Could Facebook Use Damage Your Health?

The more people use Facebook, like posts, share their own links and are exposed to the carefully crafted profiles of their friends, the worse they will feel, a study suggests.

Previous investigations into the use of social media have suggested that retreating online and away from face-to-face social relationships can lead to sedentary behavior and internet addiction.

However, a more in-depth study by the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health has found that almost every form of interaction with Facebook can lead to diminished well-being.

Writing in the Harvard Business Review, Holly Shakya and Nicholas Christakis said the three Facebook behaviors they measured—liking, posting, and clicking links—all led to negative self-comparisons and made people feel worse about themselves.

The pair expected liking other people’s content to be the largest driver of decreased happiness but said overall the sheer quantity of time people spent interacting with the social media app led to the negative effects.

The results were particularly concerning for mental health. “Most measures of Facebook use in one year predicted a decrease in mental health in a later year,” Shakya and Christakis wrote.

“We found consistently that both liking others’ content and clicking links significantly predicted a subsequent reduction in self-reported physical health, mental health, and life satisfaction,” they added.

The study, published by Oxford University Press, collected three sets of data from 5,208 U.S. adults over two years and measured how their mental health, reported physical health, and body-mass index changed over time relative to their use of Facebook.

It also collected information on the subjects’ real-world social interaction. While the numbers showed the use of the social network led to a lessened sense of well-being, how exactly that happened was unclear. “ We cannot definitively say how [it] occurs,” Shakya and Christakis wrote.

The researchers concluded: “What seems quite clear ... is that online social interactions are no substitute for the real thing.”

SOURCES: MSN

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How Long Does Marijuana Stay in the System?

The effects of smoking marijuana fade quickly, but the drug can be detected in the body for weeks and sometimes longer. How long it remains in the system depends on how often or how much marijuana the user has been smoking.

The active ingredient in marijuana - Tetrahydrocannabinol or delta-9-THC or simply THC - enters the body's bloodstream rapidly after smoking marijuana. If marijuana is ingested, rather than smoked, it takes longer to be absorbed into the blood, usually from 20 minutes to an hour and a half.

But THC is detectable in the blood for a short time, usually a few hours, because it is rapidly metabolized into molecules known as metabolites. At least 80 different metabolites are formed from THC. These metabolites are stored in body fat and are gradually eliminated from the body through feces and urine.

Limitations of Drug Tests

Because marijuana stays in the bloodstream for a short time, blood tests for marijuana are usually not used, except in the case of automobile accidents and some roadside sobriety checkpoints. Blood or saliva tests can show current intoxication. However, unlike blood alcohol concentration tests, they do not indicate a level of intoxication or impairment.

On the other hand, urine tests for marijuana metabolites can only show recent marijuana use, not intoxication or impairment, because of the time required between smoking and the metabolites being eliminated in the urine.

However, because many employers have a zero tolerance for drug use, most workplaces use urine tests for any recent use of drugs.

How Long Can Marijuana Be Detected?

Some THC metabolites have an elimination half-life of 20 hours. However, some are stored in body fat and have an elimination half-life of 10 to 13 days.

Most researchers agree that urine tests for marijuana can detect the drug in the body for up to 13 days.

However, there is anecdotal evidence that the length of time that marijuana remains in the body is affected by how often the person smokes, how much he smokes and how long he has been smoking. Regular smokers have reported positive drug test results after 45 days since last use and heavy smokers have reported positive tests 90 days after quitting.

How Effective Are Marijuana Urine Tests?

Although false positives are common for other substances, they are rare for marijuana due to the sophisticated tests of today. The laboratory first screens the sample with an immunoassay test, known as the EMIT or RIA. If positive results are returned, the sample is again screened with a gas chromatograph mass spectrometer (GCMS), which is much more accurate. That's why false positives are rare.

No known substances would cause a marijuana urine test to return a false positive. At one time, ibuprofen (sold over-the-counter as Advil, Motrin, Nuprin) would cause false marijuana positives. But today's tests have been adjusted to eliminate that problem.

Can You Fool the Test?

Although many tips are published on websites and magazines of marijuana decriminalization advocates on how to beat a marijuana drug test, most have proven to be urban legends.

Some of these questionable techniques include:

• Washing Your System Out - This entails drinking a lot of water or liquids and urinating several times before the test, then taking vitamin B-2 to add color back to the urine. Although this may lower the percentage of THC found in the urine by diluting it, it will not totally eliminate THC metabolites.
• Using Drug Screening Agents - Some companies sell various substances and herbal teas that are allegedly capable of "cleaning" the body's system of traces of marijuana. There is little evidence that any of them actually work. The catch is most of them have to be used over an extended period of time, during which the body will naturally eliminate THC from the system anyway.

• Tampering With the Test - This involves adding something to the urine to contaminate the sample. There are tales of using Visine, bleach, salt or detergent to urine, but these items are easily detected by the lab. Several commercial products are used as urine test adulterants, but none is100 percent foolproof. And all of them can be detected by the laboratory if a separate test is run for them.

Short Notice? You Will Probably Fail the Test

If you are required to take a urine test on short notice for employment or other purposes and you have recently smoked marijuana, you are probably going to fail the test. This is particularly true if you are a regular or heavy pot smoker.

Employees that abuse alcohol and drug pose serious problems for today's employers. Many are taking steps to develop a workplace drug policy that includes random drug testing for current employees and routine testing for all new job applicants.

And yes, you can be fired for failing a drug test even in states where the recreational use of marijuana has been legalized.

The only completely reliable way of passing the test is to stop smoking marijuana.

_Sources:

American Association for Clinical Chemistry "Drugs of Abuse Testing" Lab Tests Online. Revised  January 2013.

OHS Health & Safety Services. "How long do drugs stay in your system - including alcohol?" Accessed March 2013.

Jacquette, D. and Allhoff, F. (Editors). Cannabis: Philosophy for Everyone. West Sussex: Wiley-Blackwell. 2010.

_{National Institute on Drug Abuse "Marijuana: Facts for Teens." Revised March 2008.}

_{National Highway Traffic Safety Administration "Cannabis / Marijuana" Accessed November 2008.Verywell}

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Avocados: Weight Loss Friend or Foe?

Avocados manage to be both timeless and trendy. The green fruit (yup, it's a fruit) is used in classics like guacamole and Cobb salad and it's currently popping up in countless restaurant dishes. But, could the ubiquitous avocado also be good for your weight loss game? 

Overview of Weight Loss Claims

• The most common claim that avocados are good for dropping pounds comes from their high content of healthy fats, which are known to suppress appetite, leading to weight loss.
• Also, studies show that high-fiber foods, like avocados, boost feelings of fullness. Those feelings of satisfaction mean you're less likely to overeat which can lead to weight loss.
• There's even evidence that healthy (or unsaturated) fats help prevent blood-sugar spikes, which tell your body to store excess calories as fat in your midsection. That means avocados may be good for controlling belly fat.
Healthy fats and dietary fiber are linked to satiety. Satiety can result in a reduction of excess eating. Eating less often leads to weight loss. But those attributes aren't exactly unique to avocados.
While avocados can be a healthy addition to your diet, it's important to be aware of the fact that they are fairly calorie dense. A small avocado (about four ounces) has around 180 calories and 17g fat. And there absolutely is such a thing as too much fat — even the healthy kind.


Just because avocados are healthy and satisfying doesn’t mean you should eat them with complete abandon.


Not only could that prevent weight loss, it could actually lead to weight gain. Definitely, enjoy them — just in moderation!

When in Doubt, Weigh It Out

For the most accurate info, weigh out your avocado portion with a food scale. Each ounce has around 45 calories, 4g fat, 2.5g carbs, 2g fiber, and 0.5g protein.
Kitchen scales are inexpensive and they're great tools for weight management. If you're not able to weigh out your avocado, here are some shortcut estimates:
1-ounce avocado is equal to:
• about 2 tbsp. mashed avocado
• about 2 tbsp. chopped avocado
• about 1/4th of a small avocado

Tips on Adding Avocado to Your Diet

• Spice and spread. You can mash and season them to make a spread for whole-grain toast, high-fiber crackers, sandwiches, or even apple slices. One of my favorite little snacks is high-fiber, flatbread-style crackers topped with seasoned mashed avocado and sun-dried tomatoes. 
• Egg Addition. A little chopped avocado brings so much flavor to an egg scramble. Mashed avocado is also surprisingly tasty in hard-boiled egg white halves. Top it with chopped lean bacon for a tremendously satisfying snack.
• As a salad topper. A bit of avocado on your salad will make it more filling and more delicious. You can even blend up some avocado with fat-free yogurt for a flavor-packed dressing. 
• Creamy guac dip. Guacamole is delicious, but it’s way too easy to overdo it with the traditional dense dip. Combine 1/4 cup fat-free plain Greek yogurt with the same amount of mashed avocado. Toss in 1/8 tsp. each of salt, garlic powder, and chili powder and you’ve got a guac fix with a seriously slashed calorie count.

Sources: - Verywell

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How Much Sleep Do I Really Need?

We’ve all been told that we should get eight hours of sleep per night, but this information is an average and might not be a perfect fit for everyone. Some may need more sleep and others less, and our needs may actually change through the years. Thus, the oft-recited advice that every person needs eight hours of sleep a night is a myth.

Short Sleepers vs. Long Sleepers

Everyone has a sleep need that is likely determined by genes, or genetic information.

This need is the amount of sleep our body requires for us to wake up feeling refreshed. This difference likely occurs across a spectrum, with "short-sleepers" needing less than average and "long-sleepers" needing more.

Changing Needs Across a Lifetime

The average amount of sleep needed changes over our lifetime, especially during childhood and adolescence. Although there are averages, there will be individuals who fall both above and below these needs, including the following groups of people:

• Infants (3-11 months) need 14-15 hours
• Toddlers (12-35 months) need 12-14 hours
• Preschoolers (3-6 years) need 11-13 hours
• School age (6-10 years) need 10-11 hours
• Adolescents (11-18 years) need 9.25 hours
• Adults need an average of 8 hours
• Elderly adults may need less sleep

Sleep Debt

What happens if we don’t meet our sleep needs? By not getting enough sleep, we accumulate a sleep debt that we usually have to "pay off." This pay-off might involve extra sleep by napping, going to bed early, or sleeping in to catch up.

If we sleep less than our body needs to feel refreshed and don’t catch up we might experience:

• daytime sleepiness
• fatigue
• difficulty concentrating
• poor thinking
• increased risk of accidents
• other health complications (i.e., weight gain)

This need is the amount of sleep our body requires for us to wake up feeling refreshed. This difference likely occurs across a spectrum, with "short-sleepers" needing less than average and "long-sleepers" needing more.

How Can I Determine My Sleep Needs?

There is an easy way to determine how much sleep you need.

Follow these steps:

1. Set aside a week or two that you can focus on your sleep and not allow disruptions or changes to your sleep schedule.
2. Select a typical bedtime and stick with it, night after night.
3. Allow yourself to sleep in as long as you want, awakening without an alarm clock in the morning.
4. After a few days, you will have paid off your sleep debt, and you will begin to approach the average amount of sleep that you need.
5. Once you determine your need, try to set your bedtime at an hour that will allow you the sleep you need, while still waking up in time to start your day.

Effects of Sleep Deprivation

It's extremely important that your body gets the sleep it needs. Chronic, or long-term, sleep deprivation is linked to a variety of problems that impair your health, safety, productivity, mood, and more.

Here are some possible repercussions secondary to sleep deprivation:

• decreased alertness
• decreased performance
• memory impairment
• cognitive impairment
• injury on the job
• injuries due to automobile crash or other heavy machinery

Oftentimes, people who experience chronic sleep deprivation write off their condition as a "normal" experience, and chalk their fatigue up to the stress of life, work, and kids.

These people don't realize that not getting enough sleep is very unhealthy, and they can go on for years without correcting the problem or seeking help.

_Source:

_{National Sleep FoundationVERYWELL}

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7 Crazy Ways to Grow Your Hair Faster

If growing your hair out faster is a top priority, then you've probably looked high and low for miracle ideas. Here are the five craziest ideas that people swear to work. Crazy or not, if you're desperate to grow your hair out right now, it never hurts to try.

1.  The Inversion Method

If you google "inversion method" for hair growth, you'll find some pretty wild claims. Some people swear that they can grow their hair 4-inches in a week, while others have more reasonable claims. I'll be honest, I've never tried hanging upside down to grow my hair, but I might give this one a try. It certainly won't hurt, and let's face it; a little extra blood to the brain just might do me some good as well.

2.  Scalp Massage with Oil

Oil, oil, and more oil seem to be a universal hair growth tip all over the world wide web. From castor oil to coconut oil, frequent massage of oil into your scalp make claims of growing your hair faster and stronger. I'm personally a big fan of coconut oil for many reasons, but you can pick your oil of choice by flipping through your kitchen cabinets. Weekly oil treatments can be done by massaging oil directly into your scalp and letting it sit for 30-60 minutes before shampooing out. You'll want to shampoo the oil out very well as oil can leave your hair greasy.

If you really want to increase the scalp stimulation and get even weirder, try adding some hot pepper or hot sauce to your oil massage. People all over the internet swear by it, and scalp stimulation has long been touted as a hair growth accelerator. Nothing quite as stimulating as hot peppers, right? Just be careful because your scalp may not like the heat.

3.  Healthy Diet

If you are what you eat, and you're eating a healthy diet your hair just might benefit. Experts claim that a proper hair enriching diet will make your hair healthier, shiny, and make it grow longer faster. If you're looking for hair healthy foods that will enhance your hair growth, I've put together a list here. Lucky for you, hair growing nutrients are also great for a healthier body altogether, so you win from head to toe.

4.  De-Stressing

Did you know that stress can cause your hair to stop growing or even make it fall out? As if the stress in your life wasn't causing you enough problems, if your stress level is out of control, it's doing no favors to your hair growth either. It's time to minimize the stress, ladies and let your hair benefit by growing longer and healthier. Whether you need to enroll in a regular yoga class, see a therapist, or look into a career change, let's make this year the year that stress didn't destroy your hair.

5.  Anti-Fungal Cream

Not just any anti-fungal cream, Monistat, to be exact. Yep, massaging your head with Monistat can actually help your hair grow faster. How you ask? Well, the anti-fungal cream can help balance the natural fungus on your scalp, creating a healthier scalp, and allowing your hair to grow faster. This one really tops the weird list for me, so don't ask me for personal experience on this method. Women all over the World Wide Web swear by this method but warn you to wash the cream out very, very well. It can be a greasy (and smelly) mess if you don't get it all out.

6.  Bull Leavings

Some people claim that bull semen and fecal matter are great treatments to make your hair grow faster. I'm just going to go ahead and trust the internet on this one. I didn't try it, and I don't intend to, but you're here because you're willing to try anything, right? Yikes. 

7.  Protein Infused Shampoo

There are shampoos that have big claims to grow your hair faster. F.A.S.T Shampoo and Conditioner actually showed some improvement in my ultra-slow-growing hair when I grew my pixie cute out a while back. I've also had people claim this shampoo/conditioner will grow your hair faster. I'm convinced that it's the protein enriched formulas that do the trick.

Sources:- about.com

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16 Tips for Living a Happy Life Starting Right Now

It doesn’t matter your age, how much money you have in your bank account, your marital status or what you do for a living, we all want to be more successful in our lives. Of course, defining success is different for each us, but here are 16 proven ways that can make you more productive, happy and successful in life.

1. Be committed.

No matter what goals you have set for yourself in life, you have to be committed. It’s through commitment that you’ll continue to make the improvements needed to better yourself. Whether it’s taking a chance on launching a startup, getting a gym membership to improve your physical well being, or taking a cooking class because you want to become a chef, commitment is what drives us all to become more successful.

2. People care about you, not your success.

Let’s be honest. People don’t care about the expensive clothes you wear, how big is the house you own or the car your drive. That’s not to say that they don’t respect your achievements or possessions. Instead, they care you as an individual and they’ll support you no matter what -- because they love you. Believe it!

3. Be grateful everyday.

According to researchers Martin Seligman, Robert Emmons, and Michael McCullough, being grateful can result in feeling better about your life, more enthusiastism and more willingness to help others. Being grateful may even reduce coronary artery disease. Take the time to write down what you're grateful each and every day.

4. Take action.

In an article in The Atlantic, authors Katty Kay and Claire Shipman share studies on the confidence gap between men and women.  The researchers discovered that confidence is just as important as competence. It was concluded in the article that "[T]aking action bolsters one's belief in one's ability to succeed."

5. Money can’t buy happiness.

As The Beatles famously proclaimed, (money), "can’t buy me love." You know what else money can’t buy? Happiness. Just because you're earning six figures doesn’t mean that you’re necessarily content. Sure, money is obviously needed, and it makes some things easier. But, you should be focusing on your passion and not how much your paycheck is.

6. Don’t take rejection personally.

At some point we all face rejection. Instead of taking it personally, use it as a learning experience. Why did a VC reject your proposal? Maybe there wasn’t a market for your product. Perhaps you didn’t have a convincing pitch. Maybe the VC's partner just called and said he'd spent their extra cash. Accepting and learning from rejection is one way to guide you to success.

With my online invoicing startup I get rejected daily, literally. I talked to 100+ VC's before I got one that believed in my product. Learn from rejection and use it as motivation to make things bettter!

7. Have a backup plan.

You never know when the unexpected is going to happen, but when it does happen, you’re surrounded by chaos. Being prepared for the worst case scenario can at least make things a whole lot less chaotic. When my last business crashed, had I not had some cash set aside (that my wife kept away from me), we would have been in financial ruin. Having a three-to-six month nest egg will make the difference. I've found that having 12-24 months of cash to pay all bills just sitting there has significantly helped my marriage be more positive as well!

8. Improve your social skill.

After analyzing data from between 1972 and 1992, University of California, Santa Barbara, economist Catherine Weinberger found that “The people who are both smart and socially adept earn more in today’s workforce than similarly endowed workers in 1980.”

9. Travel.

As Yii-Huei Phang states on The Huffington Post, traveling is a great way to “develop a person’s character” and become more open-minded. Additionally, while traveling is a great way to get away from the daily grind, it also helps you appreciate what you have back at home.

10. Don’t multitask.

If you’re feeling constantly burnt out it’s probably because you’re doing too much at one time. Research has found that “when you switch away from a primary task to do something else, you’re increasing the time it takes to finish that task by an average of 25 percent.” You’re also burning your reservoir of energy. Both of these issues decrease your productivity and prevent you from accomplishing tasks and goal.

11. Embrace a growth mindset.

Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck argues that we have two-mindsets; “fixed” and “growth.” A fixed mindset “assumes that our character, intelligence, and creative ability are static.” A “growth mindset,” however, “thrives on challenge and sees failure not as evidence of unintelligence but as a heartening springboard for growth and for stretching our existing abilities.”

12. Balance work and life.

When work interferes with life, it can result in employees getting burned out and decreases base morale in the office. While this may not be an option for employees, it proves that everyone needs time away from the office. If you’re able to spend less time in the office by working remotely or having flexible hours, you should be able to be productive in both your personal and professional life.

13. Don’t hold grudges.

There is really no need to hold onto a grudge. It can mentally wear you out and makes you miserable. And, doesn’t life seem to go a whole lot smoother when you’re not angry?

14. Stick it out.

After years of studying both children and adults, psychologist Angela Duckworth found that one of the characteristics of successful individuals is having grit. During her TED talk Duckworth stated, “Grit is passion and perseverance for very long-term goals. Grit is having stamina. Grit is sticking with your future, day in, day out, not just for the week, not just for the month, but for years, and working really hard to make that future a reality. Grit is living life like it's a marathon, not a sprint.”

15. Live in the moment

You can’t change the past and you have no control of the future. Live in the moment and enjoy what’s in front of you right here, right now. When you’re busy making too many plans, you’re causing stress that prevents you from enjoying the present.

16. Take care of yourself, then help others.

According to Mark Snyder, a psychologist and head of the Center for the Study of the Individual and Society at the University of Minnesota, "People who volunteer tend to have higher self-esteem, psychological well-being, and happiness."

Additionally, helping others is beneficial for our health. But, how can you help others if you haven’t taken care of yourself first? Take care of your needs first and then begin to help others.

Sources:- entrepreneur

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15 Simple Ways to Live a Happy Life

“Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence.”

Aristotle said this more than 2,000 years ago. And it still holds true today. What is the true purpose of life, if not to live a happy life until we die?

Happiness is one of the most sought-after goals in life, yet for many it seems to be elusive. It’s easy to delude ourselves into thinking, “When I just have that nice house and new car, then I can be happy.” But in reality, happiness is available to all of us, right now. A big house or a new car won’t actually make you happier; it’s the simple joys in life that bring true happiness. Read on to learn 15 simple ways that you can start living a happier life today.

1. Do What You Love

If your passion is playing soccer, writing poems, or teaching children how to swim, make time to do it. You’ll find that when you’re doing what you love, you’re filled with joy. How much better does that sound than forcing yourself do something you don’t like?

2. Help Others

Sometimes after we’ve achieved our own personal goals, we still feel empty inside because we haven’t made a meaningful contribution to someone else’s life. When we volunteer or help others, it feels good to just be of service to someone else. The impact we make feels fulfilling and is a big potential source for our own happiness.

3. Be Thankful

When you think of all the things that you have to be grateful for, you realize how blessed you already are. Without even realizing it, we take our basic necessities for granted — a roof over your head and plenty of food to eat. By appreciating the things that you already have, you’ll begin to feel happier in your life.

4. Share With Others

When we share our thoughts, our time, and our abilities with others we feel better for it. A life lived without sharing can become lonely. When you share with others, they’ll feel great towards you and help you to feel more joy in your own life.

5. Smile More

Practice smiling more and see how it affects you internally, as well as those around you. You can always afford to give a smile. Smiling can make you happier — even if you have to force it, you’ll still feel better.

6. Exercise

When was the last time you went to the gym or worked out? Exercise reduces stress andreleases endorphins, also known as a “runner’s high.” Playing sports is a fun way to exercise as well, whether it’s kicking around a soccer ball or shooting hoops.

7. Seek Out a Life Coach

A life coach will help you to evaluate your life and why you’re not feeling happy in it. Maybe you’re holding limiting beliefs or you have an emotional block without realizing it. By speaking to a life coach, you can uncover why you’re actually unhappy and what you can do to feel better.

8. Find Ways to Manage Stress

Don’t let stress rob you of your birthright to be happy. You deserve to be happy, and it wouldn’t be right to let stress get in the way. Practices such as meditation can help you to manage stress better and feel great.

9. Eat Healthy

It’s much more challenging to feel truly happy when you’re sick. But when you eat right, you feel better both physically and mentally. And you’ll avoid that guilty feeling that you just pigged out on junk food.

10. Spend Time With Your Loved Ones

There’s no replacement for spending quality time with your loved ones. We’re social beings, even if you’re an introvert or a loner. People love spending time with their friends and family for good conversation, bonding, and some laughs. Life’s too short to live it completely alone.

11. Dump Negative Thinking

You already know that negative thinking will bring you down. So how do you stop it? Become more aware of it and try replacing your negative thoughts with some positive ones. Spend less time with negative people and more time with positive people.

12. Give More Gifts

You don’t have to give expensive gifts; sometimes a poem, a quick note, or a thoughtful email will brighten someone else’s day, and yours. Share what you can give to all the wonderful people in your life.

13. Forgive and Forget

Holding a grudge will harm you more than the person you’re holding it against. Ask yourself, “What would it take for me to let go of the past?” and notice how you feel when you let go of your anger for a few seconds. Focus instead on a bright future and you’ll feel better for it.

14. Take a Walk in Nature

Spending time out in nature can be very refreshing and renewing, especially when you’re living in an artificial, manmade world. Taking a walk in your local woods or park and getting some fresh air can allow you to appreciate the beauty of the natural world.

15. Be Yourself

As Steve Jobs said, “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.” Accept who you are, just be yourself, and you’ll feel a world of difference.

Sources:- huffingtonpost

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