Why Ice cream and Chocolates Can Be Dangerous?

Dear friends, Each one of us like to enjoy those tricky chocolates and ice creams as the mouth watering taste cannot be resisted in any case. But, are you aware of the harm and danger of eating chocolates and ice creams. Do you know that those colorful looking chocolates and ice creams can be dangerous to your health? So, you should be careful while eating them especially when they carry some dangers with them.

The first and most obvious danger that you must know is that these tempting favorites of all are overloaded with artificial sugar. This sugar can cause diabetes, blood pressure, obesity, hardening of arteries and lot more. In children it causes anxiety, difficulty in concentrating, hyperactivity and overweight.

Secondly many chemicals are added to keep chocolates & ice creams fresh most of these chemicals are not healthy for your body.  Artificial Colors & Sweeteners are also added to enhance the taste and visual effects for making an strong appeal to eat the stuff, but these can harm liver and kidney.

A lot of Emulsifier & Thickeners are added to maintain the desired structure/texture and to enhance the smooth texture of ice creams & chocolates. These chemicals are harmful for the body can cause allergies too.

Finally you will be shocked to know that these stuffs especially ice creams have products which contains animal source ingredient known as gelatin (made by boiling tissue, bones and skin of cows or pigs). Being a vegetarian you might be unintentionally eating it.

Besides all the above drawbacks these stuff contain a lot of Caffeine and bad fats- Chocolate is partially made of cocoa bean which is loaded with caffeine. Kids eating lot of chocolate are hyper due to presence of this caffeine. Calorie content of ice creams and chocolates is too high due to presence of a large amount of sugar. You can easily put on weight while eating such stuffs.

So be careful next time when you see such tasty devils ...... ha ha 

what are the helpful tips on eye care for computer viewers?

Eyes are one of the most important organ in the human body and vision is one of the most wonderful gift. But often many people neglect the importance of eye care and do not pay proper attention towards eye care. 

Spending long hours in front of television or computers is part of peoples life today. Especially if you are a computer professional, this may cause many eyes and vision related problems in future. So what can be done to avoid this? 

Here are some useful eye care tips for computer users.

First, it’s important to find out how you can protect your eyes through eye health exams and by making a few minor changes in your computer viewing habits.

Positioning is everything
Correct positioning of your computer, keyboard and typing copy is essential. Your screen should be positioned about an arm’s length from your eyes and 20 degrees below eye level. Consider foot and wrist rests for added comfort.

Lighting can make all the difference
Room lighting should be diffuse, not direct, to reduce glare and reflections from your screen. Look into an internal or external glare screen and be sure to set your colour, contrast and brightness levels to suit you.

A little extra help for your glasses
Anti-reflective coatings on the lenses of your glasses can be applied by your optometrist to reduce discomfort and to ease reduced vision from bright and/or flickering light sources such as VDTs and fluorescent lights. And don’t forget, your doctor of optometry can talk to you about eyeglasses designed specifically for people who use computers a lot.

Take time out, our 20-20-20 rule

Step I : After every 20 minutes of looking into the computer screen, turn your
head and try to look at any object placed at least 20 feet away. This
changes the focal length of your eyes, a must-do for the tired eyes.

Step II : Try and blink your eyes for 20 times in succession, to moisten them.

Step III : Time permitting of course, one should walk 20 paces after every 20 minutes
of sitting in one particular posture. Helps blood circulation for the entire body.

Blink your eyes

Did you know that on average we blink 12 times per minute? But wait, did you know that when we’re on the computer we only blink 5 times per minute? That can add up to dry eyes. Relieve the discomfort by using artificial tear drops or gels and remember to blink!

Palming

Sit straight at your workstation and rub your palms against each other till you feel them warm. The warmth of your palms helps soothe and relax tired eyes. Then, lightly cup your eyes with your palms and relax for 60 seconds. Count the seconds in your mind. Repeat this exercise two to three times whenever your eyes feel tired, or as often as you want. While palming, you can either rest your elbows on your desk or keep away from the desk and cup your eyes. Both ways are fine.

Splash water on your face

During breaks, splash water on your face while closing your eyes. This has an overall relaxing effect and helps you feel refreshed.

Use tea bags

Keep two used tea bags in the refrigerator before you leave for work. Once you are home, place the tea bags on your eyes for a few minutes as you relax. This not only soothes tired eyes, but also reduces puffiness.

Eat healthy

Incorporate Vitamins A, C, and E on a daily basis; eat citrus fruits, green leafy veggies, tomatoes, spinach, poultry and dairy products. Pack a box of chopped carrots, cucumber and fresh fruits and munch in-between meals at the office.

Health Benefits of Broccoli

Broccoli is considered to be one of the most nutritious vegetables that can offer numerous health benefits. Some people love broccoli and some people hate it, but there's no denying that broccoli is a nutritional wonder. 

Broccoli is a cruciferous vegetable and Broccoli is a member of cabbage family and is closely related to cauliflower. If you want to receive the fantastic health benefits provided by the cruciferous vegetable family, you must include broccoli as one of the cruciferous vegetables you eat on a regular basis.

Its cultivation originated in Italy. Broccolo, its Italian name, means “cabbage sprout.” Broccoli’s name is derived from the Latin word brachium, which means branch or arm, a reflection of its tree-like shape that features a compact head of florets attached by small stems to a larger stalk. 

Because of its different components, this vegetable provides a complex of tastes and textures, ranging from soft and flowery (the florets) to fibrous and crunchy (the stem and stalk). Its color can range from deep sage to dark green to purplish-green, depending upon the variety. 

Throughout the year, broccoli is one of the easiest foods to locate, as most supermarkets across the world offer a hearty supply of this nutrient-rich vegetable. One of the most popular types of broccoli sold in North America is known as Italian green, or Calabrese, named after the Italian province of Calabria where it first grew.

Studies have shown that even kids like broccoli and one way to ensure that they enjoy it is to cook it properly by using healthy steaming method. Overcooked broccoli Loses both nutrients and flavor and becomes soft and mushy.

Health Benefits of Broccoli

1)Cancer Prevention 
The unique combination of antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and pro-detoxification components in broccoli make it a unique food in terms of cancer prevention. But it is particularly good for breast cancer and uterus cancer, as it removes extra estrogen from the body. This is due to the presence of strong anti-carcinogens like glucoraphanin, dindolylmethane, beta-carotene, selenium and other nutrients like vitamin-C, vitamin-A and vitamin-E, zinc, potassium and certain amino acids, which are also good anti-cancer agents.

Recent studies have also provided us with a much better idea about the amount of broccoli that we need to lower our cancer risk. At the lower end of the spectrum, it looks like an average of 1/2 cup of broccoli per day—only 22 calories' worth of broccoli!—is enough to provide some measurable benefits.

2)Detoxification. 
Broccoli contains an unusual combination of three phytonutrients, glucoraphanin, gluconasturtiian, and glucobrassicin. Together these nutrients have a strong impact on our body’s detoxification system. This dynamic trio is able to support all steps in body's detox process, including activation, neutralization, and elimination of unwanted contaminants. Isothiocyanates (ITCs) are the detox-regulating molecules made from broccoli's glucosinolates, and they help control the detox process at a genetic level.

3)Anti-Inflammatory. 
Broccoli is a particularly rich source of a flavonoid called kaempferol, which helps to battle allergies and inflammation. Especially inside of our digestive tract, kaempferol has the ability to lessen the impact of allergy-related substances (by lowering the immune system's production of IgE-antibodies). By lessening the impact of allergy-related substances, the kaempferol in broccoli can help lower our risk of chronic inflammation.

4) Antioxidant benefits
Amongst all of the commonly consumed cruciferous vegetables, broccoli stands out as the most concentrated source of a premiere antioxidant nutrient—vitamin C. This central antioxidant vitamin can provide longer-term support of oxygen metabolism in the body if it is accompanied by flavonoids that allow it to recycle. 

Broccoli provides many such flavonoids in significant amounts, including the flavonoids kaempferol and quercitin. Also concentrated in broccoli are the carotenoids lutein, zeaxanthin, and beta-carotene. All three of these carotenoids function as key antioxidants
Considered as a group, the vitamins, minerals, flavonoids, and carotenoids contained in broccoli work to lower risk of oxidative stress in the body.

5)Improves Vitamin D Deficiency.
Broccoli contains vitamins A and K, which help to keep the metabolism of vitamin D in balance. Vitamin D promotes the body’s absorption of calcium and thereby sustains and promotes bone health and growth. When large supplemental doses of vitamin D are needed to offset deficiency, ample supplies of vitamin K and vitamin A help keep our vitamin D metabolism in balance. For people faced with the need to rebuild vitamin D stores through vitamin D supplements, broccoli may be an ideal food to include in the diet.

6)Digestive Support. 
Fiber helps to lower cholesterol and facilitates digestion. Fiber comes in two forms -- soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber absorbs water and forms a gel in the stomach. This type of fiber helps keep blood sugar levels stable and also blocks the absorption of cholesterol. Insoluble fiber softens stool and decreases transit time in the digestive tract, which reduces the risk of constipation and colon cancer.

7)Heart health support
You can improve your heart health by eating broccoli regularly as when we eat broccoli, fiber-related nutrients in this cruciferous vegetable bind together with some of the bile acids in the intestine in such a way that they simply stay inside the intestine and pass out of our body in a bowel movement, rather than getting absorbed along with the fat they have emulsified. When this happens, our liver needs to replace the lost bile acids by drawing upon our existing supply of cholesterol, and as a result, our cholesterol level drops down. 

Also potassium found in broccoli helps to fight high blood pressure and other anti-inflammatory bio-chemicals like sulforaphane, glucoraphanin and kaempferol found in broccoli help to prevent damage to blood vessel lining due to chronic inflammation and chronic blood sugar problems promoting heart health and preventing risk of heart attacks and strokes. 

8)Increases Eye Health. 
Broccoli improves eye health due to high concentrations of two carotenoids in it—lutein and zeaxanthin—which play an important role in the health of the eye.

9)Supports Skin Health And Repair. 
When glucoraphanin from broccoli is converted into sulforaphane the result is healthy skin and repair of skin damage.

10)High in Nutrients vitamins and minerals. 
Broccoli contains a substantial amount of nutrients that are extremely good for health including vitamins, folic acid, fiber and calcium, It is a great source of vitamins K, A, and C, in addition to fiber, potassium, folate, and lutein. 

11)Rich in Calcium Supports bone health. 
Calcium strengthens and promotes bone growth and health, which assists in the prevention of osteoporosis.

12)Decreases Blood Sugar Levels. 
Thanks to its high levels of soluble fiber and chromium, broccoli helps to maintain low blood sugar.

13)High In Protein. 
Broccoli is not only a great source of protein but is also low in calorie.

14)Helps To Prevent Heart Disease. 
Broccoli contains lutein, which helps to fight heart disease by preventing the thickening of arteries

15)Fights cholesterol.
Broccoli provides us with this cholesterol-lowering benefit whether it is raw or cooked. However, a recent study has shown that the cholesterol-lowering ability of raw broccoli improves significantly when it is steamed. 

10 Home remedies for acne scars

Acne is a nightmare for many teenagers. Usually it affects you before your big days and ruin your plans. Acne usually appears on the face and shoulders, but can also occur on the arms, body and legs and buttocks. Although acne is common in teenagers, anyone can get acne even children also. There are many factors or reasons of getting acne, some of the most common causes are:

1. Hormonal imbalance or changes in hormone levels due pregnancy, puberty and stress.
2. Using bad cosmetics which are greasy and oily.
3. Improper eating habits or intake of certain drugs like estrogen and steroids.
4. If you are a night owl and don't get proper sleep.
5. Higher humidity and sweating can also cause pimples or acne

These reasons may inculpate acne on you beautiful skin which results in painful pimples. The pimples, zits or blemishes whatever you name it, includes whiteheads, blackheads, and inflamed patches of skin. These pimples usually occur when the tiny pores present on the skin gets clogged due to dirt or bacteria. You need to do some simple things that can help in treating your acne,

• Clean your skin with a mild soap or face wash twice a day (avoid too much of scrubbing)
• In case you hair is too oily, then comb it back and keep it away from your face and shampoo your hair regularly.

Acne creates a considerable distress and you want to get rid of it by any means. Though there is not definitive cure for acne, you can eminently treat it using many natural remedies. Let me help you with some pretty simple and natural remedies to get rid of acne

1)Toothpaste

The toothpaste is one of the easiest remedies that can help you get rid of your acne problem.  Apply a small amount of toothpaste on the acne before going to bed it helps you reduce the swelling of the zit and dries it out. This remedy will help you get rid of acne very soon. Cover the tooth pasted pimples with a bandage for better results.

   2)Clay mask

Take clay and mix it with enough water and make a thick paste and apply it directly on the blemishes or affected areas and leave it on for about 20 minutes or overnight and wash it with cold water. This is one simple and quick way to get rid of acne.

   3)Cucumber

It is one of the simple natural treatments used for the treating acne. It also refreshes the skin making it feel young. Blend the cucumber into a smooth paste and apply it on the acne affected area and wash it off after 30 to 40 minutes for better results.

4) Honey 

Honey can be used as natural skin moisturizer. You can apply honey on the affected area for about half an hour and wash your face with lukewarm water first and then use cold water to close the open skin pores. It also has antiseptic properties, it can also be used as a facial mask by mixing it with powdered nutmeg in same quantity. Use this mask regularly by applying it for half an hour to stop the acne formation completely.

or

You can make cinnamon powder, take about half tablespoon of this power and mix it with honey to make a smooth paste. Apply this paste on the blemish and leave it for an hour or overnight. This will help you reduce the acne.

5)Fenugreek

Make a smooth paste from fresh fenugreek leaves and apply this paste on the affected areas and leave it for 10 to 15 minutes then wash your face with lukewarm water. Continue the same process for 3 to 4 days to heal acne completely.

6)Neem











Neem Or Indian Lilac is one of the excellent herbs that help preventing acne formation on your skin . Take some Neem leaves and make a smooth paste out of them. Apply the paste regularly to get a smooth and acne free skin.

7)Grapes

Grapes are one of the rich sources of Vitamin C which helps in skin care. Consuming grapes regularly or rubbing them over the affected area and washing it off after 15 to 20 minutes will help in acne prevention. Doing this will relieve you from the pain and inflammation and helps closing the pores.

  8)Yogurt

Yogurt contains lactic acid and many natural alpha hydroxy acids that have exfoliating effects, which helps in rejuvenating skin and acne scarring. Organic yogurt is very gentle and is very useful for reducing acne. Use yogurt by applying it on the acne and leaving it for 10 minutes for better results.

9)Orange

Orange peel contains high Vitamin C making it a perfect element for treating blemishes. Its juice and peel both can be used to treat acne. Dry the orange peel under the sun and grind it into a fine powder. Make it into a fine paste by adding water and then apply it on the affected area, allow it to sit for 10 to 15 minutes and wash your face with warm water.

10)Lemon Juice




A dab of little lemon juice is very useful in acne treatment. It helps you clean up the dirt, which got accumulated on the skin pores and will shrink the pimple. Apply lemon juice with little amount of rose water or rub with a slice of lemon on the affected area and leave it for few hours or overnight and then rinse the affected area properly.

Also consuming more dairy products, leafy vegetables, carrot, fish and cereals, which are rich sources of vitamin A, helps in reducing the formation of acne and scars. Regular intake of iron supplements and vitamin A will help you keep away from acne.

These home remedies won't guarantee the fastest results, but will give you permanent results. Natural remedies prolong the youthfulness of your skin. Try these simple and natural remedies that help you get rid of acne completely. Hopefully these home remedies will work for you as it has for many. 

Honey - all purpose health tonic

Honey is one of the most popular super food that is recognized all over the world for its amazing taste, and super healing properties. The humble jar of honey in your cabinet is more than just an exquisite sweetener -- it's also an incredible survival food and medicine chest rolled into one. 

Its application dates back ancient times; Known throughout history for its health merits, honey is a broad spectrum healer. This amazing golden liquid is used in many of the traditional medicines of the world, including Ayurveda. Heart disease, high cholesterol, influenza, wounds and infections respond well to this common sweetener. Since there are certain types of honey, you should choose wisely to enjoy the maximum benefits.

honey

Super survival food and health wonder
Honey is one of the most outstanding survival foods that you can stock in your pantry, the shelf life of honey is remarkable. When you store it in an airtight container and keep it in a cool and dry place -- it will not turn rancid, ever. In fact, some archeologists have found jars of honey in ancient Egyptian Pyramids that are still good for human consumption. 

Honey is packed with probiotics, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. It is also calorie rich and helps to maintain energy levels. High in B vitamins along with vitamin C, honey is also a good source of magnesium, calcium, copper, iron, sulfur and zinc.

Key Nutrients

Nutrient dense honey is loaded with many essential vitamins and minerals. Vitamins such as B1, B2, B3, B5, B6 as well as vitamin C are found in honey. It also contains minerals like magnesium, potassium, calcium, sodium chlorine, calcium, copper, iron, manganese, sulphur, zinc and phosphate.

Honey helps to boost athletic performance and supports a healthy immune system as well. For those with Type II diabetes or high cholesterol, honey is a good choice. Scientists found that when taken daily, honey actually lowered serum cholesterol and did not spike blood sugar levels like refined sugar.When selecting honey, it is important to focus on raw, organic and unfiltered varieties for the most bio-active properties.

Babies under the age of one year should not be given honey due to the threat of infantile botulism.

Love Canal - ERC Tour 2013

Last night, a bunch of our group walked to Canada to view NIagara Falls from the Canadian side. 

Today we visited Love Canal. Our colleagues from Conestoaga Rovers and Associates presented an overview of the history of Love Canal, including the dumping if wastes in the canal, development and design of the landfill, and control of the wastes that a re buried on site. Many of the environmental and health and safety regulations are now in effect because of Love Canal, including Superfund and the creation of the National Priorities List (NPL) of hazardous waste sites. The tour included a look at the treatment facility on site. Then we walked on the cap of the Love Canal site. The site looks park-like, with a few monitoring wells around the perimeter.  Love Canal was de-listed in 2004, and now is in a monitoring and treatment operation.

We dropped our colleagues from the University of Cincinnati at the Buffalo Airport. It was great having you on board and participating in our trip.  We are heading back home on our bus.  Another successful Historical Perspectives Tour.  Thanks to all of our particpants for an enjoyable week.  And a big thanks to Dave, our bus driver, for getting us around safely!

Materion Beryllium ERC Tour 2013

We visited Materion in Elmore, OH. They manufacture beryllium alloys. The tour they provided gave us an opportunity to see their products manufactured. These include beryllium alloys that are made into strip coils, wires, and rods, bars, and tubes. They do not manufacture any particular end-product, but the beryllium alloys materials are included in many of the products we use and are used across the globe. These include computers and cell phones, and in the oil and gas, and aerospace industries.  Throughout the visit, we saw how they address safety and health issues of their workforce.  Most of our group were in personal protective equipment, including tyvek suits, powered air purifying respirators, and hearing protection.  These visited areas that had the potential for exposure. Others visited areas that did not require the use of respiratory protection.

The Materion tour allows us to see how workers are protected with PPE and engineering controls, so that exposure to hazardous materials is minimized or eliminated.  Thanks to our hosts at Materion for providing this opportunity for our visit.

River Rouge ERC Tour 2013

The visit to Ford River Rouge plant is a great way to understand how cars are assembled. The tour starts with a video overview of the River Rouge plant, which opened in 1913, and the history of Ford Motor Corporation. The video shows how Henry Ford developed the assembly line to increase productivity in the manufacture of automobiles.  When Ford started this approach, it reduced the time to make a car from 12 hours to 93 minutes.  The second “multi-sensory” video showed how the process at the River Rouge Factory. We all were able to see the assembly process, and see the F150 trucks rolling off the assembly line.

Students are able to assess the types of work that workers perform during the assembly process, as well as how mechanized the process is.  Many of the steps in the process are mechanized, utilizing robots and other machinery to install parts to create the F150.

Tonight we are in Toledo. We will visit with Materion Brush staff during dinner to prepare for our visit to their facility tomorrow.

Carrie Furnaces/Homestead Steel and NIOSH PPTL ERC Tour 2013

Can you imagine 33,000 workers on 480 acres of steel works? That is what Homestead Steel Works was.  At its most productive, Homestead Steel Works produced nearly a third of all the steel used in the United States. The Carrie Furnaces stood at the heart of Homestead Works until 1979. At one time, the furnaces and the steelworkers who labored in them produced more than 1,000 tons of iron a day.  Today, all that is left is the remnants of those days. Homestead Steel Works is mostly on outdoor mall. However, Carrie Furnaces is now an area that can be visited to see the blast furnaces that produced iron. The Carrie Furnaces were built in 1884 and they operated until 1982.  Now they are relics of the past.  Visiting the site we were able to get an idea of what workers did to produce iron for the production of steel.

Then we went to the NIOSH Personal Protective Technologies Lab. Here we visited four labs to see the research NIOSH conducts on personal protective equipment.  The labs we visited are:

Mine Rescue and Escape Training Laboratory (Virtual Reality)

The Advanced Respirator Test Headform

Fit Testing Labs

Sweating Manikin

In each of the labs, we saw some of the latest research conducted to improve how workers can be better protected from hazards, and how PPE can be better constructed to make it more effective for workers.

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