Hypothetically speaking, US Admiral says ready for nuclear strike on China if Trump so ordered

The US Pacific Fleet commander, addressing a security conference in Australia, said in answer to a question on Thursday that he would be prepared to launch a nuclear strike on China if President Donald Trump so ordered.

The fleet spokesman later said the question was asked as an "outrageous hypothetical".

Admiral Scott Swift was speaking at the Australian National University in Canberra when he was asked whether he would be prepared to launch a nuclear attack on China if ordered to do so by Trump.

"The answer would be yes," he said.

Swift said that all members of the U.S. military had sworn an oath to obey officers and the U.S. president as commander in chief to defend the constitution.

"This is core to the American democracy," he said, in a recording of the event obtained by Reuters.

"Any time you have a military that is moving away from a focus, and an allegiance, to civilian control, then we really have significant problems."

Swift`s answer reaffirmed the principle of civilian control over the military and was based on an "outrageous hypothetical" in the question, Pacific Fleet spokesman Captain Charlie Brown told Reuters.

"Frankly, the premise of the question was ridiculous," he said. "It was posed as an outrageous hypothetical, but the admiral simply took it as an opportunity to say the fact is that we have civilian control of the military and we abide by that principle."

Speaking in Beijing on Friday, a spokesman of China`s Foreign Ministry also downplayed the remark.

"Many people have paid attention to this but the spokesman for the Pacific Fleet has pointed out the ridiculousness of this report," Lu Kang told a daily news briefing.

The United States and China enjoy a generally friendly relationship, with strong economic ties, albeit with frequent barbs about trade, jobs, currencies, human rights, Tibet, the South China Sea and North Korea.

Trump has held high hopes for greater cooperation from China to exert influence over North Korea, leaning heavily on Chinese President Xi Jinping for his assistance. The two leaders had a high-profile summit in Florida in April and Trump has frequently praised Xi.

Are peanuts good for you?

What are peanuts?

Did you know that peanuts are not nuts? Yes, it's true. Peanuts are not nuts but a member of the legume family related to peas, lentils, chickpeas and other beans. Legumes are edible seeds enclosed in pods. As a group, they provide the best source of concentrated protein in the plant kingdom. In comparison to similar foods, peanuts contain more protein than any other legume or nut. That's good, isn't it?



Are peanuts good for you?

Although peanuts are known to have high fat content, they are mostly beneficial monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats ("good" fats), which help lower cholesterol levels and reduce your risk of coronary heart disease.

One ounce of peanuts (a small handful) contain 2 grams of fiber, which is 9% of your daily fiber need. Also, one ounce of peanuts provides 16% of your daily need of vitamin E. Vitamin E acts as a powerful antioxidant in the body which helps prevent heart disease and cancer and, keeps the blood circulation healthy by preventing blood clots.

Phytosterols in peanuts have been studied in regards to cancer. They are also known to reduce bad cholesterol, and more good health benefits are found showing that they may inhibit lung, stomach, ovarian, prostate, colon, and breast cancer. Phytosterols may inhibit the growth of cancer cells, their invasion into other parts of the body, and may cut off the blood flow to cancers.

Peanuts are also good sources of niacin, folate, magnesium, potassium and calcium for you. In addition, peanuts provide resveratrol, the phenolic antioxidant also found in red grapes and red wine.

So there you go... peanuts are good for you.

Peanuts Health Benefits - Peanuts are good for you!

The health benefits of peanuts are staggering. Eating a handful of peanuts a day has been found to be a good source of healthy vitamins and minerals that protect our body from many diseases including cancer. The numerous health benefits of peanuts include:

1.PEANUTS CAN HELP REDUCE HEART DISEASES - One of the health benefits of peanuts is that peanuts contain monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats that keep the heart in good health. A good level, of both; monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats results in lowering blood cholesterol levels, and thereby reducing the risk of coronary heart diseases.

2.PEANUTS CAN HELP PREVENT CANCER - Phytosterols in peanuts have been studied in regards to cancer. Phytosterols may inhibit the growth of cancer cells, their invasion into other parts of the body, and may cut off the blood flow to cancers. They are also known to reduce bad cholesterol. In addition, more health benefits are found showing that they may inhibit lung, stomach, ovarian, prostate, colon, and breast cancer.

3.PEANUTS ARE HIGH IN PROTEIN - Another of the health benefits of peanut is that it's loaded in protein. Protein is essential to the health of our cells. The cells in our body are constantly being replaced and repaired. We need protein to ensure the health of the new cells, and repair the damaged ones. Peanuts are an extremely high source of plant protein. Peanuts should be regularly incorporated in diet for children, vegetarians and protein deficient people.

4.PEANUTS ARE HIGH IN ANTIOXIDANT - You know the benefits of antioxidants to our health. Peanuts contain high concentrations of the antioxidant polyphenols, primarily a compound called p-coumaric acid and oleic acid, that not only protect the heart but inhibit the growth of free radicals, keeping infection at bay.

5.PEANUTS ARE GOOD SOURCE OF MINERALS - A rich source of minerals like magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, calcium, sodium, etc, so needed by our body to function well, is ensured by a regular consumption of peanuts. One of the health benefits of peanuts is that peanuts contain adequate supply of these minerals to ensure a healthy heart, and ensure minimized risk of mineral deficient diseases.

6.PEANUTS ARE GOOD SOURCE OF VITAMINS - Vitamins are important for overall growth and development of a healthy body. The body benefits in vitamins so much. Vitamins ensure vital health for cells and tissues, and for fighting infections, etc, that in return ensure smooth functioning of our organs. Peanuts provide our body with essential vitamins, that also help in regulating metabolism, converting fat and carbohydrates into energy, and facilitating bone and tissue formation. A good source of folate, peanuts reduce the incidence of birth defects, and anemia related conditions.

7.PEANUTS PROMOTE HEALTHY BONES - One of the health benefits of peanuts is that it's also rich in calcium which helps promotes healthy bones.

8.PEANUTS PROVIDE PROTECTION AGAINST ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE - Peanuts' high niacin content helps in the recovery of cell damage provides protection against Alzheimer's disease and age-related cognitive problem.

9.PEANUTS CAN LOWER THE RISK OF COLON CANCER - Studies show that one of the health benefits of peanuts is lowering the risk of colon cancer. It was found that eating peanuts just 2 or more times each week was associated with a 58% lowered risk of colon cancer in women and a 27% lowered risk in men. An ounce of peanuts (a small handful) contains 2 grams of fiber, which is 9% of your daily fiber need.

10.PEANUTS CAN GREATLY REDUCE THE RISK OF STROKE - Another one of the many health benefits of peanuts is that peanuts contain bioflavonoid resveratrol. Peanuts have been found to have higher bioflavonoid resveratrol content than grapes. This bioflavonoid is believed to improve blood flow in the brain by as much as 30%, thus greatly reducing the risk of stroke.

4 Herbs That Build Strong Bones

Thanks to dairy marketing bureaus and their massive marketing budgets, most people think of dairy products to build strong bones. But eating more of these foods may not be the best way to boost your bone health and ward off osteoporosis. When it comes to building strong bones and preventing bone diseases, herbs really shine. Here are my top 4 herbs that build healthy and resilient bones:

Dandelion

Dandelion shoots (the stems, leaves, and flowers) are not only rich in the essential bone-building nutrient, calcium, they also contain plentiful amounts of boron, which is critical to strong bones. Dandelion shoots have one of the highest amounts of the mineral boron of almost any food.

Dried dandelion stems, flowers and leaves can be dried (or obtained already dried from your local health food store) and made into tea. Add one teaspoon of dried dandelion per cup of boiled water. Let steep for at least 10 minutes. Strain and drink three times daily for best results. Drink for three weeks then take a break for one week. Repeat. 

Horsetail

Horsetail (no, not the tail from horses) is a uniquely thin herb with long, thin leaves whose shape resembles horse hair. Not only does the herb build strong bones, researchers found that it can prevent infections linked to fractures and osteoporosis. Published in the medical journal Cell Proliferation, the study found that horsetail improves the bone-building ability of osteoblasts. Osteoblasts are cells that create bone by laying down a matrix to which minerals bind to form bone. The scientists concluded that ingesting horsetail extract may be a good bone-building strategy.

Another study in the same journal only a few months afterward found that horsetail also prevented cells from breaking down bone, a process that can contribute to bone diseases like osteoporosis. Horsetail is also high in the mineral silica, which plays an essential role in strengthening bones. Add one teaspoon of dried horsetail per cup of boiled water. Let steep for at least 10 minutes. Strain and drink three times daily for best results.

Nettles

Also known as stinging nettles due to the little, hair-fine stingers on the stalks of the plant, nettles are a nutritional powerhouse, containing an abundance of calcium in a form that is readily absorbed. Dried nettles do not exert a stinging action. Add one teaspoon of dried nettles per cup of boiled water. Let steep for 10 minutes. Strain and drink three times daily for best results. You can also add dried nettles to soups or stews to give these foods a nutritional boost.

Red Clover

Yes, those purple-colored flowers that pop up in your lawn are good for much more than mowing over. Research published in the medical journal Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine found that the compound called formononetin found in red clover helped prevent the development of osteoporosis in animals. And, fortunately, you don’t have to be able to pronounce this compound to benefit from it.

You can make a tea from dried red clover flowers by adding 1 teaspoon of dried flowers per cup of boiled water. Let steep for at least 10 minutes. Strain and drink 3 cups daily for best results. You can also add fresh red clover flowers to salads, or use red clover sprouts on salads, sandwiches, or wraps. Avoid picking red clover on lawns that have been sprayed or are close to high-traffic areas.

6 Dangers of Low-Fat Diets You Should Know

There’s no denying that some fats are bad for your health: Trans-fats and vegetable oils increase the risk of chronic diseases. Excess fat can cause weight gain and heart conditions.

But the reality is, many health-conscious people don’t eat enough fat. The other day my client showed me her diet plan, which consisted of veggies, complex carbs and lean protein. The problem was it left no room for healthy fats. I told her fats are an essential nutrient and then suggested she incorporate more nuts, olive oil, avocado and other healthy fats.

Good fats are vital for maintaining optimal health; not eating enough of them can cause a number of problems. Here are 6 health dangers associated with a low-fat diet.

1. Infertility

Low fat intake can cause infertility and hormonal imbalances in women. Research shows that diets with low-fat dairy increase the risk of infertility while diets with high-fat dairy may lower the risk.

Other studies show that low-fat diets can affect the regularity of menstrual cycles. Men aren’t safe either. This study found that low-fat diets lower testosterone levels. 

Consume adequate amounts of fats to lower risk of infertility and boost your sex drive.

2. Higher risk of depression

Did you know that 60 percent of your brain is made of fat? And that the fat layers in your brain affect your mood?

Low-fat diets reduce fat levels in the brain and consequently increase risk of depression. Additionally, omega 3 deficiency has been linked to ADHD, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

According to this study, high-fat diets lower risk of depression. But note that trans-fats increase the risk of depression.

3. Poor heart health

This is a huge surprise to many. For years, it was believed that high fat intake increased risk of heart disease and stroke. But recent studies have proven that’s not true. Researchshows that people who follow the Mediterranean diet (which advocates for high fat intake) have lower risk of diabetes, heart disease and obesity.

Don’t be scared of saturated fats either. Many studies show that there’s no link between saturated fats and heart disease.

4. Low absorption of nutrients

Fats improve absorption of nutrients. This was proven in a study where participants who ate salads without oil dressings absorbed fewer nutrients compared to those who ate salads with oil dressings.

Increasing fat intake will allow your body to absorb more fat soluble nutrients like vitamins A, D, E and K.

5. Increased hunger

Low-fat diets increase hunger in two ways. One, low fat intake throws ghrelin (hunger hormone) and insulin out of whack which makes it harder to control hunger and appetite. Second, low-fat and fat-free foods have low satiety, which means they won’t keep you full for long.

6. Weight gain

A low fat diet isn’t the best for weight loss. This study found that people on low-fat diets have low total energy expenditure (TEE). And as a result, they burn low amounts of calories.

The fact that low-fat diets increase hunger won’t help either. As you may know, it’s virtually impossible to lose weight and keep it off if you’re hungry all the time.

Fruits and Pancreas: What Eating Too Much Fruit Does to Your Body

On the surface, fruit seems like the perfect food. However, there are a few reasons that will make you reconsider the belief that all fruits are good for you.

  

The main reason is that fruit is pretty high in sugar. Though, it may be natural sugars,  however too much sugar in any form can severely damage your pancreas and mess up your optimal insulin levels.

  

It’s natural for the pancreas to secrete insulin when you consume carbohydrate sources like fruit. If you’re only eating or mainly eating a diet of fruit, it makes complete sense how this could overwork the pancreas. If you’re a diabetic or even prediabetic, a fruitarian diet can be simply dangerous to your health. A 2009 study from the University of California, Davis shows how a high-fructose diet can cause you to build new fat cells around your heart, liver, and digestive organs in just 10 weeks, plunging you into the early stages of diabetes and heart disease.

According to GreenMedInfo.com,3 scientific studies have linked fructose to about 30 different specific diseases and health problems.

10 reasons not to eat too much fruit

• Eating too much fruit overworks the pancreas.
• Fructose can cause cavities. Tooth decay is caused by bacteria called S. Mutans (Streptococcus Mutans). S. Mutans loves a good feed of sugar. And after it gets some, it produces lactic acid as a waste product. It’s that lactic acid that can do the damage to our teeth.
• Fructose can only be metabolized by the liver and can’t be used for energy by your body’s cells. It’s therefore not only completely useless for the body, but is also a toxin in high enough amount because the job of the liver is to get rid of it, mainly by transforming it into fat and sending that fat to our fat cells.
• Fructose raises your blood pressure, and causes nocturnal hypertension
• Can damage your kidneys. When fructose is converted to fat by our liver, a significant amount of a waste product called uric acid is produced.
• Fructose can cause your brain neurons to stagnate
• Fructose rapidly causes leptin resistance which causes people to gain fat and become obese really easily.
• Excess fructose alone can cause all the problems associated with the metabolic syndrome (diabetes, obesity, heart disease).
• Cancer cells thrive and proliferate very well with fructose as their energy source.
• Excess fructose also affects brain functioning. It has also been found to impair memory in rats.

Photographer Snaps Nearly A Hundred Photos a Day With Homemade Camera (67 Pics)

Charming eccentric or tolerated local boogyman? The townspeople of Kyjov in Czech Republic could never quite decide. Miroslav Tichý took nearly a hundred photographs a day with his homemade camera, wandering around the streets of his hometown, often spotted at bus stops, the main square, the park and the swimming pool, although he was frequently arrested for lingering around the local pool taking pictures of unsuspecting women. 

When he returned to his chaotic and cluttered home afte a day of shooting, he would develop and print his pictures, sometimes crudely frame and decorate them, but ultimately cast them aside into a mess of untitled, undated and unseen photographs. For more than twenty years, his work would remain secret until a childhood friend and neighbour discovered his prints amongst the chaos of undeveloped rolls and cardboard cameras. His work has since been celebrated at museums and galleries across the world including London, Paris and New York.