Researchers at Cambridge University may be on to something with advances in spinal cord injuries. They injected 23 paralyzed dogs who had lost function in their hind legs with their own olfactory cells that had been grown in the lab. As a result, many of these dogs regained their ability to walk.
The cells regenerated the nerve fibers in the damaged portion of the spinal cord, however, it does not appear that this repair would occur over long distances. Fixing functions like hand movement and bladder control will prove to be more complicated.
The video below is very encouraging. As you will see, Jasper the dog had no voluntary movement in his back legs and had to be held up with a sling as he walked the treadmill in the beginning. But after six months he was able to move all his legs and walk without help.
This may be hopeful news for people who have spinal cord injuries.
Each hair on your head goes through three stages: Anagen, Catagen and Telogen.
During the ANAGEN stage, the hair is actively growing. The hair bulb produces pigment and is connected to a blood supply from which it receives its necessary nourishment. This phase lasts from 2-7 years.
The CATAGEN stage lasts about 2-4 weeks. During this phase the hair follicle detaches from its blood supply and shrinks to 1/6 its size. The hair bulb also stops producing pigment.
TELOGEN is the final stage, also known a the resting phase. The hair follicle becomes thin and weak, allowing the hair to be easily pulled out. You may shed 50-100 hairs a day. When the hair falls out, a new one replaces it and the cycle starts back over with the ANAGEN phase again.
When it comes to retaining hair growth, most of us are concerned about the anagen phase. The anagen phase differs among everyone and its duration determines how long your hair will grow. Hair grows about 1/4"-1/2" per month.
So for example, if your hair grows 1/2" a month (6 inches a year) and your anagen phase lasts 4 years, your hair will reach its terminal length at 24 inches before the strand falls out (sheds) and the hair follicle starts over. The longest your hair strands will grow is 24 inches. This is presuming that the hair isn't cut or doesn't break off during that time.
It's said that the length of your hair cycle is genetically determined and that may be true. But if you can take in the appropriate nutrients to encourage the hair to grow at its maximum rate per month, then theoretically your hair could grow longer before the anagen phase ends. People take vitamins like biotin and silica to nourish the hair and MSM is said to actually extend the anagen phase so that the hair grows for a longer period of time. Topical solutions like minoxidil and sulfur are also said to grow hair faster but the effectiveness of all of the above are up for debate.
Pictures of Rihanna, Tyra Banks, Jada Pinkett-Smith: Stars Not Wearing Their Makeup
Included are a few pictures of celebrities without any makeup on. I like seeing photos like these because it just lets you know that a lot of these celebrities don't just wake up looking so glamorous. If you feel insecure or ugly because you don't look like these stars, just figure out what these celebrities are doing to look so beautiful and do the same thing. There are so many Youtube tutorials that show you how to get your makeup game right.
I'm not saying that every woman should be wearing makeup, just that if you're looking at these celebrities and feeling like you are ugly because you don't look like them, you should know that many of them don't look all that much better than you without help. Most of them just look like regular people. If you want to look similar to how you usually see them, figure out how to transform yourself, too (but only if it makes you feel good and better about yourself--not because society wants you to look that way).
L'Oreal is being sued because one of their hair products, Garnier Fructis Sleek and Shine Anti-Frizz Serum, ignites at temperatures over 171 degrees. A teen was severely burned and disfigures after using a hot comb on her hair after applying the serum.
The lawsuits allege that there is no flammability warning on the product labels and many styling tools heat up to 450 degrees.
Alright. I am a little upset that this woman knows how to do cornrows and I can't! I understand the concept of cornrowing but, I just can't get my fingers to coordinate appropriately. She does an impressive job...much better than I could ever braid.
If you ask black women what they would like to improve about themselves physically, the most popular answer would probably be related to weight loss or fitness. The next thing on the list likely would be to grow long hair.
Regardless of race, hair grows about 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch every month. There exists a misconception that black people can't grow long hair but there are two factors that play into that.
First of all, most black people have a hair RETENTION problem, not a growth problem. Our hair is very fragile because it tends to be very dry due to it's structure. It's difficult for our natural oils to travel down the hair shaft without resistance. Every bend or kink along each hair strand is a stress point and the hair can break easily at these sites if not properly conditioned and moisturized. Then on top of that, many black people add on relaxers that further damages the hair.
Secondly, in the case of natural hair, there is the issue of SHRINKAGE. And inch of hair will be more noticeable on a person with more loosely textured hair than on someone with curly or afro hair.
With that said, African American hair does grow and for years, there have been miracle pomades and oils around that claim to increase hair growth.
Wanting long hair is not specific to race. Women of all races desire to have it and there are various things they do to try to achieve it. Health is a major factor in getting long hair. If you are malnourished or sick, your hair will be dry and more prone to breakage. Your hair may even just fall out due to shedding.
There are many products that people on hair boards worldwide swear give them faster growth. As promised, I will discuss three of them which happen to begin with the letter M.
1. MSM (Methyl Sulfonyl Methane)
MSM is usually advertised to support healthy joints and muscles but a side effect seems to be longer hair. It is considered to be a dietary sulfur which is found naturally in foods like eggs and meat. The problem in obtaining sulfur from foods is that it is denatured when cooked. Sulfur is considered a building block of protein and guess what hair is made of???
Some say that MSM outright makes the hair grow faster in a shorter period of time. But others say that MSM doesn't have a direct effect on the rate of hair growth. Instead, MSM lengthens the amount of time your hair is in anagen phase (or active growth). The length of this phase is determined by genetics, which is a contributing factor to why some can grow super long hair and others can't.
Theoretically if your anagen phase is naturally two years (and your hair grows 1/2 inch monthly), the longest your hair will grow is 12 inches before it sheds---that is, if it doesn't break off or isn't cut before that point. MSM would work (supposedly) by extending the anagen phase to 4 years (as an example), so that each strand is able to grow 24 inches before falling out.
Here's a video with more information on MSM.
2. Minoxidil
Minoxidil is a topical medication which halts hair loss and generates hair growth. You probably know it best as the main ingredient in Rogaine for balding. No one is too sure exactly how Minoxidil works but it was first marketed as an oral drug for high blood pressure. Theoretically it may cause dilation of the blood vessels in the scalp which in turn allows more blood and nutrients to reach the hair follicle.
There is a woman's Rogaine available on the market and you can buy it at any Walmart or drugstore.
Natural hair mixtress, Kimberly Gray, makes and sells a product called Quench which contains minoxidil. It gets rave reviews from many happy customers who claim it worked to grow their hair.
Click the pic to see reviews and check out the product.
3. Monistat (Miconazole Nitrate). Yes, Monistat.
This may be the most controversial thing women are using to make their hair grow. No one knows exactly how it works but it's speculated that the Monistat (or MN) reduces fungal growth on the scalp which allows for hair to grow. I don't know. But lots of women believe in it.
A couple days ago I posted the picture floating around with a skinnier Chrisette Michele. It's natural for many to wonder how she lost the weight.
I have no idea how Chrisette Michele did it, but the formula is usually the same. Unless you have underlying health issues (such as hypothyrodism, for example) you lose weight by doing a combination of two things: Watching your diet and exercising!
Yeah, we always hear that same old advice, but there's no way around it. Diets don't work because you can't do it forever. You must make a lifestyle change and educate yourself about nutrition and be conscious of the things you eat.
I am not comfortable speaking much on the nutritional aspect of weight loss because the information out there changes all the time and the foods that are great for one person my wreak havoc on another's body chemistry. But I am a believer in exercise.
Here are a few tips you may be able to use to motivate yourself to get some exercise in your life.
1. If you want to go to a gym, choose one that is conveniently located. If you plan to go exercise after your job, make sure the gym is in the same direction as your house AND that it's in a location you reach before you get home. If not, you may find yourself deciding to drive home instead of driving further out to the gym.
2. Start out small if need be. If you can't imagine jogging more than to the mailbox, start there. Jog to the mailbox to your door. Each day extend your run a little further until you are running farther and longer than you imagined.
3. Exercise inside! It is a HUGE misconception that home exercise videos are not as effective as working out in a gym. If the gym is uncomfortable for you, buy some exercise DVDs. You'll be amazed at how much of a sweat you can break by doing this. You don't need gym equipment to get a good workout!
4. Workout at the same time everyday. Once you carve that time out just for yourself, it's easier to do it routinely as the days go by. You may even miss exercising when it becomes such a habit.
Toxic Makeup Can Have the Same Effects as Bad Foods
Are you health conscious? Are you concerned that processed foods contribute to cancers and other terrible diseases. Well, maybe you should also consider your makeup. A lot of makeup and hygiene products contain ingredients that could be toxic in the body.
Here are ingredients you should watch out for in Makeups.
Makeup/Cosmetics: Silica/Crystalline (or Quart or Rose Quartz), Propylparaben (or
Butylparaben or Methylparaben or any paraben), Aluminum Power, PEG-40
Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Fragrance, PEG-4 Diheptanoate, BHA, D&C Red
30 Lake (this is one example of an artificial color– most come up
highly toxic), Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A Palmitate), Alumina,
Octinoxate, Ferric Ammonium Ferrocyanide, Benzyl Alcohol, BHT,
Polyethylene Glycol, Manganese, Barium Sulfate, Oxybenzone, DMDM
Hydantoin, Triclosan, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Steareth-21,
Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone.
For the complete (LONG) list of toxic ingredients found in shampoos, deodorants, lotions and even toothpaste CLICK HERE
Soda contains loads of sugar and can contribute to unnecessary weight gain. There is also the belief that they contain carcinogens that could contribute to the development of cancer. I came across THIS ARTICLE which gives some great ideas about curbing that soda addiction. Here are a few of them.
Switch out your sodas for 100% fruit juices. Although they are filled with sugar, too, you won't be able to drink the same volume of it as you would soda and at least you will be feeding your body some nutrition.
Drink unsweetened tea to help relieve headaches from possible caffeine withdrawal. Do your research---different teas offer various healthy benefits.
Dilute fruit juice half and half with carbonated water. The fizz may make it easier to swallow.
Drink water! You can add sweeteners or buy bags of frozen fruit (in the freezer aisle of the grocery store) you can use to add to your water. It gives a hint of flavor.
Did Chrisette Michele drop some pounds? I'm not too familiar with this singer but apparently she is sporting a slimmer frame. Check out a recent picture. Does she look like she has lost weight?
How to Undo and Take Down Twists for Nice TwistOut Video
I can't wait until my hair is long enough to make 18-20 big twists like the young lady in this video. Her hair is so thick and sheen-y! In this video she shows natural heads how to unravel twists to create this great twist out as result.
Well, if you're not too picky about consuming processed foods, the easiest place to find Almond milk is at your local Walmart right around the same place as the rest of the milks.
If you have the time and energy, you can make your own homemade almond milk at home. I don't have the patience to do this, but I admit it's very easy to milk almonds.
5 steps.
1. Put a cup and 1/2 almonds in some water and allow them to soak for 12 hours.
2. After this time has passed, put the almonds in a blender with four cups of water. Allow to spin for 2 minutes.
3. Add 2 more cups of fresh water and spin for another minute.
4. Pour the contents of the blender (almond pulp and liquid) through a nut strainer or cheesecloth bag. Of course allow to drain into a bowl or jar, squeezing to make sure all the milk is extracted.
5. Add sugar or vanilla to flavor the milk and store it in the refrigerator, where it will be good for 4 days.
And that's how you make your own almond milk. So easy!
If you are saavy around the kitchen, you can freeze the pulp and save it to use in baking.
Who would've thought that a vitamin D deficiency could cause you to feel so tired?
That's what happened to me. For the past year and a half I was feeling so drained and tired for no reason. I hadn't been taking vitamin D or any other vitamins. My motto has been "I just don't feel like doing anything" and I didn't. All I wanted to do was lay down even when I wasn't sleepy. I just didn't want to move!
I first took notice of my fatigue early this year after I got sick with something that felt like the flu. Im the type who usually never gets sick but after that bout of illness, I felt really tired for a couple weeks. Eventually I started to feel better and went on with life.
Then about 4 months later I got sick again. It was similar to the time before except this time I had a fever for about 10 days. When it was over, I was left feeling tired AND cold all the time for weeks. This kind of scared me because I knew something was wrong with me. I started looking online and honed in on hypothyroidism which presents with fatigue and feeling cold.
If I went out with my family I'd just lay down in the backseat and rest while they shopped. I'd come home from work and go straight to bed--and I'm usually a night owl. I was just so tired and there was no explanation for it.
I scheduled an appointment and went to the doctor. By the time I made it to his office, I wasn't feeling cold anymore but I still wanted to see if there was something else going on to make me feel so fatigued every day of my life. All of my lab results came back normal except for my Vitamin D level which was deficient at 15ng/mol, with the normal range being 30-80 ng/mol.
The doctor ordered me to take 2000 IU vitamin D3 daily to see if that would alleviate my symptoms.
How Long Does it Take Vitamin D to Work?
I took my vitamin D3 for a month--I took 4000IU instead of the 2000IU a day, and I actually just went for my follow up this week.
After a month my Vitamin D level has increased to 36 and I was glad to tell the doctor that I feel so much better! My levels improved by more than half. It's still on the low end of the range but it is within normal limits now and I can tell. I'm still kind of lazy, but I don't feel that blanket of fatigue anymore. I plan to continue to take the Vitamin D3 and may even up my dose to get a little higher into the optimal range.
There are all sorts of reason for fatigue, but it could be something as simple as a vitamin D or B12 deficiency that can be remedied by taking supplements.
Hyperpigmentation, or darkness under the arms can be an embarrassing problem. In African Americans, the underarms can turn very dark, or black. Dark underarms can be caused by razor burn or the aluminum in some deodorants.
There are products on the market to lighten the armpits if this is your problem.
Here is a video of a young lady who used Xtreme Brite for 2 months. I think the product did a great job! But you Obviously must use the product consistently for best results.
Calcium builds strong teeth and bones. It also helps to regulate the heart beat and optimize muscle and nerve function. When one is deficient of calcium, the body pulls it from the bones. This obviously makes the bones weaker if the calcium is not replaced through the diet. Conditions that can result from a prolonged calcium deficiency are osteopenia and osteoporosis.
Symptoms of calcium deficiency include dried out skin and weak, brittle fingernails (toenails). A calcium deficiency can also cause the teeth to become yellow and discolored.
Have you ever had that annoying twitch in your eyelid that lasted all day? Well that could be a sign of calcium deficiency, which can also cause muscle cramping and twitches in other parts of the body. A lack of calcium could also cause one to feel depressed.
Symptoms of calcium deficiency may also include kidney stones, PMS symptoms with painful cramps and high blood pressure (hypertension).
If you have symptoms of calcium deficiency, it's time to include some calcium in your diet. Foods high in calcium include dairy products, green leafy vegetables, almonds, fish and white beans.
You can make sure to get your calcium in the form of vitamins. The recommended intake for calcium is 1000mg per day.
Vinegar has been hailed as a natural remedy for common ailments for years.
Diabetes: Research has shown that vinegar may help to reduce glucose levels in the body. There is a 5 year old study that revealed a 4-6% decrease in glucose levels the morning after Type II diabetics took a couple tablespoons of vinegar before bed.
Cancer: The evidence is not conclusive yet, but tentative studies show that vinegar may kill cancer cells or retard their growth. Speaking of cancer, did you know that health professionals can detect cervical cancer with vinegar? When vinegar is applied to the cervix, the cancerous lesions foam and turn white. The doctor can then remove them immediately once identified.
Weight Loss: Vinegar is believed to induce weight loss because it acts as an appetite suppressant. It also regulates the metabolite balance and reduces sodium (which could in turn lower blood pressure). There is an experiment that reported that people who drank a glass with vinegar and ate a piece of bread felt more full and satisfied than the subjects who ate the bread alone.
Facial toner: A natural way to tone the skin is to make a 50/50 mixture of water and apple cider vinegar. After washing the face, rub some of the mixture on with a cottonball and allow to air dry. Once your face is dry apply some moisturizer.
So you're new to contact lenses and having trouble getting them in? Don't give up. Putting the contacts IN is easier than getting them out, in my opinion---not that it's all that hard to remove them, either.
First of all, make sure your hands are clean. There's little worse than having some lotion or hair product on your hand and transferring to your contact lens. I've done this a few times and you can actually see the product cloud the pool of contact lens solution in the contact lens. If the product irritates your eye it will sting until you blink the pain away or until you can dig the contact out...and sometimes its not so easy to remove the contact quickly because your fingers will still be wet from the contact solution.
Okay now pull out your contact lens from the case. I always start with my right contact, but it doesn't really matter which one you put in first.
Make sure the contact is unfolded and place it on the finger you will use. I personally use my index finger and find that I have more control this way but use whatever finger feels most comfortable.
Now, the lens needs to be concave on your finger. It should look like a bowl and the edges should NOT flare outward.
If you want you can add a couple drops of contact solution to ensure that the lens is moist when applied.
Look straight into the mirror. Make sure the lens remains in shape and aim for the lower white of your eye. The top part of the contact will touch the bottom portion of your iris but that's okay. Now, push the contact upwards onto your iris until the lens covers it.
Remove your finger and the contact lens should adjust itself with a couple blinks.
