Winter Solstice and the Longest Night

December 21, the shortest day of the year, the longest night, the beginning of Winter... This is the time for comfort and introspection.

"The Winter Solstice is the time of ending and beginning, a powerful time - a time to contemplate your immortality. A time to forgive, to be forgiven, and to make a fresh start. A time to awaken." - Frederick Lenz (1950-1998)

Image: Candles by Dominique Teng©2022

Persimmons in Season

In sixth grade Mrs. Walker
slapped the back of my head
and made me stand in the corner
for not knowing the difference
between persimmon and precision.
How to choose persimmons. This is precision.
Ripe ones are soft and brown-spotted.
Sniff the bottoms. The sweet one
will be fragrant. How to eat:
put the knife away, lay down newspaper.
Peel the skin tenderly, not to tear the meat.
Chew the skin, suck it,
and swallow. Now, eat
the meat of the fruit,
so sweet,
all of it, to the heart.

Fragment of the poem "Persimmons" by Li-Young Lee, 1986

 

Image: Persimmons by Dominique Teng©2022

Britain's Queen Elisabeth II Dies at the Age of 96

Queen Elisabeth II in 1953 (February 6, 1926 - September 8, 2022)

Queen Elisabeth II passed away peacefully on September 8, 2022, at the Balmoral Castle. She was 96 years old. 

She was Britain's longest serving monarch with a reign spanning over seven decades. She ruled over United Kingdom and fourteen Commonwealth realms. Her oldest son, Charles, inherited the throne and will be known as the King Charles III.

Elisabeth II ascended to the throne on February 6, 1952, after her father, King George VI, died. Fifteen Prime Ministers, from Winston Churchill to Liz Truss, served Her Majesty during her reign that was at times filled with political turmoil, personal sorrow, jubilation, scandal, and controversy.

Her death filled many hearts with sorrow. She was known for her strong personality, wisdom, charm, and wit, and will be greatly missed by people in Britain and all over the world. 

The Queen's funeral was scheduled for September 19, 2022. That day was declared a bank holiday in the United Kingdom.

By Dominique Teng

Image source unknown but greatly appreciated

Happy Labor Day!

No work is insignificant. All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence. 

Dr Martin Luther King Jr.

 

Image source: unknown but greatly appreciated

Health Benefits of Watermelon

Like no other fruit, watermelon is considered by many to be a perfect Summer fruit. Thanks to its high water and mineral content, water melon is a tasty thirst quencher. This quality was greatly appreciated as far back in history as Ancient Egypt and Ancient China.  

Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) belongs to the family Cucurbitaceae. It is a vine-like flowering plant that most probably originated in Southern Africa. The plant produces large fruits whose flesh is pink or dark red when ripe. The fruits are covered with thick, green rind. There are more than 1200 varieties cultivated all over the world.

Watermelon is rich in nutrients:

• vitamins, especially the vision supporting vitamin A, the immune system modulating vitamin B6 and the immune system boosting vitamin C 
• minerals, especially magnesium and potassium
• amino acid citruline 
• carotenoids lycopene and beta carotene
• flavonoids lutein, zeaxanthin and cryptoxanthin
• tripterpenoids

As mentioned before, because of its very high water content, watermelon is a wonderful thirst quencher. In Traditional Chinese Medicine the red flesh of the fruit is considered to be cooling and used to purify blood and dispel symptoms of internal and external heat. A very popular watermelon lozenges are prescribed to cure sore throat. To address different symptoms, Chinese doctors use all parts of the fruit, including the rind and the seeds.

Watermelon is a perfect anti-aging superfood. It has few calories, but is very rich in phenolic compounds that include flavonoids, carotenoids, and tripterpenoids. These compounds help fight inflammation and provide protection against free radicals.

The carotenoid lycopene that gives watermelon its red color, is a very effective free-radicals scavenger. In fact, watermelon contains higher levels of lycopene than any other fresh fruit or vegetable - 15 to 20 mg per two-cup serving. The content depends on the ripeness of the fruit.

Lycopene has the ability to inhibit many inflammatory processes in the body including:

• the production of pro-inflammatory messaging molecules
• the expression of such enzymes as the cyclo-oxygenase and the lipoxygenase that can lead to increased inflammatory response
• the activity of molecular signaling agents like nuclear factor kappa B (NFkB)

Another anti-inflammatory compound, the tripterpenoid cucurbitacin E, blocks the activity of cyclo-oxygenase enzymes and neutralizes reactive nitrogen-containing molecules or the RNS.

 

Watermelon is an amazing source of the amino acid citrulline. The flesh of a watermelon contains about 250 mg of citrulline per cup. Among others, citrulline is converted by the kidneys and the endothelial cells (cells that line our blood vessels), into amino acid arginine. An enzyme called nitric oxide synthase or NOS, takes the amino acid arginine and uses it to help produce nitric oxide (NO). NO is a muscle relaxant that tells the smooth muscles around our blood vessels to relax. When this happens, the space inside our blood vessels can expand, allowing blood to flow more freely. The relaxation of muscle tension and increase in blood flow constitutes the mechanism by which NO can improve the erectile function in men. Although consumption of watermelon significantly increases levels of arginine in the body, the amount of citruline is not enough to cure erectile dysfunction with one portion of watermelon alone. 

Citruline also has the ability to flushe the kidneys and the liver of stored aluminum. Aluminum can be damaging to the cells. It not only enters our bodies from the environment, but is also a byproduct of protein breakdown within the body.

Latest research also demonstrated that citruline may affect the way fat is deposited in the human body. When citruline converts into arginine, arginine-related molecules called polyarginine peptides are also formed in the body. These compounds are able to block activity of an enzyme called tissue-nonspecific alkaline phosphatase, or TNAP. When TNAP activity is shut down, fat cells (adipocytes) create less fat. The less fat is produced, the less fat is deposited in the body.

Watermelon seeds are also beneficial to health. They contain B Vitamins; incredibly bio-available iron and zinc; magnesium; omega 6 fatty acids; and the cardiovascular system supporting amino acid arginine. They also contain lysine, tryptophan, and glutamic acid.

The nutrient content makes watermelon one of the healthiest foods available to us. Although a ripe watermelon contains sugar, the fruit has a law glycemic index which means that it will not cause rapid spikes in blood glucose levels. Some animal studies suggest that watermelon juice may even have a positive effect on blood sugar metabolism.  

 

Watermelon is considered to be a natural diuretic. It helps increase the urine flow, but unlike caffeine it does not put any strain on the kidneys. Moreover, watermelon helps the liver process ammonia.

Watermelon is a good source of amino acids cystein, glutamate and glycine that are necessary for the synthesis of glutathione. Glutathione is the body own antioxidant, detox agent and immune system modulator. Glutathione helps the body effectively excrete mercury, aluminum and pesticides, and improves the efficacy of vitamins C and E in the body.

When fully ripe, watermelon is an alkaline-forming fruit. This fact alone makes watermelon incredibly beneficial to health as diseases such as cancer can only thrive in an acidic environment.

By Dominique Teng

 

Dominique Teng©2022

 

*This information is for educational purpose only. It is not meant to diagnose or cure a disease.   

Universe in a Dew Drop

When we contemplate the whole globe as one great dewdrop, striped and dotted with continents and islands, flying through space with other stars all singing and shining together as one, the whole universe appears as an infinite storm of beauty. - John Muir 

 

Image: Morning Dew on Cucumber Leaf from the "Meditations in the World Gone Mad" series by  Dominique Teng©2022

75th Anniversary of the Roswell Incident

Happy 75th Anniversary of the UFO Crash in Roswell! 

As every year, Roswell, NM, celebrates the alleged event with a colorful three-day long  festival.  Alien parade, costume competition, night sky watch, live music, and other activities fill out the weekend.

For three days UFO enthusiasts from all over the world descend on this small desert town. There is something for everyone there, even for the UFO deniers and skeptics. Leave your Serious Hat at home and join the jolly crowd! 

Dominique Teng

Image by Dominique Teng©2022

Year of the Tiger

On February 1, 2022, millions of people all over the world celebrate the Lunar New Year. The year 2022 is the Year of the Water Tiger. The water element adds fluidity and flexibility to the tiger's energy and prowess.

Tiger is one of the twelve animals in the Chinese zodiac. Chinese Buddhists tell the story of a feast given by the Buddha. They believe that tiger was the third animal to arrive at the feast.

Tiger represent the strength, ferocity, tenacity, and courage. People born under the sign of tiger are self-assured, love adventures and competition, and have great sense of justice. They are well respected by people around them. 

Geomancers and astrologers in Asia and in Chinese communities elsewhere are busy to compile horoscopes and predict the future. They expect a very dynamic year full of opportunities, innovation and progress. It will be a great year for learning, new projects, and accomplishments, but also a year of possible chaos and unpredictability, political conflicts, social unrest, and natural disasters.

Everything happens quickly and dramatically in a Year of the Tiger, so be ready or you will miss your opportunity. Be courageous enough to grab your chances to improve and advance professionally, but exercise a little caution to avoid mishaps and financial mishaps.

Chinese New Year is the most important holiday for the Chinese people and it gives families the opportunity to gather around sumptuous banquets and to exchange gifts. An obligatory visit to the local Taoist or Buddhist temple is made to place offerings to the gods or to the Buddha. Fruit and incense are offered and countless prayers said.

For those who forgot to make their New Year's resolutions in January, here is another chance.

Wishing everyone a very happy and prosperous Year of the Water Tiger - Dominique

新 年 快 樂 !

Dominique Teng©2022