Remember seeing television footage of raging hurricane winds that up-root trees, tear-off roof tops and send cars and trailers into flight?

For one of mother nature’s storms to be classified as a “hurricane”, wind speeds must reach a minimum of 119km/hr (so, when you tell someone to “go fly a kite”… this is the day you mean)

Here’s the astonishing part : the human sneeze has the potential of travelling up to around 150km/hr. That’s a license-suspending 50k’s over the highway 401 speed-limit.

When you think about the human body producing so much power – it makes ‘politely’ holding in a sneeze seem like sticking your finger in the barrel of a gun.

Think twice on both accounts.

Written by Nicholas Klassen

Sources: About.com

What do we know about the colon?

It’s about 5 feet long and loyally works away in the deepest and darkest confines of our stomach.

What’s its job description?

Generally speaking the colon is hired to…

1.  Store waste

2.  Gather water & vitamins from that waste

3.  Dump the waste

The colon is the last part of the digestive system – and perhaps like the youngest of 10 brothers, it ends up getting the old, used and tattered hand-me-downs from the guys up stream.

Huh?

By the time the colon gets into the game of digestion, the main portions of nutrients have already been extracted from the food/waste.

But amazingly, as if squeezing blood from a stone, the colon steps in and manages to extract just a bit more water and salt out of the waste before dumping it. 

That’s a dedicated member of the digestive team!

Sources: wikipedia

Acting all lovey-dovey with your significant other is fine and dandy, but…

What if your affection ends up causing you some physical pain? 

Or worse still…

What if it causes some serious nerve damage?

Well, lovers beware… “Honeymooner’s Palsy” may be looming!

Picture this…

You wake up from a full night’s sleep to find that your husband or wife has been lying awkwardly on your arm for the last 8 hours.

As you yank your arm out from under the still dormant mass, you’ll probably feel a mixture of pain and numbness and quite possibly have an inability to extend your wrist and fingers. 

The same thing can happen if you sit resting your arm’s weight on the backseat of a neighbouring chair for long periods (ex. in a movie theatre).

Essentially what’s happening is that the constant source of pressure is causing trauma to the radial nerve – a nerve that runs the full length of the arm.

That’s Honeymooner’s Palsy!

Permanent damage is not necessarily the result, but in more severe cases it can certainly require a lengthy recovery period.

There’s nothing romantic about that!

Sources: wikipedia

If you’ve ever given blood, received blood or even just had a blood test, you’ve probably heard something about blood types.

There are 4 main types of blood:  A, B, AB and O

When one person receives blood from another (blood transfusion) it is crucial that they receive blood that is compatible with their own.  

In the diagram, you notice how O blood types can give blood to everyone, but can only receive their own type.
AB types on the other hand can receive from everyone but can only give to other ABs.

Click here for more on this…

Why Blood needs to be compatible…

Each blood type has a different combination of Antigens (substances that can cause allergic reaction in blood) and Antibodies (a protein that identifies and neutralizes substances like antigens).

If the person receiving blood has antibodies that match the donor blood’s antigens, the antibodies in the donated blood would attack those antigens by binding together in clumps. 

This can cause problems…

It would clog blood vessels, potentially stopping circulation in various parts of the body. 

Those clogged red blood cells (which contain hemoglobin),  may also crack and leak their contents into the body.  Hemoglobin is what transports oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body.  When hemoglobin goes outside of its red blood cell, it becomes toxic. 

All in all, it could be fatal!

Sources: wikipedia | nobelprize.org

The belly button is one of the body’s more unique features.

Also known as the navel or umbilicus, it is technically a scar left when the umbilical cord is removed from a newborn baby.

This scar can appear as a depression in the abdomen (often called an “innie”) or as a protrusion (outie).

Because the navel is just a scar, it varies quite a bit among people in terms of size, shape and depth.  For this reason, the belly button is often useful in differentiating between identical twins.  In other words, each belly button has a face of its own.

Is the belly button a vacuum?

Why does the navel gather lint?

The reason for navel lint is subject to some speculation. 

First, it is believed that the rubbing of navel hairs and clothing creates a build-up of static electricity which then attracts the fuzz.

Also, you will accumulate more lint when your navel is moist – from sweat or water from a shower.

Sources: wikipedia

Isn’t it interesting how despite the wretched looking pictures on the back of cigarette boxes, addicts are still compelled to pay big bucks for a carton of cigarettes?

Addictions are serious business.  The risk of lung cancer is bad enough, but there are many other side effects.

Have you ever heard of the “smoker’s pucker”?

When smokers suck air through a cigarette they repeatedly use a certain set of muscles around their lips.  Combine that the loss of elasticity in their skin and you’ve got something called “smoker’s pucker” – Deep wrinkles that form around the lips. 

Other reasons to quit or never start:

Sagging Skin
Poor Skin Tone
Damaged Teeth/Gums
Stained Fingers
Crows Feet Eye Wrinkles
Brittle Bones
Heart Disease
Erectile Dysfunction

Sources: webmd

Trans fats are probably one of the worst things we can consume. 

Trans fats are known to destroy our body – increasing LDL (bad cholesterol) and decreasing HDL (good cholesterol).  It also increases the production of plaque on our arteries.

In other words, trans fats are a heart attack in a box.

What about products that say, “Zero Trans Fats”… are these safe? Do they mean what they say?

Here’s the surprising truth…

Sources: Dr. Oz | 5min.com

Neck and back pain are all too common.

You may have heard of terms like “bulging disc” and “herniated disc” – these are two of the main causes for back and neck pain and they are often confused for one another.

What are these discs?

Between each vertebrae of the spine is a small disc made of thick cartilage with a soft, jelly-like interior. These discs act as shock absorbers and are what enable the spine to bend.

 A bulging disc occurs when one of these discs shifts out of its normal radius. Most often, a bulging disc occurs over time, simply as part of the aging process.

A herniated disc on the other hand is often the result of an injury or trauma to the spine – Repeated straining, improper lifting, excessive body weight, athletic injuries.

Source: mayoclinic.com

The effect of placebo pills has almost become common knowledge.

But what about placebo surgery? 

Can “pretend surgery” eliminate symptoms?  

Watching this video reinforces the fact that we have a lot to learn about the power of the mind…

Sources: dailymotion.com

The human population is not without its mysteries.

You’ve got to see this…

Is it just a coincidence that he’s completely bald?

Being immune to electricity is indeed rare and it’s a phenomenon that’s a little hard to explain.

Needless to say, “don’t try this at home.”

Sources: Journeymanpictures | Youtube