We Are A Technology Generation

But is that hindering us from being something greater?

In this article in TIME magazine, Doctors are warning against data smog, which is making us more depressed as a people. This data fog is a overabundance of useless information. Its everywhere and its bringing us down. While we have more information, most of it is useless to us and we spend so much time with it. Its associated with poor sleep, stress, and depression.

I have a personal connection to this because well, I gave up all technology over Thanksgiving break. I turned off my phone, I gave my computer to a friend to strip it because it was acting up, and I just didn't use any wireless/technology and didn't even have my phone to text, etc. It was surprising how FREEING it was. No one could contact me. When I turned my phone back on when arriving home, no one had had anything important to say anyway. I just basked the weekend away reading and just lazily dreaming and resting. Not doing anything but just enjoying the sounds and smells of Thanksgiving. It was glorious. I found myself a lot happier, a lot more in-tune to what people were feeling and saying around me, and more in-tune to myself and what my body and mind needed.

The Doctor in the article states his limiting of technology in this way "freed me to pursue more restorative activities, especially spending time in natural settings. My mind is clearer, my attention span longer, and my real (as opposed to virtual) friendships closer."


Suggestions:

• Take time off from technology and use your brain to curb your boredom. Read a book, play a board game, write in your journal, clean your house, make some delicious food, the list goes on.
• Take a long enough break from technology that you can feel the full effects and not get drawn back into it. Its like an addiction. Get to the point where you can be without it or with it and it doesn't REALLY matter to you.
• Limit the amount of technology you get on a regular basis. 
• Limit the TYPE of technology/info you get. Make it so that you only get exactly what you want and that it is mostly useful information. Otherwise, its just bringing you down.

Junk Food Diet

This article from KSL is primarily based on showing one how to lose weight. If you want to lose weight (which helps decrease your chances of getting chronic diseases) you need to control your portion size of food (not necessarily what that food is per say). This is a general rule for losing weight (not for overall health and wellness).
Dr. Mark Haub is an associate professor from Kanas State University. He tried an experiment on himself and this is what he did:

• 1800 calories a day
• physical exercise the same
• 2/3 intake from junk food
• took a multivitamin pill
• protein shake
• some vegetables

He lost 20 pounds and has since not gained it back. He was trying to show his students that the rule for losing weight is portion size. He does not recommend this diet to anyone else. Which is the main response of dietitian Jennie Twitchell. Not every diet works for every person, every body is different and will respond differently to different weight loss diets - portion sizes are the key. As well as if you want an overall health that is good now and in the future, eating healthy foods is a lot better option than junk food, but SIZE SIZE SIZE does matter when it comes to being healthy no matter what you eat.

Now I've never really been one to diet or even see diets as helpful 1) because I've been underweight pretty much my whole life and 2) because I see that unless someone makes lifestyle changes they will lose weight for a short amount of time and then gain it back, which is neither healthy for the body nor the mind. The main points I've learned from this article are that:

1. portion size controls weight {and}
2. types of food control overall health