By Palash Ghosh
Guest Writer for Wake Up World

The Hunza Valley, a region in the Gilgit–Baltistan territory of northernmost Pakistan, is renowned not only for its spectacular natural scenery of majestic mountains and glittering lakes but also for the beauty of its people, who enjoy a long life expectancy. The rough mountain terrain, clean air and water, an abundance of healthy organic foods like dried apricots and almonds, and relative isolation are believed to have blessed the locals with excellent health and long lives. Indeed, Hunza Valley was reportedly the inspiration for the paradise of “Shangri La” in the book “Lost Horizons” by James Hilton.

But Hunza and its environs are renowned for something else that is quite extraordinary: At least three-quarters of people in the Valley – and virtually all the youths of both genders — can read and write (in a country where about 55 percent of the population is literate, and millions of girls are essentially blocked from attending school). Almost every child in Hunza attends school up to at least the high school level, while many pursue higher studies at colleges in Pakistan and abroad.

By Dr. Edward Group
Guest Writer for Wake Up World

Pans with a non-stick coating are convenient but new research suggests that the chemical used for the coating is extremely toxic and exposure on any level could prove dangerous to brain health, the reproductive system, and immune system.

The Dangers of Non-Stick Coating

DuPont, the chemical engineering giant, is responsible for the perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) used to make Teflon coating. Federal regulators linked the chemical to birth defects and cancer, and these regulators also accused DuPont of hiding these hazard reports for decades. This caused an uproar and forced DuPont to phase out production of the chemical in 2006. Regardless, PFOA has already infiltrated millions of homes; resulting in detectable amounts of the compound in the blood of nearly every American. It’s even been found in polar bears in the Arctic.

By Paul Lenda
Guest Writer for Wake Up World

In recent history it has been thought that human beings are hardwired to be instinctively selfish. This perception of reality made for way for the Western “every man for himself” concept and idea that we are individualistic at the core of our nature. However, many studies conducted over the past several years are demonstrating that this idea is not accurately portraying the underlying nature of human beings.

There is mounting evidence that the human race is evolving towards becoming more compassionate and collaborative since our survival counts on these things. In fact, the reasons given by a growing group of psychologists as to why we humans are as successful at surviving and thriving as we are, is because of our nurturing, altruistic, and compassionate traits. With the understanding of the concept of oneness and the interconnected nature of all aspects in Reality, it is realized that this revolutionary perception on evolution makes sense. By being kind to another, we benefit not only that other individual by elevating their positive emotions, but also benefit ourselves by elevating our own.

By Lissa Rankin, MD
Guest Writer for Wake Up World

For many years now, a lot of people have been talking about “The Shift,” this mysterious transformation of human consciousness that is supposedly underway. Ever since the end of the Mayan calendar in December of 2102, New Age types tend to twitter away about the evolution of the species, the revolution of love, and other hopeful but fuzzy seeming changes in what it means to be human. I want to take a minute to help us all ground this floaty notion a bit.

See if any of this sounds familiar:

Do you have a vision of some aspect of a more beautiful world, and you know it’s your sacred purpose to help bring it into being?

Do you sense that something is out of alignment in the world, and you want to be a part of the solution?

Have you experienced a life-altering event that changed everything for you, and now you want to use that experience to help others?