Health tips for better life

For those of you who understand and support the idea of evolution, worry has probably been one of the key survival characteristics. Imagine what life must have been like as a hunter gatherer, living on the plains, surrounded by large animals that would prefer you not to eat them for lunch. In such circumstances, the fight or flight instinct is to the fore. More importantly, the early humans probably worried about where the next meal was coming from and all the different ways in which they might die. The ability to remember what has happened and use that as a basis for predicting the future is a key feature of genuine intelligence. The ability to plan for survival gives humans the edge over their environment. The other side of the coin is that the laid-back guys who found it difficult to get out of their caves in the morning had little to eat come the evening. Hunger sharpens the mind and encourages survival.

Translating this to the present, we have some new research out of the atmospherically named Black Dog Institute, one of Australia’s leading centers dealing with the spectrum of mental disorders. One of the persistent dilemmas for doctors is how to relate to patients who have had a heart attack. Obviously, any event affecting the heart comes as a severe shock to the individual. It shakes physical self-confidence. Not unnaturally, some people get depressed. Many worry about the risk of a second attack. Although there is a natural sympathy with heart attack survivors, most doctors want to encourage people to work their way back to a positive outlook. While avoiding the, “snap out of it” school of practical psychology, people have been encouraged not to worry. This latest study followed some five hundred patients, all of whom had a serious heart attack. Those who were diagnosed with general anxiety disorder (GAD) were monitored but given no specific therapy or counseling. These patients have had a better survival record than those who were naturally less worried.

It is always difficult to identify cause and effect in studies of this nature. But the research team speculates that the GAD encourages people to be more protective of their health. They worry more and so prove more diligent in following instructions on lifestyle changes. They want to survive. So far, this research stands on its own, but it has proved provocative in challenging the assumption that anxiety is a risk factor for a second heart attack. New studies are being set up in different countries around the world. It is not a new idea that, in the right conditions, a little anxiety is helpful. What surprising is that the more advanced GAD is also helpful. So, if you have recently had a heart attack, think twice before you buy xanax online. No matter what your doctors may be telling you, this study suggests you may live longer if you continue anxious. Only if the anxiety is growing more severe should you agree to use an antidepressant. Generic xanax is the cheapest and most effective remedy at this stage. But do not take it too long. Some residual anxiety may be a good thing.

5 uses of solar energy

Our earth gets most of its energy from the sun. We call this energy solar energy. Sol means sun. Solar energy travels from the sun to the earth in rays. Some are light rays that we can see. Some are rays we can’t see, like x-rays. Energy in rays is called radiant energy. The sun is a giant ball of gas. It sends out huge rays of energy every day.

Most of the rays go off into space. Only a small part reaches the earth. When the rays reach the earth, some bounce off clouds back into space—the rays are reflected. The earth absorbs most of the solar energy and turns it into heat. This heat warms the earth and the air around it—the atmosphere. Without the sun, we couldn’t live on the earth—it would be too cold.

We Use Solar Energy

We use solar energy in many ways.

During the day, we use sunlight to see what we are doing and where we are going.

FOOD

Plants use the light from the sun to grow. Plants absorb (take in) the solar energy and use it to grow. The plants keep some of the solar energy in their roots, fruits, and leaves. They store it as chemical energy. This process is called photosynthesis. The energy stored in plants feeds every living thing on the earth. When we eat plants and food made from plants, we store the energy in our bodies.

We use the energy to grow and move. We use it to pump our blood, think, see, hear, taste, smell and feel. We use energy for everything we do. The energy in the meat that we eat also comes from plants. Animals eat plants to grow. They store the plants’ energy in their bodies.

HEAT

We also use the energy stored in plants to make heat.

We burn wood in campfires and fireplaces. Early humans burned wood to provide light, cook food, scare away wild animals, and keep warm. Solar energy transforms, or changes, into heat when it hits objects.

That’s why we feel warmer in the sun than in the shade. The light from the sun turns into heat when it hits our clothes or our skin. We use the sun’s energy to cook food and dry our clothes.

Solar Energy is Important

People, plants, and animals use solar energy for light, heat, and food. Solar energy is also important to nature.

WATER CYCLE

Solar energy powers the water cycle. The water cycle is how water moves through the atmosphere and the earth’s surface. The sun heats water on the earth. The water evaporates— it turns into a gas called water vapor and rises into the air to form clouds. The air in the atmosphere is cool. The water vapor condenses into liquid water.

The water falls from the clouds as precipitation—rain, sleet, hail or snow. When water falls on high ground, gravity pulls it to lower ground. There is energy in the moving water. We can capture that energy with dams and use it to make electricity.

WIND

Solar energy makes the winds that blow over the earth. The sun shines down on the earth. Some parts of the surface heat up faster than others. Land, for example, usually heats more quickly than water. The air over the land gets warm. The warm air rises. The cooler air over the water moves in where the warm air was.

This moving air is wind. Wind turbines can capture the wind’s energy. The wind turbines turn the energy in moving air into electricity. The wind pushes against the blades of the turbine and they begin to spin. A generator inside the turbine changes the motion into electricity.

FOSSIL FUELS

Coal, oil, and natural gas are called fossil fuels, because they were made from prehistoric plants and animals. The energy in the plants and animals came from the sun. We use the energy in fossil fuels to cook our food, warm our homes, run our cars, and make electricity. Most of the energy we use today comes from fossil fuels.

Solar Energy is Renewable

Solar energy is free and clean. Solar energy is renewable. We will not run out of it. The sun will keep making energy for millions of years. Why don’t we use the sun for all our energy needs? We don’t have the technology to do it yet. The hard part is capturing the sun’s energy. Only a little bit reaches any one place. On a cloudy day, most of the solar energy never reaches the ground at all.