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February 2023

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Health and Fitness

What to Eat for Your Blood Type

There has been a connection with your blood type and its different metabolic responses. For instance, you may wonder why there are certain differences when it comes to diet efficiency, metabolism, and the absorption of minerals. A group of people undergoing the same diet plan does not yield the same exact results. You may also wonder why you may be eating just the same with the persons you live with, but you tend to be the heaviest among them all. The reason behind all of that is the dissimilarity when it comes to blood types. If dieting seems to be complicated, you should know what to eat for your blood type so as to gain more favorable results. The food for weight loss according to your blood type varies depending on your multiple bodily functions, where your blood type plays a vital role.

Blood Group Diet

Blood Group Diet is a concept, which publicized the blood group as the one that will control how your body will deal with varying nutrients. It is known that each blood type has its own antigen indicators, which have altered responses with the different food components. To determine the ideal food for weight loss according to your blood type, you should know first which group you belong with. Persons with Type O are considered to be meat eaters, while Type A are vegetarians. Type AB people belong to the mixed diet moderation, whereas the balanced omnivores are people with Type B blood.

  • Type O: If you are a Type O, you will need to limit your consumption of breads, beans, grains, and legumes if you want to lose weight. Gluten, which is found in wheat germ, is a key factor in making you gain weight. It interferes with the efficiency of your insulin and makes your metabolism rate go slower.
  • Type A: Belonging to Type A means that you will have a hard time digesting dairy and it will make your metabolism slower. You should also eat more alkaline fruits and avoid fruits, such as papaya, mangoes, and oranges because they will aggravate your stomach. Vegetables will aid your way toward losing weight.
  • Type B: A balanced and wholesome way of eating is what you need if you are a Type B. Corn, lentils, and sesame oils can make you gain weight. Chicken must also be avoided because it has agglutinating lectin found in its muscle tissue that can make you suffer from stroke or other immune disorders.
  • Type AB: You have several antigens in your body, which make your stomach acid weak. Due to this, you should be careful with your meat proportions and frequency of eating them. You also have a weaker immune system, so you have to consume a lot of fruits and vegetables. A diet rich in rice, rather than pasta will make you much healthier.

As you can see, you can live a better life if you know what to eat for your blood type. This is very helpful, especially if you are looking for food for weight loss according to your blood type.

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Pets

Tips for Breaking a Horse

No, breaking a horse has nothing to do with harm. This refers to conditioning the animal so you can ride on it. The horse may be a traditional means of transportation, but young equines do not readily accept saddles on their backs. Here are tips for breaking a horse so it can be useful for activities such as raising livestock and competing at events.      

Spend Much Time with the Foal

The bond between a human and a horse begins even before the latter reaches the age for training. Domestic horses do not treat all people equally. You must earn its trust first so your pet would follow commands readily. If the equine sees you as a friend, it would also stay as calm as possible when training becomes rather rough.

Pat the foal’s neck and even groom it lightly when it starts feeling comfortable while away from the mare’s side. You may also teach it to be familiar with certain calls for a variety of commands. Maximum exposure of the foal to other people helps it become accustomed to horseback riding later on.     

Begin With Lunging

When the colt reaches two years of age, you may now teach it to wear the saddle and reins. Before anything else, do some lunging as the first step in its training. 

Lunging becomes possible when you place a headgear known as a halter on the colt. This is different from a bridle, which an equine wears while you are atop it. You use a halter in exercises that do not involve riding the horse. Once the halter is in place, attach a long rope to it so you can start lunging.  

Hold the rope and guide the horse as it walks around you in a rather wide circle. Be sure to wear gloves as the unpredictable colt may try to run off while the rope is still in your hand. Rope burns would make you lose the grip. If the colt feels hesitant in walking, guide it with a long and thin stick. You may tap the young horse gently but do not hit it hard. The equine may not get the hang of lunging immediately so stay patient.

When the colt successfully walks in a circle, lunging should become a routine habit. Then you may train it with commands for stopping, moving again, and turning direction. Make a distinct noise when the horse does something that you do not want. The equine would get its meaning eventually and obey you. Reward the horse with pats to the neck and treats when it fulfills the tasks.

Proceed with Leading

Move on to leading after the colt gains mastery with lunging. The two activities are similar except that you will walk beside your horse this time. Continue to use the halter and the long rope. Now shorten the rope’s length by coiling it, and guide the equine in taking a stroll together. Keep on teaching the colt to halt and make turns along the way.          

The young horse might try to bump into you, or push you away. During this instance, just make the familiar noises for restraining the animal’s undesirable action. You may stop leading for a while if the colt persists with this behavior. Just resume when the horse is more cooperative.   

Introduce the Horse to the Gear

You may now teach the equine to be accustomed with the saddle and other equipment after it gets the hang of lunging and leading. Do this by putting a saddle on the horse’s back, waiting for a few seconds, and then removing it. Repeat the activity until your pet always keeps calm. Gradually increase the time that your horse wears the saddle, and begin placing additional gear such as the bridle as well.  

The steps in breaking a horse include bonding with the foal, lunging, leading, and finally training it to be comfortable with the gear. Bear with the colt if it struggles in doing the tasks. Patience is always your key to success. Avoid too much training and be sure to provide ample time for the horse to relax.

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Dogs

How Strong is a Dog’s Hearing?

You may be already familiar with the fact that sleeping dogs are easily aroused by even the slightest of noises. These pets also serve as reliable guardians of homes and facilities as no one could go through the canine without getting unnoticed. Learn how strong is a dog’s hearing and what it means to have this seemingly supernatural power.   

Human Ears Versus Dog Ears

People often remember dogs more for their sense of smell than for their sense of hearing. However, the latter is still remarkable when compared to that of a human. Suppose that you can hear someone yelling at 20 feet, or 6 meters, from your position. A domestic canine would easily detect that noise at a distance of 80 feet. This is equivalent to 24 meters, or slightly above the height of a 7-story building.    

More amazingly, canine ears can pick up and identify sounds that human ears cannot do so. You can detect sound waves up to a frequency of 20,000 hertz. This unit of measurement refers to one cycle per second. Anything beyond that range is simply inaudible for you. On the other hand, pet dogs can hear sounds at frequencies between 40,000 and 60,000 hertz. This is the reason why canines are sensitive to vibrations. 

Obvious Difference in Ear Anatomy

You might be wondering what is in the dog’s ears that gives the supreme advantage. In fact, human ears share the same inner structure as dog ears. Sound waves travel through the ear canal and reach the ear drum. These waves further vibrate tiny structures known as ossicles. Vibrations translate into electrical signals that travel to the brain via a nerve.   

Take a closer look at a dog’s pair of ears and you would notice something that your ears cannot do. Canines have the ability to move their ear flaps. On the other hand, you have to turn your whole head towards the source of a sound. Dogs have a set of muscles that controls each ear flap and directs it to where the noise or vibration comes from. In other words, domestic canines have not only more powerful but also more flexible ears.

The link between ear anatomy and sense of hearing means that some breeds of dogs are better at picking up sound than others. Canine ears can be classified as prick, which appears upright and pointed. Another ear category is the folded, which drops loosely and points downwards. Prick ears can detect sounds more effectively than folded ears due to their shape and muscle function. This means an Akita has sharper hearing compared to a beagle.             

Issues with Hearing

Regardless of breed, dogs generally face a weaker sense of hearing as they age. While a pet canine can detect sounds at up to 60,000 hertz in its prime, it may not hear anything that exceeds 50,000 hertz in the late stages of adulthood.     

Aside from aging, ear damage can also impair your dog’s hearing ability. Damage often comes from microbial infection. This may happen just randomly, or when dog owners clean the ears improperly. Physical injury and constant exposure to deafening sounds also present risks. Furthermore, a puppy might be born already deaf because of problems during development.      

Dogs can hear noises at a far greater distance than humans would. In addition to that, they can pick up sounds that are too high-pitched for people. Movable ear flaps are the keys to this amazing trait. Take care of your dog’s ears by following the right hygiene techniques and keeping your pet away from blasts of noise.    

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Health and Fitness

Alternatives to Commercial Sports Drinks

You would probably grab a bottle of sports drink after a game of basketball, a session in the gym, or a 20-minute run. While they are packed with electrolytes and a combination of vital nutrients, you may simply want alternatives to commercial sports drinks.   

First, some people find the taste of commercial sports drinks to be unappealing. Then these beverages may also come with artificial coloring and rather unhealthy sweeteners. Finally, the sports drink is not always the best beverage for every situation that involves physical activity. Get to know some beverages that would help you during a game or workout.    

Tea

The last thing that you would want to do is to sip a hot cup of tea after sweating out. You probably know that tea does wonders to the body. People indulge in this beverage due to its high antioxidant content. In fact, your body needs plenty of antioxidants after the strain from the workout. Fatigue generally causes a higher level of free radicals, which can damage cells and affect important bodily functions.        

White tea has the largest amount of antioxidants among varieties of the healthy and refreshing drink. The popular green tea has slightly less than white tea, but it is also a wise choice. Black tea also provides enough antioxidants for recovery after a strenuous exercise. Make the most out of this beverage by preparing it from tea bags. You may pour tea in a handy vacuum flask and enjoy it later when you feel sweaty and tired.    

You may choose cool bottled teas instead. Just make sure that these products are based from antioxidant-rich teas and contain minimal sugar.

Chocolate Milk

Chocolate milk may contain sugar, but at least that sugar allows the fatigued body to quickly process those proteins when you need them the most. The sweet beverage can be the ideal refreshment not only for snacking but also for intense physical activity. Milk is a reputedly nutritious beverage on its own. Adding energy-boosting chocolate to it makes a delicious substitute to a commercial sports drink.     

In fact, chocolate milk has the ideal balance of carbohydrate and protein content. This enables you to recover from physical strain more sooner than expected. Be sure to choose a low-fat brand of chocolate milk for best results.   

Coconut Water

Many fitness enthusiasts believe that coconut water is an excellent alternative to the sports drink found in groceries and supermarkets. It gives potassium and other nutrients found in commercial sports drinks. Actually, a glass of coconut water has more to offer. It contains the calcium and magnesium that a bottle of sports drink cannot provide. This refreshing drink also comes with sodium but not in amounts as high as in its counterpart.            

Prefer drinking fresh juice, provided that actual coconuts come in plenty and you do not have any problem with the taste. Otherwise, you may bring pre-packaged coconut juice to your trip to the gym or the court.     

The next time you want to build on physical fitness, consider taking some tea, chocolate milk, or coconut water along with you. However, plain water is still the best beverage for staying hydrated during the height of your activity.

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Health and Fitness

What is Cholera?

Cholera is an acute intestinal infection with a long history of outbreaks. It already claimed the lives of many and continues to do so even today. More than 100, 000 people in various parts of the world fall victim to this disease annually. Often prevalent in places with poor sanitation and overcrowding, it also severely impacts countries that struggle with war and famine. Learn more on what is cholera through its causes, history, symptoms, treatment, and prevention.      

Causes

The Vibrio cholerae bacterium, which thrives in contaminated water, causes cholera. Factors that can lead to a cholera outbreak include a faulty drainage system and an untreated water supply. This illness usually shows in areas that have wells or water pumps instead of plumbing, along with places where people lack regard for hygiene.  

Eating crops or vegetables can contribute to the onset of disease if these are grown with water that is contaminated with human waste matter. Other causes include raw or undercooked seafood, unsanitary street food and drinks, and tap water.         

History

Outbreaks of cholera have been recurring many times throughout history. Before the advent of science, people consulted their beliefs and superstitions to find an explanation for the growing number of fatalities.   

People knew nothing about the true nature of cholera until the discoveries of an English doctor named John Snow. In 1854, a cholera outbreak swept through a heavily-populated part of London. Snow tried to map out the cases. He found out that the majority of cholera cases were located along Broad Street. Snow also recalled patients who preferred drinking water from the Broad Street pump, even though it was quite far from their homes.   

The findings pointed out that contaminated water from the Broad Street pump caused the cholera outbreak. Snow called for disuse of the pump and the outbreak finally subsided. To this day, Dr. John Snow is known as the father of epidemiology. His efforts on tracing cholera cases paved the way for modern epidemiological methods.

Symptoms

The symptoms of cholera can vary among patients. They could range from mild to serious. Some of the known symptoms of cholera include:

  • Watery stool or severe diarrhea
  • Vomiting
  • Cramping in the lower extremities
  • Rapid heart rate
  • Irritability and restlessness
  • Dryness in the eyes, sides of the mouth, nose and throat

When not treated immediately, these symptoms could lead to more complications such as dehydration, extreme weakness, acute renal failure, coma, shock, and even death. Patients may die in as little as several hours if they do not get immediate medical attention.    

Treatment

Rehydration is the most crucial way of relieving cholera. Patients receive an adequate supply of oral rehydration solutions and electrolytes. Severe cases of cholera require intravenous fluids and a stay in a hospital. All forms of treatment must be given to affected people in a timely manner.

When patients lack access to intravenous fluids or oral rehydration solutions, homemade remedies may do. This alternative involves six teaspoons of sugar and one-half teaspoon of salt that are mixed with one liter of water.

Prevention

Effective ways of preventing cholera outbreaks include proper waste management, regular maintenance of drainage systems, and water treatment. People in rural areas can boil water to make it safe for drinking.  Observance of personal hygiene, such as frequent washing of hands, is also a good way for preventing the onset of the disease.    

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Pets

The Appaloosa Horse

The coats of horses generally appear in one color, but spotted horses also exist. One remarkable example is the Appaloosa horse. This horse breed also has striped hooves and uniquely white sclera that make it recognizable from the others. Still, Appaloosa horses stand out among the breeds because of its mottled skin that comes in a variety of patterns and colors. 

Coat Patterns and Colors

Spots or a big white patch of hair only appear at the horse’s hindquarters if it has the blanket pattern. This gives an impression that a ‘blanket’ covers the equine except at the rear end. Meanwhile, fine specks of white on large portions of the dark-colored body characterize the aptly-named frost pattern. Opposite to that is the leopard pattern, which has numerous dark spots all over a fair coat that is often white. An Appaloosa with this coat resembles the Dalmatian dog.           

The marble pattern features a light-colored body that is mottled with dark patches of hair. Like the frost, the snowflake pattern also has white spots on a dark coat. The difference is that the spots are noticeably larger.   

Appaloosa horses appear in varying shades of white, brown, grey, and black. While this breed is famous for interesting coat patterns, some specimens are born with solid coats. Solid refers to a body covering with just one color and also lacks spots or speckles.

Weight and Height

The Appaloosa falls under the light horse category. This means a light build that allows the animal to excel at speed and agility. Appaloosa horses generally do not exceed a weight of 1,500 pounds or 680 kilograms. They also have an average height of 15 hands, which is equivalent to 1.52 meters.

Personality

Overall, Appaloosa horses have a gentle temperament. Horse owners find this breed of equine to be likable, especially with its calm nature. However, the Appaloosa can be stubborn at times. The trait probably comes from the horse’s innate eagerness.

The Appaloosa also shows remarkable intelligence. Many horse handlers note the breed’s capability to learn tasks rather quickly. With this trait, an Appaloosa horse is qualified for a variety of jobs.    

Activity

Before they were popular to the general public, Appaloosa horses carried their riders through wilderness areas. Their manes and tails are relatively thin compared to those of other equine breeds. Such traits help in preventing entanglement with shrubs and bushes. As a result, the Appaloosa excels not only in outdoor pleasure riding but also in ranch work.      

As a light horse, the Appaloosa is an ideal candidate for racing. It can also perform well in jumping events and other horse shows. In fact, some Appaloosa horses find their way into rodeos. 

Health

Taking care of an Appaloosa horse is usually easy. This equine can adapt to a variety of environments, and prefers a moderate amount of food. The Appaloosa would stay in top shape as long as it gets basic needs such as pasture and well-protected shelter.

An Appaloosa can be at risk of eye problems and sunburn, which are linked to its unique physical traits. Still, horse owners appreciate this breed’s strong immunity from disease along with toughness against limb injury.      

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Pets

Essential Nutrients for Cats

Like other house pets, cats are susceptible to certain illnesses. Domestic felines can avoid subsequent trips to the veterinary clinic if they get nutritious food regularly. Commercial cat food promises some health benefits, but not all can give the right nutrition for your pet. Always remember to give the essential nutrients for cats so your feline friend can stay in top shape.   

Proteins

Cats are obligate carnivores and their diet consists of high amounts of protein. A kitten needs a steady supply of proteins for proper growth. When it reaches adulthood, this nutrient serves other important functions, such as muscle repair.  

Proteins can be classified further as essential amino acids. Two of the most important essential amino acids for domestic felines are taurine and arginine. Your pet requires a continuous intake of taurine for healthy eyes, heart, and reproductive organs. Arginine, on the other hand, allows the cat’s body to get rid of nitrogen-based waste products.    

Ideal sources of protein for your pet cat include chicken, duck, turkey, beef, and fresh fish. Eggs also provide protein, but they should not be ingested raw as this affects the feline’s metabolic processes. The processed cat food in stores may or may not come with essential amino acids and other proteins. Better cook some lean meat and serve it to the feline. 

Fats

You might be thinking that regular consumption of fats only leads to obesity and related health problems. The key here is to avoid giving them in excessive quantities. After all, cats still need the right amount of fats to stay healthy.

Fats provide cats much of the energy for running, playing, and other activities. Grooming a pet feline would also become easier as fats keep the hairs and skin in excellent condition. In wintry climates, this nutrient forms under the skin and offers protection from freezing temperatures. Moreover, fats accumulate in the linings of your cat’s internal organs.   

Meats contain fat, but some kinds of meat have higher amounts of it than others. Poultry, along with fish, should constitute the bulk of the domestic feline’s diet to prevent obesity. Commercial cat foods have labels so you can properly manage the fat intake of your pet.   

Vitamins

Domestic felines also need vitamins A, D, E, and K, which facilitate vital bodily processes, such as digestion and immunity. A steady supply of fats is necessary so your pet cat can make use of these nutrients. While you must get lots of vitamin C for boosting the immune system, the feline body produces it naturally in sufficient levels.    

Cats may be carnivores but small servings of vegetables would be helpful in providing vitamins. Cook up some carrots, broccoli, asparagus, squash, and string beans for your furry friend. You may consider vitamin supplements that can be bought at pet supply stores. If a pet cat dines on commercial pet foods with high vitamin content, supplements are not necessary anymore.

Proteins, fats, and vitamins do wonders to the cat’s body. Additional carbohydrates and minerals are also important for excellent health. Your pet may lap up water from a bowl but it still gets most of its water from moist food. Consult a veterinarian when encountering issues with your cat’s nutrition.

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