D4 Intentional Health

13/03/2026

WOW!

Mind-blowing Facts About DNA - the “Blueprint” of Life

Almost all the cells in our body have DNA with the exception of red blood cells.

Each nucleus in your body contains approximately 2 meters of DNA in a nucleus that is six micrometers in diameter, this is equivalent to packing 40 kilometers of fine thread into a tennis ball!

Our entire DNA sequence would fill two hundred 1,000-page New York City telephone directories.

You have between approximately five grams (0.2 ounces or about the weight of a sheet of paper) to 50 grams (1.8 ounces or about the weight of a chicken egg) of DNA in your body.

If you unwrap all the DNA you have in all your cells it would stretch at least 60 billion miles (96.5 billion kilometers) - to the sun and back 61 times.

During cell division your DNA is replicated at a speed of 1 million nucleotide base pairs per second.

There are specific families of enzymes whose only job is to repair or remove damaged DNA.

Inadequate nutrient intake and poor lifestyle choices can negatively impact the health and quality of your DNA. The health of your DNA and the ability of your body to repair damaged DNA is largely dependent on your intake of essential and beneficial nutrients that prevent damage (antioxidants) or provide building blocks for repair enzymes.

Great article on the basics of genetics:

https://askthescientists.com/genetics/

12/03/2026

We need to create healthy habits around our use of new technologies… each new phase changes both the opportunities and the challenges

The faster and easier option isn’t always the best.
👉 https://theconversation.com/its-tempting-to-offload-your-thinking-to-ai-cognitive-science-shows-why-thats-a-bad-idea-276766?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook =1773115760

26/02/2026

Choose an activity that takes you outside in nature and involves physical and mental stimulation.

Expert birdwatchers have brain differences that may underlie their remarkable ability to identify unfamiliar birds and suggest that birdwatching can reshape the brain in much the same way as learning a language or a musical instrument does.

25/02/2026

Picky eaters… it is usually just a phase, but you can encourage a greater range…

While genes do influence some food preferences, positive experiences can help make new tastes easier to swallow.

19/02/2026

Our bodies are such amazing organisms, we need to be aware of how best to look after them 💖

ONE ORGAN REQUIRES 20% OF THE BODY’S OXYGEN AND ENERGY – THE BRAIN

In the average adult human, the brain represents only about 2% of the body weight, but accounts for a whopping 20% of the oxygen (through blood flow) and, therefore, calories consumed by the body. This high metabolic activity is present whether we are passive and resting as well as when we are actively doing something.

If you are not eating right and providing adequate healthy fuel and nutrients, not getting adequate sleep, and not doing things to support good blood flow and optimal circulation, your brain will be one of the first things to suffer. Make sure to get the healthy fuel and nutrients your body needs and stay active. Your body, and your brain, depend on it.

https://askthescientists.com/nutrients-brain-health/

http://www.pnas.org/content/99/16/10237.full

15/02/2026

Love is good for the heart and soul ♥️

Love—Just What the Doctor Ordered

Love comes in many shapes and sizes. No matter where you stand on the subject, one thing is becoming clearer. Strong relationships and love are good for your health.

Here are a few of the possible health benefits of love:

• Less frequent trips to the doctor: Studies have linked marriage to fewer doctor visits and shorter hospital stays. It’s thought that people in good relationships are more likely to take better care of themselves.

• Reduced risk of depression and substance abuse: Although it shouldn’t be surprising, people in good marriages have lower rates of depression, drinking, and drug abuse.

• Less anxiety: According to a study using MRI brain scans, strongly connected couples in long-term relationships have more activation in the areas of the brain associated with bonding and less in the area that produces anxiety.1

• Healthier blood pressure: A good relationship can be good for your blood pressure. A study in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine showed that happily married people had better blood pressure than singles. The worst were unhappily married people.2

• Better stress management: Research has shown a link between good social support and relationships and improved ability to cope with stress.

• Healthier immune system: People in healthy relationships are less likely to get sick after exposure to cold or flu viruses. This may be partly due to reduced stress and depression resulting in enhanced immune response.3

• Longer lifespan: Many research studies have linked happy marriages to longer life. The feeling of love and connection helps protect against loneliness and isolation, which are tied to increased mortality risk.

• Happier life: One of the greatest benefits of love is joy.

According to research in the Journal of Family Psychology, happiness depends more on the quality of family relationships than on the level of income.4

You don’t have to be married or in love to have good health and live a long life. But reduced stress, lower levels of anxiety, and strong social connections are key ingredients in a recipe for a longer, healthier life.

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3277362/
2.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18347896
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17101814
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18540776

https://aspe.hhs.gov/.../effects-marriage-health...

10/02/2026

The life of a red blood cell.

Red Blood Cells Carry a Heavy Load

Maintaining a healthy heart and circulatory system requires healthy red blood cells. These hard-working, unique cells deserve some attention. So, here are a few interesting facts that will earn your respect:

• The average red blood cell lives for 120 days. Once mature, red blood cells contain no nucleus or DNA, so they can no longer replicate or repair themselves.
• There are approximately 2.5 trillion red blood cells in your body at any given time. To maintain this number, the body has to produce about 2.5 million red blood cells per second in the bone marrow. That is over 200 billion new red blood cells per day.
• About 5.6 liters of blood circulate through the body three times every minute. That means a red blood cell can circumnavigate your body in less than 20 seconds.
• The largest artery in the body, the aorta, is about the diameter of a garden hose.
• Capillaries, on the other hand, are only 1/10th the diameter of a human hair.
• The human heart creates enough pressure when it pumps to sq**rt blood over 10 meters (30 feet).

Everything you eat and breathe is circulated and delivered to tissues and cells throughout the body. Keep your cells running longer and stronger by providing them all the right fuel, fluids, and nutrients they need

03/02/2026

As with most things it’s not just an all or nothing solution… it’s complex!

Myth: Raw Vegetables Are Always Better For You than Cooked Ones

The truth about raw vs. cooked vegetables is complicated. It depends on the specific vegetable, the nutrient in question, and your method of cooking.

Nutrients like beta-carotene are more bioavailable from cooked carrots, spinach, mushrooms, asparagus, cabbage, and peppers than from the raw vegetables. But, it is also true that cooking destroys much of the vitamin C and polyphenol content.

Another important carotenoid, lycopene, is also more bioavailable when the food source (i.e. tomato) is cooked. Broccoli is a vegetable that provides more of some healthy nutrients when cooked, and more of different healthy compounds when raw.

So, the answer to whether vegetables are healthier when raw is yes, no, and maybe. And, the best way to ensure you get all the health benefits is to eat the recommended servings of fruits and veggies no matter how they’re prepared. The more ways you make them delicious and inviting to you, the more likely you are to eat them.

https://askthescientists.com/food-preparation/

15/01/2026

Purity and potency.

15/01/2026

A discussion on the new ‘inverted pyramid’

Meat and full-fat dairy are in. Ultra-processed foods are out. And there’s a new, inverted food pyramid.

👉 Read the full story: https://theconversation.com/prioritising-protein-what-the-new-us-dietary-guidelines-get-right-and-wrong-according-to-2-nutrition-experts-273112

09/01/2026

At last, change is afoot! US gov guidance that provides against highly processed foods and places greater emphasis on whole foods.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2025–2030 were unveiled on January 7 alongside a new, inverted food pyramid that elevates the importance of protein and dairy, and an “eat real food” messaging campaign that denounces “highly processed food.”