I am writing this because I believe that alcohol and other types of drugs need to be stopped and controlled now. I recently  learned all about types of drugs and alcohol and what it can do to the inside and outside of ourselves. I don’t understand how people can do this to themselves.

My dad is an alcoholic and it’s sad what it did to him. Right now, he is at the point of dying and he doesn’t have enough money to live on. I saw him two years ago at Christmas. I couldn’t even look at him, he was so bad looking. My parents got a divorce when I was in kindergarten and even when I was little I said, “Divorce can be a good thing.” And I was right. That was the best decision my Mom could have made. I feel sorry, but nothing he could say or do would take that feeling away from me. He’s been out of my life for so many years and doesn’t want to do anything to try to help himself. Only you can help yourself from stopping yourself, nobody else.

Although I am worried about people in the world that have an addiction problem, and I am worried more for the teens out there. Parents give children freedom (sometimes too much) and it sometimes kids go into cults and gangs. What people don’t realize is that what you do now as children and teenagers affects your whole life. Once you get addicted, it is so hard to stop, and as I said only you can stop yourself. So we need to get control of this now so our children are healthy. Once your body is ruined, it’s hard and almost impossible to turn back…

To learn more go to www.abovetheinfluence.com

~Hope

   You wake up. You quickly grab breakfast and are out the door towards work, stressing over one thing or another. At work, you fret about your latest project, and when you get home your worries are directed towards financial issues and home life. All this stress is normal- or, that’s what we’ve been led to believe.

Why Stress is Detrimental

Being stressed out is not good for several reasons. One, being how it effects everyone around you. Did you know that studies have show that your kids are more likely to become ill if they are in a household with a lot of stress from surrounding family members? That should motivate all of the parents to relax and to stop constantly worrying.

Aside from creating household problems, stress also creates health problems. It is known that people who are stressed out often over eat and are less likely to exercise. They more likely to smoke and drink more, and stress might raise the risk of heart attacks.

How to Get Rid of Stress

These scary side effects should be enough to make us stop and take a deep breath. People with less stress in their lives have eliminated many problems and risks by simply taking everything calmly. Easier said then done, this feat cannot be accomplished overnight.

Here are some ways to reduce stress:

• Get some fresh air: you’ve heard it before, magazines suggesting fresh air for overstressed individuals. Nature just has a way of helping us chill out, even for just a little while. Take a walk or open up some windows or doors.
• Organize! A clean house or an organized schedule are simple ways to feel less stressed. I always feel better when I have a clear to do list! And- bonus! - people are said to sleep better when their rooms are clean because they have less on their mind.
• Smile. Just smiling makes you feel better. Be pleasant and people will be more pleasant back to you!
• Get more Zzz’s: You are much less likely to reach a breaking point if you have gotten plenty of sleep.

How in the WORLD does this relate to the future, Rika?

Good question! Over the years, our society has become more complex. The more complex our society becomes, the more things the average people have to keep track of. Add the financial issues because of depleting oil and the rising food prices and what do you get? Stress!

-Rika

  More dangerous than we’d like to think…

We are in the age where consumer smarts is important; with all the food and pharmaceuticals out there claiming to be the best (and some of those actually being detrimental to your health!), consumers need to stay in the know. One of the most well-known and largely publicized healthy food is yogurt. Yogurt, when made correctly, is rich with calcium, vitamins, and fruit.

But all too often, a bottle of yogurt may include harmful ingredients like high fructose corn syrup or artificial ingredients; or the yogurt may be overloaded with sugar. Surprisingly, many of the main brands of yogurt, like Yoplait, include these health detriments. Sure, milk may be first on the ingredients list, but sugar second on the list is not a good sign (soon followed by high fructose corn syrup and artificial ingredients).

So despite all of the “low fat!” sort of claims scrawled all over the product, there’s more to the yogurt than meets the eye. To be fair, there are some healthier brands of yogurt out there, but the amount of unhealthy kinds is higher than we’d like to think.

Shop smart, read the ingredient labels.

-Rika

    We want to know your comments about the Gardasil vaccines. If you have heard of it, you know that some people believe it is good and others are against it.

Gardasil is the only vaccine out there that may help prevent diseases that are caused by type 6, 11, 16, and 18 of HPV as well as genital warts. Cervical cancer is a disease of the cervix and if a female becomes affected and it does not heal on its own, then abnormal cells can develop. When it is not treated immediately, it can lead to cancer.

This vaccine is meant for females ages 9-16 years of age. It does not help if you have cervical cancer. It is given as 3 injections over a period of 6 months and can cause pain, swelling, itching, and redness at the injection site, fever, nausea, and dizziness.

Now I will tell you why some people are happy about this vaccine. As I said, it prevents 4 types of cervical cancer. They say it is best to receive it early so it can protect you earlier before you even have to worry about getting cervical cancer.

The negatives are that it comes in 3 injections over a period of 6 months… not fun. You receive one and then you get one 2 months after that and then 6 months after that dose. Also, the effects aren’t so great either. While some insurance plans cover it, some do not. The cost is $120 per dose and the whole thing costs $360 for all. Also, it is extremely painful, more than all the other shots I have ever gotten.

So what do you think about it?

~Hope

Guitar Hero is a game where the object is for you to press different colored buttons on a plastic ‘guitar’. The satisfaction people get out of jamming a bunch of buttons I just can’t comprehend. I played real guitar before guitar hero, and saw Guitar Hero as a complete waste of time. Plus, I wouldn’t be surprised if a study came out showing that playing guitar hero gave it’s participants carpal tunnel. It’s worse than normal video games in terms of pressing buttons quickly, and for long periods of time couldn’t possibly be good for you.

But video games are not nearly as bad as people say; some of them (the non-shoot ‘em up kinds) actually teach important skills relating to the economy, stocks, and other important decisions. This is the first generation that is the one to live all their lives with technology. Growing up with cell phones and videos might take their toll, though….. But what do you think? Leave a comment.

-Rika

An equation we all know is healthy foods + a variety of that good food= a happy you! Now we’re not just talking about happy as in your body is happy to have foods that don’t poison it, I mean happy as in less stress type of happy. But what foods exactly improve your mood the most?

According to a very interesting Yahoo article, these foods are the best in terms of improving your mood and reducing stress:

• Dessert: Did you know that the generally accepted statement that “sugar gives you energy” or “sugar gives you hyper” is actually a myth? It is- sugar actually helps reduce stress, well in a certain amount. Too much and it will just make you moody.
• Toast and Jam: To prevent a whirlwind of mood swings, eat whole wheat bread with jam. Whole wheat stabilizes blood sugar whereas refined grains send your blood sugar wheeling, causing mood swings.
• Yogurt and Eggs: Found in fish, too, omega fatty acids are not only an important nutrient, but the Omega 3 Fatty Acid found in Yogurt and Eggs, called DHA is a natural anti-depressant, too. They
• Spinach: The folate in spinach also helps stop clinical depression.
• Black Bean Dip: Iron helps you sleep better, and we all know sleep helps your energy levels, which in turn effect your mood. Low on iron? Eat black bean dip.

So whenever you’re feeling low, eat one of these foods to get a boost to propel you through your day.

-Rika

P.S. This was taken from a Yahoo! Article. We thought it was important enough that we should put it on our site. We sift through articles like this sometimes and find the ones that really matter to you and post our summary of the article. Here is the link to the article.

CA-MRSA: it’s the super bug invading our schools and sending us on a cleaning frenzy. Inside most worried parent’s head is If I clean as much as possible with this antibacterial cleaners the danger will disappear. Well, I have news for you. Antibacterial cleaners may be making the problem worse. According to some recent studies, Triclosan (among other Antibacterial cleaners) may actually be helping bacteria grow stronger! Some soap and detergent companies argue that these reports are not thorough and people should not believe them quite yet until further research is released. The labs that have been testing antibacterial cleaners say that yes, the results are not significant enough that everyone should just chuck all antibacterial soap- but it’s significant enough that the problem needs to be looked in to.

What are the expert’s suggestion? Still be hygienic- but use alcohol based sanitizers and to keep a look out in the news for more information on follow up lab reports.

-Calister F. Wells

A Quick Note from the Author:

And some advice for everyone currently attending school- remember to cover your cuts and wash your hands to keep CA MRSA from affecting you. It is a seriously dangerous germ and no laughing matter! Wash your hands and just be all around hygenic