A beautiful solar storm at night. 🥰 The aurora borealis creates dreamlike colors, visible to the eye only for brief moments like a shimmer.✨️

🌞 I have always been a fan of the sun. It puts me in a good mood and I like myself best when I'm tanned. I especially love the combination of brown skin and blonde hair.

But of course you also have to be aware of the dangers. When UV radiation hits the skin, it directly damages the DNA in the cell nucleus. This can lead to mutations and thus skin cancer. The energy in the UV radiation also causes some molecules to have an unpaired electron. These free radicals look for their missing electron in their environment and can thus cause a whole chain reaction of damage.

The most effective way to protect yourself is to avoid the sun and apply sunscreen.

You can also influence cell protection through diet and a positive attitude towards life. Damaged DNA is repaired when the telomeres (the protective ends of the chromosomes) rebuild the damaged sections. How well this works depends, among other things, on the length of the telomeres, which shortens over time. The enzyme telomerase plays an important role because it can repair and even lengthen telomeres. Telomerase can be activated through a diet containing spermidine (e.g. nuts, grains, legumes).

Antioxidants such as vitamin C, E and polyphenols (e.g. many plant pigments) help to combat free radicals. The best way to get these into the cells is to increase their bioavailability. Other plant substances such as piperine, quercetin and apigenin increase cell permeability and thus enable better development of the positive effects. It is important to note here if you are considering supplementing yourself heavily with antioxidants: too many antioxidants are also not healthy because they reduce oxidative stress, which is needed for many cellular processes.

It is also helpful to pay attention to the optimal fatty acid ratio and in particular to consume sufficient amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, which are so valuable for the skin.

The personal attitude to life is greatly underestimated but, according to current studies, also has a major influence on cell aging. It has been shown that our cell age is not constant, but is rejuvenated by an optimistic mood.

Look at this sunset 🫠❤️‍🔥

My soul flower ✨️🌻✨️

As I catch these warm rays ✨️🌄🥰 I feel as saturated as the play of colors in the morning sun.

The grove snail (Cepaea nemoralis) and the garden banded snail (Cepaea hortensis) are like siblings sharing a home in nature. They inhabit similar habitats and have a wide variety of shell colors and patterns. Although the grove snail generally grows larger, it is the color of the lip of its shell (edge ​​of the shell opening) that sets it apart from its relatives. While the garden banded snail has a light lip in most cases, the lip of the grove snail is usually dark colored. They are a very common sight in Europe, and can vary greatly in appearance from region to region.

When two have found each other 💕

Hello, where is the nectar?🥹 The dark arches (Apamea monoglypha) belongs to the family of owlet moths. It is a very common species in most parts of Europe and Central Asia. Its caterpillars like to nibble on the roots of grasses and the moth flies around all night, attracted by the sweet scent of flowers.🌸🌛 It orientates itself using natural light sources such as the moon, but artificial light sources interfere with its navigation, which is why it sometimes gets lost in homes.

The European paper wasp (Polistes dominula) has a much calmer temperament than the common wasp. It has a wide range of hunting habits, including different insects and spiders. The European paper wasp is a social insect and absolutely worth learning more about its interesting behaviour. Originally native to Eurasia and North Africa, it has now spread to all continents, replacing native species there.

Loki is exploring the unknown. I refurbished the terrarium this year, using the old terrarium background. It's a new world! ✨️