Sunday, August 15, 2010

Did you know ?

1 MOPED is the short term for 'Motorized Pedaling'.

2. POP MUSIC is 'Popular Music' shortened.

3. BUS is the short term for 'Omnibus' that means for everybody.

4. FORTNIGHT comes from 'Fourteen Nights' (Two Weeks).

5. DRAWING ROOM was actually a 'withdrawing room' where people withdrew after Dinner. Later the prefix 'with' was dropped..

6. NEWS refers to information from Four directions N, E, W and S..

7. AG-MARK, which some products bear, stems from 'Agricultural Marketing'.

8. TIPS come from 'To Insure Prompt Service'. In olden days to get Prompt service from servants in an inn, travelers used to drop coins in a Box on which was written 'To Insure Prompt Service'. This gave rise to the custom of Tips.

9. JEEP is a vehicle with unique Gear system. It was invented during World War II (1939-1945). It was named 'General Purpose Vehicle (GP)'.GP was changed into JEEP later.

10. The name of all the continents end with the same letter that they start with.

11. The strongest muscle in the body is the tongue.

12. Each king in a deck of playing cards represents a great king from history.
  • Spades - King David
  • Clubs - Alexander the Great,
  • Hearts - Charlemagne
  • Diamonds - Julius Caesar.
13. The electric chair was invented by a dentist.

Desi Dawa's Local Indian Home Remedies

Here are 35 Indian Home Remedies for everything imaginable and have been used for hundreds of years, before the advent of modern medicine.


This is good especially for minor aliments and aches and pains. Print it out and keep it in a place where you can find it easily, when needed. This may avoid a trip to the doctors and/or make you feel healthy (and even look beautiful) in the process. Take Care!

1) Home Remedies for Asthma:

Take 1 tsp honey and 1/4 tsp cinnamon powder and mix them well before consuming. For people who are in their early stages of asthma, a perfect home remedy is to boil 8-10 cloves of garlic in 1/2 cup of milk and consume it during night time. Take very hot water and add a tsp of honey in it. Consume it just before sleeping and take small sips

2) Home Remedies for Body Odour:

Use antibacterial soap or deodorant soap while bathing. To combat the unpleasant armpit odour apply cider vinegar. It serves as the best body odour home remedy treatment. In the bathing water, add a few cups of tomato juice and soak yourself in water for about 15 minutes.

3) Home Remedies for Backache:

Lime juice serves as an excellent home remedy for backache. Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon and add common salt in it. Drink it two times in a day. It will act as a great back pain reliever.

As a part of back pain home remedy treatment, raw potato in the form of poultice is to be applied on the pain affected area.

Usually Vitamin C that is mainly found in citrus fruits is considered valuable for getting rid of backaches. Consume about 2000 mg of this vitamin everyday.

Applying garlic oil on the back gives immense relief from back pain. Take about 10 small garlic pieces and fry them in oil on a low flame. You can either use sesame oil, coconut oil or mustard oil. Fry till the garlic cloves turn light brown. Let the oil prepared from garlic cool completely.

Thereafter apply it on the back and keep it for about three hours. In a couple of days, you'll feel its magical effects

4)Home Remedies for Cough:

Grapes help a great deal in treating cold in a few days. Consume 1 cup grape juice and also add 1-teaspoon honey to it.

Almonds are excellent for dry coughs. Soak about seven almonds in water and keep them overnight. Next morning peel off the brown skin.Now grind them to form a powder and add twenty grams each of butter and sugar and form a paste. Consume it twice a day , once in the morning and the second time in the evening.

5) Home Remedies for Common Cold:

Lemon can be used effectively to treat common cold, as it increases the body resistance. Take one glass of warm water and pour some lime juice and a tsp of honey in it and consume it once or twice on a daily basis.

Take 1 tbsp of Pepper powder and boil it in a cup of milk. Also add on a pinch of turmeric to it. Put some sugar for taste. Drink it once in a day for about three days.

Take 3-4 tsp Onion juice and 3-4 tsp Honey and mix well before consuming.

6) Home Remedies for Common Fever:

The juice of grapefruit is valuable in all fevers. Helpful in quenching thirst, it also removes the burning sensation produced by the fever. Half a glass of grapefruit juice should be taken with half a glass of water.

Another ideal food in all types of fever is orange. It provides energy, increases urinary output, and promotes body resistance against infections. It is especially effective when the digestive power of the body is seriously hampered.

7)Home Remedies for Defective Vision:

Consume foods rich in vitamin A (like raw spinach, turnip tops, milk cream, cheese, butter, tomatoes, lettuce, carrots, cabbage, Soya beans, green peas, fresh milk), as vitamin A helps in improving the eyesight.

8) Home Remedies for Diabetes:

Take 15 fresh mango leaves and boil them in 1 glass of water. Keep them overnight. Filter and drink the next morning.

As a part of diabetes home remedy treatment, grapefruit is considered most beneficial. Eat three grape fruits three times in a day.

Indian gooseberry (Amla), a rich source of vitamin C serves as the best home remedy for diabetes. Take 1 tbsp of gooseberry juice and mix it with a cup of bitter gourd (Karela) juice. Consume the mixture daily for about 2 months.

9) Home Remedies for Dry Chapped Lips:

Drink plenty of water every day. Cut fine slices of cucumber and rub on lips. Take a saline bath. Apply neem leaves extract on your lips.

10) Home Remedies for Diarrhoea:

Take a ripe banana and mash it properly. Add 1 tsp of tamarind pulp and a pinch of salt to it. Consume this mixture two times in a day.

A simple effective home remedy for diarrhea is to drink a cup of strong tea or coffee.

A popular diarrhea home remedy treatment is to consume a paste made of 15-20 fresh curry leaves mixed with 1 tsp honey.

Take a ripe banana, add 1/4 tsp nutmeg powder to it and eat it on a daily basis.

Take a tsp of date paste and mix with 1 tsp honey. This mixture is to be consumed 4-5 times a day.

11) Home Remedies for Ear Ache:

Boil 3-4 cloves of Garlic in some water. Mash them and add a pinch of salt. Wrap this 0poultice in a flannel or woolen cloth and place on the aching ear.

Pour some garlic juice in the paining ear. Its antibiotic qualities help to relieve the pain.

Take Vitamin C to boost=2 0your immune system. It is a natural antibiotic and antihistamine that helps to reduce inflammation and fever. Include zinc in your diet because it reduces ear infection. Certain foods, more commonly dairy products like milk, butter, cheese etc tend to aggravate ear infections, so it is better to avoid them during an ear infection

12)Home Remedies for Genital Warts:

Extract juice from onion slices and add salt to it. Apply this juice on the wart-affected area and see the magical effects.

Another great idea is to apply the milky juice of figs on the warts 2-3 times in a day, till the warts disappear.

Put few drops of apple cider vinegar on the warts using cotton ball.

Consume foods rich in folic acid and beta-carotene. Eat plenty of green leafy veggies

13) Home Remedies for Gingivitis:

Take some clove oil and rub it on your gums. Or else, keep a clove in your mouth and chew slowly.

Brush your teeth with toothpaste that contains sage oil, peppermint oil etc..

In 1 glass of lukewarm water, add a pinch of salt and prepare a homemade saline solution. Using this solution, gargle two times in a day. It will help a great deal in reducing the swelling in your mouth.

To heal the gum swelling, use an anti bacterial mouth wash.

Patients suffering from Gingivitis should consume foods containing low saturated fats.

14) Home Remedies for Hair Loss:

One of the best home remedies for treating hair loss is to massage your scalp with fingers gently. It will also aid in increasing blood circulation and lend glow to your hair.

 Amla oil serves as an excellent tonic for hair conditioning. Apply this oil on the scalp and see the wonderful results.. OR for nourishing your hair, apply coconut milk all over your scalp and massage it into the hair roots.

15) Home Remedies for Hangover:

Drink plenty of water before going to bed as well as when you wake up in the morning.

Eating some foodstuff while and after you are drinking will slow down the rate at which alcohol enters the blood, thereby reducing the hangover.

Consume vitamin C tablets, as they lead to the breakdown of alcohol content in the body.

16) Home Remedies for Headache:

Eat an apple with a little salt on an empty stomach everyday and see its wonderful effects.

When headache is caused by cold winds, cinnamon works best in curing headache. Make a paste of cinnamon by mixing in water and apply it all over your forehead

17) Home Remedies for Heartburn:

Ginger serves as an effective home remedy for heartburn. Grind fresh ginger and prepare ginger tea.. You can even add ginger to foods.

Increase your fiber intake, as it aids in the absorption of excess acid and gas. It helps in flushing out the toxins from your body.

Dr ink plenty of water at least 8 glasses everyday.

Green tea is also effective in treating heartburn.

Prepare herbal tea containing equal small amounts of peppermint, chamomile, ginger, licorice root and catnip. Preferably, it should be taken after dinner

18) Home Remedies for Herpes:

Take a few ice cubes and rub them on the cold sore affected area for a few minutes.

Take a warm tea bag and apply it on the fever blisters for about half an hour.

Lemon balm extract is considered valuable in healing Herpes infection.

Consume foods rich in vitamins. Zinc and iron are also vital. Eat plenty of fruits and green veggies

19) Home Remedies for High Blood Cholesterol:

In 1 glass of water, add 2 tbsps of coriander seeds and bring to a boil. Let the decoction cool for some time and then strain. Drink this mixture two times in a day.

Sunflower seeds are extremely beneficial, as they contain linoleic acid that helps in reducing the cholesterol deposits on the walls of arteries. You just need to modify your cooking style a bit and substitute sunflower seeds for solid fats such as butter and cream.

Incorporate loads of fiber in your meals, as fiber helps a great=2 0deal in lowering the cholesterol pressure in blood.

20) Home Remedies for High Blood Pressure:

A real effective home remedy for high blood pressure is to take 1 tsp honey, 1 tsp ginger juice and 1 tsp cumin powder and mix them well. Have this mixture at least two times in a day. As a part of high bp home remedy treatment, it's good to try out the idea of consuming coriander or fenu greek leaves mixed in 1 cup of water.

Take about 25-30 curry leaves and make a juice, using 1-cup water. You can even add on lime juice to it for making it tastier. Strain and drink it in the morning.

21) Home Remedies for Menopausal Disorder:

When a woman experiences menopause, she should take a daily supplement consisting of 500 mg magnesium and 2 gm of calcium.

Carrot seeds are of great value in case of menopause. In 1 glass of cow's milk, put a tsp of carrot seeds and boil for about 10 minutes or so. Consume it everyday as a medicine.

Liquorice serves as an effective remedy for menopause, as it contains the natural female hormone, estrogen. Thus, it helps in making up for the lost hormones.

22) Home Remedies for Obesity:

On an empty stomach in the morning, drink 1 glass of warm water mixed with juice of half a lime and 1 tsp honey.

In 1 cup of water, add 3 tsp of lime juice, 1/2 tsp pepper powder and some honey. Drink this everyday for=2 0about 3-4 months.

As a substitute of breakfast, consume 2 ripe tomatoes in the morning. This remedy will aid in reducing your weight at a faster rate.

24) Home Remedies for Prostate Disorders:

Pumpkin seeds are extremely useful in treating prostate disorders. The seeds of pumpkin act as a rich source of unsaturated fatty acids that are vital to the health of the prostate.. Men suffering from prostate trouble must take about 60-90 gm of pumpkin seeds daily. Pumpkin can be consumed in the form of powder spread over the cooked food. You can also mix them with white flour for making chapattis.

Zinc has been found beneficial in the treatment of prostate disorders. Take about 30 milligrams of this mineral everyday.

Vitamin E is beneficial for prostate health. The patient should be given foods rich in vitamin E like wholegrain products, green leafy vegetables, milk and sprouted seeds.

In 200 ml spinach juice, add 300 ml of carrot juice. You can even have carrot juice separately. Vegetable juices are excellent in curing prostate disorders.

25) Home Remedies for Ringworm:

Take a raw fresh papaya and cut out slices. Rub the slice on the ringworm patch. It serves as an excellent home remedy for ring worms.

Take a few mustard seeds and powder them. Thereafter, make a paste using water.. Apply the paste on the ringworm-affected area and see its wonderful effects.

26) Home Remedies for Sexual Impotence:

Garlic is considered valuable in treating the problem of sexual impotence. It acts like a tonic for loss of sexual power Chew 2-3 cloves of raw garlic daily.

 Another aphrodisiac food next to garlic is onion. It aids in strengthening the reproductive organs. Prefer going in for white onions.

Carrots have proved beneficial in creating the desire for sex. Take about 150 gm of finely chopped carrots and eat them with a half boiled egg, dipped in 1 tbsp of honey. Consume it once a day for about a month or two.

27) Home Remedies for Sinusitis:

Mango serves as an effective home remedy for preventing the frequent attacks of sinus, as it is packed with loads of vitamin A. OR Another beneficial remedy consists of consuming pungent foods like onion and garlic, as a part of your daily meals.

Fenugreek leaves are considered valuable in curing sinusitis. In 250 ml water, boil 1 tsp of Fenugreek seeds and reduce it to half. This will help you to perspire, dispel toxicity and reduce the fever period.

Tie a tsp of black cumin seeds in a thin cotton cloth and inhale..

28) Home Remedies for Sore Throat:

Take 1-2 cloves of garlic and 2-3 cloves and make a paste. Mix with 1 cup of honey. Drink 1 tsp about 3 times in a day. In 1 cup of warm milk, add a pinch of turmeric powder.. Drink the milk before going to bed.

Take 1 whole onion and boil it with some water. Thereafter, mash it and add some butter, salt and pepper to it. Now eat this mixture.


29) Home Remedies for Stomach Ache:

Drink plenty of water , as it helps in ensuring smooth bowel movements.

Drink lemon tea with some honey added in it for taste. It will keep away stomach ache.

Mix 1 tsp each of mint juice and lime juice. Add some ginger juice and black salt in it. Drink this mixture.

30) Home Remedies for Tonsillitis :

Take a fresh lemon and squeeze it in a glass of water. Add 4 tsp of honey and ¼ tsp of common salt in it. Drink it slowly sip by sip.

Milk has proved beneficial in treating tonsillitis. In 1 glass of pure boiled milk, add a pinch of turmeric powder and pepper powder. Drink it every night for about 3 days.

31) Home Remedies for Toothache:

Dip 1 clove of garlic in rock salt and place it on the affected tooth.

Keep a piece of raw onion inside the mouth on the affected tooth.

Clove serves as an excellent home remedy for toothache. Keep a clove in your mouth and suck it. You can even apply clove oil on the affected tooth.

Lime is considered valuable in maintaining the health of teeth.

Consume the juice of wheat grass, as it acts as a fabulous mouthwash in case of tooth decay.

32) Home Remedies for Wrinkles:

Application of20 leftover egg whites at the bottom of the shell to the problematic area serves as an effective home remedy for wrinkles.

For the sagging skin under the eyes or on the throat, apply some odorless Castor oil.

Take some coconut oil and massage on the wrinkled skin.

Eat 1 tsp of shredded ginger along with a few drops of honey every morning.

Rub the core of a pineapple all over your face for sometime and leave it for 10 to 15 minutes.

33) Home Remedies for Urinary Tract Infection:

In 8 oz of water, put 1/2 tsp of baking soda and drink it.

Drink plenty of water, as it aids in flushing out the waste products from the body.

Drink Cranberry juice. You can also add some apple juice for taste.

34) Home Remedies for Warts:

Apply Castor oil daily over the problematic area. Continue for several months.

Apply milky juice of fresh and barely-ripe figs a number of times a day. Continue for two weeks.

Rub cut raw potatoes on the affected area several times daily. Continue for at least two weeks.

Rub cut onions on the warts to stimulate the circulation of blood.

Apply powder of herb Indian squall daily over the warts.

Apply milk from the cut end of dandelion over the warts 2-3 times a day.

Apply oil extracted from the shell of the cashew nut over the warts.

Apply Papaya juice

Apply Pineapple juice

35) Home Remedies for Vomiting:

Take 2 cardamoms and roast them on a dry pan (tava). Powder the cardamoms and thereafter add a tsp of honey in it.. Consume it frequently. It serves as a fabulous home remedy for vomiting.

In the mixture of 1 tsp of mint juice and 1 tsp lime juice, add 1/2 tsp of ginger juice and 1 tsp honey. Drink this mixture to prevent vomiting.

Lime juice is an effective remedy for vomiting. Take a glass of chilled lime juice and sip slowly. To prevent vomiting, drink ginger tea.

In 1 glass water, add some honey and drink sip by sip.

Heart, Brain, Liver & Cancer - What does Dr. Devi Shetty say ?

A chat with Dr.Devi Shetty (Heart Specialist), Narayana Hrudayalaya, Bangalore was arranged by WIPRO for its employees . The transcript of the chat is given below. Useful for everyone.

Qn: What are the thumb rules for a layman to take care of his heart?

Ans:

1. Diet - Less of carbohydrate, more of protein, less oil

2. Exercise - Half an hour's walk, at least five days a week; avoid lifts and avoid sitting for a longtime

3. Quit smoking

4. Control weight

5. Control blood pressure and sugar

Qn: Is eating non-veg food (fish) good for the heart?

Ans: No

Qn: It's still a grave shock to hear that some apparently healthy person

gets a cardiac arrest. How do we understand it in perspective?

Ans: This is called silent attack; that is why we recommend everyone past the age of 30 to undergo routine health checkups.

Qn: Are heart diseases hereditary?

Ans: Yes

Qn: What are the ways in which the heart is stressed? What practices do you suggest to de-stress?

Ans: Change your attitude towards life. Do not look for perfection in everything in life.

Qn: Is walking better than jogging or is more intensive exercise required to keep a healthy heart?

Ans: Walking is better than jogging since jogging leads to early fatigue and injury to joints

Qn: You have done so much for the poor and needy. What has inspired you to do so?

Ans: Mother Theresa , who was my patient

Qn: Can people with low blood pressure suffer heart diseases?

Ans: Extremely rare

Qn: Does cholesterol accumulates right from an early age

(I'm currently only 22) or do you have to worry about it only after you are above 30 years of age?

Ans: Cholesterol accumulates from childhood.

Qn: How do irregular eating habits affect the heart ?

Ans: You tend to eat junk food when the habits are irregular and your body's enzyme release for digestion gets confused.

Qn: How can I control cholesterol content without using medicines?

Ans: Control diet, walk and eat walnut.

Qn: Can yoga prevent heart ailments?

Ans: Yoga helps.

Qn: Which is the best and worst food for the heart?

Ans: Fruits and vegetables are the best and the worst is oil.

Qn: Which oil is better - groundnut, sunflower, olive?

Ans: All oils are bad .

Qn: What is the routine checkup one should go through? Is there any specific test?

Ans: Routine blood test to ensure sugar, cholesterol is ok. Check BP, Treadmill test after an echo.

Qn: What are the first aid steps to be taken on a heart attack?

Ans: Help the person into a sleeping position , place an aspirin tablet under the tongue with a sorbitrate tablet if available, and rush him to a coronary care unit since the maximum casualty takes place within the first hour.

Qn: How do you differentiate between pain caused by a heart attack and that caused due to gastric trouble?

Ans: Extremely difficult without ECG.

Qn: What is the main cause of a steep increase in heart problems amongst youngsters? I see people of about 30-40 yrs of age having heart attacks and serious heart problems.

Ans: Increased awareness has increased incidents.. Also, sedentary lifestyles, smoking, junk food, lack of exercise in a country where people are genetically three times more vulnerable for heart attacks than Europeans and Americans.

Qn: Is it possible for a person to have BP outside the normal range of 120/80 and yet be perfectly healthy?

Ans: Yes.

Qn: Marriages within close relatives can lead to heart problems for the child. Is it true?

Ans : Yes, co-sanguinity leads to congenital abnormalities and you may not have a software engineer as a child

Qn: Many of us have an irregular daily routine and many a times we have to stay late nights in office. Does this affect our heart ? What precautions would you recommend?

Ans : When you are young, nature protects you against all these irregularities. However, as you grow older, respect the biological clock.

Qn: Will taking anti-hypertensive drugs cause some other complications (short / long term)?

Ans : Yes, most drugs have some side effects. However, modern anti- hypertensive drugs are extremely safe.

Qn: Will consuming more coffee/tea lead to heart attacks?

Ans : No.

Qn: Are asthma patients more prone to heart disease?

Ans : No.

Qn: How would you define junk food?

Ans : Fried food like Kentucky , McDonalds , samosas, and even masala dosas..

Qn: You mentioned that Indians are three times more vulnerable. What is the reason for this, as Europeans and Americans also eat a lot of junk food?

Ans: Every race is vulnerable to some disease and unfortunately, Indians are vulnerable for the most expensive disease.

Qn: Does consuming bananas help reduce hypertension?

Ans : No.

Qn: Can a person help himself during a heart attack (Because we see a lot of forwarded emails on this)?

Ans : Yes. Lie down comfortably and put an aspirin tablet of any description under the tongue and ask someone to take you to the nearest coronary care unit without any delay and do not wait for the ambulance since most of the time, the ambulance does not turn up.

Qn: Do, in any way, low white blood cells and low hemoglobin count lead to heart problems?

Ans : No. But it is ideal to have normal hemoglobin level to increase your exercise capacity.

Qn: Sometimes, due to the hectic schedule we are not able to exercise. So, does walking while doing daily chores at home or climbing the stairs in the house, work as a substitute for exercise?

Ans : Certainly. Avoid sitting continuously for more than half an hour and even the act of getting out of the chair and going to another chair and sitting helps a lot.

Qn: Is there a relation between heart problems and blood sugar?

Ans: Yes. A strong relationship since diabetics are more vulnerable to heart attacks than non-diabetics.

Qn: What are the things one needs to take care of after a heart operation?

Ans : Diet, exercise, drugs on time , Control cholesterol, BP, weight.

Qn: Are people working on night shifts more vulnerable to heart disease when compared to day shift workers?

Ans : No.

Qn: What are the modern anti- hypertensive drugs?

Ans : There are hundreds of drugs and your doctor will chose the right combination for your problem, but my suggestion is to avoid the drugs and go for natural ways of controlling blood pressure by walk, diet to reduce weight and changing attitudes towards lifestyles.

Qn: Does dispirin or similar headache pills increase the risk of heart attacks?

Ans : No.

Qn: Why is the rate of heart attacks more in men than in women?

Ans : Nature protects women till the age of 45.

Qn: How can one keep the heart in a good condition?

Ans : Eat a healthy diet, avoid junk food, exercise everyday, do not smoke and, go for health checkup s if you are past the age of 30 ( once in six months recommended) .

Dr Mayuri Yadav's Observations

Brain Damaging Habits

1. No Breakfast: People who do not take breakfast are going to have a lower blood sugar level. This leads to an insufficient supply of nutrients to the brain causing brain degeneration.

2. Over eating: It causes hardening of the brain arteries, leading to a decrease in mental power.

3. Smoking: It causes multiple brain shrinkage and may lead to Alzheimer disease.

4. High Sugar consumption: Too much sugar will interrupt the absorption of proteins and nutrients causing malnutrition and may interfere with brain development.

5. Air Pollution: The brain is the largest oxygen consumer in our 20 body. Inhaling polluted air decreases the supply of oxygen to the brain, bringing about a decrease in brain efficiency.

6. Sleep Deprivation: Sleep allows our brain to rest.. Long term deprivation from sleep will accelerate the death of brain cells..

7. Head covered while sleeping: Sleeping with the head covered increases the concentration of carbon dioxide and decrease concentration of oxygen that may lead to brain damaging effects.

8. Working your brain during illness: Working hard or studying with sickness may lead to a decrease in effectiveness of the brain as well as damage the brain.

9. Lacking in stimulating thoughts: Thinking is the best way to train our brain, lacking in brain stimulation thoughts may cause brain shrinkage.

10. Talking Rarely: Intellectual conversations will promote the efficiency of the brain

Causes of Liver Damage:

1. Sleeping too late and waking up too late are main cause.

2. Not urinating in the morning.

3. Too much eating.

4. Skipping breakfast.

5. Consuming too much medication.

6. Consuming too much preservatives, additives, food coloring, and artificial sweetener.

7. Consuming unhealthy cooking oil.

As much as possible reduce cooking oil use when frying, which includes even the best cooking oils like olive oil. Do not consume fried foods when you are tired, except if the body is20very fit.

8. Consuming raw (overly done) foods also add to the burden of liver.

Veggies should be eaten raw or cooked 3-5 parts. Fried veggies should be finished in one sitting, do not store.

We should prevent this without necessarily spending more. We just have to adopt a good daily lifestyle and eating habits. Maintaining good eating habits and time condition are very important for our bodies to absorb and get rid of unnecessary chemicals according to 'schedule.'

Top 5 Cancer-causing Foods:

1. Hot Dogs: Because they are high in nitrates, the Cancer Prevention Coalition advises that children eat no more than 12 hot dogs a month. If you can't live without hot dogs, buy those made without sodium nitrate.

2. Processed meats and Bacon: Also high in the same sodium nitrates found in hot dogs, bacon, and other processed meats raise the risk of heart disease. The saturated fat in bacon also contributes to cancer.

3. Doughnuts: Doughnuts are cancer-causing double trouble. First, they are made with white flour, sugar, and hydrogenated oils, then fried at high temperatures. Doughnuts, says Adams , may be the worst food you can possibly eat to raise your risk of cancer.

4. French fries: Like doughnuts, French fries are made with hydrogenated oils and then fried at high temperatures. They also contain cancer- causing acryl amides which occur during the frying process. They should be called cancer fries, not French fries, said Adams.

5. Chips, crackers, and cookies: All are usually made with white flour and sugar. Even the ones whose labels claim to be free of trans-fats generally contain small amounts of trans-fats.

Interestingly Coloured Beaches



Ever seen beaches with black, green, white, red or multicolour sand? See this amazing nature phenomenon below!

Independence Days of every country



The vast majority of the countries on earth became independent after 1800. Only 20 were independent before the start of the 19th century, a mere 10%. By 1900, only 49 or 25% of the world's countries of today were independent.
Many countries became independent following World War II when European powers granted independence to their vast colonial holdings, especially Africa.

Here are the independence days for every country, from the oldest to the youngest...

660 BCE - Japan
221 BCE - China
301 CE - San Marino
843 CE - France
976 CE - Austria
10th Century CE - Denmark
1001 - Hungary
1143 - Portugal
1206 - Mongolia
1238 - Thailand
1278 - Andorra
August 1, 1291 - Switzerland
1419 - Monaco
15th Century - Spain
1502 - Iran
June 6, 1523 - Sweden

January 23, 1579 - Netherlands
1650 - Oman
May 1, 1707 - United Kingdom
January 23, 1719 - Liechtenstein
1768 - Nepal
July 4, 1776 - United States of America

January 1, 1804 - Haiti
July 20, 1810 - Colombia
Sept. 16, 1810 - Mexico
Sept. 18, 1810 - Chile
May 14, 1811 - Paraguay
July 5, 1811 - Venezuela
July 9, 1816 - Argentina
July 28, 1821 - Peru
Sept. 15, 1821 - Costa Rica
Sept. 15, 1821 - El Salvador
Sept. 15, 1821 - Guatemala
Sept. 15, 1821 - Honduras
Sept. 15, 1821 - Nicaragua
May 24, 1822 - Ecuador
Sept. 7, 1822 - Brazil
August 6, 1825 - Bolivia
August 25, 1825 - Uruguay
1829 - Greece
October 4, 1830 - Belgium
1839 - Luxembourg
February 27, 1844 - Dominican Republic
July 26, 1847 - Liberia
March 17, 1861 - Italy
July 1, 1867 - Canada
January 18, 1871 - Germany
May 9, 1877 - Romania
March 3, 1878 - Bulgaria
1896 - Ethiopia
June 12, 1898 - Philippines
January 1, 1901 - Australia
May 20, 1902 - Cuba
November 3, 1903 - Panama
June 7, 1905 - Norway
Sept. 26, 1907 - New Zealand
May 31, 1910 - South Africa

November 28, 1912 - Albania
December 6, 1917 - Finland
November 11, 1918 - Poland
December 1, 1918 - Iceland
August 19, 1919 - Afghanistan
December 6, 1921 - Ireland
February 28, 1922 - Egypt
October 29, 1923 - Turkey

February 11, 1929 - Vatican City
Sept. 23, 1932 - Saudi Arabia
October 3, 1932 - Iraq
November 22, 1943 - Lebanon
August 15, 1945 - Korea, North
August 15, 1945 - Korea, South
August 17, 1945 - Indonesia
Sept. 2, 1945 - Vietnam
April 17, 1946 - Syria
May 25, 1946 - Jordan
August 14, 1947 - Pakistan
August 15, 1947 - India
January 4, 1948 - Burma
February 4, 1948 - Sri Lanka
May 14, 1948 - Israel
July 19, 1949 - Laos
August 8, 1949 - Bhutan
December 24, 1951 - Libya
November 9, 1953 - Cambodia
January 1, 1956 - Sudan
March 2, 1956 - Morocco
March 20, 1956 - Tunisia
March 6, 1957 - Ghana
August 31, 1957 - Malaysia
October 2, 1958 - Guinea
January 1, 1960 - Cameroon
April 4, 1960 - Senegal
May 27, 1960 - Togo
June 30, 1960 - Congo, Republic of the
July 1, 1960 - Somalia
July 26, 1960 - Madagascar
August 1, 1960 - Benin
August 3, 1960 - Niger
August 5, 1960 - Burkina Faso
August 7, 1960 - Cote d'Ivorie
August 11, 1960 - Chad
August 13, 1960 - Central African Republic
August 15, 1960 - Congo, Dem. Rep. of the
August 16, 1960 - Cyprus
August 17, 1960 - Gabon
Sept. 22, 1960 - Mali
October 1, 1960 - Nigeria
November 28, 1960 - Mauritania
April 27, 1961 - Sierra Leone
June 19, 1961 - Kuwait
January 1, 1962 - Samoa
July 1, 1962 - Burundi
July 1, 1962 - Rwanda
July 5, 1962 - Algeria
August 6, 1962 - Jamaica
August 31, 1962 - Trinidad and Tobago
October 9, 1962 - Uganda
December 12, 1963 - Kenya
April 26, 1964 - Tanzania
July 6, 1964 - Malawi
Sept. 21, 1964 - Malta
October 24, 1964 - Zambia
February 18, 1965 - Gambia, The
July 26, 1965 - Maldives
August 9, 1965 - Singapore
May 26, 1966 - Guyana
September 30, 1966 - Botswana
October 4, 1966 - Lesotho
November 30, 1966 - Barbados
January 31, 1968 - Nauru
March 12, 1968 - Mauritius
Sept. 6, 1968 - Swaziland
October 12, 1968 - Equatorial
June 4, 1970 - Tonga
October 10, 1970 - Fiji
March 26, 1971 - Bangladesh
August 15, 1971 - Bahrain
Sept. 3, 1971 - Qatar
November 2, 1971 - United Arab Emirates
July 10, 1973 - Bahamas
Sept. 24, 1973 - Guinea-Bissau
February 7, 1974 - Grenada
June 25, 1975 - Mozambique
July 5, 1975 - Cape Verde
July 6, 1975 - Comoros
July 12, 1975 - Sao Tome and Principe
Sept. 16, 1975 - Papua New Guinea
November 11, 1975 - Angola
November 25, 1975 - Suriname
June 29, 1976 - Seychelles
June 27, 1977 - Djibouti
July 7, 1978 - Solomon Islands
October 1, 1978 - Tuvalu
November 3, 1978 - Dominica
February 22, 1979 - Saint Lucia
July 12, 1979 - Kiribati
October 27, 1979 - Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
April 18, 1980 - Zimbabwe
July 30, 1980 - Vanuatu
January 11, 1981 - Antigua and Barbuda
Sept. 21, 1981 - Belize
Sept. 19, 1983 - Saint Kitts and Nevis
January 1, 1984 - Brunei
October 21, 1986 - Marshall Islands
November 3, 1986 - Micronesia, Federated States of
March 11, 1990 - Lithuania
March 21, 1990 - Namibia
May 22, 1990 - Yemen
April 9, 1991 - Georgia
June 25, 1991 - Croatia
June 25, 1991 - Slovenia
August 20, 1991 - Estonia
August 21, 1991 - Kyrgyzstan
August 24, 1991 - Russia
August 25, 1991 - Belarus
August 27, 1991 - Moldova
August 30, 1991 - Azerbaijan
Sept. 1, 1991 - Uzbekistan
Sept. 6, 1991 - Latvia
Sept. 8, 1991 - Macedonia
Sept. 9, 1991 - Tajikistan
Sept. 21, 1991 - Armenia
October 27, 1991 - Turkmenistan
November 24, 1991 - Ukraine
December 16, 1991 - Kazakhstan
March 3, 1992 - Bosnia and Herzegovina
January 1, 1993 - Czech Republic
January 1, 1993 - Slovakia
May 24, 1993 - Eritrea
October 1, 1994 - Palau
May 20, 2002 - East Timor
June 3, 2006 - Montenegro
June 5, 2006 - Serbia
February 17, 2008 - Kosovo

Motivating Quotes

Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.
Security is mostly a superstition.
It does not exist in nature.

~ Helen Keller

Life is a succesion of lessons
which must be lived to be understood.
~ Thomas Carlyle

The art of life is to know how to enjoy
a little and to endure very much.
~ William Hazlitt

Death is more universal than life;
Everyone dies but not everyone lives
~ A. Sachs

Find a purpose in life so big it will challenge
every capacity to be at your best.
~ David O. McKay

Your living is determined not so much by
What life brings to you as by what you bring to life.
~ John Homer Miller