10 Foods That Boost Brain Power

Find these 10 foods here:

1.  Curry.

2.  Celery.

3.  Broccoli and Cauliflower.

4.  Walnuts.

5.  Crab.

6.  Chickpeas or Garbanzo beans.

7.  Buckwheat.

8.  Brewer's Yeast or Marmite.

9.  Red Meat.

10. Blueberries.

Brain Health Test 

Once in a while, brain research dishes out a simple, practical way to run a self-diagnostic test on your brain’s health. A recent study from Japanese researchers offers such a test, and it’s simple enough that almost everyone can give it a try. Here’s what you do: stand up, raise one leg in front of you bent at your knee, and try to maintain your balance in that position for as long as you can. Do that twice and record your time with a stopwatch both times.

According to the study, people who aren’t able to stay balanced on one leg for longer than 20 seconds should consider further evaluation from a doctor. The reason is that imbalance strongly correlates with the presence of tiny lesions, or “microbleeds”, in the brain, which can be there even when you’re otherwise feeling healthy. Over time these microbleeds can lead to serious issues such as stroke and dementia.

The study assessed 1387 adults, average age 67, all of whom were in good overall health. Everyone in the study performed the test twice and their best times were recorded. The participants were then given an MRI brain scan to identify any abnormalities in brain tissue.

The results showed a straight line correlation between inability to balance for at least 20 seconds and the occurrence of microbleeds and other forms of tissue damage in the brain. While only 10% of people who couldn’t hold balance for 20 seconds showed no signs of microbleeds, 30% with two or more microbleeds had trouble balancing. The same held true for another type of tissue damage called a “lacunar infarction lesion” – less than 10% of those who couldn’t balance showed no lesions, but almost 35% who failed the test had two or more lesions.

These results were consistent even after other factors such as blood pressure, age, and arterial health were controlled for.

Dr. Yasuharu Tabara of the Center for Genomic Medicine, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, who led the study, commented:

“Our study found that the ability to balance on one leg is an important test for brain health. Individuals showing poor balance on one leg should receive increased attention, as this may indicate an increased risk for brain disease and cognitive decline.”

The researchers also examined a possible link between the balancing test and cognitive ability (such as thought processing speed and memory) and found that an inability to hold balance for 20 seconds correlates with “reduced cognitive function” independent of other factors.

The takeaway: try the test, and if you can’t pass it, schedule a visit with your doctor. It may help identify and prevent serious issues later on.

The study was published in the American Heart Association ’s journal Stroke.

Charity Ideas from Jason Kottke

The 2014 kottke.org Holiday Gift Guide  

Last year, I did a meta holiday gift guide where I picked some of the best items off of the best gift guides out there. Since we're getting down to the wire here on shopping time (not that you should buy anything for anyone this holiday season or any other time of the year), let's crank up this year's version.

Consider giving to charity this year. If you can't spare the time to volunteer (look here or Google for specific opportunities in your area), go on Charity Navigator or Give Well to find an organization worth your attention. Or go on Kiva and give small loans to dozens of families around the world. 

For their list this year, The Wirecutter did a list of The Things We Want to Give. Items include The Neat Ice Kit, Benton's ham, and The Flavor Thesaurus. Hmm, I picked all food stuff there. I must be hungry.

I recommend these every year: the Tovolo King Cube Ice Tray and the KitchenAid Professional 600 Series 6-Quart Stand Mixer.

From Boing Boing's Happy Mutant's Gift Guide 2014, the excellent Eyes on the Prize documentary on DVD, the LifeSpan TR1200-DT5 Treadmill Desk, a Lodge 10.5-inch round skillet (can personally vouch for this), and perhaps my favorite Amazon item of all time, the 55-gallon drum of personal lubricant. Don't worry, the latter item includes a lube pump so you don't need to buy it separately.

For the sports fan in your life, SB Nation's 2014 Holiday Gift Guide includes Zubaz pants (!!), Big League Chew, the Bluetooth Gramophone, and a home beer brewing kit. Throwback-errific!

Among the items on the Tools & Toys Christmas Catalog, Bartlett's Familiar Quotations and the Bellroy Slim Sleeve Wallet (which is my own personal wallet).

Nothing on Mat Honan's 8 Perfect Gift Ideas for 'Twitter Dads' really grabbed me (even though I am an official Twitter Dad), except for the Bugaboo Bee. We had the first iteration of that stroller and it was the absolute best thing. We wore out two sets of wheels strollering Ollie and Minna around the city in that thing.

But I'll take one of everything off of The Kid Should See This Gift Guide. Especially Animalium, the Crosley portable turntable, My Neighbor Totoro on Blu-ray, and a vintage typewriter. [Update: My friend Dan says to avoid Crosley turntables: "They use ceramic cartridges that track 3x as heavy as standard carts, permanently damaging records." I have no idea what that means, but Dan knows things about turntables so you might want to make another choice.]

Good year for science-ish nonfiction books: How We Got to Now by Steven Johnson, What If? by Randall Munroe, Being Mortal by Atul Gawande, Superintelligence by Nick Bostrom, and Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull.

And cookbooks: Plenty More from Yotam Ottolenghi, MEAT by Pat LaFrieda, Tartine Bread by Chad Robertson, Michael Ruhlman's Egg, Death & Co: Modern Classic Cocktails, My Paris Kitchen from David Lebovitz (whose Paris dining recommendations are top notch), and Jeffrey Morgenthaler's The Bar Book.

The Brooklyn Holiday Gift Guide features products made locally in Brooklyn, including bracelets with subways maps and kottke.org favorite, Tattly.

Tom Bihn's What We're Giving list includes Fairbault wool blankets and their own Shop Bag. (via @widepipe)

One of many holiday lists from Food52, the Under $25 Gift Guide features Heirloom Seed Art Packets and this Water Bottle with Charcoal Filter.

The Continuous Lean went on a serious listing bender with The Epic ACL Holiday Gift Guide 2014. The stylish selections include the Whiskey Wedge, the Jaguar F-Type Project 7, and the Lego Architecture Fallingwater set.

Josh Rives made a list of gifts that don't suck. Among the non-suckage is The Dangerous Book for Boys, Coudal and Draplin's excellent Field Notes, and Cards Against Humanity.

Many many things on the NY Times Holiday Gift Guide, including Julia, Child these awesome cement stair planters, and History of the World in 1,000 Objects.

Since their acquisition by Vox, Eater has been better than ever. Their Holiday Gift Ideas 2014 package is overflowing with good choices, among them are sausages from Butcher & the Boar (smoooooked cheddarwurst!!!) and Fictitious Dishes.

Speaking of Vox, The Verge has a load of tech-oriented picks, including a selection under . They recommend MUJI notebooks and David Mitchell's The Bone Clocks. One of The Verge's more baller picks is the Nintendo Wii U Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Set. Which, droooooool. Santa, you got me covered on this?

Misc: the Good Web Bundle gives you subscriptions to five indie services/sites for one low price. You can get 8GB flash drives in necklace form now. From Haruki Murakami, a recently released short novel about "a boy imprisoned in a nightmarish library". I have no idea if they are actually vintage or just made to look so, but you can find several vintage Soviet chess sets on Etsy (like this one); I bought one recently and if someone faked it, they did a good job. (Even if it's fake, it's real, etc.) You can buy Post-It Notes that are almost two-feet across.

Update: Added the guide from Tools & Toys and added a warning about the portable turntable. Added giant Post-It Notes. Added The Brooklyn Holiday Gift Guide. Added Tom Bihn's list. Added Food52 list. Added The Continuous Lean set. Added a list of gifts that don't suck. Added lists from the NY Times, Eater, and The Verge.

EXCELLENT PH CHART 


Find a larger size here.

10 FOODS PROVEN TO TRIGGER KIDNEY STONES

from Activebeat

Your kidneys play a vital role when it comes to filtering waste out of the body. Each day, these organs on either side of the spine, filter more than 200 quarts of blood and 2 quarts of waste products before it’s flushed out of the body via urination.

Obviously, healthy kidneys are essential for proper detoxification. However, certain foods can cause kidney stones and keep these organs from functioning optimally. Here are ten foods that encourage kidney stone development…

1. Excessive Caffeine

Too much caffeine—in the form of coffee, tea, and soda—can stress out the kidneys and lead to the development of kidney stones due to higher calcium levels in the urine, and even kidney failure due to the stimulant qualities that can cause organ exhaustion.

Too much of anything truly is bad for you.  One of the reasons why cups of coffee with saucer look appealing is because the amount of coffee is small.  It's not a large cup, say, from Starbucks or Pete's Coffee.  One guy in a forum I subscribe to advocated 6 to 8 eggs, cooked but as close to raw as possible, to restore nerve and hormonal communication between organs.  Okay, sounds good.  Cholesterol can do that, but there seemed to be little consideration for the amount of protein consumed in such large quantities of eggs.  Moderation really is the best rule of thumb, even if it is moderation in those things that are bad for you.  I love my coffee.  I like it at different times of the day, not just in the morning.  I tend to drink coffee in the morning to warm me up not wake me up.  Once I am up I don't need a stimulant; I generally need warmth.  Later in the day, I like the occasional cup of coffee for taste.  I love the taste.  But I do have to be careful drinking too many cups a day.  It has an aging and drying effect, particularly if the excess coffee consumption is exhausting my kidneys.

When in Denver this past summer, I was drinking a brand called DazBog.  I liked it because it had a deeper, richer coffee taste.  At times it did taste like burnt cigarette ashes but it was still good.  I liked it better than Starbucks, which even their dark roast cannot match to the richness and depth of DazBog.  I wished I drank better-tasting coffee.  For the longest time I was drinking instant coffee from Whole Foods that wasn't bad.

2. Rhubarb

If kidney stones are hereditary, you should steer clear of foods that contain oxalates (the material that makes up the actual stones). Rhubarb is one food that’s particularly high in oxalates.

On oxalates, the verdict is still out:

The formation of kidney stones containing oxalate is an area of controversy in clinical nutrition with respect to dietary restriction of oxalate. About 80% of kidney stones formed by adults in the U.S. are calcium oxalate stones. It is not clear from the research, however, that restriction of dietary oxalate helps prevent formation of calcium oxalate stones in individuals who have previously formed such stones. Since intake of dietary oxalate accounts for only 10-15% of the oxalate that is found in the urine of individuals who form calcium oxalate stones, many researchers believe that dietary restriction cannot significantly reduce risk of stone formation. 

In addition to the above observation, recent research studies have shown that intake of protein, calcium, and water influence calcium oxalate affect stone formation as much as, or more than intake of oxalate. Finally, some foods that have traditionally been assumed to increase stone formation because of their oxalate content (like black tea) actually appear in more recent research to have a preventive effect. For all of the above reasons, when healthcare providers recommend restriction of dietary oxalates to prevent calcium oxalate stone formation in individuals who have previously formed stones, they often suggest "limiting" or "reducing" oxalate intake rather than setting a specific milligram amount that should not be exceeded. "Reduce as much as can be tolerated" is another way that recommendations are often stated.

3. Artificial Sweetener

You probably use artificial sweetener in your coffee as opposed to sugar in order to cut calories. And maybe you opt for diet soda for the same reason. However, studies show that non-caloric sweeteners impair kidney function if consumed long term. So it’s best to opt for natural sweeteners like honey, stevia or agave instead.

Aspartame, which exists in a few artificial sweeteners, is the worst food you can put into your system.  Find out why.

4. Meat

Animal proteins are also linked to kidney stones and organ damage. And those who consume a high-protein diet put particular stress on their kidneys because protein waste is difficult to eliminate form the body efficiently. Meat is also high in uric acid, a common cause of kidney stones.

5. Sardines

If you’re prone to kidney stones, you’ll also want to curb your diet of any foods that are high in purines (an organic compound that boosts aroma). Sardines are extremely guilty of purine content so don’t pop that can top.

6. Salt

A healthy amount of sodium in your diet is necessary for healthy fluid levels. However, adding salt to your diet—via the salt shaker or processed foods—encourage water retention retaining water, meaning excess sodium isn’t flushed out of the body and the kidneys and blood pressure are put in jeopardy.

7. Carbonated Drinks

Carbonated drinks (i.e., soda, energy drinks, and certain bottled juices) will heighten the risk of developing kidney stones and even put you at risk for kidney disease. As an alternative, if you can’t drink your water plain, use frozen berries, slices of citrus, or a splash of natural cranberry or pomegranate juice.

8. Some Leafy Greens

We’ve already discussed that kidney stones form due to a build-up of calcium oxalate. And those with a high level of the chemical compound in their urine are more prone to stones. That’s why it’s vital to stay clear of some leafy greens—such as spinach, okra, and Swiss chard.

9. Dairy Foods

We eat dairy products because they are high in calcium to build strong bones. However, for those prone to kidney stones, calcium is not a friend. In fact, it increases the excretion of calcium in the urine, making waste elimination more difficult and encouraging kidney stones to form.

10. Processed Foods

Most processed foods, like that bag of chips you’re eating, contain genetically modified ingredients—such as corn, soy, rice, and canola—to protect crops from pests resistance and herbicides. However, these products impair healthy kidney and liver function, encouraging kidney stones to form.

10 COMPANIES THAT CONTROL WHAT WE EAT

Oxfam International has made a graphic showing how a handful of corporations control nearly everything we buy at the grocery store.

The graphic focuses on 10 of the world's most powerful food and beverage companies: Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Unilever, Danone, Mars, Mondelez International, Kellogg's, General Mills, Nestle, and Associated British Foods.

Oxfam calls these companies the Big 10 and keeps a scorecard on their environmental impact on a website devoted to the nonprofit's "Behind the Brands" campaign.

The campaign aims to make the companies more environmentally and socially conscious. 

According to one of Oxfam's most recent reports, the Big 10 emitted 263.7 million tons of greenhouse gas in 2013. If the companies were a nation, they would be the 25th biggest polluter in the world.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/10-companies-that-control-what-we-buy-2014-12#ixzz3LkSzra96