Cashew nuts, native to equatorial South America, are actually seeds, found growing on the end of the cashew apple, an edible and nutrient rich South American treat that is too fragile to export to North America or Europe .

Also known by the botanical name Anacardium occidentale, the cashew is a close relative of mangos, pistachios, poison ivy and poison oak. It was first introduced on a worldwide scale by Portuguese explorers in South America in the 16 th century, but international trade didn’t take off until the 1920s.

Cashew nuts do have a relatively high fat content (12 grams per ounce, 2 grams saturated fat), but it is considered “good fat.” This is due to the agreeable fat ratio in the nut, 1:2:1 for saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated, respectively, which scientists say is the ideal ratio for optimal health.

Cashew nuts also have a fatty acid profile that contributes to good health through phytosterols, tocopherols, and sqaulene, all of which lower the risk of heart disease, combined with the nut’s zero percent cholesterol content.

Even with the relatively high fat content, cashew nuts are considered to be a “low-fat” nut. In fact, cashew nuts contain less fat per serving than many other popular nuts commonly found in grocery stores and health food stores, including almonds, walnuts, peanuts and pecans.

Recommendations vary for cashew nut consumption in diet and weight loss. Cashew nuts have a high energy density and high amount of dietary fiber, both which have been attributed to a beneficial effect on weight management, but only when eaten in moderation.

Although tourism is one of the main industries on the island, many of the hotels and other tourist areas are run by mainland companies, so much of the income never gets put back into the local economy. Also, since the attractions are geared towards tourists, many of the entrance fees can be hefty (although the locally owned and operated ones tend to be cheaper). Similar to Gyeongju and some other areas, local residents can enter most places for free or for a steeply discounted price.

Its Easter Sunday, this is the day when the Christian world commemorate the resurrection of Jesus Christ who is the son of God and the savior of the humankind. Easter Sunday is celebrated indifferent way by different culture. It is a time of festivities and celebrations where traditional Easter games where developed.

In the US Easter Sunday is the time of the year that children will look for Easter egg and other treats. Many families in the US also attend Sunday mass or participate in a feast or gathering. There are families that also do a traditional Sunday roasts that maybe ham or lamb.

In Polish culture, The Resurrection Procession is the joyous Easter morning Mass at daybreak when church bells ring out and explosions resound to commemorate Christ rising from the dead. Before the Mass begins at dawn, a festive procession with the Blessed Sacrament carried beneath a canopy encircles the church. As church bells ring out, hand bells are vigorously shaken by altar boys, the air is filled with incense and the faithful raise their voices heavenward in a triumphant rendering of age-old Easter hymns. After the Blessed Sacrament is carried around the church, and Adoration is complete, the Easter Mass begins.

In the Philippines Easter Sunday is starts at dawn when images of Christ and Mary will be brought in procession where they meet in place they designate as Galilea usually in a church. The Virgin Mary is clothed or at least veiled in black to express bereavement. A girl dressed as an angel, positioned on a specially constructed high platform/scaffold or suspended in mid-air, sings the Regina Coeli in Latin or a local language and then dramatically removes the black veil, signifying the end of her grieving. This is accomplished by the “angel” simply pulling off the veil, or by tying it to balloons or doves and releasing these into the air. The Virgin is then transformed into the Nuestra Señora de Alegria, or Our Lady of Joy. The moment is marked by pealing bells and fireworks, followed by the Easter Mass that begins right after sunrise either at 6 or 7 in the morning. In some parishes, however, the practice is done on midnight of Easter Sunday after the Easter Virgil the night before.

Just a few days ago I have heard from news that Japan was struck by an earthquake so many agencies around the world told the people to be vigilant in times of tremor in order to lessen the risk of injuries or deaths during earthquakes. Anyway that Earthquake that rocked Japan on Wednesday was indeed a sign that a major quake may occur any time and it did because The Northeast part of the Island of Honshu in Japan felt one of the strongest quake in recorded history on Friday, March 11, 2011 at 05:46 UTC a massive 8.8 magnitude quake rock the Tohoko region in Japan. Initially the strong quake did not cause major damage to area, but several minutes after the tremor a 10 meters high tsunami. Tokyo Broadcasting System indicated that there 2oo people have died and thousand of others are missing. According to Meteorologist the series of earthquakes like Christchurch, Yunnan and Sendai earthquakes are not related, these quakes happened in different tectonic areas.

I really enjoyed my college days especially on times that we will have our laboratory tasks. One thing that interests me on laboratory subjects is that it made me think on what are the causes of chemical reactions. During our laboratory periods we are required to use our lab coats because this can protect our clothes from stains or chemicals and it can damage the fabric.

After I graduated from college, I had the chance to work in a hospital for just a short period of time. I was tasked to do the laboratory works such as the analysis of blood, urine and many others. They handed me some scrub uniforms and laboratory coats. It was a fun job because I met many doctors and nurses in the hospital which eventually became my friends until now.

On my job in the hospital there are times that I made mistakes although those are minor mistakes, but still there is no room for mistake when dealing with health services for the people. One of my most unforgettable events in the hospital was when a test tube with patient’s blood slips on my hand. That blood is supposed to undergo analysis anyway the blood was all over my lab coat that it stained my scrub inside. Thus, the supervisor of the department reprimanded me to be careful next time because blood samples are very crucial in our line of work.

My job in the hospital wasn’t easy, but I really did my best in order to be efficient and I really proved that I can be a good laboratory staff. My service in the hospital was short though because one the companies I applied called me and gave me a better offer.

Dry skin can occur at any age. When your skin is dry it is unable to retain enough moisture. Dry skin results in flaking, red blotchy patches, and it may be itchy. There are many causes of dry skin ranging from cold dry air especially in the winter months, to medication you are taking, to hormones.

Research has also shown that yo-yo dieting can cause severe stretches to skin resulting in lost elasticity. This can cause the face to wrinkle and sag prematurely. Sun tanning is also known for causing premature aging and wrinkling of the skin.

The best moisturizer is really dependant on your skin type. There are plenty of products to choose from all claiming to make you look younger. However there is no research available to actually determine which creams work or don’t work. There is no question some are better than others but don’t believe for a moment that because it cost more it’s superior.

The best moisturizers are non-comedogenic, non-greasy and non-irritating formulation that contains a superior system of emollients and natural ingredients to nourish the skin.

The health benefits of honey and ginger spice include the following:

Respiratory problems: The mixture of honey and ginger is an excellent expectorant and therefore provides instant relief to a person suffering from cough, cold, sore throat, and runny nose.
Asthma: It is also believed that a mixture of honey and ginger along with black pepper is capable of treating or reducing the effect of asthma.
Indigestion: Ginger and honey are also available in the form of ginger honey tonic. It is believed that this tonic or syrup is a good digestive aid due to the inherent digestive properties of ginger. Further both ginger and honey have antioxidant properties thereby increasing the immunity of the body. Therefore, consumption of one tea spoonful of ginger and honey tonic is very useful for people who have a weak digestive system.

Benefits: Some of the health benefits of grapes include the following:

Asthma: Due to its eminent therapeutic value, grapes can be used for cure of asthma. In addition to it, the assimilatory power of grapes is also higher. It increases the moisture present in lungs.

Heart diseases: Grapes increase the nitric oxide levels in the blood, which prevents blood clots thereby reducing the chances of heart attacks. In addition the antioxidant present in grapes prevents the oxidation of LDL cholesterol, which blocks the blood vessels.

What could have been happening in North of Africa? It seems that the politics in this region is getting chaotic. The first chaos broke out in Tunisia where in people have up rise against the long serving President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. The violence sparked in the Tunisian capital as well in the other major urban areas of Tunisia. Right now though Tunisia is peaceful they are slowly in the process of transition. Meanwhile Egypt is in the brink of violence, anti-government protesters in response to the country’s rampant corruption, police brutalities, economic stagnation and the Alexandria Church bombing. The Egyptian government has attempted to break up and contain protests using a variety of methods, mostly non-lethal including rubber bullets, batons, water cannons, and tear gas, and in some cases, live ammunition with fatalities resulting. As of 29 January, at least 105 protester deaths had been reported, and those injured number 750 policemen and 1,500 protesters. The capital city of Cairo has been described as “a war zone”, and the port city of Suez has been the scene of frequent violent clashes. The government turned off almost all Internet access and imposed a curfew, claiming that minimizing disruption from the protests is necessary to maintain order and to prevent an uprising of fundamentalist Islamic groups.