Metabolism in a World of Crash Diets 15/04/2020

Extreme diets can be an effective way to lose weight quickly, but what many dieters do not realize the internal damage that occurs simultaneously. What may seem like a simple calorie deficit and carbohydrate reduction can result in much more than weight loss.

The Atkins, South Beach, Zone, and most recent, Ketogenic diet may all sound different, but are strikingly similar in their guidelines. All four diets are adversized as a healthy way to lose weight fast, with one catch being lowering carbohydrate intake.

The Ketogenic diet specifies 20 grams of net carbs are permitted in one day, to allow the body to go into the ketosis phase. Ketosis occurs when the body is deprived of carbohydrates, which is the body’s main energy source, forcing the body to use stored fat and proteins as fuel. This allows your body to burn fat as fuel instead of fueling off of carbohydrates that are consumed. This phase is not unique in diet trends, but different methods of measuring carbohydrate intake are used.

Another example of a diet that measures out carbohydrates is the Zone diet, created by Dr. Sears, a biochemist. He specified that a meal should be comprised of 40% carbohydrates, 30% fats, and 30% protein. Although this may not be as extreme, it is still considered a carbohydrate deficit, as the Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggests carbohydrates should make up 45-65% of an individual's daily caloric intake.

What the average individual may not be aware of at the start of their diet that promises weight loss, is that a calorie deficit results in slowed metabolism. A slowed metabolism burns fewer calories, making weight loss through activity harder to achieve. Caloric deficit diets have been shown to be harmful to one’s health, long after a diet has been terminated. Once a metabolism is suppressed, it can be hard for the body to increase BMR, even if the body is being fueled sufficiently. Because carbohydrates are the body’s fuel, when the body is deprived, it will reach for fat and protein; meaning that not only will an individual lose weight from fat loss, but muscle weight will also diminish, ultimately weakening both the body and metabolism.

A standard diet should consist of fats, proteins, and carbs, all in moderation. Doctors, nutritionists, registered dieticians, and other health professionals should be the only individuals recommending diets to improve quality of life, not tabloid magazines.

Intraoperative Radiation Therapy for Breast Cancer: Promising Outcomes 19/02/2020

Radiation therapy is a regularly sought out treatment for aggressive cancers, alongside a combination of medications and chemical therapy. While chemical therapy (referred to as chemo or chemotherapy) utilizes anti-cancer medications to combat fast-growing cancer cells, radiation therapy uses a linear accelerator to target and minimize cancerous tumours.

Using radiation therapy in part with chemo and medication increased the likelihood of surviving 10 years from treatment from 54% to 64%, according to two studies from the New England Journal of Medicine in 1997. Although these numbers are promising, scientists, surgeons, and oncologists have developed a new method of radiation therapy.

Intraoperative radiation therapy (otherwise known as IORT) is a method of targeting cancerous tumours that are otherwise difficult to treat or remove in surgery. IORT is a surgical procedure that uses ionizing radiation at a high GY on an exposed tumour. This method is extremely effective as it provides weeks worth of radiation in a matter of minutes. This vigorous method is often practiced with conventional radiation therapy before a lumpectomy. As IORT is provided during lumpectomies (surgical removal of a discrete portion or "lump" of breast tissue, usually in the treatment of a malignant tumour or breast cancer), not every patient is viable for this treatment.

Albeit invasive, IORT is a short term treatment option that can save hours of commute for patients, primarily in rural settings. This form of radiation also preserves surrounding healthy tissue, which is otherwise compromised during lumpectomies for tumours that are more integrated with tissue and muscle.

The future of cancer is unclear, but the treatments being developed are promising. Intraoperative radiation therapy is a very effective method of cancer treatment if the patient is viable. IORT allows the patient to live without scheduling their life around exhausting therapies that last for weeks at a time.

often practiced with conventional radiation therapy before a lumpectomy. As IORT is provided during lumpectomies (surgical removal of a discrete portion or "lump" of breast tissue, usually in the treatment of a malignant tumour or breast cancer), not every patient is viable for this treatment. 

Albeit invasive, IORT is a short term treatment option that can save hours of commute for patients, primarily in rural settings. This form of radiation also preserves surrounding healthy tissue, which is otherwise compromised during lumpectomies for tumours that are more integrated with tissue and muscle. 

The future of cancer is unclear, but the treatments being developed are promising. Intraoperative radiation therapy is a very effective method of cancer treatment if the patient is viable. IORT allows the patient to live without scheduling their life around exhausting therapies that last for weeks at a time.

To Prevent Next Coronavirus, Stop the Wildlife Trade, Conservationists Say 20/02/2020

The COVID-19 is a mild pandemic, affecting 73 000 individuals and has displaced millions. It has killed approximately 2 000 individuals, but humans aren’t the only ones who are infected. The first known case stems from a seafood market in Wuhan, China, which points to some form of the virus present in animals. This is not a unique story, in fact, the SARS pandemic and MERS epidemic were both directly caused by a virus that spread from mammal to human.

Conservationists believe that the only way that we can prevent devastating coronaviruses in the future is to put a screeching halt to global wildlife trade.

Beijing was the first to put a ban, temporary nonetheless, on all wildlife trade in attempts to stop the virus from spreading to the sprawling capital. This proves that individuals are able to recognize the linkage between mammal and human virus spreading, but can China stand the loss of global wildlife trade?

China is more or less a pro at illegal wildlife trade, ranking in billions every year from the lucrative practice. This is primarily done as a means of trade for goods and services amongst citizens, as it's a relatively inexpensive practice, but the market for these animals is high demand.

The world’s most trafficked mammal, pangolins are barred from international trade and are protected domestically in China. But pangolin meat and blood are considered delicacies on the black market, and sales of their scales for use in traditional Chinese medicine remain legal for certain hospitals and pharmacies. Experts still do not know which species transmitted the new coronavirus to people. But pangolins, also known as scaly anteaters, are now the leading suspects.

The country’s wildlife policies are based on the premise that wildlife is a natural resource that should be utilized, and officials tend to view wildlife from an economic standpoint rather than an ecological one. Banning wildlife trade would require a fundamental shift.

“The Chinese government has created an enormous problem for itself by encouraging wildlife use,” Dr. Li, the infamous Chinese ophthalmologist who was the whistleblower for the current mild pandemic, said. “Now it must choose whether to favour the economic interests of a small minority or to favour the public health interests of 1.4 billion Chinese people and the world.”

The Tears of Nature

"The Tears of Nature" - an original poem by Ava Munro

Her cries pour down in rain
Sorrows feeding the flowers
Her ignored sobs of pain
While toxins flow through her veins

We drive across her terrain
Over her body
Using her to entertain
Too careless to sustain

Her cries pour down in rain
She removes her daisy-chain crown
And protests with a hurricane
Surrendering in vain

Destruction as we reign
Each individual to their own
Construction of another lane
Propel us forward with propane

Her cries pour out of pain
Prospering population a plague
People plant posies to protect themselves
From the perfume of this pollution

As they perch on their pedestal and preach;
"Reduce, reuse, recycle"

While they relentlessly repeat
"Revolutionary" remedies
Readying for road-trips
And the rebirth of Earth remains reserved

Her cries pour down in rain
Acid from exhaust
Transportation a chain
Holding her to be slain

Hold ourselves accountable
No shifting the blame
If everyone acted like you,
Would you still do the same?

- A.M

Astigmatism by Ashley Lacasse

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/e/2PACX-1vTV5e3Bflh1wJSad83I10E6sy6O2E-fBHyGNBamurx5cjG26yYe96PoLUP8_k-DNGiKbyHf7Z2sOEpJ/pub?start=false&loop=false&delayms=30000

Famous First Nations Role Model

https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vRn3_3xWtiOANn2OKAApzLaaQmZnWqfnsNlM2yvILx-b4rLQSM8NUKevIA8JOknYHcf7ZFuwZOOEvzM/pub

Drinking Water Advisories In Canada And Its Effects On First Nations, Metis, And Inuit Communities

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/e/2PACX-1vTEXnJTJKSa0dZOM3w0gPxYIoAbKcHKWpx7cpJ2zkZEmA--_BHSS6H7zvNNr-CHERWkuFOiLAs-6D3k/pub?start=false&loop=true&delayms=60000