Winter is in a league of its own. It is harsh and brutal and in soome cases unforgiving, leaving some to suffer from hard end points like hypothermia and depression. But other than numb finger tips and runny noses, what other effects does the winter have on us? And why?

According to WebMD, the winter interupts your daily routine, coops you up inside under the covers, shoveling comfort food down your throat to drown out the depressive moods you often find yourself in. Even though everyone is different with their eating habbits, despite all efforts, studies show that the average person gains five to seven pounds during these winter months. While there are many reasons for weight gain, one major reason is seasonal affective dissorder which can cause a person to either over eat or under eat, according to Lawrence J. Cheskin, MD (WebMD).

So does the weight gain only happen to those who experience seasonal affective dissorder? Well,”Research studies show that the ‘hibernation theory’ of winter overeating does not hold up for the vast majority of us who do not have seasonal affective disorder” (WebMD). However, due to the cold and the snow sometimes standing in our way, even the most cheerful people may gain a few unwanted fat cells. This is because of the natural way we react to the cold; run and hide.

Others studies show that during the winter months your metabolism slows down and due to the lack of sunlight which causes your mood to remain in the dumps, we turn to comfort food. Often times these comfort foods, in an attempt to battle thses pounds, are found in pre-packaged goods which are high in carbohydrates. The article “Food & Drink…” found on The Independant explains that “In its purest form carbohydrate can affect the level of serotonin in the brain,’ […] ‘It relieves a depressed mood and controls aggressiveness. It’s also beneficial in cases of pre-menstrual tension, and in a state known as winter depression.'” 

Some scientists claim that this weight gain is actually good for you; it keeps you more insulated and protects against the harsh winter weather (AskMen). I say, forget that! Give me another jacket and a scarf and I’ll be making my way to the gym. Fight the winter. Don’t let that depression get the best of you!

Sources:

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/food–drink-psychobiology-and-the-mood-foods-carbohydrates-make-you-happy-coffee-boosts-mental-skills-michael-bateman-presents-a-psychologists-guide-to-diet-1411262.html

http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/5-tips-to-avoid-winter-weight-gain

http://www.askmen.com/sports/foodcourt_150/167_eating_well.html

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/seasonal-affective-disorder/basics/definition/con-20021047

Following up on my last blog post, here are asome foods you eat every day without realize the very harmful effects it has on your body.

1) Microwave popcorn:

It is quite obvious that microwaves themselves can be harmful on the body, but what we put into them can be just as bad and make the situation that much worse. According to National Health News and Discoveries, microwaveable popcorn bags are “…lined with a chemical called perfluoroctanoic acid ( PFOA) […] According to a recent study at the University of California, PFOA is linked to infertility in women” Numerous studies have been done on lab animals and humans and results show that too much exposure to PFOA can ‘significantly’ increases the risk of kidney, bladder, liver, pancreas and testicular cancers.

2) Canned tomatoes:

Actually, all canned foods are generally bad for you because the inside of the can in lined with bisphenol-A. A study done on rats by the National Academy of Sciences showed that this chemical has effects the way gened work inside the brain. The reason why tomatoes are so bad is because they are so acidic which breaks down the inside of the can which leeks these toxins into the food. According to National Academy of Sciences, “The level of BPA can be so high in fact; you should seriously consider not feeding them to children” (Natural Health News and Discoveries).

3) Potato chips: 

High in both fat and calories, this snack causes significant weight gain, high sodium levels, and high blood pressure. While these are all soft end points, they lead to hard endpoints later on in life. They are made with artificial flavors, numerous preservatives and colors, and cooked at high temperatures which creates a material called acrylamide; a known carcinogen found also in cigarretts (Natural Health News and Discoveries).

4) Highly processed white flowers:

Mills are now doing something they have never before done; bleaching flower with chlorine gas; a chemical that can be lethal when inhaled at a high dose. According to the EPA, “White processed flour has a very high glycemic rate which quickly raises the blood sugar level and insulin levels, which can be a direct cause of diabetes, not to mention it is believed that it spreads cancer cells by feeding the cells directly” (Natural Health News and Discoveries).

5) Artificial sweeteners:

Setting aside the fact that these sweeteners do not actually help lose weight, but instead cause weight gain, when broken down, they create a deadly toxin called DKP. When your stomach produces this chemical, it is also increases chemicals that cause cancers; especially brain tumors (Natural Health News and Discoveries).

6) Red meat:

A study done over the course of ten years shows that is the average man eats even a small amount of red meat each day increases his chance of dying of cancer every day by 22%. There way be other confounding factors that contribute to this, however, there are strong links between the two.

Experiments, and observations have found that these and many other foods that we may think are not harmful, are actually going to kill us in the long run. This link gives 15 additional daily cancerous foods that the average joe eats every day. Have a look.

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sources:

16 Cancer Causing Foods You Probably Eat Every Day

When deciding to go on a diet, the main thing on our minds is losing weight and being healthier. Isn’t that the entire objective of a diet? Cut out the sugar, reduce the salt, don’t eat after seven, blah, blah, blah. Have you ever thought about a no-cancer diet? I bet you haven’t.

If you are already planning on going on a diet, why not put in a little extra effort to avoid the cancerous goodies that are lurking in the dark? Incorporate these few things, and take out others so that you reduce your risks.

1) Eating seven or more daily servings of a variety of grains, grain products, legumes, roots and tubers will provide protective benefits against cancer. The less processed the grain is, the better, so try aim for wholegrain foods like; oats, brown rice, corn, rye, kidney beans and lentils. Diets high in refined starch and refined sugar may increase the risk of stomach cancer and bowel cancer (Better Health).

2) According the the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF), there have been studies that show convincing scientific evidence that eating processed meat increases bowel cancer risk. These include hot dogs, ham, bacon, and some sausages and burgers. There is also convincing evidence that red meat also increases a person’s risk of bowel cancer, so it is recommended that individuals, particularly men, decrease their intake of red meat (Better Health).

3) While fatty foods are rumored to cause cancer, there is no hard evidence that there are any hard end points to eating fatty foods. While soft endpoints such as high cholesterol and blood pressure may cause other health risks, and could lead to obesity, fatty foods are not your main enemy when battling directly with cancer. There is a correlation, however, between fatty foods and colon cancer which is due to obesity (Better Health). 

4) Vegetables are a natural defense against cancers (Better Health). So eat your greens, says Popeye the Sailor Man.

5) Women, pay attention; breast cancer is the most common cancer effecting us today. Diets high in foods containing mono-unsaturated fat, such as olive oil, canola oil, some nuts and seeds, and high in vegetables may reduce the risk. Alcohol consumption increases the risk. So cut back on the parties (Better Health).

There are loads and loads of more information about foods that cause and fight against certain cancers; too many to list in one blog, and i do not want to bore you. But if you are interested in a more healthy life style, visit this link.

Be sure to see my next post that will have your mouth drop to the floor. Foods that you eat every day, that seem to have no harm, are actually killing you!

sources:

http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Cancer_and_food

After hearing about abortions, I have been involved with and heard about arguments over whether or not it should be legal. It has become a nation-wide debate, often sways the public to decide on political leaders, and leaves the fate of a human’s life in the hands of the beholder. These disputes stem farther down than whether or not a couple of irresponsible teens should pay the price for their actions. It is a matter of whether or not it is fair to that unborn child. Is it murder? Or is it just deciding not to allow an organism to become an actual human being?

            In the United States, it is illegal to abort a pregnancy if it is further along than 24 weeks. This time frame was set so that the baby has not yet developed enough to feel or know what is happening. Most believe that up until the second trimester, there is no real human that is being harmed. It is just an egg or a creature thereof that feels and knows absolutely nothing. I thought he same thing too.

However, after putting aside my own beliefs, as I am asking you to do now, think about this; after looking into it some more, I found that studies show in some cases, “…Although a pregnancy is considered full term between week 37 and week 42 of pregnancy, babies born as early as week 24 have survived” (What to expect). Yes, I was just as shocked as you. Even after only a short amount of time, “…With the advent of sonograms and live-action ultrasound images, neonatologists and nurses are able to see unborn babies at 20 weeks gestation react physically to outside stimuli such as sound, light and touch” (What To Expect). Although at such a premature stage, an infant’s sense of touch is so sensitive that even a single human hair drawn across an unborn baby’s palm causes the baby to make a fist.  Surgeons entering the womb to perform corrective procedures on tiny unborn babies have seen those babies flinch, jerk and recoil from sharp objects and incisions (MCCL).

            David Birnbach, M.D., and president of the Society for Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology explains that, “Having administered anesthesia for fetal surgery, I know that on occasion we need to administer anesthesia directly to the fetus, because even at these early gestational ages the fetus moves away from the pain of the stimulation,” (MCCL)

The object of this blog was not to sway anyone to believe that abortion is murder. I personally believe it is your own decision and should be left at that, but before going through with it, think about these few things:

The unborn baby at 20 weeks
Fetal development is already quite advanced at 20 weeks gestation:

• The skeleton is complete and reflexes are present at 42 days.
• Electrical brain wave patterns can be recorded at 43 days. This is usually ample evidence that “thinking” is taking place in the brain.
• The fetus has the appearance of a miniature baby, with complete fingers, toes and ears at 49 days.
• All organs are functioning—stomach, liver, kidney, brain—and all systems are intact at 56 days.
• By 20 weeks, the unborn child has hair and working vocal cords, sucks her thumb, grasps with her hands and kicks. She measures 12 inches (MCCL).

So are the arguments that the baby is unaware of the pain it would potentially feel? Or is it actually murder?

Here’s a link; not as graphic as others I have seen, but through an ultrasound you can see the size of a baby that is being aborted at 24 weeks. If you do view it, just know that you have been forewarned. 

sources:

http://www.whattoexpect.com/wom/pregnancy/how-late-can-you-get-an-abortion-in-the-united-states.aspx

http://www.mccl.org/unborn-babies-can-feel-pain.html

MURDER

How many of us have been in a crowded room surrounded by classmates on all sides sitting in silence taking that major test, when suddenly…you get that tickle. That oh-no! tickle in the back of your nose that makes your eyes water and chin quiver. That sneeze is coming. If you’re anything like me, you hate sneezing in public. You get those looks and those distorted faces of people thinking “you just got me sick, you nasty, unhealthy vermin”. So, you hold it in.

DO NOT DO THAT.

If you hold in such a powerful reaction going on within your body, you are at risk of popping a blood vessel in your head or neck. This can cause death.

There are other ways of getting around this awkward moment. Rub your nose, breath hard in and out through you n nostrils tilt your head back, or like I do, say “apples, apples, oranges oranges” in your head, and you forget to sneeze. It truly works for me.

However, if the sneeze is already in progress, it is better to just ah-choo. It may not seem detrimental, however, there are more than a few dangers. A Live Science article bullets some:

• cause injury to the diaphragm
• break a blood vessel in the white of the eye, causing bruising of the white part around the iris
• force air up the Eustachian tubes in your ears and cause a ruptured ear drum or an injury to the inner ear that could lead to vertigo or hearing loss
• weaken a blood vessel in the brain and cause it to rupture due to the momentary elevation of blood pressure

Some people may even suffer from aggressive sneezes that come with an entire set of health problems;

• A violent sneeze by someone who had sinus surgery can push air into the space around the eye and cause it to bulge, or push air into the brain cavity and cause an intense headache or even stroke
• A violent sneeze could cause a neck injury from a sudden extension of the neck
• A violent sneeze can cause momentary incontinence

So the next time you plan to sneeze, just duck and cover, and let it go.

Sources:

http://www.livescience.com/32776-is-it-safe-to-hold-in-a-sneeze.html

We all know that there is more than one galaxy, and in those galaxies there are stars just like our main star; the sun. Well there is one star that I have recently been hearing about called the V838 that is 20,000 light years away. To make you realize how far that truly is, if you traveled at the speed of light, you could travel that distance in 20,000 years. Only if you do not take any pee breaks.

Back to that point. this star blew up in January of 2002 and at that moment became the most luminous star in its galaxy. Scientists have made many different predictions as to why this had happened; it could have swallowed a plant in its orbit, or maybe it was actually two stars orbiting one another and their atmospheres colliding causing an explosion.

I know I have probably lost your attention by now, but just give it a second. I found this to be extremely interesting;

“Nothing lasts forever, but in the universe, nothing is ever really gone, either. As the Columbia University astrophysicist Caleb Scharf pointed out in an essay on his blog recently, long after you and I are dead, the light reflected off our faces today will still be traveling across space, ever fainter with distance, but always there. For somebody with a big enough telescope somewhere, we will be immortal” (NY Times). (There is a live link on this page).

So the light that will eventually reach our faces, and the light we see each day from our sun will reflect off of us and travel maybe 20,000 light years. I wish I didn’t have that huge pimple the other day. I would hate to have that person look into that telescope on one of those days!

Sources:

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/03/science/space/the-v838-monocerotis-star-still-has-astronomers-heads-exploding.html?ref=science&_r=1

I bet you did know that your metabolism can be broken down into two categories. One being catabolism which is the breakdown of molecules to obtain energy, and the second being anabolism which is the synthesis of all compounds needed by the cells. However you break it down, the human metabolism is very dynamic. There are many factors that contribute to its function and its efficiency; exercise, diet, fluid intake, etc. But there is one variable that many may overlook, like I have.

Oxygen.

Oxygen intake is a major factor that contributes to the efficiency of our metabolism. As we move around throughout the day we invite more oxygen into our body while at the same time using it up. We use oxygen to convert food into energy, to walk, to think, and every single thing your body does on a daily basis. Likewise, for each food we consume we exert a certain amount of oxygen to break it down;

(click here to view table on website)

The more oxygen you intake the quicker your metabolism. There are breathing exercises, if followed properly, that can actually make you lose weight without exerting any serious energy. To learn more about lazy weight loss, click here for a live link. 

Sources:

http://www.news-medical.net/health/What-is-Metabolism.aspx

http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/biology/metab.html

http://healthyliving.azcentral.com/proper-breathing-boost-metabolism-15147.html

Did you know that there is over 200 corpses on Mount Everest? No one dares to move them which has made their bodies landmarks and way points for other climbers attempting to make it to the top. Whether they died because of falling rocks, sub-zero temperatures, or nasty falls, wherever they lay is where they have remained to this very day.

George Mallory, (shown above) was the first to attempt the summit and when he reached the top, he died. This was in 1924. His body is still perfectly preserved in the spot he died in. This interesting fact that I found on this site had me wondering what effects the severe cold and the elements on this mountain have on the human body. How is it possible to freeze in one place like English climber David Sharp did? How have the bodies been preserved for this long? And what defenses does the human body have against the cold?

Some research I did showed that our body has some interesting ways to keep warm. Our muscles and teeth shiver and chatter, we get goose-bumps, blood flow to outer extremities such as the fingers and toes is reduced so as to keep the warm blood circulating in the major organs, and many other things that we aren’t even aware about. An article from BBC explains that the hypothalamus is a gland in our brains that acts as the body’s temperature gage which triggers these and other reactions that help to keep the bodys internal organs as warm as possible.

I was also curious how bodies could be so perfectly preserved. Like this man below who has fell asleep resting against a snow bank that has since then evaporated, yet his body remains in that same position.

It turns out that in order for a preservation like this to happen, conditions must be perfect. Humidity, temperature, and other factors must be put together just right in order for the body to ramin so perfectly intact. A Bodies Dont Die article explains that “When an individual dies in conditions where there is constant snow and ice, there is no way for bacteria to grow or insects to attack the dying remains. The cells are frozen in place and preventing from decaying. It literally arrests the process of decomposition”. (Click here to see full article).

Climbers die due to numerous dangers, most commonly is freezing alive. Often times the adventurers grow tired and sit to have a short break only to fall deeper and deeper into a sleep never to wake up again. Others like Sergei’s and Francy’s death are much more gut wrenching and horrible to read about. If you would like to read some quick summaries of how others like this couple had died, click here. It is extremely interesting, and somewhat disturbing.

here are also some youtube links that explain further:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YC9sBo1WHXASources:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFr1KdY6aiw

Sources:

http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20140107-what-extreme-cold-does-to-human

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/there-are-over-200-bodies-on-mount-everest-and-theyre-used-as-landmarks-146904416/?no-ist

Preservation: When bodies don’t decompose

http://sometimes-interesting.com/2011/06/29/over-200-dead-bodies-on-mount-everest/

Dead bodies on Mount Everest

Branching off of what was once posted about gaining that freshman fifteen, I have found some interesting information that may help battle those unwanted pounds. As college students we are always on the run to each class, often leaving us with less than sufficient time to eat the proper foods at the proper pace. I can only speak for myself, but I think we all can agree that never in our lives have we eaten so fast or such horrible junk, but there may be a simple solution; one of many. Researchers claim that foods with stronger aromas cause people to take smaller bites. Smaller bites equal smaller stomachs.

Researchers have come up with a way to separate the smell and other elements of food from one another to test the effects that aromas have on the brain. This test was used to determine how large of bites the subjects would take.

A Live Science article explains that “Participants were fed vanilla custard through a tube while “vanilla-custard” smells were delivered directly into the backs of their noses. They controlled the amount of custard fed into their mouth by pressing a button to stop the flow. The researchers weighed the custard cup before and after each “bite” to measure its size. Participants ate about the amount of a normal-size desert”

The results prove the hypothesis made. They took smaller bites. It is a way to trick your brain to making you think you have consumed more than you actually have. No diets or personal trainers needed anymore.

Sources:

http://www.livescience.com/19194-food-aroma-bite-size.html

There’s nothing like that twelfth cup of coffee in the morning!

Last night I attempted to finish all homework that will be due during this upcoming Rush Week so that I would not be stressing later on. It was around 2:30 a.m. and the majority was done, only a science blog post remained. At this time my eyes were drooping, blood shot, and trying to burst from my skull, but my goal was set; I was to get it done. So I did what any normal college student would do…ran for some more coffee. I think we can all agree that it is  life source and needed by the majority of Americans in order to survive an entire day. As I drank, i began to realize that anything that can provide such a simple scape-goat and defy the rules of our own body (such as take your tired butt to sleep), then there has to be some bad effects. I looked them up.

Caffein is a chemical derived from coffee, tee, and is most often used as a central nervous system stimulant. I am aware that we all know caffein is addictive which I a bad thing, so I will not go on about that and waste your time. What I will tell you is this;

• it is one of the major causes of sleep apnea
• it rises blood pressure leads to heart disease and stroke)
• can cause serious pregnancy problems
• contributes to the causes of bipolar disorders and anxiety disorders– I watched a good friend of mine have a nerous break down after having her first cup of coffee because she couldnt handle the “rasing thoguhts” (she had been on some medication for a while)
• major factor contributing to diabetes 
• glaucoma– 30 minutes after caffien intake the pressure behind ones eye increases drastically and lasts for up to 90 minutes
• osteoporosis– caffien flushes out major amounts of calcium in the urin which bones need in order to stay strong and healthy
• the list goes on and on and continuously gets more shocking

We all know that there are some harmful effects of caffein; that much is obvious. However, I did not realize the severity of it all. One minor thing can cause major long and short term issues I had not been aware of. The FDA has even issued many warnings about the dangers of caffien. College students all over the world have died due to pure caffein overdoses in order to stay up that extra hour to finish a blog post. From now on, I will stick to my bar of candy and work on a sugar high instead of drinking those eight cups of coffee (that is, until I no longer fit in my jeans).

Kicking and Screaming

Hey everyone! The name is Valerie Ortense, I go by Val, or Seeds (I’m addicted to sunflower seeds) and I am a freshman. I’m taking this class because for one, it fills Gen Ed credits, and two, I read up on what this class was about and realized that this type of science will probably be very interesting. It isn’t hard physics or chemistry with numbers (which I have always been ridiculously bad at) so I thought it could be fun. I am not a science major becasue I am not good with numbers, and I dont see where the money can be made out of it unless you make a breakthrough with some new medication for cancer or something crazy like that. And for me, that is highly unlikely. I chose to go to Penn State because its closer to my favorite place to be: Killington Vermont doing what I love; skiing. Now, dont get me wrong, I am NO WHERE near as good as these people, but I wish I was!