Category Archives: Immortality Medicine

There are six lifestyle habits that support longevity, but starting with sleep may help the others fall into place.

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Hit a certain age and the phrase "youth is wasted on the young" has a whole new meaning. And if there really were a fountain of youth well, let's just say some of us would be lining up faster than you could say "age before beauty."

Truth is, it's OK that immortality is just for fairy tales, because health and vitality is something you can foster through your lifestyle habits.

The 6 Keys to Healthy Aging

There are six lifestyle components for healthy aging, says David Katz, MD, MPH, CEO of Diet ID, Inc., author and founder and former director of Yale University's Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center.

"There's massive global consensus among public health and preventive medicine experts about the importance of sleep, physical activity, managing stress, avoiding toxins, building social connections and diet," Dr. Katz tells LIVESTRONG.com.

And the scientific literature backs this up: Studies that look at so-called "all-cause mortality" (death, in other words) show that exercise, sleep, stress, socialization (or lack thereof), what you put into your body and what you don't all play a role in how long we might live. Put another way, being active, not isolating socially, reducing stress, and eating and sleeping well all may add years to your life. And they make those extra years good years.

"But they're not siloed," Dr. Katz says. In other words, they act collectively rather than independently.

With that said, does one habit trump the others?

Why Sleep May Be the Most Important Key to Aging Well

Dr. Katz explains it like this: If you sleep well, you have more energy. If you have more energy, you exercise. If you sleep well and exercise, you have better self-esteem and you care about what you put into your body. When you're feeling good about yourself, eating and sleeping well and exercising, you're much more interested in socializing.

Still, as a nation, even though we know sleep is important, we don't exactly do it well: Over the past few decades, research suggests that more and more people are sleeping seven or fewer hours a night, per a September 2017 study in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

"Sleep is typically the habit we're most dismissive of," Dr. Katz says.

Maybe it's because sleep feels like downtime, or time where we can't do anything productive. Yet sleep is so monumentally important.

As Dr. Katz explains, sleep is when we restore ourselves and a lot of body repair happens. Indeed, the microbiome is reconstituted when we sleep, and cells all around the body replenish themselves. "So much of what the body needs to do for the next day happens when we sleep," Dr. Katz says.

We've all had nights when we slept well and nights when we slept poorly. The difference is stunning. When you've had a good night's sleep, you confront the stresses of the day with a lot more strength and resilience, Dr. Katz says.

"If you sleep well, you do a better job of choosing the right foods and you have better self-restraint," he says.

Conversely, after a lousy night's sleep, daily stresses feel overwhelming and there's a snowball effect that's set in motion. Sleep is the proverbial snowball at the top of the hill.

So, if you're concerned about aging well, make it your first goal to get seven to nine hours of good quality shut-eye every night. Then tackle the rest of the longevity habits.

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If You Want to Age Well, This May Be the Most Important Habit to Stick With - Livestrong

Bees are essential for the health of people and the planet. Honey and other products have medicinal properties, and the role of bees as pollinators makes them vital for food supplies.

There are around 20,000 known bee species worldwide, and over 4,000 are native to the United States. Humans only manage a few of these, and most species are wild.

As well as valuing bees for their honey, people have come to recognize the importance of bees in promoting food security and variety in plants and animals.

However, a rise in factors, such as pesticide use and urbanization, means that bees are currently in decline, negatively affecting many of the Earths ecosystems.

A loss of bees would affect honey supplies, but, more importantly, world food security and biodiversity. Without them, the world could be a very different place.

Bees are significant for many reasons. They have historical importance, contribute to human health, and play a role in maintaining healthy ecosystems.

Not all bees produce honey, but it is one of the main reasons people value them. The substance is a natural sweetener with many potential health qualities.

People have used bees and bee-related products for medicinal purposes for thousands of years. Researchers have noted claims that it has antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer properties.

In traditional medicine, people use honey when treating a wide variety of conditions. While many of these uses do not have scientific backing, they include:

Beeswax is another important product that people have previously used in waterproofing and fuel. It currently has benefits for health and features in a number of skincare products. Additionally, pharmaceutical industries use it in ointments.

Other bee products that can benefit human health include:

In a 2020 study, scientists found evidence that melittin, a component in honeybee venom, could kill cancer cells.

Learn more about the benefits of honey.

In recent years, it has become clear that honey may not be the most important reason to protect bees. This is because bees play a crucial role in pollination, where they use the hairs on their bodies to carry large grains of pollen between plants.

Around 75% of crops produce better yields if animals help them pollinate. Of all animals, bees are the most dominant pollinators of wild and crop plants. They visit over 90% of the worlds top 107 crops.

In other words, bees are essential for the growth of many plants, including food crops.

People have been working with bees around the world for millennia. The significance comes from the direct harvesting of honey and beeswax and cultural beliefs.

For example, the Ancient Greeks thought of bees as a symbol of immortality. In the 19th century, beekeepers in New England would inform their bees of any major events in human society. Meanwhile, native northern Australians used beeswax when producing rock art.

For history experts, bee products are a key aspect of archaeology. This is because beeswax produces a chemical fingerprint that people can assess to identify components in organic residue.

Bees are very intelligent, and people have applied knowledge of their mannerisms and social interactions when creating human initiatives.

For example, researchers have suggested that studying the actions of bees could help experts develop emergency plans to evacuate people from an overcrowded environment.

Observing honeybee dances can also help scientists understand where changes are taking place in the environment.

Farming practices, global warming, and disease are just a few reasons why bee numbers are declining. Experts are concerned about the impact on world food supplies, especially fruits, nuts, and vegetables.

They say that without bees, there will be no more nuts, coffee, cocoa, tomatoes, apples, or almonds, to name a few crops. This could lead to nutritional deficiencies in the human diet, as these products are essential sources of vital nutrients.

Additionally, the emerging medicinal properties of bee venom and other bee products may never be accessible without bees to provide them.

In financial terms, the pollination of fruits and vegetables by wild bees across the United States has a high economic value. One 2020 study found that wild bees were responsible for a significant portion of net income from blueberries. There is a direct link between the economic yield of farmers and the presence of bees.

In 2012, experts estimated that total pollination to be worth $34 billion, with a large portion of this amount due to bees.

Green backyards and gardens can be vital resources for bees. Growing native flowers and leaving weeds to develop can contribute to bee health and numbers by providing food and shelter. Reducing landscaping activities, such as mowing or pruning, can help bees by increasing the amount of vegetation available.

According to a 2019 study, as well as benefitting the bees, increasing rural spaces in urban areas can boost human mental and emotional well-being.

Nonscientists and volunteers can contribute to research through citizen science initiatives, where people report what they see in their local area. This can help experts understand what is happening in a particular area or country.

For example, a citizen-based 2020 study revealed that squash bees occupy a wide geographic range and prefer farms with less soil disturbance.

Additionally, in the 2007 Great Pollinator Project, a partnership in New York encouraged members of the public to watch bees and record the types of wildflowers they visited.

Such findings help scientists find useful ways to protect bees. However, this depends on people being able to identify species correctly. Therefore, learning about bee species and habits can also help individuals protect them.

Bees have cultural and environmental importance as pollinators and producers of honey and medicinal products. The movement of pollen between plants is necessary for plants to fertilize and reproduce.

Both farmed and wild bees control the growth and quality of vegetation when they thrive, so do crops. Bees are vital when it comes to food security. However, the welfare and number of bees worldwide are in decline, and it is essential to protect them to maintain human well-being.

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Why bees are so important to human life and health - Medical News Today

Photo: Sophie Giraud/ HULU

The Handmaids Tale is, to put it far too lightly, often difficult to watch. Former viewers sometimes send me messages, explaining exactly when they had to call it quits in season two after the forced surgery to remove Emilys clitoris or when Loaves and Fishes was shot up in season three. (Some of you poor souls didnt make it past the first seasons ominous ending.) And right now, in the late spring of 2021, just as large parts of America are reopening and the roses are peeling open outside my window, its somehow harder than ever to tune in. When dark art follows you into lighter times, its former meaning sometimes turns into an affront.

Vows isnt an especially violent episode. Yet it was the most trying 50 minutes of The Handmaids Tale in a while because the shows writers finally keyed back into the original resonance of Margaret Atwoods novel: that the biggest burden of the Gilead regime is the way it entirely sweeps away the past. The women (and men) locked inside Gilead are still in their home country, sometimes their own towns and cities, but their everyday lives are wallpapered over with some alternative reality. They have their memories of neighbors who used to chat over fences, or coffee shops where they met up with colleagues, or the spot of sidewalk where their son first rode his bike but the past and the present are entirely disjointed.

The emotional rigor of Vows feels like a return to form, or at least a hiatus from the catch-and-release tension of this season and the last. Will June get caught? has been replaced by Will June ever find her daughter?, a far more rewarding and fascinating tension, not least because to save herself, June has had to essentially give up on saving her child.

As unlikely as it is that Moira ends up in Chicago on a humanitarian mission at the same time June is in the city, and as even unlikelier as it is that Moira wanders down the exact street where June has just survived a carpet-bombing, Elisabeth Moss and Samira Wiley are so good together the current of love that zips between them is so forceful and apparent that its a joy to watch them. Moira has floundered in Toronto: The writers needed to keep her close to June, so they saddled her with Nichole and Luke, as if Moira wouldnt need to reclaim some of her own identity. But in both the flashbacks and their scenes in Chicago and on the boat, the character came alive again. She got that old zip back.

Its probable that June didnt recognize the urgency of the situation or the divine luck offinding her best friend among the rubble because of her concussion. (June can be dense and stubborn, but lets chalk this one up to the traumatic brain injury.) And her insistence on finding Janine is laudable she might be waiting for help under rubble just a few feet away or dazed herself in a nearby alley. Moira seems certain that Janine is dead, but what she doesnt know is that this is The Handmaids Tale and anyone, anywhere can stay alive if the writers room wills it.

If were meant to be invested in the moral quandary of whether or not to stow away June on the boat or turn her over to Gilead authorities, well, it wasnt much of a question. As the humanitarian workers argue over the merits of either alternative, I just found myself wondering what the hell such a mealymouthed agency believed it was doing inserting itself into such a volatile situation. Oona (whom I have been calling Luna for weeks because closed-captioning doesnt work on screeners sorry, Oona!) makes the valid point that if theyre found out for hustling Gileads most wanted out of the country, there will be no more returns, no more food, medicine for all these people. But she and most of the crew also express no moral ambiguity about turning June over to people who will certainly rip her fingernails out, gut her like a fish and then hang her up on the biggest wall in Gilead. June isnt some common handmaid shes an international symbol so while Gileads blows will be all the heavier when she turns up in Canada, her escape will also provide the Americans in exile with the spokeswoman and mascot they need.

Not to mention the fact that a simple solution of passing June off as one of the crew has existed all along! When Oona turned to her shipmate and blurted out, Print her an ID, I thought my ears must be deceiving me. Certainly, if the solution is so simple no need to scramble manifestos or rip up floorboards or keep June hanging on a rope over the side of the ship while inspectors came onboard someone would have brought it up earlier. Oona, why dont we just print her an ID with the handy-dandy ID-maker onboard and give her one of these official vests? And yet here they were, ready to offer her to butchers! (Tack on the fact that Moira is also pretending to be Canadian to work on this mission and we have ourselves one seriously creatively devoid group of aid workers.)

June and Moiras second confrontation, the one by the side of the lifeboat, would have made more of an impact if not for the virtually identical conversation they had hours earlier. Junes hesitation makes sense for the character sweet God, absolutely nothing could convince that woman to save her own skin until now, and if she had immediately hightailed it for that little cargo ship in Chicago, I might have lost my grip on reality. But the acting! Oh, the acting! Moss and Wiley perfectly execute on the stakes here. The fury, the shouting, Junes shifting blame its all exquisite.

And it brings home the reality of how hard it is for June to show up in Canada without Hannah. After torture (and more torture), rape (and more rape), and escape attempts (and more escape attempts), she is about to step onto Canadian soil and immediately reap the benefit of that safety. And she didnt, couldnt, bring along her innocent child, even though she saved the lives of so many others. If I dont go back now, she shouts at Moira, Hannah is gone forever. And shell have to explain to Luke why she failed at that which we expect of all mothers: to put her child first, to die for her child, to take on superhuman capabilities.

The flashbacks with Moira were sweet touches, reminders of their fierce love and complicated friendship. But it was the scene in which June tells Luke shes pregnant that hit me like a brick. Her rush to tell him the news, even at the expense of her plan, just rang true. And it restored June as a wounded being, not an unstoppable force able to take on anything to keep her child alive and well in her arms. The Indestructible Mother is a dangerous trope that insists women can and should absorb any blow for their babies. Giving birth or adopting or sheltering a child doesnt bestow some cloak of immortality on parents. June smashed through every barrier for far too long its far more gripping when she finally comes up against one she cant surmount. And at its heart, this is what The Handmaids Tale can be: the story of a mothers imperfect but buoyant love.

So when Luke bangs through that door and sees his wife for the first time in years, it makes sense that her first words are an apology. Im sorry I dont have her Im sorry its just me.

Now June needs to work her magic from across the border.

Keep up with all the drama of your favorite shows!

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The Handmaids Tale Recap: Were Gonna Need a Bigger Boat - Vulture

Whether you call it a puchka, pani puri, or golgappa, but this savory snack is intrinsic to India's rich history of street foods.

But, have you ever wondered who actually invented this street food?

Well, people on two different Quora threads (one aboutpani puriand one aboutgolgappa), shared a few theories. And here are the most popular ones:

1. Draupadi

One of the most popular theories states that in the Mahabharata, Draupadi invented the pani puri in response to a test set by her mother-in-law, Kunti. During the Pandavas' period of exile, Kunti asked Draupadi to create a dish for all the 5 brothers using leftover aaloo sabzi and a small quantity of dough.

Apparently, the idea was to see which brother would Draupadi favour the most. Draupadi, however, created pani puris. Impressed by her creativity, Kunti blessed the dish with immortality.

2. The Kingdom of Magadha

Yet another popular theory states golgappas originated in the Kingdom of Magadha. Originally called "phulki" (a name still used in Madhya Pradesh),they were crispier and smaller than the pani puris we consume today, and supposedly filled with potatoes.

3. By a team of doctors forNawab Wajid of Lucknow.

Another theory states that golgappas or pani puri actually came into being as a way to administer medicine for an upset stomach to theNawab Wajid of Lucknow. Apparently, the Nawab didn't want to take the medicines and thus, they were one of the "spices" added into the water and the filling.

*From curing an upset stomach to causing an upset stomach, what a journey!*

While these are the most popular theories, a user also suggests the Western-coast region of India as its place of origin, because "basic set of things required are all native to this region, and probably NOT native to anywhere else in India."

However, Mahabharata is still considered a mythological tale. And while "phulki" may have originated in the Kingdom of Magadh, the ingredients were bound to be different because potatoes were introduced to India in the 17th century, long after the Magadha empire came to an end.

Reportedly, food historian Pushpesh Pant believes that the dish originated over 100 years ago, in either Uttar Pradesh or Bihar. According to him, Raj Kachori was actually the precursor of golgappas, and the dish came into existence when someone created a small "puri".

Well, whosoever invented the dish, we have nothing but gratitude for them.

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This Quora Thread On Who Invented Golgappas Has More Theories Than There Are Golgappa Flavours - ScoopWhoop

Like Vol. 1 of Love Death and Robots, each Vol. 2 clip opens with a flashing title card and displays three symbols. The icons reflect the style of the series logo, but are always unique and often herald critical events or plot twists for each chapter.

The stylistic similarities between the icons create a direct line for a series without strong connections between episodes. As an anthology, Love, Death and Robots includes a wide variety of animation styles and stories. The icons before each episode make it clear that they are all part of a larger creative project. However, since no symbol appears twice, each icon also creates a different connection to each story. (You may also be interested in titles, synopsis and duration of Vol. 2).

Not all Love, Death and Robots icons are static. Many of them change during the few seconds they are shown on screen, reflecting the importance of animation in the series. In Vol. 2, three episodes have symbols that do not change: Snow in the Desert, Pop Squad, and The Drowned Giant.

Snow in the desert icons are a strawberry, a symbol of the fertile land that Snow reminds of (and the strawberry he eats); a large X identical to the death symbol in the shows logo, heralding the multiple deaths in the episode; and an upside-down heart with a colon, perhaps indicating the unexpected romantic connection between Snow and Hirald.

The Pop Squad icons are more specific. The dilated eye is an image that appears in the episode, a visual representation of the immortality that most of the characters achieve through advanced medicine. The hat is a reference to Detective Briggs and, more specifically, to his role as a rogue detective. The style is reminiscent of film noir, a genre in which tough and dysfunctional detectives often rebel against a corrupt law enforcement system to do the right thing, as Briggs does in Pop Squad. His death wish and ending also fit the genre. The last icon shows a stuffed dinosaur which, in short, is a recurring symbol of the childlike innocence that haunts Briggs.

The icons that appear before The Drowned Giant are a bit simpler. The skull with x for the eyes represents the death of the giant, while the bones appear literally in the episode after the giant has decomposed and are later literally part of the urban setting of the small town that finds the remains. The short ends with the image of a gigantic phallus in a circus tent.

Before Automated Customer Service, a robot icon vacuums the sunglasses from the iconographic head next to him, heralding Vacuubots quest to purge a house of all living things. A cactus represents the western retirement community in which the short is set.

The three icons in Throughout the House include a Christmas tree with ornaments that rearrange on one face, hinting at the surprising and horrible creature that meets the two children after they sneak down the stairs to surprise Santa Claus. . The image of a wrapped gift represents the reward for the good girls and boys the short focuses on, while a drop of sweat or possibly blood adds an element of horror.

Vida Hutchs icons provide a greater number of clues to the shorts events, with one hand starting whole and ending with two broken fingers, warning of the bloody fight that awaits a pilot on the ground. An asteroid represents intergalactic space warfare that acts as the backdrop for the short, and a flashlight represents the basic tool that eventually becomes critical to the pilots survival.

In an unusual title card, the three icons for The Tall Grass are all the same (similar to the icons used for the Vol. 1 short, Zima Blue): patches of tall grass animated for swaying. The identical icons are a fitting representation of the Love, death and Robots short, where tall grass is prominently featured as a setting, symbol of rurality, and home to hidden horrors. Ice is the one with the icons most loosely related to the story: a hand making a comb, one of the final images of the short, an ice cube and a pipe from which smoke comes out, the preferred drug of modified teenagers.

You have the first two full seasons available on Netflix.

Link:
Explanation of the icons of each episode Explica .co - Explica

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U.S. House members have reached a deal to push forward with a bipartisan, independent commission to investigate the Jan. 6 storming of U.S. Capitol.In a statement, the Democratic chairman of the Homeland Security Committee Bennie Thompson and ranking Republican member John Katko said on Friday they would introduce legislation before the House as soon as next week to set up the investigative panel.It will be modeled after the one used to probe the attacks of September 11th. U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi praised the agreement, calling January 6th (quote) "one of the darkest days in our history."Like the Sept. 11 panel, this one would have five commissioners appointed by each party as well as the authority to issue subpoenas to carry out its investigation. The lawmakers said its report and "recommendations to prevent future attacks" would be due by Dec. 31.The agreement paves the way for the panel's creation after a partisan fight over the scope of the investigation - and as Republican committee members increasingly downplay the events of the day in an effort to defend former President Donald Trump and his supporters.Both the House and the Senate would have to approve the bill, which would then go to President Joe Biden to sign into law.

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The Future of Nashville arts following the pandemic p5 - Yahoo News

Reuters Videos

U.S. House members have reached a deal to push forward with a bipartisan, independent commission to investigate the Jan. 6 storming of U.S. Capitol.In a statement, the Democratic chairman of the Homeland Security Committee Bennie Thompson and ranking Republican member John Katko said on Friday they would introduce legislation before the House as soon as next week to set up the investigative panel.It will be modeled after the one used to probe the attacks of September 11th. U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi praised the agreement, calling January 6th (quote) "one of the darkest days in our history."Like the Sept. 11 panel, this one would have five commissioners appointed by each party as well as the authority to issue subpoenas to carry out its investigation. The lawmakers said its report and "recommendations to prevent future attacks" would be due by Dec. 31.The agreement paves the way for the panel's creation after a partisan fight over the scope of the investigation - and as Republican committee members increasingly downplay the events of the day in an effort to defend former President Donald Trump and his supporters.Both the House and the Senate would have to approve the bill, which would then go to President Joe Biden to sign into law.

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Cook Co. homeowner received nearly $2K refund thanks to phone bank - Yahoo News

The history of medicine is filled with accounts of strange and often downright dangerous treatments, but these have sometimes opened the way for lifesaving discoveries. In this Curiosities of Medical History feature, we look at the unusual practice of exposing the body to cold temperatures for therapeutic purposes: therapeutic hypothermia.

The term hypothermia appears to have first emerged in English-language texts in the late 19th century. It comes from the ancient Greek word for hot or warm therms to which the Greek-derived prefix hypo-, meaning under, is added.

Nowadays, hypothermia is classed as a severe condition in which the body is unable to maintain its normal heat, and body temperature drops dangerously. Severe hypothermia can result in heart failure and death.

This dangerous medical condition has been understood as such for centuries, yet there is also another side to the history of hypothermia.

Therapeutic hypothermia the cooling of the body for therapeutic purposes is a medical practice that has been around, in one form or another, since ancient times.

Some of its uses have been controversial at best, but it has also given rise to legitimate modern-day treatments. In this Special Feature, we briefly outline the complex history of therapeutic hypothermia.

To understand more about the curious history of therapeutic hypothermia and the continued appeal of exposure to low temperature for medical purposes, we also spoke to Dr. Phil Jaekl, neuroscientist and science writer, whose upcoming book, Out Cold: A Chilling Descent into the Macabre, Controversial, Lifesaving History of Hypothermia, discusses these topics at length.

Therapeutic hypothermia seems to have been practiced for over 5,000 years. Its first known mention was in the Edwin Smith Papyrus, a medical treatise outlining treatments for various injuries and ailments, a text that may date back to around 3,500 B.C.E.

The earliest written records of using cold were discovered in ancient Egyptian texts, Dr. Jaekl told Medical News Today. Some experts think these texts are the first recordings of medical teachings from Imhotep, a polymath and advisor to the pharaoh Zoser. They suggest using local cold applications to treat skin irritations, likely for [enslaved people] or in military situations.

For an abscess with prominent head on the breast, the papyrus prescribes cool applications, which in this case were ointments with cooling effects, made of ingredients such as fruit, masons mortar, and water.

According to Dr. Jaekl, [t]hese texts are significant because they are some of the first to advocate systematic medical procedures rather than incantations or prayers, which were common at that time. The Edwin Smith Papyrus is possibly one of the first medical textbooks laying out case studies of physical ailments and indicating dedicated treatments.

Some of the better known forefathers of medical science also wrote about cold temperatures and their dangers and therapeutic potential. The next big advancement for using cold therapeutically didnt happen until over 1,000 years had passed, when cold was incorporated into the humorist system of medicine, Dr. Jaekl noted.

This system posited that in the human body, there circulate four humors, or liquids, which, when out of balance, would cause any number of diseases. To restore health, a physician would have to diagnose and address the humoral imbalance.

These humors, most often listed as black bile, yellow bile, phlegm, and blood, were either hot or cold, wet or dry, thus causing corresponding afflictions. Fever, as a hot disease, would have required exposure to an opposite element as a treatment.

Ancient Greek physician Hippocrates (c. 460370 B.C.E.) spoke of the dangers of exposure to cold at some length in his treatises. He pointed out that cold causes fits, tetanus, gangrene, and feverish shivering fits [and it] is bad for the bones, teeth, nerves, brain, and the spinal cord.

Yet he also recognized the therapeutic potential of cooling elements, as he prescribed using snow and ice to stop bleeding, and drinking cold water to bring down fever.

Galen (129c. 210 C.E.), who was significantly influenced by Hippocrates, is credited with the invention of cold cream, which he prescribed not for skin care or the removal of makeup, as it later came to be used, but for cooling purposes in a medicinal context.

His cold cream may have been a mixture of olive oil, water, and beeswax.

[The use of cold] was advocated by the pioneering Greek physicians Hippocrates and Galen to help balance bodily humors. In fact, Galen is known to have invented cold cream, which is still popular today, although he advocated it for treating fever rather than as a moisturizer.

Dr. Phil Jaekl

The method of cooling the body as a therapeutic intervention further expanded in the 17th century, when physicians such as John Floyer (16491734) started experimenting more widely with the use of hot and cold water in medicine.

In his treatise, An Enquiry into the Right Use and Abuses of the Hot, Cold, and Temperate Baths in England (1697), Floyer wrote at some length about the hygiene and medicinal benefits of cold water baths.

In the hot Air of Summer, our Bodies are of less Strength; therefore in Summer it is necessary to concenter our Strength and Spirits by Cold bathing, Floyer wrote, later adding:

I do not persuade my Reader to change those Errors of living, without having first done so my self; for by leaving off strong Liquors, and all hot Diet, Teas, Coffee, &c. and by Water-drinking, and bathing at Buxton [a historic spa town in England Ed.], I have procured to my self better Health, and more Hardiness, than I have enjoyd for many Years before.

He calls this a cold regimen.

At this time in history, Dr. Jaekl told MNT, [b]esides simply using it to cool off, a big breakthrough for cold water was actually to use it for personal hygiene, like in Bath in England [another historical spa town Ed.], for example, where people were, well, bath-ing.

Next, in the 18th century, it was used to treat fevers before it became popularized among the 19th-century European aristocracy as beneficial for aches and pains and general well-being. Around that time, spas became the in-thing, he noted.

Scottish physician William Cullen (17101790) promoted cold shower baths and sometimes cold water enemas for therapeutic purposes, which could be prescribed for a vast array of conditions.

Cullen argued that cold can act as a sedative as well as a stimulant, particularly for the blood flow, and noted that drinking cold water in moderation could help fight fevers, although he also specified that some forms of exposure to cold temperatures can induce a fever.

However, he also suggested that cold bathing could prevent contagion, as well as a flaccidity of the system in young women at a certain period of life.

In the 19th century, Austrian Vincenz Priessnitz (17991851) started a trend of cold bathing as an alternative medicine practice. One of his contemporary admirers, Charles Schieferdecker, described Priessnitzs method of treating fevers in the following manner:

The patient laboring under this fever is put, [] whilst in the state of the utmost heat and the most raging paroxysm, into a bath as cold as possible, and left therein until he is cooled to the very chattering of the teeth.

Later in the 19th and 20th centuries, however, things got worse because [cold water] was used in insane asylums to treat people with psychiatric disorders, basically by subduing them, Dr. Jaekl told MNT.

Attempts to use cold water to treat people with mental health issues were consistent until the turn of the 20th century not because they actually had therapeutic or curative value but simply because they were a means of control, he went on to say.

In the 1800s, surprise cold showers or baths were used to allegedly treat raging excitement and too strong a libido. Such procedures involved dumping a bucket of cold water onto the naked patient or dunking them into an icy bath.

In the 20th century, hot and cold showers as well as the wrapping of patients into hot or cold wet sheets had become common practice in institutions that purported to treat various mental illnesses.

Descriptions of such treatments were disturbing, and the practices themselves would now seem akin to torture. According to one nurses account, cold wrapping took place in the following manner:

[The] blankets were in a big tub with a lot of ice [] you spread them out on the floor and it was [] like wrapping a baby. [] You would put the blanket down triangularly [], [a]nd sometimes you would use as many as two or three blankets because you wanted a heavy coat on the patient [] We pinned those so the patient couldnt get out.

Medical texts from that time note that wraps were used not just to transfer the so-called therapeutic benefits of hot or cold water but as restraints that were necessary evils of maintaining order, not [] remedies aimed at curing disease.

These practices persisted for many decades, though they are now widely condemned as inhumane and traumatizing.

Spraying cold water at people with a hose or having them sit under falling cold water was a terrible experience, and even the threat of it was used to influence the behavior of not only people with mental health issues but also prisoners and even women who werent dutiful wives,' Dr. Jaekl told MNT.

It only fell out of favor when more effective and humane means, like pharmaceutical interventions, were developed, he added.

In the 21st century, however, therapeutic hypothermia has been used legitimately as a resuscitating method during critical care, particularly in the case of cardiac arrest.

Yet it has also gained some popularity as an alternative therapy. Cold water swimming, for example, is cited by some as beneficial to the health of the cardiovascular system, to insulin metabolism, for pain reduction, and even mental health, although experts also warn of health risk, including hypothermia as a medical emergency.

Presently, cold water swimming is becoming repopularized for a number of medical benefits, if done carefully, Dr. Jaekl noticed.

More intriguing and also more controversial is, he explains, cryotherapy, which is the practice of standing naked for 35 minutes in a tank of subzero temperatures. The alleged benefits of this alternative therapy range from stimulating weight loss and reducing inflammation to preventing depression, dementia, and even cancer.

Dr. Jaekl, who lives in Scandinavia, questioned its benefits, though he suggested that both this practice and that of cold water swimming can be appealing simply for the excitement they provide:

Cryotherapy sitting in a chill tank for a few minutes seems like a trend that has yet to prove itself. People are curious. Id be excited to try it out. Where I live, though, in the Norwegian arctic, daring people simply go for a dip in the ocean [is the ruling trend]! Its a tradition, and Ive heard it gets a lot easier the more you do it.

Going forward, he noted, the uses of freezing cold are straddling the borders of science fiction and medical advancement. Freezing the human brain at the moment of death so as to preserve a persons personality, knowledge, and essential self is something that some scientists have been researching assiduously.

[T]here are way more intense forms of cryotherapy. Cryonics, for example. Humans are obsessed with immortality. Being cryopreserved involves more than being dumped in a vat of liquid nitrogen after death and then hoping for some distant future magic, Dr. Jaekl told us.

He added that cryonics is a very complex process, involving continuously evolving medical and technical advancements, suggesting that [d]evelopments in computing and nanotechnology, for example, give people [] a glimmer of hope in terms of being revived after being frozen and preserved.

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The strange history of therapeutic hypothermia - Medical News Today

When local journalist Brian Alexander was looking for the focus of his latest book The Hospital: Life, Death, and Dollars in a Small American Town., the answer came easy: Bryan, Ohio.

When I reported a story about rural hospitals for The Atlantic, I spoke to Phil Ennen, CEO of Community Hospitals and Wellness Centers, or CHWC, said the award-wining author. After the story came out, Phil asked me to come to Bryan, talk to some people and have a look at the hospital.

During my visit, I realized that by using the lens of one small hospital in one small town, I could say some things not only about American medical care, but about America in general. Though every place is a little different, CHWC and Bryan are avatars for the whole country.

The Hospital breaks down the complexity of a community hospital, its patients and their economic ability to pay for medical care. Also, it traces the history and magnitude of Americas health care crisis.

Alexanders previous book, Glass House: The 1% Economy and the Shattering of the All-American Town, won multiple non-fiction awards, including the Ohioana Award and was a finalist for the California Book Awards.

Alexander who grew up in Lancaster, Ohio, and and now lives in San Diego also wrote Rapture: A Raucous Tour of Cloning, Transhumanism, and the New Era of Immortality and America Unzipped: In Search of Sex and Satisfaction.

Q: Why isnt health care easily affordable, and is it a privilege to have it?

A: Health care is not easily affordable because over the past 100 years, we as a nation have decided not to let it be easily affordable. Prices reflect policy. And, unfortunately, in this country, good medical care is still a privilege and not a right. The fact is, rich people live longer, healthier lives. And the American economy itself is killing people.

Q: Who are Phil Ennen and Keith Swihart?

A: Phil Ennen is the CEO of Community Hospitals and Wellness Centers. Keith is a man Ive followed for about two and a half years now, as I followed several other individuals who appear in the book. As the book opens, hes a hardworking fellow with a wife and little boy. That changes as the book goes on, and Keith finds himself victimized by both the American economy and American medical costs. In Keiths case, the first cost is the insulin he needs to treat his diabetes.

Q: How has national politics played into running a local hospital?

A: For over 100 years, this nation has argued about how to provide medical care for its people. Those arguments most often take place in the political arena. So no part of American medical care is free from politics, whether its running a small hospital, treating patients as a doctor, being a patient or even being able to access healthy food.

Q: What can people do to make medical care affordable?

A: Vote for it.

Q: What two things surprised you most during your research?

A: I was surprised by just how completely the lingo and posture of business has usurped American medicine. I was surprised by the willingness of people to keep trying to work hard, to keep obeying rules, to keep ginning up their faith both religious and in the American way of life when so much of their experience would seem to militate against it. That people are not constantly in the streets surprises me sometimes.

Q: What is your prediction for the future of health care?

A: My hope or my prediction? My prediction is that Wall Street, in the form of private equity investors and other financial outfits, will take increasing control of American medicine. Health care is now the largest chunk of the American economy. Its where the money is. The industry will become more and more concentrated. Patients will have smaller and smaller voices. Ultimately, though, if those trends continue, the insurance model will collapse. My hope is that none of that happens and we create a real national health plan.

Q: Whats your next writing project?

A: I am working on a new book. I dont want to say much about it now, but it will seem like a departure from my last two books, though. Its a natural extension of those themes: How can we make a better America?

The Hospital: Life, Death, and Dollars in a Small American Town by Brian Alexander, St. Martins Press, 320 pages.

Davidson is a freelance writer.

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How a single Ohio hospital reveals everything that's wrong with the American health care system - The San Diego Union-Tribune

Its common these days to hear people ask would you like aloe vera for that burn? Aloe vera has been renowned in a plethora of industries for its incredibly versatile approach to healthcare, skincare, and even nutrition. The plant itself may not look like much, but it wont be overwhelming to say that Aloe vera is a magical herb. Lets check out the multifarious benefits of Aloe Vera.

Also known as a wonder plant, aloe vera is a shrub that is rather short-stemmed. It belongs to a subcategory of succulent plants that originate from North Africa. It has a rich history in the world of medicine and has been highly regarded by English royalty for generations. Being abundant in North Africa, Egypt once considered this plant the plant of immortality. It has been internationally renowned for its medicinal capabilities and there should be credited to aloe vera if the plant has continued to stay relevant over the centuries.

Externally, Aloe Vera may appear unassuming, but it contains a clear gel within that can be applied on cream, ointments, and other types of gel. It is harvested first by singling out the thickest leaves from the stock and cut out at the base of the stem. After, the leaves are washed and trimmed with a blade. When the leaves are cut open, the sap will then need to be extracted. Overall, the process is relatively simple and requires little effort and equipment to get the best out of the plant, which explains how its benefits were found so early on in history.

Read Fungus: Health Benefits, Nutritional Values and Precautions

Going back to the aforementioned quote, aloe vera can literally heal burns due to its moisture, soothing, and cooling feature. Researchers have shown consistent results with Aloe veras effect on burns that even supersedes other cream-based agents. An additional perk is how affordable aloe vera solutions can be when compared to alternatives. Even though sunburns arent nearly as severe, aloe vera-based sunblock is also a thing and has the same benefits for the skin.

Also read: Terrace Gardening: Tips, Tricks, and Guidelines for Beginners

Aside from burns, aloe vera has been a quick fix that tackles open wounds and sores particularly well. The gel contains compounds like glycoproteins, polysaccharides, and glucomannan that stimulate the growth of fibroblasts which catalyzes the growth of collagen and tissue. In short, when aloe vera is described as medicinal, the term isnt used lightly. Despite not being a healing solution on its own, its ability to be a swift temporary solution does carve out a niche of its own in the world of healthcare and cosmetics. Additionally, other chemicals within aloe vera promote insulin growth within the body.

Read Curry Leaf Health Benefits and Uses

Wounds and burns are skin-based injuries, which means it's safe to say that the plants cooling properties and top-tier moisture allow it to be just as effective in the beauty industry. In this case, the gels moisture and antioxidant properties are its main selling points and will often be coupled with honey and nuts to reduce oil clots within the pores. It is a natural solution that is criminally underrated in the beauty industry and can definitely hold its own against artificial, cream-based counterparts.

Read Most creative ways to eat more fruits for the non-fruit eaters

Given how often the aloe vera solutions have been praised for their impressive moisturizing capabilities, it is a safe solution to apply even without burns or wounds. When dry skin starts becoming prevalent in colder climates, aloe vera gel once again is mixed with other components such as milk, honey, and rose water to ensure the best possible results. This skincare blend should be applied and left for about 20 minutes to ensure that the ingredients have had enough time to make their way into the skin properly.

ReadTerrace farming gains traction in cities

When thinking about antioxidants, fruits and vegetables come into mind - and aloe vera falls in that category too. Aloe vera is perfectly edible and has been renowned for making ways in the health and wellness scene for being a nutritional powerhouse. Although it is normally taken in the form of its gel and blended with fruits and vegetables, the aloe vera leaves also have a place but will be bitter if not mixed in with sweater components like fruits or honey. Although not the most well-known way to appreciate the plant, it certainly does taste great, improves bodily immunity, and is worth a try.

Read Easy Skin Care Tips For Men

Going back to the topic of skin, it isnt as strange of a fact that aloe vera can help prevent hair loss when the scalp is made out of skin cells. The cause of hair loss is primarily due to dead skin cells on the scalp, which is where the antioxidant and moisturizing properties of aloe vera make this a star. Aside from smooth and shininess hair from the properly maintained scalp, aloe vera also throws in the perks of reducing dandruff and itchiness too. Although aloe vera can never be the all-purpose replacement for shampoo, it serves as a fantastic secondary component that does wonders for your hairs longevity.

Read Is Raw Onion Good For High Blood Pressure?

With its antioxidant properties, it should come as no surprise that a healthy immune system will improve the bodys metabolism quality as well. Vitamins, minerals, amino acids, sterols, and enzymes are all found in aloe vera and also happen to be the boost needed to optimize your diet. This ingredient by no means should replace your meals in your diet but should be heavily considered as a complementary ingredient to be taken between meals to ensure that your body will always have sufficient nutrients to stay healthy.

Read Apple Cider Vinegar: Benefits and Risk of Regular Consumption

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Aloe Vera: The magical herb with multifarious benefits - United News of Bangladesh