come, stay and let's talk. it's a good day to be alive
it’s like walking on a desert
waiting for the rain to fall
because there’s a cloud over
the head, but it does not at all
your body is drying up quickly
yet you continue this stubbornly hopeful
walk, and you just wait for that delicacy,
a long-waited salvage beyond the doubtful
yet when the sunsets
and a drop of a bird’s dung
splashes you of its ugly end
do not be bitter, but sing a song
the song of the hunger
the song of the adventurer
the song of the survivor.
6.16.2023
in my darkest hours,
I subtly noticed that I was alone.
only the silence and darkness
that felt like eternity remained.
thankfully, it is now pocketed
in the corner of my memory
and in the thickening of my skin
to withstand another tsunami
if you are in your darkest moment,
let me offer you my silent presence.
I will remind you that you’re not alone
and that I believe in your growth.
6.15.2023
it didn’t matter then,
but I see it matters now;
just how important a simple thing as
being at ease can be.
as if we had all we needed,
as if we were the only ones in the universe,
as if nothing but just this moment existed,
I remember the soft smile.
as I see the grey sky above,
as I wake up again,
I try to remember
to bring such ease to others.
6.14.2023
the moment you have realized
you have far way to go to catch up
the race has started when you internalize
all the work you did does not match up
to your expected level of competency
for other to rely on you completely
it’s alright. take a deep breath.
one day at a time. all are within your reach
6.13.2023
try recording yourself and watch it again.
if you haven’t been your best version,
you’ll notice all of your wrongdoings:
pride, selfishness, and ignorance.
that’s why we put the best effort every day.
to be not ashamed of yourself in the future;
to be able to say you did your best;
to look back and realized you tried your best
regardless of all the past mistakes you see.
so let’s give it all today
everyday is a new challenge.
6.12.2023
Have you felt a sense of calm and relaxation when you walk around a garden, a park, or a forest? Especially in urban areas, green spaces give a sense of peace in the middle of chaotic urban life. Today, we will explore the benefits of walking in nature.
Let’s first go over what we mean when we talk about nature. Compared to rural or suburban regions, urban areas often lack access to nature, such as trees, grass, and shrubs. In order to increase access to nature, local governments promote building infrastructure that supports community access. The types of such structures include:
If you are interested in looking up how much green space your neighborhood has, you can look up the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, which captures the level of green space concentration in a region.
The National Institute on Aging cites a 2022 JAMA Network Open paper studying 13,000 middle-aged women between 2014 and 2016 by a team of researchers from Harvard University and Boston University who found that increasing residential space may be associated with cognitive benefits among middle-aged women. They found that women have higher scores on thinking speed, attention, and overall cognitive score, about 1.2 years younger.
Access to green space may benefit even those who are diagnosed with dementia. A 2020 mixed-review study suggests that there may be benefits for people with dementia to live in a community setting with access to green space and promote horticultural programs, such as green care farms and gardening. A 2018 UK study with 28 participants found that people with mid-late stage dementia experienced increasing mood improvement with increasing time spent in the garden up to 80 minutes.
More research could be funded to better understand the association between increased access to nature and cognitive health. A 2016 systematic review investigating the association between long-term green space exposure and cognition across the life course found a limited number of available studies, most of which were poor or fair quality. Perhaps this is a field that more researchers can investigate. Another 2019 study based on the Ginko Evaluation of Memory Study (GEMS) with 3048 participants found a moderate association between green space exposure and dementia progression among US adults aged over 75 years old.
Access to green space also appears to help young people, who may experience the benefit for a more extended period of their life. A 2017 systematic review of 12 articles studying the effect of green space and the mental well-being of children found that access to green space increases attention restoration, memory, self-discipline, and lower ADHD behaviors.
One reason walking in nature helps with cognitive health could be because the vegetation in greenspaces can capture both air and water pollution. The greenspaces may help improve cognitive health by capturing air pollution, which reduces cognitive function levels.
Another reason that spending time in nature helps cognitive function is that it reduces the risk of depression. Studies have found that spending time in nature reduces the rate of depression. Having depression was also found to be a risk factor for cognitive decline and dementia.
There are a couple theories as to what might be happening to our minds when we walk in nature. The Attention-Restoration Theory (ART) hypothesizes that urban environments often have high levels of stimulation that lead to attention fatigue. Some suggested that being in the natural environment can alleviate attention fatigue. Another theory, the Stress Reduction Theory (SRT), hypothesizes that exposure to natural environments reduces physiological and psychological stress, leading to positive emotions.
Study results appear to support both theories. A 2022 EEG study with 63 participants found that walking in nature reduced amygdala activation after the walk in nature compared to walking in an urban environment. Another 2022 EEG study with 42 participants found that even walking while watching 6 1-minute videos of green urban spaces produced more calm, positive emotions.
There could be ways to increase access to green spaces. Here are a few suggestions:
In this post, we explored types of green space, how green space gives emotional and cognitive benefits, what could be mechanism that works, and how we can increase access to green space. If you have more ideas that you would like to share on how to increase green space, please comment below! We hope this post has helped you understand the importance of exposure to green space and building more of them.
it’s like an eye sore,
those tough decisions to make.
I tend to avoid it more
when I can live without taking a stake
but the more I look away
the further I get away
from what matters the most
for what I care the most
so let’s get them done
and face another day.
6.11.2023
stay still. let the silence soak in.
once your mind get contaminated
it won’t be until next time you wake up
the silence will revisit you.
noise seeps in like a mist against the door.
even a slight guard down, and it will be in.
in clarity, we find insightfulness.
in obscurity, we find recklessness.
6.10.2023
Drinking alcohol is prevalent in most cultures. Some claim that liquor is a social lubricant, allowing people to bond. But many would also attest to feeling they couldn’t walk straight, talk without slurred speech, or remember what happened the day after drinking alcohol. In this post, we will explore the potential long-term adverse effects of drinking liquor.
Please note depending on where you live, there may be an age limit (e.g., 21 years old if you live in the United States) on when you can legally purchase and drink alcohol.
Liquor is an alcoholic drink often produced by distilling fermented grains, fruits, or vegetables. Common types of liquor include beer, wine, and hard liquor, such as whiskey.
The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends 1 or fewer drinks in a day for women and 2 or fewer drinks in a day for men. A “drink” standard drinking size in the United States contains 14 grams (0.6 ounces or 1.2 tablespoons). This is equivalent to:
The CDC defines binge drinking as drinking 4-5 or more drinks a day and heavy drinking as drinking 8-15 or more drinks per week. Binge drinking could lead to alcohol poisoning, a medical emergency from high blood alcohol levels because excessive drinking exceeds the body’s capacity to process alcohol.
Symptoms of alcohol intoxication include decreased judgment and control, slurred speech, reduced muscle coordination, vomiting, reduced consciousness and cognitive function, and coma.
Heavy drinking was found to be associated with an increased risk of dementia. A 2018 longitudinal study in the United Kingdom following people’s alcohol consumption level for 23 years suggests that those who drank more than 14 drinks a week had an increased risk of dementia.
A 2019 systematic scoping review conducted on articles published between 2000 and 2017 suggests that heavy alcohol use was associated with changes in brain structures, cognitive impairments, and increased risk of dementia. A 2023 systematic review in Europe also found a similar effect: moderate to high alcohol consumption was associated with an increased risk of cognitive impairment, memory loss, and risk of dementia.
Another study conducted in 2019 with 785 individuals from the Jackson Heart Sleep Study suggests that evening drinking alcohol can impair sleep quality, which may lead to a high likelihood of memory impairment and other cognitive functions.
Other effects of drinking alcohol include:
A moderate amount of drinking (1-2 drinks) was associated with a lower risk of dementia. Some studies suggest light drinking (drinking low alcohol content) can help with rehydration after a workout, but some studies produced evidence suggesting that it may impair muscle recovery.
In the early 2000s, discoveries were made that resveratrol, a chemical found in red wine, has an antioxidant property that may have an anti-aging effect in mice. However, the researchers also found that you would have to consume about 1000 bottles of wine in order to find a similar effect in humans.
We explored the effects of alcohol on our mind, body, and overall health. Drinking above the recommended amount of alcohol (1-2 drinks) was associated with an increased risk of cognitive decline. We hope this post has helped you learn some of the consequences of excessive drinking and help you have a healthy drinking life. Please drink (if you are legally allowed to) responsibly!
If you have an alcohol disorder or any other health concerns related to alcohol, please contact your physician or the SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration).
am I blaming others
for not spreading my arm
while curled up in a boulder
fearful of shame and harm?
am I blaming my past
for my current inconvenience
even though they passed
enough amount of penance?
why blame for what cannot be controlled?
why not have a laugh and go on a stroll?
so now, take a chance
for once, let us dance
6.9.2023
Ralph with Coffee 
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