This is the last week of passion blogs and I really had a hard time deciding what to talk about this week. Then I decided why not talk about sitting. Lately I have been under the weather and between that and all of the studying I have been doing I have done a large amount of sitting. I have always known that sitting a lot was not that good for me, but I have never really looked into it so I felt like this was the perfect opportunity.
Researchers have linked sitting for long periods of time with a number of health concerns, including obesity and metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions that includes increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist and abnormal cholesterol levels. Too much sitting also seems to increase the risk of death from cardiovascular disease and cancer.
There have been many studies done on the effects of sitting too much but one recent study compared adults who spent less than two hours a day in front of the TV or other screen-based entertainment with those who logged more than four hours a day of recreational screen time.The results from the study showed that those with greater screen time had a nearly 50 percent increased risk of death from any cause. Also they had about a 125 percent increased risk of events associated with cardiovascular disease, such as chest pain or heart attack. The increased risk was separate from other traditional risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as smoking or high blood pressure.
Sitting in front of a TV is not the only concern. Any type of extended sitting such as at a desk or behind the wheel of a car can be harmful to individuals. The solution to eliminating this risk seems to be less sitting and more moving overall.
The impact of movement,even leisurely movement, can be significantly high. For starters, you’ll burn more calories. This might lead to weight loss and increased energy. Also the muscle activity needed for standing and other movement seems to trigger important processes related to the breakdown of fats and sugars within the body. When you sit, these processes stall and your health risks increase. When you’re standing or actively moving, you kick the processes back into action.
There are many different ways you can make activities where you usually sit into an activity where you are standing. For example, you can stand while talking on the phone or eating lunch.Also if you sit at a desk to do work, like all of us do as college students, try something different and when doing work stand at a high desk or do work on a counter.
Since I have came to college I have done a lot more sitting than I have ever done in my life. The amount of studying and work I have to do has increased which has increased the amount of sitting I do. I know I am not the only person who has experienced this and we all need to realize the negative effects of it. So next time you want to spend hours on studying think about these negative side effects of it and find a good way to change your sitting into standing.
After doing tons of different research I have noticed that many countries have lowered their college tuition over the years, while the United States has significantly increased their tuition prices. For example countries such as Germany have been tuition free since about the beginning of 2014. The tuition rates in Germany have always been low, but now the German government fully funds the tuition of its citizens, and even for foreigners. Dorothee Stapelfeldt, a senator in the northern city of Hamburg in Germany, said tuition fees “discourage young people who do not have a traditional academic family background from taking up study. It is a core task of politics to ensure that young women and men can study with a high quality standard free of charge in Germany.”
As it was mentioned before, Germany will offer free tuition to foreigners such as Americans who will attend college there. However Germany is not the only country that offers this type free tuition to foreigners or has a system where tuition fees are very small. Germany is about one of seven countries where college students in the United States could travel to attend college.
The 7 countries:
Germany’s higher education landscape primarily consists of internationally well-ranked public universities, some of which receive special funding because the government deems them “excellent institutions.” Americans who attend these schools can earn a German undergraduate or graduate degree without speaking a word of German and still have there experience fully funded. About 900 undergraduate or graduate degrees are offered in English, with courses ranging from social science to engineering.
Finland charges no tuition fees and offers a large number of university programs in English. However, the Finnish government amiably reminds interested foreigners that they “are expected to independently cover all everyday living expenses.” This means that Finland will fully your education, but not your afternoon lunch break.
In France there are at least 76 English-language undergraduate programs but many are offered in private universities which can be expensive. Many more graduate-level courses, however, are designed for English-speaking students, and one out of every three French doctoral degrees is awarded to a foreign student. Public university programs charge only a small tuition fee of about 200 dollars for most programs. Other, more elite institutions have adopted a model that requires students to pay fees that are based on the income of their parents. Children of unemployed parents can study for free, while more privileged families have to pay more. This rule is only valid for citizens of the European Union, but even the maximum fees, which are about 14,000 a yea, are often much lower than U.S. tuition fees.
Sweden offers some of the most cost efficient college degrees with more than 900 listed programs in 35 different universities are taught in English. However, only Ph.D programs are tuition-free.
Norwegian universities do not charge tuition fees for international students. The Norwegian higher education system is similar to the one in the United States: Class sizes are small and professors are easily approachable. Many Norwegian universities offer programs taught in English. However, Norway can have one of the highest costs of living which can be a downfall to being there.
In Slovenia, about 150 English programs are available, and foreign nationals only pay an insignificant registration fee when they enroll. However, Times Higher Education, a weekly magazine based in London, did not list one Slovenian university in its recent World University Ranking.
The final country where college classes are taught in English is Brazil. In Brazil, state universities only charge only minor registration fees. Times Higher Education ranks two Brazilian universities among the world’s top 400: the University of Sao Paulo and the State University of Campinas. However, Brazil might be better suited for exchange students seeking a cultural experience rather than a degree.
Even though not all of these countries offer tuition free college, majority of them still have costs that are way smaller than here in the United States. I personally think the opportunity to study in a different country would be a remarkable experience which is why I did this research to see the opportunities available. I also find it very interesting how the cost of tuition in these countries is so much different than here in the United States. If this is something that interests you I suggest researching it, because there is so many new things about college tuition you can learn.
A struggle that many of us have as young adults is eating healthy foods and not always the junky, fatty foods that seem appealing to most of us. I know personally this can be a struggle for me because something I like to do is snack on junky food. Snacking is not bad because it can help you from eating a large meal for example at dinner, but the problem is teenagers and young adults, like ourselves, tend to snack on items that are not good for our health.
All humans have to eat food for growth and maintenance of a healthy body, but that does not mean humans are eating the right way for the best possible health. Here are some tips for maintaining a good diet and healthy body:
- Eat three meals a day (breakfast, lunch, and dinner); it is important to remember that dinner does not have to be the largest meal.
- The bulk of food consumption should consist of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk products.
- Choose lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts
- Choose foods that are low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt, and added sugars; look at the labels because the first listed items on the labels comprise the highest concentrations of ingredients.
- Control portion sizes; eat the smallest portion that can satisfy hunger and then stop eating.
- Snacks are ok in moderation and should consist of items like fruit, whole grains, or nuts to satisfy hunger and not cause excessive weight gain.
- Avoid sodas and sugar-enhanced drinks because of the excessive calories in the sodas and sugar drinks; diet drinks may not be a good choice as they make some people hungrier and increase food consumption.
- Avoid eating a large meal before sleeping to decrease gastroesophageal reflux and weight gain.
- Avoid heavy meals in the summer months, especially during hot days.
- A vegetarian lifestyle has been promoted for a healthy lifestyle and weight loss;
- People with unusual work schedules (night shifts, college students, military) should try to adhere to a breakfast, lunch, and dinner routine with minimal snacking.
- When preparing food avoid using grease and frying foods in grease
If you don’t follow all of these tips does not mean you have unhealthy eating habits, these tips are here for promoting a healthier diet especially for people who would like to lose weight and stay in shape. Being at college is a lot harder when it comes to always eating healthy. At home, we would have home cooked meals and less of an option to get pizza, fries, and ice cream for a meal. However if you want to have a healthy diet and remain in good shape those items are something you have to learn how to avoid. I’m not saying that you have to cut all fattening foods out of your diet, just limiting how often you eat them and the amount can make a real difference. This along with exercising a couple days a week is what will help you keep in shape and get your body ready for the approaching summer.