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The Immune System 4 Part Masterclass Series: Join us for an individual masterclass or take all 4 masterclasses on Saturdays from 12 to 6pm. Join us on this plant based journey of looking at the complex immune system through culinary medicine, fermentation, skincare and lifestyle medicine. This is a deep dive into understanding the complex immune system in a comprehensive, informative, practical and empowering way. Book Full Course Now    Day 1: Masterclass 1: The Immune System Via Culinary Medicine. Book Day 1 Day 2: Masterclass 2: The Immune System Via Fermentation. Book Day 2 Day 3: Masterclass 3: The Immune System Via Skincare. Book Day 3 Day 4: Masterclass 4: The Immune System Via Lifestyle Medicine. Book Day 4   The immune system is a complex system of structures and processes that has evolved to protect us from disease. Molecular and cellular components make up the immune system. The function of these components is divided up into nonspecific mechanisms, those which are innate to an organism, and responsive responses, which are adaptive to specific pathogens. Fundamental or classical immunology involves studying the components that make up the innate and adaptive immune system. Innate immunity is the first line of defence and is non-specific. That is, the responses are the same for all potential pathogens, no matter how different they may be. Innate immunity includes physical barriers (e.g. skin, saliva etc) and cells (e.g. macrophages, neutrophils, basophils, mast cells etc). These components ‘are ready to go’ and protect an organism for the first few days of infection. In some cases, this is enough to clear the pathogen, but in other instances the first defence becomes overwhelmed and a second line of defence kicks in. Adaptive immunity is the second line of defence which involves building up memory of encountered infections [...]

Thank you for your interest in our world unique comprehensive plant based qualification courses and your interest in our plant based training university which offers the world’s most comprehensive plant based certificate and diploma courses. Plant Based Academy is a world renowned international raw vegan organic plant based training and culinary medicine university. Plant Based Academy is a world authority on refined fine dining raw food mastery training, plant based nutritional science training, comprehensive lifestyle medicine training, advanced herbalism training and culinary medicine education. We  offer a 12 month online professional certificate course, a 12 week professional certificate course at our state of art academy kitchen classroom in Dublin Ireland and a 12-week Teachers Training Diploma course in Dublin Ireland. Plant Based Academy is dedicated and obsessively committed to "sustainable veganism" through plant based nutritional science, culinary medicine & lifestyle medicine education. We believe strongly that with the proper guidance and knowledge on correct plant based nutrition that not only is a plant based vegan diet and lifestyle, an incredibly ethical decision for animals and our planet, but also a perfectly adequate and a life long sustainable health promoting, disease preventing and reversing approach for all of us. Plant Based Academy specialises in Lifestyle Medicine, Advanced Fermentation, Taoist Herbalism, culinary Medicine and plant based nutritional science. Our course is the most comprehensive course of this kind on the planet, a deep dive into biohacking, longevity, powerful immunity, health science, optimum mitochondrial health, plant hormetic science, plant based fine dining and so much more. The Professional Certificate Course: Our professional certificate course is not only the most recognised plant based course available but also the most comprehensive and at the best value plant based qualification in the world . This is also the only course which focuses on plant based nutritional science , culinary medicine and lifestyle medicine including advanced fermentation & herbalism and we [...]

Green tea, which contains powerful antioxidants, is one of the most popular beverages consumed around the world. Of all the antioxidant compounds found in green tea, the major constituents are polyphenols, including phenolic acids and catechins. Catechins from green tea belong to the family of flavonoids that are powerful antioxidants and free iron scavengers. Many botanical flavonoids possess strong antioxidant activities in the cardiovascular system. Effects of green tea on cancer chemoprevention have been attributed to its antioxidant activities. The highest amount off these compounds are found in matcha tea. EGCG is the most abundant and powerful antioxidant in green tea for cancer chemoprevention. Researchers also found that the green tea polyphenol epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) stops the formation of beta-amyloid plaques — a hallmark of Alzheimer'sdisease — by interfering with the function of beta-amyloid oligomers. Green tea contains a bioactive called EGCG that makes a natural antioxidant enzyme called GSTP1 that protects your DNA from oxidative stress. By the way, EGCG can also activate tumor suppressor genes that stop cancer cells from growing. - Dr. William li  Organic Highest Grade Pure Japanese Matcha at Plant Based Academy Direct from small family run Organic Farm in Kagoshima JapanPerfect high dose of antioxidant, antiangiogenic, anti cancer flavonoid EGCG. Whisk into 80 degree water or plant based milk for a beautifully stimulating beverage with huge health benefits. Matcha Kotobuki is a blend of first harvest Tencha – Origin Makizono, Kagoshima on the foot of the Kirishima volcanic mountain range. Grown on Volcanic soil called Shirasu. Order Highest Quality Organic Matcha Order Highest Quality Organic Matcha

It is never too late to change your life. At Plant Based Academy we offer Lifestyle Medicine Coaching which is a world unique holistic health program which addresses relationship distress & conflict, illness such as IBS & other gastrointestinal disorders of brain/gut axis, anxiety, depression and other life challenges, all of which are rooted in an early life traumatic event or events. Our world unique comprehensive holistic health program incorporates a gut repair program, psychotherapy, relationship coaching, embodied tantra, conscious parenting/relating and plant based nutrition which bring about feelings of integration, optimum health, vitality, longevity and well being. This program will assist you in thriving rather than just surviving and help you to live life at a much higher level. Anything you desire in life, you need energy to obtain and achieve, the kind of energy that only comes from optimum health and passionate relationships. If you struggle with any of the following, then a comprehensive Consultation will be perfect for you : IBS Anxiety Depression Eating Disorder Addictions Relationship conflict Gastrointestinal distress Severe Menstrual Pain Chronic Dissociation Book in now for a comprehensive consultaion and get to the root of your life challenges so you can live a life of health and vitality. With our expert guidance you will learn to self regulate, heal your gut dysbiosis and reset your gut for health, activate parasympathetic nervous system for sustained relaxation, seek corrective emotional experiences through healthy and passionate relationships, invoke and strengthen healthy immunity with a healthy diet that does not feel like a diet,resolve emotional distress and dissociated painful experiences of the past and awaken a powerful lymphatic system via dance, movement and yoga. Repair Your Gut, create conscious passionate relationships, resolve anxiety & depression, reverse IBS and other gastrointestinal disorders holistically With Lifestyle Medicine & Functional Health [...]

When we meet our partners, we make an unconscious contract to help each other resolve emotional injuries of the past , we unconsciously pick or hire the perfect person to trigger this stored painful memory of our past , it is for this exact reason we have come together . Relationships are not a problem to be solved but an adventure to be embraced. Conflict is a gift to be unpacked , to embrace, an opportunity to grow , resolve and mature . Conflict can not be resolved at the level with which it was created. We hire the person in our life who is most compatible to help us resolve what is unresolved from our childhood. Our relationship lives in the space between us and it is sacred . This becomes the playground for our children . When there are only two options , take the third option ! Keep the space between you safe and sacred . Honour the space between you , by visiting the other by crossing the bridge . Cross the bridge with an open mind to learn , with curiosity and compassion , leave behind your hurt and trauma. Crossing the bridge is becoming completely present with your partner, listening without interruption, defensiveness or judgement, holding an unconditional space for your partner to share. Beyond right thinking and Beyond wrong thinking there is a field , I will meet you there - This is the third option Seven principles for Co Creating a Conscious Relationship with The Ultimate Relationship Program 1. The relationship lives in the space between us. 2. The emotional charged part of your partner is the child in them trying to tell their story , allow each other to tell that story by crossing the bridge. 3. We are energy that can be positive [...]

Pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) influences energy-related metabolism and neurologic functions. PQQ is a catalyst for energy producing reactions in the mitochondria of our cells. The mechanism of action involves interactions with cell signaling pathways and mitochondrial function. PQQ has some evidence to show it improves mitochondrial function and lowers markers of inflammation. However, more study is needed. Mitochondrial function, which is responsible for energy production in our cells, gets worse over time as we age – so that’s why its important to boost it. PQQ is usually used as a dietary supplement because of the way it interacts with your body’s mitochondria. Mitochondria are the most important cellular components in your body. The mitochondria create adenosine triphosphate (ATP) which is the main source of energy for your cells (which is why mitochondria are affectionately known as the powerhouse of the cell.)It’s important to understand how much work your mitochondria do. Since they provide energy at a cellular level, they are responsible for the proper function of your entire body, cell by cell. If you have a problem with your mitochondria, chances are you’ll suffer from extreme, unmanageable fatigue and other symptoms. PQQ encourages the growth of new mitochondria and enhances their performance and energy output. More mitochondria and better function means more energy throughout the body and mind. PQQ is a Vital Nutrient Pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) is a compound found in interstellar dust, that also acts to generate the spark of life in every living cell in our body; PQQ has nearly unlimited potential to improve human health. Specifically, PQQ is a novel vitamin-like compound that acts as a necessary active factor in the functioning of mitochondria. PQQ is showing a wide range of clinical benefits for brain and body function, based upon preclinical studies and initial clinical evaluation. PQQ stimulates growth and serves as a cofactor for a [...]

In order to understand the benefits of food for health, we need a new definition of health. To most people, health is the absence of disease. But it is much more than that. In fact, the definition of health needs a major upgrade. Our health is an active state, protected by a series of remarkable defense systems in the body that are firing on all cylinders, from birth to our last day alive, keeping our cells and organs functioning smoothly. These health defense systems are hardwired in our body to protect us. Some are so powerful they can even reverse diseases like cancer. And while they function as separate systems of defense, they also support and interact with one another. These defense systems are the common denominators of health. Each of the systems is influenced by diet. When you know what to eat to support each health defense, you know how to use your diet to maintain health and beat disease. When I teach other doctors and students about diet and health, I use the analogy that the body is like a medieval fortress, protected not only by its stone walls, but by a host of other clever built-in defenses. Think of your health defense systems as the hidden defenses of the body fortress. These defenses heal the body from within, so it is now possible to systematically examine how to shore up your health. The five defense systems are angiogenesis, regeneration, microbiome, DNA protection, and immunity. Here is what they can do: Angiogenesis: The process by which these blood vessels are formed. Foods like soy, green tea, tomatoes, choke berries, parsley, lavender, nutmeg, cacao, matcha, turmeric and citrus can influence the angiogenesis defense system. Regeneration: Powered by more than 750,000 stem cells distributed throughout our bone marrow, lungs, liver, and [...]

Everyday exposure to environmental chemicals is the #1 overlooked factor overwhelming your client’s health and driving chronic illness. Learn more about the effects of pesticides and environmental toxins for expert Laura Adler  Studies on organic vs. conventional produce and pesticides (referred to in the podcast): Chiu YH et al (2019) Association between intake of fruits and vegetables by pesticide residue status and coronary heart disease risk. Harvard School Of Public Health Panel on Pesticides and Health. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIM43XudPUY Potential toxic effects of glyphosate and its commercial formulations below regulatory limits Glyphosate-based herbicides (GlyBH), including Roundup, are the most widely used pesticides worldwide. Their uses have increased exponentially since their introduction on the market. Residue levels in food or water, as well as human exposures, are escalating. We have reviewed the toxic effects of GlyBH measured below regulatory limits by evaluating the published literature and regulatory reports. We reveal a coherent body of evidence indicating that GlyBH could be toxic below the regulatory lowest observed adverse effect level for chronic toxic effects. It includes teratogenic, tumorigenic and hepatorenal effects. They could be explained by endocrine disruption and oxidative stress, causing metabolic alterations, depending on dose and exposure time. Some effects were detected in the range of the recommended acceptable daily intake. Toxic effects of commercial formulations can also be explained by GlyBH adjuvants, which have their own toxicity, but also enhance glyphosate toxicity. These challenge the assumption of safety of GlyBH at the levels at which they contaminate food and the environment, albeit these levels may fall below regulatory thresholds. Neurodevelopmental, reproductive, and transgenerational effects of GlyBH must be revisited, since a growing body of knowledge suggests the predominance of endocrine disrupting mechanisms caused by environmentally relevant levels of exposure. Further Reading & Research Papers: Duk-Hee L, et al (2011) Low Dose [...]

Sugar the Bitter Truth: By Robert H. Lustig, MD, UCSF Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology, explores the damage caused by sugary foods. He argues that fructose (too much) and fiber (not enough) appear to be cornerstones of the obesity epidemic through their effects on insulin. It's abundantly clear that in our 21st century diet, we consume far too much sugar. We're well aware of it's role within metabolic processes including obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Below is a discussion about the effects of sugar on immunity. Further Reading:  Clinical Study Reference  The Glucose Ascorbate Antagonism Theory

NAD+ is essential to the creation of energy in the body and the regulation of pivotal cellular processes. Here’s why it’s so important, how it was discovered, and how you can get more of it. NAD+, or nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, is a critical coenzyme found in every cell in your body, and it’s involved in hundreds of metabolic processes. But NAD+ levels decline with age. NAD+ has two general sets of reactions in the human body: helping turn nutrients into energy as a key player in metabolism and working as a helper molecule for proteins that regulate other cellular functions. These processes are incredibly important. The NAD+ co-enzymes NAD+, NADH, NADP+ and NADPH are the central regulators of metabolism. They are required for fuel oxidation, ATP generation, gluconeogenesis, ketogenesis, production of pentose phosphates, heme, lipids, steroid hormones and detoxification of free radical species. NAD+ is also a consumed substrate of enzymes that polymerize and/or transfer ADPribose, form cyclic ADPribose (cyclic ADPribose synthetases) and deacylate protein lysine substrates (sirtuins) with production of acyl-ADPribosyl products. Poly(ADPribose) polymerases (PARPs) signal DNA damage in order to assemble repair machinery, while cyclic ADPribose synthetases produce second messengers that mobilize calcium ions from intracellular stores, and sirtuins influence gene expression and protein activities by virtue of reversing protein post-translational modifications. In light of the important roles of NAD+ co-enzymes in metabolism and mediating some of the longevity benefits of calorie restriction via sirtuins, there is a renewed interest in the synthesis and maintenance of the NAD+metabolome. All tissues produce NAD+ from nicotinamide (NAM) or the recently identified NAD+ precursor, nicotinamide riboside (NR) Some tissues can produce NAD+ from tryptophan de novo and nicotinic acid (NA), although the generation of NAD+ from tryptophan is much less efficient than from the vitamin precursors of NA, NAM, or NR, which are collectively termed vitamin B3. NAD+ can also be supported [...]

Sirtuins are a family of proteins that regulate cellular health. Sirtuins play a key role in regulating cellular homeostasis. Homeostasis involves keeping the cell in balance. However, sirtuins can only function in the presence of NAD+, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, a coenzyme found in all living cells. Sirtuins help regulate your cellular health. Here’s what you need to know about how they work, what they can do for your body, and why they rely on NAD+ to function. Sirtuins are a family of proteins. Protein might sound like dietary protein — what’s found in beans and Spirulina and well, protein shakes — but in this case we’re talking about molecules called proteins, which work throughout the body’s cells in a number of different functions. Think of proteins as the departments at a company, each one focusing on its own specific function while coordinating with other departments. A well-known protein in the body is hemoglobin, which is part of the globin family of proteins and is responsible for transporting oxygen throughout your blood. The myoglobin is the hemoglobin’s counterpart, and together they make up the globin family. Your body has nearly 60,000 families of proteins — a lot of departments! — and sirtuins are one of those families. While hemoglobin is one in a family of two proteins, sirtuins are a family of seven. Of the seven sirtuins in the cell, three of them work in the mitochondria, three of them work in the nucleus and one of them works in the cytoplasm, each playing a variety of roles. The basic role of sirtuins, however, is that they remove acetyl groups from other proteins. Acetyl groups control specific reactions. They’re physical tags on proteins that other proteins recognize will react with them. If proteins are the departments of the cell and DNA is the CEO, the [...]

AMP-activated protein kinase, or AMPK, is known as a master regulator of metabolism. Cells activate AMPK when they are running low on energy, and AMPK is activated in tissues throughout the body following exercise or during calorie restriction.A growing body of evidence sug­gests that boosting AMPK activity can prevent and even reverse, the life-shortening effects of aging. Insufficient AMPK activity may be related to virtually all pathological aging processes. Research indicates that restoring AMPK not only increases longevity, but works to fight the symptoms of aging in individual body systems. AMPK stands for adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase. It is found in every living cell of every living mammal (and most other animals) on Earth. If you want to avoid the life span-shortening symptoms of aging, you need to maintain optimal AMPK activity. AMPK has been referred to as a “metabolic master switch.” AMPK controls a gamut of metabolic pathways that enable us to extract energy from food, store and distribute that energy safely through the body, and ultimately use that energy for everything from moving and mating to talking and thinking, and even to understanding these very words as you read them. The core role of AMPK is to sense each cell’s energy status at every moment, and to trigger responses that maintain the cell’s energy at precisely the optimum level. Too little available energy starves the cell, while too much energy can exhaust and disrupt cellular components. In either case (too little or too much energy), the cell (and the tissues, organs, and systems in which it is a part) functions inefficiently. That energy inefficiency ultimately leads to the dysfunctions we identify as the diseases (or symptoms) of aging. Here’s how AMPK works: Every cell in your body depends absolutely on a steady supply of energy in the form of chemical [...]

The immune system is a complex system of structures and processes that has evolved to protect us from diseases & Viruses. The Nrf2 pathway is a powerful activator of immune response. Study the best practices to support your immune system via culinary medicine, lifestyle medicine and Plant Based Nutritional Science with Plant Based Academy. Thank you for your interest in our world unique comprehensive plant based qualification courses and your interest in our plant based training university which offers the world’s most comprehensive plant based certificate and diploma courses. Plant Based Academy is a world renowned international raw vegan organic plant based training and culinary medicine university. Plant Based Academy is a world authority on refined fine dining raw food mastery training, plant based nutritional science training, comprehensive lifestyle medicine training, advanced herbalism training and culinary medicine education. We  offer a 12 month online professional certificate course, a 12 week professional certificate course at our state of art academy kitchen classroom in Dublin Ireland and a 12-week Teachers Training Diploma course in Dublin Ireland. Plant Based Academy is dedicated and obsessively committed to "sustainable veganism" through plant based nutritional science, culinary medicine & lifestyle medicine education. We believe strongly that with the proper guidance and knowledge on correct plant based nutrition that not only is a plant based vegan diet and lifestyle, an incredibly ethical decision for animals and our planet, but also a perfectly adequate and a life long sustainable health promoting, disease preventing and reversing approach for all of us. Plant Based Academy specialises in Lifestyle Medicine, Advanced Fermentation, Taoist Herbalism, culinary Medicine and plant based nutritional science. Our course is the most comprehensive course of this kind on the planet, a deep dive into biohacking, longevity, powerful immunity, health science, optimum mitochondrial health, plant hormetic science, plant based fine dining and so much more. The Professional Certificate Course: Our professional certificate [...]

Join The Plant Based Revolution and Earn a Professional Certificate in Plant Based Nutrition, Lifestyle Medicine, Raw Food Mastery & Culinary Medicine. Plant Based Academy is a world renowned international raw vegan organic plant based training institute. Plant Based Academy is a world authority on refined fine dining raw food mastery training, plant based nutritional science training, comprehensive lifestyle medicine training, advanced herbalism training and vegan organic edible skincare training. Plant Based Academy offers a number of advanced and comprehensive professional certificate courses and introduction courses around the world. Plant Based Academy offers one day certificate courses, 7 day intensive professional certificate courses and a 12-week professional certificate course. Plant Based Academy is dedicated and obsessively committed to "sustainable veganism" through plant based nutrition & lifestyle education. We believe strongly that with the proper guidance and knowledge on correct plant based nutritional science that not only is a plant based vegan diet and lifestyle an incredibly ethical decision for animals and our planet but a perfectly adequate and life long sustainable health promoting, disease preventing and reversing approach for all of us. The Professional Certificate Course: Book Your Space Now  Our professional certificate course is not only the most recognised plant based course available but also the most comprehensive and at the best value plant based certificate in the world . This is also the only course which focuses on plant based nutritional science , advanced fermentation & herbalism and we also include modules on advanced cacao making and vegan skincare. All produce is 100% organic. We do not use any processed sugars such as agave, coconut sugar or nectar. This course is a life changing course and an incredible investment for you and the planet. This course offers you a Professional Certification in Plant Based Nutrition , Lifestyle Medicine [...]

Join The Plant Based Revolution and Earn a Professional Certificate in Plant Based Nutrition, Lifestyle Medicine, Raw Food Mastery & Culinary Medicine. Plant Based Academy is a world renowned international raw vegan organic plant based training university. We offer the most comprehensive plant based training offered anywhere in the world. Located in Dublin Ireland, Costa Rica, Ubud Bali & Online. "I gained so much more from this course than I ever could have anticipated when I signed up. Darren is not only a clear expert in his field, but a wonderful, humble and entirely present teacher. No questions or opinions went unheard or unaddressed. Each module, fascinating in it's own right, was thoroughly explained and practised. I had a preconception about the modules I would like most and least after reading the course summary but this was challenged in real-life when I found the learning on nearly every topic truly engaging. My expectations were very much exceeded and I would highly recommend this course to anyone considering it." -Daniella Moyles  Plant Based Academy is a world renowned international raw vegan organic plant based training institute and an authority on refined fine dining culinary medicine training through advanced raw techniques and plant based nutritional science. Plant Based Academy is also a world leading training institute in lifestyle medicine, herbalism and biohacking. Our world unique training offers advanced modules on vegan organic edible skincare, herbalism, lifestyle medicine, fermentation, plant based nutritional science, setting up a plant based business & plant based molecular gastronomy. Plant Based Academy offers a number of advanced and comprehensive professional certificate courses and introduction courses around the world including one day courses, 7 day intensive professional certificate courses and a 12-week professional certificate course. Plant Based Academy is dedicated and obsessively committed to "sustainable veganism" through plant based [...]

Join us in one of the most beautiful places on the planet to master the art and science of raw food and plant based nutrition on our 5 Day Raw Food Mastery & Culinary Medicine course with Plant Based Academy . Book your space now and avail of our Early Booking Price which is 30% discount. Spaces Limited. Plant Based Academy is a world renowned international raw vegan organic plant based training institute. Plant Based Academy is a world authority on refined fine dining raw food mastery training, plant based nutritional science training, comprehensive lifestyle medicine training, advanced herbalism training and vegan organic edible skincare training. Plant Based Academy is dedicated and obsessively committed to "sustainable veganism" through plant based nutrition & lifestyle education. We believe strongly that with the proper guidance and knowledge on correct plant based nutritional science that not only is a plant based vegan diet and lifestyle an incredibly ethical decision for animals and our planet but a perfectly adequate and life long sustainable health promoting, disease preventing and reversing approach for all of us. The Raw Food Mastery & Culinary Medicine Course: This course focuses on plant based nutritional science , advanced fermentation & herbalism and we also include modules on advanced cacao making and molecular gastronomy. All produce is 100% organic. We do not use any processed sugars such as agave, coconut sugar or nectar. This course is a life changing course and an incredible investment for you and the planet. This course offers you the confidence to prepare refined clean health plant based meals with plant based nutrition in mind. You do not need prior experience to take this course and you do not have to be a chef to take this course. This Course is suitable for doctors, nurses, chefs, health enthusiasts, [...]

The impact of dietary factors on brain health and vulnerability to disease is increasingly appreciated. The results of epidemiological studies, and intervention trials in animal models suggest that diets rich in phytochemicals can enhance neuroplasticity and resistance to neurodegeneration. Here we describe how interactions of plants and animals during their co-evolution, and resulting reciprocal adaptations, have shaped the remarkable characteristics of phytochemicals and their effects on the physiology of animal cells in general, and neurons in particular. Survival advantages were conferred upon plants capable of producing noxious bitter-tasting chemicals, and on animals able to tolerate the phytochemicals and consume the plants as an energy source. The remarkably diverse array of phytochemicals present in modern fruits, vegetables spices, tea and coffee may have arisen, in part, from the acquisition of adaptive cellular stress responses and detoxification enzymes in animals that enabled them to consume plants containing potentially toxic chemicals. Interestingly, some of the same adaptive stress response mechanisms that protect neurons against noxious phytochemicals are also activated by dietary energy restriction and vigorous physical exertion, two environmental challenges that shaped brain evolution. In this perspective article, we describe some of the signaling pathways relevant to cellular energy metabolism that are modulated by ‘neurohormetic phytochemicals’ (potentially toxic chemicals produced by plants that have beneficial effects on animals when consumed in moderate amounts). We highlight the cellular bioenergetics-related sirtuin, adenosine monophosphate activated protein kinase (AMPK), mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) pathways. The inclusion of dietary neurohormetic phytochemicals in an overall program for brain health that also includes exercise and energy restriction may find applications in the prevention and treatment of a range of neurological disorders.Plants play important roles in human life, not only as food sources, but also as sources of medicines used in traditional healing practices [...]

Join The Plant Based Revolution and Earn a Professional Certificate in Plant Based Nutrition, Lifestyle Medicine, Raw Food Mastery & Culinary Medicine. Plant Based Academy is a world renowned international raw vegan organic plant based training university. We offer the most comprehensive plant based training offered anywhere in the world. Plant Based Academy is dedicated and obsessively committed to "sustainable veganism" through plant based nutrition & lifestyle education. We believe strongly that with the proper guidance and knowledge on correct plant based nutritional science that not only is a plant based vegan diet and lifestyle an incredibly ethical decision for animals and our planet but a perfectly adequate and life long sustainable health promoting, disease preventing and reversing approach for all of us. Professional Certificate at Plant Based Academy in Ubud Bali - Pay Deposit Plant Based Academy Ubud Bali is located last Alchemy Academy Ubud. We offer a large custom built kitchen classroom in a beautiful setting. Our Professional Certificate course here is delivered over 7 days. This is the most comprehensive plant based training in the world. Discover More  Professional Certificate at Plant Based Academy Dublin Ireland - Pay Deposit Plant Based Academy Dublin Ireland is located in a state of the art kitchen classroom at Ireland's best organic market. Our course here is delivered over 12 weeks. Students join class on Saturdays from 12 to 3pm each Saturday for 12 weeks. This is the most comprehensive plant based training in the world. Discover More 5 Day Introduction to Plant Based Nutrition & Lifestyle Medicine in Costa Rica January 2020 Join us in one of the most beautiful places on the planet to master the art and science of raw food and plant based nutrition on our 5 Day Raw Food Mastery & Culinary Medicine course with Plant Based Academy . Book your space now [...]

Join The Plant Based Revolution and Earn a Professional Certificate in Plant Based Nutrition, Lifestyle Medicine, Raw Food Mastery & Culinary Medicine. Plant Based Academy is a world renowned international raw vegan organic plant based training institute. Plant Based Academy is a world authority on refined fine dining raw food mastery training, plant based nutritional science training, comprehensive lifestyle medicine training, advanced herbalism training and vegan organic edible skincare training. Plant Based Academy offers a number of advanced and comprehensive professional certificate courses and introduction courses around the world. Plant Based Academy in Dublin Ireland offers a 12-week professional certificate course which is the most comprehensive plant based education available in the world. We also offer a 7 day intensive professional certificate course in Ubud Bali which also covers the full 12 modules. You will not cover any of this material in any other plant based course. Plant Based Academy is dedicated and obsessively committed to "sustainable veganism" through plant based nutrition & lifestyle education. We believe strongly that with the proper guidance and knowledge on correct plant based nutritional science that not only is a plant based vegan diet and lifestyle an incredibly ethical decision for animals and our planet but a perfectly adequate and life long sustainable health promoting, disease preventing and reversing approach for all of us. The Professional Certificate Course: Our professional certificate course is not only the most recognised plant based course available but also the most comprehensive and at the best value plant based certificate in the world . This is also the only course which focuses on plant based nutritional science , advanced fermentation & herbalism and we also include modules on advanced cacao making and vegan skincare. All produce is 100% organic. We do not use any processed sugars such as agave, [...]

Join The Plant Based Revolution and Earn a Professional Certificate in Raw Food Mastery & Culinary Medicine. Plant Based Academy is a world renowned international raw vegan organic plant based training institute. Plant Based Academy is a world authority on refined fine dining raw food mastery training, plant based nutritional science training, comprehensive lifestyle medicine training, advanced herbalism training and vegan organic edible skincare training. Plant Based Academy offers a number of advanced and comprehensive professional certificate courses and introduction courses around the world. Plant Based Academy in Ubud Bali offers a 7 Day intensive professional certificate course which is the most comprehensive plant based education available in the world. Plant Based Academy is dedicated and obsessively committed to "sustainable veganism" through plant based nutrition & lifestyle education. We believe strongly that with the proper guidance and knowledge on correct plant based nutritional science that not only is a plant based vegan diet and lifestyle an incredibly ethical decision for animals and our planet but a perfectly adequate and life long sustainable health promoting, disease preventing and reversing approach for all of us. The Professional Certificate Course: Our professional certificate course is not only the most recognised plant based course available but also the most comprehensive and at the best value plant based certificate in the world . We do not use any processed sugars such as agave, coconut sugar or nectar. This course is a life changing course and an incredible investment for you and the planet. This course offers you a Professional Certification in Raw Food Mastery to a Michelin Star level. You do not need prior experience to take this course and you do not have to be a chef to take this course. This Course is suitable for doctors, nurses, chefs, health enthusiasts, experienced vegans and [...]

Join The Plant Based Revolution and Earn a Professional Certificate in Plant Based Nutrition, Lifestyle Medicine, Raw Food Mastery & Culinary Medicine. Plant Based Academy is a world renowned international raw vegan organic plant based training institute. Plant Based Academy is a world authority on refined fine dining raw food mastery training, plant based nutritional science training, comprehensive lifestyle medicine training, advanced herbalism training and vegan organic edible skincare training. Plant Based Academy offers a number of advanced and comprehensive professional certificate courses and introduction courses around the world. Plant Based Academy in Dublin Ireland offers a 12-week professional certificate course which is the most comprehensive plant based education available in the world. Plant Based Academy is dedicated and obsessively committed to "sustainable veganism" through plant based nutrition & lifestyle education. We believe strongly that with the proper guidance and knowledge on correct plant based nutritional science that not only is a plant based vegan diet and lifestyle an incredibly ethical decision for animals and our planet but a perfectly adequate and life long sustainable health promoting, disease preventing and reversing approach for all of us. The Professional Certificate Course: Our professional certificate course is not only the most recognised plant based course available but also the most comprehensive and at the best value plant based certificate in the world . This is also the only course which focuses on plant based nutritional science , advanced fermentation & herbalism and we also include modules on advanced cacao making and vegan skincare. All produce is 100% organic. We do not use any processed sugars such as agave, coconut sugar or nectar. This course is a life changing course and an incredible investment for you and the planet. This course offers you a Professional Certification in Plant Based Nutrition , Lifestyle Medicine [...]

Vitamin B1 (Thiamin) Functions: converts food to energy, maintains healthy hair, nails, and skin, aids in mental focus and brain function Sources: Coriander, pine nuts, Jerusalem artichokes, hibiscus tea, watermelon, whole grains, acorn squash, soymilk, soybeans, rice bran, wheat germ, sunflower seeds, macadamia nuts (or butter), tahini, sesame seeds, spirulina, green peas, most beans, asparagus Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) Functions: converts food to energy, maintains healthy hair, nails, and skin, aids in mental focus and brain function. Sources: cereal grasses, whole grains, almonds, sesame seeds, spinach, fortified soy milk, spirulina, mushrooms, beet greens, quinoa, buckwheat, prunes. Vitamin B3 (Niacin) Functions: converts food to energy, maintains healthy hair, nails, and skin, aids in mental focus and brain function Sources: Chili powder, spirulina, peanuts, peanut butter, rice bran, mushrooms, barley, durian fruit, potatoes, tomatoes, millet, chia, whole grains, wild rice, buckwheat, green peas, avocados, sunflower seeds, tahini Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid) Functions: converts food to energy, maintains healthy hair, nails, and skin, aids in mental focus and brain function. Sources:Paprika, Shiitake mushrooms, sunflower seeds (and sunbutter), whole grains, broccoli, mushrooms, avocados, tomatoes, soy milk, rice bran, sweet potatoes. Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) Functions: aids in maintaining homeostasis, prevents anxiety by helping the amino acid tryptophan convert to niacin and serotonin for healthy nerve function and also helps ensure a healthy sleep cycle, appetite, and mood, red blood cell production, immune function. Sources: all soy products (choose non-GMO), bananas, watermelon, peanut butter, almonds, sweet potatoes, green peas, avocados, hemp seeds, spirulina, chia seeds, beans, rice bran, chickpeas, prunes, wheat germ, sunflower seeds, pineapple, plantains, hearts of palm, artichokes, water chesnuts, all squash and pumpkin, Brussels sprouts, green beans, pistachios, figs, nutritional yeast, baker’s yeast (active yeast), garlic, sage, peppers, kale, collards Vitamin B7 (Biotin) Functions: converts food to energy, helps reduce blood sugar by synthesizing [...]

Mitochondria are often referred to as the powerhouses of the cell. They help turn the energy we take from food into energy that the cell can use. But, there is more to mitochondria than energy production. Present in nearly all types of human cell, mitochondria are vital to our survival. They generate the majority of our adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the energy currency of the cell. Mitochondria are also involved in other tasks, such as signaling between cells and cell death, otherwise known as apoptosis. The structure of mitochondria Mitochondria are small, often between 0.75 and 3 micrometers and are not visible under the microscope unless they are stained. Unlike other organelles (miniature organs within the cell), they have two membranes, an outer one and an inner one. Each membrane has different functions. Mitochondria are split into different compartments or regions, each of which carries out distinct roles. Mitochondrial disease If mitochondria do not function correctly, it can cause a range of medical problems. The DNA within mitochondria is more susceptible to damage than the rest of the genome. This is because free radicals, which can cause damage to DNA, are produced during ATP synthesis. Also, mitochondria lack the same protective mechanisms found in the nucleus of the cell. However, the majority of mitochondrial diseases are due to mutations in nuclear DNA that affect products that end up in the mitochondria. These mutations can either be inherited or spontaneous. When mitochondria stop functioning, the cell they are in is starved of energy. So, depending on the type of cell, symptoms can vary widely. As a general rule, cells that need the largest amounts of energy, such as heart muscle cells and nerves, are affected the most by faulty mitochondria. The following passage comes from the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation: "Because mitochondria perform so many different functions in different tissues, [...]

Oxidative stress is a major player in the formation of pathological conditions such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, accelerated aging and neurodegeneration.  Anti-oxidant rich foods, herbs and supplements are used to protect the body from unwanted oxidative stress.  Recent research has found a new signaling pathway that plays an enormous role in amplifying the effects of anti-oxidants on the body.  In this article, you will discover 5 ways to activate the anti-oxidant benefits of the Nrf2 gene pathway. The body adapts to function in a state of homeostasis or balance.  When the body is confronted with major stressors the cells must quickly modulate their antioxidant capacity to counteract the increased oxidative stress.  In order to do this the body is able to activate a massive anti-oxidant effect in a matter of nanoseconds through a specific genetic pathway. The Keap1-Nrf2 Pathway and Your Health: Nrf2 (NF-E2-related factor 2) is a transcription factor in humans encoded by a specific gene that regulates the expression of a set of antioxidant and detoxifying genes.  This pathway is activated under times of oxidative stress to enhance the expression of a multitude of antioxidant and phase II liver detoxification enzymes that restore homeostasis to the ox/redox cycles in the body. An enzyme named (Keap1) which sits on the cytosol of the cell interacts with Nrf2 and activates it.  Keap1 is rich in the amino acid cysteine, and acts as a sensor that is constantly reading the environment for any increase or decrease in oxidative stress.  Under times of increased stress, Keap1 activates Nrf2 which then migrates into the cell nucleus and bonds to the DNA to active the Antioxidant Response Element (ARE).  ARE then upregulates a variety of powerful antioxidant enzymes and detoxifying proteins. This Keap1-Nrf2 pathway regulates over 600 genes involved in cellular protection and anti-oxidant defenses.  These various genes act [...]

Mental illness is still such a taboo subject, many people don’t know that depression, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), chronic stress and other problems affecting the mind can wreak havoc on the brain and memory. A well-respected study on depressive symptoms and cognitive decline, for example, found that elderly women with six or more depressive symptoms had a 230 percent risk of cognitive deterioration. In fact, failing to seek early treatment for depression is one of the key factors that, if controlled, could prevent one in three cases of dementia, according to recent research published in the Lancet. Getting your mind right is critical if you want to get your memory back, and your whole life will benefit—your energy, self-confidence, and outlook will all improve. You can heal your mental health issues and strengthen your memory by following the protocols in this article which are scientifically validated in many journals and much of the information here overlaps with the incredible;e research from The Blue Zones Study and Volter Longo longevity studies and longevity diet. This research-based program identifies and provides treatment for the 11 risk factors that damage your mind and memory. One lab test we recommend is the Omega-3 Index, which measures the red-blood-cell levels of EPA and DHA, two fatty acids critical to the brain and emotional health. You can do a lot to improve your mental and emotional health. Here are easy steps to take: Start every day with the phrase, “Today is going to be a great day”; positive self-talk has a powerful influence on the brain. Write down three things you are grateful for every day Learn to meditate; a loving-kindness meditation is especially effective. Take a daily walk in nature for negative ions. Stop the ANTs (automatic negative thoughts): When you’re feeling mad, sad, nervous or out of [...]

Your life can be so much more than it is now. Imagine having increased energy, a better memory, and starting each day feeling positive and rested, ready to tackle whatever challenges may come. Recent advances in medical science have put this goal within reach. You and everyone you know has a vast, untapped potential to live more fully. But to realize your greatest potential your brain must operate at its highest level. The key to tapping this potential is Neurogenesis which is the process by which nervous system cells, known as neurons, are produced by neural stem cells (NSC)s. Neurogenesis is how the brain renews and upgrades itself. Understanding neurogenesis is the most revolutionary discovery of neuroscience in the past century. Although there is still much to be learned, recent studies have revealed that the process can be enhanced and encouraged by individual lifestyle choices. To increase neurogenesis is to improve your entire life— how you think, feel, and act. Research shows that high rates of neurogenesis are associated with: + Higher cognitive function+ Better memory and faster learning+ Emotional vitality and resilience+ Protection from stress, anxiety, and depression+ Elevated immunity+ Enhanced overall brain function Increasing neurogenesis dramatically improves everyday life at all stages and radically transforms what aging looks and feels like. There are vast differences in how quickly people produce new brain cells and your rate of neurogenesis may be the single most important factor for a high quality of life. When neurogenesis is high, you are alive, engaged, expansive, fulfilling your potential. Your mind’s abilities are enhanced and your emotional vitality is strong. You are protected from stress and depression. You feel good and life is fulfilling. Immunity is robust. Your spirits are high and your outlook is positive. With a low rate of neurogenesis, your brain shrinks, your life [...]

Nootropics, or “smart drugs,” are a class of substances that can boost brain performance. They are sometimes called cognition enhancers or memory enhancing substances. They probably act by altering the levels of neurotransmitters, hormones, and enzymes that are available to the brain, through improvement of brain’s oxygen supply or stimulation of nerve growth. However, the detailed description of their efficacy seems to be incomplete as yet. This is because of the absence of a scale to quantitatively measure cognition and intelligence. Herbs acting as memory herbs enhance the level of neurotransmitters like acetylcholine and also increase blood flow directed towards the brain, thereby nurturing it with increased supply of oxygen and nutrients, which further refines brain function and memory. Nootropics can either be synthetic which are produced in a laboratory like piracetam or can occur naturally as herbal plants like Ginkgo biloba and Panax quinquefolius (American Ginseng). Natural nootropics aid in promoting the brain function with a simultaneous improvement in brain health. They also act as vasodilators against the small arteries and veins in the brain. When introduced into the system, they tend to increase the blood circulation towards the brain with an upsurge in the vital nutrients, energy, and oxygen flow in brain. They also mitigate the inflammatory responses in the brain. Natural nootropics modulate neurotransmitter concentration in the brain. They reportedly stimulate the release of various neurotransmitters like dopamine as well as uptake of choline, along with cholinergic transmission, turnover of phosphatidylinositol, function of α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionatereceptor, and activity of phosphatase A2. Some of them positively regulate the activity and expression of receptors for acetylcholine or glutamate. These particular characteristics of natural nootropics lead to the long-term potential and enhanced synaptic transmission due to improved levels and activity of neurotransmitters. A number of neurodegenerative or neuropsychiatric diseases can also be [...]

Nad+ is Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide which is a co factor found in all living cells. Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, or NAD, is a coenzyme (a compound that certain enzymes need to work) in every cell that is crucial to the basic reactions in your cells that keep you alive. It occurs in two forms: NAD+ and NADH. To understand what NAD does in simple terms, think of NAD as a waiter that picks up an electron from one table and drops it off at another. The oxidized form, NAD+, grabs an electron from one molecule. While it has a hold on that electron, it becomes NADH. NADH donates that electron to another molecule, and it becomes NAD+ again. The simple act of shuffling electrons around helps your enzymes work, and those enzymes activate microscopic chemical reactions in your cells that keep them healthy and keep your whole body humming. There are two forms : Oxidized Nad = NAD+Reduced Nad = NADH Nad is more bioavailable when taken with co q10. Nad optimises mitochondria function. Niacin is a precursor of Nad and Tryptophan is a precursor to niacin and serotonin and melatonin. Niacin is B3 and is high in avocados. Another way which has gained huge popularity in the scientific community of directly boosting Nad+ is take a supplement called NR (Nicotinamide Riboside). A healthy thriving person with optimum mitochondria function will have a ratio of 700:1 (NAD:NADH)   What Is NAD+ and why is it Important for Aging and Health You can’t live without the coenzyme NAD+, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide. Here’s why it’s so important, how it was discovered, and how you can get more of it. NAD+, or nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, is a coenzyme found in all living cells, and it’s required for the fundamental biological processes that make life [...]

Why are Cruciferous Vegetables so important? Because they contain a isothiocyanate called Glucoraphanin which when exposed to the enzyme Myrosinase coverts to a powerful antioxidant called Sulforaphane. Broccoli Sprouts is The Ultimate Cruciferous Vegetable for Sulforaphane Benefits. Sulforaphane Benefits: Sulforaphane Protects the Gastrointestinal Tract(GI) Sulforaphane Promotes Healthy Skin Sulforaphane Improves Immune System Function Sulforaphane Promotes Weight Loss Sulforaphane Encourages Fully Body Detoxification Sulforaphane Reduces Autoimmune/General Inflammation Sulforaphane Promotes Hair Growth Sulforaphane Supports Healthy Liver Function Sulforaphane Combats Cancer Sulforaphane Lowers Bad Cholesterol Sulforaphane Reduces the Risk of Cardiovascular Disease Sulforaphane Helps Control Diabetes Sulforaphane Acts as an Antiviral Sulforaphane Fights Fungal and Bacterial Infections Sulforaphane Slows Down Degenerative Disorders Sulforaphane Turbocharges Cognitive Function Sulforaphane Combats Depression/Anxiety Sulforaphane Can Reduce the Symptoms of Autism Sulforaphane May Help Asthma Sufferers Sulforaphane Alleviates Bladder Dysfunction Sulforaphane Promotes Healthy Eye Function Sulforaphane is Great for Bone Formation + Density Sulforaphane Improves Arthritis Symptoms Sulforaphane Shields the Kidneys from Disease Sulforaphane Facilitates a Healthy Pregnancy What Are Cruciferous Vegetables? Broccoli, kale, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and bok choy are all examples of the cruciferous, or cabbage, vegetable family. The name stems from the latin Cruciferae, meaning ‘cross bearing’, as the general shape, including four leaves, resembling a cross. All of these vegetables share in common a slightly sharp, mustard-taste and, in fact, cruciferous vegetables are part of the mustard family. These diverse veggies all endow multiple benefits, giving us a wide spectrum of vitamins and minerals. Perhaps most importantly, they all help to reduce bodily inflammation and play a huge role in fighting the possibility of developing cancer. Most people do not manage to get enough cruciferous veggies in their diets, but since a daily adult intake of only 2½ cups should do the job, it seems like something we could all easily do. Why Are Cruciferous [...]

MCT Oils, (from Medium-Chain Triglycerides. Triglycerides are a type of fat that comes from the foods we eat, such as butter, oils, and other fats. They are the most common type of fat found in our bodies, a result of excess caloric intake. They are stored in fat cells and later released when energy is required. Triglycerides are composed primarily of fatty acids and are named after the length of their fatty acid chains. MCTs may also be referred to as MCFA’s (Medium-Chain Fatty Acids). Most fats in our diet are made of long-chain fatty acids, Omega-3’s contain from 13 – 21 carbon atoms. And so, a triglyceride with a fatty acid carbon chain of only 6 to 12 atoms is known as a “medium-chain triglyceride. What makes MCTs unique is that they are metabolized differently than long-chain fatty acids found in most other foods. Typically, fats are absorbed by intestinal cells, placed inside chylomicrons which transport them to the lymphatic system to be circulated to the liver and adipose tissue throughout the body. These lipids with long-chain fatty acids are more easily stored. MCTs however, go straight to the liver meaning they are absorbed much faster. Once in the liver, MCTs can be used for instant energy, or they can be converted to ketones. And, remember, the brain uses ketones as it’s only alternative, and perhaps preferred, source of energy. There are four different MCTs; Caproic Acid – (C6), Caprylic Acid – (C8), Capric Acid – (C10), and Lauric Acid – (12). Each of the first three, the “Capr Acids,” go straight to the liver as mentioned above. In fact, the shorter the chain, the better the absorption and faster availability of energy. Lauric Acid, however, is routed through the stomach and the small intestine, does not go directly [...]

Rebounding: The idea of rebounding has been around for a long time, but it gained popularity in the 1980s when NASA studied its benefits while trying to find an effective way to help astronauts recover and regain bone and muscle mass after being in space. Astronauts can lose as much as 15% of their bone and muscle mass from only 14 days at zero gravity, so NASA needed a way to help reverse this damage. Some of the findings of the NASA study: When the astronauts were tested while running on a treadmill, the G-force measured at the ankle was over twice what it was at the back and head. This means that the foot and leg absorb much of the force when running, which can explain the higher rates of foot, shin and knee problems from running (especially running incorrectly). On a trampoline, the G-force was almost identical at the ankle, back and head and at a lower level than that of the G-force at the ankle on a treadmill. This shows that rebounding can exercise the entire body without excess pressure to the feet and legs. “The external work output at equivalent levels of oxygen uptake were significantly greater while trampolining than running. The greatest difference was about 68%.” In other words, the increased G-force in rebounding means you get more benefit with less oxygen used and less exertion on the heart. “. Averting the deconditioning that occurs during the immobilization of bed rest or space flight, due to a lack of gravireceptor stimulation (in addition to other factors), requires an acceleration profile that can be delivered at a relatively low metabolic cost . . .for equivalent metabolic cost, and acceleration profile from jumping will provide greater stimuli to gravireceptors.” In other words, the acceleration and deceleration of rebounding [...]

Buteyko Method (Buteyko Breathing Technique): The Buteyko Method first arrived to Australia and the UK from Russia in the early 1990s. Early on the method was popular with adults and children suffering from asthma. Over the past number of years, the Buteyko Method has shown to be efficacious in helping improve a number of breathing related problems including: Respiratory: asthma, rhinitis, hayfever Neurological: Anxiety, stress and panic attacks Childhood development: dental health, craniofacial development and ADHD Sleep disordered breathing: insomnia, snoring, central sleep apnea, obstructive sleep apnea The Buteyko method is named after its founder Doctor Konstantin Buteyko. It is the most effective drug-free approach for the management of asthma and other breathing related problems. It can be practiced by both adults and children, and gives quick and consistent results. The Buteyko method is neither a medical treatment nor procedure. It does not involve any medication, homeopathy or herbs. It is series of lectures related to breathing which enables people to understand a concept of 'normal breathing' or breathing according to physiological norms. It contains simple breathing techniques and logical instructions to follow. It also gives the means of controlling breathing parameters without any technical appliances. Buteyko method brings the physiological parameters of the body to the norm. It can be easily incorporated into the daily life of any contemporary person. It does not require you to interrupt your everyday activities to perform any sophisticated procedures similar to yogi's 'asana'. You can use the concept of the method at any time in any situation. The success of the Buteyko method in the treatment of asthma is backed by hard scientific data. Clinical trials funded by the Australian Association of Asthma Foundations in 1994 at the Mater Hospital in Brisbane demonstrated that asthmatics were able to reduce their symptomatic medication intake by [...]

When trapped in chronic pain, it can seem like you’ll never feel better and be able to live the life you want—especially if you’ve tried other therapies and drug-based treatments that only worked temporarily or not at all. To feel better, you need to focus on the source of your pain. While most chronic pain treatment methods only address symptoms or try to deaden or mask pain, Egoscue corrects the postural issues that are at the root of your ongoing discomfort. Thousands of people just like you have ditched the pills, found an alternative to surgery, and finally feel better for good. Welcome to The Egoscue Method. What Postural Therapy Can Do for You Your pain exists because your body is out of balance. It could be the result of an old injury, hours of sitting behind a desk or the wheel of a car, repetitive use injuries from exercise or work, or simply a postural dysfunction such as scoliosis. All of these can knock your body out of perfect alignment, causing pain, sleeping troubles, and limitations. The Egoscue Method combines our therapists' expertise with technology to assess your posture and create a personalized series of exercises that will put your body back into balance, eliminating the dysfunction that is causing your pain. The Egoscue name comes from its founder, Pete Egoscue, a pioneer in postural therapy who designed his systematic Method as a way to understand and heal his own pain. The Egoscue Method was founded by Pete Egoscue in the 1970s, and is still considered one of the most respected and revered non-medical pain relief systems in the world. And it has become one of the most popular means of treating chronic musculoskeletal pain attributed to workplace and sports injuries, accidents, aging and other conditions. The system is based on the [...]

Choline is a nutrient commonly grouped with B-vitamins. Choline has a variety of functions: It is part of cell membranes, helps nerves function properly, plays a role in liver function, is linked to our memory and mood, and may work with folic acid during pregnancy for the development of a baby’s brain and nervous system.Choline is an essential nutrient that is naturally present in some foods and available as a dietary supplement. Choline is a source of methyl groups needed for many steps in metabolism. The body needs choline to synthesize phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin, two major phospholipids vital for cell membranes. Therefore, all plant and animal cells need choline to preserve their structural integrity. In addition, choline is needed to produce acetylcholine, an important neurotransmitter for memory, mood, muscle control, and other brain and nervous system functions [1-3]. Choline also plays important roles in modulating gene expression, cell membrane signaling, lipid transport and metabolism, and early brain development. Humans can produce choline endogenously in the liver, mostly as phosphatidylcholine, but the amount that the body naturally synthesizes is not sufficient to meet human needs. As a result, humans must obtain some choline from the diet. Premenopausal women might need less choline from the diet than children or other adults because estrogen induces the gene that catalyzes the biosynthesis of choline [4]. When a diet is deficient in folate, a B-vitamin that is also a methyl donor, the need for dietary choline rises because choline becomes the primary methyl donor. The most common sources of choline in foods are the fat-soluble phospholipids phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin as well as the water-soluble compounds phosphocholine, glycerolphosphocholine, and free choline. When these choline-containing compounds are ingested, pancreatic and mucosal enzymes liberate free choline from about half of the fat-soluble forms and some water-soluble forms [5]. [...]

Conscious parenting is parenting through connection instead of coercion, through love instead of fear.Conscious Parenting recognizes that securing and maintaining a healthy parent-child bond is our primary work as parents and the key to our children's optimal human development. Our effectiveness as parents is in direct proportion to the strength of the bond we have with our child. Connection Parenting promotes parenting practices that support a strong, healthy parent-child bond.The Latest Neuroscience now confirms attachement theory and the critical importance of the parent child attachment, This above all will influence the appropriate brain development of your child and influence the adult your child will become. The model of parenting most of us grew up with was authoritarian parenting, which is based on fear. Some of us may have grown up with permissive parenting, which is also based on fear. Authoritarian parenting is based on the child's fear of losing the parent's love. Permissive parenting is based on the parent's fear of losing the child's love. Connection parenting is based on love instead of fear. Connection Parenting recognizes that securing and maintaining a healthy parent-child bond is our primary work as parents and the key to our children's optimal human development. Our effectiveness as parents is in direct proportion to the strength of the bond we have with our child. Connection Parenting promotes parenting practices that support a strong, healthy parent-child bond. Both authoritarian parenting and permissive parenting are reactive. Connection parenting is proactive. Rather than focusing on ways to discipline children when their feelings of disconnection result in uncooperative or unacceptable behavior, Connection Parenting focuses on ways to maintain and increase the parent-child bond/connection. Connection parenting is an ideal, a navigation star we can look to for guidance. Whenever we question how to respond to a child we can ask ourselves, will [...]

Tantra is a spiritual path for integrating body, mind and soul. It differs from other paths in its honoring of the body, using the senses, sexuality, and feelings to help you evolve spiritually. Tantra assists you in realizing your full potential as a human being. If you choose to live from the tantric perspective, you will transform your life. You will discover bliss. You may apply tantric practices and principles to many areas of life - to relationship and sexual loving, spiritual practice and lifestyle, physical and emotional well-being. Red tantra is the aspect of tantra that relates to the mastery of sexual skills. White tantra relates to the yogic or spiritual aspects of tantric practice and consists of exercises or postures (asanas) combined with special breathing (pranayama), hand or finger gestures (mudras), internal muscular exercises (bhandas), chanting (mantra), and meditation. The skills and benefits of White tantra practices increase ones ability to master Red (sexual) tantra. Pink tantra refers to a heart centered path of tantra that blends many of the elements of White Tantra with some aspects of Red Tantra. Within the path of Pink Tantra, all of the chakras are acknowledged. However, there is an emphasis on the importance of the heart; opening the heart chakra and healing the heart. Compassion, acceptance and forgiveness for others and for our self are central themes to this practice. Pink Tantra teaches us to cultivate love without attachment, ownership or expectation. With Pink Tantra love is seen as the impetus for healing and transformation. Embodied Tantra Coaching with The International Embodied Tantra Institute is a unique blend of red, white & pink tantra. At the Heart of Tantra is Love. The practices and rituals of tantra, both spiritual and sexual, work to create the conditions necessary for love to flourish and endure. When we [...]

Join us for the Ultimate Relationship Program and take your relationship to the next level. Our Relationship Coaching sessions & workshops teach scientifically validated ways to build intimacy and dissolve conflict through interactive exercises, role-plays, and new communication skills to help deepen your connection with yourself and your partner. In The Ultimate Relationship coaching session, you will learn thought-provoking information and research on brain neurobiology that can help increase your understanding of the ultimate relationship method. You will also gain a fresh focus for meeting the challenges in your relationship in an intimate safe setting. Our approach is based on research conducted at the Gottman Institute and the research presented from the new field of interpersonal neurobiology incorporating ancient wisdom of tantra and new neuroscience of the polyvagal theory. Appointments take place in a beautiful setting in Dublin Ireland. The 12 Week Ultimate Relationship Program is Life Changing. When our relationships are working, everything else in life works so much better. Some of the biggest challenges in relationships come from the fact that most people enter a relationship in order to get something: they’re trying to find someone who’s going to make them feel good. In reality, the only way a relationship will last is if you see your relationship as a place that you go to give, and not a place that you go to take. “True love begins when nothing is looked for in return.” —Antoine de Saint-Exupéry The Ultimate Relationship Program – From Crazy Making to Love Making A passionate, thriving relationship is a beautiful thing that can give you certainty, meaning, and a powerful source of drive. What’s the secret to enjoying the relationship of your dreams? How do you spark passion and love, even in moments of conflict? Your relationship should be your greatest source of [...]

Trauma can be conceptualized as stemming from a failure of the natural physiological activation and hormonal secretions to organize an effective response to threat. Rather than producing a successful fight or flight response the organism becomes immobilized. Probably the best animal model for this phenomenon is that of ‘inescapable shock,” in which creatures are tortured without being unable to do anything to affect the outcome of events. The resulting failure to fight or flight, that is, the physical immobilization (the freeze response), becomes a conditioned behavioral response. In his book, Affect Regulation and the Origin of the Self, Allen Schore has outlined in exquisite detail the psychobiology of early childhood development involving maturation of orbitofrontal and limbic structures based on reciprocal experiences with the caregiver. Dysfunctional associations in this dyadic relationship result in permanent physicochemical and anatomical changes, which have implications for personality development as well as for a wide variety of clinical manifestations. An intimate relationship may exist, with negative child/care giver interaction leading to a state of persisting hypertonicity of the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems that may profoundly affect the arousal state of the developing child. Sustained hyperarousal in these children may markedly affect behavioral and characterological development. Many traumatized children and adults, confronted with chronically overwhelming emotions, lose their capacity to use emotions as guides for effective action. They often do not recognize what they are feeling and fail to mount an appropriate response. This phenomenon is called alexithymia, an inability to identify the meaning of physical sensations and muscle activation. Failure to recognize what is going on causes them to be out of touch with their needs, and, as a consequence, they are unable to take care of them. This inability to correctly identify sensations, emotions, and physical states often extends itself to having difficulty appreciating [...]

Biohacking is a term used to describe the integration of applied physiology, nutrition, exercise and lifestyle modification in order to manipulate one’s epigenetics to enhance quality of life, health and/or athletic performance. One easy approach to biohacking your metabolism is by following five simple principles based on the acronym S P E E D. S – SLEEP In a 2007 research review, Knutson et al. found that chronic partial sleep loss could increase the risk of obesity and diabetes via dysregulation of glucose metabolism (i.e., insulin resistance) and altered neuroendocrine control of appetite. The result was excessive food intake and decreased energy expenditure. The average adult needs between 7.5 and 8 hours of restorative sleep per night. This can vary based on health and additional needs for recovery, such as during periods of intense exercise. Sleep Loss & Energy Expenditure Energy expenditure plays an important role in the control of body weight and adiposity. The total amount of daily energy expenditure (TEE) can be divided into three components: Resting metabolic rate (RMR) – The energy expenditure of an individual resting in bed in the morning after sleep in the fasting state. RMR accounts for about 60% of TEE. Thermic effect of food (TEF) – The energy expenditure associated with the digestion, absorption, metabolism, and storage of food. TEF accounts for approximately 10% of TEE. Activity-related energy expenditure (AEE) – The energy expended in exercise as well as activities such as sitting, standing, walking and other occupational, volitional and spontaneous activities, collectively referred to as non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT). Some biohackers advocate using cold-induced thermogenesis as a form of NEAT by taking cold showers or wearing less clothing during daily activities or to bed. A small reduction in ambient temperature, within the range of climate-controlled buildings, is sufficient to increase brown adipose tissue (BAT) activity, which [...]

METABOLISM – THE CORNERSTONE OF ENERGETIC LIFE Metabolism is the continuous vital process of breaking down organic matter and forming new substances within the tissues of the body. The word is derived from the Greek word metabolemeaning “change.” Indeed, the body is in a constant state of change. The breakdown process is called catabolism whereas anabolism is the process by which living organisms synthesize new molecules. Metabolic reactions are affected by several reaction-accelerating body enzymes (biocatalysts). In addition, metabolism is regulated by hormones, various growth factors, vitamins, minerals, and the autonomic nervous system. Various chemical reactions form so-called metabolic pathways. Energy metabolism in particular is relevant to exercise. Metabolic pathways are crucial for the maintenance of homeostasis (the equilibrium of the body). The long-term imbalance of metabolic pathways may lead to various metabolic disorders. Genetic hereditary enzyme dysfunctions may also cause innate metabolic disorders (for example, a mutation in the MTHFR gene may cause an increased level of homocysteine and therefore an increased risk of cerebrovascular disorders). Examples of metabolism include the breaking down of carbohydrates, proteins and fats into energy (the citric acid cycle), the removal of superfluous ammonia through urine (the urea cycle) and the breakdown and transfer of various chemicals. The metabolic pathway that was first discovered was glycolysis in which glucose is broken down into pyruvate supplying energy (ATP and NADH) to cells. AEROBIC ENERGY SYSTEM The aerobic (requiring oxygen) metabolic process is also called cellular respiration. The processes involved in the aerobic energy system (cellular respiration) are glycolysis, pyruvate oxidation, the citric acid cycle and the electron transport chain. In practice, various cascades use glucose and oxygen to produce ATP (adenosine triphosphate) that acts as an energy source. Byproducts of these processes include carbon dioxide and water. AEROBIC GLYCOLYSIS The first metabolic phase, glycolysis, takes place in the cytoplasm. When [...]

There is a right and wrong way to breathe for optimal health, and contrary to what many think, it isn’t necessarily about long deep breaths. The Buteyko Breathing Method teaches you how to bring your breathing volume back toward normal or, in other words, reverse what’s called chronic hyperventilation or chronic over-breathing. When your breathing is normal (ideally it is shown you should breathe lightly, in a calm fashion, and only through the nose, not mouth), you have better oxygenation of tissues and organs, including your brain. The method, realized in the 1950’s by Russian medical scientist Dr. Konstantin Buteyko, aims to resolve a great number of bodily dysfunctions by normalizing breathing and results in a very specific accumulated gas mixture that an organism requires to function properly. Looking at the history of the Buteyko Breathing Method, it all began from a practical assignment which involved monitoring diseased patients breathing patterns. This in resulted in a surprising discovery that these patients exhibited a considerable and uniformed deepening of breathing that increased with the approaching of death. Dr. Buteyko was able to lay down the theoretical foundation for this idea – hyperventilation causes a depletion of carbon dioxide; low levels of carbon dioxide in the organism cause blood vessels to spasm and also cause oxygen starvation of the tissues. Overbreathing – Oxygen Overhype? We’ve been taught that deep breathing is optimal because it allows the most oxygen into the lungs. Strange as it may seem, oxygen deficiency is not caused by lack of oxygen, but by lack of carbon dioxide. If we breathe too much, we actually get less oxygen. We know, it sounds counterintuitive, but let’s explore. Normal breathing frequency at rest is about 8-12 breaths per minute. Many of us breathe much more, often up to 25 breaths per minute, [...]

The importance of exercise to health and well-being was already known in Ancient Greece. Hippocrates (460–270 BCE) has been quoted: “Eating alone is not enough for health, there must also be exercise.” During the Renaissance, the significance of the individual's own actions on his or her health became of interest. Health was no longer in the hands of God alone. In his 1553 work, Book of Bodily Exercise Spanish doctor, Christóbal Méndez described exercise as “blessed medicine” for the health of individuals. This medical point of view became more and more prevalent entering the industrial era. In his 1769 book, Domestic Medicine, Scottish doctor, William Buchan indicated that exercise alone could prevent many illnesses that were difficult to treat. French doctor, Clement Tissot, on the other hand, highlighted the importance of incidental exercise. From the late 19th century exercise was introduced into school curricula. The significance of exercise to health and general well- being was understood rather early on. Proper scientific studies on the subject matter did not appear until the turn of the 20th century. The American Journal of Physiology was first published, and in 1920, physiology professor August Krogh won the Nobel Prize in medicine, having discovered the mechanism that regulates blood flow in the muscles. Research on the health benefits of exercise really took off in the 1950s when The Lancet published a groundbreaking study on the positive impact of exercise on the prevention of coronary heart disease. The World Health Organization (WHO) has created global recommendations on physical activity for health which are based on extensive research. For individuals aged between 18 and 64 physical activity includes recreational or leisure-time physical activity, transportation, occupational, household chores, games, sports or planned exercise, in the context of daily, family, and community activities. Improve endurance fitness by exercising several days per week [...]

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), also known as ubiquinone and ubidecarenone, is often described as a vitamin or at least a vitamin-like substance. However, it is not strictly a vitamin, as it can be synthesised in the liver. CoQ10 is synthesised from the amino acid tyrosine (this synthesis in turn requires other vitamins and minerals) but is also absorbed from a wide variety of foods. Coenzyme Q10 is an essential chemical that the body produces naturally. A deficiency of this chemical can have adverse effects, and coenzyme Q10 supplements may offer health benefits. CoQ10 is an antioxidant that the body produces naturally and stores in components of the cell called mitochondria. It has associations with energy, protecting cells, and providing heart benefits. CoQ10 plays a few critical roles in the body. For example, the body's cells need this compound to produce the energy that allows them to function. As an antioxidant, CoQ10 also protects the cells in the body by neutralizing free radicals, which reduces oxidative stress in the body. Oxidative stress can cause tissue damage, inflammation, and cellular apoptosis, or cell death. There are links between oxidative stress and a range of disorders, including Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. Naturally occurring levels of CoQ10 decrease with age. Scientists have identified associations between CoQ10 deficiency and heart disease and cancer. There is currently not enough evidence to support using CoQ10 to either prevent or treat cancer or Parkinson's disease. However, it might help treat certain heart conditions and prevent migraines. Researchers have also looked at the effects of CoQ10 on a variety of other conditions, but the results are inconclusive. These conditions include ALS, Down syndrome, Huntington's disease, and male infertility. Sources of CoQ10 Vegetables: Spinach, cauliflower and broccoli Fruit: Oranges and strawberries Legumes: Soybeans, lentils and peanuts Nuts and seeds: Sesame [...]

Although cancer has historically been viewed as a disorder of proliferation, recent evidence has suggested that it should also be considered a metabolic disease. Growing tumors rewire their metabolic programs to meet and even exceed the bioenergetic and biosynthetic demands of continuous cell growth. The metabolic profile observed in cancer cells often includes increased consumption of glucose and glutamine, increased glycolysis, changes in the use of metabolic enzyme isoforms, and increased secretion of lactate. Oncogenes and tumor suppressors have been discovered to have roles in cancer-associated changes in metabolism as well. The metabolic profile of tumor cells has been suggested to reflect the rapid proliferative rate. Cancer-associated metabolic changes may also reveal the importance of protection against reactive oxygen species or a role for secreted lactate in the tumor microenvironment. Discoveries of Otto Warburg Otto Warburg’s pioneering work in the 1920s established that tumor cells exhibit altered metabolism. Warburg discovered an important distinction between the relative use of different modes of energy production in normal cells and tumors. In normal tissues, most of the pyruvate formed from glycolysis enters the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle and is oxidized via oxidative phosphorylation. In tumors, in contrast, the pyruvate is largely converted to lactic acid and energy is produced anaerobically. This finding seemed counterintuitive. Surely, a rapidly proliferating cancer cell would prefer the 36 ATPs that can be claimed by complete oxidation of a glucose molecule to the two ATPs available through glycolysis. Furthermore, this shift in metabolism in which pyruvate is converted to lactate and secreted, rather than being oxidized, occurred in tumors even when there was sufficient oxygen to support mitochondrial function. The conversion of most pyruvate to lactate through fermentation, even when oxygen is present, is called aerobic glycolysis or the Warburg effect.

Mitochondria Mitochondria are often referred to as the powerhouses of the cell. They help turn the energy we take from food into energy that the cell can use. But, there is more to mitochondria than energy production. Present in nearly all types of human cell, mitochondria are vital to our survival. They generate the majority of our adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the energy currency of the cell. Mitochondria are also involved in other tasks, such as signaling between cells and cell death, otherwise known as apoptosis. The structure of mitochondria Mitochondria are small, often between 0.75 and 3 micrometers and are not visible under the microscope unless they are stained. Unlike other organelles (miniature organs within the cell), they have two membranes, an outer one and an inner one. Each membrane has different functions. Mitochondria are split into different compartments or regions, each of which carries out distinct roles. Some of the major regions include the: Outer membrane: Small molecules can pass freely through the outer membrane. This outer portion includes proteins called porins, which form channels that allow proteins to cross. The outer membrane also hosts a number of enzymes with a wide variety of functions. Intermembrane space: This is the area between the inner and outer membranes. Inner membrane: This membrane holds proteins that have several roles. Because there are no porins in the inner membrane, it is impermeable to most molecules. Molecules can only cross the inner membrane in special membrane transporters. The inner membrane is where most ATP is created. Cristae: These are the folds of the inner membrane. They increase the surface area of the membrane, therefore increasing the space available for chemical reactions. Matrix: This is the space within the inner membrane. Containing hundreds of enzymes, it is important in the production of ATP. Mitochondrial DNA is [...]

Glutathione - Critical Master Detoxifier: Glutathione (GSH) is a tripeptide of cysteine (Sunflower Seeds & Tempeh), glutamate (Cabbage & Beans), and glycine (Tempeh & cabbage). These amino acids made the synthesis of GSH possible and act as a major cellular antioxidant in the body. Glutathione is a powerful antioxidant produced in humans, plants, animals, fungi and some bacteria. Glutathione is capabe of preventing damage to important cellular components caused by reactive oxygen species such as free radicals, peroxides, lipid peroxides and heavy metals. Glutathione is one of our bodies most important antioxidant, made up of three amino acids: Glutamine, glycine and cysteine. Sulfur is important for producing glutathione such as that found in onions, garlic and cruciferous vegetables. Vitamin C also plays a role in glutathione maintenance levels. Glutathione is a naturally occurring molecule that is present in every cell of the body. Levels decrease with age and low levels can cause many serious diseases. It is one of the most powerful antioxidants in the body as it is the only one that is intracellular. Scientists have found it is also useful to other antioxidants as it maximises the activity of Vitamin C, Vitamin E and CoQ10. While a healthy diet and lifestyle can help to slow the body’s decline, supplementing this with glutathione precursors can help to stimulate the body to produce more and thus maintain health and slow the aging process. N-acetyl L-cysteine (NAC) helps to replenish intracellular glutathione, a vital cellular antioxidant. NAC has a low molecular weight and is well absorbed via oral administration. NAC is a glutathione precursor that has been used in therapeutic practices for several decades. It has long been used to support healthy mucous production in a subset of patients and to support liver function. The GSH blood test will test for glutathione [...]

Join The Plant Based Revolution and Earn a Professional Certificate in Plant Based Nutrition, Lifestyle Medicine, Raw Food Mastery & Culinary Medicine. Plant Based Academy is a world renowned international raw vegan organic plant based training institute. Plant Based Academy is a world authority on refined fine dining raw food mastery training, plant based nutritional science training, comprehensive lifestyle medicine training, advanced herbalism training and vegan organic edible skincare training. Plant Based Academy offers a number of advanced and comprehensive professional certificate courses and introduction courses around the world. Plant Based Academy offers one day certificate courses, 7 day intensive professional certificate courses and a 12-week professional certificate course. Plant Based Academy is dedicated and obsessively committed to "sustainable veganism" through plant based nutrition & lifestyle education. We believe strongly that with the proper guidance and knowledge on correct plant based nutritional science that not only is a plant based vegan diet and lifestyle an incredibly ethical decision for animals and our planet but a perfectly adequate and life long sustainable health promoting, disease preventing and reversing approach for all of us. The Professional Certificate Course: Our professional certificate course is not only the most recognised plant based course available but also the most comprehensive and at the best value plant based certificate in the world . This is also the only course which focuses on plant based nutritional science , advanced fermentation & herbalism and we also include modules on advanced cacao making and vegan skincare. All produce is 100% organic. We do not use any processed sugars such as agave, coconut sugar or nectar. This course is a life changing course and an incredible investment for you and the planet. This course offers you a Professional Certification in Plant Based Nutrition , Lifestyle Medicine & Raw Food Mastery [...]

Plant Based Academy is a world renowned international raw vegan organic plant based training institute. We are a world leading authority on Culinary Medicine, Raw Food Mastery, Lifestyle Medicine and Plant Based nutritional science. Our training includes refined fine dining raw food mastery training, plant based nutritional science training, comprehensive lifestyle medicine training, advanced herbalism training, vegan organic edible skincare training and much more. Plant Based Academy offers a number of advanced and comprehensive professional certificate courses and introduction courses around the world. Including one day single module certificate courses, 7 day intensive professional certificate courses, our unique 12-week professional certificate course and our special graduates teaching training diploma program. Plant Based Academy is dedicated and obsessively committed to "sustainable veganism" through plant based nutrition & lifestyle education. We believe strongly that with the proper guidance and knowledge on correct plant based nutritional science that not only is a plant based vegan diet and lifestyle an incredibly ethical decision for animals and our planet but a perfectly adequate and life long sustainable health promoting, disease preventing and reversing approach for all of us. To complete the Professional diploma course you must have completed our Professional Certificate Course. About The Course: The course is developed by Institute Director, relational psychologist, plant based nutritionist, professional chef, passionate plant based and organic advocate & experienced restauranteur Darren Maguire who has been a strict raw organic vegan for over 14 years now. The unique curriculum is the same as our Plant Based Academy Professional Certificate Lifestyle Medicine Coaching program, which is comprised of 12 comprehensive modules each delivered with a background and framework of psychology, plant based nutritional science, the latest gut research, and refined culinary skill. As this is the teachers training course , the course will focus on the same content but [...]

Plant Based Franchise Opportunity with World Leading Culinary Institute Plant Based Academy. Plant Based Academy is a world renowned international raw vegan organic plant based training institute. We are a world leading authority on Culinary Medicine, Raw Food Mastery, Lifestyle Medicine and Plant Based nutritional science. Our training includes refined fine dining raw food mastery training, plant based nutritional science training, comprehensive lifestyle medicine training, advanced herbalism training, vegan organic edible skincare training and much more. Plant Based Academy offers a number of advanced and comprehensive professional certificate courses and introduction courses around the world. Including one day single module certificate courses, 7 day intensive professional certificate courses, our unique 12-week professional certificate course and our special graduates teaching training diploma program. Plant Based Academy is dedicated and obsessively committed to "sustainable veganism" through plant based nutrition & lifestyle education. We believe strongly that with the proper guidance and knowledge on correct plant based nutritional science that not only is a plant based vegan diet and lifestyle an incredibly ethical decision for animals and our planet but a perfectly adequate and life long sustainable health promoting, disease preventing and reversing approach for all of us. Join The Plant Based Revolution and become a part of the fastest growing movement and enterprise. This is a great opportunity to own and run a plant based business . Becoming a franchise member of Plant Based Academy is an opportunity to be leading in the field of plant based education which has over 10 years reputation as the best plant based course on the planet. Our comprehensive training courses and our unique content will set you at a distinct advantage, and ensure that your plant based training academy with us is a successful and profitable career move. With our franchise package you will participate [...]

Join The Plant Based Revolution and Earn a Professional Certificate in Plant Based Nutrition, Lifestyle Medicine, Raw Food Mastery & Culinary Medicine. Plant Based Academy is a world renowned international raw vegan organic plant based training institute. Plant Based Academy is a world authority on refined fine dining raw food mastery training, plant based nutritional science training, comprehensive lifestyle medicine training, advanced herbalism training and vegan organic edible skincare training. Plant Based Academy offers a number of advanced and comprehensive professional certificate courses and introduction courses around the world. Plant Based Academy offers one day certificate courses, 7 day intensive professional certificate courses and a 12-week professional certificate course. Plant Based Academy is dedicated and obsessively committed to "sustainable veganism" through plant based nutrition & lifestyle education. We believe strongly that with the proper guidance and knowledge on correct plant based nutritional science that not only is a plant based vegan diet and lifestyle an incredibly ethical decision for animals and our planet but a perfectly adequate and life long sustainable health promoting, disease preventing and reversing approach for all of us. The Professional Certificate Course: Our professional certificate course is not only the most recognised plant based course available but also the most comprehensive and at the best value plant based certificate in the world . This is also the only course which focuses on plant based nutritional science , advanced fermentation & herbalism and we also include modules on advanced cacao making and vegan skincare. All produce is 100% organic. We do not use any processed sugars such as agave, coconut sugar or nectar. This course is a life changing course and an incredible investment for you and the planet. This course offers you a Professional Certification in Plant Based Nutrition , Lifestyle Medicine & Raw Food Mastery [...]

Synaptogenesis Synaptogenesis is a long developmental process involving synapse formation, synapse maintenance (stabilization), and activity-dependent synapse refinement and elimination, and is important for the establishment of the neuronal network and the precision of brain circuitry (Cohen-Cory, 2002). Synaptogenesis is by definition one of the hallmarks of brain development (neurogenesis, migration, and path finding are others), and a major surge for synapse formation occurs during postnatal ages during which sensory pathways are sensitive for modification based on neural activity. Furthermore, evidence exists for elimination of synapses before adulthood when the capacity for plasticity is greatly reduced. Because the CP plasticity, by definition, also involves modification of sensory pathways with elimination of unused synapses and formation of new ones, the capacity for synaptogenesis and synapse pruning has been thought to be involved intricately in mechanisms of postnatal cortical plasticity. However, questions remain regarding the nature of this involvement: is the surge of synaptogenesis also the onset of the postnatal plasticity? To what extent can developmental synapse elimination be equated with the loss of plasticity of cortical maps? If synaptogenesis and synapse elimination are critical for postnatal plasticity, then does the structural plasticity observed after developmental pruning, in adolescence, or in the adulthood rely on different mechanisms? In the most radical form of the relationship between synaptogenesis and postnatal plasticity, the developmental mechanism of circuit formation itself provides the mechanism for morphological changes in neural circuits. Patterned activity is required for newly generated synapses to engage in circuitries that are compatible with the available sensory environment. Elimination of previously exuberant synapses can then be taken as an indication that environmentally correct connections are strengthened, cortical maps are hardwired, and environmentally compatible skills are learned. In this scenario, once pruning is completed, what we observe as plasticity should also diminish. There is considerable evidence that the [...]

From the biohacker’s perspective a sufficent and good sleep at night contributes to better performance, awareness, mood, ability to handle stress, skin quality,11 sports perfor- mance, the capacity to learn new things, and the ability to maintain general wellbeing. The aim of the biohacker is to reserve as much time as possible for important things, while simultaneously making sure that sleep is not compromised. This ensures that recovery becomes possible and that new learnings can be integrated and assimilated. It is common wisdom that adults should get at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night. A systemic review conducted at the University of Warwick observed that the risk of mortality amongst people who got 6 hours or less of sleep per night increased by 12 %, but also the risk of mortality amongst those who slept for nine hours or more increased by as much as 30 %.12 However, sleeping ten hours is beneficial for those with increased need for sleep, for example for recovering athletes and growing children. The studies also show that there are some people – i.e. those who carrya variation of the DEC2 gene – who can survive with two hours less sleep on average than other people. What is then enough? How can we make sure we get enough quality sleep without sacrificing any of the vital tasks that we want to get done every day? SLEEP STAGES – THE SECRET TO BETTER SLEEP Sleep alternates between two phases: orthodox sleep and REM sleep. These phases can be distinguished from one another in EEG (electroencephalography). The majority of sleep is orthodox sleep (deep sleep, quiet sleep, slow-wave sleep) that can be further divided into three NREM (non- rapid eye movement) stages: N1, N2 and N3. These are in contrast to REM sleep, or [...]

Hesperidin is a compound in orange peels that gives the flavonoid hesperitin to the body, and this flavonoid mediates most benefits of hesperidin including an increase in circulation and possible brain protective effects. Hesperidin, alongside naringenin, are known as the main citrus flavonoids. Hesperidin is a bioflavonoid glycoside commonly found in citrus fruits (most notoriously oranges) and is a sugar-bound form of the flavonoid hesperitin. Hesperitin is known to mediate the actions of hesperidin in the body, and since hesperidin needs to progress to the colon to be 'released' by intestinal bacteria it acts as a time-release for hesperitin; one serving of hesperidin seems to increased blood levels for over the course of a day or so when consumed in this manner. If we are to look currently at the human evidence on orally ingested hesperidin, it appears to promote blood flow (minorly to moderately) and may have a weak influence on blood pressure while it is pretty much ineffective on cholesterol and triglycerides. Not much other human evidence exists aside from the cardiovascular parameters mentioned above, and it seems pretty weak at improving parameters of diabetes as well (with exception to the eyes, diabetic retinopathy, as preliminary evidence suggests that hesperidin is quite protective of them). That being said, in animal studies oral intake of hesperidin at a dose similar to that used in humans seems to be a very potent cardioprotection agent and is quite protective of the brain in response to various stressors; the protection is antioxidative in nature, but it seems to work through a currently not identified antioxidant responses from the genome. Aside from the protective effects (most notable in the heart and brain, but extend to every organ), hesperidin may be able to reduce a lack of appetite and have minor anti-allergic properties. Orange [...]

Plant Based Academy is a world renowned international raw vegan organic plant based training institute. Plant Based Academy is a world authority on refined fine dining raw food mastery training, plant based nutritional science training, comprehensive lifestyle medicine training, advanced herbalism training and vegan organic edible skincare training. Plant Based Academy offers a number of advanced and comprehensive professional certificate courses and introduction courses around the world. Plant Based Academy offers one day certificate courses, 7 day intensive professional certificate courses and a 12-week professional certificate course. Plant Based Academy is dedicated and obsessively committed to "sustainable veganism" through plant based nutrition & lifestyle education. We believe strongly that with the proper guidance and knowledge on correct plant based nutritional science that not only is a plant based vegan diet and lifestyle an incredibly ethical decision for animals and our planet but a perfectly adequate and life long sustainable health promoting, disease preventing and reversing approach for all of us. The Professional Certificate Course: Our professional certificate course is not only the most recognised plant based course available but also the most comprehensive and at the best value plant based certificate in the world . This is also the only course which focuses on plant based nutritional science , advanced fermentation & herbalism and we also include modules on advanced cacao making and vegan skincare. All produce is 100% organic. We do not use any processed sugars such as agave, coconut sugar or nectar. This course is a life changing course and an incredible investment for you and the planet. This course offers you a Professional Certification in Plant Based Nutrition , Lifestyle Medicine & Raw Food Mastery to a Michelin Star level. You do not need prior experience to take this course and you do not have to be [...]

Plant Based Academy is a world renowned international raw vegan organic plant based training institute. Plant Based Academy is a world authority on refined fine dining raw food mastery training, culinary medicine, plant based nutritional science training, comprehensive lifestyle medicine training, bio hacking, advanced herbalism training and vegan organic edible skincare training. Plant Based Academy offers a number of advanced and comprehensive professional certificate courses and introduction courses around the world. Plant Based Academy offers one day certificate courses, 7 day intensive professional certificate courses and a 12-week professional certificate course. Plant Based Academy is dedicated and obsessively committed to "sustainable veganism" through plant based nutrition & lifestyle education. We believe strongly that with the proper guidance and knowledge on correct plant based nutritional science that not only is a plant based vegan diet and lifestyle an incredibly ethical decision for animals and our planet but a perfectly adequate and life long sustainable health promoting, disease preventing and reversing approach for all of us. The Professional Certificate Course: Our professional certificate course is not only the most recognised plant based course available but also the most comprehensive and at the best value plant based certificate in the world . This is also the only course which focuses on plant based nutritional science , advanced fermentation & herbalism and we also include modules on advanced cacao making and vegan skincare. All produce is 100% organic. We do not use any processed sugars such as agave, coconut sugar or nectar. This course is a life changing course and an incredible investment for you and the planet. This course offers you a Professional Certification in Plant Based Nutrition , Lifestyle Medicine & Raw Food Mastery to a Michelin Star level. You do not need prior experience to take this course and you do [...]

Your life can be so much more than it is now. Imagine having increased energy, a better memory, and starting each day feeling positive and rested, ready to tackle whatever challenges may come. Recent advances in medical science have put this goal within reach. You and everyone you know has a vast, untapped potential to live more fully. But to realize your greatest potential your brain must operate at its highest level. The key to tapping this potential is Neurogenesis which is the process by which nervous system cells, known as neurons, are produced by neural stem cells (NSC)s. Neurogenesis is how the brain renews and upgrades itself. Understanding neurogenesis is the most revolutionary discovery of neuroscience in the past century. Although there is still much to be learned, recent studies have revealed that the process can be enhanced and encouraged by individual lifestyle choices. To increase neurogenesis is to improve your entire life— how you think, feel, and act. Research shows that high rates of neurogenesis are associated with: + Higher cognitive function + Better memory and faster learning + Emotional vitality and resilience + Protection from stress, anxiety, and depression + Elevated immunity + Enhanced overall brain function Increasing neurogenesis dramatically improves everyday life at all stages and radically transforms what aging looks and feels like. There are vast differences in how quickly people produce new brain cells and your rate of neurogenesis may be the single most important factor for a high quality of life. When neurogenesis is high, you are alive, engaged, expansive, fulfilling your potential. Your mind’s abilities are enhanced and your emotional vitality is strong. You are protected from stress and depression. You feel good and life is fulfilling. Immunity is robust. Your spirits are high and your outlook is positive. With a low rate of neurogenesis, [...]

The Fat Debate Fat is a macronutrient. There are three macronutrients: protein, fats and carbohydrates. Macronutrients are nutrients that provide calories or energy. Large amounts are required to sustain life, hence the term “macro,” according to the University of Illinois McKinley Health Center. The amount of energy provided by the macronutrients varies: fat has 9 calories per gram, more than twice the number of calories in carbs and protein, which each have 4 calories per gram. The primary function of fat is as an energy reserve, according to Iowa State University. The body stores fat, or adipose tissue, as a result of excess calorie consumption. During exercise, the body first uses calories from carbohydrates for energy. After about 20 minutes, it uses calories from stored fat to keep going, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Saturated Fats Saturated fats are saturated with hydrogen molecules. Saturated fat comes from animal sources, such as red meats, poultry and full-or-reduced fat dairy products. Saturated fats are solid at room temperature. Other examples include cheese and butter. Oils that are solid at room temperature, like palm oil, palm kernel oil and coconut oil, also contain saturated fats. This means that baked goods can be high in saturated fats. Saturated fat is linked to high cholesterol levels and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Saturated fats also tend to contain a lot of calories. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends getting only 5 to 6 percent of calories from saturated fat. This puts someone on a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet with 120 calories or 13 grams of saturated fats per day. The 2010 U.S. Dietary Guidelines allow for up to 10 percent of calories to come from saturated fat. Trans Fats (also called trans fatty acids) Trans fats are sometimes found naturally in meats or [...]

This introduction is all about the foods that feed the largest organ of the body, which is the skin. Students will learn how to create amazing raw vegan organic edible cosmetics including toothpaste, Moisturiser, hand soap, and face masks. This workshop is held monthly at Plant Based Academy GreenDoor Organic Market Dublin 12 . Workshop fee is 150 Euro.

This is a three hour advanced workshop on the science and application of fermentation. An invitation and induction into a new world of microbes and show you step by step how to make incredible home made kombucha, kefir  seed cheese, yogurt and sauerkraut. Book Now  This course is an advanced resource & guide on the art , history and science on fermentation, psychobiotics and our gut. This course will teach you how to make your very own raw vegan organic sugar free nut and seed cheese, fruit yogurt, medicinal kombucha, herbal water kefir, pickled vegetables, seaweed sauerkraut, traditional kimchi and much more. This advanced course is loaded with recipes, resources, tips about fermented foods and scientific discussion on the benefits of Probiotics, Gut Flora, Gut Health and the link between healthy brain and healthy gut. If you want to improve your health, the health of your loved ones, and improve your brain function, there’s one essential topic that you need to know. ( Probiotics & fermentation ). Upon completion of this course you will become a confident fermentationist equipped with the most up to date information about out the incredible workings of our microbiota and psychobiotics. This course is Certified by Plant Based Academy. On Completion of the course you will receive a Certification in Advanced Fermentation . Course takes place monthly at our brand new custom built plant based kitchen at Plant Based Academy, Second Floor, Green Door Organic  Market, Bluebell Business Park, Dublin 12. Book your Place Now 

A thorough workshop about the positive health effects of raw food, the raw food lifestyle, the enzyme theory, the conflicting science surrounding the raw food diet and potential pitfalls of raw vegan diet. On this module the students will learn the basics of raw food, what is raw and what is not raw food. This workshop is held at Plant Based Academy, GreenDoor Organic Market Dublin 12 once per month on Wednesdays from 6pm to 9pm or Sundays from 12 to 3pm . Fee for workshop is 150 Euro. Book Now This comprehensive 3-hour workshop is the first of its kind in Ireland, as it combines the leading nutritional research of pant-based eating with a transition and recipe guide. Students will be taken through the practicalities of switching their diet and eating plant-based long term. The course content will cover everything from nutrients, supplements, shopping list, plant based nutrition essentials, the do's and don't's of plant based nutrition, the myths and much more & Plant Based Nutrition Q & A. Upon completing the workshop, students will have a strong understanding and solid foundation to start on or improve their existing plant-based diet. The nutritional information conveyed in the workshop will be referenced & also accompanied by further resources for continued learning. This is key to maintaining health and thriving on the diet long term. Workshop takes place monthly at our brand new custom built plant based kitchen at Plant Based Academy, Second Floor, Green Door Organic Market, Bluebell Business Park, Dublin 12. Book your Space Now

An introduction to Raw Chocolate for obvious reasons is a very exciting and enjoyable class, as everybody loves chocolate. In this module we go into the science of chocolate, the biochemistry, is it plant medicine or neurotoxin, and how to temper chocolate. We also show you how to make sugar free raw vegan organic chocolate and cakes that are light, refined, healthy & guilt free. Workshop takes place at Plant Based Academy, Second Floor at Green Door Organic Market, Bluebell Business park, Dublin 12. This unique workshop will run once monthly on Wednesdays from 6pm to 9pm or Sundays from 12 to 3. Book your Space Now

Thank you for your interest in our world unique comprehensive plant based qualification and your interest in our academy. Plant Based Academy is a world renowned international raw vegan organic plant based training institute. Plant Based Academy is a world authority on refined fine dining raw food mastery training, plant based nutritional science training, comprehensive lifestyle medicine training, advanced herbalism training and vegan organic edible skincare training. Plant Based Academy offers a number of advanced and comprehensive professional certificate courses and introduction courses around the world. Plant Based Academy offers one day certificate courses, 7 day intensive professional certificate courses and a 12-week professional certificate course. Plant Based Academy is dedicated and obsessively committed to "sustainable veganism" through plant based nutrition & lifestyle education. We believe strongly that with the proper guidance and knowledge on correct plant based nutritional science that not only is a plant based vegan diet and lifestyle an incredibly ethical decision for animals and our planet but a perfectly adequate and life long sustainable health promoting, disease preventing and reversing approach for all of us. The Professional Certificate Course: Our professional certificate course is not only the most recognised plant based course available but also the most comprehensive and at the best value plant based certificate in the world . This is also the only course which focuses on plant based nutritional science , advanced fermentation & herbalism and we also include modules on advanced cacao making and vegan skincare. All produce is 100% organic. We do not use any processed sugars such as agave, coconut sugar or nectar. This course is a life changing course and an incredible investment for you and the planet. This course offers you a Professional Certification in Plant Based Nutrition , Lifestyle Medicine & Raw Food Mastery to a Michelin [...]

Plant Based Academy is a world renowned international raw vegan organic plant based training institute. Plant Based Academy is a world authority on refined fine dining raw food mastery training, plant based nutritional science training, comprehensive lifestyle medicine training, advanced herbalism training and vegan organic edible skincare training. Plant Based Academy offers a number of advanced and comprehensive professional certificate courses and introduction courses around the world. Plant Based Academy offers one day certificate courses, 7 day intensive professional certificate courses and a 12-week professional certificate course. Plant Based Academy is dedicated and obsessively committed to "sustainable veganism" through plant based nutrition & lifestyle education. We believe strongly that with the proper guidance and knowledge on correct plant based nutritional science that not only is a plant based vegan diet and lifestyle an incredibly ethical decision for animals and our planet but a perfectly adequate and life long sustainable health promoting, disease preventing and reversing approach for all of us. The Professional Certificate Course: Our professional certificate course is not only the most recognised plant based course available but also the most comprehensive and at the best value plant based certificate in the world . This is also the only course which focuses on plant based nutritional science , advanced fermentation & herbalism and we also include modules on advanced cacao making and vegan skincare. All produce is 100% organic. We do not use any processed sugars such as agave, coconut sugar or nectar. This course is a life changing course and an incredible investment for you and the planet. This course offers you a Professional Certification in Plant Based Nutrition , Lifestyle Medicine & Raw Food Mastery to a Michelin Star level. You do not need prior experience to take this course and you do not have to be [...]

Plant Based Academy is a world renowned international raw vegan organic plant based training institute. Plant Based Academy is a world authority on refined fine dining raw food mastery training, plant based nutritional science training, comprehensive lifestyle medicine training, advanced herbalism training and vegan organic edible skincare training. Plant Based Academy offers a number of advanced and comprehensive professional certificate courses and introduction courses around the world. Plant Based Academy offers one day certificate courses, 7 day intensive professional certificate courses and a 12-week professional certificate course. Plant Based Academy is dedicated and obsessively committed to "sustainable veganism" through plant based nutrition & lifestyle education. We believe strongly that with the proper guidance and knowledge on correct plant based nutritional science that not only is a plant based vegan diet and lifestyle an incredibly ethical decision for animals and our planet but a perfectly adequate and life long sustainable health promoting, disease preventing and reversing approach for all of us. The Professional Certificate Course: Our professional certificate course is not only the most recognised plant based course available but also the most comprehensive and at the best value plant based certificate in the world . This is also the only course which focuses on plant based nutritional science , advanced fermentation & herbalism and we also include modules on advanced cacao making and vegan skincare. All produce is 100% organic. We do not use any processed sugars such as agave, coconut sugar or nectar. This course is a life changing course and an incredible investment for you and the planet. This course offers you a Professional Certification in Plant Based Nutrition , Lifestyle Medicine & Raw Food Mastery to a Michelin Star level. You do not need prior experience to take this course and you do not have to be [...]

Plant Based Academy is a world renowned international raw vegan organic plant based training institute. Plant Based Academy is a world authority on refined fine dining raw food mastery training, culinary medicine, plant based nutritional science training, comprehensive lifestyle medicine training, bio hacking, advanced herbalism training and vegan organic edible skincare training. Plant Based Academy offers a number of advanced and comprehensive professional certificate courses and introduction courses around the world. Plant Based Academy offers one day certificate courses, 7 day intensive professional certificate courses and a 12-week professional certificate course. Plant Based Academy is dedicated and obsessively committed to "sustainable veganism" through plant based nutrition & lifestyle education. We believe strongly that with the proper guidance and knowledge on correct plant based nutritional science that not only is a plant based vegan diet and lifestyle an incredibly ethical decision for animals and our planet but a perfectly adequate and life long sustainable health promoting, disease preventing and reversing approach for all of us. The Professional Certificate Course: Our professional certificate course is not only the most recognised plant based course available but also the most comprehensive and at the best value plant based certificate in the world . This is also the only course which focuses on plant based nutritional science , advanced fermentation & herbalism and we also include modules on advanced cacao making and vegan skincare. All produce is 100% organic. We do not use any processed sugars such as agave, coconut sugar or nectar. This course is a life changing course and an incredible investment for you and the planet. This course offers you a Professional Certification in Plant Based Nutrition , Lifestyle Medicine & Raw Food Mastery to a Michelin Star level. You do not need prior experience to take this course and you do [...]

Chaga Mushroom Commonly referred to as a mushroom, chaga is actually a hard sterile conk that is a canker disease on birch trees. Birch trees contain precursor compounds such as the triterpenoid betulin. Chaga draws betulin and other precursors directly from the birch tree and turns them into inotodiol, trametenolic acid and betulinic acid. Inotodiol has shown the strongest activity according to research. Cordyceps Mushroom A large body of research has demonstrated that Cordyceps militaris has similar active compounds and activities to Ophiocordyceps sinensis. Today, C. militaris is being cultivated on substrates that are free from any insects. Cordyceps is traditionally used for fatigue and general weakness after a prolonged illness as well as for improved respiratory function, Turkey Tail Mushroom Coriolus, commonly known as Turkey Tail, is a powerful immunomodulator that is useful for all conditions when immunity has been compromised. Lion’s Mane Mushroom Lion’s Mane (Hericium erinaceus) contains compounds which stimulate the synthesis of Nerve Growth Factor NGF, a protein responsible for boosting neurite outgrowth. These compounds have been identified as erinacines, erinacerins and hericinones. It has also been used for gastritis. Maitake Mushroom During the 1990’s Japanese scientists led by Dr. Hiroki Nanba carried out extensive research demonstrating the activity of Maitake beta-glucans as immune system potentiators. Their research identified and commercialized a concentrated beta-glucan called D-fraction or MT-1. This fraction has a ratio of beta-glucan to protein of 7:3. Oyster Mushroom  The oyster mushroom has demonstrated immunological potentiation in many research publications. Of significant value is the presence of statins, mevinolin specifically, which occurs in sufficient quantities to be of benefit. Phellinus Mushroom  There has been a significant amount of research in Korea, most of it focused on the immunological activities of this mushroom. By all accounts, this mushroom is considered a potent immunomodulator. Polyporus Mushroom [...]

The Brain’s Own Anti- Depressants Noradrenaline (Adrenalines cousin) Function: • Acts on nerve that help to control heart rate and blood pressure • It is a factor in how quickly glucose is converted to energy • It is also a factor in how the body responds to stress and anxiety Action • The body responds to a physical threat or a sense of danger with a surge of noradrenaline and adrenaline. This boosts the heart rate, increases breathing and sends extra blood to the major muscles. Whether you decide to take flight or stand and fight, your body is prepared for action. Production of Noradrenaline • Nuts • Seeds • Soybeans • Phenylalanine supplement • Intense pleasure experience Neurons synthesize noradrenaline in the body from the amino acid phenylalanine, with the following intermediate steps: Phenylalanine – Tyrosine – Dopa – Dopamine – Noradrenaline Too much noradrendine activity in the brain causes symptoms like that of excess dopamine such as Nervousness, Restlessness, Sex/Sugar addictions, weight loss, difficulty falling asleep, gambling. Whilst Deficiency in noradrenaline or inactivity results in Depression. Glutamine (Brain fluid) Function • Optimal brain function • It is a stimulation or “excitatory” neurotransmitter • Effects mood and energy levels • Helps to control brain levels of ammonia • Plays an almost unique role as brain fuel • Boosts mood and increases alertness Source Cabbage juice is a high source of glutamine Deficiency (Too little glutamine activity in the brain) Cravings for sweets – Alcoholism - low sex drive Dopamine (mood and addiction) (Curiosity/exploration) Function • Transmits pleasure signals • Master molecule of addiction • Elevate mood • Helps generate feelings of pleasure and euphoria • Boosts libido • Encourage assertiveness • Short term memory, concentration and learning Deficiency of Dopamine in certain parts of the brain can cause problems with Co-ordination - Stiff [...]

Darren Maguire “To Exist is to Change, To change is to Mature, To mature is to go on creating one’s self endlessly – Henri Bergson   Darren Maguire M.I.G.P.S is a trauma informed lifestyle medicine coach & founder of Planetary Health International, where he currently serves as clinical and culinary director, lifestyle medicine & functional health coach, plant based nutritionist, culinary medicine and plant based nutritional science lecturer, relational psychologist and trauma specialist. Darren also runs a private practice specialising in complex trauma, relationship coaching, sexual abuse recovery & personality disorders. Darren is a plantrician and psychobiotic expert specializing in alternative holistic treatment of chronic disease and autoimmune disorders. Darren is a passionate facilitator of embodied tantra, conscious parenting & ecstatic dance. Darren has dedicated the last 20 years studying the impact of traumatic stress and its role in emotional and physical syndromes and diseases, which has influenced Darren's interest in and teachings of biohacking & lifestyle medicine. Darren has built up over two decades of experience working as a coach, nutritionist and trauma specialist and is responsible for maximizing performance, recovery, fat loss, digestion, brain, sleep and hormone optimization for CEO’s, exercise enthusiasts, recreational athletes and a wide variety of professionals. Using his vast knowledge of science and research, wealth of experience, cutting-edge brain and body biohacking techniques. Darren is a classically orientated and culinary trained chef and ran two of his own casual fine dining restaurants up until 2009. Darren was the youngest head chef in Ireland at age 19 and headed a large team of staff in the third busiest restaurant in Europe. Darren's passion for food and health lead him into plant based nutrition and culinary medicine which he teaches at Plant Based Academy which is an international raw vegan organic training university, world unique in content and approach. With almost 25 years of [...]

Sales & Marketing Executive required for Plant Based Academy, International Raw Vegan Organic Culinary Institute. This role is suitable for a very motivated plant based person and is largely commission based. Suitable candidate must have a passion and great knowledge about the Plant Based Movement.   Plant Based Academy is a world renowned international raw vegan organic plant based training institute and an authority on refined fine dining culinary medicine training through advanced raw techniques and plant based nutritional science. Plant Based Academy is also a world leading training institute in lifestyle medicine, herbalism and biohacking. Our world unique training offers advanced modules on vegan organic edible skincare, herbalism, lifestyle medicine, fermentation, plant based nutritional science, setting up a plant based business & plant based molecular gastronomy. Plant Based Academy offers a number of advanced and comprehensive professional certificate courses and introduction courses around the world including one day courses, 7 day intensive professional certificate courses and a 12-week professional certificate course. Plant Based Academy is dedicated and obsessively committed to "sustainable veganism" through plant based nutrition & lifestyle education. We believe strongly that with the proper guidance and knowledge on correct plant based nutritional science that not only is a plant based vegan diet and lifestyle an incredibly ethical decision for animals and our planet but a perfectly adequate and life long sustainable health promoting, disease preventing and reversing approach for all of us.   Responsibilities :   Work phone and email leads in a professional and effective manner Service inquiring/incoming calls & emails about product opportunity Implement company marketing strategies to generate leads Take customers from first contact to payments   Minimum Lifestyle Requirements to represent The Life Change Health Institute Include: Dynamic & Highly Motivated Great Communication Skills Good understanding of veganism & plant based education     [...]

You love animals, right? Well, did you know that the best way to save animals is by going vegan? By cutting meat and dairy products from your diet, you'll be saving the lives of more than 100 animals a year. Animals value their lives as much as you value yours. So do your best not to eat them. Make the switch to a compassionate, healthy lifestyle today by signing up for our Raw Food Mastery course at Plant Based Academy. After 30 days of living meat- and dairy-free, you'll feel so great that you just might turn 30 days into a lifetime. Watch the videos below and sign up for one of our upcoming course if you would like to eat better, feel better, and stop supporting cruelty to chickens, pigs, cows, and other animals raised for food.       "Raw vegan food is not boring salads and uncooked vegetables, raw food is a culinary pursuit, a dedication and endeavor to transforming the highest quality of vegetables using simple techniques to extract exquisite flavors, preserving the essential nutrients and enzymes and complementing them with an array of mineral rich nuts, seeds, seaweeds, sprouts and fruits. Raw vegan food is the pursuit of perfect food, art for the eyes, a taste of naturalness, unparalleled nourishment for the body and great for the planet too" - Plant Based Academy       Making a commitment to healthy eating is a great start towards a healthier life for you, for animals and our planet. Watch the educational movie below which outlines the practises used in meat and dairy production. We believe that animals are not ours to eat, wear, experiment on, use for our entertainment or abuse in any other way. Yet many people have never considered the impact that their clothes, food, cosmetics or entertainment [...]

The digestive system plays an important role in the absorption of nutrients into the body.  It takes the food we ingest, breaks it down mechanically and chemically in the mouth and stomach.  It then absorbs nutrients, fats, proteins and water in the intestines before eliminating the waste through the rectum. Major organs involved in the digestive system include the mouth, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, liver, pancreas. The main steps in the digestive system The digestive system is designed to do a few major things. They can be grouped into four categories: Ingestion Digestion Breakdown Excretion Following Food from Mouth to Anus To understand how our food is digested in the digestive system, it might be very useful to follow our food along its normal path, starting from the mouth. Imagine for just a second that you’re hungry and your eyes gaze upon a nice home cooked thanksgiving turkey dinner. Your mouth starts to water. The salivary glands in your mouth are triggered to start producing saliva, a compound that will aid in the digestion of the meal. As food enters your mouth, your teeth begin mechanically breaking down the food into small and smaller pieces. The saliva starts to chemically break it down as well. Soon, your conscious mind says, “lets swallow this food.” You swallow it and take another bite. While you’re thinking about your next bite of food, your nervous system is helping to move the bolus (the food package you swallowed), down throat. A small flap of skin called your epiglottis makes sure your food goes down your esophagus. Movements of the smooth muscles, known as peristalsis help move that bolus down your esophagus. When it reaches your stomach, a sphincter opens and dumps the food in. Inside the stomach, cells start to secrete different acids that help increase acidity [...]

IBS is one of the most common health conditions, but no one really likes talking about it. April is IBS Awareness Month, and it’s time to start talking. According to IFFGD, an estimated 30 to 45 million people in the United States – 10 to 15 percent of the population – are affected by IBS.Research suggests that IBS is the second leading cause of work absenteeism second only to the common cold. The gut-brain axis (GBA) consists of bidirectional communication between the central and the enteric nervous system, linking emotional and cognitive centers of the brain with peripheral intestinal functions. Recent advances in research have described the importance of gut microbiota in influencing these interactions. This interaction between microbiota and GBA appears to be bidirectional, namely through signaling from gut-microbiota to brain and from brain to gut-microbiota by means of neural, endocrine, immune, and humoral links. In this review we summarize the available evidence supporting the existence of these interactions, as well as the possible pathophysiological mechanisms involved. Most of the data have been acquired using technical strategies consisting in germ-free animal models, probiotics, antibiotics, and infection studies. In clinical practice, evidence of microbiota-GBA interactions comes from the association of dysbiosis with central nervous disorders (i.e. autism, anxiety-depressive behaviors) and functional gastrointestinal disorders. In particular, irritable bowel syndrome can be considered an example of the disruption of these complex relationships, and a better understanding of these alterations might provide new targeted therapies.   Introduction Insights into the gut-brain crosstalk have revealed a complex communication system that not only ensures the proper maintenance of gastrointestinal homeostasis, but is likely to have multiple effects on affect, motivation, and higher cognitive functions. The complexity of these interactions is enclosed in the denomination of “gut-brain axis” (GBA). Its role is to monitor and integrate [...]

The Art of Raw Gourmet Chocolate & Healthy Light Refined Desserts Course is now available as an online Course. This course is an advanced resource & guide on the art , history and science on raw chocolate and desserts.This course will teach you how to make your very own raw bean to bar chocolate, raw cheesecake, raw cookies and cakes. This online course is loaded with recipes, resources, tips about raw chocolate and amazingly how to make desserts health, fat free, sugar free and some even nut free, it is also loaded with informative online videos and research data on the chemistry and timeline of cacao, and why it is good for us as a probiotic, prebiotic and for its polyphenols and positive effect on our mood and hormones. If you want to make the best chocolate and the healthiest desserts then this course will be perfect for you. By Purchasing this online course you will have permenant access to this important material so you can revise any time you wish. After Purchasing, you will recieve an email with your username and password which you will use to log into our members only area and access this incredible course. Upon completion of this course you will become an expert fermentationist equipped with the most up to date information about out the incredible workings of our microbiota and psychobiotics.This is Module 5 from the 12 Module Professional Certificate Course with Plant Based Academy's Plantrician training program.Click HERE for more details.   Module 5 - The Art of Raw Gourmet Chocolate & Healthy Light Refined Desserts - Single Module 350 Euro Online / 500 Euro Onsite ( Advanced Module) The Art of Raw Chocolate module for obvious reasons is a very exciting as most people love chocolate. In this module we go [...]

The brain, by definition, is an organ of infinite complexity and staggering dimensions. The number of neurons, the basic cell that controls all information processing, is in the range of 100 billion. These neurons are connected to nearby neurons by dendrites, multiple tiny short wires. Neurons are connected to distant brain sites by axons, long wires insulated by fatty substance called myelin. The number of dendrite and axon connections is in the range of 100 million billion! And the organization of the brain is so complex. The resilient body, through its complex systems of measuring messages from the environment, informs the brain of what's going on. It sages from the environment, informs the brain of what's going on. It does so through signals from the primary sense organs of the head and neck, and from the skin, muscles, tendons, and ligaments of the somatic body. These messages from the body will alter the brain, as the intricate interplay between brain and body creates learned movements and skills for the body to carry out. The brain and body are involved in an elegant dance, ever changing and growing, developing body skills and promoting increasingly more complex neural connections. On the flip side, stress and traumatic emotional experiences can alter the brain as well, injuring it and impairing its function. Stress and trauma do damage to the brain - damage that can be seen on an fMRI. Severe negative life experiences cause loss of neurons specifically in the memory centers of the brain. The infant who does not experience the closeness of the maternal-infant bond suffers shrinkage of a crucial area in the right front of the brain that provides regulation for the emotional brain and autonomic nervous system. The good news is that effective therapy in such individuals can not only [...]

The gut-brain axis (GBA) consists of bidirectional communication between the central and the enteric nervous system, linking emotional and cognitive centers of the brain with peripheral intestinal functions. Recent advances in research have described the importance of gut microbiota in influencing these interactions. This interaction between microbiota and GBA appears to be bidirectional, namely through signaling from gut-microbiota to brain and from brain to gut-microbiota by means of neural, endocrine, immune, and humoral links. In this review we summarize the available evidence supporting the existence of these interactions, as well as the possible pathophysiological mechanisms involved. Most of the data have been acquired using technical strategies consisting in germ-free animal models, probiotics, antibiotics, and infection studies. In clinical practice, evidence of microbiota-GBA interactions comes from the association of dysbiosis with central nervous disorders (i.e. autism, anxiety-depressive behaviors) and functional gastrointestinal disorders. In particular, irritable bowel syndrome can be considered an example of the disruption of these complex relationships, and a better understanding of these alterations might provide new targeted therapies.   Introduction Insights into the gut-brain crosstalk have revealed a complex communication system that not only ensures the proper maintenance of gastrointestinal homeostasis, but is likely to have multiple effects on affect, motivation, and higher cognitive functions. The complexity of these interactions is enclosed in the denomination of “gut-brain axis” (GBA). Its role is to monitor and integrate gut functions as well as to link emotional and cognitive centers of the brain with peripheral intestinal functions and mechanisms such as immune activation, intestinal permeability, enteric reflex, and entero-endocrine signaling. The mechanisms underlying GBA communications involve neuro-immuno-endocrine mediators. This bidirectional communication network includes the central nervous system (CNS), both brain and spinal cord, the autonomic nervous system (ANS), the enteric nervous system (ENS) and the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis (Fig. [...]

It may be possible to relieve anxiety and depression solely by manipulating bacteria in the gut. Psychobiotics are defined as live bacteria and their food (probiotics & prebiotics) which, when ingested, confer mental health benefits through interactions with commensal gut bacteria. Ninety percent of what we lug around with us is not human. It's microbial, and it's vital to our health, our moods, even the decisions we make. There are roughly 15 trillion cells in our body—and over 100 trillion bacteria, most of them in the gut and most of them supporting such essential functions as digestion, immunity, metabolism, even mental health in ways that are only now being understood. The body is an ecosystem of interdependent parts relaying messages to each other, explains Ted Dinan, a psychiatrist at the University of Cork, Ireland. So influential are the thousands of species of gut flora on health that Dinan aims to harness the power of microbes to treat depression. Recently, he coined a term for the live organisms in the gut that are psychoactive and of potential benefit to those suffering from a variety of psychiatric illnesses—psychobiotics. Not only can researchers now discern which strains of gut bacteria affect the nervous system, they can also map the exact pathways through which specific gut bacteria influence the brain. Although there are many preparations of bacteria now being marketed as probiotics, "the vast majority do nothing for us," Dinan insists. "Most don't make it past the stomach acid. But a few have enormous implications for the future of psychiatric medication." It's long been known that the stress system is intimately involved in depression. People suffering from major depression frequently have elevated levels of the hormone cortisol, released in response to stress. In a recent study, a probiotic cocktail of Lactobacillus helveticus and Bifidobacterium [...]

The Microbiome–Gut–Brain Axis The gut microbiome comprises all microorganisms and their genomes inhabiting the intestinal tract. It is a key node in the bidirectional gut–brain axis (see Glossary) that develops through early colonisation and through which the brain and gut jointly maintain an organism's health. A pivotal study found that mice raised in sterile environments and therefore lacking indigenous bacteria (germ-free mice) showed exaggerated physiological reactions to stress compared to normal controls. The abnormal reactions were reversible through probiotic-induced bacterial recolonisation. This finding revealed the microbiome's causal involvement in the development of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis. Gut bacteria have since been found to participate in the regulation of varied and important physiological processes, including immunomodulation, adiposity, and energy balance as well as the electrophysiological activity of the enteric nervous system. Probiotics, beneficial bacteria that yield positive health outcomes, have received particular attention, both in the popular press and from the research community. Here, we critically evaluate efforts to manipulate commensal gut bacteria with psychobiotics. These psychobiotics were first defined as probiotics that, when ingested in appropriate quantities, yield positive psychiatric effects in psychopathology. The bacteria most frequently exploited as probiotics are the Gram-positive Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillusfamilies Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli do not possess pro-inflammatory lipopolysaccharide chains, and so their propagation in the gut does not trigger full-fledged immunological reactions. With the presence of such bacteria, the immune system learns to distinguish to between pro- and anti-inflammatory entities and develops appropriate immunogenic responses by identifying pro-inflammatory elements as antigenic . It should be noted, however, that Gram-positive bacteria are not always beneficial, and some, such as the Clostridia family, may be pathogenic. We propose that the definition of psychobiotics be expanded along two dimensions: First, research on healthy individuals is demonstrating that psychobiotic benefits need not be restricted to clinical groups. Second, [...]