I believe Laszlo used cam #2, which at the moment does show a large amount of glowing orbs in it. This is said to be the location of an alien underground base that can only be accessed through the mouth of the volcano. SCW
Laszlo of ColorUFO States:
Please watch all of this episode! I monitored from the Live camera that was placed near the Popocatepetl Volcano. In the future I will be monitoring the volcano activity and the Mexico City day and night to see the UFO sightings over Mexico. Well known Mexico has got a mass of UFO sightings all the time!! I am part of the Mexican UFO Investigator Team!
While Procter & Gamble were advertising about motherhood, companies that produce palm oil for P&G have been making orphans out of orangutans. Everyone needs to know that deforestation to create palm oil plantations means orangutans are senselessly orphaned. Together, we can get P&G to commit to only using forest-friendly palm oil. The video Procter & Gamble don’t want you to see. Is this what they call “sustainable” practices?
There can be some moments of déjà vu today as things begin to fall into place concerning a question you have been dealing with around your abilities. There is a clashing of the dimensions going on right now, and there will be some odd time manifestations and dislocations as a result. Some of what you are experiencing right now is related to other lives and other times. There were things you put on a To-Do list for the future, and right now, you are encountering that list. Interesting. Some people will look different to you today. There might even be a flash in which they have a quick overlay of a past persona. There is much in the atmosphere today. Take advantage of it, and you will find that a number of issues will come into perspective.
“RITUAL OF PASSAGE INTO A FIFTH-DIMENSIONAL REALITY”
Transmitted Through Ronna Herman, LM-01-2014
Beloved masters, you are presently in the midst of becoming your genuine, authentic Self through the process of ascension, which involves ever-expanding cycles of Soul growth. Your OverSoul-Higher Self is ever urging you onward and upward into the Light of more complex and powerful fields of consciousness. The quality of your life’s experience is determined by the frequencies of your thoughts moment-by-moment. The more energy you put into a thought, along with the repetition, determines how quickly a thought pattern will manifest, and how it will affect you in your present reality. Your thought forms radiate outward in an Infinity pattern where they join with compatible energetic fields of consciousness–a specific level of mass consciousness energy within the sub-dimensional hologram of life in which you presently exist. The frequencies of fear and negativity are very powerful in the third/fourth-dimensional stream of mass consciousness. Whatever negative emotions are the strongest in any situation will constantly be presented to you in different ways until you transmute the discordant energy into higher vibrational Light patterns.
As more and more of your old reality fades away and you move deeper into uncharted territory, you must learn to trust and have faith that the future is unfolding perfectly no matter how chaotic and disruptive it may seem at times. First, you must learn to trust yourself and this can be the most difficult step, for you have been taught that others are wiser than you, and they know what is best for you. This may have been true when you were a child; however, you are now adults with a golden opportunity before you, for the wisdom of the higher universal truths is now available to all humanity. We of the higher realms are here in great force to assist you to attain Self-Mastery and to reclaim your rightful state as a Spirit-infused, human Being.
In some form, all of you have given away your power in most of your incarnations on the Earth. You became conditioned and accustomed to what has been called the “herd-state,” whereby others in positions of authority set the rules and told you what to do. Like it or not, you adhered to the accepted, restrictive dogma of the time, for it felt safer than to resist and try to chart your own course.
A vital component of Self-mastery is learning to function through the intellect of the Sacred Heart. As you strengthen the connection between your Sacred Mind and your Sacred Heart, you will begin to access the wisdom of the Soul, your Higher Self and the multidimensional facets of your Self. Your Soul, your Higher Self, your guides, guardians and angelic helpers communicate with you through your Soul Self and your Sacred Heart. The whispers of Spirit in the unawakened become a mighty voice of loving wisdom and comfort as you awaken to the strength and majesty of your own divinity.
Your chakra system was designed to draw forth and integrate Creator Light/energy into the human body, as well as to contain all of the attributes, qualities and virtues of your godly Self. The function of the glandular system is to transfer that energy into material substance to be used by the physical vessel. You are relearning how to breathe the way you were originally designed to breathe, which gives you access to Prana, the breath of Life, and also assists in the integration of the pure Creator Essence of life called Adamantine Particles. In those first golden ages, these wondrous tools and techniques were used without distortion to manifest unlimited energy, and they facilitated the creation of everything necessary to live in comfort and abundance. In those wondrous times, the Earth was a true paradise called the Garden of EDON.
In order to gain access to and connect with the higher mental body, you must strive to stay centered within the Sacred Heart. This process can only be initiated once you have a firm control on your physical-emotional body. The conscious mind must have periods of silence in order to attune to the subtle whispers of the Soul and your Higher Self. You will attain peace of mind by consciously breathing through the Sacred Heart (the Infinity Breath), which becomes a natural way of breathing once you establish the Infinity Pattern within your physical vessel, and practice the technique until it becomes a habit. It is vitally important that you learn to breathe mindfully. Through the process of focused breathing–by following the path of the breath–you will gradually become aware of the different parts of your body. Your Body Elemental’s signals of discomfort or dis-ease are very subtle at first. If you do not heed these signals, they will gradually evolve into pain or possibly a serious illness.
While existing in the restrictive vibrational fields of the third- / lower-fourth-dimensional world, humanity has access to only the half-spectrum Primal Life Force Energy–energy which creates crude matter and creates evolutionary boundaries. We have spoken before of the structures of the material plane of consciousness, and how the structured beliefs you have created imprison and restrict you just as effectively as can any physical structure. Your physical body can be a vessel of delight, joy and freedom, or it can be a prison of pain and limitation. Your relationships, job, family or spiritual beliefs can be beautiful, rewarding and bring a sense of self-worth, satisfaction and accomplishment, or they can be a heavy burden and make you feel unappreciated, worthless and dis-empowered.
We have often said that moving out of your comfort zone and the collective conscious belief structure is a very courageous thing to do. Bravely going forth to seek and live your own truth is the first step in taking back your personal power. As you release the shackles of the past and come to the understanding that you are in control of your future, you begin the process of awakening to your potential as a master cocreator. As you gain wisdom and begin to enjoy the positive results of your endeavors, you begin to trust yourself and your judgment. Your multi-sensory perception expands and becomes stronger, and you learn to view both the positive and negative results of your choices from a higher vantage point, thereby gradually learning to make decisions from a heart-centered point of view.
You are learning that in order to create your new reality of joy, harmony and abundance, you must endeavor to discover and integrate your own highest truths, and then live your personal philosophy to the best of your ability. Through experience, you have learned the rules of karma, the painful cause and effect results of distorted thought and action. Down through the aeons of time, you have become proficient cocreators in the material realms of existence. Through much effort and practice you have learned to mold Primal Life Force Substance into a multitude of forms, many of which were elegant and inspiring, and others of which were distorted, for they were a reflection of your diminished vibratory force field.
The process of ascending into the higher-dimensional realms of greater Light requires that you strive to unify your earthly consciousness with each higher vibrational level of God-consciousness. The Grand Plan was designed so that your reentry into the higher realms would be accomplished through the integration of the White Fire Seed Atoms stored within the Diamond Core God Cell of each more advanced, facet of your Higher Self. One-by-one, step-by-step, you are integrating the will power, the wisdom, the attributes and qualities of each vaster facet of your OverSoul. How quickly and easily you accomplish this is up to you, for you were given the gift of FREE WILL, which is an important component within the grand design for this Sub-universal experience.
Every facet of Creator consciousness in this Sub-universe has experienced Soul-body fragmentation, and every Soul, at every level and station of Beingness, is now in the process of healing and reuniting with the many facets of Itself. You will integrate as many facets of Self as is humanly possible while in your present physical vessel, and the process will continue as you traverse the higher realms of existence. You are bio-computers with harmonic resonance. Each of you is a complex vibratory Being. You have become accustomed to the slower, denser energy of the third/fourth dimensions; however, you are in the process of balancing, harmonizing and lifting the resonance of your force field in order to ascend into a more refined, higher-dimensional state of Being. You must remember that you are a unique facet of the Creator, and you should treasure your uniqueness as you strive to return to the Oneness of your Divine Self. You have a wealth of experience and wisdom to share with the multiple facets of your Self, and your successes have been duly recorded in the Cosmic Records for future reference. You are learning to erase from your memory and free yourselves from the confines of the collective consciousness belief system; and via your Pyramids of Light in the higher dimensions, you are also learning to soar into the more refined realms of awareness. Each time you do so, you gradually bring back with you into your physical vessel and your auric field a portion of the uplifting, harmonious frequencies of the higher realms, which build a stronger, more radiant and expanded force field around you.
When you are filled to overflowing with Love/Light and your OverSoul-Higher Self is the director of your life and experiences, you no longer worry about getting your share of love, wealth, respect and so on, for the validation of who and what you are radiates forth from within. That is when you move into the higher vibrational mode of a Self-master, and the little self or ego desire body returns to its proper role as a servant of the Soul Self. You know without a doubt that you have access to the riches, virtues and talents of your Divine birthright, and that you create your own reality via your seed thoughts, intentions and actions. Group consciousness and interaction become more important to you than individual friendships. You are developing all-encompassing, unconditional love and compassion for everyone, and you are no longer totally dependent on anyone person or any thing in the physical realm.
When you call upon your Higher Self each day before you arise, and ask that your will be aligned with the Will of your Divine Self for your greatest good, a shaft of golden/white Light will surround you, each and every moment, as you go out into the third/fourth-dimensional world. In this way, you are giving your Soul-Self permission to guide, inspire and direct you. You will be strengthening the connection between your Higher-Self, the angelic realm and the great Beings of Light so that they may begin to communicate with you through your intuition, and they will assist you in making the highest choices each and every moment of the day.
Everything expands from the center outward, including all creation. The closer you are to the center, the more God Power and radiance you will possess. As you progress on the path of higher Self-awareness as a shining Being of Light, sacred love, a joyful, serene demeanor, along with an intense desire to be of service to others will prevail.
Diligently make it a habit to focus on what is right in your everyday life and the world, and begin to envision yourself as you desire to become. We have emphasized that you must practice nonjudgment and that includes judgment of Self. Remember, you now have access to all of the Creator Particles of Light/Life that you can draw forth into your Sacred Heart, and always be aware that these Adamantine Particles of Creation can only be activated by your pure loving intention.
Faith is an intrinsic facet of trust: faith in yourself and your judgment, faith in those around you who have proven themselves trustworthy and honorable, faith in our Father/Mother God, the universal laws, and the Divine Blueprint for the future of humanity. We are not speaking of blind faith, for that is another way of giving your power away to someone else–their teachings or rules. In your material world, faith is built through actions and positive outcome, a function of the mind filtered through the heart. The heart is both a magnetic and radiating vortex, and it is the storehouse for the true source of human power. Your Sacred Mind holds the seed thoughts of your past and the future, and it is your personal source of the Divine will and power from our heavenly Father/Mother God. Your seed thoughts for the future must be incubated within the Sacred Heart, and the Adamantine Particles of Creator Light ignited by your altruistic love. Thereby, through your pure intention and actions they are manifested in the world of form. Abundance of all kinds is a natural manifestation when you are in harmonious attunement with Spirit and the Divine Plan for the greatest good of all.
Dearly beloved ones, it may seem as though the world and your personal life are falling apart. Your personal reality is shifting and changing so quickly that you feel as though you are living on “shifting sand.” The tests and challenges are so dramatic and are happening so quickly that you feel overwhelmed and often wonder: “What am I doing wrong and when will it end?”
Remember what we told you about the Dweller at the threshold and the Angel of Presence who stands guard over the Portal of Light? You, the Wayshowers and designated Vanguard, are clearing the Sacred Pathway, and you are laying the foundation for the Divine Blueprint/frequencies of the New Age. In order to do so, you must clear and harmonize the major portion of discordant vibrational patterns that remain within your four lower-body systems: physical, mental, emotional and etheric.
This is necessary in order for you to integrate as much of the “radiance” of the new, more powerful God Rays as possible–the powerful and transformative Essence of the Creator- –which is now bombarding the Earth and humanity. We have told you that the situations you are now experiencing are not specific “karmic actions” that you are clearing, for millions of you have moved into a State of Grace, and are no longer affected by the past. They are a refinement process or a “Ritual of Passage,” which is a necessary cleansing and clearing process, so that you may step through the doorway or “Portal of Light” into the rarified realms of your future world. The Angel of Presence is slowly opening the Portal so that more and more Light may shine through and assist you to complete this Ritual of Passage. You are nearing the end of the “tunnel of transformation,” beloveds, and we encourage you to “HOLD STEADY.” Your daily and nightly prayers/mantras should include: “I SHALL PREVAIL.”
We are ever near to give you strength when you falter, to share our wisdom when you are confused and do not know which way to turn, but first and foremost, we are here to love you now and forevermore.
I AM ARCHANGEL MICHAEL.
Transmitted through Ronna Herman http://www.ronnastar.com/ * Copy freely and share. However, I claim the universal copyright for this article in the name of Archangel Michael.
Christina Sarich & Dylan Charles | Wakingtimes | March 2014
As though to confirm the hunch many of us had that our ‘junk’ DNA was anything but disposable, researchers from the Gene and Stem Cell Therapy Program at Sydney’s Centenary Institute have proven that 97 percent of human DNA programs or encodes proteins in our bodies. One of the researchers involved in this study said, “this discovery, involving what was previously referred to as “junk,” opens up a new level of gene expression control . . .”
This also means there are multiple modalities that mainstream science has yet to give a nod to, which just might re-train or reprogram our DNA — even cells which have become cancerous or are mutilated by the onslaught of toxins in our environment and negative emotional baggage which has been proven to have an undesirable impact on health. Many people have compared human DNA to the Internet. It communicates immense amounts of information in microcosmically small, but significant ways, mimicking a vast network of information portals, not unlike the billions of websites connected to one another all over the world. It may account for our intuition, spontaneous healing, and a number of other phenomena that mainstream science is just beginning to understand.
Chaos Theory and DNA
Chaos theory states that chaotic appearances are just a very complex system affected by very subtle changes in an almost infinite array of varying possibilities. When you consider that humans have 3 billion base pairs of DNA, most of which are identical, but that there are at least 3 billion raised to the 4th power (4 raised to 3,000,000,000) of positions possible – a number larger than the number of particles in the Universe – you might just call DNA a highly organized but extremely complex system – seeming chaos. Is it not possible that such a complex system can be affected by very subtle shifts of light or sound, even the human voice?
The DNA Spectrum: Making Music with Biology
There are numerous scientists (not to mention thousands of years of spiritual adepts) who claim light and sound alter our DNA and directly influence our biology. DNA is a type of language, albeit a complex one. Computer simulations and a purely biological approach to understanding the language, have failed however, in the same way that language fails to describe ‘ascended states.’
Mainstream science will tell us that while DNA involves construction rules that affect different sequences, the ‘dictionary’ of DNA does not follow Zipf’s law, which every other natural language follows. So, even though DNA has structure, it is not a language. I heartily disagree. If you have ever watched a musician who was skilled in playing his or her instrument technically, to absolute perfection, but somehow lost the emotional ‘language’ which is necessary to convey an ovation-inspired performance, then you understand that stringing together a perfect phrase or sequence of notes does not account for an entirely separate and subtle language that speaks to the human heart and mind. It is the technical perfection of the right rhythms and notes paired with heart and passion which brings us to our feet. Similarly, DNA can be strung together in its typical set of A-T or C-G, but it is the junk DNA which might decide whether your cells cause you todevelop cancer or be gifted with the ability to see clairvoyantly.
Russian linguists, Dr. Pjotr Garajajev and Vladimir Poponin found that DNA does follow similar patterns and rules to human language, but this is not the most interesting information, by a long shot. In fact, biologist, Dr. David Deamer and Susan Alexjander, who holds an MA in music, have discovered that DNA makes its own beautiful music before we even try to alter it. The two measured the actual molecular vibrations of DNA and recorded it using an infrared spectrophotometer. They exposed each section of DNA to infrared light and measured the wavelength it absorbed, and therefore determined its sound frequency. What it made was ‘hauntingly beautiful’ music. “Some of the combinations of frequencies,” Alexjander said, “. . .they are just stunning. It sounds alive to me.”
Is this for real?
While interesting and inspiring, at least to the imagination, ideas of singing DNA and re-structuring DNA with intentional frequency are certainly difficult to find in practical application and are as of yet lacking legitimate scientific validation. As with Chi, the mapped out essence of life to Chinese medicine, the difficulty in finding verifiable proof and use for these theories is something that has earned this line of thinking the title of new age and pseudo-science.
Science does, however confirm that sound and light can and do directly influence the body’ healing processes. Researchers at the University of Cincinatti have had measurable success in applying high-frequency electrical signals to vascular cells with great effect in healing chronic, persistent wounds like diabetic ulcers. For decades the mystery of Royal Rife and his frequency healing machines have been touted by many as the end-all cure for a wide array of diseases, parasites, and bacterial and fungal infections. His discoveries suggest that every living organism has its own unique resonant frequency and that by subjecting the body to electrical currents that target specific pathogens, diseases and ailments can be neutralized and destroyed without pharmaceuticals or invasive procedures. Furthermore, acupuncture, the ancient Chinese system of medicine that works directly with the body’s energy conduits and has offered tangible healing benefits to millions over many centuries, has also recently been validated by scientific research.
These examples corroborate, to a degree, the ancient spiritual notion that the human body is enlivened by a subtle energetic system that can be manipulated by the application of sound, light and intention. For one to understand this on experiential terms, however, it is necessary to cultivate the sensitivity to detect and direct this energy, but for many, this process of cultivation is simply too demanding and too methodical to be assimilated as a habitual part of daily life. Most people simply do not have the patience in our fast paced environment to achieve the awareness of this, scientists included.
Shamanism Meets Science
While science is making exciting advances in understanding our quantum universe, the timeless healing modalities of shamanism have of late been forcing their way into the popular conversation about healing and spiritual development. In fact, shamanism may offer us the best example of how the use of sound and directed energy can bring about healing in the body and psyche.
In a shamanic healers toolkit, the most commonly utilized and highly prized agents of healing are often Icaros, which are Sacred songs sung by the doctor to the patient to affect health and well-being by enchanting the subtle and unseen spiritual influences that may be gripping the body and psyche. In addition to Icaros, shaman will also often employ chacapas, bundled dried leaves, as well as other musical or tuning instruments which create sounds that are influential to the body’s energetic system.
Often coupled with the use of plant medicines, shamanic practices can have powerfully positive effects on the sick, and some scientists are recognizing that the alkaloid rich medicine Ayahuasca may be able to assist in curing cancer. Eduardo E. Schenberg of the Federal University of Sao Paulo, has recently publicized research indicating that the compounds DMT and harmine, found in Ayahuasca, have “been shown to induce the death of some cancer cells and inhibit the proliferation of human carcinoma cells.”
While reductionist science is good at isolating molecular reactions, the truth is that any research on the subject of Ayahuasca is incomplete without acknowledging the beneficial presence of shamanic healers who are capable of bringing out the highest energetic potential of the effects of any chemical compounds within Ayahuasca, or any other plant medicine. Administering the compounds without the context of genuine shamanism is hollow, and lacks the full picture of the healing potential of shamanic medicines. The primary means in which shaman communicate with a patient is through their Icaros and other instruments of sound and vibration, which demonstrates their understanding that a significant part of the science of healing is working with vibration and frequency.
Conclusion
While certainly an interesting idea to muse, hard evidence that frequency and vibration can directly effect DNA and the body’s healing processes is still forthcoming, however, there is an ample body of experiential human evidence to inspire and warrant further examination of this topic.
This is not an easy theory to prove, or disprove, and the answers are unlikely to satisfy everyone. The best that we can see is that truth is relative to personal experience in some ways, and when an individual has spiritual, or cosmic experiences that do not fall within the explainable territory of rigid science, they unfortunately are left high and dry by a world paradigm that is stringently adamant on disproving mysticism.
Certainly, this is a complicated and sometimes heated topic, as we do live in a world still dominated by material science that attempts to reduce mysticism and spirituality to anomalies in brain chemistry and personality. Yet, at the same time, the human race is coming up against serious plateaus in its understanding of how to interact with the natural world, including our bodies, which means we must be willing to tangentially explore the validity of the information received through intuitive experiences.
These questions are here to stay until answered, so aren’t they worthy of a second look, with an open mind to all possibility?
There are those pesky rules and regulations that you will be needing to deal with today. This can lead to some questioning as to just what is right and what is wrong. There are so many things that you have held onto, allowed yourself to be ruled by, taken as a given, but now you are seeing things differently. You realize now that your perspective has, in fact, changed and that a lot of the things you were so willing to accept in the past no longer make sense or even seem relevant. You are shifting. You will see it today also in your physicality. There may be some strange sensations. When they do occur, take a moment, go within and follow it to the source. Your body is speaking to you. It is always a good idea to listen.
Terra image of the plume from the March 2 Pacaya eruption — the brown plume spreading to the west. Image: NASA / Nahum Charazza – Twitter.
Over the weekend, Pacaya in Guatemala got everyone’s attention with a moderate explosive eruption. This explosion was nothing compared to the really big bang we saw last month at Indonesia’s Kelud, but it was enough to cause some real concern in Guatemala. The March 2 eruption produced a fire fountain that reached 800 meters tall at the summit (check out the image below) and an ash plume that topped out at ~3 km (10,000 feet) above the sea level (so ~2.4 km / 8,000 feet above the volcano). The day was clear, so we got a nice shot of the eruption on the Terra (see above), with the dark brown plume of ash spreading in a narrow band to the west.
The eruption of Pacaya in Guatemala, seen on March 2, 2014. The lava fountain (reddish) can be seen at the summit vent. Image: CONRED.
The unrest that started on Sunday is continuing, with more explosions, eruptions and earthquakes, so evacuations are underway for people living close to the volcano. The latest CONRED report mentions lava flows on the western part of the volcano that have travelled 1200-1300 meters downslope while explosive activity has waned some to only small explosions at the summit vent.
From the looks of the images and descriptions, this eruption is another energetic strombolian eruption typical for Pacaya. It is a volcano that behaves is ways very similar to Italy’s Etna, where basaltic lava eruptions as fire fountains or lava flows. This new eruption is part of a period of activity that began in March 2013, but this explosion was larger than what had been seen so far. However, the previous period of activity from 2004-10 did feature some eruptions as vigorous as the March 2 event.
As a sidenote, I did notice that CONRED includes this sentence at the bottom of their statement on the eruption: “The general population is advised to be alert to indications that authorities release through the media, avoid spreading rumors, avoid risking your life, take the directions of the authorities…” (emphasis mine). I think this is an especially important message to get across in this age of social media.
Plants Are Far More Intelligent Than We Ever Assumed
Like higher organisms, plants appear able to make complex decisions. A new study shows that plants may be able to initiate a survival mechanism by aborting their own seeds to prevent parasite infestation.
Plants have previously been shown to draw alternative sources of energy from other plants. Plants influence each other in many ways and they communicate through “nanomechanical oscillations” vibrations on the tiniest atomic or molecular scale or as close as you can get to telepathic communication.
Plants exhibit intelligence with an intrinsic ability to process information from several type of stimuli that allows optimal decisions about future activities in a given environment. Stefano Mancuso from the International Laboratory of Plant Neurobiology at the University of Florence, Italy, and his colleagues are starting to apply rigorous standards to study plant hearing (Trends in Plant Sciences, vol17, p323). Their preliminary results indicate that corn roots grow towards specific frequencies of vibrations. What is even more surprising is their finding that roots themselves may also be emitting sound waves. For now, though, we have no idea how a plant might produce sound signals let alone how they might detect them.
Scientists from the Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research (UFZ) and the University of Gottingen have now shown from their investigations on Barberry (Berberis vulgaris), that it is is able to abort its own seeds to prevent parasite infestation.
The results, as reported in a news release, are the first ecological evidence of complex behaviour in plants. They indicate that this species has a structural memory, is able to differentiate between inner and outer conditions as well as anticipate future risks, scientists write in the renowned journal American Naturalist — the premier peer-reviewed American journal for theoretical ecology.
The European barberry or simply Barberry (Berberis vulgaris) is a species of shrub distributed throughout Europe. It is related to the Oregon grape (Mahonia aquifolium) that is native to North America and that has been spreading through Europe for years. Scientists compared both species to find a marked difference in parasite infestation: “a highly specialized species of tephritid fruit fly, whose larvae actually feed on the seeds of the native Barberry, was found to have a tenfold higher population density on its new host plant, the Oregon grape”, reports Dr. Harald Auge, a biologist at the UFZ.
This led scientists to examine the seeds of the Barberry more closely. Approximately 2000 berries were collected from different regions of Germany, examined for signs of piercing and then cut open to examine any infestation by the larvae of the tephritid fruit fly (Rhagoletis meigenii). This parasite punctures the berries in order to lay its eggs inside them. If the larva is able to develop, it will often feed on all of the seeds in the berry. A special characteristic of the Barberry is that each berry usually has two seeds and that the plant is able to stop the development of its seeds in order to save its resources. This mechanism is also employed to defend it from the tephritid fruit fly. If a seed is infested with the parasite, later on the developing larva will feed on both seeds. If however the plant aborts the infested seed, then the parasite in that seed will also die and the second seed in the berry is saved.
When analysing the seeds, the scientists came across a surprising discovery: “the seeds of the infested fruits are not always aborted, but rather it depends on how many seeds there are in the berries”, explains Dr. Katrin M. Meyer, who analysed the data at the UFZ and currently works at the University of Goettingen. If the infested fruit contains two seeds, then in 75 per cent of cases, the plants will abort the infested seeds, in order to save the second intact seed. If however the infested fruit only contains one seed, then the plant will only abort the infested seed in 5 per cent of cases. The data from fieldwork were put into a computer model which resulted in a conclusive picture. Using computer model calculations, scientists were able to demonstrate how those plants subjected to stress from parasite infestation reacted very differently from those without stress. “If the Barberry aborts a fruit with only one infested seed, then the entire fruit would be lost. Instead it appears to ‘speculate’ that the larva could die naturally, which is a possibility. Slight chances are better than none at all”, explains Dr. Hans-Hermann Thulke from the UFZ. “This anticipative behaviour, whereby anticipated losses and outer conditions are weighed up, very much surprised us. The message of our study is therefore that plant intelligence is entering the realms of ecological possibility.”
But how does the Barberry know what is in store for it after the tephritid fruit fly has punctured a berry? It is still unclear as to how the plant processes information and how this complex behaviour was able to develop over the course of its evolution. The Oregon grape that is closely related to the Barberry has been living in Europe for some 200 years with the risk of being infested by the tephritid fruit fly and yet it has not developed any such comparable defence strategy. These new insights shed some light on the underestimated abilities of plants, while at the same time bringing up many new questions.
April McCarthy is a community journalist playing an active role reporting and analyzing world events to advance our health and eco-friendly initiatives.
Well, it looks as though there will be some action today in areas of concern. You can find that there will be some resolution regarding certain things you have been worried about. When that happens, it is a good idea to step back and realize that you had something to do in getting this done. It is time to accept, acknowledge, be aware, and rejoice in your power. The more you accept the power you have, the more that power will grow. These times and the current energy are coming together to give you the boost necessary to move forward in WHO you are and all that that can be. Take time today to honor yourself. Take time to day to look around yourself, and take time today to know that a lot of the old stuff is no longer helpful to you. So, it might be a good idea to start that list of Things to Keep and Things to Let Go Of.
The Higher The Consumption of Chocolate, The Lower The Level of Body Fat
Yes ladies, it’s time to crack open the bubbly and toast the University of Granada researchers from the Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Physical Activity and Sports Sciences. They have scientifically disproven the outdated belief that eating chocolate is fattening. If you don’t enjoy exercising, you may also appreciate that the research was independent of diet and physical activity.
Virtually everyone likes chocolate, and no other food resembles chocolate in flavour, aroma and texture. Chocolate is also highest on the list of foods subject to cravings which leads to guilt when we consume an excess.
In an article published this week in the journal Nutrition, the authors have shown that higher consumption of chocolate is associated with lower levels of total fat (fat deposited all over the body) and central fat (abdominal), independently of whether or not the individual participates in regular physical activity and of diet, among other factors.
The researchers determined whether greater chocolate consumption associated with higher body mass index and other indicators of total and central body fat in adolescents participating in the HELENA (Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence) study. This project, financed by the European Union, studies eating habits and lifestyle in young people in 9 European countries, including Spain.
The pleasurable experience of eating chocolate can alter mood by directly producing a feeling of well-being and by distracting us from feelings such as anxiety and depression. In turn, relief from distressing mood states could reinforce liking for chocolate. These changes in mood could be related to any of the previous theories.
In a recent study by Dr. Penny Kris-Etherton of Pennsylvania State University, subjects who followed a diet rich in cocoa butter saw no rise in their blood cholesterol levels.
Independent of diet and physical activity
The study involved 1458 adolescents aged between 12 and 17 years and results showed that a higher level of chocolate consumption associated with lower levels of total and central fat when these were estimated through body mass index, body fat percentage–measured by both skinfolds and bioelectrical impedance analysis–and waist circumference. These results were independent of the participant’s sex, age, sexual maturation, total energy intake, intake of saturated fats, fruit and vegetables, consumption of tea and coffee, and physical activity.
As the principle author Magdalena Cuenca-Garcia explains, although chocolate is considered a high energy content food–it is rich in sugars and saturated fats–“recent studies in adults suggest chocolate consumption is associated with a lower risk of cardiometabolic disorders”.
In fact, chocolate is rich in flavonoids–especially catechins–which have many healthy properties: “they have important antioxidant, antithrombotic, anti-inflammatory and antihypertensive effects and can help prevent ischemic heart disease”.
Recently, another cross-sectional study in adults conducted by University of California researchers found that more frequent chocolate consumption also associated with a lower body mass index. What’s more, these results were confirmed in a longitudinal study in women who followed a catechin-rich diet.
The effect could be partly due to the influence of catechins on cortisol production and on insulin sensitivity, both of which are related with overweight and obesity.
Calorie impact is not the only thing that matters
The University of Granada researchers have sought to go further and analyse the effect of chocolate consumption at a critical age like adolescence by also controlling other factors that could influence the accumulation of fat. The research, which is both novel and, perhaps, the largest and best-controlled study to date, is the first to focus on the adolescent population. It includes a large number of body measures, objective measurement of physical activity, detailed dietary recall with 2 non-consecutive 24-hour registers using image-based software, and controls for the possible effect of a group of key variables.
In Nutrition, the authors stress that the biological impact of foods should not be evaluated solely in terms of calories. “The most recent epidemiologic research focuses on studying the relation between specific foods–both for their calorie content and for their components–and the risk factors for developing chronic illnesses, including overweight and obesity”.
Despite their results, the authors insist that chocolate consumption should always be moderate. “In moderate quantities, chocolate can be good for you, as our study has shown. But, undoubtedly, excessive consumption is prejudicial. As they say: you can have too much of a good thing”.
The University of Granada researchers stress that their findings “are also important from a clinical perspective since they contribute to our understanding of the factors underlying the control and maintenance of optimal weight”.
Some things to keep in mind when selecting a chocolate bar:
1) The darker the better
2) stay away from chocolate with soy, soy lecithin, palm oil, natural flavor, whey, yeast, polyglycerols and other nasty chemicals that don’t belong in the ingredient list
3) No refined sugar is necessary to make a great tasting chocolate bar 4) Cacao should be preferably stone ground and preferably organic (if it’s not raw the lower the antioxidant value)
5) cacao beans should NOT be gas dried (know your source).
Mae Chan holds degrees in both physiology and nutritional sciences. She is also blogger and and technology enthusiast with a passion for disseminating information about health.
