When it comes to cheat meals most fitness freaks or bodybuilders usually have their vices in check whether it be a burger, cheesy pasta or Nutella mayo laced fried chicken (don’t judge).

The long standing notion that obesity sufferers tend to develop depression has been confirmed in the past, but researchers wanted to find out why this link existed so they conducted a new study with the help of mice. The team from the University of Glasgow analysed how eating a diet high in saturated fats might make depression more likely, but more importantly they discovered that people with obesity and depression saw little recovery from treatments using regular antidepressants. Ironically, those same suffers are less prone to the side effects of antidepressants – namely weight gain.

“When compared with patients of normal body weight, overweight and obese patients showed a substantially slower response to antidepressant treatment, less improvement in neuroendocrinology and cognitive processing, and less antidepressant-induced weight gain,” says the research led by Professor George Baillie.

How they came to this finding was by feeding the mice a high-fat diet which contained up to 60% of both saturated and unsaturated fats. It’s worth noting that mammal brains, including humans, require specific fatty acids like omega 3 to function. Not all fatty acids are good for us, though. The researchers analysed how these fatty acids accumulated in the brains of the mice and looked at whether their behaviour displayed any medical signs of depression.

What they found was a an influx of palmitic acid in the mice’s brains which is a chemical that helps to regulate hormone release in the bloodstream. In addition to that these high levels of palmitic acid in the brain also alter the signalling pathway which controls metabolic processes such as dopamine signalling – dopamine being the chemical which controls emotional response. Along with endorphins, dopamine is also released into the body after a decent workout which is why you always feel better afterwards.

“We all know that a reduction in fatty food intake can lead to many health benefits, but our research suggests that it also promotes a happier disposition,” says Professor Baillie.

“Further to that, understanding the types of fats, such as palmitic acid, which are likely to enter the brain and affect key regions and signalling will give people more information about how their diet can potentially affect their mental health,” he added.

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This story was originally published on Stockhead

If you’re still watching the crypto markets, then this will come as old news: Bitcoin has been on a tear. The world’s largest crypto has recently doubled in value to top out above the $US8,000 mark.

And it’s separated itself from the pack a bit, compared to the 2017 craze when Bitcoin and other major alt-coins surge to all-time highs. Adrian Przelozny, CEO of local crypto exchange Independent Reserve, has had a front row seat for the recent market activity following an extended period of lower volatility. While markets were quieter, the company stayed busy working with regulators and building out custody solutions. It now lists 13 currencies on the platform, up from only five last year. Stockhead spoke to Przelozny to get an update on his views around the market, and the near-term outlook for his company.

For starters, the latest rally gives rise to an obvious question for many traders and market observers; what’s causing it?

Scarcity Factor

In crypto, a still generally-accepted view is that no one knows for sure what causes these moves. But Przelozny attributed part of it to the prospect of further scarcity, with Bitcoin scheduled to undergo a “halving” event next year.

New Bitcoins are mined every 10 minutes up to a total of 21 million and when the currency was first created in 2009, the block reward for mining new coins was 50 BTC. Since then, the reward has been halved twice – 12.5 – and as of May 2020 it will halve again. Przelozny says investors have taken notice.

“Everyone kind of knew that before the halving the price would start running up, but no one knew exactly when it would happen.”

“Traders were anticipating the big spike, and now it’s happened there’s probably a fear of being left behind.”

For context, Przelozny said Litecoin – the world’s fifth largest crypto – has a halving event in August and the price has tripled from earlier this year.

“We’re 12 months from a Bitcoin halving but the number of people trading it is higher, so you could expect the effect will be higher as well,” he said.

Insto Update

Since the 2017 crypto craze, the pending involvement of institutional investors in crypto has been seen as a bellwether for the relative maturity of the asset class. That’s because before it can occur, it will require continued improvements in safe custody solutions and regulatory certainty.

For its part, Independent Reserve can claim a recent win on the custody front, having become the first Australian crypto exchange to obtain insurance for the crypto assets that it holds in cold storage. IR also has an agreement with accounting firm KPMG, which allows users to calculate their trading gains or losses for tax purposes to avoid falling foul of the ATO.

“The ATO has made it clear now that it’s interested in exchanges and people shouldn’t treat this as a way to dodge tax – it’s becoming very much a legitimate investment.”

Przelozny said the company has a standard operating procedure for how it chooses to list new tokens, but it’s still a fair way from listing the full list of random alt-coins – a la Binance – although conversations with ASIC “are progressing”.

“I think we’ll see more instos experiment as the infrastructure improves and the clarity around regulation improves, because it makes crypto an asset class producing huge returns that’s increasingly becoming less risky.”

In the meantime, there’s still evidence of some serious activity among sophisticated crypto investors – it’s just a lot of it isn’t made public. IR’s over-the-counter (OTC) desk, launched about 18 months ago, has processed some pretty serious crypto trades.

“The largest deal we processed in the last month was a $20 million deal with Bitcoin,” Przelozny said.

New Funding

When it comes to tapping private markets for additional capital to scale up, IR is unlikely to be active in the space anytime soon. In March last year, financier Mike Tilley co-invested with VC fund KTM ventures to purchase a 25 per cent stake in the company. It was IR’s first capital injection since the company launched in 2013, raising around $500,000 from a network largely comprised of friends and family.

“That KTM deal gave a lot of those guys an opportunity to exit 18 months ago, and they got a pretty good return on their initial investment,” Przelozny said. “We haven’t had the need to raise capital for a while.”

For now, the exchange will be able to drive growth organically by reinvesting profits, rather than turning to outside investors.

“Eventually we’ll be looking to expand to other jurisdictions – we’re currently assessing opportunities in Europe and Asia – but we’re not looking at raising any money at this point.”

Stockhead covers emerging ASX companies and investment opportunities. Get daily stock updates Stockhead

The post This Crypto Exchange CEO Believes There's Only A Year Until Bitcoin Makes People Rich Again appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

When it comes to bedroom performance men can be reticent to admit anything is in need of improvement. But statistics don’t care about your ego: 52% of men experience erectile dysfunction and 30% experience premature ejaculation.

Scientists and pharmaceutical companies, on the other hand, do care about your ego, because they want to sell you a bunch of products. However, before you go stressing about your inadequacies, one James Cook University study has found a way for you to improve your bedtime romps naturally.

This involves a targeted pelvic workout which The Brisbane Times reports, “Could lift more than your spirits.” Essentially, men need to practice “drawing up” their testicles, which—if done in a regular, targeted manner—can help build muscle strength and manage sexual dysfunction.

The simple pelvic floor exercise then (hopefully) translates into hanky panky success by strengthening and engaging the muscle responsible for building and keeping penile rigidity.

Still not sure which muscles we mean? Stop urinating mid-flow and see what hurts to hell. Or don’t. Anyway, now you know what we mean, think about this: Mr Myers, a JCU physiotherapy lecturer told The Brisbane Times these exercises are no joke.

“Patient cure rates were as high as 47 per cent for ED and 83 per cent for PE.”

As you were, gentleman. Or, as they say, the more you know…

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The post Best Exercises To Improve Sex Life appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

While French aristocrat Marie Antoinette was famously misquoted as saying “let them eat cake” in 1789, millionaire Tim Gurner was correctly quoted in 2017 when he said millennials will never be able to afford their own home, “When they are spending $40 a day on smashed avocados and coffees.” (The Guardian).

While conservative commentators and politicians had been echoing this sentiment for years, Gurner’s smug remark was the final straw, with Smashed Avo On Toast soon becoming the symbol of millennial résistance against the patronising comments of myopic baby-boomers (and rich Yuppies like Gurner).

With that, I all agree. But there’s a more pernicious reason for millennials not to own property—what they do with it. Far scarier than Boomers selling off our environmental assets to offshore companies and taking several hours to read a breakfast menu (held at arm’s length, squinting through their spouse’s glasses) is the incendiary ways millennials use the pieces of land they actually get a hold of.

Sober bars.

As reported earlier this week by the BBC, “A pub without alcohol is something of an oxymoron – but they’re growing in popularity.” The stalwart British Broadcaster then cited Getaway, a stylish bar in Brooklyn, which—at first glance—is like any other “Instagram-friendly” cocktail spot in New York.

“The walls are tasteful green and blue, the space feels cosy enough that you could easily join a neighbouring conversation, and the menu features a list of $13 (£10) cocktails with ingredients like tobacco syrup, lingonberry and jalapeno puree.”

But, as the BBC reports, “There is a crucial difference between Getaway and other Brooklyn bars: Getaway is totally alcohol-free… like an aquarium without fish or a bakery that doesn’t serve bread.”

Ouch.

When you get the BBC riled up you know you’ve done well (or you’re a millennial). But wait: there’s more.

“In cities like New York and London, where bars often function as second living rooms for apartment dwellers with little space, an alcohol-free nightlife option can appeal to people who, for whatever reason, would prefer not to drink.”

“Getaway, which opened in April,” the report continues, “Is part of a growing global wave of nightspots that specifically cater to people who are avoiding alcohol, but still want to go out and socialise in spaces that have traditionally been dominated by drinking.”

Part of a movement in which urban millennials reconsider the place of alcohol in their lives, there is, admittedly, some health benefit to socialising without getting absolutely Espresso Martini-ed.

But it’s also a middle finger in the face of America’s proud history of getting twisted. And much like brunch has become a convenient scapegoat for structural inequality, drinking has become a convenient scapegoat for the rest of society’s ills—when the problem is clearly Crossfit.

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The post Sober Bars Are Taking Over New York City appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

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He may be newly wedded but that doesn’t mean Justin Bieber‘s wardrobe has ventured down the boring husband route. At his latest New York City sighting last week Bieber was spotted bringing back the baggy in a covert outfit that would make any streetwear aficionado proud. But the real star was his…belt. Let’s call it a bible belt for satirical convenience. *Hail Hillsong!*

The notoriously pensive superstar rocked a beanie, wayfarer sunglasses, crispy New Balances and a frosty grey Yeezy jacket complete with hot pink draw strings. For the bottoms it was all about the thin denim drawstring belt, a complementary look to his distressed denim but one that does absolutely nothing to hold Bieber’s pants up. Acting more as an accessory to style, Bieber left it all to hang loose – a move which may or may not irk some men who prefer their pants to sit nicely on their waist at all times

But what can we say? Old habits die hard, we suppose. From an early age Bieber has struggled with the concept of belts and their purpose. We pray for the day that the fashion world makes denim underwear a trend just for Justin Bieber.

Until then, you do you, champ.

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The post Justin Bieber Shows You How To Wear A Totally Pointless Belt With Style appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Graveyards aren’t the most festive of places to begin with but when they involve over ten of Maranello’s finest abandoned in a U.S field, it’s sure something to mourn over.

How did the Italian exotics end up here? The story uncovered by Silodrome is one etched with both tragedy and bad business practice. The cars belonged to an attorney who was a collector with a portfolio that included Porsches, a Lotus and a Lamborghini. He eventually moved onto Ferraris and ended up with 13 of them which included a Testarossa, a 308 Quattrovalvole, a 400i, at least two 328s, at least three 348s, and a small number of Mondials.

The owner was struck with illness and in 2011 and agreed to put the cars into a secure storage warehouse with a friend. His condition eventually worsened and he missed a few payments as the cars were subsequently moved out into the field you see before you. As a kick to the teeth, once the payments were back paid, the cars were never moved back into storage and left to rot outside for almost a decade.

Of the 13 Ferraris two went missing and have never been accounted for leaving just 11 behind. The family has since commissioned Paul Cox, a well-known figure in the local Ferrari community, to help sell off the cars to those capable of giving them a brighter future.

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The post Abandoned Graveyard Where Classic Ferraris Have Gone To Die appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Qantas has just launched a ‘points plane’ exclusively for frequent flyers and not a single passenger will pay a cent to use it. Talk about giving people what they want. But what’s the catch?

Well, a seat on this plane will not be available to you unless you are a loyal Qantas customer (or a blow-in who just happens to have a serious number of Qantas Points). To be precise, you’ll need 35,000 points for an Economy seat, 54,000 for Premium Economy, 72,000 for Business and 108,000 for First.

According to Qantas’ points calculator, earning enough points to fly Economy on this Points Plane would take 10-11 normal return Business Class trips from Sydney to Melbourne, while earning enough to fly Business would take another 12-13 of those same trips (22-23 in total).

Although this sounds like a lot of flying; it’s designed for frequent flyers. So if you’re one of these, and you’re tired of being tempted with an upgrade, only to discover that limited seat availability (or your not-quite-there number of points) means you’re going to have to pay $500 to access it, Qantas’ Points Planes are worth a squiz.

The first in a series of point-redemption flights, the inaugural Points Plane will be an Airbus A380 flying from Melbourne to Tokyo (Narita) on 21 October 2019, with Qantas Frequent Flyers able to book seats from Thursday 16 May (tomorrow).

The debut, Tokyo-bound Points Plane will feature 14 First, 64 Business, 35 Premium Economy and 371 Economy seats, all set at the standard Qantas Points redemption rate for the route, available to all Qantas members regardless of their Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum membership status.

Passengers will be able to return on a separate A330 Points Plane on October 26th or an alternative day of their choice by booking a Classic Reward seat with Qantas or a partner airline, or using Points Plus Pay on any commercially available seat.

The Points Plane concept is a Qantas Loyalty brainchild, aiming to reward existing Qantas Frequent Flyer members—and entice new ones into the program, which includes wines, hotels and restaurants, as well as flights.

Qantas Loyalty CEO Olivia Wirth said the decision had been made in the recognition that getting an upgrade is pretty much everyone’s favourite way to use their points: “We know our members love to redeem their points on travel.”

“Member-exclusive flights mean more redemption opportunities for our members and less time searching for reward seats.”

“If this concept is a success,” she added, “Qantas hopes to operate more regular Frequent Flyer only flights to other international and domestic destinations in the near future.”

Fingers crossed.

Oh and—for the curious—Qantas explained that it occasionally moves unscheduled aircraft around its network for a range of operational and commercial reasons—which is what creates opportunities for initiatives like Points Planes.

As for Japan? It’s a popular destination for Qantas Frequent Flyers (and one of the top 5 most searched destinations on Qantas’ website) making it a fitting first Points Plane port.

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The post Qantas Launches 'Points Plane' Exclusively For Frequent Flyers appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Drake is no stranger to high end watches that could rival the salary of a dodgy heart surgeon. With everything from Audemar Piguets, Rolexes and Richard Milles in his wrist candy rotation, it’s little surprise that the man showed up to the 2019 NBA Playoffs between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Toronto Raptors in a US$300,000 timepiece.The watch in question? Richard Mille’s RM 11-03 Flyback Chronograph custom finished in an 18K diamond rose gold case.In standard trim the watch retails for US$115,000 for the ‘plain’ titanium version, US$130,000 for the titanium-rose gold combo and US$160,000 for the all rose gold. In other words the diamonds alone almost double the cost of the watch.Garment-wise, the Canadian rapper didn’t rock his own OVO label for once, instead opting for a cool Breaker High hoodie which is the name of a 90s television show that starred Ryan Gosling and revolved around a high school on a cruise ship (as you do). The $35 hoodie was paired with a casual pair of jeans and white Nike Airforce 1 sneakers.Who wouldn’t be happy with $300,000 wrapped around their wrist? Well, perhaps the same guy with a $750,000 watch around their wrist. And proving that this isn’t a once-off look, here’s Drake donning the hoodie with a Rolex at Wimbledon last year.

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