Category: Science

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5 Carbs That Can Actually Help You Lose Weight

There are a ton of fad diets out there, and a bunch of them claim to show you the path to weight loss (and sometimes nirvana, apparently) by completely giving up carbs. Which is silly to me, since carbs are actually the path to nirvana, in this girl’s opinions, but it also turn out that science has something else to say about carbs altogether.

Which is that they’re not evil, they’re part of a healthy, balanced diet, and we can’t actually survive without them.

So, if you’re wanting to lose weight and stay healthy, here are 5 carbs that can help you do it.

#5. Mushrooms

Photo Credit: Pixabay

They pack a lot of nourishment into very few calories, which makes them an ideal diet food. Use them to stock up on amino acids, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, and vitamins B, C, and D.

#4. Chickpeas

Photo Credit: Pixabay

They contain protein and great amino acids that help promote a proper metabolism. Not only that, but you guys – hummus!

Nutritionists recommend replacing products high in saturated fats with chickpeas if you’re looking to drop pounds.

#3. Wild Rice

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Wild rice is an aquatic grass, not a grain, and contains huge amounts of fiber, protein, and tryptophan. Don’t eat too much of it or you’ll be snoozing on the couch by 8pm!

#2. Corn

Photo Credit: Pixabay

The protein and vitamins it contains promote healthy skin, hair, and nail in addition to contributing to fat burning and a boost of fiber.

Protip: Mixing corn and beans, both of which contain resistant starch, a carb that dodges digestion, can make it even easier to lose weight.

#1. Pasta

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Yes, you can have pasta! Rejoice! Make sure it’s whole grain, because it contains complex carbs that give us energy and clean us of toxins in the process. Bonus points if you cook it al dente to preserve more of the good stuff.

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8 Cool, Surprising Ways to Use Banana Peels

Who knew bananas could be good for more than eating? More than that – who knew there were 8 (or more) reasons to not chuck the peel as soon as you’re done?

Read on, my friend, because now the answer is YOU.

#8. Whiten your teeth

Photo Credit: Pixabay

The potassium in ripe banana peels can help reduce yellow stains from things like coffee and tea. After brushing, rub the inside of the banana peel on your teeth for two minutes and then rinse. For the best results, you’ll want to repeat the process every day.

#7. Fight acne

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Bananas peels contain vitamin C, E, potassium, zinc, iron, and manganese, all of which calm inflamed skin and can help reduce breakouts. They also contain lutein and carotenoids, fat-soluble compounds that fight inflammation.

Just rub the peel over your skin, then let it sit for 5-10 minutes.

#6. Reduce the appearance of scars

Photo Credit: Pixabay

We’ve talked about the vitamins and fatty acids contained in the peels, and those things are the same reason they can reduce the swelling and redness associated with scarring. Apply the banana peel to the affected area, leaving it for an hour or overnight, and repeat daily.

#5. Fight wrinkles

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Like the fight against acne, the vitamins and minerals in banana peels can help battle signs of aging. Leave the peels on affected areas for as long as you can stand (even overnight) and repeat 3x/week.

#4. Treat your headaches – even migraines!

Photo Credit: Brightside

Place a banana peel across your forehead and/or the back of your neck and let the potassium do its job. Even better if you can freeze the peel first and then leave it on until it warms up.

#3. Remove splinters

Photo Credit: Pixabay

The enzymes in banana peels contain a pulling acting that helps draw foreign objects to the surface of the skin. Simply apply a ripe banana to the affected area and let it sit for 15 minutes and your splinter should be easier to grab/extract.

#2. Tenderize your meats

Photo Credit: deposit photos

Place a banana peel (or a few) in your roasting pan for both flavor and moisture. The peel acts as a blanket, keeping fluids underneath!

#1. Composting

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Banana peels will add calcium, magnesium, sulfur, phosphates, potassium, and sodium to your compost pile. Cut them into pieces and bury them, then water soon afterward.

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7 Free Tips You’d Have to Pay a Psychologist to Give You

Who doesn’t love a freebie (or 7!) now and then? I know I do, and when it’s something you’d pay upwards of $100/hr to get if you made an appointment, well…bonus!

So, without further ado, here are 7 tips you’d have to pay for at the therapist’s office. Go forth and conquer, my friends.

#7. Step out of your comfort zone

Photo Credit: Pixabay

If you want to change your life – find a relationship, make new friends, learn a new skill, or land a new job – there’s a good chance it will happen sooner if you step out of your comfort zone.

#6. There’s a good chance your psychological issues stem from childhood

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Spend some time unpacking how your parents acted, why they acted that way, and how it impacted you and you might be well on your way to leaving the past where it belongs.

#5. Enforce your boundaries

Photo Credit: Pixabay

It’s okay to have boundaries and expectations that they be respected, even in personal and family relationships. If nothing else, enforcing your set boundaries will make the other party realize that you’ll stand up for yourself if need be – and that’s a start.

#4. Express more opinions, offer fewer judgments

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Accusing people puts them on the defensive instead of considering how their actions impacted you. If you simply tell them how you’re feeling, it gives them a chance to fix the situation while still preserving their dignity.

#3. Baby steps mean something

Photo Credit: Pixabay

It takes 20 days to form a habit, so each day, take a small step toward the new habit you’re hoping to establish.

#2. Spend more time loving yourself than worrying about whether others love you

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Comparing yourself to others is a waste of time, and one that can be damaging, at that. You have to form your own desires and personality, our own sense of self, and then be confident that no matter what others think, we’re being true to that sense.

#1. Let things go

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Change things yourself instead of expecting others to change – you can’t force other people to do what you want (or to want to do what you want) so you have the choice of being disappointed or making the change for you. The latter is more healthy.

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How Much Sleep You Need, Based on Your Age

Pretty much every single article out there that talks about getting and staying healthy – body and mind – will tell you that you need to make sure that you’re getting enough sleep. But how much sleep do you need?

It can be a complicated question that takes into consideration various factors like your age, health level, metabolism, etc. At least, it was until you discovered this handy-dandy chart.

Take a look!

Photo Credit: Brightside

Are you getting enough sleep?

Just as important is your quality of sleep, so if you feel like that’s lacking, you can click here for some tips on improving it.

Happy sleeping!

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11 Genuinely Surprising Facts About the World Around You

Think you know everything about everything? Check out these 12 surprising facts to find out if you’re right!

#11. Lightning “tattoos” its victims

Photo Credit: Reddit

If you survive a lightning strike, there’s a good chance you’ll wear a mysterious pattern called a “Lichtenberg figure” for the rest of your life…but no one knows why.

#10. Dolphins eat puffer fish to get high

Photo Credit: Pixabay

A documentary film captures young dolphins sharing a puffer fish, which releases a nerve toxin that produces a narcotics effect in small amounts.

#9. Fetal stem cells can heal a mother’s heart

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Over half the women who develop heart weakness during or just after pregnancy recover spontaneously – a fetus basically ensures its own survival by protecting the mother’s heart.

#8. Someone has been in space for 437 days and 18 hours – consecutively

Photo Credit: Pixabay

His name is Valeri Polyakov.

#7. NASA’s internet speed is 91gb/second

Photo Credit: Pixabay

You could download your favorite television series – all of it – in less than a second. That is, if you could access their private network.

#6. Steve Jobs made the iPad lighter by tossing it in water

Photo Credit: Pixabay

He wanted a lighter product but was told by engineers it was impossible. He tossed the prototype in a fish tank and when bubbles floated out of it as it hit the bottom, he said “those are air bubbles. That means there’s space in there. Make it smaller.”

#5. A fitness coach gained – and lost – 66 lbs in a single year

Photo Credit: Instagram

His name is Drew Manning and conducted the experiment in an attempt to understand why people want to lose weight.

#4. JK Rowling donated over $160 million to charity in 2012

Photo Credit: Pixabay

She normally appears on lists of the world’s richest people, but that year she didn’t because of her charitable contributions.

#3. Eagle vision is even better than you think

Photo Credit: Pixabay

You’d be able to see an ant from a 10-story building, to detect more colors and even UV radiation, and have a 340 degree visual field.

#2. Germany counts its trees

Photo Credit: Brightside

All the trees in parks are numbered in order to collect data. They love their order!

#1. The Japanese use unique seals in lieu of signatures

Photo Credit: Brightside

You’ll need a hanko, or personal seal, to sign any official documents.

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10 Things You Probably Don’t Know About Living with ADHD

It may surprise you that living with ADHD is about more than managing your ability to sit still or pay attention – but as someone who lives with a partner who suffers, I can tell you that the way his brain functions infiltrates more areas of his life than I would have believed at the beginning.

So if you have ADHD, this post will hit you in the feels. And if you’re living with (and loving!) someone who suffers, this post might give you a better ability to understand their daily struggles.

#10. They don’t always think before they speak

Photo Credit: Pixabay

And like everyone, what comes out is sometimes inappropriate. They regret it, but they likely won’t apologize.

#9. It’s hard to silence their inner child

Photo Credit: Pixabay

ADHD sufferers often come across as selfish. As adults, they understand that they aren’t going to to be able to do what they want or get what they want all of the time, but sometimes the impatient five-year-old inside of them wins the day and they come off looking poorer for it.

#8. It’s a constant battle between confidence and doubt

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Some days, it’s easy to pretend to have it all together (or do they?) and other days that voice asking when they’re going to stop pretending and admit they suck at everything is too loud to ignore.

#7. It’s hard to let things go

Photo Credit: Pixabay

People with ADHD replay their entire day and obsess over things said (or not said), items not checked off lists, as well as what needs to be done tomorrow – and next week, next month, etc.

#6. Their brains are exhausting

Photo Credit: Pixabay

ADHD minds never stop and never take breaks – and that can be exhausting. The exhaustion can lead to poor behavior and snapped responses, none of which is easy to deal with for the person…or their partner.

#5. It might look like laziness…but it’s not

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Up to 50% of people with ADHD have chronic sleep issues – and it takes awhile for their brains to shake off the fog and get moving. Sometimes hours.

#4. Obsession can be part of the diagnosis

Photo Credit: Pixabay

People with ADHD often live in excess – they spend too much, eat too much, exercise too much, and so on. The obsessive part of their brain isn’t limited to one thing.

#3. It’s part of who they are

Photo Credit: Pixabay

It can be frustrating and challenging and exhausting, but the bottom line is that ADHD brains were made that way, and the people who own them would be different without them. So like the rest of us, they wouldn’t trade who they are for a more “normal” existence.”

#2. They can’t hear you sometimes

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Yes, they’re staring at you and they look like they’re listening, but sometimes their minds have focused on something else. They’re not being rude; it’s just how their brains work.

#1. Hyperfocus is a blessing…and a curse

Photo Credit: Pixabay

People with ADHD get into hyperfocus modes and woe to anyone who interrupts their train of thought. If they lose it, they will lose it for good so think twice about how important their attention really is in that moment.

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Photographer Captures Epic Battle Between a Fox and an Eagle

Imagine how mad you get when someone at work steals your perfectly labeled lunch from the fridge, and then you might understand how this little red fox felt when his hard-earned kill was snatched by an eagle.

Photo Credit: Kevin Ebi

Photographer Kevin Ebi was capturing photos of young red foxes when he saw this epic, lasting, and dramatic battle play out.

Photo Credit: Kevin Ebi

Photo Credit: Kevin Ebi

“Eagles really don’t like to waste a lot of effort in getting their food, so they look for easy opportunities,” he told Bored Panda. “I thought the fox would drop the rabbit, giving the eagle an easy dinner. Instead, the fox, with its jaw still clenched on the rabbit, inadvertently got snagged by the bald eagle.”

Photo Credit: Kevin Ebi

Photo Credit: Kevin Ebi

He held on for 8 seconds before giving up and falling 20 feet from the eagle’s clutches.

Photo Credit: Kevin Ebi

Photo Credit: Kevin Ebi

But don’t worry – he seemed fine.

Photo Credit: Kevin Ebi

“It shook off the encounter and resumed playing with its fellow kits. I took several pictures of it after the ordeal and couldn’t find a single scratch,” he said.

Photo Credit: Kevin Ebi

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7 Surprising Benefits of Walking

We should know by now that the simple act of walking can have many health benefits – mental and physical – but here are 7 benefits that you might not have been aware of until now.

If so, the knowledge will definitely get you up and moving!

#7. It can increase vitamin D levels

Photo Credit: Brightside

Vitamin D is connected with brittle bones, fractures, and difficulty in walking – but walking 15-30 minutes a day in the sun can help you get enough to avoid these common health issues.

#6. It can help reduce your blood pressure

Photo Credit: Brightside

40 minutes of daily walking can reduce blood pressure in individuals with hypertension – 3 to 5 points.

#5. It increases creativity

Photo Credit: Brightside

It turns out creative types who like to take walks for inspiration aren’t crazy – this study found that creativity levels rise for a short time during and immediately after a walk.

#4. It can reduce instances of breast cancer in women

Photo Credit: Brightside

7 hours of walking per week reduces the risk of breast cancer in post-menopausal women by up to 14% – if you walk more than that, your chances drop by up to 25%.

#3. It can boost your immune system

Photo Credit: Brightside

A moderately-paced 30-45 minute walk every day can help protect your body from common colds.

#2. It reduces your risk of contracting diabetes

Photo Credit: Brightside

Just 3,000-7,500 steps per day can help treat and/or prevent type 2 diabetes.

#1. It slows the aging process

Photo Credit: Brightside

Walking is one of the most effective ways to avoid losing mobility as you age – it also keeps your skin tighter and can even reverse the aging process (and help avoid dementia!).

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10 Weird Ways to Use Potatoes (Besides Eating Them)

I mean…I don’t know why, exactly, you would have potatoes and not eat them, but these 10 things are pretty cool, too!

How many of them did you know? They were new to me!

#10. Alleviate your headache

Photo Credit: Brightside

Wash and slice a raw potato, then put them on your temples and forehead (you can secure them with a raw bandage). Lie down in a dark room and close your eyes until the pain disappears.

#9. Get rid of rust

Photo Credit: Brightside

Cut a potato in half, then dip it in baking soda, table salt, or dish detergent (your choice), then rub it over the rusty item until it’s clean. Then just rinse your formerly rusty item and let it dry!

#8. Drink the juice

Photo Credit: Brightside

Yep, really. Potato juice is packed with vitamins and minerals – calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin C, to name a few. Drinking the juice can strengthen your immune system, among other health benefits like helping with ulcers, heartburn, and prevent bacteria from breeding.

Recent studies also think they can lower your cholesterol and make you less prone to cancer, constipation, and weight gain.

All you have to do is blend it up an then strain the paste to extract the juice.

#7. Treat burns on your skin

Photo Credit: Brightside

Wash and slice a couple of potatoes then apply them to the burned area of your skin for 10-15 minutes. If you’re dealing with something more serious than a sunburn, like a hot water burn, mash or grate the potatoes into a paste – it’s the juice you’re after – and leave it on your burn until the pain disappears.

#6. De-fog your glasses

Photo Credit: Brightside

Cut potato halves rubbed over your glasses (then wiped clean) will de-fog your spectacles in the blink of an eye.

#5. Clean up stains – even bad ones

Photo Credit: Brightside

They can remove stains from fabrics (and your hands!) by grating raw potatoes into a bowl full of 0.1 gallon of water. Remove the potato and add the same amount of water in its place, wait for 10-15 minutes, and then dip a sponge into the potato water to wash fabrics clean.

#4. Clean your windows

Photo Credit: Brightside

Wipe a half of a cut potato over your windows, then wipe them clean with a rag. Done!

#3. Easily clean tarnished silverware

Photo Credit: Brightside

Without scrubbing, y’all. Just boil some potatoes and then take them out of the water (you can eat them – you’ll just need what’s left behind), then put your tarnished silverware into the potato water and leave them for an hour. Afterward, you should be able to lightly scrub it with a soft brush, then rinse it clean.

#2. Make hot and cold compresses

Photo Credit: Brightside

Potatoes are great for either – make mash out of them and secure them to your cuts, bruises, and pains with some gauze.

#1. Lighten your underarms

Photo Credit: Brightside

If your underarms are too dark for your liking this summer, you might be able to fix them – in time – with potatoes. Wash and slice it, massage your armpits with the slices for 3 minutes or so, then wait a half hour before rinsing the water off.

Don’t expect it to work right away, though – it might take several applications.

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These 8 Natural Weed Killers Will Do the Trick and Leave Your Garden Healthy and Happy

If you have a garden, then you do daily, weekly, and monthly battle with weeds. The best way to get them is down on your hands and knees, of course, but it doesn’t have to have some help along the way.

If you’re someone whose concerned about chemicals around your children or pets, then these natural weed killers are going to be right up your alley.

#8. Boiling water

Photo Credit: Brightside

What could be more natural and chemical free than simple water? Boil it and pour it right on the weeds and watch ’em die!

#7. Baking Soda

Photo Credit: Linar UK

This little miracle in a box may not kill weeds, but if you sprinkle it in the cracks and crevices ahead of time, it will stop your weeds from popping up.

#6. Homemade herbicide

Photo Credit: Brightside

If you’ve got some super stubborn weeds, try this combination of equal parts vinegar, table salt, and dish soap in a spray bottle.

#5. Table Salt

Photo Credit: Brightside

You can either pour the salt directly on the weeds or you can mix a cup of salt with 2 cups of water, boil it, and spray the still-hot solution onto the weeds.

#4. Mulch

Photo Credit: Brightside

It smothers the weeds by depriving them of sunlight, and once they’re dead, the mulch covers the dead plants. Win-win!

#3. Cornmeal

Photo Credit: Brightside

Like with baking soda, you can sprinkle it ahead of time to prevent weeds or sprinkle it on weeds you need gone.

#2. Vodka

Photo Credit: Brightside

I mean…you probably don’t want to waste good alcohol, weeds don’t like it as much as we do. Add 30ml of vodka to a few drops of liquid dish soap and 2 cups of water and spray away! It does only work in direct sunlight, though, so don’t try it in the house.

#1. White vinegar

Photo Credit: Brightside

Don’t dilute the vinegar (apple cider vinegar works, too), and spray it on the flowers or midsection of the weeds. The acid shrivels them right up, but try not to get it on your flowers or other plants.

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