Plants are Medicine too!

Figure 1

Who doesn't love snicker doodle cookies. Did you know the main ingredient in snicker doodles, cinnamon, is more than just great tasting (Figure 1)? Most people do not realize how helpful cinnamon can be. It is also known as a medical herb. It has multiple uses outside of cooking. Cinnamon is the tan to dark brown spice that is prepared from cinnamon bark by powdering and has a somewhat sweet and spicy taste (1). Let’s find out where cinnamon comes from.

Figure 2

Most of the world’s cinnamon comes from Asia, and can be found on trees. The cinnamon tree can grow up to 60 feet tall (Figure 2)!! Another fact about this sweet herb is that it is "one of the oldest spices, goes all the way back to ancient Egypt"(2).

As we know cinnamon is mostly a main ingredient in most of your holiday deserts. Around the holidays we love to make cookies, cakes, pies, especially apple pies. They all have some hint of cinnamon in them. Did you ever think to yourself when you’re eating all of these delicious treats that they could have ingredients that could soothe a sore stomach? Cinnamon is used to soothe an upset stomach. Next time that you have an upset stomach you should ask your mom if you could try eating some applesauce or another treat that contains cinnamon. The cinnamon in that tasty treat will help you stomach process the food that is inside relieving you from pain cause by blocked up food. It will take away the feeling of sickness and heartburn.

Figure 3

With that being said there are so many more benefits that come with eating cinnamon. You should try to include cinnamon into every meal. It can help to keep you away from the doctor’s office, because no one like going to the doctor’s office. There is only one place that could possibly be worse that the doctor’s office, the dentist. Most kids would rather die than go to the dentist. With the help of cinnamon, you can avoid the dentist a little longer. Just ask your mom to put a half to a full teaspoon into you oatmeal in the morning. It will kill bacteria in your mouth and help with the health of your gums. Your teeth will thank you because it will make the inside of your mouth a lot cleaner and also much healthier (Figure 3).

Another thing that can really bum you out is getting the cold or even worse the flu. It can ruin your whole week and even worse you may have to miss some school. A great way to prevent this is to eat cinnamon regularly in your diet. The oils in the cinnamon kill bacteria that is found to cause the common cold and the flu virus. It will not take away the cold or flu after you already have it. The cinnamon is used to prevent these viruses. They kill the bacteria that cause them before they can set in and make you sick. Your parents will thank you when they don’t have to take care of you.

Figure 4

There are many complicated and expensive ways to make yourself a healthier person. One that people often look right past is cinnamon (Figure 4). This natural herb can help you stomach teeth and immune system and make you a much healthier person. It is also a very tasty treat that kids and adult of all ages love. Next time you see an apple pie or cup of applesauce you will now realize all of the benefits that come with eating this tasty treat.

                                                        References

1.) Cinnamon. (n.d.). Retrieved April 26, 2017, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cinnamon
2.) Herb, A. P. D. Health Benefits.
3.) Kegeles, S. S. (1963). Some motives for seeking preventive dental care. The Journal of the American Dental Association, 67(1), 90-98.

Mixed Martial Arts May Just be the Answer to Your Bully Problems!

Figure 1: Jimmy in some serious trouble

     Do you see the small kid looking as if he is about to be crumbled into a piece of paper this is Jimmy. Jimmy frequently finds himself placed right in the middle of bully troubles pretty, and he isn't really sure how to solve this problem. He's tried telling teachers, friends, and even his own parents but no one seems to really hear him out or offer any good advice what to do. One day he was sitting at home watching YouTube and ran into a video of a kid getting back at his long bully. He the decided he has finally had enough it's time to take matters in to his own hands and learn some self-defense and begin learning MMA. Now this is just in case if one of the big oafs tries to hurt him for no reason again. The first thing Jimmy is going to learn is that MMA is not just free range to beat up anyone one you want. It is used for self-defense situations in which you have no other option but to properly defend yourself.

Did Anyone Ever Solve their Bullying Problems With MMA?

Figure 2: MMA regulated glove

MMA is and abbreviation for mixed martial arts, which is a newer type of sport that incorporates several different types of fighting styles, which has in the past few years turned into a thriving business with many of the fighters becoming incredibly famous from it. Now what most people don't know is some of those huge stars join MMA just for the fact they were being bullied.One fighter you may have heard of is Connor McGregor, he said at a young age he was picked on because of his size so bad at one point he began to walk to school with a metal bar in his backpack(1). Eventually he realized living every day in fear of when his next bullying episode may occur wasn't right or fair to him. So he decided learning some form of self-defense would be his best chance at solving his problem, and this is where MMA stepped into the picture. He stated once he knew how to properly defend himself the bullying ceased pretty fast after that, then he slowly began to get better and found a true passion for it. After that he realized he could make his love for a sport into a profession and the rest is history.

How to get Involved in MMA

       

Figure 3: Even the big bad wolf can't win against MMA

            Now that Jimmy is interested in learning how to defend himself he wonders what does it take to become good at this and what it takes to join. Well MMA is unlike any other sport that Jimmy's friends play, it is straight forward but very difficult. (2) It may the best solution for Jimmy's current problem but the path of getting there will be one he needs to dedicate himself to. He must first find a gym near him that supports and teaches it. Next he will have to find a trainer who is willing to teach him the ins and outs of MMA. Once Jimmy learns the ropes and finds himself comfortable with MMA, he will be able to apply this knowledge he has obtain only in self-defense to the next big bad bully who comes his way.

          

Figure 4: Physical and Mental health taken from MMA

        Other Benefits From MMA  

       On top of being a good solution to Jimmy's bullying problems MMA has a long list of other advantages it can bring into his life as well. It was said that "There are lots of fitness benefits to practicing MMA. Studies have shown that MMA training, unlike other types of exercise, works on your total body. We are not just talking muscles, either. You get a cardio and a strength training workout, all in one" (3). This saying Jimmy not only can defend himself if necessary, but also get in good shape all at the same time. This sport has several physical benefits to it as stated above, but perhaps the best part to this sport is that it has mental health advantages that go along with it as well. It has also been said that martial arts training embodies a system of moral values, that together can inculcate physical and mental relaxation, control of mind and body, and an increase in self confidence (4). These examples just show that MMA has benefits both mentally and physically Jimmy could take from it, along with the teaching of self-defense that he could apply as a last resort to help himself. MMA all around has so much hidden potential but hopefully after reading this you have your eyes opened, and if you're ever placed in a scenario like Jimmy maybe MMA can help you like it did him. 

(1) Cole, R. (2017, January 22). 10 UFC Stars Who Were Bullied As Kids. Retrieved April 25, 2017, from http://www.lowkickmma.com/lists/10-ufc-stars-who-were-bullied-as-kids/8/

(2)  History of MMA Mixed Martial Arts. (2009, May 13). Retrieved April 24, 2017, from http://ockickboxing.com/blog/mma/history-of-mma-mixed-martial-arts/

(3) Keller, P. P. (n.d.). The Health Benefits of Mixed Martial Arts Training | Peak Performance Blog. Retrieved April 26, 2017, from http://peakmmakeller.com/blog/the-health-benefits-of-mixed-martial-arts-training/

(4) Mccafferty, G. (n.d.). Psychological benefits of martial arts training. Retrieved April 26, 2017, from http://believeperform.com/performance/psychological-benefits-of-martial-arts-training/

From Birthdays to Battlefields

From Birtdays to Battlefields

It's everybody's favorite part of the party! Happy Birthday was sung and people are beginning to get antsy. What did the birthday boy get? Gifts upon gifts of course, and then finally, he opens the gift that he has been asking for since they were invented. He got a drone for his birthday! Not only can it fly to the clouds, but it can record every single step of the way. What adventures were to come from the mind of this young man? And also, what sort of things could he do with his brand new piece of technology? But the better question is, how many other people have this technology? And how high tech is that compared to what you can buy in any store? The answer may blow you away.
        

The Bow or the Gun?(Zachary Vongsavanh)

The Bow, Father of the Rifle? 

The day after thanksgiving's end, where do you want to be most? I'd wager you want to be out hunting some game right now. You wish you were out in the woods, stalking your prey, and getting ready to go in for the kill. However when you are about to strike, what tool are you going to use? Will you use your trusty hunting rifle? What about a bow and arrow? I bet you'd definitely say no to the bow and arrow right? That way of hunting is so outdated, who even uses them anymore, this isn't the stone age! Well, hold on right there, my friend; for there is much more to the bow and arrow than you'd expect. In fact, without the bow and arrow, you would probably not even be hunting the way you are right now. There is far more to Bow hunting than meets the eye, even bows themselves have depth hidden to most. 

The Bow Family

Figure 1: Excluding crossbows, the multiple types of bows in archery.

When you think of bow hunting, you would probably say that there can't be anything special about the bows used, there you'd be wrong. There are actually 4 separate and very distinct types of bows used for archery. Firstly, there are recurve bows, who's tips are curved away from the archer. Bows like these were mainly used by horsemen during combat and hunting. Today Recurve bows are used for the Olympics, as well as to teach young archers because they don't require as much strength to pull back as other bows. Next, we have compound bows, a more modern and advanced version of the bow; it allows for a lot of range but requires a large amount of strength in exchange. Thirdly, we have longbows, the oldest known bows to man; mainly used as weapons during the 1200's. Being the oldest known bows to man, longbows are simply long curved sticks with a rope tied to both ends. Longbows are much more unwieldy than more modern bows. And finally, we have the most unique type of bows out there; crossbows. It's very likely that you've seen these things used in movies or t.v. shows nowadays. Believed to be developed in ancient china to be used against the Greco-Romans; this bow greatly resembles a firearm. Mostly used for target archery, but comes with many different stipulations and requirements from state to state. The complexity that goes into bows isn't the most well known, alongside its rich history.(1)

History of the Bow-Hunt

Figure 2: Cave drawing of primitive bow hunters.

With such a wide variety of bows to choose from, you're probably asking,"Where did bows come from"? Well, I bet you'd be surprised to hear of the very simple yet impactful history of bow hunting as a whole. The use of bows to hunt prey dates back to the stone age. Many native Americans would use bows and arrows while stalking their prey in order to bring home food. And gradually as more and more cultures began to meld and mix, many techniques were passed on and combined together in order to make archery what it is today. Through archery, a practice of survival has evolved and changed into a sport that many participate in, to this day. (2)

How Far has the Bow come? 

Figure 3: Archers shooting Clout, a special type of target archery

With such beginnings, where has Bow hunting gotten itself today? In the 1920's, a Dr. Saxton Pope published a book called "Hunting with the Bow and Arrow". Dr. Pop's novel would lead to bow hunting and archery as a whole becoming widespread in its popularity. Dr. Pope and his colleague, Arthur Young, learned how to bow hunt from a native American man named Ishi. Ishi was the last member of his California tribe and used his knowledge of bow hunting to teach both Pope and Young. Years of Native American knowledge went into the making of the book, leading to the great American bow hunting tradition living on. In the 1950s, Fred Bear, Earl Hoyt, and Ben Pearson began to mass produce what would become modern bows for the public to use. The three men then went even further to use their hunts to create many tutorials in order to further help people who wanted to get into it. Despite its humble history, bow hunting and archery became a widely known and practiced sport; leading to many young people taking interest.(3)

Which Will You Choose? 

Figure 4: National Archery in the Schools Program Growing in New York

Now you know about the depth and history that goes into bow hunting. With this know-how, what choice are you going to make? When you go on your next hunt, maybe you won't use a bow, maybe you won't even think about it. But go into hunting with a better understanding of where the origins of your beloved sport came from. Understand just how important the bow and arrow were to hunting as a whole. And maybe, just maybe find a new appreciation for your fellow hunters who just so happen to use a bow and arrow, rather than a loaded gun.

References 

1) Unger K. (May 4, 2014). Four types of archery bows. Livestrong. Retrieved from: http://www.livestrong.com/article/116274-four-types-archery-bows/ 

2) The history of modern bow hunting. Michigan Bowhunter Ed. Course.(n.d.) Retrieved from: https://www.bowhunter-ed.com/michigan/studyGuide/The-History-of-Modern-Bowhunting/301023_3622

3) Shadow S. (n.d.) How bow hunting works. How Stuff Works/Adventure. Retrieved from: http://adventure.howstuffworks.com/outdoor-activities/hunting/traditional-methods/bow-hunting2.htm 

Cosmetic Surgery? What's That?

Figure 1: Comes in handy

Have you ever seen someone with a new face when you know it was different the last time you saw them? Some people get pretty weird looks for changing their face around, but no one bats an eye when Mr. Potato Head does it! Changing the way your body looks to make it look better is cosmetic, or "aesthetic" surgery (1). Don't tell the Potato Heads, but it's a lot harder than just switching parts around. So, what is a cosmetic surgery? 

Some Cosmetic Surgeries

Some surgeries change the size and shape of your nose! Those are called a rhinoplasty. Now, the Potato Head family can put their noses where their ears belong but they can't change the size. There are even surgeries to suck fat out of a person's body, called suction lipectomies, but Mr. Potato Head doesn't seem too keen on being turned into a french fry (3). But what makes a cosmetic surgery a cosmetic surgery is that it makes you prettier, and it's elective! What's elective? That means it's something you have to choose to have done. Only you can decide if you want to have these surgeries.

But Why?

Figure 2: No one judges a potato

A question a lot of people get is why do they get cosmetic surgery. Sometimes, people give others weird looks because they had plastic surgery. Most people have plastic surgery to look better and feel better by matching how they look with how they feel (2)! They want people to see them the way they want to be seen. However, you have to remember that beauty, and appearances in general, aren't what you should judge people on! After all, no one gives Mr. Potato Head a second look when he changes his normal eyes to his angry eyes.

Final Thoughts

One thing you really have to remember is that not only is cosmetic surgery completely up to you, but you have to be really careful with it!  It's a big decision to make, so you have to think about it a lot before you get a surgery. If you don't think about it enough, you might feel bad after it's already been done. When you play with Mr. Potato Head, you can move his parts around a lot, and keep moving them around. But you're not a toy, so whatever changes you make are permanent unless you want to get another surgery.

Figure 3: Swap out his parts

(1) Aesthetic surgery. (n.d.). In MediLexicon. Retrieved April 11, 2017, from http://www.medilexicon.com/dictionary/87052

(2) Antonetti, J. (2016, April 28). Am I vain to want cosmetic surgery? Prime Women. Retrieved from https://primewomen.com

Figure 1: Mr. Potato Head holding hand [Render]. Retrieved from http://www.kansascity.com/living/liv-columns-blogs/jenee-osterheldt/zchzu4/picture79370737/alternates/FREE_768/potatoheadtoystory

Figure 2: Sassy Mr. Potato Head[Render]. Retrieved from https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisDT9P_cjOSunA5zJ4k48q56yaW8MoDLnrLO6-Uz4P5fxJN4vBX36Ol9Q9LvlhX8Ja53hDOAPf-QrheyNI1xERLLsLo5936Yb-Gy8BjDmbRxZUxh0gO2IUDhRy-JtB-WjMl6GlF_TPzPc/s1600/potato+head.gif

Figure 3: Mr. Potato Head parts [Photograph]. Retrieved from http://firstchristianchicago.org/hp_wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/121217-Potato-Head.png

(3) Walden, J. (n.d.). Top 5 most popular plastic surgery treatments. Shape. Retrieved from http://www.shape.com

What if we didn't have doctors?

What if we didn't have doctors?                                       Imagine that you lived 2,500 years ago, back before there were hospitals and doctors. If you got sick, what did you do? Back then, people used plants and herbs to help them feel better. This is called herbal medicine, which is when you use a plant's seeds, berries, roots, leaves, bark, or flowers for medicinal purposes (1). Today, herbal medicine is still used in our lives.








Allergies got you down?                                                        

Figure 1 Allergies got you down?

There are different herbs that help different things. Do you have allergies? Butterbur might be the way to go. Some doctors say it works just as well as some allergy medications like Zyrtec. Maybe your allergy medicine makes you sleepy. Butterbur doesn't do that. What if you get the flu or catch a cold? You might try something called Echinacea, or the purple coneflower. It makes your immune system stronger, so your body can fight those nasty bad germs that get you sick.

                                   


       
How do you do it?

You might be asking yourself, "This sounds cool and all, but how can I try?". Well, the first thing you have to do is ask your doctor if it is safe for you. Look up different things to try. Herbal medicine can be taken many different ways, so find the one you like. It could be used as a pill, as a tea, as a liquid, or as an oil (source). Make sure you find the right one for you!

Where did it start?

Figure 2 Where it all began

Herbal medicine has been around since long before you or I were around. One of the first times herbal medicine was mentioned in writing was in China all the way back in 3000 BC!! (1) Since then, herbal medicine has been used in Greece, America, Africa, and everywhere in between!










References

Source 1 Ehrlich, S. D. (2015). Herbal medicine. University of Maryland Medical Center. Retrieved from http://umm.edu

Why are those Animals Being Sent Away to the Black Market?

Figure 1: All the animals in the ship.

 In the bottom of a shipping boat, Stephanie the Sea Turtle, Tommy the Tiger, Rachel the Rhino, and Ellie the Elephant are behind bars. Rachel the Rhino asks Ellie, "What are you in here for?". Ellie answers nervously, "They're going to make me into decoration and old traditional medicines!". "They're going to make me into a carpet!" shouts Tommy the Tiger. Rachel also starts to cry saying she too will become decoration and medicine. Stephanie the Sea Turtle then tries to settle everyone down and convince them not to freak out. "Why do the humans do this to us?" says Tommy. None of the animals can understand why and have to continue their endless journey wondering. 

Figure 2: Ellie the Elephant playing around.

These animals are sent to animal prison because of an illegal trade called the Black Market. The black market is when people from different parts of the world, typically China, Africa, and the United States, trade animals and their parts for adults selfish needs. Here in the US, people buy Ellie the Elephant's tusks from auctions to then sell to people in China where they will use in medicine (2). Ellie uses her tusks for digging, lifting things and defending herself (4). All of these qualities are natural survival tools that are essential for her and the rest of her elephant friends. However, in China, people use the tusks for ivory, medicine, and decoration. With the rate of elephants dying from the black market, there are only 415,000 left in the world. Ellie and her family is usually one of the first animals you learn about when you are younger and it is scary to think they almost extinct from this planet. 

Figure 3: Stephanie and her
friends.

Figure 2: Rachel showing off
her horn.

If you do not wish to read more about how and why adults kill animals, then please skip this paragraph and continue on the next. Other animals popular on the black market are turtles, tigers, and rhinos. All these animals are on the endangered species list. An endangered species is an animal that is close to completely being gone from the planet but still has a chance to repopulate if we contribute to the cause.  Sadly, Stephanie the Sea turtle and her friends, seen in figure 3, are used for skin boots or pain killers like Tylenol (1). Sea Turtles of all types are very vulnerable and can not defend themselves making Stephanie an easy target. Using exotic ingredients in medicine is very common in Asia. In Vietnam, it is believed that the Rhino horns, as seen in figure 2, can cure cancer (2). Rhino horns have still not been scientifically proven to cure any diseases or cancers. Rachel the Rhino and her family have been on the endangered species list for years and continue to decrease in number due to high demand in Asia. There are only 100,000 Rhinos left in the world. Another popular item on the black market are tiger bones. Tommy the Tiger's bones are also known for curing diseases and cancers. Some people will buy tiger bones even though they do not have any sickness. Buyers will buy it for the future to make sure they have the supplies

Figure 4: Tommy the Tiger relaxing.

 just in case (3). These buyers are part of the reason for the tigers' dangerously low population numbers. There are only 7,200 tigers left. As figure 4 shows and studies have proven, there are more tigers in captivity than in the wild (1). We all love to go to the zoo to watch Tommy the tiger and all his friends hanging out but they were meant to be in the wild in their natural habitat. All of these animals once traveled the land with they're family without harm and it is our responsibility to help them roam the earth again.

Figure 5: Our happy world. 

    

Luckily, you have the power to change and fight the black market! You can help Stephanie the Sea Turtle, Tommy the Tiger, Ellie the Elephant and Rachel the Rhino with these next steps. If you're out shopping with your family and you see your mommy looking at elephant tusks for decoration in your living room, tell her no. Inform her that buying the tusks is a bad thing. This might seem like a small thing to you but you would be helping out Ellie in a big way. Another way you can help the animals and fight the black market is to tell your family about the World Wildlife Fund. If your parents are looking to donate for a cause, tell them about the animals and their fight for their lives. Donating to this fund would help the adults in the program with supplies and money for research to help end the black market. It up to you and I know you won't let the animals down!

Here's the link to the World Wildlife Fund for more information and the opportunity to donate : https://support.worldwildlife.org/site/SPageServer?pagename=main_monthly&s_src=AWE1707OQ18299A01409RX&_ga=2.231088287.1048059483.1493760368-527848234.1492024543 

References 

(1) Christian, S. (2015, March). Where the U.S. Government Keeps Confiscated Animal Parts; The black-market wildlife trade is growing--as is the stock at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal. Newsweek LLC,163(10),46-47. Retrieved from InfoTrac Junior Edition.

(2) Gay, M. (2011, September 7). White Rhino, Black Market. Atlantic Media, Inc. Retrieved from http://eds.a.ebscohost.com/eds/command/detail?vid=22&sid=6a719661-d2b9-422d-bdf9-05708f2ec9e6%40sessionmgr4007&hid=4111&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l0ZQ%3d%3d#AN=edsgcl.266868746&db=edsglr

(3) Moyle, B. (2009). The black market in China for tiger products. Global Crime,10(1/2), p.124-143. Doi: 10.1080/17440570902783921

(4)  World Wild Life (2017). https://www.worldwildlife.org/stories/what-is-ivory-and-why-does-it-belong-on-elephants.