Dear Stress....Let's Break Up

And the winner is......Stress and the Digestive System.

Stress can cause lots of problems throughout your body and this week we will look at how stress affects digestion.  I found video clips, articles and more for you to peruse this week in order to write your response about stress and digestion.

http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/stress-and-the-sensitive-gut

http://www.everydayhealth.com/hs/better-digestion/how-stress-affects-digestion/

http://www.calmclinic.com/anxiety/symptoms/digestive-problems

http://consumer.healthday.com/encyclopedia/digestive-health-14/digestion-health-news-200/stress-and-the-digestive-system-645906.html

The American Psychological Association completed a study in 2013 that found the majority of teens are experiencing extreme stress.  The primary cause of this stress is school.

http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/stress-teens.aspx

Read through one or more of the articles above and watch the brief video clip.  What is stress?  What causes you stress?  What effects does stress have on the digestive system?  Why?  What are some of the most common chronic disorders of the digestive system?  Explain at least one disorder.  Are there any other systems that are affected by stress?  Finally, what can you do to alleviate some of your stress?  What works for you?  For me a good run always puts me in a better frame of mind.

Enzymes... and Pac Man

I spent a lot of time this morning searching for the perfect blog post relating to what we are learning in class.  After reading numerous articles about a million and one things other than enzymes, I decided to have you watch this great video clip by the Amoeba Sisters.

This video goes over many of the key concepts that I discussed in class on Thursday.  Hopefully, it will also clarify any questions that you may have on Enzymes.

Did you like the video clip?  Are you a Pac Man fanatic?  Do today's high school kids even know Pac Man?  When you are finished watching the video, in addition to answering the above questions in your response I want you to find one video clip, magazine article, or website that could be used for next week's blog post.  I would like it to be about either enzymes or digestion, but the rest is up to you.  After you answer these quick questions, paste the address of the site or video clip that you choose.  If I pick your entry, you will receive extra credit on next week's blog post.

Bacon, Sausage, and Red Meat...Oh My

After a night of indulging on Halloween candy, I couldn't help but wonder if all that processed sugar was reeking havoc on my body.  Are my liver and intestines suffering because I ate one too many Twix bars?  Turns out that all that sugar isn't nearly as bad for me as processed meat and red meat.  Last week, bacon eaters world-wide went crazy when the World Heath Organization declared bacon to be carcinogenic to humans.  Bacon!  

The backlash has been unreal.  Bacon lovers across the world are appalled that bacon, sausage and other processed meats are being lumped together with cigarettes and alcohol.

If you don't want to watch the video, here are some articles that you could read instead:

http://www.eater.com/2015/10/30/9643748/bacon-cancer-world-health-organization-clarifies

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/world-health-organisation-insists-it-is-not-telling-people-to-stop-eating-bacon-after-cancer-report-a6714576.html

http://www.bbc.com/news/health-34615621

As we wrap up our unit on organic compounds, I thought it appropriate that we take another look at saturated fats and proteins.  In a scholarly article, I would like to respond to this tidbit of news.  What do you think?  Will this change the way you look at bacon?  Is the World Health Organization really telling people to stop eating bacon?  In the past few years, cooking shows and foodie magazines have published more and more recipes highlighting the flavor of bacon.  Will this new information change the  Food Network?  What will happen to pig and cow farmers?  Will there be an affect on industries such as Johnsonville Brats?  In class we discussed trans-fats and triglycerides, how does that relate to this news?  What is your overall opinion?

I tend to agree with Christian Schmidt, the agriculture minister in Germany.  Schmidt said, "no one should be afraid if they eat a bratwurst every now and then."  He compared sausages to sunshine; both are fine in moderation.