Tanning beds

The sun stimulates your body to produce vitamin D. This helps you absorb calcium to keep teeth and bones healthy. So sunlight is good for you right? Yes, sunlight is good for you in moderate amounts. Tanning beds do not provide moderate amounts. Even if you only go for a few minutes it is damaging to your skin. Just one tanning bed session is 5 times more intense than spending the same time in natural light. This is partly because the bulbs which give off UVB and UVA rays are so close to your body.

Tanning beds give off only about 3 percent UVB rays. The other 97 percent are UVA rays. Both of these are ultraviolet rays that can cause cancer, but they are slightly different. UVA rays penetrate the skin's surface and cause wrinkles, creases, and sagging skin. UVB rays, on the other hand, hit the surface of your skin and cause sunburn and sunspots. This is why you do not burn much in tanning beds, there are few UVB rays. You are getting mostly UVA rays which cause wrinkles (and cancer). 90 percent of all skin cancer and wrinkles are from the sun. Only 10 percent are genetic. This means that a lot of wrinkles can be prevented if we are smart about sun exposure and stay out of tanning beds. It is good for you to get a little sun every day, but tanning beds are not a safe way to go about getting it.

Frostbite

According to the Farmer's Almanac and various weather reports, this winter is supposed to be the coldest winter we have expericenced in many years. The cold can be very dangerous, and it is important to protect yourself from it. Especially protect yourself from frostbite. Frostbite can occur in any temperature below the freezing point. So even if it is 32 degrees outside and you think it's not that cold, you can still get frostbitten.

When your out in the cold for a while, your body sends signals to you arms and legs telling the blood vessells to narrow. Less blood is flowing to your skin so more blood can flow to your major organs. This sustains your internal body temperature since blood is not flowing near the cold surface of your skin. As you are out in the cold, this continues to happen. If your body temperature begins to drop significantly below 98.6 degress, these blood vessels in your skin will permanently constrict. Blood stops flowing to areas of your skin so that cold blood does not return to you vital organs. Ice crystals can actually form outside skin cells, causing them to dehydrate, and consequently die.

Some signs of frostbite are itching, numbness, burning, tingling, and white spots. It is very painful when these areas are warmed up again and bloodflow returns. It may ache for a few days. In cases of more severe frostbite, skin may become yellowish with blisters or swelling. The skin becomes hard and might look black and dead. It is very important to seek medical help if you think you have any frostbite. Skin usually appears healthy at first, it does not turn black and dead for a while. Over time more and more damage can occur. A doctor needs to feel the skin and supervise the rewarming process. Protect youself from the cold. Keep your hands and ears covered. And if you feel extreme coldness or numbness, go inside and warm up.

http://www.emedicinehealth.com/frostbite/article_em.htm

snowboarding is exercise

Bosquet, a ski area where I live, just opened this past weekend for the winter. My sister and I are skiiers but we decided that we wanted to learn how to snowboard too, so we went. I had been a few times before and couldn't really do much more than fall down the mountain. My sister was a little worse than I.

After about an hour of falling down and getting back up I realized how much of a workout it is. My legs were so tired and I think I used muscles that I didn't even know I had. It is also a great workout for your arms and abs if you keep fallling down because you have to keep pushing yourself back up again. I never really thought of it as exercise because you sort of coast down the slope but it is great for your muscles and burns hundreds of calories.

I also realized how dangerous it can be though. I seemed to fall on my knees a lot and they are very bruised now. It is very important to wear protective gear. Broken wrists are quite common among snowboarders. It is also important to stay warm. It is fairly easy to get frostbite if you are not dresses properly. So don't sit around this winter. Get outside and try something new. It is great exercise just remeber to stay warm and be safe!

For some snowboarding safety tips visit: http://www.abc-of-snowboarding.com/snowboardingsafety.asp

A Healthy Image

I am reading a biography for one of my psychology classes about Marilyn Monroe. I read something that was very interesting about her and her role as an icon in the media. Marilyn Monroe was the last female icon in the media to be a normal healthy weight, and have a normally proportioned female body. She was veluptuous with wide hips, big breasts, and a curvacious figure. If Marilyn was a celebrity today, she would be told to go on a diet immediatley and be sent for lyposuction. Women of Marilyn's time still saw her as a sex symbol. But they also felt that they too could look as beautiful and seductive with the right dress, hair, and makeup. Her look was attainable for the average woman because it was a realistic look and a healthy body image.

Today this absolutely not the case. Celebrities, models, and other icons of our time have a completely unrealistic and unhealthy image. They are extremely thin, and project an image that is unattainable. A boyish figure with no hips is praised, while a fuller more womanly figure is criticized. Curvy is the new fat. Magazines and television make it look like women are supposed to weigh 90 pounds, and fit into a size 0 (even if they are 5'9".) A lot of women and young adults think that this is what they should look like, and that it is possible since they see stars with these bodies. This kind of mentality often leads to unhealthy and dangerous behaviours. Cosmetic surgery and liposuction are become more and more common. Eating disorders and reliance on diet pills are solutions many people turn to become thin. The pressure to look skinny is so great for some people that they harm theirbodies. I think people need to take some time to evalute themselves and realize what a healthy body image is. They should realize that it is not healthy for your ribs to show through your back. It is unfortunate that this is the image that American media projects, but at least there are companies, such as Dove, that are taking steps to show what real beauty and real people look like.

Question 2

As I'm sure you all know, question 2 passed on the Massachusetts voting ballot this year. This new law decriminalizes marijuana. Although it does not make the drug legal, the punishments for it are mush less harsh. I'm sure this new law encourages some people to use marijuana even more. But a lot of us are forgetting that there are health risks involved, as there are with any drug. Marijuana is very high in carcinogens, or cancer causing agents. Its moke contains many of the same, and somtimes more, of the dangerous, cancer-causing chemicals that are found in tobacco smoke. It can also lead to breathing problems, very similar to the problems cigarette smokers have. This includes coughing and weezing. Marijuana smokers are more prone to chest colds and have a much higher risk of pneumonia and other chest infections. It also negatively affects the immune system. It has been proven to impair the ability of T-cells in the lungs' immune system which fight off infections. Heavy or daily use of marijuana affects the brain. It may damage the parts that control memory, learning, and attention.

In addition, Marijuana impairs your ablility to drive a car. It affects your alertness, concentration, and coordination. It decreases reaction time and can make it difficult to judge distances. Studies have shown that people using marijuana have the same lack of coordination as people who are drunk when given the standard drunk driving test. So think twice before you use this drug, especially if you are going to drive. It is more harmful than you may have thought.

http://www.nida.nih.gov/MarijBroch/Marijteens.html

mmm...cinnamon

Cinnamon is a really delicious spice that is used in a lot of different foods these days. But did you know that cinnamon provides a lot of health advantages? It is actually very good for you. It has been used not only as a spice, but also as a medicine. It contains nutrients such as manganese, fiber, iron, and it even has calcium.

Cinnamon has some other uses as well. It has anti-clotting actions. It helps prevent unwanted clumping of blood platelets, so blood clots do not occur. It is also considered an anti-inflammatory food and can help in reducing inflammation. The essential oils in cinnamon have the abililty to help stop the growth of bacteria and fungi. Because of this, cinnamon can be a natural preservative as well as a flavorful seasoning. Another property of cinnamon is its ability to lower blood sugar. It reduces the rise of blood sugar levels by slowing the rate the stomach empties after meals. By putting cinnamon on a high-carb food, you can lower the impact on your blood sugar levels. This is especially important for people with diabetes. It may also significanly benfit people with type 2 diabetes as it improves thier bodies' repsone to insulin. Not only does it smell good, but the scent of cinnamon boosts brain function. The calcium and fiber in it can also imporve colon health and protect against heart disease.

With this in mind, sprinkle some cinnamon on your toast or into your coffee. It will taste great and provide many health advantages.

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=68

Eye Tattoos...gross

As I was getting a little more information on tattoos for my last blog, I came across something that kind of grossed me out, so I thought I should share it with you. You can actually get tattoos on your eyes. Yes, the whites of your eyes. Traditionally this was only done by doctors on patients who had suffered a scratch or scar on the cornea and needed color put back into thier eye. Most doctors will not do this; it is a rarity. However, there are tattoo artists now who will do this for anyone who wants it done. They can color in the whites of your eyes by putting ink into the cornea. This was attempted with a tattoo gun but the ink would not stay in the eye. So, they dilute the ink and inject it into your eye with a different sized needle and syringe.

I think this is pretty gross, and I don't know why you would want your eyes to be colored. Not to mention this probably hurts a lot. I can't imagine what it must feel like to have needles poked into my eyes repeatedly. It is very dangerous too. There are many risks involved including hemorrhaging, infections, and blindness. I know I would not want infections in my eyes. All this being said, I think eye tattoos are a pretty stupid idea. (I couldn't put up a picture of the needle going into the eyeball. It was too gross.)

(Dr. Positano, 2007)

To learn more about how gross this is visit:

http://www.nypost.com/seven/07312007/entertainment/health/dont_turn_blind_eye_to_eye_tattoo_risks_health_dr__rock_positano.htm

Tattoos and Piercings

Tattoos and peircings are becoming more and more popular in our society. I bet you or someone you know has tattoos and peircings. As common as they are, many people forget about the health risks involved in getting a tattoo or a peircing. Tattoos and piercings break the skin barrier, making it very easy to contract disease or infection. Also, the inks used for tattoos are considered cosmetics, so they are not approved by the FDA. A substance goes into your body that has not been approved for injection.

There are many risks involved with tattoos especially. If needles are not clean or have not been properly sterilized, you can catch many blood-related diseases such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C, tetanus, and even HIV. Some people have allergic reactions to the ink, red ink in particular. It can cause itching, swelling, and blistering. You can also get granulomas, raised reddish bumps, around your tattoo. Other risks include baterical infections of the skin and raised scarring.

Even though there are many risks associated with body art, I am still a huge fan. I have tattoos and have never had a problem with them. It is important though to know your piercing and tattoo artist. Make sure you are going to a clean, professional place. Make sure that they are using new needles that have just been opened. And above all, take care of new body art. You can still get infections weeks after it has been done. If you are smart about it, you shouldn't have any problems with piercings or tattoos.

For more on tattoos: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/tattoos-and-piercings/MC00020

Gluten Intolerance

Celiacs disease is very common although not many people know about it. Celiacs is an autoimmune disorder that affects the digestive system. People who have it, myself included, have an intolerance of gluten. Gluten is a protein found in grains such as wheat, barley, and rye. This protein causes the small intestine to lose its ability to absorb nutrients. So if someone with celiacs is eating gluten, they are essentially becoming malnutritioned. The symptoms of celiacs disease are somewhat like having lactose intolerance. They include upset stomach, nuasea, headaches, and various other digestive issues. The syptoms are a little different for everyone. About 1 in 130 people have this intolerance in the United States, althought only about 3% of these people know about it. It cannot be cured, so you have it for life. To stay healthy you must simply eat a gluten free diet.

Since gluten is found mostly in wheat, it does limit your diet. You cannot eat regular bread, pasta, or foods made out of dough. No pizza, sandwiches, brownies, bagels, anything with breadcrubs or crust on it, etc. You also have to check ingredients to make sure you do not eat anything with maltodextrin or modified food starch in it. These ingredients can be found in anything from from potato chips, to frosting, to toothpaste. They are usually used as a filler in products and they contain gluten. You might think, well what can you eat?, since just about everything is made with some kind of wheat. A gluten free diet consists mostly of rice, potato, and corn products. Also fuits, vegetables, and protiens are okay. There are also a lot of gluten free products out there made from things like rice or tapioca flour. A few of them taste gross but most are good. Unfortunatley most gluten free products are pretty expensive. Nine dollars for a box of gluten free icecream cones isn't exactly cheap. This makes it hard for some people with this intolerance to eat gluten free. I think to make it easier to deal with this intolerance, gluten free food should cost less. Other than that, this diet is not really that hard to follow.

For more about celiacs go to:http://www.celiac.org/

In Vitro Fertilization

Infertility is a problem that most of us hardley ever think about. However, it affects millions of people in the United States alone. For some it can be emotionally and even financially devastaing. Infertility can be due either to the man or the woman for various reasons. He may have low sperm count, she may have blocked tubes, or have had an ovarian cyst. Some people are born infertile. The list goes on. Technology, however has made it possible for infertile couples to still concieve a child. There are various processes available to aid in the conpection of a baby. Among these forms of assisted reproduction is in vitro fertilization. You may be more familiar with the term "test tube baby." With in virto fetilization, a sperm and egg are combined in a laboratory and then placed back into the mother with hopes that implantation will occur and a fetus will grow. Above is an egg being injected with sperm by a needle. (image from Tyler Medical Clinic, 2001)

There are many difficulties with in vitro fertilization. For starters, it is very expensive. It can cost thousands of dollars for this procedure to be carried out once. In some cases it is performed a few times and the cost goes through the roof. Also, the chances of an infertile couple actually having a baby are slim. The chance of in vitro resulting in a baby after the first attempt is less than 30 percent (depending on age). If the first attempt fails, the second and third attempts have an even lower chance of success. Another problem that in vitro fertilization creates is the birth of multiples (twins, triplets, quadruplets, etc.) To increase the chances that this procedure will work, several eggs are fertilized and placed back into the mother in the hopes that at least one will implant and result in a fetus. If more than one of these fertilized eggs implants, it results in the birth of multiples. This is dangerous to both the mother and the babies. The entire pregnancy and birth process are risky. Damage can easily be done to the mother and chances of birth defects are considerably higher.

Many ethical questions are raised as well since this process of concieving a child is obviously not natural. Many people think that doctors are playing the role of God by creating life. Some people think that this ability will lead to misuse. If we can do this then why can't we pick our child's eye color or height? Should we be allowed to genetically engineer our children? I think that in vitro fertilization is a fair option for young couples who have enough money to throw around. If you can afford to potentially lose thousands of dollars then why not give it a shot and try for a baby. If you do not have this kind of money it is a different situation. Many doctors will put pictures of babies all over thier offices and thankyou letters from previous patients who did concieve a child. This leads infertile couples to believe that they can have a baby too, even though in reality the chances are very small. This is false advertising in a way and is very misleading to a hopeful couple. I think that most couples do not give adoption enough consideration. In a lot of cases this is probably the best and most realistic choice. I think that in some ways it is better to adopt and love a baby that already exists than trying the extremes to bring a new one into the world.

For more details on in virto fertilization try: http://www.emedicinehealth.com/in_vitro_fertilization/article_em.htm