With only two weeks left in the semester, the summer attitude has been hitting heavily for me. With papers and projects looming, it’s become increasingly difficult to motivate myself to finish strong and get my stuff done, however, getting into a summer schedule can actually be beneficial.

Right now, after many failed attempts to quit smoking, the coming summer months seem like the perfect time to drop the habit. With only a job to worry about, the stress levels of balancing school, work and the school projects, papers and assignments is gone, allowing for a more relaxed atmosphere.

The time has come to get your health back in check for the summer. Get back into beach shape; rid yourself of the bad habits picked up over the course of the school year.

With the semester coming to an end, I have begun making the necessary changes to get into “summer mode” and have begun to get my eating habits back in check after giving into the habits of missing meals, eating junk food on the run and drinking more pop than normal.

The next step in my endeavor is to get back into a regular exercise routine. For people like myself that don’t have the discretionary income to drop on a monthly gym membership, start running around through your neighborhood, slowly investing in some basic exercise equipment such as a set of dumbbells, or a product similar to the Iron Gym.

Simple items like that will go a long way in getting you back into a good shape relatively quickly. Doing a little exercise everyday will help get your body in shape, increase your metabolism and provide higher general well-being.

Exercise videos have been making a resurgence, and depending on the video or video set that you choose to follow they can be very beneficial. I saw a late night infomercial during one of my late night homework sessions for a product called P90X. At first, I thought nothing of it, however, it sucked me in and I ended up buying it and trying it out.

The workout itself is very intense, however, it’s up to you to keep motivated. For me, this was the best way to stay in shape and increase my overall health.

Swimming and running are a great way to get your overall health in check as well. Swimming provides a non-weight bearing way to exercise.

Really, all that matters is that you take the initiative to get yourself in shape for you and not for outside pressure.

Good luck, enjoy your summer.

Lewis held its “Biggest Loser” contest this year to great success, bringing in the closest finish in the history of the competition.

Bringing in the largest percentage of weight lost, the team “4 Girls and a Guy,” consisting of Shirley Morris, Dana Perez, Donna Purdy, Bev Anliker and Don Castello dropped a total of 7.637 percent, winning a total of $487.50 for taking first place.

Lewis students participated in the university's version of "The Biggest Loser." Photo provided by newsok.com

Coming in second, the team of “Fat to Fit,” consisting of Len Bertolini, Curry Greene, Denise Salvino and Samantha Joseph, dropped 7.556 percent of their pre-contest total.

Team “Make it Happen,” consisting of Sean Fagan, John Sullivan, Melanie Sandberg and Fred Gandy, came in third, finishing with 7.416 percent.

In the individual category, Curry Greene took first place, dropping 18.40 percent of her pre-contest weight, earning her $97.50.

Second place in the individual category went to Sean Fagan, losing 13.62 percent and Shirley Morris came in third, losing 13.29 percent.

Congratulations to all participants of this year’s
“Biggest Loser” competition.

Americans have always attached a great deal of cultural significance to smoking.  The social changes of the 1920s brought a greater degree of freedom, and smoking became openly accepted among the young and fashionable. During the 1920s in the United States, women in colleges commonly smoked as a clear statement of their equality with men. Through the 1920s and 1930s more women entered the workforce, and having their own income they were able to afford smoking. And around this time, cigarette advertising also became more directly aimed at women, which without question increased smokings’ appeal and acceptability to women.

But the question remains, why after learning in the early 1960s of the medical evidence about smoking…why didn’t that curb smokings’ appeal? There have been some theories as to why and here are just a few. One being most early media hype concerning the health effects of smoking appeared in newspapers and magazines, that more likely to have only have been read by educated white males. Sadly, it was not until following decades that health messages about smoking appeared on television or in campaigns aimed at at other population subgroups.

Another theory to think about is the role of tobacco advertising. George Washington Hill, the president of the American Tobacco Co. at that time, was an unconventional businessman, who recognized that a vital part of his market was not being tapped into. Hill believed that his sales would sky rocket if he could persuade women to take up smoking. And as women became more and more significant to the tobacco industry, they were the intended target of a forceful promotional movement.

It is very likely that for many women, tobacco advertising shaped a false impression of attractiveness for smoking and support to continue smoking, and has undermined the many health educational campaigns. And now this marketing effect that has done so much earlier damage can be expected to shrink now that most avenues of tobacco advertising have been blocked.

Now looking into the 21st century one knows that cigarette smoking is the leading preventable cause of illness and premature death in the United States, claiming over

400,000 lives a year because it openly increases the risk of dying from heart disease, stroke, emphysema, and a variety of cancers. So one looking at these scary side effects from lighting up would be inclined to ask, why would anyone choose to do this to themselves? Asking around campus the answer’s that were received were “my friends all smoke and so do I”.

But despite these daunting side effects 25percent of the population continues to smoke. One can definitely say that part of that continued smoking percentage is due to the fact that nicotine is highly addictive. And in 1988 the Surgeon General’s Report on the Health Consequences of Smoking declared nicotine an addictive drug similar to cocaine/ heroine. But, it is important to note that the nicotine itself is probably not the culprit of all of the negative health consequences, but the 51 carcinogenics ( besides the other 4,000 chemicals in one cigarette). A carcinogen is something that causes cancer.

See our bodies are made up of thousands of cells. In a healthy person, new cells are made only when the body needs them. In a person with cancer, the abnormal cells destroy the healthy cells, invading them like an army, then when cells start dividing even though new cells are not needed, a growth or hard mass forms. It could be small like a pea or large like a grapefruit. And a cancerous growth is called a malignant tumor.

Many of the chemicals in cigarettes are poisonous and if a person were to eat one pack of cigarettes, he/she would die.

KFC recently released a new addition to its menu. The KFC Double Down sandwich, which boasts that “there’s no room for a bun,” features two pieces of white meat chicken, two slices of Monterey Jack and pepper jack cheese, bacon and Colonel’s sauce. Although the sandwich comes with the option of choosing lower calorie grilled chicken in place of the Original Recipe chicken, the amount of calories, fat and sodium contained in this sandwich makes it definitely not a healthy meal choice.

The sandwich made with the Original Recipe chicken contains 540 calories, 32 grams of fat and 1380 milligrams of sodium. The grilled chicken option is not much healthier and actually contains more sodium. It has 1430 milligrams of sodium, 23 grams of fat and 460 calories.

Even though this new creation can hardly be considered a nutritious meal, it does have less calories and fat than McDonald’s Angus Third Pounder or the Steakhouse XT from Burger King.

To answer the question of how to eat the sandwich made with greasy chicken in place of a bun, it comes with a specially designed cardboard sleeve.

Instead of coming up with food options that will contribute to the rising rates of diabetes and obesity in the United States, KFC should have invested that time and money into healthy alternatives to gain the segment of the food market looking to try and eat right. The chain has recently been trying to create a new health-friendly image, but this sandwich destroys that.

“KFC recently took the word ‘fried’ out of its name and had been showing some good signs of turning around its bad image,” said Men’s Health food and nutrition editor Matt Goulding. “So it’s interesting that they would come out with this explosive weapon of mass destruction.”

Although it is sometimes more convenient and cheaper just to run through the nearest drive-through and order calorie-packed fast food, the long-term health effects are not worth it.

“My biggest concern is saturated fat,” said registered dietician and spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association Lona Sandon.  “You are getting large amounts of total fat and saturated fat by eating a sandwich like this, and this is very detrimental to your overall heart health.”

The choice of whether or not to eat healthy is ultimately the responsibility of each individual person, but it is not that easy when we are constantly bombarded with advertisements promoting the latest fast food craze that is incredibly harmful to a person’s health.  Fortunately, the KFC Double Down sandwich will only be around for a limited time as of right now. Hopefully the fast food chain’s next new product will be a more nutritious option.

Warm weather has arrived and, for the seniors at Lewis, odds are that in the last month of the semester, so has senioritis. Rather than let yourself be dragged down by laziness, work toward your health and get some exercise in.

Lewis has plenty of areas for you to get in some walking. The fieldhouse, on a treadmill, on the nature trail running along the campus or other surrounding trails, to name a few. I recently walked the trail for the first time in my two years here at Lewis, and was surprised by how long it is, as well as the unique setting it provides.

I have been affected heavily by the desire to forego class work in favor of spending what little downtime I have available to me outdoors; however, why allow yourself to fall behind on your schoolwork when you have the ability to enjoy the best of both worlds?

Take your work with you outside on a nice day and do it while enjoying the breeze. Take small breaks to get something productive done. Break up your course load with a small amount of exercise, providing you don’t get caught up in distraction and completely shy away from getting any work done.

Even around Lewis, there are other places to get away on some other trails in the area. On 135th Street, for instance, there is another nature trail that can provide a different venue to go for a run or walk and take in the scenery. In Lockport, on 9th Street, the Lincoln Landing provides another area to go for a long walk and take in the scenes and heritage of Lockport.

Lincoln Landing has various different “checkpoints” that give brief snippets of the history of the founding of Lockport and the I&M Canal. While the Landing is its own separate entity, the path runs along Canal Street and branches off, running for miles along the Canal.

Having walked that path myself in the winter, the trail provides a view of the Lockport locks, as well as various other pieces of Lockport history, should you choose to stop long enough to read them.

What better way is there to get away from nonstop schoolwork than to take in new views of the environment?

Not only are you getting a different view than your basement wall or the mirrors in the Rec center, but you gain benefits that help in the course of your life. Walking has great benefits to your heart, lungs and general well-being.

Getting some walking in throughout the day, at least more than walking between classes, is going to provide you with some level of cardiovascular fitness that will both strengthen your heart and work toward a higher level of fitness for your everyday life.

Walking is a low impact way to help lose weight, increase metabolism and help your body’s immune system in the fight against various diseases.

For commuters, I highly recommend going for a run around your neighborhood. Not only do you get a higher level of cardio in, but you can also relieve stress and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

In short, getting sidetracked from your regular workload is easy at this point, especially now that the weather has turned and the semester is coming to an end. The impulse to put everything on hold to do something more fun is strong, but make sure you don’t get lost and let your studies fall by the wayside.

Alcohol, drugs, gambling and food are the most commonly referred to addictions, but leave it to the technological generation to take the world of addictions to an entire new destination; the gaming world.

Gaming has come a long way from a little green frog crossing the street in “Frogger” and a yellow smiley face running from ghosts and eating up little dots in “Pacman”. Video games have left the arcades and invaded people’s homes through continual technological advancements of computers and gaming accessories. Now gamers don’t even have to leave their room to partake in this pastime, thus raising the amount of time spent playing video games immensely.

A study done by Michigan State University in 2004 showed that then college-age males played on average 16 hours of video games a week, and their high school counterparts 23 hours a week (these numbers outweigh females across all age ranges). This was three years ago. One can only imagine what those numbers are today.

Time spent playing video games has become so out of control for some people that Internet addiction clinics are popping up in hospitals and independent locations all over the map to help gamers kick their addiction to games such as “World of Warcraft” and “Everquest.”

These clinics, such as the ones at Proctor Hospital in Peoria, Ill. and ReStart in Seattle, Wash., provide professional help to those diagnosed with “Internet addiction disorder,” or “onlineaholics.” The goal is to get gaming addicts outside doing normal daily activities and assimilate them back into the physical world.

When College of Dupage education major Christina Payne heard of such a place she was quick to respond in regards to her fiancée, who is currently overseas in the Marine Corps.

“The first time I went to visit him on base my flight home was delayed. I was excited to have extra time to spend with him and all he did was play ‘World of Warcraft’ while I slept. I almost broke up with him that day,” she added jokingly. She continued to explain that he sets aside three hours, four days a week to play “World of Warcraft” in which he often times forgets to call her and “pretty much ignores the outside world.”

Payne’s fiancée, Corporal Juan Garcia admits that playing World of Warcraft has affected his personal life in the past, adding that he has always been into gaming and “if it isn’t World of Warcraft in the future it will be another game.”

Though the problem for Payne and her fiancée is something they generally joke about, the concept of video games distracting people from the outside world is actually becoming quite a problem.

In an interview with the New York Times, Director of the Computer Addiction Study Center at McLean Hospital in Belmont, Mass., Maressa Hecht Orzack, explained that the number of patients she sees with Internet addiction has increased from two patients a week to dozens, not including the calls she receives from patients seeking treatment since the center first opened.

The rising success of these facilities can seem a bit a shocking when considering the average cost of a long-term treatment is said to be around $14,000 and is not covered by insurance companies because Internet addiction is not yet recognized as an illness by medical professionals.

With the number of patients checking themselves in rising, it wouldn’t be surprising to see that change in the near future. Getting kids out from behind the computer screen back into a world with real social interaction sounds like a pretty good idea and professionals would be hard pressed to ignore it.

As pending professionals, it is important for college students to look our best. Unfortunately, some only care about how they look on the outside, like the health and appearance of the teeth. According to Healthyteeth.org, no matter what a person’s age, it is critical to take care of one’s teeth and see a dentist regularly, otherwise one may contract disease and cavities and suffer irreversible damage.

Dentists are doctors that diagnose and treat problems with teeth and tissues in the mouth, along with giving medical advice and administering care to help prevent future problems. They are trained to remove tooth decay, fill cavities, examine x-rays, straighten teeth and repair fractured teeth. They are also able to perform minor surgery like extracting teeth or corrective gum surgery. Dentists are allowed to administer anesthetics and write prescriptions for antibiotics and other pain medications for their patients.

The main reason for going to a dentist is prevention. The goal is to prevent tooth decay, gum disease and other disorders that can put the health of a person’s teeth and mouth at risk. Dr. Gupda, a dentist who works at a primary care office in Joliet, IL, says that a general dentist visit can last anywhere from 1-3 hours, depending on the state of one’s teeth or mouth. A dentist visit usually consists of three main parts: a dental and medical history, a dental examination and a professional cleaning. The dentist will examine the teeth, gums and other mouth tissues. He or she will use a probe, a metal pick-like instrument, to check each tooth for plaque and evidence of looseness or decay. He or she will then check for any swelling, pinkness or inflammation of the gums. After examining the visible parts of the mouth, the dentist will take x-rays that may reveal tooth decay, abscesses (swollen tissue) or impacted wisdom teeth.

Professional cleaning is usually preformed by a dental hygienist, a specially trained and licensed dental professional. A scaler, a scraping instrument, is used to remove plaque deposits or an ultrasonic machine, which uses high-frequency sound waves, may be used to loosen any hard plaque deposits upon the teeth. The particles removed are then rinsed off by water.

After cleaning, the dentist will polish the teeth, removing stains and making it harder for plaque to stick to the teeth. Lastly, the dental hygienist may treat the teeth with a fluoride compound to help prevent tooth decay. Dr. Gupda says that a person should visit a dentist about every six months.

“It is up to us from the profession to persuade (the patients) that they need to visit their dentist at least twice a year for their regular check-up. This benefits [the patients] who then get to keep their own, healthy teeth well into old age,” said Dr. Gupda

It is also critical for everyone to take care of their teeth on their own time. To prevent cavities, one needs to remove plaque, a layer of bacteria that coats the teeth, from the teeth every day. The best way to do this is to brush the teeth twice a day and to floss once a day. Brushing not only cleans the teeth, but it also stimulates the gums which helps them from contracting any disease.

“Brushing and flossing are even more important than regular dentist visits, to keep a person’s teeth and gums healthy,” said Dr. Gupda

Using a fluoride toothpaste is a must. Fluoride is the most common active ingredient in toothpaste, and is the ingredient which prevents cavities. Toothpaste also contains abrasives, detergents and foaming agents which all work to clean the teeth and prevent bad breath. Flossing is important because brushing cannot remove the food and bacteria that is between the teeth. Dentists usually recommend using unwaxed floss because it is thinner, but any floss is okay as long as one flosses once a day.

Believe it or not, a person’s teeth do get noticed by peers as well as professionals. For more information on how to keep the teeth healthy, visit a dentist or go on
www.HealthyTeeth.org

A clean environment is vital to human survival. The Earth’s resources are used in most aspects of everyday life. In using these, chemicals and toxins are released into the atmosphere which can affect human health. In a three part environmental health series at Lewis University, the health issues of asthma, mercury and lead were explored in depth.

Asthma

Asthma is an inflammatory disorder of the airways, making it difficult for people to breathe. Wheezing, coughing and shortness of breath are common symptoms, which worsen with activity and exercise. Emergency symptoms of asthma include: Tachycardia, which is a heartbeat over 100, chest pain, decreased alertness and cyanosis, or the bluing of lips, toes and nail beds.

Asthma affects 7 percent of the U.S. population and causes 4000 deaths a year. About 300 million people worldwide are afflicted with the disorder.

Triggers of asthma can be animals, dust mites, smoke, pollen, exercise and chemicals in the air or food. Other risk factors are a family history of the disease, athletics, socioeconomic factors, occupation and the hygiene hypothesis. The hygiene hypothesis is that people are too clean and are not able to build up much of immunity to common viruses and chemicals.

Asthma can’t be cured, but there are things that can help prevent attacks such as inhalers and corticosteroids. However, as long as there is particulate matter such as dust, smoke, sand, pollen and mist, there will be an increased frequency of asthma attacks requiring health care services.

Mercury

Mercury poisoning is an uncommon occurrence. Mercury was once used in teething powder. It was also a preservative in vaccinations, which was once thought to lead to autism. Humans can absorb all forms of mercury, but inhaling mercury is the biggest danger. This is because if one inhales it, it can stick to the lining of lung tissue and can cause lung inflammation, scarring the lungs.

Mercury poisoning can be diagnosed through blood and hair samples, but an individual would have had to accumulate a lot of mercury for it to cause serious health consequences.

“Mercury can get through the blood-brain barrier, which keeps out bacteria, but if mercury gets in, the barrier also blocks antibiotics,” Dr. Jerry Kavouras, assistant professor of biology points out. Symptoms include: trembling, vision problems and multiple personality disorders; it just depends on what part of the brain the mercury enters. Pinks Disease, the blocking up of blood vessels, is common in an individual poisoned with mercury.

How are we exposed to mercury? Volcanoes and geologic deposits are natural sources. Incineration of coal and metal mining releases mercury into the air, where it can circulate for years and have global distribution. Mercury is used in fluorescent lightbulbs, lightswitches, thermostats, medical devices, pain, pesticides and fertilizers. Fish also have mercury concentrated in their muscle tissue. Younger fish tend to have lower concentrations than older fish within the same body of water.

“Mercury is a persistent pollutant that doesn’t break down,” said Dr. Kavouras.

The threat lessens over time because it settles to the bottom of the lake beds and is covered by soil. Bioremediation, or mercury-resistant bacteria, is being introduced to absorb the mercury deposits

Plants are also now being genetically engineered to be mercury resistant and will degrade organic or inorganic mercury in its elemental form.

Lead

Lead poisoning has been known as plumbism and the signs differ when comparing affected adults to affected children. There is no known safe exposure level, and the effects can be devastating. The lead can enter the body through ingestion and inhalation in its inorganic form, and through the skin in its organic form. It can be stored in the blood for weeks, soft tissues for months, and bones for years. The lead leaves the body very slowly through the hair, nails and sweat.

Lead interferes with enzymes that make heme. It also affects any system that needs oxygen rich blood, which then decreases the blood quality. It interferes with neurotransmitter release in neurons, which is important in learning and memory.

“Treatment normally involves Chelation Therapy and endoscopy,” said Dr. Rago, assistant professor of biology.

Outcomes depend on the duration and extent of exposure. Effects on the blood, kidneys and other organs are usually reversible because it’s constantly regenerate. Nervous system damage is usually irreversible because that system doesn’t regenerate, making prevention key in avoiding lead poisoning.

Humans are exposed to lead through air, water, food, soil, paint and dust. Lead used to be used in gasoline and is still use in airplane fuel, the burning of which releases it into the air. Lead paint should not be disturbed if it is good condition, and is found primarily lead paint is mostly only around houses built before 1960.

The EPA estimates that more than 40 million U.S. residents use water that contains lead in excess of 15 ppb, which is the action level. Tap water must stay under this level for 90percent of homes tested or the EPA must take action.

“There are also elevated elemental lead levels in wildlife at the top of the food chain,” Dr. Kavouras said.

The elevated levels can cause many species to become endangered and permanently alter them. Cleaning up of the lead involves soil removal in lead-rich areas. Phytoremediation is also being enacted, where genetic plants will absorb lead and will then be extracted into a controlled environment.

Although the three environmental health hazards are very different, they are all naturally and human generated. It may seem that these dangers are everywhere, but steps are being taken daily to reduce the effects on both the environment and humans. Take the recommended precautions, but do not be afraid of everything that moves. Some exposure is natural; it’s excessive exposure that’s the real killer.

Long ago, Buddha, the originator of meditation, was asked by an individual “What are you?” He responded, “I am awake.” For anyone who has ever attempted meditation, it is pertinent to understand this awakened state of mind is not attained overnight. This state is developed over time and once this level is reached, there is only one way to sum up the experience: Heightened awareness leading to the ability to live a fuller life.

“The best way to describe the state of mind during meditation is to look at it backwards when you are not meditating,” explains Dr. Joseph Gaziano, Professor of Political Science who has practiced Meditation for 14 years. Every person lives life on automatic pilot or busy mode. Always occupied with daily demands that stay in the forefront of our mind, we cut every conversation short and we pretend we’re listening when really we’re thinking of our next move. These constant thoughts bombarding our mind prohibit us from fully interacting with others and enjoying simple things.

“It’s like a tennis match. Our mind is trying to anticipate what is going to happen next and how we want each conversation, encounter or situation to work out,” Gaziano shares. Our attention is not in the present but in the past and future, all taking place in our mind. “Within seconds we can have a million thoughts in our mind but never really live in the present.”

During meditation, all thoughts are quieted and, with time and practice, we become an observer of the mind. Once you are fully aware of your thoughts and surroundings, you have awakened and are able to adjust attitudes, function better and live an exceptionally higher quality life.

“Instead of playing this tennis match, you really listen and stop trying to control the world around you,” Gaziano says. He provides a great example, mothers. “They know just what to say to press our buttons, and we let them make us angry, but with meditation, you are able to look at why you’re getting angry and instead of giving in, you can adjust your attitude so your emotions don’t run away with you.”

At Lewis every Wednesday at 1 p.m., joined and guided by Dr. Joseph Gaziano, a group of students and administrators make their way through the narrow halls of McNamara hall with one goal in mind: To de-stress, forget, and embark on a journey where their ultimate goal is to experience intense relaxation.

Meditating isn’t as easy as sitting and breathing heavily; there is more to it but is easy enough and does not require its participants to be of certain denominations or hold certain beliefs. Anyone can do it, and everyone can benefit from it.

Comfort is key

Just as when exercising, comfortable clothing is preferable that is not too tight, distracting or will obstruct deep breathing. Remove shoes and socks if necessary for full comfort.

Preparation

For any ritual, established procedures are essential. In order to prepare to meditate, you will need a few things: Incents or scented candles, a bell, a zafu (round cushion for sitting), a zabuton (a sitting mat) and a timer. Place the zabuton on the floor under the zafu and use light incents or scented candles to prepare your mind and body for meditation. Turn off the lights. Gaziano recommends a bowl shaped bell but we will come back to the bell later.

Establish the Body

Sit in a straight-up cross-legged position on the zafu and place hands on knees to prepare for deep breathing. Up right posture, not stiff however, is crucial. This will allow breathing from deep within the body, getting oxygen flowing, resulting in increased energy after the exercise. Sitting in a chair is another option; however, there are further steps to be taken. Pick a comfortable chair, and to prevent slouching, place a pillow behind your back. If feet are not touching the floor, place a pillow under feet to prevent legs and feet from falling asleep. Sitting cross-legged is highly recommended as it facilitates increased blood circulation over sitting in a chair.

Begin Meditating

Set the timer. Be aware of your posture, feel your body touching the cushion, feel your hands and feet. Ring the bell three times and close your eyes. Follow the bell as it resonates throughout the room. Begin taking deep breaths. Follow your breaths as you inhale and exhale. When inhaling, pay attention as you feel air come in through the tip of your nose. When exhaling, do the same or follow your midsection as it goes in and out with each breath. A mantra is another tool used to keep focus and keep the mind from wandering. It is a word or sound repeated over and over again, the most common being “umm.” It is common for the mind to wander subconsciously, and next we will discuss what to do when that happens.

Distractions

When breathing, if you happen to lose focus and find yourself preoccupied with thoughts of daily demands, the first step is realizing it and finding your breath again, clearing all thoughts.  If sounds in the room the exercise is taking place in become too loud to ignore, simply use the sound as part of the activity.

Gaziano explains in order to use sounds, which we have no control over, it is necessary to understand the three processes sound goes through in our mind:

1. We hear a noise
2. We then attempt to determine the source of the noise
3. Then thoughts and opinions of the noise are formed, and our mind builds thought after thought causing distractions i.e. “That loud fridge is so annoying.” “Someone really needs to replace that old fridge.” And so on.

Instead of letting these thoughts continue, Gaziano advices to keep focus on stage 1. “Use the sound as a source of focus,” adds Gaziano, “To help you relax” and continue meditating. Once the sound goes away, return to the breath as the focus point, or switch off to whichever is more prominent.

Once the timer goes off, your session has ended. You will find yourself relaxed and experience great ease and calm. This calm lasts for a while, but practice is needed to achieve heightened awareness, which eastern traditions consider the awakening of a third eye. This third eye is a form of being for our part of the world. It is a form of being without stressing, rushing and letting our emotions get the best of us. This new form transforms individuals from being in a zombie-like state to awakening and truly experiencing life and one another. Then, and only then are we truly free from the mold that sentences us to being creatures of habit.

There has been a lot of talk about the health care reform following President Obama’s signing of the tumultuous bill. Most of the talk is misguided information that people have picked up from only listening to friends, family and some biased cable media.

The other day, I got off work and went to a bar with some friends when I heard a friend say that by signing the health care bill, Obama was effectively attempting to convert America into a socialist nation. In my personal life, the two things I tend to avoid talking about in public are religion and politics; the two subjects that regularly continue to anger people.

However, when I hear someone say something so blatantly wrong, that’s when I feel the need to chime in. Not only is that statement ridiculous, it has no basis in fact.

This version of the health care bill that passed encompassed some of the points that were included in the 1993 bill the Republicans sent through during Bill Clinton’s tenure as president.  In addition, Obama’s landmark bill is going to be bringing in 32 million more customers to the medical and insurance companies that were previously without insurance, choosing to forgo medical treatment.

Another of the counterpoints I had thrown at me was that this health care bill is going to be exactly like social security was in our parents’ generation: a great concept in theory, but incapable of sustaining itself.

This health care bill is going to be getting it’s funding in part from an increased tax on indoor tanning salons, bringing it to 10 percent nationwide. While the new tax, in effect beginning July, may turn away some casual customers, the 10 percent tax is going to be bringing in a lot of revenue from the regulars of those salons. It’s estimated that the increased tax should bring in nearly $2.7 billion over 10 years.

The tanning salon tax angered both tanning industry leaders as well as salon goers, and it seems it may be an unfair tax to impose only on the tanning industry following the withdrawal of the tax that was going to be imposed on the cosmetic surgery and botox industries in late December.  However, one look at the negative health effects associated with indoor tanning and it makes more sense to tax an industry that is known to cause malignant melanoma than an industry that brings mostly altered appearance with fewer long term health risks.

The health care reform is far from perfect, however as I see it, there are far more good points than there are bad at this stage in its development. For one, students are no longer cut off their parents’ insurance the day they turn 23; the deadline has been raised to 26. Insurance companies can no longer refuse service to people that have preexisting medical conditions and cannot cancel service to people in addition to eliminating the lifetime cap on coverage.

The concern that the bill won’t be self-sustaining may hold some ground, however, until everything is played out, final decisions should be withheld until things become clearer.

The bill is set to spend over $800 billion over the next 10 years. By the year 2019, according to the bill’s estimate, 94 percent of Americans will be covered with health insurance and the impact on the federal deficit will be reduced by $132 billion over 10 years.

I’m not saying that the health care is a perfect solution, but it is an excellent plan when compared to what was existing and, in my opinion, provided a good compromise between Democratic and Republican parties, as much as there ever will be in a political debate at least.