Everyday a new type of weight loss technique pops onto the market. Today it’s a pill, tomorrow a diet. Recently, a new sprinkle came out. It’s called Mila. This fifty-five dollar, sixteen-ounce package contains a type of seed called the Mila Miracle Seed.

            The Mila Miracle Seed is a type of chia seed. Nuts.com explains how chia seeds can reduce food cravings by “preventing some of the food that you eat from getting absorbed into your system. This blockage of calorie absorption makes a great diet helper.” It also makes an individual fuller faster, sustains hydration, reduces blood pressure, and is easily digestible.

The Mila Miracle Seed is said to be “a top quality chia seed with specific strains of seeds grown to exact specifications and carefully blended for maximized nutrition value.” This gluten-free, trans frat-free, non-GMO, sugar free seed is said to truly improve one’s health.

So, how does it work? By sprinkling these tasteless seeds onto your food, you are boosting your body with antioxidants, fiber, phytonutrients, but most importantly Omega-3 fatty acids. The University of Maryland explains that Omega 3 fatty acids are essential to our health, but the human body can’t seem to produce them. They need to be consumed through our diet.

What makes Omega 3 so essential? Research has shown that Omega-3 can reduce inflammation, benefit in brain memory, performance, and function, and help fertile mothers through the development of their children. The fatty acid also lowers the risk of a long list of common chronic diseases, some including depression, blood pressure, asthma, schizophrenia, bipolar, osteoporosis, etc. Bottom line, we need Omega-3 and the chia seed can give that to us.

            Is there another way to get Omega-3 fatty acids rather than through the Mila Miracle Seed? Although our bodies can’t produce Omega-3, you can get these fatty acids through other natural sources. World’s Healthiest Foods explains that people can actually get Omega-3 fatty acids through foods including flaxseeds, walnuts, beans, fish, and even olive oil. The chart below describes how much of these foods a person should strive to intake each day.

Prior to beginning this blog, it’s encouraged that you review the first, second, and third blogs of the “Earth’s Finest Water” series, The Artesian Aquifer, The Power of Hydrogen, and Environmental Friendly? Here we’ve seen how Fiji Water is cleansed through its aquifer, powered by alkaline, and has built an environmental image.

The Artesian Aquifer truly does purify, mineralize, and cleanse Fiji Water. However, it’s important to remember the downfalls of drinking untouched aquifer water. This island can easily suffer of saltwater intrusion, especially because its owners are looking to make as much money as possible off of this brand. With them taking an excessive amount of water from the aquifer, there is sure to be some repercussions that follow. 

When focusing on the minerals and electrolytes collected from the volcanic rock, we learned about how the high pH may be beneficial to humans, especially cancer patients. However, this is not a proven fact. The study done by U.S. researchers in 2010, only consisted of 30 males who went on the Alkaline Diet. This is such a  small study and only covers men therefore it may not be valid for females. The men in this study also did meditation and light exercise, so those variables could have caused the improvement in the prostate cancer, and not the larger intake of alkaline. 

Finally, we focused in on Stewart and Lynda Resnick, the current owners of Fiji Water. These California billionaires have consistently been known to cash in rather than sincerely care about their companies. Although the company has opened its new environmental organizations, that doesn’t mean they did it for the right reasons. This is a very common marketing technique  Companies that are ‘going green’ has become very attractive to people, therefore they will buy that companies product if they think it will also help the environment.

In 2007, Fiji Water promised to “become ‘carbon negative’ by reducing its carbon dioxide emissions and planting enough trees to give an overall benefit to the atmosphere.” However, according to Telegraph.co.uk the company didn’t come through. The plan was to plant trees for four square miles in Fiji by the year 2010. Conservation International, one of Fiji Water’s environmental organizations, admitted to only planting 1.4 square miles with “no indication of when the rest might be planted.” 

There are over a hundred different water bottle brands worldwide to choose from. The chart below lists the average retail prices for these four different types of 24/16.9 oz. bottle, including Aquafina Water, Dasani Water, Evian Water, and Fiji Water. Aquafina is the cheapest at $4.99 per bottle, Dasani and Evian are tied at $5.99 per bottle, and then Fiji is $6.99 per bottle. 

Many people argue that it’s the taste, the purity, and the minerals that the water contains, however when I buy water, I buy it because water is a necessity for our body to survive. There is no factual evidence that Fiji Water is better for you in comparison to any other brand of water. The only evidence is that it contains higher levels of alkaline. There are both positives and downfalls to Fiji water. It’s true that the Resnick’s are not employing the best tactics, but to some, the health benefits may outweigh the environmental ones. So you make the decision? Buy Fiji Water or buy their competitors?

Prior to beginning this blog, it’s encouraged that you review the first and second blogs of the “Earth’s Finest Water” series, The Artesian Aquifer and The Power of Hydrogen. We’ve seen how the high levels of alkaline have been beneficial to health concerns and how the water is pure straight from the Artesian Aquifer, but what about country Fiji. This amazing water comes from this amazing place, but how does Fiji feel about Fiji Water? 

Sarah Gilbert gives us the distasteful truth about how the “totalitarian government” in Fiji welcomed the foreign interest and their “deep pockets” to take the “country’s most precious natural resources” with their “heavy artillery in hand.” The government was so lenient of the company taking from their Artesian Aquifer that they were only charging them taxes of 1/3 cent per liter. The locals, who have been suffering of poverty and hunger, finally put their foot down and in 2010. Charles Fishman, a Fiji local, explains how the islands struggle.

“In Fiji itself, 53 percent of the people who line in Fiji don’t have access to clean safe water. So Americans can easily get clean water from Fiji more simply than Fijians can.”

What these locals fought for resulted in a tax increase of 8 cents per liter. Rather than accepting the tax increase, Fiji Water decided to threatened to close down the company. They argued that the company provides “lots of jobs, 20 percent of Fiji’s exports and 3 percent” of its GDP. Trying to hold their ground, the plant shut down for 24 hours before reopening and accepting the new tax.  

Who was behind this decision? Stewart and Lynda Resnick, billionaire owners of Fiji Water, were the ones who closed the company and momentarily put their 400 employees into  unemployment. When they bought the brand in 2004 it was a glamorous brand, but now it seems to be more universal. They are also the owners of Teleflora and POM Wonderful. From what it sounds like, these people strive to become wealthy and powerful, and then buy out companies to make themselves even larger billionaires than they already are.

The couple boasts of “their commitment to the betterment of their workers and the surrounding communities.” However, Kai Olson-Sawyer finds that hard to believe. In her article “Fiji Water: So Cool, So Fresh, So Bad for the Environment?” she exposes that many Fijians, including Fiji Water’s own workers, don’t have access to the adequate supply of freshwater. Fiji Water is extremely exclusive to the company and because the water pumped in large volumes there isn’t much leftover for the Fijians.

            The Resnick’s were in desperate need of recovery. In order to cover up their lack of environmental care, Fiji Water introduced the Fiji Water Foundation, which is said to provide filters for clean water to rural communities, mostly in Fiji. In 2008, Consevation International paired with The Fiji Water Foundation proposed a three-year, 5 million dollar grant to “protect the natural resources of Viti Levu, Fiji,” which is “ largest remaining lowland rainforest in Fiji.” Viti Levu is home to 70% of Fiji’s population, where clear water is sparse.

              Although The Fiji Water Foundation is technically apart of the Fiji Water Company, most of its work is done by Conservation International. Whether or not the Resnick’s are still actively involved in the Foundation is a mystery, however, there name is still on it. 

             To gain a better conclusion and look at the three “Earth’s Finest Water” series, please read the final blog of the series, You Decide.

            Prior to beginning this blog, it’s encouraged that you review the first blog of the “Earth’s Finest Water” series, The Artesian Aquifer.

            Continuing the search for truth behind “Earth’s Finest Water,” we look into what is actually in Fiji’s water. Fiji’s water is filtered by volcanic rock that “gathers minerals and electrolytes.” Well what kinds of minerals are we talking about? Below is a list of the minerals found in Fiji Water.

            Now if you notice, Fiji has a pH of 7.7. What does potential of hydrogen even mean? DrinkRealWater.com explains that pH is a logarithmic measure of hydrogen ion concentration used to compare solution acidities (-log (H+)). The H stands for Hydrogen while the p stands for the German word potenze, which in English translates to “power.” Therefore, pH means the “power of hydrogen.” Hydrogen has the power to completely change the wellbeing of a solution. For example: a solution with a pH as low as 1 is extremely acidic, whereas a solution with a pH as high as 9.8 is to be pure ethanol.

            Pure water at room temperature has a pH of 7. According to the diagram above, pure water does have some acidosis. So, increasing pH to make it more neutral is better for our health, but increasing it too much could cause death. With a pH of 7.7, Fiji Water is more alkalinity rather than having more acidity like pure water.

            What does a more alkalinity water do to someone’s body? Well the stomach has a pH of about 4. The acidity helps break down our food, but when we drink water that is more alkalinity based (Fiji Water), the pH in the stomach increases. High levels of pH are never a problem when it comes to the stomach because the stomach has a protection method to always bring the pH back down. When alkalinity enters the stomach, the stomach commands the secretion of hydrochloric acid through the walls to bring the pH back down to 4.

            Can a high pH with high alkaline levels be good for us? Many American’s sure do think so, as many of them have started doing the Alkaline Diet  This diet contains foods and beverages with high pH’s or high alkaline levels. So rather than eating grains, fish, meat, poultry, shellfish, cheese, milk, and salt which all produce acid, people in take foods include fresh fruits and vegetables, roots, nuts and legumes. Drinking Fiji water rather than pure water would be beneficial in such a case because Fiji water has a higher level of alkaline rather than regular water.

Why do people start this diet instead of just drinking Fiji Water? Well, many begin the Alkaline Diet because they feel that are lacking energy, have anxiety, or get colds, flus, and migraines frequently. The high levels of alkaline supposedly help with those symptoms. Just drinking Fiji water doesn’t give the body enough alkaline that this diet requires. The diet, in addition to drinking Fiji Water, is important because water has no other additional nutrients, whereas fresh fruits and vegetables have tons of nutrients. According to WebMD.com  by being on an Alkaline Diet one may decrease the risk for kidney stones, slow bone loss, slow muscle waste, increase growth hormone, ease lower back pain, and possibly even make some chronic diseases less likely.

            In 2010, U.S. researchers did a small study that “tracked 30 men with low-risk prostate cancer who decided against conventional medical treatment.” These men went through three months of lifestyle changes, which included the Alkaline Diet, to see if their health improved. In addition to the diet, these men also exercised moderately (walking for thirty minutes each day) and went through an hour of “daily stress management methods” including meditation. Aside from weight loss, the men also lowered blood pressure and noticed that the activity of disease preventing genes increased while a number of disease promoting decreased in regards to their prostate cancer.

            Could it be that Alkaline can help cancer patients? AcidAlkalineDiet.com explains that by focusing on the absorption of Alkaline, patients will have a more alkaline-based system rather than an acid-based system. In their test tube study researchers found that “cancer cells and tumors thrive and grow in an acidic environment,” and slow down in alkaline environment.

            Here we have found how drinking Fiji water rather than pure water may be more beneficial to human’s bodies and health, especially if they have cancer. High levels of Alkaline could be truly helpful to our bodies, however it could be something else entirely as well. There are a number of minerals in Fiji water, including calcium, electrolytes, potassium, etc. that could alter our bodies, but from the information on alkaline, it may be assumed that it is beneficial.

            If you’re still curious about Fiji Water please read into the next blog of the “Earth’s Finest Water” series- Environmental Friendly? There you will learn about the owners of this company and the country that it comes from.

           Fiji’s Official Website describes their water as “Earth’s Finest Water.” Their water is so fine that Fiji charges $6.99 for their 16.9 oz. bottle. Water is water. It falls from the sky, is collected and bottled, and then sold. So why does Fiji feel that they can charge more for water, when its free from the tap?

            When someone clicks onto Fiji’s Official Website, he/she will be amazed at how Fiji’s technology and computer design team has captured the viewer’s attention. With soothing music playing in the background, the website walks an observer through the process of how Fiji Water is collected.

“It all begins AS A CLOUD; HIGH ABOVE FIJI over 1,600 miles from the nearest continent; TROPICAL RAIN FALLS purified by equatorial trade winds; IN A PRISTINE RAIN FOREST surrounded by ancient, dormant volcanoes; SLOWLY FILTERED BY VOLCANIC ROCK it gathers minerals and electrolytes that create FIJI’s soft smooth taste; COLLECTING IN NATURAL ARTESIAN AQUIFIER protected and preserved from external elements until you unscrew the cap”

            Fiji’s marketing technique truly convinces their consumers that they are buying the best water in the world. But is that actually true? Is Fiji Water truly Earth’s Finest?

            A local Fijian, Charles Fishman, says that Fiji Water has “earned up to its name” and its slogan. He confirmed that for the last 20 years, Fiji’s untouched water “actually comes from an aquifer in Fiji.” As important as it is that the water is untouched, it’s interesting that the water comes from an Aquifer.

            Above is a diagram that gives a more visual of the process of water into the Artesian Aquifer. See how it rains, the water goes through the soil and rocks, and then into the Aquifer. Now look below to take an even closer look.

The water from the rain literally goes through topsoil, limestone, and volcanic rock until it enters into the water chamber. What happens if something were to contaminate one of those three layers? Fiji stresses how their water is untouched from the Aquifer, which would mean that no one checked the water to see if it was safe before its bottle. Geography.about.com explains that aquifers can become polluted if they aren’t properly managed, especially if they’re near large bodies of water.

This is more commonly known as saltwater intrusion. It occurs when water from the aquifer is depleted quicker than it can rejuvenate. Low precipitation and warm temperatures can also play a large roll in saltwater intrusion due to the lack of groundwater present and increased evaporation. For example, in 2011 South Florida needed to close down “six out of eight wells that Hallandale Beach” relied on due to the saltwater intrusion. Below is a visual of how saltwater intrusion works.

Because Fiji is an island, it’s completely surrounded by salt water. This puts their aquifer at risk of saltwater intrusion. When Fiji Water takes the fresh water out of the Artesian Aquifer too quickly, salt water can easily enter in order to fill the void.

            There is so much more to Fiji Water than just its aquifer. To learn more about “Earth’s Finest Water” and to find out if what its slogan says is true, please read my next blog, “Earth’s Finest Water”- The Power of Hydrogen. There, more questions will arise and more be answered.

            My mom is about 54 years old and is going through menopause. For those who are a little unsure what menopause is, Women’s Health states that “menopause is when a women’s menstrual period stops permanently.” This doesn’t happen overnight. A woman’s period can be irregular for a while before it completely comes to an end. Menopause is considered finished after one full year without going through any menstrual cycles.

            During menopause, women can experience many different symptoms or none at all. MayoClinic lists a few symptoms of menopause, including irregular periods, vaginal dryness, hot flashes, night sweats, sleep problems, mood changes, weight gain, thinning of hair, dryness of skin, and loss of breast fullness. My mom has been going through menopause for quite awhile, and therefore I have witnessed these symptoms in action. Of the symptoms that I have been exposed to, the one that stands out to me the most has been the “mood changes.”

            My mother has taken mood swings to an entirely new level. After spending the summer at home, I noticed that she was irritable, non-negotiable, hostile, and down right annoying. One minute she will be flowers and butterflies and the next, I think she’s going to throw a hairdryer at me. I explained to her that going through menopause does not give you an excuse to be bi polar. She told me that it’s not menopause, she’s going through a mid life crisis.

            I’ve decided to do some research to figure out if my mom is getting mood swings from menopause or just because she’s going through a mid life crisis.

           Dr. Kagan explains that estrogen and progesterone levels may rise during menopause before they fall at the end on menopause. These high levels of estrogen and progesterone may influence some women more than others. He says, “we don’t understand why some [women] are more sensitive [to these high levels of estrogen and progesterone], but it’s clear that they are.” This sensitivity combined with hormonal shifts influence the neurotransmitters in the brain, which in turn cause a physiological change of a woman’s mind. A.K.A. … Mood swing.

            Now that I understand more about what is going on subconsciously in a woman’s, I can see how menopause can affect women differently. Menopause.org describes each woman’s menopause experience as different. Not every woman is going to have all of those symptoms. Some women may not have any symptoms at all. Because nothing is definite, I can’t identify my mother’s mood swings as menopausal.

            My mom could very much be going through a mid life crisis. Of her five children, two have graduated college, one is in college, and one is looking at colleges. With all of her children moving out, she may just feel very lonely. This depression can very well be the stem of her freak-outs.

            At this point, it would be very difficult to make a conclusion because there really is no way to test whether my mom is having mood swings from her hormone shifts or from a mid life crisis. In my own opinion, I feel that it could truly be a combination of both things.

            For my birthday, my boyfriend bought me tickets to go skydiving. Each day leading up to the jump, I became more and more scared. I really wanted to go skydiving, but I was still absolutely terrified. I kept imagining myself jumping out of the plane and then waiting for my parachute to open, but it never opened. Very similar to the cartoons we used to watch as kids where the coyote would fall off a cliff and then SPLAT on the ground. Extremely dramatic, I know, but it’s always a possibility.

            Like I said before, this fear built up in me each day approaching the big jump. The feeling made my stomach tighten, heart race, and I even cried a few times. These reactions were so intense, that there could only truly be one reason: that I was overwhelmed because I worked myself up. This fear of dying was so extreme that the night before I was considering not going at all. When I woke up the morning of the jump, I was no longer scared; I was excited. When I arrived at the airport and met the crew, I actual felt very safe, which made me that much more pumped about the jump.

Obviously, I lived. It was an experience of a lifetime, and if I could I would do it over and over again.

So why was I so afraid? Did I create my own fear? When my boyfriend presented me with the tickets, I was originally in awe because I would have never expected anything like this. I called my parents and told them how excited I was, but they told me I was insane and that I could die. I think that’s where the fear started.

So, I started to research skydiving.

Discovery.com told me that in the year 2010, about 21 people died skydiving out of about 3 million jumps. This averages to about a .0007% that someone dies from skydiving. USPA informed me that the average dropped to .0006% in 2012. This means that the chances of me dying are less and less each year.

So why was I still afraid? When someone close to me (aka my parents) says that I could die doing something, I try not to do it. Also, the media has a tendency to only report extreme cases, leaving the normal cases left unseen. I was afraid that I would be one of those 21 people reported in 2010 that died from skydiving. The media is causing a bias in my mind because all that I’m hearing is the bad stuff, like someone dying from skydiving. Therefore, psychologically I’m thinking of the worse possible outcome, me dying from skydiving.

I originally wasn’t afraid of skydiving, but then my parents told me that I could die doing it, and the media confirmed that people have died doing it. But can’t you die doing anything anymore?

This can be linked back to the Monty Hall problem with the two goats and the car. I pick a door; I become scared of going skydiving. Monty picks the door with the goat; the media is telling me that I could die doing it. Now I need to decide, do I stick with my decision or do I change it. Most people stick with their first decision because their intuition tells them to; my intuition told me I could die skydiving. However, if I changed my decision, I would have a better chance of winning the car or in my case having an amazing time going skydiving. In the end, I changed doors and didn’t trust intuition, because our intuition has a tendency to be lousy. 

            Today, the weather was a bit colder than it usually is. I put on my regular fall attire; leggings, a sweater, a scarf, and my jacket. It was raining, so I had my umbrella in hand. I was just about to walk into the Forum building when I looked down at my hand wrapped around the handle of the umbrella. It was blue. Not bright blue like the color we know from a child’s crayon, but a discoloration of my skin. I’ve had this problem before, but that was in the dead of winter during a snowstorm. It’s only early fall. So, I called my mom with my questions. She told me not to worry because she and my grandmother have Raynaud’s disease too… wait what?! Mom, I told you that my hands were turning blue, not that I have a disease.

            Between the dramatics, she told me it really wasn’t anything serious and to just look it up… so I did.

            Patient.co.uk describes Raynaud’s disease as a condition that happens when the blood vessels in fingers and toes become constricted. This can occur under emotional stress, but is more common in the cold weather. This transpires because the oxygen from the blood in the constricted vessels is getting used up too quickly. This lack of oxygen causes the discoloration and numbness in hands and feet.

            What causes someone to have Raynaud’s disease? Medical News Today describes some of the risk factors

“Gender. The phenomenon is more common in women than men; the Framingham Study found that 5% of men and 8% of women suffer from it.

Age. Although any age group can be affected, middle-aged and elderly individuals have a higher risk, compared to young people.

Geography. A significantly higher percentage of adults in, for example, Alaska suffer from the phenomenon compared to individuals in Florida.

Genes. A significant number of individuals with Raynaud’s disease have a parent or sibling who also has it.”

            From this, I can see why I am at risk of having Raynaud’s Disease compared to others. I am female, so that covers gender. I do live in the northeastern part of America opposed to Florida, and that covers geography. Both my grandmother and my mother suffer it as well, therefore it must be in my genes. I’m not middle-aged, nor elderly, however, the age risk factor that Raynaud’s Disease can appear later in life could explain why I haven’t seen signs of this during my first twenty years of living.

            This makes me wonder; would I have had this problem if I lived in the South where it was warmer? I could have had Raynaud’s Disease and never know that I had it if I lived in the South. Could living in the cold weather cause me to have Raynaud’s Disease? Maybe, I should test this out and live in Florida for a few months with my brother… hmmm

            I read through a question-answer on GardenWeb and saw an interesting post. A woman wrote that Raynaud’s isn’t something you treat; it’s something you try to prevent. We wear gloves to warm up are hands and thick socks to warm up our feet. Raynaud’s doesn’t just go away one day. If you aren’t showing signs of it, it’s because you’re preventing it from acting up. So moving to a warmer climate would help prevent my Raynaud’s Disease from acting up, however that would mean that I would need to leave Penn State, which I’m not doing. I guess the best way to fight this is to do everything I can to keep warm. Wish me luck.

             This past weekend I went home to visit my family. It was so nice to sleep in my own bed, however I woke up a little stiff. I had just come downstairs to fix myself a cup of coffee when I decided to crack my neck to relieve my stiffness. My dad, who was reading the morning paper at the kitchen table, looked at me with disgust. “Don’t do that!” he demanded. I have him one of my ‘yeah, yeah okay dad’ eye rolls. He continued to tell me that I’m going to get Arthritis if I continue to crack my joints.

            Before I ask the obvious question, “Does cracking my joints cause Arthritis?” I should probably get a better understanding of what cracking joints is actually doing. How Stuff Works explains that popping or cracking joints is basically a joint manipulation. Joints are the meeting points where tissues and ligaments hold two bones together. Surrounding these joints is a synovial fluid, and when stretched, causes a pressure that can form bubbles. When you pop your joints, you are causing cavitation. Cavitation is when the bubbles from the synovial fluid pop.

            Now that I know what cracking joints actually means, I’m beginning to question whether or not it could actually be bad. Onto the real question, “Does cracking my joints cause Arthritis?” Medical News Today describes the study, Knuckle Cracking and Hand Osteoarthritis, done from the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland. Although previous studies did not find a connection between cracking joints and Arthritis, one study suggested an inverse correlation in knuckle joint Arthritis.

In the study of 214 people, 135 had Arthritis and 80 didn’t. When the researchers gathers the data on the participants’ frequency and durations of their knuckle cracking, they found that 20% of the individuals cracked their knuckles daily, 18.1% of those who cracked their knuckles had Arthritis, and 21.5% of those who didn’t crack their knuckles had Arthritis. Through everything…

“The researchers said the difference in the prevalence of osteoarthritis between the knuckle crackers and non-knuckle crackers was not significantly statistically different.”

And then concluded that…

“When examined by joint type, knuckle cracking (KC) was not a risk for OA in that joint. Total past duration (in years) and volume (daily frequency ‘- years) of KC of each joint type also was not significantly correlated with OA at the respective joint.

A history of habitual KC – including the total duration and total cumulative exposure does not seem to be a risk factor for hand OA.”

                                                                                    Kevin deWeber

WebMD explains that there are many theories that cracking joints causes Arthritis, however nothing has been proven. MayoClinic says that Arthritis is the “wear-and-tear damage” of joints’ cartilage. Age, family history, gender, and obesity are all risk factors of Arthritis, however cracking knuckles is not one of them. WebMD also states that when knuckles crack, no harm is done. From all that, I’m going to assume that cracking my joints does not cause Arthritis. If I had found support that cracking joints caused Arthritis, I was going to try to cut my habit. Since I found that it didn’t, I’m probably going to continue to crack my joints. Lets hope I wasn’t wrong and don’t get Arthritis. Wish me luck.