Healthy Lifestyles 3/2/21
Tuesday, March 2nd, 2021 - Period 9 Public Speaking
By Allan Rikshpun and Philip Dulas
Healthy Lifestyle Presentations
Alona Gulko - Meditation can be a positive force in one’s life. Meditation can improve mental, physical, and spiritual health. Throughout her presentation, she related facts and science about meditation to her own personal stories. She spoke about how her experiences with meditation helped her relieve stress, calm her nerves, and ease her mental state. When talking about the science of meditation, Alona showed a brain scan, comparing the amygdalae of two brains. The brain without meditation showed an aggravated amygdala, and the brain with meditation showed a much more calm amygdala. This showed that meditation is scientifically proven to be beneficial for us, since the amygdala is strongly associated with our fight-or-flight response. The science behind meditation was something completely unbeknownst to myself and many other classmates, further making the case that meditation is beneficial for us.
The Brain Scan from Alona's Presentation
Allan Rikshpun - Allan gave his presentation on cyberbullying prevention and awareness. He spoke about increased screen time usage and how that leads to more exposure to cyberbullying. Allan explained how being bullied online leads to attaining anxiety, depression, and sadly of all - suicide. He mentions maintaining self-worth and self-image as being crucial to avoiding social media pressure to be perfect. Allan essentially states that cyberbullying is too large of an issue to be overlooked by big media corporations. His presentation stated that on an average day, 18 percent of teens are using more than 10 hours of screen media. Limiting exposure and confronting social media norms - are vital to the prevention of cyberbullying among teens and young children.
Victims of Cyberbullying from Allan's Presentation
Simon Chan - Simon’s presentation was focused on the overall benefits of exercise. Simon started the presentation with a poll to gauge what people wanted to accomplish in the new year. Many people said they wanted to improve their fitness habits. Simon went on to explain how many teenagers were not getting their recommended one hour of exercise. Many do not get enough exercise due to a lack of time, among other factors. Simon also talked about how many the risk of getting diseases and illnesses such as heart disease and many cancers are prevented by adequate exercise, providing further proof that more people should seek exercise.
Statistics from Simon's Presentation
Kevin Wu - Kevin’s presentation was on the effects of diet on mental health. Kevin briefly talked about how breakfast was the most important meal of the day, something we saw more of in Brooke’s presentation. He also discussed how skipping meals would cause us to feel irritable and sluggish due to a lack of glucose levels in our body. Kevin talked about what we should and shouldn’t eat. He talked about the effects of having too many refined sugars, and how foods such as fish, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables should be a part of our balanced diet.
Recommended Foods From Kevin's Presentation
Thomas Pinkhasov - Thomas gave his presentation on the health benefits of volunteering and the effect it has on the body. Many individuals spoke about feeling good inside after volunteering, and regular volunteers showed significant signs of being healthier than people who didn’t volunteer. Volunteering ultimately makes people happier, making them healthier. It reduces stress and helps people sleep better. Thomas speaks on how volunteering affects the mind, which then affects the body. He presents research that makes volunteering seem like a proper antidepressant and a great health benefit.
Matthew Shvorin - Matthew speaks about red meat and its effect on the body. He mentions food myths such as “tomatoes are bad for you” and notably said that the key to red meat is moderation. His presentation focuses on the physical benefits of red meat such as the presence of protein and substances that strengthen bones and the immune system. Matthew mentioned that red meat should be consumed in moderation - 2 days a week maximum. The best red meat is when it is fully cooked and non-processed/grass-fed. Everything is good in moderation.
Reflections
Allan Rikshpun- On March 2nd, the third round of presentations, I learned a variety of useful information that I can use to combat poor health habits of myself and others. Alona’s presentation on meditation effects on your body has already led me to indulge myself in the act. After such a stressful period of time, we are all in need of relaxation, and that is exactly what meditation specializes in. I sent Matthew’s presentation to my parents' emails instantly after they banned delicious red meat from the household. After learning its health benefits, my parents were persuaded to bring back red meat to the dinner table. Kevin and Thomas spoke about the benefits of food and volunteering on the mind, respectively. One positive aspect of my coronavirus experience was that I became accustomed with homemade food and aiding the elderly with groceries. Simon mentioned how beneficial exercise is to our everyday lives. It truly means a lot hearing this after pushing myself to exercise for such a long period of time. Finally, I think I learned the most from my presentation because of my research process. Cyberbullying awareness is essential for the future and it all starts from the users. We need to accept people for who they are and not add to somebody’s struggles, but help them instead. Out of all presentations, mine was my favorite. Kidding. In all seriousness, all the projects were amazing and unique. However, they all had one agenda in common - help people acquire a healthy lifestyle.
Philip Dulas- My favorite part of the presentations from March 2nd were the variety of topics given. They ranged from meditation, nutrition, and even the health benefits of volunteering. I have often heard of the benefits of meditation, but have never heard of the science behind it. The psychology behind the benefits of meditation really intrigued me, and I felt super inclined to give meditation a try after her presentation. Allan's presentation was about the effects of cyberbullying and how they can affect younger people and their mental health. Cyberbullying is a real problem that can be very serious. Allan kept a somber tone as he talked about suicide victims that were cyberbullied. His presentation served as a reminder to be nice to everyone, no matter who they are. Simon emphasized the importance of exercise, and how exercise can benefit us by preventing many diseases. He also put in perspective how many other teens aren't getting the proper amount of exercise recommended. Kevin discussed the importance of diet in overall health. He emphasized the importance of eating proper meals every day, and not skipping out on meals. As someone who skipped breakfast often, this resonated with me, and made me realize I have made a choice for myself for the better. Thomas talked about the health benefits of volunteering. As someone who volunteered frequently before the pandemic, I agreed with a lot of his points, and I am encouraged to continue to volunteer in my future. Matthew focused on the benefits of red meat, which is something advocated against often today. His presentation opened another perspective that not many people are aware of today. The presentations from March 2nd were awesome, eye-opening, and thought-provoking. I look forward to more presentations from our fellow classmates.
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