Thursday, November 29, 2012
Technology and Quality Family Time By Sarah Payne L03
Technology these days is everywhere and it keeps expanding/advancing. This is a fact! So with all these new gadgets what happens to the family? The use of technology is replacing valued quality family time. One can argue against this fact saying technology brings the family together. This can be true; Netflix is an example of how technology brings the family together by watching a family movie. However, family time is more than just being in the same room as your loved ones. Family time is about strengthening your relationships within your own family. There is a simple solution to this issue; as parents, or as loved ones, we need to put down the television remotes, leave the computers, and put away the cellphones.
Television plays a huge role in some peoples' lives. In fact, Canada Facts says that "the average Canadian adult watches 28.8 hours of television per week; this equals out to be around one quarter of their waking hours in a single year". Televisions keep getting bigger, thinner, and better; but what happens to family relationships? Nothing is gained by sitting around the television, not speaking, with eyes glued to the playing movie. Multiple researchers and studies even say that too much television can cause headaches. So not only is television bad for you but it is also a waste of precious time. There is so much more one could do with the time given in a day especially with the Christmas Holidays approaching fast! A few examples include, ice skating, tobogganing, and even a walk in the park.
The second gadget that is hindering quality family time are computers. there are so many online games one could play instead of being with your family. One might say that computer games is how the family can bond together. My little sister and older brother used to play World of Warcraft (WOW) a lot! However, what kind of bond is that going to be? The game itself is fictional, you go around completing missions and stuff, but that is it! Another computer issue is Facebook. Sure, it is good to keep in touch with certain friends and family, but what happened to a face-to-face conversation? Go out for hot chocolate, sit down in the cafe and actually have a real live conversation with someone. For some reason it seems like people have forgotten how to do that. Spending too much time on the computer is bad for you anyways. ABC Health and Wellbeing says this: "Our children spend more and more time in front of them [t.v. and computer], leaving up to a third of our kids short-sighted by the time they reach adulthood". They, ABC Health and Wellbeing, go on to explain that "shortsightedness is also called Myopia which is a condition when the light does not focus correctly on the retina. This causes far away objects to be blurry while close objects are clear. The individual then needs to wear corrective lenses to fix this issue". Both computers and televisions are bad for eyesight. Suggestions for quality family time replacing the computer would be hiking, snowshoeing, or having a family photo shoot.
The third gadget that also hinders quality family time are cellphones. Cellphones were used mostly for just talk and text a few years ago. Now cellphones can be used for almost anything including surfing the internet, checking emails, listening to music, and playing games. Too many days, evenings, and nights are being wasted by these added features on cellphones. I myself am guilty of this. Sometimes when my husband and I do not know what to do for the evening we will end up sitting on the couch playing on our phones. How sad is that?!? We all need to put down our phones and start talking and engaging with our families! No more cellphones when we come home from work or school. No more cellphones at the dinner table. No more cellphones used to just play games on. Family should be more important than music, the latest gossip on whoever, and a petty game such as Angry Birds. We all can accomplish so much more by unplugging and putting the cellphones away. Suggested activities instead of your cell phone can be going out for dessert, going for a bicycle ride, or going out to dance.
In conclusion, there is so much a family can do to improve the time they spend together; starting with no more television, no more computers, and no more cellphones. Bundle up in the cold yet beautiful weather and have some holiday fun! Not only will your bonds strengthen but you will also be active. All these gadgets spoken about are temporal. Family is forever. Family is eternal.
References:
Canada Facts. (2010). One-quarter of your Life watching Television. Retrieved on November 27, 2012 from: http://www.canadafacts.org/one-quarter-of-life-watching-tv/
Peter Lavelle. (2005) ABC Health and Wellbeing. Myopia on the rise. Retrieved on November 27, 2012 from: http://www.abc.net.au/health/thepulse/stories/2005/11/10/1502702.htm#.ULgWoYc0WSo
Television plays a huge role in some peoples' lives. In fact, Canada Facts says that "the average Canadian adult watches 28.8 hours of television per week; this equals out to be around one quarter of their waking hours in a single year". Televisions keep getting bigger, thinner, and better; but what happens to family relationships? Nothing is gained by sitting around the television, not speaking, with eyes glued to the playing movie. Multiple researchers and studies even say that too much television can cause headaches. So not only is television bad for you but it is also a waste of precious time. There is so much more one could do with the time given in a day especially with the Christmas Holidays approaching fast! A few examples include, ice skating, tobogganing, and even a walk in the park.
The second gadget that is hindering quality family time are computers. there are so many online games one could play instead of being with your family. One might say that computer games is how the family can bond together. My little sister and older brother used to play World of Warcraft (WOW) a lot! However, what kind of bond is that going to be? The game itself is fictional, you go around completing missions and stuff, but that is it! Another computer issue is Facebook. Sure, it is good to keep in touch with certain friends and family, but what happened to a face-to-face conversation? Go out for hot chocolate, sit down in the cafe and actually have a real live conversation with someone. For some reason it seems like people have forgotten how to do that. Spending too much time on the computer is bad for you anyways. ABC Health and Wellbeing says this: "Our children spend more and more time in front of them [t.v. and computer], leaving up to a third of our kids short-sighted by the time they reach adulthood". They, ABC Health and Wellbeing, go on to explain that "shortsightedness is also called Myopia which is a condition when the light does not focus correctly on the retina. This causes far away objects to be blurry while close objects are clear. The individual then needs to wear corrective lenses to fix this issue". Both computers and televisions are bad for eyesight. Suggestions for quality family time replacing the computer would be hiking, snowshoeing, or having a family photo shoot.
The third gadget that also hinders quality family time are cellphones. Cellphones were used mostly for just talk and text a few years ago. Now cellphones can be used for almost anything including surfing the internet, checking emails, listening to music, and playing games. Too many days, evenings, and nights are being wasted by these added features on cellphones. I myself am guilty of this. Sometimes when my husband and I do not know what to do for the evening we will end up sitting on the couch playing on our phones. How sad is that?!? We all need to put down our phones and start talking and engaging with our families! No more cellphones when we come home from work or school. No more cellphones at the dinner table. No more cellphones used to just play games on. Family should be more important than music, the latest gossip on whoever, and a petty game such as Angry Birds. We all can accomplish so much more by unplugging and putting the cellphones away. Suggested activities instead of your cell phone can be going out for dessert, going for a bicycle ride, or going out to dance.
In conclusion, there is so much a family can do to improve the time they spend together; starting with no more television, no more computers, and no more cellphones. Bundle up in the cold yet beautiful weather and have some holiday fun! Not only will your bonds strengthen but you will also be active. All these gadgets spoken about are temporal. Family is forever. Family is eternal.
References:
Canada Facts. (2010). One-quarter of your Life watching Television. Retrieved on November 27, 2012 from: http://www.canadafacts.org/one-quarter-of-life-watching-tv/
Peter Lavelle. (2005) ABC Health and Wellbeing. Myopia on the rise. Retrieved on November 27, 2012 from: http://www.abc.net.au/health/thepulse/stories/2005/11/10/1502702.htm#.ULgWoYc0WSo
COMS
369 – B03
Nov
29, 2012
Student
10090204
Models
as role Models
A common image in today’s
society is that of a perfectly skinny woman, without a flaw in her figure. The main reason for this is probably because
she has no figure, but in reality the model being used in the advertisement,
commercial, runway, poster or any variety of media, is in fact too skinny. I'm not trying to say that being skinny is a
bad thing, but that when it jeopardises health and general wellness it has
become a problem. Because of the issues
that arise from having models that are too skinny (issues of the models health,
but also of the public’s ideas and interpretations of advertisements) regulating
models weights has become a popular topic.
What I mean by restricting models’ weights is ensuring that a model is
of a healthy weight before they are able to work, for any kind of photo shoot,
filming, or runway. By taking this one
small step in assuring that the images that are propagated worldwide are
spreading a more positive outlook on what is considered beautiful, big changes
could be made on everyone’s low self-esteem and general health.
As I’m sure many of you
know, models tend to be overly skinny, and often suffer from eating
disorders. The fashion industry, whether
it claims to or not, associates beauty with thinness. Although this trend is
unlikely to change any time soon, it would be very beneficial if the “thinness”
was not sickly thin where the human body is frail and has to struggle to function
properly. A healthy body fits in between an 18.5 and 25 on the BMI or Body Mass
Index. However, many models fall below this line, and some are putting their
lives in serious jeopardy.
In 2006, after some
disturbing deaths in the modelling world due to eating disorders, Madrid’s
fashion week banned all models that were underweight from the runways. According to a CNN article regarding the
even, 30% of the models ended up not being allowed to participate due to being
underweight. Since then there haven’t been
many other fashion shows that have done this, but there have been a few changes
made. A CBS news article from this spring shows the changes that have been made
in Israel:
“The new law states that models with a
Body Mass Index - height to weight ratio - of under 18.5 will not be hired for modelling jobs unless a doctor explicitly says they are not underweight. Also,
if advertisers attempt to graphically make models skinnier, they must
explicitly say so in the ad.”
This is a monumental start to spreading healthy
images. It is also becoming a trend for
certain companies to use a more varied scope of models and promote a healthy
variety of bodies.
Despite the changes that are being
made, I don’t think I ever go a day where I don’t see an add, whether its in a
magazine, on a poster, online, or on TV with the perfect model who has flawless
skin, perfect hair and of course an extremely skinny body. And don’t think I'm excluding men, most ads
that include men show the tall dark and handsome man, without an ounce of fat
on them. However, the “typical male
model” is usually of a healthier weight and has a larger focus on muscle than
on thinness. Being underweight does happen among male models; however it is a
less frequent occurrence, which is why I am directing most of my comments
towards females. These are just some
standard measurements for female models that have been fairly predominant in
the modelling industry for quite a few years. The average female model is about
5’8”- 6’0” and has a bust measurement of about 34 inches, waist 24 or less and
hips are again around 34. Just out of
curiosity, I took my own measurements and despite being in a healthy range in
the BMI and being at least four inches shorter than the average female model,
all of my measurements are larger, except of course my bust.
The first and most obvious benefit to
regulating models’ weights is that it will encourage them to have a healthy
body and discourage eating disorders. The next, and probably the most important
effect that regulating models weights will have is on the people that the
images touch, which is to say nearly everyone.
The idea that sickly skinny is beautiful needs to be dispelled and what
is a better way of doing it than by making sure that the beauty idols that we
look up to on magazines, TV, and all over the internet are all healthy?
Changing what is allowed to be used in advertisements will ultimately change
what is seen as beautiful. In order to be a part of the change for health as
beauty, you can do simple things like supporting the companies that do use
healthy models, and simply be aware of what is and isn’t a healthy image.
There
are obviously some objections to the idea of restricting underweight models’. As a question of freedom of expression,
restricting what can be seen in advertisements seems to hinder not only the
model’s freedom of expression but also the designer’s. I believe that anyone can weigh whatever they
feel like they want to weigh, but that if footage of them is going to be spread
globally by huge companies, that there should be restrictions. This is similar to
censoring media, just like vulgar vocabulary is censored from most television,
so should images that embody beauty as sickness and bones. Secondly there are
some scruples as to whether the body mass index is a valid way of measuring a person’s
health. A very small amount of people
who eat healthy and don’t over exercise still fall below the necessary weight
for their height. The new Israeli law
does a good job of making up for this law by saying that they will be banned
unless a doctor decides that they are not underweight. The BMI calculator is a useful tool, but in
order to allow for human diversity, having a doctor as a back-up in case it
wrongly defines someone as underweight is the perfect way to eliminate the
problems with the system. Having restrictions
on weight is not there to make naturally skinny unable to model, but to ensure
that those who are unhealthy are not publicised.
The
solution to many peoples insecurities with their bodies, and many peoples
illnesses related to those insecurities is to change what people see as
beautiful. So next time you see that image of the “perfect model” think twice
about it and buy the health oriented magazine, or shop from the stores with
pictures of every kind of model. Don’t let yourself believe that what you see is
a true depiction of beauty, but instead see beauty in health!
Useful Sources:
“Skinny Models Banned from Catwalk.” CNN World. 13 Sept, 2006. Web. 25 Nov
2012
“Skinny Models Banned.” The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. 13 Sept, 2006. Web. 25 Nov
2012
James, Robert. “Go Size Zero?.” Fibre 2 Fashion. Web. 25 Oct 2012.
“Israeli Law Bans Ads Featuring Underweight Models.”
CBS News. 20 Mar, 2012. Web. 25 Nov 2012
Dancing is good for your health
UCID: 10115352
2012-11-29
COMS 369 L-03
Since my early childhood, my parents always enrolled me
in an extracurricular activity after school such as tennis, basketball, ice
skating, modeling, and various other clubs, etc. But at the age of twelve my
parents were no longer forcing me to participate in these extracurricular
activities anymore, as it was now my decision. I enjoyed extracurricular
activities particularly because they helped me socialize better with other
people, make new friends, and escape my problems. It helped me to forget about
problems, homework and just have some fun.
I was getting accustomed to always doing something after class, especially
sports because they provided me with a healthy lifestyle. I was thinking about
joining a gym for some healthy exercise, however I found it quite dull. Thus, I
decided that a different alternative would be necessary. I joined dancing classes
because I love to dance and they provided me with the exercise to make up for
the gym.
Dancing is a complete package that gives an individual a
great mind and body workout. It does not only benefit you physically, but there
are also great memory benefits. Dancing can help your body be in a perfect
shape but it also “requires you to remember dance
steps and sequences [which] boosts brain power by improving memory skills” (
AARP, 2005). In addition, dance helps a person’s brain with continuous activity
improving memory skills. Therefore, dancing will help a body both physically
and mentally.
There has been some research that
shows potential benefits for people with diseases. The 2003 New England Journal
of Medicine study stated that “ballroom dancing at least twice a week made
people less likely to develop dementia. Research also has shown that some
people with Alzheimer's disease are able to recall forgotten memories when they
dance to music they used to know.” ( AARP, 2005) As a result, dancing is a great
tool for helping people from all ages with disease. However, that is not the
only advantage of dance, as it gives new life, provides more energy, helps individuals
forget about problems and provides a moment of joy instead. Consequently, dancing
is a reliable and helpful extracurricular activity that gives a person a mind
and body work out, while also providing fun while your body and mind are being
exercised.
Whether it is ballroom, jazz or
ballet, dancing is the perfect activity for people. Doctors discussed that, “dancing is a perfect way for people of any age
to get cardiovascular exercise. And since it's fun, people might actually spend
more time on the dance floor than they would at the gym.” ( Macnamara, 2009). Dancing
gives people benefits such as stronger bones, toned bodies, a reduction of
stress and tension, as well as improved posture and balance, etc. These are few
of the benefits that dancing can provide once you begin practicing. Therefore,
dance is the best choice for people that want to have fun while also keeping
their body in shape and developing stronger memory.
I find that the best
option for exercise is dancing. I chose dance classes while I was in high
school because I extremely enjoyed dancing. This is also when I began to learn Salsa
dancing. Salsa is tropical music that has been popular for a
long time, especially in Ecuador. I watched many dance competitions on TV which
attracted me because the music is very active and dynamic keeping energy very
high. Several months after beginning classes, Salsa had already become a habit
of mine because of how much I enjoyed this dance. Personally, I find dance the
best way to keep myself healthy. Even socially, while I am having fun dancing with
my friends, I am also working out. As a result, I find the best way to remain
energetic and for keeping my body healthy is attending the dance classes and
having fun while I am working out.
Dancing is the best choice in order to live a healthy
life. If an individual finds going to the gym to simply workout is boring, then
the best choice for them is to try dance classes since they can have fun too.
Dancing provides both a great mind and body work out. It
helps shape, build, and tone your body, as well as strengthen your bones. Besides
those benefits it also helps significantly to improve your memory. Since you
have to memorize the steps, your memory recollection is improving too. Dancing
is an activity for all ages, and also helps people that have diseases improve
their lives health wise. There are many different types of dances such as
ballroom, jazz, ballet, salsa, etc, that people can enjoy by their taste.
Bibliography:
AARP . (2005).Let’s
dance to health. AARP. Retrieved
November 25, 2012 from: http://www.aarp.org/health/fitness/info-2005/dance_to_health.html
Macnamara, M.
(2009).Dancing: Good for Hearts and Minds. Cbc
News. Retrieved November 25, 2012
from: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18563_162-2501321.html
Eat like a caveman (or cavewoman) and be healthier for it!
Eat like a caveman
(or cavewoman) and be healthier for it
By Robert Massey - COMS 369 L03
The foods we are eating are killing us!
OK, so not an earth shattering
statement to most people but hang with me for a second. It’s not the animal
proteins that are getting us or the fats that all of North America seems to
avoid, but some of the most popular food sources in North America which are
killing us. It’s grains, dairy, processed foods and sugar that are leading the
way in making North Americans sick, sad and overweight. OK, I can understand
how skeptical some of you may be right now, but again I ask you to just bear
with me. I was skeptical at first too, trust me. I can even imagine a few of
the things you are thinking right now,’ but the government says grains are good
for you’ and ‘sugar can’t be all that bad because it is in everything.’ But
trust me when I tell you, it is these foods that are killing you.
Hundreds of research studies have
been conducted in North America in recent years, many of which are coming to
the same conclusion but governments have just been slow to act upon them. This
evidence contradicts everything the government is telling us and has been
telling us for decades. The standard North American diet is killing its own
people.
According to a study released by
Statistics Canada in March 2011, 24.1% of Canadian adults are obese, that’s
nearly one in four Canadians over the age of 18. Despite media campaigns,
doctor’s reports and good sense telling people they need to lose weight that
number keeps growing and it doesn’t appear to be stopping. This, even though
people around the nation seem to be doing what they can to get healthier. They
follow the recommended nutrition guidelines as set forth by the government,
they run continuously and they aren’t getting any smaller, in fact people are
getting larger.
But there is a way out, even if
it flies in the face of conventional wisdom. That way out is the Palaeolithic
Lifestyle or the Paleo diet for short. This lifestyle focuses on getting people
to eat real foods, getting out into the sunlight and sleeping better. When it’s
put like that, it makes sense doesn’t it?
Now before I go any further, let
me interrupt myself. I feel as though I should tell you that I am NOT a doctor,
a nutritionist, a scientist or any form of medical professional. All I am is a
20-something journalist going to university who has too much time on his hands
to do research and has experienced the typical North American diet, the weight
fluctuations and the inability to drop pounds and was sick of it. I am also
someone who has had his life revolutionized by the Paleo diet. I lost nearly 30
pounds in three months and am stronger and faster than I have ever been in my
life before. Now, I will continue.
The Paleo diet wants its users to
eliminate all the processed and refined foods from their diets as well as
grains, dairy, non-naturally occurring sugars and, in a sense, go back to the
way our ancestors ate in the Palaeolithic era. This isn’t to say go out and
start swinging a club around wearing a loin cloth, but more so it is an idea of
going back to when everything was simpler. Going back to before big
corporations got their hands on the world’s seeds and started modifying them.
Going back to before big corporations shoved animals into cages and force fed
them horrible concoctions to fatten them up before slaughter just so they could
feed our ever growing bellies. Paleo wants its user to become closer and more
connected to nature, it wants us to remember that we are a part of this planet
and not just a virus feeding off of it.
The Paleo diet consists of eating
plenty of vegetables, fruit, lean meats (preferably grass-fed when possible),
eggs and nuts/seeds. That’s it, that’s all. No more Oreos, Lays Chips or Coca
Cola. But while you may be giving up the convenience and seeming good taste of
these junk foods you will be regaining your health, mind and spirit. There are
a number of reasons researchers say to give up the standard North American
diet, many of which most people know but haven’t been able to come to terms
with.
The largest of these known vices
is sugar. The effects of sugar on the human body have been well documented for
the last few decades but it seems as though people have a hard time giving it
up, that’s because sugar is highly addictive. Pediatric specialist Robert
Lustig described sugar as a ‘poison’ and ‘toxic’ during his 90-minute YouTube
video called ‘Sugar: The Bitter Truth.’ This is one of the reasons the Paleo
community calls to get rid of it. Rob Wolf, a former biochemist researcher,
talks about this in his book the Paleo Solution. He says sugar increases
your insulin production which in turn allows the body to absorb glucose as a
form of energy as well as acting as a fat and protein storage indicator.
However, excessive intake of sugar can cause your body to become insulin
resistant, thus making it more difficult for your body to get access to the
energies it needs. This can lead to weight gain and improper nutrition
absorption as well as aging. This is why it is important to keep sugar levels
as low as possible, and one of the ways to do that is to eat like a caveman (or
cavewoman). As Wolf puts it, “To live long, look good and keep our marbles we would
do well to keep our insulin levels on the low side” (p. 51).
One of the somewhat out of left
field things Paleo says is eliminating grains. This may seem a bit
counterintuitive considering humans have been farming grains for the last
10,000 years. However there is certifiable evidence that says our grain
consumption, especially wheat, is causing many of our health problems today. Dr.
William Davis described wheat as a ‘perfect, chronic poison” to CBS This
Morning. This is because wheat contains a protein called gliadin (note this is
not the same as gluten), which binds to the opiate receptors in the brain and
stimulates a hunger response which causes people to eat more. Davis said the
only way to truly avoid this protein, which has been bread into wheat since the
1970s, is to eat ‘real food.’ Unfortunately he didn’t go so far as to say eat
Paleo, but he did describe it fairly well including talking about eating Paleo
staples like olive oil, avocadoes, meats and vegetables.
He also talked about a movement
away from eating wheat and people having great success with it. “If three
people lost eight pounds, big deal. But we're seeing hundreds of thousands of
people losing 30, 80, 150 pounds. Diabetics become no longer diabetic; people
with arthritis having dramatic relief. People losing leg swelling, acid reflux,
irritable bowel syndrome, depression, and on and on every day." Does that
sound good to you? It sounds good to me. I couldn’t have said it any better
myself doctor, thank you.
That being said, one of the main
reasons people fight back against giving up bread is because it supposedly has
so many nutrients associated to it which you can’t get anywhere else. To talk
about this I will turn to the father of the modern Paleo diet himself, Dr.
Loren Cordain, “On a calorie-by-calorie basis, whole grains are lousy sources
of fiber, minerals, and B vitamins when compared to the lean meats, seafood,
and fresh fruit and veggies that dominate the Paleo Diet.” On a
calorie-by-calorie basis wheat doesn’t outperform any Paleo-staple in terms of
getting our body’s required nutrients.
I could go on and on all day
about the food not in the Paleo diet. But right now I want to very briefly
discuss the food that is in the Paleo diet and why you should eat it. Simply
put, it will make you healthier and who doesn’t want to be healthy? The foods
in the Paleo diet were designed by Mother Nature for us humans to eat. This is
what we were literally made to eat. Again I will turn to Dr. Cordain because he
can describe this far better than I can. “These foods...are high in the
beneficial nutrients...that promote good health and are low in the foods and
nutrients...that frequently may cause weight gain, cardiovascular disease,
diabetes, and numerous other health problems.” Put simply, these foods contain
things that are better for you and will not hurt your insides.
Paleo eaters throughout the world
have described miraculous things occurring when they eat the diet – from
reversing the effects of type 2 diabetes to overcoming irritable bowl syndrome
and multiple sclerosis. This includes both Wolf and Dr. Cordain as they have
both recovered from fairly serious health problems thanks to eating the Paleo
way.
Everyday humans are reversing
years of damage to their bodies by putting down the Big Gulp and picking up a
water bottle. They are overcoming serious chronic problems by simply not having
a bun with that burger. It’s all very simple, and very straightforward, but for
some reason we as a race are having problems wrapping our heads around why we
shouldn’t eat things that were crafted in a laboratory and made with
ingredients that do not exist in nature.
The Paleo lifestyle has a number
of health benefits related along with it including better energy and sleeping
patterns as well as massive weight loss. Yes, weight loss. That may seem
contradictory considering Paleo asks its users to eat plenty of foods that have
fairly high fat contents, but it does work. This is because the proteins in a
Paleo diet have a higher thermic effect, which helps to rev up your metabolism
and make it operate at a higher level. Despite being counterintuitive to the
conventional wisdom, the science is valid. Those leading the charge in this
research have seen the effects it can have and are also highly qualified. Wolf
is a former biochemist and Cordain is a professor at Colorado State University
and has had multiple books as well as peer-reviewed papers published on the
diet. These are not people conducting pseudo science, they are highly respected
and regarded scientists trying to change the conventional folly we have adopted
around food. They are even joined by legions of other scientists as well, all
who are seeing the benefits of eating Paleo.
All they ask is that you try
Paleo for 30 days, that’s it. Try eliminating all the processed, useless foods that
are harming your body and go clean for 30 days and see how you feel. As Wolf
says in his book, ‘transform your life in 30 days!’ That really is all it takes
to feel a remarkable difference. At the end of 30 days of eating pure Paleo you
will feel phenomenal. I know when I finished it I felt better than I ever have
in my life and that good feeling has just continued on since then. I’m happier,
healthier and more alive than I have ever been before. So go on, put down the
addictive sugars and chemical warfare inducing grains and pick up a scrumptious
squash, absorbing apple and some hearty, whole, natural foods. All it is is 30
days of your life and it could change your life forever.
For more information see:
Cordain, L. (n.d.). Paleo diet FAQ. Retrieved from http://thepaleodiet.com/paleo-diet-faq/
Licht, C. (Executive Producer). (2012, September 3). CBS This Morning [Television Broadcast].
Washington, DC: CBS News.
Statistics Canada. (2011). Adult obesity prevalence in Canada and the United States (SC Publish
Number 82-625-X). Ottawa, ON: Government of Canada. Retrieved from http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/82-625-x/2011001/article/11411-eng.htm
Wolf, R. (2010). The
paleo solution: The original human diet. Las Vegas, NV: Victory Belt
Publishing.
Trading In Plastic for Cloth: The Effects of Plastic Bags
UCID: 10082318
COMS 369 LO3
In 1998, the
country of Bangladesh was stricken with one of the worst floods in its history.
The 60-day flood covered almost two thirds of the entire country and
approximately 1000 people lost their lives. The damages were extensive: “25
million people were left without homes”(Actionaid, 1999); 2 million tonnes of
rice were lost (Actionaid, 1999); “26,000 livestock were lost”(Actionaid, 1999);
20,000 schools and educational facilities got damaged (Actionaid, 1999); and
16, 000 km of roads were flooded (Actionaid, 1999). Although Bangladesh
normally experiences floods, the degree of devastation was substantially larger
then most of the regular floods. The government of Bangladesh concluded that the
main culprit behind the severity of this particular flood is the plastic
shopping bag (“Greener footprints” n.d.). Stray plastic bags had blocked the
main drainage systems all around the country, which caused it to go underwater.
As a result, in 2002, Bangladesh became the first country in the world to ban any sort polythene plastic bags. Instead they promoted the
use of the eco-friendly jute bag. Jute bags are composed of 100% biodegradable
jute fibre (“Jute & Eco Friendly Natural Jute Bags” n.d.) and are highly
reusable. Thus solving Bangladesh’s drainage problem and decreasing the
countries environmental foot print.
Every
year the average Canadian uses and throws away 272 plastic bags. 272 plastic
bags multiplied by the population of Canada results in over 9 billion plastic
bags. Worldwide, nearly 3 trillion bags are produced, used and then thrown
away. Realistically, how long does the average person use a plastic bag? Most
of the time, plastic bags are used for the average span of 5 minutes meant for
transferring groceries to a person’s vehicle, and then to their home. When plastic bags are thrown away, their 5
minutes of use can lead to a 1000-year process called photodegradation because unfortunately
the non-renewable materials found in plastic bags are not biodegradable.
Photodegradation is a chemical reaction of plastic with the natural sunlight.
The sunlight breaks down the toxins found in the plastic into smaller
substances leading to the contamination of nearby soil and water. Plastic bags
can be found in landfills, on the ground and in the oceans. Every day,
livestock and marine animals ingest these toxic contaminants.
The toxins of plastic have been affecting the wildlife in
and out of the water for many years. “More than a million sea birds and 100,000
marine mammals die every year from ingestion of or entanglement in plastics”
(Mueller, 2010). As an example, in 1998 a pelican was found dead in southern
Australia. Upon examination, his cause of death was due to the ingestion of 17
plastic bags. This pelican was named “Pete” and soon became a mascot for the
awareness of plastic in the ocean. His body was preserved and put on display at
Fitzroy Falls, informing new visitors of the cause of his death and severity of
plastic pollution in the ocean ("Planet ark-plactic reduction," 2011).
Today, another tribute to Pete the pelican stands in South Carolina in the form
of a statue. This statue is made entirely out of plastic marine trash; it
represents all the different types of non-biodegradable trash that other
animals like Pete are subjected to on a daily basis.
So what about recycling plastic bags? Although recycling
seems like a solution to the plastic bag problem, there are many downfalls that
come along with it. The amount of heat that is needed to melt the plastic in
the bags consumes a lot of energy. The excessive energy can result in more
pollution in the air. Even though recycling is one
step that consumers can make towards a cleaner environment, there is another
action that can take it one step further.
It would be impossible to boycott all plastic products,
however, there are simple things that we, as commercial consumers, can do to
reduce the negative impact that plastic has on the environment. We can trade
the plastic shopping bags that we gather everyday and trade them in for a
reusable shopping bag. These reusable shopping bags do not necessarily have to
be the jute bags produced in Bangladesh, but they can be simple and durable cloth
bags that we can use over and over again for years. Gradually, people around
the world are beginning to become concerned about the negative consequences of
plastic bags. Countries like Italy, France, and Rwanda have passed laws to completely
ban the production, the distribution and the use of plastic bags. Similarly,
cities like Los Angeles and Mexico City have adopted laws to phase out the use
of the plastic bag and clean up the environment.
I
myself got to experience a plastic bag ban first hand. I grew up in the city of
Fort McMurray and although many people frown upon the city because of the oil
sands, in 2009 the municipality passed a bylaw to ban all single use plastic
shopping bags. At first the transition from plastic to reusable bags was
challenging and many people became frustrated at the law. Either because they
would forget their reusable bags or they wouldn’t want to pay extra money for
new reusable bags. However, after the transition period the majority of the
Fort McMurray population got used to the idea of reusable bags. As examples,
people started adapting to the change by keeping reusable bags in their
vehicles, in their purses and on key chains. The people of Fort McMurray have
gracefully accepted this bag ban.
Today,
even though I find myself in Calgary, a city that has not adopted any laws
about plastic bags, I still carry around reusable bags on my shopping trips. I
continue to use these reusable bags not out of habit, but because of my new
awareness of the negative consequences that plastic bags have on the
environment. I encourage audience members and readers to stop and think the
next time they go shopping. Think of the unintentional floods, think of the
suffering animals, and think of the pollution to the environment. If
individually, every person took the small step to switch from plastic shopping
bags to reusable shopping bags, the flood victims, the inflicted animals and the
environment would thank us.
Resources
Wagner, J. (2012). Health guidance. Retrieved from http://www.healthguidance.org/entry/14901/1/The-Effects-of-Plastic-Bags-on-Environment.html
Greener footprints.
(n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.greenerfootprints.com/plastic-bag-facts/
Actionaid. (1999). After the flood: Official Damage Statistics of Bangladesh Flood 1998. Retrieved from http://relieftweb.int/report/bangladesh/after-the-flood-official-damage-statistics-bangladesh-flood-1998
Jute & ramp; eco friendly natural jute bags. (n.d). Retrieved from http://www.alburyenvirobags.com.au/Jute-Story.php
Envirosax. (2004). Retrieved from http://www.envirosax.com/plastic_bag_facts
Mueller, J. (2010). How many marine mammals did your plastic grocery bag kill today. Retrieved from http://www.care2.com/causes/how-many-marine-mammals-did-your-plastic-grocery-bag-kill-today.html
Planet ark-plactic reduction. (2011). Retrieved from http://plasticbags.planetark.org/about/wildlife.cfm
Actionaid. (1999). After the flood: Official Damage Statistics of Bangladesh Flood 1998. Retrieved from http://relieftweb.int/report/bangladesh/after-the-flood-official-damage-statistics-bangladesh-flood-1998
Jute & ramp; eco friendly natural jute bags. (n.d). Retrieved from http://www.alburyenvirobags.com.au/Jute-Story.php
Envirosax. (2004). Retrieved from http://www.envirosax.com/plastic_bag_facts
Mueller, J. (2010). How many marine mammals did your plastic grocery bag kill today. Retrieved from http://www.care2.com/causes/how-many-marine-mammals-did-your-plastic-grocery-bag-kill-today.html
Planet ark-plactic reduction. (2011). Retrieved from http://plasticbags.planetark.org/about/wildlife.cfm
Lance Armstrong: Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde? - Jordan Smuszko - 00508367
Lance
Armstrong: Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde?
As I sit at home reading the latest issue
of Sports Illustrated, I come across a page discussing Lance Armstrong and his
giant doping scandal. The paper first attacks Lance Armstrong legacy as an
athlete with the usual and undeniable “doper” label, with the article highlighting
the fact that everyone he knew helped with the cover up. Then the paper writes about
the defense, of Lance righteously explaining that “everyone was doing it
(doping)” a defense that is valid only if the reader chooses to believe it
valid. Lance Armstrong is a very interesting individual, as he is a champion, a
liar, an inspiration, a cancer survivor and truly an overall mystery. He is an
athlete from a sport that no one truly follows, but everyone talks about him as
if everyone they have covered his whole career. When a discussion begins about
Lance Armstrong, the conversation always seems to be missing one important fact,
like no matter what angle you take on the situation; you never fully understand
any of his problems. This raises the question, who is Lance Armstrong, a
disgraced athlete who has been stripped of all of his titles, or an
inspirational philanthropist who should be praised for his charity work?
“This is my body, and I can do whatever I want to it. I can push
it, study it, tweak it; listen to it. Everybody wants to know what I am on.
What am I on? I am on my bike busting my ass six hours a day. What are you
on?”
(Robert, Lance Armstrong: a career in 39
quotes)
I remember
having the argument with my father and brother right after Lance Armstrong was
stripped of his titles, I would shout “he is just tired of being always
accusing him of cheating,” and my brother would argue back “he is a cheater who
was caught and should never be looked upon as a hero.” The interesting part
about our disagreement however, is after we were done bickering, we really did
not seem to care anymore, and would agree to disagree and go along our daily
business. Sports and the sports world is something of an interesting topic.
While we sit their discussing, watching or analyzing sports, nothing else
matters, but once the sports activity comes to an end, we snap back into the
realization that there is a whole other world we live within. There are people
who go to their regular jobs, students who go to school, families celebrating holidays,
people recovering in hospitals and wars going on around the world. We realize
that sport is just another aspect of our lives, and its importance really only
matters when we are in that moment. It is this type of thinking that makes
Lance Armstrong’s case so intriguing.
“Through my illness I learned rejection. I was written off.
That was the moment I thought, ‘Okay, game on. No prisoners.
Everybody's going down.’”
(Robert, Lance Armstrong: a career in 39
quotes)
The
interesting thing about Lance Armstrong is we could consider him one of the
most popular athletes in today’s generation; even though most people have never
actually witnessed him ever compete. Besides the die hard fans who get up
before the sunrise to watch a race across the world, in America the Tour de
France is nothing more then a channel that is accidentally flipped to by our
sports enthusiasts, watched for a few minutes until the viewer realizes it is
truly just a whole bunch of people riding their bicycles for an extremely long
time. Lance Armstrong is one of the most famous athletes to ever compete in the
realm of sports no one cares about, so what is it that made him such a household
name? Seven championship titles is a lot for any athlete, but I believe that it
is not his titles that won him the limelight in society, but instead it was his
sensational comeback story.
"I hope it sends out a fantastic message to all survivors
around the world. We can return to what we were before – and even better.”
(Robert,
Lance Armstrong: a career in 39 quotes)
Lance
Armstrong was not just an athlete, but he was a survivor, a hero who came back
from near death and offered hope not just to other cancer patients, but all sick
individuals fighting one of the toughest battles a human can go through. It was
his yellow bracelets that raised money for cancer research, it was his
motivation to beat the disease that caught the hearts of the people and it was
his life struggle that cemented his sports legacy. He is not famous for being a
spectacular athlete in a sport that no one cares about, he is famous for being
a spectacular human who used the highs and lows of his life for the greater
good. He did not have to use the triumphs of his sports career to further
himself as a charitable philanthropist, but he used it as stepping stone, and
never looked back.
“If you consider my situation: a guy who comes back from
arguably, you know, a death sentence, why would I then enter into a sport and
dope myself up and risk my life again? That's crazy. I would never do that. No.
No way.”
(Robert, Lance Armstrong: a career in 39
quotes)
In the sports
world, Lance Armstrong is a man who is being charged by cycling fans who want
to see him punished for his crimes to sport. In the real world he is a man
defended by people who understand he cheated, but believe in the feeling that
he is a man that needs to be guarded, a man who is bigger then sport and an
inspiration to society. Lance Armstrong is an individual who seems to no longer
care about his racing statistics but appears to be entity who is consumed by
simply being a human trying to help other humans in need. Sports columnist Roberty
Lipstye wrote it was the thought of Lance Armstrong that helped him conquer his
chemotherapy, “In July 1999, after Lance Armstrong won the Tour de France for
the first time, I had run out and bought my first good bike. I chanted LanceArmstrong,
LanceArmstrong to help me push up hills. I felt a kinship… A few years
later, when mine recurred, I chanted LanceArmstrong, LanceArmstrong
to push me through chemotherapy.” (Lipsyte, Keep Rooting For Lance Armstrong) When
you leave the sports world, and you re-enter the real world, you realize that
the triumphs of sport cannot compete with the triumphs of life.
“I
need to run for one office, the presidency of the
Cancer
Fighters’ Union of the World.”
(Robert, Lance Armstrong: a career in 39 quotes)
Which is
where we come to our conclusion, that Lance Armstrong is a disgraced athlete,
who lost all of his titles, the respect of his opponents and his legacy, but
Lance Armstrong is also an inspirational human being, who took the highs of his
championships and the lows of his cancer and put them together to create
something that changed the world for the better. It is hard to know what Lance
Armstrong’s legacy will be remembered as, but I believe in a few years his
stripped titles will be forgotten about, but his work in philanthropy will live
on for much longer. The sports world is just a piece of fabric woven into the
society we live in, a part of the day or week that many people look forward to,
but at the end of the day, no matter who wins or who loses, our own lives go
on. In our lives however, when sickness hits a friend or a loved one, life
stops, and all that matters are the few people we can turn to to give us
strength, we turn to people who are making differences in the everyday lives of
the greater good. Let them take his titles, because his legacy will live on
forever.
Bibliography
Cossins,
Peter. “ Lance Armstrong: a career in 39 quotes.” Cycling News: The World Centre of Cycling. 26 Oct. 2012. Web. 28
Nov. 2012.
Lipsyte,
Robert. “Keep Rooting for Lance Armstrong.” The
New Republic. 17 Oct. 2012. Web. 28 Nov. 2012.
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