Today, there are new safety issues facing the students of a high school in upstate New York called Le Roy High School.

In October 2011, several girls attending Le Roy High School develop neurological symptoms that result in tics, twitching, and uncontrollable speaking.

In the following months, even more students develop the same symptoms. Though almost all of the victims are teenage girls, one is male and another is a 36-year-old nurse.

Many different health agencies have looked into the cause for this mysterious illness, and neurologists and doctors diagnose the disease as a conversion disorder, which is brought on by stress. Even though many health officials have diagnosed the tics as a result of this disorder, many people wonder whether environmental contaminants could possibly contribute to this shocking outbreak.

Interestingly, in December of 1970, a train carrying crystallized cyanide and tetrachloroethylene (TCE) derailed, spilling these dangerous chemicals into the ground. In the years following, many people reported that their wells were contaminated with TCE.

Despite the fact that residual chemicals remained in the dirt of this cite, Le Roy high school opens only three-and-a-half miles from the site of the train derailment.

If any of you are familiar with the movie Erin Brockovich, you know that she is an environmental activist who built a case against the Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) in 1993. In 2000, Julia Roberts starred in a movie about this very case, bringing Brockovich a lot of fame to her as well as the causes she supports.

Because of the mass outbreak of these symptoms in one isolated area, Brockovich, as well as many other environmental activists are looking into chemical contaminants as the cause for these symptoms and illnesses.

Even though it seems that environmental contaminants could be the cause of this outbreak, Le Roy High School maintains that their soil and water is free of TCE and has not affected the health of their students. Neurologists also stand by their diagnosis of conversion disorder.

Henrietta Lacks, an African-American woman who died from cervical cancer in Baltimore on October 4, 1951 at the age of 31, has unknowingly contributed more to research about these diseases than debatably any other person who has lived on earth.

During the time that she was being treated for cancer, her doctor removed a sample of her tumor to see if it could grow on its own. Much to his surprise and delight, his sampling of Henrietta Lacks’ tumor began to multiply with a force, becoming HeLa, the first line of immortal human cells ever created.

The book The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot is about this woman’s life, death, and immortality through science.

It is beautifully and engagingly written, pulling readers into the tragic death of Lacks as well as the tragic existence of her family after her death.

On top of these tragedies, however, is a story of the triumph of human ingenuity and creativity through HeLa cells and the gift that they have given to those who suffer all over the world.

If you are interested in the history of science and medicine, the future of medicine and science, or are just looking for a good read, make sure to look into The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot.

It just might change the way you think about the world.

Throughout my life, I have had pretty good experiences with hair salons. And haircuts in general, actually (except for that time I let my college roommate cut my hair… Bad idea).

About a year ago, though, I had the worst, most horrifying experience at a salon. And all you lucky readers get to hear about it.

My hair used to be long and blonde. I naturally have brown hair, but I had been getting highlights for a while.

You know how the story goes, my roots were getting out of control, so I made an appointment to get my hair highlighted.

After hours (yes, literally hours), my highlights were done, washed out, and the stylist started blow drying my hair.

We were just chatting away when I noticed something unusual… My hair was falling out! Every time she brushed it, a huge chunk would fall off and land on the floor.

I was in a panic but pretended not to be because she was telling me some story about when she worked in California. Blah blah blah, Ashton Kutcher, blah blah blah. Hurry up, woman! My hair is FALLING OFF OF MY HEAD!

When she started trimming, I thought that maybe I had overreacted a bit, but over the next few months, my hair kept breaking off. In the morning, there would be a little pile of it on the floor after I finished styling it.

So what did I do? Well, I might have panicked again, bought a box of brown color so that I could grow it out and then accidentally turned my hair blue.

Long story short, my hair is now short and brown, just waiting to be healthy so that I can be a blonde again.

In the meantime, I wait for my hair to grow out. So the question becomes: Is there anything I can do to make my hair grow faster?

Well there just might be. Here are some tips I found after doing a bit of research about hair growth:

• Stay away from caffeine, nicotine, alcohol and drugs
• Don’t stress! It will stunt your hair growth
• Get enough sleep
• Drink enough water
• Eat nutritiously
• Take a multivitamin for hair growth
• Take coconut oil, which promotes hair growth
• Don’t wash your hair every day
• Massage your scalp daily

And there you have it! Happy hair growth to all you fellow hair horror story victims!

Exercise

Forget spot-reducing. There aren’t any moves that specifically target visceral fat. As you lose weight, you lose all types of fat.

But vigorous aerobic exercise has been shown to trim subcutaneous and visceral fat, even fat stores in the liver linked to fatty liver disease. It’s also proven to slow the build-up of visceral fat over the years.

In a Duke University study, 30 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity, done four times per week, reduced subcutaneous and visceral abdominal fat. Resistance training alone reduced only subcutaneous fat.

Cris Slentz, PhD, who worked on that study, defines “vigorous” as jogging for physically fit people and walking briskly at an incline for obese people who may risk injury by jogging. Workouts of the same intensity on stationary bikes and elliptical or rowing machines are also effective, Slentz says.

Diet

A fiber-rich diet may also help. Hairston’s research shows that people who eat 10 grams of soluble fiber per day, without any other diet changes, build up less visceral fat over time than others. That’s two small apples, a cup of green peas, and a half-cup of pinto beans, for example.

“Even if you kept everything else the same but switched to a higher-fiber bread, you might be able to better maintain your weight over time,” Hairston says.

Sleep

Too much or too little sleep also plays a role in the build-up of visceral fat. A study published in Sleep tracked adults’ visceral fat over five years. People who slept five hours or less, or eight or more hours, per night gained more visceral fat than those who slept between six and seven hours per night. The study doesn’t prove that sleep was the only difference, but it may have contributed to the visceral fat build-up.

Stress

Managing your stress matters. That includes chronic stress you face in your personal life, and societal stresses, such as discrimination. A study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology showed that African-American and white women who reported significant experiences of discrimination had more visceral fat than women who hadn’t had such experiences.

The stress of discrimination doesn’t necessarily cause weight gain. But Shively, whose research focuses on social stress and visceral fat, tells WebMD that the body can respond to all types of social stress by storing fat viscerally.

“You can’t control society, but you can modify your response to it,” she says. Shively recommends getting social support, meditating, and exercising as ways to handle stress.

Keeping up with your friends may also help. A study published in Biological Psychiatry showed that men and women who got support from a best friend before a stress test made less cortisol, a stress hormone. And another study, published in the International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine, showed that women who pray or meditate have healthier levels of cortisol than those who don’t meditate.

But you only have so much time, right? “If you could only afford the time to do one of these things, exercise probably has the most immediate benefits, because it hits both obesity and stress response,” Shively says.

Eat healthy.

-Eat a variety of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains every day.

-Limit foods and drinks high in calories, sugar, salt, fat, and alcohol.

-Eat a balanced diet to help keep a healthy weight.

-Fruits and Veggies

Healthy Weight

-Be active.

-Be active for at least 2½ hours a week. Include activities that raise your breathing and heart rates and that strengthen your muscles.

-Help kids and teens be active for at least 1 hour a day. Include activities that raise their breathing and heart rates and that strengthen their muscles and bones.

Physical activity helps to:

-Maintain weight

-Reduce high blood pressure

-Reduce risk for type 2 diabetes, heart attack, stroke, and several forms of cancer

-Reduce arthritis pain and associated disability

-Reduce risk for osteoporosis and falls

-Reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety

Protect yourself and your family.

-Wear helmets, seat belts, sunscreen, and insect repellent.

-Wash hands to stop the spread of germs.

-Avoid smoking and breathing other people’s, or (second hand), smoke.

-Build safe and healthy relationships with family and friends.

-Be ready for emergencies. Gather emergency supplies. Make a plan. Be informed.

-Wash Your Hands

Manage stress.

-Balance work, home, and play.

-Get support from family and friends.

-Stay positive.

-Take time to relax.

-Get 7-9 hours of sleep each night. Make sure kids get more, based on their age.

-Get help or counseling if needed.

Step One- Photos

There are three types of photos most agencies look for. The first is a head shot of your infant showing the full face. The second is a full body shot. The last is a shot showing a little ‘spunk’ or of your infant modeling. These don’t necessarily need to be done professionally, but it could always help get you a good job.

Step Two- Apply for Contests

Agencies like infants who already have some experience or a win under their belt. Apply and submit your photo of your infant to contests that can be found online in order to get your baby noticed.

Step Three- Find an Agency

Send out the completed pictures in a pre-stamped envelope. Put in a letter stating your interest in having you baby work for them and also include the baby’s height, weight, hair color, and eye color. In a couple of weeks, the agency could respond with a letter of interest or rejection. Be prepared for both.

Step Four- Watch out for Scams

A lot of agencies claim to be legitimate, but some are just scam artists that want your money. There is some ways to figure out if they are a scam or not though. First do your research, if an agency looks shady, it probably is.

Second, if the agency asks for your money right away then they are probably a scam. Most agencies won’t ask for money until after the first couple of shoots.

Lastly, if they ask you to spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars on photos for your portfolio, then they are probably a scam. Most companies know that infants grow rapidly and pictures can quickly go out of date.

In Conclusion

Being a parent of an infant is no easy task, especially if your infant is a model. Be sure that you can handle the stress of dealing with the modeling world before you start doing those photo shoots. Also make sure that your infant can handle being around strangers and having a lot of flashing lights in their eyes.

Each time a dance step is learned, for instance, new pathways are formed. “Dancing is excellent for the brain and body,” says Vincent Fortanasce, MD, clinical professor of neurology at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. He wrote the Anti-Alzheimer’s Prescription. “Not only are you moving around more, your brain is in constant motion as it recalls steps and movements.”

Until recently, conventional wisdom held that our brains were intractable, hard-wired computers. What we were born with was all we got. Age wore down memory and the ability to understand, and few interventions could reverse this process. But increasingly, evidence suggests that physical and mental exercise can alter specific brain regions, making radical improvements in cognitive function. “When you challenge the brain with new skills and new ways of doing things, it increases connections in the brain,” says Ericka P. Simpson, MD, a neurologist who co-directs the MDA Neuromuscular Clinics and directs the ALS clinical research division at the Methodist Hospital System Neurological Institute in Houston. “It increases synaptic density.”

With nearly 72 million Americans turning 65 over the next two decades, physicians need the tools to handle growing patient concerns about how to best maintain brain health. Armed with this new brand of science, frontline physicians will be better equipped to address the needs of aging baby boomers, already in the throes of the brain fitness revolution. “They are the gatekeepers of information, and people listen,” says Eduardo Locatelli, MD, MPH, a neurologist and medical director of the Florida Neuroscience Center in Fort Lauderdale. Dr. Locatelli implements brain fitness techniques for his postsurgery epilepsy patients as well as patients who present with mild- to moderate-stage Alzheimer’s and dementia. “Encourage new experiences. … Use it or lose it. Challenge it and gain.”

1. Add, Don’t Subtract

Many make the mistake of getting into diets that require that you drop an entire food group. Your body needs all of the major food groups and they all perform essential functions.

And not only can you not maintain this kind of diet, it is extremely unhealthy. The better option is to replace things one at a time and add good foods, rather than just taking away all the unhealthy things.

2. Get Moving

Experts have recently proven that your body actually needs at least 60 minutes of cardio per day to significantly burn fat. If you want more effective results for your time, try using what’s called interval training. You go between speeds, never allowing your body to get used to one speed, and it burns more fat in the same amount of time as a simple and steady jog or even sprint.

3. Drink Up!

Most of the time, we actually mistake thirst for hunger. We overeat when we could actually cut our caloric intake in half by simply drinking the recommended 64 oz. of water per day or for that matter more. Water is absolutely essential to every function of the body, and it also has a certain cleansing effect on the body.

4. Fruits And Veggies

Fruits and vegetables have vitamins, minerals, fibers and antioxidants which can help you to lose more weight. They are also generally lower in calories than other foods and curb your hunger, helping you to cut back on those high-carb indulgences.

5. Don’t Forget The Good Fats

Omega fatty acids are good for the heart and they promote fat burning. But they are small. However, the simple fact is that not only will you not get all of the health benefits you need if you do not consume good fatty acids, it may actually stall or even stop your weight loss progress if you have little to no good fatty acids in your diet.

6. Try Weight Training

you are building definition in your body when you have more muscle, and muscle will burn calories even when your body is at rest. It naturally increases the metabolism and improves the body’s function.

7. Focus On Being Healthy, Not Tiny

If you live a healthy lifestyle, you will still be burning more calories than you consume and you will lose weight. But if you strive for a particular number on the scale, you aren’t taking into account the weight of muscle and bone structure.

8. Get Support

You are 10 times more likely to fail without extra support. People telling you to keep going, people to compete with, and people who will encourage you even when you are struggling or when you may mess up – this is essential for real success.

9. Eat Slowly

It takes about 20 minutes for your brain to get the “I’m full!” message from your stomach. Eating slowly also helps you digest food more easily take the time to drink more water. It is just one of many ways that you can cut back calories throughout the day.

10. Write it Down

One of the biggest aids in achieving real weight loss is knowing how many calories you consume and where your weaknesses are. People lose 80% more weight when they track their eating habits. This is partly due to the fact that you are much more likely to decline that extra cupcake if you know you will have to account for it.

Extensive sitting increases women’s risk of  pulmonary embolism, finds a new study  in the current issue of the British Medical Journal. Women who reported the most inactivity were about twice as likely to experience pulmonary embolism as women reporting the least amount of inactivity. A generally inactive lifestyle increases the risk of a pulmonary embolism, which  occurs when a substance, usually a blood clot, travels through the bloodstream and lodges in the main artery leading to the lungs. About one-third of those untreated for their pulmonary embolism die from the condition, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Dr. James Douketis, director of Vascular Medicine at McMaster University, points out that the increased risk of pulmonary embolism for any one individual from extensive sitting is relatively small – only slightly higher than the risks of using oral contraceptives – and that the findings fit into a “common sense” recommendation that people spend less time in sedentary positions.

The authors join other researchers in recommending that public health campaigns target physical inactivity, not just promote physical activity.

The most at-risk group was composed of women sitting for more than 41 hours a week outside of work, while the least at-risk group sat for less than 10 hours a week. Time spent sitting at work was not factored into the study.

Physical activity did reduce the risk for some women when compared with their peers who sat for similar amounts of time, but exercised less.

Researchers used 18 years of data from a longitudinal study of 69,950 female nurses which began in 1976, and was subsequently updated in 1988 to include questions about inactivity at home.

About 90% of the participating women were white, which reflects the demographics of women in nursing when the study began, notes the study authors.

10. Women shouldn’t lift weights because it will give them bulky, masculine muscles.

Women naturally have too much estrogen and not enough of the muscle-building testosterone to create large amounts of muscle.

9. Your treadmill is counting the calories you’re burning.

Without knowing your individual body composition, your cardio machine cannot accurately measure the amounts of calories you’re torching.

8. Your weight is the best indicator of health.

Muscle weighs more than fat, even if you’ve been working out and haven’t been seeing the number on the scale go down, you’re still improving your overall health.

7. Heart rate monitors prove how hard you’re working

Heart rate monitoring is a very flawed science, and believe it or not, your own intuition at what is a hard workout for you is more accurate than any machine.

6. Knock down protein supplements after a workout.

If you’re looking to lose weight these protein supplements are jam-packed with calories and you’re more likely to gain weight by consuming them.

5. You can get a six-pack without doing cardio.

As much as we hate to say it, there is no effective way to spot reduce your excess weight. You just have to do more cardio and hope the weight comes off where you want it to.

4. You have to do low-intensity cardio to burn fat.

Whether you’re burning carbohydrates or fat, the bottom line is that you need to burn more calories and the higher intensity you’re working out at, the more calories you’re going to burn.

3. If I go to the gym I can do whatever I want that day.

Even if you’re active for one part of the day it is important to remain active as the more sedentary you are the shorter your life expectancy is.

2. Stretching will prevent injuries.

Contrary to old studies, new research shows that athletes who practice dynamic stretching, that is stretching that requires you to move around while stretching, prevents injuries much better than static stretching.

1. No pain, no gain.

You shouldn’t be miserable during your workout. Keep your workouts at an intensity that are straining you but not at a level that you could burn out, or worse, get injured.