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1. What is Nutrition? -- Edited



Nutrition is the process of taking in food and converting it into energy and other vital nutrients required for life. 



 




It involves the body's ability to ingest, digest, absorb, and utilize nutrients from food for growth, development, and maintaining health. 



 





Essential nutrients include carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, and water. 



 







2. Why is Nutrition Important?








Growth and Development:
Proper nutrition is crucial for the healthy growth and development of children and adolescents. 



 












Health and Well-being:
It supports overall health and well-being, contributing to a strong immune system and reducing the risk of chronic diseases. 



 












Energy:
Nutrients provide the body with the energy it needs to function, move, and perform daily activities. 



 












Disease Prevention:
A balanced diet can help prevent or manage various diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers. 

Does this test have other names?
ESR, sed rate
What is this test?
Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) is a blood test. It measures how quickly erythrocytes, or red blood cells, separate from a blood sample that has been treated so the blood will not clot. During this test, a small amount of your blood will be put in an upright tube. A lab specialist will measure the rate that your red blood cells settle toward the bottom of the tube after 1 hour.
If you have a condition that causes inflammation or cell damage, your red blood cells tend to clump together. This makes them heavier, so they settle faster. The faster your red blood cells settle and fall, the higher your ESR. A high ESR tells your healthcare provider that you may have an active disease process in your body.
Why do I need this test?
You may need this test if you have symptoms of one of the diseases that may cause ESR to go up.
You may also need this test if you have already been diagnosed with a disease that causes a high ESR. The test can allow your healthcare provider to see how well you are responding to treatment.
The ESR blood test is most useful for diagnosing or monitoring diseases that cause pain and swelling from inflammation. Other symptoms may include fever and weight loss. These diseases include:


Temporal arteritis


Rheumatoid arthritis


Polymyalgia rheumatica


ESR is not used as a screening test in people who do not have symptoms or to diagnose disease because many conditions can cause it to increase. It might also go up in many normal cases. ESR doesn't tell your healthcare provider whether you have a specific disease. It only suggests that you may have an active disease process in your body.
What other tests might I have along with this test?
You may have other tests if your healthcare provider is doing this test to diagnose a disease. One of these tests is called a C-reactive protein test, or CRP. This test also measures active inflammation in the body.
Your healthcare provider may do an ESR alone if they are monitoring a disease you already have.
Because ESR tells your healthcare provider only what is happening right now, you may need to have the test repeated over time.
What do my test results mean?
Test results may vary depending on your age, gender, health history, and other things. Your test results may be different depending on the lab used. They may not mean you have a problem. Ask your healthcare provider what your test results mean for you.
ESR is measured in millimeters per hour (mm/hr). The normal values are:


0 to 15 mm/hr in men


0 to 20 mm/hr in women


ESR above 100 mm/h is most likely caused by an active disease. For instance, you may have:


A disease that causes inflammation in your body


An active infection


Cancer


Heart disease


Kidney disease


Blood disease


Diabetes


Collagen vascular disease


How is this test done?
The test is done with a blood sample. A needle is used to draw blood from a vein in your arm or hand.
Does this test pose any risks?
Having a blood test with a needle carries some risks. These include bleeding, infection, bruising, and feeling lightheaded. When the needle pricks your arm or hand, you may feel a slight sting or pain. Afterward, the site may be sore.
What might affect my test results?
Many things that are not active diseases can increase your ESR. These include:


Pregnancy


Old age


Being female


Having a menstrual period


Having recently eaten a fatty meal


Being obese


Taking certain medicines


How do I get ready for this test?
You don't need to prepare for this test. Be sure your healthcare provider knows about all medicines, herbs, vitamins, and supplements you are taking. This includes medicines that don't need a prescription and any illegal drugs you may use. Tell your healthcare provider if you ate a fatty meal recently, if you are having your period, or if you may be pregnant.

Medical Reviewers:

Chad Haldeman-Englert MD
Raymond Turley Jr PA-C
Tara Novick BSN MSN

The group project is a much-dreaded component of undergraduate courses, doubly so if students are expected to create their own project from scratch. However, instructors consistently return to the independent group project as an exercise that, if done properly, stimulates student inquiry and cooperation. In this post, I reflect on my experiences facilitating student-led group projects in a biology course and relate these experiences to the commonalities of independent group work across disciplines. I outline four common issues related to independent group projects, then provide the rationale for managing each issue to maximize learning outcomes.
Issue #1: Students Don’t See the Value of Independent Projects
With several classes, part-time jobs, extracurricular activities, and a social life to manage, we can imagine why undergraduates may prefer working on a prescribed project rather than one they design themselves. Independent projects require a lot of brainpower and effort, and we are all likely inclined to gravitate toward projects in which we can work on each step in a straightforward manner. Much of the work that students will encounter outside the classroom, however, requires flexibility and creativity. Using inquiry is essential to translate knowledge into new situations, and independent projects are a great opportunity to practice inquiry.
 Tips

Emphasize the real-world skills that students gain. This can be particularly valuable for students who aren’t necessarily interested in the subject matter but can see the benefits they gain in other areas, such as problem solving and managing a team.
Explain how each component of the independent project emulates a real practice in the discipline. This communicates to your students that you are putting them through this experience to help them develop their competencies, not to waste their time.
Treat every pitfall as a lesson, not as an opportunity to point out deficiencies. If something goes wrong, help the students figure out a way to move forward. Then, ask the students what they learned from the experience (e.g., how to better communicate, the value of a contingency plan, time management) and how they might strategize differently if confronted with a similar situation.

Issue #2: Designing and Conducting Independent Projects is Overwhelming
Often, the end product of an independent project seems like an unattainable goal. The concept of an independent project can provide freedom, but the lack of structure can leave students feeling lost and unsure of their path. They key for instructors is to provide structure (e.g., schedules, formatting guidelines) without stifling opportunities for students to be creative and take charge of their own learning. 
Tips

Break down the project into manageable goals. Create a guide for students that details out the specific steps that lead to the end product, which includes due dates for smaller components of the project. This will help students feel competent as they achieve each small task and to better manage their time.
Provide iterative feedback. If the only evaluation students receive on their work is their final project grade, they don’t have the opportunity to improve and learn along the way. Checking in with students as they reach each small goal allows both students and instructor to keep track of progress and to make adjustments if a group has gotten off-course.
Take time in class to praise students for their progress. Students may have trouble perceiving their accomplishments, so bringing them up will help to increase student confidence moving forward with the project.
Help groups work through challenges in a structured manner. Ask groups to bring up challenges they have encountered lately, and run a brainstorming session with the entire class to overcome these challenges. Often, other groups will have encountered similar challenges, so working through them together helps students feel more competent and build a sense of community among classmates.

Issue #3: Group Members do not Contribute Equally
A common issue in group projects is that some students don’t have the time or interest to fully participate. This puts an undue burden on the other group members, who must take on a larger role in the project than intended. Instructors can minimize the incentive to “slack off” and create strategies for teams to manage uncooperative group members.
Tips

Have students create a team contract. Provide students with a general template for a group contract with space to detail procedures for written communication among teammates, goals for the project, and consequences for group members who don’t pull their weight. All students should contribute to the creation of the contract and sign it. If an issue arises at any point during the project, the group has a clear path forward to correct the issue.
Build in opportunities for every member to contribute. The threat of being held individually accountable is often enough motivation for students to pull their weight. Take time in class to consult with each group individually or run brainstorming sessions with the entire class, asking individual students to share their experience or discuss project results.

Issue #4: Group Members Have Disparate Goals
Group projects can be frustrating if students clash with teammates due to differing interests or goals. While it’s impossible to remove all disagreement among group members, creating a positive collaborative atmosphere can help students discuss and pursue their goals in a supportive manner. 
Tips

Form groups based on mutual interests. Ask students to sit in different sections of the classroom based on potential project topics, then organize the students into groups based on their “interest zone.” An added bonus to this approach is that student groups will automatically have something in common, which can help them form social bonds and increase the enjoyment of working together.
Make time at the start of the project for students to discuss goals. Talking about how the project might relate to their goals for the course, their undergraduate education, and/or their career helps students understand the motivations of their teammates. When group members understand each other’s motivations, they can adjust their expectations and support the achievement of a variety of goals.

While your students may not enjoy the long hours, issues with teammates, and frustrations that accompany the independent group project, they may come to appreciate the lessons learned from their experiences. An example of working through a road block on their project could become a scenario they describe in a job interview. Dealing with an uncooperative group member could inform their approach to team management in their career. Engaging in inquiry could become the foundation for a student’s decision to pursue graduate school. Keep these outcomes in mind, and make every effort to put a positive spin on student progress.

Further Reading
Guide: “What are Best Practices for Designing Group Projects?” from Carnegie Mellon University. https://www.cmu.edu/teaching/designteach/design/instructionalstrategies/groupprojects/design.html
Guide: “Group Work: Using Cooperative Learning Groups Effectively” from Vanderbilt University. https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/setting-up-and-facilitating-group-work-using-cooperative-learning-groups-effectively/
Guide: “Successful Group Projects” from University of Leicester. https://www2.le.ac.uk/offices/ld/resources/study/group-projects
Article: Creating Positive Group Project Experiences by Chapman and van Auken. http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0273475301232005

Nutrition information provides insights into the essential nutrients and their quantities found in food, aiding in making informed dietary choices to support health and well-being. 



 






Here's a breakdown of key aspects of nutrition information:


1. What is Nutrition?



Nutrition is the process of taking in food and converting it into energy and other vital nutrients required for life. 



 




It involves the body's ability to ingest, digest, absorb, and utilize nutrients from food for growth, development, and maintaining health. 



 





Essential nutrients include carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, and water. 



 







2. Why is Nutrition Important?








Growth and Development:
Proper nutrition is crucial for the healthy growth and development of children and adolescents. 



 












Health and Well-being:
It supports overall health and well-being, contributing to a strong immune system and reducing the risk of chronic diseases. 



 












Energy:
Nutrients provide the body with the energy it needs to function, move, and perform daily activities. 



 












Disease Prevention:
A balanced diet can help prevent or manage various diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers. 



 












3. Key Nutrients and Their Functions:




Carbohydrates: The body's primary source of energy.
Proteins: Essential for building and repairing tissues, and also provide energy.
Fats: Provide energy, support cell function, and help the body absorb certain vitamins.
Vitamins and Minerals: Crucial for various bodily functions, including immune function, bone health, and nerve function.
Dietary Fiber: Aids in digestion and promotes healthy bowel movements.
Water: Essential for all bodily functions, including hydration and nutrient transport. 



 








4. How to Find Nutrition Information:








Food Labels:
Most packaged foods have nutrition information labels that list key nutrients and their amounts per serving. 



 












Online Resources:
Websites and apps provide nutritional information for various foods and recipes. 



 












Consult Professionals:
Registered dietitians or nutritionists can offer personalized guidance on nutrition needs. 

Regardless of your version of true happiness, living a happier, more satisfied life is within reach. A few tweaks to your regular habits like getting more sleep and exercise can help you get there.
Daily habits
The following daily habits may help you achieve more happiness in your life.
1. Smile
You tend to smile when you’re happy. But it’s actually a two-way street.
We smile because we’re happy, and smiling causes the brain to release dopamine, which makes us happier.
While not completely foolproof, researchers have found that the link between smiling and happiness could be attributed to the “facial feedback hypothesis,” where facial expressions may have a modest influence on emotions.
That does not mean you have to go around with a fake smile plastered on your face all the time. But the next time you find yourself feeling low, crack a smile and see what happens. Or try starting each morning by smiling at yourself in the mirror.
2. Exercise
Exercise isn’t just for your body. Regular exercise can help reduce stress, feelings of anxiety, and symptoms of depression while boosting self-esteem and happiness.
Even a small amount of physical activity can make a difference. You don’t have to train for a triathlon or scale a cliff — unless that’s what makes you happy, of course.
The trick is to not overexert yourself. If you suddenly throw yourself into a strenuous routine, you may just end up frustrated (and sore).
Consider these exercise starters:

Take a walk around the block every night after dinner.
Sign up for a beginner’s class in yoga or tai chi.
Start your day with 5 minutes of stretching.

Remind yourself of any fun activities you once enjoyed but that have fallen by the wayside. Or you could consider starting activities you always wanted to try, such as golf, bowling, or dancing.
3. Get plenty of sleep
Most adults need at least 7 hoursTrusted Source of sleep every night. If you find yourself fighting the urge to nap during the day or just generally feel like you’re in a fog, your body may be telling you it needs more rest.
No matter how much our modern society steers us toward less sleep, we know that adequate sleep is vitalTrusted Source to good health, brain function, and emotional well-being. Getting enough sleep also reduces your riskTrusted Source of developing certain chronic illnesses, such as heart disease, depression, and diabetes.
Here are a few tips to help you build a better sleep routine:

Write down how many hours of sleep you get each night and how rested you feel. After a week, you should have a better idea how you’re doing. You can also try using an app to track your sleep.
Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, including on weekends.
Reserve the hour before bed as quiet time. Take a bath, read, or do something relaxing. Avoid heavy eating and drinking.
Keep your bedroom dark, cool, and quiet.
Invest in some good bedding.
If you have to take a nap, try limiting it to 20 minutes.

If you consistently have problems sleeping, consider talking with a doctor. You may have a sleep disorder that requires treatment.
4. Eat with mood in mind
You may already know that your food choices have an impact on your overall physical health. But some foods can also affect your state of mind.Trusted Source
For example:

Carbohydrates release serotonin, a “feel good” hormone. Just keep simple carbs — foods high in sugar and starch — to a minimum because that energy surge is short and you’ll crash. Choosing complex carbs, such as vegetables, beans, and whole grains, can help you avoid a crash while still providing serotonin.
Lean meat, poultry, legumes, and dairy are high in protein. Protein-rich foods release dopamine and norepinephrine, which boost energy and concentration.
Omega-3 fatty acids, such as those found in fatty fish, have been found to have anti-inflammatory effectsTrusted Source that extend to your overall brain health. If you don’t eat fish, you might consider talking with a doctor about possible supplementation.
Highly processed or deep-fried foods tend to leave you feeling down and so will skipping meals.

If you want to eat with your mood in mind, consider starting with making one food choice for your mood each day.
For example, swap a big, sweet breakfast pastry for some Greek yogurt with fruit. You’ll still satisfy your sweet tooth, and the protein will help you avoid a midmorning energy crash. Consider adding in a new food swap each week.
5. Practice gratitude
Simply being grateful can give your mood a big boost, among other benefits. For example, a two-part study found that practicing gratitude can have a significant impact on feelings of hope and happiness.
You might try starting each day by acknowledging one thing you’re grateful for. You can do this while you’re brushing your teeth or just waiting for that snoozed alarm to go off.
As you go about your day, consider keeping an eye out for pleasant things in your life. They can be big things, such as knowing that someone loves you or getting a well-deserved promotion.
But they can also be little things, such as a co-worker who offered you a cup of coffee or the neighbor who waved to you. Maybe it could even just be the warmth of the sun on your skin.
With a little practice, you may even become more aware of all the positive things around you.
6. Give a compliment
Research shows that performing acts of kindness may also help promote your overall well-being.
Giving a sincere compliment is a quick, easy way to brighten someone’s day while giving your own happiness a boost.
Catch the person’s eye and say it with a smile so they know you mean it. You might be surprised by how good it makes you feel.
If you want to offer someone a compliment on their physical appearance, make sure to do it in a respectful way.
7. Breathe deeply
You’re tense, your shoulders are tight, and you feel as though you just might “lose it.” We all know that feeling.
Instinct may tell you to take a long, deep breath to calm yourself down.
Turns out, that instinct is a good one. ResearchTrusted Source supports the fact that slow breathing and deep breathing exercises can help reduce stress.
The next time you feel stressed or are at your wit’s end, work through these steps:

Close your eyes. Try to envision a happy memory or beautiful place.
Take a slow, deep breath in through your nose.
Slowly breathe out through your mouth or nose.
Repeat this process several times until you start to feel yourself calm down.

If you’re having a hard time taking slow, deliberate breaths, try counting to 5 in your head with each inhale and exhale.
8. Acknowledge the unhappy moments
A positive attitude is generally a good thing, but bad things happen to everyone. It’s just part of life.
If you get some bad news, make a mistake, or just feel like you’re in a funk, don’t try to pretend you’re happy.
Acknowledge the feeling of unhappiness, letting yourself experience it for a moment. Then shift your focus toward what made you feel this way and what it might take to recover.
Would a deep breathing exercise help? A long walk outside? Talking it over with someone?
Let the moment pass and take care of yourself. Remember, no one’s happy all the time.
9. Keep a journal
A journal is a good way to organize your thoughts, analyze your feelings, and make plans. And you don’t have to be a literary genius or write volumes to benefit.
It can be as simple as jotting down a few thoughts before you go to bed. If putting certain things in writing makes you nervous, you can always shred it when you’ve finished. It’s the process that counts.
Not sure what to do with all the feelings that end up on the page? Our guide to organizing your feelings may help.
10. Face stress head-on
Life is full of stressors, and it’s impossible to avoid all of them.
There’s no need to. Stress isn’t always harmful, and we can even change our attitudes about stress. Sometimes, there’s an upside to stress.
For those stressors you can’t avoid, remind yourself that everyone has stress — there’s no reason to think it’s all on you. And chances are, you’re stronger than you might think you are.
Instead of letting yourself get overwhelmed, try to address the stressor head-on. This might mean initiating an uncomfortable conversation or putting in some extra work, but the sooner you confront it, the sooner the pit in your stomach may start to shrink.
 
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