CLUB DRUGS

Club drugs are classified by their effect on the body i.e. ecstacy, as these drugs are stimulants. They widely abused by young adults in late-night parties, while in bars or clubbing, thus deriving its name. Many different types of drugs come under this group - Meth, MDMA, GHB, LSD, Rohypol, Ketamine, as well as alcohol, having a wide range of dangerous effects, as "no club drug is benign."
There are a variety of street names for these drugs - special K, vitamin K, jet (ketamine), G, liquid ecstasy, soap (GHB), roofies (Rohypol).

As said, these drugs are taken mainly by young adults in bars, parties, clubs etc, the main short term effect of these drugs are to "increase the enjoyment of the evening." The short term effects include -  euphoria, confidence, alertness for longer periods of time. The more risky short term effects are  - nausea and vomiting, excessive sweating, teeth grinding, hallucinations, and in extreme cases even seizures and coma.
The long term effects vary as there is a wide variety of stimulants with the group of club drugs. In general however, they result in increased risks of heart attacks, kidney, liver  and lung failure, high BP, memory loss, increased aggression and loss of appetite.

More specifically, Meth especially, leads to rotting of the body - teeth, face, skin as well as the insides in the long run. GHB can cause coma and seizures, Rohypol can lead to amnesia and delirium

Club drugs can be taken in a variety of ways, such as Meth can be taken in orally, or with water or alcohol,  in powder form, often GHB or Rohypol are mixed together with alcohol ( a very lethal combination, it results in overdose very quickly though the body doesn't feel it quickly enough), and can be injected into the body as well.

A survey by the NIDA found  that 0.5% of 8th graders, 0.6% of 10th graders, and 1.5% of 12th graders had abused Rohypnol; 0.6% of 8th graders, 0.6% of 10th graders, and 1.4% of 12th graders had abused GHB; and 1.0% of 8th graders, 1.1% of 10th graders, and 1.6% of 12th graders had abused Ketamine, drawing the conclusion that club drugs are some of the most dangerous drugs due to their ready availability, and as overdose of these drugs cannot be quantified, even more due to the environment in which they are taken.

In conclusion, for an average young adult, club drugs are the most dangerous due to the various factors listed above - cheap, accessible, taken in at bars, clubs, parties which hardly any young adult can avoid; and yet the consequences can be lethal, ruining their life and the lives of others surrounding them.

 SOURCES other than the NIDA website
http://www.druginfo.adf.org.au

THE MOST DANGEROUS DRUG - METH

I believe that Meth (Methamphetamine) is the most dangerous drug as it is cheap and thus readily accessible to people everywhere and once taken, it lasts much longer in the system than many other drugs. It doesn't kill immediately, but takes an extreme physical and mental toll on its users as Meth basically rots people's bodies - teeth, skin, face and also the insides, increases risks of liver and kidney failure, heart attacks, and several breathing problems. Also the bingeing of this durg has been proved to increase the risk of acquiring Parkinson's disease.
Along with being cheap and accessible (much due to clandestine labs and "meth cooks" who learned how to produce meth from household items), it is one of the very few drugs which can be taken in numerous ways - in alcohol or water or any other liquid, cigarettes, orally, in powder form and many more. A survey done in the US in 2009 found 1.2 million to have abused the drug, 1.2% of students in Grade 9, 1.6% in Grade 10 and close to 1% in Grade 11 and 12, which clearly shows the availability of this drug is much much more than other stimulants, making it one of the most dangerous.

Do you know really know what you eat?

What is food? How would you define it? According to Wikipedia.org, it is any substance that is consumed to provide nutritional support for the body. It is usually of animal or plant origin, and contains essential nutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, minerals and fats. In normal language, it is food that gives us energy, fills our tummy when hungry and keeps us alive and healthy. But what if you realize that the food that is supposedly good and nutritional is actually detrimental to your health, the human race, the animals themselves; the entire world?

Food, Inc. is a documentary based on agriculture and farming, and business associated with them. It starts off with the ills in the corporate production of chicken, beef and pork. And then moves on to the industrial production of crops like soybean and corn, calling both these practices economically and environmentally unsustainable and violating basic dignity.

It revealed all the mysteries, which none of us take the time to unravel in this ‘tick-tock, running around the clock’ world. (How the animals are slaughtered probably isn’t a mystery though, not for many at least.) None of us know where our food comes from, and probably will never know in all our lifetime. We think that the milk comes from the cow farm, and chicken and the egg from the poultry farm, the corn from the corn farm etc. Obviously, we are wronged. It is all from the same place. We might think we are buying from ten different companies, the oranges from one, the bread from another, the jams from yet another and the list is enormous. But again, we are wronged – it’s all from one or two super giant conglomerates, which are basically doing a wee bit less than monopolizing the entire food industry, or in one way or another monopolizing our livelihood.

You night say, who cares! I am getting my food, which is healthy and cheap, why do I care whether I buy from one company or many? Well, if you took the time to watch Food, Inc. then you’d probably understand. Healthy – don’t ever dream this true. One tiny example - the cows that you relish as beef in your burger, stands in its manure all day, week, months long. The bacteria transfers from that one cow to another when they all get slaughtered cut with the same knife. And since they all come from the same company thus the same farm and one colossal factory; it transfers into thousands of cows, coming right down to your plate. Cheap – yes, at the cost of unhealthy food which is the reason for the increasing amount of diabetics, dirty food plus the indefinite exploitation of the humans in the factories, as well the animals which are treated as if their existence is unimportant, we, humans are their kings and they our slaves. The documentary raised a valid point, “If we treat animals so disgustingly, the time isn’t far that we would treat our, fellow humans is such as manner too.”

Vegetarians might go yippy-yay that plants are not subjected to such brutality and they eat the “good food.” Well, against all the pre-assumed beliefs, this is awfully wrong. Heavy duty crops such as soybeans and corn are subjected to the same horror too. Mass production, unruly industrial conditions, stuffed into cows, chicken and other animals. Well, cows were not born to eat corn; they were programmed to eat grass. While you might not think this is majorly atrocious, well just compare, you, an ordinary human eats grains, veggies, chicken, ham, and then you are forced to eat cheetahs, lets say. It doesn’t seem so bad in the case of cows probably because they cannot express their dissent.

You may call this biased, or the clichéd “presenting only one side of the argument,” but let me ask you this, why did the colossal corporations like Tyson decline to be interviewed? Why did they not represent their point, and prove it right? Why didn’t they stand up for what they do? Probably because they know that they are wronging humanity year after year.

Food And Exercise Analysis - DAY 2

The daily plan is the same from the previous post.

ANALYSIS

Carbohydrates: As the previous day, I am again very high on carbohydrates, 230% of what I should be eating, and on this day I didn't even have very many whole grain carbs. Therefore, I think I should try to reduce this a little bit.

Proteins: Again about 1/44 of my diet consists of proteins, but this needs to be increased by a little bit as the mypyramid site suggests I have 5.5 ounces of meat, or other protein related food.

Fats: On this day also, I don't have much fat in my diet, which is mainly because I eat homecooked food. Thus I did well here!

Vitamins and Minerals: I did an okay job with these nutrients as well, most of them being close to 100% or above a 100%, but there are about 5 nutrients that are significantly low and I need to work on those.

On this day, I maintained by strengths from the last day - Vitamin C, Iron and Phosphorus was close to a 100% as well. Additionally, I did well in Vitamin A consuming 138% of the RDA. Vitamin A has numerous benefits - it strengthens the immune system, relieves eye disorders and benefits cell membranes and many other benefits.

My intake of Selenium was good as well - 216%, and this is advantageous as new research have claimed that selenium is one of the potent fighters of cancer as well as lowers risks of HIV/AIDS, heart diseases and prevents miscarriages.

I also had a good intake of Manganese with 297% of the RDA; it is a key mineral to preventing osteoporosis, improving memory power, works along with iron to increase haemoglobin and reduces fatigue levels. It also improves the absorption of Vitamin B and E in the body.

But I have several aspects to work on as well. As the previous day, I have a very high intake of sodium, which must be reduced or else could lead to, in the long run, to high BP, stroke, cardiovascular diseases, osteoporosis and gastric cancer as well - all leading towards an earlier death.

I should also like the previous time focus on calcium, Vitamin D and E due to the reasons stated in the previous post.

But this time around, I notice that I must work on my Potassium intake as it is key to a good Bp, preventing strokes, muscular strength and increased metabolism. In the long run, deficiency in this mineral could lead to muscle weakness, heart problems and most importantly an illness known as hypokalemic paralysis in which the entire body goes stiff.

And I should also pay attention to Vitamin B12 (only 62% of RDA) as deficiency in this could lead to damaged nerve cells, memory loss, dementia - a painful life basically.

As earlier, I must work on eating some more meats or protein based foods, as I lack the requirements in that section stated by the mypyramid site. On this day though, along with my "informal" exercise, I got a lot of "formal" exercise as well like swimming and playing badminton, which meets the requirements of the mypyramid site.

Once again, like the previous time, the problems remain the same - I had to choose bits and pieces of foods here and there as fitday is an American site, the way they think the foods were prepared probably isn't correct which leads to incorrect calorie count and nutrition count. And for the vItamin D (I was low in tis on both days), the site obviously doesn't take into account the exposure to sun - the biggest source of Vitamin D.

Food And Exercise Analysis - DAY 1

 

 

ANALYSIS

Carbohydrates: I ate more than I was required to, as I have 222% percent instead of the needed 100%, though I ate a number of whole grains carbohydrates which is quite good.

Proteins: 1/4 of my diet consists of protien as seen from the calorie chart, which is quite okay, but the mypyramid site recommends 5.5 ounces for me, almost close to the 6 ounces of grains, so I think I might need to add a serving of protein to my diet.

Fats: I do not have a whole lot of fats (thanks to my mom!), which is good.

Vitamins and Minerals: I did an okay job with my vitamins and minerals, as most were within expectation limits, but I am very low on some of the key vitamins - A (65%),D (50%)and E (54%), and on some key minerals - Calcium (47%) and Potassium (78%).

While irregularities can be danngerous, high or low, but some are not bad for health. For example, I have an exceptionally high intake of Vitamin C - 304%, which is an antioxidant, and lowers risks of cancer and heart disease. It also produces collagens which holds cells together and helps the immune system, noursishes the skin and gives it a glowing effect as well as protects the gums. "Experts say it is one of the safest and most effective vitamins!"

Another good aspect of my nutrition is my iron intake - 119%, as it helps in forming haemoglobin, strengthens the immune system, develops the health of the brain and improves metabolism. But I need to make sure I don't have a severe iron overdose as it can lead to liver failure. 

My phosphorus intake is 120%, which is good, as phosphorus is key to strength in bones and teeth along with calcium, helps in digestion and performs essential activities for the brain, kidney and the heart, however, a sever overdose can lead to calcium malabsorption as these two nutrients work side by side.

On my weak side, the one I need to work on most is my calcium intake - I have only 47% of what I should have. In the long run, this could lead to nervous system irritability, weaker bones and severe muscle aches and pains - leading to early body damage.

I should also focus my attention on my high sodium intake. Although, my intake is around 3,000 mg, and the recommended maximum is 2,400 mg (not a super huge difference), I should concentrate on limiting my intake as in the long run it could lead to high BP, stroke, cardiovascular diseases, osteoporosis and gastric cancer as well - all leading towards an earlier death.

Though I am deficient in both Vitamin D and E significantly, I think the more important one to focus on is Vitamin D, as significant deficiency in Vitamin E to lead to any major illness is very rare as nuts and oils such as sunflower, mustard oil have a lot of Vitamin E, which most people use anyways. Deficiency in Vitamin D can lead to rickets (softening of bones), breast cancer, Alzheimer's disease and many more serious problems.

To change these aspects of my diet, I must drink more milk or other high calcium food items, less salt in food and food rich in Vitamin D such as fatty fish like Salmon.

In totality, I would say I was within the range listed by the mypyramid site, maybe lacking a little bit on the meats. On the exercise though, the site says that I should get alteast 60 minutes of exercise, which I "formally" didn't, yet if the total amount of time in my exercise list (excluding sleeping and my lifestyle) it adds upto 2 hours. However, in order to be a healthier person, I must include some formal hours of exercise as most of my exercise isn't constant or continous, thus the calorie count probably is a little high than it should be. So, I should make it a point to go to the gym atleast for 30 - 40 minutes everyday.

There are many problems with this program's analysis of the food and the exercise. Firstly, I tend to eat mostly homecooked food, and the way my mom makes the food is definitely not the way this program sees it as it is 'Americanized.' Thus I had to select bits and pieces here and there, which probably doesn't accurately count the calories. For example, it says I take too much salt. I have been eating this food for years and by now, I should probably be seeing small BP increases over the years, going towards the high end, if not at the high end. My father is a very health conscious person, and he checks our family's BP once in a while - I am always on the low side even when sitting. And being from such a health conscious family, my mom does not put "too much salt" anyways.Then, this program considers me deficient in Vitamin D through my food, while the main source for this is the Sun and staying in a tropical country, and spending a relatively good amount of time in the Sun (studies say about 20 minuts good exposure is enough), I am sure that if this was put into account, my intake of Vitamin D would be much more.

Food Glorious Food

ARAYES CHICKEN

It is a Lebanese food - bread filled with tender chicken, garlic, onions, paprika served with a ground chickpea and olive oil paste.


CHOLE BHATURE

It is a primarily North Indian Dish which is a combination of spicy chickpeas and thin, crispy fried bread.


TANDOORI CHICKEN

Another Indian dish - it is chicken marinated in yogurt and tandoori masala (a mixture of various spices) and then grilled.


DOSA

A major South Indian dish. The dosa is made from a rice batter and once transformed onto its crispy texture, a stuffing of cooked/ boiled potatoes is put inside, then served with sambar, a preparation of spicy lentils and 3 chutneys.


DARK CHOCOLATE

This is my favorite dark chocolate, chocolat noir avec citron et poivre, as it contains the zing from lemon zest and juice and a mild burst of spice from the pepper!




RAJMA RICE

A simple preparation of rice served with a simple yet tasty preparation of kidney beans

INDIAN SWEETS

 

I like every single Indian sweet that possibly exists (there are millions!!!), aand they are soooo awesome!

COFFEE CAKE

My favorite cake!!!!! YUMM YUMM YUMM!!!!!

PANI PURI!!!!

The best of all!!!!!!!

Stress-Self Esteem-Coping-Depression-Suicide

In the 21st century, children, or better stated as teenagers are very vulnerable to suicidal thoughts due to the "going through too much with very little experience." However, many such teenagers have committed SUICIDE. Most teenagers go through too much STRESS in these years, relating to various issues such as peer pressure, appearance, school work load, time management, relationship issues and much more than accounted for, too much these young adults can COPE with; and slowly these issues result ultimately in low SELF-ESTEEM issues which over time lead to DEPRESSION.

Stressors: The Inventors of Traffic Jams Of Life

There are numerous things/ people/ situations that stress me out - results in a unfocused, frustrated me.


STRESSORS

• Bad Grades or an overall bad GPA
• Unstable friendships
• Fights with really close friends
• Fights between my parents
• Studying for massive massive tests
• When I realize that I have done something wrong
• Parents getting mad at me
• In general when I am not able to live up to certain expectation bars
• Deadlines for massive 20-page lab reports
• Comparing myself to the "image" the world respects
• Thinking about what my future would/ could be
• Deciding on what field to major in
• Decide on where to go for university, and thus plan the last 2 years of schooling accordingly

COPING WITH THE STRESS

• Listen to good music
• Watch TV/ movie
• Talk on the phone to my closest friends
• Play with my brother
• Go to bed
• Moderate Work outs
• Go walking with my family to a nice place (KLCC park)
• Read a novel
• Just forget about everything and chill

Stress, Depression and Suicide: IN THE NEWS

Loneliness is "hidden killer of elderly

By: Sean Coughlan, a BBC news education and family correspondent

BBC News Website

1 February 2011

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-12324231

SUMMARY

A recent study has found out that loneliness amongst the elderly is a catalyst for depression, bad diets and lack of exercise. This causes various cardio-vascular problems for these elderly people and the lack of social interaction, "a tenth of elderly people see their friends or families less than once a month" is directly linked with the prominence of Alzheimer's disease. A group of charities have lauched a campaign - Campaign to End Loneliness, which is advocating for loneliness to be recognized as a public health problem that not only mentally makes one a weaker person but physically weakens our immune systems along with the other life-threatening diseases listed above, overall killing the elderly earlier.

THE BIGGER PICTURE
Like many other ageing problems, isolation needs to addressed to the mass public as we all perceive loneliness as something without any substantial affect on us, a mere state of mind which would pass away, but through his research we can clearly see that is not the case. We need to recognize the serious ills that are caused  - depression, heart attack, Alzheimer's, and realize how life-threatening they are, basically killing us earlier. Everybody needs to make a conscious choice, I believe, in deciding their lifestyle - is leaving your mom/dad, grandpa/grandma, in home, or better stated as mere 4 walls, worth their health? Worth their life?

PERSONAL CONNECTION
I feel really strongly about this article as my grandparents live away from me, and this research makes me realize that while I am in Malaysia, hoping to go to college and all my future plans, back "home" my grandparents are suffocating to death - not seeing their families for months. This article makes me realize what affect loneliness is having on their health other than the "sadness." It makes me wonder, is this the right thing to do?

Stress: The Portrait Of A Killer

Science has developed a kaleidoscope of different fields of research which in some way or the other have shaped who human beings are today. The study of the effects of stress by neurologists is one that could be a society changing research. Stress is something that we all suffer from. Exams, graduation, peer pressure, constant nagging from our parents to excel, giving performances, public speaking, yelling and shouting bosses in companies, the overall stress of leading a good life, form a core part of being human. Since childhood through school, or sports or mere leisure we basically learn that “Life is a race, If you don’t run fast enough, Others will crush you,” which then becomes the motto of our life – to be the best, leading to a life-long traffic jam in which everyone is trying their level best to beat the others. Whether distress or eustress, one must agree that the world without stress would be utopia, a lofty goal, unachievable.

The two main reasons that were mentioned in this video was the hierarchical and occupational connection to stress. And the research was conducted on mammals, much like us in habits, who are definitely easier to study than a bunch of humans – BABOONS! While this may not yet be applicable to us students, the results of stress were just dumbfounding – people who have a high position with a lot of control tend to have less stress than lower ranked people who seemingly have no control in their hands. This results in low esteem and many other psychological effects but physically other than cardiovascular diseases, high BP and heart rate; it also adds fat in our abdomen, which the most harmful type of fat possible and IT KILLS OUR HIPPOCAMPUS, DECREASING OUR WONDERFUL POWER TO REMEMBER THINGS!! The results of these arduous 30 year research warn us that stress isn’t a part of our life that will extinguish as we move along, leaving us unscathed. The biggest evidence of this was provided by the “children of the Dutch Hunger.” In 1944, when the cruel, malicious strategy was made to starve the country to death, the foetuses inside the mother’s womb had already been exposed to stress as the mother starved and starved, managed an entire day on a bowl of gruel. The kids born during the Hunger or soon after it were known as the Dutch Hunger kids. Having kept all these babies in meticulous records, scientists have tracked that these children, now grown-ups, are more susceptible to cardiovascular attacks, have a high BP and Heart rate as their nervous systems had been altered when they were mere foetuses! And while the Hippocampus incident was an astounding shock, it might be a heart attack for some people to realise that STRESS FRAZZLES OUR CHAROMOSOMES AWAY!! Stress takes away the things that we are coded with – killing us! But there is a beacon of light shining – less stress, happiness, peace can also heal these chromosomes and repair them.

So what is the antidote to saving our lives? Finding a place where YOU have control, where YOU don’t feel overpowered by YOUR surroundings, somewhere where YOU are just YOU, enjoying the beauty of life!

Health Interview with Mamma!

For this health assignment, I chose to interview my mother who has always been my role model in maintaining a healthy lifestyle while coping with her busy schedule. :)

1. Have you always been as healthy as you are now?

Yes. When I was young, I used to play sports like football or used to go cycling along with friends every evening, and I also used to attend weekly yoga classes. Now, managing the entire household and your 1 year old brother that is obviously not possible. But I go for walk once every 2 days at the KLCC Park and meditate for 30 minutes in the morning when your brother is dozing off.

2. What particular health habits in the following areas do you practice, that contribute to your level of health?
Nutritional Habits – I think this is my strongest aspect as I eat very healthily. I refrain eating outside, basically I don’t eat outside at all, maybe once a month! This means I rely on my cooking food, and I use as little oil, butter, ghee or other fatty food in the food in order to feed myself and my family healthily. I also eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, and maintain the strict routine of 3 meals a day at about the same time everyday, however I eat in between as well.

Fitness Habits – As I said earlier, considering my duties, I think what I do is satisfactory doing for walks once in 2 days and meditating everyday for 30 mins.

Coping with Stress – I am really bad in this as I am very short tempered! *laughs* But ignoring that fact, I try to stay calm and think things through before acting, even though that rarely happens! :P

Dealing with Conflicts – I believe that stress and conflicts go side by side. So if I’m bad at one, I surely can’t be good in the other one! But I indeed try to relax and calm down, as I know my hotheadedness could lead to something terribly wrong, and this works at times.

Keeping a Positive Attitude – Regardless of whatever happens, I firmly believe there is more good in this world than bad. Therefore I keep a positive attitude and maintain it my keeping my spiritual side relaxed which I often do with the help of yoga or listening to simple orchestral music or classic symphonies.

Any Additional Healthy Habits – “Early to sleep, early to rise makes a person healthy, wealthy and wise!”

3. How did you develop these habits?
With time. I learnt all this as I went along with life and it guided me as to how to live a healthy life as one is not in the same position and responsibilities throughout their life.

4. What motivates you to practice a healthy lifestyle?
To be there by my family’s side forever ,I know I need to be a healthy person. To keep them happy I know I need to be a healthy person and so I try to be one.


5. What advice would you give me for being healthy as a teenager?

Keeping in mind that you are in Grade 10 and soon would go into IB, it would be very lofty to say that you should exercise for 2 hours everyday, as that would conflict with your studies, which are your main concern right now. However, I think for these 2 ½ years, you should at least exercise 30 minutes a day, which could comprise of anything, aerobics, your dance classes, your occasional playing of football or badminton, jogging, brisk walking, playing with your brother, or anything else. This would not only keep you a healthy person, taking care of your physical aspect but would also help you perform better as a student as you will have greater peace of mind. 1. Have you always been as healthy as you are now?

How Healthy Am I??

Having learnt the 6 components of the Wellness Wheel,Physical, Intellectual, Occupational, Emotional, Spiritual and Social, it is time for me to evaluate my wellness. I however, would like to say that this is sheerly based on time, as many of the categories such as emotional and social wellness change with time, and thus I would keep this post updated as much as possible.
1) Physical: 3.5 
I am fit, and play occasional sports, maybe once or twice workout in the gym, but I feel that I can improve my physical wellness by exercising regularly, and thus, I give myself a score of 3.5
2) Intellectual: 4
I would give myself a score of 4 as I believe that I have dealt considerably well in handling the highs and the lows, as in any teenager's life. I feel that I have made mostly right choices while dealing with my peers through tough times, though one does make mistakes at times, and I have learnt from them!
3) Occupational: 5
I am greatly elated with my life as a student!! It is the place where I want to be forever, even though I can't...I dream of life in university, which would also count as being a student!
4) Emotional: 1
I try to be a better person with an optimistic look towards the world, if in normal circumstances. But when people surrounding my life bog down my life in a mess, I cannot find that optimistic look towards the world. I would like to keep that hope alive, but simply give up to the circumstances. 
5) Spiritual: 2
I seriously do not know the purpose of my existence, what I am to do with my life, and I do not think I will have the answer to this anytime in the near future. I, however, to believe in spirituality and have firm belief in finding the 'inner self.' Maybe I could find my spiritual wellness when I have time for it (which surely I don't right now)???
6) Social: 4
I have some great friends, on whom I can rely on anything, but I do miss my friends in India, and wish that I could have them back!
Total wellness: 19.5