Word on the street is wine has many health benefits. I looked into this to see the truth behind it because it just seems too good to be true! Here are some of the facts:

1.  Wine promotes longevity. A study published in 2007 in The Journal of Gerontology was conducted to research the effect of different drinking preferences (wine, beer, spirits) on cardiovascular risks. The results showed that “Men with wine preference had the lowest total mortality due to lower cardiovascular mortality. …Wine drinkers had a 34% lower total mortality.” 2468 businessmen were used to conduct this study.

Although this is a very large sample size, it targets a somewhat small segment of humans. This is a bit of a flaw because the effect on women and people in different careers could vary.

2. In 1992, Harvard University proved that drinking red wine is one of the best ways to lower the risk of developing coronary heart disease, or protecting your heart in general. The study was performed over 16 years and the evidence shows that it is the antioxidants in your skin and the seeds of the grapes that are used to make the wine. The antioxidants called, flavonoids, reduce the risk by reducing the “bad” cholesterol (low density lipoprotein) in your body, increasing the “good” cholesterol (high density lipoprotein) and reducing blood clotting (A Glass of Red Wine a Day Keeps the Doctor Away).

Since these effects are directly related to the antioxidants that I found in the grapes made to make the wine, this made me question if non-alcoholic grape beverages would have the same effect. It makes the study and results a little bit deceiving because it is not directly the wine that is beneficial. It’s encouraging people to drink wine when in reality they can drink grape juice and have the same benefits. This is still somewhat up to debate because the studies that have been done in 1997 and 1998 are debatable.

3. Anti-cancer agents have been found in red wine. “Acutissimin A was discovered 16 years ago in the bark of the sawtooth oak. It blocks the action of an important enzyme, and in so doing might prevent the growth of cancerous cells.” The chemical compound acutissimin A is found in red wine as well! This is most likely related to the fact that red wine ages in oak barrels. Acutissimin A “has previously shown promise as an anti-cancer drug” (Nature).

This effect certainly makes a lot of sense and is, so far, great proof of the benefits of red wine. It’d be interesting to look at how the amount of time the wine ages in the oak barrels affects the acutissimin A, or similar chemical compound, that is found in the actual wine. At the end of the article it states that researches have attempted to make the chemical compound and found that, “the precise mixture of these compounds in red wine changes as it ages. This not only affects its taste, but also alters the potential pharmacopeia that it harbours.” This could conclude that different wines have very different effects depending on the precise mixture it contains.

There’s no doubt that the benefits of red wine are real. A huge factor that the studies do stress and that many people overlook is the amount of wine that is consumed. To benefit from wine, it must be drunk in moderation. According to the American Heart Association this is considered to be 1-2 four-ounce glasses a day (Wine Benefits). This is important to remember when studying the benefits of wine and making conclusions.

It was totally acceptable for everyone to come in to school in sweatpants and t-shirts, hair in a bun and no makeup on during exam week in high school. This is exactly what I looked like walking into my first exam senior year of high school when I saw my friend dressed perfectly. This is when I first heard the saying “dress well, test well” or sometimes “dress good, do good.” This is what she said to me when I questioned why she looked so nice for exams. It had stuck with me ever since, so I decided to look into the accuracy of it.

A study at Northwestern University looked into the effect of clothing on psychological process and performance. They use the term “Enclothed Cognition” to describe the influence that the type of clothes have on the psych of the person wearing them. “As a first test of our enclothed cognition perspective, the current research explored the effects of wearing a lab coat. A pretest found that a lab coat is generally associated with attentiveness and carefulness. We therefore predicted that wearing a lab coat would increase performance on attention-related tasks.” A great point they made is the influence of not only the actual appearance of the clothes but the symbolic meaning that comes along with them. For example, a suit and tie is known by all to be professional, formal, official and maybe even convey intelligence, dedication and expertise.

Three experiments were performed in the study above. They all demonstrated that wearing a lab coat increases attention. The conclusion was that the influence of clothing is based on both the symbolic meaning of the clothes and the physical appearance. This is based on the following findings:

1. Attention did not increase when the coat was not worn or associated with a painter.

2. Attention only increased when the coat was a) worn and b) associated with a doctor.

Numerous more studies have been done to test this hypothesis. Another great example of this was a study done on the influence of the clothing worn in high schools, for both students and teachers. This looks at one’s perception and impressions based on the way someone dresses. “Results indicate perception of intelligence and academic achievements are influenced by dress. Significant differences were found in perception of intelligence and scholastic ability for both student and teacher subjects based on clothing styles…” It’s very interesting how it goes both ways. Not only are students influenced and hold a different impression of their teacher based on how he or she is dressed, but teachers hold different opinions and impressions of their students based on the way they dress.

In the end, the way one dresses is very important. Impressions are essential like observed in the second study, but dressing well has a great impact on your own performance as seen in the first study. Going back to the “dress well, test well motto, author of the book Freshman 50 and writer of the popular blog College Prepster states, “Dressing well can instill self-confidence which is necessary for test taking” (College Magazine).

It seems very logical to me. Most would agree that you, in general, feel better about yourself when you put effort into your physical appearance and know you look good. I definitely agree that impressions are based off of your appearance, and your confidence is the next best way to make a good impression. You will most definitely be more confident if you “dress well.” 

Head spins. Nausea. Headache. Sweats. Heart palpations. Not too long ago I was diagnosed with Vasovagal Syncope, also known as Neurocardiogenic syncope. I fainted right in the middle of my English 015 class last year, while at the gym over the summer, and during my physics final senior year in high school. I have come very, very close to fainting countless amount of other times. To say the least, it’s a VERY terrible, uncomfortable feeling. Finally, I went to a cardiologist, instead of a normal doctor, and he diagnosed me with this condition that could actually be treated. Thank god!

Surprisingly vasovagal syncope is pretty common in people my age. The main cause of this condition is a something that triggers and creates a malfunction with the corresponding part of the nervous system that regulates heart rate and blood pressure. This trigger causes the heart rate to slow, so blood pressure is lowered. In turn, not enough blood is pumped upward which causes dizziness and fainting. This trigger can be many things. It ranges from the sight of blood, to an emotional distress, to an actual bodily reaction (Mayo Clinic). In my case, it is a bodily reaction. My blood pressure is naturally low. Luckily this is easy to solve because there are many ways to increase blood pressure.

Like I said, this condition is common. It’s said that just about everyone experiences at least one vasovagal episode in his or her lifetime. It’s most commonly found in young adults due to stress. There’s so much stress from classes, social life, career searching, etc. which can be a trigger for this nervous system malfunction. Because of this, one of the most important things is to know when to see a doctor. Since fainting can be very serious and uncomfortable, seeing a doctor after a fainting episode is necessary. Fainting can be related to many different, more severe, medical conditions so it’s always better to be safe than sorry and get yourself checked out (Vasovagal Syncope). If these vasovagal episodes are frequent and there is no other apparent issues it could be related to, you will most likely be diagnosed with vasovagal syncope. In my case, I was put on medicine to help raise my blood pressure by retaining my salt intake. Since this condition ranges greatly from person to person there are many different treats as seen here:

        1. Medications to raise blood pressure

        2. Foot exercises and compression stockings to stop the blood from pooling in your legs  and keep it pumped to your brain

        3. Surgery to implant a pacemaker (rare)

(Mayo Clinic)

I think the most important way to take care of this condition is by being educated on it. I was in the dark as to why I was having these fainting episodes at first. I felt so much better once I was educated on the condition. According to About HeartDisease, this is really what you need to know:

1. Vasovagal syncope is produced by a reflex that causes sudden dilation of the blood vessels in the legs, causing the blood to pool there.

2. Any condition that causes a bit of dehydration (i.e., a reduction in the overall blood volume) will make you more prone to have a syncopal episode.

3. Most people will have a brief “prodrome” (i.e., a set of characteristic symptoms) that precedes the loss of consciousness. That is, there is usually a warning.

4. If you lie down and elevate your legs when you experience the prodrome, you can prevent the syncopal episode.

Patients will often have occasional periods of days or weeks in which they are particularly prone to vasovagal episodes.

Clearly the best way is to avoid the triggers that lead to episodes. The only way you can do this is if you know what those triggers are! I know this helped me! Thank god I no longer have to deal with the pain of vasovagal syncope!

I’ve had cats all my life. My cat now is so personable, and not going to lie, we all treat him like a human. I find it hilarious how we talk to him as if he can understand us and show him things as if he can see them. On occasion, I stop and remember he is not a human and has very different senses. One I’ve really always been curious of is sight. Does he know what I look like? Does he see what I see to at least some extent?

I came across this Yahoo! News post just last week and many of my questions were answered. Here are the facts behind cat vision, “Cats have a 200 degree field of vision, compared with humans’ 180 degrees, but worse peripheral vision (20 degrees compared to 30). Cats’ range of vision is approximately five times worse than our own, and their ability to perceive color is much worse. However, their night vision is between six and eight times finer than ours.” Cat eyes are specifically designed to detect motion, which is beneficial to their hunting nature. Cats have an elliptical pupil, opposed to a circular one like humans have. This allows for the pupil to open and close much wider and faster. Also, this leads to cats being more nearsighted which is helpful when catching prey that is in running distance. Another aspect of the cat eye is the Tapetum, which is a mirror like membrane in the back of their eyes. The combination of the elliptical pupils and the Tapetum allows the cat to have great night vision. This is the main difference between cat vision and human vision. Like I said previously, cat’s night vision can be up to eight times better than ours. We know this because when compared to humans, cats have many more rods than cones in their pupil. This always explains why cats do not see colors as well. “Cats appear to see less saturation in colors than do humans, meaning cats do not see colors as intensely or vibrantly…Purple, blue & green appear to be the strongest colors perceived by cats.” This is very interesting because these colors are not often seen in nature, or the wildlife that cats would be going after.

All of the previous information was found at this website. Not only does this website have excellent research on cat vision but the purpose of the website is interesting as well. All the research was done to help them create a video for cats. The video is “is devoted to providing indoor cats with entertainment, exercise, mental stimuli and companionship when alone.”

Another big difference with cat vision is the peripheral vision. Cats have a wider field of view (as you can see in the pictures) at a 200-degree view, than humans at a 180-degree view. This difference may not seem very drastic but when trying to spot prey in a field or the woods this certainly helps (LiveScience).

These pictures really help get an idea of what it’s like through cat eyes. It may seem irrelevant and stupid to study, but these are pets that live in our homes for years and years. They truly become part of your family. I find it important and interesting to have a deeper understanding for what life is like from their perspective.

I’m from Connecticut so I’m used to brutally cold winters. Coming to Penn State last year I was dreading the winter as I always do. As we dove into those frigid days, I hated life. All I wanted to do was hibernate in my room, under my warm covers and sip hot chocolate. It was such a struggle just to step foot outside my dorm to go to class, get food, or go out with my friends. This is no way to live. Fortunately, I was not alone through this hard time because my roommate felt the same exact way. Eventually, we came to terms with our problem and diagnosed ourselves with Seasonal Affective Disorder, aka SAD.

After jokingly diagnosing ourselves, I decided to look into SAD more now that the winter months are approaching again. According to WebMD, SAD is a sort of depression that only occurs during certain months of the year. This type of depression is common in regions that experience very cold winters, and shorts days (little sunlight). The cause of SAD is not 100% proven but experts assume it is related to the lack of sunlight, in turn the lack of essential vitamins and bodily chemicals like serotonin and melatonin. “When the sun comes up again, and sunlight hits the optic nerve, some of that light is sent to the gland in the brain in charge of melatonin. In response, melatonin secretion decreases,” this is why we are awake and energized when the sun is up. “When the sun goes down, the body increases its secretion of melatonin,” so we go to sleep. Similarly, when the body senses sunlight serotonin is released, otherwise known as the “happy hormone”. In conclusion, this leads to the feeling of excitement, happiness and being energized during the day, and feeling sleepy, groggy and “down” at night (Can the sun make you happy?).

Going back to SAD, I’m sure it makes perfect sense now that if the sun is not shining as often in the winter we will not be producing as much serotonin and too much melatonin. Subsequently, we will be groggy, tired, unmotivated, unhappy and maybe even legitimately depressed. I know this is exactly how I felt last winter!

It’s interesting because, like I said previously, researchers are not totally sure of the cause of SAD but I think it seems quite obvious. Our bodies need light and to feel comfortable! The short days of winter, and the cold, bitter weather is not comfortable. Also, we need outdoors time. Yes, cozying up by a fire wrapped in blankets is nice but that’s no way to live for 3-4 months! It’s nearly impossible to be comfortable in single digit temperatures.

So to wrap up, my roommate and I decided we needed to snap out of it and find a sure for our self-proclaimed illness. We did a lot of research and found that light therapy is the way to go. This makes perfect sense. The light therapy makes up for the lack of vitamins, serotonin and melatonin. We ended up purchasing a “happy light” (very appropriate name)! I can’t really say if it worked or not. It could definitely have been somewhat of a placebo effect. I’m certainly not looking forward to the winter months that are almost upon us now L

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Call me crazy but I’m in a long-term, long-distance relationship. Yes, my boyfriend goes to school 5 hours away from Penn State. Along with this, my best friend, sister and family are all 3+ hours away from me during the school year. Since I’m a sophomore this year, it was really nice having the whole summer to be with these special people after being apart for the first time last year for my freshman year. But, as August came around I was so ready to come back to State. When you’re with the same people 24/7 you’re bound to need a little space from them. Now that it’s already mid-October I miss them all more than words can explain!!! So this got me thinking… Does distance really make the heart grow fonder??

Studies show that 75% of college students have been involved in long-distance relationships at some point. But…a study done in 2010 said that these relationships typically fail because it is necessary to have face-to-face contact to have a healthy, successful relationship. BUT…for us long-distancers there is hope! Just recently released by a research done at Cornell, “the long-distance couples contacted each other most often, about three to four times a day. But the researchers also found that this frequent contact may have forged stronger bonds between the partners.” From personal experience, communication is KEY in a long-distance relationship. A lot of couples that do see each other every day, lack this communication because it’s so normal for them to not go out of there way to text or call or video chat or send mail to or there significant other, because they know they’ll just see them later. This “seeing them later” gets old and they end up not doing these more special, intimate acts. “‘In some ways, long-distance relationships are a bit easier, at least for desire, perceived satisfaction, and not having to deal with day-to-day life,’ explains Kristen P. Mark, director of the Sexual Health Promotion Lab at the University of Kentucky.” (CNN)

Video chat these days is so accessible. I really think this is why long-distance relationships are no longer looked at as epic fails. It’s as close as we can get to having a personal, face-to-face connection when hundreds, or even thousands, of miles away from your significant other.  One woman that took part in the Cornell study stated, “‘…you’re seeing someone’s face and having those facial expressions really makes a big difference…'” This is so true!

No question, there are factors that were not considered in this Cornell study that reveals long-distance relationships having more, or equal, intimacy and romance than couples that live together. I think a big part to look at is the degree of loneliness the couple feels. Some people do well on their own, and I’m sure are content with the distance, and others are more dependent and always need/want their significant other right there. No matter the type of person it doesn’t make their love or romantic engagement, more or less, but it does have a large impact on how successful a long relationship would be for them. “‘[Rachel Sussman, a licensed psychotherapist], acknowledged that as a relationship therapist, she sees couples when they’re already experiencing problems, but in her experience, couples in long distance relationships second guess their relationship when they’re apart, and often feel lonely'” (Huffington Post).  It’s important to factor this in because are people in these relationships are feeling lonely, they will want to find ways to rid of this feeling. Then, like Sussman said, they will question being in the long-term relationship and clearly that is not healthy or beneficial for the couple! 

It certainly is complicated, especially at the young age of a college student. It’s a choice to make and I feel like it depends on the personalities of the individuals and the nature of the relationship to begin with. It’s good to hear long-distance relationships are only getting better with time!

And here are even more cute reasons why long-distance relationships aren’t as bad everyone may think!!

To begin, I am a marketing major. There are many fields of marketing you can go into with this degree. I would like to go into market research. I knew from the start I was not entirely interested in anything along the lines of sales or advertising. I’m more interested in getting inside the mind of the buyer/consumer and analyzing what makes them buy the products they buy. But, the decision to purchase the product generally begins with advertising. 

A blog post I read earlier got me thinking about how different advertisements, and the techniques of advertising influence the consumer. This is where diving into the mind of the buyer comes in. It’s all about the psych. 

“Advertisements are sometimes spoken of as the nervous system of the business world … As our nervous system is constructed to give us all the possible sensations from objects, so the advertisement which is comparable to the nervous system must awaken in the reader as many different kinds of images as the object itself can excite” I think this quote from this article, portrays the link between science, specifically psychology, and advertising perfectly. As we know, certain triggers cause specific effects on our body. Since advertisers goal is to affect the consumer in a certain way, they need to find ways to trigger the appropriate effect on the nervous system.

An example of this that is used very, very often in advertising is color. Colors give humans different reactions and feelings. For example, psychologists have proven the first color processed by the human eye is yellow. In turn, the color yellow is used to catch immediate attention. A more specific example is pink. Pink is associated with sweetness, both taste wise and feelings. So pink is used for advertising candies and pastries. Here’s a little video clip that further explains the major affect of colors and a few other advertising and psychology facts.

.                      Another major example of psychology’s affect on advertising is not selling the product, but selling how the product will make the consumer feel. In the book From S�ance to Science: A History of the Profession of Psychology in America Ludy Benjamin and David Baker, Baker says “…ads sold toothpaste, not because of its dental hygiene benefits, but because whiter teeth would presumably increase an individual’s sex appeal” (The Psychology of advertising). This goes to show how people decide to buy what they buy. When looking at toothpaste in the store, there’s many options, so what makes the consumer buy your product opposed to the competitors? It’s all based on how the different products make the buyer feel. “There is a positive relationship between emotional response to the advertisement and attitude towards the advertisement. There is a positive relationship between attitude towards the advertisement and behavioral intentions” (The Role of Advertising in Consumer Emotion Management).

It’s certainly not a coincidence that you feel the way you do when viewing an advertisement for a product, or even just looking at a product. Going into my field of study, I never knew it would involve so much science, but it really does! All fields of marketing would be nowhere without psychology and even biology research! 

Tell me this ad doesn’t make you so excited to drink cool, refreshing, liberating Dasani water! Just an example! 

I was watching a recent viral video online of a man reciting a slam poem about having OCD. It’s an extremely touching and powerful video. (In case you’re interested here’s the link). Anyway, while watching this I felt my body tingle inside with every powerful word he spoke. As I shivered a bit I felt goosebumps develop on my arms and eventually all over my body. I knew this was a reaction to the deep emotion the video portrayed and that I was feeling while listening. But why? Why was my body reacting like this?

My stomach drops. My lip quivers. My voice tightens. I blink my eyes.My eyes burn a bit as I try to hold back as much as possible. No matter how hard I try, the tears begin to flow. Any one that knows me, even the slightest, knows I am a cryer. I cry at the happiest of things, the saddest of things and just about everything in between. But why? Why does my body have this natural instinct to shed water droplets from my eyes when I’m feeling some sort of more intense emotion.

I feel the need to start this out by saying I’m not really promoting this, or feel that it’s right for our society…It’s simply something I came across and find very interesting.