Could Avocado Reduce Metabolic Syndrome? - Part 2 - Healthy Life 21

You may read the previous posting (Part 1):

- The Rainbow Before Evening : Could Avocado Reduce Metabolic Syndrome? - Part 1 – Healthy Life 21 

Image 1- Half cut of avocado.

Since they boost metabolism, thus these two type of fats may reduce risk of:

- heart disease
- stroke
- and type 2 diabetes.

It is believed that the avocado could improve our immune system to fight of micro pathogens.

Image 2- Sunset seen from a port in our city

Image3- Pile of avocados in the grocery

Avocado is good quality of diet, and very delicious for me. We consume this fruit at least twice a month. They are sold in many groceries include Walmart and Mexican grocery.

It riches in nutrition as well. In generally speaking, the fruit contains:

- 20 vitamins, some of them are A, C, E, K, B6.
- minerals (magnesium, potassium)
- antioxidants (carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin)

Have you ever tasted avocado?

Do you like its?

# Previous postings:

- The Rainbow Before Evening : Summer is a Perfect Time to Ride a Motorbike
- Rose breasted grosbeak Comes to Our Neighborhood – Nature 23
- GUTSY WOMEN of Hillary and Chelsea – Part 2 – Reading 10
- Local Property Tax for Funding Our City Transport System

A Juvenile Woodpecker Hit a Glass Window – Nature 27

I saw birds hit my glass window several times. Many of them can fly away, but few not able to move and even dead.

I can do nothing for helping dead birds. Just feel very sad.

Image 1- A Juvenile Woodpecker can’t fly

Couple weeks ago, A juvenile woodpecker hit a glass window, and unfortunately couldn’t fly away.

I tried to call several numbers, but got nowhere

After thinking a while, then I called Veterinary school at my city, Baton Rouge, LA. The school then ask me to bring the bird to them in the afternoon.

I drop the bird off at 4.00 pm, and the veterinarian there to help the injured Juvenile Woodpecker.

Image 2- Flowers and grass in the garden

I was so thankful, because the bird could be saved, and I feel that I have blessing for the day.

Image 3- Flowers under trees, birds love this place

However, as I said that few birds are “not able to move and even dead.” As far as I remember they are including:

- humming bird
- cardinal
- warbler
- brown creeper

As many people said that birds hit the window glass because they see reflections of:

- vegetation or plants as potential of their foods resources.
- their own, and think that outsiders

# Previous postings:

- What are Health Benefit of Eating Mango? - Part 2 – Health Life 19
- In what chromosomes are the gene mutation related to Alzheimer's Disease? - Part 2 - Alzheimer's 5
- Differences of Shale Oil, Crude Oil and Fracking – Science 12

Shredded Rotisserie Chicken with Purple Bell Peppers – Food 15

We talked little bit of Purple Bell Peppers at previous posting:

- The Rainbow Before Evening : Purple Bell Peppers in the Farmer Market – Food 14

Image 1- Sauté of peppers and shredded rotisserie chicken

I believe the taste of raw pepper is crisp, but less sweet than red and yellow ones.

I prefer to sauté those peppers, added some slices:

- sweet yellow onion
- green onion
- and red tabasco peppers for flavors.

Image 2- Raw chicken in the market

Image 3- Cutting one half of bell peppers

Image 4- The purple color covers one half only

Then I mixed the slices of purple bell peppers with the shredded (cooked) rotisserie chicken.

As you know that sauté is a technique to fry food with small amount of margarine or fat.

We usually use little fire with oil to coat the food in order to:

- prevent sticking to the pan
- conducting heat to foods

The mixed of purple bell pepper with the shredded rotisserie chicken was very tasty and a little bit spicy.

# Previous postings:

- Weekly Farmer Market at Our Neighborhood
- GUTSY WOMEN of Hillary and Chelsea – Part 1 – Reading 10
- CATS Transport System in Our City Baton Rouge, LA
- What kinds of foods are Consumed by Crowned Night Heron? - Nature 22

Knock Out to Understand Human Diseases – Part 1 – Science 14

Knockout is a technique to in-activate specific genes in human body. The technique is part of biotechnology.

Image 1- Procedure to produce gene knockout animal

(Source: Hansson, 2007)

This technology has been used to modify living organisms in order to improve human welfare since long time ago, may be dated back to ancient time about 5000 B.C.E.

Inactivated specific genes is the biochemical and pathological basis that might be used to understand human diseases.

For these purposes the scientists produced a knockout mouse.

Image 2- Red tulip, just illustration

National Human Genome Research Institute, NIH (2015: Knockout Mice) informed that human share many genes with mice.

Image 3- Green at neighborhood, illustration only

Thus, observing knockout mice gives information that can be used to better understand how a similar gene may cause or contribute to disease in humans.

Image 4- Looking cute, just illustration

So far, knockout mice have been used to understand many diseases, including: - cancer

- obesity and diabetes
- heart disease
- arthritis
- substance abuse
- anxiety
- aging and Parkinson disease.

# To be continued to Part 2

## Previous postings:

- What are Health Benefit of Eating Mango? - Part 1 – Health Life 19
- Colorful Flowers in the Spring – Nature 21
- Parks for Dogs in My City Baton Rouge, Louisiana – Part 2
- In what chromosomes are the gene mutation related to Alzheimer's Disease? - Part 1 - Alzheimer's 5

Giant Hibiscus Flowers are Found in Walking Trails – Nature 26

We are in the second week of June. Slowly the temperature is getting higher and hotter, so we decide to take morning walk a little early.

We left home about 7.00 am this morning.

Image 1- Red of a giant Hibiscus flower

The sky was clear, but some part of walking trails a little bit wet, so we walked around the roses garden.

There were beautiful giant flowers welcomes us in the corner of walking trails. Their colors are so attractive in:

- red
- pink
- white
- orange and yellow

Image 2- Contracted flower

Image 3- Rotten flower buds

Image 4- Giant Hibiscus flowers

When we walked closer to the flowers, I can see the petals of flowers are so big.

The tree is small and not that high, but the size of flowers is fantastic. Diameter of a flower can reach 10 to 12 inches (25 to 31 cm). I think the flowers are quite big (giant) compared to “normal” Hibiscus ones.

I believe they are hibiscus family with very big flowers, so call them the giant hibiscus.

From Google, some sites called them Hibiscus evening rose.

What do you think about those flowers?

# Previous postings:

- Blueberry is One of Fruits Rich in Antioxidants – Food 13
- Parks for Dogs in My City Baton Rouge, Louisiana – Part 1
- Can Alzheimer's Disease be Passing Down from Parent to Child? - Part 2 - Alzheimer's 4.
- Crowned Heron Crawfishing Near Our Neighborhood – Part 1 – Nature 20

Could Avocado Reduce Metabolic Syndrome? - Part 1 – Healthy Life 21

The Metabolic Syndrome is also known as syndrome that relate to insulin resistance. Then may causes to health problems (NIH, 2022: What Is Metabolic Syndrome?) 

Image 1- Five avocados on the plate

The combine conditions that believe to responsible for “Metabolic Syndrome” such as:

- increasing blood pressure
- high blood sugar
- excess body fat around the waist
- and abnormal cholesterol or triglyceride levels

These combination conditions may lead to increase risk of many diseases.

Image 2- Walking path, just illustration

Image 3- Avocado, sold at local grocery, Walmart

The following diseases which are relating to metabolic syndrome, include:

- heart disease and stroke
- type 2 diabetes

Studies indicated that avocado could reduce metabolic syndromes. One of studies was reported by Jamshiod Tabeshpour et al at Phytotherapy Research in 2017.

Avocado contains two types of fats to boost metabolism, they are:

- monounsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fats

# To be continued to Part 2

## Previous postings:

- Attractive Yellow Flowers at the Corner – Part 2 – Nature 19
- When the Georgian Chicken Came to My Kitchen – Part 2 – Food 12
- Can Alzheimer's Disease be Passing Down from Parent to Child? - Part 1 - Alzheimer's 4
- A Bird on the Exit Sign in the Library – Part 2

The Mutant Genes in the Early Onset Familial Alzheimer's – Part 2 - Alzheimer's 6

You may read the previous postings (Part 1):

- The Rainbow Before Evening : The Mutant Genes in the Early Onset Familial Alzheimer's – Part 1 - Alzheimer's 6

Image 1- Meme from Google, just for fun

The mutant genes in another autosomal dominant forms of Alzheimer's disease were in:

- chromosome 1
- and chromosome 14.

This mutations lead to abnormal Presenilin 1 and Presenilin 2, which modified amyloid precursor protein so that increase amount of toxic form of Aß peptide.

Presenilins are kind of catalytic protease complexes that directly cleave the amyloid precursor protein.

Image 2- Handmade jar, illustration

Image 3- Here, my fav lady who always make me smile (credit to Google)

A person who carrying Presenilin mutation shown an alteration different of variant of amyloid beta peptides in the cerebrospinal fluid.

Mutation of presenil 1 and presenil 2 modify processing of amyloid precursor protein the increasingly of particular toxic form of Aß peptide.

This mutation suspects a heritable form of Alzheimer's disease.

So, the signs of mutant genes that lead to early onset Alzheimer's disease is prominent amyloid deposit in the brain.

The abnormal process of amyloid precursor protein lead to what is called as: extracellular deposit.

The amyloid deposit is characteristic fibrils of amyloid beta peptide.

# Previous postings:

- When the Georgian Chicken Came to My Kitchen – Part 1 – Food 12
- May Smartphones Lead You Older Quickly? - Part 2 – Health Life 18
- A Bird on the Exit Sign in the Library – Part 1