Amazing Facts

These random facts will make you think twice about a couple of things - and some will certainly be tough to believe.  Whatever your take may be, these 10 facts will surely surprise you!

According to studies conducted in 2009, the average woman consumes up to 7 pounds of lipstick in their lifetime. It may also surprise you to discover that fish scales are a common lipstick ingredient. With that said, there are many more surprising ingredients hiding in your lipstick, so be sure to check out what it is exactly made of.

This habit may seem a perfectly innocuous activity for calorie-counters and dieters. It is also interesting to note that British and larger than normal stamps contain 'more calories'. It has been found that the calorie content in the adhesive on the back of a US postage stamp works out to be about one-tenth of a calorie. On the other hand, British stamps contain about 5.9 calories per lick, while the adhesive on a larger commemorative or special British stamp contains a whopping 14.5 calories.

The United States and Russia are surprisingly close. The two islands, Little Diomede in the US and Big Diomede in Russia, are only 2.5 miles apart. Here's another interesting fact connecting the two islands together, a limbless man, Phillippe Croizon swam from US to Russia in 5 hours.

This fact may be shocking to read, but in the US alone, there are 40,000 toilet-related injuries each year. All are caused due to a variety of reasons, but this is certainly warning us to be more careful!

Studies have also discovered that women have a better sense of smell than men. It has also been found that older individuals tend to have a better sense of smell than younger persons.

While the average American may consume 800 grams of chewing gum each year - 50 percent of the gum is spat out on sidewalks, park benches or left under the seats in public transport.

Having been one of the fastest growing fast-food producer in the world, company estimates indicate that one out of every eight Americans is employed, or has been employed, by McDonald's.

Pure honey has no expiration date! Believe it or not, if kept in dry conditions and closed well, it could keep for thousands of years.

If you're a chocolate lover, you may find this fact a little disturbing. The process of fermenting the cocoa happens when the cocoa is put in the earth and is covered with leaves. During this fermentation process, a lot of insects are present. This fermentation process is allowed by the FDA.

As strange as this fact may seem, lemon consists of  70 percent more sugar and 30 percent more citric acid than strawberries, which contain 40 percent. It's surprising how deceiving taste can actually be! Source of text and pictures: BabaMail.Com

Benefits of walking after meals

Walk after meals. Stand and move after you eat. You’ve probably heard this advice somewhere. But does it really work?

If the goal is preventing diabetes, it seems to prove true—at least for a group of folks studied by Dr. Loretta Di Pietro at George Washington University.

The Study
People 60 and over at risk for type diabetes—with the extremely common “prediabetes” picture of high fasting sugar—were asked to walk. They did it two different ways—for 15 minutes after meals, or for one 45 minute session in the evening.

The Results
Both walking “interventions” improved glucose tolerance. People produced less insulin following the meal. Internal sugar levels were more  balanced.Yet the blunting of high glucoses after eating was done most effectively when people walked immediately after meals. Insulin peaks peaker lower than with the single 45 minute session.

And when people walked after the evening meal, instead of seeing sugars rise for hours and hours throughout the night, they came back to normal levels quickly. Just from a little bit of walking.

For what ails most of those who suffer from type 2 diabetes is not lack of insulin production. It’s insulin resistance—effectively a learned inability for insulin to work. In most people with type 2 diabetes production of insulin is already high—sometimes very high. It’s just that less and less of it works as messenger to let glucose in through your cell membranes to help power your cells.
In other words, type 2 diabetics are producing huge amounts of insulin—but that insulin does not have the full chance to act.

Walking after meals can dramatically shift the equation. It can decrease insulin resistance and make your body act like it’s built to do—eat, move, and rest. What I call FAR—Food-Activity-Rest.

And there’s more.

Benefits of Walking After Meals

A. If you walk after a meal you can cut back on esophageal reflux.
For when you walk, you’re standing and moving. Food flows down into gut. Gravity helps keep acid in your stomach—not jumping outside it.
That stomach acid can be ferocious. People with reflux have higher rates of esophageal cancer.

You might cut your risk of gastroesophageal reflux disease—GERD, in half—just by walking after meals.

B. You can obtain better weigh control.
Walk after a meal and the insulin peaks are less. Most folks I know want less belly fat—and here is a simple way to get it.

C. Walking immediately following the evening meal may yet more effectively control weight.
Why? Circadian effects. Eat at night and glucose and fat levels go higher in your blood than earlier during the day.

That’s particularly important to shift workers, who gain weight disproportionately by eating at times when others are resting or asleep. When you snack at night you need to get going—fast.

D. Walking makes people feel better.
Walking in light improves mood. Walking with friends increases social support. Walking in the evening can cut back on the frequent leg kicks that wake many folks all through the night, worsening their sleep—and making them hungrier come morning for fattier, sugary foods.

Walking in sunlight also helps grow brain cells—in memory areas. If you’re worried about Alzheimer’s disease, that’s something to remember.

Bottom Line

Want to prevent Diabetes? Alzheimer’s Disease? Heart Disease? Stroke? Weight gain? Various tumors? Improve mood? Feel slimmer?
 It’s all about going FAR—Food, followed by Activity, followed by Rest. It’s a natural rhythm of human beings.And using natural rhythms can make your body—naturally—feel and look better.Plus improve your chances of sticking around. Giving you a better chance to enjoy it all.

Symptoms in old age that warrant attention

Often old age comes with problems, and mostly health related. Many a times, we miss out on things that are obvious.

Especially after those youthful days when one had the attitude of ‘come what may’. Here are some old age signs you should not miss out on, and seek immediate medical attention for.

1.Low mood

Due to the many health problems at their age and the on and off aches and pains they experience, we expect a grumpy mood in most elders to be normal. However, that isn’t how it should be.

If you notice your otherwise cheerful parent, elderly relative or neighbor appearing sullen, it’s worth probing further and also seeking medical advice if things remain unchanged for long.

Elders could feel low or depressed due to loneliness, feeling of worthlessness or troubled relationships at home. Often these aspects are overlooked by them and their family as well.

2.Memory loss

We all forget things occasionally but this is one of the most common and challenging problems of the geriatric population world over. If the person forgets names of people who she/he regularly interacts with or memory of very recent events then it could be concerning. 

Forgetting things like where did they place something or why did they enter the room is normal. But if they lose  the trail of a sentence during their speech or forget words it could be a sign of dementia.

3.Lack of care

A sudden drop in the way your ageing parents dress or take care of the home should call for your attention. If you notice a lack of interest in bathing, brushing, dressing neatly then the reason should be probed. Also, if your parents have been living by themselves, keep checking on the condition of the house, especially the bathroom and the kitchen. The reason for this decline could be that they have lost confidence to manage on their own and it’s time they moved in with you or arrange for an outside support to help them with their daily chores.

4.Loss of sensation

If your elderly parent is unable to taste excess salt in the food, or has hurt himself and isn’t feeling any pain it calls for serious attention. Some amount of sensory loss is normal and expected as you age but if this becomes a hindrance then it should be fixed. For instance, loss of hearing has to be fixed with a hearing aid even if it is only a partial loss. Loss of sensation of touch should be diagnosed by an expert and treated. If not it could lead to accidents as the person may use too hot water in the bath or touch a hot utensil in the kitchen causing a burn and not even be aware of it.

  

5.Loss of appetite

Again just like children are fussy about the foods they eat, elderly become picky about foods and their appetite changes and reduces from what it used to be. If this is due to dental problems such as caries or absence of teeth, it could be fixed and normal appetite can be restored. However if the loss of appetite is due to indigestion, inability to procure or cook foods of their liking or a general loss of interest due to loneliness or depression, these concerns need to be addressed separately. They may also have a lack of taste which may make all foods taste bland.

6.Mobility

One of the biggest challenges in the elderly is to prevent a fall.

Like children, the elderly are very prone to falls and with weak bones they are at higher risk of fractures and head injuries. If balance is not good, physiotherapy exercises can help to restore balance.

Home environment plays an important role in fall prevention.

7.Loss of control in urine and stool

Loss of control over urine is a common problem with the elderly.

 In men it can be due to prostate, and in women it can be due to stress incontinence. It can happen as a result of an illness like pneumonia as well. A quick discussion, during the doctor’s visit, on this is very important to prevent emergencies like acute retention of urine. Due to embarrassment your parents may not disclose this complaint to you, so look for signs such as soiled clothes or bed linen.

8.Making the home safe for the elderly:

Encourage them to wear shoes that fit properly and wear non-slip footwear while at home. Wipe spills immediately, do not leave it for later.

If possible, opt for non-polished floors. Leave on the lights in the bathroom and passages. Use door locks that can be opened from both sides in bathrooms and bedrooms.

Keep emergency phone numbers written in big normal fonts, and stick it near the phone. Keep a fire extinguisher handy at home.

Other useful advices to make the home safe:

• Clean bathrooms regularly to avoid slipping.
• Install and use hand rails in bathrooms.
• Remove rugs to avoid tripping over.
• Use bright lights.
• Keep an emergency lamp near the bed.
• In the kitchen keep kitchen floors uncluttered.
• Stick ‘On’ and ‘Off’ position stickers on electrical appliances written in bright colors.
• Keep sharp objects in one rack
• Use labels for items that are kept in opaque boxes
• Keep cleaning materials tightly closed and away from food materials
• Use cotton clothing and aprons while cooking
• Check expiry dates of packaged food.

There’s a lot you can do for the elders of your family and

community to make them feel comfortable, wanted and secure.

But the best thing you can give them is some of your time, spent meaningfully with them.

Source: http://www.thehealthsite.com/diseases-conditions/8-symptoms-in-old-age-that-warrant-attention/