Dyvine Silvestre

I Did It!

Word of advise - Before you begin to read the blog below please take time to read my previous blog called - “Phobias”

You must have wished me a lot of luck! I DID IT! I faced my fear of rollercoasters, and now I am fearless. In this blog I will tell you ways that helped me get over my phobia, some interesting examples of phobias, and insights from well known people about fear.

Try your best to get informed from those who have experienced your phobia. For example I was taught that closing your eyes while dropping down makes it worse - So first step - Open Eyes. To begin, I went on smaller rides THAN the Behemoth to learn how to open my eyes on the drop. After I mastered this technique on the Bat, I tried it on some other rides too, it seemed to help. They were right!

Shortly after that I felt brave enough to go on the Behemoth, so I went with my mom ( not the impulsive figure, not mentioning any names like a dad or something) and one of my best friends. On the way up, My mom and my friend were trying to distract me by saying silly things, I was laughing but I looked only at the sky, so I would not see how high I would have to drop down at. - make sure you are fighting your fear around those to whom you're comfortable with.

Finall we got got to the top and I was screaming, but in my head I thought “lets do this!” I put my hands up, eyes open and flew down at such a fast velocity, I felt like a free bird! After I got off, I couldn’t believe what I was missing all this time! I wanted to go on Leviathan(the tallest and fastest ride in Wonderland- 306 ft, 148km/h at an 80 degree drop) and I DID IT. It was so thrilling, I can’t wait to do it again. It feels amazing to face your fear, you feel invincible when you do so, and now I don’t have to speak from others’ experiences!

Here are some interesting phobias:
1. Coulrophobia – Fear of Clowns- common in children, but not too common in teenagers and adults, their appearances make them look treacherous. Although adults with this fear know its completely irrational, they can’t escape the circumstances.

2. Ergasiophobia – Fear of Work- These people may be suffering from another illness such as depression or lack of attention. I think everyone has a “phobia” of working, but in order to keep the world rolling, we need to suck it up and earn what we have.

3. Neophobia - Fear of Newness. This is the fear of anything new, whether it be technology or a certain circumstance. It doesn’t count on circumstances like your parents not knowing how to download music on an ipod or knowing what BBM is- if you know what I mean ;). Change is good, it builds your character and ability to adapt to anything life may throw at you.

4. Pteronophobia - Fear of being Tickled by Feathers. I find this one very intersting... how can someone be afraid of being tickled with feathers? Certain childhood events can lead to a person being afraid of feeling trapped.

5. Arachibutyrophobia - fear of peanut butter getting stuck to the roof of your mouth.

6. Epistemophobia - fear of knowledge.

7. Nephophobia - fear of clouds.

8. Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia - fear of long words. (go figure its the longest word I’ve ever seen!)

“You gain strength, courage, and confidence by each experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, “I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.” You must do the thing you think you cannot do.”
~Eleanor Roosevelt

“You can conquer almost any fear if you will only make up your mind to do so. For remember, fear doesn't exist anywhere except in the mind.”
~Dale Carnegie (1888-1955) American writer.

“One of the greatest discoveries a man makes, one of his great surprises, is to find he can do what he was afraid he couldn't do.”
~Henry Ford (1863-1947) American industrialist.

“Let us never negotiate out of fear but let us never fear to negotiate.”
~John F. Kennedy (1917-1963) Thirty-fifth President of the USA

“There is nothing with which every man is so afraid as getting to know how enormously much he is capable of doing and becoming.”
~Soren Kierkegaard (1813-1855) Danish philosopher and writer.

Hope you enjoyed...
Your Blogist,
Dyvine Silvestre

Phobias

Phobias are progressions of fears that eventually become very serious and life affecting. In this blog I will tell you what fear is (more or less), how you can overcome fear, and last but definitely not least my personal phobia.

Fear is an emotion that everyone experiences one way or another in their lifetime. Fear can be divided into two parts: biochemical and emotional. The biochemical part deals with the physical aspect of fear, this includes reactions to this emotion under certain circumstances. Some reactions include sweating, dizziness, increased heart rate and adrenaline. This is commonly known as “fight or flight” in which where the body prepares to either fight the challenge ahead or tries to escape from it. The emotional part of fear is personalized, meaning here is where each person is categorized in their fear such as claustrophobia or arachnophobia. Phobias are when someone experiences great fear to something or someone that they know has no real danger and they know that their reactions are irrational but cannot control them. Franklin D. Roosevelt said himself “the only thing to fear is Fear itself”. This is no longer just a fancy saying it is proven that many people that are afraid of something are usually not afraid of the actual circumstance but rather the feeling of fear (Phobophobia).

There are many ways to get over fears (although I should not be one to talk, since I have not overcome mine yet, so keep in mind the next paragraph is based on others’ experiences ;).) One way is to take gradual steps, start by thinking about your fear, talking about it, seeing others experience, then gradually experience it yourself. For example someone with a fear of snakes (Ophidiophobia) could start by seeing pictures, playing with fake toy snakes and eventually holding a real one. You can also try bringing a friend or trusted person with you to experience the circumstance you are afraid of. You could go to a therapist or counsellor as well. When you feel like you are ready to overcome your fear do it, *make sure you are not pressured into doing it because it could become a traumatizing experience.

Now it’s my turn! I would like to share my fear with you - “Coasterphobia” (this is my own made up Latin word for roller coaster). I used to be scared in fact, terrified of roller coasters. I attempted to jump off a boat ride roller coaster when I was about 8 (not to intentionally hurt myself of course) because of a reaction to my phobia. I did not go on roller coasters for many years after that. I’m not afraid of heights, or the security of the coaster rather I am afraid of that butterfly feeling you get on your way down from a drop. Later on (well this year :p) I went on the same ride and found it quite fun, so I tried bigger rides such as Vortex and Sky Rider (in Canada’s Wonderland) I did panic at the beginning of these rides but after I found it amusing. I wanted to try the Behemoth! I got on the seat, and guess what? I chickened out, I just couldn’t do it. I was crying and panicking, half my body wanted to stay while my overpowering mind prohibited me to go. After doing some research on phobias and talking to my mom (oh by the way don’t get someone who is impatient or impulsive to help you - such as a manly figure - not mentioning any titles... especially not mentioning a dad) I think I am going to actually do it the next time I go.

Hope you enjoyed... wish me luck!
Your Health Blogist,

Dyvine Silvestre

Sleep Time!

With today’s fast paced society, busy schedules, and hectic work hours, many find it hard to get enough sleep. Sleep is extremely important to our body. Without sleep, simple daily functions and performance at work, could and most likely will be negatively affected. So how can we ensure that we get enough sleep?

Scientists still have not found the true importance of sleeping, however they believe that it is necessary to sleep because it is a time when our bodies can restore itself and regain energy that is lost during the day. While we sleep, our bodies can repair muscle tissue, release hormones important for growth and development, and restore mental health. Dreaming is contrary to this belief since while we dream our brains are very active. Experts suggest that dreaming is a “clearing out process” or a way to organize and remember thoughts we had and things we learned throughout the day.

When you don’t have enough sleep you start to feel moody and drowsy which can affect the quality of your performance at work or school! Did you know that if your body is deprived 3-5 days of sleep you would start to hallucinate and you would not be able to perform functions easily? This is why it is essential to get enough sleep. Most people need about 8 hours of sleep, kids usually need more.

Now-a-days, with busy schedules it is hard to regularly get enough sleep. Here are some tips you can try to help ensure you have enough good quality sleep:

Set up a regular bedtime... no cheating, stick to that time every night!
Write about anything you haven’t done yet that you need to do tomorrow, you will have trouble sleeping with all those thoughts in your head.
Read a dull book or listen to soothing music before you fall asleep.
Don’t take (too many) naps during the day.

Hope you enjoyed...

Why Yawn?

Aaaaa... Why do I keep yawning??? I have been yawning a lot today, so I decided to do some research on what a yawn is, what causes people to yawn, and whether or not they are contagious.

A yawn is a reflex usually known to regulate oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in the blood. It is usually involuntary, meaning we can’t control it.

There is no actual proven reason as to why we yawn, but there is a lot of theories or ideas as to why they occur. There are about 3 main theories:

This theory states that yawning happens when our breathing slows down. Less oxygen is being taken in and less carbon dioxide is being released, therefore a yawn will help stimulate both.
Another theory says that we yawn to stretch our lungs and to redistribute a fluid called surfactant that keeps the lungs lubricated inside and stops them from collapsing. This theory therefore, states it is necessary to yawn.
Others believe that it is just a reflex from the brain telling you to relax or someway to moisten your eyes.

This is an interesting tip -
Is Yawning contagious? You may notice that you yawn when others around you are yawning, or even when you think or read of yawning! It is suggested that we yawn when others yawn because our brain naturally mirrors what others in front of you are doing! Isn’t that fascinating?

Hope you’ve learned a little more on yawning. How many times have you yawned while reading this? :p

Hic Hic! OH no!

Hic hic hic HIC HIC!! Ughhhhh these hiccups are so annoying!!! I know everyone in their life experiences hiccups, in fact I have the hiccups right now!

Hiccups can be very annoying and inconvenient, especially if you are in public. So what exactly are hiccups? Why do we get them? and how can we get rid of them?

Hiccups are medically termed as synchronous diaphragmatic flutter, meaning the hiccups are synchronized with the movement of our diaphragm. They come from the irritation of the diaphragm. The diaphragm pulls down to help pull air into the lungs when you inhale, and relaxes, and pushes air out through your mouth and nose when you exhale. Hiccups occur when the diaphragm is pulled down in a weird or different way, making you suddenly suck air into your throat. When the air rushing in your body hits your voice box it creates a “hic” sound.

Hiccups can be caused by many things. They are reflexes sent by the brain triggered by emotions (being nervous for example), physical conditions (like eating too much fat or just too much), diseases/conditions (an irritation in the stomach or the throat), etc. Some hiccups last for minutes, some last for days while others last for weeks (these are usually due to a medical condition).

Now the most important part... how do you get rid of them? I am sure you have heard many ways on how to get rid of hiccups like holding your breath for 10 seconds. Well here is a list of some other tricks to add to your list.

• Suck on a lime
• Eat grains of sugar
• Breath in and out of a paper bag
• Drink a cold glass of water slowly and after drinking it all hold your breath for 10 seconds
• Pull out your tongue
• Eat a spoon of peanut butter (may favourite way to resolve hiccups)
• And the traditional way - getting scared!

Mmmm I just ate a spoon of peanut butter, wow it really does work! I am hiccup free. Hope this helped, good luck!

What is Diabetes?

I recently visited one of the beautiful islands of Portugal - Azores and had the pleasure of meeting a sweet young girl who lived in the area. As a offered a piece of gum she quickly declined and explained that she had Diabetes. At such a young age she pokes her finger and checks up on her blood sugar levels on a special device. At that moment I thought to why not educate my self on that issue and try to inform as many people about it as well. So i researched and came across some very interesting facts.

To start off - What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a disorder in which our body does not produce insulin at all or produces not enough/or your insulin is not working properly. This means our blood sugar level is to elevated. Insulin is a hormone created by the pancreas and is what allows glucose from the blood be transferred into your cells, lowering your blood sugar level. Our cells use the glucose for energy and growth and so it is important to have insulin to allow the transfer of glucose into our cells. It is found through a urine test and supported by a blood test that shows the amount of glucose in the blood stream. There are two main types of Diabetes- Type 1 and Type 2.

What is the Difference between Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes?
Type 1: People with Type 1 diabetes do not produce insulin at all
Approximately 15% of all people with diabetes have Type 1.
Fatal unless the patient regularly takes insulin.
Not preventable; the person has simply loss their insulin producing beta cells.

Type 2: People with Type 2 diabetes produces insufficient amounts of insulin or their insulin is not working properly.
Usually due to being overweight; preventable

What are symptoms of Diabetes?

• Frequent thirst/ urination
• When excess amounts of glucose are in your blood you tend to urinate more. As a result you need to keep hydrating your body and so you are frequently thirsty.
• Intense Hunger/ Increased fatigue/ Weight gain
• Since sugar is not entering your cells (which they need for growth and energy) your body will look for something else to give it energy~ food. Also since you have a low energy level you will feel tired more often. These two last sentences both add up to increase in weight.
• Unusual weight loss
• Muscle tissue and fat will be broken down for energy.
• Swollen/red gums
• this could be a symptom of diabetes and also your teeth will fall out due to your gums pushing away from them.

Others include:

• Blurred vision
• itchy skin
• Sexual dysfunction for men
• Cuts and bruises don’t heal properly
• Numbness or tingling, especially in your feet and hands

Is there a cure for diabetes?
There is no known cure for diabetes. However for people with Type 1 diabetes are usually treated with injections of insulin, a formatted diet and a proper exercise outline for the particular situation. Individuals with type 2 diabetes are treated with tablets, and just like Type 1 diabetes, exercise and a special diet. Sometimes insulin injections are also required.

Hope you enjoyed...

By: Dyvine Silvestre

The Gift of Vision

The gift of seeing is truly sacred, it should never be taken for granted. Try to imagine a world with no colour and no vision - a world that many among us live in. My mom has glasses, but luckily my DNA for this function came from my dad.

I am here today to explain some of the many ways that people damage their eyesight. I will also include some precautions you can take action on to maintain a good eyesight.

In order to explain the aspects of loosing sights, let me educate you first on SIGHT it self. The rays of light from our atmosphere enter our eyes and hit the lens located in the eye. These rays then “excite” the nerves, which carry message to the brain. The brain then understands what the eye is trying to tell it through complicated steps and sees the object that the eye was looking at. This is a very basic explanation on how we see. Very Basic!

Now, the main ways to damage your vision is to either strain your eyes and/or having an unhealthy diet.

Watching TV too close, reading small letters in the dark, looking at the sun and being on the computer with a bright screen for too long are all ways of straining your eyes. Obviously if your eyes are constantly adapting to focus, they will eventually get tired and damaged. It’s like opening and closing a car door roughly over and over again- sooner or later the hinges wear down.

Like mentioned above having a healthy diet is key to having good eyesight! The eyes need vitamin A found plentiful in veggies- carrots being prominent. I used to have attacks of panic when seeing carrots near me, I completely despised them. Through constant exposure and obligation to eat carrots I have fortunately overcome that drama. Today I love carrots, its my favourite part of my meal, and this is extremely healthy in keeping my vision in tact.

Some ways to avoid damaging your eyesight are:

• Watching TV at a minimum of 3 metres away,
• Lowering the brightness of your computer screen
• Reading with a lamp
• Wearing protected UV glasses during the day
• Eating plenty of green leafy veggies and especially carrots!

I hope that you take this blog into consideration... don’t forget- a carrot a day keeps the optometrist away ;).

Dyvine Silvestre

Nail Biting

Everywhere I go, I always come across a person with a horrible habit - Nail Biting!
I personally cannot see my self pick up such habit. This is mostly like due to the fact that I have been educated on the negative effects that may arise from this soothing habit!

This habit is usually detected early in life - most likely when you are a young child, where if you refuse to acknowledge the problem, it will continue on to adulthood.

There is only a few questions left to ask - Why do people bite their nails? What are the effects of this habit? And, how can they be stopped?

There are multiple reasons why people pick up such habit - Nevertheless, stress and boredom are number one.
Stress gives you the urge to exert force onto something, and whether you are conscious or not about it, you are taking out the stress onto your nails! Boredom is also a big key factor as to why you bite your nails. Face it, when you have nothing to do, you want and need to do something. For many people, while searching for something to do - they come across nail biting! Most of the time people are biting their nails sub-consciously, slowly becoming a dangerous habit!

Some effects of nail biting include:

• Red & Sore Fingertips.
• Cuticle Bleeding.
• Infections on your nail bed and your mouth.
• Dental problems, infection of the gums. It damages in the long term the teeth, making them more prone to develop caries.
• Nail deformation.
• In rare cases it can be a symptom of Obsessive Compulsive disorder, and this must be treated with medications.

In order to understand the serious issues that may arise with nail biting here are some explanations.

Nail biting can result in transmission of germs that live beneath the surface of the nail to the mouth. Many pathogens have the ability to live within the nail, with that being said, the nail biting habit can increase the chances to cause damage to the health.
A compulsive nail bitter may not stop at only the nail but also the skin around the cuticle and breaking the skin. Broken skin is susceptible to opportunistic infections from microbes and viruses. These pathogens can spread between the finger and into the mouth.
Nail biting can also be negative for the restricting it causes to the hands. A compulsive nail bitter may have restricted his/her ability to work (eg, writing, typing, drawing, playing stringed instruments, driving) because of damage done to the nail or surrounding skin.
A long habit of nail biting can cause wear off the enamel of the incisor teeth, which can generate cavities in these areas.

Here are some tips on stopping:

• Girls can always keep their nails with nail polish - which often serves as a reminder that they can not bite their nails. Another alternative is to use nail polish that contains bitter flavors.
• Another tip is to put pepper on the nails, so that when you bite it will sting your mouth. This will affect your habit, encouraging you to stop.
• Or, wrap your fingertips with adhesive tape, also works.

I hope you enjoyed ...

Stop Your Foot Pain Today!

“Mom, can we go to the mall?”

“Too much walking sweetie, my feet are killing me”

Believe it or not, but this topic is discussed more than you think. In fact, it is due to this conversation - and partially my longing to go to the mall, that I have decided to do some research on what feet pain really is. In other words, how and why we get feet pain and the solutions that will help you and your feet.

Feet pain is a built of stress out on the muscles, bones and ligaments of your feet. Consider this; an average person takes about 10000 steps per day, and every time we step we put a force of 2-3 times our body weight on our feet, as result it is only normal to feel some type of pain at some point. However, a combination of factors can magnify this discomfort.

Here are some factors that may increase foot aches including some solutions that are guarantee to help:

1. Flat feet~ some people have feet that are not very arched or not arched at all. This foot causes the body to use more energy to walk resulting in more pressure on your feet, and causes more fatigue at the end of the day. To help this you can try buying shoes with great arch support, or talk to your family doctor.
2. Gender~ Females are at a higher risk of experiencing severe foot pains, which I think is partially a result of having to get everything for the men around the house. This is mainly because women usually wear high heels, and gain weight during pregnancy. Try to find a high heeled shoe that is stylish and comfortable all at once... and well, I don’t know any other way to help feet pain during pregnancy but I’m sure it could be a great excuse to make your husband do everything for you.
3. Age~ The older you get, the thinner the skin on your feet becomes due to it being worn down years after years after years after years... almost done... after years! Also your feet widen and flatten, putting even more pressure on your old, dry feet. This is why it is important to have a healthy diet throughout your life, and a frequent work out routine.
4. Dehydration~ there are about 250,000 sweat glands on your feet that release approximately a quarter of a litre everyday! Drinking the necessary amount of water a day (8-10 cups) can help your feet pain.
5. Insufficient amount of blood flowing to your feet also causes aches and pains. This is the symptom my mom has and this is her major cause of feet pain. Blood thinning foods and vitamins (consisting of omega-3, vitamin E, and Iron) can help the flow of blood to your feet. Foods such as salmon, olive oil, fish oils, strawberries, cinnamon, vinegar, honey, red wine, and blueberries are natural blood thinners.

Hope this can help your feet pain. Tomorrow I’m going to make my mom a salmon with chopped strawberries, sauced with vinegar, honey, cinnamon, and a glass of red wine... then we can go to the mall for sure! wish me luck!

By: Dyvine Silvestre

Headache Day!

        The most common phrase I hear on a day to day basis from my Mama is “I have a headache”, hopefully not ALL of it has to do with putting up with me :). A headache, or as I like to say “the reason not to ask Mom for anything today” is a common symptom in both Men and Women- but mostly in Women. It is a built up of many components such as stress, certain foods/smells, lack of sleep, bad posture and smoking.

Stress derives from many circumstances like a tough day at work, overbooking, personal problems, or as I have learned, your teenager. Headaches that come from stress are called tension headaches. They can be a build up of stress or a migraine (in which the brain releases chemicals that can alter blood vessel dilation). Different foods and smells can trigger different people, so it is your responsibility to realize which might trigger you to have a headache, and avoid them all together. It is very important to get 8 hours of sleep daily.

If you have fast paced life like my parents, it is completely understandable that this is hard to achieve. Working out a steady deadline to get things done daily can help ensure you will have enough hours of sleep. Most jobs in a developed country involves the usage of computers, in fact right now you are probably reading this on some sort of electronic device. Look at your posture right now, posture can easily affect your headaches. Slouching, staring at a screen that is too low or too high, a chair with bad lumbar support, all add up putting pressure on your head and neck muscles- this causes your headache. Once in a while, if you have been sitting for too long get up and stretch.

Another great reason for one not to smoke is because of the amounts of Nicotine that are contain in cigarettes, it causes blood vessels in the brain to narrow, allowing for little oxygen to pass through. The cause of headaches is another reason why smoking is a big NO NO!

Some solutions to free headaches include:

• Meditation/ breathing exercises (try Tai Chi)
• Drinking lots of water (keep hydrated)
• Getting enough hours of sleep (about 8)
• Good Nutrition
• A couple of ours to yourself, and to yourself only!
• Watch movies at home not at the theatre- this comes from personal experience. Many perfumes and flashing lights = Mom with a headache.

I hope this blog will help you avoid or treat your headache symptoms so you can enjoy life to its fullest :). Luckily, today wasn’t a “headache day” for my Mama, I got new ear rings ;).