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MAGIC OF COCONUT OIL
Dry skin, a paper cut, maybe even a tummy ache? Try a drop of coconut oil. Offering a myriad of health benefits, coconut oil is affordable, readily available and completely natural. Here are six reasons to give it a try:
1. Skin Care: Wanna look like you just came back from an hour of yoga? Coconut oil works wonders as a moisturizer for all skin types, especially dry skin and aging skin, leaving you refreshed and looking wide-awake. No headstand required! The fat in the oil helps reduce the appearance of wrinkles without any irritation. Coconut oil can also help with skin problems like psoriasis, dermatitis, eczema and other skin conditions. In fact, the oil is frequently used in expensive skin care products. Try our easy, inexpensive recipe for a great honey and coconut oil moisturizer.
2. Stress Relief: Long day at the office, kids won’t stop screaming and your dog left a little “present” on your vintage bedspread? Relieve mental fatigue by applying coconut oil to the head in a circular, massaging motion. The natural aroma of coconuts is extremely soothing thus helping to lower your stress level.
HOW HOT IS MERCURY?
Despite being closest to the sun, Mercury is not the hottest planet. The hottest planet is Venus (at 462 Celsius). The temperature on Mercury may reach 450 degrees C (840 degrees F) during the day. But at night, the temperature may drop as low as -170 degrees C (-275 degrees F). The sunlight on Mercury's surface is 6.5 times as intense as it is on Earth due its closeness to the sun.
TAKE VITAMIN B TO LOWER WORK STRESS
Taking more Vitamin B, found in meat, beans and wholegrains, seems to significantly lower work-related stress. These were the findings of a three-month trial, conducted by Con Stough, professor at Swimburne University of Technology, where participants were given a course of either high dose vitamin B supplements or a placebo. "By lowering stress, we also lower the risk of health problems such as cardiovascular disease, depression and anxiety," Stough was quoted as saying by the journal Human Psychopharmacology. Researchers assessed 60 participants against factors such as personality, work demands, mood, anxiety and strain and then re-evaluated them at 30 and 90 days, said Stough, according to a Swimburne statement. "At the end of the three-month period, those in the Vitamin B group reported much lower levels of work stress than they did at the beginning of the trial," Stough said. "On the other hand, those in the placebo group showed no significant change," he added. "Vitamin B, which is found in whole unprocessed foods such as meat, beans and wholegrains, is integral to the synthesis of neurotransmitters critical to psychological wellbeing," he said. "But the reality is that many people don’t get enough Vitamin B from their diet, so they are turning to vitamin supplementation," added Stough.
WHAT DOES LIGHTNING DO TO THE ATMOSPHERE?
There are lightning strikes somewhere on earth 100 times a second. And every time lightning strikes, it generates Ozone gas. This strengthens the Ozone Layer in the upper atmosphere you know, the one with the big hole that heightens our need for sunscreen. A cloud to ground bolt of lightning carries between 100 million and 1 billion volts. It can reach 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit 3-4 times hotter than the surface of the sun!
VITAMIN E PREVENTS MUSCLE WASTING, REPAIRS CELLS
Vitamin E is rubbed on the skin to reduce signs of ageing and is consumed by runners to improve endurance. But scientists now have found how the powerful antioxidant helps repair tears in the plasma membrane. Daily activities such as eating and exercise can tear the plasma membrane and a new research by Georgia Health Sciences University shows that vitamin E is essential to repair, the journal Nature Communications reported. Without repair of muscle cells, for example, muscles eventually waste away and die in a process similar to what occurs in muscular dystrophy, said a university statement. Muscle weakness is a common complaint in diabetes, another condition associated with inadequate plasma membrane repair. "Without any special effort we consume vitamin E every day and we don`t even know what it does in our bodies," said Paul McNeil, Georgia`s cell biologist and study co-author. Century-old animal studies linked vitamin E deficiency to muscle problems but how that happens remained a mystery until now, McNeil said. According to him, lack of membrane repair causing muscle wasting and death prompted him to look at vitamin E. Vitamin E appears to aid repair in several ways. As an antioxidant, it helps eliminate destructive byproducts from the body`s use of oxygen that impede repair. Because it`s lipid-soluble, vitamin E can actually insert itself into the membrane to prevent free radicals from attacking. It also can help keep phospholipids, a major membrane component, compliant so they repair better after a tear. SALBAN VIHAR
Salban Vihar situated at Mainamati-Lalmai, Comilla, Bangladesh. It is a large quadrangular monastery with a cruciform central shrine with an elaborate gateway complex on the north. It has 115 monastic cells. According to a terracotta inscribed seal it was built during the Deva King Bhava Deva in the early 8th century A.D. The lower basement of its central temple in relieved with frieze of terracotta plaques depicting scene mostly from the folk life of ancient Bengal.
CHOTO SONA MASJID
Choto Sona Masjid situated at Chapainawabganj, Bangladesh. It is a remarkably fine architectural specimen of the Sultante Period. Built by Wali Muhammad son of Ali during the reign of Sultan Hossain Shah (1493-1519). It has fifteen gilded domes including three chauchala domes in the middle row. Chief attractions of the Mosque are its intricate stone carvings and decoration.
BAGHA MOSQUE
Bagha Mosque situated at Rajshahi, Bangladesh. Built in 1523 A.D. by Sultan Nusrat Shah. Son of Hussain Shah. It is a richly decorated monument originally roofed over with 10 domes which collapsed long ago but recently rebuilt carefully to their original form. The superb terracotta decoration on the central mihrab represents floral frame work and jali rosettes. The whole outer surface of the mosque is beautifully embellished with fine terracotta art motifs. One can start his journey for the monument from Rajshahi Railway Station by any kind of motorized vehicle.
QUICK IRONING TIPS
• Iron your shirts in batches. Ironing a shirt only takes a few minutes, but half of that time is taken up with preparation–getting the ironing board set up, the iron filled and hot, etc. So use your time more effectively by ironing all your shirts in one batch instead of whenever you need one.
• If you’re ironing a large number of shirts or other articles of clothing, start with the garments needing the lowest temperature. Then move to the garments (cotton and linens) that require the highest temperatures. The reasoning is that it takes an iron longer to cool off than heat up, and it decreases the likelihood of damage to your clothing.
• If you dry your shirts in a clothing dryer, pull them out before they are fully dry. Better yet, don’t even place them in a dryer and instead put them on a wood hanger and iron them right out from the washing machine. No need to moisten or use any steam.
STRATEGY TO 'QUIT SMOKING'
Quitting is also the best health decision you`ll ever make, with smoking still the biggest cause of premature death and preventable disease world over. A latest research suggests that understanding what it is that makes you light up in the first place is the key to finding the quit method best suited to you. Below are the most common smoking personalities with tailored advice to ensure your habit goes up in smoke.
1. The stress smoker: You can happily survive without cigarettes until you have a problem at work or fight with your partner. For you, smoking is a way to ease tension.Quit strategy: Get moving. Exercise is not only the ideal alternative stress-buster; research shows it can help you banish cravings. When you smoke, the nicotine triggers a rapid release of adrenaline, the `fight or flight` hormone, which speeds up your metabolism. Exercising also releases adrenaline, but in a more positive way to help the body burn fat and boost energy and mood levels, the perfect healthy substitute to satisfy a cigarette craving.
2. The nicotine junkie: Upon waking, your first thought is `cigarette` and you smoke regularly throughout the day, feeling jittery if you miss one. Although most smokers are hooked on nicotine, the chemical addiction feels particularly strong.
INSECT EATING PLANTS
Insect-eating plants (Carnivorous plants) grow mainly in soils poor in nitrogen. They have evolved various methods of trapping insects and digesting their bodies to obtain nitrogen. Sundew is a tiny, reddish bog-plant with round or oval leaves covered in sticky hairs. Insects that land on the leaves cannot fly away and the hairs close around them. Digestive juices break down the insect's body and the leaf absorbs the nutrients. Bladderwort lives underwater. Its leaves have little bladders that open inwards by means of a tiny trap-door. Water fleas and other small creatures may swim into a bladder but they are unable to swim out again. They die, and the plant uses the products from their bodies. The pitcher plants are large, tropical species whose leaves are modified into flasks or pitchers. Insects that land on the rim slide into the flask over the slippery, waxy coating and drown in the liquid at the bottom of the flask.
Five basic trapping mechanisms are found in carnivorous plants.
1. Pitfall traps (pitcher plants): trap prey in a rolled leaf that contains a pool of digestive enzymes or bacteria.
2. Flypaper traps: use a sticky mucilage.
3. Snap traps: utilize rapid leaf movements.
4. Bladder traps: suck in prey with a bladder that generates an internal vacuum.
HEALING POWERS OF LEMONS!!!
If you’re not getting fresh lemons into your diet, you may want to reconsider after reading the many health benefits of lemons, lemon juice, pith (the white part), or zest (skin).Here are 13 amazing healing powers of lemons:
1. Bowel-Cleansing: The bitter taste of lemon gives these fruit the ability to increase peristalsis–a pumping-motion in the bowels–which helps to eliminate waste from the bowels and improve regularity. Add the juice of one lemon to warm water and drink first thing in the morning.
2. Cancer: Lemons contain 22 anti-cancer compounds, including limonene-a naturally-occurring oil that slows or halts the growth of cancer tumors in animals. Lemons also contain a substance called flavonol glycosides which stop cell division in cancer cells.
3. Colds and Flu: Lemons are rich in vitamin C and flavonoids that work in conjunction for a serious punch against infection.
4. Liver: Fresh lemon juice added to a large glass of water in the morning is a great liver detoxifier.
5. Nutrition: Lemons contain vitamin C, citric acid, flavonoids, B-complex vitamins, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and fiber.
6. Balances Body Chemistry: While lemons are acidic they interact with the body’s metabolism to have an alkalizing effect on the bodily fluids helping to restore balance to the body’s pH.
BLACK TEA MAY MANAGE TO LOWER BLOOD PRESSURE
Now-a-days, suffering from blood pressure is a very common problem. The ratio of suffering people increases across the world in alarming rate. To some extent high blood pressure is a silent killer. So, if you are suffering from blood pressure, you can drink at least three cups of black tea daily which may help you lower your pressure, scientists have claimed. Researchers at the University of Western Australia found that people who drank three cups of black tea a day managed to lower their blood pressure (BP) levels by an average of two to three points. That may not sound like much, but even small reductions in BP levels can have a major impact on the prevalence of high blood pressure (hypertension) and risk of heart disease, the researchers said. “At a population level, the observed differences in BP would be associated with a 10 per cent reduction in the prevalence of hypertension and a seven per cent to 10 per cent reduction in the risk of heart disease and stroke,” study author Jonathan Hodgson was quoted.
PAHARPUR BUDDHIST VIHARA
According to the Bengali Vocabulatory, the name Paharpur (Pahar = hill, pur = locality) means a locality of hill. It is a village in Badalgachi Upazila of Naogaon District. The nearest railway station of Jamalganj that lies on the Khulna-Parvatipur rail tract and is connected with Paharpur by a 5 km long brick metalled bye-way. Paharpur can also be reached from its nearest airport, Sayedpur, following a metalled road via Joypurhat. The village contains the ruins of a Buddhist monastery which was called Somapura Mahavihara (the great monastery situated in the locality of moon) in the ancient Buddhist World. It is now a World Cultural Heritage (BGD. 292). The monastery is square in plan, being 281m on each side. Built by Dharmapala (781-821 AD) the second ruler of the Pala dynasty, and reconstructed at least twice by his descendants, each of its with has thick exterior wall with two entrance provisions on the north and one in the east. Besides, there has a row of monastic cells, fronted by a running corridor, abutting the exterior wall. Some of the cells contain solid pedestals. There has also a sub-worshipping point in the mid-most part of each wing excepting the north one. Each worshipping point, excepting the southern one, has a staircase connection with the monastery courtyard in front. In the center of the open courtyard of the monastery there stands the residual vestige of a four-faced shrine.
HOW BIG IS OSTRICH'S EYE?
An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain. Despite the tiny brains, ostriches are big birds. They can weigh between 140 to 290 lbs and their eggs range from 3 to 5 lbs. Ostriches are closely related to dinosaurs, and have similar tissue to a T-Rex. One thing that's not true about ostriches is that they don't bury their heads in the sand when they're scared. Male ostriches dig large holes with their beaks to make a nest for ostrich eggs. The male and female both tend to the nest regularly by flipping the eggs with their beaks, and they both take turns sitting on the nest.
WHO INVENTED SUBMARINE?
Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) made sketches of a submarine and William Bourne, a British mathematician, drew plans for a submarine in 1578. But it was only in 1620 that Cornelius van Drebbel, a Dutch inventor, managed to build a submarine. He wrapped a wooden rowboat tightly in waterproofed leather and had air tubes with floats to the surface to provide oxygen. Of course, there were no engines yet, so the oars went through the hull at leather gaskets. He took the first trip with 12 oarsmen in the Thames River staying submerged for 3 hours.
WHAT'S THE ORIGIN OF GOLD?
The origin of gold on our planet is believed to be the result of a bombardment by meteorites which occurred more than 200 million years after Earth was formed. Sulfur plays very important role in the creation of gold deposits because it enhances gold solubility. Gold is formed together with dozens of other elements such as iron, manganese, silicon, lithium, in massive stars that become supernova. These all elements come together in a package and gold has no chemical or physical properties that would cause only gold molecules to bind together and form planets or any other space bodies.
THE MIRACLE OF GREEN TEA
Is any other food or drink reported to have as many health benefits as green tea? The Chinese have known about the medicinal benefits of green tea since ancient times, using it to treat everything from headaches to depression. In her book Green Tea: The Natural Secret for a Healthier Life, Nadine Taylor states that green tea has been used as a medicine in China for at least 4,000 years. Today, scientific research in both Asia and the west is providing hard evidence for the health benefits long associated with drinking green tea. For example, in 1994 the Journal of the National Cancer Institute published the results of an epidemiological study indicating that drinking green tea reduced the risk of esophageal cancer in Chinese men and women by nearly sixty percent. University of Purdue researchers recently concluded that a compound in green tea inhibits the growth of cancer cells. There is also research indicating that drinking green tea lowers total cholesterol levels, as well as improving the ratio of good (HDL) cholesterol to bad (LDL) cholesterol.FOODS THAT FIGHT CHOLESTEROL
Oats:
Dietary fibre plays an important role in maintaining our health and protecting us against many diseases like diabetes, heart disease. Oats, oat bran, and oatmeal contain a specific type of fibre known as beta-glucan. It is a soluble fibre that helps in decreasing LDL (bad cholesterol). One of the special things about the way oats work unlike other fibres is that it lowers only bad cholesterol while levels of good cholesterol (HDL) remain unchanged. This means an even better ratio between total cholesterol and HDL, ensuring increased protection against heart disease. Oatmeal is the only wholegrain food recognised by the FDA to lower cholesterol and the risk of heart disease, thereby allows its claim as a heart protective ingredient in food labels. Studies also show that in individuals with high cholesterol (above 220 mg/dl), consuming just 3 grams of soluble oat fibre per day (an amount found in a bowl of oatmeal) typically lowers total cholesterol.
Soyabean: Soy protein protects against various heart diseases and hypercholesterolemia as it decreases LDL (bad cholesterol) significantly, increases HDL (good cholesterol) and prevents oxidation of bad cholesterol to prevent oxidation in blood vessels.
WHAT ARE HALOES?
Like rainbows, haloes are formed around the Sun due to moisture (in this case ice crystals) being refracted from the Sun's rays in the upper atmosphere. Sometimes two or more areas of the circle or arcs surrounding the Sun will be brighter, forming what are called Sun Dogs. Haloes can also form around the Moon, and occasionally around the brighter stars and planets like Venus.
FOODS FOR WHITENING TEETH NATURALLY
Teeth-whitening products aren`t cheap, which is why I loved learning about the foods that can polish and scrub your teeth and get rid of stains naturally. USA Today had the scoop on the foods, according to dental experts, that can scrub away stains and keep them sparkling white. The so-called "toothbrush foods" are as follows:
1. Apples and celery: Crunchy fruits and veggies are great for clearing away plaque and polishing the teeth and gums. They also increase saliva productions which can protect your oral health, say experts.
2. Strawberries: Think of them as nature`s teeth polishers. Strawberries produce an enzyme called malic acid, which is said to keep teeth white, according to a spokesperson for the Academy of General Dentistry.
3. Cheese: Good news for cheese lovers! Your favorite white cheddar, and other cheeses, contain a type of lactic acid that helps zap tooth decay.
WHO IS CALLED 'FATHER OF HISTORY'?"
Greek thinker Herodotus (484 BC-425 BC) is known as Father of history. In his nine scrolls known as The Histories, Herodotus described the conflict between his own people, the Greeks, and the Persian Empire. While telling the story of their own civilization in conflict with another, many people would be inclined to take sides, but Herodotus strove to show each side's perspective in the struggle. In this, he was like the great poet Homer, but Herodotus innovated even further. Homer wrote his epic as if narrated by a goddess; Herodotus spoke with his own voice, and relayed his own experiences and research.
SECRET OF MONA LISA
The enigmatic smile remains a mystery, but French scientists say they have cracked a few secrets of the "Mona Lisa." French researchers studied seven of the Louvre Museum's Leonardo da Vinci paintings, including the "Mona Lisa," to analyze the master's use of successive ultrathin layers of paint and glaze-a technique that gave his works their dreamy quality. Specialists from the Center for Research and Restoration of the Museums of France found that da Vinci painted up to 30 layers of paint on his works to meet his standards of subtlety. Added up, all the layers are less than 40 micrometers, or about half the thickness of a human hair, mentioned by researcher Philippe Walter. The technique, called "sfumato," allowed da Vinci to give outlines and contours a hazy quality and create an illusion of depth and shadow. His use of the technique is well-known, but scientific study on it has been limited because tests often required samples from the paintings. The French researchers used a noninvasive technique called X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy to study the paint layers and their chemical composition. They brought their specially developed high-tech tool into the museum when it was closed and studied the portraits' faces, which are emblematic of sfumato. The project was developed in collaboration with the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility in Grenoble. The analysis of the various paintings also shows da Vinci was constantly trying out new methods, Walter said. In the "Mona Lisa," da Vinci used manganese oxide in his shadings. In others, he used copper. Often he used glazes, but not always. Tradition holds that the "Mona Lisa" is a painting of Lisa Gherardini, wife of Florentine merchant Francesco del Giocondo, and that da Vinci started painting it in 1503. Giorgio Vasari, a 16th-century painter and biographer of da Vinci and other artists, wrote that the perfectionist da Vinci worked on it for four years.
APRICOT FOR BRIGHT EYE
HOME GARDENING
Gardening in tropical and humid climates such as ours is an ordeal but once you get the hang of it you will see it more as an adventure and less as a chore. Not all plants are suited for indoor cultivation, but you can easily grow outdoor plants such as Hibiscus, Miscanthus cabaret, New Zealand flax, Cardinal lobelia, Canary reed-grass (ground-cover), Kalanchoe (annual plant), Agave (for sandy well-drained soil) in a patch of land overlooking the patio, if you have one. However, many tropical plants require some extra care as they perish quite easily if they do not find the favourable conditions in your garden. The trick is to follow some simple, basic rules. The obvious thing to be careful about is the quality of soil. Tropical plants need well-soaked soil, so make sure that the soil in your garden or flowering pot is capable of retaining moisture for a long time after watering. Another consideration is the choice of fertilizers. For instance, tropical flower plants should not be supplied with too much of nitrogenous fertilizers; it hampers their normal growth. It increases the growth of the leaves, but decreases the blooming of the flowers. Also, apart from nitrogen rich chemicals, fertilizers containing phosphorus and potash are also recommended for tropical plants. You may use these in minimal quantity, so that they do not hamper the growth of the plants. As mentioned earlier, not many of us have an outdoor space in which to indulge our gardening aspirations. As a seasoned gardener says, “Plants in the outdoors get a lot of rainfall in our climate, except in the winter. But when plants are indoors, it is very important to keep them hydrated by watering the pots at least once a day. Also important is to remember that plants should be kept close to a light source, preferably by a window, because as we all know green plants cannot survive without sunlight.”
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