A Traditional Product of Louisiana – King Cake – Part 1

King cake of Louisiana

One of specific products of New Orleans, Louisiana is King Cake. The colorful and very sweet style pastries.

The cake is made, eaten and associates with Mardi Gras celebration. It was tradition from French since 300 years ago.

The cake is commonly sugar (colorful sugar) on the top, but there are many variations of filling of inside the cake.

What inside the King Cake is depend on the countries tradition outside French.

In Louisiana, it is commonly bean inside. Moreover, many cakes are filling with combines of several these items:

- chocolate
- pear
- apple
- cheese
- banana
- and almond.

A kind of food, illustration only.

There are a lot of migrants from many countries settled in New Orleans. One of them is Vietnamese.

The Vietnamese communities in New Orleans, Louisiana have their own varieties of King Cake.

What different between local and Vietnamese varieties?

# To be continued to Part 2

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The Disease that Kills 28.4 million People – Part 3 - Cardiovascular 2

Fruit in the commercial market, illustration only.

Previous posts (Part 1 and Part 2):

- The Disease that Kills 28.4 million People – Part 1- Cardiovascular 2
- The Disease that Kills 28.4 million People – Part 2- Cardiovascular 2

As from Center for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC, 2021), USA that there are five major symptoms of heart attack.

They include following symptoms:

- chest pain
- pains in the neck, back and jaw.
- feeling very weak
- arms and shoulders are pain
- breaths are shortness.

These five (5) major symptoms of heart attack should be recognized.

if somebody notice these symptoms or might be she/he saw someone else has these symptoms, call 911 immediately.

Ice cream for illustration only.

There are many other symptoms such as:

- dizziness or headaches
- nausea or vomiting
- cold sweats
- heart burn
- fatigue
- exhaustion

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Organic Vs Natural Foods – Part 2 – Food 9

A kind of cacti plant, sold in the traditional market.

Previous post (Part 1):

- Organic Vs Natural Foods – Part 1 – Food 9

We could distinguish the different between organic and natural foods in terms of:

- food labels
- production
- food demand and availability
- and certification agencies.

Moreover, we might hear many people said the phrase of "Go Organic," it is because they believe organic food have advantages than other foods produced or proceed by other methods (in this case is natural foods).

The facts that market share and revenue for organic foods tend to increase year by year.

The question then?

Salt fish, one of favorite foods in certain countries.

Is organic foods more advantages in terms of more nutritious content and safer?

To answer this question, we need to search through google search engine to collect data about advantages and dis-advantages from organic foods and natural foods, including their nutritional values.

# To be continues to Part 3

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- Local Event Called as “Mardi Gras” In Louisiana, USA
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The Disease that Kills 28.4 million People – Part 2- Cardiovascular 2

Ornamental plant, for illustration only.

You may read Part 1:

- The Disease that Kills 28.4 million People – Part 1- Cardiovascular 2

This disease kills over than 17 million people every year, number one cause death in this planet (World Health Organization).

Every other second, this disease takes human life; every time we take breath. When someone stops breathing at all, it is may be caused by cardiovascular disease.

It is a kind of an alarm that everybody needs to care about. Knowing their risk factors will be helpful for prevention.

While some people have no symptoms about heart disease that lead to the “silent killer” but some signs can be recognized so that the fatality could be reduced.

If somebody notice these symptoms or might be she/he saw someone else has these symptoms, call 911 immediately.

Old chair, just for illustration.

CDC works with public health to improve cardiovascular health through their strategies and policies such as healthy lifestyles and healthy environments and communities.

Million Hearts^® 2022 that aims in preventing 1 million heart attacks and strokes that will save one million lives in 5 years.

# To be continued to Part 3

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Organic Vs Natural Foods – Part 1 – Food 9

Different between organic and natural foods

(Source: Organic Food, 2016)

We sometimes confused with the words of “Natural foods” and “Organic Foods.”

Generally speaking, natural foods are foods without processing and no additives.

Some says that natural foods have minimally processed and not contain specific additives, including:

- sweeteners
- food colors
- flavorings
- and antibiotics.

The foods that are grown and processed based on standard certified by USDA (United States Department of Agricultures) is called “Organic Foods.”

Then?

Flowers, sold at farmer market, illustration

Practically, organic foods were produced by using limited or avoiding the use of man-made fertilizers and pesticides.

In addition, genetically modified organisms (GMOs) is not include in organic foods farming system.

# To be continued to Part 2

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- A Tropical Plant Called Pineapple – Food 1
- Wild Flowers in the Backyards – Nature 1
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The Disease that Kills 28.4 million People – Part 1- Cardiovascular 2

Signs of heart attacks, Credit to CDC

I stared at my paper work in my hand, I opened it, there is in the first page: Cardiovascular disease is any disease that involves:

- the heart
- the blood vessels
- disability effects
- and the most causing of death in the US.

This disease kills about 630,000 people every year in only the United State, and there are 28.4 million of adults are identified having heart disease (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2018).

Many action plans and strategies based on etiology and risk factors to prevent these diseases.

The researchers are also going on to reveal the ways that could protect and prevent the heart from any injuries and damages that lead to cardiovascular diseases.

The tree falls due to hurricane Ida, illustration.

Cardiovascular disease is not only attack and cause death in the US, but also the world's number one killer.

# To be continued to Part 2

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- Nobody Can Replace a Mama's Love – Cardiovascular - Part 1
- Nobody Can Replace a Mama's Love – Cardiovascular - Part 2
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What is Knockout Animals ? - Part 2- Science 8

A cat sitting on the chair, just for illustration

Previous posting (Part 1):

- The Rainbow Before Evening : What is Knockout Animals ? - Part 1- Science 8

Sure, a knocked out gene has two sides:

- advantages
- disadvantages

One of important advantages is that a researcher knows which factor precisely in determining animal behavior, in this case a certain behavior of mice.

Another advantage, researchers could decide the exact time to disrupt a specific gene. The timing is important to conduct behavior experiments in the laboratory.

However, there are several disadvantages, some of them:

1) Expensive economically

- a lot of labors (labor consuming) include culturing of stem cell

2) Gene knockout may lethal to embryo development.

- hence, animal can’t reach adulthood.

3) May incomplete knockout process

4) Disruption of genes may overlap.

5) A knockout gene may develop cancer in certain tissues of mice.

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