JOURNAL
Mapping Emotions
Have you ever felt your heart ache with sadness, or the flutter of nervous butterflies in your stomach? How about the all-over tingle of happiness or the pit-of-the-stomach emptiness of depression? We sneer with disgust and puff our chests with pride – all these may be true in a metaphorical sense and we certainly have the language connections to back them up. However, recent research suggests that our emotions have real physiological reactions to go with them.
It has long been accepted that emotions induce some sort of physiological reaction – cheeks burning with shame, for example, or palms that sweat with nerves. Now though, researchers in the Biomedical Engineering department of Aalto University, Finland have mapped exactly which parts of the body are affected by which emotions.
The Alternatives to a strict Vegetarian/Vegan Diet are Semi-Vegetarian or Flexitarian Diet
Whether becoming a vegetarian is a moral choice relating to the environment, a contentious choice over animal rights, or a simple desire to eat a in a healthier manner, it is not always easy to make the transition to a completely plant based diet after a lifetime of consuming animal products. Many people are choosing to start their transition with a flexitarian diet as they move toward vegetarianism; others are opting simply to be flexitarian. Many people are looking for a way to enjoy eating a healthier diet, one that allows them to feel good about themselves, their food choices and still feel satisfied with their meals. For some a flexitarian diet is one way of achieving all these goals. Flexitarians are people who favor a mostly vegetarian diet, but who will still occasionally eat meat. The health benefits of vegetarian and vegan diets are well touted and wonderful, but some people find the meals too restrictive, especially in the beginning.
Really Bad PMS or a Mental Disorder?
Most women have dealt with premenstrual syndrome (PMS) to some degree at some point in their lives. It may come in the form of irritability, mood swings, food cravings or a depressed mood, but a small percentage of women experience premenstrual symptoms that are much more severe than your typical bout with PMS. These women suffer from something called premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), a severe and sometimes debilitating extension of premenstrual symptoms that cause significant problems in the sufferer’s life.
Experts estimate that approximately 1-5% of women suffer from PMDD (Standen, 2013), compared to about 75% of menstruating women who suffer from PMS (Mayo Clinic, 2012). PMDD is not very common, but it’s a major issue for those women who have to deal with it each month. So much so that it has gotten the attention of the American Psychological Association (APA), who have recently moved it from being categorized under "depressive disorder not otherwise specified," to having its own separate disorder in the new Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM V). There is a very specific criteria laid out by the APA in order for a person to be diagnosed with PMDD. The symptoms include things like:
A Socioeconomic Perspective on Healthy Eating
Socioeconomic status has a massive impact on a family's ability to develop healthier eating habits. The restriction to the proper data as well as the massive exposure to unhealthy alternatives such as fast food restaurants contribute to the dilemma.
There is no questioning the fact that there has been some quantum progressions made as far as informing Americans of the importance of eating healthy. Major organizations such as the American Heart Association and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have launched all-out campaigns to encourage better eating habits. With all that is being done to enhance the health of Americans, there is still a major concern when the issue of healthy eating is examined from a socioeconomic perspective.
There are numerous studies that reveal that socioeconomic factors such as education, income and ethnicity have an immense impact on how healthy eating is perceived and the level of access to healthier alternatives.
There are a number of variables that play a role in the disparity between those who more affluent and those who live below the poverty line.
Too much sugar isn't so sweet for your wellbeing
Most Americans ingest an amount of sugar equal to their own weight each year. Consumption of such large doses of sugar (also known as maltose, sucrose, high fructose corn syrup, molasses, cane sugar, corn sweetener, raw sugar, syrup, honey or fruit juice concentrates) can increase a wide number of diseases.
According to the American Heart Association the average American adult consumes 22 teaspoons of sugar a day, and it's a whopping 68 kg per year. Teens consume even more – on average an American has 34 teaspoons a day.
Have You Been TILTed? A Look at the Dangerous New Allergies Sweeping the Globe.
Air – it’s one of the things that keeps us going, keeps us alive. It’s full of that wonderful stuff: oxygen, without which we would be writhing on the floor gasping for breath. It could never do us harm, right? Wrong. In recent years, there has been a frightening increase in allergies all over the world. It’s not just an increase in the number of cases either. Reported symptoms are more severe and illnesses more debilitating than ever before. What’s more, traditional allergy treatments aren’t working. So you may ask what’s causing these symptoms. What exactly is causing the allergy? That’s the scariest part. It’s being caused by almost everything – everything manmade, at least. It’s even in the air we breathe.
A Farm-Load of Problems: Why an Animal’s Daily Dose Might be Killing You
Antibiotics are as close to a ‘cure-all’ as we have. Since Fleming’s discover of penicillin in 1929, numerous types of antibiotics have been developed to treat numerous types of illness, from everyday throat infections to life-threatening problems like pneumonia. However, they are far from perfect. One of the dangers of antibiotics is the development of resistance – and if we become completely resistant, we could see ourselves taking a step back in time, to a place where people die from even the most common infections. The worrying thing is, we are getting closer to that truth every single day. The bacteria that causes infections are becoming more and more resistant to more and more types of antibiotics and it is becoming an epidemic that we should be more concerned about. The question is though, why are we becoming so resistant and how can we stop it?
Quackery: The Dark Side of Alternative Medicine
Everyone has heard the stories in the news and on the TV; the miracle cures and the life-saving medications, the alternative therapies that offer heart-rending tales of lives saved, and the scary stories of what conventional medicine really does to our bodies. Alternative medicine, more often than not, comes with glowing testimonials and mind-blowing claims – and usually high price tags too. It’s easy to get sucked into the hype and with such media whirlwinds, it’s hard to know what to believe. This is especially true when people get frustrated with traditional doctors and their perceived lack of time or bedside manner. Patients feel lost and out of control. But just what are ‘alternative therapies’ anyway? And where is the harm, if someone wants to try something different?
The Addictive Nature of Carbs
Carbohydrates are a complicated business when it comes to eating healthy and losing weight. It's not easy when the advice seems to contradict itself, with some diets telling people to cut out carbs completely and others touting the benefits of a carb-laden eating plan. However, recent research conducted at the Boston Children's Hospital seems to have finally laid the carb question to rest, as findings suggest that processed carbohydrates are not only bad in themselves but that they can trigger cravings for further calorie-laden, sugary goods.
A Fight for Health: The Commonalities of the Paleo, Vegan, Vegetarian, Slow Carb, and Flexitarian Diets
Weight loss and health are big business these days, and with so many fad diets claiming to be ‘the one’ to help you meet, or even beat your goals, it is difficult to decide which ones to believe. There is a group of diets, however, that are increasingly gaining in popularity. Not only do they argue for a lifestyle change rather than a faddy quick fix but they all advocate similar eating patterns and for very similar reasons.