MaoBah

Food additives and poor diet could help explain poor school performance, criminal behavior, alcoholism, and the growing numbers of Alzheimer’s patients. According to Dr. Russell Blaylock, high sugar content and starchy carbohydrates lead to excessive insulin release, which in turn leads to falling blood sugar levels, or hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia causes the brain to secrete glutamate in levels that can cause agitation, depression, anger, anxiety, panic attacks and an increase in suicide risk. The glutamate that causes this is identical to the flavor-enhancing monosodium glutamate (MSG) and its chemical cousins, which are found in thousands of food products, further exacerbating the problem. Repeated hypoglycemic episodes increase the risk of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s and ALS (Lou Gehrig’s). In children, hypoglycemia often leads to hyperactivity. In both children and adults, it can cause violent and aggressive behavior. In older people, there can be mental confusion. An anti-hypoglycemic diet would consist of lean meat and lots of fresh vegetables. Another key is limiting sugars and starches.

Australian researchers found out that frequent masturbation may help men cut their risk of contracting prostrate cancer. Carcinogens build up in the prostrate if men do not ejaculate regularly and that is according to BBC News.

According to the study, men who ejaculated the most between the ages of 20 and 50 were the least likely to get cancer. Men who ejaculated more than five times each week were a third less likely to develop cancer.

Sexual intercourse, though, is not counted because it increases the risk of getting sexually transmitted disease, and that can raise the risk of cancer.

 

Surfing through the Internet, I found an article that caught my attention, so I decided to post it here. It is actually a list of twenty-six side effects that come with most of medicines that are in the market.

1. Drainage, crusting, or oozing of your eyes or eyelids
2. Swollen, black, or "hairy" tongue
3.  Changes in the shape or location of body fat
4. Decrease in testicle size
5. Sores or swelling in your rectal or genital area
6. Blue lips or fingernails
7. Purple spots on your skin
8.  White patches or sores inside your mouth or on your lips
9. Irregular back-and- forth movements of your eyes
10. Enlarged breasts in males.
11. Unusual risk-taking behavior, no fear of danger
12. Extreme fear
13. Hallucinations, fainting, coma
14. Fussiness, irritability, crying for an hour or longer
15. Paralysis
16. Thoracic Hematoma (bleeding into your chest)
17. A blood clot in your lung
18. Liver damage
19. Kidney damage
20. A lump in your breast
21. Decreased bone marrow function
22.  Congestive heart failure
23. Shingles
24. Nerve pain lasting for several weeks or months
25. Bleeding that will not stop
26. Coughing up blood or vomit that looks like coffee grounds

Also, a certain drug that women use for treatment of menopause symptoms can cause cancer, blood clots, dementia, stroke and heart attack. We have to all be careful of the medications we take, even if our doctors are the one who advised us to take them. Research on our part is imperative.

 

It is said that Haagen-Dazs warned that the disappearing bee colonies in the United States will affect the ice cream supply, which depends on pollination from bees.

Bees are responsible for 24 of its 60 flavors, which includes banana split, strawberry and toasted pecan. Haagen Dazs is donating $250,000 to two universities to fund research into the bee colony collapse disorder and are also trying to raise consumer awareness of the problem by launching a new flavor called Vanilla Honey Bee. They plan to use part of the sales from this flavor help the honeybees.

Employers are starting to scrutinize the lifestyle  habits of those working for them, even during business hours. Those who are guilty of smoking and having bad cholesterol levels - Beware!

Actually, not only those who smoke are in trouble. Some factors can also put your job on the line, (aside from those mentioned above) namely, blood pressure, blood glucose levels, and body mass.

Currently only a small portion of U.S. employers have taken action against what they deem unhealthy behaviors, but the list is growing. For instance, in September 2007 The Cleveland Clinic began screening potential employees for nicotine. If any is found in their systems, they’re denied employment.

You may probably think, "So what, that’s just in the US." Well, think again. Most employees in the Philippines and a growing number of other countries are relying on the call center industry to get a good pay check. And who owns most call center companies? Aren’t most of them American based? Not to mention that the citizens of other countries look up to Americans a lot.

Here’s something else I heard. Employers may start charging fines for eating fast food or visiting a tavern. Most experts believe, however, that as health care costs continue to rise, employers will continue to enact penalties for unhealthy behaviors.

Uh-oh. Better take care of your health or lose your job!

Criticism is defined as a disapproval expressed by pointing out faults or shortcomings. Being a victim of this can cause emotional as well as mental problems in a person, lowering their self-esteem and numerous people face this in their everyday lives. Be it at work, school, or even at home. I read an article online that discussed about five ways to deal with criticism, and here they are stated in my own words.

1)  Do not listen to the tone of the criticism, but instead listen to what the person has to say. As the saying goes, "When life hands you lemons, make lemonade." Always look at the glass half full instead of half empty. Take it in a constructive way instead of distractive.

2) Never take it personally. Sometimes it’s not even you that is spoken of, but the situation or the issue. Like what happens when you work at a call center. If the customer service representative (CSR) gets yelled at by an irate customer, it’s really not the CSR the customer is angry at, but the defective product and also the situation.

3) Just listen, or at least pretend that you’re listening..Oh, and ONLY LISTEN. If you feel like saying something back, it’s best not to. If it seems like you can’t help it, then bite your tongue. Sometimes when people are angry, they say things they don’t even mean. So whatever you do, don’t respond to the critic or else you might say something you might regret later on.

4) Value criticism. Criticism can help you to grow and move forward if you’re open to learning from it.

5) According to the article I read, it’s best if you - believe it or not - SMILE. Yes, that’s right. Smiling can actually do wonders for everyone! Doing so makes one feel better and may even encourage the criticizer to be a better person. If you don’t feel like smiling, still do it. Or try to think of something or someone that usually puts you in a good mood.