Artwork by Jennifer Maestre
Since we live in a dual reality (up/down, white/black, hot/cold), most of us are conditioned to thinking of ourselves as either left brain (intellectual) or right brain (creative). Although we are usually dominant on one side, this does not mean we don’t posses qualities from both hemispheres. We all have a creative side, but some of us just don’t choose to fly that flag – or harness its power. Read More…
Exercise: Want more efficient muscles? Eat your spinach, says a new study. According to research published in Cell Metabolism, nitrate, a compound found in vegetables and especially in green leaves, helps healthy people consume less oxygen while exercising. This happens because the nitrate in vegetables mixes with friendly bacteria in the mouth and forms nitric oxide, which in turn helps the cardiovascular system by opening up our blood vessels to lower blood pressure. The study says that, in addition to this benefit, the nitrates make mitochondria – the powerhouses of the cell - more efficient. Interestingly, the researchers say that since the benefits of nitrates depend on friendly bacteria in the mouth, mouthwashes are not good if you want this system to work because they kill good and bad bacteria. Read More…
