I try my hardest to focus on my school work for the longest that I can before becoming side tracked and preoccupied on everything but my school work. After all, I am a teenager in today’s society, and my attention span is studied to be only 8 seconds! There are many reasons for this and promise me, it’s just as mind blowing as you think it will be.

Attention span is defined as the amount of concentrated time one can spend on a task without becoming distracted. Most educators such as psychologists agree that the ability to focus attention on a task is crucial for the achievement of one’s goals. Having a long and developed attention span around the ages of 16-20 is very important. These are some of the most crucial time periods of one’s life and they must be spent making the best of the time that we have.

Attention span inevitably changes over time. During the pre school years, attention span is most commonly determined by age, gender, and type of activity. For young children their attention span is only extended when they are doing an activity that they thoroughly enjoy.  As children grow into teenagers attention span becomes even shorter. How is this possible? Two words, social media. Okay maybe 3, and technology. Teenagers are SO wrapped up in their phones and their social media that is hard for them to often stay focused on one thing for more than 8 seconds, without having the urge to constantly keep up on their social media. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, at the U.S. National Library of Medicine, the average attention span of a human being has dropped from 12 seconds in 2000 to 8 seconds in 2013. This is one second less than the attention span of a goldfish. That’s right, goldfish have an attention span of 9 seconds – 1 second more than you and I.

Did you know that 25% of teenagers report forgetting important details about their friends and family and that 7% of people forget their own birthdays from time to time, and the most astonishing, typical mobile users check their phones more than 150 times per day. Social media has had an immense impact on teenagers these days, and the sharing on social media has double from 2011 to 2013.

A study has been recently conducted by technology giant, Microsoft. The study surveyed 2,000 people and used electroencephalograms (EEGs) to monitor the brain activity of another 112 in the study, which worked to determine the effect that smartphones and the ability to be so closely attached to digital media and these devices, and the effect on our daily lives. One of the positives that emerged from this study is the ability for individuals to multi-task based on the availability of so much technology in their daily lives. Microsoft’s study was based on Canadians, that were surveyed and those who had more digital lifestyles or the early adapters of social media do in deed struggle to focus in certain environments where the attention of an individual is needed for long term reasons.  One can conclude from this study that smart phones and technology are the cause for the decrease in attention span, therefore, correlation does imply causation.

So the takeaway, stay off the phones and do school work before our attention span decreases to that of a peanut.

Birth control is the practice of preventing unwanted pregnancies, typically by use of contraception. Different types of birth control contraceptions have became extremely common among young women in their hopes to prevent pregnancy. The most effective type of birth control is abstinence, of course.

Did you know that the odds of becoming a teen mother are twice as high for teenagers who do not use a contraceptive method at first sex as for those who do use a method. Over the years, these so-called ‘methods’ have evolved. The method of abstinence seemed to have failed among those who practiced it in the past. Around 3000 B.C. Condoms made from such materials as fish bladders, linen sheaths, and animal intestines. Given the description, there is no way that these condoms could have been effective in preventing pregnancy. As time went on, individuals adapted ‘the pill’, IUD’s, and Nuva Ring etc. Birth control has become more advantageous and complex. Considering the age of young teens being sexually active has decreased dramatically, many parents and guardians are suggesting that their children be put on a type of birth control for whatever duration of time is necessary.

There has been many questions and studies as to which birth control is most effective, and if there are greater effects of using it in the long run. On the Susan G Komen national Breast Cancer website, it states that current or recent use of birth control pills (oral contraceptives) slightly increases the risk of breast cancer. This statement is something that will turn women away from using birth control. In large sample size studies showing the effects of birth control, they state that women who have taken or are taking birth control pills, in particular, have a 20-30% higher risk of contracting breast cancer, than those who do not take the pill. Although the rates for contracting breast cancer as a teenager is low, this statement should still be a shocker for those who have been on the pill for long duration of times.

Is seems as if today everything ’causes cancer,’ however, there have been many websites and data bases talking about the increased risks of getting cancer as a result of taking the pill. The results of population studies to examine associations between oral contraceptive use and cancer risk have not always been consistent. Overall, however, the risks of endometrial and ovarian cancer appear to be reduced with the use of oral contraceptives, whereas the risks of breast, cervical, and live cancer appear to be increased.

As previously stated, the most commonly prescribed birth control method is the pill. When my parents were deciding which birth control to put me on they were deciding between a couple different options, but resulted in the pill because it is proven and shown through data and studies to be effective. The pill is extremely effective if it is used by the ‘perfect user.’ I like to think that I keep up on it, but it can be a hassle at times when young adults my age forget to take their pill. No matter how many alarms are set, and how often I tell myself throughout the day I must take it, it can be difficult to stay on top of. That is why, birth control pills can have very positive effects, but also very negative if not executed properly.

Of course, there is always a contrasting opinion when it comes to medical issues and methods to prevent bad situations in today’s society. An individual participant meta-analysis of 27 276 women with endometrial cancer from 36 epidemiological studies concerning endometrial cancer and oral contraceptives was conducted, and held different results than the fact that these oral contraceptives can in fact cause cancer of some type. The background of this study states, “Oral contraceptives are known to reduce the incidence rate of endometrial cancer, but it is uncertain how long this effect lasts after use ceases, or whether it is modified by other factors.” The findings of this study are that the use of the oral contraceptives (pill) in the a long term period of time can actually cause protection against endometrial cancer. The study shoes that in well developed countries around the world, about 400,000 cases of contracting endometrial cancer before the age of 75 years has been prevented by the use of this birth control method.

As a result, it is hard to determine if these methods of birth control do in fact cause cancer. In the mean time, birth control methods are evolving and they are changing as society changes. With the implementation of new methods and ideas from doctors, women will experiment and see what works best for their bodies. It is interesting to see the evolution unfold and affect so many women. If worried, just remember abstinence is key!

The graph below shows the most effective contraceptive methods in the year of 2012.

“So like I have a lot of homework tonight, like and I don’t know like if i will like be able to hangout like because like I also have blogs like to write for SC like 200 class.” Doesn’t that sound horrible. The constant use of the word “like” is a form of speech that is all too common in today’s generation. Take this for example:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FSQYBjkGq4

British actress Emma Thompson speaks out against teen slang, and the word “like.” She says, “young people make themselves sound stupid by speaking slang outside of school. But while the use of the word “like” might annoy her, it fulfils a useful role in everyday speech.” Thompson calls this so called “slang,” sloppy language. Teens can sound more educated if they were to leave the repetition of certain words out of their daily language. Many people assume that the constant use of “like” is just a filler word, and filler words are a way that all humans stall when searching for something to say, and there shouldn’t be anything wrong with that, right? Well, there isn’t anything wrong with the word itself, and it is a way that our generation communicates with one another.The more disconnected you are from the group that uses a word in a different way than you, the more that use stands out. It will be invisible to teenagers.

On the other hand, the refuting opinion states that people who use an excessive amount of filler words are redrafting in their heads what they want to say, so that it will be portrayed as intelligent or accurate speech. However, I disagree with this statement. If someone is using a lot of filler words, they are not 100% confident on the points that they want to get across to their intended audience. Filler words are good if they are used in moderation. The example above in the video posted is a portrayal of the way that teens in today’s generation over use the word like. The word “like” started off as a simile, or a comparison of two things. The reason people use the word like so much is because they want to make themselves sound more generalized and they don’t want to seem as if they have such a strong opinion. This being said, they take the break down of simile because they are trying to use it as a buffer of their own opinions.

It would be rare to sit down at a restaurant and not be faced with two small shakers filled with pepper and everyone’s favorite, salt. Salt is a white crystalline substance that  is used for seasoning or preserving food. Salt somehow makes everything taste better. However, when is too much salt harmful to the body?

One of the most common reasons people tend to lay off the salt is because of its risks in raising blood pressure, or hypertension. Salt boosts blood pressure because it makes your body hold onto water and the extra water that is stored in your body is what causes this increase. The human body is amazing, and one of the most interesting aspects of it, is the way that blood gets pumped throughout the human body to give it the energy and oxygen that it needs. As the blood moves around the human body the strength of the pushing pressure on blood cells explains the concept of blood pressure. As a result, if this pushing is too strenuous  it leads to heart attacks, strokes, heart failure, death and disability. Not only can an excess amount of salt cause cancers of the stomach as well, it can also increase and worsen asthma symptoms. However, if used and consumed in moderation, salt can be beneficial to humans, but only in small amounts such as 1g a day, which equivocates to a pinch of salt.

In a 2015 survey titled “New Survey Names and Shames UK’s ‘Saltiest’ Family-Friendly Eateries and Warns of a New Generating of ‘Salt Addicts,'” studies show that over a quarter of meals surveyed contain 2g or more of salt per meal – which is the maximum amount of salt intake recommended for a whole day. The survey conducted included 218 children’s meals from 23 different eateries, and the results on the saltiest meal are as follows:

• Burger King Kid’s Veggie Bean Burger with Small Fries: 4.6g salt per serving
• Hungry Horse Pic ‘n’ Mix Large Ham (2 slices) with Mashed Potato & Baked Beans: 4.2g salt per serving
• Loch Fyne Seafood & Grill Bangers & Mash with Gravy: 4.0g salt per serving
• Beefeater Mr Noisy’s Bangers and Mash with Peas & Gravy: 3.9g salt per serving

As you can see, all of these restaurants, or fast food joints use an excessive amount of salt. This explains the reason for the constant craving of salty fast food when you’re on the run, or in need of something tasty. The amount of salt put into these foods is unacceptable and can potentially be causing many to gain weight, and to become very sick while also running the risk of raising blood pressure along with many other harms to health. The graph below shows example of the meals given to children in restaurants that have high salt content and low salt content. It is interesting to see different brand names that we are all familiar with on a graph talking about how bad these specific products are for children. Salt tastes good and the High Content examples sound better than the Low but by lowering salt intake, many can maintain a healthy lifestyle.

A study conducted at Harvard Medical School supports the claim that too much salt intake is harmful to the human body, however it also poses a different opinion. Statistics seen in the study state that, 40% of deaths were linked to the sodium intake that occurs in individuals under the age of 70,  the average sodium intake for humans was nearly 4,000 mg a day, there were be a drastic change (1.65 million fewer) in the amount of deaths worldwide if the average sodium intake was closer to 2,000 mg a day, and finally, the reduction of sodium intake would prevent about 10% of cardiovascular related deaths.

The reason that this study is so significant is because its findings also uncover reasons as to why cardiovascular disease rates were high among those with low sodium intake, which is less that 3,000 mg per day. The medium of salt intake where most Americans fall into is between 3,000 and 6,000 mg per day. Robert Shmerling, M.D. states that the reason for this “could be that people with high blood pressure, other cardiovascular risk factors, or cardiovascular disease are usually advised to lower their salt intake. Their higher than average rates of cardiovascular disease and related deaths could then be erroneously linked to their lower salt intake.” In the third report done comparing sodium and another substance, potassium intake, with high blood pressure. The correlation concluded from this was that the higher the sodium intake, the higher the blood pressure, and the lower the potassium intake, the higher the blood pressure.

On the contrary, although salt intake is most commonly perceived as a hard endpoint, meaning that it is well-defined in the study protocol, definitive with respect to the disease process, and require no subjectivity, it can be brought to a consumers attention that just because salt is seen to cause high blood pressure, it may not in-fact be life threatening. High blood pressure is something that us as consumers associate with heart attacks in our minds, but it’s not a guarantee. In some people it might even be normal and not life-threatening, meaning it isn’t a hard endpoint.

In conclusion, in more cases than not, salt has caused high blood pressure. A good way to avoid the health risks of salt intake, would be to prepare your own food homemade, so you know the ingredients being put in, and you can control the amount of salt that is consumed. The FDA is also doing its part in its aim to prevent one million heart attacks and strokes over the next five years. The FDA and the FSIS are promoting their efforts to identify chances where in they can make a different, and reduce sodium in food to ultimately put more control into consumers’ hands.

It is one of the hardest conversations to have, and is unfortunately on the rise as one of the most modern diseases. Anorexia Nervosa is a type of eating disorder. People who have this disorder have an irrational fear of gaining weight. The ways in which they cope with this fear is to drastically limit the amount of food that they eat and become harmfully skinny. Anorexia Nervosa can apply to any type of person. The sample size for a lot of the studies conducted regarding this serious issue are administered over a large sample size of people.

Many people have written blogs about eating disorders and how they affect humans. I wanted to take a different approach and write about the way that the brains of those who develop an eating disorder work. It has always interested me to think about the different parts of the brain that trigger these degrading and hurtful thoughts in the minds of young struggling teens. A website I discovered talks about the personal experiences of those who have dealt with the struggles of having an eating disorder, Eva says “It’s like having somebody in your head telling you that everything you do is wrong, like you can’t please it no matter what you do. If you go for a walk, you’ve not walked far enough. If you eat a lettuce leaf you still should have not had it. It’s like nothing you can do is good enough for it.” Although extremely unfortunate, these are the thoughts of many that struggle with the same problem, Anorexia Nervosa.

An observational study was conducted at Cambridge University called the “Eating Attitudes Test.” This test reported on the development of a 40-item measure that has to do with the symptoms experienced in patients with anorexia nervosa. The purpose of this study is to develop and confirm a rating scale that may be useful in dissecting the attitudes and behaviors found in those with anorexia nervosa, and to also use the information concluded from this study as an index or resource to help the score, diagnosis, and study of this specific eating disorder. The scale that was used, EAT, is presented in an easily administered and scored manner. EAT is a 6-point, forced choice, self-reported format. The subjects  of this experiment are 2 groups of female anorexia nervosa patients and female control products, along with female obese, clinically recovered patients, and male subjects as other ways of validating the information. Scientists developed 35 pre-liminary items that closely reflected a wide range of the types of attitudes and behaviors that could be found in those who were reported anorexic. The subjects were instructed to choose whether the item applied ‘very often’, ‘often’, ‘sometimes’, ‘rarely’ or ‘never’. Patients would receive a score of 2 if they responded in the extreme anorexic direction, a score of 1 for the similar but not as extreme response, and no score was given to those who responded with a non-anorexic reply. The graph below shows the scores of these questions represented by mean on the y axis and the type of person on the x axis.

The reason I am sharing this study with you is because it scores and clearly displays that the attitudes, behaviors, and thoughts of those with an eating disorder are drastically different than those who do not struggle with the disorder. This is an indication that something needs to be done, and scientists must get to the bottom of it. Anorexia nervosa affects both the body and the mind. As previously stated, I have always had interest in the way the brain works when it comes to eating disorders. Mechanisms that could be used to prevent this type of behavior vary. For example, one could see a doctor for help.

“Neuropsychological and structural brain changes in anorexia nervosa before and after refeeding” is another study that was conducted at Cambridge University. This study specifically dealt the brain appearances of 46-in patients with Anorexia Nervosa compared with 41 normal weight controls. The way that these images were obtained is through Magnetic Resonance Imaging, or MRI. In-patients were separated by sex, age, intelligence and education, and the study was based on who could gain at least 10% of their body weight back, if they completed this task the in-patients were retested and rescanned, along with the controls who retested on similar instances. The Anorexia Nervosa patients showed poor performance on the measures of attention, memory, and visuospatial ability, flexibility and learning. Following the treatment, or refeeding of the in-patients, the only improved tasks that the Anorexia Nervosa had were those assessing attention. Studies state that the MRI’s show that copious anorexics had “enlarged lateral ventricles and dilated sulci on both cortical and cerebellar surfaces, but no dilatation was evident for the third and fourth ventricular measures.” Although some improvements were found on the data after the study was conducted, there were still differences that remained between the two types of patient. The results of the study explain that, “the relationships between morphological brain changes and cognitive impairments were weak. Lower weight, but not duration of illness, was associated with poorer performance on tasks assessing flexibility/ inhibition and memory, and with greater MRI ventricular size.”

Knowing a little bit about how the brain of an anorexic works, in comparison to a normal weight human is educating in that it allows scientists to study the part of the brain, or some of the causes of the deformation in the brain, to try their best to help these struggling patients. Anorexia is a major problem that many face today and the earlier it is treated, the better the chances someone can recover it. If anorexia is left untreated it can lead to and result in starvation, and serious health problems such as bone osteoporosis, kidney damage or failure, and heart problems, which can cause death as an extreme result.

“Honey don’t forget your jacket, it’s cold outside” is a line that we have all heard from our parents many times. And how about this, “Don’t go outside with wet hair and wear a hat in the winter sweetie!” are still lines that we have all heard plenty of times. However, does cold weather actually make you sick? There has been many misconceptions based on the answer to this very common question. However, scientists may finally be able to verify the widely-held suspicion that cold weather can in fact, make you sick.

In an article proclaiming about scientists potential new find, “Yale University announced their discovery that lower temperatures weaken the nose’s first line of immune defenses.” An experimental study that was conducted by researchers started off with the modification of a strain of rhinovirus, and testing it on mice. Rhinoviruses are the most common viral infectious agents in humans and are the leading cause of the common cold. After giving the mice this modified strand, scientists recorded how the mice fought off the disease when there were changes in temperature. They concluded that, cooler temperatures meant a more lethargic immune response and a greater sensitivity to incoming infection. As a result this study proves the fact that cold weather affects our defenses against rhinovirus infection.

The question posed has been of curiosity for 50+ years. In the 1960s, researchers first noticed a rapid multiplication in the rhinoviruses if it was incubated a few degrees below body temperature. This finding was beneficial to scientists because, rhinoviruses often infect the lining of the nostrils, which are cooled by incoming air.

There are many misconceptions on what actually causes colds within humans. Examples are, catching a cold because of low immunity, the prevention of colds by Vitamin C and Zinc, Antibiotics curing colds,  getting sick from a flu shot, and participating in home cough remedies. However, our personal favorite, does dry or cold air cause colds?, is also covered. In terms of dry air, people believe that the hot dry air can potentially dry up the mucus in your nasal passages. This is not true and it does not matter what the weather is! Humidity is the only weather condition that could be beneficial, this is because the moist air can help ease congestion and coughing. Cold weather is next, and this reputable source also states that cold weather does not cause colds. There is no correlation between cold weather and viruses. The source states that there is a better chance of getting sick from being in close and hot quarters, and opposed to cold temperatures. It is what we as humans do when it gets cold out, we run indoors to places that contain recycled air with those who all are sick with different virsues. Viruses spread very easily when directly exposed to someone else that is sick. The tendency of blaming colds and viruses on cold weather is ultimately a myth!

Just to be sure, more experimental studies were performed to prove the findings. For example, The New England Journal of Medicine conducted a study based on Exposure to Cold Environment and the Rhinovirus Common Cold – Failure to Demonstrate Effect. The study was conducted on inmates selected from federal correctional institutions or the Texas State Department of Corrections. The subjects in this study were exposed to a cold at each stage of the infection process, therefore this experiment was not a single blind, nor was it a double blind trial. The article explains these time periods as during, “inoculation and incubation, illness and recovery. The results indicate that exposure to cold by methods similar to natural exposure to low temperatures did not increase the frequency or severity of illness from infection with the strain of rhinovirus Type 15 used in this study.” As you can see, this is another study that proves the often wronged opinion that cold weather causes colds.

So next time you’re mom yells at you for not wearing a coat in the winter, you can answer her with “there were copious studies on this mom, I won’t get sick Mom its the confounding variables that will make me sick!”

Throughout my years of schooling I was never the girl that could listen to music while I did school work. I found it distracting, overbearing, and downright annoying to have people belting out notes through my earbuds, as I attempted to focus on the words in front of me. That was until I came to college. It has been hard to find a perfectly quiet spot on campus, and if i do find it, I am left alone sitting in the silence thinking about everything but what I am supposed to be doing. This being said, I often find myself in high populated places. Whether it is crowded study rooms, annoying pests in the library, or roommates who never slept, I find it easier to focus when I have a constant, but not too distracting, beat playing in my head. Everyone is different and listening to music while studying may be beneficial to some, but definitely not all.

When sitting down to complete my assignments I have a large range of genres, specific artists, and songs to choose from. Based on articles I’ve read and studies shown, the best genre to listen to is classical. Classical composers such as Beethoven, Back, Brahms, and Mozart all fall under this category. Allison Engel from the University of Southern California says, “A number of academic studies recently zeroed in on classical music, showing that 
listening benefits the brain, sleep patterns, the immune system and stress levels — all helpful when 
facing those all-important end-of-semester tests.” I know that I have found myself studying in my room stressed by the amount of school work I have, but when I put on my “6 Hours of The Best Beethoven – Classical Music Piano Studying Concentration Playlist” on YouTube, I find it easier to focus, and I am more relaxed and aware of what I need to accomplish.

“The Mozart effect” refers to a set of research results indicating that listening to Mozart’s music may induce a short-term improvement on the performance of certain kinds of mental tasks known as “spatial-temporal reasoning and abilities.” Copious studies have been done on this research. In a recent study that was conducted on arousal, mood, and the Mozart Effect, the question was posed of people doing better on tests after listening to music composed by Mozart. Participants of this study completed a test of special abilities after the listening to music or sitting in silence. While measuring enjoyment, arousal, and mood, the subjects listened to a Mozart sonata, which is an enjoyable and lively piece, while others listening to Albinoni adagio, a down tempo and gloomy piece. In conclusion, the study proved that the tasks performed by the subjects were significantly better after listening to Mozart than after they sat in silence. However, for the Albinoni group, there was no effect on the way the subjects performed their tasks. Ultimately stating that listening to Mozart is beneficial to the way that students focus while listening.

On the other hand, there are some people who say listening to any music at all is not beneficial to students while completing their work. Arguing “silence is golden,” David Cutler of Brandeis University has a different view on studying and listening to music, based on a lecture he sat in on led Dr. Nick Perham. Perham argues that “Improved performance has more to do with the preference of sound one listened to before engaging in such work.” Perham also argues that classical music may help, but listening to music with lyrics and strong beats can be one of the most harmful things to do while studying.

In conclusion, everyone has varying opinions based on listening to music while studying or not. In the end, listening to music or not is all preference and is determined solely by the individual. Take me for example, I used to hate it, and now I love being accompanied by classical composers while I complete the mountains of work given to me as a college student!

Sources:

https://www.examtime.com/blog/music-for-studying/

https://news.usc.edu/71969/studying-for-finals-let-classical-music-help/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mozart_effect

http://pss.sagepub.com/content/12/3/248.full.pdf

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/dont-listen-music-while-studying-david-cutler

There are many trends that float around college campuses every year. Whether it’s something as simple as a new jacket that everyone buys and wears around campus, or something as serious as the newest drug that supposedly makes you instantly attentive and “focused.” This drug is known an Adderall. Adderall contains a combination of amphetamine and dextroamphetamine. Amphetamine and dextroamphetamine are central nervous system stimulants that affect chemicals in the brain and nerves that contribute to hyperactivity and impulse control. Adderall is most commonly used to treat only narcolepsy and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. However, especially when finals and midterm weeks come around, college students heavily abuse this easily accessible drug.

A.D.H.D. is a very common illness and studies show that it affects more than 10 percent of Americans between the ages of 4 and 17. People with A.D.H.D. may not actually be classified as having a disease. The reason people are prescribed Adderall is because of the fact that their actions and attitudes do not match the expectations of our contemporary culture, so this leads people to think A.D.H.D. is in fact a disease. Restlessness, impatience, and fidgeting are examples of things that those with A.D.H.D. do, which causes them to believe that Adderall is the only way that they remain focused and calm.

How does Adderall make you feel? There is a rush of energy and clarity which focuses your attention and quiets your appetite for the time being. Psychostimulants, such as Adderall help and cause this rush of energy by blocking the transport of dopamine back into neurons, thus increasing its level in the brain. However, Adderall has its negative affects as well; once the body becomes used to this drug and its affect on the body, patients may have to increase their dosage. By increasing dosage,  other malfunctions in the body may arise, such as having difficulty sleeping. Those who use Adderall responsibly and for the right reasons do not face the same risks, but studies show that many abuse this drug and are slowly hurting themselves more and more.

As previously stated, college students are notorious for this so called abuse. In an article by Andrew Jacobs titled The Adderall Advantage, he states that as many as 20 percent of college students have used Adderall to study, write papers and take exams. This number continues to increase as Adderall becomes more readily available to students, and the competition of good grades increases over campuses across the country. Students believe that the only way they can achieve academic success is through the consumption of this drug, and it has become nearly impossible to determine the real A.D.H.D. patients from those who only need the sudden surge of energy to help them pass an exam.

A recent study was conducted asking, “When we enhance cognition with Adderall do we sacrifice creativity?” This statement poses an interesting question. While in college, young healthy adults are experiencing some of the most creative and interesting years of their lives. In a double-blind placebo-controlled study, 16 healthy young adults were measured on four tests of creativity from psychological literature to test the effects of Adderall on performance. The tests consisted of two tests that required convergent thought and two that required divergent thought. Convergent thought is defined as, means the ability to give the “correct” answer to standard questions that do not require significant creativity, for instance in most tasks in school and on standardized multiple-choice tests for intelligence. As a result, Adderall affected only the performance of the convergent tasks, enhancing it for lower-performing individuals, and also impairing it for higher-performing individuals. So, the results are consistent with the hypothesis stating that Adderall does have an overall negative effect on the creativity of individuals.

In conclusion, Adderall may seem like a good idea in the moment, but looking at its long term effects and possible addictive factors it is best to stay away!! Study harder and pay attention and the use of drugs that are not meant/ prescribed to you will not be a problem in the lives of college students.

Sources:

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/02/opinion/sunday/a-natural-fix-for-adhd.html?_r=0

http://www.shape.com/lifestyle/mind-and-body/your-brain-adderall

http://www.psy.vanderbilt.edu/courses/hon182/The_Adderall_Advantage_NYTimes_7_31_05.pdf

http://sk8es4mc2l.scholar.serialssolutions.com/?sid=google&auinit=MJ&aulast=Farah&atitle=When+we+enhance+cognition+with+Adderall,+do+we+sacrifice+creativity%3F+A+preliminary+study&id=doi:10.1007/s00213-008-1369-3&title=Pharmacologia&volume=202&issue=1-3&date=2009&spage=541&issn=0033-3158

http://elitedaily.com/life/suddenly-adderall/897136/

http://www.drugs.com/adderall.html

There are many reasons why I love being Italian. A big family, pasta every Sunday, a love for culture, and of course mouthwatering food. Food has always been something my family valued. The main ingredient in almost all Italian dishes is onion and garlic. Not many people think about the health benefits of onion and garlic considering they are the first ingredient to many recipes. Little do we know, garlic is one of the healthiest foods with many health benefits.

Garlic is highly nutritious and contains nutrients such as Manganese, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, Selenium, and Fiber which are all low in calorie. Garlic also has been said to boost the function of the immune system, along with reducing blood pressure, and improving cholesterol to lower the risk of heart disease. That’s just the least of it, this super ingredient also contains antioxidants that assist the body in preventing Alzheimers Disease and Dementia, it can improve athletic performance, improve bone health, detoxify heavy metals in your body, and my personal favorite, Garlic can help you live longer.

It’s interesting to me to see how and where Garlic is used throughout the world. It seems as if us Americans can find it anywhere, whether it be on the shelves of many grocery stores or even small street markets, no one ever asks where these nutritious bulb and cloves of garlic came from. The history of garlic is actually very fascinating. During “The Churning of the Oceans,” an event that took place in mythical India, an item called “ambrosia” was spilled during the fight between good and evil, and as a result Garlic grew in the spots that it was spilled. While this story may hold true, others believe that Garlic was grown elsewhere, and didn’t actually originate in old age India, suggesting Garlic garlic formed part of the daily diet of many Egyptians.

Like I said, Garlic doesn’t only taste good, it has its health benefits, and even better too much could actually be helpful. Studies are being done to test if it is just Garlic alone or Garlic and multiple ingredients that have the full effect on preventing cancer. However in other studies, the intake of Garlic suggests a preventive effect of garlic consumption in stomach and colorectal cancers. Many scientific reports also say that too much vegetable intake may affect cancer incidence. However, high consumption of certain vegetables and groups of vegetables may reduce the risk of colorectal, stomach, lung and esophageal cancers. For example, the cancers that Garlic has been reported to prevent are breast cancer, prostate cancer, intestinal cancer, colorectal cancer, and many more. More studies are of course being done, but the recognition of Garlic and how it affects those with cancer is a big discovery in the scientific world.

Whether Garlic is seen to be nutritious, produced in a mysterious place around the world, or a step in finding a cure for cancer, us Italians will never stop eating it with every meal!

Sources:

http://authoritynutrition.com/11-proven-health-benefits-of-garlic/

http://jn.nutrition.org/content/131/3/951S.full

http://search.proquest.com/docview/197420196?pq-origsite=gscholar

http://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/diet/garlic-fact-sheet

Why do all of the sudden our taste buds feign for that one thing? Why is that I sit in class and daydream about the burrito I am going to devour at the Hub after class, more often than I should? It is because there are many things that people have an intense desire for. Whether it be food, shelter, safety, belonging, mattering, or desire caused by pregnancy, all humans have their own types of cravings. Cravings vary based on the person; however, I have always wondered where this strange feeling comes from.

Cravings are caused by a number of things. The most common causes include low levels of serotonin, “feel good” endorphins, happy casomorphins, a “wonky gut,” and most frequent, emotional triggers. For many of us, cravings are caused when there is an increase of stress, anxiety, or depressed and sad feeling. Have you ever caught yourself watching a sad movie and come to realize you just ate an entire tub of ice cream? This is an example of an emotional trigger believe it or not, and for each mood we have there might be a different craving that goes along with it.

Other studies state that food cravings are all in our head. There are specific areas of our brain that are held accountable for sensing pleasure and for remembering things, they are to blame for the annoying food cravings you and I both experience.

So now, all I want to know how to stop these cravings! After reading an article explaining why taking a walk and participating in exercise can reduce cravings, I may have found the answer. During a test on regular chocolate bar eaters, researchers concluded that if their patients were to walk on the treadmills at a normal pace for at least 15 minutes they were surprisingly less likely to show signs of craving their chocolate bars.

Other ways to stop and fight the temptation to eat something you will later regret, include asking yourself whether or not you are actually hungry, consider what your body needs and not what it wants, pay attention to what you crave when you crave it, stop your train of thought and think about something else when cravings come to mind, and the easiest look for a distraction to get you mind off of the desired substance.

It is amazing how cravings are so relevant and occur so rapidly in the lives of millions that are surprisingly confused to what cravings actually mean. As you can see, there are a myriad of ways to cut these bad habits and fight the urge to over indulge a craving, so you don’t end up like this girl.

Sources:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecomaford/2013/03/13/the-3-things-all-humans-crave-and-how-to-motivate-anyone-anytime-anywhere/

http://kriscarr.com/blog-video/how-to-stop-food-cravings/

http://www.webmd.com/diet/the-facts-about-food-cravings?page=1

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/04/health/04really.html?_r=1

http://dailyburn.com/life/health/tips-stop-unhealthy-food-cravings/

What Do Your Food Cravings Really Mean?

http://www.techtimes.com/articles/21965/20141211/weird-craving-woman-develops-taste-for-toilet-paper-eats-one-entire-roll-every-day.htm

Hi my name is Mia Del Nunzio and I am from Monroe, New York. I am a freshman in the School of Communications, planning to major in either broadcast journalism or Advertising/ Public Relations with a minor in Business.

I decided to take this course because “it is not for scientists.” When making my schedule my advisor was very excited to explain to me that this class was an interesting and great way to fulfill my science Gen-Ed. I do not like being bombarded with factual information, so I am looking forward to challenging myself and critically thinking while learning about science at the same time.

I have always loved interacting and meeting new people so that is why I have decided to study Communications. Although I excelled in my science classes in high school, I honestly don’t have the patience to become a scientist. I can’t see myself spending weeks, months, and maybe even years watching scientific research progress. I like to be in the moment, study the news, and stay on top of current events in todays ever-changing society.

I took this picture of the Eiffel Tower a couple weeks ago when I visited Paris.

This video is from when my high school football team played in the state championship at the carrier dome in Syracuse, and I got to cheerlead during it.