Asparagus Contains High Dietary Fiber – Food 23

We love to consume green vegetable frequently, one of them is Asparagus with scientific name Asparagus officinalis.

Image 1- A bunch of Asparagus

We always get this plant from nearby grocery with reasonable price.

As you might know that there are at least 3 forms (types or kinds) of fibers in the nature:

- prebiotic fiber
- insoluble fiber
- and soluble fiber

Many people call dietary fiber instead of prebiotic fiber which important for people health and well-being, especially in respect to intestine health.

Image 2- Cutting of Asparagus, ready to cook

Our gut has “bad” and “good” bacteria, then, the good bacteria “need” dietary fiber as their source of “food.”

Image 3- Adding Asparagus to meal

The good bacteria will make our digestive system healthier by producing nutrient to feed colon cells.

Nutrient contains some crucial fatty acids, especially short chain ones. They are (just for example):

- acetate
- propionate
- and butyrate.

Sure, there are many other health benefit to consume Asparagus. We will talk later on (in other posts).

# Previous postings:

- Size of Bluebirds Birdhouse at the Backyard – Nature 31
- Is It Safe to Consume Foods after Expiration Date? - Part 2 – Food 16
- Hydrangea Flowers Blooming in the Summer – Nature 32
- The Proper Times to Take Pills – Part 1 – Healthy Life 22

Learning a New Language Against Alzheimer's Disease – Part 2 - Alzheimer's 9

You may read previous post (Part 1):

- Learning a New Language Against Alzheimer's Disease – Part 1 - Alzheimer's 9

Image 1- Learning Spanish.

Brian Gold, a neuroscientist found that people who bilingual since childhood are better at the high order thinking than monolingual seniors.

Craik and his colleagues conducted research for 211 patients who diagnosed with probable Alzheimer's in clinics at Baycrest, Toronto, Canada.

They classified the patients in two groups as:

- bilingual (102 patients)
- and as monolingual (109 patients).

Image 2- White flower

He said “We found that the bilingual patients had been diagnosed 4.3 years later and had reported the onset of symptoms 5.1 years later than the monolingual patients. Bilingualism thus appears to contribute to cognitive reserve, which acts to compensate for the effects of accumulated neuropathology”

Image 3- Learn French from Google Play

The data confirm that lifelong bilingualism give a protection against the onset of Alzheimer's Disease.

How about learning a new language in adulthood?

“Learning a second language increase the density of grey-matter” Michelli (2004) published his research in Nature. “The degree of structural organization in this region is modulated by proficiency attained and the age of acquisition”

To avoid cognitive decline, keep our brain healthy by applying “use it or lose it” with learning a new language.

Have you interested to learn a new language?

# Previous postings:

- Buy One Get One Free of Frappuccino – Part 2
- Factors Causing the Late Onset Alzheimer's Diseases – Part 1 - Alzheimer’s 7
- Cooked Snail is a Favorite Dish in Many Asian Countries – Food 18
- A Chemist who Loves to Cook – Part 2 - Reading 11

A Canadian Goose with a Broken Left Leg – Nature 39

When we were driving around our neighborhood about several days ago, we saw a flock of Canadian geese.

Image 1- A broken left leg.

Unfortunately, we noticed one goose with a broken left leg. We didn’t know the real caused of broken left leg.

Some neighbors told me that highly possibly, an irresponsible driver hit the goose, then run away.

We called our city Animal Control. No more than 30 minutes, the guy from animal control catch the bird.

He promised to take the bird to the Vet School in our city.

Image 2- Vegetable and fruit, illustration only

Image 3- A flock of Canadian geese

After one day, we contacted Vet School, happily, the woman answer the phone said that the goose with broken left leg still under their care.

We will be checking on its progress regularly.

We hope this beautiful bird recovers and is able to rejoin its mate as soon as possible.

We also hope the person who hit it experiences the kind of Karma they so richly deserve.

Finally, just to let you know that our state rules could charge up to US$ 10 thousands to whoever hit or killed the bird (wild birds).

# Previous postings:

- Is It Safe to Consume Foods after Expiration Date? - Part 1 – Food 16
- Little Libraries in our Neighborhood
- Homemade of Illegal Burrito – Food 17
- Do You Know the words of Crwth and Cwtch?

Young Coconut Water as Folk Remedies – Part1

The weather was warm and nice. It was about 89 F (32 C) degree on that noon in the area.

Image 1- A tropical coconut tree

Scrolling down getaway advertisement for summer vacation, a beach with coconut trees looks like a great place to stay in during vacation.

Enjoy the warm weather, sitting down and leaning on a coconut tree with a book and drinking coconut water from the fresh young coconut.

No doubt about it, a book and coconut water. Coconut water is one of the refreshing beverages.

We know that this water is the liquid endosperm of coconut.

Image 2- Just for illustration

Image 3- Coconuts, sold in Walmart

The liquid is clear. It is not coconut milk. The coconut milk is almost similar to milk (cow milk) in term of its physical appearance.

Honestly, we use both milks for cooking purposes, especially when we didn’t have coconut milk.

Coconut water has nutritious and health benefits. Folks who live around the area with plenty coconut trees use water from young coconut as folk medicines.

They create nutritious beverages by using young coconut water.

# To be continued to Part 2

## Previous postings:

- Injured Hawk on the Street then Fly Away – Nature 29
- Scan and Go at Walmart Shopping Center
- A Chemist who Loves to Cook – Part 1 - Reading 11
- The Royal Ponciana Tree in the Neighborhood – Nature 30

What is the Reason Specific Plants to Trap Animals? – Science 18

I have posted about event of swap plants in our city garden. You may read the previous post:

- Swap Plants at Our City Botanical Garden

Image 1- One of Carnivorous plants

One of plants is interesting for me, called as “carnivorous plant" with scientific name Sarracenia sp.

One of well-known species in Louisiana is Sarracenia alata. There are at least 8 species in the USA, some of them are:

- yellow plants with scientific name Sarracenia flava.
- sweet trumpets, Sarracenia rubra.
- purple pitcher plants, Sarracenia purpurea.
- pale trumpets, S. alata.

Image 2- Crowd in the city garden

What make me wonder is that What is the “main reason” Specific Plants to Trap Animals?

Image 3- Picture of carnivorous plants

After searching through internet that the reason is to consume them. Generally, we know that animals eat plant, we call it “herbivorous.”

Then, why?

It is because soil “can’t support” their live. In evolutionary process, the plants then consume animals for nutrients they require for surviving.

Some nutrients taken from animals are:

- sulfur
- phosphorus and nitrogen

Finally, have you seen carnivorous plants nature?

# Previous postings:

- Could Avocado Reduce Metabolic Syndrome? - Part 2 - Healthy Life 21
- Buy One Get One Free of Frappuccino – Part 1
- Knock Out to Understand Human Diseases – Part 2 – Science 14
- Crape Myrtle Blooming in the Summer – Nature 28

Why Should not We Take Aspirin Daily? - Part 1- Healthy Life 24

As you know that there are a lot of non-prescription drugs sold through Over the Counter (OTC).

Image 1- Aspirin sold as an OTC drug in Walmart

We might be familiar with OTC drug called as “aspirin,” since its commonly used for medication of:

- reduce fever
- relieve pain.

Then, Aspirin may relieve from light to medium pains such as:

- common cold, headaches
- muscle aches, toothaches
- arthritis

Image 2- Abandoned bike tied to the fence

Image 3- Over the Counter medicines at pharmacy store

Another use of Aspirin is to prevent blood clot in the artery. The clot obstructs the flow of blood which may cause:

- heart attacks
- strokes (due to disturbance of blood flow in the brain)

The facts, based on reported from Annals of Internal Medicine (2019) that millions of people in the USA take Aspirin daily, strangely even they don’t have heart diseases.

Then, why do they take Aspirin every day?

# To be continued to Part 2

## Previous postings:

- Giant Hibiscus Flowers are Found in Walking Trails – Nature 26
- Knock Out to Understand Human Diseases – Part 1 – Science 14
- Shredded Rotisserie Chicken with Purple Bell Peppers – Food 15
- A Juvenile Woodpecker Hit a Glass Window – Nature 27

A Simple Steamed Layer Cake – Food 22

This cake is popular in many Southeast Asian countries, they call its as a “kue lapis,” usually consumed as a snack.

Image 1- Steamed Layer Cake

The countries that you may find this snack as a traditional dish are following:

- Singapore
- Vietnam
- Indonesia
- and Malaysia

We may be lucky to see its at here in America sold in ethnic groceries such as Vietnam shops or Asian market.

Image 2- Ten layers of cake

Since the “Steamed Layer Cake” is not always available in groceries, we try to make its by ourselves.

Sure, we may adjust sweetness, colors and thicness of layers based on what we desire.

Image 3- Ready to consume

We collect the following important ingredients:

- rice flour
- tapioca flour
- coconut milk
- granulated sugar
- and other ingredients

Then, we just follow instruction from internet. After a while done. The result could be seen at Images 1, 2 and 3.

Have you tasted “Steamed Layer Cake”? What do you think?

# Previous postings?

- Why are We Getting Obese Nowadays? - Part 2 – Healthy Life 20
- Why Passion Flowers could Attract Butterfly? – Science 13
- The Mutant Genes in the Early Onset Familial Alzheimer's – Part 2 - Alzheimer's 6
- Could Avocado Reduce Metabolic Syndrome? - Part 1 – Healthy Life 21