National DNA Day

National DNA Day was April 25th, and we take a moment to think about those microscopic elements that make up our genetic composition. While DNA is created and maintained inside the body, it can still be affected by the environment and surrounding changes.

Environmental specialist Douglas Mulhall has uncovered that there is much more than what meets the eye when it comes to how our environment can have an effect on our DNA. In fact, our environment plays a significant role when looking at health factors.

Mulhall lists 3 ways in which the environment impacts our DNA:

Impact #1: Epigenetics

CRISPR and other technologies are used to manipulate genes by changing them, but while these are showing some success, they also have unforeseen, irreversible consequences. By contrast, epigenetics involves turning genes on and off without changing the DNA. It has one big advantage: the changes are reversible. This is especially clear when it comes to environmental impacts on genes’ behavior. For example…

Impact #2: Environmental changes

Epigenetic evidence has been mounting that the environment is a major contributor to triggering heart disease. Epigenetic factors that turn on genes to activate the immune system include stealthy infections, toxic metals, and other environmental influences. Natural chemicals like polyphenols have long been known to have positive epigenetic impacts. Recent advances have regenerated the elastic in arteries using this approach, opening a new era in heart disease therapy and prevention.

Impact #3: Pathogens

The common mouth infection P. Gingivalis and other environmental pathogens are triggering and worsening Alzheimer’s through epigenetic changes that affect genes behavior without altering DNA. Therapies aimed at the plaques in Alzheimer’s have been a nearly complete failure after billions spent. Initial results from new clinical trials suggest that targeting environmental pathogens is a far more successful and less costly tactic.

These three breakthroughs are just the tip of the iceberg of the correlation between medical breakthroughs and how they are helping or hurting our bodies when they interact with the environment.

MLB: Joey Votto Mic-ed Up!

Interesting and insightful!

Book Pick of the Week: High Impact Mentoring

When setting up a mentoring program within your organization, some prospective mentees are obvious choices. But high performers and superstars are not the only people in your company directory who have the potential to achieve great things. That’s why former Waffle House President and COO Bert Thornton urges mentors to look beyond the “obvious choices” and develop hidden gems, too.

“Just as ships don’t ‘drift’ into port, employees won’t ‘drift’ into greatness,” says Thornton, coauthor along with Dr. Sherry Hartnett of the new book High-Impact Mentoring: A Practical Guide to Creating Value in Other People’s Lives (BookLogix, 2021, ISBN: 978-1-6653-0344-6, $19.95, https://highimpactmentoringbook.com/). “Mentoring is often the key to unlocking the potential in overlooked, seemingly average employees.”

So who, exactly, are these “non-obvious choices”? You probably have someone on your payroll who lacks experience on paper, but whose leadership skills and ability to drive change could make a tremendous impact. Perhaps there’s an employee whose talents might be a better fit for a different role. Maybe a new supervisor is technically proficient, but their communication skills and demeanor could use some polish. Almost certainly, you have middle-of-the-pack employees who could quickly advance if given personalized training and advice.  

“When you invest mentoring resources into non-obvious candidates, you pack your bench with engaged, loyal employees who are operating at the top of their game,” says Dr. Hartnett, who is the founding director of the University of West Florida’s Executive Mentor Program. “You also broaden your talent pipeline and streamline the advancement process. That’s an ROI leaders can’t afford to ignore right now.”

Here, Thornton and Dr. Hartnett share nine powerful benefits you may receive when you build a mentoring program that develops a wide range of employees (not just the superstars.)

Book Pick of the Week: A Needle in a Haystack: How to Find Love in the Rubble

Lifetime romance doesn’t just happen; you must first know yourself and do the self-work before you can find your needle in a haystack, says Pastor Jameliah Gooden. Based on her own experiences with finding her soulmate, Gooden’s book, A Needle in a Haystack: How to Find Love in the Rubble, guides readers toward finding and recognizing love, and is perfect for anyone looking for their ideal partner.

Following her first bestselling book, The Death of the Angry Black Woman, which details how Gooden worked to rid herself of anger and negative stereotypes, this second bestseller continues the journey of self-improvement as readers gain firsthand knowledge for navigating the dating world. Gooden encourages people to break away from the enormous pressures of modern dating and find playfulness in their social lives.

“We should be putting ourselves out there and just having fun,” says Gooden. “There shouldn’t be any forced end goal or expectation. That’s how you find your needle.”

Searching for love in today’s society can be a daunting task, especially with dating apps and blind dates, because these scenarios come with preconceived notions and a fear of unmet expectations. Gooden suggests that dating is much easier if you are true to yourself and who you are. Societal notions and definitions about dating are to blame: they add too much pressure instead of allowing freedom for personal acceptance and growth. Gooden advises that readers stop presenting themselves as perfect and start showing the world who they truly are.

“That’s the beauty of a ruby,” Gooden says. “It understands its value. It doesn’t have to work to be beautiful. It just is, and it doesn’t have to do anything to convince anyone of that.”

As a social media celebrity and pastor, Gooden has a proven ability to guide and lead others. She finds joy in sharing her personal story and inspires others to find their own. Gooden hopes A Needle in a Haystack will help individuals to find their perfect mates and form real and lasting partnerships.

Identity struggles and failed relationships can be difficult topics, but Gooden faces these obstacles with candor and transparency. She knows how a bad relationship can hinder people from going forward and trying again, and hopes her work will help all readers find themselves, so they can experience the healing that self-actualization offers.

Gooden says, “Finding your needle should be fun, not something to fear. Just relax and be yourself. Call it ‘fellowshipping’ because when you set expectations, you can end up hiding the truth to conform to what you think someone else wants.”

 

NFL's Most Disliked Person When is comes to Social Media

Person and No. of Negative Tweets.

Aaron Rodgers - 266850

Antonio Brown - 107379

Bill Belichick - 88482

Odell Beckham Jr. - 84399

Deshaun Watson - 75210

Jackson Mahomes - 71349

Tyreek Hill - 62379

Roger Goodell - 59731

Baker Mayfield - 51285

Dan Snyder - 48529

Cam Newton - 28467

Jerry Jones - 24602

Kirk Cousins - 19056

Josh McDaniels - 16008

DeSean Jackson - 13598

Jalen Ramsey - 11278

Brittany Matthews - 10404

Richard Sherman - 8562

Ezekiel Elliott - 6640

Robert Kraft - 5362