Stressed Out?

Exams, family, boyfriend/girlfriend, deaths, assignments, work schedule, money issues, body problems, drama with friends, a parking ticket… the stress! It keeps you up at night, or it makes you sleep in the day, it makes you cranky, it makes you crave junk food, and it can make you fat.

The stress hormone is cortisol, as I'm sure you may have heard. But cortisol has other functions, too.
It regulates your blood pressure and glucose metabolism, and it regulates your immune function and inflammatory response.

Small doses of cortisol are good for you because it provides you with a spike of energy when you need it (think if a bear was chasing you, or, more realistically, your house is on fire). It improves memory function and decreases pain sensitivity (think if you were to get attacked - all of those self-defence skills come back to you and you fight through a stab wound or something crazy like that).

Cortisol is a survival, fight/flight/freeze thing. If it's around for a long time, it will add some padding to you. It makes your body hold on to fat because of survival reasons. It changes up your blood sugar levels and slows your metabolism so even if you don't binge on chocolate and ice cream, you can still gain weight.

Cortisol is also proven to increase fat storage around the abdomen, especially in women. Fat in this specific area is a bigger threat to your overall health because it increases your risk to a variety of diseases, such as diabetes.

Other ways that stress make you put on weight don't have direct connections with the hormone.

People don't have spare time when they have a million things to juggle. There's no time to cook, which means you buy more fast food. There's less time for working out, too. You eat more than you normally do, and you crave more junk food than normal.

If you can't manage well, your cortisol levels stay high even when the actual stress source is gone.

So, you know what to do from here. We all know how to relieve stress. Eat well, exercise every day, call a friend, smell lavender, take a bath, go for a run, read something funny, take a break, do yoga, and deal with issues head-on.

Who wants to deal with weight gain on top of everything else going on? Nobody.

Stay Away From Gym Machines

For a school assignment on fitness equipment, I interviewed four people that know a thing or two about working out. Two of them are fitness co-ordinators at Sheridan college’s gyms at the Oakville and at the Brampton locations, and the other two are Crossfit trainers.

Tom Hipsz, the recreation & fitness co-ordinator at Sheridan’s Oakville campus gym, doesn’t personally agree with gym machines, such as the smith. However, the reason so many of them are still around is because they’re popular.

Tahir Khan, the co-ordinator at Sheridan’s Brampton campus gym, agrees. He said that sometimes there simply isn’t enough money to replace the machines. Khan has either replaced or simply removed most gym machines at that gym because they aren’t functional or safe.

These machines I’m talking about are any that have a fixed, predetermined movement pattern, or require the use of only one muscle (isolated workouts). They also balance the weight for you so that it’s easier - and if it’s easier, it’s probably not efficient at getting you those abs.

Virginia Ki, a Crossfit trainer, says that you’ll never find your true strength or true max if you use the fixed machines. As for isolated-muscle machines, she adds that you’ll never use just one muscle in real life, making the machine absolutely pointless.

Kyle Kelland, another Crossfit trainer, says that movements should be functional, everyday things that build strength and endurance.

Finished!

So, my first year of journalism is over.

It was harder than I imagined it would be. There was always one more story that you had to write, or one more picture to take. Always one more assignment to finish.

This year, it felt like there was just no break. It was just go, go, go, and then STOP. After the last exam, it's just over. It's going to feel so weird, having absolutely nothing to do.

Of course, we're advised to keep on top of things during the summer, like freelancing or updating our blogs or even just reading the news every day. Honestly, though, I really want my brain to turn to mush.
When will there ever be a break? Certainly not when I'm a paid journalist with financial and family responsibilities. I may as well enjoy the time off. In fact, I'm going to Alaska by myself this summer and I'm choosing not to get a part-time job. These eight months of school have slightly traumatized me with stress. Now I know what to expect for second year.

What is Fitness?

It almost always hurts more the next day.
Sometimes it makes you feel sick because you can't stop sweating.
People start looking at you differently, and some call you a freak.
The more you get into it, the harder it is to get out because of what it's doing to you.
You make gains, and you have losses.
When you see somebody with more of what you want, you go in for the kill and win.
It just feels too good to quit now. You're consumed.
It used to be just once a month, but then it became once a week.
Quickly, you progressed to three or four or five times a week.
Sometimes you did it because you were stressed.
Sometimes you did it because you just wanted to feel good.
Now it's just a lifestyle, like brushing your teeth or going to work.
The truth is, it has made you a scary person. People are afraid of you.
But you aren't actually intimidating. You just have what they wish to be.
When they look at you, they realize what you have done right.
They realize what they have neglected to do.
They feel envious because they feel guilty for wasting away.
When they look at you, they see the failure within themselves to act.
Become a message to other people.
Our bodies are the only thing that truly belong to us.

The Sport of Fitness has Arrived

Crossfit has been known to serve people a generous portion of humble pie. So you’ve been going to the gym for five years now? Crossfit will still crush you. Have you come back from military training? Crossfit will still crush you. You just ran a 10k marathon? Yup, Crossfit will still crush you.


Crossfit started out as an online community where people shared workouts of the day (WOD for short) and then post videos or pics of them doing these workouts. It was a bunch of people who basically gave the middle finger to commercial gyms, pink dumbbells, and cute workout DVDs, and instead decided to do excruciating workouts that would actually yield results. Now, there are actual Crossfit gyms everywhere, and each one is personally operated, so each one is different. Each one has a different WOD.

So what does Crossfit aim to do? What does it train? Well, Crossfit operates on ten principles, the ten basic elements of fitness: agility, balance, speed, power, accuracy, stamina, coordination, flexibility, strength, and cardio. You will probably be better at some of these things, and struggle with others, but Crossfit will cross-train so that you are well balanced in each area. So one day, you could walk in to a Crossfit gym, and the WOD revolves around dead lifts and pull ups for time. The next day, you walk in, and they have you doing 175 burpees for time. There is always something different. And thankfully, if you are not yet able to do a certain workout, they scale it to your level of fitness. For example, if the workout of the day includes dozens and dozens of pull ups, you are allowed to use resistance bands for assistance, or a box to help you get up. Eventually, though, after taking the longest to do a workout or being the only one using a resistance band, you will not need help. You can do the workouts perfectly. Everyone competes for either the fastest finish time, or the heaviest squat, or the max number of push ups you can do in thirty seconds. 

Be warned, though - even if you went to Crossfit for years, they will always find a way to challenge you. Always.

Victim of Torture

http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1114925--man-brutally-tortured-by-his-wife-and-her-boyfriend-in-toronto-apartment

A man was tortured for months in a Toronto apartment shared with his wife - and her boyfriend. He stayed quiet because he didn't want to get them into trouble. Neighbours became suspicious and notified the police.

The link above details the entire story.

So, what is the impact of the story?

“I don’t want to get them in trouble,” the victim said to the police officer that rescued him.

It’s not just this specific victim that thinks like this. Less than five per cent of sexual assaults are reported to authorities. Many children stay quiet when their parents abuse them. Victims of bullies also have a fear of speaking out. People often stay in abusive relationships for a long time before walking away.
Why do victims stay quiet? Perhaps the qualities that make them quiet are the same qualities that make them an easy target - they are pushovers, they are shy, they have low-self esteem.

The sad part is that the more they are abused, the lower their self esteem, and the more guilty they feel for “angering” their bully/parent/spouse, and the more quiet they stay. The cycle repeats until it is broken.


This is a very extreme case of such a cycle, but it happens all the time. Victims of such touchy crimes often blame themselves. It’s hard to help a victim when they don’t say anything, so it’s useful to understand “signs” of someone in this situation.

Neighbours of this specific victim had all the signs. They saw the bruises on the victim and on Siscoe’s hands. If Siscoe didn’t show the victim to that lady, how much longer would the victim endure the torture?

Perhaps this extreme case will get people thinking more about how important it is to step in if you suspect something. Perhaps this case will help current victims to come forward. This isn’t just a news story - it’s a message

Self-Esteem

The most important view a person can have is of themselves, according to clinical therapists and psychologists.

It’s called self-esteem.

“Self-esteem is how somebody sees themselves,” said Susanne Dorder, a clinical therapist, in a telephone interview. “It can be negative or positive.”

A person’s environment, family upbringing, and core beliefs shape their self-esteem, according to Dorder, 38, who specializes in self-esteem. “It depends on what they are exposed to and taught,” she said. 

“People with low self-esteem are not able to see the positive elements of themselves,” said Dr. Andrea Miller in a phone interview, a Ph.D in clinical psychology. 

“They don’t feel good about themselves,” Ashley Kreze, a psychotherapist, said in a telephone interview. “Their internal thoughts aren’t positive. They are skeptical about their own abilities.”

For example, if a person with low-self esteem does well on a test, they may reason that the test was easy, rather than believing they are intelligent, according to Miller, 34. People with a healthy self-esteem can block out most forms of negativity.

Dorder says that there are signs someone may have low self-esteem. They use negative language, have a slouched posture, lack eye contact, are shy, less socially active, and may have poor hygiene.

People with higher self-esteem have confident posture, are comfortable expressing their opinions, and can make their own choices. 

Low self-esteem can lead to other problems. “It can lead to depression, suppressing feelings of sadness, substance abuse, and anxiety,” said Dorder. Academically, it becomes hard to focus, and procrastination happens more often. 

Miller warns that a poor self-view can also lead to isolation, a fear of social activities, cutting yourself off from others, and entering negative dating relationships.

To improve self-esteem, Dorder says to first be aware of your self-concept. Start speaking in affirmative statements, find out how the negativity was developed, and surround yourself with optimistic people.

Kreze suggests having a trusted friend or family member hold a person accountable for negativity. She adds, “Stick to the three keys: patience, persistence, and a positive attitude.”

Miller has her clients spot their thinking errors, such as disqualifying compliments and accomplishments. “They tend to hold on to a self-view despite evidence of the opposite,” she said. 

The Life of Shelagh Gordon

http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1146928--shelagh-was-here-an-ordinary-magical-life

Shelagh Gordon, 55, died in the middle of February from an aneurism. Reporters from the Toronto Star interviewed more than 100 of her friends and family members after the funeral to piece together her seemingly ordinary life.

The final piece, published on March 16, was amazing. It spoke of the minute details of her life that so many can relate to. Simple things, like her love of tea, made her story compelling and relatable.

At every funeral, people always speak of how kind and wonderful the person was. It seems rather cliche, but for Shelagh, her kindness was different. She was as kind to her family as she was to strangers, and that sets her apart from the rest of the world.

Her life story, scrutinized by Star reporters, is worth sharing. Her life, shared in print, undoubtedly makes readers think of their own purpose in life, and of their priorities. Shelagh, struggling with bills and work stress like most of us, still had the heart to invite people over for dinner, send them chocolates on Valentine's day, and organize happy get-togethers with anyone and everyone.

The article never writes about how hard she worked, or how successful she was, or how much she travelled the world. Her simple, ordinary life was beautiful by itself. It shows that anybody can be worthy, special, appreciated, and kind. You don't have to be a millionaire to impact so many people. You don't have to be a celebrity. You don't have to be anything but yourself.

Her story reminds people to share themselves with everybody and to appreciate every person that you make contact with in a day, whether it's a barista or your spouse.

A part in the article said that life isn't meant for weekends. What a strong message. Relax, love, have fun, and surround yourself with people as often as you can. Shelagh's death was sudden and unpredictable, and she likely had no regrets. Her life was full. She didn't have the fancy clothes, the perfect partner, the perfect children, or a job she loved. But with everything she did have, she was grateful for. Her seemingly incomplete and ordinary life was actually perfect.

Shelagh's story is inspiring. Be kinder, love more, be more grateful, appreciate every small thing, smile at everyone, help as much as you can. We think we're doing everything we can, but after reading that article, I saw how much better people can be.

No More Oxy

OxyContin is being removed from pharmacy shelves across Canada. At first glance, this looks like a good plan because many people abuse the painkiller. Reading more into it, though, there will be a health crisis for people who use this drug.

When the drug is removed, users will have to resort to a different painkiller. Addicts will go into withdrawal, but there is no plan yet to assist these people. Residents in Northern Ontario will especially be affected because people in those remote communities have a higher rate of addiction.

The Nishawbe Aski Nation (NAN) represents 49 First Nation communities in the Northern Ontario region. More than half of the NAN people have OxyContin addictions, according to Grand Chief Stan Beardy.

I was in a Drug and Alcohol Counselling program last year where one class was fully dedicated to the addiction problems amongst Aboriginals. Because so many are addicted to this painkiller - and other drugs - the withdrawal symptoms will likely go unnoticed. Their health care system is not sufficient enough to handle what they will go through once the drugs are pulled. This can mean greater use of illegal drugs, aggression between frustrated residents experiencing withdrawal, and continued pain for those who actually use them as painkillers. Resorting to other drugs to relieve pain, especially heroin, can result in spreading diseases from using needles. The First Nations communities should be the first concern for the Ontario Ministry of Health.

For the rest of Canadians, we know our health care system will fill in the gap. OxyContin can be replaced with other strong painkillers, and withdrawal symptoms can be treated with a visit to a doctor. However, there is the possibility of illegal production and trafficking of the drug. Crime rates may increase because many people may not be able to get another type of painkiller. If someone is caught with OxyContin, will there be charges involved? And what will happen to all the OxyContin that has already been produced?

There need to be solutions for the health and crime problems that will most definitely arise once this drug is pulled.