Credit: Flickr user eschipul

Over the last few decades many Buddhists and quite a few neuroscientists have examined Buddhism and neuroscience, with both groups reporting overlap. Im sorry to say I have been privately dismissive. One hears this sort of thing all the time, from any religion, and I was sure in this case it would break down upon closer scrutiny. When a scientific discovery seems to support any religious teaching, you can expect members of that religion to become strict empiricists, telling themselves and the world that their belief is grounded in reality. They are always less happy to accept scientific data they feel contradicts their preconceived beliefs. No surprise here; no human likes to be wrong.

But science isnt supposed to care about preconceived notions. Science, at least good science, tells us about the world as it is, not as some wish it to be. Sometimes what science finds is consistent with a particular religions wishes. But usually not.

Despite my doubts, neurology and neuroscience do not appear to profoundly contradict Buddhist thought. Neuroscience tells us the thing we take as our unified mind is an illusion, that our mind is not unified and can barely be said to exist at all. Our feeling of unity and control is a post-hoc confabulation and is easily fractured into separate parts. As revealed by scientific inquiry, what we call a mind (or a self, or a soul) is actually something that changes so much and is so uncertain that our pre-scientific language struggles to find meaning.

Buddhists say pretty much the same thing. They believe in an impermanent and illusory self made of shifting parts. Theyve even come up with language to address the problem between perception and belief. Their word for self is anatta, which is usually translated as non self. One might try to refer to the self, but the word cleverly reminds ones self that there is no such thing.

When considering a Buddhist contemplating his soul, one is immediately struck by a disconnect between religious teaching and perception. While meditating in the temple, the self is an illusion. But when the Buddhist goes shopping he feels like we all do: unified, in control, and unchanged from moment to moment. The way things feel becomes suspect. And thats pretty close to what neurologists deal with every day, like the case of Mr. Logosh.

Mr. Logosh was 37 years old when he suffered a stroke. It was a month after knee surgery and we never found a real reason other than trivially high cholesterol and smoking. Sometimes medicine is like that: bad things happen, seemingly without sufficient reasons. In the ER I found him aphasic, able to understand perfectly but unable to get a single word out, and with no movement of the right face, arm, and leg. We gave him the only treatment available for stroke, tissue plasminogen activator, but there was no improvement. He went to the ICU unchanged. A follow up CT scan showed that the dead brain tissue had filled up with blood. As the body digested the dead brain tissue, later scans showed a large hole in the left hemisphere.

Although I despaired, I comforted myself by looking at the overlying cortex. Here the damage was minimal and many neurons still survived. Still, I mostly despaired. It is a tragedy for an 80-year-old to spend lifes remainder as an aphasic hemiplegic. The tragedy grows when a young man looks towards decades of mute immobility. But you can never tell with early brain injuries to the young. I was yoked to optimism. After all, Id treated him.

The next day Mr. Logosh woke up and started talking. Not much at first, just yes and no. Then water, thanks, sure, and me. We eventually sent him to rehab, barely able to speak, still able to understand.

One year later he came back to the office with an odd request. He was applying to become a driver and needed my clearance, which was a formality. He walked with only a slight limp, his right foot a bit unsure of itself. His voice had a slight hitch, as though he were choosing his words carefully.

When we consider our language, it seems unified and indivisible. We hear a word, attach meaning to it, and use other words to reply. Its effortless. It seems part of the same unified language sphere. How easily we are tricked! Mr. Logosh shows us that unity of language is an illusion. The seeming unity of language is really the work of different parts of the brain, which shift and change over time, and which fracture into receptive and expressive parts.

Consider how easily Buddhism accepts what happened to Mr. Logosh. Anatta is not a unified, unchanging self. It is more like a concert, constantly changing emotions, perceptions, and thoughts. Our minds are fragmented and impermanent. A change occurred in the band, so it follows that one expects a change in the music.

Both Buddhism and neuroscience converge on a similar point of view: The way it feels isnt how it is. There is no permanent, constant soul in the background. Even our language about ourselves is to be distrusted (requiring the tortured negation of anatta). In the broadest strokes then, neuroscience and Buddhism agree.

How did Buddhism get so much right? I speak here as an outsider, but it seems to me that Buddhism started with a bit of empiricism. Perhaps the founders of Buddhism were pre-scientific, but they did use empirical data. They noted the natural world: the sun sets, the wind blows into a field, one insect eats another. There is constant change, shifting parts, and impermanence. They called this impermanence anicca, and it forms a central dogma of Buddhism.

This seems appropriate as far as the natural world is concerned. Buddhists dont apply this notion to mathematical truths or moral certainties, but sometimes, cleverly, apply it to their own dogmas. Buddhism has had millennia to work out seeming contradictions, and it is only someone who was not indoctrinated who finds any of it strange. (Or at least any stranger than, say, believing God literally breathed a soul into the first human.)

Early on, Buddhism grasped the nature of worldly change and divided parts, and then applied it to the human mind. The key step was overcoming egocentrism and recognizing the connection between the world and humans. We are part of the natural world; its processes apply themselves equally to rocks, trees, insects, and humans. Perhaps building on its heritage, early Buddhism simply did not allow room for human exceptionalism.

I should note my refusal to accept that they simply got this much right by accident, which I find improbable. Why would accident bring them to such a counterintuitive belief? Truth from subjective religious rapture is also highly suspect. Firstly, those who enter religious raptures tend to see what they already know. Secondly, if the self is an illusion, then arent subjective insights from meditation illusory as well?

I dont mean to dismiss or gloss over the areas where Buddhism and neuroscience diverge. Some Buddhist dogmas deviate from what we know about the brain. Buddhism posits an immaterial thing that survives the brains death and is reincarnated. After a persons death, the consciousness reincarnates. If you buy into the idea of a constantly changing immaterial soul, this isnt as tricky and insane as it seems to the non-indoctrinated. During life, consciousness changes as mental states replace one another, so each moment can be considered a reincarnation from the moment before. The waves lap, the sand shifts. If youre good, they might one day lap upon a nicer beach, a higher plane of existence. If youre not, well, someones waves need to supply the baseline awareness of insects, worms, and other creepy-crawlies.

The problem is that theres no evidence for an immaterial thing that gets reincarnated after death. In fact, theres even evidence against it. Reincarnation would require an entity (even the vague, impermanent one called anatta) to exist independently of brain function. But brain function has been so closely tied to every mental function (every bit of consciousness, perception, emotion, everything self and non-self about you) that there appears to be no remainder. Reincarnation is not a trivial part of most forms of Buddhism. For example, the Dalai Lamas followers chose him because they believe him to be the living reincarnation of a long line of respected teachers.

Why have the dominant Western religious traditions gotten their permanent, independent souls so wrong? Taking note of change was not limited to Buddhism. The same sort of thinking pops up in Western thought as well. The pre-Socratic Heraclitus said, Nothing endures but change. But that observation didnt really go anywhere. It wasnt adopted by monotheistic religions or held up as a central natural truth. Instead, pure Platonic ideals won out, perhaps because they seemed more divine.

Western thought is hardly monolithic or simple, but monotheistic religions made a simple misstep when they didnt apply naturalism to themselves and their notions of their souls. Time and again, their prominent scholars and philosophers rendered the human soul exceptional and otherworldly, falsely elevating our species above and beyond nature. We see the effects today. When Judeo-Christian belief conflicts with science, it nearly always concerns science removing humans from a putative pedestal, a central place in creation. Yet science has shown us that we reside on the fringes of our galaxy, which itself doesnt seem to hold a particularly precious location in the universe. Our species came from common ape-like ancestors, many of which in all likelihood possessed brains capable of experiencing and manifesting some of our most precious human sentiments and traits. Our own brains produce the thing we call a mind, which is not a soul. Human exceptionalism increasingly seems a vain fantasy. In its modest rejection of that vanity, Buddhism exhibits less error and less original sin, this one of pride.

How well will any religion apply the lessons of neuroscience to the soul? Mr. Logosh, like every person whos brain lesion changes their mind, challenges the Western religions. An immaterial soul cannot easily account for even a stroke associated with aphasia. Will monotheistic religions change their idea of the soul to accommodate data? Will they even try? It is doubtful. The rigid human exceptionalism is cemented firmly into dogma.

Will Buddhists allow neuroscience to render their idea of reincarnation obsolete? This is akin to asking if the Dalai Lama and his followers will decide hes only the symbolic reincarnation of past teachers. This is also doubtful, but Buddhisms first steps at least made it possible. Unrelated to neuroscience and neurology, in 1969 the Dalai Lama said his office was an institution created to benefit others. It is possible that it will soon have outlived its usefulness. Impermanence and shifting parts entail constant change, so perhaps it is no surprise that hes lately said he may choose the next office holder before his death.

Buddhisms success was to apply the worlds impermanence to humans and their souls. The results have carried this religion from ancient antiquity into modernity, an impressive distance. With no fear of impermanent beliefs or constant change, how far will they go?

Originally published March 9, 2011

See the rest here:
Buddhism and the Brain SEEDMAGAZINE.COM

You are here

Five College Buddhist Studies

Buddhism began in India some two and a half millennia ago. Since that time it has evolved through a number of transformations and has been transmitted to numerous cultures. Buddhism has had a great impact upon the lives of individuals and the development of societies, and it has made many contributions to various spheres of culture, for example to art, literature, philosophy and religion.

With one of the largest concentrations of scholars of Buddhist Studies in the United States, the Five Colleges provide an excellent environment in which to study Buddhism: collectively, we enable students to study most of the major Buddhist traditions. In addition to our many Junior Year Abroad and other extended study programs in Asia, our academic exchange program with the Central University of Tibetan Studies in India offers a unique opportunity for our students to study with eminent Tibetan scholars.

The Five College Buddhist Certificate might be pursued in conjunction with a major in philosophy, religious studies, anthropology, Asian studies or another field to which Buddhist Studies is directly relevant. However, it might also be used to support studies in a very different field, such as law, one of the social sciences or studies in the arts or humanities. Students who enter this program will benefit from the structure it provides and from advising by program faculty members, enabling them to take full advantage of the resources offered in the Pioneer Valley beyond their individual colleges.

Read the original post:
Five College Buddhist Studies | http://www.fivecolleges.edu

Bodhisattva at the National Museum, Delhi, India. CC Hyougushi at Flickr.com.

By N.S. Gill

Buddhism is the religion of the followers of Gautama Buddha (Sakayamuni). It is an offshoot of Hinduism with many variations in practices and belief, including vegetarianism, in some, but not all branches. Like Hinduism, Buddhism is one of the major religions of the world with probably more than 3.5 million adherents. Common threads of Buddhism include the 3 jewels (Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha 'community'), and the goal of nirvana.

Following the 8-fold path can lead to enlightenment and nirvana.

Emperor Ashoka (3rd century B.C.) inscribed Buddhist ideas on his famous pillars and send Buddhist missionaries to various parts of his empire. He also sent them to the king in Sri Lanka, where Buddhism became the state religion, and the teachings of the form of Buddhism known as Theravda Buddhism were later written down in the Pali language.

Between the fall of the Mauryan Empire and the next (Gupta) empire, Buddhism spread along the trade routes of Central Asia and into China, and diversified. [See the Silk Road.]

Great monasteries (Mahaviharas) grew important, especially as universities, during the Gupta Dynasty.

Sources

Read the original:
Tenets of Buddhism

Nicholas Kristof Op-Ed column asserts China is insisting on choosing next Dalai Lama as means of controlling Tibet; says Dalai Lama has delivered mischevious response in suggesting that perhaps Beijing should consider next lives of its own leaders if it is so interested in reincarnation; notes Dalai Lama's surprising admiration of Pres Xi Jinping and suggests he extend invitation for Dalai Lama to visit China; offers Dalai Lama's answers to reader questions. MORE

Court in Myanmar sentences Philip Blackwood of New Zealand and U Tun Thurein and U Htut Ko Ko Lwin to two years in prison each for using image of Buddha wearing headphones to promote event at bar where they worked; court rules that image violated country's law against insulting, damaging or destroying religion. MORE

Chinese Communist Party leaders, during annual gathering in Beijing, react angrily to comments made by the exiled Dalai Lama hinting that he might end his spiritual lineage and not reincarnate; move would upset their plans to announce a putative successor who would support China's policies in Tibet. MORE

Funeral for Wenjian Liu, who is believed to be first Chinese-American police officer killed in line of duty in New York, will be carried out in Buddhist tradition, and will also contain all the official trappings known to Westerners. MORE

Jody Jaffe and John Muncie travel article on Thailand's 'gong highway,' 21-mile section of road in eastern Thailand where gongs and bells are made for most of country's more than 30,000 Buddhist temples. MORE

Spiritual enlightenment sweeping America has strong ties to Buddhist mindfulness practice, thanks in part to Jack Kornfield, ex-monk and founder of Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Northern California. MORE

Ashin Wirathu, radical monk from Myanmar who has preached hatred toward Muslims and is spiritual leader of campaign to boycott Muslim businesses, says his movement will join hands with a Sri Lankan group Bodu Bala Sena to 'protect Buddhism around the world'; group had been accused of instigating attacks against Muslims in Sri Lanka. MORE

Tibetan Buddhists in Yushu, China, have been flocking to Batang River to rescue small river shrimp; monks say growing interest in so-called 'life liberation' or 'mercy release' is part of surge of religious devotion that followed 2010 earthquake that claimed more than 3,000 lives. MORE

Historical tolerance shown by bygone Buddhist rulers is unraveling in Mandalay, Myanmars second largest city, as antipathy between Buddhists and Muslims continues to spread; two people have died from riots, which have prompted nighttime curfew and left the country's best assimilated minorities fearful for their lives. MORE

Buddhist leaders in New York's Chinese neighborhoods have raised concerns about men who present themselves as monks and solicit money from passers-by; men, and some women who claim to be nuns, have become ubiquitous in places like Times Square; similarly attired men have attracted scrutiny around the world. MORE

Authorities in Myanmar have declared nighttime curfew and dispatched riot police to patrol streets following rampage by radical Buddhists that left two people dead; violence is part of series of disappointments that have dimmed euphoria that followed end to country's military rule; critics say that religious politicking has distracted leaders from democratic reforms. MORE

Authorities in Myanmar declare nighttime curfew in city of Mandalay after resurgence of religious violence between Buddhists and Muslims leaves two people dead and more than a dozen injured. MORE

Samuel G Freedman On Religion column; Tassajara Zen Buddhist monastery in Northern California offers female military veterans, who suffer from PTSD and other issues, a workshop retreat using principles of Zen Buddhism. MORE

Three people are killed and 78 injured in riots between Buddhists and Muslims in Aluthgama, Sri Lanka, after months of rising tensions; it is some of the worst religious violence in the country in decades. MORE

International dispute continues 13 years after Afghanistan's Bamian Buddhas were blasted into rubble; major donor countries insist that site be left as it is while Afghan government demands at least one be rebuilt. MORE

Nearly 750,000 people in Myanmar, mostly members of Muslim minority, have been deprived of medical services following government ban of Doctors Without Borders; government ordered halt to group's work after some officials accused group of favoring Muslim Rohingya ethnic group over Rakhine Buddhists. MORE

Tibetan Buddhist Resource Center at Southwest University for Nationalities in Chengdu, China, houses 12,000 works of Tibetan literature collected by American scholar E Gene Smith, mainly from Tibetan refugees during Cultural Revolution; center has prompted people across country to bring out old Tibetan manuscripts that were thought to be lost or destroyed. MORE

The Week column; architects in Nepal unearth Buddhist shrine erected as early as sixth century BC; discovery provides evidence that the Buddha may have lived centuries earlier than previously thought; other significant developments in science and medicine highlighted. MORE

Excavations by archaeologists at Lumbini, Nepal, which is said to be the birthplace of Buddha, have uncovered evidence suggesting that Buddha's birth may have been as early as sixth century BC, which is much earlier than previously believed. MORE

Stabbing death of elderly Muslim woman Daw Aye Kyi by Buddhist mob in Myanmar is stark symbol of breadth of anti-Muslim feelings in this Buddhist-majority country; growing hatred appears to be fueled by teachings of radical Buddhist group 969. MORE

About 50 members of Muslim minority in Myanmar are feared drowned after trying to flee Rakhine State in a boat that sank; minority Rohingya Muslims have been leaving country in droves since clashes with ethnic Rakhine Buddhists, who make up a majority of the state's population, erupted in 2012. MORE

Buddhist mobs kill 94-year-old Muslim woman and burn more than 70 homes in Rakhine State, Myanmar; sectarian violence once again grips region despite visit by President Thein Sein aimed at resolving tensions. MORE

Bagan Journal; curators are working in Myanmar to assemble exhibit of Buddhist art that will travel to Asia Society in New York City in 2015 and offer a rare glimpse into the countrys history. MORE

United Nations human rights envoy visiting Myanmar says that confrontation he had with mob made him empathize with victims of the countrys deadly sectarian violence between Buddhists and Muslims. MORE

Wes Nisker Preoccupations column relates how as a teacher of Buddhist principles, who once depended only on his students generosity, he found a more sustainable income through his Buddhist-inspired comedy routine. MORE

Sri Lankan police impose a curfew on a Colombo neighborhood, day after a Buddhist-led mob vandalized a mosque in an episode that has heightened religious tensions in the country and prompted a statement of concern by the United States. MORE

More than 20 Buddhists are sentenced to as much as 15 years in prison for murder and other crimes for March incidents of violence against Muslims in Myanmar; sentences do not erase sense of unequal justice in country where Muslim minority has borne most of legal brunt for Buddhist-Muslim violence. MORE

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon warns Myanmar government of 'dangerous polarization' between Buddhists and Muslims, urging leaders of Buddhist-majority country to resolve citizenship for nearly one million stateless Muslims near border with Bangladesh. MORE

Series of explosions rock one of Buddhism's holiest sites in Eastern India, attack that officials call an act of terrorism; two people are wounded in explosions at Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya. MORE

Yangon Journal; those in Myanmar's Muslim minority say they are constantly wary and fearful of attacks from country's Buddhists, unsettling change after decades of peaceful religious coexistence; root of violence, which has left around 200 Muslims dead, appears partly legacy of country's colonial history. MORE

Myanmar government awards major telecommunications contracts to two foreign companies, milestone in country's connecting with rest of world; Buddhist monk Ashin Wimala, one leader of radical nationalist Buddhist movement, calls for boycott of one company, Ooredoo, because it is based in Muslim country of Qatar. MORE

Nationwide fundamentalist movement of extreme Buddhism has grown in Myanmar, with hate-filled speeches and violence against Muslim minority revealing darker side of country's greater freedoms after decades of military rule; Buddhist agenda includes boycotts of Muslim-made goods, and lynch mobs have killed more than 200 Muslims and forced more than 150,000 people from their homes. MORE

Court in Myanmar finds two Muslim women guilty of setting off sectarian violence, one of them by bumping into a Buddhist novice monk; both are sentenced to two years in prison with hard labor for 'insulting religion.' MORE

Editorial calls on Myanmar government to speak out and act against anti-Muslim violence in country; warns that news reports of more frequent clashes suggests radical strains of Buddhism may be spreading, and such deadly sectarianism will undermine efforts to stabilize the country. MORE

Security forces in Myanmar struggle to bring peace to northern city after Buddhist mobs set fire to mosque, Muslim school and shops, latest outbreak of religious violence in country and sign that radical strains of Buddhism may be spreading. MORE

Court in Myanmar sentences seven Muslim men to prison on charges related to incidents of religious violence in March that left more than 40 people dead and chased thousands from their homes; Muslims are critical of decision, saying that most of violence was carried out by Buddhist mobs attacking Muslims. MORE

Buddhist mobs overrun two mosques and set fire to over 100 homes in central Myanmar, killing one person and wounding at least nine other people. MORE

Myanmars venerated Buddhist order, the Sangha, has become largely corrupt and a breeding ground for sectarianism. MORE

Simmering religious and ethnic violence in Myanmar spreads beyond its borders when brawl breaks out at immigration center in Indonesia between Muslim and Buddhist detainees, leaving 8 dead and 15 wounded. MORE

Myanmar's government arrests dozens of people in connection with anti-Muslim protests by Buddhists and some will go on trial within days. MORE

Pres Thein Sein of Myanmar says he is prepared to use force to quell religious rioting that has shaken country, answering calls even from longtime democracy advocates for more forceful security measures. MORE

Major commercial area of Yangon, Myanmar, shuts down after rumors spread of sectarian attacks on Muslims; shutdown reflects nervous mood in country after deadly rioting by Buddhist mobs. MORE

Deadly rioting between Buddhists and Muslims further underlines how ethnic and religious fissures in Myanmar pose serious impediments to democratic change in country; interviews with ethnic leaders suggest some minorities are more pessimistic than ever about hopes for reconciliation. MORE

Army units restore order to city in central Myanmar devastated by three days of religious rioting and arson attacks; state news media says 32 people died in violence between Buddhists and Muslims in Meiktila. MORE

Myanmar Pres Thein Sein declares state of emergency in area of city of Meiktila and orders military to assist in quelling riots that residents say have left at least 20 people dead; religious violence in city between Buddhists and Muslims underlines what residents say is vacuum of authority. MORE

At least five people in central Myanmar are killed in fighting between Buddhists and Muslims, another sign of resurgence of communal violence that is testing country's fledgling democracy. MORE

Project aimed at restoring artwork of two of three main Buddhist monasteries in Lo Manthang, Nepal, stirs debate; some scholars of Tibetan art say painters are altering important historical murals and jeopardizing scholarship; those involved in project argue residents want complete artwork in their houses of worship. MORE

Investigation by an independent council of Buddhist leaders claims that renowned 105-year-old Buddhist teacher Joshu Sasaki groped and sexually harassed female students for decades, taking advantage of their loyalty and his exalted position. MORE

Op-Ed article by freelance journalist Andrew Lawler warns that Chinese engineers, with encouragement of American government, are preparing to demolish vast complex of richly decorated ancient Buddhist monasteries in Afghanistan because they sit atop one of world's largest copper deposits; contends that destroying humanity's common heritage limits understanding of past. MORE

Thailand's monks and Buddhist temples, once central parts of village life, have become marginalized as country grows more secular and wealthy; while many countries have undergone shift from sacred to secular as they have modernized, rapid pace of change in Thailand is particularly striking. MORE

There are no additional abstracts to display.

See the original post here:
Buddhism - News - Times Topics - The New York Times

edit The health and fitness portal

The most solid aspects of wellness that fit firmly in the realm of medicine are the environmental health, nutrition, disease prevention, and public health matters that can be investigated and assist in measuring well-being. Please see our medical disclaimer for cautions about Wikipedia's limitations.

The notion of physical fitness is used in two close meanings.

In its most general meaning, physical fitness is a general state of good physical health. A physically handicapped person's body may be physically fit (healthy), though its ability is likely to be less than optimum.

Physical fitness is usually a result of regular physical activity and proper nutrition.

Physical fitness can be divided into different areas, including:

The government Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans say to aim for at least 2 hours and 30 minutes of aerobic activity that requires moderate effort each week.

A person may be said to be physically fit to perform a particular task with a reasonable efficiency, for example, fit for military service.

In recent years, Military-style fitness training programs have become increasingly popular among civilians. Courses are available all over the United States and Europe.

These courses always have some common elements. They often focus on military style calisthenics and group runs. The courses are often held very early in the morning and will meet in almost any weather. Students can expect push-ups, sit-ups, pullups, and jumping jacks, as well as more obscure drills such as flutter kicks, sun worshippers and flares. Almost invariably a workout will include short runs while longer runs are more scheduled. Special forces are commonly renowned for their level of fitness and intensity of their workouts.

A healthy diet is a diet which contains a balanced amount of nutrients, varied food such as fruits and vegetables, proteins primarily from fish, dairy products, and nuts. Minimal amounts of caffeine, sugar, fat, salt, and alcohol. Healthy eating is identical to a healthy diet, in that it relates to the practice of food intake for healthy living. Governments often use this term to refer to the ideal diet which the average person requires to remain healthy.

Despite popular belief, a reliance on a single food which composes the majority of a diet is indicative of poor eating habits. An individual on such a diet may be prone to deficiency and most certainly will not be fulfilling the Recommended Nutrient Intake.

While plants, vegetables, and fruits are known to help reduce the incidence of chronic disease[1], the benefits on health posed by plant-based foods, as well as the percentage on which a diet needs to be plant-based in order to have health benefits, is unknown. Nevertheless, plant-based food diets in society and between nutritionist circles are linked to health and longevity, as well as contributing to lowering cholesterol, weight loss, and, in some cases, stress reduction. [2]

Although a number of preconceptions of a healthy diet center around plant-based foods, the majority of assumptions about foods which are usually thought of as "bad" foods are usually correct, apart from the assumption that there are "bad" foods; many people associate dishes such as Full English cooked Breakfast and Bacon Sandwiches as foods which, if eaten regularly, can contribute to cholesterol, fat, and heart problems.

A healthy diet is usually defined as a diet in which nutrient intake is maintained, and cholesterol, salt, sugar, and fat are reduced. The idea of a healthy diet is something used by a government to ensure that people are well "protected" against common illnesses and conditions which stem from poor diet. This could include headaches, lessened sexual drive, heart disease, alcohol poisoning, or obesity.[3]

A healthy diet is a way of eating that that reduces risk for complications such as heart disease and stroke. Healthy eating includes eating a wide variety of foods including: vegetables whole grains fruits non-fat dairy products beans lean meats poultry fish

The definition of a healthy diet is sometimes also thought of as a diet which will combat or prevent illness. Although the majority of people would support this definition, few know why, other than because "bad" foods are not consumed. People with healthy diets are less likely to succumb to common minor illnesses, such as lesser forms of Influenza, mainly because consumption of a healthy diet would provide ample nutrients and energy for the body, so as to help stave off such illnesses. Similarly, the healthy diet can also be used this way to aid the body during illness. The myth of "feed a cold, starve a fever" is a common misconception among the public, particularly in the United Kingdom. This is a myth in every sense of the word because providing the body with nutrients during illness is actually beneficial - nutrient and energy stores would be replenished, allowing for more energy to be used by the body to combat illness.

The importance at present of a Healthy diet is something which is actually receiving many promotions throughout several countries due to obesity epidemics. Governments, particularly in the United Kingdom, through the advice of the Department of Health, introduced a public health white paper to parliament, CM 6374, which aimed to deal with the issues presented by particularly imported culture - cigarettes, alcohol and fast food all being produced in their majority in the United States, or by US-based companies. [4]

Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a steroid, a lipid, and an alcohol, found in the cell membranes of all body tissues, and transported in the blood plasma of all animals. Most cholesterol is not dietary in origin, it is synthesized internally. Cholesterol is present in higher concentrations in tissues which either produce more or have more densely-packed membranes, for example, the liver, spinal cord, brain and atheroma. Cholesterol plays a central role in many biochemical processes, but is best known for the association of cardiovascular disease with various lipoprotein cholesterol transport patterns in the blood.

The name originates from the Greek chole- (bile) and stereos (solid), as researchers first identified cholesterol (C27H45OH) in solid form in gallstones.

Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint.

"The more you sweat in training, the less you bleed in battle."

Human life needs superhuman health.

"An apple a day keeps the doctor away."

"No pain, no gain."

"Do not spend health to gain money, and then, do not spend money to regain health"

" Honour your Divine Body Temple"

"To sit in a comfortable position or posture for everlasting period is called asana"

heath is very important for our life [kailash vishwakarma]

Linus Carl Pauling (February 28, 1901 August 19, 1994) was an American quantum chemist and biochemist, widely regarded as the premier chemist of the twentieth century. Pauling was a pioneer in the application of quantum mechanics to chemistry, and in 1954 was awarded the Nobel Prize in chemistry for his work describing the nature of chemical bonds. He also made important contributions to crystal and protein structure determination, and was one of the founders of molecular biology. Pauling received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1962 for his campaign against above-ground nuclear testing, becoming only one of four people in history to individually receive two Nobel Prizes. Later in life, he became an advocate for regular consumption of massive doses of Vitamin C. Pauling coined the term "orthomolecular" to refer to the practice of varying the concentration of substances normally present in the body to prevent and treat disease, and promote health.

Pauling was first introduced to the concept of high-dose vitamin C by biochemist Irwin Stone in 1966 and began taking several grams every day to prevent colds. Excited by the results, he researched the clinical literature and published "Vitamin C and the Common Cold" in 1970. He began a long clinical collaboration with the British cancer surgeon, Ewan Cameron, MD [5] in 1971 on the use of intravenous and oral vitamin C as cancer therapy for terminal patients. Cameron and Pauling wrote many technical papers and a popular book, "Cancer and Vitamin C", that discussed their observations. He later collaborated with the Canadian physician, Abram Hoffer, MD, PhD,[6] on a micronutrient regimen, including high-dose vitamin C, as adjunctive cancer therapy.

The selective toxicity of vitamin C for cancer cells has been demonstrated repeatedly in cell culture studies. The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences [7] recently published a paper demonstrating vitamin C killing cancer cells. As of 2005, some physicians have called for a more careful reassessment of vitamin C, especially intravenous vitamin C, in cancer treatment.

With two colleagues, Pauling founded the Institute of Orthomolecular Medicine in Menlo Park, California, in 1973, which was soon renamed the Linus Pauling Institute of Science and Medicine. Pauling directed research on vitamin C, but also continued his theoretical work in chemistry and physics until his death in 1994. In his last years, he became especially interested in the possible role of vitamin C in preventing atherosclerosis and published three case reports on the use of lysine and vitamin C to relieve angina pectoris. In 1996, the Linus Pauling Institute moved from Palo Alto, California, to Corvallis, Oregon, to become part of Oregon State University, where it continues to conduct research on micronutrients, phytochemicals (chemicals from plants), and other constituents of the diet in preventing and treating disease.

Health level of functional and (or) metabolic efficiency of a person in mind, body and spirit; being free from illness, injury or pain (as in good health or healthy). The World Health Organization (WHO) defined health in its broader sense in 1946 as "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity."

Purge server cache

Visit link:
Portal:Health and fitness - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Skin Science

Skin Science Medical Skin Care Spa, Where Beauty Meets Science.

Being busy doesnt necessarily mean being happy, healthy or successful.

By Sharon Armstrong

The grace, athleticism and history of Equine Sports.

By Thomas Leggett

Feast on Flavor While Keeping Nutrition in Mind this Thanksgiving

Shifting his food/culture paradigm leads athlete Josh LaJaunie to better health.

By Sharon Armstrong

Our H&FM Local Success have stories that inspire us.

The sweetness of November tasted in local satsumas.

Surfing-inspired works to sculpt a beach-ready body.

Trending flavors, achieving higher test scores, postpartum depression and other research thats making the news.

Beauty tips and new products to look well rested and glowing.

By: Emily M. Harwood

Dr. Baum discusses varicocele, cryogenic sperm freezing and more.

Integrative Medicine for Your Pet.

By Kerrie Ann Frey

The mental, emotional, spiritual and health benefits of pet ownership.

By Sharon Armstrong

Efficient and healthy breakfast, lunch and snack meal prep.

By Rebecca Miller, MPH, RDN, LDN

Jobs that keep you - and your bank account - in shape.

By Thomas Leggett

Metastatic breast cancers facts and figures.

By Vijay Pate, MD

Strength exercises for optimal sports performance.

By Jennifer Novak

Local competitive runner relies on family and track club support to keep the wins coming.

By Sharon Armstrong

Here is the original post:
Health & Fitness Magazine

The path to a regular exercise routine has great rewards as well as roadblocks. Well help make it simple and safe and give you motivation to push on.

Who has time to waste on ineffective, risky exercises? Not you. So ditch these nine moves that may not deliver the results you want -- and may even cause injury.

How to overcome your fitness excuses and start exercising.

There are plenty of ways to be active in fall and winter, even if the weather turns cold. You can stay in shape and have fun while you're at it.

Summer is a great time for being active. Even if you live where it gets hot or humid, there are ways you can stay in shape year-round. But make sure to take precautions when you are active outside.

Learn about different types of sports injuries and treatments.

If youre just starting an exercise program, soreness can come even 48 hours later. Learn whats going on and what to do about it.

Lactic acidosis occurs naturally during vigorous exercise.

Head injuries are injuries to the scalp, skull, or brain caused by trauma.

Head injuries are injuries to the scalp, skull, or brain caused by trauma.

Ligament injuries in the knee - such as an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) -- are dreaded by professional and amateur athletes alike.

It's one of the darkest fears of pitchers, tennis players, and many other athletes: a rotator cuff tear.

Muscle strain -- or muscle pull or even a muscle tear -- implies damage to a muscle or its attaching tendons.

WebMD takes a look at common workout injuries, how to prevent them, and what to do when workout injuries occur.

Continue reading below...

Read the rest here:
Health & Fitness: Tips for Success - WebMD

UNDERSTAND

Your ability to perform effectively in your job requires that you have and understand a complete and up-to-date job description for your position, and that you understand the job performance requirements and standards that you are expected to meet. Your supervisor should review your job description and performance requirements with you.

Performance reviews typically take place annually, but can be scheduled more frequently. Performance review processes vary depending on whether your appointment is as classified or professional staff. For classified staff covered by a labor contract, the contract establishes the performance review process requirements. The following table provides links to information about the performance review process and a summary of some information about the process.

You and your supervisor use the annual performance evaluation to:

Sometimes an employees performance will not be consistent with the requirements of the position. If this happens, and normal coaching, counseling and/or training do not bring performance to an acceptable level, a supervisor may use the corrective action process to help constructively bring an employees performance to an acceptable level. The Universitys corrective action process implements progressively more formal counseling, feedback, and goal setting.

Make sure you understand:

Talk to your supervisor if you are unsure of the work that you are expected to perform or the standards you are expected to meet in order to gain a better understanding of his or her expectations. If there are things you think you need help with to be successful, discuss them with your supervisor. These could be instructions, training, support/cooperation from coworkers, etc.

Throughout the year, you and your supervisor should discuss your work and address any issues that may be affecting your job performance. If you are experiencing challenges in your work that you cannot resolve on your own, seek your supervisors feedback and assistance. Depending on your career goals, discuss opportunities to enhance or expand skills.

Prepare for your performance review by:

Use the conversation with your supervisor to set goals that are as specific, measurable, and realistic as possible. Also consider how you might want to progress in your job and the skills you would like to develop. Your performance review is a good time to discuss skills development and possible job progression opportunities.

The review should be completed, reviewed, and signed by the employee and supervisor. If you have a question or concern about your performance evaluation, ask your supervisor during the evaluation process.

UW Human Resources offers information to help you improve your job performance.

Read the original here:
Employee Job Performance - University of Washington

Sections of This Topic Include Preparation

Some Suggested Previous Reading to Really Understand "Performance" A Story to Further Explain What "Performance" Really Is

Establishing Performance Goals Developing Performance Plans Giving and Receiving Feedback Evaluating Performance (Performance Appraisals) Rewarding Performance Addressing Performance Problems Performance Improvement/Development Plans Firing Employees

Additional Perspectives on Employee Performance Management ---Overviews of Employee Performance Management Programs ---Basic Guide to Leadership and Supervision

Additional Perspectives on Employee Performance Management

Also see Related Library Topics

In addition to the articles on this current page, also see the following blogs that have posts related to Employee Performance Management. Scan down the blog's page to see various posts. Also see the section "Recent Blog Posts" in the sidebar of the blog or click on "next" near the bottom of a post in the blog. The blog also links to numerous free related resources.

Library's Career Management Blog Library's Human Resources Blog Library's Leadership Blog Library's Supervision Blog

The following links provide a broad overview of the employee performance management process. Performance Plan (repeated from "Basic Overview") Overview of Employee Performance Management Performance Management: An Overview How to Maximize Your Performance Appraisal Score Elevating Performance Management Performance Management How To Videos

List of useful links about employee performance management Onboarding: A review of the literature associated with new manager orientation, applicable to most employees Leadership and Supervision (building leaders at every level) Managing Day-to-Day Employee Performance 5 Performance Management Tasks That are Often Overlooked Improving Employee Engagement to Drive Business Performance Driving Growth Through Workforce Empowerment: The Business Case for Integrated HCM Surprise! Respect for Employees and Fair Pay Are Profitable for Small Businesses ... and It's Not That Hard. Overcoming the Obstacles to "Clutch" Performance Employee Coaching: 3 Guidelines to Make It Work Training Every Employee to be CEO Ten Ways to Help Your Employees Make a Little Magic Enthusiastic Employees: Do You Have Them? Can You Fix My Employees With Training? Performance Management is Not about the Forms

To round out your knowledge of this Library topic, you may want to review some related topics, available from the link below. Each of the related topics includes free, online resources.

Also, scan the Recommended Books listed below. They have been selected for their relevance and highly practical nature.

The following books are recommended because of their highly practical nature and often because they include a wide range of information about this Library topic. To get more information about each book, just click on the image of the book. Also, a "bubble" of information might be displayed. You can click on the title of the book in that bubble to get more information, too.

Visit link:
How to Ensure Strong Employee Performance Management

Success Library 67 eBooks at your fingertips...

PLUS 2 SPECIAL BONUS eBOOKs if you ORDER the complete 67 ebook Library TODAY.

Click Here for details about the Success Library

Click Herefor information about awaken Forums

Your FREE eBooks

A World of Wisdom - Quotations for Enlightenment compiled by Donald G. Carty. This collection of words of wisdom quotes (over 600 quotes) is the result of working through 6 major quote books, books of my personal library, and many comprehensive internet collections from around the world. All together a first harvest, havingread some 60,000 Westernand Eastern quotes. My only criteria were that the quotehad to make me smile, wow or be thoughtful. I avoided those with too much superficial holiness and moral doctrine. Hope you enjoy what I've found.

Achieve Your Goals. This workbook was designed to teach anyone-whether changing careers, or wanting to improve their personal lives the tools and techniques they need to achieve their goals. Since the future is often hazy and reasonable goals are so difficult to set and follow, it is critical that people learn how to focus themselves and their skills to this end. (You will be redirected to the Personal Development Institute to download this eBook).

The Reality of the Unseen. by William James. It posits that individual religious experiences, rather than the tenets of organized religions, form the backbone of religious life - studded with richly concrete examples - documents and discusses various states on consciousness. James was the first to define Spirituality as "the feelings, acts, and experiences of individual men in their solitude."

Click Here for more FREE eBooks and Resources

Your FREE Mp3 Audio Downloads

"Success Live" Audio with Donald Gordon Carty. Napoleon Hill, Dorothea Brande, Charles F. Haanel, Wallace D. Wattles, Genevieve Behrend, Thomas Troward, James Allen, Russell H. Conwell, William W. Atkinson, Theron Q. Dumont, Ernest Holmes, Mildred Mann, Kahlil Gibran, Marcus Aurelius, -these are only some of the brilliant minds who have been gathered together for the first time in history in the fulfillment of the dream I have had for many years-to publish the ultimate audio success library were only the acknowledged masters of that subject were made available to counsel and teach and guide you. (you will be redirected to the Success Live podcast page for download or to listen)

Your FREE Resources

The following FREEresources provide invaluable feedback about you and where you are starting your personal development journey.

The key to Personal Development is self-knowledge. The Free Personality Profile is often our starting point for Coaching and Mentoring.

If you are exploring what truly motivates you, the Free Personal Potential Assessment will help you identify your natural motivations, interests and talents for work.

Once you have completed the free personality profile and the free career potential assessment then you are ready to Build Your Free Mission Statement. This is where you will start building your path to personal development.

For FREE Information and Instruction on Health and healing an please view our Health and Healing page. Great illustrations on how to do the 5 Tibetan Rites of Rejuvenation.

For continued Education please view our . Top 60 of the Greatest Self Help, Success, Spiritual and Personal Transformation eBooks ever written. Only $1.99 each.

67 of the Greatest Classic Self Help, Success, Spiritual and Personal Transformation ebooks ever written.From timeless Sages to present day Gurus these books distillCenturies of Wisdom into some pretty hard hitting and important messages.

These are the full versions written by the original authors. Buy only the ebooks you want for $1.99 each or buy the entire Library at one time for less than 74 cents for each ebook (That's a savings of over 55%).

Click Here for more details about the Success Library

YOUR FREE NEWSLETTER

To begin enjoying the benefits of the FREE Personal Development Institute newsletter please join our mailing list. At the PDI we respect your privacy, and will never pass on your personal information to anyone without your consent.

Join the Personal Development Institute Mailing List

For Questions or Concerns please email; members@thepdi.com

custom-design your own unique path of personal development & professional growth with thesefree resources.

Donald Gordon Carty, founder of the Personal Development Institute, is an avid reader and passionate student of Human Potential and Development. He is not only one of the best presenters of Personal Development information in the World, but he is also a man on a mission; to awaken people to a new way of thinking about what it is to be human and what it takes to make life and work more rewarding and fulfilling. After nearly four decades of analysis, research and practical experience Donald is bringing this key information for achieving success and fulfillment to the individual person who needs it most.

Click Here for more details about the Personal Development Institute

Our purpose is to awaken people to a new way of thinking about what it is to be human and what it takes to make life and work more rewarding and fulfilling.

In our vision we see great thinkers, leaders and mentors provoking new ideas and new solutions to the challenges of working in groups, organizations and communities. We see the Personal Development Institute playing a significant role in the evolution of this new consciousness and serving people as they embrace their own quest for success and fulfillment.

The Personal Development Institute provides you with the products, information and services to custom design your own path of personal and professional growth. To develop physically, emotionally and spiritually, to increase the quality of your communications, relationships, wellness and effectiveness in the world.

Click Here for more details about the Personal Development Institute

See original here:
Free Personal Development eBooks and Resources