La ONU invita a comer insectos para combatir la obesidad

La ONU invita a comer insectos para combatir la obesidad

 

En todo el mundo se consumen 1.900 especies de insectos, la mayoría de ellos en África y Asia. Naciones Unidas acaba de sugerir que extender esta práctica a países occidentales podría ayudar a combatir la obesidad y mejorar el medioambiente; y combatir, al mismo tiempo, el hambre en el mundo.

La idea la ha sugerido el departamento forestal de la FAO (la organización de la ONU para la alimentación y la agricultura), durante una Conferencia Internacional sobre Nutrición y Seguridad Alimentaria en Roma (Italia). “En las culturas occidentales tenemos prejuicios y pensamos que como los insectos se comen en países en desarrollo no pueden ser buenos”, admite Arnold van Huis, de la universidad holandesa de Wageningen, y autor de un informe que defiende esta tesis.

Este documento sostiene que muchas especies de insectos contienen la misma cantidad de proteínas y minerales que la carne y el pescado, pero además son ricos en algunos ácidos grasos que han demostrado sus beneficios para la salud.

Eva Muller, representante de la FAO, ha recordado que cada vez son más los restaurantes occidentales que incluyen insectos en sus cartas; como los saltamontes del danés Noma, considerado el mejor restaurante del mundo. Pero además de ayudar a combatir la epidemia de obesidad en los países industrializados (que afecta ya a 500 millones de personas), la FAO considera que el consumo de insectos supondría un menor daño ecológico, ya que su producción requiere menos tierras y emisiones de gases a la atmósfera.

El Mundo

Five Things That Make Daters ‘Click’

5 Things That Make Daters ‘Click’

 

It’s what everyone hopes for when they go on a first date, and the first thing friends will ask you about: “did you click?”  And what I always found interesting about “clicking” with someone—feeling like you’ve connected or formed a meaningful bond with them—is how quickly you can know it’s happened…or hasn’t happened. In fact, sometimes it can feel like it only takes a few minutes of talking to a stranger, from romantic prospects to new friends, to know whether you’ve bonded.

But what actually makes that “clicking” feeling happen…and how long does it really take? Does it come down to common interests?  Attraction?

The paper, “Making the Connection: Social Bonding in Courtship Situations,”  found that connection was all about words—how they were delivered, when, and for how long. That’s made men and women in the study feel like they were clicking and had forged a meaningful relationship…yes, even in the span of four minutes!

So what exactly got them to feel that way? Researchers had the speed daters fill out pre- and post-date surveys and wear audio recording devices during the dates. They found that:

• Women felt a sense of connection to men that used appreciative language (like “good for you!”) and sympathy (like “that must have been tough on you”).
• Women also clicked with men who interrupted them—not by changing the topic of conversation, but by finishing a sentence or adding to it. Even in four short minutes, it demonstrated understanding and engagement.
• Asking too many questions, however, was a no-no. Sounds counterintuitive, but women in the study felt disconnected when they had to ask men questions (because the conversation was lagging) or when the men asked them questions (because they had nothing else to say).
• Varying one’s speech to get louder or softer also endeared couples to each other—anyone who’s been on a date with a monotone speaker can probably attest to that!
• Finally, both men and women were in agreement that they felt like they clicked when the focal point of the conversation was the woman, and the man’s “job” was mainly to demonstrate alignment with and understanding of his date.

article by: Diana Vilibert

Origen del día de San Valentín

Origen del día de San Valentín

Hubo un emperador romano llamado Valente, quien gobernó desde el 364 d.C. hasta el 378, él tenía un hermano mayor que se llamaba Valentiniano.

Mientras Valente gobernaba las provincias Orientales del Imperio con capital en Constantinopla, Valentiniano gobernaba las provincias Occidentales con capital en Milán.

En esa época eran constantes y periódicas las persecuciones de los cristianos y la Iglesia cristiana siempre ha recordado a sus mártires y a menudo les ha recompensado con el título de Santo, y los días en que eran ejecutados eran declarados sagrados en su memoria. Ahora por ejemplo cada día del año tiene sus mártires o santos correspondientes. Por supuesto en ese tiempo muchos cristianos (incluidos los mártires) eran de descendencia romana y tenían nombres romanos. Al menos dos de estos mártires se llamaban Valentinus (Valentín para nosotros) y el día en que se conmemoraba su memoria era el 14 de Febrero, que se recuerda por lo tanto como el día de San Valentín

En la antigüedad, la mortalidad infantil era bastante elevada de modo que era importante tener muchos hijos. Por lo tanto, las personas que, por cualquier razón, tenían pocos hijos o ninguno se consideraban a sí mismas como malditas o bajo alguna maldición y se sometían a ritos religiosos o místicos para asegurarse la fertilidad. Los romanos tenían un lugar sagrado donde (según la leyenda) la loba había amamantado a Rómulo y Remo, el prímero de los cuales fundó Roma. Ese lugar era llamado el Lupercal, de la palabra latina lupus, que significa ‘lobo’.

En ese lugar, todos los 15 de Febrero tenía lugar una celebración llamada Lupercalia, durante la cual se sacrificaban animales. Se preparaban correas con tiras ensangrentadas de la piel del animal y los sacerdotes corrían entre la multitud golpeándola con esas correas. Se creía que los que recibían golpes se curaban de la estirilidad. Naturalmente, la gente que quería hijos concurría en masa a la celebración y luego iban corriendo a casa a ‘trajinar’ para tener el hijo. En consecuencia, las festividades lupercalianas estaban asociadas con el amor y el sexo.

En el año 494, el papa Gelasio prohibió esta celebración pagana, pero las prohibiciones nunca salen como uno quiere, y el festival continuó bajo otro nombre. Así que el festival lupercaliano del 15 de Febrero pasó al 14 de Febrero, día de San Valentín (seguramente porque éste era un santo muy popular). Más tarde se crearon leyendas para explicar que San Valentín era protector de los enamorados, una manera de esconder el rito antiguo de la fertilidad.

Y ha llegado hasta nuestros días… aunque ahora no nos dedicamos a que nos azoten con tiras de animales ensangrentadas, estamos en la época del consumismo y es más rentable para las grandes empresas que gastemos el dinero en felicitaciones, pulseras, anillos o cualquier otro objeto.   :)

The Legend of St. Valentine

The Legend of St. Valentine

The history of Valentine’s Day–and the story of its patron saint–is shrouded in mystery. We do know that February has long been celebrated as a month of romance, and that St. Valentine’s Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition.

But who was Saint Valentine, and how did he become associated with this ancient rite?

The Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred. One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine’s actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.

Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons, where they were often beaten and tortured. According to one legend, an imprisoned Valentine actually sent the first “valentine” greeting himself after he fell in love with a young girl–possibly his jailor’s daughter–who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter signed “From your Valentine,” an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories all emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic and–most importantly–romantic figure. By the Middle Ages, perhaps thanks to this reputation, Valentine would become one of the most popular saints in England and France.

 

Origins of Valentine’s Day: A Pagan Festival in February

While some believe that Valentine’s Day is celebrated in the middle of February to commemorate the anniversary of Valentine’s death or burial–which probably occurred around A.D. 270–others claim that the Christian church may have decided to place St. Valentine’s feast day in the middle of February in an effort to “Christianize” the pagan celebration of Lupercalia. Celebrated at the ides of February, or February 15, Lupercalia was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, as well as to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus.

To begin the festival, members of the Luperci, an order of Roman priests, would gather at a sacred cave where the infants Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, were believed to have been cared for by a she-wolf or lupa. The priests would sacrifice a goat, for fertility, and a dog, for purification. They would then strip the goat’s hide into strips, dip them into the sacrificial blood and take to the streets, gently slapping both women and crop fields with the goat hide. Far from being fearful, Roman women welcomed the touch of the hides because it was believed to make them more fertile in the coming year. Later in the day, according to legend, all the young women in the city would place their names in a big urn. The city’s bachelors would each choose a name and become paired for the year with his chosen woman. These matches often ended in marriage.

Sound advice

Count Sheep to Fall Asleep.

The practice of counting sheep to fall asleep is so engrained in our culture that it’s best described as a stereotype. But does it actually work? Definitely — but it depends on the person. Often, we’re kept awake at night by stress or by planning what we need to do in our waking hours. The key is to turn your mind off and relax. Counting sheep is a simple and repetitive activity that some people find relaxing. For others, though, it can actually add more stress. Our advice? If it’s not working for you, find another strategy. If it does, great!

An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away.

Apples are nutrition powerhouses. Full of fiber, vitamin C, flavonoids, and all sorts of other healthy properties, this tasty fruit has been linked to a lower risk of strokes, cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s, Parkinsons, and asthma. What’s not to love?

Carrots are Good for the Eyes.

Sure, carrots may not help you see better in the dark — they’re not magical! What carrots will do, however, is help you maintain your eyesight overall. How’s that? Well, carrots are chock full of vitamin A, which is an essential nutrient for eye health.

N A V I D A D / C H R I S T M A S D A Y

N A V I D A D / C H R I S T M A S  D A Y

La Nochebuena se celebra la noche del día 24 de diciembre, víspera del día de Navidad (25 de diciembre). Es la celebración cristiana del nacimiento de Jesús, y las costumbres varían de unos a otros países pero es bastante común una reunión familiar para cenar y -sobre todo en los países protestantes- intercambiarse regalos. Se considera ya como una fiesta de carácter cultural, ya que numerosas familias ateas también lo celebran. Solo los los testigos de Jehová son la excepción, ya que no la celebran por considerarla de carácter pagano.

La Nochevieja, como es llamada en España, víspera de Año Nuevo o simplemente Año Nuevo, en algunos países hispanohablantes, es la última noche del año en el calendario gregoriano, comprendiendo desde 31 de diciembre hasta el 1 de enero (día de Año Nuevo).Desde que se cambió al calendario Gregoriano en el año 1582, se suele celebrar esta festividad, aunque ha ido evolucionando en sus costumbres y supersticiones. A veces el cambio de año era acogido con temor y acritud, pero desde principios del siglo XIX, la Nochevieja se suele celebrar con unos rituales alegres y jocosos.

Los villancicos eran originariamente canciones profanas con estribillo, de origen popular y armonizadas a varias voces. Posteriormente comenzaron a cantarse en las iglesias y a asociarse específicamente con la Navidad. Actualmente, tras el declive de la antigua forma del villancico, el término pasó a denominar simplemente un género de canción cuya letra hace referencia a la Navidad y que se canta tradicionalmente en esas fechas.

 

Christmas Eve is the evening or entire day preceding Christmas Day, the widely celebrated annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ. It occurs on December 24 in theWestern Christian Church, and is considered one of the most culturally significant celebrations in Christendom and the Western World, where it is widely observed as a full or partial holiday in anticipation of Christmas Day.

Since Christian tradition holds that Jesus was born at night (based in Luke 2:6-8), Midnight Mass is celebrated on Christmas Eve, traditionally at midnight, in commemoration of his birth. The idea of Jesus being born at night is reflected in the fact that Christmas Eve is referred to as “Heilige Nacht” (“Holy Night”) in German, “Nochebuena” (“the Good Night”) in Spanish and similarly in other expressions of Christmas spirituality, such as the song “Silent Night, Holy Night”.

In the Gregorian calendar, New Year’s Eve, the last day of the year, is on December 31. In many countries, New Year’s Eve is celebrated at evening social gatherings, where many people dance, eat, drink alcoholic beverages, and watch or light fireworks to mark the new year. Some people attend a watchnight service. The celebrations generally go on past midnight into January 1 (New Year’s Day).

A Christmas carol is a carol (song or hymn) whose lyrics are on the theme of Christmas or the winter season in general and which are traditionally sung in the period before Christmas.

Natural Remedies to Prepare You for Cold and Flu Season

Natural Remedies to Prepare You for Cold and Flu Season

You hear a deep, husky voice nearby, it’s your roommate, or family member, or spouse, or someone standing next to you at a party who has come down with a sore throat and cold.

The realization kicks in: cold and flu season has arrived. And if you’re going to make it through the season without getting sick, or at least aim to reduce the amount of time you spend being sick, you’ll need to be prepared. Here are a few helpful items (and tips) to add to your arsenal of natural remedies:

• Nucleotides – They are the building blocks from which RNA and DNA are made. They boost the immunity, heal damaged cell tissue, promote the growth of new cells, and improve circulation. If you’re lucky enough to take them as soon as you feel a tickle in your throat, you might actually have a chance of avoiding the cold or flu altogether. But if a cold has had a chance to become full-blown, you may need something more.

• Vitamin C – Making sure to include plenty of foods rich in Vitamin C in your diet will increase the body’s production of white blood cells and antibodies needed to defend the body against invading viral infections. Foods high in Vitamin C are tangerines, oranges, mangos, kiwis, papayas, and goji berries. Also, amla berries contain twenty times more Vitamin C per pound than oranges. In Ayurvedic tradition, amla is often taken in powdered form.

• Vitamin D – A deficiency in our body’s immunity is often related to a lack of Vitamin D. Sunshine, the ultimate source of Vitamin D, is crucial for our existence, and for all life on our planet. So even if you’re feeling under the weather, try to get some exposure to the sun. People who have more Vitamin D stored up in their bodies tend to not get as sick as people who are Vitamin D deficient.

When you’re sick, it is always good to cut our dairy, especially if you’re producing a lot of mucus. Dairy enhances the production of mucus.

From Care2