8 Amazing Facts about Watermelon

Photo credit: www.womanitely.com

Watermelon is one of the most popular and delicious summer fruits that almost everyone loves. Watermelon is low in calories (it has 46 calories per cup) and high in vitamins A and C (it provides 17 percent of your daily  Vitamin A intake and 20 percent of your daily Vitamin C intake.)

Watermelon is also rich in dietary fiber and potassium. While there's a strong debate over whether watermelon is a vegetable or a fruit, many of us consider watermelon to be both. If you want to learn a few amazingly interesting facts about watermeleon, keep reading...

1. Watermelon boosts brain power

Did you know that watermelon can help you boost your brain power? The thing is, watermelon is an exellent source of Vitamin B6, which is vital for normal brain function. Moreover, the water percentage in this delicious fruit is similar to the water percentage in the brain.

2. It has a high water content

Watermelon has an extremely high water content. According to the USDA, watermelon is 91.5 percent water, which means that this fruit can help you stay hydrated throghout the day. Eating watermelon or drinking watermelon juice each day is one of the most delicious ways to stay hydrated during this season, isn't it?

3. It contains about 40 percent more lycopene than raw tomatoes

A cup of watermelon contains 1.5 times more lycopene than a large fresh tomato. Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant that helps prevent the free radical from causing cell damage and can improve your immune system. Moreover, this powerful antioxidant has been shown to lower the risk of cancer in the body.

4. A yellow watermelon

Watermelon comes in different varieties, There's a watermelon that is not pink on the inside. If you want to try something new, opt for Yellow Crimson. This yellow variety of watermelon has a sweet, honey - like taste that you'll definitely love. But it can be difficult to buy a yellow watermelon since it's almost identical with the other watermelon varieties.

5. It'd good for your eyes 

Watermelon is packed with Vitamin A, which is great for your eyes. It helps to boost your eyesight power and it protects your eyes from various infections.

Consume about 100 grams of watermelon each day to keep your eyes healthy and your eyesight sharp.

6. Watermelon juice can reduce muscle soreness

Numerous studies show that watermelon juice can help to reduce muscle soreness, so it's a great drink after a extremely tring workout. The thing is, watermelon is one of the highest source of citulline, which helps to improve artery function and reduce lood pressure. If you have a muscle soreness, consider drinking water juice. Though, I recommend you to consult your doctor first.

7. It helps with weight loss

Eating watermelon is a tasty and frugal way to cleanse your body and drop a few unwanted pounds. as I mentioned above, watermelon is low in calories and high in water and this helps with weight loss.

Watermelon makes a great base for homemade smoothies and the perfect snack between meals as it provides the body with lots of minerals and water.

8. It protects from UV rays

Watermelon is high in lycopene, a carotenoid pigment that boasts powerful antioxidant properties. Lycopene helps to protect you against UV rays, sunburn and skin cancer. I think it's an important reason to incorporate some watermelon into your daily diet.

Watermelon is an awesome fruit that boasts plenty of incredible health benefits. Add watermelon to your summer salads and smoothies, grill it or eat it raw. Summer is the perfect time to enjoy this tasty and healthy fruit. What's your favorite way to eat watermelon?

Share your ideas with us, please.

[Via www.womanitely.com]

'Ambulance Drone' Could Drastically Increase Heart Attack Survival

                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                         photo credit: TU Delt

Nearly a million Europeans suffer from a cardiac arrest each year, and only 8% will survive. Once the heart stops beating, it takes about 4-6 minutes for the brain to die. Sadly, the average response time for ambulances is about 10 minutes. Alec Momont, a graduate student at Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), has designed a drone that provides a professional response within a single minute. This could potentially increase the cardiac arrest survival rate to an astonishing 80%.

" It is essential that the right medical care is provided within the first few minutes of a cardiac arrest," Momont said in a press release . "If we can get to an emergency scene faster we can save many lives and facilitate the recovery of many patients. This especially applies to emergencies such as heart failure,drownings,traumas and respiratory problems, and it has become possible because life-saving technologies, such as a defibrillator, can now be designed small enough to be transported by a drone."

The ambulance drone prototype reaches top speeds of 100 km/h, reaching patients within 12 square kilometers (7.4 square miles) within one minute .The drone is able to fly autonomously, locating the destination via GPS coordinates. It has a carbon composite body and weighs 4 kg (8.8lbs), with the capacity to carry an additional 4kg payload. There is a defibrillator built right in, and the emergency operator who took the phone call can provide instructions in order to use it properly. The drone has the added benefit of an on-board live cam and audio connection, allowing the operator to actually observe the scene and ensure that the defibrillator pads have been applied correctly.

Though defibrillators are commonly available in public areas in case of emergency, 4 out of 5 cardiac arrests occur at home where the equipment likely isn't available. Additionally, the amount of people properly trained in administering CPR or using a defibrillator is not very high. Even those who have been trained may become unnerved when faced with a real life emergency.

"Currently, only 20% of untrained people are able to successfully apply a defibrillator ," Momont continued. "This rate can be increased to 90% if people are provided with instructions at the scene.

Moreover, the presence of the emergency operator via the drone's loudspeaker helps to reduce the panic of the situation."

There are some steps that need to be taken before these devices can be used in a real emergency. Though the drone is able to fly autonomously, it needs to improve its ability to avoid obstacles.

Drones are currently not legally premitted to fly autonomously in the Netherlands, though legislation is predicated to change in the coming year.

Each unit is expected to cost $24,000, and Momont has stated that many medical professionals have already shown interest in the system. He predicts they could be used in as little as five years.

                                        

[All images via www.tudelft.nl]

[Via www.iflscience.com]

6 Foods to Avoid If You Want To Lose Weight

6 Foods to Avoid if You Want to Lose Weight

1. Soads

Source: www.motherearthliving.com

Sodas are loaded with sugar and it's easy to consume an excess of calories in a short amount of time.

Staying hydrated with plain water will add no calories and helps keep you full in between meals.

2. Alcohol

Source: www.psychemedics.com

Alcohol has only empty calories and also slows your metabolism, keeping youfrom burning as many calories the next day.

3. Processed Foods

source: www.achooallergy.com

If you can't pronounce it without a collage degree, don't eat it!

4. Versions of Foods That Are Marketed "Low Fat" or "Fat Free"

source: www.hipmomsgogreen.com

"Low-fat" no doubt means "high sugar" and sugar is the number one culprit of keeping people from losing weight.

5. Anything With High Fructose Corn Syrup

source: www.hipmomsgogreen.com

Not only is HFCS highly processed, it's absorbed into the body even faster than regular sugar and prevents the body from triggering signs you are full-causing you to eat even more. source: drhyman.com

6. Refined Carbohydrates

source: www.newsnetwork.mayclinic.org

White bread and white pasta should be avoided if you are looking to lose a few inches.

Is this the most extreme case of head lice EVER? The video will certainly make your skin crawl....

• Video shows a mother combing millions of insects out of her daughter's hair
• It is estimated the child had been suffering with head lice for month
• Experts say infestations can get so bad that 'nests' of lice are formed 
• Warn not all lice cause itching, so people may not know they have them
• In cases like this, the hairs can become glued together so can't be brushed

This video shows millions of parasites crawling through a child's hair in what experts have described as an extreme case of head lice.

The clip, posted on YouTube, shows a mother struggling to run a fine-toothed nit comb through her daughter's coarse locks, which appear to be filled with white and green creepy crawlies.

As the camera focuses on the comb, countless squirming lice are revealed.

image source : www.dailymail.co.uk

The video shows a mother combings millions of white-green lice from her daughter's hair,which experts identified as head lice

image source : www.dailymail.co.uk

The mother struggles to pull the comb through the coarse hair, which appears to be riddled with insects

video source : YouTube

Dr Alejandra Perotti, a lecturer at the University of Reading's School of Biological  Sciences, identified the infestation as head lice - and said she was shocked at the severity of it.

She told MailOnline : They [infestations] are very common in the UK and in eEurope, but not to this level.

I work in forensic sciences and these types of cases are found in cases of neglect of children or the elderly.

'You also see it in cases of homeless people.'

Head lice, also known as pediculosis capitis, are tiny insects that live in human hair, which grow to the size of a   sesame seed.

They feed by biting the scalp and feeding on blood.

The females lay eggs close to the root of the hair so they are kept warm by the scalp, and these hatch into more lice which breed and multiply.

Dr Perotti added that in bad cases such as this one, children often develop a condition called 'plica polonica' where all the hairs get glued together and cannot brushed.

She said :'This child was almost in that condition.'

'To treat it you have to cut off all the hair. At this moment, they should remove all the hair, to remove the nits - combing and shampoo would not work.'

She added the nits are glued with cement to the hair by the mother louse, very close to the skin.

image source: www.dailymail.co.uk

When Fully grown, head lice are the sizeof sesame seed. They feed by biting the scalp and feeding on blod

She continued: 'So you have to cut the hair very short so the female lice don't lay eggs.

'Even if the child gets treatment, they will still get lice for about a year, as the old nits become visible.'

One underused method of treating head lice is to use antibiotics, Dr Peroti said.

She explained: 'All human lice have a bacterium living inside them.

'If you treat the person with antibiotics, it's likely the lice will die, because it kills this bacterium inside of them and they can't survive without it.

'Any simple , mild antibiotic will kill the lice.'

Source :[www.dailymail.co.uk]

This Woman Drinks 3 Litres Of Water Every Day And The Result Are Shocking!

42 year old , Sarah Smith is a British mother of two who was syffering from migrains. The suggested cure by her doctor , turned out to be the secret to her youth fountain. The doctor suggested she stops taking caffeine and increase her water intake. The picture on the left shows Sarah as an average 42 year old. During this time she was always sluggish and suffered from constant migraines. The fountain of our youth is clearly right within our reach.

Image Source: www.dailymail.co.uk

The amount of water she drank drastically made a change to her appearance. Her daily routine was normal during the photo on the left."Usually i start my day with a cup of tea , then i might have a glass of water with my lunch and one with dinner - that's about a litre of liquid in 24 hours. It feels like plenty , but apparently it's not nearly enough." She said in an article on Daily Mail.

She read survey that said that one in five women usually consumes less than the recommended amount of water in the UK. This is what led to her experiment. The photo on the left was taken the day she started the trail. It clearly indicates what dehydration can do to a face.

"I am 42, but have to admit i look more like 52 in this picture , which is shocking. There are dark shadows under and around my eyes, wich make me look exhausted, a profusion of wrinkles and strange reddish blotches, amd my skin lacks any lustre. It looks dead." She says.

Most of our body functions and systems depend on water. It helps carry nutrients to cells, flash out toxins from our vital organs , eleminate waste and ensure a moist environment for our nose , ear and throat tissues. Not drinking enough water impairs most of these functions.

For 28 days, Sarah took 3 litres of water daily and these are the results:

Week one : Waist 28in,Weight 8st 7lb

Sarah inquired from her local GP on whether taking all that water ( three liters sounds like a lot) will affect her health." I suggest you have a big jug of water in the morning , then another in afternoon and another in the evening," he says."Your kidneys, wich filter waste products from blood before turning it to urine, will quickly feel the benefit, as they will be getting a good flush through."

Image Source: www.whydontyoutrythis.com

Her migraines began to go away and her flexibility improved. Wter, according to Gemma Critchley, (British Dietic Association)helps lubricate joints.

Week Two: Waist 28in, Weight 8st 6lb

She lost a pound."My complexion is improving and my skin tone is more even.I still have wrinkles under my eyes, but they look less creepy and shadowy than before.The blotch on my face are diminishing, and the shadows around my eyes are less pronounced," she says.She also had stopped having headaches.

Image Source:www.dailymail.co.uk

"Our brain is 73 percent water, so poor hydration can affect how it functions.

dehydration can reduce our ability to concentrate as well as our cognitive performance," says nutritional physiology senior lecture at Metroploitan University, Dr Emma Derbyshire.

Crichely advises on water being the best choice becoause it doesn't have calories and will provide the much needed hydration. She also warns against taking juice since it will provide you with excess  energy than you need.

Week Three: Wais 27.5in, Weight8st 8lb

She lost half am inch on her waist."The dark rings and wrinkles under my eyes have virtually disappeared, and my skin looks plumper and more nourished," she say. She also stopped rubbing her eyes in the morning, which meant the extra water was keeping them moist.

she ate less since water made her fuller.Studies show that 37% of people usually mistake being thirsty for hunger.

Image Source: www.dailymail.co.uk

Week Four: Waist 27in, Weight 8st 5lb

She lost another 1lb and half an inch on the waist."I genuinely can't belive the difference in my face. I look like a different woman. The dark shadows around my eyes have all but disappeared and the blotches have gone. My skin is almost as dewy as it was when i was a child. The transformation is nothing short of remarkable."

Image Source: www.dailymail.co.uk

That's the difference drinking lots of water can bring to your life."I feel filler, leaner and healthier, and my husband and friends tell me i look ten years younger. Who in their right mind would not want to try something wich gets such incredible results?" she asks.

[Source: www.dailymail.co.uk]

This Family Ate No Sugar For A Whole Year. What They Found Out Was Shocking

Story by Eve O .Schaub
"Once upon time , i was healthy; at least i thought i was" , starts the story of Eve. she didn't have enough energy to get through the day. But the energy drink commercials targeting all tired Americans gave her comfort because she knew she was not suffering alone. Everyone in her family dreaded the cold season and coming flu but by January, everyone had developed a degree of germ phobia.

Image Source:www.mbblife.com

According to experts, Sugar is making many Americans sick and fat. When she heard this information, it greatly disturbed her and suddenly it started making more sense to her. One in every seven Americans was suffering from the metabolic syndrome, one among tree is obese , diabetes rates are skyrocketing and the number one killer in America, is the cardiovascular disease. Their theory is that all this problems can be linked to one common toxic presence in what we eat ....sugar.

With this newly found knowledge, she formulated an idea an wtanted to see just how hard it could be if her family spent a whole year eatings foods with no sugar. She decided that her husband , two children ( 6 and 11), and herself would cut out anything with added sweeteners ; be it honey, sugar, maple syrup, molasses, fruit juice and agave. They also got rid from their diet anything made using sugar alcohols or fake sugar , unless the sweetenerss came naturally like from fruits, they didn't eat it.

One looking closely they found sugar in some amazing places; sausages; tortillas, chicken broth, cold cuts, salad dressings, mayonnaise, bread, bacon, crackers, and baby food. "Why add all of this sugar?to make these items more palatable, add shelf life, and make packaged food production ever cheaper," she says.

Avoiding sugar for an year, was a grand adventure for her. She wanted to know what would happen, how hard it could be , whether anything interesting would happen and how her shopping and cooking would change. After doing some research , she was  convinced that by avoiding sugar , they would get more healthier. What she wasn't expecting was how it made her feel better in real and tangible way.

The longer she went without the sugar , the more she felt better and energitic. But her doubts if any about this were removed during her husband's birthday.

During the year the family went without sugar , they had rules. In a month. they only had one sugar containing dessert. You chose what dessert to have on your birthday.By September, their tastes had changed and they slowly and with time started not enjoying their monthly treats. But she knew changes was upon them during her husband's birthday. He had requested a multilayered banana cream pie. Not only did she not enjoy it ,, she could not finish it. She found it sickly sweet and it actually made her teeth hurt. Her head began pounding and her heart began to race. It was an awful feeling. It took her an hour of rest on the couch for her head to recover."Geez," she thought,"has sugar always made me feel bad, but because it was everywhere , i just never noticed it before?"

Image Source: www.everydayhealth.com

After the year without sugar, she counted how many times her kids were absent from school that year and compared it to other years. She was surprised. Greta, her older daughter had only missed two days of school compared to 15 the year before.

Their grand adventure; one year without sugar is now over. They will occasionally indulge but their way of eating has changed. Sugar is appreciated in smaller amounts and they avoid it totally in everyday foods.

They however save desserts for only truly special occasions. Her body, she says, is thanking her for the decision. She no longer runs out of energy and during the flu seasons , she doesn't have to hide in bed with her children.When they do come up with something their bodies are better equipped.They rarely get sick and get well so much faster. To her surprise, after the no-sugar life, they all feel stronger and healthier . There is nothing to sneeze at.

Eve O Schaub authored Year of No Sugar: A Memoir. She holds a BA and BFA from Cornell University and MFA from the Rochester Insitute of Technology.

Source: www.everydayhealth.com