After going on a chocolate frenzy last winter, I was destined to find an alternative to this delicious treat! I mean c’mon, if chocolate hadn’t any calories, I’d be all for devouring these little bars every second of every day. But since chocolate isn’t so hot in the nutritional field, I began searching for a different treat. Oddly enough, I was in Homegoods when I came across my new favorite cocoa treat!

Cacao nibs are little chocolate pieces that are absolutely delicious. These babies are perfect for pouring over parfaits, cookies, oatmeal- anything that needs some flavor! They are exactly like chocolate chips, except healthy. That’s what I like to hear! I use cacao nibs for all types of cooking, and I have learned that cacao has so many health benefits as well.

Cacao nibs are filled with fiber, whereas, chocolate has no fiber. One ounce of these nibs have 9 grams of fiber. The nibs are also filled with iron. An ounce of the raw cacao nibs gives you 6% of our daily fiber needed. Raw cacao beans are also full of antioxidants, which are important for absorbing bad things in our bodies! Cacao nibs act on our neurotransmitters as mood enhancers! The nibs release neurotransmitters to our brains that relay happy hormones. Cacao nibs trigger happy emotions. Who doesn’t love a good that makes us happy and tastes delicious? Cacao nibs also release a hormone called Phenylethylamine that causes an increase in our heart rate. This makes us feel more alert and focused! Cacao also contains Theobromine which acts like caffeine. Clearly, cacao is a better choice. Don’t ya think?

Obviously, cacao nibs are excellent for our health and for our taste buds. With these tiny little chocolates, your taste buds will do the happy dance.

Sources:

photo by: www.beyondthegrape.com

http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/healthy-eating/the-nutrition-of-cocoa-nibs.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/08/02/cacao-nibs_n_3695571.html

http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/custom/933596/2

In this world, one of the several things that humans need is sleep. Many people, especially college students, do not receive the recommended hours of sleep each night. People can avoid sleep, but they will come to realize that sleep is a necessity. Personally, I am the type of person who needs a mostly quiet and dark environment to fall asleep. This is the way numerous people need to fall asleep, but I often put on relaxing music when taking naps. Since I have been at Penn State, I  recently started trying putting soft music on when going to bed. Once I started doing this, I realized that I have fallen asleep much quicker and easier.

According to Soundscape Music Therapy, music is a factor in that can enhance the duration and quality of your sleep. Research done in various hospitals has shown that people with medical conditions fell asleep easier with music playing. One way music aids us when trying to fall asleep is it blocks out many of the noises that tend to bother us. Annoying sounds from outside or even from the college dorms such as the bathroom toilet or hand-dryer are blocked out much easier when music is playing. These sounds do not become as distracting when music is playing. Our brain becomes less focused on the surrounding environment and more concentrated on the different sounds of the music. Second, music has a rhythmic sound. This means that it has a constant beat that can be followed as opposed to sudden noises that distract us at night (flushing the toilet, sink water running, etc.) like I mentioned before. Third, music can be used as a relaxation technique. Music helps us create images in our mind and helps us focus on these images, helping our minds shut down easier.

Reported by Emma Innes from Mail Online, “Playing sounds synchronized to the rhythm of the slow brain oscillations of people who are asleep boosts their memory and improves sleep quality.” In addition, the music sound allows the length of our sleep (sleep duration) last longer. Dr. Jan Born from a university in Germany, further emphasized this idea by stating, “The beauty lies in the simplicity of applying auditory stimulation at low intensities. Therefore, it portrays a straightforward tool for clinical settings to enhance sleep rhythms.” Dr. Jan Born conducted a study where eleven people were revealed to a variety of sound stimulations. When these individuals were exposed to these sounds, the sounds were shown to be in sync with the brain’s slower movements. The next day, the people in the study had an increase in memory intake. The researchers who helped conduct this study with Dr. Born believe just like how this study helped improve memory retention, it can also help improve sleep.

Another study was conducted published in 2009 by the Journal of Advanced Nursing. Five trials were performed with 170 people. The trials showed that music had a somewhat average impact on their sleep quality. Not only can it improve the quality and duration of sleep over a few nights, it can slowly improve the quality of sleep over a longer period of time. When listening to music, fast and up-beat songs should be listened to because this only will increase your heart beat, causing your body to become more excited. Songs with a soft rhythm and a relaxing tone (Ed Sheeran for example) can be effective in improving sleep.

I am not saying you have to listen to music right as you are going to bed. I am not saying music will help each and every one of you. This tool can be extremely effective in improving sleep, but it will only help some people. Music is not for everyone. Music affects us all differently, but I urge you all to give it a try and see what happens.

Sources:

http://soundscapemusictherapy.com/2012/11/01/can-music-help-me-sleep/

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2308114/How-listening-music-boosts-brainpower.html

http://altmedicine.about.com/od/insomnia/a/music_insomnia.htm

Everyone who has worn a new pair of stunning 5 inch heels knows the pain is real. As uncomfortable as stylish heels look, women are still wearing heels, and they are even bigger and better today. We all know that the pain you feel in the ball of your foot, and eventually all over and up your ankle is just a normal pain of breaking in new heels, or even wearing a pair that are almost too tall. I also think it is safe to assume that everyone realizes that the pain probably isn’t a good thing. But are heels impacting other parts of our bodies in ways just as bad?

Women’s Health Magazine says that the most pain is felt in the ball of the foot because when wearing a heel, the body’s weight is no longer spread out among the entire foot, but is all pressured on to the ball and big toe of the foot. Also, when wearing heels it forces the person to walk differently, which can cause large blisters and in grown toe nails. Furthermore the knees are taking in much more stress which can eventually lead to knee problems. In addition to the feet and knees, a persons back is also negatively impacted because it has to be upright in an unnatural position that can lead to severe lower back pain.

Also, The Washington Post posted that a human is supposed to walk heel to toe, but when a person is wearing heels they are altering the natural way they are supposed to walk, which can lead to serious foot and ankle problems. The skinnier and the higher the heels are, the more likely someone is to sprain their ankle or tear ligaments in the side of the ankle because they may roll their ankles more. Also, the achilles tendon is tightened up when wearing heels, and going from being scrunched up to stretching out after taking off a pair of heels at the end of the day can lead to problems with the achilles tendon, like achilles tendonitis. Lastly, wearing heels for too long can cause tissue on the bottom of the foot to swell, and it can get very bad to the point of needing to go through aggressive treatments, and cause severe pain.

Does this mean that we have to stop wearing our favorite type of dress shoe? Nope! Although avoiding wearing heels, and other shoes without arch support, would be the best thing for feet, there are easy ways to avoid getting problems with feet from heels. Although there is no fool proof method, it is suggested to avoid wearing heels for an extended amount of time (just on special occasions) and to wear heels with shorter and/or chunkier heels,in order to keep pressure spread out and less centralized on the big toe and ball of the foot.

This leads to further questioning of why women actually wear heels, if they are so bad and painful on their bodies. Alternet has a theory: The type of heel signifies class. The theorist says that women of a higher class have the money to spend on these high heels, and the resources as well, because they will wear them to nice dinners, where they are sitting down, a few exceptions to work (where they are probably sitting down), and valet parking is a lot less of a distance to walk in the painfully tall heels than is taking the bus to a party. Although this is only a theory, in my opinion, a good type of experiment for this could be to take a sample of women from the upper, middle, and lower classes, and split into these groups, and send all the women into a shoe store and tell them that they must buy 3 pairs of shoes. Next, after all the women are done shopping, see what type of shoes the women have bought in each of the three groups. (What type of shoe, the heel size, the expense of the shoe, ect.)

 http://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/high-heels

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/high-heeled-shoes-may-look-good-but-theyre-bad-for-your-feet/2013/06/17/54945c14-c22d-11e2-914f-a7aba60512a7_story.html

http://www.alternet.org/high-heels-hurt-hell-do-women-wear-them-signify-class-and-status

This have been a very talked about topic over the past several years. Personally, I am not a coffee drinker, but I do drink a decent amount of tea. I did not think anything of it until my friends were constantly saying, “Lauren, you shouldn’t be drinking so much tea, it dehydrates you.” Or, people would say: “Don’t drink tea every day because your body will become dehydrated.” In reality, this is just a myth.

According to Huffington Post, the only way tea will dehydrate you is if you are overdoing it by consistently drinking it multiple times a day. If you have a couple cups of tea a day, this will not harm your body in any way. Caffeine is more likely to dehydrate you in contrast to tea, which actually ends up leaving you more hydrated. Katherine Zeratsky from Mayo Clinic reports that taking in three to five cups of coffee daily could potentially pose a risk for dehydration.

According to Claudia Hammond from BBC (British Broadcasting Organization), “Every day people around the globe drink 1.6 billion cups of coffee and around twice as many cups of tea.” People are satisfied with tea because it includes caffeine that helps wake them up in the mornings and during the day. We know that the recommended daily intake of water is about eight glasses a day, and usually we think that tea is not included in these eight glasses of water because they “dehydrate” you. Is there any factual evidence to prove this though?

There has not been very many or recent studies about caffeine and links to dehydration. The last known study is from the year 1928. Three men were experimented over the course of two winter seasons. Some were ordered to drink up to four cups of caffeine a day, ranging from coffee to tea to water secured with caffeine. The study found that the men who drank only the water laced with caffeine and nothing else, their urine volume went up by 50%. However, when these men began to drink coffee on a daily basis, their urine production increased. Although this study shows a correlation between caffeine and urine production, it does not show any type of direct causality that tea in particular causes dehydration.

Also, there was a rare study performed that had people consume solely tea for a twelve hour period. There was no difference at all between the people that consumed the tea and people who consumed the same amount of boiled water. So, the hydration levels between these two groups of individuals did not differ. This was a randomized control experiment.

Below is a picture showing the amount of caffeine in coffee vs tea. As you can see from the image, there is a much higher caffeine content in different types of coffee than tea. This leads to the point that tea does not have as many substances (potentially harmful) that are being put into your body.

Another study was conducted by in 2000 by Researchers at The Center for Human Nutrition in Ohama. The experiment looked at eighteen men who drank different caffeinated and decaffeinated beverages. From the results of the study, scientists determined that there was no difference (at least significant findings) in the hydration levels in the males. Due to this, there should not be a reason why we should avoid caffeinated drinks, especially tea all the time.

Overall, the theory that tea dehydrates you is a myth. There are other things to worry about when it comes to tea. According to an article from Live Strong, the more serious side effects of over-drinking tea is irritability, anxiety, a faster heartbeat, and difficulties in sleeping. These things should be more looked into rather than the myth that tea dehydrates you. Just don’t go overboard with drinking caffeine and there are no worries!

Sources:

http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20140402-are-coffee-and-tea-dehydrating

http://www.livestrong.com/article/524680-does-tea-have-a-dehydrating-effect/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/27/dehydration-myths_n_3498380.html

Procrastination is an ongoing plague that is sweeping the world. Whether it’s delaying completing a project, doing the dishes, or writing Science 200 blogs, we generally tend to fall victim to procrastination in one way or another. But what causes this? What are we waiting for?

Turns out, there is a scientific backdrop to procrastination. Psychologists have studied procrastination and determined that procrastination is based on emotions—if you don’t feel motivated in the given moment, you will wait in hopes that when you are under the pressure of a deadline you will become productive. Procrastinators know they must complete the task, but they struggle with the act of self-control in finding the connection between intention and action. They can’t bring themselves to commit to the work they have lined up, so they find other uses of their time instead. Procrastination is rooted in an emotional and psychological state of dissatisfaction. Procrastinators are fully aware that waiting to do their work will only cause them harm and stress later, but yet they continue to prioritize pleasure over responsibility.

A study done at Case Western Reserve University recorded the success of students who procrastinate and those who don’t. Results showed that the procrastinators had the initial benefit of less stress because they pursued pleasure over responsibility. As time went on, the procrastinators had to make up for lost time, thus becoming more stressed, as well as having lower quality of work and a higher tendency for illness. Therefore, procrastination will hurt you even more in the long run, and it can easily spiral out of control when overwhelming responsibilities pile up yet time remains limited. However, because this study was correlational, we cannot rule out reverse causation or third variables. The study states that procrastinators perform worse and are more stressed, but it is possible that people who are more stressed and are cognitively designed to do worse are the ones that put off the work until the last minute, perhaps in an attempt to avoid the stress or lack of confidence in their ability. In addition, the procrastinators that are more stressed could be receiving the stress from other events in life–drama, family issues, overwhelming courses, etc.

Procrastinators tend to feel regret, guilt, and shame when they realize that they should not have waited. Regardless, they fail to learn from their habits. They try to justify their actions, or lack thereof, by saying things such as, “At least I got the work done” or “Three hours to spare, I could’ve waited longer if I really wanted to.” This emotional imbalance only worsens the situation, because the procrastinator feels bad, yet fails to admit he/she has a problem and improve.

However, there is a difference between a “procrastinator” and a “person who procrastinates”. Checking Facebook for a few minutes before opening the textbook does not mean you will suffer under the curse of procrastination. However, if you consistently cannot do anything until the stress forces you to address it, or you go out for hours instead of starting your homework, doing nothing as your grades fall and your stress levels rise, then you may have a problem. Psychologists recommend setting personal deadlines, chopping up task sizes, or even receiving counseling if necessary.

My thoughts: I don’t think procrastination can be a labeled disorder as the article source suggested. I personally think that our society today has a tendency to over-diagnose. However the causes of procrastination do seem very  plausible to me. I think more research could be done on this topic to examine the demographics of procrastinators and see if there are patterns shown in the type of people who procrastinate. At the beginning of the semester I tended to procrastinate but now I focus more and get the work done in advance, and I have to say, I enjoy the relaxed and accomplished feeling that results from being ahead.

Source:

http://www.psychologicalscience.org/index.php/publications/observer/2013/april-13/why-wait-the-science-behind-procrastination.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/15/science-of-procrastination_n_5585440.html

via www.inkwellinspirations.com

During every workout, you reach a wall.  A wall that stands between a good workout and a great workout.  There are different ways to attack this wall.  Some use caffeine, maybe a pre-workout drink, some simply use mental fortitude.  But there’s a very overlooked secret weapon out there that can not only can you over that wall, but right through it.  What is it?

Music.

Music is an extremely effective means of getting and making the most of your workout.  I often find listening to music while lifting weights helps me achieve heavier lifts at higher volumes.  Zoning out to a gym playlist is an extremely beneficial means of powering through fatigue.  How exactly does music provide us with this newfound strength?  The answer is that music distracts our minds from body awareness (Grannell).  To put this in more simple terms, music distracts us from pain.  This is extremely interesting as this could quite possibly be applied to other fields as well.

The Rock gets it

With this logic in mind, it would seem very logical that music should be used in several other fields.  I would be interested in seeing how music applies to hospital patients, factory workers,  veterans with PTSD, etc. Anyone who may be experiencing stress/pain may find the benefits of getting lost in the euphoria of music.  There are actually current studies and experiments that show that music therapy can relax and soothe the symptoms of cancer in cancer patients (American Cancer Society).  With no real cons to using music as a form of therapy, it should certainly be considered a form of treatment for everything.

So next time you need a pick me up, feel sick, sad, or simply need to get a sweat in; put in your headphones and play your favorite playlist.  You won’t regret it.

Works Cited

American Cancer Society. “Music Therapy.” Music Therapy. N.p., 1 Nov. 2008. Web. 23 Sept. 2014. <http://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatmentsandsideeffects/complementaryandalternativemedicine/mindbodyandspirit/music-therapy>.

Grannell, Rachael. “7 Reasons You Should Listen To Music When You Work Out.” The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 1 Nov. 2013. Web. 22 Sept. 2014. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/01/why-exercise-workout-music-playlist_n_4173931.html>.

Have you ever accidently hit your elbow on something and immediately you experience a very strange numb feeling on your hand? Well congratulations, you just hit your funny bone. As you probably know, hitting the funny bone isn’t very funny, so why call it the funny bone? According to this article, there is no exact answer for it, but there are two suggested ideas. One idea is that it’s an anatomic pun; the nerve runs along the humerus, which sounds like “humorous”. (Haha) Another idea that the funny bone got its name is because of the funny (odd) feeling experienced once we hit it. However, the real reason behind the name funny bone is still a mystery.

The funny bone is actually not a bone but an ulnar nerve. This nerve runs from the neck to the hand, and then it innervates several muscles in the hands. Like the other nerves in our body, the ulnar nerve is protected by bones and muscles. However, as the nerve pass through the elbow, it runs through the cubital tunnel. Since the cubital tunnel is protected only by fats and skin, it is vulnerable to hits. Once we hit that spot we are actually hitting the nerve against our bone and compressing it. This is also the reason why we feel the numbness, tingling and pain that travels down our forearm and into our hands.

Most of us probably hate the feeling we get from hitting our funny bone, however thankfully for us; the pain goes away in a few seconds. For some people, that is not the case. There is a syndrome out there called the cubital tunnel syndrome and basically the pain from hitting the funny bone just doesn’t go away. The cubital tunnel syndrome occurs when there’s a prolonged period of disruption when the ulnar nerve is making its trip to the elbow. According to mentalfloss.com, over time,”Muscle weakness in the forearm and hand can set in, and the pinkie and ring finger can curl up in a position called the “ulnar claw.”” However there are ways to fix the cubital tunnel syndrome, for example elbow splinting, hand therapy, and surgery. So the next time you hit your funny bone, be thankful that it only lasts for a few seconds.

Sources:

http://mentalfloss.com/article/21474/what-funny-bone-and-why-does-hitting-it-hurt-so-much

http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/cubital-radial-tunnel-syndrome

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

As an Apple fan myself, I’ve always wondered why Apple tends to be much more successful than it’s competitors. Their competitors make products that are just as good with the same technology or perhaps even superior technology. There is one area though in which no other company comes close to Apple, the marketing. Apple has mastered the psychology behind marketing that has allowed them to be the face of technology. It is the same methods used by great leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr during the civil rights movement. People aren’t interested in simply what your product is, but actually why your doing it. First, let’s look at what a generic company’s marketing scheme might look like.

A typical technology company’s advertisement might be something as follows: Our computers run faster than most due to new cutting edge technology implemented within the computer. By one now for $499. According to Simon Sinek in his TED talk “How Great Leaders Inspire Action,” this coincides with his “Golden Circle” theory. The inner circle is the why, the middle is the how, and the outer is the what. A generic marketing scheme goes from the outside of the circle to the inside. On the Contrary, companies like Apple communicate from the inside to the outside. They give their consumers a reason to believe in their product and make them think that they are on a mission to “change the world.” Consumers want a product they can believe in. Apple products have become practically a movement at this point. They execute this through advertisement that go as follows, according to Sinek: “Everything we do, we believe in challenging the status quo. We believe in thinking differently. The way we challenge the status quo is by making our products beautifully designed, simple to use and user-friendly. We just happen to make great computers” (Simon Sinek). The key word here is believe. It makes users feel like there’s a purpose to the product, something innovative about it. Simon later goes on to explain that it’s why we’re comfortable buying all sorts of technology from Apple such as ipods, compared to mp3 players sold by Samsung. People are more likely to act on emotion rather than information.

In conclusion, it’s not that Samsung or any other company can’t make more advanced products than something like the iPhone, they can and they have. The difference is Apple is able to connect with people through their advertisements, and emotion is more powerful than information in provoking action.

Sources:

Having been kosher the first half of my life, I have experienced all of the different kosher foods. I’m asked by many people what being kosher really means. First of all, you are not allowed to eat certain animals – pigs, rodents and birds. Also, when you are kosher you cannot combine both meat and dairy.

In order to be considered “kosher” the animal is killed during a process known as “shechting.” The animal is killed instantly and experiences no pain during this process. Kosher food is carefully watched during preparation; therefore, many people believe that kosher products are much healthier for you. Many people think that “the extra eyes and slower speeds probably allow the government inspectors to do a better job” (NY Times).

After being kosher for such a long period in my life, I truly feel that it is a healthier way of living. There were several unhealthy food products that I wasn’t able to eat before and I truly felt  healthier. Overall, it takes a lot of dedication to live a kosher life, but at the end of the day it’s definitely worth it.

Sources:

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/13/more-people-choosing-kosher-for-health/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0

http://www.simpletoremember.com/articles/a/kosher-health/

Using an app called Cycloramic you can make your iPhone 5 spin a complete 360 degrees. Yeah I know what you’re thinking, “theres no way this works,” but it does! Not only does the iPhone spin around in a circle; it shoots video as well!

Cycloramic goes for $1 in the iPhone’s App Store, and only works on the iPhone 5 and 4S. The 4S supposedly doesn’t work as well, and the iPhone 4 doesn’t work at all. In order for the app to work, you must remove any case you have on your iPhone. I wouldn’t expect anything other than a face plant if attempting this with an OtterBox on!

For the best results you need a completely flat and smooth surface; even a tiny little crumb will prevent the iPhone’s rotation. From my experience the best results have been on marble and granite countertops, and my worst have been on wooden surfaces.

Honestly, I could care less about the iPhone’s video recording feature in this app. The most interesting part is that your device can spin in a circle hands-free. Users have the option to make their iPhone spin 360, 720, or 1080 degrees. There is also the option to use the front or rear facing camera.

There are a few updates I’d like to see in the future, such as its ability to record sound and take 360 degree panoramic pictures.

Sources:

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/technology/2012/12/app-of-the-week-cycloramic/

http://www.macrumors.com/2012/12/27/cycloramic-app-captures-hands-free-360-degree-video/

Whenever I’m about to go to sleep I usually turn on whatever song or playlist that I have been listening to for the past couple of days and drift off to it. I have always asked the question of whether this was helping me sleep or a hindrance to my sleeping process. Music has always been a way for me to relax so it would only make sense that it would help me sleep right? But what if music actually disrupts the human sleeping process?

In a study conducted by Hungarian researchers, they found that listening to 45 minutes or more of classical music can help those aged 19-28 reduce stress and help them attain a better nights rest. In the experiment, the researchers chose 67 males at random and exposed them to stress by having them write and deliver a 5 minute speech with 15 minutes preparation. After which, they were separated into four groups. Progressive relaxation, music, attention control, and silence.  The subject’s heart rate and blood pressure were monitored while performing the experiment to measure stress level. The groups of attention control and silence yielded higher stress levels as opposed to those of the other two groups. Although progressive relaxation techniques (muscle relaxation therapy) showed the greatest results in reduced stress, music was also cited to have had a beneficial effect in reducing stress by reducing heart rate and arousal.

In this study the group that was exposed to silence was the control in which the other groups were compared to. Also, in each group the independent variable that was held constant was the stressor, which was the 5 minute speech given by the subject. The variable that the researchers did not hold constant were the methods in which they attempted to reduce stress. This study attempted to show the correlation between music and reduced stress levels. But the researchers did not take into account a few third, confounding variables. One of which is the type of person that the subject is. Are they a very laid-backed or carefree and not an easily stressed person? Another is a person’s personal preference in music. Do they like classical music or not? I believe that this study was a well-conducted and convincing even though the researchers did not take into account some third variables that may have caused the reduce in stress when listening to classical music.

Along with my own personal experiences and this research I believe that music, classical or not, is a helpful way to relax and relieve stress that will lead to a better nights rest.

Sources:

http://download.springer.com/static/pdf/873/art%253A10.1023%252FA%253A1005542121935.pdf?auth66=1411340250_c02b94c3aef5ffe2182f45651d7aae5d&ext=.pdf

http://www.wqxr.org/#!/story/169724-top-five-studies-classical-music-and-health/

Proving to people that eating organic foods is much better than eating GM foods is not enough. People must be convinced to change their ways if we want to actually improve health issues. So what are the effects of eating these genetically modified foods?

Again, according to Responsible Technology, in 2009, the American Academy of Environmental Medicine stated that, “Several animal studies indicate serious health risks associated with genetically modified food,” including infertility, immune problems, accelerated aging, faulty insulin regulation, and changes in major organs and the gastrointestinal system. The AAEM has asked physicians to advise all patients to avoid GM foods. 

• Soy allergies skyrocketed by 50% in the UK, soon after GM soy was introduced.
• A skin prick allergy test shows that some people react to GM soy, but not to wild natural soy.
• Cooked GM soy contains as much as 7-times the amount of a known soy allergen.
• GM soy also contains a new unexpected allergen, not found in wild natural soy.

Studies done on animals also suggest that:

• GM soy drastically reduces digestive enzymes in mice, impairing digestion.
• Mice fed Bt-toxin started having immune reactions to formerly harmless foods.
• Rats fed GM potatoes had smaller, partially atrophied livers.
• The livers of rats fed GM canola were 12-16% heavier.
• GM soy altered mouse liver cells in ways that suggest a toxic insult.
• More than half the babies of mother rats fed GM soy died within three weeks.
• The DNA of mouse embryos functioned differently when their parents ate GM soy.
• Thousands of sheep, buffalo, and goats in India died after grazing on BT cotton plants after harvest while others suffered poor health and reproductive problems.

So when will this proof be enough? It’s hard to just stop eating the foods that all American’s are accustomed to eating, but maybe it’s necessary for the good of everyone’s health. 

reference:

http://www.responsibletechnology.org/health-risks

As most of us live on campus, we pretty much eat whatever they’re serving in the closest dining commons. We don’t think about health or have any concern over what we’re putting into our bodies. It happens all over America; we eat before we think. 

 According to Responsible Technology, “Starting in 1996, Americans have been eating genetically modified (GM) ingredients in most processed foods. GM plants, such as soybean, corn, cottonseed, and canola, have had foreign genes forced into their DNA. The inserted genes come from species, such as bacteria and viruses, which have never been in the human food supply. Genetic engineering transfers genes across natural species barriers. It uses imprecise laboratory techniques that bear no resemblance to natural breeding, and is based on outdated concepts of how genes and cells work. Gene insertion is done either by shooting genes from a “gene gun” into a plate of cells or by using bacteria to invade the cell with foreign DNA. The altered cell is then cloned into a plant.”

Hearing that process definitely doesn’t make me want to consume processed goods for my next meal, but then again here I am eating the same kinds of foods that I always eat. 

What many people are unaware of is that the genetic engineering process creates massive collateral damage, causing mutations in hundreds or thousands of locations throughout the plant’s DNA which reacts with the natural genes and causing behavioral changes. Even the inserted gene can be damaged or rearranged, and may create proteins that can trigger allergies or promote disease. 

So what will it take to prove to people that eating organic foods is much better than eating GM foods? 

reference:

http://www.responsibletechnology.org/health-risks

Sushi has many benefits due to its source of low-calorie, high quality protein. It has many fatty acids that can lower your cholesterol, as well as your risk of heart disease. Eating sushi is not detrimental to one’s health, unless they eat it too often. Also, it depends which type of sushi you decide to eat, because certain types of fish are worse for you than others.

Extremely high levels of mercury are found in tuna, mackerel, yellowtail, swordfish and sea bass. These fish can be very damaging to one’s health, especially tuna which has the highest mercury levels of all fish. There are several symptoms when one experiences mercury poisoning, such as problems with vision and tremors. These are indications that one should most likely cutback on their sushi intake or the consequences may become very severe. Also, some individuals should stay away from sushi completely, such as pregnant women. Pregnant women should avoid sushi because mercury poisoning can be extremely harmful to a developing fetus or child.

Overall, sushi can be quite healthy if you eat it every once in awhile, but you shouldn’t overdo it. You should be very careful about your sushi intake because eating too much can definitely be dangerous.

Sources:

http://chealth.canoe.ca/channel_section_details.asp?text_id=4496&channel_id=44&relation_id=48473

http://www.usforacle.com/news/view.php/686471/Dont-eat-too-much-sushi

When you’re sitting in McDonalds you do not even know that your emotions are subconsciously being tampered with.  All around you are the colors red and yellow as you sit there anxiously awaiting your fast-food.  Is this color scheme just a coincidence or are you being targeted by a business tactic?  The answer is it’s a business tactic used by McDonalds.

Colors play a large role in the business world.  Why? Colors subconsciously effect our emotions we are feeling at that time.  For example, red and yellow cause us to feel anxious and the need to hurry up.  There for a company like McDonalds, whose business model is fast service and a quick meal, use these two colors to make you eat your meal faster and leave the restaurant faster.  This basic practice can be found all over the corporate world, for example British Petroleum logo is green, which we associate with nature.  This gives BP the look that it is not harmful to nature and causes us to purchase their oil; however the company does the complete opposite by selling us gas which pollutes the earth.  Let us also not forget the deep water horizon oil spill had in 2010.  So we can see the use of colors can help a company subconsciously control their customers.

So pay attention next time you’re in your favorite store or restaurant or looking at an ad or commercial.  Every color is perfectly placed to make you react a certain way which gives these businesses an advantage on you, the consumer.  They can make you spend more, eat faster, feel more comfortable, and even earn your trust all without you knowing.  This is all part of the business worlds big color scheme.

Here are colors and their emotions:

Orange– Orange represents enthusiasm, fascination, happiness, creativity, determination, attraction, success, encouragement, and stimulation.

Red– Red is associated with energy, war, danger, strength, power, determination as well as passion, desire, and love.

Yellow– Yellow is associated with joy, happiness, intellect, and energy.

Green– Symbolizes growth, harmony, freshness, and fertility. Green has strong emotional correspondence with safety.

Blue– Blue is associated with depth and stability. It symbolizes trust, loyalty, wisdom, confidence, intelligence, faith, truth, and heaven.

Purple– Purple is associated with royalty. It symbolizes power, nobility, luxury, and ambition. It conveys wealth and extravagance. Purple is associated with wisdom, dignity, independence, creativity, mystery, and magic.

White– White is associated with light, goodness, innocence, purity, and virginity. It is considered to be the color of perfection.

Black– Black is associated with power, elegance, formality, death, evil, and mystery.

Work Cited:

Cherry, Kendra. “Can Color Really Change How You Feel and Act?” About. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Sept. 2014.

“Color Wheel Pro – See Color Theory in Action.” Color Wheel Pro: Color Meaning. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Sept. 2014.

Most people believe that tea dehydrates you; however, this is not the case at all. The British Dietetic Association discovered that “tea counts towards our recommended daily intake of six to eight cups of fluid.” Does this mean that you should go and drink enormous amounts of Snapple or Arizona Iced Tea every day? No. This type of tea does not provide the benefits that natural tea does. However, whether tea is black, green or white, or bagged or loose, tea is extremely beneficial towards your well being. Tea has many antioxidants, known as flavonoids, that assist in fighting off several illnesses and lower your risk of certain health problems, such as heart disease, stroke and cancer.

Believe it or not, tea may even lead to weight loss. Recent studies have proven that green tea can speed up your metabolism and one of the flavonoids that is found in green tea can cause a drop in weight when combined with caffeine. Tea also is a source of fluoride, so it keeps your teeth strong and protects them from decay.

Another recent study in Japan of more than 40,000 people proved that drinking green tea does make you live longer. The study showed that those who drank five cups or more of green tea a day “had rates of heart disease 16 percent lower than those who drank only one cup a day” and their “rates of death were 26 percent lower” (Early To Rise).

Personally, I truly love the taste of tea, especially green tea, and I drink several cups a week. People should stay away from the sugary drinks and have a nice, hot cup of tea every once in awhile because it will definitely lead to a healthier life.

Sources:

http://www.express.co.uk/life-style/health/431749/Time-for-tea-Why-a-cuppa-could-make-you-live-longer

http://www.earlytorise.com/could-green-tea-help-you-live-longer/

http://authoritynutrition.com/green-tea-and-weight-loss/

“Entitled” is a term that has become synonymous with our generation. How true that statement is, I don’t know, but what I do know is that everyone around us seems to believe it. I came upon a Reason-Rupe Poll, a public opinion research project, that suggested that indeed 65% of Americans found us to be exactly that. In a society that always publicizes the negative what else was there to expect? But a closer look at the Reason-Rupe poll shows some issues within telephone polling system in general that make me question wether to believe this research. The first of which happened to be that it was a telephone poll. Telephone polls are prone to being ignored, especially with caller ID, and as a result response rates have become a concern. In fact a Pew Research publication highlights this issue amongst its own process. With response rates as low as 9 percent as found in the year 2012 by Pew its hard to see public opinion polls like that of the Reason-Rupe poll as true representations of the American public. How many individuals actually responded out of how many tries was not made clear in the Reason-Rupe poll and as a result I find it hard to completely agree with their research. Until more research is done I guess I and the rest of our generation will wait to see what the world thinks of us.

Courtesy Of: someecards.com

Sources:

http://www.people-press.org/2012/05/15/assessing-the-representativeness-of-public-opinion-surveys/5-15-12-1/

http://reason.com/poll/2014/08/19/65-of-americans-say-millennials-are-enti

http://www.responsivemanagement.com/download/reports/Nonresponse.pdf