gesundheit

We are all talking about health. It is, apparently, the most important aspect in life - to be healthy. You want it, you need it, you have to be it, but what does health actually mean? Does it mean to exercise regularly and eat fresh food, like it  does for most people? What about smoking? Can you be healthy while working out, eating fresh, and smoking? What are you saying - you need that cigarette? It calms you down, helps you to cope with life - oh, shut up. Why did you start in the first place? No, idea - well, I thought so. So, healthy + smoking = ain't gonna work for a long time. So we solved that one; what about food? I think we all agree on fast food as not being healthy for us at all. But what about dairy products or raw food? Some experts say that eating and drinking too many dairy products can overacidify your body and cause headaches, mood swings and digestion problems. I always thought they are good for my bones and brain., but I can't my body, can I ? I want to know, what is healthy food then? Can I really only eat vegetables, fruits and meat to be healthy? What are you saying vegetarian over there- meat is not even healthy? - Antibiotics, stressed animals? Jeez, I'm getting really frustrated here. Can I, at least, have  my cup(s) of coffee and a little croissant? One cup is fine without milk but wheat, especially wheat pastry and bread are bad for me? Okay, I give up. Now see, this is why I'm so confused when I comes to being healthy. I read and heard so much about what
to do and eat, and what not that I'm really insecure about this. Talking about insecurity: I don't have a scale, so I honestly don't know about much I weigh (for real), but some magazines take the BMI to categorize peoples' health. The three main categorize are underweight (≤ 16,0), normal weight (18,5–25,0), and overweight (25,0–30,0). If you are curious which one of these three you are, check here. But this just focuses on the weight, nothing more. I can have a normal weight but not be healthy, right? For instance if I drink too much alcohol, or smoke, watch a lot television but at the same time don't eat lot - I still have a normal weight. I looked at the longman dictionary to get closure and it says: "physically strong and not likely to become ill or weak; used to describe an attitude, feeling, or behaviour that is natural, normal, and sensible" . That's an answer I can accept, healthy meaning not getting sick a lot. What's the opposite of sick - right, healthy. So, that makes sense. But still, what do I have to do to not get sick, to be healthy?   

 
Let's listen to some experts:

 

 What do students my age advice people:
 


What does health mean to you?
 


So, I heard vitamins help you preventing sickness. Here are the most important vitamins you need to be healthy:  

Vitamin A
Talk about your overachiever: This antioxidant boosts immune systems, improves vision, cuts risk of heart disease, and may slow skin aging.
Food? large carrot or sliced cantaloupe 

B Vitamins
The eight B vitamins help maintain metabolism, muscle tone, and a sharp mind, says Mary Ellen Camire, Ph.D., a nutrition professor at the University of Maine at Orono. Most important for young women is B9 (folic acid), which keeps red blood cells healthy and guards against cancer and birth defects.
Food? most fortified breakfast cereals, whole-grain breads, asparagus, and beans.

Where does it say: eat cookies?

Vitamin C
Despite its rep as a cold fighter, C has never been proven to prevent or cure the sniffles. But the antioxidant is believed to boost your immune system and help prevent heart disease, prenatal problems, and eye illnesses. It even helps wounds heal faster and fends off wrinkles.
Food? citrus fruits, vibrant veggies, red pepper, broccoli. 

Vitamin D
The vitamin du jour, D could be something of a wonder drug. Docs believe it can reduce your risk of breast cancer by as much as 50 percent, and it may offer protection from both ovarian cancer and diabetes. More happiness: D helps calcium absorption and plays a central role in muscle function.
Food? Milk, orange juice, and salmon, Sunshine! 

Calcium
Two words: strong bones. "Women start losing bone density in their twenties," say experts. "Calcium is your single best defense, and you should start taking it now." The mineral also helps build strong teeth and nourishes your nervous system.
Food? Yogurt, milk, and cheese do pack calcium, but not an ideal amount. 

Iron
Too little of this mineral can spell anemia (a lack of red blood cells) and a weakened immune system. Iron is also particularly important for women with heavy periods.
Food? some breakfast cereals, iron-rich foods like red meat. You might want to pop a pill to reach the daily amount. Just talk to your doc first; too much can be harmful.

What does health mean to you? Do you have any tips for me?
Leave a comment below...

Julia

Humans are the best people on earth

Aren't we great? Put aside all those negative things I said in previous posts about humans. Yes, they are true, we are still monsters, but we are pretty clever and well-development monsters! I recently heard that we produce during our lifetime enough saliva to fill two swimming pools. Two swimming pools, isn't that amazing? The average person also expels flatulence 14 times a day, without realizing it. So I dare to say that's a pretty great achievement, although I think cows do an even better job breaking wind. I think humans made it clear that they don't want to be compared to animals. I mean yes, humans are awesome. We researched our entire body and are now able to study it. We can reproduce ourselves multiple times, and are able to live within a family. We are not like praying mantis who bite their husband's head off after they bred. Na, we don't do that. Although, I think some women secretly wish to do so. Anyway, we are not only awesom because of our achievements, inventions or action, we are also have a fantastic body. And I don't mean the outside,  I'm talking about its functions. Your body deals with some many bacterias and germs every day, but are you sick 365 days a year? No, right. Our body also digests the crappiest crap you feed it, or cures a hangover by itself. It's a pretty amazing thing our body, isn't it? I put together some more things you maybe haven't heard of yet about the human body. 

• Blondes have more hair. 
• The fastest growing nail is on the middle finger.
• The acid in your stomach is strong enough to dissolve razorblades.
• You could remove a large part of your internal organs and survive. 
• Coughs clock in at about 60 mph. 
• The three things pregnant women dream most of during their first trimester are frogs, worms and potted plants.    
• Your teeth start growing 6 months before you are born. 
• Babies are always born with blue eyes.  
• After eating too much, your hearing is less sharp. 
• Even small noises cause the pupils of the eyes to dilate.
• Everyone has a unique smell, except for identical twins. 

• Monday is the day of the week when the risk of heart attack is greatest. 
• A human head remains conscious for about 15 to 20 seconds after it is been decapitated.   
• The strongest muscle in the human body is the tongue. 
• The tooth is the only part of the human body that can’t repair itself.
• The most common blood type in the world is Type O.
• Your body gives off enough heat in 30 minutes to bring half a gallon of water to a boil.
• It is not possible to tickle yourself. 
• Humans are the only animals to produce emotional tears.
• Research suggests that Children tend to grow faster in spring season as compared to any other time of the year  

• You have no sense of smell when you're sleeping 
• You know, you can see your nose all the time but somehow your brain always ignores it. 
• All babies are color blind when they are born, so they only see black and white. 
• People with dark color skin wrinkle later than the people having light color skins
• People generally read 25% slower from a computer screen compared to paper. 
• It is impossible to sneeze with your eyes open.
• Your brain is move active and thinks more at night than during the day.
• The tongue is the strongest muscle in the human body. 
• Fingers don't have any muscles.The muscles, which move our finger joints, are located in the palm and up in the forearm. 
• Men get hiccups more often than women.  

• A sneeze can exceed the speed of 100 miles per hour.When a sneeze leaves your body, it is at such a high speed that you should avoid suppressing it. 
• Fingernails grow nearly 4 times faster than toenails. 
• Women blink nearly twice as much as men.
• Babies are born with pink lungs but they darken in color as we breathe in polluted air.
• The right lung is bigger than left lung.The left lung is small so as to adjust the heart in that part.
• Human hair and fingernails continue to grow after death.
• You burn more calorie while sleeping than watching TV.
• Everybody has a strong eye and one weak.
• If human eye was a digital camera ,it would have 576 mega pixels.

Amazing, right? 
So, stop smoking, drinking or eating processed food. Your body works for you all year long, so appreciate that and spoil it with good food and good care. And don't ignore its voice, it will tell you when somethings wrong or when you should step back a little and relax more. Trust your body and your gut feeling, and be proud of both. They will acompany you your entire life - so better start getting used to them! No matter what, you have a great body. Think of it like a house - your soul should like living in it. Take care of your body, you only have one!

 Julia


Sources:
http://icantseeyou.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/02/100-very-cool-f.html
http://www.medindia.net/facts/index.asp?startpage=1
http://www.makemegenius.com/cool-facts/human-body--systems-biology-interesting-facts

Laugh!

They say laughing is the best medicine. And it is true, as laughing stimulates certain hormones and boosts you immune system. Have you ever had that exhausted feeling after a good laugh? You know, the one where your side hurts, your eyes water, you can't catch your breath and your body's totally spent. It feels like you've just finished a two-hour session at the gym. Similar processes are happening in your body. Besides the physical benefits, laughing increases your personal satisfaction and improves your mood; doesn't it? Another thing is that your body or mind can't differentiate between a fake and a real laugh. So, even if you're just pretending to laugh or fake laughing about the unfunny joke of your friend, your're still improving your health. Isn't that great? That's why I love laughing. 



Nextly, what I find great about lauhters are that every one is different. You can't laugh the exact same way twice, it's impossible. The sound and power of laugh depends on the situation, on your daily condition and on how amusing you find the reason you are laughing about. On top of all, every person has its own unique laughter. I'm sure you noticed that you laugh differently than your friend, right? Logically, you like some laughter sounds more than others. But that's ok because you also learn to detect fake laughter. Let's take a look at some different types of laughter:

Chortle

The chortle is defined as a gleeful chuckle. The term is a mixture between chuckle and snort.

Guffaw

A guffaw is a loud, unrestrained burst of laughter; as a verb, it means "to laugh in a loud and boisterous manner." The word is of Scottish origin and is thought to be imitative of the sound of such laughter.

Titter

Far from a belly laugh or a hearty guffaw, a titter is a nervous or self-conscious laugh.The origin of this word is unclear, but etymologists point to the Swedish term tittra meaning "to giggle," as well as the word tittle meaning "to whisper" or, more specifically "to tell on or whisper gossip" as possible linguistic ancestors.

Giggle

A giggle is "a silly spasmodic laugh, especially with short, repeated gasps and titters, as from juvenile or ill-concealed amusement or nervous embarrassment.

All in one video:

 

Nowadays, communication via electronic devices is a major part of our daily lives. While simple writing doesn't seem to be enough anymore, people also try to express their emotions by using abbreviations or signs. Some add little smilies or emoticons to their messages, others stick to the classic 'haha'. Caution though, the 'lol'-times are gone people! I either add a simple :) or 'haha', but apparently there are many many more!

Remember: A day without a good laugh is a wasted day!
Julia


P.S. a good laugh never hurts :)

Sources:
http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/stress-management/in-depth/stress-relief/art-20044456?pg=2 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gq-bJwNKSw