Passion — 13 comments
17
Apr 13

“A glass of red wine a day keeps the doctor away.” – Fact or Fiction?

To all those wine-lovers above the legal drinking age: Is that glass of red wine you drink with dinner to wind down after a long day at work benefitting your health more than you think?

According to an article published by the Yale-New Haven Hospital, it probably is!  Red wines – particularly the dryer ones – contain those lovely little health boosters called flavonoids, also found in dark chocolate (my absolute favorite).  Flavonoids are known to have heart-healthy benefits, such as reducing the bad cholesterol levels and increasing the good.  Additionally, the skin of red grapes that are used to make wine contain an antioxidant called resveratrol, which may inhibit tumor development in some cancers.

This does not mean you should drink a bottle of wine per night.  Like most everything else, red wines are only good for you in moderation.  One to two 4-oz glasses of wine daily will do the trick for men, while women are better off consuming only one.  This also doesn’t mean that you should start drinking if you don’t already, especially if you have a history of alcoholism in your family or are at risk for hypertryglyceridemia, pancreatitis, liver disease, uncontrolled hypertension, depression, or congestive heart failure.

As this is the last passion blog I will be posting, I just wanted to thank whoever’s been reading them for actually reading them.  I wish you all the best in your future endeavors!

WIP — 2 comments
09
Apr 13

WIP: What is advocacy?

Advocacy is the process of taking information you care about and getting other people to care about it too, whether that be through a presentation, a poster, the formation of a new group, etc (really anything that you think would get your information across).  Advocacy doesn’t even have to be for some life-changing cause – I could advocate for my sister to choose a new item off the menu at our favorite diner (she always picks chicken fingers), or for my roommate to stop leaving the lights on every time she leaves the room.

For this project, I plan on doing a TED talk by the end of the month.  I’m not quite sure when I’ll get it started, but I will have it finished by May 1st (unless something goes terribly, horribly wrong).

Passion — 3 comments
09
Apr 13

“You shouldn’t swim for an hour after you eat.” – Fact or Fiction?

When I was younger, swimming in the ocean was one of my favorite things to do during a trip to the shore.  I’d spend all day in the water, only coming out for one of two reasons: my mom was making me reapply sunscreen, or my stomach was growling.  When it was the latter, I ate whatever version of a sandwich my mom packed that day (typically in under 5 minutes) and rushed back into the water – never concerned about that “wait an hour after you eat to swim” rule to avoid cramping or something like that.  My mom never really drilled that one into my head, so I always thought it was a silly saying.

After doing some research on the internet, I still think it’s just a silly saying.  This article from the Discovery Channel suggests that this old wives tale originated out of the belief that once you eat, “most of the available blood in one’s body would flood to the stomach to help with digestion,” so when you try to swim immediately following a meal, your limbs would start to cramp and you would “sink like a frozen ravioli in a pot of water.”  Fortunately, this is not the case.  It is true that there is a higher demand for blood in the stomach region after eating a big meal – but our bodies are equipped with enough blood to “keep our other parts running just fine,” even during digestion.

Granted, if you’re going to eat a huge meal before swimming hundreds of laps in the pool, you stomach probably won’t be all too comfortable – especially if that meal is high in fat and protein, which is not as easily digested as simple carbohydrates.  But, that’s a case that occurs only if you’re swimming hundreds of laps immediately after eating (and let’s face it, that’s not a reality for many of us).  If you’re at a barbeque, or the shore, and you take a quick break from hanging out in the water to eat, you most likely will not face any repercussions by hopping back in once you’ve finished.

WIP — 1 comment
02
Apr 13

WIP: Advocacy Project Ideas

For my advocacy project, I think I’m just going to give a TED talk of some sort/try to get a one-button room and film myself giving it.  My topic, the mistreatment of incidents of sexual assault within the military and dealing with military sexual trauma, isn’t one a lot of people know about, so I think a TED talk would be a good medium to get it out there in a short amount of time without being too overwhelming.  I want to be able to give enough information to hook listeners and get them concerned about the cause, but not so much that they’re overwhelmed with facts and statistics.

Passion — 5 comments
02
Apr 13

“You shouldn’t cut the crust off your sandwich, it’s good for you!” – Fact or Fiction?

I was never a picky eater – if there was food on the table, I’d eat it.  My sister, on the other hand, was/still currently is the pickiest eater of them all.  Even though she’s almost 18 years old, she still cuts the crust of her jelly sandwiches (that’s right, no peanut butter – told you she was picky).  My mom used to get on her about it when she was younger, she always claimed that the crust was the healthiest part of the otherwise unhealthy bread and usually bargained with my sister to get her to eat it. But, in reality, is bread crust really of any additional nutritional benefit?

According to a study conducted by German researchers and published in the American Chemical Society’s Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, the crust is “a powerhouse of antioxidants.”  After observation, they found that the process of baking bread produces pronyl-lysine, an antioxidant that boosts the level of phase II enzymes (which play a role in cancer prevention).  Pronyl-lysine is eight times more abundant in the crust than in the softer part of the bread, backing up my mom’s claims that the crusts are actually good for you.  The study also notes that “in general, dark-colored breads (such as pumpernickel and wheat) contain higher amounts of these antioxidants than light-colored breads (such as white bread).”

The food pyramid suggests that a person on a 2,000 calorie diet consume 6-11 servings of grain per day, and they recommend that at least half (if not all) of those grains be whole.  Refined grain products, like white bread or processed cereals, are not as nutritionally beneficial as whole grain products, like wheat breads or brown rice.  Whole grains are rich in vitamins and minerals that are not present in their refined counterparts (which can also contain added sugar – yuck!).

Civic Issues — 2 comments
02
Apr 13

“Why Gay Marriage is Good for Foreign Policy”

This week, I read a blog post composed by Stephen Walt, professor of international affairs as Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.  The title, “Why Gay Marriage is Good for Foreign Policy,” struck me as odd at first.  Though I’m all for equal rights and the legalization of gay marriage, I’ve never thought about the link between those things and their effects on the global community.

I recommend you read it if you have time  (it’s not too long and it’s pretty thought-provoking), but in case you can’t, this quote sums up Walt’s argument:

“In American jurisprudence [the study and theory of law], the courts often look to whether the state has a “compelling interest” in regulating or interfering in some domain of activity. In this case, I’d argue that to the extent the state has an interest in this matter, that interest lies overwhelming in extending the privileges (and obligations) of marriage to all Americans. Not just because it is consistent with our commitment to liberty and to equality under the law, but also because it will be good for our global image, national cohesion, and even our long-term strength and prosperity.”

To expand on the idea of how it is good for our long-term strength and prosperity, Walt argues that permitting gay marriage would encourage an influx of human capital from other countries – the logic being that if you make the US “gay-friendly” in every way, then gays from abroad will choose to move here, bringing with them their ideas, skills, and talents that ultimately will contribute to the growth of the economy.  Walt made a similar argument in past blog posts regarding the ability of gays to openly serve in the military before the end of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” era – the US wants the best and the brightest from serving in our military, and the only way to do that is to put an end to any sort of “artificial restriction.”

Walt’s argument for permitting gay marriage in order to contribute to long-term strength and prosperity isn’t the most talked about, or the most popular, but it does make sense when you think about it logically.  Economies thrive when new ideas are presented in the marketplace (whether it concerns a new good, technology, service, etc), and by legalizing gay marriage in all 50 states, it adds an incentive for gays from foreign countries to move here and bring their ideas with them subsequently boosting our economy.  Walt acknowledges that this “isn’t going to cause a flood of gay foreigners to flood our shores, but at the margin, it will make the United States a more attractive destination for some,” which is better than nothing at all.

This isn’t Walt’s only argument (he mentions the US’s commitment to individual liberties and freedoms, as well as non-discrimination policies), but I believe it is one of the more thought-provoking considerations he discusses for those who are against gay marriage for whatever reason.  Walt also closes out the post pretty nicely: “So if you’re still having trouble backing gay marriage on the simple grounds of fairness, you might consider supporting it on the basis of national security instead.”

The issue of gay marriage is more prominent than ever, and while there are a million arguments for the issue, there are also a million arguments against.  Over the past few weeks, the legitimacy of reasons on both sides have been discussed extensively, and hundreds of protestors have sat/are still currently sitting outside of the Supreme Court with signs promoting their views or discrediting those of their opposition.  The time for change has arrived and it is inevitable; whether it happens due to the rulings of the two Supreme Court cases currently in session or due to future occurrences of civic justice – one day, equality will subsist.

WIP — 1 comment
26
Mar 13

WIP: Persuasive Draft

Persuasive Draft

Some issues I’m having with this assignment:

– I feel like my concluding paragraph is pretty weak, needs more to it

– Is the beginning too fact heavy?

WIP — 1 comment
19
Mar 13

WIP: Persuasive Essay Topics

After surfing around the Opposing Viewpoints Database, I think I’d like to make the argument that victims of military sexual trauma (MST) must be provided with better treatment options.  There’s a lot of articles on this database about this topic, so I don’t think I’d have a shortage of evidence (maybe a correlation between MST and PTSD, or discuss how MST is an issue that is overlooked – I’ll know for sure once I start actually doing research).

Passion — 4 comments
19
Mar 13

“If you get bit by a poisonous snake, you should try and suck the venom out.” – Fact or Fiction?

One of the most common fears among the human population is that of snakes – and rightfully so, for certain types of snake venom can kill when injected into the human bloodstream.  It had been said, that if an individual suffers from a snakebite (yes, this is actually one word), you should create a tourniquet above the wound and immediately suck the venom out, preventing any further spread of venom and harm to the body.  But, is this method the most effective (or even effective at all) in reversing the damage caused by the venomous, slithering creatures?

According to a study conducted by the New England Journal of Medicine in 2002, it most definitely is not.  In fact, using a tourniquet can damage nerves and blood flow, possibly leading to the amputation of affected limbs or deathly low blood pressure levels, and sucking out the venom can actually do more harm than good.  When an individual places their mouth over the site of the bite, their saliva further contaminates the wound and makes it harder to treat (not to mention, the individual also runs the risk of inadvertently allowing venom to enter their bloodstream if they have any small cuts in their mouth).

Researchers also found that venom travels through the blood stream much faster than originally thought, and even devices designed to suck the bad stuff out of a snakebite rarely extract any venom.  Medical professionals recommend that if you suffer from a snakebite, you should contact emergency services immediately (who will usually provide the affected individual with a treatment called antivenin, which is incredibly effective), and in the meantime remain calm and keep the area of infection below the position of your heart.  Additionally, you should not perform any movement that may cause your heart rate to increase – this includes killing the snake that bit you, for “due to reflex, a snake can actually bite for up to an hour after it’s dead.” (Check out this article for more info!)

The most effective medicine in treating snakebites is to avoid them altogether.  The article I’ve linked to in the previous paragraph gives the following advice: “Try to avoid areas where a snake might hide, like under rocks and logs. We probably don’t have to tell you that it’s not a good idea to pick up or tease snakes, even if you think they’re not venomous. Don’t provoke a snake, either. When you’re hiking in snake-populated areas, wear long pants and boots. If you’re about to step into an area where you can’t see your feet (like heavy underbrush), tap first with a walking stick.”

WIP — 3 comments
13
Mar 13

WIP: Online Deliberation

Online Deliberation

It’s the same draft that was put up on ANGEL earlier this week.

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