#dubia... wrote this?

[dubia-015]

This is for Keferon's TF Mecha AU thingy that i'm in love with (but already knew that didn't you 👁👁)

Ermm i'm not really much of a writer, but the whole Jazz dying in his mech thing gave me such a vivid image and I just had to write it.

Sorry for advance for any jank or typos, you know how it is!! *Chucks this at your feet and skitters away*

--

They won! Shockwave had finally given up control over all the pilots and surrendered. Everyone was celebrating and getting out of their mechs, and so Jazz followed suit. That's when it happened.

[Disconnect: Error] He tried again. [Disconnect: Error] Was something wrong with his mech? Jazz pinged for stats and vitals. [Fuel:27%] [Structural Integrity: 84%] [SpO2: n/a] [BPM: 0]- The whole world froze. That's impossible. That can't-

He tried to wake up, to open his eyes, flail around, anything. But there was nothing. He couldn't feel his body at all. Jazz looked down at his mech's chest, where he was sitting in the cockpit. His heart had stopped beating and he didn't even notice. Was this it? Were these his final moments as his brain finally ran out of oxygen? Jazz could only stand there, staring, frozen in dread. "Jazz what's up?" That was Prowl's voice. Jazz tried to speak, but he couldn't make a sound. ::Something's wrong.:: "What?" At least his comms still worked. ::I can't...:: "Jazz what's going on I don't-" Prowl's question was cut off as Jazz pulled him into a hug while he slid to the ground. Jazz tried not to think at all as Prowl set him down and called the medics over. As First Aid and Ratchet raced to find his mech's emergency hatch release and climb into the cockpit. The way the both of them went silent as they checked for his pulse told him everything he needed to know. He died. He was dead. But how was he still... here? Jazz had to turn off his visual sensors when they carted him- his body away on a stretcher. When he turned them back on, one thing had his full attention. Prowl. Sitting beside his mech, coolant streaming from his optics. "Jazz I- never got to say goodbye..." Jazz summoned all his will and weakly lifted the arm of his mech. Prowl's optics flared. "You're still in there," Prowl whispered, a hint of horror in his voice. "How- Can you stand? We need to get your mech to repair." Prowl held out his servo and Jazz used it to steady himself. The pair wrapped their arms together so Prowl could guide the other toward the docking bay. Neither of them said anything the whole walk over. Jazz tried not to think, he really did, but there was a single thought would not leave him, no matter how hard he tried to banish it. He was never gonna get to crawl on Prowl again.

--

IRON LUNG IRON LUNG IRON LUNG IRON LUNG IRON-

You know? Because hes in a deathless purgatory? And the mech doesn't have lungs so it feels like hes choking all the time? I have been trying to integrate this song into the mecha au for so long you have no ideaaaaa

Anyways!! I hope you enjoyed :D

[dojae-huh]

Just curious to knw......being in a same sex relationship is a sin for most of the religion. ..so when u r so religious can u support a gay couple? Like mark is srsly very religious person..he said it himself in a recent content too...but he is one of the imp supporter of jaedo...so I am confused a bit...

Obvioulsy, yes.

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis has suggested there could be ways to bless same-sex unions, responding to five conservative cardinals who challenged him to affirm church teaching on homosexuality ahead of a big meeting where LGBTQ+ Catholics are on the agenda.

The Vatican on Monday published a letter Francis wrote to the cardinals on July 11 after receiving a list of five questions, or "dubia," from them a day earlier. In it, Francis suggests that such blessings could be studied if they didn't confuse the blessing with sacramental marriage.

"The allowance for pastoral ministers to bless same-gender couples implies that the church does indeed recognize that holy love can exist between same-gender couples, and the love of these couples mirrors the love of God," he said in a statement.

SK example. Mark is a pastor's son, he can't be more religious than a practicing pastor, right?

And please, learn to ask Google, YT and Wikipedia instead of a nearest person.

[converted-catholic]

I am not shamed to admit that I am a traditional Catholic…

As a “trad” as many people refer to me as, it is important to remember some key elements. When learning theology you can’t use the clips and phrases found on News media (both secular and Catholic) as your end all be all. I have been keeping up with the most recent synod…to see the current reactions and stretches that have been made have been appalling. Linked on the post I have the direct Vatican source as well as a unbiased (as far as I am able to discern) video going over the most recent dubias. The behavior and reactions of those who seemingly hold the title of Catholic is sickening at their ability to scorn and denounce the Pope over wicked lies and false information.

As Catholics we must submit to and pray for our Holy See!

We are not called to ‘like’ him or think he is the best Pope to ever grace our history, but remember what our Bible says…

Romans 5:8 “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Ephesians 4:32 “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”

Matthew 25:40 “The King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me”

But I continue, we are called to love and support each other. Everyone knows the phrase “love the sinner hate the sin” and although I do not believe that the Pope is the sinner in this situation it reminds us that we are all fallen and are trying to live like Saints, so listen to the words of the man trying to guide us and make prudent decisions when listening…

[locustheologicus]

Read Pope Francis’ response to the dubia presented to him by 5 cardinals

The issue presented here is with regards to five fairly traditional (in some case, notoriously so) Cardinals over question that they feel Pope Francis’ papacy is leaving unclear or possibly changing. The questions regarding openess to the issue of homosexuality, marriage, priestly celibacy and women’s role in the Church.

The unfortunate truth is that the way these questions are offered and their expected response is based on the traditional fallacy of the false dilemma. They are carefully crafted questions loaded with terms that if you answer with either yes or no will lead to a suggestion that his policies go again may the traditional policy of the Church. My guess is that they are looking to catch him with these questions and identify him as a progressive pontiff who is breaking with tradition. They are attempting to create a pharisaic scandal. The type of legal maneuver that the Pharisees presented Christ in an attempt to get him, but instead Christ would respond with a parable.

But in reading Pope Francis' response he is not delivering parables (what I consider case studies) but he is clarifying and presenting the complexity of the Church's pastoral role and reminding them of the contribution of process theology which has been part of the Church's tradition (in one form or the other) and allowed the Church to adapt to social questions and issues from the beginning. Think of how the Church responded to St. Paul's concern regarding the gentiles. Our ability to engage culture and adapt to it can even be considered a mark of the Church, certainly the pastoral Church.

In responding to the questions, Pope Francis reminded his critics that the Church has recognized the two forms of divine revelation that have always been part of the Church's source for doctrinal interpretation.

the magisterium is not superior to the word of God, but it is also true that both the texts of Scripture and the testimonies of tradition need an interpretation that allows us to distinguish their perennial substance from cultural conditioning.

This obviously will not satisfy his detractors who are using the logical fallacy to pigeonhole the pontiff.

Our tradition had always recognized the two book of revelation. Scripture and nature. Nature expresses the divine intelligence and we Catholics are called to reflect on the wisdom of God in these pages and how they consistenly reflect the wisdom found in Sacred Scripture. Experience, tradition, and reason, these offer divine wisdom that allows us the interpret the Divine Law. As St. Augustine tells us:

Some people, in order to discover God, read books. But there is a great book: the very appearance of created things. Look above you! Look below you! Note it. Read it. God, whom you want to discover, never wrote that book with ink. Instead He set before your eyes the things that He had made. Can you ask for a louder voice than that? -St. Augustine, “City of God” Book XVI

Dialogue on issues are an important aspect of our doctrinal development. Sadly our Vatican I approach attempted to give an image of the Church that is doctrinally perfect and unbending and this is the lens that helps us understand the approach that some of our more traditional clergy seem to understand. They still see the tradition of the Church from the lens of Vatican I. Vatican II brought us back to the original format which is a Church that dialogues, explores and adapts with the changing social situation. That is why Pope Francis tells us that we are no ready for Vatican III, because we are still adjusting to the contributions of Vatican II.

We will get there, but in the meantime let us remember the life giving tradition that is very much part of our doctrinal development.

Of course, the main question that was posed to the Holy Father was about his opinion on same-sex marriage. You can read his response, but spoiler alert, he supports the Church's traditional sacramental position.

But, he does challenge his critics and the traditionalists out there that pastoral charity is the Christian teaching that they fail to recognize.

In dealing with people, however, we must not lose the pastoral charity that must permeate all our decisions and attitudes. The defense of objective truth is not the only expression of this charity, which is also made up of kindness, patience, understanding, tenderness, and encouragement. Therefore, we cannot become judges who only deny, reject, exclude.

Through the lens of pastoral charity, Pope Francis is open to the idea that blessings may be offered for same-sex unions. But he does explain this distinction (blessings versus sacrament). I recommend that everyone read his actual responses within the spirit of Christian charity.

[spacemancharisma]

Do you have any OCs? feel free to talk about them if you do What was the first piece of media you engaged with on the internet? Are you still interested in it? What's something you made or did that you're proud of? What's something that made you smile this month?

oh hello!! thank you for sending these questions this is so nice!!!

so I had a whole slew of ocs when I was a kid but they fell by the wayside loooong ago- the only thing I really have now is a pair I don’t think about too often, but I’m very fond of: they started as a good omens au back in 2019, but they grew way past that canon so they had to just become their own thing lmao. basically you’ve got a deeply repressed preacher’s son in the deep deep south and the trans guy runaway whose car broke down outside of town and is just kinda living there now, and they’re in love and I care them very much. maybe i’ll write it someday. oh!!! and also the dubia ranch!!! a webcomic I may or may not ever actually draw that’s a western and all the characters are different lizards. i’ve got a character sheet in my notes app that my husband and I wrote up in a three hour frenzy in the middle of the night one day. fuckin love those lizards.

so the first piece of media I was ever really in “fandom” for was percy jackson when I was 12/13 and was learning how to find fanart and fanfic on deviantart. I got in huuuuge trouble for reading fanfic when my mom checked the browser history, even though the raunchiest stuff I was reading was like. kissing with tongue. I didn’t have a tumblr till I was 18, and this blog started as a les mis blog lmao. I still care about both of those books and they have very special places in my heart, but I haven’t read either of them in a while. I’m excited for the pjo series though!!!

honestly lately i’m just really proud of where I am in life. it was a major step for me to be able to take control of my own life and make choices for myself, not to please others, and my life has become so much better for it.

highlight of exactly a month ago was getting my new rescue beardie!! he’s my absolute sweet boy and I adore him

[tackyink]

You've mentioned a few times that your writing has improved from IOS to DOS in a way that makes you less than happy when you look back at IOS. Having read and loved both, I was wondering what sort of things you would have changed about IOS if you wrote it with your current perspective?

Do you sometimes get that thing when you open a new fic and after a few lines think, "this was written by someone very young"? Of course, I was not "very young" by tumblr standards, but it's similar to the feeling I get every time I look at the start of IoS. Like seeing your art from a few years ago when you were really into it but still couldn't draw properly. It's physically painful.

(I think there's also another subjective factor playing into it, and it's that I enjoy more writing from relaxed points of view, and Saki has two modes: acting or getting bored. She's observant, but she lives in the present and doesn't dwell much in the future or what-ifs. OCs like Makoto and Alex are more in line with the way I think, so they're easier to write. That's also why I like writing from Law's POV so much. He's an action person, but he's still an overthinker. I don't know if it shows to the reader, but I feel their scenes flow more naturally.)

I don't think I could write IoS with what I know now, given that half the fun was starting with a tiny crew and being able to flesh out their relationships. Knowing me, I'd want to keep it close to canon, and Law was sailing the North Blue and picking up crewmates many years before entering the Grand Line. It would be too big, too bloated, and it would look nothing like it does. Leaving that aside, assuming I did write it, I'd like to dedicate more chapters to Asteria. I feel that part of the story was too short, since everything that comes after builds upon it. I would've had Law and Bepo roam the town a few more days and given more scenes to Saki with her family. Penguin and Shachi would probably be around, too. I'd also remove the part with the laced medication, which I feel is unnecessary. Saki would've wanted to stay close to her family because that's the kind of person she is. I hadn't yet spent enough time with her to know that, though.

I said a few times that I started IoS too soon in the timeline, and I still maintain it, but I don't see how much I could've cut so the story worked. Perhaps I would have moved Asteria to some early point of Paradise. Not too close to Sabaody though, because I wanted to write about the months the Heart Pirates spent on the first half of the Grand Line (back then, most Heart Pirates fic began at Sabaody). But if I did that, the Qaryn arc wouldn't exist because it relied on being the first island of the route, so Saki would have to be encountered later, and that would move the discovery that Asteria was destroyed to the end of Coconut Island and close it with a downer, and then getting Dubia's backstory in Niva would be too much to soon. Everything would have to be reworked.

I'm trying to think of more things I'd change, but nothing else stands out. I'm fairly indifferent to the part between Asteria and Lymes, which I consider a win, and I'm pretty happy with (mostly) everything starting from Marina. It's just the firt arc that pains me. The execution feels... juvenile. Which makes a lot of sense knowing that I basically hadn't written anything for nearly a decade. IoS is a product of its time in various ways, and I'm glad I wrote it then, because it's brought a little bit of happiness to many people and it couldn't have been written at any other time.

[myimmortalisimmortal]

Why Chapter 39 of My Immortal was due to an actual hacker

After considering some findings, I’m confident in this theory. And thus, I’m confident anyone who claims to be Tara Gilesbie while claiming the hacked chapter was faked is not being honest. Below I will explain why I believe so and how I came across this information in the first place.

All this was from a long chain of breadcrumbs. Let’s go back... all to the mid 2000s in the LiveJournal days when Tara Gilesbie had a dedicated fan club.

The Tara Gilesbie Fan Club

One thing that particularly stuck out was members mentioning finding Tara through IMDb. Yes, you heard right.

[ID: Two comments on the Tara Gilesbie Fan Club LiveJournal.

The first is from ‘golden_helikaon’ on 2008-01-19 writing, “I found it on the Order of the Phoenix IMDb board. There were several long threads dedicated to ripping her apart with every new chapter.”

The second comment is from ‘heartdreamerz’ on 2008-01-20 writing, “It was almost 2 years ago and I've told this story many times. I knew Tara a month before My Immortal was published. It was on IMDb's board for My Chemical Romance. When the story came out I knew about it but didn't pay attention because I wasn't into HP at the moment. Then, like icarus_malfoy wrote, there were the threads about her and that's when my interest started. There were also another troll on the His Dark Materials...” (Image cuts off.) End ID.]

According to this, Tara Gilesbie was already tyrannizing the internet before she posted My Immortal. This actually is very consistent with the fact “Tara Gliesbie is totlly Gottik” was a petition that existed in November 2005. (My Immortal was posted in March 2006.)

This IMDb profile seemed very intriguing. It hasn’t been mentioned much, and isn’t considered to be official by most people. Was it a legitimate account? If so, was there gothicness we were deprived of all along? I searched to try find out more about it, hoping screen captures or something would turn up. Luckily, one of the same members copied and pasted Tara’s bio in another comment.

[ID: A comment on the Tara Gilesbie Fan Club LiveJournal by ‘heartdreamerz’ on 2007-05-05 writing, “All her posts are deleted now. I can still visit her profile because she's on my friend list. Her bio:

‘hi im tara. im a goth (n prode!). i have died blak hair n blu eyez. i wer eyeliner a lot of da time. i hav a bf. his naym is justin. he rox! i liv in Dubia.

likz: eyliner, goffik makep, beng goffik, GOOD CHRALOTTE, death, sleting my rists, drak colorz, hot topik _

dizliks: beng alive, bo, pop music, brite colors, pink, brabie, hiraly doof da music i lik: linen prak, GOOD CHRELOTE, evinezenz, simpl plan, akon, arvil levine, blink-183, panik! at da disko, foll oot boi, mcr. HIRALY DOOF IS A PSR!

fav moviez: when a stranger kallz, da grudge, da grudge 2, korps bird, da nitemare b4 krismas, da ring 2, da ring, shrak attak, undreworld 2, da texas chonsow massakre da bogenning

ps 2 all da prepz nd pozers tryin 2 diz me u r jus jeloz!!!! so yolsentik nd hartdremer u kan go fok ur momz 4 al i ker ok U SUK!!!111′

I feel so special to be personally insulted by her on her profile.” End ID.]

People like to copy & paste things stupid things to laugh at all the time (no offense Tara), so I thought: why not Google some of the bio? Maybe whoever did that posted additional stuff.

And it worked! (I found more content from Tara’s supposed IMDb, but more on that for a different post.)

When searching the bio, a Reddit thread about Rose Christo popped up.

During Rose Christo’s brief reign, a user said Rose’s claims seemed to check out. This user actually happens to be the same commenter, Heartdreamerz, in the LiveJournal thread. (Which makes sense, considering she’s the one who originally had the bio I was searching.) 

If you don’t feel like clicking the Reddit link, basically she confirmed Rose’s claim that two Filipino users from the forums hacked the account.

Because of Heartdreamerz’ long involvement in My Immortal and the fact she never claimed to be Tara or Raven, I take a lot of trust in her word.

Heartdreamerz linked the FF.net profile of the original hacker: Coruscate Corruption.

Looking up “Coruscate Corruption” had me come across this from the LiveJournal fan club, which implies that there were two hackers.

[ID: post on the Tara Gilesbie Fan Club Livejournal by 'nicespice' on Dec. 28th, 2006, writing, “Just a little thing I drabbled down. Hope it's not too horrible. What do you think?

There is an evil on FF.net and All who encounters it feels their Respiratory system give out And become too scared to scream. Gruesome, it is. The anti-christ fanfiction, My Immortal, written by a total idiot. Does she Leave you to cry tears of blood, because I have before. EarnestInBerlin and Coruscate Corruption, the hackers, Sought to bring My Immortal redemption. Too Bad the real Tara had to come back so soon to ruin the fun. I wish she had at least continued her story, I look at her fic Everytime I go online, wishing she'd just update so I could laugh at... Tara Gilesbie." End ID.]

While searching “Coruscate Corruption”, a few posts popped up from a forum for The Bartimaeus Sequence called Bartiforums.

[ID: Two images showing 3 forum posts by Mwamba.

The first post was a reply to, "Mwamba, how did you crack both passys? Just guessing or what?"

On December 8th 2006, Mwamba replied, "Tara's was just pure luck. It didn't take long to get. The password was tara. *snorts* Post's was just guessing too, but I remembered when his passy was cracked on here, so I tried out the same password. It worked. Oh yeah, and I wrote a fanfic for Post, it's a rip off of Tara's story, but meh.”

The last two posts were made on January 14th, 2007. The second post wrote, "It was me. I had complete control for two days. And then EarnestInBerlin had to hack in too and change the password. But then she told what it was and then the real Tara had to come back and rechange her passy so nobody could get in. But that's old news. That account is most certainly not mine. I could not continue that fic for 39 chapters, I'd get bored after the first fifteen.”

The third post wrote, “*Shrug* It doesn't matter. Call me whatever. Though if I have to pick, I suppose you can call me by my FF.net name, Coruscate Corruption. What book category are you writing this fic in? Just curious.” End ID.]

Chapter 39 was posted late November 2006, so that first post was only a few weeks after it happened.

The password was “tara”... does that ring a bell at all?

[ID: A screencap from Rose Christo’s now-deleted blog. It says, “And My Immortal? You can come to your own conclusions. This was really never about the fic; it was the marketing team at SMP that decided to make My Immortal the main part of the story. Our email address was gofikchick@hotmail.com and our password was tara.” End ID.]

-- Rose Christo’s claim before deleting

 You may be asking, “Rose Christo? The woman who lied about her family, being Native American, and writing My Immortal to sell a book?” Yes, that Rose Christo. Yes, she was a fraud and a scammer, but she peppered in some little-known true details to make her claim seem more legit. For instance, she talked about a Voldemort rper in the reviews, and that ended up being true. You can actually find this Voldemort reviewer in the web archives of Raven’s stories. (Apparently, that Voldemort even came out and said “hey, that’s me!” Cannot find it unfortunately.)

Keep in mind the only way I found any of this was because Rose Christo made that claim. Without it, Heartdreamerz wouldn’t have made that post that led to Coruscate Corruption and those posts on Bartiforums. It’s possible Rose somehow came across the same information I did, but it’s more likely she was there. Rose Christo may not be the author of My Immortal, but it was likely she was a spectator as it all went down. (As I was a spectator for Rose’s ordeal when it all went down.)

 Since it was said the hackers posted on the fanfiction forums, I sought to find it by searching “Tara”, “My Immortal”, etc. on FFnet’s search. The posts are unfortunately long gone, but there is a surviving forum called “My Immortal Forum Tara Gilesbie is a genius!”

[ID: A screencap of “My Immortal Forum Tara Gilesbie is a genius!” from Fanfiction net. Someone named Ebony Dark’ness wrote, “I have personally logged on to Tara’s account when her password was revealed after she got hacked.” End ID.]

TL;DR: Multiple, separate people made consistent claims over the span of years. Because of this, I personally believe Tara’s account was legitimately hacked.

(Sources/links will be added in a reblog.)

[saijspellhart]

End of the Year Tag

I got tagged by @xiueryn. I’m feeling pretty good, so I think I’ll do this one. :3

~favourite food?~ I’m such a stereotypical American. I love hamburgers and French fries. I feel so ashamed. It’s like my comfort food too. When I’m sad I just want someone to take me to McDonalds of Dairy Queen and let me eat fries and cry. 

~favourite drink?~ Huh, Diet Pepsi? Coffee? Diet Pepsi is my go-to when I want something fizzy, or I’m sad, or I’m happy. Welp, I guess it’s Diet Pepsi then. I love soda, but I don’t like sweet soda, but I don’t like unsweetened carbonated drinks. So Diet Pepsi is the perfect balance for me.

~favourite clothing?~  Pfffff, who needs clothes? Right? Right? No? Ok no. ...but seriously I like camisoles paired with a button-up blouse/shirt waaaay too much. It’s like super comfy. 

~favourite product?~ I love everything Nintendo makes. Especially their gameboys/handhelds. Just slap Pokémon, Zelda, Fire Emblem, or Metroid on it and you’ve got my undivided attention. 

~favourite month?~ I think October. Because Halloween is the best but also it’s the month I got married in so I also get to celebrate my wedding anniversary and I love doing that. I love it every time my anniversary comes around. 

~favourite season?~ Fall! Autumn! Whatever! I love the munchy-crunchy leaves, and the mild weather, and the rain. I love all the fun smells, and baked goods, and fall themed flavors. 

~favourite holiday?~ Halloween! It’s one of the only holidays that I don’t have terrible traumatic memories attached to. So it’s easier to forget and just enjoy the festivities. Also I love giving out candy to all the people in costumes! 

~favourite place?~ I like sitting in my husband’s car and just listening to music. I don’t care where we going, I just want to go along for the ride. 

~best experience?~ Going to Korean BBQ with my husband! It was so new and fun and exciting, and delicious!!! But then also going to Izakaya Meiji bar with @edhelwendm and @saoirse7ilysi. That was amazing too. We had lots of interesting Japanese foods that I’d never tried before. 

~best song?~  My favorite song has always been To the Moon and Back by Savage Garden. It’s been my same favorite song since I was in grade school, I got treasured memories attached to it. So it’s still my favorite this year. 

~best movie?~ Train to Busan! So good I had to watch it twice! Definitely the best movie I watched this year. 

~best series?~ Castlevania was the prettiest animated series I watched this year. Beautiful. But I think She-ra and Voltron were the most engrossed I’ve been. Aside from Miraculous. 

~best book?~ Haha I read almost no books this year. Fail. I just read the original quartet of books that Were the predecessors of the books my fanfic OaT is based on. And I think my favorite to read of that Quartet was All for Quinn. 

~best videogame?~  Spyro the Dragon! The reignited trilogy. Best game I played this year. God that was so much fun. I beat the first game in a single night, 120%.

~have you unlearned any bad habits?~ I don’t think so?

~biggest disappointment?~  Let’s not talk about that. :C

~worst experience?~ Let’s just not talk about that at all.

~any new hobbies?~ No new hobbies. Just doing what I always do. 

~did you achieve your goals for 2018?~ I didn’t finish Once a Thief Always a Thief, so... no. 

~have you fulfilled a long-term wish?~ My husband had to pierce his ears because you guys helped me reach my 1k followers goal!!! Now he’s even more hella sexy!

~have you tried something new this year?~ Dubia Cockroach farming! I got a bearded dragon and I need to feed him, and there are no pet stores around for like... ever. So I have to raise his food for him. I just started. 

~what plans or wishes do you have for next year?~  Gonna finish Once a Thief!!! I’m so determined! And finish my commissions and giveaway art. 

~what was the funniest moment?~ I have a terrible memory. So... the most recent hilarious thing for me was writing a oneshot about Chat’s fuzzy velvet balls. I think I cackled waaaay too hard the entire time I wrote it, then made my husband read it. 

~what are you thankful for?~ My husband’s balls! ....I’ll just... I’ll just let myself out now. But seriously I’m really thankful to all the wonderful friends who have stuck by me through these passed few months. Friends who were there to cheer me up and talk to me despite how depressed and withdrawn I became. I know it’s been rough talking to me, and being around me. I’ve been such a mess, but you guys chose to check up on me, and help me through it. You know who you are. <3 <3 <3

I’m tagging @aknazer, @the-wonders-of-self-indulgence, @hopelesstargazer, @tresity, @evaliasmigrane, @x-aa, @da-tasuky, @quesbee, @edhelwendm, @saoirse7ilysi, and anyone else wants to do something like this. 

[michellelinkous]

Camu Camu: The Next Great Superfood

Camu camu (Myrciaria dubia) is a beautiful, fruit-bearing plant native to the flooded areas of the Amazon rainforests. This is a superfruit you should know about! The round, plum-sized fruits contain more vitamin C than oranges and lemons, supporting your immune system. Yet it offers plenty of other health benefits![1] Camu camu and its powerful polyphenols also promote healthy aging and longevity, heart health, and weight loss.

Besides having one of the highest vitamin C content of any fruit on the planet, camu camu has an incredible nutrient profile. High in flavonoids, anthocyanins, and polyphenols, from quercetin to betulinic acid, you can't go wrong with this fruit.[1]

So just what is camu camu, where does it come from, and just how does it help in these health-boosting ways? Read on for more details.

A Tropical Fruit with a Funny Name

Sometimes called rumberry, camu camu grows in the wild in the Amazon rainforests, mainly Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, and Brazil.[2] This low-growing shrub thrives in swamps or along the banks of lakes and streams — places where the plant's roots and lower trunk remain submerged.

A member of the myrtle family (Myrtaceae), camu camu is related to guava, allspice, clove, and rose apple. Very tart and sour in its raw state, Native people living in the Amazon harvest the fruits from canoes. Only recently have people started to cultivate camu camu to sell to global markets.

In his book Tales of a Shaman's Apprentice, Ethnobotanist Mark Plotkin once wrote that a forest stand of camu camu is worth "twice the amount to be gained from cutting down the forest and replacing it with cattle." He believed local cultivation of camu camu holds promise for supporting local economies in the Amazon.

It's important to buy camu camu from an organic cultivated source, as overharvesting in the wild is becoming a concern.

What Makes Camu Camu A Superfood?

Camu camu has a wonderful array of nutrients that provide health benefits beyond mere nutrition. The berry pulp, seeds, and skin are loaded with antioxidants that protect the body from the cell-damaging effects of free radicals.[3] This has earned it a place alongside other functional foods — ones that provide benefit beyond nutrition.

Below are some details of why you want to add camu camu to your day!

Provides a Potent Dose of Vitamin C

Camu camu's nutritional composition is second to none. For starters, the fruit has a ton of vitamin C — also known as L-ascorbic acid. Along with acerola cherry, another tropical fruit, camu camu falls among the most vitamin C-rich foods on the planet.[1] Every 100 grams of fresh weight camu camu contains 1882 to 2280 mg of plant-based vitamin C, depending on the stage of maturity.[4]

Has Strong Antioxidant Power

Vitamin C itself is itself a powerful antioxidant, but camu camu contains several other natural phytochemicals that add to its free radical scavenging abilities.[1] It contains polyphenols, flavonoids, and more!

Polyphenols: Tannins, Stilbenes, Lignans

Camu camu also has some of the highest phenolic content of any fruit. Most people get their polyphenols from chocolate, coffee, and wine, with fruits coming in fourth and vegetables last. Change that up!

One polyphenol found in camu camu is a compound also found in rosemary, rosmarinic acid. It is similar to caffeic acid and acts as a powerful antioxidant in the body. Camu camu also has ellagic acid, another potent polyphenol known to promote a normal response to inflammation. Other beneficial polyphenols in camu camu include tannins, stilbenes, and lignans.[1] But flavonoids are the largest category of polyphenols — they're so abundant, they get their own description below.

Flavonoids: Anthocyanins, Quercetin & More

Flavonoids have numerous benefits, such as shielding the nervous system and heart from damage and promoting a normal response to inflammation.[5] A major flavonoid in camu camu is its anthocyanins, which you may have heard of. These are usually pigments found in fruit and vegetables.

The main anthocyanins in camu camu are glucosides, quercetin, and kaempferol.[1]Quercetin is something of a popular nutrient these days that promotes a normal response to inflammation. You can also find quercetin in olive oil, grapes, citrus fruits, and berries.

Loaded With Minerals

In addition to being a rich source of vitamin C and antioxidants, camu camu has substantial amounts of potassium, calcium, and magnesium, as well as trace minerals such as zinc, manganese, and copper.[1]

6 Health Benefits of Camu Camu

Like other superfoods, camu camu is a nutrient-dense food with many benefits. Below are the top four health benefits this tart fruit provides.

1. Boosts the Immune System

One of the things that makes camu camu so nutritious is its vitamin C content. As mentioned, it contains more vitamin C than any other known fruit on earth. And vitamin C provides protection against everything from seasonal sniffles to disease development.[5]

Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin. Your body doesn't store it in tissues if you consume more than the daily requirement. Make sure you get enough!

2. Reduces Redness & Swelling

Camu camu has a remarkable ability to ease systemic redness and swelling in the body.[1, 3] This ability was shown both for juice and seed extract. This was true for swelling — called edema — on the body by inhibiting nitric oxide production from white blood cells.

Experts identified betulinic acid as one of the main micronutrients in camu camu responsible for this effect — as well as vitamin C.

3. Promotes Healthy Aging

Your body continually balances exposure to free radicals in the environment (and those produced within the body) with the antioxidant capacity of nutrients in the foods you consume. Free radicals form, then antioxidants counteract the free radicals, keeping you healthy. Yet as you get older — or if you experience illness — your body may produce fewer natural antioxidants. Thus, there's a need for additional supplementation to keep up and help protect against disease, skin aging, and more.

Camu camu appears to protect cells against harm to DNA in cells. And of course, it counters free radicals.[1] In a nutshell, camu camu has anti-aging properties due to its high antioxidant nature, from vitamin C, phenols, and anthocyanins.[1, 3] As its many antioxidants and phytonutrients counteract the free radicals they encounter, your body is naturally stronger and healthier.

4. May Support Weight Loss

Camu camu may even support a healthy weight and body mass index (BMI).[6, 7] In studies, camu camu promoted normal levels of white adipose tissue.[1, 6] Consuming the fruit promoted normal levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), otherwise known as "good" cholesterol. It also promoted normal total cholesterol, triglycerides, blood glucose, and insulin levels.[1, 6]

When these important compounds in the body are in balance, your body can excrete what isn't needed, as opposed to holding onto them — which leads to obesity and heart disease, among other things.

5. Promotes Healthy Skin

Vitamin C is not just an antioxidant that boosts immune health. It plays an essential role in making collagen and healing wounds.[5] Collagen is a protein that supports the elasticity of skin, muscles, and connective tissues like tendons, ligaments, and joints.

Since camu camu has such high levels of vitamin C, it supports healthy collagen production and skin health.

6. Supports a Healthy Heart

A healthy heart goes hand in hand with many of the other features already discussed.[4] When you have balanced, healthy cholesterol levels, your heart and entire cardiovascular system stay healthy. Camu camu promotes normal levels of total and good (HDL) cholesterol.[6]

By promoting normal levels of blood glucose, camu camu also supports heart health.[6] High blood sugar is often associated with the development of diabetes, and keeping blood sugar and insulin in check is an integral part of keeping your overall metabolic system healthy, which includes your heart.

Best Ways to Take Camu Camu

According to a Spanish study, camu camu is used as a juice and to flavor ice creams. The Japanese use the camu berries commercially, adding it to both food and cosmetics. Very few people actually eat camu camu raw — and most of those who do live in the Amazon where the plant grows. Most people consume the fruit in juice, puree, or pulp form.

Lisa Q., a certified raw foods educator, enjoys the variety camu camu adds to her smoothies, plant-based sorbets, and other raw vegan dishes. "It has a subtle tartness that adds an interesting twist to dishes," she says. "Even when you enjoy eating the same dish all the time, it's fun to switch things up."

Below are the main ways to consume camu camu.

Powder

Most people consume the fruit in juice, puree, or pulp form. However, the powder can also be added to a variety of foods.

Capsules

Camu camu powders make a great option for people who want the benefits on the go or do not care for the taste.

Liquid Extract

Global Healing's Plant-Based Vitamin C provides a potent source of this essential vitamin in a delicious-tasting Raw Herbal Extract™, derived from camu camu, Kakadu plum, acerola cherry, and other sources.

Serum

Those seeking a brighter, more youthful appearance might opt to apply a serum containing camu camu to their skin. Evidence suggests it may lighten mottling and promote healthy-looking skin.[2]

Points to Remember

Camu camu is a superfood with more vitamin C than any other fruit on earth. It also contains antioxidants such as polyphenols, anthocyanins, and flavonoids that promote healthy responses to aging, weight, skin and heart health, and of course, the immune system!

Indigenous people living in the Amazon, where camu camu grows native, eat the whole fruit in its natural state. Today, it's cultivated on organic farms and you can purchase it in raw powder form, liquid extract, or in capsules. Some cosmetic brands now include camu camu in topical serums and other skin products to promote a youthful appearance.

Because of its high vitamin C content, it's a great choice to get enough of that essential nutrient. Consider Global Healing's Plant-Based Vitamin C, which is sourced from organic camu camu, Kakadu plum, acerola cherry, and other fruits.

The post Camu Camu: The Next Great Superfood appeared first on Dr. Group's Healthy Living Articles.

Camu Camu: The Next Great Superfood published first on https://smartdrinkingweb.tumblr.com/

[dubia-015]

I FORGOT TO SAY THAT YOUR WRITING IS SO SO SO GOOD I DONT CARE IF ITS SHORT

Thank you Anon you made my day 💖

[dreddymd]

Camu Camu: The Next Great Superfood

Source: Camu Camu: The Next Great Superfood

by Dr. Edward Group

Camu camu (Myrciaria dubia) is a beautiful, fruit-bearing plant native to the flooded areas of the Amazon rainforests. This is a superfruit you should know about! The round, plum-sized fruits contain more vitamin C than oranges and lemons, supporting your immune system. Yet it offers plenty of other health benefits![1] Camu camu and its powerful polyphenols also promote healthy aging and longevity, heart health, and weight loss.

Besides having one of the highest vitamin C content of any fruit on the planet, camu camu has an incredible nutrient profile. High in flavonoids, anthocyanins, and polyphenols, from quercetin to betulinic acid, you can’t go wrong with this fruit.[1]

So just what is camu camu, where does it come from, and just how does it help in these health-boosting ways? Read on for more details.

A Tropical Fruit with a Funny Name

Sometimes called rumberry, camu camu grows in the wild in the Amazon rainforests, mainly Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, and Brazil.[2] This low-growing shrub thrives in swamps or along the banks of lakes and streams — places where the plant’s roots and lower trunk remain submerged.

A member of the myrtle family (Myrtaceae), camu camu is related to guava, allspice, clove, and rose apple. Very tart and sour in its raw state, Native people living in the Amazon harvest the fruits from canoes. Only recently have people started to cultivate camu camu to sell to global markets.

In his book Tales of a Shaman’s Apprentice, Ethnobotanist Mark Plotkin once wrote that a forest stand of camu camu is worth “twice the amount to be gained from cutting down the forest and replacing it with cattle.” He believed local cultivation of camu camu holds promise for supporting local economies in the Amazon.

It’s important to buy camu camu from an organic cultivated source, as overharvesting in the wild is becoming a concern.

What Makes Camu Camu A Superfood?

Camu camu has a wonderful array of nutrients that provide health benefits beyond mere nutrition. The berry pulp, seeds, and skin are loaded with antioxidants that protect the body from the cell-damaging effects of free radicals.[3] This has earned it a place alongside other functional foods — ones that provide benefit beyond nutrition.

Below are some details of why you want to add camu camu to your day!

Provides a Potent Dose of Vitamin C

Camu camu’s nutritional composition is second to none. For starters, the fruit has a ton of vitamin C — also known as L-ascorbic acid. Along with acerola cherry, another tropical fruit, camu camu falls among the most vitamin C-rich foods on the planet.[1] Every 100 grams of fresh weight camu camu contains 1882 to 2280 mg of plant-based vitamin C, depending on the stage of maturity.[4]

Has Strong Antioxidant Power

Vitamin C itself is itself a powerful antioxidant, but camu camu contains several other natural phytochemicals that add to its free radical scavenging abilities.[1] It contains polyphenols, flavonoids, and more!

Polyphenols: Tannins, Stilbenes, Lignans

Camu camu also has some of the highest phenolic content of any fruit. Most people get their polyphenols from chocolate, coffee, and wine, with fruits coming in fourth and vegetables last. Change that up!

One polyphenol found in camu camu is a compound also found in rosemary, rosmarinic acid. It is similar to caffeic acid and acts as a powerful antioxidant in the body. Camu camu also has ellagic acid, another potent polyphenol known to promote a normal response to inflammation. Other beneficial polyphenols in camu camu include tannins, stilbenes, and lignans.[1] But flavonoids are the largest category of polyphenols — they’re so abundant, they get their own description below.

Flavonoids: Anthocyanins, Quercetin & More

Flavonoids have numerous benefits, such as shielding the nervous system and heart from damage and promoting a normal response to inflammation.[5] A major flavonoid in camu camu is its anthocyanins, which you may have heard of. These are usually pigments found in fruit and vegetables.

The main anthocyanins in camu camu are glucosides, quercetin, and kaempferol.[1] Quercetin is something of a popular nutrient these days that promotes a normal response to inflammation. You can also find quercetin in olive oil, grapes, citrus fruits, and berries.

Loaded With Minerals

In addition to being a rich source of vitamin C and antioxidants, camu camu has substantial amounts of potassium, calcium, and magnesium, as well as trace minerals such as zinc, manganese, and copper.[1]

6 Health Benefits of Camu Camu

Like other superfoods, camu camu is a nutrient-dense food with many benefits. Below are the top four health benefits this tart fruit provides.

1. Boosts the Immune System

One of the things that makes camu camu so nutritious is its vitamin C content. As mentioned, it contains more vitamin C than any other known fruit on earth. And vitamin C provides protection against everything from seasonal sniffles to disease development.[5]

Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin. Your body doesn’t store it in tissues if you consume more than the daily requirement. Make sure you get enough!

2. Reduces Redness & Swelling

Camu camu has a remarkable ability to ease systemic redness and swelling in the body.[1, 3] This ability was shown both for juice and seed extract. This was true for swelling — called edema — on the body by inhibiting nitric oxide production from white blood cells.

Experts identified betulinic acid as one of the main micronutrients in camu camu responsible for this effect — as well as vitamin C.

3. Promotes Healthy Aging

Your body continually balances exposure to free radicals in the environment (and those produced within the body) with the antioxidant capacity of nutrients in the foods you consume. Free radicals form, then antioxidants counteract the free radicals, keeping you healthy. Yet as you get older — or if you experience illness — your body may produce fewer natural antioxidants. Thus, there’s a need for additional supplementation to keep up and help protect against disease, skin aging, and more.

Camu camu appears to protect cells against harm to DNA in cells. And of course, it counters free radicals.[1] In a nutshell, camu camu has anti-aging properties due to its high antioxidant nature, from vitamin C, phenols, and anthocyanins.[1, 3] As its many antioxidants and phytonutrients counteract the free radicals they encounter, your body is naturally stronger and healthier.

4. May Support Weight Loss

Camu camu may even support a healthy weight and body mass index (BMI).[6, 7] In studies, camu camu promoted normal levels of white adipose tissue.[1, 6] Consuming the fruit promoted normal levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), otherwise known as “good” cholesterol. It also promoted normal total cholesterol, triglycerides, blood glucose, and insulin levels.[1, 6]

When these important compounds in the body are in balance, your body can excrete what isn’t needed, as opposed to holding onto them — which leads to obesity and heart disease, among other things.

5. Promotes Healthy Skin

Vitamin C is not just an antioxidant that boosts immune health. It plays an essential role in making collagen and healing wounds.[5] Collagen is a protein that supports the elasticity of skin, muscles, and connective tissues like tendons, ligaments, and joints.

Since camu camu has such high levels of vitamin C, it supports healthy collagen production and skin health.

6. Supports a Healthy Heart

A healthy heart goes hand in hand with many of the other features already discussed.[4] When you have balanced, healthy cholesterol levels, your heart and entire cardiovascular system stay healthy. Camu camu promotes normal levels of total and good (HDL) cholesterol.[6]

By promoting normal levels of blood glucose, camu camu also supports heart health.[6] High blood sugar is often associated with the development of diabetes, and keeping blood sugar and insulin in check is an integral part of keeping your overall metabolic system healthy, which includes your heart.

Best Ways to Take Camu Camu

According to a Spanish study, camu camu is used as a juice and to flavor ice creams. The Japanese use the camu berries commercially, adding it to both food and cosmetics. Very few people actually eat camu camu raw — and most of those who do live in the Amazon where the plant grows. Most people consume the fruit in juice, puree, or pulp form.

Lisa Q., a certified raw foods educator, enjoys the variety camu camu adds to her smoothies, plant-based sorbets, and other raw vegan dishes. “It has a subtle tartness that adds an interesting twist to dishes,” she says. “Even when you enjoy eating the same dish all the time, it’s fun to switch things up.”

Below are the main ways to consume camu camu.

Powder

Most people consume the fruit in juice, puree, or pulp form. However, the powder can also be added to a variety of foods.

Capsules

Camu camu powders make a great option for people who want the benefits on the go or do not care for the taste.

Liquid Extract

Plant-Based Vitamin C provides a potent source of this essential vitamin in a delicious-tasting Raw Herbal Extract, derived from camu camu, Kakadu plum, acerola cherry, and other sources.

Serum

Those seeking a brighter, more youthful appearance might opt to apply a serum containing camu camu to their skin. Evidence suggests it may lighten mottling and promote healthy-looking skin.[2]

Points to Remember

Camu camu is a superfood with more vitamin C than any other fruit on earth. It also contains antioxidants such as polyphenols, anthocyanins, and flavonoids that promote healthy responses to aging, weight, skin and heart health, and of course, the immune system!

Indigenous people living in the Amazon, where camu camu grows native, eat the whole fruit in its natural state. Today, it’s cultivated on organic farms and you can purchase it in raw powder form, liquid extract, or in capsules. Some cosmetic brands now include camu camu in topical serums and other skin products to promote a youthful appearance.

Because of its high vitamin C content, it’s a great choice to get enough of that essential nutrient. Consider Plant-Based Vitamin C, which is sourced from organic camu camu, Kakadu plum, acerola cherry, and other fruits.

References (7)

Langley PC, et al. Antioxidant and associated capacities of camu camu (Myrciaria dubia): a systematic review. J Altern Complement Med. 2015 Jan 1; 21(1): 8-14.

Robinson DF. Traditional knowledge and biological product derivative patents: benefit-sharing and patent issues relating to camu camu, Kakadu plum, and acai plant extracts. Traditional Knowledge Bulletin – Topical Issues Series. April 2010.

Inoue T, et al. Tropical fruit camu-camu (Myrciaria dubia) has anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory properties. J Cardiol. 2008 Oct;52(2):127-132.

Aktera MS, et al. Nutritional compositions and health promoting phytochemicals of camu-camu (Myrciaria dubia) fruit: a review. Food Res Int. 2011;44 (7): 1728-1732.

Vitamin C: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. The Office of Dietary Supplements, National Institutes of Health. Updated 27 Feb 2020. Accessed 29 June 2020.

Nascimento O, et al. Effects of supplementation with camu camu (Myrciaria dubus HBK McVaugh) fruit in a rat model of diet-induced obesity. An Acad Bras Cienc. 2013 Mar;85(1):355-363.

Olivense do Carmo HM, et al. Dietary supplementation with camu-camu versus sleeve gastrectomy in Wistar rats weight control. Rev. Col. Bras. Cir. 2019;46(4).

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Camu Camu: The Next Great Superfood

Camu camu (Myrciaria dubia) is a beautiful, fruit-bearing plant native to the flooded areas of the Amazon rainforests. This is a superfruit you should know about! The round, plum-sized fruits contain more vitamin C than oranges and lemons, supporting your immune system. Yet it offers plenty of other health benefits![1] Camu camu and its powerful polyphenols also promote healthy aging and longevity, heart health, and weight loss.

Besides having one of the highest vitamin C content of any fruit on the planet, camu camu has an incredible nutrient profile. High in flavonoids, anthocyanins, and polyphenols, from quercetin to betulinic acid, you can't go wrong with this fruit.[1]

So just what is camu camu, where does it come from, and just how does it help in these health-boosting ways? Read on for more details.

A Tropical Fruit with a Funny Name

Sometimes called rumberry, camu camu grows in the wild in the Amazon rainforests, mainly Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, and Brazil.[2] This low-growing shrub thrives in swamps or along the banks of lakes and streams — places where the plant's roots and lower trunk remain submerged.

A member of the myrtle family (Myrtaceae), camu camu is related to guava, allspice, clove, and rose apple. Very tart and sour in its raw state, Native people living in the Amazon harvest the fruits from canoes. Only recently have people started to cultivate camu camu to sell to global markets.

In his book Tales of a Shaman's Apprentice, Ethnobotanist Mark Plotkin once wrote that a forest stand of camu camu is worth "twice the amount to be gained from cutting down the forest and replacing it with cattle." He believed local cultivation of camu camu holds promise for supporting local economies in the Amazon.

It's important to buy camu camu from an organic cultivated source, as overharvesting in the wild is becoming a concern.

What Makes Camu Camu A Superfood?

Camu camu has a wonderful array of nutrients that provide health benefits beyond mere nutrition. The berry pulp, seeds, and skin are loaded with antioxidants that protect the body from the cell-damaging effects of free radicals.[3] This has earned it a place alongside other functional foods — ones that provide benefit beyond nutrition.

Below are some details of why you want to add camu camu to your day!

Provides a Potent Dose of Vitamin C

Camu camu's nutritional composition is second to none. For starters, the fruit has a ton of vitamin C — also known as L-ascorbic acid. Along with acerola cherry, another tropical fruit, camu camu falls among the most vitamin C-rich foods on the planet.[1] Every 100 grams of fresh weight camu camu contains 1882 to 2280 mg of plant-based vitamin C, depending on the stage of maturity.[4]

Has Strong Antioxidant Power

Vitamin C itself is itself a powerful antioxidant, but camu camu contains several other natural phytochemicals that add to its free radical scavenging abilities.[1] It contains polyphenols, flavonoids, and more!

Polyphenols: Tannins, Stilbenes, Lignans

Camu camu also has some of the highest phenolic content of any fruit. Most people get their polyphenols from chocolate, coffee, and wine, with fruits coming in fourth and vegetables last. Change that up!

One polyphenol found in camu camu is a compound also found in rosemary, rosmarinic acid. It is similar to caffeic acid and acts as a powerful antioxidant in the body. Camu camu also has ellagic acid, another potent polyphenol known to promote a normal response to inflammation. Other beneficial polyphenols in camu camu include tannins, stilbenes, and lignans.[1] But flavonoids are the largest category of polyphenols — they're so abundant, they get their own description below.

Flavonoids: Anthocyanins, Quercetin & More

Flavonoids have numerous benefits, such as shielding the nervous system and heart from damage and promoting a normal response to inflammation.[5] A major flavonoid in camu camu is its anthocyanins, which you may have heard of. These are usually pigments found in fruit and vegetables.

The main anthocyanins in camu camu are glucosides, quercetin, and kaempferol.[1]Quercetin is something of a popular nutrient these days that promotes a normal response to inflammation. You can also find quercetin in olive oil, grapes, citrus fruits, and berries.

Loaded With Minerals

In addition to being a rich source of vitamin C and antioxidants, camu camu has substantial amounts of potassium, calcium, and magnesium, as well as trace minerals such as zinc, manganese, and copper.[1]

6 Health Benefits of Camu Camu

Like other superfoods, camu camu is a nutrient-dense food with many benefits. Below are the top four health benefits this tart fruit provides.

1. Boosts the Immune System

One of the things that makes camu camu so nutritious is its vitamin C content. As mentioned, it contains more vitamin C than any other known fruit on earth. And vitamin C provides protection against everything from seasonal sniffles to disease development.[5]

Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin. Your body doesn't store it in tissues if you consume more than the daily requirement. Make sure you get enough!

2. Reduces Redness & Swelling

Camu camu has a remarkable ability to ease systemic redness and swelling in the body.[1, 3] This ability was shown both for juice and seed extract. This was true for swelling — called edema — on the body by inhibiting nitric oxide production from white blood cells.

Experts identified betulinic acid as one of the main micronutrients in camu camu responsible for this effect — as well as vitamin C.

3. Promotes Healthy Aging

Your body continually balances exposure to free radicals in the environment (and those produced within the body) with the antioxidant capacity of nutrients in the foods you consume. Free radicals form, then antioxidants counteract the free radicals, keeping you healthy. Yet as you get older — or if you experience illness — your body may produce fewer natural antioxidants. Thus, there's a need for additional supplementation to keep up and help protect against disease, skin aging, and more.

Camu camu appears to protect cells against harm to DNA in cells. And of course, it counters free radicals.[1] In a nutshell, camu camu has anti-aging properties due to its high antioxidant nature, from vitamin C, phenols, and anthocyanins.[1, 3] As its many antioxidants and phytonutrients counteract the free radicals they encounter, your body is naturally stronger and healthier.

4. May Support Weight Loss

Camu camu may even support a healthy weight and body mass index (BMI).[6, 7] In studies, camu camu promoted normal levels of white adipose tissue.[1, 6] Consuming the fruit promoted normal levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), otherwise known as "good" cholesterol. It also promoted normal total cholesterol, triglycerides, blood glucose, and insulin levels.[1, 6]

When these important compounds in the body are in balance, your body can excrete what isn't needed, as opposed to holding onto them — which leads to obesity and heart disease, among other things.

5. Promotes Healthy Skin

Vitamin C is not just an antioxidant that boosts immune health. It plays an essential role in making collagen and healing wounds.[5] Collagen is a protein that supports the elasticity of skin, muscles, and connective tissues like tendons, ligaments, and joints.

Since camu camu has such high levels of vitamin C, it supports healthy collagen production and skin health.

6. Supports a Healthy Heart

A healthy heart goes hand in hand with many of the other features already discussed.[4] When you have balanced, healthy cholesterol levels, your heart and entire cardiovascular system stay healthy. Camu camu promotes normal levels of total and good (HDL) cholesterol.[6]

By promoting normal levels of blood glucose, camu camu also supports heart health.[6] High blood sugar is often associated with the development of diabetes, and keeping blood sugar and insulin in check is an integral part of keeping your overall metabolic system healthy, which includes your heart.

Best Ways to Take Camu Camu

According to a Spanish study, camu camu is used as a juice and to flavor ice creams. The Japanese use the camu berries commercially, adding it to both food and cosmetics. Very few people actually eat camu camu raw — and most of those who do live in the Amazon where the plant grows. Most people consume the fruit in juice, puree, or pulp form.

Lisa Q., a certified raw foods educator, enjoys the variety camu camu adds to her smoothies, plant-based sorbets, and other raw vegan dishes. "It has a subtle tartness that adds an interesting twist to dishes," she says. "Even when you enjoy eating the same dish all the time, it's fun to switch things up."

Below are the main ways to consume camu camu.

Powder

Most people consume the fruit in juice, puree, or pulp form. However, the powder can also be added to a variety of foods.

Capsules

Camu camu powders make a great option for people who want the benefits on the go or do not care for the taste.

Liquid Extract

Global Healing's Plant-Based Vitamin C provides a potent source of this essential vitamin in a delicious-tasting Raw Herbal Extract™, derived from camu camu, Kakadu plum, acerola cherry, and other sources.

Serum

Those seeking a brighter, more youthful appearance might opt to apply a serum containing camu camu to their skin. Evidence suggests it may lighten mottling and promote healthy-looking skin.[2]

Points to Remember

Camu camu is a superfood with more vitamin C than any other fruit on earth. It also contains antioxidants such as polyphenols, anthocyanins, and flavonoids that promote healthy responses to aging, weight, skin and heart health, and of course, the immune system!

Indigenous people living in the Amazon, where camu camu grows native, eat the whole fruit in its natural state. Today, it's cultivated on organic farms and you can purchase it in raw powder form, liquid extract, or in capsules. Some cosmetic brands now include camu camu in topical serums and other skin products to promote a youthful appearance.

Because of its high vitamin C content, it's a great choice to get enough of that essential nutrient. Consider Global Healing's Plant-Based Vitamin C, which is sourced from organic camu camu, Kakadu plum, acerola cherry, and other fruits.

The post Camu Camu: The Next Great Superfood appeared first on Dr. Group's Healthy Living Articles.

Camu Camu: The Next Great Superfood published first on https://nootropicspowdersupplier.tumblr.com/

[live4thelord]

Cardinal Sarah’s Guide to the New Counter-Reformation

MICHAEL WARREN DAVIS

In 1577, St. John of the Cross was taken prisoner by a group of Carmelites from Toledo who were opposed to the reforms of the Order he was undertaking with St. Teresa of Ávila. For eight or nine months, he was held in a six-by-ten-foot cell. The ceiling was so low that John (not a tall man) could hardly stand up. His one tunic was constantly soaked with blood from the frequent scourgings. The food they gave him was so bad that he suspected his guards were trying to poison him; he would say an Act of Love with every bite to steel himself against calumny.

Yet it was here that he wrote the Spiritual Canticle and parts of his masterpiece, Dark Night of the Soul. He bore captivity and torture with such love, patience, and determination that the older Carmelites called him “the coward”. The younger monks—not yet poisoned by the decadence and factionalism of the 16th- century Church—wept at John’s courage in the face of suffering. “This is a saint,” they whispered among themselves.

The most moving story, in my opinion, comes near the end of his confinement. John’s spiritual daughter, St. Theresa Benedicta of the Cross—inexplicably known even to Catholics by her secular name, Edith Stein—recalls it in The Science of the Cross:

Prior Maldonado [the “Calced” leader] came to John’s prison cell accompanied by two religious. The prisoner was so weak that he could hardly move. Thinking his jailer had entered, he did not move [to stand] up. The prior poked him with his foot and asked why he did not stand up in his presence. As John begged pardon, saying he had not known who was there, Padre Maldonado asked, “What were you thinking about since you were so absorbed?” [St. John replied,] “I was thinking that tomorrow is the feast of Our Lady and that it would be a great consolation for me if I could say Mass.”

(It’s said that the Virgin appeared to him the next day and showed him how to pick the lock. Talk about a mother’s love!)

It has become common now to say that the Church faces her greatest crisis since the Protestant Reformation. We should remember that a very different priest—Martin Luther, an Augustinian friar—had a very different response to the corruption in the Church: he accused the Pope of being the Antichrist and attacked magisterial teaching, including the dogma of the Real Presence. He defied the bishops, incurred excommunication, and founded a brand-new church to propagate his teachings.

John knew there can be no authentic reform in the absence of obedience to one’s lawful superiors—even superiors as cruel and corrupt as Prior Maldonado. That’s why John is remembered as the greatest saint of the Counter-Reformation, and Luther as the most dangerous heretic in Christian history.

I thought of John as I read Robert Cardinal Sarah’s new book, The Day is Now Far Spent. It is dedicated to two very different pontiffs: Pope Benedict XVI (a “peerless architect of rebuilding the Church”) and Pope Francis (a “faithful and devoted son of Saint Ignatius”). Yet it is Sarah himself, I think, who lays out the finest blueprint we’re likely to see for ecclesial reform—or perhaps I should say counter-reform.

Today, the word “reform” drips with innuendo, just as it did in the time of St. John of the Cross. It signifies a desire to change the permanent teachings of the Church as a solution to institutional corruption. It uses a temporal crisis as an excuse to propagate spiritual errors. It uses moral confusion to camouflage innovation. It can also encourage disobedience in the name of theological purity: we shouldn’t forget that the original Protestants viewed themselves as conservatives.

Just because a man opposes the Maldonados in the Church it doesn’t make him a John of the Cross. He may very well be a Martin Luther.

I have no doubt that Cardinal Sarah, for one, is a John of the Cross. Like the Mystical Doctor, he takes seriously St. Paul’s warning to the Ephesians: “For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Ultimately, the source of the present crisis—whether “present” means the 16th century or the 21st—isn’t new: it’s original sin.

Ultimately, then, the solution isn’t novel either: it’s the pursuit of greater holiness. As our Enemy is sin itself, the easiest sins to do battle against are those festering in our own souls. As St. Francis of Assisi put it, “the soldier of Christ must begin with victory over himself.”

The Day Is Now Far Spent is a manual for the new Counter-Reformation. As such, it’s as concerned with addressing the false solutions to the crisis as it is with the crisis itself—with refuting the Luthers as well as the Maldonados. His Eminence warns that,

No human effort, however talented or generous it may be, can transform a soul and give it the life of Christ. Only the grace and the Cross of Jesus can save and sanctify souls and make the Church grow. Multiplying human efforts, believing that methods and strategies have any efficacy in themselves, will always be a waste of time.

Cardinal Sarah isn’t recommending we ignore the crisis. On the contrary. “Let us not be afraid to say that the Church needs profound reform and that this happens through our conversion.” (Emphasis added.) “Go,” he commands; “repair by your faith, by your hope, and by your charity.”

❧

“Wait a minute, Davis,” I hear some of you saying; “This doesn’t sit right with me. What about Bergoglio? What about Pachamama and the German bishops’ ‘synodal journey’? What about the Viganò report and the unanswered dubia? Are you saying we should ignore all of this and just say the rosary?”

Well, the rosary is certainly a good place to start—and a good place to end. It’ not a bad place to stop along the way either.

It is true that no crisis has ever been solved by mere inaction. But, once we’ve resolved to act, the question becomes, How do we act most effectively? Cardinal Sarah’s answer: prayer. His book is fundamentally about the efficacy of grace.

Those who follow the daily meditations of another Discalced Carmelite, Fr. Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen’s Divine Intimacy, may remember the reflection from two Wednesdays ago on apostolic prayer. As Fr. Gabriel reminds us,

We can never be certain at all that our prayers will be answered according to our expectation, for we do not know if what we ask is conformable to God’s will; but when it is a question of apostolic prayer which asks for grace and the salvation of souls, it is a very different matter. In fact, when we pray for the aims of the apostolate, we are fitting into the plan prearranged by God Himself from all eternity, that plan for the salvation of all men which God desires to put into action infinitely more than we do; therefore, we cannot doubt the efficacy of our prayer. Because of this effectiveness, apostolic prayer is one of the most powerful means of furthering the apostolate.

For “if God has willed the distribution of grace in the world to depend upon the prayers of men,” then we can render no better service to the Church than to set about diligently distributing these graces, teaching others how to do so, and encouraging them in their efforts.

By the same token, the Enemy would be most gratified if we came to value our own “methods and strategies” above Our Lord’s. Better yet, we could distract others. We could join the secular, anti-Catholic media in amplifying the corruption within the Church, thereby leading others to become scandalized. (Nearly 40 percent of U.S. Catholics have considered leaving the Church over clerical sex abuse.) We could cause our fellow Catholics to lose faith in our spiritual fathers. (“Those who make sensational announcements of change and rupture are false prophets,” Cardinal Sarah charges.)

Our Blessed Lord’s strategy for reform is quite simple: “Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” Everything else is idle noise.

Of course, Cardinal Sarah isn’t suggesting we ignore the crisis in the Church. On the contrary, he writes: “Let us not be afraid to say that the Church needs profound reform and that this happens through our conversion.” Those last three words are crucial: through our conversion. “We do not reform the Church by division and hatred,” he warns; “We reform the Church when we start by changing ourselves!”

Where should our conversion lead us? To a deeper faith in Christ, as opposed to a prideful faith in our own schemes. What do we need to change in ourselves? Anything that separates us from Him. He attacks the spiritual and moral roots of the rot—roots that spread far wider than the Vatican and go further back than 2013.

At the heart of all modern corruption and decadence—both within and without the Church—is the problem of materialism. As Cardinal Sarah states rather movingly, “The supernatural is swallowed up in the desert of the natural.” This is why the real solution to the present crisis—namely, prayer and fasting—seems so quaint, perhaps even naïve. It’s as though we can’t tell the difference between an image of St. Michael armed for battle and one of Bouguereau’s putti.

The most obvious manifestation of this decadence, this pervasive materialism, is the smartphone. His Eminence asks us to consider how much time we spend “absorbed by the images, lights, [and] ghosts” it offers. He calls the ubiquitous screen “an eternal illusion, a little prison cell.” The cardinal warns that these devices

steal silence, destroy the richness of solitude, and trample on intimacy. It often happens that they snatch us away from our loving life with God to expose us to the periphery, to what is external to us in the midst of the world.

(By the way, that goes for tablets, computers, and televisions as well.)

Can we bring ourselves to get rid of our devices, deactivate our social media accounts, and dedicate those liberated hours to deepening our relationship with God? Can we accept that the Church will only grow bigger and stronger as we ourselves become smaller and meeker? Can we trust Christ enough to take Him up on His offer to cease carrying our burden and rest? Are we humble enough to admit that our burden is too heavy for us to carry, and to take up His easy yoke instead?

Martin Luther said No, and went on to appoint himself reformer of the Church. In his arrogance and disobedience, that one friar wounded our Holy Mother more grievously than all the Maldonados put together.

John of the Cross stood by the Church. He cleaned her wounds with the tears he wept over sins—most especially his own. He nourished her with his fasting. He strengthened her with his suffering. He kept her company in the dark night, even when Our Lord withdrew His sweet consolation. It was his patience, humility, and obedience—even towards Maldonado—that won the wicked prior’s monks to his cause.

“If you think that your priests and bishops are not saints,” Cardinal Sarah writes, “then be one for them.” Today, there’s only one Carmelite monastery in Toledo, and it’s Discalced.

There will be no shortage of Luthers in this generation. But, with The Day Is Now Spent, we know there’s at least one John of the Cross in our midst.

Cardinal Sarah's Guide to the New Counter-Reformation - Crisis Magazine

[naijaurban]

“I need to suck that man d**k till he c*m when am back to Nigeria” – Bobrisky shows off Dior bag his “bae” sent to him to Dubai from Nigeria

“I need to suck that man d**k till he c*m when am back to Nigeria” – Bobrisky shows off Dior bag his “bae” sent to him to Dubai from Nigeria

Popular Nigerian crossdresser, Bobrisky got a surprise gift from his “bae” sent all the way from Nigeria to Dubai and he has promised to pay back in kind to show his appreciation when he returns to Nigeria.

Sharing a video of him opening the Dior bag, Bobrisky wrote:

My Bae sent me @dior bag ? all the way from Nigeria to Dubia. Such a wonderful man. I love you bae. I know lot of you can’t wait…

[ezytalkz]

“I need to suck that man d**k till he c*m when am back to Nigeria” – Bobrisky

“I need to suck that man d**k till he c*m when am back to Nigeria” – Bobrisky

Popular Nigerian crossdresser, Bobrisky got a surprise gift from his “bae” sent all the way from Nigeria to Dubai and he has promised to pay back in kind to show his appreciation when he returns to Nigeria.

Sharing a video of him opening the Dior bag, Bobrisky wrote:

My Bae sent me @dior bag ? all the way from Nigeria to Dubia. Such a wonderful man. I love you bae. I know lot of you can’t wait…

[naijadiary]

Bobrisky Flaunts The Dior Bag His Boo Sent For Him From Nigeria To Dubai

Bobrisky Flaunts The Dior Bag His Boo Sent For Him From Nigeria To Dubai

Nigerian crossdresser, Bobrisky has taken to social media to flaunt the gift his “bae” sent all the way from Nigeria to Dubai.

Sharing a video of him opening the Dior bag, Bobrisky wrote:

“My Bae sent me @dior bag ? all the way from Nigeria to Dubia. Such a wonderful man. I love you bae. I know lot of you can’t wait to see the bag. I need to s*ck that man D*CK till he c*m when am back to Nigeria…