Cardio, short for cardiovascular exercise is a very important way for humans to stay fit. Cardio includes many different exercises, in which they raise your heart rate and increase blood flow. For example, running on the treadmill, jumping rope and riding a bike, are all different forms of cardiovascular exercise.

picture from here

The purpose of cardiovascular exercise, found here , is to burn calories and fat in the body. Cardio can also increase the strength of your heart and your lungs. This works that the more cardio you do, the more endurance and stamina you build. When doing cardio, since you are burning an excess of calories, you need to make sure you are consuming enough or an excess of calories to preform to your highest ability.

Some people argue that too much of a good thing is never bad. Well in this case, too much cardiovascular exercise can be detrimental to your health goals. So what happens when you do too much cardio? Here is an article I found that explains what can happen. Basically this article states that even though cardiovascular exercise can lead to weight loss, too much cardio could lead to things like muscle depletion and loss, heart problems, stress, the slowing of the metabolism and in some cases prevent weight loss. This could prevent weight loss because excess cardio overtime  gets more difficult to lose fat.

Another negative about too much cardio is it burns up muscle in the body. As humans, when we do an exercise, in which increases our heart rates, the first thing that the body burns is muscle glycogen. After that is burnt up, Liver glycogen, Blood borne amino acids and Fat and then burnt up in the body. To even reach to point in a cardio session where you are burning fat, it takes at least 20 consecutive minutes of exercise.

So what if your the person who heads straight for the elliptical at the gym, and maybe the treadmill after, while trying to stay away from the weights so you do not get bulky. What do you do? If you are afraid of losing muscle, caused by doing too much cardio, some things I found here or here  you can do is make sure your calorie intake is high, in order to burn fat and increase lean muscle while working out. Also, to get the ideal results you want, this article recommends doing 20 minutes of weight lifting exercises, and then finish off your workout with a moderate amount of cardio, about 15 to 20 minutes. This is recommended because weight lifting raises your metabolic rate, and when followed by cardio, fat cells are burned.

Another way to much cardio effect humans is it can weaken the immune system and increase stress hormones. Again, this can be prevented by following the guidelines above. You will be burning more fat and calories that way, then through doing copious amounts of cardio.

Humans have always had an extraordinary interest in gold. For thousands of years, we have mined the earth for this precious metal, yet with all gold in the world combined, we would not even be capable of filling three and a half olympic sized swimming pools of the precious metal (Agustino Fontevecchia). Currently gold prices are at high levels, which has caused the practice of gold mining to become more viable in recent years. One place in particular has seen such a dramatic increase in gold mining in the country, Peru. The country that used to be known as the cocaine capital of the world is quickly transferring its efforts away from the cocaine industry and towards the increasingly lucrative gold mining industry (Jimenez). While gold mining may seem like a fun adventure full of surprises, it can have some potentially very serious negative health and environmental effects on our society.

The biggest issue that arises with small scale mining operations in Peru is the use of Mercury to aid in extracting gold from the raw materials. To those who are unaware, the element mercury is a toxic substance that poses a serious danger to human health when exposed to it for extended periods of time or in large amounts (World Health Organization).  Miners, typically from underdeveloped parts of the world, add mercury to the dirt they collected. In the process, the gold is dissolved into the mercury, forming an amalgam. Once the mercury bonds with the gold, it is then placed under extremely high temperatures where the mercury evaporates into the atmosphere, leaving only the gold behind.

One study, conducted by professors from the University of Duke set out to find the true effects of mercury released from gold mines in Peru. What may be a surprise to many, is that small-scale mining operations that use mercury can have environmental and health effects on places 350+ miles away (Hsu-Kim, Pan, Diringer). The researchers measured mercury concentrations in the water, sediment from river beds, and in fish from 62 different sites over 350 miles of the Madre de Dios River. It was found that nearly all of the fish in the zone downriver from the mining operations contained mercury levels that exceeded WHO’s recommendations for safe consumption of fish. The major concern of the researchers is the likely effect that high mercury levels will have on children. According to researchers at the Journal of Biomedicine and Biotechnology, mercury can cause severe cardiovascular and central nervous system issues, especially when it comes to children. In May, the government of Peru issued a state of emergency due to the exceedingly high levels of mercury contamination found in the rivers (Chow). It will be interesting to see whether Peruvian miners will acknowledge the damage they are causing to not only themselves, but to their communities and planet as a whole.

Sadly, the mercury method for mining gold is the simplest, easiest, and most economical method for many miners in Peru. Although not all of the negative health and environmental effects of the gold boom will be seen immediately, the citizens of Peru and neighboring countries will experience the consequences at some point. We need to continue to educate people about the dangers of mercury so that all people will have the right to a clean environment.

-Nathan O’Brien

Image 1

Image 2

It has been almost a month since we parted ways with the life we knew and came to Penn State to begin our first year of college. One of the things that made me nervous about college to begin with was the concept of the freshmen 15. I have heard about it from my friends, family, social media, online articles, and even a food account on Instagram named the Freshmen15. For those who do not know what the freshmen 15 is, it is a commonly used expression amongst college students that refers to gaining fifteen pounds throughout the course of freshmen year. There are even schools that I know of that have their own sayings. For example, at the University of Missouri-Columbia they dub it as the Mizzou 22. If that doesn’t sound frightening, I don’t know what does. Then again, according to U.S. News Colleges, our campus is exactly 8,566 acres large.  I can personally attest to the fact that it takes about twenty-five to thirty minutes walking to go from East Residence Halls to the other side of campus. In addition, the health application on my iPhone 6s has recorded that I have walked double the amount of steps in comparison to my daily routine back at home. With all of the walking to do on campus, is the freshman 15 even possible at Penn State? Let’s consider this: we are now in control of what we put into our systems. We choose what foods to eat, how often we eat, and also whether or not to consume alcohol which adds to the weight gain. All of these factors help to determine what each individual’s outcome will be and correlate with one another. According to a recent study  conducted by The Ohio State University, it has been proven that even though students do gain weight, it is of a less significant amount of anywhere between three to five additional pounds. This same study also found that a quarter of the students that participated in the study actually lost weight during their first year. In my opinion, I would only expect this to be largely true for students that attend a college/university with a large campus. The larger the campus, the more exercise is incorporated into your daily routine. According to Jane Jakubczak, a registered dietician at the University of Maryland in College Park, gaining weight is a part of developing into a full grown adult. This means that over the course of our four years of college, we are bound to gain some weight throughout that time period. This leads me to the conclusion that the freshmen 15 is ultimately what you make of it.  On that note, the lifestyle you choose to lead will decide whether or not the freshmen 15 exists for you at Penn State.

 (http://shine365.marshfieldclinic.org/wellness/freshman-15/)

This other day while I was watching Gilmore Girls on Netflix I could not help but to eat a snack. My snack of choice was mint Oreos. I told myself just two Oreos in an attempt to try and not be too overly unhealthy. After 30 minutes of watching the show, I realized I had eaten seven Oreos. I probably would have eaten more if I was not stopped by an empty row. I was immediately annoyed because all of the Oreos were gone and I would now have to add them to my shopping list and also because I told myself just two. I was generally interested as to why I had eaten so many Oreos when I was not even that hungry to begin with. I thought of a few possible things, did I eat so many because Gilmore Girls was distracting me or am I seriously addicted to Oreos? Yet again, I took to the internet to answer my question.

Picture from here.

I started off my investigation by searching “Are Oreos addicting” into Google. A multitude of articles popped up with some very startling headlines. One Time Magazine article in specific jumped out at me. The article was titled, Oreos May Be As Addictive As Cocaine. With a title making a claim as bizarre as that, I knew I had to read it. From the article I learned that a study on lab rats and Oreos had been conducted at Connecticut College. This specific study focused on the rat’s brain and how their neurons were activated with the exposure to Oreos.
The rats were released into a maze where Oreos were at one end and rice cakes were at the other end. Just like any normal person, or at least myself, I could easily assume where the rats would be headed. With no surprise at all, the rats gravitated towards the Oreo end of the maze. Another test was given to the rats, again they were placed in a maze. This time the maze had a saline( a salt solution) injection and a shot of morphine/cocaine at the opposite end. The rats scurried to the cocaine/morphine side of the maze. The data from both studies were analyzed and the researchers concluded that rats spent as much time near the Oreos as they did by the cocaine/morphine injection side. 

The reasoning behind the strong attraction rats felt towards the Oreos goes well beyond the deliciousness of the black and white cookie. Foods high in sugar and fat (Oreos) and abusive drugs activate the addictive side of the brain at the same level. When the rats ate the Oreos, their pleasure center in their brain lit up as much as or even more than it would have if they were injected with cocaine. Furthermore this evidence from the study can support the conjecture that maladaptive eating habits linked to obesity can be similar to that of a person with a drug addiction. So for the sake of my blog, Oreos are addicting.

After finding out that Oreos are addicting, would I eat them again? Heck yes. I will continue to eat Oreos and products that contain Oreos because they are absolutely heavenly. However, there might be a slightly less addictive and healthier option for you to eat. Newman- O’s are a different type of the classic black and white cookie (Oreos). Newman O’s are wheat free, dairy free made with organic flour and organic sugar. My Mom likes to buy this brand of black and white cookies for our house and they are almost identical in taste to Oreos. If you were turned off from Oreos because they are highly addictive, or just tying to be healthier, give Newman- O’s a shot!

Picture from here.

I have never been a fan of sushi, and I think it is because I have never been able to move past the idea of eating something raw. Isn’t that always what doctors say not to do?! My sister raves about the spicy tuna roll and is consistently attempting to trick me into eating it. Occasionally I am tempted, but the risk of food poisoning is too large. Or is it…?

Similar to any other uncooked meat, fish carries the risk of transmitting bacteria and/or parasites into your body. That is definitely about as fun as it sounds (in other words, not fun at all!!). Some examples of the dangers you are exposing yourself to are Scombroid poisoning, gastrointestinal and neurological symptoms, and even tape worm (Burger). Scombroid occurs when the fish is not prepared with the correct procedure for serving, and it begins to rot. The symptoms are similar to other common reactions of food poisoning (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, etc. Find the complete list here). However, consuming raw fish can also lead to much more severe and life-long consequences. The neurological symptoms mentioned above are stemmed from a contamination that fish, existing in tropical waters, are born with, known as ciguatera (Burger). Some symptoms are dysfunction of the cerebellum (the area of the brain where coordination is monitored), and neuropathy (Pearn).

Neuropathy is especially serious because it effects multiple regions of the peripheral nervous system: the sensory nerves, the motor nerves, and autonomic nerves (Webberley). Both the sensory nerves and the motor nerves deal mostly with hands and feet; altering sensation with sensitivity to pain, tingling, and numbness, while also causing those limbs to become unstable. The autonomic nerves regulate internal organs, such as the liver and the heart. Without an effective transmission of information on how to operate, a low heart rate and high blood pressure are likely to generate (Webberley). A low heart rate can lead to an insufficient supply of blood entering the brain, and can cause dizziness, fainting, and in severe cases, cardiac arrest (American Heart Association). High blood pressure has similar symptoms of a low heart rate, however it also includes a possibility of anxiety (AHA).

I don’t know if I’m ever going to eat fish again!

Fortunately, the Food and Drug Administration carefully monitors the process in which the fish must be prepared in order to be edible. Usually when people look to purchase or order food they want the freshest of the bunch, but that’s not what you want when it comes to fish used for sushi. There are two options when it comes to readying the fish: freezing it for a week at a temperature of negative four degrees Fahrenheit, or if you want it ready for dinner tomorrow night, you can freeze it for only fifteen hours at negative 31 degrees Fahrenheit (Burger). Going through the full freezing process of the fish ensures that all of the parasites, that could infect you with any of the horrible and scary illnesses explained above, are killed off. In fact, the chance of you being affected by the fish’s bacteria is so low, that actually the risk of being infected by the rice in sushi is higher. Who knew?!

Sources:

Image 1: http://www.aceforum.co.uk/index.php?/topic/963-am-i-fright/&page=5

Image 2: http://www.tottonooga.com/faqs.html

“Bradycardia | Slow Heart Rate.” Heart. American Heart Association, 23 Oct. 2014. Web. 10 Sept. 2016.

Burger, Joanna. “Is Sushi Safe to Eat?” LiveScience. TechMedia Network, 3 Oct. 2012. Web. 10 Sept. 2016.

Davis, Charles Patrick. “Scombroid Poisoning: Facts About This Fish Poisoning.” EMedicineHealth. N.p., 26 Mar. 2015. Web. 10 Sept. 2016.

Pearn, J. “Neurology of Ciguatera.” Neurology of Ciguatera. BMJ, 23 Aug. 2000. Web. 10 Sept. 2016.

Webberley, Helen. “Neuropathy: Causes, Symptoms and Treatments.” Medical News Today. MediLexicon International, 18 Mar. 2016. Web. 10 Sept. 2016.

It’s common for people to want to lose weight quickly before a big event or a trip, but there is a right way to lose weight and a wrong way to lose weight. Recently, there has been a trend of trying to use certain diets that celebrities have used in the past. Many of those diets are ridiculous and basically consist of starving yourself.

One of the most famous of these diets is the “Master Cleanse”. Beyonce went on this particular diet, and so of course, many people followed in her footsteps. At least they attempted to follow in her footsteps (myself included), but the diet is very strenuous on the body. The diet was originally founded in the 1940’s as a remedy for ulcers, and then later altered to the description to a weight loss plan. The layout of the plan is to only consume three selected meals for ten to fourteen days, and then gradually add in other food after. Sounds easy enough right?! However, when I say “meals” I mean liquids, and when I say “add in other food after” I mean you actually get to eat solid food again. There are four drinks permitted for the diet: a Salt Water Wash, a Lemonade Drink, Peppermint Tea, and Herbal Laxative Tea. The Lemonade Drink is the main source of energy from the cleanse, and it is the drink that is taken the most often; six to twelve glasses per day. The ingredients of the drink are lemon juice, water, cayenne pepper, and maple syrup.

While the maple syrup may charge your body with some energy, there are many side effects due to the lack of nutrients in the Master Cleanse diet. Pulled from the full list from the Master Cleanse site, nausea, dizziness, and diarrhea are just some of the negative reactions the body may encounter. The Master Cleanse claims that experiencing these side effects indicates that you need to drink more of the lemonade, and that the diet is actually working! Great!

In reality, the reasons you are feeling so bad is because your body is not receiving the calories or nutrients it desperately needs. An average grown woman should be consuming anywhere between 1500-2000 calories per day in order to be functioning properly (Gunnars). The Master Cleanse diet only supplies the body with 650 calories per day, and keep in mind, that is only if you are drinking all twelve glasses of the lemonade drink (Cespedes). With simple math, it is evident that the Master Cleanse is 850 calories behind the minimum recommended daily calorie count. Yikes.

In addition to falling behind in calories, your metabolism drops because your body thinks it is being starved. In order to conserve energy, your body stores fat (which is the exact opposite of what you are trying to do). While the fat is being stored, your muscle is what is sacrificed to burn (Gueren).

Not only are you contradicting the purpose of the diet, but you are putting yourself in some serious medical risk. Like I said before, the body does not function the way it is supposed to without the correct amount of nutrients entering the body. So, the body will have to resort to taking the nutrients from itself. The most severe risks include: broken bones, anemia, and various heart problems. Your bones will grow weak because your body needs calcium, anemia could result from your body removing the iron from your blood for uses in other parts of the body, and lastly, your heart is the most important muscle in your body, and since you tend to lose muscle mass during crash diets, your heart can grow weak. For the complete list of all potential risks (including emotional), you can find them here.

The best and healthiest way to lose weight is to eat right and stay fit!

Sources:

Cespedes, Andrea. “How Many Calories Are in the Master Cleanse Diet?”LIVESTRONG.COM. LIVESTRONG.COM, 10 Sept. 2015. Web. 13 Sept. 2016.

Dreifke, Sarah. “Why A Crash Diet Isn’t A Healthy Solution / Nutrition / Healthy Eating.” Why A Crash Diet Isn’t A Healthy Solution / Nutrition / Healthy Eating. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Sept. 2016.

Gueren, Casey. “Here Is What Crash-Dieting Does To Your Body.” BuzzFeed News. Buzzfeed Inc., 11 Mar. 2015. Web. 13 Sept. 2016.

Gunnars, Kris. “How Many Calories Should You Eat Per Day to Lose Weight?”Authority Nutrtion. Authority Nutrtion, 29 July 2016. Web. 13 Sept. 2016.

“Master Cleanse – Lemonade Water Detox Diet- Effective Recipe For Weightloss – 7Min Blog.” 7Min Blog. 7Min Blog, 15 July 2016. Web. 13 Sept. 2016.

Olaski, Mike. “Master Cleanser Side Effects: The Definitive List.” The Master Cleanse. The Master Cleanse, 20 Jan. 2016. Web. 13 Sept. 2016.

Image 1: http://familysponge.com/health/start-the-master-cleanse-detox-recipe/

Image 2: https://www.theodysseyonline.com/winter-break-as-told-by-michael-scott

Image 3: http://dalesaunders.blogspot.com/2013/07/eat-right-and-stay-fit.html

One of the most important aspects of every sport is the surface in which the game is played on. When fans talk about a sporting event or game they’re attending or watching prior to game-time, the conversation most likely will be about the players and coaches of each team and how they’ll impact the game, but not often about the playing surface itself. The fields, courts and rinks that each individual sport is played on are all unique and tailor-made for their sport. Ice hockey is played on, well, ice, basketball is played on a hardwood court, and baseball is played on grass with a dirt infield. All of those unique playing surfaces contribute to the pace and tempo at which they are played. Two sports in particular where the playing surface can directly impact the game being played are tennis and soccer. The F2Freestylers, whom I mentioned in my first blog post, teamed up with Unibet, an online gambling company based in Europe, to explain how the playing surfaces in tennis and soccer can impact the game.

Tennis

Though not the most popular in the United States, tennis is one of the world’s most unique and interesting sports because of the variety of playing surfaces that are used throughout the season. There are three different types of playing surfaces: hard, grass & clay courts. Of the sport’s four Grand Slam tournaments, the French Open is played on clay, Wimbledon is played on grass, and the Australian & US Opens are both played on hard court. On top of the fact that these surfaces all obviously look different, they are also completely different in terms of how the ball bounces off of them. According to the video by the F2, the ball bounces highest off of clay because of its loose surface and travels slower due to the clay particles staying in the fuzz of the ball. When the ball hits clay, it digs into the ground, and this decreases the ball’s speed after a bounce and increases its exit angle. On hard courts, the ball also has a high bounce, but doesn’t lose speed after bouncing off the ground because the ball can’t dig into the surface like it does on clay. On grass, the ball doesn’t lose much speed just like a hard court, but the exit angle is significantly lower than the other two courts. This is the case because the individual blades of grass cause the ball to have very little friction after hitting the surface, which helps maintain its high rate of speed.

This still from the F2’s video shows how the bounce of a ball bouncing on clay impacts its velocity and exit angle (YouTube/F2Freestylers)

All of these unique traits may suit one player’s game more than the other, which may explain why Spain’s Rafael Nadal is so dominant on clay, why Serbia’s Novak Djokovic is so dominant on hard courts, and why Switzerland’s Roger Federer is dominant on grass. Each different surface fits the play style of these three stats, which is why they find it easier to win on one surface than the other.

Soccer

While the effects may not be as obvious or tangible as those in tennis, the playing surface in soccer is extremely important to the outcome of any given game. According to the video, home teams in soccer are allowed to manipulate the field in any way they want to. They can decide if the grass is extremely short, long, or if it even is natural grass in the first place. Spanish giants Atletico Madrid used this to their advantage in the Champions League semifinal matchup against German powerhouse Bayern Munich. Bayern are the most dominant team in Germany’s Bundesliga, and their entire game revolves around quick passing and possessing the ball. For the home leg of the semifinal, Atletico kept their stadium’s grass longer than normal, which hindered Bayern’s ability to quickly move the ball around. Atletico won the match 1-0, with the lone goal coming from midfielder Saúl Ñiguez. Although they finished the match with 69% possession, Bayern’s players complained after the match that the grass on the pitch was too long for their liking, but did the pitch actually impact the game?

Atletico Madrid’s Saul Niguez (#17) celebrates with his teammates after scoring against Bayern Munich (Goal.com)

To answer this question, the F2 & Unibet arranged a match between a semi-professional team and an amateur team. To compare, think of the matchup as a minor league hockey team playing against a beer league team thrown together by a few buddies. The first half of this match was played on a beautiful, well-groomed pitch, but the second half was played on a torn-up pitch similar to what the amateurs play on every week. In the first half, the semi-pro team ran rings around the amateurs, and the score at the break was 1-0. The semi-pros had 72% possession, completing 93% of their passes. In comparison, the amateurs only completed 64% of their passes. However, the game completely changed in the 2nd half. The semi-pros didn’t adjust to the new, worsened field conditions, and the amateurs ended up equalizing and owning 56% of the ball in the 2nd half. The game finished 1-1, supporting the statement that the condition of the field does in fact have an effect on the outcome of a match.

It’s Thanksgiving Day and of course you have to have seconds of everything, maybe even thirds. As a college student you have to cherish every home cooked meal you can get. Only now you kind of resemble the stuffed turkey your family just devoured. Here comes the dreaded “food coma”. Aptly named, a food coma is when you stuff yourself so much that you just HAVE to take a nap. Most people know what a food coma is, but what causes a food coma?

Image

One of the first things people think of is the sleep inducing hormone called melatonin. Your body makes melatonin and distributes it at various hours of the day. For example, in the evening, more melatonin is produced. Also depending on the amount of light your body gets, it may change the times melatonin is made. The food we consume also has melatonin but our body is the main source of melatonin. So if it isn’t the melatonin in our food, what is the true culprit?

One thing that could cause the food coma could be having too much insulin. The insulin converts into melatonin, which increases drowsiness. According to the article above, foods that have a lot of fibre balance insulin and blood pressure. So if you want to stay awake after a big meal, try whole grains! Another possible reason could be that the food you ate was high in tryptophan. Tryptophan is found in high protein foods. The amino acid helps the body make serotonin, which is a sleep inducing hormone, among other things. So blame the turkey this holiday season!

Image

The Benefits of Napping

If you’re anything like me, napping is your guilty pleasure. Especially as a college student it’s quite common to have a wacky sleep schedule due to papers and assignments, and probably mostly because of procrastination. Whether it’s between classes or before tackling my hours of homework, I have always found that I need a solid power nap before conquering my to-do list. I have always believed that my reliance on naps was a vice; however, after some research, I have found some very interesting benefits of napping:

ASAPScience released “The Scientific Power of Naps” on their YouTube channel back in 2012. The video is only 2 minutes, but discusses why it is sometimes beneficial to stop fighting our urges to sleep, because in fact, power naps can often have a really positive effect on our brains and bodies. The video discusses the main stages of sleep: Stage 1, Stage 2, Stage 3, and Rapid Eye Movement (REM for short). The video then goes further, explaining that by sleeping 10-30 minutes, you’ll reach Stages 1 and 2. By napping for just 30 minutes could in turn help you become more productive, improve memory and creativeness, and the obvious, relieve your tiredness! If you decide to nap longer than 30 minutes, you may experience sleep inertia, essentially meaning you probably won’t feel relieved and awake, but instead long for more sleep.

Watch the video here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJ_f9onTTQE

The general consensus that I’ve found is there are few qualms with napping, despite my initial thoughts. WebMD supports napping as well, probably because it can help with stress and heart disease. Jennifer Soong, throws out a couple helpful tips when napping:

• It may be beneficial to create a “nap schedule” rather than just randomly resting when you get tired. Write it down in your planner!
• Similar to ASAPScience, keep it around 30 minutes! Sleep inertia is your enemy if you’re trying to be post-nap productive.
• Ensure your area is a dark, calm setting. You don’t want to be tossing and turning because it’s bright!

Sleep.org graciously enlightened me on some companies that have nap rooms in their offices. Some of these companies are Ben and Jerry’s, Zappos, Nike, Huffington Post NYC, Google, and even NASA. Hello, future employers! Sign me up!

Relaxation Room at Google

Sleep pod at Google

Sources:

Photos

ASAPScience

Video

WebMD

Sleep.org

I am the type of person who in order to get through the day, needs a cup of coffee  right when I wake up. I drink coffee when I’m tired and need a little pick me up or when Im just in the mood for it. Coffee is an essential for me but I do question whether it is good for me. According to Kris Gunnars from authority nutrition, coffee is not harmful to the human body. In this article the benefits of coffee overcome the few downsides to it.

Coffee contains key nutrients and antioxidants that we need in our bodies. An average cup of coffee consists of vitamins B2 (11%), B5(6%), B1(2%), B3(2%), Potassium(3%), and more. Although the percentages are low, for people (like me) who drink up to four cups a day, the percentages add up. Coffee has an outstanding high content of antioxidants. A person who eats an average Western diet receives more antioxidants from coffee than some fruits and vegetables. Coffee has a minuscule amount of vitamins and minerals, which will add up depending on how many cups you drink a day.

http://spoonuniversity.com/Lifestyle/hidden-sources-caffeine/

Caffeine is a stimulant, it blocks the responsibility of the brain hormone Adenosine. Due to caffeine preventing Adenosine from working, the brain activity increases and the discharge of norepinephrine and dopamine are put into place. Those neurotransmitters that are released due to caffeine make people feel more alert and less tired. The focal operating point in coffee is the stimulant caffeine. It leads to an increase in energy levels, brain function, and more.

Drinking more coffee can lead to a lower risk of many diseases. The most common neurodegenerative disease is Alzheimers, which is also a main cause of dementia. According to studies from Authority Nutrition, people who drink coffee have up to a 65% lower risk of Alzheimers. There is also a 32-60% lower risk of Parkinsons disease for people who drink coffee. An assorted amount of studies have shown that coffee drinkers have a lower risk of multiple diseases. In addition to the ones above, drinking coffee lowers the risk of type 2 Diabetes, liver diseases, depression, and suicide.

Due to coffee drinkers having a lower risk of an immense amount of diseases, it is probable that coffee could potentially aid you in living longer. In 2012 there was a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine that oversaw the habits of 402,260 individuals, ages ranging from 50-71. The study concluded that people who drank coffee had a significant lower possibility of dying throughout the 12-13 year study period.

Caffeine in general is known to enhance memorization in a person. Researchers from John Hopkins tested out this theory by organizing a double-blind trial. Participants who were not religious coffee drinkers, were given a placebo of a 200-milligram caffeine tablet just minuets after studying multiple images. The next day all of the participants were given images in order to test their capability of recognizing images from the day before. The majority of the members of the caffeine group did not have a problem identifying the images that were similar to the day before. The ability that the brain has to notice the difference between two alike but not the same items, is known as pattern separation.

http://www.fitlabradio.com/caffeine/

In conclusion, yes you should include more coffee and caffeine in your diet. There are so many health benefits from drinking coffee and it even tastes good!

http://hub.jhu.edu/2014/01/12/caffeine-enhances-memory/

This Summer, I finally sat down and decided to watch all of the Star Wars movies. I absolutely fell in love with these films, and now regard them as some of my favorite movies of all time. One question I frequently wondered while watching these films was if achieving hyperdrive is possible. Just like how Han Solo uses hyperdrive to go into light-speed on the Millennium Falcon, I wondered if scientists in the future could make this possible too. If so, it would certainly make travel through space a lot easier, and possibly even help us reach places we never thought we could.

Chewbacca, C-3PO, Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), and Han Solo (Harrison Ford) aboard the Millennium Falcon as it navigates through an asteroid belt. © Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.

In order to answer the question of whether achieving hyperdrive is possible, we first must understand what exactly hyperdrive is and how it works. The official Star Wars wiki page describes that hyperdrive essentially allows ships to travel faster than the speed of light to reach other galaxies and planets. In order to achieve this, a ship would need a working hyperdrive motivator. From there, hypermatter particles are released that essentially cause the ship to propel across the universe at the speed of light. Since all of this is pure fiction, actual science isn’t necessary in explaining how it works; but some scientists may have a few theories that can lead to the development of similar technology. 

According to space.com , studies in Physics proposes that alternative and quicker routes through space are a possibility—notably, the wormhole. A wormhole allows space to essentially fold over in itself to make point A to point B next to each other, instead of on opposite sides of a given plane. I think the movie Interstellar did a solid job explaining how wormholes work.

I do believe wormholes are a missing link to reaching hyperspace, and traveling at the speed of light. If we are able to travel through wormholes from point A, and reach point B immediately, that is essentially the same thing as Han Solo entering hyperdrive and reaching Tatooine in the blink of an eye. Both methods are taking a shortcut that occurs instantaneously. So could unlocking the secrets of a wormhole help us to achieve hyperdrive? Possibly. But for now, this is all just theory and speculation.

According to NBC News, fans at the Star Wars Celebration in Florida asked representatives from NASA to build a hyperdrive that will allow people to travel at the speed of light. Joseph Tellado, a logistics manager for the International Space Station, admitted that first NASA would need to develop better propulsion systems before attempting to develop complex and intricate technology like a hyperdrive. And while the reality of a hyperdrive is not currently tangible, NASA has been researching ways to make the hyperdrive a reality. Probes such as the Deep Space 1 and Dawn missions utilized advanced propulsion systems, intensified by ion engines that allowed them to move faster than ever before. It may be a small step, but every stride leads us closer to a reality of a future of traveling at the speed of light.

While wormholes are certainly a possibility, a more realistic action would be for NASA to further develop and enhance technology that allows things like probes, and even space ships to accelerate at a rate that is much faster than currently possible. So, for now, achieving hyperdrive is not possible.  But who knows what the future will bring. Maybe in the next 50 years we will have achieved that technology, and be able to traverse across the galaxy, just like Han Solo and Chewbacca.

As children, who did not love having a big bowl of cereal in the morning? I know I loved it. My favorite cereal was cocoa puffs and to add just a little more chocolate, as if there was not enough, I would use chocolate milk rather than regular milk. While this tasted incredible, I can now reflect back on this meal as an adult, whose metabolism has significantly slowed down, and recognize that such a meal is extremely unhealthy. Just on breakfast alone, I was consuming over thirty grams of sugar. Not to mention the rest of the meals that I would consume throughout the day.

Such a diet is not realistic for a young child. According to Jacqueline Howard, The American Heart Association stated that it is unhealthy for a child to consume more than twenty-five grams of sugar per day. To further Howard’s argument, she cites an associate professor of pediatrics who discusses the risks to cardiovascular health children will face as adults if they continue to consume a diet full of sugar. One of these risks includes weight gain which could potentially lead to obesity. It is no secret that obesity is major problem in America today. In 2010, 35% of Americans were considered to be obese. This is extremely concerning as that is a rather large number of people who weigh over 200 pounds. To prevent the population from continuing to live unhealthy lifestyles, it should be instilled in parents that their children should not be consuming more than twenty-five grams of sugar a day. If a child is brought up with this diet restriction, it is rational to assume that the child will not become obese as an adult.

Perhaps if someone wanted to confirm that children who eat twenty-five grams of sugar or less a day, they could perform an experiment. As we discussed in class, an experiment is when a scientist assigns treatments to different groups. One group of children could be the experimental group and consume twenty-five grams of sugar or less a day until they are adults, while the other group could be the placebo group and consume greater than twenty-five grams of sugar a day. This study will either prove or disprove The American Heart Association’s statement that children should consume no more than twenty-five grams per day. With this being said, I think that it is logical to assume that is is better for children to not consume great quantities of sugar.

Picture:

Cocoa Puffs

Have you ever wondered what it was like to be a stranger? A person among a bunch of natives? Maybe you feel that now as you embark on your college journey, or prepare for life in the real world. While there are many scenarios of people adapting to a new culture or lifestyle, I have one that particularly sticks out.

A few years ago, I traveled to Australia, Fiji, and New Zealand as a Student Ambassador with People to People. This experience was one of a lifetime. I met so many young scholars and compassionate souls. In Australia, we played rugby, toured the Sydney Opera House, surfed at Bondi Beach, visited the Blue Mountains, rode the world’s steepest railway incline, and met aborigines. I also had the opportunity to eat kangaroo, barramundi, vegemite and other interesting cuisine. In Fiji we visited local tribes and villages. There we participated in a Kava Ceremony. We also visited a local school and participated in their daily routine. In New Zealand, I stayed with a homestay family and a farm stay family. I ate lamb for the first time. I toured the set of The Hobbit. I stayed the night with the Maori Tribe and participated in dance rituals with them. I even broke a board with my bare hand with an activity called Full On.

While this trip was life changing, I also had to adapt in many ways. So, what is the science behind adaptation? Well, according to John L. Gittleman from Encyclopedia Britannica, the process of adapting is chunked into three definitions. Basically, one can view adaptation physiologically, genetically, and biologically. An example of physiological adaptation on my trip would be adapting my sleeping schedule to the time changes and jet lag. I don’t believe a genetic adaptation can be applied to my trip. This is more commonly used in describing animals and their characteristics of genes. Biological adaptation is more so seen in humans or animals when they are in an environment suitable to their needs. For example, a baby joey is deemed to stay in their mothers pouch until survival on their own is attainable. This is a biological adaptation. They are initially housed in the pouch, their familiar environment.

Adapting to a new environment can be a struggle sometimes with many factors being added to the process. I was forced to adapt to the different types of food I ate, the time zone, and the culture of the countries I visited. However, adaptation is a beautiful thing. One can almost always adjust to its surroundings. Just think about it…life is made up of changes, and the only way to survive is to adapt.

http://www.climate-kic.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/adaptation.jpg

https://www.britannica.com/science/adaptation-biology-and-physiology