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From as early as the 4thcentury B.C. Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine recommended the sea as an important natural source of healing. The seas many naturally healthy properties were used in thalassotherapy and hydrotherapy to actively treat diseases of the body and mind as well as maintain good health and longevity.

Centuries later, as anyone who has the chance to spend a day or two, or even an hour by the sea, can tell you Hippocrates was right. Here are my reasons why I think a daily dose of the ocean is the key to a wonderful life. (I recently took a mini-break and got away to the beach in Mozambique it was perfect.)

Did you know that seawatercontains the same eighty four vital elements foundalsointhe human body? I have often thought that this remarkable fact might explain why we always feel so connected and so calm when we are by the sea. A few of these elements that we share with ocean, such as magnesium,lithiumand bromine are exceptional calming elements. Theystabilize and maintainproperserotonin, melatonin and tryptamine levels in the brain.

Magnesiumin thesea water whichcan efficiently help reduce stress, relax muscles and nerves, and induce a state of calmness. Lithium is, of course, used to treat many psychological problems.

When you add a good dose of sunshine into the mix, youll get a shot of serotonin almost immediately. Serotonin released into your body is a key hormone for relaxation and happiness. Combined with the sound, smell and visual beauty of the sea you will have no choice, but to relax.

I dont know about you, but I wont say no to all of that!

As the sea contains many vitamins, mineral salts, trace elements and amino acids that help activate the bodys healing mechanism, you will get a natural boost to your immune system.

Sea air and mist are full of negatively charged hydrogen ions, which are powerful antioxidants . And then theres iodine. Our bodies really do need iodine to function optimally. The iodine in sea watersupports the immune system and boosts your thyroid activity.

For many centuries the sea has been used to improve blood circulation.

And as a natural antiseptic, it also enables our bodys to fight infections and killparasites, bacteria and fungus.

And even if youre sick, sea water can provide relief from the symptoms of cold and flu. Im not suggesting you leave your sick bed to go swimming in a cold sea, but if you feel a cold coming on, rinsing your sinuses out with salt water will help. Today there are natural decongestant products on the shelves that use salt from sea water, to help loosen mucus and treat pulmonary problems.

Im sure you will agree with me, that somehow it seems easier to sleep at the sea. Perhaps it has to do with the gentle rhythms of the waves, or the fact our bodies are made up of mostly of water. The sea helps relieve high stress and anxiety levels, lack of physical fatigue, and hormonal imbalances, all of which inhibit sleep.

Dont underestimate the influence of the sun on lowering stress levels and helping to regulate hormones. All of which make it far easier to get a peaceful and deep sleep.

Which is really important. Vitamin D is one of the most essential vitamins in our diets; however very little of it is actually absorbed through the consumption of foods. And as we age, its increasingly more difficult to absorb enough on a daily basis.

Spending time in the sun, as little as just ten minutes a day helps you to absorb your daily dose of vitamin D directly through your skin.

According to the Harvard Medical School, the most natural and substantial source of the vitamin depends on how much UVB light gets through to you. That light reacts with a cholesterol-related compound and metabolizes into vitamin D, which is essential for bone health, creates healthy skin and may even help improve mental health.

I know the suns role in both health-promoting vitamin D and the risk of sun damage that can lead to skin cancer may seem conflicting. However, since sunscreens block the vital UVB rays needed for vitamin D production within the body, most dermatologists will advocate responsible sun exposure.

That means we should have about 10 to 15 minutes of unprotected sun exposure, after which protection in the form of a sunblock with 30 SPF or higher (along with additional preemptive measures) is essential for the skins long term health.

Simply being on a beach involves some form of activity. Youll be naturally compelled to get moving. Youll have to go for a swim at some point, even to just cool off. And a leisurely swim can burn as much as 200 calories. Surfing? Just over 100. Playing an active beach game is about the same. Or you can just walk the beach.

And to that point, walking on a beach is actually more difficult and utilizes more muscles than moving on a pavement. In fact some studies have shown that walking on the beach, barefoot is already a better workout than walking on concrete, walking on sand requires 1.6-2.5 times more mechanical work than does walking on a hard surface at the same speed.

Speaking of which. Have you ever wondered why it feels so good to walk on sand? Thats because there are somewhere between 3,000 and 7,000 nerve endings in each foot that are stimulated when you walk on beach sand. Your feet love it! Wet sand also acts as a natural exfoliant and peels off dead skin cells from your feet leaving them renewed and much softer.

Spas all over the world use sea salt in theirbeauty and massage treatments. The salt containedin thesea waterhelps remove toxins from the skin and acts as a natural exfoliator. It removes dead cells and encouragesthe production of the new ones.

The magnesium found in sea water improvesitshydration, as well as an overall improved appearance.

One of the most important sea water health benefits lies in its ability to heal damaged and irritated skin. Sea water is known to reduce inflammation and help cure many skin disorders such asatopic dermatitis, rosacea, psoriasis and eczema.

Its antiseptic properties are useful in healing minor wounds, cuts, rashes and abrasions salt and potassium chloride seem to be mostly responsible for these beneficial, mending effects

As we grow older, our skin, as well as a whole lot of other body parts, unfortunately loses its tightness and suppleness. The ocean is full of anti-aging minerals that can help improve the elasticity in your skin. So treating your body to a little bit of saltwater every now and then may not produce miracles, but it will certainly help keep your skin a little bit tighter and healthier.

Being active in water, along with the mineral values in the water has been known to help people suffering from joint pain. Especially those suffering from arthritis, or have recently had surgery. This is because the water offers a great deal of resistance without any impact at all and actually reduces the weight of a person submerged in water by around ninety percent.

The minerals in the ocean are also known to help reduce symptoms for those with rheumatoid arthritis. According to a study, patients who used bath salts made from Dead Sea minerals also experienced fewer symptoms, like morning stiffness and trouble with hand gripping.

Reconnecting with your spirit is about finding an inner peace within yourself. By getting in touch with your feelings, your spirit and consciousness you will be happier. When youre by the sea, its a wonderful time for self-reflection.

This can be helped along by practicing a bit of meditation or yoga on the beach.

There are few other places in nature once can truly feel at one with the earth and ourselves. A short walk (on the beach, or anywhere else) is known to decrease stress and help you reset.

And when it comes to feeling truly at peace, it means were happier and healthier.

Happiness is that often elusive feeling we all seek. I mean who doesnt want to be happier? The sea is certainly my happy place.

Its no surprise that people are more likely to be happier in the warmer months and less so in the grey and colder months. Its been scientifically proven that sunshine can make us happier. A study conducted by the Baker Heart Research Institute in Melbourne, Australia found that the amount of sunlight participants received directly affected their mood. The team also noticed that with increased sunlight exposure, their levels of serotonin increased, having a positive effect on factors such as stress, sleep and appetite.

Neurologist Dr Tara Swart says we have to find ways to disconnect to ensure better brain health. We need to let go of the tablets and smartphones and allow ourselves to be a technology-free if were going to be able to think better, more creatively and operate more effectively at work and home.

Shes not alone. According to a study from the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, staying constantly plugged in has been associated with stress, loss of sleep and depression. A study conducted by the University of Exeter took it a step further and found that simply living near the beach can also be beneficial to your health and well-being.

The ocean is a great place to disconnect. There are no phone or laptop chargers in sight and the sand and water will damage your devices so you actually have no choice but to leave them behind.

Need more convincing? Simply follow the doctors orders and Go to the sea to heal. Hippocrates

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Vitamin Sea. - Longevity LIVE

Digital health has been one of the most exciting spaces in tech over the last few years, with advancements in wearables, telahealth, big data and electronic health records. These are changes that will have a huge effect, not only on the lives of millions of people, but on the entire U.S. economy.

There has been an explosion in digital health funding, starting back in 2014, and this year is on track to be the biggest yet, according to areport from StartUp Health Insights.

In the first half of 2017, there was $6.5 billion invested across 306 deals.The second quarter alone saw $3.8 billion in funding.

That amount of funding already makes it the third largest year ever for the digital health space, behind only the $7.2 billion invested in 2014 and the $8.3 billion invested last year. That amount of funding comes with another six months left to go, so it seems more than likely that 2017 will become a record breaking year.

If funding continues on this pace, this puts it on path for $13 billion in 612 companies. That would be a 57 percent increase in the amount of money invested over 2016.

Interestingly, with nearly the exact same number of deals year-over-year. That can be explained by the an onslaught of so-called "mega deals," or those over $100 million. There have been 10 of them already this year, which is already tied for the most in any prior year. Basically, the number of companies is staying the same, but the rounds are getting bigger.

The mega deals so far in 2017 have included: $914 million raised by Grail; $600 million raised by Health Outcomes; $500 million raised by Zenefits and Good Doctor; $130 million raised by Flatiron Health; and $220 million raised by Human Longevity.

The deals have been so big, in fact, that StartUp Health Insights says in its report that four of the deals raised in the first six months of this year rank in the top 11 made since 2010.

All of this suggests that the market has begun to mature, with companies starting to raise later rounds, That can be seen in the fact that there were a greater number of Series A deals, 68, than seed deals, 46, in the first half of the year.

When it comes to the most active sectors, big data/analytics easily leads the pack with $1.2 billion raised, though it has lower average deal size than education/training, as only 30 big data companies were funding. The $622 million for education/training was invested in a scant four companies, giving the sub- section an average deal size of $156 million.

There was also $571 million invested in personalized self/quatified-health companies, and $579 million invested in patient/consumer experiences.

The report also listed some of the most active venture capital firms in the digital health space, including GV and Khosla Ventures, with seven each, GE Ventures and Accel Partners with six each, and Flare Capital Partners, Temasek Holdings, Sequoia and Norwest Venture Partners, which each invested in five digital health companies so far this year.

(Image source:digitalcatapultcentre.org)

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As the digital health space matures, funding explodes | VatorNews - VatorNews