Friday, January 26, 2024

- January 21, 2024

SAINTS TIMOTHY AND TITUS

Psalm 103, Verse 13

As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who FEAR him.

Does God derive anything from having us fear Him?

His only wish is to see us truly growing and fruitful. He made us and as a loving father, he knows our needs both physical and spiritual. If we have a loving fear of our father we are compelled by the Holy Spirit into spiritual leadership, avoiding sloth which often comes as a result of being stuck in a victim mentality or not letting go of rage by forgiving the offender.

Today seek the Father’s compassion by going to confession then arise and grow in spiritual leadership.

As we grow in our spiritual leadership[1] we tend to be:

· Confident in God

· Know God

· Seek God’s will

· Self-sacrifice

· Serve all

· Motivated by love

· Trust the Holy Spirit

· Lead others

Feast of Saints Timothy and Titus, Bishops[2]

St. Timothy, born in Galatia in Asia Minor, was baptized and later ordained to the priesthood by St. Paul. The young Galatian became Paul's missionary companion and his most beloved spiritual son. St. Paul showed his trust in this disciple by consecrating him bishop of the great city of Ephesus. St. Timothy was stoned to death thirty years after St. Paul's martyrdom for having denounced the worship of the goddess Diana.

St. Titus, a convert from paganism, was a fellow laborer of St. Paul on many apostolic missions. St. Paul later made him bishop of Crete, a difficult charge because of the character of the inhabitants and the spread of erroneous doctrines on that island. St. Paul's writings tell us that St. Titus rejoiced to discover what was good in others and drew the hearts of men by his wide and affectionate sympathy.

Australia Day[3]

Australia Day commemorates the arrival of the First Fleet of 11 convict ships from Britain. On this day in 1788, Captain Arthur Phillip first raised the British flag at Sydney Cove, marking the British occupation of Australia which has been claimed 8 years earlier by the arrival of Captain James Cook in 1770. Australia Day is observed annually on January 26th each year with barbeques and fireworks. Today, the day gives Australians the opportunity to reflect upon what it means to be Australian, the history that shaped the nation and the brighter future that the country has to look forward to.

Australia Day Facts & Quotes

· In 2015 Australia day coincided with 150th anniversary of Colac's Botanic Gardens.

· Australia was originally designed as a penal colony - a place used to exile convicts and criminals. The first was named the Colony of New South Wales.

· The Australian Flag is flown to commemorate this holiday. The flag includes: The Union Jack, representing historical ties to Great Britain; a large white seven-tipped star representing the 7 provinces making up the Commonwealth of Australia; and five white stars in the Southern Cross constellation pattern, a reminder of their Southern Hemisphere location.

· The entire population of Australia (22.3 million) is less than the population of Texas (26 Million).

· There's an expression in Australia that's called 'Go Bush,' which means to get out of the city and relax. I try and 'go bush' to places where there's no cell reception. But I don't get to do that often, so for the most part, it's just a state of mind. - Cate Blanchett, actress

Australia Day Top Events and Things to Do

· Watch fireworks displays. Some of the grander displays are at Sydney harbor, Rooty Hill and the shores of Lake Burley Griffin.

· Watch or attend the Oz Day 10km race in Sydney, Australia.

· Visit Hyde Park in Sidney where many Australia day events take place.

· Attend flag raising and citizenship ceremonies in Canberra and Perth.

Fitness Friday[4]

Is Chocolate Good for You? The Health Benefits of Chocolate

Theobroma Cacao, the Latin name for chocolate, means “Food of the Gods” for a reason. It’s a heavenly way to lift your performance. There are also some major health benefits of chocolate.

We’re not talking about junk chocolate in candy bars and sweet desserts; dark chocolate has a long history as a healing plant, a mood enhancer, and even an aphrodisiac. So, you’re in luck: you can indeed use high-quality chocolate to take delicious control of your biology.

7 health benefits of chocolate

You’ve probably read that chocolate affects your brain by causing the release of the “happiness neurotransmitters” serotonin, dopamine, and endorphins. Like coffee, chocolate is also a potent source of polyphenol antioxidants, which can fight damaging free radicals and protect your mitochondria.

But experienced chocolate hackers also know chocolate to be a useful tool for improving performance in lesser-known ways. In fact, cacao exerts a systemic effect on the body, with benefits ranging from improved blood flow and cognition to beneficial alterations in gut bacteria! Here are some of the most important benefits of chocolate (besides taste…).

1. Chocolate for a better mood

Chocolate can improve your mood, especially in high-pressure or stressful situations. Participants were asked to complete serial subtraction tasks of threes and sevens (counting down by 3s and 7s), and a rapid visual information-processing task to test sustained attention. Those who consumed cocoa flavanol drinks prior to the trial had overall better cognitive performance and reported less mental fatigue than the control group.

2. Chocolate makes you eat less

One of my favorite effects of chocolate consumption is a reduction in appetite. One study quantified this by giving participants a 100 g serving of either milk or dark chocolate two hours before being served an all-you-can-eat lunch. Ingestion of dark chocolate was correlated with a 17% lower calorie intake at the following meal, compared to the milk chocolate group. (I’d imagine that it’s because the casein in milk binds to the polyphenols in chocolate, making them unavailable to your body.)

Chocolate may also have a significant effect on mood, as one double-blind study recorded that subjects were able to subjectively discriminate the effects of theobromine at doses as low as 100-560 mg.

3. Chocolate for a healthy heart

Regular chocolate consumption can improve your cardiovascular health. Notably, the polyphenols in cacao increase HDL cholesterol (often thought of as the protective kind of cholesterol), which in turns leads to decreased oxidized LDL cholesterol. Other effects include higher levels of circulating nitric oxide, and reduced platelet adhesion,, resulting in improved circulation benefits of chocolate

One study even found the cacao flavanol epicatechin to be responsible for the rise in nitric oxide, which is essential for vascular health. Bioavailability of nitric oxide is an essential determinate of vascular health as it regulates dilation tone, signals cell growth and inflammatory response, and protects blood vessels from clotting.

Vascular function is also really important for insulin-regulated glucose uptake. That’s why dark chocolate can also improve/ “Healthy levels of insulin sensitivity.

4. Chocolate for glowing skin and sun protection

Chocolate can help you maintain healthy skin by modulating healthy blood flow. In one study, two groups of women consumed either a high flavanol or low flavanol cocoa powder for a period of 12 weeks. While the low flavanol group showed no change in markers of skin health, subjects in the high flavanol group had on average 25% reduction in UV-induced erythema (sunburn) after exposure to a solar simulator.

The high flavanol group also recorded increased skin density and thickness, as well as better hydration and less transepidermal water loss.

5. Chocolate may lower inflammation

Chocolate has inflammation-modulating properties. In one study, obese mice supplemented with cocoa powder had healthier levels of inflammation and insulin. These mice also had a 30% reduction in plasma levels of the major pro-inflammatory mediator interleukin 6. Additionally, a cross-sectional study of an Italian cohort discovered an inverse relationship between dark chocolate consumption and serum C-reactive protein.

6. Chocolate is a prebiotic

While many studies assume that it is the cacao polyphenols acting directly to modulate biomarkers, it is most likely the case that at least some of the effect is indirect, and works through interaction with our gut microbiome. Research suggests that low molecular weight cocoa flavanols such as epicatechin and catechin can be absorbed directly into blood circulation, (unless you mix them with milk) but this is not so for the larger polyphenols. In this case, microflora in the colon work to break down high molecular weight polyphenols, so that the smaller secondary metabolites may circulate throughout the body. Cocoa flavanols are processed by gut microbiota, and secondary metabolites can enter circulation.

benefits of chocolate and effects of cocoa on the immune system

If gut bacteria are feeding on the larger cocoa polyphenols, then it follows that they can also change the composition of the intestinal microbiome. In fact, one study did discover a beneficial prebiotic effect of high flavanol chocolate consumption. After a period of 4 weeks of consuming a high flavanol cocoa powder, subjects had a significant increase in bifidobacteria and lactobacilli populations, as well as significantly decreased clostridia levels. This was accompanied by significantly decreased C-reactive protein (which correlates to inflammation reduction in the body), which was associated particularly with changes in lactobacilli.

7. Chocolate for anti-aging

Last, but certainly not least, cacao can enhance mitochondrial biogenesis, or, the creation of new mitochondria! If you’ve read about Unfair Advantage, you know how important it is to have healthy mitochondria, and more of them. It is the flavanol epicatechin in chocolate which is responsible for mitogenesis. In one study, oral administration of epicatechin to senile mice shifted numerous biomarkers towards those of young mice, including sirtuin 1, a well-recognized regulator of mitochondrial biogenesis. In another mouse study, treatment with epicatechin improved exercise performance by ~50% compared to controls, and enhanced muscle fatigue resistance by ~30%. The epicatechin group also recorded significant increases in mitochondrial volume in hindlimb and cardiac muscles.

Does chocolate have caffeine?

Yes, but in much smaller amounts than coffee. So much less, you could probably eat a square or two of dark chocolate before bed without any trouble falling asleep. The really cool energy-giving molecule in coffee is called theobromine. Theobromin is the primary alkaloid found in cocoa that is responsible for multiple positive effects, one of which is similar to the effects of caffeine. Although theobromine is present in other plants, there’s a high contentration in dark chocolate, with measures between 237-519 mg per 50g.

The benefits of theobromine

Promotes steady energy: Due to the molecular makeup of theobromine, while it promotes energy in the body, it doesn’t exert its effects on the central nervous system – so its effects are a more gentle, feel-good type of energy. Also, due to its molecular makeup, theobromine takes longer to clear from your body, which means this calm energy lasts longer.

Better cognitive function: The immediate cognitive effects of chocolate are primarily accounted for by caffeine and theobromine. A study comparing the effects of cocoa powder versus an equivalent caffeine and theobromine powder found equivalent improvements in cognitive and mood assessments.

Addictive taste: It is said that dark chocolate is an “acquired taste,” and research suggests that theobromine may be the component responsible for our attraction to dark chocolate. One study demonstrated an increased liking for a ‘novel’ drink when it was mixed with theobromine.

The pitfalls of chocolate

Most chocolate contains sugar

By now you may be interested in picking up some chocolate, but be sure to choose one with as little sugar as possible or even none.

While research shows that cocoa can have a beneficial effect with regards to maintaining healthy vascular tone and insulin sensitivity, the reverse is true for sugar. Eating sweetened chocolate is still not good for you. Beware of chocolate marketed as “sugar-free” that may contain unhealthy artificial sweeteners, which are found in the “kryptonite” zone of the Bulletproof Diet Roadmap. The only recommended sweeteners are Stevia, erythritol from non-GMO corn, and xylitol from hardwood.

In one study, rats fed a high-fat, high-sucrose diet for 4 weeks displayed insulin resistance, and decreased endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), which is responsible for creating nitric oxide in blood vessels. Other studies have demonstrated that the detrimental effect of sugar on vascular function is independent of obesity and insulin resistance, so sugar is bad for you even if you are in otherwise good health.

Chocolate can contain mold

Unfortunately, due to intensive farming techniques and poor agricultural, processing, and storage practices, much of the world’s chocolate supply is contaminated with meaningful levels of mold toxins. One of the more insidious and dangerous forms of mycotoxin, ochratoxin A, was present in 98% of samples tested in one study. Of those contaminated with ochratoxin, the study found an 80% co-occurrence of aflatoxin as well. Mycotoxins amplify each other when more than one is present.

Cacao trees are a tropical crop, making them highly susceptible to fungus and mold. Roasting moldy beans destroys the actual fungi, but it doesn’t destroy the fungi’s byproduct: harmful mold toxins. Beans aren’t just susceptible when they’re on the tree. They can become host to mold and fungi during pre-processing, so it’s important not to let them sit for long periods of time. The good news is that one study found that the processing of cocoa beans into a finished product resulted in a 93.6% decrease in ochratoxin A. My experience is that mold toxins vary greatly from batch to batch and from brand to brand, and a brand with “clean” chocolate this month may not be clean the following month.

Keep the following in mind while selecting and eating chocolate:

Make sure your chocolate is at least 85 percent dark chocolate.

European chocolate tends to be lower in mold toxins, as they have stricter government limits than the US.

Take activated coconut charcoal with chocolate to bind some of the mold toxins like I always do.

How to get more chocolate into your day

Your options are almost limitless. Try these unique options to get more chocolate into your diet:

Drink cacao tea

Make a Bulletproof Mocha: add some high-quality chocolate powder to your morning BP coffee.

Make Bulletproof Get Some Ice Cream

Check out The Bulletproof Diet book for Bulletproof dessert AND dinner recipes that use high-quality chocolate.

Catechism of the Catholic Church

PART THREE: LIFE IN CHRIST

SECTION ONE-MAN'S VOCATION LIFE IN THE SPIRIT

CHAPTER THREE-GOD'S SALVATION: LAW AND GRACE

Article 1-THE MORAL LAW

II. The Old Law

1961 God, our Creator and Redeemer, chose Israel for himself to be his people and revealed his Law to them, thus preparing for the coming of Christ. The Law of Moses expresses many truths naturally accessible to reason. These are stated and authenticated within the covenant of salvation.

1962 The Old Law is the first stage of revealed Law. Its moral prescriptions are summed up in the Ten Commandments. The precepts of the Decalogue lay the foundations for the vocation of man fashioned in the image of God; they prohibit what is contrary to the love of God and neighbor and prescribe what is essential to it. the Decalogue is a light offered to the conscience of every man to make God's call and ways known to him and to protect him against evil:

God wrote on the tables of the Law what men did not read in their hearts.

1963 According to Christian tradition, the Law is holy, spiritual, and good, yet still imperfect. Like a tutor it shows what must be done, but does not of itself give the strength, the grace of the Spirit, to fulfill it. Because of sin, which it cannot remove, it remains a law of bondage. According to St. Paul, its special function is to denounce and disclose sin, which constitutes a "law of concupiscence" in the human heart. However, the Law remains the first stage on the way to the kingdom. It prepares and disposes the chosen people and each Christian for conversion and faith in the Savior God. It provides a teaching which endures forever, like the Word of God.

1964 The Old Law is a preparation for the Gospel. "The Law is a pedagogy and a prophecy of things to come." It prophesies and presages the work of liberation from sin which will be fulfilled in Christ: it provides the New Testament with images, "types," and symbols for expressing the life according to the Spirit. Finally, the Law is completed by the teaching of the sapiential books and the prophets which set its course toward the New Covenant and the Kingdom of heaven.

There were . . . under the regimen of the Old Covenant, people who possessed the charity and grace of the Holy Spirit and longed above all for the spiritual and eternal promises by which they were associated with the New Law. Conversely, there exist carnal men under the New Covenant still distanced from the perfection of the New Law: the fear of punishment and certain temporal promises have been necessary, even under the New Covenant, to incite them to virtuous works. In any case, even though the Old Law prescribed charity, it did not give the Holy Spirit, through whom "God's charity has been poured into our hearts."