End of March Snow: People Go Crazy

Snow on March 29th, it's the talk all over campus. Students are in disbelief and wonder,
what is going on with our weather? Last Thursday 80 degrees outside and today low thirties...what is going on? If you are a Vermonter you are used to this sporadic weather; however, it has never been this unusual.

What causes these changes? Is global warming really having its effect on us now? or is this still normal weather? I do not know what is right or what is wrong, however something doesn't feel right. It makes me really ponder every single item I buy and throw away, do I really need this? or is it just creating waste for the planet? Should I really eat meat? Or am I definitely doing too much harm now?

My other observation is the lack of runners outside. A couple weeks ago I wrote about joggers who only jog when the weather is nice and today I didn't see any joggers. True, I did go in the middle of the day, however there is usually at least one other jogger out and today there was no one. Remember, just cause it's cold outside doesn't mean you can't bundle up and go for it!
Human's are tough and once you run in some nasty storm, you'll feel like a champion and can run in anything!

Stay Strong,
Trevor

Pic from http://www.cartoonistswithattitude.org/blog/category/climate-change/

Getting Asleep, Staying Asleep, Good and Healthy Sleep...zZz

A common mistake people make is eating right before bed. It is all too common to grab a small snack, a couple drinks, and turn on the television before catching some sleep; however that is one of the worst decisions one can make in terms of staying healthy and keeping the weight off.

- Our body needs time to burn off food; this also includes drinks, which may be high in sugar and calories.
- Our body can be energized from the food we eat, therefore not allowing one to sleep.
-One therefore must be sure to avoid stimulants, such as caffeine.
- Stimulating activities such as exercise or physical labor will also cause you trouble falling asleep.
- Electronic gadgets such as T.V.'s and computers are also considered to be stimulating to the brain and I therefore recommend that one limits that before bed, such as do not watch or use the hour before going to sleep.

I therefore recommend, do not eat or exercise 3 hours before you go to bed. Also, do not drink within 90 minutes of going bed, this should help prevent needing to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night.

In some cases one might be starving or dying of thirst, therefore consume a snack or drink.
-A good option is a glass of milk, because that will help one fall asleep and keep one from getting hungry.
-Low fat popcorn that is low in butter and sodium.
-Vegetables and hummus.
-Tea, such as chamomile. Make sure your tea is caffeine free.

I also advise properly winding down, so the matter how hard it can be in college ditch the laptop. Do a reading, clean your room, and stay away from electronics. This includes your cell phone.
I believe electronics are why a lot of people have trouble falling asleep.
It may sound embarrassing but I often will listen to books on tape to help me wind down and go to sleep. I really love the Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter series. Both are very well done.

Human's are also designed to go to bed when it gets dark and wake up when it gets light outside; it is our natural rhythm. Many people will argue this point and everyone's body is different, however this is my own belief and one can look up studies on this, but going to bed at 9pm and waking up 8 hours later feels different than going to bed at 3am every night and waking up 8 hours later. Despite the same hours of sleep one will still feel different and more refreshed going to bed at the earlier time. Many students will argue they are nocturnal. I don't think I buy it, but hey if it works for them go for it. Therefore, consider the time you go to bed as well.

Also, there is now a sleep app: Sleep On It, Sleep Tracker and Alarm Clock. http://www.medhelp.org/land/sleep-log-app I know nothing about it, however it has received great reviews and will be your alarm clock to get you up on time yet still be refreshed by following your sleep cycle. If you have this technology, give it a shot. If it doesn't work give up on it and do what you did before.

Sweet dreams,
and Stay Strong,
Trevor

Pic from http://www.medhelp.org/land/sleep-log-app

Exercise the Distractions Away

Facebook! Email! Cell Phones! Youtube! Stumble Upon...
These are all distractions many of us face every day and have trouble controlling. It is shocking to see how many students in the library are on Facebook when they mean to be studying. I am not hating on Facebook because when used properly it is a great networking tool, however it is also many people's largest distraction. There are distractions and then there are positive distractions, such as eating, showering, cleaning, exercise etc.

During my first year of college I was easily distracted. I had a a lot going on in my mind and I loved my coursework but I still was distracted. I would say my biggest distraction at the time was Facebook and then there would go 45 minutes of my studying. 45 minutes is a lot of time and I didn't do anything important on Facebook, I would just look at my friend's statuses and their pictures (I wasn't truly networking or using it for work).

I felt like it reached a point where my best options was just to go to the gym. I would tell myself, well if I go to the gym and exercise for 30 min then at least I'll have my jitters out, energy raised, and I will be able to sit down without going on Facebook. I was so surprised how well that worked.

Exercise has helped me, however there are also other options. There are certain websites or apps that will only allow one to be on Facebook for a limited time.

Either way, exercise is great and media distractions are not good; they just provide more distractions. Even small amounts of exercise can make a difference, like a 20 min walk in the pic above made a big difference in brain activity.

Best,
Stay Strong,
Trevor

Pic from
http://www.sd13.org/~jgabriel/
AND

Brain on left is seen taking a test with no prior exercise.

Brain on the right is seen taking the same test after a 20-minute walk.

A Secret Study Spot Without Your Phone

As I prepare for my massive anatomy exam I have made two key discoveries:

1. I need to have special study locations where I can crank work out.

2. If I leave behind my phone or computer I can also CRANK WORK OUT!

One's study location should be free of all distractions. One should not be easily found there and should also not have a view of other people, cars, animals, distractions, etc. It should just be a student with his or her work.

One should also not bring a phone or computer. One claims a computer is needed, however, unless you're typing a paper or need it for research you really don't need it. Also, if you need it but don't need internet that is cool too.
Also the phone, ahh we love it and we hate it. Leave it behind if you're seriously trying to study. People 20 years ago did fine without cell phones and there is no reason we can't as well; they were actually probably much more productive.

Good luck and
Stay Strong,
Trevor

Picture from: http://www.hooverwebdesign.com/free-printables/signs/free-printable-no-cell-phone-use-in-office-sign.html

Digg.com -Your Daily Dose of News, Except Better

I never heard of digg (http://digg.com/) until a few weeks ago and I must say I'm in love with it! Digg gives viewers a daily dose of scholarly news mixed with goofy news such as 15 funniest text messages from parents. It's serious yet also refreshing, it would be like a newspaper done in color if it was in print form.

Digg also has a very simple layout and concept. There are different newsrooms per topic and in that is articles on that topic which one can choose to give a thumbs up to or thumbs down to. If you "digg" an article you simply give it a thumbs up.

It gets better, digg also lets you create your own profile which other people can view. You also can submit articles and pieces of work you find interesting, you just have to click on the submit link button and put in your article. I therefore put every article I write for my blog on it for others to also view there! With your profile you can comment on other articles, digg articles, follow other users, and be followed. Once one does a lot of anything on digg they can win awards for submitting articles, commenting, digging articles, etc. Digg also then also has a "my news" page which creates news it believes you would like based on previous articles you digg, viewed, submitted, or commented on! It's useful.

I have to say I appreciate the generosity of users on digg. I have gained seven followers without doing anything special and I have no idea who these people are.

Digg is a lot of fun, check it out!

Also, my user name is trevorvt
Feel free to follower me!

Submit articles, have fun viewing others,
Stay Strong,
Trevor

pic from http://vimeo.com/user481597

The World's Ending But I'm Not

I looked on Google Health News today and found a ridiculous number of depressing articles.
People who don't sleep enough consumer more calories than those who don't, according to new study all red-meat is bad, people who take vitamins don't live as long as those that do (I don't buy that one), school's can choose meat with pink slime or not, sperm quality related to dietary fat, eye disease linked to memory decline, etc. WHAT NEWS IS IMPORTANT?

One starts to worry, am I healthy? Am I doing all I should? The truth is our society has a lot of issues and you should focus on yourself. You know what you need to work on, so don't stress these little things. (which in many cases are large things.) Most of the time people know how to be healthy and once you do it, many of these articles no longer apply to you. For example, if you're a male, your sperm quality is probably fine if you're eating a healthy diet. You're less likely to get eye disease if you're healthy. In most cases, if you encounter a problem the Dr. will help inform you with this excess information that you need to know.

Finally, Everything in moderation. Most of us have ate red meat. Should we suddenly stop eating it? That's your choice, but I know some old people that eat it and are just fine. As always that quality of your meat matters, however a little bit of red meat probably wont hurt you.
Our society likes to bring up issues and it can get us depressed. Don't let it. If anything avoid it. Don't read those health articles. See an actual Dr. or Dietitian, do what you need to be healthy. Your health is most important, because if it isn't, you wont be productive or live well (maybe even die young.).

This article is a little jumbled, but I hoped you enjoyed my post.
Stay Strong,
Trevor

Picture from: http://www.healthyeatingstartshere.com/motivation/social-pressures
Also, relating to the picture:
Health articles are always changing! One study says one thing and the next one says it's bad. Therefore do what you know is good and don't always trust what you believe.
At one time they believed smoking was o.k. Now we know the health effects, but it takes a long time to have decisive studies and results.

The Sunny Athlete Runs Into Rain

It's Spring in Vermont and the temperature has suddenly jumped from 20 to 60-70 degrees F and everyone seems to be on a running kick. It's funny but the weather determines whose a real athlete and whose out cause it's nice and they want to get a little more in-shape. Once the weather is cold or rains I will run and see almost no one, once it's 70 and sunny I am waving at runners left and right. It's not bad to be a good weather athlete, however that athlete needs a substitute activity to stay in shape on the gloomy days.

I highly recommend athletes or people trying to get in-shape to make a training schedule and stick to it the matter what. I have recently done this and it forces me to do what I have planned. Check it off after each day, saying YOU completed that activity. My goal today was to swim about a mile and do a 5k. I noticed due to my schedule the only time I was going to be able to go during open pool hours was at 7am. I set my alarm clock last night and got up at 6:40. NO EXCUSES, it doesn't matter as long as I get it done. I may be tired, I may have work to do, but I am going to stick to my plan. MY HEALTH IS MOST IMPORTANT. I was afraid it was going to rain for my run but stayed dry, which was nice especially cause I fell and scraped myself up. Most people have time to squeeze a workout in their day and instead they go on Facebook or waste time elsewhere, making a schedule makes one's workout a higher priority than certain other activities. It also forces one to run or still train in rain, wind, snow, or brutal heat. (just prepare yourself properly beforehand)

If one doesn't like working out when it's not nice outside it's understandable but look at other options. Does one like going to the pool? using the stationary bike while reading? lifting weights? playing on indoor tennis courts? there are plenty of options. If one doesn't want to leave his or her room, consider purchasing workout dvds. Workout DVD's are one tv for a reason, they're convenient, can do them in your living room with little equipment, and are often well tested with scientific evidence. These DVD's can often be extremely hard, I advise do what you can. If you can only do 8 push-ups and not 20, that's still great! Also, don't be afraid to break and pause the workout to catch your breath.

Just some thoughts!
Enjoy the weather!
Stay Strong,
Trevor

Picture from http://fitbottomedgirls.com/2010/09/we-love-bob-harpers-new-workout-dvds/
It also has reviews of all Bob Harper workout dvds. For those who don't know Bob Harper is a trainer on the TV show The Biggest Loser.

Fresh OJ! One Year Old!

I saw an article on the news about Orange Juice a few weeks ago and it made me think about consuming orange juice.

Everyone believes that OJ is fresh and we get it soon after the oranges come off the tree, this is far from the truth. Orange juice is extremely processed and far beyond what we may imagine.

Here are the steps in the making of OJ (to the best of my knowledge):
1. Oranges are picked.
2. Oranges go to the factory.
3. Orange juice is then squeezed into giant vats.
4. Oxygen is removed from these vats to keep the juice from going rancid.
5. Once oxygen is removed, the process extracts all of the natural flavors. This means it would taste like orange sugar water, nothing like orange juice.
6. Orange juice (orange sugar water) sits in vats for up to a year.
7. Orange juice producer contacts fragrance company make flavor packets to add to the orange sugar water (orange juice).
8. Those packets are made from the extracted parts of the orange during processing. So...it's natural flavoring, but not the way intended.
9. Packaged and shipped to stores. Florida's Finest, Alway's Fresh!!!

Orange juice isn't the fresh or healthy product we consider it to be. I highly advice drinking tea or water or making your own juice next time you eat breakfast.

For more info: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/29/100-percent-orange-juice-artificial_n_913395.html

I don't know much about this but that's the little bit I learned.
Next few posts will be arsenic in apple juice and the benefits of juicing!
Gerson Miracle here I come!

Stay Strong,
Trevor

I’ll Order a Pound of Turkey Featuring Sodium, Preservatives, Bone, and a Trip to the Doctor

I’ll Order a Pound of Turkey Featuring Sodium, Preservatives, Bone, and a Trip to the Doctor

Some Americans try to be healthy, some don’t care, however our food is rarely what it appears to be. A great example of this is sodium in processed foods. We’ll hide the saltshaker from the table but eat a canned soup which is already full of sodium. Sodium hides in most of our processed foods, but one of the worst and most unknown culprits is deli meat.

Deli meat is what I consider and nutritional disaster food. Many healthy gym goers will be happy eating their turkey sandwich because it has lean protein, some cheese for bones, and veggies and wheat bread. Very rarely does one think of how much crap is processed into the meat.

Each slice of deli meat contains about 480 mg or 20% (of daily recommended sodium intake) or more of sodium per slice. Most people don’t have one slice of meat on their sandwich, they have 2-4 depending on the size of the sandwich. Then once one includes other condiments and the bread that sandwich is well over 1200 mg of sodium you’re going to be consuming, that is more than half of the sodium you should consume in a day.

Wait, I’m not done. Once one buys or makes his or her sandwich he or she is probably going to eat some chips or pretzels with that sandwich, maybe a dessert as well? After that, the person is probably consuming about 75% of their recommended sodium intake. If that person has more than 2 pieces of deli meat then he or she is probably over the 2400mg max recommend by the FDA. Whoops, there are still two more meals and snacks in the day and lunch took up about 100% of the sodium one is suppose to consume.

Other facts about deli meat:

-Contain preservatives: how else does the meat stay sitting on the shelf and be in transport for so long? Sodium nitrates help keep the meat from going bad in storage and producing funky odors. It may also be pumped full of up to 10% water as well as sodium, gelatin, even MSG.

-Possibility of bone and cartilage being include into your deli meat. Deli meat is processed and therefore like hotdogs can have other substances slipped into it.

-One must also consider the quality of the animal it was butchered from. Most factory farmed animals are fed food they can’t quite process and digest as well as live in unsanitary spaces. These animals therefore are usually given antibiotics to combat these illnesses. This antibiotics make it into the meat you’re eating.

-Factory farmed animals are also raised to be slaughtered as fast as possible and therefore are often given hormones to become larger faster. These hormones could make it in your meat.

-The quality of factory farmed meat is also not the same as free range organic meat. The levels of omega 3 fats and other contents are not as healthy as naturally raised animals.

I urge you to double check what you’re eating. Read the labels, ask the worker at the deli for the nutrition facts, and don’t be afraid of asking; everyone is on a diet today anyway, they’ll understand.

If in doubt do more research on your own. The Internet is everyone’s best friend for research today.

I also urge everyone to see a dietitian at some point and many colleges have this as a free service. I understand this is expensive if it isn’t offered and therefore you can do a little of your own research online or at the library. Also be careful of any research or information you receive from a dietitian or research, it can often be inaccurate. I therefore urge you to discuss it with a parent or friends, even your doctor at your next check up. Many dietitians will tell you if you eat a balanced diet you don’t need a multivitamin, I disagree with this especially if you’re an athlete, but that’s another post.

Other options: consider eating tuna, hummus, peanut butter. One can also ask if there are organic meats or ones that are low sodium.

Best of luck,

Check out this article as well:

5 things your lunch meat doesn’t want you to know

http://www.askfitnesscoach.com/5-things-your-lunch-meat-doesnt-want-you-to-know/

(I got some of my research from that)

Stay Strong,

T-rev

I found this pic funny, because is Subway really as healthy as we think it is?

Pic from http://www.ourordinarylife.com/2010/02/get-fit-stay-healthy/

Wipeout! The All-Around Athlete

Hi Everyone,
Sorry for my inconsistency's with posts but I am on spring break this week and I have not been on a productive streak, a little too much t.v. and girl scout cookies.

My post today is going to be on the show Wipeout on ABC and how I inspire to be on it.

Wipeout has hundreds of variables but it requires two skills: Coordination and stamina. I guess we could really throw in a third variable: luck, because it seems a lot of this show also relies on luck and proper timing. The show is a test of athleticism and it is impressive to see some of the contestants on this show.

For those who are unaware Wipeout is a huge obstacle course and you have to get through certain rounds by completing them fast. Eventually, once you get through those rounds you will make it to the final round which is your shot at 50,000 dollars, if you finish with the fastest time. The whole point of the show is to watch the contestant fall off the obstacle course and smash into things.
I have never seen a contestant go through a round without falling, it's nearly impossible. Most people that go on the show mostly go on for laughs and hope to win the grand prize. These contestants are often not athletes or train before going on the show. If they did they could do so much better.

Wipeout is exhausting because it is round after round and fall after fall. One swims, runs, gets hit, falls, and it looks painful. It looks as though someone is getting the wind knocked out of them on most of the falls. I would love to attempt it!

My favorite is the hotties vs nerds or couch potatoes vs cheerleaders. Their specials are really entertaining. The clip I have is an example of one of those, both categories are hopeless.
Wouldn't this show be much more interesting with true competitors?

Stay Strong,
Trevor

Buying a Toothbrush: Did you know some destroy your gums?

There has been many a time when I'm in the drugstore and have no idea what toothbrush to buy so I look for one's that guarantee to remove more plaque and make my purchase. I have no idea that the toothbrush I am going to buy can potentially destroy my gums. My post is going to talk about toothbrush design and what is actually best for your dental health.

You've all been in the dental isle and debated what toothbrush to buy. This one's more expensive than this one, this one has little rubber things to help clean my gums, this one looks too plain...etc. However, one usually has no clue what actual toothbrush to buy and picks the one that guarantees to remove all plaque, prevent gingivitis, etc. Buying a toothbrush is more complex than that and requires proper selection for your best dental health.

I learned about buying a toothbrush today while at the dentist. I was told I have some slight gum decay which is caused by using the wrong toothbrush, brushing too hard, and potentially having braces. I thought ok, fair enough. Most of us think the harder and faster we brush the more effectively cleaned our teeth will be, right? Well, that one's false, you're supposed to brush slow because brushing too fast will damage the gums.

Now, on to toothbrushes. When you buy a toothbrush you want to make sure you have soft or extra soft bristles. Those are going to be most effective at cleaning your teeth, anything harder is going to damage your gums. You also have to look at the design of the bristles, you want ones that have higher bristles in the middle and lower bristles on the outside. The design of the bristles is crucial because all these fancy new designs are actually not good for your gums, as well as the fact that most toothbrushes sold are not soft bristled. This is all because the toothbrush companies want to make money. Most of the time you're best going with the cheaper less fancy toothbrush.
You can also buy an electric toothbrush, which is suppose to be fine for your gums.

This is my advice on buying toothbrushes. Talk to you dentist next time you get your teeth cleaned, see what they have to say on the topic.
Here's an article I also read on it http://www.wisegeek.com/what-should-i-consider-when-buying-a-toothbrush.htm
And I couldn't find a good pic for you today.
As always,
Stay Strong,
-trev

How to do quick and correct citations:College Edition

I remember life in Middle School and High School when doing works cited and bibliography's could take hours, however due to the internet at our everyday convenience they are now easy. With access to the internet making a works cited is as easy entering an ISBN number of a book, website url, or plugging in the data asked of you. One can do this on websites like Son of Citation Machine : http://citationmachine.net/index2.php?start=# .

This website is simple to use. One chooses the type of citation they need and then just plug in what is asked. After that is done, the citation appears and one just copies and pastes it into the works cited. Remember most works cited are alphabetical and also have a double indent after the first line. Citation Machine also tells you how you should reference the article in text, if it's (Adams, 31) or however.

If you've never heard of this I highly recommend giving it a shot. It has saved me a lot of time. I used to have to go to the library to find a book on citations and then follow the guidelines in the book. I believe my friend Erica notified me of this website while doing a lab for science during my first year of college and from then on I've always used it.

It can't hurt to try. If you don't like it you can head to reference section of the lib and pull out a book on citations.

Best,
and
Stay Strong!
Trevor

pic from http://citationmachine.net/index2.php?start=

Break Time! A 5-min Break to Get Work Done

Far too often students will go to the library to tackle a paper and isolate themselves in a corner and swear to never leave that spot for the next 4 hours. Have you heard of this before? Chances are you've done it, or at least locked yourself in for the night in the promise you'll study for hours until you pass out over your work? and then...you log on to the dreaded Facebook and mindlessly stalk people you met only once and there goes 40 minutes of your study time. I believe this can be prevented and swearing to study for hours straight is not productive. One needs breaks. One needs to get up and stretch his or her legs; we are not designed to sit for hours straight.

I advise that for every hour you study you get up and do something active for 5 to 10 minutes. This will keep your blood flowing, which will help bring oxygen to the brain, and will provide you with a productive distraction that is not Facebook or social media. You may claim that if you're there for 3 hours that is about half an hour of your study time, but give it a shot because it is worth it. What is great about these short breaks is that it keeps you from getting distracted while working and also gets any little burst of energy out so that you can sit down for the whole time and focus.
I advise if you're in your room do some push ups, sit ups, squats, jumping jacks, even just a few stretches.
In the library it is trickier because you don't want to look like a fool doing push-ups in the middle of the library so: Go to the bathroom, visit a friend for 5-10 min (assuming you have to walk to them or go up and down a flight of stairs), go to the bathroom, fill up your water bottle, or even just walk up and down the stairs.
The main point I really want to note is inactive breaks are not good breaks because they do not set you in the mood to study more/get work done.
That's my short post for the day!
Stay Strong,
Trev
Picture from http://themetapicture.com/check-me-check-me/