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Feeling Like a New Year’s Resolution? Study Suggests Living ‘Fast,’ Living Longer—With Intermittent Fasting

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For many people, the New Year is a time to adopt new habits as a renewed commitment to personal health; in addition to aspiring fitness buffs packing themselves into the gym, grocery stores are filled with shoppers eager to try out new diets.

However, do these diets have the scientific evidence to support their beneficial health claims? Johns Hopkins Medicine neuroscientist Dr. Mark Mattson concludes that intermittent fasting does.

Mattson, who has studied the health impact of intermittent fasting for 25 years, and adopted it himself about 20 years ago, writes that “intermittent fasting could be part of a healthy lifestyle.” Furthermore, he says his new article published in this week’s issue of The New England Journal of Medicine is intended to help clarify the science and clinical applications of intermittent fasting in ways that may help physicians guide patients who want to try it.

Intermittent fasting diets, he says, fall generally into two categories: daily time-restricted feeding, which narrows eating times to 6–8 hours per day, and so-called 5:2 intermittent fasting, in which people limit themselves to one moderate-sized meal two days each week.

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An array of animal and some human studies have shown that alternating between times of fasting and eating supports cellular health, probably by triggering an age-old adaptation to periods of food scarcity called metabolic switching. Such a switch occurs when cells use up their stores of rapidly accessible, sugar-based fuel, and begin converting fat into energy in a slower metabolic process.

Mattson says studies have shown that this switch improves blood sugar regulation, increases resistance to stress and suppresses inflammation for various periods of time. Because most Americans eat three meals plus snacks each day, they do not experience the switch, or the suggested benefits.

Photo by Johns Hopkins Medicine

In the article, Mattson notes that four studies in both animals and people found intermittent fasting also decreased blood pressure, blood lipid levels and resting heart rates.

Evidence is also mounting that intermittent fasting can modify risk factors associated with obesity and diabetes, says Mattson. Two studies at the University Hospital of South Manchester NHS Foundation Trust of 100 overweight women showed that those on the 5:2 intermittent fasting diet lost the same amount of weight as women who restricted calories, but did better on measures of insulin sensitivity and reduced belly fat than those in the calorie-reduction group.

More recently, Mattson says, preliminary studies suggest that intermittent fasting could benefit brain health too. A multicenter clinical trial at the University of Toronto in April found that 220 healthy, non-obese adults who maintained a calorie restricted diet for two years showed signs of improved memory in a battery of cognitive tests.
While far more research needs to be done to prove any effects of intermittent fasting on learning and memory, Mattson says if that proof is found, the fasting—or a pharmaceutical equivalent that mimics it—may offer interventions that can stave off neurodegeneration and dementia.

MORE: Largest Study of Its Kind Identifies the Surprising Health Benefits of Fasting Every Other Day

“We are at a transition point where we could soon consider adding information about intermittent fasting to medical school curricula alongside standard advice about healthy diets and exercise,” he says.

Mattson acknowledges that researchers do “not fully understand the specific mechanisms of metabolic switching and that “some people are unable or unwilling to adhere” to the fasting regimens. But he argues that with guidance and some patience, most people can incorporate them into their lives.

Photo by Johns Hopkins Medicine

It takes some time for the body to adjust to intermittent fasting, and to get beyond initial hunger pangs and irritability that accompany it. “Patients should be advised that feeling hungry and irritable is common initially and usually passes after two weeks to a month as the body and brain become accustomed to the new habit,” Mattson says.

To manage this hurdle, Mattson suggests that physicians advise patients to gradually increase the duration and frequency of the fasting periods over the course of several months, instead of “going cold turkey.” As with all lifestyle changes, says Mattson, it’s important for physicians to know the science so they can communicate potential benefits, harms and challenges, and offer support.

Reprinted from Johns Hopkins Medicine

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Church and Mosque Joined Forces to Feed Poor Families and Offer Free Health Screenings for Christmas

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In a heartening example of interfaith compassion, a New York church and mosque joined forces to feed low-income families and offer free health screenings for the holidays.

On Christmas Day, the Westbury United Methodist Church partnered with the Islamic Center of Long Island in order to provide a warm meal—and an even warmer welcome—to financially struggling families.

Although the church and mosque have been helping to facilitate these yuletide feasts for the last 5 years, this is the first event during which they have offered health consultations as well.

LOOK: When Fire Leaves 500 Muslims Without Place of Worship, Synagogue Opens Their Doors

“We can give them the additional service of getting medically checked out since we have so many physicians in our community,” Islamic Center volunteer Mukheet Ahmed told WLNY.

The two religious establishments hope that their collaborative charity work will help inspire others to look past their differences during the year ahead.

“We don’t see religion as a border, we see it as something that’s there to help,” another volunteer told reporters. “I want to create a bond between all faiths. I think when it comes down to it, we are all human.”

(WATCH the news coverage below) – Photo by WLNY

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“Dreams are the touchstones of our character.” – Henry David Thoreau

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By яғ ★ design – CC license

Quote of the Day: “Dreams are the touchstones of our character.” – Henry David Thoreau

Photo: by яғ ★ design, CC license – cropped

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Six Creative Ways to Recycle Your Christmas Tree

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Andy Corbley
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25-30 million Christmas trees are sold every year in North America, and many of them get tossed in the landfill when there is a myriad of great recycling ideas for fir trees that can have an important impact on local ecosystems and neighborhoods.

The month leading up to Christmas can be so busy as to make you dizzy, but the few days after the most wonderful day of the year can be just as hectic. There are leftovers to eat, boxes to deal with, presents to sort, and a great big chunk of foliage that is taking up space in your living room.

Last January down in Virginia Beach, locals began bringing their Christmas trees to Chicho’s, a local restaurant looking to utilize them as a way to protect their beachfront town from storm surges.

Volunteers drove around Virginia Beach neighborhoods picking up trees and wreaths that were placed along the curbs, and depositing them in the parking lot behind the restaurant. The trees act as perfect “sand fences” capturing wind-blown sand grains in their needles and branches and preventing the erosion of sand off the beaches.

RELATED: Rather Than Polluting Icy Roadsides With Salt, Scientists Use Recycled Biowaste From Fruit

It’s a simple and effective way of building the dunes back up after storms like Hurricane Florence, when high winds battered the beaches of Croatan and Outer Banks.

This season, Matt Potter, the owner of Chicho’s expects to collect double the amount of trees he managed last year when 500 were gathered up by community volunteers and brought to the beaches.

Chicho’s second annual tree drive runs from Dec. 26 to Jan. 16. Trees can be dropped off at the Oceanfront Chicho’s, at 2820 Pacific Ave. Anyone who drops off a tree can also get a large cheese pizza for $7.99. If you need your tree picked up, email [email protected].

Other ways of recycling trees

If you don’t live near Virginia Beach, there are plenty of other ways you can recycle your Christmas tree that can benefit the environment.

If you or a friend has a wood stove, a couple months of seasoning will turn your tree into a decent source of firewood. Pine wood burns fast, ignites quickly, and creates an intense heat as well as a lovely smell.

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If you live near a pond or a lake, you can canoe out into the middle of the water and chuck the tree into the murky depths—trees provide great underwater habitat for fish.

Go on the internet and see if you have a landfill that creates community mulch. If you take your tree there it will be chipped up and turned into mulch for people’s gardens.

Next year, buy a living tree, if you have room in your yard, so you can replant it after Christmas and have a supply of Christmas trees in future years.

CHECK OUT: LEGO is Now Offering to Pay For You to Ship Your Used Bricks to Children in Need

You also could try and find a place where you can leave your tree, and cover it in bird-friendly treats. It will encourage the birds to build a nest in the shelter of the boughs. Find a place lacking in tree cover and the birds will appreciate the chance to have a home.

If you’ve come up with a clever way to recycle your tree, tell us about it in the comments below!

Plant Some Positivity By Sharing These Ideas With Friends On Social Media — File photo by Dineshraj Goomany, CC

Man Enjoys Red Light By Stepping Out of Car With His Puppy to Say Hi to Dog in Neighboring Vehicle

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Nobody likes waiting in traffic—but as any dedicated pet lover knows, everything can be made better by dogs.

26-year-old Celina Romera had been waiting for traffic to move at an intersection in Tampa, Florida when she spotted the driver ahead of her getting out of his car.

Not only that, the man was carrying a puppy.

RELATED: When Young Men Write Letter to Neighbor Asking to Play With Their Pup, They Get Letter Back From the Dog

The man then approached a German Shepherd from the window of a neighboring car so he could introduce his tiny pup to the bigger canine.

After the two dogs exchanged some friendly kisses, the man gave the German Shepherd some amicable head scratches before getting back into his car.

Since Romera filmed the heartwarming incident earlier this month, it has been viewed thousands of times on social media.

(WATCH the sweet clip below)

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New Spray Gel Could Bring an End to Frostbite in Isolated Regions of the World

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File photo by Richard Leeming, CC

Mountaineers and winter sports enthusiasts know the dangers of frostbite—the tissue damage that can occur when extremities, such as the nose, ears, fingers and toes, are exposed to very cold temperatures. However, it can be difficult to get treated quickly in remote, snowbound areas.

Now, researchers reporting in ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering have developed a convenient gel that could be sprayed onto frostbite injuries when they occur, helping wounds heal.

Frostbite causes fluids in the skin and underlying tissues to freeze and crystallize, resulting in inflammation, decreased blood flow and cell death. Extremities are the most affected areas because they are farther away from the body’s core and already have reduced blood flow.

If frostbite is not treated soon after the injury, it could lead to gangrene and amputation of the affected parts. Conventional treatments include immersing the body part in warm water, applying topical antibiotic creams or administering vasodilators and anti-inflammatory drugs, but many of these are unavailable in isolated snowy areas, like mountaintops. Others, such as topical medications, could end up freezing themselves.

RELATED: Plant Compounds Used to Successfully Treat Alzheimer’s in Mice Now Shown to Prevent Other Effects of Aging

Rahul Verma and colleagues at the Institute of Nano Science and Technology, on the other hand, wanted to develop a cold-stable spray gel that could be administered on-site for the immediate treatment of frostbite injuries—and their new study says they succeeded.

To develop their spray, the researchers packaged heparin, an anticoagulant that improves blood flow by reducing clotting and aiding in blood vessel repair, into liposomes. These lipid carriers helped deliver heparin deep inside the skin.

They embedded the heparin-loaded liposomes in a sprayable hydrogel that also contained ibuprofen (a painkiller and anti-inflammatory drug) and propylene glycol, which helped keep the spray from freezing at very low temperatures.

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When the researchers tested the spray gel on animals with frostbite, they found that the treatment completely healed the injuries within 14 days, whereas untreated injuries were only about 40% healed, and wounds treated with an antibiotic cream were about 80% healed. The spray reduced levels of inflammatory cytokines at the wound site and in the blood circulation, which likely accelerated healing, the researchers say.

Reprinted from the American Chemical Society

File photo by Richard Leeming, CC

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We’ll Drink to That—Caffeine May Offset Several Health Risks of Diets High in Sugar, Says New Study

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A new study in animal models suggests that caffeine may offset some of the negative effects of a diet that’s high in fat or sugars.

Rats that consumed the caffeine extracted from mate tea gained 16% less weight and accumulated 22% less body fat than rats that consumed decaffeinated mate tea, scientists at the University of Illinois found in a new study.

The effects were similar with synthetic caffeine and that extracted from coffee.

Mate tea is an herbal beverage rich in phytochemicals, flavonoids and amino acids that’s consumed as a stimulant by people in southeastern Latin American countries. The amount of caffeine per serving in mate tea ranges from 65-130 milligrams, compared with 30-300 milligrams of caffeine in a cup of brewed coffee, according to the study.

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For four weeks, the rats in the study ate a diet that contained 40% fat, 45% carbohydrate and 15% protein. They also ingested one of the forms of caffeine in an amount equivalent to that of a human who drinks four cups of coffee daily.

At the end of the four-week period, the percentage of lean body mass in the various groups of rats differed significantly. The rats that ingested caffeine from mate tea, coffee or synthetic sources accumulated less body fat than rats in the other groups.

The study, published recently in the Journal of Functional Foods, adds to a growing body of research that suggests mate tea may help fight obesity in addition to providing other beneficial health effects associated with the phenolic compounds, vitamins and flavonoids it contains.

MORE: Americans Who Drink This Much Water a Day Are More Likely to Report Feeling ‘Very Happy’

“Considering the findings, mate tea and caffeine can be considered anti-obesity agents,” said Elvira Gonzalez de Mejia, a co-author of the study and director of the division of nutritional sciences at the U. of I. “The results of this research could be scaled to humans to understand the roles of mate tea and caffeine as potential strategies to prevent overweight and obesity, as well as the subsequent metabolic disorders associated with these conditions.”

In the rats, the accumulation of lipids in the adipocytes was significantly associated with greater body weight gain and increased body fat, according to the study.

To determine the mechanism of action, the scientists performed cell culture studies in which they exposed adipose cells from mice to synthetic caffeine or the coffee or mate caffeine extracts. They found that regardless of its source, caffeine decreased the accumulation of lipids in adipose cells by 20% to 41%.

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The scientists also tracked the expression of several genes associated with obesity and lipid metabolism. These included the fatty acid synthase gene (Fasn), an enzyme compound involved in the synthesis of fatty acids from glucose; and the lipoprotein lipase gene (Lpl), which codes for an enzyme that breaks down triglycerides.

All of the caffeine treatments, regardless of origin, significantly down-regulated the expression of both Fasn and Lpl. In the cell cultures, Fasn expression diminished by 31% to 39%, while Lpl expression decreased by 51% to 69% among cells treated with synthetic caffeine or the caffeine from mate tea or coffee, they found.

In the rats that consumed the mate tea caffeine, expression of Fasn decreased by 39% in their fat tissue and by 37% in their livers, the researchers found.

RELATED: Apples, Tea, and Moderation—The 3 Ingredients for a Long Life

The decreased expression of Fasn and two other genes in the liver evoked lower production of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides in the liver as well, according to the study.

“The consumption of caffeine from mate or from other sources alleviated the negative impact of a high-fat, high-sucrose diet on body composition due to the modulation of certain lipogenic enzymes in both adipose tissue and the liver,” de Mejia said. “The decreased expression of Fasn and Lpl brought about lower synthesis and accumulation of triglycerides in the adipose tissue.”

Reprinted from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign News Bureau

Power Up With Positivity By Sharing The Health News With Your Friends On Social Media — File photo by Infomastern, CC

Man Buys School Bus So He Can Take All 10 of His Grandkids to School Every Day

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This Oregon man may have just won the award for “Grandfather of the Year” after he surprised his grandkids with a creative Christmas gift on wheels.

Doug Hayes recently decided to surprise his 10 grandkids by getting them their own personal school bus for Christmas.

Since the youngsters go to a relatively small Catholic school in Gladstone, Oregon, there have never had access to a bus system that could take them to class.

Now, Hayes plans on using the “Grandfather Express” to bring his grandchildren to school every day.

Needless to say, the kids were pretty excited about the surprise.

“I was really stunned. I never expected him to buy a bus,” Hayes’ grandson Christian Hayes told WZDX reporters. “I think my friends are all gonna be stunned.”

SO HEARTWARMING! Listen to Adorable Toddler Describe Her Feelings About First Meeting the Parents Who Adopted Her

(WATCH the news coverage below) – Photo by WZDX

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“The bright sun, that brings back, not light alone, but new life, and hope, and freshness to man—burst upon the crowded city in clear and radiant glory.” – Charles Dickens, Oliver Twist

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- Please observe the license on this photo before use - Visit my other sites, for more photography. My squares at Instagram My page at Facebook My cool website Contact me here. Copenhagen based photographer Thomas Rousing, captures the beauty of everyday life in the city. He seeks to explore the interestingness of making images filled with endless details and beautiful colors.

Quote of the Day: “The bright sun, that brings back, not light alone, but new life, and hope, and freshness to man—burst upon the crowded city in clear and radiant glory.” – Charles Dickens, Oliver Twist

Photo: by Thomas Rousing, CC license – cropped

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Couple Uses 400,000 LEGO Bricks to Build Biggest Christmas Creation in 25 Years of Yuletide Fun

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SWNS
SWNS

This Lego-loving couple has spent the last six weeks creating this stunning Alpine ski scene out of 400,000 bricks—just in time for Christmas.

Every year, 61-year-old Mike Addis and his 56-year-old wife Catherine Weightman carefully construct a Christmas-themed Lego creation to celebrate the holiday season.

Since this year was the 25th anniversary of their first ever yuletide sculpture, they decided to take on their biggest project yet: an 8-foot-tall by 8-foot-wide snow-covered Alpine ski resort complete with working lifts, trains, and lights.

The massive Lego creation currently takes up half the living room of their English home in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire.

SWNS

“It’s definitely the biggest,” said Mr. Addis, a retired school teacher. “It’s a mixture of a Swiss Mountain resort, a German Christmas market, and Father Christmas’s workshop.”

The incredible structure includes a medieval town, various holiday chalets, Santa’s house and workshop, and a working train that delivers right to Santa’s workshop. It also includes elves, a reindeer and sleigh, and lots of working street lights.

“Each time you look at it you notice something new,” said Addis. “My favorite bit I think is the church—it worked really well. The town center is also a firm favorite.

SWNS

“It’s hard to say exactly how many hours a day we’ve spent on it because some days I’ll spend eight or ten hours, while other days I won’t touch it at all.”

Previous festive Lego projects have included a life-size polar bear that was 8 feet (2.5 meters) tall, the Durham Cathedral, a ginger-bread house, choir boys, Father Christmas, and even their own house.

“The models are enjoyable but also take a lot of patience and can be quite frustrating sometimes,” said Addis.

Mike Addis putting the final bicks on his Lego Durham Cathedral in 2014. SWNS.

“On one occasion during this build, I tripped and smashed one of the supports so we had to start that all over again. But the beauty of Lego is that it it can be rebuilt.”

Speaking of how they create their masterpieces, Addis revealed that they never use any instructions.

“We always free-build, we never have any instructions. We like to figure it out ourselves,” said Addis. “Normally we would build from the bottom up, but this time we had to do it the other way round and start building from the back forwards.

“Even the structure behind, which is hidden, was free-built.”

SWNS

Every year, the couple begins their construction on the retired man’s birthday in the autumn. “On October 13th, we have a birthday party and people come round to help us start it off,” said Addis. “We always start constructing our projects on my birthday, and we aim to finish it by December 1st.

Unsure of how many Legos exactly were used, Addis estimates the number is around 400,000 from their basement collection of bricks.

“We’ve collected Legos for over 50 years, and some are from my wife’s collection too. Being a teacher, people also like to gift us some Legos too, so we’ve amassed quite a large collection.

SWNS

“We have a cellar, so we store them all down there and organize them by color and size.”

When asked if the couple have already decided on next year’s project idea, Addis said they had a special procedure for the decision-making process.

“The best time for us to make a decision is when we’re coming back from holiday because the journey is often long and boring and so it’s a good time for us hammer out ideas.”

SWNS

While the couple kick-start each construction with a celebration, they say it’s only right they should begin the dismantling process with a party as well.

“We’ll have a break-down party where we invite our friends over to help us and we try to do that as close to the 6th of January as possible,” said Addis. “I’d say it takes us about two to three weeks to dismantle each project.”

The couple will also be hosting an open house event for family and friends on December 21st so people can marvel at their amazing talent.

SWNS

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“It is in giving that we receive.” – Francis of Assisi (Merry Christmas from GNN!)

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Quote of the Day: “It is in giving that we receive.” – Francis of Assisi (Merry Christmas from GNN!)

Photo: by John Stratford, CC license – cropped

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Man Cajoles His 17 Dachshunds into Christmas Sweaters So They Can Pose for Best Family Photo in History

By
McKinley Corbley
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Liam-Beach, Instagram

 

This Welsh dog owner may have just captured the best group Christmas photo of all time.

Liam Beach is an animal management graduate who recently coaxed all 17 of his pet Dachshunds into holiday jumpers so he could pose them on his staircase and take a family picture of the pack.

Although Beach said the elaborate yuletide photo required a full bag of treats and almost an hour of patience, he was eventually able to photograph Buster, Daisy, Ziggy, Wallie, Zac, Bonnie, Saffie, Duke, Diamond, Ruby, Kizzy, Sammy, Kansy, Kiki, Lottie, Benji, and Dudley all dressed up in their holiday best.

This is not the first time that the 20-year-old from Rhondda, Wales, has managed to capture a pic of the pups on the stairs, but his previous effort only required about 10 minutes of orchestration; this Christmas photo demanded a lot more work because of the doggie sweaters.

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“It took about 45 minutes to get the picture because when the dogs were dressed in their outfits, they thought it was time to go walking and [they] all went crazy running around the house,” Beach told reporters. “So, I had to calm them down before putting them on the stairs.”

The resulting picture, however, is cute enough to deck the halls of any social media feed.

If you want to check out more cute pictures of Beach and his faithful flock of wiener dogs, you can visit his Instagram page.

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Hundreds of Volunteers Are Tracking Santa’s Journey On Christmas Eve; Here’s How to Follow His Sleigh

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McKinley Corbley
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For the 64th year in a row, civilians and military personnel have enthusiastically volunteered to continue their tradition of tracking Santa’s journey around the world on Christmas Eve.

The tradition started in 1955 when Sears accidentally misprinted their telephone number in an advertisement that told kids they could talk to Santa and his elves. Instead, they listed the number of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).

Military personnel were quick to catch on to the mistake, but instead of disappointing their hopeful young callers, they fielded hundreds of phone calls and reassured the children that they were keeping an eye on Santa’s whereabouts.

LOOK: Family Accidentally Transforms Weed Growing From the Sidewalk into a Beloved Charlie Brown Tree

After NORAD was founded in 1958, the military headquarters made it their duty to keep the public informed about Santa’s location.

“In addition to our day-to-day mission of defending North America, we are proud to carry on the tradition of tracking Santa as he travels along his yuletide flight path,” said Gen. Terrence O’Shaughnessy, commander of NORAD and U.S. Northern Command. “The same radars, satellites and interceptors employed on December 24th are used year-round to defend Canadian and American airspace from threats.”

Now, anxious youngsters can either call the NORAD’s Santa Tracker hotline, send an email to the agency volunteers, or they can check up on Kris Kringle’s location on the agency’s website.

 

 

“They’re all really sweet, small voices. I had a little girl tell me good night instead of goodbye. It’s really sweet,” one of the volunteers told reporters. “It really gets you into the Christmas spirit. There are Christmas carols in the background, everyone’s very friendly, happy to be there.”

NORAD has more than 47 satellites stationed across North America from 22,000 miles above the Earth’s surface. The satellites can track Santa’s location by using infrared heat sensors to detect unusual flying objects—such as a magical sleigh and eight tiny reindeer.

RELATED: Watch Homeless Man Delight in Giving Away $100 Bills to Strangers on Behalf of Secret Santa

If you want to contact NORAD for a personal update on Santa’s whereabouts, you can call them at 1-877-HI-NORAD (1 877-446-6723) or send an email to [email protected].

However, the NORAD volunteers are quick to tell young readers that even though it may be exciting to keep up with the head elf’s journey, he will only visit their homes once they are fast asleep on Christmas Eve.

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Bionic Pancreas for Type 1 Diabetes Gets ‘Breakthrough’ Designation From FDA

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Good News Network
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This bionic pancreas may soon provide a whole new level of medical freedom to type 1 diabetics since the device was recently granted “breakthrough” status by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Beta Bionics, Inc—a medical technology company working to develop and commercialize the world’s first fully automated bionic pancreas—announced that their investigational iLet Bionic Pancreas System had received the exciting designation earlier this month.

The iLet Bionic Pancreas System is a pocket-sized, wearable investigational medical device that is designed to autonomously control blood-sugar levels.

Beta Bionics founder and Boston University researcher Ed Damiano developed the device as a means of offering hope to his son, who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes as a toddler—and now, the designation means that it could soon help millions of other diabetics as well.

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The on-body wear is similar to that of an insulin pump. Unlike insulin pump therapy, however, the investigational system is designed so that users need only enter only their body weight for the iLet to initialize therapy. Immediately thereafter, the iLet begins controlling blood-sugar levels automatically, without requiring the user to count carbohydrates, set insulin delivery rates, or deliver bolus insulin for meals or corrections.

The iLet is designed to function as three medical devices in one. It can be configured as an insulin-only bionic pancreas, a glucagon-only bionic pancreas, or a bihormonal bionic pancreas using insulin and glucagon. The insulin-only and bihormonal configurations may be helpful in diabetes. The glucagon-only configuration may be helpful in rare conditions that often lead to chronic, low blood-sugar conditions, such as congenital hyperinsulinism. Beta Bionics is committed to obtaining regulatory approval and commercializing all three iLet configurations.

The Massachusetts-based company was founded in 2015 to commercialize the iLet and obtain regulatory approval for all three bionic configurations.

MORE: People With Diabetes May One Day Be Monitoring Glucose With an Earring

“We believe the iLet Bionics Pancreas System represents a true breakthrough therapy for the management of glycemia, particularly in type 1 diabetes,” said Damiano, who is also the President and CEO of Beta Bionics. “We are particularly excited by the possibility that the iLet may be able to provide safer and more effective therapy in far more people than current therapies due to its simplicity of use.”

These mathematical dosing algorithms were developed at Boston University and refined based on results from home-use clinical trials in adults and children with T1D.

The other founders of Beta Bionics in addition to Damiano include other parents of children with type 1 diabetes and people with type 1 diabetes—which is why the company says it is committed to acting in the best interests of the diabetes community and to profoundly disrupting the diabetes medical device industry by bringing the iLet to market as expeditiously and responsibly as possible.

(WATCH the 2017 Freethink interview with Damiano below) – Photo by Freethink

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Holiday Card From Mystery Neighbor Has Totally Revitalized Disabled Woman With Dementia

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McKinley Corbley
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A depressed grandmother has been overwhelmed with happiness since receiving a mysterious greeting card from a local woman identified only by her first name.

In addition to the senior suffering from dementia and depression, she is also disabled, according to her granddaughter Melly. Every day without failure, the grandmother sits by the window at her home in Durham, England so she can wave at passerby.

Not much has ever come from the elderly woman’s daily routine—until this week when she received an unexpected holiday card in her mailbox.

MORE: Anonymous Postal Worker Sent Girl a Sweet Package After She Addressed a Letter to ‘God’ About Her Dog in Heaven

“To the lady who waves and smiles, with Christmas wishes,” read the card. “It’s nice to see you smile and wave when I walk past your house. Please accept my small token gift to give you another reason to smile.”

The note, which contained a gift card for UK grocery store chain Sainsbury’s, was signed only by a woman named Leigh.

Melly later recounted the heartwarming incident on social media so she could wish the mystery woman a Merry Christmas and thank her for the note.

 

“My Nan is disabled and has dementia,” explained Melly in a tweet. “She sits in her chair by the window all day, every day—just looking outside and normally feeling lonely as we all work during the day. When we went to see her today, someone had posted this through the letter box.”

Since publishing the story to Twitter earlier this week, it has been shared thousands of times. Not only that, social media users have been flooding Melly’s inbox with pictures of their pets since she also mentioned how her grandmother loves animals.

LOOK: When Young Men Write Letter to Neighbor Asking to Play With Their Pup, They Get Letter Back From the Dog

“She’s been so depressed recently. I can’t put into words how much this has picked her up!” Melly wrote in several followup posts. “She’s barely eaten for weeks because she’s been so down and I’ve just made her a sandwich and she’s happily chomping away. I could burst.

“Can’t wait to tell Nan how many people have wished her well and show her all the gorgeous pups and cats you’ve shared. We’re all buzzing that you’ve enjoyed Leigh’s kindness as much as we have and I hope she gets to find out, too.”

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After Raising Money for a Year, Church Pays Off $5.2 Million in Medical Debt for Low-Income Families

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Good News Network
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Thousands of low-income California residents have just had more than $5 million in medical bills wiped away after a church bought their debts for pennies on the dollar.

For the last year, the congregants of Christian Assembly Church in Eagle Rock have been raising money for an unknown cause.

Earlier this week, however, church co-pastor Ted Hughes announced that they would be donating all $50,000 of their accumulated funds to RIP Medical Debt, a nonprofit organization dedicated to buying out and paying off people’s medical debt portfolios from secondary markets.

Since the debts can be bought for just fractions of their cost to the patient, the donation paid off more than $5.2 million in debts for 5,555 low-income families across Los Angeles.

RELATED: Instead of Paying for Advertising, Church Abolishes $10M in Medical Debt For Local Families

None of the families will be aware that their debts have been forgiven until they receive a letter in the mail from Christian Assembly Church about the donation. After that, their credit scores are expected to improve and debt collectors will no longer be flooding their phones with stress-inducing calls.

“Because of the generosity of the people at Christian Assembly Church, we are able to give a Christmas gift to the people of Los Angeles, no strings attached,” said Hughes in the announcement video. “As they recover from their illness, it will help them get back on their feet and avoid homelessness.”

(WATCH the news coverage below) – Photo by Christian Assembly Church

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Mom With Cancer Brought to Tears By Son Traveling 1,500 Miles to Surprise Her for Christmas

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Good News Network
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SWNS
SWNS

This is the moment that a mom suffering from lung cancer was given the gift of a lifetime: her son arriving home just in time to surprise her on Christmas Eve.

6o-year-old Debora Hendry was diagnosed with lung cancer after doctors found a tumor the size of an egg on her lung. As the mother-of-six underwent chemotherapy and radiation therapy, she prepared for what she feared might be her last Christmas with her family in December 2018.

That being said, the mother-of-six was still saddened by the one person who was missing from her dinner table.

32-year-old Jacob Hendry is the only one of Debora’s children who has moved away from home. Since he began studying mechanical engineering 1,500 miles away in California five years ago, the expensive distance has meant that it has been rare for the student to fly home.

RELATED: Watch Company Surprise All 198 of Their Awestruck Employees With $10 Million in Holiday Bonuses

His entire family—including his parents, his 5 sisters and 15 nieces and nephews—have stayed living in Fremont, Nebraska.

“Moving away from home was incredibly difficult for me. Friends, family—everything I’ve ever known was back in Nebraska,” said Jacob. “I’ve been in California for 5 years now, and I think I’ve made it back for two Christmases. Being a full-time student, it’s hard to come up with the money for flights.”

Unbeknownst to Debora, however, Jacob pulled out all the stops, saving up and borrowing money from friends so he could fly home and surprise her on Christmas Eve last year.

WATCH: Shelter Believes Dogs Deserve the Spirit of Christmas, Too–Watch the Excitement as Santa Brings Bag Full of Goodies

Jacob’s sister Becky filmed the special moment that Debora opened the door on December 24th and saw her son for the first time since her diagnosis.

The heartwarming clip shows Debora overcome with emotion as she embraces her son and declares it “the best Christmas ever”.

“When we received the diagnosis, it hit me hard. Being so far away from all your loved ones during a time like this was almost unbearable,” says Jacob. “I thought about leaving school and moving back home, but I knew that my mother wanted me to continue my education.

SWNS

“I hadn’t been home in so long… I think it had been a year since I saw her last. It was very difficult to come home for the holidays since we simply didn’t have the money,” he recalled. “I didn’t think I would be able to make it, until I was able to borrow the money at the last minute. I purchased a ticket and decided to surprise my mom by showing up on Christmas Eve.

“This opportunity to spend Christmas with her and the rest of my family meant the world to me—to all of us.”

Four years after he moved away, Jacob’s mum Debora received a diagnosis of small cell lung cancer in September 2018. The diagnosis was devastating for the family, especially since they didn’t have much money and Debora did not have health insurance.

 

Luckily for the Hendry family, Debora lives close to the world-renowned University of Nebraska Medical Centre where they have reportedly been treating the mother for free.

“They found a tumor on her lung the size of an egg and immediately placed her on concurrent chemotherapy and targeted radiation therapy. It was the most aggressive therapy possible,” says Jacob. “We’re all incredibly grateful for their work. It’s the only reason she’s alive today.”

Jacob’s surprise visit home for Christmas last year meant that Debora was surrounded by her family for a holiday full of joy and laughter before Jacob returned to California.

Before you reach for the tissues, this story has a happy ending; Debora continued to fight the cancer until—incredibly—she received the amazing news that she was in remission earlier this year in January.

SWNS

Now cancer-free, the grateful grandmother is planning for another wonderful Christmas to celebrate with her family—and Jacob was even able to book a flight home as well.

“She has been monitored regularly to this day and still shows no signs of cancer!” says Jacob. “I haven’t seen my family since our reunion at Christmas last year, and I can’t wait to fly home to see everyone.”

(WATCH the emotional video below)

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“A true act of selflessness always sparks another—without fail.” – Klaus (Christmas movie)

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Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “A true act of selflessness always sparks another—without fail.” – Klaus (a new Christmas film on Netflix)

Image: Klaus, a Spanish animated Christmas film written, directed, and produced by Sergio Pablos

With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quotes page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?

 

World’s First Commercial Electric Airplane Successfully Completes Test Flight in Canada

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Good News Network
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Photo by HarbourAir
Photo by Harbour Air

Earlier this month, the world’s first all-electric commercial aircraft made history after it touched down from a successful test flight in Vancouver, Canada.

The 15-minute inaugural flight was facilitated by Harbour Air, North America’s largest seaplane airline, and magniX, the company powering the electric aviation revolution.

The successful flight of the ePlane, a six-passenger DHC-2 de Havilland Beaver magnified by a 750-horsepower (560 kW) magni500 propulsion system, took place on the Fraser River at Harbour Air Seaplanes terminal in Richmond.

Harbour Air CEO and founder Greg McDougall, who piloted the plane for its historic flight, said that the journey signifies the start of the third era in aviation: the electric age.

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“Today, we made history,” said Greg McDougall, CEO and founder of Harbour Air Seaplanes. “I am incredibly proud of Harbour Air’s leadership role in re-defining safety and innovation in the aviation and seaplane industry. Canada has long held an iconic role in the history of aviation, and to be part of this incredible world-first milestone is something we can all be really proud of.”

Earlier this year, Harbour Air announced its partnership with magniX and the company’s intention to build the world’s first completely electric commercial seaplane fleet. The magni500, which was unveiled at the Paris Air Show in June 2019, is a high-power-density electric propulsion system that provides a clean and efficient way to power airplanes.

LOOK: New Power Plant Turns Waste into Energy—and Doubles as a Ski Slope and Climbing Wall

“In December 1903, the Wright Brothers launched a new era of transportation—the aviation age—with the first flight of a powered aircraft. Today, 116 years later, with the first flight of an all-electric powered commercial aircraft, we launched the electric era of aviation,” said Roei Ganzarski, CEO of magniX. “The transportation industry and specifically the aviation segment that has been, for the most part, stagnant since the late 1930s, is ripe for a massive disruption. Now we are proving that low-cost, environmentally friendly, commercial electric air travel can be a reality in the very near future.”

MagniX and Harbour Air will now begin the certification and approval process for the propulsion system and the retrofitting of aircraft. Once the certification is complete, the rest of the fleet can be magnified with magniX’s all-electric propulsion technology.

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Finland is Making Their 6-Week Crash Course on AI Available to the World as a Free Christmas Gift

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McKinley Corbley
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As a Christmas present to the world, Finland is making its online crash course in artificial intelligence available to everyone for free.

The Nordic nation launched the 6-week “Elements of AI” course last year as a means of educating their citizens on the revolutionary new technology.

Since Finland will be passing on its rotating EU presidency to another member state at the end of the year, the country decided to graciously celebrate the occasion by translating the course materials into English, Swedish, Estonian, and German—as well as Finnish—and making it available for EU citizens to take (although there are no geographical limitations on who can take the course).

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The course, which has thus far been taken by more than 220,000 students from about 110 countries, has become the most popular course offered by the University of Helsinki. It consists of seven modules, each of which takes about 5 to 10 hours to complete.

The university hopes to provide the course to at least 5 million EU citizens by the end of 2021 “to prove that AI should not be left in the hands of a few elite coders.”

The university and educational platform offering the course also plan to translate the materials into the remaining 20 EU languages over the course of the next two years.

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