5 whacky festivals around the world

Festivals reveal a lot about local cultures. Discover a whole new set of beliefs with these wild and whacky festivals from around the globe.

Monkey Buffet Festival
At the annual monkey buffet festival in Thailand's Lopburi province, local chimps feast on a lavish spread of fruits, vegetables and drinks at the Pra Prang Sam Yot Temple. This is no monkey business either—the festival was started with the aim of promoting tourism in the province. We think the idea seems to be working.

Lemon Festival
No, this is not a touched up image of the Taj Mahal. This replica of the monument of love is made entirely with lemons and oranges, as part of an annual lemon festival in the French port of Menton, on the French Riviera. Numerous citrus sculptures and installations are built during the festival every year. Spain's La Tomatina might just have a rival.

Baby-jumping at Corpus Christi celebrations
In the northern Spanish town of Castrillo de Murcia, babies are protected from evil spirits through an unusual and dangerous ritual. During the Catholic festival of Corpus Christi, a man dressed in a red-and-yellow costume, representing the devil, jumps over babies placed on a mattress.

Air Guitar World Championships
This Finnish festival is actually more about dance than music. Every year, air guitarists from all over the world are invited to perform a short solo piece with an imaginary instrument. They are judged on the basis of their stage presence, technical proficiency and crowd-pleasing abilities. The aim of the festival? 'To promote world peace.'

Mud carnival
Residents of the colonial town of Paraty in Brazil go back in time during an annual carnival, when they dress up as cavemen and cavewomen, cover themselves with mud and parade through the city's streets. The sulphurous mud is believed to make the skin healthy and beautiful.

NASA discovers 715 new planets

LONDON: Nasa's Kepler mission has found 715 new planets in what is the largest number of planets discovered in a single go. 

Nearly 95% of them are smaller than Neptune which is almost four times the size of Earth. 

These newly-verified worlds orbit 305 stars revealing multiple-planet systems much like our own solar system. 

This discovery marks a significant increase in the number of known small-sized planets akin to Earth than previously identified exoplanets which are planets outside our solar system. It also brings the confirmed count of planets outside our solar system to nearly 1,700. 

Four of these new planets are nearly 2.5 times the size of Earth and orbit in their sun's habitable zone defined as the range of distance from a star where the surface temperature of a planet may be suitable for life. 

Launched in March 2009, Kepler is the first NASA mission to find potentially habitable Earth-size planets. Discoveries include more than 3,600 planet candidates of which 961 have been verified as bona-fide worlds. 

"The Kepler team continues to amaze and excite us with their planet hunting results," said John Grunsfeld from Nasa's Science Mission Directorate. 

"That these new planets and solar systems look somewhat like our own portends a great future when we have the James Webb Space Telescope in space to characterize the new worlds," he added. 

To verify this bounty of planets a research team co-led by Jack Lissauer, planetary scientist at Nasa analyzed stars with more than one potential planet all of which were detected in the first two years of Kepler's observations - May 2009 to March 2011. 

The research team used a technique called verification by multiplicity which relies in part on the logic of probability.

A phone that self-destructs if tampered with

NEW YORK: Boeing Co on Wednesday unveiled a smartphone that appears to come straight from a James Bond spy movie. In addition to encrypting calls, any attempt to open the casing of the Boeing Black Smartphone deletes all data and renders the device inoperable. 

The secure phone marks an extension of the communications arm of the Chicagobased aerospace and defence contractor, which is best known for jetliners and fighter planes. Such a phone might have prevented damage to Washington's diplomacy in Ukraine from a leaked telephone call. A senior US state department officer and the ambassador to Ukraine apparently used unencrypted cellphones for a call about political developments in Ukraine that became public. 

Boeing's tamper-proof phone is aimed at people working in defence and homeland security who need to keep communication and data secure, according to Boeing and filings with the US Federal Communications Commission . Hardware media encryption and configurable inhibit controls are embedded to protect the device, its data, and the transmission of information, significantly reducing the risk of mission compromise due to data loss, the company said. 

Made in the US, the phone runs on Google Inc's Android operating system. The 5.2-by-2 .7-inch (13.2-by-6 .9 cm) handset, slightly larger than an iPhone, uses dual SIM cards to enable it to access multiple cell networks instead of a single network like a normal cellphone. Due to the phone's security features, Boeing is releasing few details about the wireless network operators or manufacturer it is working with, and has not provided a price or date by which the phone might be widely available, but said it has begun offering the phone to potential customers. 

Boeing's website says the phone can be configured to connect with biometric sensors or satellites. Other attachments can extend battery life or use solar power. The phone can operate on the WCDMA, GSM and LTE frequency bands and offers Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity . The company has been developing the phone for 36 months, said Boeing spokeswoman Rebecca Yeamans. 

"We saw a need for our customers in a certain market space that Boeing could meet with its technology expertise ," she said. A sample purchase contract submitted to the FCC says the phone would be sold directly by Boeing or its agents.

Flatten your bloated tummy

The first step to flattening your jelly belly is to figure out its type. Here's how you can get a midriff makeover

For most women, the biggest body hang-up is often their stomach. But before throwing yourself into a heap of sit-ups and crunches, figure out your belly type as there's no one-size-fits-all solution to getting wasboard abs.

Tummy type one: Bloated tummy
If you wake up with a flat stomach but go to bed with a swollen one, you're probably suffering from bloating. This is caused by sluggish bowels, a poor diet, food intolerance or eating too quickly (you end up swallowing too much air). The solution is to make a note of what bothers your tummy and avoid this for a few days to see if it leaves you looking any flatter. Keep your bowels healthy, eat plenty of fibre-rich foods (wholemeal bread, pasta, fruits, and vegetables), chew thoroughly and drink around two litres of water a day to aid digestion. Instead of stuffing your face thrice a day, eat three mediumsized meals with healthy snacks in between.

Tummy type two: Stress tummy
Too much stress can also give you a fat stomach. Higher stress levels mean a lot of cortisol, which dumps fat all over your stomach. To slim down, you need to calm down. A stress tummy is easy to identify - women who have them tend to have slim arms and legs but a little swollen tummy. Besides cortisol, stress causes you to make the wrong food choices and thereby making you fat. Sugar and heavily processed foods up your body's stress levels. Put calming, wholesome foods into your body instead, such as lean protein (turkey, chicken, fish) and lots of vegetables for more energy and better health.

Tummy type three: Post-baby tummy
If you've had a baby in the last few years, your tummy probably isn't your favourite body part. However, help is at hand. The most effective post-baby exercise is working your pelvic floor muscles, which are the ones you'd use if you wanted to stop yourself from peeing midflow. Clench them for a few seconds and release, then repeat. Do them every day if you can.

To encourage fat burning and improving your energy levels, take fish oil supplements.

Good fats have the same effect, so include plenty of nuts, oils, olives, oily fish such as mackerel in your daily diet.

For questions specific to your health conditions, please write down in the comments section and we will answer it as soon as possible. Thanks

Health benefits of Indian spices

If spices are consumed in moderation you can derive health benefits, but an overdose of any spice can lead to indigestion or even ulcers. Media portals are flooded with the health benefits of turmeric or haldi, but today we list out other Indian spices that are healthy and are kept under wraps.

Cinnamon:
This spice is aromatic and has a refreshing taste. You can add cinnamon in curries, pulao and even desserts; it adds spark to a bland dish. But research on this woody spice tells us that it is also diabetes-friendly and if you show symptoms of insulin resistance, cinnamon will help reduce it.

Besides, cinnamon is used to give you relief from indigestion,common cold, diarrhea, poor blood circulation and tension during menstruation.

Cloves:
Clove is the spice to treat tooth problems since it contains anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties. Due to these healthy characteristics cloves are an important ingredient in natural tooth pastes.

Perfumers use the oil extract from cloves but it has its health benefits. If you are feeling queasy after indulging in too much food or alcohol, cloves have the properties to put you at ease. Cloves can relieve you from vomiting, indigestion, an upset digestive tract and loose motions.

Cumin:
Cumin is known to relieve you from digestive problems, reduce your chances of anemia and alleviate common cold.

Surprisingly it can reduce the problem of piles, serves as a laxative and provides your body with iron, manganese that helps in the absorption of calcium and controls blood pressure.

Black Cardamom:
Do not confuse it with green cardamom; black cardamom is a common spice in briyani. Apparently this spice is also used as anti-venom for snakes and scorpions, but try it out at your own risk.

Black cardamom eases out digestive problems and reduces flatulence, it is known to relieve you from throat problems, chest congestion, and gum infection. Due to its anti-inflammatory properties and the fact that it can alleviate muscle spasms, black cardamom is a saving grace for asthmatics. It is a great ingredient for respiratory problems.

Saffron:
Kashmir is synonymous with the production of the best quality of saffron in India. This ingredient adds colour and spice to briyani or dessert. Saffron is expensive but the health benefits are priceless.

Saffron has the ability to treat depression, prevents loss of vision, and improves memory. The stigma of the flower can relieve you from digestive issues with the help of anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-depressant properties.

Nutmeg:
Like cloves, nutmeg too has anti-bacterial properties. It helps fight tooth decay. Besides, nutmeg can fight Alzheimer's and improves your memory. This lesser known spice has the ability to reduce flatulence and improve appetite - a problem that all mothers face when it comes to their child's fussy eating habits. It can also release the tension in your muscle.

According to the Chinese, this spice can improve impotence; worth a try for those looking for a natural alternative.

Black Pepper:
Once upon a time, black pepper was considered gold, a precious commodity for trade. A dash of pepper can create an explosion of flavours to a bland dish. But consume this fiery spice in moderation.

Black pepper has the ability to increase the production of hydrochloric acid that the stomach needs to help in digestion. You can save yourself from digestive problems, flatulence and constipation. It is also anti - bacterial in nature, reduces blood pressure and contains iron that is beneficial for the body.

For questions specific to your health conditions, please write down in the comments section and we will answer it as soon as possible. Thanks

Foods to reduce belly fat

A bloated stomach not only hampers your personality but also makes you uncomfortable.

The best way to get rid of such a disgruntled belly is by following a low-calorie diet and practising regular exercise.

Food to reduce belly fat # 1: Almonds

This tiny food is not only rich in skin-boosting vitamin E and protein, but their richness in fibre content helps you to stay full for a longer duration. Even though they are slightly high in calories but that will not contribute to belly fat, so keep swapping a handful of almonds as snacks to curb your hunger.

Food to reduce belly fat # 2: Watermelon

The name says it all - this giant fruit contains 82 percent water, which helps to keep you full for a longer duration and also removes excess sodium present in the body. This super sweet fruit, is also rich in vitamin C and contains barely 100 calories in one cup. So start eating this delicious fruit as a snack, if you wish to have a body like your favourite celeb.

Food to reduce belly fat # 3: Beans

Consuming means on a regular basis helps to get rid of the body fat, develop body muscles and improves digestion. Beans also help to feel full for a longer duration, thus avoiding over indulgence. Add beans to your diet, if you want your middle to be sexy and firm.

Food to reduce belly fat # 4: Green leafy vegetable

Want to get a flat tummy instantly? Then fill for plate with green leafy vegetables. All types of green leafy vegetables are extremely low in calories, full of fibre and offer several vital vitamins and minerals that help to ease water retention without causing the bloating and tummy discomfort.

Food to reduce belly fat # 5: Cucumber

Cucumber is an extremely refreshing and low-calorie food. They contain approximately 96 percent water content, which makes it a cooling food. One full cucumber contains just 45 calories, making it sexy stomach food.

Food to reduce belly fat # 6: Avocado

This is a truly magic fruit, due to their richness in various vital nutrients. Avocado is rich in fibre, which helps to keep hunger at bay and the presence of monounsaturated fatty acids helps to burn belly fat easily.

Food to reduce belly fat # 7: Oats

The best way to start your journey to sexy stomach is by having oats for your breakfast. Oats are filling and thus help you to lose weight. Besides, it is also low in calorie and provides energy to your body slowly. It is a very good source to provide energy to your body all throughout the day, which keeps you feeling fuller for longer and can even lower your cholesterol.

Food to reduce belly fat # 8: Water

The best way to avoid stomach bloat is by keeping yourself very well hydrated. Drinking ample amounts of water helps to flush excess fluid and toxins out of your system.

Food to reduce belly fat # 9: Apples

Apples are packed with fibre, which makes your belly feel full. Thus, avoiding over eating; besides it also fills your body with maximum nutrients.

Food to reduce belly fat # 10: Peppermint

Peppermint has great healing and calming digestive properties. It is also good for removing belly fat. The easiest way to do this is to drink it in tea form. Besides, it also helps in cleansing your skin.

For questions specific to your health conditions, please write down in the comments section and we will answer it as soon as possible. Thanks

Habits for longer, healthier hair

It's not difficult to attain long and healthy hair. Hair stylist Chen says, "To ensure that you have a good hair growth, you must incorporate some essentials like washing your hair with cold water, including proteins in your diet and massaging your scalp every day."

Here are a few tips...

Brush your hair: Brushing your hair at least 50 times a day will improve the blood circulation to your scalp. This also gives the hair follicles a force to grow. You must brush your hair for at least 10 minutes before you go to bed.

Rinse your hair with cold water: Says Chen, "Make sure that you wash your scalp with a blast of cold water after you've applied shampoo and conditioner. This will tighten the pores and improve blood circulation to your scalp."

Go for a head massage: Putting some pressure on your scalp will not only ease your stress and worries, but will also ensure that your scalp receives nutrition, leading to hair growth. You can either get a scalp massage done at home every week or visit a salon for a professional one every 15 days.

Oil your hair twice a week: Apart from getting your scalp massaged, you must also oil your hair every week. Oiling ensures that your hair gets nutrition, thus preventing hair fall.

Tie up your hair every night: Did you know that tying up your hair every night will protect your hair from friction with the pillows, thus preventing hair fall? It also ensures that you do not get split ends and your hair does not become rough.

Follow a protein-rich diet: Incorporate proteins like fish, meat and legumes in your diet to ensure that you have strong, healthy hair. Adds Chen, "Proteins are good for your scalp, as it increases the blood flow and also makes the roots stronger."

For questions specific to your health conditions, please write down in the comments section and we will answer it as soon as possible. Thanks

Things women wish men understood

Women and men are as different as chalk and cheese. Men always find it difficult to understand women. Or so they proclaim. 
But believe us, we are not that difficult to understand. Just try to keep the communication channel open and see how things fall into their place. Here's a guide of some of the things women wish men automatically understood (and remember it's neither astro-physics nor micro-biology).

1. We know men are low in EQ (Emotional Quotient) but make an effort to understand emotions. But remember we don't like men who can't control their emotions. Cry babies (oops men) are not what we are exactly looking at in life..

2. When we talk, pay attention to what we are saying. Don't just nod your head and continue watching television.

3. Your mother might be great in the kitchen and can whip up gourmet dishes in no time. But sorry we can't go on listening to your running commentary on her remarkable culinary skills.

4. We believe in the power of communication. So, talk, fight but don't just go into 'silent' mode. Leave that mode to your mobile phones.

5 All of us love a dash of chivalry in our partners. So be courteous and show us that you are well brought-up.

6 Don't brag. Showing off really acts against you. Be subtle about your fat pay packet, your swanky car and the like. That shows your class.

7. Don't think that you own us. So, behave accordingly. Like men folk, we also like our own space.

8. Romance comes naturally to us. We love it when a man expresses his love. So, please show us that you love. Say it through flowers, dinners, gifts and of course count surprises as an important element of our DNA. Understand these basic points and act accordingly

9. Don't try to give us lessons on moral science. And for heaven's sake don't comment on a low-neckline dress. That's a very cheap thing to do.

10. Don't crack jokes on our family members, close friends. Show your great sense of humour with a touch of sensibility.. 

For questions specific to your health conditions, please write down in the comments section and we will answer it as soon as possible. Thanks

Death prediction by Blood test

LONDON: Researchers from Finland and Estonia have identified four biomarkers that can help identify people at high risk of dying from any disease within five years. This was done after screening blood samples from over 17,000 healthy people for over 100 different biomolecules. 

The health status of these study volunteers was followed for several years. The researchers looked for measures in the blood that could reflect who had died within the following 5 years after blood samples were taken. 

"What is especially interesting is these biomarkers reflect the risk for dying from very different types of diseases such as heart disease or cancer. They seem to be signs of a general frailty in the body. Next we aim to study whether some kind of connecting factor between these biomarkers can be identified,'' said researcher Johannes Kettunen. 

In a study published in PLOS Medicine, researchers describe identification of four such biomarkers of death. Of these, albumin was the only one previously linked with mortality. All these molecules are normally present in everyone's blood. 

The novel biomarkers helped detect individuals at much higher risk of dying during five-year follow-up. The measures were independent of well-known risk factors such as age, smoking, drinking, obesity, blood pressure and cholesterol. The result did not change even when only apparently healthy people were examined. 

"We believe that in the future these measures can be used to identify people who appear healthy but in fact have serious underlying illnesses and guide them to proper treatment. More studies are, however, needed before these findings can be implemented in clinical practice," Kettunen said. 

Breastfeeding boosts IQ in babies: Study

WASHINGTON: Children who are breastfed score higher on IQ tests and perform better in school, scientists say.

A new study by sociologists at Brigham Young University pinpoints two parenting skills as the real source of this cognitive boost: Responding to children's emotional cues and reading to children starting at 9 months of age.

Breastfeeding mothers tend to do both of those things, said lead study author Ben Gibbs.

"It's really the parenting that makes the difference," said Gibbs.

"Breastfeeding matters in others ways, but this actually gives us a better mechanism and can shape our confidence about interventions that promote school readiness," said Gibbs.

According to the analysis, improvements in sensitivity to emotional cues and time reading to children could yield 2-3 months' worth of brain development by age 4 (as measured by math and reading readiness assessments).

"Because these are four-year-olds, a month or two represents a non-trivial chunk of time," Gibbs said.

"And if a child is on the edge of needing special education, even a small boost across some eligibility line could shape a child's educational trajectory," said Gibbs.

Researchers utilised a national data set that followed 7,500 mothers and their children from birth to five years of age.

The data set is rich with information on the home environment, including how early and how often parents read to their kids.

Additionally, each of the mothers in the study also participated in video-taped activities with their children.

As the child tried to complete a challenging task, the mother's supportiveness and sensitivity to their child's emotional cues were measured.

Sandra Jacobson of Wayne State University School of Medicine noted that children in the study who were breastfed for 6 months or longer performed the best on reading assessments because they also "experienced the most optimal parenting practices.

"Gibbs and Forste found that reading to an infant every day as early as age 9 months and sensitivity to the child's cues during social interactions, rather than breastfeeding per se, were significant predictors of reading readiness at age 4 years," said Jacobson.

Buttermilk: Beauty benefits

Next time when your mother hands over a glass of buttermilk to you and you sneak out to secretly pour it down the balcony, remember, buttermilk is one of the best natural products and provides various benefits to the skin. 

Interested already? But the best part is that you need not drink it to reap all these benefits. External use of buttermilk works wonders as well.
Besides being a natural pro-biotic, buttermilk is rich in lactic acid that is found in many expensive beauty products and is one of the best facial peels that doctors choose for softening, brightening and exfoliating skin. Because of it's highly acidic and astringent nature, it treats age spots, freckles and even tightens skin. In fact, legend has it that Cleopatra, the ancient Queen of the Nile whose beauty was said to be astounding, bathed regularly in buttermilk. It was she who popularized the buttermilk treatment, which is followed by women in various countries till date.
You can mix powdered buttermilk with honey and egg, and massage your body with this mixture. It will not only rid you off the stubborn sun tan, but will also give your skin a radiant glow. You can also apply pure buttermilk on your face, leave it on and wash off before going to bed.
You can also use a butttermilk hair mask. Blend one banana, two tablespoons of honey, one avocado and one cup of buttermilk. Apply the mixture as a mask and leave it on for 45 minutes before washing it off. This is the easiest way to get shiny and healthy mane.

Second marriage is better than the first

If your first marriage did not work out, you don't have to worry, because there are few reasons why second marriage can be better than the first one.

You get older at the time of second marriage and thus, you get wiser as well. You are more verbal to your second life partner and you know what you want from your life.

Kids from the first marriage can be a disadvantage as well. You have to baby-sit them at odd hours and have to plan your bedroom sessions accordingly.

However, if you are tying the knot again, you and your new spouse will have more understanding with the kids and you can always plan weekends alone, the Huffington Postreported.

Arguments are something at which you will gain hand-on experience till the time you walk down the aisle second time.

You will know what to speak and how to speak with respect honoring the other person's point of view.

Second marriage is also an opportunity to right past wrongs. You will have so much to learn from your last marriage, undoubtedly. You won't repeat the same mistakes again.

Second marriage will also allow you to be more emotionally close with your spouse. You will realize that you have someone really close you can always look up to.