Health and Fitness : Vitamin B2 (3rd Suggested Cure for Mouth Ulcers)

Mouth ulcers

My dad has always recommended Vitamin B2 whenever I get a mouth ulcer, the fact is that I have never really listened to him because he used to buy these pills from mainland China and I didn't really feel comfortable taking them, until my symptoms began to show, I finally put in the effort of researching in this medicine.

Riboflavin powder
Image from Wikipedia

Commonly known as Vitamin B2, Riboflavin, is an essential water-soluble vitamin for the human body for various cellular processes.

Urine

It is a distinctive and unique vitamin which can cause fluorescent-yellow colour urine and can be easily destroyed when exposed to UV ray and in alkaline condition (pH above 7) but not with heating (cooking).
It is rich in milk products such as milk and cheese, leafy green vegetables, inner organs such as liver and kidneys, tomatoes, mushrooms, legumes and almonds.

Recommended intake level of Riboflavin is low, ranges from 0.3mg/day for babies to 1.3-1.4mg/day for adults and 1.4mg-1.6mg/day for pregnant mothers during lactation (breast milk-producing period).

Riboflavin is not toxic when taken orally, as the body excretes excessive doses through the urine.

cracked and red lips

But deficiency in Riboflavin  (ariboflavinosis) could cause symptoms such as cracked and red lips ("checked!"), inflammation of the lining of mouth and tongue("checked!"), mouth ulcers("checked!"), cracks at the corners of the mouth (angular cheilitis)("nope"), and a sore throat ("nope"). A deficiency may also cause dry and scaling skin, fluid in the mucous membranes, and iron-deficiency anaemia. The eyes may also become bloodshot, itchy, watery and sensitive to bright light.^[1]

Well, mine fits quite a bit, so I decided to give it a try, and the fluorescent colour does prove that the pills my dad bought are really Vitamin B2, but each pill is 5mg! So I think I have to lower down my dosage, if I want to continue with my own clinical trial that is.


Vocabulary:
mouth ulcer -- (n)[C]  please see the links on mouth ulcers below
water-soluble -- (adj) A water-soluble substance can dissolve in water
cellular -- (adj) connected with the cells of a plant or animal
fluorescent -- (adj) Fluorescent lights are very bright, tube-shaped electric lights, often used in offices
urine -- (n) [U] the yellowish liquid waste which is released from the body when you go to the toilet
leafy -- (adj) A leafy place is pleasant and has a lot of trees
legume -- (n)[C] specialized a plant that has its seeds in a pod, such as the bean or pea
lactation -- (n) [C] specialized (of a woman or female mammal) to produce milk
toxic -- (adj) poisonous 
excrete -- (vb) [I or T] formal to get rid of material such as solid waste or urine from the body
excessive -- (adj) too much
scaling -- (adj) becoming or appearing to turn into fish like scales
clinical trial -- (n) [C] please see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clinical_trial

Resources:

Health and Fitness: Mouth Ulcers @ Locky's English Playground

http://lockyep.blogspot.com/2010/01/health-and-fitness-mouth-ulcers.html

Health and Fitness: Manuka Honey (1st Suggested Cure for Mouth Ulcers) @ Locky's English Playground

http://lockyep.blogspot.com/2010/01/health-and-fitness-manuka-honey-1st.html

Health and Fitness: Liquorice Root (2nd Suggested Cure for Mouth Ulcers) @ Locky's English Playground

http://lockyep.blogspot.com/2010/01/health-and-fitness-liquorice-root-2nd.html

[1] Vitamin B2 @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_B2

Legumes @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legume

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/water-soluble?q=water-soluble
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/cellular_1?q=cellular+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/fluorescent_1?q=fluorescent+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/urine?q=urine+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/leafy?q=leafy+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/legume?q=legume+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/lactate?q=lactation+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/toxic_1?q=toxic+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/excrete?q=excrete+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/excessive?q=excessive+
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clinical_trial

Science & TV : Anatomy of Sex

Have you ever wondered, why some men are so shallow and care nothing more than the bust size or the hip of a woman? Why don't they care about the inner beauty? Why do men judge women according to their sexiness? Why they must use their eyes to make judgement first and not try to understand the heart of a woman?

Well, it may sound defensive because I am a man, but there are scientific reasons to explain this! It is a result of the human evolution, and it may well be related to the days when human were still monkeys!!!

It all began when our ancestors began to stand on 2 legs instead of 4, the way of living changed and so did the definition of sexiness and human behaviour. This program also addresses on the issue of what women look for in men, so guys might want to pay special attention to that part.

Watch Anatomy of Sex by Discovery Channel!

If you don't want to challenge yourself with no English subtitles, you can try the following which has Chinese subtitles:

If the video doesn't appear here, you can go to this website to watch: http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/KldZJTYOTac/

This video is downloadable from the following website:

http://jpck.zju.edu.cn/jcyxjp/redir.php?catalog_id=2123&object_id=2142

The vocabulary list below has included some words you will need in this video.

Vocabulary:
shallow -- (adj) disapproving not showing serious or careful thought
bust -- (n) [C] a woman's breasts, or the measurement around a woman's breasts and back
ancestor -- (n) a person related to you who lived a long time ago
aphrodisiac -- (n) [C] something, usually a drug or food, which is believed to cause sexualdesire in people
arouse -- (vb) [T] to cause someone to feel sexual excitement
orgasm -- (n) [C or U] the moment of greatest pleasure and excitement in sexual activity
go into heat -- on heat UK (US in heat)

describes an animal that is in a state of sexual excitement and ready to breed

Resources:
Anatomy of Sex @ IMDb
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0450964/

Anatomy of Sex @ Locky's English Playground YouTube Channel
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD69F1FC22B9AF7B0

Anatomy of Sex @ Tudou
http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/KldZJTYOTac/

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/shallow_2
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/bust_1?q=bust+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/ancestor?q=ancestor+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/aphrodisiac_1
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/arouse?q=arouse+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/orgasm?q=orgasm+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/heat_3#heat_3__3

News, Movie & Idiom: Megan VS Rosie X Water Under the Bridge

Have you wondered why Megan Fox was replaced by Rosie Huntington-Whiteley?

News? Well, not really, more like "olds", but I happened to run into this piece of info today, after my students told me earlier on that Megan Fox had a row with the director of the Transformers 3.

As inquisitive as a person I am, of course I want to find out more. And I got this piece of "olds" from a month ago,  could come in handy if you're engaged in a small talk.

21Jun 2011

Michael Bay Says Steven Spielberg Wanted Megan Fox Fired From ‘Transformers’

Posted in Megan Fox,Michael Bay,Steven Spielberg

Posted by: Daisy

If you didn’t know any better, you’d have to wonder if Megan Fox is still in theTransformers movie out this summer because no one can stop talking about her.

Case in point, Michael Bay is taking interview time to clarify who it was that wanted Fox fired from Transformers 3: Dark Side of the Moon.

After Fox spoke to Wonderland magazine and said that Bay “wants to be like Hitler on his sets, and he is. So he’s a nightmare to work for,” the director told GQ that producerSteven Spielberg wasn’t having anymore of her nonsense.

“She was in a different world, on her BlackBerry. You gotta stay focused. And you know, the Hitler thing. Steven said, ‘Fire her right now,’” Bay said.

Bay says he wasn’t really bothered by Fox running her mouth in the press but he takes a moment to mock-apologize to the actress, who apparently didn’t like long hours, according to the filmmaker.

“I wasn’t hurt, because I know that’s just Megan. Megan loves to get a response. And she does it in kind of the wrong way. I’m sorry, Megan. I’m sorry I made you work twelve hours. I’m sorry that I’m making you show up on time. Movies are not always warm and fuzzy.”

While Fox and Spielberg did not address the situation, Bay went on to say that everything is water under the bridge now.

“She [Megan] sent me a text three months ago. She said, “I hope you’re doing well.” I responded, “Who is this?” She goes, “Megan, you dork!” I said, “Oh, well, thank you, hope you’re well.” When you’re days and months on a set, it’s like a family. You say rude things and you make up.”

Transformers 3: Dark Side of the Moon starring Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox Rosie Hungtington-Whiteley comes out June 29th.

And of course, we don't just read for reading, we want to learn something, and from the article, you know what we want to talk about.

What is the meaning of "water under the bridge"? You see, water that is under the bridge seldom stays still, they come, they pass and they leave so "water under the bridge" is a nice and beautiful way of saying that "it has past".

Megan Fox might have got a lot more female fans than Rosie does, but Rosie is the one showing her gorgeous figure and pouty lips in the movie here, surely guys have already forgotten the "former", when the movie is supposed to be "Trans"-ed.


Vocabulary:
row -- (n) [C] mainly UK a noisy argument or fight
come in (handy/useful, etc.) -- phrasal verb to be useful for a particular purpose
water under the bridge -- (British, American & Australian) also be water over the dam (American)

if a problem or an unpleasant situation is water under the bridge, it happened a long time ago and no one is upset about it now

pouty (adj) -- from pout (vb) [I or T] to push the lower lip forward to show you are annoyed, or to push both lips forward in a sexually attractive way
former -- (adj) [before noun] of or in an earlier time; before the present time or in the past
trans- prefix having changed from one thing to another




Resources:
Michael Bay Says Steven Spielberg Wanted Megan Fox Fired From ‘Transformers’@ BackSeat Cuddler
http://backseatcuddler.com/category/michael-bay/

Transformers: Dark of the Moon @ IMDb
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1399103/

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/row_4
http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/be+water+under+the+bridge
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/come-in_3#come-in_3__2
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/pout
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/former_1?q=former
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/trans_2

Living: How to Choose An Engagement Ring

Image from www.engagementringsplus.net

Sigh..... months ago, I was doing research on finding the right engagement ring with enthusiasm and hope, and I asked experienced friends on tips, and effort has gone down the drain...

Now, maybe it's time to clear the entries I have written long ago...

One thing I really like about these "How to..." videos, is that sometimes, they are really good advices that will come in handy!!

In the first video, the lady speaks with a nice British accent and it is so clear and easy to listen to!

Pay attention to The 4 Cs = Clarity, Colour, Cut, Carat
xxxx

If the above video is too slow, you can watch this one which is on YouTube: http://youtu.be/tVqhUr7HUvs

After watching the above video, you might want to check out the latest pricing of a diamond in different grades from this brilliant website: http://www.ajediam.com/diamond_pricing.html

Here is a supplementary video in American accent for more details:

If the above video is too slow, you can watch this one which is on YouTube: http://youtu.be/5qMfiU82C54

Diamond rings are not only ever-lasting, they are also a great investment! Here's a chart of the historical price of diamond from 1960 to 2010:

If there are any words you are not sure and wants to confirm with me, you can always send me a message or leave a comment below. I would love to help you, but I myself do not want to watch these videos too many times as they will only remind me of my sad past.



Ajediam your diamond company
http://www.ajediam.com/diamond_pricing.html

How To Choose An Engagement Ring @ Videojug
http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-choose-an-engagement-ring

How To Choose An Engagement Ring @ YouTube
http://youtu.be/tVqhUr7HUvs

How To Buy An Engagement Ring @ YouTube
http://youtu.be/5qMfiU82C54

How to Choose An Engagement Ring @ Wikihow
http://www.wikihow.com/Choose-an-Engagement-Ring

TV & Medical : Monsters Inside Me x House M.D.

Image from blogspot

Have been re-rewatching House these days in order to train up my analytical skills. I picked up Season 2 episode 20 and 21 (Euphoria part 1 and 2) as the point of sharing today.

House and Foreman's dad in Cuddy's office
Image from blogspot

In these two episodes, a police officer Joe was admitted to the hospital with the symptoms of euphoria, fever, lost of vision (Anton's Syndrome) and eventually, he suffered from hyperalgesia before he died. Before he died, he was diagnosed with a disease which we have previously discussed, Legionnaire's Disease.

Foreman was infected by Joe and isolated
Image from blogspot

Foreman also showed Joe's symptoms and had to be isolated and it was then a race to save his life. After overcoming many difficulties, House discovered that it was due to an amoeba that thrives in contaminated water, which attacked Joe and Foreman's brain, called Naegleria fowleri. 

That lead us to the TV program recommendation today!

Interesting thing about this show is the number of parasites they introduce and how many of them are we exposed to. All cases discussed are in the form of ex-patients' recount and some of them appeared as the final diagnoses in House M.D.

If you have missed the shows, the above videos offer you short preview, and DVDs are available. Definitely a great resource for learning English!


Vocabulary:
euphoria -- (n) [U] simply put it, happiness. Euphoria can also be the result of a psychological disorder.
hyperalgesia -- (n) is an increased sensitivity to pain, which may be caused by damage to nociceptors or peripheral nerves. Temporary increased sensitivity to pain also occurs as part of sickness behavior, the evolved response to infection.
Legionnaire's Disease -- see Medical: Legionnaires' Disease @ QE
Naegleria fowleri -- see the video above. A free-living excavate form of protist typically found in warm bodies of fresh water, such as ponds, lakes, rivers, and hot springs. It is also found in soil, near warm water discharges of industrial plants, and minimally chlorinated swimming pools (there is no evidence of this organism living in ocean water) in an amoeboid or temporary flagellate stage. Not a true amoeba, the organism is often referred to as an amoeba for convenience.
expose sb to sth -- phrasal verb [usually passive] to make it likely that someone will experience something harmful or unpleasant
recount -- (vb) [T] formal to describe how something happened; to tell a story


Resources:
House MD Episode Guide
http://www.housemd-guide.com/season2/221euphoria2.php

Polite Dissent
http://www.politedissent.com/archives/1220

Hyperalgesia @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperalgesia

Discovery Channel Official Website
http://animal.discovery.com/videos/monsters-inside-me-the-brain-eating-amoeba.html

Euphoria @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euphoria


Hyperalgesia  @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperalgesia

Medical: Legionnaires' Disease @ QE @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.com/2011/04/medical-legionnaires-disease-qe.html

Naegleria fowleri @ Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naegleria_fowleri#Lifecycle

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/expose-sb-to-sth#expose-sb-to-sth__2

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/recount_1?q=recount

Photography: Upgrading to Canon EOS 7D with Lord of the Red Ring?

Today, I have a sudden urge to upgrade my camera. Where does it come from? Maybe it is from the moment I saw a really nice photo taken by my student Anna using a Canon EOS 50D with a 70-200mm f/4 lens.

Then I thought, since Canon now has 7D, 60D and 550D, I should choose one that has a better image quality, a faster continuous burst rate, and a reasonable value, so I consulted Kai through watching his videos.

Words you should hear from the 1st video:
polycarbonate body, unashamedly, rubberness, notches up from the Kinder toy, reassuring, hammer some nails, a plank of wood, carve out sculptures from stones, spiritual successor, appeal more to the pros, magnesium-alloy body, weatherproofing, one or two hundred knots, ergonomic, grip, pinching rather bony behind, a lot beefier, iffy, dead slug stuck in the mud, Canon-button-bashing, clicky button sound, frustration, squishy, joystick, twiddly-dial, utterly hateful, crack in the bathroom wall, stomach ulcers, couple of tits, auto-focus points, continuous burst, two's company, three's a crowd

And after suggesting him to make a video during the rage of the Typhoon 3, which he did and responded to me on his Facebook "Oh, we enjoyed it today.", he made me a cool video! Using my name!!!!

Words you should hear from the 2nd video:
review, a heck of a load, sell organs or bodily fluids, staggeringly good, capabilities, value-for-money, massive rubberized, front element, built quality, notoriously bad, decently sharp, pretty phenomenal, wrinkles, blemishes, bokeh, scrumptious, soften gooey wide-open, Where's Wally kind of uniform, perspective, protégés, revealing, impressed

Image from appworld.co

Where's Wally? Game
Image from cfatimes.com

Well, not really. He was referring to him colleague cameraman Lok.

From what I have found out, the camera body will cost somewhere around $10k and the 135mm f/2 L lens will cost around $8k, that means $18k!!!! Cuts off my arm if not part of the legs already! So, I decided now, I can just remember this combination, and wait for the miraculous price drop! Same thing I have been doing for the iPhone 5 since the days of the iPhone 3.

Oops! That will mean more than $18k!!!!

Vocabulary:
unashamedly -- (adv) not ashamed; without hiding behaviour or opinions that other people might consider unacceptable
carve -- (vb) [I or T] to make something by cutting into especially wood or stone, or to cut into the surface of stone, wood, etc.
successor -- (n) [C] someone or something that comes after another person or thing
appeal -- (n) [C] when a lot of people are asked to give money, information or help
ergonomic -- (adj) the scientific study of people and their working conditions, especially done in order to improve effectiveness
pinch -- (vb) [I or T] to squeeze something, especially someone's skin, strongly between two hard things such as a finger and a thumb, usually causing pain
beefy -- (adj) informal describes someone who looks strong, heavy and powerful
iffy -- (adj) informal not completely good, honest or suitable
-bashing -- (suffix) slang used in nouns meaning the practice of attacking a particular type of person violently
squishy -- (adj) informal crush something which is soft
twiddly -- (adj) informal curly or decorative, especially in an unnecessary way
utterly -- (adv) completely or extremely
tit -- (n)[C] a common small bird found in the northern half of the world / offensive a woman's breast
two's company, three's a crowd -- saying said when two people are relaxed and enjoying each other's company but another person would make them feel less comfortable

a heck of a -- used for emphasis; a very
staggeringly -- (adv) very shockingly and surprisingly
capability -- (n)  [C or U] the ability to do something
notoriously -- (adv) famous for something bad
phenomenal -- (adj) extremely successful or special, especially in a surprising way
a small line in the skin caused by old age
wrinkle -- (n) [C]  a small line in the skin caused by old age
blemish -- (n) [C] a mark on something that spoils its appearance
scrumptious -- (adj) tasting extremely pleasant; delicious
gooey -- (adj) soft and sticky
perspective -- (n) [C] a particular way of considering something
protégés -- (French) (n) [C] a young person who is helped and taught by an older and usually famous person
revealing -- (adj) showing something that was not previously known or seen
miraculous -- (adj) very effective or surprising or difficult to believe


Resources:
Canon 60D vs 550D vs 7D - which one is better? @ YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/user/DigitalRevCom#p/search/5/ET0idevzGRE

Canon 135mm f/2 L- the Lord of the Red Rings?
http://youtu.be/zyqByJsdjxQ

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/unashamed?q=unashamedly
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/carve?q=carve+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/successor
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/appeal_1?q=appeal+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/ergonomics?q=ergonomic
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/pinch_1?q=pinch
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/beefy?q=beefy
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/iffy?q=iffy
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/bashing_1?q=bashing
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/squish?q=squishy
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/twiddly?q=twiddly
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/utter_2?q=utterly+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/two-s-company-three-s-a-crowd?q=two%27s+company%2C+three%27s+a+crowd#two-s-company-three-s-a-crowd__1

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/a-heck-of-a#a-heck-of-a__1
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/staggering?q=staggeringly+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/capability_1?q=capabilities#capability_1__3
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/notorious?q=notoriously+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/phenomenal?q=phenomenal
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/wrinkle_1?q=wrinkles#wrinkle_1__3
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/blemish_1?q=blemishes#blemish_1__3
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/scrumptious?q=scrumptious
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/gooey?q=gooey+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/perspective_1?q=perspective
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/protege?q=proteges#protege__3
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/revealing?q=revealing
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/miraculous?q=miraculous+