Lifestyle - 5/9 - Third Monk

Nov 12, 2013Jun 17, 2016

Male Circumcision Leads to Worsened Sex Life (Study)

Male circumcision is a controversial subject. Religious traditions, misleading pseudo-science, and societal myths and legends associated with the subject certainly don’t help matters.

Recently, some 5,000 sexually active men and women were surveyed about their experiences and possible problems with their sex lives. With a specific focus on circumcised men and their women, the results are startling.

If a man is circumcised, he faces an increased risk of experiencing delayed orgasm, and his female partner has an increased risk of not feeling sexually fulfilled.

This is the clear-cut conclusion of a new Danish research article, which has received international attention.

Circumcised men are three times as likely to experience a frequent inability to reach an orgasm – Associate Professor Morten Frisch from Danish Research Enterprise SSI

Male Circumcision’s Effect on Women

This is one of only a few studies of the sexual consequences of male circumcision, and in one area in particular it is groundbreaking:

“Previous studies into male circumcision have looked at the effects it has on the men. But scientists have never really studied the effects this has on the women’s sex lives,” says Frisch.

It appears that women with circumcised men are twice as likely to be sexually frustrated. They experience a three-fold risk of frequent difficulties in achieving orgasm, and an eight-fold risk of feeling pain during intercourse – also known as dyspareunia. – Frisch

But Why?

There appears to be a very simple reason why circumcised men and their partners are having problems with their sex lives.

The circumcised man develops a thin layer of hard skin on his penis head, which decreases the sensitivity. This means that in order to reach an orgasm, he needs to work harder at it, and that can lead to a painful experience for the woman.

“We conducted a survey, but the data does not explain why these problems occur. There are, however, some good suggestions in the scientific literature,” he explains.

When the penis enters the vagina, the foreskin is pulled back. And on its way out again, the foreskin goes back to cover the penis head. This way the foreskin stimulates both the man and the woman.

The gliding in-and-out movement of the foreskin, combined with the in-and-out movement inside the vagina, constitutes what is known as ‘the gliding movement’.

When a circumcised man moves in and out of a woman without ‘the gliding movement’ caused by the foreskin, it can have a painful effect on the woman’s mucous membrane. This could explain the pain and the tendency towards dryness that some women with circumcised men experience. – Frisch

Possible Sources of Error

The study did not involve many religiously circumcised men – Jews and Muslims, for example. But even with these factors taken into account, the data pointed in the same direction. The statistical analyses also took a long list of additional relevant factors into account, including:

Age
Cultural background
Religious background
Marital status
Levels of education
Household income
Age at first intercourse
Number of sex partners
Frequency of sexual activity with one partner in the past year

We adjusted for all these factors in an attempt to ensure that circumcision is the actual cause, and that the link isn’t attributable to other factors. – Frisch

Clear-cut Results

Frisch mentions an example of how things get muddled up if researchers do not adjust for possible sources of error when they work with statistics:

If, for instance, you look at people who drink lots of beer, you’ll see that they face an increased risk of developing lung cancer, compared to those who don’t drink much. But it’s not the drinking itself that causes the lung cancer. There just happens to be a correlation between drinking and smoking, and it is actually the smoking that causes the lung cancer. – Frisch

These kinds of error sources were taken into account, and the bottom-line results were clear:

We’re seeing a consistent picture. Even though most circumcised men – and their women – do not have problems with their sex lives, there is a significantly larger group of circumcised men and their female partners who experience frequent problems in achieving orgasm, compared to couples where the man is not circumcised. – Frisch

In addition, there are significantly more women with circumcised men, who experience vaginal pains during intercourse or feel that their sexual needs are not met.

Further Studies Required

Frisch hopes this new study will be replicated by researchers in other countries and cultures.

“That way we can ascertain whether this phenomenon applies to Danes only or whether it extends into other cultures too,” he says. “All in all, I have a humble approach to our findings, so I would also like to see whether other Danish studies would reach the same conclusions.”

International Attention

According to Frisch, the study has received a great deal of international attention. For example, he has been contacted by politicians in California, who are very pleased with the results of the study because they want to ban circumcision in their federal state.

Others are less excited, saying the research is controversial.

This is a highly sensitive issue, and some people oppose the publication of this kind of research. Some people have actually tried to stop the publication of our article – Frisch

Ethical Questions

Certain groups and individuals are lobbying in favour circumcising all men, explains Frisch. Not necessarily out of religious concern, but because they believe that circumcision has a health-promotional effect. In Africa, for instance, there are indications that circumcision could reduce the risk of HIV infection.

> Circumcised Men Have Bad Sex Life | Science Nordic

Nov 3, 2013Jun 17, 2016

The Effect of Cannabis on Pregnant Women and Their Newborns (Study)

It’s almost too taboo to discuss: pregnant women smoking marijuana. It’s a dirty little secret for women, particularly during the harrowing first trimester, who turn to cannabis for relief from nausea and stress.

Pregnant women in Jamaica use marijuana regularly to relieve nausea, as well as to relieve stress and depression, often in the form of a tea or tonic.

In the late 1960s, grad student Melanie Dreher was chosen by her professors to perform an ethnographic study on marijuana use in Jamaica to observe and document its usage and its consequences among pregnant women.

Dreher studied 24 Jamaican infants exposed to marijuana prenatally and 20 infants that were not exposed. Her work evolved into the book Women and Cannabis: Medicine, Science and Sociology, part of which included her field studies.

Most North American studies have shown marijuana use can cause birth defects and developmental problems. Those studies did not isolate marijuana use, however, lumping cannabis with more destructive substances ranging from alcohol and tobacco to meth and heroin.

In Jamaica, Dreher found a culture that policed its own ganja intake and considers its use spiritual. For the herb’s impact when used during pregnancy, she handed over reports utilizing the Brazelton Scale, the highly recognized neonatal behavioral assessment that evaluates behavior.

The profile identifies the baby’s strengths, adaptive responses and possible vulnerabilities. The researchers continued to evaluate the children from the study up to 5 years old. The results showed no negative impact on the children, on the contrary they seemed to excel.

Plenty of people did not like that answer, particularly her funders, the National Institute on Drug Abuse. They did not continue to flip the bill for the study and did not readily release its results.

“March of Dimes was supportive,” Dreher says. “But it was clear that NIDA was not interested in continuing to fund a study that didn’t produce negative results. I was told not to resubmit. We missed an opportunity to follow the study through adolescence and through adulthood.”

Now dean of nursing at Rush University with degrees in nursing, anthropology and philosophy, plus a Ph.D. in anthropology from Columbia University, Dreher did not have experience with marijuana before she shipped off for Jamaica.

The now-marijuana advocate says that Raphael Mechoulam, the first person to isolate THC, should win a Pulitzer. Still, she understands that medical professionals shy from doing anything that might damage any support of their professionalism, despite marijuana’s proven medicinal effects, particularly for pregnant women.

Dr. Melanie Dreher’s study isn’t the first time Jamaican ganja smoking was subjected to a scientific study. One of the most exhausting studies is Ganja in Jamaica—A Medical Anthropological Study of Chronic Marijuana Use by Vera Rubin and Lambros Comitas, published in 1975. Unfortunately for the National Institute of Mental Health’s Center for Studies of Narcotic and Drug Abuse, the medical anthropological study concluded:

Despite its illegality, ganja use is pervasive, and duration and frequency are very high; it is smoked over a longer period in heavier quantities with greater THC potency than in the U.S. without deleterious social or psychological consequences [our emphasis].

> Special Delivery | I Read Culture

Oct 22, 2013Jun 17, 2016

Useful Yoga Poses for Athletic Recovery and Injury Prevention (Guide)

Yoga leads to increased flexibility and body awareness which is great for recovering from old injuries and preventing new ones. Yoga also relieves stress from your mind and body allowing for increased focus.

Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend)

In Uttanasana, your head is below your heart. This allows the unusual occasion for blood to rush to your head (rather than your feet), giving your cells a rejuvenating boost of oxygen.

Begin in Tadasana (Mountain Pose):

Tadasana (Mountain Pose)

Rest your hands on your hips, exhale, and bend forward from the hip joints rather than the waist. Draw your belly slightly in and focus on lengthening your front torso as you go deeper in Uttanasana. Keeping your knees straight, place your fingertips or palms on the floor beside your feet, or touch the back of your ankles with your palms. To modify this movement, cross your forearms and hold your elbows. To help tone your thighs, press your heels into the floor, lift your sit bones toward the sky, and turn the tops of your thighs slightly inward. Let your head hang loose, releasing all tension in your back and shoulder blades. Lengthen the front torso a little bit more on each inhale. On each exhale, release fully into the bend. Stay in this posture for 30 seconds to 1 minute.

To come out of Uttanasana, bring your hands back to your hips and rotate at the hip joints until you stand strong and tall. Do not simply roll your spine up.

Benefits of Uttanasana

Stretches the hips, hamstrings, and calves
Strengthens the thighs and knees
Keeps your spine strong and flexible
Reduces stress, anxiety, depression, and fatigue
Calms the mind and soothes the nerves
Relieves tension in the spine, neck, and back
Activates the abdominal muscles
Eases symptoms of menopause, asthma, headaches, and insomnia
Stimulates the kidneys, liver, spleen
Improves digestion
May lower high blood pressure
Therapeutic for infertility, osteoporosis, and sinusitis

Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog Pose)

Start on all fours with your knees directly underneath your hip and your hands directly underneath your shoulders. The palms are firmly grounded onto the mat and your fingers are spread. Pull your stomach in and melt your chest towards the floor. Tuck your toes underneath you. Lift your knees away from the floor, lengthen your spine backwards and shoot your tailbone up towards the sky as you straighten out your legs. Push the top of your thighs back and stretch your heels towards the floor. Form the shoulder blades onto the back, release the neck and extend your heart towards your thighs. Hold the pose for three minutes, rest, and repeat one more time.

Benefits of Adho Mukha Svanasana

Inverted poses are extremely important because they reverse the action of gravity on the body and get the blood and lymph flowing in opposite directions.
On an emotional level downward facing dog helps turn everything on its head and helps us see things from a different angle.
It helps boost self-confidence.
Because of the increased blood flow to the top of the body, shoulder stand can help improve brain function and cognition and reduce anxiety and depression.
Takes pressure off the heart, which has to work less to get blood flowing to the brain.
Strengthens and tones the arms and legs
Because of the weight bearing nature of the posture on the arms and legs it helps strengthen the bones and prevent osteoporosis.
Lengthens and straightens the spine, helping to relieve pain in the upper, middle and lower back.
The body gets a 360-degree stretch in just one pose.

Utkatasana (Chair Pose)

Begin in Tadasana (Mountain Pose). Stand with your big toes touching, heels slightly apart. Lift and spread your toes. Feel yourself rooted to the ground. Now, raise your arms above your head, perpendicular to the floor. Either keep your arms parallel, palms facing inward, or touch your palms together. Bend your knees and bring your thighs as parallel to the floor as possible. Your knees should come out over your feet and your torso should lean forward over the thighs, more or less forming a right angle with them. Keep your back long, with a slight curve in it, and keep the inner thighs parallel to each other. To intensify your thigh work-out, try squeezing a yoga block or holding a thick book between them. Let your shoulder blades relax down your back. Stay in this posture for 5 to 10 long, deep breaths.

To come out of Utkatasana inhale, straighten your knees, exhale and release your arms to your sides. You are now back in Tadasana.

Benefits of Utkatasana

Tones the leg muscles excellently
Strengthens hip flexors, ankles, calves, and back
Stretches chest and shoulders
Reduces symptoms of flat feet
Stimulates the heart, diaphragm, and abdominal organs

Utthita Ashwa Sanchalanasana (High Lunge)

Start in Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog). Exhale and step your right foot forward between your hands, aligning your knee over the heel. Keep your left leg strong and firm. Inhale and raise your torso to upright. At the same time, sweep your arms wide to the sides and raise them overhead, palms facing. Do not over-arch the lower back. Lengthen your tailbone toward the floor and reach back through your left heel. This will bring the shoulder blades deeper into the back and help support your chest. Look up toward your thumbs. Be sure not to press the front ribs forward. Draw them down and into the torso. Lift the arms from the lower back ribs, reaching through your little fingers. Hold for 30 seconds to a minute. Then exhale, release the torso to the right thigh, sweep your hands back onto the floor, and, with another exhale, step your right foot back and return to Down Dog. Hold for a few breaths and repeat with the left foot forward for the same length of time.

Benefits of High Lunge

Opens your groins and hips
Stretches and tones your legs, especially thighs
Strengthens your knees, ankles and waist
Stimulates abdominals’ organs
Increases stamina and lung capacity
Lengthens the spine, thereby stretching the chest
Therapeutic for indigestion, constipation, sciatica

Virabhadrasana I (Warrior I Pose)

Begin in Utthita Ashwa Sanchalanasana (High Lunge) with your right leg forward. If you are in correct stance, your right knee should be directly over your right ankle. Your right toes should point straight ahead and your left toes should be pointed 45-60 degrees away from your body. Make sure your right heel is in line with your left heel, then engage your legs by pressing through your feet. Bring your hands to your hips, squaring your hips and shoulders straight ahead. Then, relax your shoulders down your back and gently draw them together. Inhale and lift your arms straight up over your head, palms facing each other. If possible, bring your palms together. Now, reach up strongly through your arms. Avoid puffing out your sides; rather lift through your sternum so you can feel a nice stretch in your entire torso and spine. Keep your shoulders relaxed and chest lifted. To deepen the stretch, keep your palms together and gently arch your back, gazing up towards the ceiling. Feel strength and stability in your stance. Breathe deep and steady while you hold the pose for one minute.

To release, come back into high lunge, straighten the right leg, pivot your body 90 degress to the left, and point your toes in the same direction. Extend your arms out to your sides and you will be in Utthita Hasta Padasana (Extended Hands and Feet Pose). Take a few breaths of relaxation and repeat the exercise with your left foot forward.

Benefits of Virabhadrasana I

Strengthens your shoulders, arms, legs, ankles and back
Opens yours hips, chest and lungs
Improves focus, balance and stability
Encourages good circulation and respiration
Stretches your arms, legs, shoulders, neck, belly, groins and ankles
Energizes the entire body

Setu Bandhasana (Bridge Pose)

Lie flat on your back with arms at your sides, palms down. Bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor. Keep your feet hip width apart, parallel to each other, and as close to the buttocks as possible. Simultaneously, press your upper arms and feet into the floor and begin lifting your hips towards the ceiling. Distribute your weight equally on the inside and outside of your feet. Now, move your breastbone towards your chin, keeping your chin lifted only slightly as not to flatten the back of the neck. Firm your tailbone in towards the pubis and move your pubis slightly towards the belly. In order to keep the lower back extended, keep the knees over the ankles, perpendicular to the floor. Your buttocks should be firm, but not clasped. Lift your hips as high as you are able without breaking position. If you are having trouble holding posture, you can clasp your hands behind your back and firm you arms into the floor, shoulder blades shifted down along the spine. Hold this pose for 5 to 15 breaths.

To come out of Bridge Pose, release on an exhalation, rolling your spine slowly down onto the floor.

Benefits of Setu Bandhasana

Stretches the chest, neck, spine, and hips
Strengthens the back, buttocks, and hamstrings
Improves circulation of blood
Helps alleviate stress and mild depression
Calms the brain and central nervous system
Stimulates the lungs, thyroid glands, and abdominal organs
Improves digestion
Helps relieve symptoms of menopause
Reduces backache and headache
Reduces fatigue, anxiety, and insomnia
Rejuvenates tired legs
Relieves symptoms of asthma and high blood pressure
Therapeutic for hypertension, osteoporosis, and sinusitis

Ardha Dhanurasana

Lie on your belly, with the legs together or a few inches apart. Bring the chin to the floor. Bend the left knee and reach the left hand back to hold onto the left heel or ankle. Inhale and kick the left foot into the arm to lift the left leg, head and chest off of the floor. Keep the neck in line with the spine, looking down at the floor. Lift the right arm off of the floor, keeping it parallel to the floor. Breathe and hold for 2-6 breaths.

To release slowly exhale and lower the leg, arm, head and chest down to the floor. Repeat on the other side.

Benefits of Ardha Dhanurasana

Energizes and strengthens the entire body
Builds core body strength.
Stimulates the kidneys, adrenals and reproductive system.

Paripurna Navasana (Full Boat Pose)

Sit on the floor with knees bent, feet flat, and legs together. Slide your hands a little behind your hips, fingers pointing toward your feet and elbows bent away from you. Lean back slightly and lift your heels an inch or two off the floor. Make sure your back does not round, keep your back straight throughout this pose. Draw your shoulder blades together momentarily to lift and open your chest. Slowly begin to straighten your legs through the heels. When your legs are fully straightened, your thighs should be angled about 45 degrees to the floor and the tips of your toes should be slightly above the level of your eyes. If you are unable to straighten your legs while raising them, keep your knees bent (shins parallel to the floor). Now, stretch your arms forward alongside your legs, palms facing down. Spread your shoulder blades across your back and reach strongly out through your fingers (while maintaining a straight back and long torso). Your arms should be parallel to each other as well as to the floor. If you are unable to raise your arms while in Paripurna Navasana, either grip the back of your thighs or keep your hands behind your hips where they were. Open your chest and relax your shoulders down your back. Put as much effort into lifting your chest as you are in lifting your legs. Breathe steadily and hold for 2-6 breaths. Gradually increase your endurance until you can hold the posture for a full minute.

To release bring the legs in as you exhale and sit upright as you inhale.

Benefits of Paripurna Navasana

Tones and strengthens your abdominal muscles
Improves balance and digestion
Stretches your hamstrings
Strengthens your spine and hip flexors
Stimulates the kidneys, thyroid and prostate glands, and intestines
Aids in stress relief
Improves confidence

Virasana (Hero Pose)

Start by kneeling on your yoga mat or the floor with your thighs perpendicular to the floor. Pad your knees, shins, and/or feet with a folded blanket or towel if necessary. If you experience any strain in your knees at any time while in Virasana, come out and prop yourself up further before attempting it again. Make sure the tops of your feet stay flat and even on the floor. Bring your inner knees together, then slide your feet apart (a little wider than your hips). Point the feet in line with the shins. Gently pull back the flesh of your calf muscles, exhale, and sit down between your feet. Evenly support your sitting bones by adjustment, allowing a thumb’s width space between your heels and hips. If your buttocks don’t rest comfortably on the floor, raise them by placing a yoga block or thick book between your feet before you sit down. Counteract the tendency to slump by adjusting the muscles of your buttocks sideways and back with your hands. Your pelvis should be at a ninety-degree angle with your thighs. Rest your hands in your lap, on your thighs, or on your ankles. Firm your shoulder blades against the back ribs and lift the top of your sternum. Widen the collarbones and release your shoulder blades away from your ears. Lengthen the tailbone toward the floor. Sit in silence for at least 1 minute.

Benefits of Virasana

Stretches the hips, thighs, knees, ankles and feet
Improves circulation and relieves tired legs
Strengthens foot arches, relieving flat feet
Improves digestion and relieves gas
Helps relieve the symptoms of menopause
Improves posture
Reduces swelling of the legs during pregnancy (through second trimester)
Therapeutic for asthma and high blood pressure

Supta Padangusthasana

Lie supine on the floor, legs strongly extended. If your head doesn’t rest comfortably on the floor, support it on a folded blanket. Exhale, bend the left knee, and draw the thigh into your torso. Hug the thigh to your belly. Press the front of the right thigh heavily to the floor, and push actively through the right heel. Loop a strap around the arch of the left foot and hold the strap in both hands. Inhale and straighten the knee, pressing the left heel up toward the ceiling. Walk your hands up the strap until the elbows are fully extended. Broaden the shoulder blades across your back. Keeping the hands as high on the strap as possible, press the shoulder blades lightly into the floor. Widen the collarbones away from the sternum. Extend up first through the back of the left heel, and once the back of the leg between the heel and sitting bone is fully lengthened, lift through the ball of the big toe. Begin with the raised leg perpendicular to the floor. Release the head of the thigh bone more deeply into the pelvis and, as you do, draw the foot a little closer to your head, increasing the stretch on the back of the leg. You can stay here in this stretch, or turn the leg outward from the hip joint, so the knee and toes look to the left. Pinning the top of the right thigh to the floor, exhale and swing the left leg out to the left and hold it a few inches off the floor. Continue rotating the leg. As you feel the outer thigh move away from the left side of the torso, try to bring the left foot in line with the left shoulder joint. Inhale to bring the leg back to vertical. Lighten your grip on the strap as you do, so that you challenge the muscles of the inner thigh and hip to do the work. Hold the vertical position of the leg anywhere from 1 to 3 minutes, and the side position for an equal length of time.

Once you have returned to vertical release the strap, hold the leg in place for 30 seconds or so, then slowly release as you exhale. Repeat on the right for the same length of time.

Benefits of Supta Padangusthasana

Stretches hips, thighs, hamstrings, groins, and calves
Strengthens the knees
Stimulates the prostate gland
Improves digestion
Relieves backache, sciatica, and menstrual discomfort
Therapeutic for high blood pressure, flat feet, and infertility

These useful yoga poses can be done in a circuit as their own workout or as a precursor to another athletic activity of your choosing.

Were these yoga poses helpful? What are some of your favorite poses?

Sep 26, 2013Jun 17, 2016

Change Your Life in 2 Minutes a Day – Power Pose (Guide)

Your body language shapes who you are. It shapes how you are viewed by others, and even how you view yourself.

Social Psychologist Amy Cuddy’s scientific work delves into the possibility that choosing to pose your body in different ways actually changes the ratio of the hormones that are produced in your brain.

High Power Poses decrease the amount of Cortisol (known as the stress hormone) while increasing the amount of Testosterone, leading to feelings of empowerment, increased confidence, and affability.

Expectedly, Low Power Poses raise the amount of Cortisol in the brain and decrease Testosterone, leading to feelings of anxiety, low self confidence, and general awkwardness.

Only two minutes a day in High Power poses can change the way you feel and approach life. Try it out for yourself – and remember:

If you feel like you shouldn’t be somewhere: Fake it. Do it until you make it – until you become it! – Amy Cuddy

High Power Poses

Low Power Poses

Power Pose Effect on Hormones

> Posing with Power | Business Insider

Sep 25, 2013Jun 17, 2016

Benefits of Hemp Oil – Nutrition, Disease Prevention, and Skin Care

Research has shown that a diet with a proper balance of Omega-6 to Omega-3 fatty acids – such as those found in hemp seed oil – may delay or reduce the neurological effect of some diseases and improve quality of life.

Hemp oil is nature’s most balanced oil for human nutrition (3:1 LA to LNA ratio) and is easily digestible; in fact this oil could provide all of our Essential Fatty Acid (EFA) requirements for life, due to the balanced 80% EFA content of the oil.

Hemp Oil – Nature’s Perfectly Balanced Oil

Hemp seed oil has all the necessary essential fatty acids, proteins, vitamins and minerals our bodies need for optimum health and restoration. It is an excellent choice for skin and hair care as it protects against free radicals, sun damage and skin conditions.

Hemp Oil – Benefits for Pets

Hemp protein powder and hemp seed oil are not only super-foods for people, but can also do wonders for your pets. Hemp is filled with important and crucial nutrition, making it an excellent addition to your pet’s meal plan.

The benefits of hemp for your pet’s health include:
– Strengthens the immune system
– Supports a healthy weight
– Increases energy
– Improves condition of skin and fur

The Raw Project has a great recipe for hemp seed dog treats.

Hemp Oil – Nutritional Facts and Uses (Infographic)

Sep 4, 2013Jun 17, 2016

8 Amazing Inexpensive Countries to Live in For a Year (Guide)

You have the world available to you, and there are plenty of options for international exploration.

If you have a skill that you can take with you overseas, like writing or design, or if you’re willing to teach English, work in a café, or become a tour guide, you’re in a good position to live in one of these inexpensive countries.

Thailand

Average Monthly Rent (1 Bedroom): $300
Average Monthly Utilities (Electric, Heating, Water, Garbage): $70

Home to the Songkran festival and the world’s largest Buddha, there will always be amazing festivities to take part in. If you choose to plant yourself in Thailand, you’ll probably run into a bunch of other expats, as it’s one of the top choices for those wishing to move.

Guatemala

Average Monthly Rent (1 Bedroom): $320
Average Monthly Utilities (Electric, Heating, Water, Garbage): $120

The Mayans invented the chocolate bar and Guatemala is the birthplace of blue denim. Apart from these culturally significant facts, having the Mayan ruins closer to you isn’t a bad deal. Neither is a monthly transportation pass for less than $20.

Malaysia

Average Monthly Rent (1 Bedroom): $223
Average Monthly Utilities (Electric, Heating, Water, Garbage): $50

With a less than $300 monthly price tag on a one bedroom apartment, you’ll be tempted to spend the excess cash in Malaysia’s modern cities but spend wisely so you can maximize your experience before returning home.

Panama

Average Monthly Rent (1 Bedroom): $450
Average Monthly Utilities (Electric, Heating, Water, Garbage): $75

How would you like the see the sun rise in the Pacific and set in the Atlantic? If that sounds ideal, then put Panama on the top of your travel list.

Once you’re there and you notice the splendor of the tropical rain forest within city limits, calling Panama “home” will seem like a pretty wonderful idea. If perchance you get injured while swimming in either the Atlantic or Pacific oceans on any given day, seeing a doctor will only cost you around $35.00.

Nepal

Average Monthly Rent (1 Bedroom): $90
Average Monthly Utilities (Electric, Heating, Water, Garbage): $30

Sandwiched between India and China, Nepal is a hub for cultural diversity and Eastern spirituality. If you’ve finished school and want to use your gap year to resolve your existentialist crisis and “find” yourself, Nepal may be the country you need to experience.

Vietnam

Average Monthly Rent (1 Bedroom): $300
Average Monthly Utilities (Electric, Heating, Water, Garbage): $50

For those well-versed in the leisurely hobby of being a foodie, Vietnam is the country for you. With an abundance of locally grown food, getting a bite to eat will rarely cost you more than $5 and a beer won’t set you back more than $1. Also, you aren’t expected to tip at restaurants, so there’s another excuse to use your oven as storage and eat out.

Nicaragua

Average Monthly Rent (1 Bedroom): $150
Average Monthly Utilities (Electric, Heating, Water, Garbage): $40

Because prices are so low in Central America’s largest country, you could easily upgrade your lifestyle by moving to Nicaragua. It will cost you less than $10 to get around on public transportation every month and a gym membership will only cost you $30 monthly.

India

Average Monthly Rent (1 Bedroom): $150
Average Monthly Utilities (Electric, Heating, Water, Garbage): $40

Home to one of the oldest civilizations, the invention of chess, and one of the seven wonders of the world, India makes an excellent home for anyone seeking to be emersed in the wonders of Eastern history and religion.

Not only can one live and eat for less than $400 a month, keeping yourself entertained by the sights and exploring the countless educational opportunities in India make it a valuable destination to live in. Stay away from the overpopulated cities, though— the congestion won’t be worth the extra funds in your bank account.

The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.

– Marcel Proust, French novelist

> 10 Awesomely Inexpensive Countries to Live in Abroad | Complex

Sep 1, 2013Jun 17, 2016

The Health Benefits of Drinking Tea

Tea has the ability to soothe and invigorate. The benefits of drinking tea range from powerful antioxidants to deep relaxation that eases you into a good nights rest.

Whichever tea you choose to brew, there is a benefit for you.

The Benefits of Drinking Tea

The Benefits of Green Tea

Green tea is a “pure” tea, meaning it doesn’t undergo an oxidation process. Most green teas are grown in Japan or China. One mug’s worth of green tea has a quarter of the amount of caffeine a cup of coffee does.

Scientists have shown a correlation between green tea consumption and reduced cancer risk, weight loss, and improved heart health. Green tea also possesses a small amount of natural fluoride, an element which strengthens bones.

The Benefits of White Tea

Studies have shown that white tea has antiviral and antibacterial qualities, which make it helpful in fighting against disease–so if you think you’re coming down with a cold, white tea is a great way to feel better.

People who consume white tea tend to have lower blood pressure, higher amounts of ‘good’ cholesterol, and even better skin (the antioxidants in white tea are able to ‘attack’ free radicals, which harm your skin and cause it to age faster).

The Benefits of Black Tea

Black tea has the highest caffeine content of the major types of tea, though it only has half that of coffee.

Black tea undergoes fermentation, meaning that freshly-picked tea leaves are oxidized, developing deep flavors. This fermentation process alters the flavoniods – the antioxidants that are naturally found in tea leaves. The flavonoids found in black tea are more complex than those found in less processed teas.

Antioxidants have health benefits including cancer prevention, cholesterol reduction, and protection against stroke and heart attack. Black tea is rich in manganese and potassium, and it has some B-vitamins.

The Benefits of Rooibos Tea

Rooibos tea, which is known as “red bush,” is not technically tea, but a herbal brew made from fermented leaves of a native South African plant.

The healing properties of rooibos include high levels of antioxidants, low tannin content, and no caffeine.

Use it as a treatment for skin ailments, as an immune system booster, a way to slow the aging process, and a remedy for insomnia, headaches and anxiety. Rooibos does not contain oxalic acid, the compound found in some other types of tea that can cause kidney stones.

The Benefits of Herbal Tea

Like red tea, herbal tea is not actually tea; it is composed of the dried leaves of a variety of herbs that are prized for their unique flavors and healthful benefits.

The health benefits of herbal tea depend on the herb being steeped.

Chamomile, linden flower, and lavender teas are all highly calming and can help with sleep issues.

Peppermint and ginger teas aid digestion and can stave off nausea.

Lemon balm tea can help soothe a headache.

Raspberry leaf tea is believed to bring on labor in late pregnancy, to offer just a few examples of this versatile and beneficial type of tea.

Slik D – Pass The Tea

This song dedicated to the herb that isn’t used for tea but still has a variety of benefits. The next time you need a warm drink make like Slik D and ask, “Can you pass the tea?”.

Aug 27, 2013Jun 17, 2016

Chakra Healing – Nutritional Food For The Body’s Energy Centers (Guide)

The energy centers in our body, also known as Chakras, require balance and love. Listen to your body and your inner knowing to heal your Chakras when you feel out of balance.

Nutrition is a key source to vitality and you can use the proper foods to realign and cleanse each Chakra.

Signs of a Healthy Chakra and Food for the Soul

A healthy Root Chakra will promote core feelings of being part of a tribe or community, and it anchors the body in feelings of trust, safety, and protection.

Root Chakra Healing Foods: Protein, root vegetables, edible and medicinal mushrooms, red-colored foods (apples, pomegranates, etc)

A healthy Sacral Chakra will assist in wielding and manifesting raw creativity into an external form, including through relationships with another healthy Sacral Chakra allows us to “go with the flow” of life.

Sacral Chakra Healing Foods: Fats and oils, fish (especially wild-caught salmon), tropical fruits, seeds, nuts, orange-colored foods (oranges, tangerines, carrots, etc.)

A healthy Solar Plexus Chakra will manifest as a brilliant expression of personal power accompanied by balanced energy flow and clear perceptions of life situations.

Solar Plexus Chakra Healing Foods: Carbohydrates (complex), fiber, whole grains, legumes, yellow-colored foods (yellow sweet peppers, yellow lentils, corn, etc.)

A healthy Heart Chakra will funnel love into a healing salve for all, including self, others, and the planet.

Heart Chakra Healing Foods: Vegetables (especially cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, kale, cabbage, and leafy greens), sprouts, raw foods, foods rich in chlorophyll, plant compounds like phytoestrogens and phytosterols, any green-colored foods.

A healthy Throat Chakra will serve as the portal to communicate and express the emotions, thoughts, and feelings of the other Chakras through sound in a way that is authentic and true.

Throat Chakra Healing Foods: Sea plants, fruits, juices, soups, sauces, (which bring together different elements like water and earth), and foods from different ethnic groups (The throat Chakra encourages a variety of foods.)

A healthy Third Eye Chakra will encourage the path of internal visions and dreams, with the realization that they are Divinely guided and inspired.

Third Eye Chakra Healing Foods: Caffeine, tea, chocolate, spices, wine, purple-red foods (purple potatoes, red onions, blackberries, blueberries, purple grapes, etc.)

A healthy Crown Chakra will manifest as the ability for individuals to be confident in their faith in a Higher Power, higher self, or in a force that is highly intelligent and creative.

Crown Chakra Healing Foods: Since the Crown Chakra is more “spirit” than “matter,” it is not nourished with physical foods in the same way that they feed other Chakras, but the Crown Chakra thrives on the sustenance that comes from sunlight, air, and love.

Maintain each open Chakra with a colorfully balanced diet. All the best to the KJ readers, we appreciate every set of eyes. Namaste.

Aug 20, 2013Jun 17, 2016

How to Pair Beer and Food (Guide)

Beer and food have been enjoyed together for centuries.

Beer’s broad range of flavors, aromas and textures make it a perfect match for nearly any kind of food, from handmade sausages to gourmet dishes. Choosing beers and foods that enhance each other requires paying attention to the gustatory qualities of each. The Brewers Association, along with several beer and food experts, have suggestions that will make your culinary experiences more enjoyable.

For great beer and food pairings, a number of things should be considered according to Randy Mosher, author of Tasting Beer: An Insiders Guide to the World’s Greatest Drink:

Match strength with strength. It is common sense that delicate dishes work best with delicate beers. It is equally true that strongly-flavored foods demand assertive beers. With beer, flavor intensity involves a variety of qualities such as alcoholic strength, malt character, hop bitterness, sweetness, richness and roast factor.

Find harmonies. Combinations often work best when food and beverage share common flavor or aroma elements. The nutty flavor of an English-style brown ale and a handmade cheddar cheese; the deep, roasted flavors of an imperial stout and chocolate truffles; or the rich, caramel flavors of an Oktoberfest lager and roasted pork.

Consider sweetness, bitterness, carbonation, heat (spice) and richness. This is straightforward. Specific characteristics of food and beer interact with each other in predictable ways. Taking advantage of these interactions ensures that the food and beer will balance each other, creating a desire for a taste of the other.

Look to classical cuisines. The cuisines of traditional beer-drinking countries offer many beer and food combinations. Schnitzel with pale lager may be obvious, but who would have thought to put stout together with oysters? Classic matches like this can be found if you seek them out, and offer a great start to further exploration.

> Principles of Matching | Craft Beer

Aug 1, 2013Jun 17, 2016

4 Scientific Principles of Posture and Functional Movement (Guide)

Modern work life does a great job at creating bad posture. So what can we do to keep our bodies from falling apart while we work… and in general? Renown physical therapist and mobility guru Kelly Starrett breaks down good posture into what he calls “functional movement” to help you become a “supple leopard.”

1. Spine First

The spine is the chassis for your body’s other two primary engines, the hips and shoulders. Each functional movement begins and ends at the spine, so your spine has to be properly aligned. When it isn’t, it will weaken your body’s force production. Simply looking up – and thus breaking the spine alignment with a bent neck – can reduce strength in your arm.

Braced Neutral Tip: You’re not limited to just sitting perfectly upright: You can still lean forward, or lean back, while maintaining a braced-neutral spine.

Pelvic Gimble Tip: If you find that you round forward and try to correct that by straightening your back, you’ll probably just end up in an overextended position. Instead, stand up, run through the bracing sequence, and then sit back down, keeping your back flat and belly tight.

2. The One Joint Rule

Kelly’s one joint rule is a simple way to organize functional movement and guard against injury. You should look at your spine as a single column, with no local flexion or extension within it. You should only see flexion or extension at the hip or shoulders. Unfortunately, too many of us do things like slump forward in our chair, meaning we have to tilt our head upwards to look at our computer screen, creating an improper flexion point in our neck.

We can certainly flex our spine globally, for example if we are bending back to serve a volleyball – but not locally. We all know that when we pick a box up from the floor we should keep our back straight and flex only at the hips. That not only protects our back; it helps us lift more effectively.
The belly-whack test is another way to help bring consciousness to a braced-neutral position and the 20 percent constant-tension concept. It’s simple: You should always have enough abdominal tone to take a whack to the belly. We do this at our gym and around the house. If you have a spongy middle, you get caught right away.

3. The Laws of Torque

In all motions of flexion and extension, there’s a corresponding rotational force, says Kelly:

Whenever we flex our arm or leg forward, our shoulder or hip should rotate outwards.

When we move our arm or shoulder behind us, the rotation is internal.

Understanding the laws of torque, and thus the basics of external and internal rotation, are key to proper movement. The reason yogis prefer the lotus position is the external rotation in the hips and shoulders maintains the spine strong and organized.

Unfortunately, sitting at a chair with our feet on the floor keeps our hips neutral, not externally rotated, and doesn’t give our spine proper support.

4. The Movement Tunnel

Every movement has a start and end position. Kelly calls what happens in between those positions “the tunnel.” The tunnel is a crucial concept that says once you are underway in a movement, it’s too late to correct your stance. If you’re standing with your feet sticking out like a duck and you start running, it’s hard to correct your stance mid-stride.

Understanding how to enter the tunnel and organize your body correctly at the outset is the only way to guard against injury. You have to enter the tunnel organized and exit the tunnel organized.

These 4 Principles make even more sense once you see them in action.

Kelly Starrett: MobilityWod Principles

If 60 minutes isn’t enough and you want more, visit Kelly’s full workshop on creativeLIVE or read his best-selling book Becoming a Supple Leopard.

Jul 16, 2013Jun 17, 2016

8 Home Remedies You Can Use in a Pinch

Not everyone is sold on home remedies, but through a combination of science and testimonials, here are 8 home remedies you can use.

Duct Tape to Remove Warts

In 2002, a group of doctors compared duct tape’s effectiveness with liquid nitrogen in removing warts. After two months of wearing duct tape on a daily basis and using a pumice stone about once a week to exfoliate the dead skin, 85 percent of patients’ warts were gone, whereas freezing only removed 60 percent. “The question is whether there is something in the chemical adhesive itself, or if the occlusion (suffocation) causes the destruction of the wart,” says New York City–based dermatologist, Robin Blum, MD. “The other thinking is that the duct tape causes irritation, which stimulates our body’s immune cells to attack the wart.”

Vapor Rub to Cure Nail Fungus

While there are no studies to prove coating infected toenails with vapor rub once or twice a day is an effective treatment for nail fungus, a basic Internet search results in a number of personal testaments to the medicinal ointment’s fungus-killing powers. “I’ve heard many patients say that vapor rub does help, but I’m not exactly sure why,” Dr. Blum admits. While some argue it’s the menthol in the balm that kills the fungus and others say it’s the smothering effect of the thick gel, if used consistently, vapor rub has been shown to get rid of not just the fungus, but the infected toenail, too, which will turn black and eventually fall off. When the new nail grows in, it should be fungus-free.

Oatmeal to Soothe Eczema

“This is absolutely true, as oats have anti-inflammatory properties,” Dr. Blum says. Whether it’s used as a paste or poured into a bath, most experts recommend choosing colloidal (finely ground) oatmeal and soaking the affected area for at least 15 minutes. In addition to reducing inflammation, oats are thought to have an antihistamine effect, Dr. Blum says. By lowering levels of histamine, which triggers inflammation as part of the immune system’s recovery response, she explains, oats prevent or reduce the redness.

Yogurt to Cure Bad Breath

Bad breath comes from a number of places, the two most common being the mouth and the stomach. The neutralizing powers of yogurt and other probiotics treat the latter cause. “Yogurt shouldn’t have any effect at all on the bacteria that live on the tongue because it’s not there long enough,” says Robert Meltzer, MD, a New York City–based gastroenterologist and attending physician at Lenox Hill Hospital. However, it likely has a neutralizing effect on the acid that resides anywhere between the mouth and the stomach, including the back of the throat and the esophagus, he explains. “I think almost any milk product or food that contains live cultures would have the same effect.” While yogurt can get rid of bad breath that results from gastrological conditions, like acid reflux, it won’t have any real effect on bad breath that is the product of gum, liver or lung disease, says Ohio-based dentist Matthew Messina, DDS.

A Spoonful of Sugar to Cure Hiccups

In 1971, Edgar Engelman, MD, conducted a study to find out if a spoonful of sugar really is an effective cure for hiccups. He assembled a group of 20 patients who had been experiencing intractable hiccups for more than six hours, eight of whom had had them anywhere from a full day to six weeks. Each of the test subjects was given one teaspoon of white granulated sugar to swallow dry, and for 19 of the 20 hiccup patients, the cure was immediate. André Dubois, MD, a gastroenterologist in Bethesda, Maryland, noted in The Doctors Book of Home Remedies that “the sugar is probably acting in the mouth to modify the nervous impulses that would otherwise tell the muscles in the diaphragm to contract spasmodically.”

Bite A Pencil to Cure Tension Headaches

While doctors aren’t sure why we do it, clenching our teeth is a common side effect of stress. According to Fred Sheftell, MD, director of the New England Center for Headache in Stamford, Connecticut, when we clench up, we strain the muscle that connects the jaw to the temples, which can trigger a tension headache. By placing a pencil between our teeth—but not biting down—we relax our jaw muscles, which eradicates tension and reduces pain. Just remember, the remedy really only applies to tension headaches—not migraines or headaches caused by sinus pressure, etc.

Olives for Motion Sickness

According to the National Library of Medicine, there are a number of symptoms that present themselves as a result of motion sickness, including increased salivation, which is the body’s way of protecting the teeth from the high doses of acid accompanied by vomit. Enter olives, which contain tannins that, when released in the mouth, work to dry saliva—first eliminating the symptom and then the body’s instinct to follow suit. However, the treatment is only effective during the early stages of nausea, when the salivation changes first appear.

Gargle Salt Water for Sore Throat Relief

When you were a kid and had a sore throat, your mom likely made you gargle warm water with salt in it…and she was definitely on to something. According to Douglas Hoffman MD, PhD, author of the website The Medical Consumer’s Advocate, a sore throat is an inflammatory response of the infected tissues, and the salt helps draw out the excess fluid to temporarily decrease swelling and the pain it causes. Most remedies call for a ratio of 1 tablespoon salt to 8 ounces of water, but it’s always better to opt for more salt rather than less. Just keep in mind that you are treating the symptoms—not the illness. As Dr. Hoffman notes on his website: “The relief is very real, but also tends to be short-lived, since the gargle has done nothing to remove the cause of the sore throat.”

Jul 9, 2013Jun 17, 2016

Cannabis and Sex, the Joint Pleasure Relationship

The history between cannabis and sex extends back as far when the Hindus would use hashish to achieve a state of Kama also known as pleasure. Does cannabis enhance the sexual experience? Well, it’s difficult to argue with a culture that wrote the book of Kama Sutra.

Cannabis and Sex Share Pleasure Principles

Marijuana and sex are gifts of nature, we enjoy them because biology and evolution have equipped us to do so. Just as our bodies contain pleasure systems which reward us for sex; our brains contain neurocellular circuitry which can only be activated by substances with THC’s molecular structure.

This makes the marijuana high a unique constellation of feelings, and there are only two sources for the substances which activate THC’s very own neuroreceptor. Our brain is one source: it generates a neurochemical very similar to THC, called anandamide. Translated, the word means bliss. The only other source for this bliss-producing substance is the cannabis plant.

Being stoned or sexually aroused both produce similar physiological responses, such as increased heart rate, heightened sensitivity, changes in blood flow and respiration, relaxation, an acutely altered state of consciousness.

Sex and pot provide us with euphoric peak experiences, unity of body and mind, a healing escape from routine existence.

Cannabis also enhances the enjoyment of sex – on the one hand it gives an exquisite sensitivity, but on the other hand it postpones orgasm: in part by distracting me with the profusion of image passing before my eyes. The actual duration of orgasm seems to lengthen greatly, but this may be the usual experience of time expansion which comes with cannabis smoking.

– Carl Sagan, Astronomer, Benefits of Cannabis Use By Carl Sagan

Cannabis, Viagara for Females

With a life that is bombarded by responsibilities and time constraints; many psychologists believe that these life stressors rob females of a healthy sex life. Sexual dysfunction is a broad-based term for which there is no single reason, nor magic bullet to cure. Pain during intercourse, spousal conflicts, childbirth, and a host of other ailments all play a role in the female libido and her ability to feel ‘turned on.’

Jill Lopez is a newlywed who works in advertising sales. She also recently started a master’s degree program. The course load coupled with her regular work schedule has her feeling ‘stressed and tired.’

That stress has overflowed into her sex life. Jill openly admits that using marijuana helps her feel less anxious about her day-to-day routine and increases her libido. ‘I feel relaxed and stimulated at the same time,’ she says.

Cannabis and Sex, Cure for Self Consciousness

Relationship and sex advice columnist Dan Savage endorsed the combo of sex and weed when he spoke with Huffington Post.

Marijuana and sex? Oh they are terrifically compatible. Marijuana is a wonderful way to lower your inhibitions and just relax. As anyone who uses it recreationally knows … You know, not being so self-conscious about the things that you are doing and being naked in front of somebody else? I think that can be a wonderful tool. – Dan Savage, Huff Post

The lowering of the inhibitions, for some it leads to the lowering of their pants.

Myth Debunked, Cannabis Does Not Reduce Testosterone

Dr. Robert Block at the University of Iowa disputes the commonly held notion that marijuana alters the level of testosterone. The study contradicted a widely publicized 1974 study by Dr. R.C. Kolodony, which reported decreased testosterone levels in men who smoked marijuana chronically.

The U. of Iowa study found that chronic marijuana use had no effect on testosterone, follicle stimulating hormone, prolactin and cortisol in men or women. Noting that six other studies had failed to show lowered testosterone levels in men,

Dr. Block concluded: ‘It appears that marijuana, even heavy use of the kind that’s typical in the United States, doesn’t alter testosterone levels.”

The myth of cannabis being a threat to fertility is just one of many marijuana myths and propaganda that have been debunked.

Another Level of Experimentation, Cannabis as Orgasmic Lubricant

Stoner girls working on a California cannabis farm spoke of inserting raw resin glands, bubblehash, and processed solvent hashish into the vagina and anus so they experience soaring, wildly sexual, multi-orgasmic peaks.

We take the resins and put it inside of our vaginas,” she said. “It’s a direct channel into your sexual energy circuits.”

Another girl chimed in, “THC absorbs through mucous membranes, buddy, and there’s nothing more absorptive than the inside of a vagina.”

”It’s nothing like eating a pot brownie, taking a bong hit, using marijuana tincture, or any other marijuana use,” a girl explained. ”It’s a rad body high that’s a guaranteed aphrodisiac. It starts in your crotch, warms your whole body, makes you want to have sex all day and night, and lulls you to sleep hours later. Your orgasms are timeless, constant, out of this world.” – Viagra Cannabis, Big Buds Magazine

The women advised others to make sure to only insert pure bubblehash or other resins-only marijuana material that’s totally clean, no pesticides, molds, mildews or other debris.

The method seemed simple: Start with a small amount of hashish, honey oil, dabs, or other potent THC extracts…maybe a gram or two. Wait a while to see how it affects her, then add some more if she’s ready for it. Here’s the how-to advice one of the girls gave:

Put the hashish on your clitoris and inside you, focusing on applying it to your G-spot. Then lay back with your legs elevated for a half an hour or more so the hashish doesn’t ooze out. My guy says having sex with me when the resins are in there also gets him high by transferring into his penis, and when he performs oral sex on me!

A call to a female marijuana expert confirmed that resin glands and extracted cannabis concentrates transfer THC into the bloodstream via the vagina, the mouth (sublingual), and the anus.

She also confirmed that vaginal, sublingual and anal THC insertion effects differ from those produced by any other method of ingesting THC. And as an added bonus, she explained, preliminary medical research indicates that cannabis extracts administered through the vagina and anus have anti-bacterial and positive hormonal effects!