Monthly Archives: April 2010

Papaya Health Benefits

     Take a look at the immense papaya fruit benefits, that make it the best natural remedy against the protection and development of a variety of health conditions.

     Eating papaya boosts digestive health.
     Not only is papaya an excellent natural remedy for constipation, it also prevents the risk of developing colon cancer with its fiber, binding cancerous cells and keeping them away from the colon. Its richness in nutrients such as vitamin C, folate, vitamin E and beta-carotene make the colon safe against cancer.

     Papaya keeps the lungs healthy.
     Studies have shown that the carcinogens in cigarette and cigar smoke lead to a deficiency in vitamin A. Eating papaya, can help overcome this deficiency. Thus, if you smoke, or are exposed to second hand smoke, eating papaya will help reduce this negative effect of smoke on your body. Also, papaya consumption among smokers and passive smokers prevents the development of emphysema.

     Eating papaya strengthens the immune system.
     The vitamin C content in papaya makes the immune system healthy, and less prone to developing different diseases. Even the occurrence of the common cold can be keep under control with the consumption of papaya.

     Papaya prevents the possibility of developing heart disease.
     One of the papaya nutrition benefits includes its richness in antioxidants, that makes it a great food to prevent the development of heart disease. These antioxidants don’t allow for the oxidation of cholesterol that makes it stick to arterial walls. Thus, by controlling cholesterol levels, it lowers the possibility of heart problems or stroke.

     Papaya keeps macular degeneration under control. Continue reading

Kiwi Fruit Calories

     In the early 20th century, missionaries brought the seeds of kiwi fruit to New Zealand. As the fruits became popular there, the name kiwi fruit was given in honor to the national bird of New Zealand, kiwi. At present, it is cultivated in almost all parts of the world. In fact, the demand for this fruit is very high in the commercial market. The unique nutritional value, in terms of kiwi fruit calories and healing properties make it a popular choice for people who are very conscious about their health.

     Kiwi Fruit: An Overview

     While speaking about the striking appearance of kiwi fruits, they are brown skinned, oblong shaped and covered with hairs. When sliced, you will notice a greenish colored flesh with a whitish pulp in the center, surrounded by black colored seeds. The taste of kiwi fruit is mild sweet, having a mixed flavor of strawberry, banana and pineapple. Following information explains ‘how many calories are in kiwi fruit’ along with its nutrition facts and health benefits.

     Kiwi Fruit Calories and Nutrition Facts
     Coming to the calorie content in kiwi fruit, serving a medium sized fruit without skin (weighing 76 gram) will provide you 46 calories, 11 g carbohydrates, 1 g proteins, 2 g dietary fiber and 0.5 g fat. Kiwi fruit calories present in a small serving (28 g) is 14; whereas a larger serving of 1 cup kiwi fruit (about 177 gram) yields 108 calories. This kiwi fruit calories data may fluctuate slightly according to the cultivar and the ripening stage, at which the fruit is consumed. Know more on calories in kiwi. Continue reading

Baby Pigs Care

     Just in case you find yourself victim of a scrupulous sale and end up with an adorable but very young baby potbelly, then tread carefully and consider the following few suggestions to help you with the parenting. First, at all times be aware and keep reminding yourself that the baby pig was taken away from the mother way too early in its life. The poor babe certainly hasn’t been introduced to eating and doesn’t know how to! It is probably still fretting and misses the mother and siblings. This little piglet of yours is going to take all you can offer to get over the confusing, scary and lonely feeling. Be sensitive. Create a play pen that can keep the babe safe and confined.

     Dedicated baby pig care:

     It is natural for the babe to take a while to create a strong bond with the master and other family members. The mortality rate of raising a one week old piglet is no more than 50% and not at all good in the case of babies. The piglet will adjust in time, but you need to be dedicated to its needs and be very patient with the baby.

     Piglets should be raised in a playpen, to prevent them from picking up things that are unsafe for them. The play pen should be such that it can offer the baby the required heat. This requirement is of utmost importance because unlike other animals, baby pigs do not generate their own body heat for at least the first two weeks of life! The mother is equipped by nature to take care of this special want. The ideal temperature to be maintained in the play pen should be 90 degrees. You can generate this heat by placing a heating pad, wrapped in a towel in the playpen. The wrapped heating pad is quite close to the heat extended by the mother’s body.

     Surround the babe with soft blankets and a soft stuffed toy or two, to sleep with. Nothing better than a stuffed or rubber piggy! You could also try stuffing a pillow cover with dry beans and knot the top. This make shift ‘mama’ can be warmed in the microwave when and as required! Continue reading

Teacup Pigs

     We all know that farm pigs are huge in size and may weight around 600 to 800 pounds. Even the small-sized pot bellied pigs can weigh around 120 to 200 pounds. Vietnamese pot bellied pigs were used for scientific research, as they were relatively small in size, as compared to regular pigs. However, smaller pigs were needed for research and this resulted in the selective breeding of pot belly pigs, that led to the introduction of miniature pigs. These pigs are smaller in size and are used extensively for medical research. Later, miniature pigs were introduced as pets in the United States. Now, there are various breeds of miniature pigs, that are otherwise known as teacup pigs or micro pigs. These small, cute creatures are now very much in demand as pets, due to their small size, attractive looks and gentle nature. According to breeders, the teacup pigs grow up to 65 pounds in weight and they will be fully grown in 2 to 3 years. Read more on pot belly pigs as pets.

     While the smaller size is one of the attractive features of miniature teacup pigs, breeders’ claims can be sometimes misleading. Even though, these pigs are small in size at the time of birth and may even fit into a teacup, with time they may grow to a much larger size, that can be contradictory to the breeders’ claims. Most of images of teacup pigs are in fact, those of babies and when full grown, these pigs can be as big as a large cocker spaniel. In short, if you are thinking of a teacup pig, that can fit into your purse, then, you are mistaken. Even though, the maximum weight of teacup pigs is stipulated to be 65 pounds, they can grow to a maximum weight of up to 150 pounds and a height of 21 inches. So, don’t get duped with the images, that can be either of baby teacup pigs or of malnourished and underfed ones. Continue reading