Mental Health, Music & Masterpieces

Michael Jackson's bright Light was extinguished due to pharmacutical drugs.

The late Great Michael Jackson was a perfectionist of the highest degree.

The King of Pop is the illest of ill for real

Michael Jackson's magical music & dynamic dance choreography refect his amazing attention to detail in perfect harmony with the Universal Flow of all was, is & ever will be...

“A Jedi's strength flows from the Force" ~ Yoda



The Force is strong with this jammin' Jedi.







"Show M' How Funky" ~ Michael Jackson

 

Dancing & the Brain by Harvard University Freelance Science Writer Scott Edwards

Millions of Americans dance, either recreationally or professionally. How many of those who are ballroom dancing, doing the foxtrot, break dancing, or line dancing, realize that they are doing something positive for their bodies—and their brains? Dance, in fact, has such beneficial effects on the brain that it is now being used to treat people with Parkinson’s disease, a progressive neurological movement disorder.

“There’s no question, anecdotally at least, that music has a very stimulating effect on physical activity,” says Daniel Tarsy, MD, an HMS professor of neurology and director of the Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Center at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC). “And I think that applies to dance, as well.”

Stimulating movement
Scientists gave little thought to the neurological effects of dance until relatively recently, when researchers began to investigate the complex mental coordination that dance requires. In a 2008 article in Scientific American magazine, a Columbia University neuroscientist posited that synchronizing music and movement—dance, essentially—constitutes a “pleasure double play.” Music stimulates the brain’s reward centers, while dance activates its sensory and motor circuits.

Studies using PET imaging have identified regions of the brain that contribute to dance learning and performance. These regions include the motor cortex, somatosensory cortex, basal ganglia, and cerebellum. The motor cortex is involved in the planning, control, and execution of voluntary movement. The somatosensory cortex, located in the mid region of the brain, is responsible for motor control and also plays a role in eye-hand coordination. The basal ganglia, a group of structures deep in the brain, work with other brain regions to smoothly coordinate movement, while the cerebellum integrates input from the brain and spinal cord and helps in the planning of fine and complex motor actions.

While some imaging studies have shown which regions of the brain are activated by dance, others have explored how the physical and expressive elements of dance alter brain function. For example, much of the research on the benefits of the physical activity associated with dance links with those gained from physical exercise, benefits that range from memory improvement to strengthened neuronal connections.

A 2003 study in the New England Journal of Medicine by researchers at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine discovered that dance can decidedly improve brain health. The study investigated the effect leisure activities had on the risk of dementia in the elderly. The researchers looked at the effects of 11 different types of physical activity, including cycling, golf, swimming, and tennis, but found that only one of the activities studied—dance—lowered participants’ risk of dementia. According to the researchers, dancing involves both a mental effort and social interaction and that this type of stimulation helped reduce the risk of dementia.

In a small study undertaken in 2012, researchers at North Dakota’s Minot State University found that the Latin-style dance program known as Zumba improves mood and certain cognitive skills, such as visual recognition and decision-making. Other studies show that dance helps reduce stress, increases levels of the feel-good hormone serotonin, and helps develop new neural connections, especially in regions involved in executive function, long-term memory, and spatial recognition.

Movement as therapy
Dance has been found to be therapeutic for patients with Parkinson’s disease. More than one million people in this country are living with Parkinson’s disease, and, according to the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation, each year another 60,000 are diagnosed with the disease. Parkinson’s disease belongs to a group of conditions called motor-system disorders, which develop when the dopamine-producing cells in the brain are lost. The chemical dopamine is an essential component of the brain’s system for controlling movement and coordination. As Parkinson’s disease progresses, an increasing number of these cells die off, drastically reducing the amount of dopamine available to the brain.

According to the foundation, the primary motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease include bradykinesia (slowed movement), stiffness of the limbs and trunk, tremors, and impaired balance and coordination. It is these symptoms that dance may help alleviate. “A lot of this research is observational, not hard science,” says Tarsy, “but it’s consistent and there’s a lot of it.”

Tarsy says that dance can be considered a form of rhythmic auditory stimulation (RAS). In this technique, a series of fixed rhythms are presented to patients, and the patients are asked to move to the rhythms. Studies of the effects this technique has on patients with Parkinson’s or other movement disorders have found significant improvements in gait and upper extremity function among participants. Although there have been no side-by-side scientific comparisons of RAS with either music or dance, Tarsy says people with Parkinson’s “speak and walk better if they have a steady rhythmic cue.”

Complementary moves
At the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Peter Wayne, AM ’89, PhD ’92, an HMS assistant professor of medicine at the hospital, studies the clinical effects of mind-body and complementary/alternative medicine practices on patients with chronic health conditions. He has conducted clinical trials designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of tai chi for patients with Parkinson’s and other balance disorders. Tai chi is a Chinese martial art once used for self-defense but now performed as exercise. Wayne considers tai chi to be a more ritualized, structured form of dance.

“The focus of our work is to take advantage of traditional exercises in which it’s implicit that the mind and body are connected more efficiently,” says Wayne. “Tai chi is one such exercise that we focus on because of its benefits for both balance and mental function.” Research, he says, has shown that the increased susceptibility to falls that occurs among people who are aging or who are dealing with disorders such as Parkinson’s can be mitigated by the practice of tai chi; it improves their strength and flexibility as well as their cognitive performance.

One such study appeared in 2012 in the New England Journal of Medicine. In this study, a team of investigators led by a scientist at the Oregon Research Institute found that tai chi helped improve balance and prevent falls among people with mild to moderate Parkinson’s disease. After six months, those who practiced tai chi twice weekly were physically stronger and had better balance compared with those who did either weight training or stretching. On average, the participants who did tai chi achieved balance measures that were two times better than those achieved by weightlifters and four times better than those participants who stretched. Those people who practiced tai chi also fell less and had slower rates of decline in overall motor control.

Wayne says tai chi may possibly benefit people with Parkinson’s disease in other ways, too. “Practicing mindful movement,” he says, “may help compensate for some of the motor deficits that are common in Parkinson’s and aging.”

Under Tarsy’s direction, BIDMC has initiated several wellness programs, including ones that feature tai chi, Zumba, yoga, and drumming, designed to help people manage the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. Although it is still unclear to what extent these programs benefit patients, Tarsy says there is evidence that such activities as dance and tai chi can stabilize the effects of the disease and slow the degree to which everyday movement is affected.

Scott Edwards is a freelance science writer based in Massachusetts.

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They told him don't you ever come around here
Don't want to see your face, you better disappear
The fire's in their eyes and their words are really clear
So beat it, just beat it
You better run, you better do what you can
Don't want to see no blood, don't be a macho man
You want to be tough, better do what you can
So beat it, but you want to be bad
Just beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it
No one wants to be defeated
Showin' how funky and strong is your fight
It doesn't matter who's wrong or right
Just beat it, beat it
Just beat it, beat it
Just beat it, beat it
Just beat it, beat it
They're out to get you, better leave while you can
Don't want to be a boy, you want to be a man
You want to stay alive, better do what you can
So beat it, just beat it
You have to show them that you're really not scared
You're playin' with your life, this ain't no truth or dare
They'll kick you, then they beat you,
Then they'll tell you it's fair
So beat it, but you want to be bad
Just beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it
No one wants to be defeated
Showin' how funky and strong is your fight
It doesn't matter who's wrong or right
Just beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it
No one wants to be defeated
Showin' how funky and strong is your fight
It doesn't matter who's wrong or right
Just beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it
No one wants to be defeated
Showin' how funky and strong is your fight
It doesn't matter who's wrong or right
Just beat it, beat it
Beat it, beat it, beat it
No one wants to be defeated
Showin' how funky and strong is your fight
It doesn't matter who's wrong or who's right
Just beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it
No one wants to be defeated
Showin' how funky and strong is your fight
It doesn't matter who's wrong or right
Just beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it
No one wants to be defeated
Showin' how funky and strong is your fight
It doesn't matter who's wrong or right
Just beat it, beat it
Beat it, beat it, beat it
Songwriters: Michael Jackson
Beat It lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

 

And now a #Word from a sponsor in a Galaxy far far away...



"Nothin but net" ~ Michael Jordan

 

Dancing for Dopamine by Rachel DuVivier

Neurodegenerative diseases are often chronic and progressive in nature, resulting from the malfunction and death of vital nerve cells in the brain. Dying neurons produce dopamine, a chemical messenger that, among other things, sends signals to the parts of the brain that control movement and coordination. As these diseases progress, the amount of dopamine produced in the brain decreases, leaving a person unable to control his or her movement normally. As a result, those suffering from neurodegenerative diseases often experience tremors or falls that can negatively impact overall health and quality of life. To combat disease progression, experts often prescribe general exercise, which keeps muscles agile and has been shown to help patients with symptom management and sometimes even slow disease progression. Dance, in particular, is a unique form of exercise that requires one to learn and memorize combinations before internalizing the movements and repeating them independently. These processes activate neuro-protective mechanisms in the brain because dancers are required to actively engage both hemispheres as well as the memory and control centers. Recent research has shown that dance is not only a physically rewarding art form, but also a figurative antidote that exhibits healing properties for those suffering from neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s and dementia.


Various forms of dance are physically rewarding as they offer both psychological and social outlets for expression. Dancing works on the whole body through complex movement that cultivates interaction between different areas of the brain. In turn, these forged connections stimulate a “mind-body” relationship that works in distinct, regenerative ways. As such, dance has become a common form of physical and mental therapy for Parkinson’s disease and dementia specifically.


A commonly known neurodegenerative movement disorder, Parkinson’s Disease (PD), is often characterized by tremor, rigidity, and stiffness of the limbs. Based on the nature and fall-rate for PD patients, it is generally recommended that they exercise in an environment where there are others around who could help if necessary. Partner dancing, such as tango, can therefore serve as a non-traditional treatment to improve cognition, balance, and gait, while also improving quality of life factors. Emory University researchers conducted a case study in order to “evaluate the feasibility and effects of partnered tango classes on balance, endurance and quality of life in individuals with severe PD.” 1 For 10 weeks, the participants attended 20 one-hour tango classes that were moderated for patients with PD. Various cognition, balance, and gait factors were evaluated before, after, and one month following the dance intervention. Upon completion of the study, the analysis suggested that the participants improved their fine and gross motor skills according to various Parkinson’s disease rating scales. Participants also reported having increased balance confidence and an overall improved quality of life.


Increased balance confidence is significant for PD patients because often times their falls lead to other significant health problems. Human nature prompts one to fall on larger muscle groups rather than smaller ones seeing as they are presumably stronger. However, based on the location of these muscles, it becomes very easy to injure other ligaments and joints in close proximity. It is, therefore, important to learn to fall with ease in order to reduce impact and essentially lubricate joints. These learned, graceful falls thus tend to be less damaging to overall health. Furthermore, evidence has shown that fear of falling may actually increase fall occurrence by causing high muscle tension and overcorrection errors. 2 As such, greater balance confidence becomes increasingly important. David William Merchant, a professional dancer who worked closely with the previously mentioned Emory researchers, suggests from personal experience that “the secret to balance is becoming at ease with falling, fluidly oscillating between falling and recovering, a principle [he] learned in techniques [through] mid-century modern dance.” 3 Not only does dance incorporate learned movement in neuroprotective ways, but the art of dancing can seamlessly teach PD patients important skills when it comes to falling and fluidity. The research presented by Emory University and David William Merchant clearly specifies the variety of healing mechanisms associated with PD. Aside from improved cognition, balance, and gait, dance can improve fear of falling and falling fluidity, both of which are exceedingly helpful in overall health and quality of life for PD patients.




“Dancer” by Michelle Shi

Unlike Parkinson’s Disease, which is a neurodegenerative disease marked by movement digression, dementia is a chronic and persistent neurodegenerative memory disorder marked by personality changes and impaired reasoning. Dementia, an umbrella term, incorporates various types and stages of memory loss, differing greatly from PD in a neurological context. Nonetheless, those suffering from dementia can still reap the neurological benefits associated with dance and movement. Arts-based and creative approaches to dementia care are more commonly used as alternative treatments because they have been proven effective and lack the negative side effects traditional memory-enhancing drugs present. More importantly, dance, as opposed to other forms of art, becomes embedded both within the body and mind, and allows one to foster deep personal connections that can improve memory, mood, and brain plasticity. Brain plasticity refers to the brain’s ability to change throughout a life span by forming new connections with other neurons via dopamine receptors. A recent study developed by Canada’s National Ballet School and Baycrest Health Sciences sought to bridge the gap between the arts and the sciences by creating a dance intervention program for aging populations diagnosed with dementia-related diseases. Their goal was to produce long-term, non-drug reliant care for elders. Fundamentally, the relationship between dance movement therapy and dementia yielded three impactful results: improved emotional cognition, improved memory, and a decreasing frequency of behavioral signals which were regarded as problematic. 4 Clearly, while the arts have huge cultural and historical value in our society, they have seemingly started to make scientific advances as well. Dance not only provides various outlets of expression, but has also improved the mood, memory, and overall quality of life of dementia patients.


As seen with PD and dementia, dance has a number of neuroprotective benefits and can be regarded as an effective, non-traditional treatment option. It strengthens social ties and emotional integration, culminating in a higher quality of life for patients afflicted by the diseases. It has been noted by these various studies that quality of life often parallels the quality of symptoms, an important fact to take into consideration when prescribing drugs that do not often lend themselves to social or emotional interactions. Aside from patient’s general enjoyment of their trials and higher quality of life ratings, improved cognition, balance, gait, memory, mood and brain plasticity are all amongst the positive effects that dance intervention therapies can be credited with. As such, it is imperative that researchers begin to offer similar non-traditional remedies for people who suffer from neurodegenerative diseases and seek alternative options. From a medical standpoint, bridging the gap between the sciences and the arts is imperative.


Works Cited:
(1) Hackney ME, Earhart GM. Effects of dance on balance and gait in severe Parkinson disease: A case study. Disability and Rehabilitation. 2009;32(8):679-684. doi:10.3109/09638280903247905.
(2) Mak MKY, Pang MYC. Fear of falling is independently associated with recurrent falls in patients with Parkinson’s disease: a 1-year prospective study. Journal of Neurology. 2009;256(10):1689-1695. doi:10.1007/s00415-009-5184-5.
(3) Marchant DW. Dancing with Disease: A Dancer’s Reflections on Moving with People with Parkinson’s and Memory Loss. Frontiers in Neurology. 2016;7. doi:10.3389/fneur.2016.00137.
(4) Lapum JL, Bar RJ. Dance for Individuals With Dementia. J Psychosoc Nurs Ment Health Serv Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services. 2016;54(3):31-34. doi:10.3928/02793695-20160219-05.

Speaking of Dancing for Dopamine & bridging the gap between the sciences and the arts...

As a Great man once said:

"Show M How Funky" ~ Michael Jackson


Your butt is mine
Gonna tell you right
Just show your face
In broad daylight
I'm telling you
On how I feel
Gonna hurt your mind
Don't shoot to kill
Come on
Come on
Lay it on me
All right
I'm giving you
On count of three
To show your stuff
Or let it be
I'm telling you
Just watch your mouth
I know your game
What you're about
Well they say the sky's the limit
And to me that's really true
But my friend you have seen nothin'
Just wait 'til I get through
Because I'm bad, I'm bad come on
You know I'm bad, I'm bad come on, you know
You know I'm bad, I'm bad come on, you know
And the whole world has to
Answer right now
Just to tell you once again
Who's bad
The word is out
You're doin' wrong
Gonna lock you up
Before too long
Your lyin' eyes
Gonna tell you right
So listen up
Don't make a fight
Your talk is cheap
You're not a man
You're throwin' stones
To hide your hands
But they say the sky's the limit
And to me that's really true
And my friends you have seen nothin'
Just wait 'til I get through
Because I'm bad, I'm bad come on
You know I'm bad, I'm bad come on, you know
You know I'm bad, I'm bad come on, you know
And the whole world has to
Answer right now
Just to tell you once again
Who's bad
We can change the world tomorrow
This could be a better place
If you don't like what I'm sayin'
Then won't you slap my face
Because I'm bad, I'm bad come on
You know I'm bad, I'm bad come on, you know
You know I'm bad, I'm bad come on, you know
And the whole world has to
Answer right now
Just to tell you once again
Who's bad
Because I'm bad, I'm bad come on
You know I'm bad, I'm bad come on, you know
You know I'm bad, I'm bad come on, you know
And the whole world has to
Answer right now
Just to tell you once again
Who's bad
Who's bad?
Songwriters: Michael Jackson
Bad lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

 

And now a #WordUp Public Service Announcement from Tha Teacha KRS-1



"You can't Guide me unless you've walked the path your telling me...most people really listen to the people who have WALKED THEIR PATH" ~ KRS-1


Yes yes y'all, ya don't stop, krs-one, rock on!
Yes yes y'all, ya don't stop, krs-one, rock on!
I'm bout to hit you wit that traditional style of cold rockin
Givin' options for head knockin' non stoppin'
Tip-toppin' lyrics we droppin' but styles can be forgotten
So we bring back the raw hip-hoppin'
Just like the records and tapes you be coppin'
Cop some breakdancin', boogie poppin', and lockin'
Tic tockin', guaranteed to have you clockin
We only get better and only better we have gotten
This type of flow don't even think about stoppin'
Beware, the length of the rhyme flow can be shockin'
All music lovers in the place right now
That never understood the way that krs got down
Yo I'm strictly about skills and dope lyrical coastin'
Relying on talent, not marketing and promotion
If a dope lyrical flow is a must
You gots to go with a name you can quickly trust
I'm not sayin' I'm number one, uhh I'm sorry, I lied
I'm number one, two, three, four and five
Stop wastin' your money on marketing schemes
And pretty packages pushin dreams to the beams
A dope mc is a dope mc
With or without a record deal, all can see
And that's who krs be son
I'm not the run of mill, cause for the mill I don't run
Yes yes y'all, ya don't stop, krs-one, rock on!
Yes yes y'all, ya don't stop, krs-one, rock on!
Everybody on the mic in the party sound alike
Until I recite, in black and white what's right
Let me take flight, my style is tight an good
Tight an good, come is it tight an good
Old styles I pass dat, slow down on fast rap
All in yo' ass crack, old king go blast dat
Conjure to ask dat, hyper type of flashback
I publish like ascap lyrics for hand clap
No past rappin', youth trackin', talent lackin'
Mc's more worried about their financial backin'
Steady packin' a gat as if something's gonna happen
But it doesn't, they wind up shootin' they cousin, they buggin'
I appear everywhere and nowhere at once
I know my style is bumpin', even though some people front
It's the god of rap, you heard of it
The one that rhymes toward the sky givin' airplanes mad turbulence
In rap tournaments, I reign permanent
Don't you think by now the number one spot I'm not concerned with it
The course of rap I'm turnin' it
Back to that good old fashioned way of getting cash money by earning it
No bogus hocus pocus, I bring back to focus
Skills if you notice my position is lotus
Now quote this, mc's are just hopeless
Thinkin' record sales make them the dopest
Yes yes y'all, ya don't stop, krs-one, rock on!
Yes yes y'all, ya don't stop, krs-one, rock on!
Songwriters: Deborah Harry / Christopher Stein / Harry Palmer / Lawrence Parker / Jesse West
Step into a World (Rapture's Delight) lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group, BMG Rights Management

 

And now a #WordUp from our sponsor The Late Great Doug E. Fresh & The Real Ghostbusters:



"Spirit"
(from "Ghostbusters II" soundtrack)

Dig it, dig it
Dig it dig it - check it out
Uhh! Uhh..

[Chorus:]
Spirit, some people hear it, some people fear it
Spirit, some people just won't go near it
Sho' as I'm me and you should know you're you
Your spirit is the key to unlock the true you
Spirit, some people hear it, some people fear it
Spirit, some people just won't go near it
Sho' as I'm me and the skies are blue
The Ghostbusters are back and all brand new

There's a force that's dwellin beneath the city
tellin you, what you need-need not do
and it's motion, stirs up commotion
Feedin off the people's inner emotions
Hatred, anger, to one another
A problem like that you call the Ghostbusters
In emergencies that deal with reality
makin sure we all be free
So we can like or dislike, cause people who just might
look so happy but feel so uptight
They can't handle the problem that they created
It's, from the depths of their spirit, c'mon

[Chorus]

C'mon, uhh! [DJ scratches:] "That's all right"
Warm it up, say what? Huh
D, D, D, check it

Now that evil's presence make it pleasant in
every resident and take a mother's
newborn baby and Dana's the lady
to build an establishment
For an evil magician on a mission in the picthin position
And no condition, will stop him on the transition
of makin it in time, with the help of the slime
but somebody gotta draw the line
who stand for all, who you gon' call for the brawl
GHOSTBUSTERS, it's like that y'all
GHOSTBUSTERS, it's like that y'all
GHOSTBUSTERS - are back, GHOSTBUSTERS - are back
GHOSTBUSTERS, huh, it's like that y'all, HIT IT!

[Chorus]

C'mon! [DJ scratches:] "That's all right"

There's been a lot of dimensions, and misconceptions
Certain things done for the wrong intentions
From people, who aren't sequel, to us
But for them to look down on us is a must
Situation, brainwash education
Here's a seed so let's plant a foundation
of newborn leaders, lawbook readers
Career coordinators and poverty feeders
Those that know me hear it and fear it
Know it's the truth so they scared to come near it
And you cheer it, as I share it, cause it's my

[Chorus without last line]

"the name of the brothers is the Get Fresh Crew, UHH!"

[DJ scratches:] "You're about to hear"

[Doug E. beatboxes]

 

"Feed your head" ~ The Late Great Janis Joplin of Jefferson Airplane

Nutritional psychiatry: Your brain on food
POSTED NOVEMBER 16, 2015, 9:00 AM , UPDATED APRIL 05, 2018, 4:01 PM

Eva Selhub MD
Contributing Editor

Think about it. Your brain is always “on.” It takes care of your thoughts and movements, your breathing and heartbeat, your senses — it works hard 24/7, even while you’re asleep. This means your brain requires a constant supply of fuel. That “fuel” comes from the foods you eat — and what’s in that fuel makes all the difference. Put simply, what you eat directly affects the structure and function of your brain and, ultimately, your mood.

Like an expensive car, your brain functions best when it gets only premium fuel. Eating high-quality foods that contain lots of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants nourishes the brain and protects it from oxidative stress — the “waste” (free radicals) produced when the body uses oxygen, which can damage cells.

Unfortunately, just like an expensive car, your brain can be damaged if you ingest anything other than premium fuel. If substances from “low-premium” fuel (such as what you get from processed or refined foods) get to the brain, it has little ability to get rid of them. Diets high in refined sugars, for example, are harmful to the brain. In addition to worsening your body’s regulation of insulin, they also promote inflammation and oxidative stress. Multiple studies have found a correlation between a diet high in refined sugars and impaired brain function — and even a worsening of symptoms of mood disorders, such as depression.

It makes sense. If your brain is deprived of good-quality nutrition, or if free radicals or damaging inflammatory cells are circulating within the brain’s enclosed space, further contributing to brain tissue injury, consequences are to be expected. What’s interesting is that for many years, the medical field did not fully acknowledge the connection between mood and food.

Today, fortunately, the burgeoning field of nutritional psychiatry is finding there are many consequences and correlations between not only what you eat, how you feel, and how you ultimately behave, but also the kinds of bacteria that live in your gut.

How the foods you eat affect how you feel
Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that helps regulate sleep and appetite, mediate moods, and inhibit pain. Since about 95% of your serotonin is produced in your gastrointestinal tract, and your gastrointestinal tract is lined with a hundred million nerve cells, or neurons, it makes sense that the inner workings of your digestive system don’t just help you digest food, but also guide your emotions. What’s more, the function of these neurons — and the production of neurotransmitters like serotonin — is highly influenced by the billions of “good” bacteria that make up your intestinal microbiome. These bacteria play an essential role in your health. They protect the lining of your intestines and ensure they provide a strong barrier against toxins and “bad” bacteria; they limit inflammation; they improve how well you absorb nutrients from your food; and they activate neural pathways that travel directly between the gut and the brain.

Studies have shown that when people take probiotics (supplements containing the good bacteria), their anxiety levels, perception of stress, and mental outlook improve, compared with people who did not take probiotics. Other studies have compared “traditional” diets, like the Mediterranean diet and the traditional Japanese diet, to a typical “Western” diet and have shown that the risk of depression is 25% to 35% lower in those who eat a traditional diet. Scientists account for this difference because these traditional diets tend to be high in vegetables, fruits, unprocessed grains, and fish and seafood, and to contain only modest amounts of lean meats and dairy. They are also void of processed and refined foods and sugars, which are staples of the “Western” dietary pattern. In addition, many of these unprocessed foods are fermented, and therefore act as natural probiotics. Fermentation uses bacteria and yeast to convert sugar in food to carbon dioxide, alcohol, and lactic acid. It is used to protect food from spoiling and can add a pleasant taste and texture.

This may sound implausible to you, but the notion that good bacteria not only influence what your gut digests and absorbs, but that they also affect the degree of inflammation throughout your body, as well as your mood and energy level, is gaining traction among researchers. The results so far have been quite amazing.

What does this mean for you?
Start paying attention to how eating different foods makes you feel — not just in the moment, but the next day. Try eating a “clean” diet for two to three weeks — that means cutting out all processed foods and sugar. Add fermented foods like kimchi, miso, sauerkraut, pickles, or kombucha. You also might want to try going dairy-free — and some people even feel that they feel better when their diets are grain-free. See how you feel. Then slowly introduce foods back into your diet, one by one, and see how you feel.

When my patients “go clean,” they cannot believe how much better they feel both physically and emotionally, and how much worse they then feel when they reintroduce the foods that are known to enhance inflammation. Give it a try!

For more information on this topic, please see: Nutritional medicine as mainstream in psychiatry, Sarris J, et al. Lancet Psychiatry. 2015

The field of Nutritional Psychiatry is relatively new, however there are observational data regarding the association between diet quality and mental health across countries, cultures and age groups – depression in particular. Here are links to some systematic reviews and meta-analyses:

systematic review and meta-analysis of dietary patterns and depression in community-dwelling adults | The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition | Oxford Academic
Mediterranean diet, stroke, cognitive impairment, and depression: A meta-analysis. - PubMed - NCBI
Relationship Between Diet and Mental Health in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review

There are also now two interventions suggesting that dietary improvement can prevent depression:

Mediterranean dietary pattern and depression: the PREDIMED randomized trial
Early Intervention to Preempt Major Depression in Older Black and White Adults

Diet during early life is also linked to mental health outcomes in children (very important from public health perspective):

Maternal and early postnatal nutrition and mental health of offspring by age 5 years: a prospective cohort study. - PubMed - NCBI
Maternal depression symptoms, unhealthy diet and child emotional-behavioural dysregulation. - PubMed - NCBIMaternal dietary patterns during pregnancy and child internalising and externalising problems. The Generation R Study. - PubMed - NCBI

Extensive animal data show that dietary manipulation affects brain plasticity and there are now data from humans to suggest the same:

Western diet is associated with a smaller hippocampus: a longitudinal investigation

Finally, while there are yet to be published RCTs testing dietary improvement as a treatment strategy for depression, the first of these is underway and results will be published within six months:

A randomised, controlled trial of a dietary intervention for adults with major depression (the “SMILES” trial): study protocol



Related Information: Healthy Eating: A guide to the new nutrition

 

"You are what you eat"



"What about Bob?"



"Roses are red, violets are blue,
I am a schizophrenic
& so am I" ~ Bob

 

The fuck's this happy horseshit?

 

Aloha @Noserider!





Welcome to cyber group therapy here on The Hip Forums in The Matrix sponsored by Skynet, Dr. Morpheous, Dr. Governator Schwarzenegger & mentally ill M.C.'s like me, myself & high-rene...

 

You wanna link good music and mental health, we need some Brian Wilson

 

Matthew 7:7-8
"I say to you, Ask and you shall receive; seek and you shall find; knock and the door shall be opened." ~ Jesus of Nazareth

 

"I'm a doctor not a..." ~ Dr. McCoy

 

It should be noted that drugs are not the cure for mental illness -- in fact in many cases it is drug use or abuse that causes the symptoms of mental illness.

A diagnosis of mental illness coupled with more prescription pharmaceutical drugs is -- in the majority of cases, the exact opposite of what the patient requires to return to a state of mental balance & harmony.



Balancing brain chemistry naturally with yoga is perhaps the best cure for mental illness known today -- a cure our ancestors have known, practiced & passed on for over 10,000 years!

Pharmacology is relatively new in comparison to the ancient soul science of yoga.

"The origins of clinical pharmacology date back to the Middle Ages in Avicenna's The Canon of Medicine, Peter of Spain's Commentary on Isaac, and John of St Amand's Commentary on the Antedotary of Nicholas.[2]Clinical pharmacology owes much of its foundation to the work of William Withering.[3]Pharmacology as a scientific discipline did not further advance until the mid-19th century amid the great biomedical resurgence of that period.[4] Before the second half of the nineteenth century, the remarkable potency and specificity of the actions of drugs such as morphine, quinine and digitalis were explained vaguely and with reference to extraordinary chemical powers and affinities to certain organs or tissues.[5] The first pharmacology department was set up by Rudolf Buchheim in 1847, in recognition of the need to understand how therapeutic drugs and poisons produced their effects.[4]

Early pharmacologists focused on natural substances, mainly plant extracts. Pharmacology developed in the 19th century as a biomedical science that applied the principles of scientific experimentation to therapeutic contexts.[6] Today pharmacologists use genetics, molecular biology, biochemistry, and other advanced tools to transform information about molecular mechanisms and targets into therapies directed against disease, defects or pathogens, and create methods for preventative care, diagnostics, and ultimately personalized medicine." ~ Wik-Wik-Wak-apedia



"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" ~ Benjamin Franklin



Exercise will keep you healthy both physically & mentally.

 

And now a Public Service Announcement from our Chairman of the President's Council on Physical Fitness & Sports Governator Arnold Schwarzenegger:





Just what the Doctor ordered:

160 Greatest Arnold Schwarzenegger Quotes

 

The Bad News:

A "doctor" diagnosed you with a mental illness & now your "friends" are talking about you as if you have the plague rather than getting their Bradda Bill Withers on & offering you a shoulder to lean on while realizing it won't be long til' they may need someone to lean on



The Good News:

A diagnosis of mental illness is legit street cred in the Hip Hop community & we should not worry when all talk no walk balk people "talk" as our docta mic rocka Lateef The Truthspeaker from the Underground Hip Hop crew Latyrx teaches in this ill track:


"Bad News" ~ Latyrx

Bad News travels fast
And if it's about you you'll probably hear 'bout it last
But when they press up
And check up
And they ask
You gotta keep perspective on the future and the past
And laugh
While they keep talkin'
Talk, talk, talkin,
Chicken heads keep squawkin'
Power of the spoken word is infinite
You can tell
'Cause people are always talking
Talking on the run, talking while walking,
Talking in line, talking in circles,
Talking in time all over the world
Talkin' 'bout whatever's on their mind- that's fine
Talkin' 'bout who they hawkin, who they watchin, who they clockin,
Who they heard was up to something poppin'
Always talkin' about who they remember and who's forgotten
Who's rockin' the set and who's floppin', droppin' out
Talkin' 'bout people from the cradle to the coffin
Talkin' 'bout people, talkin' 'bout people, talkin' 'bout people,
Talkin' 'bout people non-stop talkin' often
Bad News travels fast
And if it's about you you'll probably hear 'bout it last
But when they press up
And check up
And they ask
You gotta keep perspective on the future and the past
And laugh
People talk shit
Their minds reinforce it
Spittin' out words and thoughts that are amorphous
Pushin' sloppy sound out of their vocal orifice
Like it ain't bein' recorded
Sometimes a words scorch is worse than torches
What's more
Is the talk ain't uniform or rehearsed
It's the richest, the poorest,
From CEO boardrooms to porches to alley ways and gutters
From coast to coast, east to west, south to north
It's people talking of course!
Like life is a courtroom
Most bullshittin' from midnight to high noon and back again
Blacks and the Blacker thans
Whites and the Africans
Far to little action far to much satisfaction
In philanderin' usin' sex like a sedative
Repetitive like rhetoric
I'm bettin' ya think ya nice 'cause you give free add-vice right?
But unless you got a tight alternative it's best to let it just live!
And raise the octave up to the positive
Even though they try and stop you up
Arteries cloggeded
The Black man targeted that's how they set it off, they said it
But in the end it will be only them that's effected by they negative vibe
I know it hurts, there is no indigestion worse
Than that which comes from having to eat your own words,
I heard two people need not bicker in a burning home
But some people know how to live everybodies life but their own so,
Here's the poem dedicated
To the hatred propagated by the ill-fated
Snakes that's waitin' in grass
Those that talk the most got the least to say
But that ain't nothin' new
And it ain't even really all that
Bad
Songwriters: Xavier Lorenzo Mosley / Lateef Kenneth Daumont
Bad News lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.

 

"Therapy" by Heltah Skeltah

"Bring in the next patient (the patient is sleeping)
Bring in his chart (the Doctor will see you now)
How you doin', let's see what we have here
My name is Dr. Killpatient
And I'm your psychosssssigmathetamasochistic
All I, seem to, think about is violence
It doesn't matter if I'm dead sober or I'm bent
It's strange, I'm not insane or at least I don't think so
Or am I? You think so Doc, truthfully I don't know
So what do I do I go to my crew and ask for help
But they ain't no help, they go through the same shit they damn self
So I look deep into the mind of a crook
Then out of nowhere I envision two right hooks
Aw damn, again goes this shit I
Can't get out of this cycle, dish one got me whipped
From the thought of a brain bashing, Doctor stop me
Before I blow my motherfuckin' top G
See that leather sofa over there? Yeah
Sit back with this six-pack and a spliff
That have your mind twisted while we chit-chat, I like that
I think that, we should start with the session, uh-huh
But before we begin let me ask you a few questions, uh-huh
Have you been touched the wrong way? Nah
Involved in gun play, yeah
The town let me guess acquitted like you was O.J. How you know?
Typical black life you jack knives under a sea biscuit
Get specific an stop fuckin' around wit that crack rock
Yo I don't smoke doze
Yes you do Duke I can tell
'Cause you actin funny, like when blacks get money
Brummy jazz only married to Jawana
and instead of helping you're getting me heated like a sauna
Just trying to get into your head
Pardon the way I treat you
Tell me bout your scar, did your momma beat you, nah man
Fuck the mystery Duke tell me your history
You're pissin' me off
plus the time keep on clippin' see
I need a doctor to give me some therapy
I need a doctor to check my, my brain
As I think back, to the nineties
That's when life got extra grimy
Multiplied with a fleet behind me
Wasn't smart to try me, physical fam gave less than a
Which added on to eighties anger tearing through my inner
(Now we're gettin' somewhere, yeah) It's all becoming clear
I always feared I have to play the rear til I was outta here
That's when I flipped out and became a plane
That transform into a robot Rokk Da Kids was his name
(One of them Decep niggaz) Yup takin' dope clothes and then some
I bend some (did you have any legal source of income?)
I said farewell to welfare crazy long ago
They want you to work for them peanuts now
Man you need a shrink if you think I'ma go (huh)
Then any thoughts and hopes of rehabilitation
Were chilled when I lost my nigga Phil it's been downhill
Ever since, and ain't nobody helpin' me
So I came to you, the Doctor Killpatients for therapy
I need a doctor to give me some therapy
I need a doctor to check my, my brain
Bust the prognosis, better yet Duke have a dosage
of prescribed poetry that people perceive as potent
I've been goin through your file and I found a conclusion
That you destined to be the best in this world of confusion
You lose when you fall victim to evil ways
I know crime pays but the rhyme slays nowadays
Take two of these and if you have a problem at all
I'm on call twenty-four hours to brawl, word is bond
I need a doctor to give me some therapy
I need a doctor to check my, my brain
This is my number, ya know what I'm sayin'
Four nine five, nevermind nevermind
I need a doctor to give me some therapy
I need a doctor to check my, my brain
But you that undisputed, and now you therapeutic
Bootcampian champion
I need a doctor to give me some therapy
I need a doctor to check my, my brain
The undisputed, with therapeutic
Bootcampian champion, R-O-C, therapy
I need a doctor to give me some therapy
I need a doctor to check my, my brain"
Songwriters: Andrew Luis Castro / N Writer Unknown
Therapy lyrics © EMI Music Publishing, The Royalty Network Inc.

"Operation Lockdown" ~ Heltah Skeltah

 

~ Images at the Crossroads Fresco ~

A fresco produced by artist Ben Long in the Statesville Civic Center

The influence of ancient stories and myths can be detected in much of Statesville's fresco, entitled "Images at the Crossroads". Mythology has great respect for the Goddess of the crossroads as she has the power of knowing what's ahead. She is usually portrayed with three heads or faces, signifying her ability to know what is going on in every direction. The maiden stands at the heart of the fresco in the foreground. Her hand to her breast is an ancient signal of greeting - a sign of arrival.

It is no coincidence that Ben Long has chosen this image to serve as the inspiration for Statesville's fresco. Statesville is a city that also finds itself at a crossroads, faced with deciding which road is best for its future.

All the elements of what happens when paths come together and cross can be found in the medley of vignettes painted as a backdrop to the guardian of the crossroads. No one image is meant to overshadow another. It is hoped that observers will have their own response to the figures and faces in the environs of the maiden.

What is a fresco?

Fresco is the medium Michelangelo chose when he painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. The technique involves mixing sand and lime, placing the mix on a wall and painting it while it is still wet. Fresco painting is a tenuous art. So quickly does the bonding of the pigment to wet plaster take place that great sill and meticulous planning must be maintained in order to achieve the beautiful result.

Who is Ben Long?

Ben Long grew up in Statesville and attended the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. He studied painting at the Art Student's League in New York. After serving in the Vietnam War, Long traveled to Florence, Italy to study the work and time-honored techniques of old masters. As an apprentice to the master artist Pietro Annigoni, he spent seven years there mastering techniques which included oil, tempera and fresco. Long's first fresco was unveiled in 1974 in Beaver Creek, North Carolina. Since then Long has painted numerous frescos around the world, including commissions in Italy, France and at seven other locations in North Carolina." ~ Statesville Civic Center



"The Great Masterpieces of Art & Music"


Nature is the Greatest Masterpiece of Art


"A friend may well be reckoned the Masterpiece of Nature" ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson



~E mālama i ka ʻāina = Respect the Land~

 

Nature
By Ralph Waldo Emerson

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"To go into solitude, a man needs to retire as much from his chamber as from society. I am not solitary whilst I read and write, though nobody is with me. But if a man would be alone, let him look at the stars. The rays that come from those heavenly worlds, will separate between him and what he touches..." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson



"The stars awaken a certain reverence, because though always present, they are inaccessible; but all natural objects make a kindred impression, when the mind is open to their influence. Nature never wears a mean appearance. Neither does the wisest man extort her secret, and lose his curiosity by finding out all her perfection. Nature never became a toy to a wise spirit." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Link to Complete Essay:

Nature by Ralph Waldo Emerson