vadimstudio.com Blog

   Ellen Bittner
 

Chapter 1 – Nature vs. Nurture

The lyrics in the opening scene of the Broadway show Wicked (by Cristy Candler) pose the question - “Are people born wicked or do they have wickedness thrust upon them?”
 

This “nature versus nurture” debate concerning the relative importance of an individual’s genetics & innate qualities (”nature”) versus environment and personal experiences (”nurture”) in determining a person’s physical and behavioral traits has been going on for years. 

For me, the conflict between “nature” and “nurture” has to do with my physical health & life expectancy.  Although some of their ailments were the result of life style choices, both of my parents suffered from heart disease and had experienced multiple strokes and heart attacks.  My father, who also had glaucoma & emphysema, passed away when he was 73.  My mother, who died at the age of 77, also had high blood pressure, high cholesterol, & lung cancer.  Based on this family history and my genetic make-up, my quality of life and life expectancy would most likely be limited.  

Since I had reason to be concerned that I may have inherited a predisposition to some of my parents’ life threatening diseases (I also had several aunts and uncles who passed away in their 70s or early 80s), I decided to adopt what I considered to be a healthy life style.  I wasn’t a smoker and I followed a diet that was low in calories, and was salt and fat free.  I also followed an exercise routine that included walking & swimming.

Wanting to know more about the way “nurture” can affect life expectancy, I attended a lecture given by Dr. Nir Barzilai.  Dr. Barzilai is the Director of the Institute for Aging Research at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine.  His lecture focused on how behavior & environmental factors affect (“nurture”) longevity.  Some of the aspects he discussed related to spirituality, physical activity, interest & involvement in the arts, and participating in social situations.

At the conclusion of the lecture, one of Dr. Barzilai’s colleagues asked me if I would be interested in being a part of his research.  Since I was curious and wanted to learn more about these studies I said, “Yes.”  I later learned that I would be a part of the study’s “Control Group” because of my parents’ relatively short life spans.My real wake-up call occurred a few weeks later.  After I completed a survey, which included questions dealing with life style activities and choices, I was given a medical screening.  This screening included blood tests, height & weight measurements, and physical response tests. 

Despite what I had considered my “healthy” lifestyle, these tests showed that the hereditary factors were winning, and at 56 years of age I was at “high risk” in a number of categories.

After receiving these results, I became even more determined to shift the balance by “nurturing” myself more effectively and beat the odds dealt me by my genetic make-up (“nature”). 

To be continued…

  Paul Jason

Consciousness.  “The clock says 5:50.  I’m still alive. I didn’t drown while I was out, but I can still feel the mucous drip, drip, dripping down that hose. Voices.  Female voices.  Sounds like two nurses standing right outside my room.”  I hear one of them say: “John will be here soon.  As soon as he gets settled in, he will remove the tracheal tube from this patient.”
 

“Soon.  How soon?  Every moment feels like an eternity and that damn dripping isn’t stopping.   I hope I haven’t drowned by the time John gets here.  Wait.  Here comes a nurse. She’s coming right here to the bed.  She’s looking right at me.  She sees that my eyes are open.”  She says: “Take it easy, Mr. Jason.  Someone will be here in a little while to remove that tube from your throat.  You’ll feel better then.”
 

“Then?  When is “then”?  Can’t you see the terror in my eyes? . . . .   I guess not.  You’re walking away.” 
 

I doze off again.
 

“I hear voices again.  This time it’s a man and a woman.  The same nurse who told me that someone would be coming in a little while.  I can see that it’s 6:20.  My God, it must be morning, and the morning shift is coming on.  That hose must be in my throat at least since I left the operating room almost twelve hours ago.”
 

John and the nurse are exchanging some pleasantries, and he’s telling her about his social activities of the prior night.  “Oh God, don’t they understand that I”m about to drown.”  The seconds feel like hours. “I hope John is wide awake this morning and ready to go.”
 

Then, suddenly, John is at my bedside, doing just what he is trained to do.  Before I know it, the hose is removed and I really begin to feel alive.
 

Alive . . . Alive!!!

To be continued…
     
 

  Tamra Rosenfeld

Meal replacement bars are geared towards athletes who need quick energy or people on the go who do not have time to have a meal. 

Pros to meal replacement bars: They are better than stopping at McDonalds or Burger King.  It is also better to have a meal replacement bar than to skip a meal.  Skipping meals can slow metabolism. 

Cons to meal replacement bars: They can be high in calories, sugars, and fats (including saturated fat).  Many people use them as snacks which can be detrimental to weight loss and weight maintenance.  These bars may contain anywhere between 150 and 350 calories.  A serving of fruit is 60 calories; Dannon Light N Fit yogurt only contains 60 calories.  Combine a fruit and a light yogurt and you still have fewer calories than a meal replacement bar.  Meal replacement bars also do not contain all of the nutrients a well balanced meal would provide.

Other comments: Meal replacement bars are usually high in protein.  The average person in America consumes more protein than they need from their diet.  If being used for a meal replacement the high protein content can be beneficial, but if used as a snack it is probably not needed.  Many meal replacement bars are fortified with 100% of the RDA for some vitamins and minerals.  With a well balanced diet this fortification is not necessary.  In addition if you have 2 meal replacement bars a day and a bowl of fortified cereal in the morning you may be getting 3 times what is recommended for some vitamins and minerals. 

How should you chose a meal replacement bar?  If you are going to have a meal replacement bar here are the things to look for: