Friday, April 26

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Less Paranoia And Anxiety? – Can Delta-8 THC Provide Some Of The Benefits Of Pot
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HEALTH & WELLNESS

Less Paranoia And Anxiety? – Can Delta-8 THC Provide Some Of The Benefits Of Pot

Over the past year, you may have seen something called delta-8 THC or “delta 8” appear in convenience stores and pharmacies alongside CBD gummies, oils and lotions. Delta-8 THC is a hemp-derived compound that’s closely related to delta-9 THC – what’s commonly called THC and is the psychoactive component of cannabis that’s responsible for the high that users feel. Like garden variety marijuana, delta-8 THC can be vaped or eaten. However, it’s rarely smoked. Anecdotally, its fans swear by its benefits – that it helps with relaxation and pain relief without intense highs that can veer into anxiety or paranoia. Yet there’s been a dearth of research on this compound. As public health scholars, we decided to conduct the first survey of delta-8 THC users to find out who was using it, why they ...
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What’s Lurking Under Your Fingernails?
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HEALTH & WELLNESS

What’s Lurking Under Your Fingernails?

In the spring of 1997, I spent a wonderful day with Dr Omar Amin in Phoenix, Arizona. Dr Amin is one of the most respected and sought-after parasitologists in the world and runs the Parasitology Center Inc in Scottsdale, Arizona. He gave me a copy of his paper 'Understanding Parasites' in which there was a sentence that has always stuck in my mind: "A recent inspection of an expensive restaurant in Los Angeles showed that 100% of all employees (not just servers) had fecal matter under their nails". Fecal matter and disease (particularly parasites) generally go together. With our cities offering cuisine from increasingly exotic regions of the world, this carries a higher incidence of parasite-borne diseases, especially if these regional foods are undercooked or even raw: Dutch herring,...
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My Battle With The Fat Monster
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HEALTH & WELLNESS

My Battle With The Fat Monster

Who is the Fat Monster you say? Well if you have a fat problem then you will know him very well. He is the one who is always telling you to eat. He calls your name from the fridge. He tells you to turn into the donut shop when you are driving to work. And he is the one who tells you, you are too tired to exercise. How can you fight the Fat Monster? The first thing you must do is become aware of him on a "real" level. You can talk to him. Don't be afraid. You can tell him who is the BOSS! You can even yell at him if you want to. As a matter of fact you should yell at him. You should yell loud and often. Tell him you are the one in charge from now on! You are the one calling the shots and you refuse to listen to him anymore! Tell him to stop calling your name and to get out of your frig....
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A Bioethicist Explains Why Restricting Opioid Supply May Not Be The Right Solution For Opioid Overdose
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HEALTH & WELLNESS

A Bioethicist Explains Why Restricting Opioid Supply May Not Be The Right Solution For Opioid Overdose

Year after year, America’s drug overdose crisis is worsening. In the 12-month period ending in June 2021, the most recent period for which there is reliable data, more than 101,000 people died from drug overdose in the U.S., – an increase of more than 20% from the previous year. 2021 was also an important year for analysis of the overdose crisis, with numerous books and articles shedding light on both the causes and potential solutions to the crisis. Not all analysis is in agreement, however. As a bioethicist who has spent much of the past several years researching the ethical and policy issues related to drug use, I’ve become particularly interested in an evolving tension between commentators on the drug crisis. While many blame today’s crisis on an increase in drug supply over the pa...
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Regular Fitness Tips To Keep You Healthy And Fit
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HEALTH & WELLNESS

Regular Fitness Tips To Keep You Healthy And Fit

Staying fit and healthy is a great way to improve your overall health and mental stability. It's a regular struggle for most people to stay fit. With a few motivation and practices, you easily can maintain your physical and mental fitness for years long. You will feel great once you take a step forward towards getting in perfect shape. A lot of people tend to spend their whole day eating all junks and watching TV. This is not encouraging when you are thinking of starting regular exercise to enhance your general health condition. Here, we've summed up a few effective tips to keep your body healthy and fit. Exercise daily: Come up with a daily schedule of exercise for at least an hour a day. Don't need to get yourself exhausted from running, cardio or HIIT workout sessions. You must inc...
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Why Clowns Are So Scary?
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HEALTH & WELLNESS

Why Clowns Are So Scary?

With clowns and clown attacks making news headlines around the world it's hardly surprising that more and more people are developing a fear of clowns. But even before this latest phenomenon, a good percentage of the population are known to have suffered from a phobia of clowns - or 'coulrophobia'. In fact, it's thought that around 2% of the population suffer from clown phobia, with the 'ihateclowns' Facebook page listing almost half a million likes. Why Are Clowns So Scary? Perhaps the main reason why clowns can appear so frightening is because the clown's make-up makes it impossible to read genuine human emotion. In order to feel safe, as sighted people we depend on visual cues, facial expressions especially help us to quickly assess a person's character. With the clown's painted...
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A Food Chemist Explains Sweet Science – The Difference Between Sugar, Other Natural Sweeteners And Artificial Sweeteners
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HEALTH & WELLNESS

A Food Chemist Explains Sweet Science – The Difference Between Sugar, Other Natural Sweeteners And Artificial Sweeteners

A quick walk down the drink aisle of any corner store reveals the incredible ingenuity of food scientists in search of sweet flavors. In some drinks you’ll find sugar. A diet soda might have an artificial or natural low-calorie sweetener. And found in nearly everything else is high fructose corn syrup, the king of U.S. sweetness. I am a chemist who studies compounds found in nature, and I am also a lover of food. With confusing food labels claiming foods and beverages to be diet, zero-sugar or with “no artificial sweeteners,” it can be confusing to know exactly what you are consuming. So what are these sweet molecules? How can cane sugar and artificial sweeteners produce such similar flavors? First, it is helpful to understand how taste buds work. Taste buds and chemistry The “taste map”...
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The Colors Of Poop
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HEALTH & WELLNESS

The Colors Of Poop

Why is my poop brown? Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to curiouskidsus@theconversation.com. Why is my poop brown? – Ethan J., age 9, Potomac, Maryland Three-quarters of your poop consists of water and most of the rest is food your body didn’t digest. Once it exits the digestive system, poop is usually a shade of brown, regardless of the appearance of whatever you’ve had to eat and drink, because it contains a chemical your body makes. That chemical, stercobilin, is a product of the breakdown of hemoglobin – an iron-containing protein in red blood cells that allows oxygen to be transported around the body. Without sercobilin, your poop would probably look pale or even white. That’s because most of t...
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Some Researchers Question Whether Synthetic Dyes In Colorful Sweets May Pose Health Risks To Your Colon And Rectum
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HEALTH & WELLNESS

Some Researchers Question Whether Synthetic Dyes In Colorful Sweets May Pose Health Risks To Your Colon And Rectum

Early-onset colorectal cancer incidence among the young, defined as those under age 50, has been rising globally since the early 1990s. Rates for colon and rectal cancers are expected to increase by 90% and 124%, respectively, by 2030. One suspected reason behind this trend is increased global consumption of a Westernized diet that consists heavily of red and processed meats, added sugar and refined grains. Sixty percent of the Standard American Diet, also known as “SAD,” is made up of ultra-processed food such as industrial baked sweets, soft drinks and processed meat. SAD is associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer. One aspect of ultra-processed foods I’m concerned about is how colorful they are. This characteristic is on full display in many delicious foods and treats pr...
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Money Can’t Buy Fitness, You Gotta Earn It
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HEALTH & WELLNESS

Money Can’t Buy Fitness, You Gotta Earn It

It's long been said that money can't buy everything and most will agree if they are truly being honest throwing silliness aside. Money can't buy you true love. Money can't buy back your youth or bring back loved ones that have passed on. And additionally, money can't buy fitness no matter how much you shell out of your pocket. To make that point clear, all the money in the world cannot automatically create that perfect physique regardless of how much you are willing to pay. Sure money can pay for a private gym membership or even allow you to build your own gym in your backyard. Money will also allow you to hire a 24 hour a day personal trainer along with a chef to be at your beckoning call whenever you need a healthy meal prepared. Money can also pay for weight reduction surgeries or ...
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