Dancing is something I have always loved. Whether it is on a stage or at a party, I am the one to always be dancing and showing off my moves. One thing people may fail to realize are the judgments that are made on others based on dance moves— especially judgments of men. In a study done at the School of Life Sciences at the Northumbria University it defines dancing in humans as “a set of intentional, rhythmic, culturally influenced, non-verbal body movements that are considered to be an important aspect of sexuality and courtship attraction…” “Dancing ability, particularly that of men, may serve as a signal of male mate quality in terms of physical strength, prenatal androgenization and symmetry, and thus affect women’s perceptions of men’s attractiveness.” I’m sure the guys who are actually reading this blog right now are kind of freaked out. In one of their research methods, they had men dance and they were filmed and turned into avatars on the computer and women needed to rate the attractiveness of their movements. This gave researchers insight to the exact movements that women liked. It was interesting the way they researched this. I thought right off the bat it was an interesting research topic, but the way they had actual men dancing and women observing was a good way of research. The results they found were definitely interesting and I think you guys should all take a look before you hit the dance floor this weekend.

Concussions are a very serious injury that can occur at anytime. They most commonly happen during sporting events of all kinds. What a concussion really is, is when you receive a rough blow to the head and your brain hits your skull usually causing unconsciousness. Anytime you mess with your brain it’s a bad idea, but especially if you get knocked out. A concussion is just like any other injury, where you need time to heal. When you break your leg, the doctor puts you in a cast and you are supposed to stay off of it for a few weeks so it can heal. If you do not stay off of your leg, it will continue to be broken and not heal correctly. The same goes for a concussion, you need to give your brain a break so that you don’t overwork it and damage it even worse.

In many sports, professional or recreational, players are not giving themselves enough time to properly heal before going back out on the field. For example this year in the world cup, not one but two players in the tournament went knocked completely unconscious but yet still returned to the game in less than two minutes. Clearly they were knocked out and concussed but their trainers decided it was acceptable to throw them back onto the field. This same action happens plenty of times throughout all sports, and it just simply isn’t safe.

When I received my concussion, which was a very minor one, my doctor did not allow me to get back to the sport until at least a full week of being symptom free. For me that ended up being two and a half weeks before I was capably of returning.

What are the repercussions of concussions? If you are concussed and receive another concussion you can potentially get Second-Impact Syndrome which in most cases will stay with you your whole life, and in some cases has been fatal. This shocking video shows how bad the results of this syndrome can be, which all could have been avoided if he hadn’t played too soon after his first concussion.

This is a serious problem that should be addressed by all sports organizations. Concussions aren’t taken seriously enough for what terrible things can come from them. Everyone needs to become more aware of concussions true repercussions.

Sources:

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/concussion/basics/causes/con-20019272

When Is It Safe To Return To Work or Sport After A Concussion?

My 8th grade health teacher was teaching us about anger management techniques, and he suggested one that I found particularly interesting. Does punching a pillow or a punching bag or something similar really serve to calm us down and make us feel better? If anything, I would think that it would make us angrier. At least, that’s how it has been in my experience. Listening to music or taking a nap works much better, in my anecdotal experiences.

Scientists have found that swinging at a punching bag can actually increase anger and aggression levels. It does nothing to calm you down, and is no help in relieving one’s anger. This works in the same way that swearing at someone who you are angry at will only serve to make you angrier. Empathy is key when trying to reduce anger levels, not retaliation. There is no such thing as “blowing off steam.”

In 1999, a laboratory experiment was run in order to test the hypothesis that punching bags relieved stress. A group of people was intentionally made upset, and then were split into two groups. One group was then told to punch a punching bag for two minutes, while the other group did not. The group that had punched the bag was notably more angry after the two minute period than the group that had not. The subjects linked the anger they had with the aggression of punching the bag, and were unable to calm themselves.

Why is punching something still being commonly recommended as an anger-management technique? It is clearly a poor method for reducing in stress, as it does the exact opposite. Hopefully, health teachers will be educated on this and punching a bag will cease to be recommended to kids. Anger management is not something to be taken lightly, and utilizing science to recognize the best management techniques is imperative.

The morning cup of coffee is something so ritual to us college students. But, can coffee actually be bad for you?

In the early research, coffee had a bad reputation because researchers used to link it to different health problems. Later, it was found that avid coffee drinkers were more likely to be smokers. Many early studies of coffee were not reliable because they failed to control coffee drinkers who smoked, and the coffee drinkers who did not. That is a huge reason why initial studies of coffee gave it a bad reputation. As soon as the researchers separated the two habits of coffee drinking and smoking, evidence of health benefits from drinking coffee began to be more apparent. For instance, it has been discovered that coffee has many nutrients such as magnesium, potassium, B vitamins, niacin, and choline and is also a huge source of antioxidants.

In addition, Rob van Dam, an epidemiologist at the Harvard School of Public Health, found that there is no greater risk of death for individuals who had up to six cups of coffee a day. Also, the New England Journal of Medicine published that during a 14-year study, people who drank coffee regularly had a lower risk of premature death than non-coffee drinkers.

So, what’s the bottom line for coffee drinkers? Sipping 2-3 cups of coffee per day is perfectly normal and can be beneficial. As long as you have a normal amount of coffee, it should not be harmful. But, be mindful of how much caffeine you consume as it can make you jittery. So, listen to your body to configure the right amount of coffee that is suitable for you!

Sources:

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/08/17/212710767/how-many-cups-of-coffee-per-day-is-too-many

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2014/09/12/coffee-how-much-is-too-much-caffeine/

In one of my science classes last year as a senior, my teacher brought up the topic of shark finning.   She told us how it is becoming a very popular practice for the delicatessen in other areas of the world known as, “Shark Fin Soup.”  Shark finning is awful in itself because the practice is abusive to animals and morally wrong.  The practice pulls the shark out of the ocean, fins them, and then throws them back into the water.  Often times, the shark will then bleed to death in the water in immense amounts of pain.

Why is this ridiculous practice still occurring?  Well, shark fins can be sold on average for about $300 per pound.  Those in the industry often justify this cruel practice towards these animals by saying they need the money to provide for their families.   While it possibly can be understood that ones family always comes first, there must be another way.  These sharks are being finned and then being thrown helpless back into the ocean.  If they do not bleed out, they often will just drown.

According to the Discovery Channel, “Shark finning is responsible for 88 to 100 million shark deaths, per year.”  While Shark Week and movies like “Jaws” tend to make the shark out to be nothing but terrifying and vicious, the shark is actually at the top of the food chain and is incredibly vital for keeping the balance of the ocean ecosystem together.   Perhaps this is highly overlooked considering in Hong Kong, a bowl of of Shark Fin soup is often priced at over $100.  It is considered a supreme delicacy that resembles important and high status if ordered and eaten.

What can we do as a society to stop this madness?  Many animal humane societies are suggesting that restaurants in areas where Shark Fin Soup is popular go out of their way to state they do not serve the dish.  By doing this, it will cause people to hopefully stop and think about the whole act and why it is so unjust.  Sharks take twenty years to reach sexual maturity and produce young, so the rapid decline of sharks puts it in a very serious position of going extinct.  Before any extreme measure like that were to happen, action needs to be taken.  One of the first steps should simply be education about the topic because many people do not even know shark finning is something that is occurring in our own world.

Work Cited:

http://matadornetwork.com/change/7-reasons-to-ban-shark-finning/

http://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/shark-week/about-this-show/sharks-shark-finning.htm

You have to get up early for class after a long night and can’t seem to get up when the alarm clock goes off. The most common thing to do is grab a big cup of coffee to wake you up. It does the trick and you’re sitting in class listening to the professor and everything goes great. This is what most people think of when thinking of the benefits of coffee.

Fast forward a few days and you are getting a little sick and have a stuffy nose. Now you are starting to get a headache. What should you do?

Unknown to most people, they should go and grab themselves a cup of coffee. Why? Coffee contains an ingredient, common knowledge to almost everyone, called caffeine. According to this website, caffeine is a stimulant that causes the body to essentially “wake up” and be more alert. So why would you want to drink something containing caffeine when you don’t feel like doing anything?

Well caffeine is common in headache prescriptions because it allows the body to use more energy when integrating the medicine to treat headaches according to the National Headache Foundation. So why drink a cup of coffee when you can get medication?

Coffee is an easy home remedy that can be done anytime a headache is occurring. Bottom Line Health states that headaches, or more severely migraines, are caused because the blood vessels get larger, causing them to press against nerves, which causes the painful feeling. They also say coffee helps with headaches or migraines because coffee reduces the size of the expanded blood vessels back to their normal size, thus relieving the painful feeling.

So the next time your headache is unbearable and you feel like you need to get headache medicine, just brew a quick cup of coffee or go to a Starbucks and you should be feeling great just like before.

Sources:

http://www.uhs.umich.edu/caffeine

https://www.headaches.org/educational_modules/caffeine/fast.html

http://www.bottomlinepublications.com/content/article/natural-remedies/coffee-helps-migraines

It seems as though whenever it’s rainy or cloudy I do not feel as energetic or motivated to do anything. I simply want to stay in bed and watch a movie instead of doing something more exciting. The rain always seems to take a toll on our happiness in a negative way while the sun typically puts us in a better mood. So how exactly does the weather affect our mood? Does the cold weather make us depressed? Does the sun make us happier human beings?

Research has found that weather impacts people’s negative moods more than their positive moods. While higher temperatures bring a “low” person up, conditions such as the wind or lack of sun can make a sad person even more upset. A depressive disorder called seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is when a person’s depression is linked to the change in seasons. While most people experience SAD during the colder months of the year, there are certain people that even experience it when the weather is warm. Women suffer from SAD up to three times more than men. Maintaining a regular schedule, especially when it comes to sleep, plays a key role in helping overcome SAD.

Research has also found that heat and rain cause people to become more aggressive. A study conducted by researcher Marie Connolly found that women felt more satisfied with their life on cooler days with no rain rather than hotter days with rain. Ironically, it was also found that suicide rates are higher in the spring and summertime. You would think that the cold weather and lack of sunlight would cause more people to commit suicide in the winter but it is actually the opposite way around. The impact that weather has also depends on someone’s “weather personality type.” For example, people that love the summer tend to be happier and more carefree on sunny days while people that do not like the summer tend to be more upset and angry on warm days.

In conclusion, while weather may not pose much of an impact on certain people, it definitely has an effect on most individuals, myself included. On sunnier days, I seem to be more of a productive, positive, and overall happier person whereas on colder, rainier days I become less interested in making plans with people and prefer to be alone.

Sources:

http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2014/08/29/can-weather-affect-your-mood/

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

Okay, so this post isn’t about that cute character from Finding Nemo, but it does have to do with a type of ink. That is, tattoo ink. As someone who has a tattoo (and a mother who warned me about the dangers for months) the topic is something that raised a personal interest. How dangerous can tattoos be? And are they worth the risk?

Most people are aware of the most common risk, unsanitary equipment and infection. Because tattoos are technically an open wound for the first few days, playing around in germ infested places like swimming pools can lead to serious infections, and if you go to a place that’s offering to do your huge tattoo of a tiger on your back for fifty bucks, you have every right to be skeptical. But what about other risks? Can it lead to skin cancer?

Well nothing is confirmed yet, but some ink colors do contain dangerous chemicals that are by no means safe to inject under ones skin. Yet even with this information, how many tattoos would it take to have an adverse reaction in your body? Again nobody can be sure on this account. Though a study was done on those who had some sort of reaction to the ink, like itching or infection, and 83% were colored tattoos, and seemed to occur on the legs or arms more often then on the trunk of the body, this could simply be due to more exposure to the sun then to the actual placement of the tattoo.

The most prevalent risks of tattoos are scarring (duh), infection, and itching. As of now, there is almost no evidence of more serious reactions being linked to tattoos, so the real risk is whether or not you’re gonna want that girls name on your arm forever, or if that Japanese symbol really means peace.

Works:

http://www.fda.gov/forconsumers/consumerupdates/ucm048919.htm

http://www.prevention.com/beauty/beauty/how-dangerous-are-tattoos

http://theconversation.com/to-dye-for-jury-still-out-on-tattoo-ink-causing-cancer-19796

Seeing things that I perceived as fact be debunked is one of my favorite things. We all know the five senses, sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste, and it’s hard to think of other senses that we have. Unless you ask the Harvard Medical School, of course.

They list six extra senses, each with super long, scientific names. The most obvious extra senses we have are, in laymen’s terms, balance, pain (Harvard said it’s different than the sense of touch because it’s in the brain. I trust them), and sense of temperature (also different from touch). The other three are a little more complicated. First is “proprioception”, but what it basically is is your body’s awareness of itself in relation to itself. The example they gave is this: close your eyes and touch a finger to your nose. Proprioception was the sense you used to do that. Another sense is the sense of time. Being able to estimate how long you’ve been at a party is a sense you don’t learn in elementary school. The final sense is interoception, which I interpreted as more or less the same thing as homeostasis, in the sense (pun intended) that it’s involuntary and internal. Interoception tells your lungs they need to take in air, and it tells your heart it needs to pump.

Of course, as with all science, there’s no definitive answer to how many senses we have. Scientists know that other senses exist that humans don’t have, for example birds migrating by feeling magnetic fields, or Venus flytraps sensing nearby vibrations or tones.

Another question worth asking is, what senses will we have? Maybe down the road, humans will develop the senses of smell and hearing that dogs have. Also, when we have a better understanding of either technology or the brain, can we artificially give people more senses? If someone wears a certain kind of bracelet, could they use echolocation? For now, we’ll have to settle for our eleven known senses.

I had a weird dream last night. In my dream, it was raining heavily and I shared an umbrella with my best friend. However, suddenly my friend told me ” your shoulder is too broad, get out of the umbrella”. And this is my best friend I am talk about. In reality, I don’t think she will do this to me.However, in dreams, everything is possible.

I know many of you also think dreams are weird. And here are some ways to interpret our dreams. First. let’s talk about some commons dreams that people always dream of and the meanings behind these dreams.

The first one is falling. Many of you might experience falling from high above in the sky and you wake up catching your breath. This is a very common dream and is said to symbolize insecurities and anxiety. I won’t be surprised if you have this dream right before a big test or exam. And it also means that you get a feeling you may fail something. Another common dream is being naked in public. We might have this dream at different points in our life. And this dream can suggest that you are trying to hide something or you are not prepared for it. If this dream pop to head, the best thing you can do is get yourself prepared for whatever you need.

        Another thing about dreaming is that people say dreams are always opposite of reality. I remember when I was in high school, I dreamed about failing my tests all the time. On the contrary, those tests actually all ended very well. There is no scientific explanation  for this. In my opinion, we dream about something usually because we care about it. Meanwhile, we fear to loss things that we care. And normally, if we really care about something, we work hard for it. As a result, we are anxious about it and dream about it in a bad result but have an good result in the reality. 

There are several rumors that washing your hair every day is bad for you. In the past, I have tried to wash my hair every other day because I learned that there are healthy oils produced in your scalp that help your hair remain healthy and grow. I was often scared that my hair would become too dry if I was over doing the usage of shampoo and conditioner. When I became heavily involved in soccer and working out, it was basically impossible not to wash my hair every night because I would sweat from the psychical activity. I decided to create a post on this because I know a lot of girls discuss this topic a lot and have many different answers to this controversial question.

In all of the articles I read for this post, they all state that it truly depends on the type of hair you have along with factor such as how much psychical activity you engage in and what you put in your hair. Also, it depends if your using cosmetics in your in your hair such as gels or waxes that can clog the pores in your scalp. For example, if you have curly and thick hair, many articles state that it is not necessary to wash your hair everyday, and that you should wash it every other day/ every two days. Beauty expert Julyne Derrick posted an article called “How Much Should You Shampoo Your Hair” on About Style, which is attached here, and breaks it down for the hair types and how often you should wash your hair. She discusses every where from thick hair, to dry hair, to oily hair.

Some dermatologists agree that due to hair being fiber, the more you wash a fiber the worse the appearance of it becomes. They say there is no need to wash it every day unless it is extremely necessary. It would be necessary like I said above if you sweat. “Sweat can also contain DHT, or Dihydrotestosterone. DHT is a sex hormone… which restricts blood flow to the hair follicles, in effect restricting nutrient supply to the hair, starving it to death,” (Is It Bad To Wash Your Hair Everyday, 1). Also, like previously mentioned, if you use waxes, gels, and other hair cosmetic products you should wash your hair every day. Falling asleep with these products in your hair allows the harmful chemicals in them to seep through the pores in your scalp. If they get into your body, your basically consuming harmful chemicals.

In conclusion, it isn’t necessarily awful to wash your hair every day. If you have valid reasons such as the ones briefly discussed above you should. If you can avoid washing your hair because you don’t sweat, use products, or have dirty hair that day, don’t do it.

Sources:

1. Derrick, Julyne. “Is It Bad to Shampoo Daily?” About. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2014. http://beauty.about.com/od/hairbasics/f/hairwashing.htm
2. “Is It Bad To Wash Your Hair Everyday? – NiceHair | How To Stop Hair Loss.” NiceHair. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2014. http://www.nicehair.org/hair-care-advice/is-it-bad-to-wash-your-hair-everyday
3. How Often Should You Wash Your Hair?” WebMD. WebMD, n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2014 <http://www.webmd.com/beauty/shampoo/how-often-wash-hair>

American football players wear helmets to protect their heads, but rugby players who play an equally rough if not rougher sport wear no pads or helmets, yet have lower concussion rates. One of my high school rugby coaches explained the difference in contact in rugby and why it is safer than football by saying to us “Ram your head into my chest,” when we all looked at him like he was crazy he said a rugby player would never in their right mind lead with their head, because they know they need to protect it, but football players when wearing their helmets have that feeling that their helmet would protect their head when they come into contact.

Rugby has lower injury rates than most sports  and its because we play keeping in mind that we all have to insure the safety of ourselves, our teammates, and we have rules that make us consider the safety of those we tackle. “‘I think the biggest thing football can learn from rugby is that, no, you can’t use the head as a weapon, and football has made a lot of progress in that,’ said Dr. Warren King, the Oakland Raiders team doctor who has also worked with the U.S. national rugby team.” While the NFL has made many changes to try and minimize concussion risks, have they done enough? They have changed the designs of their helmets and increased the penalties for head to head contact and unnecessary roughness. The Seahawks coach actually brought in rugby coaches to help teach his team “proper” and safe tackling techniques, keeping your head to the side “cheek to cheek” or the cheek of the tacklers face on the butt cheek of the player being tackled, staying low, contacting with shoulder first followed by wrapping up the legs, and driving your feet through the tackle. Safety of tackles also includes falling correctly as the tacklee, you have to use your neck muscles to keep your head from flopping around and fall knees, hips, shoulders or “on your hard parts.”

Personally as someone who has played rugby for six years now and never had a concussion, I can agree with the statement that the false security of helmets leads to concussions. If more football teams take the rugby initiative to learn better tackling, the safety of their game will go up tenfold. However if they were to get rid of helmets they would have to lose all their other hard pads as well, which I don’t see happening any time soon.

Sources:

http://www.nflevolution.com/healthandsafetyreport/#20

http://www.goffrugbyreport.com/intl-news/rugby-poised-help-football-safety

http://www.thepostgame.com/blog/eye-performance/201310/rugby-football-concussions-tackling-safety-technique

Growing up, I was constantly in front of a computer, TV, or cell phone screen. My mom would constantly yell at me to get off and go outside, but I enjoyed them much more than going out to play. Looking back, I wish I had balanced my time better and spent more time outside. However, was my screen time really all that bad? Was it, “rotting my brain,” as my mother used to say?

In America today, most children spend an average of three hours per day watching TV, and an average of 5-7 hours total on screens. The most obvious consequence of this is the subsequent inactivity, as kids in front of a screen could be spending that time exercising. Also, kids are likely to snack on unhealthy foods while in front of the screen, such as potato chips or candy. This is due in part to the large amount of advertisements for unhealthy foods on television. Another less known consequence is that screen time actually increases rates of depression and anxiety amongst children. According to a study by Iowa University, children “get more sleep, do better in school, behave better and see other health benefits when parents limit content and the amount of time their children spend on the computer or in front of the TV.”

However, there are benefits to screen time as well. Computers can be used as a fantastic tool for schoolwork. For example, this blog post would not be possible without my trusty MacBook Pro. Children enjoy stories more when they read through an interactive tablet, rather than just a book. Similarly, there are many educational apps that can help children learn and develop basic skills.

“Screen time” is such a broad term, it has become difficult to lump it all together. An hour spent watching an action movie will have a much different effect on a child’s mind than an hour spent on an educational iPhone app. It isn’t about what the screen is, but rather, what is on the screen. In addition, too many hours spent inactive in front of a screen will lead to children losing time they could spend being physically active and/or learning. However, there is nothing specifically bad about screen time other than that it can be a fun way to spend those inactive hours.

Photo courtesy of http://bizweekpopularity.com/2014/07/page/1537

I’m not going to lie.  I’d take a Coca-Cola over a Pepsi any day (sorry Penn State), but when it comes to the diet versions of each of these drinks, I always find myself at a stand still.  The word “diet” is fascinating and appealing to me.  Like almost every young woman, I want to look and feel my best, so I’m always looking for food and drinks with the most flavor and least amount of calories.  But how healthy is this diet soda that one fifth of Americans age two and up drink every day (Centers)?

The answer is: not very.

Before I get into why diet soda is actually pretty bad for you, it’s important to know what the differences are between the two drinks.  A regular soda consists of flavoring, carbonated water, and corn syrup or sugar, while the diet sodas switch out the sugar for zero calorie artificial sweeteners like aspartame, sucralose, and stevia (BuiltLean).

The problems don’t lie within the carbonation or the flavoring, but rather the artificial sweetener.  When the body receives the artificial sweetener, it’s tricked into thinking it’s receiving real sugar and it doesn’t know how to react.  In an article from CNN Health, Susan Swithers, a behavioral neuroscientist and professor of psychological sciences at Purdue University, explained that the problem with consumption of real sugar after artificial sweetener is that, “your body doesn’t know if it should try to process it because it’s been tricked by the fake sugar so many times (Study)“.  This becomes a problem because the hormone that regulates blood sugar and blood pressure isn’t released.

This leads to an even longer list of health problems.  According to MSN’s Healthy Living, drinking diet soda can lead to kidney problems, a faulty metabolism, obesity, cell damage, rotting teeth, and much, much more (7 Side).

What does this mean then for every other food and drink that has some artificial sweetener incorporated in its lower caloric deliciousness?  Have we strayed so far from natural products that we are now trading in lower calories in one meal for a shorter life span due to the complications attached to it?

So, think twice the next time you pick up a diet soda.  It may just be worth the few extra calories.

Sources:

BuiltLean. “Is Diet Soda Healthy or Harmful?” The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 27 Mar. 2014. Web. 18 Sept. 2014. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/builtlean/diet-and-nutrition_b_4837038.html>.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 11 Oct. 2012. Web. 18 Sept. 2014. <http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db109.htm>.

“Study: Diet Soda May Do More Harm than Good.” The Chart RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2014. <http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2013/07/10/diet-soda-may-do-more-harm-than-good/>.

“7 Side Effects of Drinking Diet Soda.” MSN Healthy Living. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2014. <http://healthyliving.msn.com/health-wellness/7-side-effects-of-drinking-diet-soda>.

I have just this week succumbed to the common cold, or what most of us are calling “the Penn State Plague”. This got me to thinking: in this day and age, how have we not achieved a cure to the common cold? The cold virus, also known as “rhinovirus C“, is the most common virus in the world. Why then, with such great medical and technological advances, is there yet to be a solution?

USA today notes that “Americans spend at least $4.2 billion annually on over-the-counter cough and cold medications — and even more on alternative therapies.” It’s strange because the symptoms of the common cold may be treated, but scientists have great difficulty in pursuit of a cure. What has been stumping researchers is the protein shell of the virus itself, which actually varies among strains of the virus. (Digital Journal)

So if a cure is not in the near future then what exactly are we supposed to do? What I have found and what most of us already know is that the only thing we can actually do in the battle with the common cold is take medicines which (hopefully) will make you feel better and also ward off the virus. It is said that lots of rest is key. This is a bit of an obstruction for us college students, but there is always the opportunity for a post-morning class nap.

Another surprising find is that coughing, although annoying, is sort of good for you. Coughing allows your body to get the germs out of your lungs and throat. So, cough syrup or suppressants may only be helpful when you have an extreme cough with your cold. Another obstacle for students is avoiding caffeine when sick. No coffee is nearly impossible, but caffeine fosters congestion and also prevents mucus flow.

And finally the obvious: drink water. Lots of it. Keeping hydrated is generally key when dealing with most illnesses. Vitamins are also a valuable option in maintaining a strong immune system. Vitamin A, which is essential for a strong immune system, keeps the skin and mucous membrane cells healthy. Vitamin B Complex is often associated with energy, which is key to recovery.  Finally, vitamin c protects against immunization deficiencies. With these tools in mind, I wish you all the best of luck this cold season.

Sources:

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/health/medical/health/medical/coldflu/story/2011/02/the-cure-for-the-common-cold-there-is-none/43774872/1

http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/361712

http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/understanding-common-cold-treatment

If you don’t live under a rock, I’m sure you’ve heard of the infamous “beer belly” and probably have seen a few in your lifetime. What’s the difference between a normal fat belly and a beer belly? Where does this alleged beer belly come from? Does this really happen? Is that where all those calories really go?

According to nutritionist Dr. Kathryn O’Sullivan, drinking beer is no different than drinking wine or a mixed drink, in terms of gaining weight. The beer belly could come from the idea that one must drink a greater volume of beer to get the same amount of alcohol that you would from another drink. The amount of calories in beer  is definitely something to watch and when consumed in large quantities frequently and in a short amount of time it can add up. A beer belly forms from an excessive amount of calories which can come from beer, among many other sources of calories and fats. Beer is not the only food that will contribute to a “beer belly”, which is really just a belly.

A researcher from the Mayo Clinic, Michael Jensen, states that “alcohol intake is associated with bigger waists, because when you drink alcohol, the liver burns alcohol instead of fat” (http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/the-truth-about-beer-and-your-belly). This could be the reason that alcohol is to blame for the increased belly fat that some are subject to. 

Is it that we blame our big bellies on beer, or does beer actually play a part in it? It’s possible that people with already big bellies use beer as their scapegoat and excuse to having such a large stomach. Have you ever seen a teenager with an already large beer belly? We will all be well on our way to getting beer bellies if people continue to consume beer in today’s fashion!

Sources:

Beer Bellies Are a Myth

http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/the-truth-about-beer-and-your-belly

What are these mysterious sliding rocks you ask? Well just as the title implies, a phenomenon that was discovered in Death Valley National Park in California in which large boulders weighing up to 700 pounds move along an ancient lake bed without being touched by anyone or anything.

Although it varies for each boulder, trails that mark their journey across the lake bed are clearly left behind. It is hard not to notice these trails left behind that range from mere inches, to several thousands of feet in distance. On an area of land that is seemingly flat for miles, how is it possible for these immense rocks to just slide across without a someone physically forcing them to? Over a century’s worth of scientific investigations and research has been done and scientists have been left without answer… until now that is.

During late August, Scientists finally answered the long standing question. Death valley’s distinct shape allows water to be trapped after a large amount of rainfall strikes the area. This water engulfs the large boulders and erodes the land at their base. The movement occurs when the water around the stones freezes and forms sheets of ice. After the water is frozen, the ice begins chipping away and slamming into other large sheets of ice. The slamming of solid blocks of ice into each other is what causes the movements. The rocks were reported to move slowly at a rate of 2-5 meters per minute. These rates were recored by placing artificial rocks of the same weight on the lakebed with an imbedded gps. The boulders were left for two years until the results were finally received.

So after decades of tireless research by many scientists we now know the answer to the mystery behind Death Valley’s sliding rocks. To learn more about the process that took place to find what was causing this phenomenon watch this video.

 Citation

Oskin, Becky. “Scientists Unravel Mystery of Death Valley’s Moving Rocks.” NBC News. NBC, 27 Aug. 2014. Web. 18 Sept. 2014.

http://www.nbcnews.com/science/weird-science/last-scientists-unravel-mystery-death-valleys-moving-rocks-n190441

At home, I have three cats and I’ve always wondered the significance of their purring.  I always thought that it meant that they were content or comfortable in a situation but that might not necessarily be true.  Researchers are finding new answers to this question.  First off, how exactly do cats purr?  Today, researchers have the theory that it begins in the brain.  Purring is, “A rhythmic, repetitive neural oscillator sends messages to the laryngeal muscles, causing them to twitch at the rate of 25 to 150 vibrations per second (Hz)”. (Stuart).  This is a large range of frequency that can actually be beneficial to cats.  Researchers have seen that this range could promote self healing and improve bone density (Scientific American).  With this new and interesting discovery, humans could maybe get a sense of how to improve our own bones.  It is also thought that since cats spend so much time conserving their energy by sleeping, purring provides “a low energy mechanism that stimulates muscles and bones without a lot of energy” (Scientific American).  So, there may actually be a reason that cats sleep most of the day; they need to conserve energy.  It also leads to show why cats purr during stressful or vulnerable times to self-heal themselves.  Researcher Elizabeth von Muggenthaler of the Fauna Communications Research Institute in North Carolina (FCRI) was the first to realize that self healing might be one of the main reasons that cats purr (Stuart).  Cats have also proved to have better bone and muscle health compared to other domestic animals, like the dog (Scientific American).  As a cat owner, I found it really interesting to find out that a cat’s purr is more significant then just showing affection.  I never would have thought that their purr could be so important to their health.  Next time I hear one of my cats purr, I will know that they are potentially healing themselves.  Although it is still not exactly known why cats purr, it is thought that cats do not only purr just to show that they are content, they may also purr in stressful situations and use purring to heal.

Other interesting facts about cats who purr: “Cats that purr, such as mountain lions and bobcats, can’t roar, however. And cats that roar, such as lions and tigers, can’t purr. The structures surrounding their voice box (larynx) aren’t stiff enough to produce a purr” (Stuart).

Works Cited

“Why Do Cats Purr?” Scientific American. Scientific American, Inc., 3 Apr. 2006. Web. 18 Sept. 2014. <http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-do-cats-purr/>.

Stuart, Annie. “Why Cats Purr.” WebMD. 21 Apr. 2012. Web. 18 Sept. 2014. <http://pets.webmd.com/cats/features/why-cats-purr>.

I can guarantee that when most of us left home to come to Penn State one of our family members awkwardly state “don’t gain the freshmen fifteen”. Although it has been proven that many people gain weight during their first year at college, there are many ways to avoid it. I also believe a big factor of people gaining weight is that they no longer participate in high school sports so the lack of exercise from that can also contribute to it. There are four main reasons, established by The Huffington Post, that are the reasons for the freshmen fifteen. Lack of exercise, over-eating, stress and the large consumptions of alcohol all are huge factors in this problem.

Despite all the factors that can contribute to gaining this weight there are many simple life changes that can prevent this gain and actually make the person healthier. These options aren’t a major dramatic change but can definitely help people. It helps to build a routine; that way it builds the sense of forming a habit. Next, by exercising and eating right a person’s immune system would be stronger and that would reduce one’s risk of getting sick. Finally, working out releases endorphins that can prevent people from becoming extremely stressed or depressed.

With all these great things that exercise offers there are some minor risks. Overdoing the standard exercise can make a person more prone for injury. Everyone will be fine as long as they take everything in moderation and not expect to run a marathon the first day. So in closing, yes the freshmen fifteen is a possibility but by taking care of your body in simple ways it is very easy to avoid.

Sources:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kayla-hedman/fit-over-fat-collegeexercise_b_4603895.html