Here I am living in a VIRTUAL world at UCSB’s lab!
Here is what I am reading today:
“You are what you eat,” the saying goes, but is what you eat playing a role in how much you sleep? Sleep, like nutrition and physical activity, is a critical determinant of health and well-being. With the increasing prevalence of obesity and its consequences, sleep researchers have begun to explore the factors that predispose individuals to weight gain and ultimately obesity. Now, a new study from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania shows for the first time that certain nutrients may play an underlying role in short and long sleep duration and that people who report eating a large variety of foods – an indicator of an overall healthy diet – had the healthiest sleep patterns. The new research is published online, ahead-of-print in the journal Appetite.”
“Multiple sclerosis, a brain disease that affects over 400,000 Americans, causes movement difficulties and many neurologic symptoms. MS has two key elements: The nerves that direct muscular movement lose their electrical insulation (the myelin sheath) and cannot transmit signals as effectively. And many of the long nerve fibers, called axons, degenerate.”
“Artificially sweetened sodas have been linked to a higher risk of Type 2 diabetes for women than sodas sweetened with ordinary sugar, a French study unveiled on Thursday found.”
“First dates are generally the date where you get to know each other. So, dinner and something where the two of you can talk would be good. Some would say movie, but I’d say not. You can’t talk during a movie……”
4 Comments
Steph S · February 10, 2013 at 3:00 pm
I really enjoyed readying the Wiki Answer for what one should do on a first date. I agree that a movie is a bad idea. In a movie you can’t talk and you don’t get to know the person at all. You just zone out and are both in your own little words. I could go to a movie with my Dad and it would be just as intimate. I think dinner and a walk is always a good first date. Farmer’s market is also a good first date because there is so much to see and you can walk around, watch entertainment and get a bite to eat. I think as long as the date promotes conversation and interactions between both people than it is probably going to be a good date if you both like each other. Keep in simple the first date, and then step it up on the next ones☺
Steph S · February 10, 2013 at 3:13 pm
In response to: “Do we eat to dream”
I found it very interesting that the level of food variety played a role in sleep patterns. However I don’t think one can just say more variety equal better or longer sleep because it’s the type of variety that matters. If one has a variety of just pure junk food, say eats anything from brownies, to chips, to candy I doubt that they would be healthier and sleep better. I think it’s more about balance than variety. It’s fascinating how much control we can have over our sleep with just our diet. It would be interesting to see a study where the quality or quantity of sleep would change with certain diet supplements. Diet supplements are becoming a huge fad, so it would be interesting to see if any had a negative affect on sleep.
kfrance · February 10, 2013 at 5:29 pm
I agree that on a first date you should do something that allows you to get to know the person, unless you were friends already. I still think it is important to talk to someone you are dating to get a feel for a connection or likes and dislikes. I have experienced times where I thought I would be a good match for someone, until we actually got to talking and got to know each other and realized it just was not going to work. I think a movie is a lame excuse for a first date because you have no opportunity to talk unless dinner was also included. I think a kiss on the first date is not always a bad thing. A kiss to me, is a good indicator as to whether I have chemistry with someone or not.
Crystal · February 18, 2013 at 4:01 am
In the first article, I was not surprised to read that having a healthy diet leads to healthier sleep patterns. In my personal experience, I may not have many meals in a day yet stay up late at night and get the minimum to no sleep for the following day. Eating may definitely be a factor into my sleep patterns. I may consider changing some habits and test this out myself.