie is a treat for the time travel lovers.

It has been said that something as small as the flutter of a butterfly’s wing can ultimately cause a typhoon halfway around the world – Chaos Theory.

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9. Stay – This is such an underrated movie, it is a movie that will engage your mind, force you to set aside the rational principles of understanding. And it will fuck your mind. It is the type of movie which along with your time, also needs an investment of your attention. The movie deals with the concept of reality, illusion, and death.

There’s too much beauty to quit.

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10. Memento – This is a masterpiece from Christopher Nolan based on the short story “Memento Mori’ by his younger brother Jonathan Nolan. Ranked one of the best films of its decade due to its unique theme, nonlinear narrative structure, structure and motifs of memory, perception, and self-deception. The ending of the movie will leave you with so many questions.

We all need memories to remind ourselves who we are.

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11. A Serbian Film – Rated NC-17 for extreme aberrant sexual and violent content including explicit dialogue. This is the most disturbing, disgusting, nasty movie of the modern era, and debatably of all time. Some things you just can’t unsee, and A Serbian Film is something that is beyond the accepted norms, a sick flick.

Porn is like cartoons for grownups.

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12. Inception – I often ask myself how does Nolan do it? This guy’s a freaking genius! Inception is a movie about the world where exists a technology that allows you to infiltrate the subconscious of the people. A large cast including Leonardo DiCaprio, Ellen Page, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tom Hardy, with the music of Hans Zimmer makes it a must-watch movie of all time.

You mustn’t be afraid to dream a little bigger, darling.

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13. The Game – Released in 1997, directed by David Fincher, this movie is about a rich banker who is given a strange birthday gift which changes everything, consumes his life. Although the movie when released was met with a mixed critical reviews, but it has become a cult hit. The story, characters, direction is excellent, a delight for a psychological thriller fan.

There are no rules in The Game.

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14. Open Your Eyes –The intersection between the dreams and reality makes it a beautiful film. This movie is a source of inspiration for movies like matrix. Vanilla Sky starring Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz is the Hollywood remake of this movie. Although I would prefer the Spanish over the Hollywood version. The story revolves around the main character not knowing whether he’s in state of reality, a dream or a nightmare.

Open your eyes.

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15. Jacob’s Ladder –The film’s title refers to the biblical story of Jacob’s Ladder, or the dream of a meeting place between Heaven and Earth. This movie is going to twist your mind, highly intelligent plot, and a surprise ending is what makes it one of the all time best mindfuck movie. Although at first watch many people would find it weird, but you have to go over and over to understand the story.

So, if you’re frightened of dying and… and you’re holding on, you’ll see devils tearing your life away.

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16. The Prestige – Directed by Christopher Nolan, starring Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman, Michael Caine, Scarlett Johansson, this is yet another Nolan’s masterpiece. This movie is entertaining, beautifully filmed and some strong performances by the actors. It’s gonna take your mind on a roller-coaster of twists and turns, you’ll end up boggling your mind. This is what happens when Batman, Wolverine and Black Widow come together in a movie LOL.

Are you watching closely?

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17. Primer – It’s about two engineers who accidentally discover a means of time travel. It’s made up of extremely low-budget, and is noted for its complex plot, philosophical implications, and confusing ending. This is something that you won’t like, you would watch it expecting some movie with entertainment and fun part, but you would end up feeling disappointed. This is for serious movie watchers.

If you always want what you can’t have, what do you want when you can have anything?

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18. Mr. Nobody – This film is known for its non-linear and the Many-Worlds-Theory interpretation style. This movie is a blend of physics, philosophy, sci-fi elements, chaos, distractions. This movie is one of those WHAT IF? scenario movies. It opens up a room for many worlds theory that there are parallel universes like ours.

As long as you don’t choose, everything remains possible.

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19. Interstellar – Science, Cosmology, Worm Holes on the big screen, nobody could have presented it in a better way except Nolan. The movie is about a crew of astronauts who travel through a wormhole in space in search of a new home, to survive. Like most of the Nolan movies you’ll need brains in your head to watch it.

Love is the one thing that transcends time and space.

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20. Triangle – This movie plays with your mind like a football, kicking it from one place to the other. It will leave you thinking right until the end. The story revolves around the passengers of a yacht in the Atlantic Ocean, due to strange weather conditions they are forced to jump onto another ship, only to find that something or someone is stalking them.

Bad dreams make you think you’re seeing things that you haven’t.

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21. Mulholland Drive – It tells the story of Betty, a fledgling actress from Deep River, Ontario, and Rita, a girl with amnesia resulting from a freak car accident and their journey together. This movie is a strange jigsaw puzzle such that each piece of the puzzle won’t fit into its place easily. Once again another mind blending masterpiece from David Lynch.

A Love Story In The City Of Dreams.

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22. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind – A movie about a couple who have erased each other from their memories, but can they erase each other from their hearts? Personally it’s one of my all time favorite movies. Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet have given strong performances in the film. This movie has the underlying theme of love which each and everyone can easily relate to.

Blessed are the forgetful, for they get the better even of their blunders.

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23. Enter The Void – This is a story about an American drug dealer who gets shot by the police, but his soul continues to observe everything happening around. His soul looks out for resurrection. This movie is another brilliance of Gaspar Noé who is known for his controversial movie “Irréversible”.

You know the good thing about LSD, if you can manage to overcome your fears, you can take your hallucinations wherever you want.

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24. Upstream Color – This film is very stylish, have some beautiful photography and creative editing. A complex parasite affects the lives of two people. A man and woman are drawn together, twisted and entangled in the life-cycle of an ageless organism. They struggle to assemble the loose fragments of their wrecked lives as their identity becomes an illusion.

I have to apologize. I was born with a disfigurement where my head is made of the same material as the sun.

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25. The Holy Mountain – There is not a lot to say about this film, words are less to truly express what it’s like. You have to watch the movie to experience it like the way you listen to a piece of music. Anyways I’ll just paste what wiki synopsis of the movie-In a corrupt, greed-fueled world, a powerful alchemist leads a Christ-like character and seven materialistic figures to the Holy Mountain, where they hope to achieve enlightenment. It’s one hell of a weird movie.