No Fat Living

© Photo: Getty Images/Jamie McCarthy 60th Annual GRAMMY Awards - Arrivals

For some, decompressing might look like whipping up a gourmet dinner, slapping on a face mask, or making time for a matcha date with your gal pals. Lady Gaga's self-care tastes are decidedly more Halloween-appropriate though: In a recent video with Vogue, the mega-pop star revealed that queueing up a spine-chilling horror movie is her definition of unwinding. And, because this preference is decidedly relatable to oh-so-many folks leading up to the spookiest holiday of the year, I decided to ask a couple experts why one might seek comfort in the horrifying.

According to Nancy Irwin, PsyD, a member of the Los Angeles County Psychological Association, this movie genre may soothe the viewer for a variety of reasons. One possibility: Seeing bad things play out on screen assures us that we're not alone. "Otherwise, we feel others' lives are perfect and bad stuff only happens to us," says the expert. Second, "deep down, we may feel we are 'exercising' this muscle to prepare for if and when the bad stuff does happen to us," Dr. Irwin explains. She adds that simulating a fight or flight response may be satisfying on some subconscious level, especially for those who have suffered from past traumas.

Lastly, the preference might just come down to your genetic makeup. According to Dr. Irwin, being born with the "thrill seeker gene" biologically predisposes individuals to thrive on the adrenaline. And thus, when the protagonist in the movie inanely follows the murderer into the basement, you just *cannot* look away. Michael Breus, PhD, a clinical psychologist, adds that another gene might be a factor as well. "There are people who have a personality trait called ‘Sensation Seeking.’ These are the people who seem to really both enjoy and get some weird form of relaxation from watching scary movies," he says.

"Horror movies are not in and of themselves 'bad.' They serve a purpose for some people, and should be avoided by others, and everything in between." — Nancy Irwin, PsyD

While we can't possibly know which psychological factors pertain to Lady Gaga, in particular, consider puzzling over your own mental processes next time you tuck in for a viewing of The Conjuring, The Silence of the Lambs, or your frightening blockbuster of choice. If you're more into rom-coms than gore, though, Dr. Irwin recommends following your instincts and keeping in mind that they may change over time. For instance, after becoming a parent, you might no longer be able to stomach scene after scene of violence. "Horror movies are not in and of themselves 'bad.' They serve a purpose for some people and should be avoided by others, and everything in between," she concludes. Consider that next time you peer pressure your bestie into a Saw marathon.

© Photo: Getty Images/Jamie McCarthy 60th Annual GRAMMY Awards - Arrivals

For some, decompressing might look like whipping up a gourmet dinner, slapping on a face mask, or making time for a matcha date with your gal pals. Lady Gaga's self-care tastes are decidedly more Halloween-appropriate though: In a recent video with Vogue, the mega-pop star revealed that queueing up a spine-chilling horror movie is her definition of unwinding. And, because this preference is decidedly relatable to oh-so-many folks leading up to the spookiest holiday of the year, I decided to ask a couple experts why one might seek comfort in the horrifying.

According to Nancy Irwin, PsyD, a member of the Los Angeles County Psychological Association, this movie genre may soothe the viewer for a variety of reasons. One possibility: Seeing bad things play out on screen assures us that we're not alone. "Otherwise, we feel others' lives are perfect and bad stuff only happens to us," says the expert. Second, "deep down, we may feel we are 'exercising' this muscle to prepare for if and when the bad stuff does happen to us," Dr. Irwin explains. She adds that simulating a fight or flight response may be satisfying on some subconscious level, especially for those who have suffered from past traumas.

Lastly, the preference might just come down to your genetic makeup. According to Dr. Irwin, being born with the "thrill seeker gene" biologically predisposes individuals to thrive on the adrenaline. And thus, when the protagonist in the movie inanely follows the murderer into the basement, you just *cannot* look away. Michael Breus, PhD, a clinical psychologist, adds that another gene might be a factor as well. "There are people who have a personality trait called ‘Sensation Seeking.’ These are the people who seem to really both enjoy and get some weird form of relaxation from watching scary movies," he says.

"Horror movies are not in and of themselves 'bad.' They serve a purpose for some people, and should be avoided by others, and everything in between." — Nancy Irwin, PsyD

While we can't possibly know which psychological factors pertain to Lady Gaga, in particular, consider puzzling over your own mental processes next time you tuck in for a viewing of The Conjuring, The Silence of the Lambs, or your frightening blockbuster of choice. If you're more into rom-coms than gore, though, Dr. Irwin recommends following your instincts and keeping in mind that they may change over time. For instance, after becoming a parent, you might no longer be able to stomach scene after scene of violence. "Horror movies are not in and of themselves 'bad.' They serve a purpose for some people and should be avoided by others, and everything in between," she concludes. Consider that next time you peer pressure your bestie into a Saw marathon.

© Photo: Getty Images/Jamie McCarthy 60th Annual GRAMMY Awards - Arrivals

For some, decompressing might look like whipping up a gourmet dinner, slapping on a face mask, or making time for a matcha date with your gal pals. Lady Gaga's self-care tastes are decidedly more Halloween-appropriate though: In a recent video with Vogue, the mega-pop star revealed that queueing up a spine-chilling horror movie is her definition of unwinding. And, because this preference is decidedly relatable to oh-so-many folks leading up to the spookiest holiday of the year, I decided to ask a couple experts why one might seek comfort in the horrifying.

According to Nancy Irwin, PsyD, a member of the Los Angeles County Psychological Association, this movie genre may soothe the viewer for a variety of reasons. One possibility: Seeing bad things play out on screen assures us that we're not alone. "Otherwise, we feel others' lives are perfect and bad stuff only happens to us," says the expert. Second, "deep down, we may feel we are 'exercising' this muscle to prepare for if and when the bad stuff does happen to us," Dr. Irwin explains. She adds that simulating a fight or flight response may be satisfying on some subconscious level, especially for those who have suffered from past traumas.

Lastly, the preference might just come down to your genetic makeup. According to Dr. Irwin, being born with the "thrill seeker gene" biologically predisposes individuals to thrive on the adrenaline. And thus, when the protagonist in the movie inanely follows the murderer into the basement, you just *cannot* look away. Michael Breus, PhD, a clinical psychologist, adds that another gene might be a factor as well. "There are people who have a personality trait called ‘Sensation Seeking.’ These are the people who seem to really both enjoy and get some weird form of relaxation from watching scary movies," he says.

"Horror movies are not in and of themselves 'bad.' They serve a purpose for some people, and should be avoided by others, and everything in between." — Nancy Irwin, PsyD

While we can't possibly know which psychological factors pertain to Lady Gaga, in particular, consider puzzling over your own mental processes next time you tuck in for a viewing of The Conjuring, The Silence of the Lambs, or your frightening blockbuster of choice. If you're more into rom-coms than gore, though, Dr. Irwin recommends following your instincts and keeping in mind that they may change over time. For instance, after becoming a parent, you might no longer be able to stomach scene after scene of violence. "Horror movies are not in and of themselves 'bad.' They serve a purpose for some people and should be avoided by others, and everything in between," she concludes. Consider that next time you peer pressure your bestie into a Saw marathon.

While I was in college, I never missed a bill. My rent was always on time, and if I ate ramen, it was because I wanted to, not because I had to. I received my undergraduate degree one semester earlier than projected, with a GPA above 3.0. I felt like I was good with money, a good student, and had otherwise adequately prepared myself for life after college.

So, the summer after graduation, my two roommates and I decided not to renew our lease. I knew it would be difficult to live alone, considering I usually had $100-$200 in my bank account between paychecks, but after consulting a careful budget, I decided that I could afford it.

Things were okay at first. Though I currently have a job, and it pays the bills, I know that it’s not something I will do long term. I didn’t build any savings in school, which puts a lot of extra pressure on me to stick to my already-tight budget. Considering my income has remained the same, but my living expenses have almost tripled, I took a look back at some of my habits that left me broke and somewhat directionless during school and one and a half years later.

1. Treating Money Like A “Broke College Kid”

The first thing I noticed: I still have about $100 in my checking after necessities are taken care of. This doesn’t match up, because, as I said, my living expenses have nearly tripled while my income has stayed the same. Realistically, I know that having $100 in between paychecks is a financial security that a lot of people don’t have. I knew fellow students who put all of their money into rent and bills and barely had anything left over, so no matter how savvy they were with their money, they were going to be broke. I also knew students in worse financial situations.

A lot of people, including myself, who called themselves Broke College Kids were actually just bad with money. I worked about 30 hours a week in college, took full course-loads each semester, and worked at a student-run literary magazine. I was stressed out and exhausted All. The. Time. So whenever my bank account showed that I had more than $200, I ended up spending it until I was back to about $100. Since I knew that I could survive off of it, any extra money was considered spending money, instead of saving money.

Because I was always stressed, I was looking for some kind of magical remedy to make me feel good, and I ended up buying into the rise of “self-care” products being marketed to young women. However, no under-eye mask or lavender-scented candle could heal my stress, and self-care should not be synonymous with poor money management. I’ve since learned that face masks made from kitchen staples are less harsh on my skin than store-bought ones, and I really can’t tell the difference between a $20 bottle of wine and a $3 bottle. What actually calms me down is reading some Alice Munro, having a good conversation with a close friend, or taking a nice, warm bath — and each of those activities is 100% free.

This habit of mindlessly spending kept me broke at the time, and since I thought I was broke, I didn’t think I was able to save money, which, of course, is screwing me over currently.

2. Getting Approval From Everyone Before Making Decisions

I am terrified by the possibility of ever disappointing or being judged harshly by someone I respect. Because of that fear, whenever I have to make a big decision for myself, I consider how others might respond before I consider if it is the right decision for me.

For example, whenever someone would inevitably ask what I was planning on doing with my Philosophy major, I would say something similar to: “It’s one of the highest accepted majors for law school” or “if you apply yourself in any major you can find something.” Though these are great ways to shut people up, they didn’t actually answer the question. I didn’t intend on going to law school, and I was hardly applying myself for a career that required that specific degree. But as long as people saw that I was thinking practically, I figured I’d be less likely to disappoint them. There are many opportunities I passed on because I didn’t think that my family, close friends, or advisers would see them as beneficial.

It has taken me almost 24 years to realize this, but the people who want to support you will support you, and the ones who want to judge you will judge you. As the popular saying goes, “Those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.”

3. Needing To Have Everything Figured Out

One of the ways I considered if a decision was practical was if I could not see myself failing at it in order to avoid embarrassment or personal disappointment. I would consider the benefits of doing said thing but wouldn’t think about how I would feel while doing it. Most of the decisions I made with that logic — trying to double major, getting a second job, taking on more courses — lasted maybe a month before I lost motivation and quit.

I didn’t try to pursue long-term opportunities for creative writing or film studies, for instance, even though they motivated and excited me. I thought it was highly unlikely that I would be able to secure a career as a writer or in film, and thought it even more unlikely to be taken seriously in any other field if that’s what I studied. Now that I’m applying for jobs that I want and, more importantly, know I would be good at in my life after college, I see that most of them seek out writing experience and knowledge of video editing.

There were a few times that I was unable to plan for a carefully thought out decision, such as when I needed to find roommates ASAP or when I chose my major. Those snap decisions ended up being the ones that usually stuck. I don’t advocate blind spontaneity, but the decisions I made spontaneously were ones that felt right in the moment, even if they were bold. I’ve noticed that people who have conviction in their choices will often fail a lot. But, after they fail? They move on, learn from the experience, and proceed to try and try again, this time with more knowledge, one step closer to their goal. And when they fail, at least they fail while doing something they want to do.

4. Buying into “Burnout Culture” and Not Taking Breaks When Needed

Twice during school, I burned myself out. My mind was constantly overwhelmed, and I was unable to concentrate on anything. I was so exhausted physically and mentally that I couldn’t get out of bed for more than two or three hours. These periods lasted about a month each.

The first time it happened, I sought help from mental health professionals. I was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder and depression, and I have since been treating with therapy and medication. The second time this happened, I had more resources available to guide me through the stress, and was taking all of the correct steps to manage it, yet I was still struggling.

Well, I took most of the right steps. The step I didn’t consider? Taking a fucking break. Admitting that I was too stressed out seemed like a taboo. I was in college, I was supposed to be stressed out. Hell, I was in Honors College. Stress was something you bragged about. So I tried to power through. I ended up withdrawing from one course, failing one course, and not doing so well on the other three. I was not in a state of mind to prioritize anything, and my wallet took a hit. Because of my GPA dropping, I was kicked out of honors. While I was trying to maintain course work that semester, I had no energy to apply for internships, make friends with professors, or take advantage of any other opportunity that is usually presented in excess at college.

“Burnout culture” is essentially the idea that in order to be successful, you must sacrifice your mental wellbeing, personal relationships, and morals. It is not sustainable. I burned myself out, twice, and ended up much worse because of it. There are steps you can take at most universities to accommodate mental illnesses, including securing scholarships, financial aid, and academic standings, if you need to temporarily withdraw.

Though I knew this at the time, I didn’t think people took advantage of it. In the thick of it, dropping out of class seemed like the worst thing I could do. I already felt like a failure, and admitting defeat seemed like another blow to my ego. Years removed, several close friends have told me that they were granted accommodations or took time off school to treat their mental illness(es), and they are all better for it.

I would like to advise anyone to not buy into the idea that you have to constantly keep going at something that is burning you out, especially if it weakens your ability to do other things. As the great Ron Swanson said, “Never half-ass two things. Whole-ass one thing.” And though I disagree with a lot of Swansonisms, this one is pretty solid.

Hayley Stevenson works as a legal assistant in Louisville, Kentucky. She spends her non-work life traveling, cooking, and writing. Follow her on Instagram @glowingredtoe.

Image via Unsplash

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Source: https://thefinancialdiet.com/4-habits-broke-directionless-life-after-college/

Just like humans, animals have been known to develop health issues when under a great deal of stress. Further, when animals who are meant to roam freely in the wild are taken into captivity, it stresses the creatures out and often results in decreased health.

For instance, it is common for elephants living in captivity to suffer from conditions such as deadly foot disease and arthritis as well as to engage in stress-related repetitive behaviors. And now, for what veterinarians believe is likely the first time ever, the extreme stress experienced by one captive elephant has actually led the animal to develop high blood pressure.

The poor pachyderm in question is a 40-year-old elephant named Megan who has been on display at the Kansas City Zoo for years. Back in December of 2017, after Megan collapsed in her enclosure, veterinarians ran tests on her and found that she had heart abnormalities and significantly elevated blood pressure. After further testing, they concluded that Megan most likely had an adrenal tumor.

Unfortunately, there is no current technology that would allow veterinarians to safely operate on the gentle giant in order to remove the tumor, so Megan’s condition is being treated with medication designed to control her hypertension and other symptoms.

The blood pressure medication that Megan has been prescribed is actually the same type that is given to humans. And just as the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that humans with hypertension do, Megan should ideally be walking around regularly in order to help with her condition, as she would be doing in the wild. Plus, measures should be taken to help the tense elephant de-stress; in other words, she definitely shouldn’t have to be in a zoo where she is gawked at and harassed by tourists day in and day out.

Megan’s existence at the Kansas City Zoo is far from natural, and it’s clearly taking a serious toll on both her physical and mental well-being. If she were relocated to a sanctuary, however, this sweet elephant would most certainly be far healthier and happier, as she would have much more room to romp around and would finally get some peace and quiet.

If you’d like to help give Megan the relaxing, natural life she deserves for the rest of her days, please add your signature to this Care2 petition urging the Kansas City Zoo to arrange for this adorable elephant to be moved to a sanctuary!

Image Source: Pexels 

Related

Just like humans, animals have been known to develop health issues when under a great deal of stress. Further, when animals who are meant to roam freely in the wild are taken into captivity, it stresses the creatures out and often results in decreased health.

For instance, it is common for elephants living in captivity to suffer from conditions such as deadly foot disease and arthritis as well as to engage in stress-related repetitive behaviors. And now, for what veterinarians believe is likely the first time ever, the extreme stress experienced by one captive elephant has actually led the animal to develop high blood pressure.

The poor pachyderm in question is a 40-year-old elephant named Megan who has been on display at the Kansas City Zoo for years. Back in December of 2017, after Megan collapsed in her enclosure, veterinarians ran tests on her and found that she had heart abnormalities and significantly elevated blood pressure. After further testing, they concluded that Megan most likely had an adrenal tumor.

Unfortunately, there is no current technology that would allow veterinarians to safely operate on the gentle giant in order to remove the tumor, so Megan’s condition is being treated with medication designed to control her hypertension and other symptoms.

The blood pressure medication that Megan has been prescribed is actually the same type that is given to humans. And just as the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that humans with hypertension do, Megan should ideally be walking around regularly in order to help with her condition, as she would be doing in the wild. Plus, measures should be taken to help the tense elephant de-stress; in other words, she definitely shouldn’t have to be in a zoo where she is gawked at and harassed by tourists day in and day out.

Megan’s existence at the Kansas City Zoo is far from natural, and it’s clearly taking a serious toll on both her physical and mental well-being. If she were relocated to a sanctuary, however, this sweet elephant would most certainly be far healthier and happier, as she would have much more room to romp around and would finally get some peace and quiet.

If you’d like to help give Megan the relaxing, natural life she deserves for the rest of her days, please add your signature to this Care2 petition urging the Kansas City Zoo to arrange for this adorable elephant to be moved to a sanctuary!

Image Source: Pexels 

Related

WEEKLY MENU PLAN (#182) – A delicious collection of dinner, side dish and dessert recipes to help you plan your weekly menu and make life easier for you!

In these menu plans, we will be sharing some of our favorite recipe ideas for you to use as you are planning out your meals for the week. Just click any of the recipe titles or pictures to get the recipe.

A little about how we plan our week and our menu plan:

Mondays are soup and salad.
Tuesdays we are bringing you delicious Mexican cuisine.
Wednesdays are a taste of Italy.
Thursdays are designed around yummy sandwiches, burgers, and wraps.
Fridays are a no cook day around here. Going out with friends and loved ones is something that we think is important. It’s your night off from cooking- enjoy!
Saturdays are an exotic food night, it’s a great night to try something new, from cooking with seafood, to trying Indian or Thai dishes.
Sundays are a traditional old fashioned all American family dinner- think meat and potatoes.

There will also always be a couple of delectable desserts to use any day you wish.
A new weekly menu plan will be posted every SUNDAY morning so be sure to check back each week!

CLICK ON THE LINKED RECIPE TITLES OR PHOTOS TO GET THE FULL RECIPE

WEEK #182

* DATE NIGHT *

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Source: https://diethood.com/weekly-menu-plan-182/

Interval training may shed more pounds than a continuous moderate intensity workout, suggests a pooled analysis of the available evidence, published online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

Rep. Frank Pallone Jr.Frank Joseph PalloneIncoming Dem chairman vows hearings on ObamaCare lawsuit 'right away' Overnight Health Care — Sponsored by Amgen — Dems to reframe gun violence as public health issue | Court orders key documents from OxyContin maker unsealed | Pfizer announces stock buybacks Dems to reframe gun violence as public health issue MORE (D-N.J.), the next chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, vowed Monday to hold oversight hearings "right away" on the Trump administration's involvement in a court case over the weekend that ruled that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, often called ObamaCare, was unconstitutional. 

Pallone will take over the chairmanship of the panel when Democrats assume the House majority next year. He said they will "get to the bottom" of the administration's decision not to defend the health-care law against a lawsuit filed by Republican attorneys general. 

"The problem is that the Republicans in the House, including the Republicans on my committee, have never had any serious oversight about what the Trump administration is doing to sabotage the [Affordable Care Act]," Pallone, currently the Energy and Commerce Committee's ranking Democrat and a member of its Health Subcommittee, said in a call with reporters Monday morning. 

"This sabotage, which takes form of inaction in the courts, action in the courts, regulations, all kinds of sneaky things. We don't know what they're doing. We will have hearings right away to get to the bottom of this and to see what they're doing and not doing."

A federal district judge in Texas issued a long-awaited ruling Friday night siding with 20 Republican attorneys general who argue ObamaCare is unconstitutional now that Congress has repealed the law's individual mandate penalty. 

The Trump administration largely declined to defend ObamaCare against the lawsuit, arguing that the protections for people with pre-existing conditions should be struck down.

A group of 17 Democratic-led states defended the law in court after winning the right to do so and say they plan to file an appeal as soon as possible. 

House Democrats will also try to intervene in the lawsuit and will vote on a bill to do so "in the next few weeks," Pallone said. 

"We're not going to let this stand," Pallone said. 

"We're going to fight this decision tooth and nail in the courts and with the new Democratic majority in the House." 

House Democrats also plan to move legislation to stabilize ObamaCare and protect people with pre-existing conditions "almost immediately." 

Democrats plan to vote on a version of the ACA stabilization act introduced last year and legislation that reaffirms protections for people with pre-existing conditions. 

He said, in light of the court decision, there may be other aspects of the ACA that need reaffirmed and could be added to the bill. 

Republicans should be willing to support the legislation, Pallone said, because many said they support protections for people with pre-existing conditions in their campaigns. 

"We're putting them on the line to see if they mean what they say or are just spreading fake news again," he said. 

However, such legislation, which would expand the ACA, is unlikely to pass the Senate or be signed by President TrumpDonald John TrumpReturn hope to the Middle East by returning to the Iran Deal Government shutdowns tend to increase government spending 'Full Frontal' gives six-bedroom house to group that works with detained immigrants MORE.