Tag Archives: mind
Will John Boehner’s Growing Family Change His Mind About Marijuana Policy?
The more people you know who use marijuana, the harder it becomes to say that they should be arrested for possessing it. After all, the vast majority of marijuana users are productive and otherwise law-abiding members of society. This fact has become increasingly evident as more and more people come out of the “cannabis closet” and become open about their experiences with the substance.
Dominic Lakhan
Last Friday, House Speaker John Boehner’s daughter Lindsay married Dominic Lakhan, a Jamaican-born construction worker. Lakhan was arrested for possession of a small amount of marijuana in 2006.
Rep. John Boehner
Is it possible that Boehner, who has consistently opposed marijuana policy reform, will start to come around now that he has a convicted marijuana user for a son-in-law? Does he think Lakhan is better off with an arrest record or that Lakhan deserves to be arrested again for using marijuana? Would he care about how it affects his daughter? Only time will tell.
Let’s hope his experience is similar to that of Republican Senator Rob Portman, who changed his stance on gay marriage after learning that his son is gay. While this position initially caused a slight loss in approval among Republicans in his state, the growing acceptance of gay marriage (which has been nearly mirrored by the increasing support for marijuana policy reform) could actually help him in the long run.
Politicians’ thinking traditionally lags far behind the general public on social issues, but it gets a little harder to ignore when that thinking hurts your own family.
Have scientists found a way to read your mind?
Many who saw the movie “Minority Report” experienced two distinct reactions: first, “Please, this is pure science fiction” and then, “There but for the grace of God…” Really, how many of us have not fantasized at least once about what we would do if we ever came upon that guy who stole our car? And maybe on a trip to Best Buy, you imagined for a second what it would be like to just pick up that 60-inch DLP out-of-the-box set, hoist it on your back and walk out of the store. Would you get tackled by a salesperson?
But these are just passing thoughts, even the stuff of jokes. They’re not actually plans, right? The distinction between the two is just a part of the ethical debate surrounding a study published in the journal Current Biology in February 2007, which reports the findings of an experiment on reading people’s intentions. The study, led by John-Dylan Haynes of the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive Brain Sciences in Germany, shows that through brain scans and corresponding computer software designed to correlate specific brain activity with specific thoughts, researchers are able to read people’s intentions with great accuracy.
How did they do it? Find out on the next page.
Keep Food Safety in Mind This Memorial Day Weekend
SATURDAY May 26, 2012 — Picnics, parades and cookouts are as much a part of Memorial Day weekend as tributes to the United States’ war veterans.
But, before tucking into that leafy, green salad or strawberry shortcake, remember that fresh fruits and vegetables can become contaminated with harmful pathogens that cause food poisoning, such as E. Coli, salmonella, listeria and norovirus, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The contamination occurs during harvesting and can even affect fruits and vegetables grown locally or in a home garden, the group noted.
“One in six Americans gets sick every year from foodborne pathogens that you cannot see, smell or taste but are everywhere. Eating any contaminated product — even produce labeled as organic or locally grown — can lead to food poisoning or even death,” Sarah Krieger, registered dietitian and academy spokeswoman, said in an academy news release. “Fruits and vegetables are an important part of a healthy eating plan, and should fill half of your plate, but just like any food product, extra precautions should be taken to reduce the risk of food poisoning.”
To help ensure that Americans safely buy, store and prepare produce, the academy, in collaboration with ConAgra, offered the following tips:
- Avoid produce with mold, bruises or cuts that can harbor bacteria.
- Buy loose produce rather than pre-packaged.
- Wash and dry all fruits and vegetables (even pre-packaged produce) with cool tap water before preparing or eating.
- Use a knife to cut away any damaged areas on fruit or vegetables.
The experts added that when preparing fresh produce, it’s important to avoid cross-contamination with other raw foods.
“Cross-contamination can lead to food poisoning when juices from raw foods like meat, poultry or chicken come in contact with ready-to-eat foods like raw produce,” Krieger said. “Using two cutting boards and a color-code system can help: one color cutting board for raw meats; and the other for your fruits and vegetables.”
The group also pointed out that cooked fruits and vegetables should be discarded after three to four days to avoid food poisoning. They advised people to label produce with an “eat by” date to ensure they know when food is no longer safe to eat.
More information
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides more information on foodborne illness in the United States.
Posted: May 2012
Five Retailers Agree to Stop Sale and Recall Tots in Mind Crib Tents Due to Strangulation and Entrapment Hazard
One death and a serious brain injury reported. The crib and play yard tents can trap and strangle infants and toddlers if the dome portion inverts inside the product or if the tent becomes partially detached.
US Consumer Product Safety Commission – Recent Recalls and Product Safety News
Healthy Body, Healthy Mind: Brain Tips for Seniors
8 lifestyle tips to help protect against dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
Americans are living longer than ever before. And healthy seniors can look forward to many years of active life, thanks to the ability to repair or replace damaged joints, remove cataracts, treat heart problems, and other advances.
But there’s a downside. Because we are living longer, we’re more likely to suffer from age-related memory loss and dementia such as Alzheimer’s disease. For many seniors, dementia is the worst fear of old age.
Keeping Seniors Safe in Their Own Homes
Does your home seem less accommodating than it used to? Join the club. That tends to happen as we age. Toilets are suddenly too low, cabinets too high, and steps and loose rugs make getting around perilous, especially if you have stiff, arthritic joints. Karen Kassik discovered this in 2002, when she brought her then 66-year-old mother to live in her two-bedroom home in Winter Park, Fla. “I found out very quickly how inadequate this little house was,” she recalls. Kassik, 45, used her background…
Read the Keeping Seniors Safe in Their Own Homes article > >
Research shows that the risk of some cognitive problems is inherited. But there’s also evidence that a healthy lifestyle and good medical care may help keep the mind, like the body, active and vital well into old age. WebMD went to the experts to get the latest advice. Here are eight ways to keep your mind as sharp as possible.
1. Stay Physically Active
By keeping your heart, lungs, and blood vessels healthy, exercise helps ensure that all parts of the body, including brain cells, receive the oxygen and nutrients they need.
“A healthy brain really depends on a healthy body,” says Aron Troen, PhD, a neuroscientist at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University. “If blood supply is impaired to the brain because of vascular damage, it’s clear that it won’t function as well. Physical activity is crucial.”
In fact, a healthy circulatory system may be particularly important for a healthy mind. Although the brain represents only about 2% percent of body weight, it uses about 25% of the energy we consume. So maintaining a healthy cardiovascular system to deliver that energy is critically important. Keeping muscles fit also matters. In a 2009 study of 900 seniors, researchers at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago reported that those who maintained muscle strength were significantly less likely to go on to develop memory impairment or Alzheimer’s disease.
2. Challenge Your Mind
The old saying “use it or lose it” applies to our brain and muscles alike. “Many new lines of research show that the human brain has much more plasticity than previously thought,” says Troen.
In many ways, it’s like a muscle. Challenging the brain to learn new things — by reading, taking up a language, doing crossword puzzles, or playing a musical instrument, for example — can help keep the brain and informational processing in top form and may even reshape brain circuitry.
3. Eat a Diet Abundant in Fruits and Vegetables
Researchers are only beginning to understand the many healthful components in plant-based foods that help protect against chronic diseases. For a healthy brain, antioxidants such as vitamin C, E, and A may be especially important. Dozens of studies have shown that foods high in antioxidants, such as blueberries and walnuts, slow age-related decline of brain function in laboratory animals.
“Antioxidants clearly prevent or delay oxidative damage,” says Troen. “Again, that may be especially important for brain health. Since the brain is the most metabolically active organ in the body, it is exposed to the most oxidative stress. The brain also contains high levels of lipids, or fats, which are especially prone to oxidative damage.”
