Amazing half male, half female butterfly! (Bilateral gynandromorphism) pic.twitter.com/3vIDlaa23J

— AsapSCIENCE (@AsapSCIENCE) November 6, 2013

This HALF MALE AND HALF FEMALE butterfly emerged at Butterfly World today !This only occurs in 0.01% of butterflies. pic.twitter.com/PZMgy15aDF

— Butterfly World (@ButterflyWP) October 21, 2015

A half male-half female butterfly was found. You can see the line where the butterfly switches gender! https://t.co/CqlFsTYmet #butterfly

— Mad Science LI (@MadScienceLi) December 14, 2015

http://www.ripleys.com/blog/butterfly-male-female-wings/

For the @NautilusMag symmetry issue I wrote about animals that are 1/2, male 1/2 female and totally beautiful http://t.co/JmpQBHSGw5

— Ferris Jabr (@ferrisjabr) May 22, 2014

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/museums-butterfly-emerged-half-male-half-female-180953856/

http://www.newnownext.com/rare-beautiful-butterfly-emerges-half-male-half-female/01/2015/

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/120541727501180645/

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/AY6hP3ZzTuEc25gwS2DFE2AXw42Uz2kIMwlhaHu9ssSV36I2GfDiLo4/

Ever had the munchies? Rumor has it that you can get them without consuming marijuana via sleep deprivation. If you’re trying not to gain weight, you may want to consider your poor sleeping habits. After a poor night’s sleep, your body is more likely to crave sweet, salty, and high-fat snack food, and more of it, too.

What we call the “munchies” actually comes from a chemical response to marijuana on the brain. Marijuana throws off the balance of the endocannabinoid system and its signals (such asendocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol, or 2-AG), but so can your body’s lack of sleep. 2-AG levels seem to rise when your body is sleep deprived, causing you to be hungrier than usual. In other words, the combination of marijuana with a lack of sleep can be extremely counterproductive to anyone seeking to lose weight or even maintain it.

A new study conducted by Erin Hanlon further indicates that sleep-restricted subjects showed 2-AG levels up to 33% higher than non sleep-restricted subjects. These subjects are also seen to choose snacks that contain 50% more calories than those than non sleep-restricted subjects choose. A sleep-deprived body may also simply be craving more energy, since it doesn’t have much as a result of its lack of sleep.

Sleep-deprivation’s effects mimic those of the “munchies” that marijuana can give you. Rethink your sleeping habits if you’d like to snack less, and be aware on how poor sleeping habits can influence your body as much as a drug.

Sources: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-02/uocm-slb022516.php

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2016/02/28/study-finds-sleep-deprivation-can-amplify-hedonistic-eating-just-like-pot/

An article from Independent (“Healthy Food Doesn’t Exist – According to Experts”) argues that healthy food really doesn’t exist. The fat in fat-free half-and-half has been replaced with corn syrup. Pork cracklings are assumed to be bad because of their fat when they really can be beneficial because they are high in protein. Shoppers are constantly left confused because they look for what is “healthy” rather than what is nutritious.

Scientists and nutritionists are constantly coming up with new ideas on what is good or bad for people to consume. Last week, Enviroblog posted an article naming Environmental Working Group’s top five eating guidelines, including the following:

1. Eat more vegetables and fruits, but keep away from pesticides
2. Limit red, processed, and most meats
3. Limit intake of soda, sugar, and salt
4. Limit your consumption of foods with mercury and your seafood diet to low-mercury fish
5. Watch out for processed and chemical-heavy foods

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, avocados are the way to go. They are versatile and do not contain sugar, dairy, or gluten.  According to Independent, Freekeh is the new thing. “Throw out your quinoa”, they say, because freekeh is a trending grain that’s low in fat and high in protein, iron, and fiber, leaving you full and energetic. Independent also recommends eggs, goat milk, fish, sweet potatoes, wild greens and herbs, tofu, walnuts, black beans, fresh fruit, seaweed, wild rice, garlic, prawns, and chillies, as “superfoods” that can help you live longer.

If you ask me, I’ll eat whatever looks appetizing and won’t kill me (kidding, a little). It’s hard to know how to shop for healthy foods today, but it seems that it’s always better to choose natural foods over processed foods or those that contain too many chemicals. It’s important to understand what nutrients and chemicals may be in your food and to choose “healthy” wisely.

Sources:

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/healthy-food-doesnt-exist-according-to-experts-a6820756.html

http://www.ewg.org/enviroblog/2016/01/clear-advice-healthy-eating-introducing-ewg-s-new-dietary-guidelines

http://www.sfchronicle.com/recipes/article/Avocados-become-a-staple-of-creative-healthy-6782443.php

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/healthy-living/the-healthy-food-that-youre-not-eating-yet-a6820861.html#gallery