How Stress is Affecting Your Heart

Jamaica Kincaid’s piece of writing that we studied in class contained multiple methods of writing that help engage the audience. Three of these things that I used in re-writing my own original piece about immigration are:

1)    Facts

2)    2nd Person

3)    Questions

Before:

All you anti-immigration people, this post is for you!

There are most likely a few reasonings behind your bitterness. For one, you might think that we, immigrants, are stealing your jobs. Not only are we not stealing jobs, we are, in fact, making more jobs. We bring money from our own countries and open restaurants, gas stations, etc. And you also probably think that we are ruining the economy. We are very much so doing the complete opposite of that. We are doing work, paying taxes, and spending money. Us spending money is what keeps the economy going, so you’re welcome for that. I think that you are, in fact, secretly against diversity, and since immigrants bring in new cultures, you are against us. If you don’t like diversification, go live in the woods or something. Did you forget that America was founded by immigrants and all of your ancestors are immigrants? If you’re so against immigrants, I guess you’re against yourself. In that case, go move back to the country where your ancestors are from, you’re not wanted here. See how you feel after that last sentence? That’s how you make me feel all of the time. So if you’re feeling pretty crappy after that, stop being so close minded and selfish. America is for everyone and was founded on equal rights. I have the same “right” to be here as you, so don’t be so close-minded.

Was that a bit harsh? Yes, most definitely. But it gets the point across. Don’t be bitter. Thanks :)

After:

This is a shout out to you anti-immigration people out there!!

Imagine that you are an immigrant, coming from halfway across the world. You are scared and lost when you step off of the plane, surrounded by foreign tongue and unfamiliar land. Your 13-year-old older sister, the one with the best English, has to ask a fellow passenger where the baggage claim is. He points and mumbles to himself as he walks away about how foreigners are taking over the country and are not wanted. How does this make you feel at this point? Probably very unwanted and unwelcome in this foreign country to you that you just traveled 15 hours by plane to get to. You just uprooted your entire life and are starting all over, and already you are getting treated poorly for no good reason at all. All of your friends, your relatives, and your loved ones are back home, and suddenly a wave of sadness washes over you. You wonder if you made the right decision.

This bitterness towards immigrants may come from several aspects of your previous perceptions of immigration. For one, you might think that we, immigrants, are stealing your jobs. Not only are we not stealing jobs, we are, in fact, making more jobs. We bring money from our own countries and open restaurants, gas stations, etc. Do you think that immigrants are ruining the economy? We are very much so doing the complete opposite of that. We are doing work, paying taxes, and spending money. Us spending money IS what keeps the economy going, so you’re welcome for that. I think that you are, in fact, secretly against diversity, and since immigrants bring in new cultures, you are against us. Did you forget that America was founded by immigrants and all of your ancestors are immigrants? If you’re so against immigrants, I guess you’re against yourself. So in that case you should also move back to the country where you came from. And another thing: America was founded on diversity and acceptance and rights for every human being. If you are so American that you think you have the right to tell other people to leave, then you are American enough to believe in the foundation of America. I have the same “right” to be here as you, so don’t be selfish and ignorant! Next time you think immigrants don't belong in America, put yourself in our shoes. 

  Reflection - How these three things enhanced my original piece of writing:

My meme!

aessa27 's blog talks about the problem of trans fats. This topic relates to pretty much everyone because we all get food from the grocery store that has some form of trans fat in it. It interests me because I like to be aware of what I am putting in my body and what effects it has on me. One of her posts was very helpful because it showed what a "healthy eating plate" looked like.

Three things that I learned from this blog are:

1) It showed what proportion of your meal should be fruits, vegetables, whole grains, healthy protein, water, and healthy oils. It also showed me that Michelle Obama is taking action to enforce healthy food in schools, which I think is very important. Children grow quickly and their diets are very important in determining their health for the rest of their lives. Healthy children equal healthy adults!

2) A second thing that I found interesting is the discussion that a third of the population can't afford "healthy food". Healthy food at the grocery store is so much more expensive than unhealthy food. For example organic broccoli will be so much more expensive than regular broccoli. This makes an even better reason to ban trans fats. If they were banned then fast food restaurants would be forced to make their food in a healthy way. Because of marketing competition, they would still be forced to keep their prices low, which would make fast food healthier, while keeping it just as accessible. 

3) A third thing that I learned is that more people are for banning trans fats than for not banning trans fats. People sometimes oppose banning trans fats because of their food preferences. They may also oppose banning trans fats because they don't want the government controlling what they can and can't eat. However, the argument can be made that people that are for banning trans fats are for it because it sounds healthy, and they don't really know what it encompasses. 

This is the final remix of a generative writing for Greg's class. For this assignment (similar to my last remix) we had to respond to "Is Whole Foods Wholesome" by Field Maloney. In this article, Maloney talked about how Whole Foods Market is overpriced and uses false advertising tactics to lure customers into buying their products. He says that even Wal-Mart is selling organic food now, and that their prices are much lower. 

Organic food is better for your health because there are less pesticides and chemicals in it. Whole foods is beneficial in this aspect. When you go to Whole Foods, it is such an overall healthy environment that it motivates you to eat healthier than if you went to Wal-Mart. In Wal-Mart you are surrounded by preserved and unhealthy food. Even if you are a person who eats extremely healthy, you are more likely to buy an unhealthy product when you are shopping there. The overall quality of Wal-Mart "organic" produce is also worse in quality than Whole Food's. Whole Food's produce is always extremely fresh and each piece of fruit and vegetable is perfect. Wal-Mart frequently has produce that aren't fresh. I agree that Whole Food's is a little pricey, but for the product they are offering, it is well worth it. 

Stress doesn't only affect your heart, it also affects your brain! 

The frontal cortex part of your brain is crucial for higher-level thinking…when you're stressed this part is supressed by hormones. So literally stress supresses your ability to think and make rational decisions. The hypocampus is also affected, which limits your memory. 

This video also includes some funny stories of what has happened to people when they were really stressed!

Hello beautiful followers, how are you this lovely day?

So this post is a remix of a previous assignment that we had to do for Greg's class. We had to summarize, analyze, and respond to Nicholas Carr's article "Is Google Making Us Stupid?". This article basically talked about how google is taking over the world, changing the way we think, and is making us unable to focus. Since google, and technology in general, is trying to make everything as quick and efficient as possible, Carr states that we may very well soon be replaced by robots because we're not good enough. 

Basically, Carr is nuts. 

Google isn't making us fidgety and changing the way our brain functions, don't be crazy and paranoid. It is, however, increasing our stress. 

Lets rewind to a time with no technology. Imagine that you are a caveman: what does your typical day look like? Well, you probably wake up in the morning around 6 am from the warm, beautiful sun shining. No stupid annoying alarm waking you up, just the quiet peaceful sun. You are well rested because you probably went to bed around 8am last night, since you don't particularly want to get eaten by that lion that you accidentally step on in the dark. You spend the day looking for food and then eating it. Summary: sleep, eat, repeat. Stress? Not at all (well actually maybe trying not to get killed, but shh don't count for my purposes). 

Now, think of how your typical days with technology are. You wake up at 6am to your alarm screeching at you. You press the snooze button and crawl back into your oh-so-warm-and-soft bed and you think about how much you are dreading to start the day, which consists of 3 classes and two back to back final exams. Super exhausted from getting only 2 hours of sleep the night before (you were writing your 3 papers, studying for a test, all while dealing with your drunk-on-a-Thursday annoying roommate) you drag yourself out of bed. After showering, you come back to 30 email notifications on your phone from your professors and the school about upcoming deadlines and crap you have to do.