Thursday 16 January 2014

13 Reasons to Drink Green Tea

Green tea really is a superfood extraordinaire. Thanks to a potent plant nutrient called epigallocatechin gallate, or EGCG, green tea is proving that food (or beverage, in this case) really is the best medicine. I wrote an article a few years ago about the benefits of green tea but plenty of exciting hot-off-the-press research means there are more reasons than ever to start drinking green tea. Here are 13 reasons to start drinking greet tea today or to keep drinking it if you’re already hooked:
1. It prevents cholesterol build-up in arteries and helps prevent cardiovascular disease. According to research released earlier this month in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, EGCG helps prevent fat buildup in the arteries.

Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/13-reasons-to-drink-green-tea.html#ixzz2qbGhpSvc
2. In another new study published in the Journal of Applied Oral Science, scientists tested the effects of EGCG against bacteria found in the mouth called Streptococcus mutans and found it to be effective. The former used EGCG in dental materials but drinking green tea should have similar inhibitory effects. Other research in the Archives of Oral Biology confirms the antibacterial effect on harmful dental bacteria.
3. It helps slow breast cancer growth. New research published last month in the journal Experimental Cell Research found that EGCG inhibited cancer cell metabolism in breast tumors.
4. It helps to protect the skin against UV damage, according to new research in the journal Pharmaceutical Development and Technology.
5. Green tea is an overall fat buster extraordinaire. EGCG increases the rate at which fat is burned in your body.
6. It burns up belly fat. Research at Tufts University indicates that EGCG in green tea, like other catechins, activate fat-burning genes in the abdomen to speed weight loss by 77 percent.
7. It keeps energy stable by balancing blood sugar levels. EGCG improves insulin use in the body to prevent blood sugar spikes and crashes that can result in fatigue, irritability, and cravings for unhealthy foods.

Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/13-reasons-to-drink-green-tea.html#ixzz2qbGpFNRS
8. Research shows it may be helpful against lung cancer. In an April 2010 study published in Cancer Prevention Research, EGCG was found to suppress lung cancer cell growth.
9. It may halt colorectal cancer. In numerous studies including one in the September 2012 Oncology Letters, EGCG prevents and inhibits colorectal cancers.
10. In research it appears to cause prostate cancer cells to commit suicide. A March 2010 study in Cancer Science indicated that EGCG aids the body by killing prostate cancer cells.
11. It may prevent skin damage and wrinkling. EGCG appears to be 200 times more powerful than vitamin E at destroying skin-damaging free radicals. Free radicals react with healthy cells in the body, causing damage so lessening their numbers may help reduce wrinkling and other signs of aging.
12. It contains a potent antioxidant that kills free radicals. Because it is a potent antioxidant it can positively impact a lot more than skin cells. Free radicals are increasingly linked to many serious chronic illnesses like arthritis, diabetes, and cancer.
13. It tastes good. If you’re not wild about the flavor, try a few different kinds. Try it iced or hot. Add some of the natural herb stevia to sweeten it if you want a sweeter drink. I wasn’t crazy about green tea the first few times I tried it, but now I love it with a fresh squeeze of lemon and a few drops of stevia over ice—voila! Green tea lemonade. Mmmmm. Even green tea haters love this drink.
How to Benefit from Green Tea

Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/13-reasons-to-drink-green-tea.html#ixzz2qbHIKJ6gAdd one or two teaspoons of green tea leaves to a cup of boiled water, preferably in a tea strainer. Let steep for five minutes. Pour over ice if you prefer a cold beverage. Most experts recommend three cups daily. And don’t worry, it contains a lot less caffeine than coffee or black tea.

10 Reasons Japanese Women Don’t Get Old or Fat Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/10-reasons-japanese-women-dont-get-old-or-fat.html#ixzz2qbBB4Yfz

“A good, functional and healthy body is the ultimate fashion statement.” Kiyokazu Washida, fashion critic

Recently I came upon a small, but informative book by Naomi Moriyama entitled, Japanese Women Don’t Get Old or Fat. Intrigued and a bit skeptical, although I follow a very similar style of diet, I found some delicious recipes to add to my daily repertoire of meals and gleaned some useful tidbits of information. Such as, for the past 25 years Japanese women have held the world record for living the longest, 86.4 years. Not just the women, Japanese men have the longest life expectancy among all men in the world’s 192 nations. Much of this distinction is attributed to eating a healthy diet.
In her book Moriyama takes the reader into her mother’s kitchen in Japan and reveals her secrets for living a long and healthy life. Not much you haven’t heard before, and yet taken altogether and practiced over a lifetime the results are impressive. Here’s the Japanese recipe for living to a ripe old age, while staying active and healthy.
1. The ingredients simmering in a Japanese kitchen are a simple variety of foods eaten on a consistent and daily basis:

Fish
Sea Vegetables

Land Vegetables
Soy
Rice
Fruit
Green Tea
2. The Japanese enjoy home cooked meals on a daily basis. A traditional meal consists of grilled fish, a bowl of rice, simmered vegetables, miso soup, sliced fruit for dessert and green tea. The Japanese consume almost 10 percent of the world’s fish, although they make up about 2 percent of the world’s population. That’s 150 pounds per year, per person compared to the world average of 35 pounds. And this daily dose of omega-3 fatty acids may well explain why they live long and healthy lives. That, and the fact they consume 5 times the amount of cruciferous vegetables, broccoli, cabbage, kale, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts, that Americans do. 3. The emphasis of Japanese cooking is to use what is fresh and in season. According to author Moriyama, “Japanese supermarkets are cathedrals of freshness. Food is not only dated, it’s timed—Japanese women buy fish, meat, vegetables, or prepared meals that are timed by the half hour they were packed that day.”

Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/10-reasons-japanese-women-dont-get-old-or-fat.html#ixzz2qbDBEVCS

Bento-box

4. The Japanese eat small portions of a variety of courses at a meal. According to Moriyama, from childhood they are taught to eat slowly, savoring every bite. And the food is served on plates at least a third the size of American tableware. Moriyama includes the basic foundations of Japanese home-cooked food presentation:

never completely fill up the plates
never serve a big portion of any item
each item is served in its own dish
less is always more
each item is arranged to showcase its natural beauty
food should be garnished and dressed–lightly
fresh is best

5. Japanese cooking is intentionally light and cooked gently. Most of the work is done on top of the stove using a variation of techniques such as: steaming, pan grilling, sauté, simmer or quick stir fries in a wok. The Japanese chef uses heart healthy oils and flavored broth to season a dish. And though the meal is light you feel content and satisfied, but not overly full.

6. The Japanese eat rice instead of bread with every meal. This is an important distinction between the East and West way of eating. It is the over consumption of refined wheat flour that is a major cause of obesity in America today. Instead of eating bread with each meal try a serving size (half a cup) of brown rice or other whole grain 1-2 times per day. 7. In Japan, breakfast is considered the most important and biggest meal of the day. It can consist of a variety of small courses which include green tea, steamed rice, miso soup with tofu and scallions, small sheets of nori seaweed, an egg omelet or piece of fish.

8. Sweet desserts are eaten less often in Japan and in much smaller portions than in America. That is not to say that chocolate, pastries, cookies, ice cream and red-bean cakes are not treasured. Rather, they are respected for the power they can unleash in the appetite and harm they can do to the body when eaten in excess.
9. The Japanese have a different mind-set about food. While Americans are concerned with dieting and weight issues the Japanese are raised and encouraged to enjoy a more diverse variety of foods without dieting concerns. However, watch out Japan, with the introduction of western style fast foods obesity rates amongst Japanese youth are beginning to climb.

10. Exercise is part of the Japanese daily ritual. According to a 2004 Time magazine cover story, How to Live to Be 100, “The Japanese are in good health and in excellent shape, they are an active people who incorporate plenty of incidental exercise into their days.” They have created a welcome environment for bicycling around town, walking, hiking, and generally staying active.
Related:
13 Healthy Diet Habits from Around the World
10 Benefits and Uses of Miso
3 Easy Diet Tips with a Big Impact
5 Things that Probably Won’t Help You Live Longer

Fingernails: 5 Signs That Point to Bigger Health Problems

Changes in the fingernails can indicate everything from heart disease to thyroid problems and malnutrition. Here are some nail conditions that might require medical attention.

1. Nail Separates from Nail Bed

What it looks like: Fingernails become loose and can separate from the nail bed.
Possible causes:

Injury or infection
Thyroid disease
Drug reactions (Top 6 Medication Problems)
Psoriasis
Reactions to nail hardeners

2. Yellow Nails

What it looks like: Yellow discoloration in the fingernails. Nails thicken and new growth slows. Nails may lack a cuticle and may detach from the nail bed.
Possible causes:

Respiratory conditions, such as chronic bronchitis
Swelling of the hands (lymphedema)

Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/fingernails-5-signs-that-point-to-bigger-health-problems.html#ixzz2qb9sxP2I
3. Spoon Nails
What it looks like: Soft nails that look scooped out. In spoon nails (koilonychia), the depression usually is large enough to hold a drop of liquid.
Possible causes:

Iron deficiency
Anemia

4. Nail Clubbing

Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/fingernails-5-signs-that-point-to-bigger-health-problems.html#ixzz2qbA1O77O
What it looks like: The tips of the fingers become enlarged and the nails curve around the fingertips.
Possible causes:

Low oxygen levels in the blood, which could point to heart disease
Inflammatory bowel disease
Cardiovascular disease
Liver disease

5. Opaque Nails

Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/fingernails-5-signs-that-point-to-bigger-health-problems.html#ixzz2qbA5X18I
What it looks like: Nails look mostly opaque but have a dark band at the tips (a condition known as Terry’s Nails)
Possible causes:

Malnutrition
Congestive heart failure
Diabetes
Liver disease

Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/fingernails-5-signs-that-point-to-bigger-health-problems.html#ixzz2qbA9HNxRIf your senior parent has one of these nail problems, and it doesn’t go away, make an appointment with your doctor to get it diagnosed.

Fingernails: 5 Signs That Point to Bigger Health Problems originally appeared on AgingCare.com

Rescued Sea Otter Enthusiastically Devours Clams (Video)

http://youtu.be/r9dP0YNAeac

5 Warning Signs of Glaucoma in Pets

January is Glaucoma Awareness Month, and it’s not just humans that can suffer from the serious eye disease. Two percent of dogs in North America are diagnosed with glaucoma, with some breeds, like cocker spaniels and basset hounds, going up to six percent (it’s less prevalent in our feline friends). Left untreated, glaucoma leads to blindness. Here’s what to look for when it comes to warning signs in your furry friends.

Enlarged pupils that don’t constrict in bright light
Blood vessels in the eyes might also be inflamed and look bloodshot—this is sometimes mistaken for conjunctivitis or an eye allergy. If the inflammation and redness is accompanied by any other signs of glaucoma, get your pet in for a checkup.

Vision impairment

Decreased blood flow to the retina and pressure on the optic nerve can cause impaired vision and then blindness—but it can be hard to tell whether your pet is losing their sight. Look for signs like sudden clumsiness, walking with extra caution, reluctance to move, bumping into objects, and difficulty finding water dishes and food bowls.

Eye bulging
Healthy eyes produce a fluid that nourishes eye tissue and maintains the shape of the eyeball. In glaucoma, drainage of that fluid is blocked, and the fluid builds up behind the eye, causing bulging.

Teariness & squinting
If your pet is squinting or their eyes are teary, it may be a sign of pain and discomfort. Your four-legged friend may also start pawing or rubbing at the eye.

Eye cloudiness

A milky appearance in the eye might be caused by fluid accumulation within the tissue.

Don’t hesitate to get your pet to the vet if you suspect they might be suffering from glaucoma—40 percent of dogs with glaucoma become blind in the affected eye within the first year of onset (and often even sooner), so it’s important to act fast.

Santé : les promesses infinies des bactéries de l'intestin

Les scientifiques découvrent un nombre croissant de fonctions aux quelque cent mille milliards de bactéries qui peuplent notre tube digestif.

Les quelque cent mille milliards de bactéries qui peuplent notre tube digestif ne sont pas là pour le décor et c'est pourquoi professionnels de la santé et chercheurs s'intéressent de plus en plus à leurs fonctions.

Du fait de leur grand nombre, les chercheurs n'hésitent plus à parler de véritable «organe» à propos du duo, intestin et bactéries. Et s'il a fallu attendre les années 2010 pour qu'ils s'intéressent enfin de très près au microbiote, c'est aussi parce qu'il fallait de nouveaux outils d'analyse (biologie moléculaire) pour faire les liens entre ces cent mille milliards de bactéries, leurs fonctions supposées et leurs implications potentielles dans différentes pathologies. Car les proportions entre les grands groupes bactériens qui forment un microbiote - Bacteroïdetes, Firmicutes, par exemple - peuvent vraiment différer d'une personne à l'autre.

Les premières données ont ainsi commencé à tomber. On sait par exemple que la colonisation du fœtus par les bactéries commence, dans les conditions normales, au moment de la rupture des membranes et surtout lors de l'accouchement par voie naturelle. Cela n'est pas sans conséquence: les enfants nés par césarienne auraient un microbiote différent de ceux nés par voie basse.

Est-ce véritablement un problème ou pas? Il est encore trop tôt pour conclure, même si certaines données suggèrent un lien possible entre les microbiotes de ces bébés nés par césarienne et un risque accru d'obésité à l'âge de 3 ans. Les bactéries pourraient jouer le rôle de récupératrices d'énergie… Énergie ensuite stockée dans l'organisme. «On sait par ailleurs que la flore intestinale se met en place dans les premiers mois de la vie, et sa composition reste relativement stable tout au long de la vie, même si elle peut être modifiée de façon transitoire par l'alimentation, et notamment les régimes riches en résidus fermentés dans le côlon (prébiotiques), par l'ingestion de bactéries vivantes (probiotiques) ou dans le cadre d'une antibiothérapie», poursuit le Pr Laurent Beaugerie (gastro-entérologue, hôpital Saint-Antoine).

Barrière contre les bactéries

L'une des premières fonctions associées à ce microbiote est celle de barrière contre d'autres bactéries plus pathogènes. Et en cas de microbiote défaillant, les risques de développer certaines pathologies semblent accrus: «en gastro-entérologie, une écologie perturbée du microbiote intestinal dès l'enfance (dysbiose) pourrait favoriser la genèse de maladies inflammatoires intestinales - maladie de Crohn et rectocolite hémorragique - mais aussi de certaines formes d'obésité, des troubles fonctionnels de l'intestin, d'atteintes du foie susceptibles d'aboutir à une cirrhose non alcoolique et peut-être de certains cancers du côlon», poursuit le Pr Jean-Christophe Saurin (CHU Lyon).

«Et comme d'autres études suggèrent par ailleurs que les bactéries intestinales pourraient envoyer des signaux au cerveau (et inversement) afin d'induire certains comportements que les chercheurs s'attellent déjà à mieux comprendre, les chercheurs se prennent aussi à rêver de pouvoir un jour traiter certaines pathologies comme l'autisme ou des maladies neurologiques, en agissant entre autres sur le microbiote intestinal», concluent le Pr Laurent Beaugerie et le Dr Harry Sokol (gastro-entérologue à l'hôpital Saint-Antoine et chercheur Inserm et Inra).

LA RÉDACTION VOUS CONSEILLE:

Bactéries à foison sur les fruits et légumes

Obésité: le rôle de la flore intestinale

Pourquoi faut-il prendre soin de notre flore intestinale?

Les enfants obèses ont un risque cardio-vasculaire accru

Wednesday 15 January 2014

First detection of a predicted unseen exoplanet

A team of European astronomers, using the SOPHIE spectrograph at the Observatoire de Haute-Provence (France), confirmed the presence of Kepler-88 c, an unseen planet that was previously predicted thanks to the gravitational perturbation it caused on its transiting brother planet, Kepler-88 b.

Searching for periodic transits in hundred of thousand of stars was the primary goal of the Kepler space telescope. More than 3500 of such periodic transits were found during the 4 years of the mission. However, not all the planets located in the Kepler field-of-view are transiting their host star. Indeed, if their orbital plane is slightly misaligned (only a few degrees is enough) with the line of sight from the Earth, the planet is not transiting and thus, is “unseen” from the Kepler spacecraft

Planets that share the same host star gravitationally interact with each other. This interaction between planets can cause perturbations in the predicted times of transit of planets [3] in multi-planetary systems. “This is called Transit Timing Variations (TTV)” explains the leading author of the paper, Susana Barros, a researcher at the Laboratoire d’Astrophysique de Marseille (LAM).

The TTV technique is sensitive to planets in multiple systems down to the mass of the Earth, and can therefore be used to unveil the existence of non-transiting planets, that cause perturbations in the orbital motion of transiting planets.

This is the case of the Kepler-88 system, which hosts a transiting planet (Kepler-88 b), discovered by the Kepler space telescope [4] (NASA) , that is strongly perturbed by a non-transiting planet (Kepler-88 c). “This system presents such strong interactions that it has earned the nickname of the king of transit variations” adds Rodrigo Díaz, a researcher working at the Geneva Observatory (OAUG).

A careful analysis of the dynamical interaction between planets, previously performed by a team led by David Nesvorný (Boulder University), predicted that this system had two planets near a two-to-one resonance (the orbital period of the unseen outer-planet is exactly two times longer than the the transiting inner-planet). This configuration is similar to the Earth and Mars in the Solar System, with Mars orbiting the Sun in nearly 2 years.

Using the SOPHIE velocimeter, the team independently measured [5] the mass of Kepler-88 c. “SOPHIE is a French instrument capable of measuring the velocity of stars [6] with a precision equivalent to the speed of a bicycle. It has been used to characterize nearly 20 Kepler planets so far” adds Alexandre Santerne a researcher at Centro de Astrofísica da Universidade do Porto (CAUP) and responsible of the observations of Kepler targets with SOPHIE.

The inferred mass for the unseen planet is in perfect agreement with the value that was predicted from TTV. “This is the first time that the mass of an unseen exoplanet inferred based on Transit Timing Variation is independently confirmed by another technique” comments Susana Barros. This result therefore confirms TTV as a valid technique to detect unseen planets and explore multi-planet systems. TTV has already been used to determine the mass of more than 120 exoplanets detected by Kepler, around 47 planetary systems, down to a few Earth-mass planets.

"This independent confirmation is a very important contribution to the statistical analyses of the Kepler multiple planet systems. It helps to better understand the dynamical interactions and the formation of planetary systems. This also permits to anticipate the future exploration of exoplanetary systems from space as would do the PLATO mission " concludes Magali Deleuil, professor at Aix-Marseille University and leader of LAM’s exoplanet research.

Neptune was the first planet detected based on the gravitational influence it had on another planet (Uranus). The French mathematician Urbain Le Verrier calculated that the anomalies in Uranus orbit were due to a two-to-one resonance from a previously unseen planet. His calculation led Johann Gottfried Galle to find Neptune on September 23rd 1846

http://exoplanet.eu/

List of Adjective Words

Adjectives are some of the most common words in the English language: with a list of adjective words at hand, you can effectively describe your surroundings in detail. Keep reading to learn more about adjectives and how you can organize them in lists.

Why Use an Adjective List?

You can put together adjective lists to study that will help you build a more advanced vocabulary. Teachers are always looking to boost the vocabulary of their students, and by learning new adjectives, students can become more effective writers and speakers.

You can find adjective lists that feature all of the adjectives in the English language, organized alphabetically. This list might help you find adjectives that start with a specific letter and will give you a sense of how many adjectives there actually are. People who are learning a foreign language often make a list of adjective words in order to memorize new vocabulary more quickly and to organize their learning process.

List of Adjective Words

Below is a short adjective list that can get you started on your way to building an adjective list. These words can be used to describe feelings and appearances of objects and can make it easy to describe yourself, your surroundings, and your favorite things. You can use this list to build your own list, adding words you like and removing words you do not, replacing them with even more descriptive words. By keeping this list on your desk as you write, you can refer to is and learn to add more descriptive words into your writing.

adorable

adventurous

aggressive

agreeable

alert

alive

amused

angry

annoyed

annoying

anxious

arrogant

ashamed

attractive

average

awful

bad

beautiful

better

bewildered

black

bloody

blue

blue-eyed

blushing

bored

brainy

brave

breakable

bright

busy

calm

careful

cautious

charming

cheerful

clean

clear

clever

cloudy

clumsy

colorful

combative

comfortable

concerned

condemned

confused

cooperative

courageous

crazy

creepy

crowded

cruel

curious

cute

dangerous

dark

dead

defeated

defiant

delightful

depressed

determined

different

difficult

disgusted

distinct

disturbed

dizzy

doubtful

drab

dull

eager

easy

elated

elegant

embarrassed

enchanting

encouraging

energetic

enthusiastic

envious

evil

excited

expensive

exuberant

fair

faithful

famous

fancy

fantastic

fierce

filthy

fine

foolish

fragile

frail

frantic

friendly

frightened

funny

gentle

gifted

glamorous

gleaming

glorious

good

gorgeous

graceful

grieving

grotesque

grumpy

handsome

happy

healthy

helpful

helpless

hilarious

homeless

homely

horrible

hungry

hurt

ill

important

impossible

inexpensive

innocent

inquisitive

itchy

jealous

jittery

jolly

joyous

kind

lazy

light

lively

lonely

long

lovely

lucky

magnificent

misty

modern

motionless

muddy

mushy

mysterious

nasty

naughty

nervous

nice

nutty

obedient

obnoxious

odd

old-fashioned

open

outrageous

outstanding

panicky

perfect

plain

pleasant

poised

poor

powerful

precious

prickly

proud

puzzled

quaint

real

relieved

repulsive

rich

scary

selfish

shiny

shy

silly

sleepy

smiling

smoggy

sore

sparkling

splendid

spotless

stormy

strange

stupid

successful

super

talented

tame

tender

tense

terrible

testy

thankful

thoughtful

thoughtless

tired

tough

troubled

ugliest

ugly

uninterested

unsightly

unusual

upset

uptight

vast

victorious

vivacious

wandering

weary

wicked

wide-eyed

wild

witty

worrisome

worried

wrong

zany

zealous

Where to Find a Comprehensive List

There are lots of adjective lists that are available online for you to use to build your vocabulary. Also consider purchasing a special adjective dictionary if you are looking for a comprehensive list in alphabetical order. Many elementary school teachers have access to special adjective lists that are appropriate for younger students, and high school teachers and college professors have lists of adjectives that are important for more academic studies.

You can also speak to a career counselor to have access to a list of adjective words that is geared towards building up your resume. People who are looking for adjectives to describe particular objects or adjectives that fall under certain themes or subjects should look for a special list. You might find great new words that can express exactly what you see or feel by using new words on an adjective list. Boost your own creativity and start making your own list of adjective words today.