Eat a banana today or a woolfberry or 3

Bananas are a good source of potassium, fibre and energy.
There remains some debate regarding whether or not bananas have a high glycemic index value, which spikes blood sugar and disrupts long-term energy levels.
An alternative to the humble banana is celery which contains more potassium than the banana and also Chinese wolfberries are better still.They are a more balanced form of energy and nutrition, and provide a host of other vitamins.
Below is what the wolfberry looks like. It is one of the most promising health-supporting foods; with over 15 percent protein, 21 essential minerals and 18 amino acids, it is nutrient-dense and is a superfood in a class all its own.It provides the immune system with much necessary properties. There is substantial evidence that the lycium polysaccharides in the wolfberry have significant antioxidant and immune-supporting properties. Research studies revealed that berry young juice increased spleenic phagocyte cell counts which are the immune cells by 81%. A most significant increase by any ones account.

Chinese wolfberries had been used for thousands of years to treat a wide range of illnesses. People in China who consumed them on a regular basis have been found to live remarkably healthy lives for 100-plus years.The berries have been found to boost the immune system, protect the liver, improve the quality of blood, and improve vision.

stop cancerous cells

Australian scientists say they have had a breakthrough which could help prevent diseases such as leukaemia, rheumatoid arthritis and asthma.Researchers from the St Vincent's Institute in Melbourne and the Hanson Institute in Adelaide say they have unravelled the structure of an important part of white blood cells. Scientists say when a part of the cell is damaged and keep replicating, it causes leukaemia and inflammatory diseases. Scientists know cells get the information to replicate through an antenna which picks up the signal from the body, but new 3D imaging has allowed researchers to see exactly how it works. Study co-head Professor Michael Parker from the St Vincent's Institute says it means they can now work on a possible cure."If we can stop those strings forming, then there's no signal. And if there's no signal, then the cells will stop proliferating," he said. It is hoped the discovery can lead to more targeted treatments and cures, such as a cure for asthma and rheumatoid arthritis. The scientists have signed an agreement with pharmaceutical company CSL to develop a treatment that will stop the protein from controlling the spread of cancerous cells. The findings have been published in the Science Journal, Cell.

Aliens exist,, well fancy that?!

FORMER NASA astronaut and moon-walker Dr Edgar Mitchell - a veteran of the Apollo 14 mission - has stunningly claimed aliens exist.And he says extra-terrestrials have visited Earth on several occasions - but the alien contact has been repeatedly covered up by governments for six decades.Dr Mitchell, 77, said during a radio interview that sources at the space agency who had had contact with aliens described the beings as 'little people who look strange to us.'He said supposedly real-life ET's were similar to the traditional image of a small frame, large eyes and head.
Chillingly, he claimed our technology is "not nearly as sophisticated" as theirs and "had they been hostile", he warned "we would be been gone by now".Dr Mitchell, along with with Apollo 14 commander Alan Shepard, holds the record for the longest ever moon walk, at nine hours and 17 minutes following their 1971 mission."I happen to have been privileged enough to be in on the fact that we've been visited on this planet and the UFO phenomena is real," Dr Mitchell said."It's been well covered up by all our governments for the last 60 years or so, but slowly it's leaked out and some of us have been privileged to have been briefed on some of it."I've been in military and intelligence circles, who know that beneath the surface of what has been public knowledge, yes - we have been visited. Reading the papers recently, it's been happening quite a bit."Dr Mitchell, who has a Bachelor of Science degree in aeronautical engineering and a Doctor of Science degree in Aeronautics and astronautics claimed Roswell was real and similar alien visits continue to be investigated. He told the astonished Kerrang! radio host Nick Margerrison: "This is really starting to open up. I think we're headed for real disclosure and some serious organisations are moving in that direction." Mr Margerrison said: "I thought I'd stumbled on some sort of astronaut humour but he was absolutely serious that aliens are definitely out there and there's no debating it."Officials from NASA, however, were quick to play the comments down.In a statement, a spokesman said: "NASA does not track UFOs. NASA is not involved in any sort of cover up about alien life on this planet or anywhere in the universe.'Dr Mitchell is a great American, but we do not share his opinions on this issue.'http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,24070088-13762,00.html

Immortal Invader

Don't smoke, drink or eat meat and you can extend your life by decades, though what you're going to do with all that time is another question. Now it seems that an animal has taken this to the logical extreme, and can live forever - the only drawback being it lives forever as a small clump of jelly.The Hydrozoan, a small predatory sea creature like a jellyfish but without all their well known exciting higher functions, can achieve the dream of millions and become a child again. When adverse environmental conditions threaten death it can collapse into a rugged blob of cells to survive. When it re-emerges, it does so as a child - literally building itself up all over again. Since this isn't just a shell to hide in, but a complete structural restart, it seems possible that it could keep this up forever.
Since one of these adverse environmental conditions is "getting sucked into the ballast tanks of a freighter", the hardy hitchhiker has spread all over the globe. It possesses stingers and eats things, which are definitely qualities you don't want in something that's unkillable and spreading worldwide, but if you're larger than a shrimp you're still safe. If you are currently smaller than a shrimp, get Rick Moranis to block the laser and try to be in a better comedy next time.
We aren't in any immediate danger of knock-on effects either, as the jetsetting jellyfish-ettes seem to be integrating quite harmlessly into their new homes (though some shrimp might disagree). The rather damp phoenix-stylings of the hydrozoan have obviously made them a hot topic in genetics, but don't expect to buy your immortality pills just yet - this is one life extension option that isn't even remotely applicable to humans.
Posted by Luke McKinney from The Daily Galaxy

Bored brains shrink

The old adage "use it or lose it" is literally true, according to Australian research showing the brain shrinks faster if it is not stimulated.Brain scans have revealed that people who do not engage in complex mental activity over their lifetime have twice the shrinkage in a key part of the brain in old age.The finding sheds more light on the link between lifestyle and dementia, and adds strength to the evidence that mental gymnastics, like puzzles and new languages, stave off ageing diseases.
"We've got strong evidence here that people who use their brains more have less brain shrinkage," said Dr Michael Valenzuela, from the school of psychiatry at the University of NSW."I hope people take this as a further call to arms to get out there and use their brains, get engaged in anything from tai chi to world travel, in the knowledge that it may help delay or prevent the onset of dementia." Mental activity has been found to delay the onset of the degenerative brain diseases, such as Huntington's, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, in large population studies. Dr Valenzuela and his team were investigating the reasons behind this "use it or lose it" principle by studying the brains of 60-year-olds over three years and testing their lifetime mental agility with questionnaires.Of the 50 people studied, those who had been more mentally active over their lives had a larger hippocampus, an important memory centre in the brain.Critically, over the three-year period the area shrank at half the rate of those who had lower mental activity."This is a significant finding because a small hippocampus is a specific risk factor for developing Alzheimer's disease," said Dr Valenzuela, whose work is published in the journal PLoS ONE.He said while many drug companies were trying to find a pharmaceutical target to prevent the shrinkage of the hippocampus, the good news is that people can help themselves."Our prior research shows the risk for dementia is quite malleable, even into late life," the researcher said."It is vital that everyone is involved in cognitive, social and physical activities in late life such as dancing, tai chi, sailing, travelling and learning a new language, for example."

UFOs invade NT town

27 Jun 08
A SMALL Northern Territory community is still reeling with shock after four UFOs descended on their Outback homes.Families spent hours in fear as what appeared to be three spaceships hovered in the distance with another just metres above their houses.
The drama at Marlinja, population 112 and 730km south of Darwin, began at 8pm on Sunday.Resident Janie Dixon said it started as an "ordinary" night."The kids were on the basketball courts, shooting a few hoops, and I was indoors talking to my two nieces when we heard a strange, loud noise," she said. "We ran outside but at first we couldn't see anything -- it was really dark and we could hear the sound. "The sound was horrible. It sounded like something was going past. We thought it was a jet. I saw what I thought at first was the evening star, the first star you usually see at night. "But then we saw three red lights in the distance, and the sound kept getting louder. "The ground felt like it was shaking, so we ran inside and shut the doors."My nephew and niece were looking out through curtains. The thing came closer, circled around the basketball courts and then came so close above our house. "The kids at the basketball courts ran -- two girls stood there looking towards the sky.
"They tried to see what it was but all they could see was this bright red light in the pitch black."Ms Dixon said the UFO hovered above the homes for what seemed like a couple of hours. She said at one stage the phone rang, but went dead when she tried to answer it."Then the light in the house became so bright, it was like we were sitting in a football stadium," she said."After a while, after the things all disappeared... I think it was about 11pm by then."We went outside and were just sitting around drinking tea and talking about it all. The kids were put to bed.
"We heard the noise again and it came back, but disappeared again moments later.
"We were all really frightened."It was a big shock and I couldn't sleep."

Rain, rain once again! Yay!

Two significant rain bands are delivering rain everywhere from the south-west of WA, to Alice Springs to Victoria.According to The Weather Company, which provides forecasting on FarmOnline, widespread cloud is spreading across all eastern states due to an upper trough.This is generating rain areas across Queensland, western NSW, southeast SA and western Victoria.And a second band of thick cloud is spreading over southwest WA from a cold front, causing rain with locally heavy falls.Already big falls have been recorded overnight and more rain is expected throughout the nation's cropping and grazing areas as both systems move further east today.According to the Bureau of Meteorology's overnight figures, the big falls in Queensland have been in the Channel Country with Birdsville receiving 57mm, Ballera 58mm, and Thargomindah 25mm.In NSW, there has been some coastal rain as well, with Ballina receiving 11mm and Dorrigo 16mm, but it was the western division which received the most promising falls, with Broken Hill recording 14mm, Lake Victoria 96mm, Tibooburra 26mm, White Cliffs 20mm, and Wilcannia 16mm.In Victoria Hopetoun has received 7mm, Walpeup 8mm, Longerenong 8mm, Nhill 7mm, and Warracknabeal 7mm, while in SA Edinburgh recorded 8mm, Strathalbyn 10mm, Nuriootpa 9mm, Kadina and Kingscote 11mm, Minlaton 7mm, Keith 6mm, Loxton and Renmark 11mm, Clare 12mm, Pt Augusta 14mm, Snowtown 10mm, Ceduna 10mm, Moomba 20mm, and Woomera 11mm.The system in WA has brought Dwellingup 9mm, Mandurah 10mm, Bunbury 50mm, Witchcliffe 33mm, Busselton 16mm, while further north Carnarvon received 28mm and Geraldton 13mm.
FarmOnline
http://www.farmonline.com.au