In spring of 2011, the National College Health Assessment was sent to a random sample of UMBC undergraduate students. The findings suggested that although UMBC students are generally healthy, they do have some major areas of concern.
The study, which is circulated every other year, revealed that the top seven factors negatively influencing students' academic performance at UMBC are, in the order of magnitude, stress, sleep difficulties, anxiety, internet use/computer games, cold/flu/sore throat, work and depression.
The study not only accesses students' health behaviors and beliefs, but also measures students' perceptions. The assessment found that most students think their peers practice risky behaviors more than they actually do. UMBC students perceived that about 92 percent of the UMBC student population drinks alcohol while only 52.4 percent actually drinks. As for cigarettes, the assessment found that UMBC students perceive that about 82.8 percent of students smoke while only 12.6 percent smokes.
The assessment is used by the Office of Health Education, which is part of the University Health Services, and allows them "to be purposeful with campus programs and outreach," says Alison H. Rorbach, the Assistant Director of Health Education.
Last year, in an effort to alleviate sleep difficulties, one of the top issues at UMBC, the Office of Health Education spearheaded a sleep campaign with ResLife. They also hold various other campus- wide events and programs pertaining to topics such as alcohol and other drugs, healthy relationships, stress management and relaxation, nutrition and exercise, safe sex habits, eating disorders and sexual assault. Furthermore, they employ the use of Peer Health Educators, who are trained undergrads, that go to residential halls and classrooms and carry out health education presentations.
The assessment also brought to light that UMBC students have higher stress than their reference groups, which are the various other colleges that also distributed the survey.
"However," says Rorbach, "our levels for alcohol and marijuana usage are much lower than the reference groups which is a good thing."
In the spirit of Valentine's Day, the Office of Health Education will be hosting an event on Commons Main Street called Luvapalooza. The event will take place on Feb. 13 from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Students will be able to learn about healthy relationships, safe dating, and safe sex, and other aspects of relationship awareness. Students will also be able to take part in fun activities, games and craft making.
The Office of Health Education is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. and is available to all UMBC students, faculty, and staff by appointment or walk-in. Those interested in becoming a peer health educator or simply learning about the countless services that they provide can contact Pritma (Mickey) Arora, the Health Education Coordinator.
2012年2月6日星期一
How to cure the common cold
Last week, I wrote that off-road fever was about to grip the Parker area. And grip it did. 240 screaming vehicles flew 425 miles across the desert floor, kicking dust into the atmosphere and giving us the excitement (and a great sunset!) to go with it. I covered the race from KLPZ’s Parker studio, helping the rest of the KLPZ team compile several different sources of race info into one live broadcast. By the end, I was exhausted, and I thought it was this fatigue that explained my sore throat by the evening’s end.
But then my wife Melissa arrived home, telling me that she’d come down with a head cold. This made it extremely likely that I was coming down with it too. Agh. Good thing I’d already found the cure for the common cold.
That’s right: several years ago I came upon the cure for the cold, and here’s a hint: it’s not Airborne.
Airborne is the big-selling common cold remedy, despite the fact that no clinical trial has ever proven it to work. What is it, exactly? Well it’s just a collection of vitamins, herbs and minerals, packaged and marketed cleverly enough to convince people that it works (it’s formulated by a former teacher, for the love of God, the logic of which evidently appeals to the masses). I’ve lost count of the number of people who swear that it worked for them.
What’s actually happening is that they are simply speculating that their colds would have been longer without Airborne. Colds are self-limiting and last only a finite period of time, so one may feel that the product they are using when it goes away deserves the credit for ending it. That would be an error in thinking. Most people are just so happy to be better that they don’t care anymore, until the next time someone gets a cold and they tell them to load up on Airborne. Anyway, a special magical formula Airborne is not, and I wanted something that’s actually been documented to work in clinical trials.
Well, it turns out that it does. George Eby is the world’s leading expert on the use of zinc (hold on, not just any zinc) to reduce the severity and strength of the common cold. Zinc helps to sustain all life on earth. It’s a metal, and a food additive. You may be aware of using zinc to treat the common cold; there are several such products available at the drug store and – because everyone gets colds and everyone hates them – they sell. But they don’t sell primarily because they work; they sell merely because people think they may work, and they don’t believe anything more likely to work is available.
The formulation of zinc used in most cold products is Zinc Gluconate (a compound two parts gluconate, one part zinc). I walked around the pharmacy the other day looking for a zinc product in the cold and flu aisle not based on Zinc Gluconate; I couldn’t find one. The problem is that the ability of Zinc Gluconate to help is disputed by science. A 2000 systematic review by the Cochrane Library referred to the evidence of benefit as inconclusive. The Harvard Family Health Guide stated in 2001 that one study suggested that “zinc lozenges have little, if any, beneficial effect on the treatment of the common cold.”
So much for zinc in its ability to cure the cold, right? Eby decided not. He decided to try other formulations, and performed a study in 1984 using Zinc Acetate which showed that – bingo! – it reduced the duration of colds by 7 days. Not only that, but a British Medical Survey study supported his conclusions in 1987. Finally, a cure for the common cold!
Now, being the smart man Eby is, he immediately patented this precise formulation of positive-ion Zinc Acetate. And, being a scientist rather than a businessman, he had no idea how to market it in the way Airborne (“created by a teacher”) did. The result is that almost nobody knows that his scientifically sound product exists.
When I first read about it, I ordered a big bottle of it from Eby’s website. When I caught my next cold, I followed the directions and noticed that my cold was going away after only about 48 hours of my first symptoms. And ever since, I’ve hit Eby’s zinc every time I’ve caught a cold, meaning that I haven’t missed a day of work due to a cold in years.
But then my wife Melissa arrived home, telling me that she’d come down with a head cold. This made it extremely likely that I was coming down with it too. Agh. Good thing I’d already found the cure for the common cold.
That’s right: several years ago I came upon the cure for the cold, and here’s a hint: it’s not Airborne.
Airborne is the big-selling common cold remedy, despite the fact that no clinical trial has ever proven it to work. What is it, exactly? Well it’s just a collection of vitamins, herbs and minerals, packaged and marketed cleverly enough to convince people that it works (it’s formulated by a former teacher, for the love of God, the logic of which evidently appeals to the masses). I’ve lost count of the number of people who swear that it worked for them.
What’s actually happening is that they are simply speculating that their colds would have been longer without Airborne. Colds are self-limiting and last only a finite period of time, so one may feel that the product they are using when it goes away deserves the credit for ending it. That would be an error in thinking. Most people are just so happy to be better that they don’t care anymore, until the next time someone gets a cold and they tell them to load up on Airborne. Anyway, a special magical formula Airborne is not, and I wanted something that’s actually been documented to work in clinical trials.
Well, it turns out that it does. George Eby is the world’s leading expert on the use of zinc (hold on, not just any zinc) to reduce the severity and strength of the common cold. Zinc helps to sustain all life on earth. It’s a metal, and a food additive. You may be aware of using zinc to treat the common cold; there are several such products available at the drug store and – because everyone gets colds and everyone hates them – they sell. But they don’t sell primarily because they work; they sell merely because people think they may work, and they don’t believe anything more likely to work is available.
The formulation of zinc used in most cold products is Zinc Gluconate (a compound two parts gluconate, one part zinc). I walked around the pharmacy the other day looking for a zinc product in the cold and flu aisle not based on Zinc Gluconate; I couldn’t find one. The problem is that the ability of Zinc Gluconate to help is disputed by science. A 2000 systematic review by the Cochrane Library referred to the evidence of benefit as inconclusive. The Harvard Family Health Guide stated in 2001 that one study suggested that “zinc lozenges have little, if any, beneficial effect on the treatment of the common cold.”
So much for zinc in its ability to cure the cold, right? Eby decided not. He decided to try other formulations, and performed a study in 1984 using Zinc Acetate which showed that – bingo! – it reduced the duration of colds by 7 days. Not only that, but a British Medical Survey study supported his conclusions in 1987. Finally, a cure for the common cold!
Now, being the smart man Eby is, he immediately patented this precise formulation of positive-ion Zinc Acetate. And, being a scientist rather than a businessman, he had no idea how to market it in the way Airborne (“created by a teacher”) did. The result is that almost nobody knows that his scientifically sound product exists.
When I first read about it, I ordered a big bottle of it from Eby’s website. When I caught my next cold, I followed the directions and noticed that my cold was going away after only about 48 hours of my first symptoms. And ever since, I’ve hit Eby’s zinc every time I’ve caught a cold, meaning that I haven’t missed a day of work due to a cold in years.
2012年1月29日星期日
Tony Vagneur: Saddle Sore
It's always been about staying warm in the winter, I reckon. We don't think about it much what with thermostats, natural gas, electricity and solar energy taking care of us, almost behind our backs, but it is a concern.
In the summer of 1879, a total of 23 men arrived in Aspen, at various times and from over Hunter's (Independence) and Taylor passes. A lot of prospecting occurred, but also a lot of time was spent preparing a winter camp and collecting firewood. They knew it would get cold. Ironically, only two stayed through the early winter; irrational fear of the Utes thinned them out, it seems.
In those days, wood was the only fuel of choice, until the coal mines at Marion began to make coke for processing ore. Such coke was an excellent heating fuel for homes and businesses, but the expense kept such use to a minimum. No doubt, some of that same, smoky bituminous coal that was being coked got freighted to Aspen by mule team, but until the railroads arrived, wood remained the main source of heat.
Almost every house had a coal or wood bin, either attached to the house or located in a shed or carriage house along the alley. Depending on when you lived in Aspen, your coal storage might have been filled by Judge William R. Shaw's father, or by the judge himself. Other coal dealers were Ed Teideman, who kept a ready stash in the West End and who also ran a general store on what is now the Hyman Avenue mall. Pat Hemann, proprietor of the gravel pit alongside Stillwater, delivered coal in the winter, and United Lumber and Mercantile, a long-ago Aspen institution, could be counted on to supply the necessary fossil fuel.
It takes a lot of work, and money, to heat an entire house with coal or wood, and since the beginning in Aspen, frugal folks saw the sense in closing off portions of their houses during the winter months. They quickly learned to live around the kitchen stove during the day and to make a mad dash for the bed covers at night. The comfort zone of indoor bathrooms, if there were any, always seemed to be kept at a level just above freezing.
Unlike heating systems of today, coal (or wood) stoves needed to be manually stoked or replenished on a regular basis to keep the fire alive. During long winter nights, such stoves would generally be allowed to burn themselves cold, making early morning a rush to get the stove burning again.
Some of the fancier homes had thermostatically-controlled basement coal furnaces which generated steam heat, distributed throughout by the ever entrancing, always hissing heat radiators. The Red Brick School was warmed by such a system and it was always a thought, as the registers hissed and clanged into action, that perhaps an explosion might let us out of school for a day or two. It should be noted that directly inside the door of the “old” Red Onion, there was a working heat register, coveted by beer-addled raconteurs on cold nights.
Even at age 85, my great-aunt Mary Stapleton, severely stooped with age and genetics, who lived in a Bleeker Street Victorian with her two sisters and one brother, had a great knack for heating river rocks in the oven of their coal cook stove, to be wrapped in a towel and gently placed under the blankets at the foot of a freezing bed. The trick was to wait until the coal stove had died down enough that the rocks didn't overheat and split apart, making them worthless. She would walk the precious cargo the entire length of the large house, one large gem at a time, from the kitchen to the huge north bedroom, being very careful not to drop them or burn herself.
In the summer of 1879, a total of 23 men arrived in Aspen, at various times and from over Hunter's (Independence) and Taylor passes. A lot of prospecting occurred, but also a lot of time was spent preparing a winter camp and collecting firewood. They knew it would get cold. Ironically, only two stayed through the early winter; irrational fear of the Utes thinned them out, it seems.
In those days, wood was the only fuel of choice, until the coal mines at Marion began to make coke for processing ore. Such coke was an excellent heating fuel for homes and businesses, but the expense kept such use to a minimum. No doubt, some of that same, smoky bituminous coal that was being coked got freighted to Aspen by mule team, but until the railroads arrived, wood remained the main source of heat.
Almost every house had a coal or wood bin, either attached to the house or located in a shed or carriage house along the alley. Depending on when you lived in Aspen, your coal storage might have been filled by Judge William R. Shaw's father, or by the judge himself. Other coal dealers were Ed Teideman, who kept a ready stash in the West End and who also ran a general store on what is now the Hyman Avenue mall. Pat Hemann, proprietor of the gravel pit alongside Stillwater, delivered coal in the winter, and United Lumber and Mercantile, a long-ago Aspen institution, could be counted on to supply the necessary fossil fuel.
It takes a lot of work, and money, to heat an entire house with coal or wood, and since the beginning in Aspen, frugal folks saw the sense in closing off portions of their houses during the winter months. They quickly learned to live around the kitchen stove during the day and to make a mad dash for the bed covers at night. The comfort zone of indoor bathrooms, if there were any, always seemed to be kept at a level just above freezing.
Unlike heating systems of today, coal (or wood) stoves needed to be manually stoked or replenished on a regular basis to keep the fire alive. During long winter nights, such stoves would generally be allowed to burn themselves cold, making early morning a rush to get the stove burning again.
Some of the fancier homes had thermostatically-controlled basement coal furnaces which generated steam heat, distributed throughout by the ever entrancing, always hissing heat radiators. The Red Brick School was warmed by such a system and it was always a thought, as the registers hissed and clanged into action, that perhaps an explosion might let us out of school for a day or two. It should be noted that directly inside the door of the “old” Red Onion, there was a working heat register, coveted by beer-addled raconteurs on cold nights.
Even at age 85, my great-aunt Mary Stapleton, severely stooped with age and genetics, who lived in a Bleeker Street Victorian with her two sisters and one brother, had a great knack for heating river rocks in the oven of their coal cook stove, to be wrapped in a towel and gently placed under the blankets at the foot of a freezing bed. The trick was to wait until the coal stove had died down enough that the rocks didn't overheat and split apart, making them worthless. She would walk the precious cargo the entire length of the large house, one large gem at a time, from the kitchen to the huge north bedroom, being very careful not to drop them or burn herself.
2012年1月4日星期三
Hepatitis C vaccine hope after cold virus tests
Trials showed it tackled the disease, which causes flu-like effects before badly damaging the liver, in a similar way to people who are naturally immune. The vaccine lasted a year and none of the 41 people studied had side effects.
The findings suggest it may be possible to develop a vaccine although it may take several more years to prove it is safe.
Professor Paul Klenerman, from the Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine at Oxford University, a leading member of the research team, said: “We’ve found that it’s possible to prime large cellular immune responses against hepatitis C that last for at least a year.
“The immune responses we’ve seen are exciting and we are beginning the next stage of trials. While we are hopeful, it could be a long road to any vaccine that protects people against hepatitis C.”
Hepatitis C is caused by a virus that can remain hidden in the bloodstream for decades before showing any symptoms. It produces mild flu-like effects while inflicting slow damage to the liver which can lead to cirrhosis and cancer.
An estimated 200,000 to 500,000 people are infected with hepatitis C in England and Wales. Because of the lack of symptoms, many do not know of their condition.
The virus is carried in the blood and to a lesser extent other bodily fluids. It is most commonly transmitted by sharing needles to inject drugs, but can also be passed on via toothbrushes, razors, scissors, tattoos and body piercing. There is a low risk of the virus passing from mother to child or between sexual partners.
Like HIV, hepatitis C presents a difficult moving target to anyone attempting to challenge it with a vaccine. The virus can easily adopt new disguises that may not be recognised by the immune system. It also comes in six possible strains, each presenting a different vaccine target.
The new trial results are published in the journal Science Translational Medicine. A group of 41 healthy adults took part in the Phase One trial,
primarily designed to test safety and obtain dosing information.
The vaccine is designed to provoke a response from immune cells called T-cells that target the inside of the virus rather than its outer coat.
It was created from a modified adenovirus, a member of a family of viruses responsible for the common cold and sore throat infections. Two kinds of adenovirus were tested as vaccine candidates, a rare human version and one found in chimpanzees.
The vaccine triggered a large T-cell response that lasted for at least a year, the length of the trial. No significant adverse effects were reported among the volunteers.
The immune response was of a similar type and size as that reported in people who naturally clear the hepatitis C virus from their bodies, said the scientists. Around one in five people are naturally immune to hepatitis C infection.
Not only did the T-cells react to a wide range of different elements within the virus, but they seemed to respond to more than one strain.
The findings suggest it may be possible to develop a vaccine although it may take several more years to prove it is safe.
Professor Paul Klenerman, from the Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine at Oxford University, a leading member of the research team, said: “We’ve found that it’s possible to prime large cellular immune responses against hepatitis C that last for at least a year.
“The immune responses we’ve seen are exciting and we are beginning the next stage of trials. While we are hopeful, it could be a long road to any vaccine that protects people against hepatitis C.”
Hepatitis C is caused by a virus that can remain hidden in the bloodstream for decades before showing any symptoms. It produces mild flu-like effects while inflicting slow damage to the liver which can lead to cirrhosis and cancer.
An estimated 200,000 to 500,000 people are infected with hepatitis C in England and Wales. Because of the lack of symptoms, many do not know of their condition.
The virus is carried in the blood and to a lesser extent other bodily fluids. It is most commonly transmitted by sharing needles to inject drugs, but can also be passed on via toothbrushes, razors, scissors, tattoos and body piercing. There is a low risk of the virus passing from mother to child or between sexual partners.
Like HIV, hepatitis C presents a difficult moving target to anyone attempting to challenge it with a vaccine. The virus can easily adopt new disguises that may not be recognised by the immune system. It also comes in six possible strains, each presenting a different vaccine target.
The new trial results are published in the journal Science Translational Medicine. A group of 41 healthy adults took part in the Phase One trial,
primarily designed to test safety and obtain dosing information.
The vaccine is designed to provoke a response from immune cells called T-cells that target the inside of the virus rather than its outer coat.
It was created from a modified adenovirus, a member of a family of viruses responsible for the common cold and sore throat infections. Two kinds of adenovirus were tested as vaccine candidates, a rare human version and one found in chimpanzees.
The vaccine triggered a large T-cell response that lasted for at least a year, the length of the trial. No significant adverse effects were reported among the volunteers.
The immune response was of a similar type and size as that reported in people who naturally clear the hepatitis C virus from their bodies, said the scientists. Around one in five people are naturally immune to hepatitis C infection.
Not only did the T-cells react to a wide range of different elements within the virus, but they seemed to respond to more than one strain.
2012年1月2日星期一
Colds and flu
Have a cough? Sneezing a lot lately? How about a sore throat or feeling achy all over?
If you've had those symptoms, you're not alone. It's cold and flu season. And that means besides some holiday cheer, some of us may be passing around something not so nice - germs that will make other people sick.
The winter is typically one of the worst times of the year for spreading around germs that lead to colds and even the flu. When the weather is colder, we tend to stay indoors, and in our enclosed environments, it's easier to spread illnesses. So with that point in mind, here are some tips suggested by medical professionals aimed to help you stay healthy or, at the least, avoid being the person who spreads an illness to your family, friends or co-workers.
One of the most important things we all can do is wash our hands. This simple act can help prevent germs from spreading. So each time you shake someone's hands or blow your nose, take a few seconds to wash your hands.
Speaking of sneezing, make sure when you sneeze that you do so into your elbow. Sneezing into your hands makes it much more likely that you'll spread germs.
Of course, the best way to prevent spreading illness is not to get ill in the first place. That means we have to bolster our immune systems. If you haven't gotten a flu shot yet, do so quickly. Beyond inoculations, there are some common-sense things we can do such as getting an adequate amount of sleep, exercising, eating healthy foods and engaging in activities that bring you happiness - the simple act of which, some studies suggest, can boost the immune system.
If you do get sick, there are some steps you can take to help yourself get better sooner while not passing along your cold or flu.
First, as much as we need to work or go to school, it's really best to stay home if you are truly sick. If you have a fever, ache all over and are sneezing or coughing incessantly, do everyone a favor and stay home. You won't be as productive as you otherwise would be anyway, and it will prevent the spreading of germs.
Second, make sure you stay hydrated by drinking water or other fluids as directed by your physician.
Finally, once you use a tissue, make sure you throw it away to avoid the spreading of germs.
People will get colds. Some of us will get the flu. It's the reality of life in the winter time.
But if we pay attention to what we're doing, we can avoid passing on germs. And we can avoid some illnesses and reduce the severity of others.
If you've had those symptoms, you're not alone. It's cold and flu season. And that means besides some holiday cheer, some of us may be passing around something not so nice - germs that will make other people sick.
The winter is typically one of the worst times of the year for spreading around germs that lead to colds and even the flu. When the weather is colder, we tend to stay indoors, and in our enclosed environments, it's easier to spread illnesses. So with that point in mind, here are some tips suggested by medical professionals aimed to help you stay healthy or, at the least, avoid being the person who spreads an illness to your family, friends or co-workers.
One of the most important things we all can do is wash our hands. This simple act can help prevent germs from spreading. So each time you shake someone's hands or blow your nose, take a few seconds to wash your hands.
Speaking of sneezing, make sure when you sneeze that you do so into your elbow. Sneezing into your hands makes it much more likely that you'll spread germs.
Of course, the best way to prevent spreading illness is not to get ill in the first place. That means we have to bolster our immune systems. If you haven't gotten a flu shot yet, do so quickly. Beyond inoculations, there are some common-sense things we can do such as getting an adequate amount of sleep, exercising, eating healthy foods and engaging in activities that bring you happiness - the simple act of which, some studies suggest, can boost the immune system.
If you do get sick, there are some steps you can take to help yourself get better sooner while not passing along your cold or flu.
First, as much as we need to work or go to school, it's really best to stay home if you are truly sick. If you have a fever, ache all over and are sneezing or coughing incessantly, do everyone a favor and stay home. You won't be as productive as you otherwise would be anyway, and it will prevent the spreading of germs.
Second, make sure you stay hydrated by drinking water or other fluids as directed by your physician.
Finally, once you use a tissue, make sure you throw it away to avoid the spreading of germs.
People will get colds. Some of us will get the flu. It's the reality of life in the winter time.
But if we pay attention to what we're doing, we can avoid passing on germs. And we can avoid some illnesses and reduce the severity of others.
2011年12月25日星期日
Packers tailgater Timothy Merry patrols Lambeau in ape costume
Bigfoot wears a size 12 shoe, isn't camera shy and has been spotted this season at Green Bay Packers home games.
That's right, the mystique of Lambeau Field gets turned up a few notches whenever Timothy Merry steps inside his massive ape-like costume to patrol the parking lot.
"It's very warm," said Merry, who is a lean 6 foot 2 inches tall but stands nearly 7 feet when he puts on the hairy creature getup. "The head is a little top heavy, so your neck gets a little sore after a while. But other than that, it's perfect to wear to games in the cold."
Merry, a 27-year-old delivery service driver and middle school ice hockey coach from Hartland, first stepped into the suit for the Green Bay Packers vs. Minnesota Vikings game Nov. 14 at the suggestion of a friend — the same friend who had scored the costume from a film studio.
"He said he'll buy my tickets for the Packers game if I wore that costume," Merry said.
On game days, fans sometimes mistake Merry for Chewbacca from "Star Wars,'' but they have no fear of getting close to him.
"Girls sometimes want to be picked up off the ground. They ask me if that's my real height, because I'm actually looking out my neck," he said.
Loads of people snap photos nonstop to document their close encounter.
Some people even told Merry they planned to use it as their Christmas photo.
"Every step I took, I was turning around and taking pictures with somebody," he said of his second outing as Bigfoot in an XXL green Clay Matthews No. 52 jersey at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers game Nov. 20. "Girls loved it. Guys loved it. Even fans from the other team loved it."
And the interest didn't exactly slow down once he was in his seat inside the stadium.
"Pretty much every person that passed me tried to get a picture. It was kind of hard to catch the game," he said.
Merry has been a Packers fan since the mid-1990s, when the team became a playoff contender with quarterback Brett Favre at the helm.
"I'm a Packers fan,'' Merry said. "I'm not a Brett Favre fan.''
Merry usually takes in about two games a season, but now that he's crossed over into Bigfoot territory, he plans on attending more.
"I'm pretty much going to wear it every time I go to the Packers game, and now that I have it and know how much fun it is, I'm going to go to as many Packers games as I can,'' he said.
That's right, the mystique of Lambeau Field gets turned up a few notches whenever Timothy Merry steps inside his massive ape-like costume to patrol the parking lot.
"It's very warm," said Merry, who is a lean 6 foot 2 inches tall but stands nearly 7 feet when he puts on the hairy creature getup. "The head is a little top heavy, so your neck gets a little sore after a while. But other than that, it's perfect to wear to games in the cold."
Merry, a 27-year-old delivery service driver and middle school ice hockey coach from Hartland, first stepped into the suit for the Green Bay Packers vs. Minnesota Vikings game Nov. 14 at the suggestion of a friend — the same friend who had scored the costume from a film studio.
"He said he'll buy my tickets for the Packers game if I wore that costume," Merry said.
On game days, fans sometimes mistake Merry for Chewbacca from "Star Wars,'' but they have no fear of getting close to him.
"Girls sometimes want to be picked up off the ground. They ask me if that's my real height, because I'm actually looking out my neck," he said.
Loads of people snap photos nonstop to document their close encounter.
Some people even told Merry they planned to use it as their Christmas photo.
"Every step I took, I was turning around and taking pictures with somebody," he said of his second outing as Bigfoot in an XXL green Clay Matthews No. 52 jersey at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers game Nov. 20. "Girls loved it. Guys loved it. Even fans from the other team loved it."
And the interest didn't exactly slow down once he was in his seat inside the stadium.
"Pretty much every person that passed me tried to get a picture. It was kind of hard to catch the game," he said.
Merry has been a Packers fan since the mid-1990s, when the team became a playoff contender with quarterback Brett Favre at the helm.
"I'm a Packers fan,'' Merry said. "I'm not a Brett Favre fan.''
Merry usually takes in about two games a season, but now that he's crossed over into Bigfoot territory, he plans on attending more.
"I'm pretty much going to wear it every time I go to the Packers game, and now that I have it and know how much fun it is, I'm going to go to as many Packers games as I can,'' he said.
2011年12月20日星期二
Can chicken soup help with a cold?
Going as far back as the 12th century, Jewish scholars have touted the effectiveness of chicken soup for a variety of ailments, including the common cold. Even today, when you're in bed with a cold, someone has either reminded you of its goodness or brought you a piping hot bowl. Are the wonders of chicken soup just cultural myths passed down from generation to generation, or can soup really cure a cold?
Chicken soup is made from a stock or broth and a variety of veggies. In a stock, the chicken bones are cooked for a few hours. This gives enough time for zinc, calcium, phosphorus and magnesium to seep into the liquid stock. These same minerals won't be in a broth since a broth is typically made from the meat only. Don't count out the nutritional goodness of broth though; it's still brimming with minerals. Of course both soups and stocks are made from a variety of veggies including celery, onion, carrots, leeks, parsnips and turnips -- all of their minerals seep into the liquid too.
There are numerous theories of how chicken soup helps ward off the sniffles. One study found that sipping hot chicken soup helped clear stuffy noses, but the study found it was effective only for a few minutes and that it wasn't any more effective than sipping hot water.
A few scientific studies showed that zinc can help shorten the duration of a cold. However, you need to start taking more zinc within 24 hours from the first symptoms. Many of these studies were done with lozenges or zinc supplements, so it's difficult to say if chicken soup has enough zinc to be effective.
Other theories claim that chicken soup helps keep you hydrated and soothes a sore throat. And a recent study from the University of Nebraska found that chicken soup may contain anti-inflammatory substances that could help alleviate a cold.
Chicken soup is also a comfort food typically given to children when they're sick. A warming bowl of the soup may provide emotional and psychological well-being to both adults and kids.
Bottom Line: For centuries, chicken soup has been the go-to cold fighter. Although the evidence isn't terribly strong, numerous studies show that chicken soup may help fight a cold. If you're a believer, then who am I to dispel the myth of chicken soup?
Chicken soup is made from a stock or broth and a variety of veggies. In a stock, the chicken bones are cooked for a few hours. This gives enough time for zinc, calcium, phosphorus and magnesium to seep into the liquid stock. These same minerals won't be in a broth since a broth is typically made from the meat only. Don't count out the nutritional goodness of broth though; it's still brimming with minerals. Of course both soups and stocks are made from a variety of veggies including celery, onion, carrots, leeks, parsnips and turnips -- all of their minerals seep into the liquid too.
There are numerous theories of how chicken soup helps ward off the sniffles. One study found that sipping hot chicken soup helped clear stuffy noses, but the study found it was effective only for a few minutes and that it wasn't any more effective than sipping hot water.
A few scientific studies showed that zinc can help shorten the duration of a cold. However, you need to start taking more zinc within 24 hours from the first symptoms. Many of these studies were done with lozenges or zinc supplements, so it's difficult to say if chicken soup has enough zinc to be effective.
Other theories claim that chicken soup helps keep you hydrated and soothes a sore throat. And a recent study from the University of Nebraska found that chicken soup may contain anti-inflammatory substances that could help alleviate a cold.
Chicken soup is also a comfort food typically given to children when they're sick. A warming bowl of the soup may provide emotional and psychological well-being to both adults and kids.
Bottom Line: For centuries, chicken soup has been the go-to cold fighter. Although the evidence isn't terribly strong, numerous studies show that chicken soup may help fight a cold. If you're a believer, then who am I to dispel the myth of chicken soup?
2011年3月27日星期日
Just For Expecting Dads – Sex and Pregnancy
Some men love sex with their pregnant partners, while others view it as a complete turn-off. Regardless of whether your desire increases or decreases due to the pregnancy, your partner may not feel sexual at all. Your mother-to-be may feel fatigued and nauseous during the first 12 weeks, also called the first trimester, of pregnancy. Her thoughts and desires may not include a desire for sexual intimacy, or if they do, the nausea and general malaise she experiences during this phase of pregnancy will probably interfere with her ability to follow through on thoughts of sex.
Patience and Understanding Can Lead to Second Trimester Rewards
During this time, she needs emotional support and may need help completing tasks around the house if the nausea lasts past the morning hours or includes some vomiting. She will appreciate your patience and understanding. Spend some time listening to her talk about the physical and emotional challenges she has faced in the first trimester. Unless she has a relatively uncommon, but more severe type of nausea, called hyperemesis gravidarum, she will feel markedly better during the second trimester, or second twelve weeks. Changes in certain hormone levels during pregnancy will increase lubrication and blood flow to the genitals, making thoughts of sexual intimacy more alluring.
Concerned About the Baby During Sex?
If your partner is healthy with an uncomplicated pregnancy, sex is very safe. Your developing baby lies in a cushioned position in the uterus, far out of the reach of your penis during intercourse. Many moms-to-be report higher satisfaction and intensified orgasm during pregnancy. During the second trimester, your partner's abdomen usually has not grown large enough to hinder face-to-face intercourse. However, pain or bleeding during and after intercourse merits an immediate visit to your partner's OB/GYN.
What If She's Still Not Interested?
Some women may feel 'fat' or unattractive during pregnancy; depression, poor body image, and low self-esteem affect sexual desire in all women whether pregnant or not. Try connecting with her through some of her favorite activities or by talking with her about what you find beautiful and attractive about her pregnant figure. Regardless of whether she responds to these overtures, the pregnancy only lasts three trimesters. While your sex life will forever change once baby arrives, you and your partner can come up with an intimacy plan that works for the whole family and creates positive, rather than negative change.
Positions and Oral Sex
While you and your partner may feel willing to engage in sex during the third trimester, her abdomen will have grown markedly, making many positions unrealistic or impossible. At this point, a side by side position or entering from behind represent the best choices and most comfortable for mom. Oral sex offers a relatively safe alternative for both partners, but never blow air into your pregnant partner's vagina when performing it on her. This can create an embolus (air bubble) in her blood stream, which may travel to the lungs and could result in death. Avoid oral sex if you have a cold sore, active oral herpes, or other infection.
High-Risk Pregnancies
Gestational diabetes, placenta previa, and other complications may cause your partner's OB/GYN to order complete bed rest. This means rest and no sex. Some women with higher risk pregnancies can engage in limited sexual activity, but only her physician can make the decision as to how much and what type, if any, is allowed.
Final Considerations
If you had a strong and satisfying intimate life with your partner prior to pregnancy, chances are it will return sometime during the first six months of baby's arrival. If your pre-pregnancy sex life was sparse or non-existent, it won't get better after the baby is born. Seeking couples counseling from a therapist who specializes in couples sexual therapy may help. Ask your partner's OB/GYN if he or she has pamphlets especially for new fathers that detail sexual intimacy and your baby's impact upon it in terms men can relate to easily.
Patience and Understanding Can Lead to Second Trimester Rewards
During this time, she needs emotional support and may need help completing tasks around the house if the nausea lasts past the morning hours or includes some vomiting. She will appreciate your patience and understanding. Spend some time listening to her talk about the physical and emotional challenges she has faced in the first trimester. Unless she has a relatively uncommon, but more severe type of nausea, called hyperemesis gravidarum, she will feel markedly better during the second trimester, or second twelve weeks. Changes in certain hormone levels during pregnancy will increase lubrication and blood flow to the genitals, making thoughts of sexual intimacy more alluring.
Concerned About the Baby During Sex?
If your partner is healthy with an uncomplicated pregnancy, sex is very safe. Your developing baby lies in a cushioned position in the uterus, far out of the reach of your penis during intercourse. Many moms-to-be report higher satisfaction and intensified orgasm during pregnancy. During the second trimester, your partner's abdomen usually has not grown large enough to hinder face-to-face intercourse. However, pain or bleeding during and after intercourse merits an immediate visit to your partner's OB/GYN.
What If She's Still Not Interested?
Some women may feel 'fat' or unattractive during pregnancy; depression, poor body image, and low self-esteem affect sexual desire in all women whether pregnant or not. Try connecting with her through some of her favorite activities or by talking with her about what you find beautiful and attractive about her pregnant figure. Regardless of whether she responds to these overtures, the pregnancy only lasts three trimesters. While your sex life will forever change once baby arrives, you and your partner can come up with an intimacy plan that works for the whole family and creates positive, rather than negative change.
Positions and Oral Sex
While you and your partner may feel willing to engage in sex during the third trimester, her abdomen will have grown markedly, making many positions unrealistic or impossible. At this point, a side by side position or entering from behind represent the best choices and most comfortable for mom. Oral sex offers a relatively safe alternative for both partners, but never blow air into your pregnant partner's vagina when performing it on her. This can create an embolus (air bubble) in her blood stream, which may travel to the lungs and could result in death. Avoid oral sex if you have a cold sore, active oral herpes, or other infection.
High-Risk Pregnancies
Gestational diabetes, placenta previa, and other complications may cause your partner's OB/GYN to order complete bed rest. This means rest and no sex. Some women with higher risk pregnancies can engage in limited sexual activity, but only her physician can make the decision as to how much and what type, if any, is allowed.
Final Considerations
If you had a strong and satisfying intimate life with your partner prior to pregnancy, chances are it will return sometime during the first six months of baby's arrival. If your pre-pregnancy sex life was sparse or non-existent, it won't get better after the baby is born. Seeking couples counseling from a therapist who specializes in couples sexual therapy may help. Ask your partner's OB/GYN if he or she has pamphlets especially for new fathers that detail sexual intimacy and your baby's impact upon it in terms men can relate to easily.
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