"Consume too much sugar too often and your capacity to think, plan and remember will be dulled."

I have checked out this article "This Is Your Brain On Sugar: A Neuroscientist Explains", which I find useful as a reference and reminder. Yes, it is good to monitor and moderate intake of food that contains sugar in its various forms, in order to prevent general cognitive decline, and I will continue to do so. I also noted from the article that "exercise is one of the best ways to regulate" my blood sugar levels and prevent diabetes, and keep my "brain sharp, engaged and well".

Jia Wei Xiao Yao Wan

I noted from this website on "Jia Wei Xiao Yao Wan for Anxiety and Depression" that the traditional formula of Xiao Yao Wan 逍遥丸 consists of eight herbs, and that it is used for treating symptoms like anxiety and panic attacks, as also mentioned in this related article.

I read some positive reviews/testimonies on this herbal medicine in this website. I also noted from this article "Stressed? Get Some Happy Pills" that Xiao Yao Wan "is an extremely safe and mild formula, but highly effective at the same time" and it can be used for stress, mild anxiety, mild fatigue and so on.

After googling further about it, I learnt that a Chinese medicine hall in Singapore called Min Sheng He sells Wellring Xiao Yao Wan. I also learnt they have a retail store near the central part of Singapore.

Feeding gut microbiota: Nutrition, probiotics key factors for digestive health

I noted from this article "Feeding gut microbiota: Nutrition, probiotics key factors for digestive health" that "the microbial communities that reside in the human gut and their impact on human health and disease are one of the most exciting new areas of research today". Indeed, it is helpful to learn about how to preserve our gastrointestinal health by feeding the gut microbiota through a healthy and balanced diet as well as probiotics, that are customized according to our dietary needs. 

It is also great to know about the progress being made by science in discovering the numerous beneficial effects of different kinds of probiotics, such as "holding pathogens at bay, strengthening the immune system, helping to regulate the gut motility, and acting as anti-inflammatory compounds in the gut, with an impact beyond the gut."

"Cholesterol and Saturated Fat Are Not the Enemy" - Chris Kresser

It is interesting to note from this article "The Diet-Heart Myth: Cholesterol and Saturated Fat Are Not the Enemy" by Chris Kresser that "the body tightly regulates the amount of cholesterol in the blood by controlling internal production", hence dietary cholesterol "does not affect the ratio of LDL to HDL or increase the risk of heart disease". As a lover of eggs, it is good and encouraging to learn that "egg yolks are an especially good source of choline, a B-vitamin that plays important roles in everything from neurotransmitter production to detoxification to maintenance of healthy cells", and that having sufficient choline intake can help prevent fatigue, insomnia and so on. 

It is also useful to know that "studies on low-carbohydrate diets (which tend to be high in saturated fat) suggest that they not only don’t raise blood cholesterol, they have several beneficial impacts on cardiovascular disease risk markers."

'Digital detox' and other health matters

I have checked out the very informative podcast interview http://chriskresser.com/why-you-need-a-digital-detox and I learnt from Chris Kresser's experience in his 10-day digital detox of not using the phone or computer and instead "reading a lot, both nonfiction and fiction, meditating a lot, a lot of physical activity and a lot of time just doing nothing, and it’s been really extremely therapeutic" for him. I can relate to this as I do feel a bit more grounded whenever I take time away from the computer at the workplace wherever possible, and take a longer than usual walk to a coffee shop during lunchtime, or go up to the rooftop to rest my eyes from the computer screen in the afternoon, except for a quick glance at my mobile phone every few minutes or so to check if there are any important new emails. 

I learnt from the second half of the interview that as long as the levels of the beneficial bacteria in the gut, bifidobacteria, are normal or increased, a really high fat diet does not contribute to endotoxemia. I also learnt that it is possible to restore our gut flora if we are unable to tolerate probiotics or fermented foods and if it is not likely due to histamine intolerance by starting with extremely low doses of probiotics that are suitable for us and building up very slowly over time, besides taking prebiotics and fermentable fiber that "has the most profound impact on the quantity and composition of the gut flora over time", wherever possible or appropriate. 

"The benefits of probiotics go way beyond gut health."

It is interesting and refreshing to learn from the article "5 Uncommon Uses For Probiotics" by Chris Kresser about the numerous benefits of probiotics, which go beyond improving and maintaining gut health. I noted that the less conventional uses of probiotics include:

1. reducing anxiety and depression
2. reducing nasal congestion and other symptoms associated with seasonal allergies
3. maintaining oral health
4. reducing acne on the skin
5. inoculating our house as household cleaners, with beneficial bacteria that should make the environment less hospitable to pathogens

I happened to eat some kimchi together with rice for dinner yesterday, and it is good to know from the article that these probiotics that come into contact with and are able to colonize the mouth can "reduce cavities and improve overall oral health by rebalancing the bacteria in the mouth", according to numerous observational and clinical trials

Interesting discovery on probiotics

Bio-K+CL1285® Probiotics may ease fatigue syndrome anxiety 

 Like the above video "Probiotics may ease fatigue syndrome anxiety" said, probiotics found in yoghurt and supplements not only are used to treat digestive systems but also are found to lift our moods, due to the brain-body connection. It is interesting to note that researchers doing a study on chronic fatigue syndrome found that those given daily doses of probiotics had their depression and anxiety lifted, and Dr Alison Bested said they felt calmer, were sleeping better, and had less palpitations and other symptoms of anxiety. I decided to buy yoghurt again about a couple of weeks ago, and I will continue to do so as I like the taste as well as the knowledge that it is beneficial for my gut health. 

Probiotics and Mental Health

I also learnt from the above video "Probiotics and Mental Health : that based on a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of a probiotic in emotional symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome, the researchers found "a significant rise in both lactobacillus and bifidobacteria without taking the LcS, and there was also a significant decrease in anxiety symptoms among those taking the probiotics vs controls. These results lend further support to the presence of a gut-brain interface, one that may be mediated by microbes that reside or pass through the intestinal tract.... Another study provide further evidence that gut microflora play a role in stress, anxiety and depression perhaps via the enteric nervous system as well as centrally." Indeed, as the video concluded, "this ability of probiotics to affect central nervous system processes is perhaps one of the most exciting recent development in probiotic research."

Anti-cancer effects of dandelion teas and tinctures

http://cancercompassalternateroute.com/antioxidants-vitamins-and-minerals/using-dandelion-in-tinctures-and-teas/

it is thanks to the cutting edge research mentioned in the above website that shows the amazing anticancer effects of dandelion tea. I noted that repeated treatment with low-dose dandelion root extract was effective in killing most of the cancerous leukaemia cells, and dandelion tea was shown to decrease breast cancer cells, and dandelion was also shown to suppress the growth of prostate cancer cells. It is unfortunate that much of Big Pharma hasn't shown any interest in this natural cure as "cancer cures cannot be patented", as I learnt in this related article. http://www.naturalnews.com/035754_dandelion_cancer_prevention.html

Hopefully, more and more people will come to know about the anticancer effects of dandelion because like this article says, "Ongoing research is most importantly starting to show that dandelion may possibly turn out to be an exceptional alternative for chemoresistant forms of cancer."

http://www.naturalnews.com/043124_dandelion_cancer_growth_health_benefits.html#ixzz2y6Ore1Nv

Search herbs by actions

http://thenaturopathicherbalist.com/herbal-actions/

I have checked out the website, and found it to be a useful library of resources on herbs and herbalism, especially with its comprehensive list of herbs that are searchable according to their medicinal actions.

I learnt that lemon balm has a number of medicinal uses, including "nervous system tonic & relaxant, carminative, sedative", and I noticed that it can be useful for treating symptoms such as "anxiety, restlessness, palpitations, headache, and excitability and also is a mild anti-depressant. It strengthens the brain and its resistance to stress/shock, and lifts the spirits. It has tonic effects on the heart and circulatory system".http://thenaturopathicherbalist.com/herbs/m-o/melissa-officinalis/ 

I think I can benefit from this herb myself as well, and I will find out more about how to use this herb, which I bought from the plant nursery, before I harvest the leaves for making natural remedies/health tonics. I am aware different herbs work for different people, so I think I will use a bit first to test if it is suitable for me. 

Mental illness is a myth

I have finished watching the video by Stefan Molyneux and I find it well researched and well presented to show how there is no such thing as mental illness. Yes, mental illness is a myth because like he said, "psychiatrists have yet to conclusively prove that a single mental illness has a biological or physical cause, or a genetic origin. Psychiatry has yet to develop a single physical test that can determine that an individual actually has a particular mental illness." 

As he also pointed out, the so-called diagnosis of mental illness by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) of mental disorders lacks scientific reliability and validity by using behavior instead of physical symptoms. It is sad and unfortunate that some people do not accept the fact that mental illness is a myth because like Stefan said, "psychiatric disorders" are not medical diseases as "there are no lab tests, brain scans, X-rays or chemical imbalance tests that can verify that any mental disorder is a physical condition." Ironically, psychiatric drugs are the ones that actually cause problems such as biochemical imbalances, and it is perhaps not surprising that the psychiatric movement's major source of funding is the "highly profitable pharmaceutical industry, which funds drug research, psychiatric journals and the American Psychiatric Association itself". As I learnt from Sydney Walker III, DSM labels not only are useless as medical "diagnoses" but also "have the potential to do great harm - particularly when they are used as a means to deny individual freedom, or as weapons by psychiatrists acting as hired guns for the legal system". 

All in all, I find the video to be a good summary about how modern psychiatry is a pseudo science that tends to seek profits over people, and how the myth of mental illness is debunked by science.

Related website 
Manufacturing Madness: The Pseudoscience of Modern Psychiatry

Fermented foods

I have read the article "Fermented Foods" and found it useful as a reference on making our own fermented foods that are easy to digest and have more bio-available nutrients. The recipe on making sauerkraut seems doable as it involves only natural unprocessed salt, cabbage, carrots and water - I haven't tried making fermented food though, and I will try my hands at making one one of these days.

I learnt from a related article that lacto-fermentation needs "salt, water, and jars plus an anaerobic environment which allows the good bacteria to flourish." I will learn through trial and error, as mentioned in that article. I have also noted other fermented food recipes such as fermented fish, and homemade yoghurt and kefir.