How to Train A Dragon? No. How to Train Your DNA.

 "Tired of your look? Want to change your body? Get off your lazy butt and EXERCISE!" Everyone has been called lazy at least once in their lifetime and who can we blame? Life does get tiring sometimes, but for those athletes, fitness freaks and jocks, working out is an everyday goes-without-saying activity. They aspire to change their body for the better. Little do they know that as they work to change their body, they are actually changing their DNA methylation for the better as well.
DNA methylation is when certain expressions of the gene are turned 'on' or 'off' in accordance to improving the organisms bodily functions. It has bee hypothesized  that exercise changed your genetic code entirely, but this hypothesis was ruled out by scientists such as Professor Juleen Zierath. Zierath proved that the alteration in DNA methylation caused by exercise led to better protection of cells from oxidative damage along with improved transport of fats, sugars and other nutrients throughout the body. Her study involved observing the muscle tissues of a group of people that just carried out a 20 minute workout session and comparing their muscle tissues to a group of people who did not participate in the workout. She also compared the workout group's skeletal muscles 3hours before and after the workout to further identify the alterations. It became evident from this comparison that he alterations made in DNA methylation were to improve and make better the body's performance.
It was also stated by another researcher who contributed to Zierath's study, Dr. Donal O'Gorman, that regular exercise and workout activities were essential for metabolic health and prevention of diseases. Regular exercises are needed because the alterations in methylation are not permanent, they are, in simplest terms, our body's response to exercise. To get this response, we must workout regularly and even daily, as though to 'remind' our DNA to turn certain expressions 'off' while leaving others 'on'. By exercising, it is as though we teach our DNA to transport nutrients more efficiently, build muscle, and improve our bodily functions to be healthy.

A link to this article:
http://www.naturalnews.com/035327_exercise_DNA_expression_health.html

Another article that supports the fact that exercise affects our DNA expression and how these affects can lead to prevention of diseases can be found through this link:

http://www.naturalnews.com/035259_daily_exercise_DNA_disease_prevention.html

Brain: Playground Swing or Rocking Chair?

Being young at heart can be a little problem for those who've lived more years than they'd like to admit. And of course, solutions involve people dying a few strands, having a lift here and there or shaving off a few years to seem, look and appear young. But is appearing young the real issue? What if your brain aged faster than other people's? What if you're young at heart, high on the swing when your brain is already resting on a rocking chair?

Reported by Tina Hesman Saey in ScienceNews, Ahmad Salehi's study with pilots show that a specific version of a gene may impact the aging of a person's brain. The specific version of a gene is called BDNF. Specifically, Salehi's research involved the performances of pilot's distinguished into two groups - one group made up of pilots with the BDNF gene and the other group with those who don't -  on a flight simulator test. The study carried out for over two years and the results proved that pilots who had the BDNF gene showed a drop about three times more in their flight stimulator test compared to the pilots who didn't. Differences in scores were seen in areas such as reaction time, navigational skills, positioning of planes and performance/decision making in emergency situations.
There was also an obvious decrease in areas associated to learning and memory in the brain for those who had the BDNF gene. For example, those who had this particular gene had lost more volume of their hippocampus (part of the brain used for navigation and spatial memory) in comparison to those who have the normal version of the gene. This contributes to the possibility that the BDNF gene impacts the brain to age faster as all of the pilots that had the volume of their hippocampus measured were 65. Although they were all the same age, their hippocampus volume differed due to the presence of this gene.
But having this gene does not cause a person to be at a disadvantage at all. "The drop in scores was not so dramatic that pilots should be removed from the cockpit", as Tina Hesman Saey quotes Salehi. None of the pilots were more or less capable than the others at a drastic measure. It is also important to keep in mind that the degree of impact this BDNF gene has on the brain aging is not clear entirely as it is still an ongoing research topic and is fairly recent. A neurologist and neuroscientist from University of California, William Mobley, states that "It could be one of a thousand factors that play a role (in the brain aging)". With this statement, other scientists are trying to figure out how to counteract this gene and possibly slow the brain aging. But until further research is done, for now, whether you have this brain aging gene or not, it seems as though being young at heart is the best young you can be.

Flood Relief: Start With A Shoe Box

This 'Flood Relief' donation box was made from a shoe box by my friend who attended the first Wipe The Tied movement. This movement can involve anyone from anywhere that has the heart and will to help Thailand overcome this ongoing catastrophe by breaking into groups and collecting money on busy streets and malls. Members who began the Wipe The Tide movement have already held three events and are planning on the fourth. Because of my own situation at home, I could not attend the first three events, but the sponsors of this movement assured me they would be holding more.  My friend made this donation box on the first event, which is why I chose this particular photo.

Clearly some people who are not affected by the floods take a more selfish approach to the current disaster. Merchants and shop owners are increasing the prices of their products for their own financial gain. I feel that this kind of thinking is extremely unethical. The victims of the floods are in need of certain materials and products, especially after having lost their homes/possessions, yet these merchants are taking advantage of their trouble. To realize that some people are only looking at the floods as a "playing field" for their own gain disgusts me. This is why I feel that what my friend and the people volunteering and are involved in the Wipe The Tide movements are extremely inspirational and are the hearts that will help Thailand move on.

To think that people are willing to come out at times of need to help those who are suffering is not only inspirational but creates a sense of hope. On the first Wipe The Tide event, my friend informed me that they collected an approximated total of 27k. On week 2, approximately 130thousand baht and week 3, approximately 328thousand baht was collected. I feel that this is such a huge achievement and immediately wanted to take part as well. What this photo and the entire concept of the Wipe The Tide movement means to me is that even while people no longer have a home to return to or are arguing over political issues causing the floods, citizens of Thailand are still willing to unite and lend a hand because of the love they have for their country. It gives me confidence that Thailand is 100% capable of overcoming this dilemma and restore the happy faces of the Land of Smiles.

This is a photo of the donation box I made and a photo of me participating in the fourth Wipe the Tide movement:

Here's the Facebook link to the Wipe The Tide movement: https://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=227949590601513