Walking through the halls every single day it makes me so sad. So many girls have caked on makeup that they spent hours doing just to impress their peers. Why can't some girls accept the fact that they are beautiful without makeup and that they really don't need it? I wish we lived in a society today where people aren't judged by their natural looks and are forced to cover up what they are born with. It is truly sickening to me and something needs to change.
Having a zero hour and 2 jobs, I'm glad i learned the importance of going natural once in a while because that just means more sleep for me! I want every girl to be able to go to school and not be terrified to be seen without makeup.
Sunday, December 13, 2015
Waist trainors or a waste of money? (213)
In this day in age, anybody would almost KILL for a perfect hour glass figure. Literally. With icons like the Kardshians, Amber Rose, and others it is almost impossible to not want to look like them but if you look deeper into what they are actually doing to their selves, you might have yourself second guessing.
Following the Kardshians on the app Instagram, i almost always see them post a good message about their PreMedonna waist trainer and a link to where you can get your own. It's supposed to be an easy fix if you are over weight and instead of gaining the figure the healthy way like working out, the victim straps them self into this death trap and just waits for the sounds of their crushing organs,
That is literally what the waist trainer does to you-crushes your insides. Your waist cannot be 1 cm in circumference and still be able to hold all of the viable organs it takes to live. Where else do they have to go? Nowhere, so they end up getting crushed. It is sad to see girls doing this to their body just because of some TV actress who is literally getting paid to sell these to you. It's sad and it needs to stop.
Following the Kardshians on the app Instagram, i almost always see them post a good message about their PreMedonna waist trainer and a link to where you can get your own. It's supposed to be an easy fix if you are over weight and instead of gaining the figure the healthy way like working out, the victim straps them self into this death trap and just waits for the sounds of their crushing organs,
That is literally what the waist trainer does to you-crushes your insides. Your waist cannot be 1 cm in circumference and still be able to hold all of the viable organs it takes to live. Where else do they have to go? Nowhere, so they end up getting crushed. It is sad to see girls doing this to their body just because of some TV actress who is literally getting paid to sell these to you. It's sad and it needs to stop.
Nike Vs.Under Armour (642)
Nike and Under Armour are some of the highest companies for athletic clothes and shoes. Famous athletes might wear one brand or another, such as Warriors basketball player Stephen Curry wears only Under Armour, and other athletes chose to wear Nike. In my opinion, this is great advertisement for these two companies because seeing famous athletes wear their brands makes people want to buy those brands even more. Trends also start in school and kids conform to what their peers are wearing, raising revenue for both of these companies and many more.
I, myself, own a lot of Nike shoes and athletic clothes of both of the brands so I wanted to see which one was superior to the other. I started with clothes because I have more to compare. Nike zip-up jackets are really thin and are really nice for a run outside in the spring, but do not give enough coverage in the winter. On the other hand, Under Armour jacket's are really thick and mine is usually my go to during the winter when I want to go to the gym.
The shorts for both companies are also really different and I would have to say that Nike is my favorite for this category. Under Armour's version of shorts are really weird fitting and are not consistent with sizes. Most of them also have a slit down the side which gives a funny feeling when you are running. I really like Nike shorts because they are consistent with sizes and feel really comfortable when running or just working out.
As for hoodies, I would have to go with Under Armour. Their hoodies are cheaper then Nike's, but also thicker and warmer which doesn't make any sense to me. They are water absorbent so when its snowing or raining, the water won't soak through the material and leave you soaking which I think is really nice. Nike's sweatshirts are so thin and are usually way more expensive than Under Armour's so i opt for the later brand.
Leggings are also a necessity in every girl's life and of course i have leggings from both brands and i use them to go work out when it's cold outside. So which one give the most warmth and support? I would have to say Under Armour because they are a whole lot thicker than Nike's and cheaper which still doesn't make sense to me. I swear i could wear these leggings to go sledding and i wouldn't get cold. They are THAT warm!
Talking about working out i also should bring up the topic that is on everyone;s minds-shoes. I have ran in Nike's since i can remember and i had never had any under armour shoes before so i was hesitant to buy them. And i shouldn't have, They are so uncomfortable and clunky making it hard to run in. The soles aren't comfortable at all and gave me a blister on my first run. I am never going back and never cheating on my Nike' ever again.
As for hats, i think in my opinion it is a tie. The under armour hats are really nice, especially the beanies but i do like the Nike ones a little bit more because they are a tighter fit and more comfortable for my head, As for soocks, under armour definitely wins big time. After only a couple washes, Nike socks fade in color and start ripping holes in the bottom of the feet. I have never had trouble like that with under armour socks.
All in all, some brands are great for a type of product while another is great for a different product. I personally have always thought that Nike was better and won't stop thinking that for a while even if it is a bit over priced it is quality merchandise.
I, myself, own a lot of Nike shoes and athletic clothes of both of the brands so I wanted to see which one was superior to the other. I started with clothes because I have more to compare. Nike zip-up jackets are really thin and are really nice for a run outside in the spring, but do not give enough coverage in the winter. On the other hand, Under Armour jacket's are really thick and mine is usually my go to during the winter when I want to go to the gym.
The shorts for both companies are also really different and I would have to say that Nike is my favorite for this category. Under Armour's version of shorts are really weird fitting and are not consistent with sizes. Most of them also have a slit down the side which gives a funny feeling when you are running. I really like Nike shorts because they are consistent with sizes and feel really comfortable when running or just working out.
As for hoodies, I would have to go with Under Armour. Their hoodies are cheaper then Nike's, but also thicker and warmer which doesn't make any sense to me. They are water absorbent so when its snowing or raining, the water won't soak through the material and leave you soaking which I think is really nice. Nike's sweatshirts are so thin and are usually way more expensive than Under Armour's so i opt for the later brand.
Leggings are also a necessity in every girl's life and of course i have leggings from both brands and i use them to go work out when it's cold outside. So which one give the most warmth and support? I would have to say Under Armour because they are a whole lot thicker than Nike's and cheaper which still doesn't make sense to me. I swear i could wear these leggings to go sledding and i wouldn't get cold. They are THAT warm!
Talking about working out i also should bring up the topic that is on everyone;s minds-shoes. I have ran in Nike's since i can remember and i had never had any under armour shoes before so i was hesitant to buy them. And i shouldn't have, They are so uncomfortable and clunky making it hard to run in. The soles aren't comfortable at all and gave me a blister on my first run. I am never going back and never cheating on my Nike' ever again.
As for hats, i think in my opinion it is a tie. The under armour hats are really nice, especially the beanies but i do like the Nike ones a little bit more because they are a tighter fit and more comfortable for my head, As for soocks, under armour definitely wins big time. After only a couple washes, Nike socks fade in color and start ripping holes in the bottom of the feet. I have never had trouble like that with under armour socks.
All in all, some brands are great for a type of product while another is great for a different product. I personally have always thought that Nike was better and won't stop thinking that for a while even if it is a bit over priced it is quality merchandise.
Sunday, December 6, 2015
The thing about team sports (225)
Tons of kids are involved in a team sport today, sports that make sure that the team is the ideal goal, not just the individual. Of course, people know already that sports get you into shape and physical health that you want, but what about the skills that a child takes away from these sports? Including skills that help them advance in the class room and outside environment. In my AP Seminar class that I take at Kennedy, I am researching this topic for my individual essay and figuring out if individual sports have more of an advantage or if team sports do.
I've only found solid facts about team sports that make me believe that they are better in developing the skills for a child, but I am also still researching about this topic. It seems to me that team skills build a better foundation for a child setting better examples such as doing work for a whole instead of an individual.
There are tons of sports at Kennedy that are both individual and team sports that students both succeed at. Such as the football team that made it all the way to the state championship with the "family" as it's motto. We can see how this really connects to the cougar community and as I find new research, I will share it out.
I've only found solid facts about team sports that make me believe that they are better in developing the skills for a child, but I am also still researching about this topic. It seems to me that team skills build a better foundation for a child setting better examples such as doing work for a whole instead of an individual.
There are tons of sports at Kennedy that are both individual and team sports that students both succeed at. Such as the football team that made it all the way to the state championship with the "family" as it's motto. We can see how this really connects to the cougar community and as I find new research, I will share it out.
Chocolate covered pretzels (253)
This is definitely already a recipe that can be found elsewhere on the internet but I wanted to take my own twist on it to see if it was quicker and still accurate. To make these pretzels you will need:
-One bag of pretzels
-One bar almond bark (chocolate or vanilla)
-tongs
1. Microwave the almond bark in a microwave safe bowl for 1 minute and then for 15 second intervals, stirring the chocolate between.
2. Lay out the pretzels on wax paper
3. When the almond bark is ready, bring it to the table and throw a handful of pretzels in the bowl of almond bark. Use the tongs to evenly coat all of the pretzels before pulling them out and putting them on the wax paper to dry.
The recipe online said to put the pretzels in one at a time instead of a handful, but I used a handful to get this done quicker. Although it was faster, it was not accurate. Instead of just pulling out the pretzels, I got huge globs of the almond bark and it made all of the pretzels dry together into one big gigantic chocolate covered pretzel.
I made these as something quick to throw into my lunch bag to satisfy my sweet tooth while I am at school an it definitely worked. Something that is sweet and salty, but not too fatty or unhealthy. Perfect. When you make these though, use one pretzel at a time to ensure that you get prime results.
-One bag of pretzels
-One bar almond bark (chocolate or vanilla)
-tongs
1. Microwave the almond bark in a microwave safe bowl for 1 minute and then for 15 second intervals, stirring the chocolate between.
2. Lay out the pretzels on wax paper
3. When the almond bark is ready, bring it to the table and throw a handful of pretzels in the bowl of almond bark. Use the tongs to evenly coat all of the pretzels before pulling them out and putting them on the wax paper to dry.
The recipe online said to put the pretzels in one at a time instead of a handful, but I used a handful to get this done quicker. Although it was faster, it was not accurate. Instead of just pulling out the pretzels, I got huge globs of the almond bark and it made all of the pretzels dry together into one big gigantic chocolate covered pretzel.
I made these as something quick to throw into my lunch bag to satisfy my sweet tooth while I am at school an it definitely worked. Something that is sweet and salty, but not too fatty or unhealthy. Perfect. When you make these though, use one pretzel at a time to ensure that you get prime results.
Gobble Gobble (462)
Although Thanksgiving is part us now and we are starting to get into the Christmas spirit, we should take some time and reflect what we ate on Thanksgiving and what it did to our waistbands. Also, a few tips about how you can avoid these problems when Christmas dinner arrives soon. During the holiday season is when people pack on the most weight and I don't know about you but I don't want to be one of them.
So think back to Thanksgiving real quick. All the friends and family that you may not have seen in a while and most importantly, the food. When one imagines Thanksgiving dinner, a huge table comes to mind with a huge golden brown turkey in the middle surrounded by sides such as cranberries, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, green bean casserole, rolls and butter, and an assortment of desserts. But what one does not usually think about before digging in to feast is the calorie count of this one meal. Although it is only once a year, the dinner usually has Americans feeling bloated and tired.
Then there is also the problem of multiple meals since people tend to have larger families. A person feels obligated to eat at every place they visit on the holiday as it kind of shows respect for the host. This problem is an easy fix because there are so many things you can do to avoid the problem of over eating due to multiple Thanksgivings. One solution is to eat parts of the meal at each house such as turkey at house 1, sides at house 2, and finally deserts at house 3. You may have to divide it up differently based on the number of houses you have but that is a quick easy fix that everyone can try.
One way to work of that Thanksgiving weight is to hit the gym, of course. Lifting weights, running, or even just walking can help a person feel less bloated and better about the food baby that they just obtained. The way I fix this problem is to go Black Friday shopping after my multiple dinner's on Thanksgiving. I walk countless hours at both of the malls (Coralridge and Lindale) to find the best deals around and as much as it hurts my feet, I know it is helping the extra weight I ate that day to come off.
Whether you go to the gym, or just use your shopping skills to stay fit, it is essential to do something of activity if you don't want to feel disgusting after that big Thanksgiving meal or meals. Make sure to take my advice through the holiday season so you don't let yourself go even through the tempting holiday cookies and treats.
So think back to Thanksgiving real quick. All the friends and family that you may not have seen in a while and most importantly, the food. When one imagines Thanksgiving dinner, a huge table comes to mind with a huge golden brown turkey in the middle surrounded by sides such as cranberries, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, green bean casserole, rolls and butter, and an assortment of desserts. But what one does not usually think about before digging in to feast is the calorie count of this one meal. Although it is only once a year, the dinner usually has Americans feeling bloated and tired.
Then there is also the problem of multiple meals since people tend to have larger families. A person feels obligated to eat at every place they visit on the holiday as it kind of shows respect for the host. This problem is an easy fix because there are so many things you can do to avoid the problem of over eating due to multiple Thanksgivings. One solution is to eat parts of the meal at each house such as turkey at house 1, sides at house 2, and finally deserts at house 3. You may have to divide it up differently based on the number of houses you have but that is a quick easy fix that everyone can try.
One way to work of that Thanksgiving weight is to hit the gym, of course. Lifting weights, running, or even just walking can help a person feel less bloated and better about the food baby that they just obtained. The way I fix this problem is to go Black Friday shopping after my multiple dinner's on Thanksgiving. I walk countless hours at both of the malls (Coralridge and Lindale) to find the best deals around and as much as it hurts my feet, I know it is helping the extra weight I ate that day to come off.
Whether you go to the gym, or just use your shopping skills to stay fit, it is essential to do something of activity if you don't want to feel disgusting after that big Thanksgiving meal or meals. Make sure to take my advice through the holiday season so you don't let yourself go even through the tempting holiday cookies and treats.
Sunday, November 22, 2015
healthy twist (129)
http://thechiclife.com/2014/02/healthy-hot-chocolate-clean-eats.html
When you think of the word "healthy" or "organic" in front of your favorite food, it kind of kills your vibe doesn't it? We don't want to think of our delicacies stripped away of fats or sugar, but in some cases it can actually taste better. I tried a healthy twist with this hot chocolate recipe and I am so glad that I did because it made me think differently about healthy foods.
I would definitely recommend this yummy drink because it is honestly one of the best things I have tried. I thought it would be weird because of the "raw sugar" that was listed as one of the ingredients but it was so good. Definite 10/10.
When you think of the word "healthy" or "organic" in front of your favorite food, it kind of kills your vibe doesn't it? We don't want to think of our delicacies stripped away of fats or sugar, but in some cases it can actually taste better. I tried a healthy twist with this hot chocolate recipe and I am so glad that I did because it made me think differently about healthy foods.
I would definitely recommend this yummy drink because it is honestly one of the best things I have tried. I thought it would be weird because of the "raw sugar" that was listed as one of the ingredients but it was so good. Definite 10/10.
goals in the winter (497)
During the winter, some may find themselves sitting inside not sure what to do except watch Netflix and eat. Our city of Cedar Rapids is looked upon as boring and that's why staying at home watching movies looks so appealing to us. If we look a little deeper and do a little research, though, there is so much to do in Cedar Rapids during the winter that you might not even have enough time to do all of it.
- Build a snowman. With the recent foot of snow that we have gotten, it is a perfect opportunity to make the best out of it. Grab a couple friends, even if it does sound lame, and go to the store t get what you need. You can customize it however you would like but make sure to warm up with some hot chocolate after you are done.
-Take a drive around the city and see what the people in Cedar Rapids have in store for Christmas lights. You can make this a 20 minute ordeal or stretch it out into a whole night and plan exactly where you would like to go. Plan a dinner before with some friends and have them tag along to experience it with you.
- Attend a city parade. Although this might look very unattractive due to the cold weather, it is actually very fun to see what the cities businesses are doing and what they have in store concerning floats and visuals. Also, it is a great way to connect with friends that you are close to or people that you only see once a year-just don't forget the mittens and hot chocolate to keep you warm during this cold night.
-Go ice skating! the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena is by Kingston stadium and the Kernals stadium down town. You can rent ice skates for super cheap and you don't even know how to skate. It is worth the money spent and I feel like everyone should try it even if they have little experience because it gets you moving while also having fun with your friends!
- Go sledding! Regarding the snow that we just got, I think it is appropriate to talk about going sledding. It might sound like a little kid activity but I assure you that you would be surprised at the amount of teenagers that still go today. Make sure to bring extra layers because it is almost guaranteed that you will be freezing, but walking up the hill will help warm you up. Also bring some snacks and some hot chocolate and make a full day out of it!
Whether you use some of these activities or not, make sure to get out as much as possible this winter because you don't want to end up a couch potato! There are endless things to do in the winter so if you don't find your niche in one of these, you will likely find it elsewhere.
- Build a snowman. With the recent foot of snow that we have gotten, it is a perfect opportunity to make the best out of it. Grab a couple friends, even if it does sound lame, and go to the store t get what you need. You can customize it however you would like but make sure to warm up with some hot chocolate after you are done.
-Take a drive around the city and see what the people in Cedar Rapids have in store for Christmas lights. You can make this a 20 minute ordeal or stretch it out into a whole night and plan exactly where you would like to go. Plan a dinner before with some friends and have them tag along to experience it with you.
- Attend a city parade. Although this might look very unattractive due to the cold weather, it is actually very fun to see what the cities businesses are doing and what they have in store concerning floats and visuals. Also, it is a great way to connect with friends that you are close to or people that you only see once a year-just don't forget the mittens and hot chocolate to keep you warm during this cold night.
-Go ice skating! the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena is by Kingston stadium and the Kernals stadium down town. You can rent ice skates for super cheap and you don't even know how to skate. It is worth the money spent and I feel like everyone should try it even if they have little experience because it gets you moving while also having fun with your friends!
- Go sledding! Regarding the snow that we just got, I think it is appropriate to talk about going sledding. It might sound like a little kid activity but I assure you that you would be surprised at the amount of teenagers that still go today. Make sure to bring extra layers because it is almost guaranteed that you will be freezing, but walking up the hill will help warm you up. Also bring some snacks and some hot chocolate and make a full day out of it!
Whether you use some of these activities or not, make sure to get out as much as possible this winter because you don't want to end up a couch potato! There are endless things to do in the winter so if you don't find your niche in one of these, you will likely find it elsewhere.
Cold (503)
As anyone in Cedar Rapids, Iowa right now can see, we are in a winter wonderland. Last week I didn't have to wear my winter coat to school, and on Saturday morning the whole state woke up with snow as far as the eye can see. With these sort of conditions, it is very important not to drive or travel due to ice on the roads. Also, as the weather grows colder, it is scary to see what can happen to our bodies.
If it is snowing or sleeting, it is very important to you or your passengers to keep off the roads or if travel is necessary, take it extra slow and allow for delays. Don't slam on your breaks as you will slide forward or spin out and put you, your passengers, and other drivers in danger of getting hurt. You should warm your car up ten minutes before you start your commute and make sure to scrap all of the ice or snow off of the windows for more visibility. For safety purpose, you should not multitask while driving in winter weather. No eating, texting, changing music, etc. because the road needs to be your main focus. Also, keeping items in your car to stay warm in case of an emergency is necessary also. If your car breaks down in the middle of the winter with below zero temperatures, you would want to have something to keep you warm. In my car I have two blankets, a flash light, extra food and water, a car phone charger, extra coats, hats, mittens, hand warmers, and many other things that would be necessary if I needed to keep warm. I believe that everyone should have these things with them through their travels due to the possibility of hypothermia or frost bite when the body gets too cold.
Another safety hazard to watch out for in the winter is the ice that you can slip on in a parking lot or on a side walk. Some places don't even look icy but are actually a broken bone waiting to happen. A good solution to this is to use salt or sand on the parking lot or side walk but that isn't going to cure the problem one hundred percent. It's really scary to walk during the winter due to the risk of falling on the ice, but there are specific ways to avoid problems like this one. On way could be to get shoes that have a higher friction to grip the ground to help you from falling. Higher fashions shoes like Uggs or heels are bad decisions when walking in the winter and should be avoided if you don't want to fall.
Keeping safe in the winter is a big deal in Iowa especially when you have long winters that seem to never want to go away. Winter can be nice and fun but it can also be very dangerous so when going out during the winter, make sure to stay safe.
If it is snowing or sleeting, it is very important to you or your passengers to keep off the roads or if travel is necessary, take it extra slow and allow for delays. Don't slam on your breaks as you will slide forward or spin out and put you, your passengers, and other drivers in danger of getting hurt. You should warm your car up ten minutes before you start your commute and make sure to scrap all of the ice or snow off of the windows for more visibility. For safety purpose, you should not multitask while driving in winter weather. No eating, texting, changing music, etc. because the road needs to be your main focus. Also, keeping items in your car to stay warm in case of an emergency is necessary also. If your car breaks down in the middle of the winter with below zero temperatures, you would want to have something to keep you warm. In my car I have two blankets, a flash light, extra food and water, a car phone charger, extra coats, hats, mittens, hand warmers, and many other things that would be necessary if I needed to keep warm. I believe that everyone should have these things with them through their travels due to the possibility of hypothermia or frost bite when the body gets too cold.
Another safety hazard to watch out for in the winter is the ice that you can slip on in a parking lot or on a side walk. Some places don't even look icy but are actually a broken bone waiting to happen. A good solution to this is to use salt or sand on the parking lot or side walk but that isn't going to cure the problem one hundred percent. It's really scary to walk during the winter due to the risk of falling on the ice, but there are specific ways to avoid problems like this one. On way could be to get shoes that have a higher friction to grip the ground to help you from falling. Higher fashions shoes like Uggs or heels are bad decisions when walking in the winter and should be avoided if you don't want to fall.
Keeping safe in the winter is a big deal in Iowa especially when you have long winters that seem to never want to go away. Winter can be nice and fun but it can also be very dangerous so when going out during the winter, make sure to stay safe.
Sunday, November 15, 2015
how to save a life
Hey guys this is a song from Grey's Anatomy because i am watching that and it made me think that my bloggers might want the same experience that i am having!
THE FRAY LYRICS
Step one, you say, "We need to talk."
He walks, you say, "Sit down. It's just a talk."
He smiles politely back at you
You stare politely right on through
Some sort of window to your right
As he goes left and you stay right
Between the lines of fear and blame
You begin to wonder why you came
Where did I go wrong? I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life
Let him know that you know best
'Cause after all you do know best
Try to slip past his defense
Without granting innocence
Lay down a list of what is wrong
The things you've told him all along
Pray to God, he hears you
And I pray to God, he hears you
And where did I go wrong? I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life
As he begins to raise his voice
You lower yours and grant him one last choice
Drive until you lose the road
Or break with the ones you've followed
He will do one of two things
He will admit to everything
Or he'll say he's just not the same
And you'll begin to wonder why you came
Where did I go wrong? I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life
Where did I go wrong? I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life
How to save a life
How to save a life
Where did I go wrong? I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life
Where did I go wrong? I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
He walks, you say, "Sit down. It's just a talk."
He smiles politely back at you
You stare politely right on through
Some sort of window to your right
As he goes left and you stay right
Between the lines of fear and blame
You begin to wonder why you came
Where did I go wrong? I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life
Let him know that you know best
'Cause after all you do know best
Try to slip past his defense
Without granting innocence
Lay down a list of what is wrong
The things you've told him all along
Pray to God, he hears you
And I pray to God, he hears you
And where did I go wrong? I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life
As he begins to raise his voice
You lower yours and grant him one last choice
Drive until you lose the road
Or break with the ones you've followed
He will do one of two things
He will admit to everything
Or he'll say he's just not the same
And you'll begin to wonder why you came
Where did I go wrong? I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life
Where did I go wrong? I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life
How to save a life
How to save a life
Where did I go wrong? I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life
Where did I go wrong? I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life
How to save a life
How to save a life
How to save a life
How to save a life
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/fray/howtosavealife.html
The problem with disney princesses (592)
When we think of letting children watch Disney princess movies such as Cinderella or Aladdin, it's a no-brainer because of the reputation Disney has of innocence. In my AP seminar class at Kennedy, I have looked more in-depth on how the body images and messages of these movies are affecting the way children develop and i feel as though it is necessary to blog about.
When some of the first movies were made, it was during a time when females were thought of to be domesticated and to take care of men which was portrayed by all of the films of the era. Snow White showed her taking care of all the 7 dwarfs which shows how she needed to be domesticated to do so. The movies messages have changed over time corresponding with the era. Now we have movies being spit out such as Frozen which show girls that you don't need a prince charming due to the modern view on women. I love this message to little girls who look up to Ana and Elsa so that they don't think they need to serve a male.
Also, the body image that the princesses portray is crucial in taking in a count when deciding whether or not little girl's should be getting to view these movies. The Disney princesses are portrayed to have an unrealistic body consisting of an unnaturally small waist, large breasts, huge eyes, batting eyelashes, and dainty limbs. Literally every princess portrays this look and even the animals in these films. From this, children can take that you need to be pretty to be attractive and that is not something that i would want my future daughter learning. A study done by Milkie shows that little girls that watched these films knew that the bodies of these princess's were unreal, but that they still had a bad view of their own body. This is because of the attraction of males to the princesses and the little girls think that the body image of the princesses is the body criteria of which they should have to meet.
Another bad thing that these movies are teaching little girls is that appearance is all that you need and that everything else such as personality is all crap that nobody needs. A huge example of this is when Ariel in the Little Mermaid is cursed by the evil villain Ursula to be able to have feet. A part of the curse was to not be able to speak, so when she finally meets Prince Eric, she can't talk. This being, he is only attracted to her from her looks and not by anything that she could potentially tell him about herself, which is troubling to me. Also, in Beauty and The Beast, Gaston proclaims that Belle is the prettiest in the village which seems to us that he only wants her for her looks, another piece of evidence to my statement.
In conclusion, i am not bashing Disney movies because i love them and watch them on a weekly basis. I believe, though, that we need to implement classes to teach girls that beauty is not everything, because it is not. With girls in society today, we are given girls like Kylie Jenner who show us what we "should" look like at 18 filled with lip plumper and plastic surgery. It is honestly sad to me and we cant't change society, but we can give today's little girls a confidence booster so that they believe they are truely beautiful inside and out.
When some of the first movies were made, it was during a time when females were thought of to be domesticated and to take care of men which was portrayed by all of the films of the era. Snow White showed her taking care of all the 7 dwarfs which shows how she needed to be domesticated to do so. The movies messages have changed over time corresponding with the era. Now we have movies being spit out such as Frozen which show girls that you don't need a prince charming due to the modern view on women. I love this message to little girls who look up to Ana and Elsa so that they don't think they need to serve a male.
Also, the body image that the princesses portray is crucial in taking in a count when deciding whether or not little girl's should be getting to view these movies. The Disney princesses are portrayed to have an unrealistic body consisting of an unnaturally small waist, large breasts, huge eyes, batting eyelashes, and dainty limbs. Literally every princess portrays this look and even the animals in these films. From this, children can take that you need to be pretty to be attractive and that is not something that i would want my future daughter learning. A study done by Milkie shows that little girls that watched these films knew that the bodies of these princess's were unreal, but that they still had a bad view of their own body. This is because of the attraction of males to the princesses and the little girls think that the body image of the princesses is the body criteria of which they should have to meet.
Another bad thing that these movies are teaching little girls is that appearance is all that you need and that everything else such as personality is all crap that nobody needs. A huge example of this is when Ariel in the Little Mermaid is cursed by the evil villain Ursula to be able to have feet. A part of the curse was to not be able to speak, so when she finally meets Prince Eric, she can't talk. This being, he is only attracted to her from her looks and not by anything that she could potentially tell him about herself, which is troubling to me. Also, in Beauty and The Beast, Gaston proclaims that Belle is the prettiest in the village which seems to us that he only wants her for her looks, another piece of evidence to my statement.
In conclusion, i am not bashing Disney movies because i love them and watch them on a weekly basis. I believe, though, that we need to implement classes to teach girls that beauty is not everything, because it is not. With girls in society today, we are given girls like Kylie Jenner who show us what we "should" look like at 18 filled with lip plumper and plastic surgery. It is honestly sad to me and we cant't change society, but we can give today's little girls a confidence booster so that they believe they are truely beautiful inside and out.
Thursday, November 12, 2015
HOW TO HAVE A FUN FALL DAY (587)
It's that time of the year, people! The weather gets colder and ugly and people tend to want to start being homebodies. This is one of the leading factors, along with holiday treats, that makes humans belly fat expand during the colder months. But not for long! I have a few tips that can help to have the best fall day that will include, obviously, some healthy foods and activities! One might not think that the city of Cedar Rapids could be fun, but give it some thought and your day will be filled with numerous activities. Here are a few.
1. Start with breakfast at a cute little café or shop to support local. Also, in my opinion, it is better to have one of these breakfast's than just a McMuffin from your local McDonald's. Some of my favorite places are either Brewhemia in the NewBo district or the Blue Strawberry on 2nd street. They have authentic dishes and some of the best cinnamon rolls I have ever had. Also on their menu are very healthy options that include fresh fruits and vegetables to get you through your amazing day! While you are eating with your friends, make sure to put the phone down and enjoy their company.
Me and my friends.
2. Next take some time to visit some of our wonderful museums to check out the history of people who have lived here before us. My favorite one is the Art museum because of the beautiful paintings. If you are not very fond of art, there is a museum for everyone including the African American museum, the Czechoslovakian museum, or the masonic museum. Also it might sound boring, it is more fun than you think and every one should be interested in our history.
3. The Cedar Valley nature trail! Take a walk on this lovely trail that travels through the town of Cedar Rapids and extends on for miles! Make sure it is sunny or at least a good day because you sure don't want to get caught in the rain while you are on this trail. Take your dog or just walk with your friends for an amazing time and to make tons of memories to remember for a lifetime.
4. One of my favorite stops is also the library. When I have a bad day, all I do is get consumed in a book on the top of the roof there and everything is alright again! There are so many cool things to do there that even someone who isn't a book worm will get obsessed with the atmosphere and will keep coming back for more!
5. Go to Petland in Iowa City, Iowa. Although it is a little bit of a drive, it will brighten up your day so much. All of the animals there can be held and played with (except the fish, of course!). There are so many animals there that need a loving home that you might just fall in love with one while you are there.
6. At the end of the day, for dinner, I love NewBo. It opened a couple of years ago and has the best selection of fresh foods around. Anything from fresh fruit smoothies to fresh mozzarella pizza, there is something for every one! Although NewBo is only open a few days a week (Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday), it is a great selection for anybody in your group that day!
I hope you had a fun day with these tips!
1. Start with breakfast at a cute little café or shop to support local. Also, in my opinion, it is better to have one of these breakfast's than just a McMuffin from your local McDonald's. Some of my favorite places are either Brewhemia in the NewBo district or the Blue Strawberry on 2nd street. They have authentic dishes and some of the best cinnamon rolls I have ever had. Also on their menu are very healthy options that include fresh fruits and vegetables to get you through your amazing day! While you are eating with your friends, make sure to put the phone down and enjoy their company.
2. Next take some time to visit some of our wonderful museums to check out the history of people who have lived here before us. My favorite one is the Art museum because of the beautiful paintings. If you are not very fond of art, there is a museum for everyone including the African American museum, the Czechoslovakian museum, or the masonic museum. Also it might sound boring, it is more fun than you think and every one should be interested in our history.
3. The Cedar Valley nature trail! Take a walk on this lovely trail that travels through the town of Cedar Rapids and extends on for miles! Make sure it is sunny or at least a good day because you sure don't want to get caught in the rain while you are on this trail. Take your dog or just walk with your friends for an amazing time and to make tons of memories to remember for a lifetime.
4. One of my favorite stops is also the library. When I have a bad day, all I do is get consumed in a book on the top of the roof there and everything is alright again! There are so many cool things to do there that even someone who isn't a book worm will get obsessed with the atmosphere and will keep coming back for more!
5. Go to Petland in Iowa City, Iowa. Although it is a little bit of a drive, it will brighten up your day so much. All of the animals there can be held and played with (except the fish, of course!). There are so many animals there that need a loving home that you might just fall in love with one while you are there.
6. At the end of the day, for dinner, I love NewBo. It opened a couple of years ago and has the best selection of fresh foods around. Anything from fresh fruit smoothies to fresh mozzarella pizza, there is something for every one! Although NewBo is only open a few days a week (Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday), it is a great selection for anybody in your group that day!
I hope you had a fun day with these tips!
Sunday, November 8, 2015
Teens need more sleep! (591)
As a junior in high school, i have a lot going on during my day. I have two jobs, take 3 AP classes, and also am involved in extracurricular activities. I usually get home around 3:00 and usually have to go to work by 4:00 which gives me time at SMART lunch and just around 30 minutes after school to get a good majority of my school work done. But since i am overloaded with work, i end up staying up until 12am or 1am to get all of my school work done. Also, keep in mind that i have a zero hour class at 7:00 am which puts me at about 5 hours of sleep, if i am lucky. In my strong opinion, i believe high schools should be pushed back an hour on start time. Not only because of my situation, but because a lot of students at Kennedy and other high schools have schedules like mine leaving them with sleep deprivation.
At Kennedy, students are pushed and pushed to stay involved and to take as many AP classes to get them ready for college and beyond. With everything going on in a teenager's life, i feel as though it is only suitable for the start time for school to be pushed back so we can learn. An average teenager should be getting 8 hours of sleep every night and we just don't see the importance in that anymore. All we care about is keeping a perfect 4.0 GPA and staying involved because that is what we see in our minds as ideal. Not once do we stop to think about our mental and physical health if it will but our grades in jeopardy and i think that is ridiculous.
Although it seems impossible to start the school day earlier other schools have already taken action. Prairie High School starts at 9:00 instead of Kennedy's 7:55 and i think that is a very good idea for many reasons. Students get more sleep so they are ready to learn and their brains actually function. There are less tardies and absences due to sleeping in because of fatigue. Student's have time to do everything they need to do before and after school and they are less tired which makes for way better grades. In my eyes, i think this is a solution for a huge problem that we continuously keep having.
Scientifically, there are also many reasons for this new start time to take place. When you wake up, your brain is not fully functioning for a whole hour after. That means that when i wake up at 6:15 that i'm not even learning anything in my 0 hour which really scares me. Also, so many teenagers have a huge sleep debt that nobody should have even until they are adults. It takes 2 weeks to make up for 1 night of bad sleep so for me, it would take a life time.
I strongly believe that we need to put this in action to better the lives of students. Our absences and tardies would look way better and i guarantee our grades would look better as well. I know our district probably will not put this in action, but i think it is very necessary. Our brains are still developing and need to be taken care of, but it sucks that all we really care about is not letting our grades drop and not getting into the college that we want. Something needs to be done whether small or large.
At Kennedy, students are pushed and pushed to stay involved and to take as many AP classes to get them ready for college and beyond. With everything going on in a teenager's life, i feel as though it is only suitable for the start time for school to be pushed back so we can learn. An average teenager should be getting 8 hours of sleep every night and we just don't see the importance in that anymore. All we care about is keeping a perfect 4.0 GPA and staying involved because that is what we see in our minds as ideal. Not once do we stop to think about our mental and physical health if it will but our grades in jeopardy and i think that is ridiculous.
Although it seems impossible to start the school day earlier other schools have already taken action. Prairie High School starts at 9:00 instead of Kennedy's 7:55 and i think that is a very good idea for many reasons. Students get more sleep so they are ready to learn and their brains actually function. There are less tardies and absences due to sleeping in because of fatigue. Student's have time to do everything they need to do before and after school and they are less tired which makes for way better grades. In my eyes, i think this is a solution for a huge problem that we continuously keep having.
Scientifically, there are also many reasons for this new start time to take place. When you wake up, your brain is not fully functioning for a whole hour after. That means that when i wake up at 6:15 that i'm not even learning anything in my 0 hour which really scares me. Also, so many teenagers have a huge sleep debt that nobody should have even until they are adults. It takes 2 weeks to make up for 1 night of bad sleep so for me, it would take a life time.
I strongly believe that we need to put this in action to better the lives of students. Our absences and tardies would look way better and i guarantee our grades would look better as well. I know our district probably will not put this in action, but i think it is very necessary. Our brains are still developing and need to be taken care of, but it sucks that all we really care about is not letting our grades drop and not getting into the college that we want. Something needs to be done whether small or large.
Thursday, November 5, 2015
Play offs and state (341)
This fall year, Kennedy High school fall sports have taken off. Football is flourishing with their 11th win in a row and banking on their 12th this Friday against Washington. Volleyball was named conference champions for the first time in history and are set to play Cedar Falls at 2:00pm at the US Cellular Center on Tuesday. Swimming is having a rocking season as well! Tomorrow and Saturday they have state in Marshalltown and we should go support.
It is the first time in history when our sports are doing so well and we need to get our cougar spirit on! We get a half day on Tuesday to go watch the monkeys and i feel like we should use it and not abuse it. Also, we get another home game for football which is really nice because we are able to go on Friday!
When preparing for state it gets a little different. Madi Palmer took me on an inside look on how they kept their health up as they prepare. The monkeys practice every day after school until 5:30 or 6 pm. They are also keeping their social health up by having team bonding on Saturday followed by practice on Sunday. She says that her coach makes them stay hydrated all day so that they are ready for practice or a game. Madi shares her tip about taking a water bottle to school every day so she stays hydrated.
It is very important to stay hydrated during, before, and after a game. Also, being fueled up before a game is important as well as gaining electrolytes back after. Before her game, Madi either stops somewhere to get something to eat or goes to someone house to eat. After a game, she doesn't really eat until she gets home and it never is anything special. As for advice, she says that you should eat something healthy and not something like Pancheros. You should eat something close to the game but not to close or else it you might feel the urge to throw up.
ROLL COUGS!!!!!!!!!
It is the first time in history when our sports are doing so well and we need to get our cougar spirit on! We get a half day on Tuesday to go watch the monkeys and i feel like we should use it and not abuse it. Also, we get another home game for football which is really nice because we are able to go on Friday!
When preparing for state it gets a little different. Madi Palmer took me on an inside look on how they kept their health up as they prepare. The monkeys practice every day after school until 5:30 or 6 pm. They are also keeping their social health up by having team bonding on Saturday followed by practice on Sunday. She says that her coach makes them stay hydrated all day so that they are ready for practice or a game. Madi shares her tip about taking a water bottle to school every day so she stays hydrated.
It is very important to stay hydrated during, before, and after a game. Also, being fueled up before a game is important as well as gaining electrolytes back after. Before her game, Madi either stops somewhere to get something to eat or goes to someone house to eat. After a game, she doesn't really eat until she gets home and it never is anything special. As for advice, she says that you should eat something healthy and not something like Pancheros. You should eat something close to the game but not to close or else it you might feel the urge to throw up.
ROLL COUGS!!!!!!!!!
Sunday, November 1, 2015
Fall Fun (188)
During the fall months, you can pretty much find fun anywhere. The leaves are changing on almost every tree and just being outside makes you really happy. But unlike summer, you can't go to the beach or go swimming. So what can you do?
1. Go to an apple orchard. Wilson's apple orchard is located in Iowa City and is very inexpensive. You can go to pick apples yourself or even pumpkins. It's very kid friendly but is very fun for teenagers and parents, too.
2. Carve pumpkins. Whether you do the original faces or like to try a new design, this is fun for all ages. Also, when you're all done, find a recipe for the pumpkin seeds and make them. They are very good!
3. Go to a haunted house. A very good one is in Atkins. Although it is quite a drive, it is probably the best one I have ever been to. The haunted house is at Bloomsbury Farm and costs $20 dollars for regular admission or $35 for a VIP pass.
What ever you decide to do, you will have fun this fall.
1. Go to an apple orchard. Wilson's apple orchard is located in Iowa City and is very inexpensive. You can go to pick apples yourself or even pumpkins. It's very kid friendly but is very fun for teenagers and parents, too.
2. Carve pumpkins. Whether you do the original faces or like to try a new design, this is fun for all ages. Also, when you're all done, find a recipe for the pumpkin seeds and make them. They are very good!
3. Go to a haunted house. A very good one is in Atkins. Although it is quite a drive, it is probably the best one I have ever been to. The haunted house is at Bloomsbury Farm and costs $20 dollars for regular admission or $35 for a VIP pass.
What ever you decide to do, you will have fun this fall.
Flu shots(267)
Every year around this time, the school attendance goes down. Student's miss a ton of school and it ends up stressing both them and the teacher out. Getting the flu exhausts you mentally and physically and leaves you on bed rest for almost a week. With that amount of time off, it can make you more sick and that's not something anybody needs.
Around our town, there are things that seem to persuade us to get a flu shot. Such as getting money of in gas from a Hy-Vee fuel saver if you get one. Also, you can get it free with your insurance or a small co pay. At my mom's job, she has to get a flu shot because she is a doctor so she can't be contagious to her patients.
In my opinion, I feel like everyone should get a flu shot. If it is required, school attendance will go up, sickness will go down, and no school work will have to be made up. Although this is sort of a hassle for some people, it's better than missing ton's of school and having to take the time to make it up.
I also think that It should be extremely suggested if not required because I am really not trying to get sick this winter. I hate when people come to school sick because you're contagious and I really don't want you around me. This can really be avoided if you just get a flu shot and then you don't have to be sick and you won't get me sick. A win win situation.
Around our town, there are things that seem to persuade us to get a flu shot. Such as getting money of in gas from a Hy-Vee fuel saver if you get one. Also, you can get it free with your insurance or a small co pay. At my mom's job, she has to get a flu shot because she is a doctor so she can't be contagious to her patients.
In my opinion, I feel like everyone should get a flu shot. If it is required, school attendance will go up, sickness will go down, and no school work will have to be made up. Although this is sort of a hassle for some people, it's better than missing ton's of school and having to take the time to make it up.
I also think that It should be extremely suggested if not required because I am really not trying to get sick this winter. I hate when people come to school sick because you're contagious and I really don't want you around me. This can really be avoided if you just get a flu shot and then you don't have to be sick and you won't get me sick. A win win situation.
A world we can't imagine
As American’s, living in a hot, polluted, and trash filled
place is almost unheard of to us. If it gets too hot, we turn on the air
conditioning. If our house or neighborhood gets trashed with garbage, we put it
in a trash can to be picked up once a week. But what if we didn’t have these
luxuries? What if we didn’t have electricity or running water? Would we go crazy
because we are so addicted to our phones? Would be grow sick because our bodies
are not immune to the different diseases of an undeveloped and overpopulated
country?
My
friend, Monique Fitzpatrick, experienced this way of living for a week. She
visited Haiti on a volunteer trip with her Aunt and lived without anything she
has here. When she first got there, it was hard to get used to. She had no
phone service, electricity, running water, or air conditioning. Some of the
things we teenagers couldn’t even imagine living without. She explained that it
was hard to get used to, but she soon did and it was an eye opener.
While
Monique was in Haiti, she lived in a compound called Petit Groave. Each room
had four sets of bunk beds, no running water, and despite the heat, not even a
ceiling fan. Also, all of the houses around her looked the exact same. She
observed that everywhere she looked, there was trash. Trash on the streets,
trash in the city, and trash even in her compound. The trash simply had nowhere
to go, and since they don’t have a landfill or anything like we do, it just
stays on the street and hopes to be ignored.
Monique
also did volunteer work and made close friendships with some of the orphans
where we volunteered. One little girl that she remembers so well was a three
year old named Kristina. Kristina went to school with her siblings, despite her
age, and would always come to sit on Monique’s lap when she visited. To cheer
up the children, Monique and her group brought the children stickers. Although
a small gift, it didn’t fail to put a huge smile on each of their faces. Also,
Monique and her group did volunteer work at a church. They built bricks from
hand and put them all together to build a new stairwell for the church. Some of
the other group’s responsibilities were building new walls for a couple’s house
and building a new foundation for an orphanage.
At the
end of the trip, Monique was happy to go home, but it was also bittersweet for
her. Seeing people having nothing and still being happy made her realize that
she doesn’t need much to be happy. People in Haiti were so happy despite being
in poverty and despite living without everything and we say we “Need”. I feel
like we can learn a lesson from people from Haiti and that it is a very
important lesson.
I feel
like we are so addicted to the luxuries that we have, that we don’t step back
for just a minute to realize that we are starting to love things instead of
people. We are also more worried about when our phones are broke, but don’t
blink an eye when the problem of global warming gets brought up. We feel as
though we need more shopping malls, factories, and strip malls, but we don’t
realize that to make these things they cut down trees that give us oxygen to be
alive. What will it take for us to realize that all we need is little to be
happy?
Sunday, October 25, 2015
how to stay fit in the holiday season (391)
Hi readers! Have you ever noticed that with the holidays comes the packing on of pounds? So much food and treats to celebrate Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New years that people soon forget about their health. When holidays (4th of July, etc.) come around during the spring and summer, people don't usually gain as much weight because it's so easy to just step out side to go for a job with the dog or ride your bike for a few miles. In the winter though, it is was harder because it is way too cold to do the usual possible activities.
One good solution to this problem is to get a gym membership. My family got one for very cheap because my family is all in the medial field and it has benefitted us all very greatly. When I work out, I have many options at the gym so this is a good option for anybody. You can either play basketball, volleyball, racquet ball, lift weights, run on the treadmill or track, and many more making this suitable for all ages.
Another option is to go ice skating! Although it is cold, it is a good idea to get moving and you can go with friends or family to benefit more people. It is not very expensive and very close if you live where I do. You rent skates so you don't need to have your own, and you can skate for as long as you want for a low and reasonable price. The rink is cold, but you will end up heating up due to moving around a lot.
Sledding, snowboarding, or skiing are very good activities to stay fit in the winter also. Whether at a local hill to sled or up at Sundown to do the lather, they are fun ways to keep your body moving! If you are going to choose these, make sure to bundle up good and have proper nutrition and hydration. Although fun, these activities can have major health problems such as hypothermia if you don't think about proper preparation.
Staying fit in the winter is easy if you know how and where to do it. It is very important to stay moving and not just turn into a couch potato. I hope you follow my tips and make it a good holiday season!
One good solution to this problem is to get a gym membership. My family got one for very cheap because my family is all in the medial field and it has benefitted us all very greatly. When I work out, I have many options at the gym so this is a good option for anybody. You can either play basketball, volleyball, racquet ball, lift weights, run on the treadmill or track, and many more making this suitable for all ages.
Another option is to go ice skating! Although it is cold, it is a good idea to get moving and you can go with friends or family to benefit more people. It is not very expensive and very close if you live where I do. You rent skates so you don't need to have your own, and you can skate for as long as you want for a low and reasonable price. The rink is cold, but you will end up heating up due to moving around a lot.
Sledding, snowboarding, or skiing are very good activities to stay fit in the winter also. Whether at a local hill to sled or up at Sundown to do the lather, they are fun ways to keep your body moving! If you are going to choose these, make sure to bundle up good and have proper nutrition and hydration. Although fun, these activities can have major health problems such as hypothermia if you don't think about proper preparation.
Staying fit in the winter is easy if you know how and where to do it. It is very important to stay moving and not just turn into a couch potato. I hope you follow my tips and make it a good holiday season!
Stick to the chef (426)
On a Sunday afternoon, there is nothing better to do than procrastinate doing your homework. In the fall mood, I decided to make some caramel apples! Although, not very healthy readers, sometimes you just have to let it and do it. It was kind of a hassle since I had to go to the store and buy everything because I didn't have any apples, caramel, chocolate, or the candy for toppings. Also, because I haven't attempted to make these before, it was the first time I tried. And to say the least, it was a huge mess.
I took a recipe online and tuned it to fit my need. Below is the recipe I used to make my own.
5 apples
2 bags of caramel singles
4 tablespoons of milk
1 bag of semi sweet chocolate chips
crushed up assorted candies of your choice
5 dowels
1. Wash the apples and stick a dowel through the middle of each.
2. In a big bowl, unwrap all the caramels and add the milk. microwave for 4 minutes, and stop to mix it every minute.
3. Mix caramel until it is smooth
4. Dip the apples in the caramel (I used a spoon to cover mine because I wanted the coat to be even)
5. Let the apples sit for about 20 minutes and while you are waiting crush up the candies and put them in separate bowls for easy access
6. Pour the chocolate chips into a bowl and add a splash of milk. Microwave for a minute, stirring occasionally.
7. Dip the caramel apples in the chocolate and immediately put on the assorted crushed up candies
While making these, the kitchen was a mess. Caramel seemed to be everywhere and the crushed up candy got everywhere. The caramel apple it self was pretty good, but it did have some flaws. The caramel was perfect, the right amount of thickness and it wasn't too chewy. The chocolate on the other hand, was disgusting. If I were to do this recipe again I would've looked up what to use instead of going off of my own knowledge because the apples I dipped in chocolate were very bitter.
I used green and red apples to see if the type of apple made a difference, and to me it did. I really liked the contrasting flavors of the tart green apples and the sweet caramel, but maybe that's just me. I know a lot of people who like the red type too because it kind of just builds on the sweetness. Either way, caramel apples are one of my favorite fall treats even if this time around wasn't too good. I recommend using an online recipe instead of just eyeballing it to get the best results.
I took a recipe online and tuned it to fit my need. Below is the recipe I used to make my own.
5 apples
2 bags of caramel singles
4 tablespoons of milk
1 bag of semi sweet chocolate chips
crushed up assorted candies of your choice
5 dowels
1. Wash the apples and stick a dowel through the middle of each.
2. In a big bowl, unwrap all the caramels and add the milk. microwave for 4 minutes, and stop to mix it every minute.
3. Mix caramel until it is smooth
4. Dip the apples in the caramel (I used a spoon to cover mine because I wanted the coat to be even)
5. Let the apples sit for about 20 minutes and while you are waiting crush up the candies and put them in separate bowls for easy access
6. Pour the chocolate chips into a bowl and add a splash of milk. Microwave for a minute, stirring occasionally.
7. Dip the caramel apples in the chocolate and immediately put on the assorted crushed up candies
While making these, the kitchen was a mess. Caramel seemed to be everywhere and the crushed up candy got everywhere. The caramel apple it self was pretty good, but it did have some flaws. The caramel was perfect, the right amount of thickness and it wasn't too chewy. The chocolate on the other hand, was disgusting. If I were to do this recipe again I would've looked up what to use instead of going off of my own knowledge because the apples I dipped in chocolate were very bitter.
I used green and red apples to see if the type of apple made a difference, and to me it did. I really liked the contrasting flavors of the tart green apples and the sweet caramel, but maybe that's just me. I know a lot of people who like the red type too because it kind of just builds on the sweetness. Either way, caramel apples are one of my favorite fall treats even if this time around wasn't too good. I recommend using an online recipe instead of just eyeballing it to get the best results.
Thursday, October 22, 2015
Getting a puppy- a positive outlook to your health :) (305)
We have all been that child. The one begging their parents for a puppy and giving multiple reasons to persuade them into finally breaking down and getting the adorable animal that we were hoping for. In some cases, though, the parents do not give in and the family is left without a complete house hold. But not for long! Soon after I got a new puppy about a week ago, I realized that there was more to a dog than just a loving member of the family.
When my mom sat me down to talk about adding Bleu (a black Labrador to the family, she only talked about the responsibilities. Feed her everyday, make sure she has water, give her bathes, the usual. But there was one thing that caught me, I needed to walk Bleu every day. This got me thinking about whether getting a dog was only beneficial to the family, or also to our health.
Every member of my family switches off walking her every single day and getting only 30-60 minutes a day in makes us feel better. Bleu keeps us on our toes and while she is helping our health, she is also helping hers. When we got her, she was a rescue dog that was very sick and with the help of our vet, she is now playing and is very active.
After a week of having Bleu, I have found myself feeling better and better after walking and playing with her. So if you are having a hard time persuading your parents whether or not to get a puppy, use a different approach. Other than using the original promises of taking care of it all by yourself (it never happens), use the excuse that a puppy will not only add love to your home but will add health.
When my mom sat me down to talk about adding Bleu (a black Labrador to the family, she only talked about the responsibilities. Feed her everyday, make sure she has water, give her bathes, the usual. But there was one thing that caught me, I needed to walk Bleu every day. This got me thinking about whether getting a dog was only beneficial to the family, or also to our health.
Every member of my family switches off walking her every single day and getting only 30-60 minutes a day in makes us feel better. Bleu keeps us on our toes and while she is helping our health, she is also helping hers. When we got her, she was a rescue dog that was very sick and with the help of our vet, she is now playing and is very active.
After a week of having Bleu, I have found myself feeling better and better after walking and playing with her. So if you are having a hard time persuading your parents whether or not to get a puppy, use a different approach. Other than using the original promises of taking care of it all by yourself (it never happens), use the excuse that a puppy will not only add love to your home but will add health.
Monday, October 19, 2015
Cell phones: A threat to our social health?
Cell phones. Yes this has turned into a common household word in the past decade as new innovations came from the flip phone to the new iPhone 6s. New cell phones come out every month with new technology that makes it "better" and more "modernized" than the last model. Our cell phone is always with us, either in our back pocket or our backpack and never leaving our sides, kind of like our best friend. But what happens when our cell phones end up becoming our ONLY friend?
Walking down the halls of Kennedy High School during passing time it's hard to see anybody. They are all looking down at their cellphones on social media websites talking to their online friends and missing the physical people who are walking right beside them. Student's don't even take the chance to talk to each other anymore. At sporting events, people sit with their heads in their laps trying to find comfort in their online friends. Where there used to be noise from friends talking after class has ended, now comes a chilling silence. It's very scary if you ask me. If we are so reliant on internet friends, what will evolve to be our "norm"? What will happen to people's ability to be open-minded if they don't physically talk to others?
In my opinion, people will become so reliant on the internet that they will loose social skills and decline mentally. If you have no one to physically talk to, how do you know how to talk when the opportunity comes? It is very scary to think of a world with mentally declined citizens due to no communication with the world around them because they are glued to their phones. Yes new technology is fun and interesting because it is NEW, but to what extend is enough enough?
Walking down the halls of Kennedy High School during passing time it's hard to see anybody. They are all looking down at their cellphones on social media websites talking to their online friends and missing the physical people who are walking right beside them. Student's don't even take the chance to talk to each other anymore. At sporting events, people sit with their heads in their laps trying to find comfort in their online friends. Where there used to be noise from friends talking after class has ended, now comes a chilling silence. It's very scary if you ask me. If we are so reliant on internet friends, what will evolve to be our "norm"? What will happen to people's ability to be open-minded if they don't physically talk to others?
In my opinion, people will become so reliant on the internet that they will loose social skills and decline mentally. If you have no one to physically talk to, how do you know how to talk when the opportunity comes? It is very scary to think of a world with mentally declined citizens due to no communication with the world around them because they are glued to their phones. Yes new technology is fun and interesting because it is NEW, but to what extend is enough enough?
To eat or not to eat
Hi Readers! In one of my first blogs (linked below), I talked about what to do if you want to have a good workout. Part of that was to make sure you have a good meal the night before and during the day leading up to your workout. When I was reading over my previous blogs to get new ideas about what to write for this week, I decided to test this out just to show my readers just how important food is.
Food is very important to gain protein to fuel up for a hard workout. Whether it's running, lifting weights, or just walking with a friend, protein and carbs are essential for a healthy and progressive workout. People with an eating disorder that disables them from eating think differently from this. With the eating disorder of anorexia, a person views them self as "not skinny enough" and they begin to starve them selves for their idea of perfect. The problem with this, though, is that the body naturally starts to take in all of the fat from what little they eat to make up for what they don't. This results in way slower weight loss and becoming very unhealthy.
For my "normal" routine I fuel up as healthy as I think I can. Every night after I work out, I eat foods that would bring back the electrolytes I lost and I do not eat foods high in fat the night before or leading up to a workout. I usually eat healthy foods during the day prior to a work out, and although this might be a little unhealthy, I don't eat right before a workout because I hate getting cramps. I wanted to test how my whole workout would turn out if I tweaked one little bit of my workout so I tried two different ways.
To test how important it is to fuel up with proper foods before a workout, I started the night before right after my workout that day. I got a fatty meal from Wendy's and ate that before bed. The next day, I ate fatty foods again. For breakfast, I had a muffin, for lunch a cheeseburger, and an ice cream cone right before my workout for that day. Needless to say, my workout was a complete mess. I found myself having to stop on the treadmill to take breaks, was very out of breath, and had very bad stomach cramps. The misconceptions about fatty and sugary foods is that they give you quick energy, but what others don't realize is that this "quick energy" is usually followed by a crash. I was so interested with these little changes screwing up my routine that I decided to test out another idea before going back to normal.
The night after that workout, I ate like I normally do. I fueled up on the proteins I needed and did not eat foods high in fat. The next day, I ate foods that would benefit my workout during the day like I usually do. But the only difference between this and what I usually do is that I stopped eating four hours before my workout to show my readers how important it is to actually eat something before you start working out. This test workout was also a complete mess. All I could think about the whole time was food, my stomach was growling and cramping, and I had little to no energy so I felt very weak and in capable of finishing my workout.
I can not stress enough how important it is to fuel your body right before a workout and even in everyday life. We only have one body and we need to take care of it to the best of our ability. We can not stuff it with fast foods and then "make it up" by working out. If you are planning a workout, please take my advice and fuel your body with the qualities and quantities it desires and needs.
Link: http://beazyy.blogspot.com/2015/09/how-to-have-great-workout-and-feel-good.html
Food is very important to gain protein to fuel up for a hard workout. Whether it's running, lifting weights, or just walking with a friend, protein and carbs are essential for a healthy and progressive workout. People with an eating disorder that disables them from eating think differently from this. With the eating disorder of anorexia, a person views them self as "not skinny enough" and they begin to starve them selves for their idea of perfect. The problem with this, though, is that the body naturally starts to take in all of the fat from what little they eat to make up for what they don't. This results in way slower weight loss and becoming very unhealthy.
For my "normal" routine I fuel up as healthy as I think I can. Every night after I work out, I eat foods that would bring back the electrolytes I lost and I do not eat foods high in fat the night before or leading up to a workout. I usually eat healthy foods during the day prior to a work out, and although this might be a little unhealthy, I don't eat right before a workout because I hate getting cramps. I wanted to test how my whole workout would turn out if I tweaked one little bit of my workout so I tried two different ways.
To test how important it is to fuel up with proper foods before a workout, I started the night before right after my workout that day. I got a fatty meal from Wendy's and ate that before bed. The next day, I ate fatty foods again. For breakfast, I had a muffin, for lunch a cheeseburger, and an ice cream cone right before my workout for that day. Needless to say, my workout was a complete mess. I found myself having to stop on the treadmill to take breaks, was very out of breath, and had very bad stomach cramps. The misconceptions about fatty and sugary foods is that they give you quick energy, but what others don't realize is that this "quick energy" is usually followed by a crash. I was so interested with these little changes screwing up my routine that I decided to test out another idea before going back to normal.
The night after that workout, I ate like I normally do. I fueled up on the proteins I needed and did not eat foods high in fat. The next day, I ate foods that would benefit my workout during the day like I usually do. But the only difference between this and what I usually do is that I stopped eating four hours before my workout to show my readers how important it is to actually eat something before you start working out. This test workout was also a complete mess. All I could think about the whole time was food, my stomach was growling and cramping, and I had little to no energy so I felt very weak and in capable of finishing my workout.
I can not stress enough how important it is to fuel your body right before a workout and even in everyday life. We only have one body and we need to take care of it to the best of our ability. We can not stuff it with fast foods and then "make it up" by working out. If you are planning a workout, please take my advice and fuel your body with the qualities and quantities it desires and needs.
Link: http://beazyy.blogspot.com/2015/09/how-to-have-great-workout-and-feel-good.html
Wednesday, October 14, 2015
Mental Health- Lamar Odom
Hi readers! Today, a tragic event has taken place in the reality TV world. October 14, 2015, Lamar Odom, famous LA Laker basketball was found unconscious in a brothel (a place where prostitutes are found). As officials still haven't told people exactly what happened, there is speculation that there were drugs in his system. As answers start to rise, so do the question of what caused his downfall.
I'm sure you all have seen or heard about Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom's relationship and breakup. The media fed it to us viewers as "true love", but we soon saw on Keeping Up With The Kardashian's that these two rushed into their relationship and that he was not mentally ready. They were married only one month after marrying and Khloe filed for divorce only 4 years later due to Lamar's drug problem.
During his life, Lamar has lost many important people to him at a young age, making him a perfect fit to decline mentally. He is vulnerable to anything and everything and he must have a weak mindset. I feel strongly that he should've stayed in rehabilitation longer for a better result of not harming himself.
As for now, Lamar is in critical condition and needs to gain strength to get better. If he makes it out of this alive, I strongly feel as though he needs to focus on his mental health and get better. Also to get better, i feel like its for his own good to not have the media publicize this event so much and just leave him alone so he can get better.
I'm sure you all have seen or heard about Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom's relationship and breakup. The media fed it to us viewers as "true love", but we soon saw on Keeping Up With The Kardashian's that these two rushed into their relationship and that he was not mentally ready. They were married only one month after marrying and Khloe filed for divorce only 4 years later due to Lamar's drug problem.
During his life, Lamar has lost many important people to him at a young age, making him a perfect fit to decline mentally. He is vulnerable to anything and everything and he must have a weak mindset. I feel strongly that he should've stayed in rehabilitation longer for a better result of not harming himself.
As for now, Lamar is in critical condition and needs to gain strength to get better. If he makes it out of this alive, I strongly feel as though he needs to focus on his mental health and get better. Also to get better, i feel like its for his own good to not have the media publicize this event so much and just leave him alone so he can get better.
Sunday, October 11, 2015
The fight against cancer (275)
At the end of September, my family was affected by the worst disease there is. Cancer. The disease does not care how old you are, how much family you have, or your job. It takes innocent lives that don't deserve to die so young. We, as Americans, need to start fighting harder to find a cure for this disease that keeps taking our loved ones.
I feel like people need to start getting checked more often to catch it early because it spreads very fast. Some people might not be getting them due to insufficient funds and that's not a good reason at all. Donations from a fund could go to this and help people find out a diagnosis early enough for treatment.
I am very grateful that i go to a school that cares so much about this cause. We have pink outs for sports in October for breast cancer awareness, cancer games with special shirts, and just awesome fundraisers that go for the support of finding a cure. It is amazing that even though we are young, we can still help with the cause.
In my opinion, though, we can be doing more to help the cause. Doctors and researchers are progressing and giving us hope which is great, but it always ends in no solid evidence. I feel that more studies need to be done and not just left hanging. A person was cured with AIDS, which is thought to be incurable, so i feel like we will find the cure very soon. The cancer foundation has a lot of money from donations and I am hoping to soon see some results.
I feel like people need to start getting checked more often to catch it early because it spreads very fast. Some people might not be getting them due to insufficient funds and that's not a good reason at all. Donations from a fund could go to this and help people find out a diagnosis early enough for treatment.
I am very grateful that i go to a school that cares so much about this cause. We have pink outs for sports in October for breast cancer awareness, cancer games with special shirts, and just awesome fundraisers that go for the support of finding a cure. It is amazing that even though we are young, we can still help with the cause.
In my opinion, though, we can be doing more to help the cause. Doctors and researchers are progressing and giving us hope which is great, but it always ends in no solid evidence. I feel that more studies need to be done and not just left hanging. A person was cured with AIDS, which is thought to be incurable, so i feel like we will find the cure very soon. The cancer foundation has a lot of money from donations and I am hoping to soon see some results.
Online Gym(517)
What if you didn't have to spend your time in boring gym classes and could actually use that hour in the day for an academic class while still obtaining the credits? Previously, students have wondered this but this year Kennedy High School has answered them. Online gym is being offered to students who have a full schedule of academic classes and is pretty much described as gym class on the students' time.
Last year, the Cedar Rapids Community School District started the new gym requirements. When I was a freshman, a student could use a sports or academic waiver to get out of gym and still get the credits. But when the school took away this option last year, all of Kennedy freaked out wondering how they were going to get their gym and academic credits to graduate. That's how online gym was born.
As a student with a full schedule (0-6 hours), this seemed like a great idea for me so I could still take the classes I am interested and not have to worry about losing gym credits. Last year I was not able to take all of the classes that i wanted to because of Kennedy's gym requirement, so it took no thought to decide that I needed to take online gym. I feel as though this option should have been around earlier because students would've been able to take more academically enriching classes than just walking around the gym on their phone for an hour.
I feel very strongly about the need for this type of gym because of the ease it has for the student. In the class, a student only has to go in to do a fitness lab(participate in a gym class for 30 minutes) 13 times a semester. What's even better, though, is that the fitness labs can be done any time so you could do all 13 in a row and be done for the rest of the semester which is very helpful. Also, the online portion of work is a like a piece of cake! There are only about 6-7 ten or fifteen minute assignments a week and you have all semester to do them. This is really helpful during a students' schedule because they will never fall behind.
Online gym is an awesome alternative to the normal school gym class because in the assignments, students learn new things about fitness, what to eat, eating disorders, etc. Before online gym, all students did was hangout in the gym on their phone and not learning anything at all. Other students might not like the extra work, but I like it way more so I can make my own homework schedule with it.
Although some students might have different views on online gym, I think the district hit the jackpot with this idea. With work, after school activities, and other homework this is the perfect way to make up gym class without taking the time out of my day everyday. In my opinion, this is the silver lining on the new gym requirements and should be taken advantage of.
Last year, the Cedar Rapids Community School District started the new gym requirements. When I was a freshman, a student could use a sports or academic waiver to get out of gym and still get the credits. But when the school took away this option last year, all of Kennedy freaked out wondering how they were going to get their gym and academic credits to graduate. That's how online gym was born.
As a student with a full schedule (0-6 hours), this seemed like a great idea for me so I could still take the classes I am interested and not have to worry about losing gym credits. Last year I was not able to take all of the classes that i wanted to because of Kennedy's gym requirement, so it took no thought to decide that I needed to take online gym. I feel as though this option should have been around earlier because students would've been able to take more academically enriching classes than just walking around the gym on their phone for an hour.
I feel very strongly about the need for this type of gym because of the ease it has for the student. In the class, a student only has to go in to do a fitness lab(participate in a gym class for 30 minutes) 13 times a semester. What's even better, though, is that the fitness labs can be done any time so you could do all 13 in a row and be done for the rest of the semester which is very helpful. Also, the online portion of work is a like a piece of cake! There are only about 6-7 ten or fifteen minute assignments a week and you have all semester to do them. This is really helpful during a students' schedule because they will never fall behind.
Online gym is an awesome alternative to the normal school gym class because in the assignments, students learn new things about fitness, what to eat, eating disorders, etc. Before online gym, all students did was hangout in the gym on their phone and not learning anything at all. Other students might not like the extra work, but I like it way more so I can make my own homework schedule with it.
Although some students might have different views on online gym, I think the district hit the jackpot with this idea. With work, after school activities, and other homework this is the perfect way to make up gym class without taking the time out of my day everyday. In my opinion, this is the silver lining on the new gym requirements and should be taken advantage of.
Thursday, October 8, 2015
The Reality of An Addictive Series (343)
Lately, I have been up late (yes,
even on school nights), binge-watching a show that I have a slight obsession
with. Grey's Anatomy. It is a fictional ABC series that I watch on Netflix and
is centered on the residents of Grey Sloan Memorial hospital (formerly known as
Seattle Grace hospital) and the resident’s struggles and personal lives. The
producers knows exactly how to keep a person watching because the plot is
twisting every other minute, which makes me want to keep watching episode after
episode.
Another thing that has
gotten me into a medical show is my want to go into the surgical field in
college. I have always wanted to be a surgeon and when I heard about a show
centered on what I aspired to be, of course I watched it. Lately, though, I've
noticed more and more about the details of the show that may just be included
for viewers taste and do not actually happen in real life. Such as when a
resident (Izzy Stephens) fell in love with a patient and decided to cut a wire
that would place him at the top of the transplant list when he was near death,
she did not get kicked out of the program she only got suspended.
With this in mind, I
consulted an article written by a surgical resident who confirmed my
suspicions. Amanda Kirzner says that after watching Grey's Anatomy she was in
for a surprise when she started her residency. She stated,"On the show,
the interns appear to have bypassed the floor work and consult stages and
function like chief residents in the OR, which is highly
unrealistic."
In my
strong opinion i feel as though even with the viewer's opinion in mind, if
you're going to make a medical show it should at least be realistic. I feel
like Grey's Anatomy could still be exciting addictive even without the botched
reality of it. The show is still my all-time favorite, but I
would definitely love to see it change to something more realistic.
http://thedo.osteopathic.org/2014/09/greys-anatomy-vs-real-life-residency/
http://thedo.osteopathic.org/2014/09/greys-anatomy-vs-real-life-residency/
Friday, October 2, 2015
Sickness and Absences
It’s about
that time of year again. Whereas the temperature goes down, the absences go up
due to illnesses. Although we can take many precautions to keep ourselves from
missing class, it almost always ends up happening anyways. When students are
sick, I believe they need to take time for themselves and focus on themselves
so they can get better and get back to class.
I believe it is very important to be
in class to learn every single day, and also that making up after an absence is
not the same as being in class. But, I also believe that being sick is not your
fault and you should not be punished for it. Students have a lot on their mind and
that’s not even before the pressure of making class work up due to absences. If
a student is gone, I feel like they should have a reasonable amount of time to
get their missing work turned in, but not the next day.
Last year, I was gone in the
hospital for a week and when I got back to school, I was forced by some of my
teachers with homework assignments that were due in the next couple days. I
know it is my responsibility to make up time that I missed, but the stress only
added to my sickness and made me miss even more school resulting badly for me
in the long run. I feel as though if I were given more time, like I feel all
students should get, It would’ve been more beneficial to my health, my attendance,
and to my grades.
Although it is the student’s job to
make up all assignments, I feel as though teachers need to be better about
putting assignments on homework so that when we are gone, we can still get
caught up. I fully understand the need to be in class every day to be able to
get the full extent of what was learned that day, but you can’t help it when
you are sick. I feel as though if teachers were more considerate towards our
health instead of just getting work turned in, it would be a better outcome for
all of us.
School lunches.. the real cause of childhood obesity?
In earlier years, the debate on what high schoolers
ate for lunch was little to none. Kennedy High School used to bring in vendors
such as Subway or Pizza Hut on certain days that students could buy for lunch.
My sister, who graduated in 2005, had a very different lunch menu than what I have
today because she had the choice of these vendors that got taken away before I started
at Kennedy. Now, the choices all very strict and limited. A lot of students,
including me, decide to eat outside of school because all we have to choose
from that we actually like are chips, Rice Krispie Treats (that have turned to
whole grain…ew), and little snacks that end up making us feel empty by the end
of the day. Although there are other choices for full meals, they are very
small and people have to end up buying two.
The new idea for a healthier student lunch came with
Michelle Obama’s idea to reduce childhood obesity. The fat and sugar that we
ate in our school lunches everyday was thought to be the cause of this, but I think
not. The same lunches that have been in schools for years have not caused as
much childhood obesity until now so it’s not logical to blame the lunch food.
Instead of eating at school, where kids could also get fruit or vegetables with
their meal, students just wait until they get home to binge on junk food. A
dollar menu McDonald’s hamburger looks and taste more appealing than a school
hamburger, and the new school lunch is just making the decision between these
two more easier for students.
Children’s parents and home environment also have a
huge impact on their weight and eating habits. If a child’s parents continue to
only buy foods with a high fat level, how is the child supposed to know how to
properly balance their nutrition? I see how taking unnecessary fats and sugars
out of school lunch seems like it is showing the kids how to eat healthy, but
all it is doing is stopping them from eating until they get home. Also, what
people don’t realize is, home is where it all starts. We don’t learn our bad eating
habits at home. In my strong opinion, obese parents and parents who don’t care
lead to obese children. If a parent is not paying attention to their own child’s
eating habits than it is the parent’s fault, not the child’s.
In conclusion, I believe that this obesity problem
will not be solved by changing up a menu at a child’s school. Parents have to become
more involved in their children’s health and want the best for them if they don’t
want the children to reach obesity. I believe that obesity starts at home
caused by careless eating habits (except for medical conditions, of course), so
I’ve always wondered why the school and state believe it is caused by what is
served one meal a day. I understand that the level of rising obesity in children
is rising, but the solution should not be changing school lunches. It should be
changing parent’s mindset.
Thursday, October 1, 2015
Take a Break!
High school students always have something going on. Whether it's sports practice, studying for a big test, work, or after-school activities, we never make any time to just relax. Although we are prepping for out future and want to make sure it is the best it can be, a break every once in a while is essential to keep our health up.
As a student who takes 3 AP classes, has a zero hour, has a job and activities after school, I can sometimes find myself becoming overwhelmed or stressed and it has taken a toll on my immune system. Every time I felt myself started to get stressed, I soon found myself getting sick with viruses due to not getting enough sleep. After a year and a half of this, I found ways to take small breaks while still staying on track.
There are many ways you can achieve the goal of being less stressed. If you're a tea lover, start drinking tea more often and especially when doing homework. Tea relaxes you so you're not as on edge. I started to bring tea to school every day and I've felt way better than have before. If you don't like tea, try taking a 30 minutes break from what you are doing and take a bubble bath to loosen your muscles. Trust me, it works! Also, you can get out and go for a jog to take your mind of things.
I strongly believe that in order to be successful and healthy, you need to take a small break every now and then to think about your own health. I understand that we are teenagers and need to prepare for the real world, but adults have days off from work too!
As a student who takes 3 AP classes, has a zero hour, has a job and activities after school, I can sometimes find myself becoming overwhelmed or stressed and it has taken a toll on my immune system. Every time I felt myself started to get stressed, I soon found myself getting sick with viruses due to not getting enough sleep. After a year and a half of this, I found ways to take small breaks while still staying on track.
There are many ways you can achieve the goal of being less stressed. If you're a tea lover, start drinking tea more often and especially when doing homework. Tea relaxes you so you're not as on edge. I started to bring tea to school every day and I've felt way better than have before. If you don't like tea, try taking a 30 minutes break from what you are doing and take a bubble bath to loosen your muscles. Trust me, it works! Also, you can get out and go for a jog to take your mind of things.
I strongly believe that in order to be successful and healthy, you need to take a small break every now and then to think about your own health. I understand that we are teenagers and need to prepare for the real world, but adults have days off from work too!
Sunday, September 27, 2015
Name Brand Shoes: Are they really worth it?
When you walk into a middle or high school and see shoes that are supposed to be made for "running", you just see a bunch of people wearing high priced shoes for fashion. Shoes such as Nike. Under Armour, and Reebok are worn all around the school for looks and for the brand, but are they really useful? In my opinion, my favorite brand is Nike because I like the style and comfort of the shoes. Unlike others, I can honestly say I have worn all 8 of my pairs to the gym at least once and have gotten very good use for them other than just trying to look cool with the brand name on my feet. I think people just go for the high price and cool designs and only buy the shoes to be able to say, "Hey I spent 300 dollars on a pair of shoes that I will wear once!" Students who use that when buying shoes that are supposed to help you be more comfortable while running don't even look into the benefits of the expensive shoes they are buying. My favorite pair of Nike's that I own are my Roshe's and I love how comfortable they are to run in, it feels like I don't have anything on my feet because they are so light. Of course, I got my favorite color and design but I don't just wear them to school. Before you drop a couple hundred dollars on a pair of shoes, look into them first and see if what you are buying them for is really worth it. Such as, if you don't play basketball, it's silly to see you wearing basketball shoes in class. Same thing goes with soccer cleats and football cleats and so on. So before you buy your next pair of name brand shoes, think of what you will really get out of them.
A Healthy Snack: Garden quiche and tomato basil compote
If you are looking for something to fill you up, but also are trying to keep it on the healthier side, a quiche is a very good selection. Also, if you have a busy schedule, you can take this easy food to eat with you anywhere!
To get started you will need the following ingredients:
Tomato Basil soup:
What you will need:
To get started you will need the following ingredients:
- 8 eggs
- prepared crust
- 1 cup milk (skim is healthier)
- chopped spinach
- diced tomatoes
- asparagus heads
- 1/2 cup red bell peppers
- 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
- 1/2 cup mozzarella
- 1/4 cup shredded parmesan
- 1/8 cup feta
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- In a large bowl, beat the eggs and milk together.
- Chop up the spinach, tomatoes, asparagus, red bell peppers, and mushrooms and set aside each in separate small bowls for easy access.
- One-by-one, starting pouring each of the vegetables into the prepared crust and mix them thoroughly.
- Add all of the cheeses on top and mix thoroughly into the vegetables.
- Sprinkle in salt and pepper to your liking
- Pour the beaten eggs and milk on top of the mixture and make sure every thing is settled in the mixture
- Sprinkle more cheese of your favorite kind and more salt and pepper on top (this step doesn't have a set amount, it depends on how you like it!
- Put it into the oven for 25 minutes or until the egg is set and is golden brown on top.
Tomato Basil soup:
What you will need:
- 10 ripe tomatoes
- 1 cup diced celery
- 1 cup of shaved carrots
- 1 cup diced onions
- 1 cup chicken base
- 4 cups water
- 1 cup Italian seasoning
- 1 cup basil leaf seasoning
- Boil the 4 cups of water on high in a large pot
- Cut the tomatoes into quarters and put them into the water to boil down
- Add all of the vegetables and chicken base to the water and tomatoes
- Stir thoroughly for about an hour
- Add the seasons and mix thoroughly
Thursday, September 24, 2015
Kennedy High School PE Requirements
Previously, at Kennedy High School, students were able to waive gym class if they were in a sport or were able to replace gym with an academic class using an academic waiver. This way was very good for students who are in sports and after school activities because that meant they didn't have to take a 0 or 7th hour gym class. Also, it meant students who were very academically interested, didn't have to waste time out of their day to go to the gym where, previous to last year, we didn't do anything but walk around on our cellphones. Starting last year, though, our district made sure that the gym requirement changed and many students, including me, are furious about it. In gym class, now, we are required to dress out and use heart monitors to reach the state's requirements. With the new requirement, students must take at least one semester of gym and any opportunity to use a waiver have ceased to exist. So now people who have a full schedule of academic classes and a sport/activity after school must either take the option to drop one of their more important class, quit their sport to make time, or take online gym. I think this is very wrong because colleges, which we are so pushed to go to by our superiors, don't look at whether you were wasting your time in a gym class in high school or not, they are only focusing on your core classes and GPA. Another thing that upsets me about this requirement is that the students who are in multiple sports throughout the school, and are obviously fit, still have to take a pointless gym class. Also, I am upset with the option of "online" gym. I used quotation marks because when I signed up for this due to a full schedule and thought that it would get me the requirement I needed without having to drop an academic class or use up time before or after school, and I was horribly wrong. One the first day of class our teacher explained that we would still need to come in before/after school or during SMART lunch tutorials. I believe that the impact of this gym requirement will be heightened stress in students, and lower grades and GPA due to having to spend so much of our attention on a class that won't even impact our future. I understand the need for health regulation in school due to the increasing obesity in children, but I don't think taking students out of more academically challenging classes to sit in a gym for 52 minutes is not the solution.
Sunday, September 20, 2015
How to have a great workout and feel good doing it!
Have you ever had a workout where you felt drowsy? Or in the middle of running feel a grumble in your stomach and figured that you probably should have eaten lunch? Then you don't know how to properly prepare your body for a workout. Time after time I have felt the same way as I just described and it leaves me feeling unsatisfied with myself even though I just went out of my way to keep my health up by working out! First, you want proper sleep the night before and mostly every night. 8 hours is recommended for your body and everybody needs proper sleep to help your immune system and help brain function during the day. If you only get very small sleep you could find yourself falling asleep on the treadmill! Next, it is very important to not only eat healthy and fuel up the day of your workout, but also the day before after your workout. Things like granola bars, bread, and foods with a good amount of carbs will really help you throughout your day and, most importantly it gives you something to burn off when you workout. What you should never do is go to a workout without eating anything because you could get stomach cramps or feel low on energy and that does not make for a healthy or comfortable workout. After your workout it is very important to eat something to fuel up your body for the next workout and also to give your body the electrolytes that it just took out. Also, above all, your water supply is VERY important. It is not only important to drink plenty of water during your workout but also throughout the day before so you stay hydrated. If you don't get enough water, it could leave you with cramps. Your attire for a workout should depend on the weather outside that day and what activity you are doing. Such as you wouldn't want to show up to lift weights in a swimsuit and cleats. It is very important to keep warm during your workout in the winter even if you get hot and sweaty. To have a good workout, you need to choose an activity that will get your heart beat up for at least 60 minutes. There are countless options such as running, swimming, biking, or even just walking your dog. Although it varies for different people, 60 minutes is the right amount of time to be left with a satisfactory feeling instead of feeling like you didn't get enough time in. During your workout, you should always make sure to keep breathing so your muscles can get oxygen and also to keep the fluids going. Also during your workout, if you are the type of person where working out is almost like a chore for you, bring a book or watch Netflix while you are working out and it will make it at least bearable. After your workout, it is also very important to eat something right away to replace the electrolytes that your body just lost and to get enough fluids so that the next workout is even better than the one before it! I hope all of your workouts are now filled with energy, a full stomach, and a satisfactory feeling afterwards.
Thursday, September 17, 2015
Misconceptions about the benefits of chocolate
As you read my last post, Chocolate is good for you!? Say What!?, you might have thought that the benefits of chocolate outweigh the negatives. Unfortunately, the Mayo Clinic has said that is incorrect. Recent studies have said that there could be links to eating cocoa and the prevention of Alzheimer's disease, but they didn't include that chocolate also could have the cause of diabetes. What these two sources have in common is that they both said that chocolate, in moderation, is not all that bad for you, which makes us think that maybe chocolate could be healthy. The comparing side of the other source from the Mayo Clinic states that it is not the chocolate that makes eating it healthy, but just the cocoa that is in it. Although cocoa is in chocolate, in commercial chocolates (such as ones at the grocery store), they are much more processed then just cocoa. The different types of chocolate also have different cocoa amounts. Milk chocolate has little cocoa, dark chocolate has a lot, and white chocolate has none at all, just cocoa butter. To see the difference, go into your kitchen cabinet and take out your families cocoa that they would use for baking or cooking. If you eat even a small spoonful, it is hard to swallow because of the bitterness and is way difference then eating say a candy bar. The cocoa is way healthier (although less tastier), because it isn't packed with tons of sugar, fat, and other processed ingredients like a Hershey's candy bar would be. People have misconceptions about chocolate and the amount of cocoa every day and even I did after reading the info i used for my last blog. Although we see the benefits of cocoa in prevention of diseases like heart cancer, brain cancer, and Alzheimer's, the other processed ingredients in chocolate raise an eyebrow about how chocolate lover's should get their sweet tooth fix. The recommendation to get "healthier" chocolate is to eat dark chocolate or even healthier- straight cocoa on yogurt, in milk, or on oatmeal. Chocolate is okay in moderation and i think the main problem is we are loosing the actual cocoa taste due to companies adding too much fat and sugar, and taking the distinct chocolate flavor away. I believe if the companies start adding more cocoa, the flavor will go up and the unhealthiness will go down, but i am only one person Although chocolate hasn't been proven healthy yet, research is still being done today. Maybe someday chocolate will be proven to cure even the worst diseases and then we will be eating chocolate for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. One can only hope!
sources: http://beazyy.blogspot.com/2015/09/chocolate-is-good-for-you-say-what.html
http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/healthy-chocolate/faq-20058044
sources: http://beazyy.blogspot.com/2015/09/chocolate-is-good-for-you-say-what.html
http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/healthy-chocolate/faq-20058044
Tuesday, September 15, 2015
Chocolate is good for you?! Say What?!
Yes, you read that right. According to the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, cocoa can be used to help maintain brain health and keep diseases like Alzheimer's away. Researcher's have also found that chocolate and cocoa can help reduce the risk of hearts disease from flavanols that reduce cell damage caused by heart disease. Of course this means the recommended amount of chocolate a day is low (100 g), but does that mean everyone should go out and buy a Hershey's bar and then they are in the clear from getting Alzheimer's disease? Wrong. 77 Dr. Guilio Maria Pasinetti (a professor of neurology in New York) says that only certain types of cocoa can benefit us with their micro nutrients, and this research was also tested on animals. As the numbers for Alzheimer's disease climb, from 35.6 million people in 2010 to an expected double that number in 2030, we can only hope that something as simple as a grocery store candy bar can help us in the fight against this horrible disease. So yes, for now, don't go stuffing your faces with candy bar hoping for prevention because the conclusion from the scientist is really that they just need more evidence and research to prove this. But for a chocolate lover, I'm already stalking up on Hershey's.
Link for this article and where i got the info: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/299440.php
Link for this article and where i got the info: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/299440.php
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