Brain Activity Is as Unique – and Identifying – as a Fingerprint

Each of us is unique, with our own strengths, weaknesses and idiosyncrasies. While this is a truism everyone grasps intuitively, it’s been difficult to determine if and how this individuality is reflected in brain activity.

To investigate, my colleagues and I looked at brain images from volunteers scanned using functional magnetic resonance imaging, or fMRI. This technique measures neural activity via blood flow in the brain while people are awake and mentally active. We calculated a “functional connectivity profile” for each person based on their individual patterns of synchronized activity between different parts of the brain.
In fact, it turns out that the ebb and flow of brain activity is like a fingerprint: each person has their own signature pattern, according to our study just published in the journal Nature Neuroscience. Using only their connectivity profiles, we could identify individuals from a group. Based purely on these profiles, we could also predict how people would perform on one type of intelligence test.


Continue reading:  http://www.infowars.com/brain-activity-is-as-unique-and-identifying-as-a-fingerprint/

Asian Chicken and Chilies Soup Recipe

If you’re getting tired of the usual chicken soup recipe, here’s an exciting way to zest up your meal: give it an oriental twist by adding Asian spices. The intense flavor of the chilies used in this simple but hearty dish can surely invigorate your mind, body, and soul, making it the perfect meal for chilly evenings. Try my Asian Chicken and Chilies Soup recipe:

Ingredients

• 6 cups chicken broth (or homemade broth)
• 2 red bell peppers, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons tamari soy sauce
• 1 to 3 teaspoons Asian hot chili sauce (or you can use a couple of fresh chilies)
• 3 cups poached chicken breast, thighs, or legs, diced
• 1 bunch watercress, large stems trimmed, or spinach
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced

Procedure:

1. In a three-quart saucepan, bring broth, bell peppers, tamari, and chili sauce or chilies to a simmer; cook until bell peppers are crisp-tender, about six minutes.
2. Add chicken and watercress (or spinach); cook for one minute. Ladle into bowls, and top with scallions.

This recipe makes four servings.
(From Healthy Recipes for Your Nutritional Type)

 

Asian Chicken and Chilies Soup Cooking Tips

Most chicken sold in conventional supermarkets come from confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs) that not only raise animals inhumanely – crowding them in filthy and tight spaces and feeding them an unnatural diet of genetically engineered (GE) corn and soybeans – but also put you at risk of numerous disease like salmonella and antibiotic-resistant bacteria.   
To ensure that you’re getting truly high-quality chicken (and eggs), look for a local farmer that allows his hens to forage outdoors. If you live in an urban community, you can visit your local farmer’s markets, which is the quickest route to finding high-quality, free-range chicken.
Remember that safe handling is very crucial for raw chicken. Washing your chicken may actually cause campylobacter bacteria (mostly found in conventional CAFO chickens) to spread, which increases your risk of food poisoning. I also advise using separate cutting boards for meat and vegetables.
While you can easily buy ready-to-use chicken stock at supermarkets, I recommend making your own broth at home. Simply put the entire raw chicken in the pot, add water to cover the bird, bring to a boil, then cover and lower heat to simmer. After two hours, remove from pot and separate the meat from bones. Place the bones back the water, let simmer on very low heat for an additional 8 to 10 hours. Here’s a simple recipe for homemade broth you can try.    
When buying watercress, look for those that have crisp, dark green leaves that show no signs of wilting or yellowing. Wash, shake dry, and then trim off the tough roots. It’s best to store watercress in a perforated bag in the refrigerator, as it is highly perishable and is best consumed within a couple of days.¹  
Aside from its versatility and mild peppery flavor, watercress can offer you a wide array of nutrients that can benefit your health. Modern science found that there are over 15 essential vitamins and minerals in watercress, including phytonutrients like isothiocyanates, antioxidants, vitamin A, K, and C, manganese, and calcium. Flavonoids like beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin are also abundant in watercress.
Red bell peppers add a light sweetness to your chicken soup, so make sure to choose those that are firm, deeply colored, and glossy.² However, since bell peppers are included in the “Dirty Dozen” list of the EWG’s 2015 Guide to Pesticide in Produce,³ make sure you only buy organic ones from a trustworthy source.
Bell peppers provide you with vitamin C and K, as well as thiamin, niacin, folate, magnesium, and copper. The three different varieties – green, yellow, and red – actually have their own unique nutrients, although they all have good amounts of ascorbic acid, phenolic compounds, carotenoids, and free radical scavenging activity. Red peppers, however, are found to have most ascorbic acid and a higher level of free radical scavenging activity than the other varieties.

Why Is Asian Chicken and Chilies Soup Good for You?

Chicken soup offers potential benefits for your health as it helps your body ward off infection and alleviate inflammation. Meanwhile, the steam helps ease your congestion. A study even found that chicken soup can help stop the migration of the cells, which may prevent cold symptoms from developing. This is all thanks to the wonderful ingredients used in this flavorful yet soothing dish.
Chicken
Chicken is loved by many because of its versatility, but aside from that, it’s also one of the most healthful meats you can add to your diet. It’s a great source of protein, selenium, choline, phosphorus, and all B vitamins. According to the George Mateljan Foundation:

“It is a food that actually provides broad nutrient support… Included… are plentiful amounts of sulfur-containing amino acids like cysteine and methionine, as well as branched chain amino acids (leucine, isoleucine, and valine) that are important for support of cardiac and skeletal muscle.

Cysteine, a natural amino acid, can actually thin the mucus in your lungs, so that you can expel it more easily.
Bone Broth
Due to the wide variety of nutrients it provides, such as magnesium, calcium, glucosamine, chondroitin, and arginine, I consider bone broth one of the most healing foods that should be in every person’s nutritional plan. In fact, like fermented foods, it used to be a dietary staple – sadly, many people are now opting for processed foods instead of these dietary treasures, leading them onto the path to poor health.
I recommend you to make good old-fashioned bone broth a mainstay in your diet. Not only is it a cost-effective food with a wide array of uses (you can even simply sip it on its own!), but it also offers a wide range of benefits, such as:

• Helps heal and seal your gut, and promotes healthy digestion: Bone broth contains a gelatin known as a hydrophilic colloid. It attracts and holds liquids like digestive juices, thereby ensuring proper digestion.
• Protects against inflammation: It has amino acids like glycine, proline, and arginine that have anti-inflammatory effects.
• Inhibits infection caused by colds and flu viruses.   
• Alleviates painful and inflamed joints: The boiled down cartilage produces glucosamine, chondroitin sulphates, and other beneficial compounds for joint health.
• Promotes strong, healthy bones due to its high calcium and magnesium content, as well as other nutrients that help in bone formation.
• Promotes healthy hair and nail growth.

 

Sources and References

• ¹ BBC Good Food
• ² Los Angeles Times
• ³ EWG's 2015 Guide to Pesticide in Produce

Source: http://recipes.mercola.com/chicken-chili-soup-recipe.aspx?e_cid=20151018Z1_DNL_art_2&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art2&utm_campaign=20151018Z1&et_cid=DM88603&et_rid=1174743104

How To Stop Poisoning The Neighborhood Children On Halloween.

This time of year, I can’t help but feel saddened when I see the Halloween candy aisles at conventional grocery stores. Gigantic bags of Kit Kats, Butterfingers, Laffy Taffy, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Sweet Tarts, and Dum Dum Pops line the shelves. Year after year, it’s the same traditional products – the same ones that made me so sick as a child – along with new chemical candy creations that are getting bolder trying to top the competition with even more artificial colors and additives… bright orange Kit Kats and Green Apple Caramel Filled Twizzlers anyone? Is this the best we can do?
Although Halloween isn’t a healthy holiday by any means, there’s no reason to throw all caution to the wind and litter the neighborhood with these toxic “treats” once a year. Over 90% of Americans are concerned about GMOs in their food – and a growing number of us read ingredient lists and are steering clear of artificial food additives – yet there seems to be a disconnect when it comes to holidays like Halloween and what people are willing to put into their cart.
If you normally avoid GMOs, artificial colors, flavors, and controversial preservatives, now’s the time to stop buying conventional Halloween candy and seek out better alternatives.

If you wouldn’t feed these ingredients to your own children (or yourself), why would you hand them out on Halloween?

Most Halloween candy does not have the ingredients listed on the package because it comes in smaller sized versions sold in multipacks, so here’s a reminder of what is lurking in most conventional candy:

Artificial Flavors – Made from cheap toxic chemicals derived from petroleum along with solvents, emulsifiers, flavor modifiers, preservatives that aren’t labeled, so you don’t know what you’re really ingesting.
Artificial Colors – Also derived from petroleum, these dyes are linked to hyperactivity in children and some cancers.
Caramel Color – The most common form is made from ammonia and contains the chemical 4-MEI which is classified as a possible carcinogen. Why add this to chocolate and caramel that is supposed to be naturally brown anyway?
Vanillin – This artificial vanilla flavor is made from wood or petrochemicals.
Partially Hydrogenated Oils – The main source of trans fat in our food that contributes to heart disease. It’s so harmful to our health that even the FDA has stepped in and is requiring companies to remove this ingredient within 3 years – but until then you can still find it in Halloween candy!
Growth Hormones – Unless it’s certified organic, much of the dairy in chocolate comes from conventionally raised cows raised with synthetic hormones that are banned in other countries and linked to an increased risk of cancer in humans.
PGPR (polyglycerol polyricinoleate) –  A cheap emulsifier used to replace more expensive cocoa butter. 
TBHQ (tertiary butylhydroquinone) – The preservative TBHQ derived from petroleum that’s linked to asthma, allergies, and dermatitis.
DATEM (diacetyl tartaric acid ester of mono- and diglycerides)– A dough conditioner usually derived GMOs that can be a hidden form of harmful trans fat.
BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) – A preservative banned and heavily restricted in other countries because it is linked to cancer.

Fun-Size GMOs? Halloween candy is a minefield of genetically modified ingredients sprayed with Roundup.

Unless a candy is organic or Non-GMO Project verified, it’s probably made with genetically modified (GMO) ingredients. The sugar in most processed food comes from GMO sugar beets, and if it doesn’t specifically list “Cane Sugar” it’s generally GMO. This “Roundup-Ready” sugar is sprayed with Roundup – a herbicide linked to cancer and several other diseases – good reasons to avoid it at all costs.
Although Hershey’s is the first mainstream candy brand to announce that they’re removing GMOs from some of their chocolate, they are not removing GMOs from all of their Halloween candy varieties and this change isn’t slated to happen until the end of 2015. So, the vast majority of non-organic Halloween candy contains GMO sugar, and may also contain other common GMO ingredients like soy lecithin, corn syrup, dextrose and soybean oil. 

Just as important as the “scary” ingredients and despicable practices used to produce Halloween candy, food allergies are skyrocketing putting many children at risk.

It’s a pretty grim picture when you realize that 1 out of 13 children now have food allergies in this country – and these are serious allergies to boot. There’s a lot of common allergens in popular Halloween candy – peanuts, milk, egg, soy, wheat – so it’s a great idea to stock up on non-food Halloween treats for children with allergies. You can paint a pumpkin teal and place it on your porch to let Trick-Or-Treaters know that you’re handing out non-food items (keep them in a separate bowl from any candy if you have both).

It’s time for us to rethink how we do Halloween and stop buying these “treats” that aren’t doing anyone any favors!

There’s a way to celebrate Halloween and still have a fun time without GMOs and controversial food additives. While these alternatives below aren’t all perfect and not something I recommend eating on a regular basis (it’s candy!)… these options are way, way better than conventional Halloween treats, and you can find them at many natural foods grocery stores or online here:

• Endangered Species Organic Chocolate “Bug Bites” 
• Nutiva O’Coconuts
• OCHO Minis 
• Justin’s Mini Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
• Unreal Candy Coated Milk Chocolates
• TruJoy Sweets Organic Fruit Chews
• TruJoy Sweets Organic Choco Chews
• Surf Sweets Sour Berry Bears
• YumEarth Organic Candy
• Alter Eco Salted Caramel Truffles
• Organic Fair-Trade Hot Cocoa Packets
• Jack-o-lantern Tangerines
• Crayons and Halloween coloring books (Michaels has a great assortment of non-candy items)
• Halloween Stickers
• Halloween Stamps
• Miniature Toys – like Slinkys and bouncy balls.
• Glow in the dark sticks (these can be as cheap as candy!)

DARPA rumored to be genetically modifying humans to create zombie super soldiers

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, better known by the acronym DARPA, is the Pentagon's super-secret entity responsible for developing all kinds of advanced weapons and other systems, including your ability to read this story. Now they are helping the Pentagon make a better soldier.

Business Finance News reports that DARPA has begun a heavily funded project to "enhance human ability in war zones, by altering the genetic code (recipe) of their soldiers." The aim is to achieve battlefield supremacy by making soldiers who lack empathy and are smarter, more focused, and much stronger than enemy counterparts.

The research is taking place under a relatively new scientific field called genetic engineering, wherein scientists conduct research and experiment with the "cookbook" of a person's genetic make-up.

Business Finance News stated:

All life forms have their own recipe, and just like food, there are a finite number of ingredients to choose from. Combination of different ingredients in different proportions makes different life forms. Genetic engineers are practically capable of making glow in the dark babies, by simply adding certain genetic codes of jellyfish into the human genetic code.

Zombie soldiers?

The research that has been conducted so far looks promising. It suggests that DARPA's so-called super soldiers could one day even grow new limbs they have lost in combat, which is something that has been tested already on mice.

As for the part of the brain that is responsible for empathy and mercy, scientists have found that it can be effectively shut off using gene therapy. This would essentially create a soldier who is oblivious to fear, fatigue and emotions.

However, what makes this even more disturbing, BFN noted, is the "Human Assisted Neutral Devices program" that focuses on brain control. The result could be a next-generation biological war "machine" controllable via a sophisticated "joystick."

A zombie soldier, if you will.

DARPA's efforts to create super soldiers dates back years. As reported by Wired magazine in December 2009 as the U.S. was sending a "surge" of 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan, researchers were working with pigs to find a way stop bleeding injuries by turning them into semi-undead.

"If it works out," Wired's Katie Drummond wrote, "we humans could be the next ones to be zombified."

DARPA awarded Texas A&M University's Institute for Preclinical Studies a $9.9 million contract to develop medical treatments that would extend a "golden period" when traumatically injured troops would have the best chance of surviving massive blood loss. Researchers were aware that the evacuation and treatment of such individuals in the thick of battle within the all-important one-hour window is often impossible.

Drummond reported that the institute's research was based on previous DARPA-funded projects, one of which theorized that humans might one day mimic the hibernation abilities of squirrels – who are able to survive unscathed for months on end through winter – by using a pancreatic enzyme that humans have in common.

GMO soldiers

In August 2012, the UK's Daily Mail reported that DARPA research was focusing on "GMO" troops – making them run as fast as Olympic champions and able to regenerate lost limbs.

The paper further reported:

According to the U.S. Army's plans for the future, their soldiers will be able to carry huge weights, live off their fat stores for extended periods and even regrow limbs blown apart by bombs.

The plans were revealed by novelist Simon Conway, who was granted behind-the-scenes access to the Pentagon's high-tech Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.

DARPA has long experimented with exoskeletons, which are machines that assist normal soldiers in ways that permit them to lift weights far in excess what a normal human being can lift and run at far greater speeds.

The agency's most controversial research has been in the area of genetically modifying a human to perform tasks and function in ways that are currently not feasible, the Daily Mail noted.

In particular, modifications would include developing soldiers who could go for as many as 40 hours without sleep, carry heavy loads, go days without eating and communicate telepathically.

Sources include:

BusinessFinanceNews.com

DARPA.mil

Wired.com

DailyMail.co.uk

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/051195_DARPA_super_soldiers_genetic_engineering.html#ixzz3oixx2mOm