REMEMBER ME THIS WAY

REMEMBER ME THIS WAY

Are you having hard time remembering important dates in your life? Did you walk into a room without remembering why you went there? Do you suffer from what is called “senior moment”? Maybe you need to do some actions to fix or repair damaged brain. It’s now time to sharpen your memory. 

Every cell in your body needs a steady supply of oxygen and nutrients in order to stay alive and work properly, including brain cells. Because oxygen and nutrients are carried in the blood stream, anything that impedes blood flow will starve those all-important brain cells. The plain truth is that a healthy heart makes for a healthy brain.

Some foods can help you boost your memory.

©     Some of the best cruciferous vegetables: Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, and bok choy.

©     Some of the best leafy green vegetables: spinach, collard and mustard greens, kale and Swiss chard.

©     Some of the best foods for anthocyanin: Berries (all varieties), cherries, black currents, eggplant, red, black, and purple grapes, plums, rhubarb, red onion, red apples, red/purple cabbage, and red beets.

©     Some of the best foods for quercetin: Onions (red, yellow, white), kale, leeks, cherry tomato, broccoli, blueberries, black currants, elderberries, apricots, apple with skin (Red Delicious), and red, purple, and black grapes. 

©     Folic acid can also help your memory. Folic acid (also known as folate) seems to have a direct effect on memory. Some of the best foods for folic acid include fortified whole-grain breakfast cereals, lentils, black-eyed peas, soybeans, spinach, green peas, artichokes, broccoli, wheat germ, beets and oranges.

©     Eating fish seems to help too! A study conducted by researchers at the Rush University Medical Center in Chicago followed more than 3,000 men and women for six years to see how diet affected memory. People who ate fish at least once a week had a 10 percent slower decline compared with those who did not eat fish, a difference that gave them the memory and thinking ability of a person three years younger.

Here are some steps you can take to help optimize brain health and sharpen your memory.

©     Focus on the information you are trying to remember. Tune out the T.V., coworkers, spouse and telephone – and line up some brain games for the kids. If you can take a quick minute to shift your attention away from any and all distractions and concentrate solely on your task, you’ll gain an automatic memory boost.

 

©     Use your senses to help your memory store needed information. Note the colors of a picture you want to recall. Is the sky a light blue or deep purple? What does the image smell like? What sounds are being made? The more involved you can be in the information, the easier it is for your brain to store and retrieve it.

©     Keep blood pressure and cholesterol in check. A healthy heart makes for a healthy brain.

©     Get enough sleep. Research shows that sleep deprivation can interfere with memory.

©     Exercise regularly. Regular physical activity has been shown to decrease the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease by about half. Half! Aim for 30 minutes a day.

©     Don’t smoke. Just as smoking increases risk of heart disease, it can also decrease blood flow to the brain and cause serious damage.

©     Give yourself a break. Seek out ways to de-stress your life.

THE POWER OF SULFUR

THE POWER OF SULFUR

rolled sulfur

Are you looking for an effective and powerful treatment for your acne and other skin problem, dandruff and falling hair? Why don’t you consider using sulfur products? Sulfur is a mineral that has been widely used to treat skin conditions for hundreds of years. Eczema, and acne are some of the conditions that are treated with the use of sulfur-based products. Products that are used for acne includes, lotions, ointments, soaps and masks.

For Acne

Sulfur is necessary for stabilizing keratin protein and rejuvenating collagen, which prevents dryness and maintains elasticity in the skin. The sulfur in acne products is thought to work by causing the skin to shed and unclogging the pores. Masks than contain sulfur can be used to dry up acne. These products may be helpful when the skin is oily. You can try the following products.

sulfur soap

Peter Thomas Roth's Cooling Sulfur Masque -  with eucalyptus, this product cools while treating infected areas on the face or back. Be sure to follow directions on the bottle.

MD Skincare Correct and Perfect Spot Treatment - a multitasking product that eliminates blemishes instantly. It also kills bacteria to calm inflammation and uses osmosis to decrease irritation.

Klaron lotion - This is prescription only and your doctor or dermatologist will need to see if you are a candidate for this product. Klaron lotion is also known as sodium sulfacet amide lotion. Klaron is a water-based, alcohol-free, clear lotion, effective in the treatment of acne.

sulfur mask

                                                    

Thylox Acne Treatment Soap - The product has been manufactured for the treatment of acne since 1878. In addition to sulfur, it is manufactured with vegetable oil, which is gentler on the skin than soap made with animal fats. Consumers report a slight odor associated with the soap, but this smell quickly fades once the lather has been washed away.

Eczema

eczema on nail

Sulfur is a great treatment not only for acne but also eczema. Sulfur can lessen the severity of flare-ups. Eczema can be treated by using sulfur soaps, sulfur baths, sulfur supplements and sulfur creams. Cabbage, brussel sprouts, eggs, fish, onions, kale, garlic, turnips, meats, wheat germ, dried beans and soy beans are food that contains sulfur naturally so eating those will help you treat and fight eczema.

Dandruff

person with dandruff

Dandruff is simply dead skin cells from your scalp. Pityrosporum-ovle is the microorganism that makes you have dandruff. The best treatment to begin with is sulfur-based shampoo. Sulfur helps to remove excess flaking and decrease the severity of future flare-ups caused by yeast. By treating your dandruff, you can also treat falling hair since many falling hair cases are due to dandruff.

Safe for Pregnant

Many women suffer on acne during their pregnancy because of hormonal change. Less do they know that many acne medications are harmful to their baby. However sulfur is one they can use safely. Sulfur medications are approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use by pregnant women. Although the exact effects of sulfur on a developing infant are not known, sulfur is generally thought to not be harmful, since it is used topically and does not absorb into the body. 

WHAT IS HYPERHIDROSIS?

WHAT IS HYPERHIDROSIS?

Have you heard of hyperhydrosis? Hyperhidrosis or excessive sweating is the condition characterized by abnormally increased perspiration, in excess of that required for regulation of body temperature. The cause of primary hyperhidrosis is unknown, although some surgeons claim it is caused by sympathetic overactivity. Nervousness or excitement can exacerbate the situation for many sufferers. Other factors can play a role; certain foods and drinks, nicotine, caffeine, and smells can trigger a response.

TYPES OF HYPERHIDROSIS

Palmar hyperhidrosis (Hand Sweating) - The most common and troublesome form of hyperhidrosis. People with palmar hyperhidrosis have cold and clammy hands that sweat excessively. Hand sweating can be initiated by emotional distress, nervousness, stressful situations and anxiety. Excessive sweating could also be seen with no stimulus. Affected people cannot control their hand sweating, which can also be aggravated by emotional distress. Many patients feel a “tingling” sensation and think their skin pores are opening prior to the onset of sweating.

Plantar hyperhidrosis (Foot Sweating) - Excessive foot sweating can be as severe as hand sweating. Most patients who have sweaty hands will also have sweaty feet. Problems in everyday life such as social and functional settings can be difficult. Shoes can be ruined, sandals cannot be worn, heels can be too difficult to wear, and foot odor and fungal infection can become problematic. It can lead to marital problems as well as difficulties at the work place. The odor and the discomfort caused by excessive foot sweating (plantar hyperhidrosis) can lead to difficulties that are not well known in the medical community.

Axillary Hyperhidrosis (Armpit Sweating) - All human beings have some sort of armpit sweating but for about 1% of the population axillary hyperhidrosis involves extreme, dripping sweat in the armpit area. This type of excessive armpit (axillary) sweating is resistant to all types of deodorants and odor controlling medications. The sweat glands in the armpit area are made of two types of sweat glands; Apocrine and Eccrine glands. The Eccrine glands are responsible for the production of watery and clear sweat that does not produce odor. They are innervated by sympathetic fibers. The Apocrine glands are responsible for the production of more of the thick sweat which also is the cause of the odor in the armpits. Attempts to control excessive armpit sweating should always start with conservative measures.  In cases of severe excessive armpit sweating those measures are not always helpful.

GENITAL HYPERHIDROSIS (GROIN SWEATING) - Another area of isolated excessive sweating can happen in the groin area. This is an area rich with sweat glands apocrine and eccrine. For those affected patients this can be a bothersome and embarrassing site for sweating. Because of the location sometimes an odor can accompany this excessive sweating. The exact number of patients afflicted with this problem is very difficult to ascertain. Groin sweating has to do with the specific physiological build of the person. Obviously obesity can contribute to this and weight loss is an obvious first step to try and eliminate the problem.

Other types of hyperhidrosis

Truncal hyperhidrosis - excessive sweating of the trunk area.

Cranio-facial hyperhidrosis - excessive sweating of the face, scalp and the neck.

Palmoplantar hyperhidrosis - excessive sweating of both the palms and the hands.

TREATMENTS

Medications

Aluminium chloride – use in antiperspirants.

Injections of botulinum toxin type A,(Botox, Dysport) - used to block neural control of sweat glands.

Several anticholinergic drugs reduce hyperhidrosis, although it has important side effects, which include drowsiness, visual symptoms and dryness in the mouth and other mucous membranes.

SURGICAL PROCEDURES

There are multiple methods for sweat gland removal or destruction such as sweat gland suction, retrodermal currettage, and axillary liposuction, Vaser, or Laser Sweat Ablation. Sweat gland suction is a technique adapted from liposuction.

THE GAME OF TENNIS

THE GAME OF TENNIS

Are you familiar of the words “Wimbledon”, “Australian Open”, “French Open”? Do you know who are Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Maria Sharapova, Serena Willliams and Venus Williams? Since the time that I’ve accidentally watched a tennis game on a cable channel, I already became a fan of it. From that time, I already wanted to learn how to play tennis. Before I do so, I thought of myself what would be the benefits I’m going to gain upon learning tennis. So here’s what I’ve discovered.

Tennis have physical and psychological benefits, below are just some because it’s too many to enumerate.

Å     AEROBIC FITNESS. Fats are being burned and higher energy levels are maintained while playing this game. More calories are also burn compare to inline skating and cycling. Tennis also improves cardiovascular fitness.

Å     SPEED. When chasing the ball during play, you will sprint from side to side and back and up through this, you will develop strong leg muscles producing increased speed.

Å     HELP MANAGE ADVERSITY. Players should learn to play with tenacity no matter where the sun is striking and how hard the wind is blowing.

Å     IMPROVES THE BRAIN. Tennis requires alertness and tactical thinking, so it generates new connection between the nerves in the brain thus promote a lifetime of continuing development of the brain.

Å     LEARN TO SOLVE PROBLEMS. Tennis is based on geometry and physics.

Å     HELPS ACCOMMODATE STRESS EFFECTIVELY. Players are force to develop an increased capacity when dealing with stress because of the physical and mental strain while playing tennis.

Å     BONES. Tennis is proven to help strengthen bones of young players while preventing older player from osteoporosis.

The Basics

In learning to play tennis, you should first need to know the basics of the game. The sport is played between two players that are on the opposite sides of a tennis court. A net is erected at the exact middle of it, and the felt covered ball must be passed back and forth over it with the use of nylon, strong tennis rackets. The game is started by a serve done by one player on one side of the tennis court. He must be able to serve the ball over the net and land it on the opposite side. The receiving player should allow the ball to hit the ground once before hitting it back towards the serving player. Points are made for each unsuccessful legal return of the ball to the opposite side of the net.

In order to learn to play tennis effectively, you must know how to do the swings that are accepted in the game for returning the ball. These are the backhand and the forehand. The backhand is done from a two handed stance and hitting the ball with the back side of the racket. This type of stroke takes more time to get used to and requires frequent practice to perfect. The forehand, in turn, is done by hitting the ball with the face of the tennis racket with the palm of the hand, holding the racket whilst facing the ball. This swing is the predominant stroke used by most players, even professionals.

EQUIPMENTS NEEDED

Tennis Racket - Consider the head size that is best for you. Remember that the larger the head size, the larger is the sweet spot, and the higher the power you can deliver in hitting the ball. Beginners and intermediate players often choose rackets with larger heads. Rackets with smaller heads allow for more control, and therefore better placement of the ball.

Tennis Ball - There are two kinds to choose from: pressureless and pressurized. Pressureless tennis balls have a solid core and are good for people who do not play the game very often. Pressured balls have a hollow core that is filled with air. Some companies use nitrogen instead, because it can be preserved for a longer time. If you are going to used pressured balls, you should know that they lose the pressure about a month after being taken out of the can. Low pressured ball are termed as dead balls, and do not bounce very well.

Shoes - You should also be wearing the right pair of shoes. It must fit your feet perfectly and should be able to cope with the stops and dashes that are common in a tennis game. Spend a little time in shopping around for the best tennis shoes for you. If you are not sure on what to buy, you can talk to the store personnel to get some recommendations.

ALCOHOL: FACTS & USES

ALCOHOL: FACTS & USES

In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxyl functional group (-OH) is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms. The first alcohol (today known as ethyl alcohol) was discovered by the tenth-century Persian alchemist al-Razi.

COMMON TYPES OF ALCOHOL

Ethanol

T he most commonly used alcohol is ethanol. Ethanol has been produced and consumed by humans for millennia, in the form of fermented and distilled alcoholic beverages. It is a clear flammable liquid that boils at 78.4 °C, which is used as an industrial solvent, car fuel, and raw material in the chemical industry.

Methanol

The simplest alcohol is methanol, which was formerly obtained by the distillation of wood and, therefore, is called "wood alcohol". It is a clear liquid resembling ethanol in smell and properties, with a slightly lower boiling point (64.7 °C), and is used mainly as a solvent, fuel, and raw material. Unlike ethanol, methanol is extremely toxic: One sip (as little as 10 ml) can cause permanent blindness by destruction of the optic nerve and 30 ml (one fluid ounce) is potentially fatal.

Isopropyl Alcohol

Isopropyl alcohol, or rubbing alcohol, dissolves oil easily. It is used in cleaning products such as the toner you use on your face or grease-cutting kitchen sprays. You can use straight rubbing alcohol to sterilize metal instruments: for instance, a pin or tweezers before using them to remove a splinter.

Butyl Alcohol

Adhesives and varnishes are traditionally made from butyl alcohol. Floor polishes and other cleaners sometimes contain it. Butyl alcohol, also known as butanol, also may be present in eye makeup, foundation and lipstick.

Do you know that…………….?

   The human body produces its own supply of alcohol naturally on a continuous basis, 24 hours a day and seven days a week.

   One glass of milk can give a person a .02 blood alcohol concentration (BAC) on a Breathalyzer test. That’s enough in some states for persons under age 21 to lose their drivers license and be fined.

   Ethyl alcohol is the only type of alcohol that is safe to consume by humans.

   Methyphobia is the term for fear of alcohol.

   The national anthem of the US, the "Star-Spangled Banner," was written to the tune of a drinking song.

   A popular drink in Cambodia is a Tarantula Brandy. You guessed it – the concoction includes rice liquor and freshly dead tarantulas. An even grosser drink than the Tarantula Brandy is the Baby Mouse Liquor found in rural Korea. This distilled rice spirit or filled with baby mice carcasses and fermented for 1 year.

   "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" is commonly believed to be the only English sentence devised to include all the letters of the alphabet. However, typesetters have another such sentence: "Pack my box with five dozen liquor jugs."

   Most vegetable, and virtually all fruit juices, contain alcohol.

   There is a cloud of alcohol in outer space with enough alcohol to make four trillion-trillion drinks. It's free for the taking. . . but it's 10,000 light years away from Earth.

   In Malaysia, drunk drivers are jailed and so are their spouses.

                                                   

NO DRINKING PLEASE!

NO DRINKING PLEASE!

Many people with number of problems run for help by drinking alcohol. They may not know but they might be indulging on alcoholism. Alcoholism is a wide term use for problems with alcohol. Commonly, alcoholism refers to uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages. Historically the name dipsomania was coined by German physician Dr. C. W. Hufeland in 1819 before it was superseded by alcoholism. The term "alcoholism" was first used in 1849 by the Swedish physician Magnus Huss to describe the systematic adverse effects of alcohol. Alcohol damages almost every organ in the body, including the brain. The cumulative toxic effects of chronic alcohol abuse can cause both medical and psychiatric problems.

Identifying alcoholism is difficult for the individual afflicted because of the social stigma associated with the disease that causes people with alcoholism to avoid diagnosis and treatment for fear of shame or social consequences. Though not all who drink alcohol beverages are alcoholic, but if you are one of those people who want to drink yet fear the thought of becoming an alcoholic, there are some tips and suggestion that you may take to help you.

1.)         Know if your family has a history of alcoholism. If you found out that your family a history of alcoholism, at least you know your potential and tendencies. In that way, you must add extra care on watching yourself on how you respond on drinking alcoholic beverages.

2.)                       Recognize the early warning signs of alcoholism. Some of the signs are alcohol cravings, irritability, mood swings, drinking alone and/or in secret, chugging drinks, depression, shakiness, etc.

3.)                       Stay away from bad influences. Peer pressure can often bend the will of the strongest person, and when you find yourself in a situation where your friends are drinking; it will be harder for you to say no. To lower the instances of being pressured to drink, tell your friends your reasons for avoiding drinking. Those who still constantly tempt you with a sip may not truly be your friends and are bad influences.

4.)                       Take fate into your own hands. When you have to go to a party where alcohol is being served, try to arrive late and leave early to give yourself less of a chance to consume alcohol. Be a social butterfly when you get there as this will help you to keep your mind off of the alcohol while socializing. If you begin to think about drinking, simply take fate into your own hands by leaving. Don't be afraid to say no to others and especially yourself. You can also think one step ahead of situations by not bringing cash or credit cards to places that make you pay for alcohol, so you will not be able to pay for it even if you wanted to.

5.)                        Do not drink to self-medicate yourself. When you are already depressed, avoid alcoholic beverages until the depression goes away because alcohol is a depressant and it will only depress you more.

 The simplest thing to do is to avoid drinking alcohol whenever possible.
                                                      

UNUSUAL TONGUES

UNUSUAL   TONGUES

The tongue, the primary organ of taste, is a group of muscles that manipulates food for mastication. It also serves as a natural means of cleaning one's teeth but for other animals, tongues do have different uses. It’s amazing to know that their tongues have very unusual features.

common garden snail

                                            

Snails seem to be toothless through our naked eye but Common Garden Snail holds the record for having the “most toothed-tongue”. It has 135 rows of teeth so there’s no wonder they do a lot of damage to plants and many crops. Its tough tongue is called radula.

blue whale

                                            

Do you know that the tongue of blue whale alone can feed more than 100,000 of people for a dinner? Blue whale, being the largest creature on earth has a tongue that weighs about 3 short tons. Because it’s really huge, it’s tongue is one of the most remarkable body parts of the blue whale.

cat licking

                                               

Have you ever experience to touch or even felt the tongue of your pet cat? Cat’s tongues are like sandpaper that they felt to be rough. This is use by cats to clean their bodies and detangle fur as it acts like the bristles of a hairbrush. The tongue of cats is composed of rows of hooked, backward-facing spines called papillae. So every time you see your cat licking, it means your cat is grooming.

chameleon catching its prey

                                              

Chameleons are among the most intriguing creatures in the world. These creatures are known for their ability to change color.The chameleon possesses a prehensile tongue adapted for rapidly striking prey that strays within striking distance. This remarkably long tongue can be twice the chameleon’s own body length and extends out faster than the human eye can follow, hitting prey in about 30 thousandths of a second. The tip of this elastic tongue is a muscular, club-like structure covered in thick mucus that forms a suction cup. Once the tip sticks to a prey insect, the tongue is quickly drawn back into the mouth.

anteater with tongue out

                                              

If you thought the chameleon had a big tongue, check out the giant anteater’s, which can reach two feet (60 cm) in length. The anteater coats its tongue in sticky saliva during feeding, allowing it to ensnare ants, and can rapidly flick its tongue from its mouth up to 150 times per minute. After breaking into insect colonies and tree trunks using their long sharp claws, anteaters employ their tongues to collect eggs, larvae and adult insects, a few thousand of which they can guzzle in just minutes.

salamander

                                            

Salamanders are amongst the most powerful creatures on Earth. Some Salamander species can shoot their tongues out so fast that scientists suspect it can’t be done by the direct application of muscle power alone. The salamanders use their tongues to catch flying insects with accuracy. The Salamander’s amazing tongue is launch from its mouth like an arrow from a bow. The estimated maximum speed of a Salamander’s tongue ranges from 6 to 15.7 mps.

giraffe on zoo

                                            

Aside from holding the records of tallest land-dwelling animal, longest neck in the world and longest tail in proportion to its body, Giraffe also hold the record of having one of the toughest tongues in the world. The Giraffe feeds on leaves and twigs of trees, preferring Acacia trees in which some species are very thorny but Giraffe’s tongue and lips are tough enough to withstand the hardy thorns of this plant. Not only that, a Giraffe can clean off any bugs that appear on its face with its extremely long tongue which is about 45 centimeters.

cute little penguin

                                         

Penguins are not just the best swimmer amongst birds they also have a unique tongues which is spiny. The tongue is designed this way so that fish can't slip out of their mouth.

pink flamingo

                                           

Flamingoes possess one of the most extraordinary tongues among animals. Their tongues are spiny just around the edges and serves like a strainer. They will take a big bite of muddy water and then lets everything drain out of its mouth except the seafood.