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:

• 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

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
2. In a large bowl, beat the eggs and milk together. 
3. Chop up the spinach, tomatoes, asparagus, red bell peppers, and mushrooms and set aside each in separate small bowls for easy access.
4. One-by-one, starting pouring each of the vegetables into the prepared crust and mix them thoroughly.
5. Add all of the cheeses on top and mix thoroughly into the vegetables.
6. Sprinkle in salt and pepper to your liking
7. Pour the beaten eggs and milk on top of the mixture and make sure every thing is settled in the mixture
8. 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!
9. Put it into the oven for 25 minutes or until the egg is set and is golden brown on top.

After the quiche is cooked through, let it cool while making this awesome compote soup to put 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

Preparation

1.  Boil the 4 cups of water on high in a large pot
2. Cut the tomatoes into quarters and put them into the water to boil down
3. Add all of the vegetables and chicken base to the water and tomatoes
4. Stir thoroughly for about an hour
5. Add the seasons and mix thoroughly

When the soup is done, cut a piece of the quiche (pie size) and pour some of the soup on top for a delicious and healthy snack!

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. 

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.

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

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