Texting till you drop

Some of us change phone every 2 or less months. My question about that routine is always been; is that really necessary? What are we doing with our technology? It changes rapidly in that some of us have lost interest in keeping up with it. FYI, there was a well-functioning world and other systems before technology; although we are faced with dilemmas today when one piece of tech does not function for a few hours. It turns out that I was not the only one questioning our obsessiveness with technology. Larry D. Rosen, a California psychologist, is less concerned with techno-boorishness than with the very real possibility that all these new personal gadgets may be making some of us mentally ill especially those who are prone to narcissism, or to depression or obsessive-compulsive disorder. He wrote a book, “iDisorder” on how we use tech and how obsessed we are with it. A major strength of “iDisorder” is Dr. Rosen’s clear-eyed view of technology and its uses. He doesn’t oppose it. His view is the opposite. What we need, he says, is a sense of restorative balance and self-awareness. It is unavoidable that many of us will fall prey to an iDisorder, he says, but “it is not fatal and we are not doomed to spend time in a mental institution or a rehab center.” By using a few simple strategies, he says, “we can safely emerge from our TechnoCocoons and rejoin the world of the healthy.”

AT the end of each chapter, Dr. Rosen details a list of things that can be done to combat each techno-disorder. One often-suggested solution is to take a “tech break.” In other words, if overusing your iPador iPhone is making you crazy, maybe you should stop using it so much. For those combating some form of techno-addiction, Dr. Rosen advises regularly stepping away from the computer for a few minutes and connecting with nature; just standing in your driveway and staring at the bushes, research shows, has a way of resetting our brains

Mathematics to solve everyday problems

Although many people apply mathematics to solve problems, even everyday problems, I do not. Because I have no love for math, I am more entitled to solve a problem using logic rather than numbers and equations. I am the opposite of Carson C. Chow who deploys mathematics to solve the everyday problems of real life. As an investigator at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, he tries to figure out why 1 in 3 Americans are obese. It is common sense to know that what you eat affects your health and weight. It is safe and true to say that America has the most obese people compared to other nations and that can now only be blamed on the type of food people eat. Because to do this experimentally would take years, researchers have developed models to test human development based on food intake, height, weight, and exercise to predict how much one will weigh. You could find out much more quickly if you did the math says one researcher. Their findings we interesting and some surprising. The body changes as you lose pounds, interestingly, they also found that the fatter you get, the easier it is to gain weight. An extra 10 calories a day puts more weight onto an obese person than on a thinner one. Also, there’s a time constant that’s an important factor in weight loss. That’s because if you reduce your caloric intake, after a while, your body reaches equilibrium. I learned a new thing and that is that it actually takes about three years for a dieter to reach their new “steady state.” The model predicts that if you eat 100 calories fewer a day, in three years you will, on average, lose 10 pounds but that is if you don’t cheat.

Red Wine Good for… Really?

Who knew that red wine was good for your stomach? Definitely not me. When it comes to the health promoting effects of red wine, its potential to protect against heart disease tends to get all the attention. But there are some who see it as a sort of probiotic delivery system, capable of benefiting the stomach as well. Supplements and foods with probiotics live micro-organisms that support digestive health and that has thus made them popular. While probiotics are increasingly added to a variety of foods, some contain them naturally, especially fermented products like yogurt and wine. Most doctors, of course, would never recommend drinking solely to aid digestive health. But researchers have wondered whether a boost in healthy bacteria may be a secondary benefit of red wine.

Based on studies on animals, scientists have found that components of red wine seem to improve intestinal health, promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria. Research on human subjects is limited. But one recent study that examined the claim was published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Researchers found that both types of red wine produced improvements in the bacterial composition of the gut, lowered blood pressure and reduced levels of a protein associated with inflammation. Slight improvements in gut flora were seen among gin drinkers, but the effects in the wine drinkers were much more pronounced.

The bottom line to this is that red wine can help digestive health. Although it is beneficial to our health, we should not use it as an excuse to drink wine excessively. We learn to use natural things in our world in order to save the planet. If drinking wine will save our lives and animal lives, then we have got to test it and proceed from there.