​These 2 metal monoliths were discovered on separate occasions in November 2020. One in a remote area of the Red Rock Canyon State Park, Utah, which has since vanished as mysteriously as it appeared. The other one in Piatra Neamt, Romania.

No one has claimed responsibility for their installation. Some think it resembles the monolith in the novel 2001: A Space Odyssey, installed on Earth 3 million years ago by an alien race to develop intelligent life. Whether it be a type of pop-art installation or something of extraterrestrial origin, it has sparked great interest and debate all over the planet.

​Antarctica is well known as the coldest and most remote continent in the world. So, it is truly unnatural to imagine it ever being a warm region with lush greenery, inhabited by birds, marine animals, and even dinosaurs. Yet, this is exactly what recent discoveries of fossils and tropical woods point at.

Some of the fossilized remains collected on James Ross Island on the Antarctic Peninsula date back to 71 million years ago.

​In the late 19th century William Leonard Hunt (aka The Great Farini) ventured out on an expedition to the Kalahari Desert, accompanied by his adopted son Lulu. They took pictures and sketched the area that they covered. On their journey, Farini claimed to have encountered the ancient ruins of a lost civilization.

This alleged discovery sparked great interest among the explorers of the time. Numerous expeditions have been launched in search of the lost city, however, none were successful.

​Sinaloa petroglyphs, as known to the public, are located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean, in the Southern part of the state of Sinaloa, Mexico. It is a group of rounded rocks of volcanic origin. They are covered in engravings and depict human, animal, and abstract figures, as well as circles, spirals, and crosses.

The origin, as well as the meaning of the engravings, has yet to be deciphered, as they date back to between 1,000 BCE and 300 CE. This leaves great potential for the mystery hunters of today to leave their mark in history and solve this modern-day enigma.

​The Syrian Ain Dara Temple is famous, among other things, for the several huge carved footprints found throughout its entrance. The size of the footprints is 3 times that of a human foot, but it’s debatable as to whether they are supposed to be from a giant, a human, or an animal.

It is still unclear who the carved prints are supposed to represent, but many believe that they are the markings of a divine deity who was entering the temple on its way to the throne inside.

​This mechanism was recovered in 1901 from a shipwreck near Antikythera Island, hence its name. It was used to track the cycles of the Solar System. It followed the motion of the Sun, the Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. The “celestial clock” even explained which stars rose and set on specific dates.

The technology of the instrument was highly advanced and was not seen for another millennium. The origin of the mechanism remains a mystery to modern science.

​These giant stone sphere monuments are the work of a pre-Colombian civilization that some might even date back to 600 BCE. According to the archeologist who found these stones, they were carved using other smaller stones.

Some non-experts even speculate that these stones were used to show directions or for astronomical purposes. Their true purpose is still a mystery because the civilization that actually made these spheres disappeared a long time ago.

​Archeologists discovered a settlement in Turkey, called Gobekli Tepe, that appears to be a temple. This might be a sign that people actually started to build temples long before they started to settle down in permanent towns.

Gobekli Tepe has stone pillars with carved scenes of animals that even date to the 10th millennium BCE and this makes it the oldest temple.

​First, you need to divide all your chores into 3 or more groups. Here’s a suggestion:
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• Write your chores on cards and keep them in a box. Obligatory daily chores should be in the small card group, obligatory weekly chores should be in the medium group, and the final group should include those chores that can be done rarely (like on a seasonal basis.) For the final group, you could also divide it into monthly and yearly chores.
• Then divide the box with cards into sections. The first section is “Today.” You have to put all the cards with the chores in it that need to be completed during the day. Weekly chores are next, followed by the cards with monthly chores, and finally seasonal chores.
• As soon as the chores from the small circle, assigned for the day, are completed, you can move on to the middle circle, and then to the big one.
• Every morning or the night before, you should arrange the set of cards, placing them in the “Today” section. At the end of the day, the cards with completed chores should be returned to their places (except for the daily ones). You can then move on to the next cards.
• Don’t leave the house until you have checked the cards to make sure you haven’t forgotten anything.

​This simple method will help you to not postpone your chores and decrease your anxiety.

Every day after their morning prayer, Zen monks do a cleaning for 20 minutes. They sweep the floor, do dishes, and clean windows. Nothing special, we do it every day. But there is one important difference.

When the 20 minutes are up, monks stop doing what they were doing even if it wasn’t finished. They do the cleaning not for the sake of decluttering or comfort. They think of it as a part of their meditation process.

Kaizen is a practice that was invented in Toyota automobile factories to perfect the working processes, while spending a minimum of money on the organization of production.

It’s based on the 5S system:

• 1S — Sort. Divide things into necessary and unnecessary.
• 2S — Compliance with the order or systematization. Necessary things need to be stored so that you can quickly find and use them.
• 3S — Keep clean. Consider the steps that will help every day to keep the house in order.
• 4S — Standardization. Rules of cleaning and cleanliness should be mandatory for everyone, and successful solutions should be standardized and applied in practice.
• 5S — Perfection. The principles of the system should become a habit so that you strive to make the house better with each cleaning.

Do you want to clean your home for no more than 20 minutes a day? With this method, you’ll be able to keep your home clean without a lot of effort.
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• Set up a small area by the front door to act as a “landing strip” for incoming items in your home. You need to sort these items from time to time and put them into their allocated places.
• Do your dishes after every meal.
• Do your laundry every day. Spread things out so you don’t feel bogged down by 200 towels and dirty socks.
• Whistle while you work. No one really enjoys cleaning, but singing, humming, whistling, or turning up the stereo are all great options to keep the beat in your feet and have fun while working.
• Set a timer to avoid 3 hours of cleaning.

This way, you won’t have to spend a lot of time to enjoy your clean home.

Divide your home into zones:
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• zone 1 — hall, bathroom, bedroom
• zone 2 — kitchen, any room (e.g. children’s room)
• zone 3 — dining room, living room
• zone 4 — other rooms (storage room, laundry room).

You should allocate at least 30 minutes for each zone. On Monday, you should start with zone 1. On Tuesday, it’s up to you. You can take a day-off, or move to zone 2. All in all, you’ll get 4 cleaning days, and 3 free days a week.

This method works best for those who want to clean their home all at once and not to draw out the cleaning for days. The most important thing in this method is the order of your actions inside the room. You should start with the farthest corner and clean clockwise.
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• First: Throw away garbage, shake out blankets and covers.
• Second: While the dust is settling, apply chemicals to the dirty surfaces.
• Third: Make the bed, vacuum the floor, and clean the dust.
• Hard-to-reach areas can be cleaned with a toothbrush and cotton swabs.

​These nutritional powerhouses lower cholesterol and dilate blood vessels, while blocking artery-destroying toxicity. Avocados contain a nutrient called glutathione, which blocks at least 30 different carcinogens while helping the liver detoxify synthetic chemicals. For people with high blood pressure, these fruits are especially valuable, as they help lower it naturally and help avoid the risk of heart disease and stroke.

​Pineapples are a fruit that contain the natural fat burner bromelain, which helps our body break down proteins and digest them. Pineapples are especially effective in breaking down cholesterol and removing it from the body. They thin the blood and break down blood clots. Pineapples are best if eaten fresh and canned pineapples are not advised since the enzyme bromelain is destroyed in the canning process.

​This fermented food is easily processed by our digestive system since it is already “pre-digested” during fermentation. This mixture is probiotic and full of fiber, it leads to less bloating, a flatter tummy, and clearer skin as it helps cure acne. Sauerkraut helps your body absorb vitamins and minerals more efficiently. It gives you more energy because less of it is being used by your body to digest, so you will have an increase in energy naturally.

​Dried apricots are known for their natural laxative effect. If you’re prone to constipation, this food will give you a cleansing effect, acting as a natural “brush” for your guts. Fresh apricots have a huge amount of fiber, which helps you stay full for a longer time and in the meantime feeds the good bacteria in your gut. This fruit is high in anti-oxidants and promotes not only a good natural cleansing, but helps your eyes stay healthy.

​Spirulina is an algae that grows in both fresh and saltwater. This ingredient is considered one of the strongest in cleansing the blood from heavy metals. But the most attractive feature of this green powder is the ability of its main ingredient, chlorophyll, to neutralize body odor. Chlorophyll is called by doctors “an internal deodorant” and by consuming it, the body gains the smell of a freshly taken shower.

​Grapefruit contains nootkatones, which are chemical compounds that may boost metabolism and promote weight loss. They’re also high in fiber, which keeps you full and can help balance blood sugar levels. The basis of a grapefruit detox is the golden grapefruit rule: enjoy half a grapefruit with every meal for a week to get an extra dose of nutrients like fiber and vitamins A and C.

​Water from cucumbers prevents a dry mouth and also washes away excess unwanted food residue that may be present after a meal. Similar to apples, the crunch factor also helps stimulate saliva production which aids in hydrating your mouth. In fact, holding a slice of cucumber between your tongue and the roof of your mouth helps limit odor. Crunchy vegetables also help remove plaque on the teeth and gums, which bacteria can feed on.

​When we sleep our muscles lose tone and gravity pulls the fluid into one place along our back. When we stretch, it massages the fluid, helping it gently return to its regular position. But, as our nerve impulses reach their limit, the muscles protect themselves from overstretching by overpowering them.

For just a moment, stretching will release the muscles from their resting place, so that they can work on their proper positioning. This process will help us with calculating the movements we need to get up and start moving.

​When we yawn and stretch at the same time we help the blood flow, which automatically reduces stress. This is because the part of the nervous system that is responsible for our heart rate, digestion, and endocrine functions gets a jump start.

​Spending more time in a single position can affect our body and cause tightness and stiffness. When we stretch after waking up it works out the joints and muscles, which helps in maintaining a wider scope of mobility even if we don’t get into complex activities. It’s telling our brain that it’s time to get up.

​Stretching helps in reestablishing the communication between the brain and the muscles. This means that as we stretch our brain sends stronger signals to our muscles. Then the feedback received back lets the brain work on how strong the signals should be to perform different tasks.

​Yawning cools down the brain and it helps us to stay awake. We also yawn when we are bored to stay alert and continue the task at hand.

We can also see stretching as a software reset. This is because it jump-starts the nervous system and it increases the speed of the background processes that keep us alert and awake during the day. In addition, it increases the heart rate and pushes the blood to our extremities.

Red onion can work as a whitening agent. A study showed that this vegetable can block the cell actions that lead to excess pigmentation.

Basically, onion can be a good home remedy if you want to make dark spots on your face less visible. There is a simple way to use it.
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1. Take a red onion and dice it up as small as possible.
2. Add the finely diced onion to an empty tea bag.
3. Now apply the bag to the area of hyperpigmentation. Let the onion juice sit on your skin for 10 minutes.

Scientists suggest that lactic acid can be a good chemical peel to help with skin issues, including hyperpigmentation. For these purposes, there is no need to buy a special mask. You can just use organic yogurt or milk.
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1. Apply them directly to the pigmented area. As an option, soak a cotton ball in milk and apply it to your face. Let it sit just for a few minutes and then rinse.
2. Apply moisturizer. Repeat this procedure 2 times a day, like in the morning and before bed, for example.

​Mulberry leaves and their extracts can also treat pigmentation naturally and block factors that cause excessive melanin.

Soak dried mulberry leaves and then apply them to the skin each day. Consistency might provide some results over time.

​Aloe vera has many health benefits for the skin and one of them includes reducing pigmentation over time due to its active ingredient, called aloesin or aloin.

Apply aloe vera cream or gel every day and after a little while you will notice a positive result.

Scientists say that apple cider vinegar can help to fight hyperpigmentation thanks to acetic acid, which lightens skin. It also acts as an antioxidant that protects cells. But be careful if you have other skin issues.
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1. Mix equal parts apple cider vinegar and clean water.
2. Apply to areas with dark spots and leave for 2-3 minutes.
3. Now rinse with lukewarm water.
4. Repeat twice a day.

​Fading can take time. A dark spot usually reduces within 6 to 12 months. But to help this process you need sunscreen, otherwise, all your efforts will be in vain. First of all, you need to apply it every day. Second of all, use a sunscreen that offers SPF 30 or higher and zinc oxide or titanium dioxide.

For oily skin pick sunscreens with the words “won’t clog pores” and “non-comedogenic.”

​Retinoids are important in treating pigmented skin. They also play a role in curing acne, psoriasis, and photoaging. Pair retinol with a simple moisturizer. It makes a perfect combo if you have dry and irritated skin.

It’s also important to be consistent while using retinol, otherwise you can’t get the maximum effect. After using it every day for 2-3 weeks, you will usually start to see results.

​You should be very careful about what you apply to your skin. Some whitening creams or masks can harm you. Check the ingredients. If you see mercury on the list, avoid these beauty products because they can cause thin and fragile skin or permanent discoloration.

​Dermatologists warn that to treat hyperpigmentation successfully, you need to take care of your body inside and out. Don’t just pay attention to creams and masks, but to the things that you consume. Vitamin C is crucial for healthy and flawless skin. If you want to speed up the process, go with sour cabbage since it’s the richest in this vitamin.

​As one more tip from doctors is to start consuming amla, which is a plant. You can purchase it as a powder and have 1 teaspoon 2 times a day. But it’s better to consume it 30-40 minutes after your meal.

​Experiencing a bit of fear burns more calories than when you’re not afraid of anything. As our pulse gains speed, our body experiences a flow of adrenaline. Our metabolism speeds up and sugar and fat get burned in the process. In one study, physiologists at London’s University of Westminster found that when people watched horror movies, such as The Shining or The Exorcist, they burned up to 113 calories, which is the same amount they’d have burned on a half-hour walk.

​In some research conducted by Coventry University in the UK, participants watched a horror flick. Then the researchers took blood samples from these people. The results showed that a feeling of fear caused their white blood cells to activate. These are the type of cells that help you fight diseases and repair your body. The more white blood cells you have, the stronger your immune system is.

​Not only is adrenaline released when you feel scared but other chemicals are too, such as serotonin. It helps your brain to work more efficiently, so fear is actually energy.

For example, if you’re a runner and you follow the same route every day, you quickly become accustomed to it, but when you find a new place where you’ll be a bit scared and really need to focus, your brain will start working to the maximum. Our brain craves new challenges.

​When you feel fearful, oxytocin is released, which is a hormone that helps you build relationships with those around you. We all have the survival instinct and it drives us to pair with other humans in order to overcome danger. A perfect example of this is when people huddle together on the couch while watching a scary movie.

​Thinking about the future or something unknown can be enough to scare you. If you’re feeling a little worried or anxious about it, together with adrenaline, which keeps us stressed, another hormone known as norepinephrine is released, keeping you focused instead of panicked. It allows clearer thinking under stress, which is why it’s used in many antidepressants.

We live in a world of constant distractions, like TV-watching or web-surfing, and a little fear helps us to be fully awake and focused.

​When we go across a poorly lit street at night or hear footsteps just behind us, we don’t spend a lot of time thinking about our future actions: we start to walk faster and try to reach our safe destination sooner. Fear forces the brain to react immediately and find a solution instead of spending time going into a detailed analysis of a situation.

​When we visit the doctor and they comment on our blood analysis, saying that we have high sugar levels and are at risk of getting diabetes, we start to experience fear. That’s because we may already be aware of the severe damage diabetes can cause. So, because of this, we start following the doctor’s orders by consuming less sugar and strictly following a diet, getting ourselves out of that dangerous zone. Without fear, this positive change might have taken too long.

​There’s a psychological state known as Cronos syndrome, which is when people are afraid that they will be replaced by someone else in any sphere of their life, whether it be related to work, a relationship, or family. Psychologists claim that in moderate doses, this fear can help us prosper in our lives, and without such fear, many of us would feel a decline in our private or professional lives. When we’re sure no one will replace us, we become relaxed about things we have and start getting lazy in our relationships and at work.

​Rubbing your feet in bed may not be as harmless as it might seem at first sight. There is a condition called periodic limb disorder that affects your legs and you repetitively cramp or jerk them in your sleep. It can have a negative effect on you and lead to daytime sleepiness. If you rhythmically move and rub your legs in bed, and it happens quite often, this condition can be the reason for it.

​There could be another rather serious reason for it. If you feel sensations in your legs when lying down and rubbing or moving them is the only way you can get relief — it could mean you have restless legs syndrome. It’s a neurological sensory disorder that won’t let you properly rest. To make sure you’re affected by it, you need to consult a doctor.

​We try to “nest” and get comfy by rubbing our feet together. We create the effect of close touch on our skin by doing this and it makes us feel relaxed. Skin is known to be very sensitive to external stimuli, so it can be a powerful tool in our ability to unwind after a day full of stress.

​However, it could just become a normal way for us to fall asleep, not a medical condition or a physiological phenomenon. Many people actually rub their feet in bed without even noticing it. Even if at first it happened because of any of the above-mentioned reasons, it could have developed into a simple habit.

​The idea that lies behind the practice of fasting suggests that the body detoxifies itself because there is a decrease in your daily consumption of calories. This, in turn, leads to a decrease in cholesterol and triglyceride levels in your body. Recent studies explore the benefits of this method in patients with inflammatory diseases (like atopic dermatitis) with very positive results and considerable improvements after doing different types of diets, including fasting.

​Other studies concerning the effects of fasting seem to suggest that it could help reduce the risk of skin or other types of cancers. Apparently, fasting could also help reduce the spread of cancer cells. However, this research has only been conducted on rats at the moment. But it provided encouraging results because scientists saw the number of hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) grow.

These cells with a funny name are the ones responsible for creating new blood cells. The fact that there are more HSC’s and blood cells in general means that, in the long run, immune systems could fight cancer more efficiently. Attempts have been made to extrapolate the results of this research to humans, but so far none of them have reached a conclusion that is backed by the scientific community.

​Skin fasting is a new trend that has gained more and more followers in the last months. This practice doesn’t have much to do with dieting or food, besides sharing the name. Instead, the idea is to stop using so many products with chemicals in your daily skincare routine and let it rest for a few days or weeks. It’s a sort of detox for the skin.

The theory supporting this method of cleansing is that the skin produces its own fat, which prevents the loss of natural moisture. Although there is no scientific evidence to support this practice, many people have embraced it. However, there’s something we have to be clear about. The only thing we should not stop using during this detox period —or ever, for that matter— is sunscreen.

​Sleep paralysis is a state in which a person is conscious but unable to move or speak. It usually occurs during one of 2 transitions: when you are falling asleep or waking up. A person experiences the sensation of paralysis and a feeling of heaviness, like someone or something very heavy is sitting on them. It’s commonly accompanied by hallucinations, which makes the situation much more terrifying.

​No matter how hard you try, if you experience sleep paralysis, there is nothing you can do to wake up your body. Some people are able to move their fingers or toes, causing them to finally wake up. People often describe it as an “out-of-body experience.” Sleep paralysis can last from a few seconds up to several minutes.

​The main symptoms of sleep paralysis include hallucinations and nightmares. However, these are very different from the dreams you see when you sleep. In fact, these “hallucinations” take place when your mind is alert and you feel awake. This makes the situation twice as unsettling.

While paralyzed, people tend to see shadowy figures and hear spooky noises. Sometimes it aligns with the feeling of being dragged out of bed, flying, or vibrations running through the body. Despair also comes into play and we begin to lose control and panic. It’s no wonder that we might suffer from an additional feeling of anxiety when they are unable to scream or move.

​People have seemed to notice sleep paralysis from ancient times. There are many stories and legends from around the world that describe something very similar to this condition. People mostly saw it as some kind of demonic possession — or even alien abduction.

An important example related to sleep paralysis is the Renaissance painting by the Swiss artist Henry Fuseli. In it, a demon is shown sitting on the chest of a woman affected by sleep paralysis, symbolizing the strong pressure.

​When we sleep, our body enters and exits REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. Our brain sends a command to our muscles to relax, and we enter a state of atonia. This state is necessary to restrict our physical movements so we won’t act out our dreams. Well, sleep paralysis happens when our body has a problem making that transition. We’re awake, but our muscles fail to exit atonia.

There are a few possible explanations regarding hallucinations. One of them is that the part of our brain responsible for fear and emotions is highly active in REM. It is working, while nothing around us suggests danger. So our brain makes up for it and comes up with creepy shadows and sounds.

Sleep paralysis is a natural occurrence in its entirety. It can happen to anyone, regardless of age, gender, or health condition. But scientists identified some circumstances that are associated with an increased risk of sleep paralysis. Among them are:
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• Poor sleep. This includes infrequent sleep patterns and also various sleep disorders, like insomnia, narcolepsy, and sleep deprivation. It’s also noted that sleep paralysis is common in shift workers.
• Sleeping in a supine position. Surprisingly, sleeping on your back has been found to be a prominent factor in sleep paralysis. It makes the sleeper more vulnerable due to increased pressure on the lungs and airways.
• Genetics. Yep, it runs in the family. Sleep paralysis is inheritable.
• Mental issues. The connection between sleep paralysis and mental health is yet to be explored, but statistics show that people with trauma, PTSD, and various anxieties tend to have sleep paralysis.

There is no denying that sleep paralysis is an unpleasant and disturbing experience, but it doesn’t carry any real danger since it doesn’t cause any harm to the physical body. And, as unpleasant as it may sound, there is no treatment for now. Generally, doctors recommend adopting healthier sleeping habits. For example:
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• Going to sleep and waking up at the same time each day.
• No caffeine or substances before bed.
• Avoid sleeping on your back or stomach.
• Keep electronics out of the bedroom.

But the most important thing is to stay calm and let your episode end on its own. Being calm and not panicking are the key!

We’re naturally created to breathe through our noses, and there’s a number of reasons for that. Here are just a few vital things breathing through the nose does for our health:

• Our noses filter the air we’re breathing in, clearing it of toxins and foreign particles. In addition to that, the air gets humidified in the nose’s passageways.
• Our noses warm up the air so that its temperature becomes suitable for our lungs.
• Our noses help us smell the world around us.

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While it’s normal to breathe through our mouths sometimes (like while speaking or engaging in physical activity), we’re designed to breathe through our noses most of the time.

There are many medical issues that can make a child breathe through their mouth. These consist of nasal congestion (caused by allergies, sinusitis, or other issues), inflammation, or different sorts of obstructions, like polyps, for example. Some of us developed mouth breathing as a habit in early childhood.

If your child is used to sleeping with their mouth open, there’s reason to worry. Here are some of the health issues that can be caused by mouth breathing in kids.

​According to doctors, mouth breathing can cause an onset of sleep apnea (or worsen sleep apnea if the person already has it), and this is one of the most serious health consequences of this breathing habit.

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that occurs when a person’s breathing suddenly stops and then starts again. The symptoms of sleep apnea include a sudden stop in breathing during sleep, loud snoring, waking up with a dry mouth, insomnia, and daytime fatigue. Sleep apnea is dangerous in itself, and on top of that, it can cause other health issues like heart, liver, and metabolic problems.

The picture above illustrates obstructive sleep apnea, the type of sleep apnea that takes place when the throat muscles relax and don’t let the air go through the correct passageways.

​When we breathe through our mouths, the airflow dries out our lips and the whole mouth, including the gums. As a result, there are changes in the bacteria that naturally live in our mouths, which can cause tooth decay and gum problems.

​The habit of using the mouth instead of the nose for breathing brings about a whole bunch of dental and jaw problems. Crooked teeth, a bad bite, malocclusion, and gummy smiles are just some of them.

This video shows how mouth breathing and the wrong tongue position that comes along with it can affect the bite, make teeth crowded, and set the jaw back. As a result, the face develops unfavorably, causing the chin to look smaller and the nose to appear bigger.

​According to studies, the aforementioned mouth breathing and low tongue posture make the lower part of the face become longer. These features are quite prominent in children after the age of 5. Apart from the elongated lower half of the face, mouth breathing can lead to the so-called convex face with a small chin and sloping forehead.

If you notice mouth breathing or any other breathing issues in your child, see a doctor as soon as possible. Only qualified doctors can diagnose your child and give you the necessary medical guidelines.