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Two high schools in the Las Cruces Public Schools district and two in the Gadsden Independent School District are using sleep pods Restworks Energy Pods. The high-tech pods, a reclined chair with a domed sensory-reduction bubble that closes around ones head and torso, were purchased through grants from the New Mexico Community Foundation and the Community Foundation of Southern New Mexico to be used in the school-based health centers.

Linda Summers, associate professor at New Mexico State University, says the Restworks Energy Pods help relax and rejuvenate people that use them.

The pods, which vary a little from school to school, generally feature a one-touch start button which activates a relaxing sequence of music and soothing lights. Some have headphones for nappers to wear. At the end of 20 minutes, the pod begins to vibrate gently and an uptempo beat gradually starts playing to wake the student.

Currently, LCPS and GISD are the only school districts in the nation using the pods.

The first one, purchased in 2008, was installed at Gadsden High School. Linda Summers, an associate professor in the School of Nursing at New Mexico State University, helped secure the grant after discovering the pods which, at the time, were being used in a sleep lounge in the basement of the Empire State Building.

Tired New Yorkers would go down there for a short nap in the middle of the day, she said.

Summers, meanwhile, was looking for something better than cots to help students coming to school insufficiently rested. As soon as the sleep pod arrived at the school-based health center, she began learning it had other benefits.

If they came to us and they were tired, we stuck them in there, Summers said. If they had a headache, we stuck them in there. If a teacher had high blood pressure, we stuck him in there.

The sleep pod, which runs on a 20-minute cycle, helped all of them. Of 100 students who used it, 99 were able to return to class within 20 minutes with tremendous increases in energy and mood, Summers said.

It even helped calm down agitated students who had been involved in fights.

In 2011, Summers secured federal funding for three more to be installed at Chaparral High School, Oate High School and Las Cruces High School. In 2015, Summers purchased one for the School of Nursing through legislative mental health funding secured by Sen. Mary Kay Papen, D-Las Cruces.

Sandy Peugh, a longtime school nurse who is now the health services director for LCPS, said she first saw the benefit of the sleep pods when she was a school nurse at Las Cruces High.

We found, as we were using them at the high school, that it was great for kids who werent getting enough sleep at night which teenagers dont, for a variety of reasons, Peugh said. They were coming to school exhausted, and wed put them in the pod. Within 20 minutes, they were coming out refreshed and focused, and they were able to stay at school, so instruction time wasnt missed.

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Napping goes high-tech with sleep pods - Albuquerque Journal

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By Sam Bess

As a professionally trained media spokesperson, I am able to translate the latest nutrition research into simple messages that consumers can understand. So says Kim Larson in a March 4 column in The Herald.

What are her media trained credentials? What is it about nutrition research that needs translation? Lets take a look at this article. The headline begins on a negative note followed by another negative comment that there are slight differences in nutrition not enough to support a purchasing decision in favor of organics. Strike two against organics. Who wouldnt prefer as she later points out food produced without synthetic pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, irradiation and genetically engineered methods. Not to mention food with systemically invasive herbicides and pesticides.

Dairy products are also suspect because of the use of antibiotics. This subject would lead one into the deceptive marketing practices by corporations wanting to make their foods look and sound like they are better than they are. Our government regulations are at fault for this problem.

Next the article enjoins us to believe that Choosing organic or conventionally grown foods is a personal choice. Just what are conventionally grown foods? Are they the ones labeled or marketed as natural? The article doesnt translate that nor simplify the information.

Current levels of pesticide residue are safe and far below what is deemed hazardous for environmental or human health. Really? How many years of residue ingestion are needed before hazardous buildup should be expected? Were pesticides systemic or topically applied?

The same can be asked about herbicides. Some herbicides are systemic and continue killing and pesticides, too, well into the growing and fruiting period. Simple washing will not remove those.

Although the author appears not to be opposed to organics, there seems to be no emphasis upon the real benefits of the extra dollar spent to avoid contaminants, and in support of the organics industry mission to feed us with safety assured.

Sam Bess lives in Stanwood.

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Column played down importance of organic food - The Daily Herald

Despite the rapid growth of the organic food industry, U.S. production lags significantly behind consumer demand. A new report from the Environmental Working Group shows that with modest reforms to existing programs, Congress could help growers transition away from farming that relies on chemical pesticides and expand the acreage dedicated to organic agriculture.

Between 1997 and 2015, sales in the organic sector soared from $3.7 billion to more than $43 billion. This double-digit growth nearly every year makes the organic sector one of the fastest growing segments of the food industry. Major retailers such as Costco report that they can't get enough organic food to meet customer demand.

Yet the gap between supply and demand means many American organic food companies have to rely on foreign suppliers for staples like soybeans, corn and ricedemand that could be met by domestic producers.

"Driven in large part by the multiple environmental and health benefits, Americans' appetites for organic food is seemingly insatiable," said Colin O'Neil, Environmental Working Group's agriculture policy director and author of the report. "The current organic trade deficit presents Congress with a unique chance to expand market opportunities for U.S. producers, while also benefitting consumers, food companies and the environment. With modest reforms to current programs in the next farm bill, Congress can reduce barriers to farmers who want to transition organic methods at no additional cost."

John Paneno, vice president of sourcing for Amy's Kitchen Inc. of Petaluma, California, said increasing the U.S. supply of organic food is essential.

"Amy's continues to see strong consumer growth for our organic products," said Paneno. "We need more programs that help our farmers transition into organic farming so that we can source the ingredients we need domestically and create new jobs for our rural communities."

The Environmental Working Group's report details how Congress can play a role in better positioning American farmers to meet the demand for organics, by increasing the number of organic farms and the amount of organic acreage. Congress has already begun discussing the 2018 Farm Bill, which O'Neil said should include the following modest changes:

"The organic food industry is now one of the fastest growing, most dynamic parts of the food sector, creating tens of thousands of jobs and producing in-demand foods for millions of Americans" said O'Neil. "Members of Congress should take any simple steps they can to reduce barriers to transition and help expand the organic farm footprint here in the U.S."

The rest is here:

How to Meet the Soaring Demand for Organic Food - EcoWatch

When the University of North Texas designed and planned their new 130 million dollar student union, all possible options and ideas were on the table. And why not? You only get one chance to build a facility like UNTs new union, so you better get it right.

As the master plan evolved, one idea that made the cut was a dedicated space for introspection. The process was student driven, and the students had spoken. They wanted a meditation room. As unusual as that request may have sounded to some, todays college students know that the demands of college life can be overwhelming to many. A centrally located building on campus, with an inner sanctuary for students, could make a difference, at least for some. The idea became a reality.

Tucked away on a quiet end of the fourth floor of UNTs new student union sits a meditation room. It is never closed. With the mental health of its students in mind, and with the support of The Office of Spiritual Life, the space is open for those who want to learn and practice meditation, or simply need a convenient place to pray. Some prefer to practice yoga. But its more than just that.

Programs that teach mindful meditation, or yoga, inside or even outside of the scope of UNT, can help students on their spiritual journey while the school provides a place to implement what the students have learned. If youre going to learn something, youve got to practice it, right? The meditation room is the place to do that, and its right on campus. Whether youre decompressing between classes, or just stretching your body, the students at UNT have a mindful place to do so.

With woven blankets in the corner and a wooden floor clear of clutter, the meditation room is ready for all comers. Savanna, a UNT student who uses the space regularly, explains how the room works for her.

Colleges and universities evolve. Twenty years ago, the idea of a dedicated meditation space for students would most likely not have been considered, much less become a reality. But students need support and schools are stepping up. Studies show meditation not only helps manage stress, something college students know all too well, but it is shown effective in relieving anxiety and improving memory and focus. Stress, anxiety, memory, and focus. Sounds like a Jeopardy question: What will you find on a college campus? Schools like The University of North Texas, and others like it, are helping their students find the answer.

Bill Flanigin

Follow Bill Flanigin on Twitter @billyflan or on Facebook at Bill Flanigin, writer

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Meditation on Campus - Huffington Post

This Salon Talks Video was produced by Alexandra Clinton

Its always important to have toupee tape with you, says actor/producer and seasoned drag queen RuPaul with authority. Double stick tape is fine, but toupee tape is stronger, and it will cover a multitude of sins!

The fashion and style maven has seen every fashion emergency there is in his work as a drag queen, costumer, actor and producer of the popular series RuPauls Drag Race. The series enters its ninth season on March 24, and kicks off with special guest Lady Gaga. RuPaulrecently visited Salon Talks to share fashion tips, his politics and secret to happiness.

My number one tip for all people, not just drag queens, is false eyelashes, which make every look go from daytime to glamazon! You cut the strip into three pieces, or four pieces, and place each piece on top of your own lash. That way you dont have to fool with getting the strips set, and you dont look crazy!

Ru also said he knows the key to happiness, after living a unique life where he has often been an outsider and part of the cultural fringe. Not surprisingly, it all starts with looking inside oneself. Remember to love yourself, and start today, he suggested. You could start by learning how to meditate. Im able to look at myself objectively [with meditation]. I can look from the outside and say, whats going on? What are you doing? Whats happening with you?

After years of practice, meditation centered the master performer, and he found peace in the quiet. That stillness, that quiet, is the source. Thats the key the first step in learning to love yourself.

Read more:

WATCH: RuPaul on style: lashes, toupee tape and meditation can make you a glamazon - Salon

Regardless of which side of the partisan aisle they're on, most people canagree that the levels of rancor, recrimination, and controversy we encounter each time we flip on the TV or scan our news feeds these days has reached a fever pitch. News-induced stress and anxiety are reaching almost epidemic proportions.

So what can you do about it? Getting involved in activism, whether in your local community or on a national level, is surely one way to work out your angst. But you can also try workingfrom the inside outlooking at how you process the input, and how you relate to your political bogeymen, saysSharon Salzberg, a co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts. Mindfulness offers a path to help you do that, she says.

Salzberg is an expert in the meditation practice known as lovingkindness, which centers on developing compassion. She is alsothebest-selling authorof many books.(Her latest, Real Love, will be published in June.)In recent months, Salzberg has been touring the country, leading talks and seminars on the topic of working with enemies mindfully.

To learn more, we caught up with Salzberg after a talk she gave on the topic at New York Citys MNDFL meditation studio.

For the most part, organizers of various eventsIve been attending have been asking me to. I think people are clearly feeling very divided and quite anxious and its so pressing an issue. Ive spent my whole adult life championing the notion that love and compassion are sources of power rather than weaknesses. Then times like these happen and I look at myself and I wonder: Do I really believe that? Is that really true? Or are these just ancient aphorisms?!

There are a few reasons, but one big one is because mindfulness is not easy to accomplish. Mindfulness doesnt mean just knowing what youre feeling, or that youre simply just hearing a sound. It means knowing these things without the normal self-judgment that accompanies all our experience. Self-judgment like, Its not good enough, its not right, Ive been in therapy forever, why isnt this problem gone?! And so to actually be mindful means to have a kind of interested, balanced awareness of whats happening instead of being lost in that habitual pattern with our inner critic. For a lot of people doing a practice like lovingkindness can change our default response from one of self-judgment or fear or anger, to a sense of connection and greater spaciousness. (To get started with your own practice, check out ourintro to lovingkindness.)

RELATED: 13 Ways to Beat Stress in 15 Minutes or Less

An enemy is someone toward whom we have enmity. Theres fear, theres distrust, theres dislike. It can be another person, or even some aspect of ourselves.

An inner enemy involves different mind stateslike anger, fear, greed, jealouslynot just when they arise in us but when they take over, when we get really lost in them and when they guide our actions and our choices. Think back to a time when you were consumed by jealously. Its like youre insane, you could have done anything. And sometimes you did! We're not at all saying its wrong to feel whatever we feel, but when we are overwhelmed by these states, just by their very nature, they tend to give us tunnel vision, and when were walking around consumed by such a state, were going to miss a lot of information that we really need to make better choices and be happier.

We think of an outer enemy as someone whos hurt us, somebody whos hurt somebody we care about, or who were afraid is very likely to do that.

You may not notice a difference in yourself, but rather in your interactions with other people. I have a lot of students say to me, I was going to stop meditating because I thought it wasnt doing anything for me, then my kids came to me and said Please dont stop, youre a lot better, youre not so angry, youre not so reactive, you have more patience, you listen more! These are real-life relationships in which the manifestation happens. And of course, these are the instances where we really want it.

RELATED: 25 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be a Happier Person

Its certainly worth at least experimenting with, because to be in a state of constant outrage or continual upset makes us really stressed out. In these cases, were the ones who are going to get sick, not the other person!

Bear in mind that by following this practice, in no way does it mean giving up our sense of principle, or right and wrong. If youre feeling a particular political figure is causing damage and people are hurting, start by seeing if you can help one person. And if you want to work politically, it doesnt have to be partisan. Think about voter registration, or encouraging people to vote you dont have to tell them who to vote for!

And there are ways of sensing if your own ire is turning chronic and if its changing your dynamic with your family or loved ones. The more overcome and ill at ease and despairing we get, the less action we can take.

Yes, I think you can because there is a kind of fearlessness and it comes from the practice. Think about if you spend all your time, like some people doand I have myself, toothinking about someone elses faults. You just go through the list again and again and again, and you realize theyve taken up a lot of your mental real estate, which is very valuable stuff. And now that person has moved into your mind, and theyre not paying rent there and we dont need that.If we feel a political figure has beliefs that differ so greatly from what we believe, than theres work to be done there. But we dont need to get sick and lose heart and lose energy over it.

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Yes, theres this fear that were we to cultivate compassion, it would mean giving in, it would mean taking their side, or losing your own sense of what is important. But it doesnt really mean that. We can take very strong action, but we dont have to do it with hatred. Action with hatred is not onward-leading.

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This Simple Type of Meditation Can Help You Manage News-Induced Stress and Anger - Health.com

Patch.com

Free Guided Meditation Thursday Night at Woodbridge Library Patch.com WOODBRIDGE, NJ - Longtime meditator Jim Rose returns to the Woodbridge Main Library this Thursday, March 23 for "Meditation: Improving our Practice, Experiencing the Love Within." It starts at 7:00 p.m. and the program is free and all are invited to ...

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Free Guided Meditation Thursday Night at Woodbridge Library - Patch.com

March is National Nutrition Month, which provides a great chance to get back on track and kick those bad eating habits.

Make small changes because unless youre a superhero, you cant make a complete life change overnight, says Heather Hausman, a personal trainer and instructor with H2 fitness.

She says taking a little step, like switching out a soda for a healthier beverage, is a great place to start.

Kombucha is a great drink, Hausman says. Its a fermented tea so it has probiotics in it. It helps with digestion and gives you energy.

Prepping your meals not only saves you time but is a simple way to keep you on track.

Make sure that you have a plan, Hausman says. If you dont have a plan, its very easy to pick up a candy bar or a bag of chips. But if you have something fixed and ready to go, its so easy to stay on track.

She says just making sure you have a healthy snack with you helps. Keep things easy by grabbing a sandwich bag of cut-up fruits or veggies. Another option is a bag of mixed nuts.

You are what you eat, Hausman says. If you throw a bag of chips in your bag, youre going to feel crummy later. But if you eat a banana and some cashews, you going to have energy and feel good.

Yogurt is another great thing to have on hand.

All yogurts have probiotics, but you want to look for one that has low sugar, Hausman says. If you look at the ones with fruit on the bottom, those are loaded with sugar.

She says if you look at the ingredients on the label, the first three ingredients are very telling of whats in that product whether it be yogurt or anything else. If one of the first three ingredients is sugar, its not a great choice. Things like honey or maple syrup for flavor and a little sugar are OK, just be mindful of how much youre eating.

Its important to be mindful of everything that youre putting in your body. Try eating as close to the ground as possible as you can. Sticking with fruits and veggies is the best way to go.

The longer you go without it, the easier it is to say no, Hausman says. If you can hang on for two weeks cutting sugar out of your diet or at least cutting it down over time, you will be able to do without it.

Buy the produce thats already cut up. While it may cost a little more, youre not going to end up throwing it away. Youll actually eat it.

And dont forget about exercise. Take the stairs whenever possible. Anytime you can get your heart rate up a little bit, thats an extra bonus. Park as far away as you can while youre out. Every step counts.

Consider partnering with someone to get things on track.

You want to find someone to help you be accountable, a friend or a personal trainer, Hausman says. Keep a food and or an exercise diary. Whenever you write it down, I ate three peanut butter cups, youre going to second-think before eating like that again.

For those days you cant meet up with friends, send what you did workout wise to them. That way youre helping each other stay motivated.

National Nutrition Month is about eating right and exercise, its about the whole health spectrum, Hausman says.

Link:

It's about balancing eating right with excercise | Life | newspressnow ... - News-Press Now

TO GO WITH AFP STORY BY JEAN LIOU Tubi Moloi (R) sellls organic vegetables at the Arts on Main Market on January 25, 2015 in Johannesburg, South Africa. The Arts on Main goods market is part of a new trend focusing on urban rejuvination in inner-city Johannesburg, South Africa. AFP PHOTO/STEFAN HEUNIS (Photo credit should read STEFAN HEUNIS/AFP/Getty Images)STEFAN HEUNIS AFP/Getty Images

The organic industry has an army of powerful, diverse microphones. Food blogs , celebrities, and nutritionists all routinely extol the benefits of eating organic fruits and vegetables.

But a new study published in Science Advances paints a more complicated picture. While organic produce is likely marginally healthier to eat and, in some ways, more sustainable to grow, there are also downsides.

For starters, organic fruits and vegetables typically cost more than their conventional equivalents. To be certified as organic, a distinction set by the United States Department of Agriculture, farmers must meet specific criteria, including growing produce without the use of genetic engineering and chemical inputs. Without these methods, the growing process typically requires more manual labor, time, and money, a cost that is passed down to consumers.

And while its true that in many ways, organic is more sustainable than conventional farmingstudies have shown organic farms support more biodiversity and, because they dont use pesticides, are safer places to work for farm handswhen it comes to environmental concerns such as greenhouse gas emissions and water nitrogen loss, the comparison gets murkier. Organic farms produce less emissions per acreage. However, because they are barred from using genetic engineering, pesticides, and other methods that increase efficiency, organic farms also produce an estimated 19% to 25% less yield than conventional farms. While there isnt a whole lot research on the topic, the few studies that do exist suggest green gas emissions and water loss might actually be higher on organic farms, on a per unit basis, says study author Verena Seurfert. If we examine conventional and organic farms and compare them in terms of units of food produced, than organic doesnt fare so well.

In addition, while organic produce is likely more nutritious than conventional fruit and vegetables, theres not a lot of evidence to support the claim that these often marginal discrepancies impact consumer health, Seurfert says. The same is true for pesticide residue: in developed countries, where pesticide use is tightly regulated, theres no scientific consensus on how these often marginal difference impact human health.

Still, Seurfert stresses that if you can afford to eat organic, you should do so. Organic farms provide safer work environments for workers, plus they support great biodiversity. The real takeaway from her study is not that organic is bad but that the practice needs more study to in order to increase yield without lowering sustainability.

But if you cant afford to buy organic produce, dont stress too much. Particularly from a nutritional perspective, the most important factor is that youre eating enough fruits and vegetablesorganic or not.

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Organic Farms Might Be Slightly Worse for Climate Change - Fortune

Tribal girl found dead in State-run Ashram school The Hindu The body of a nine-year-old tribal girl, a student of a State-run primary Ashram school in Odisha's Kandhamal district, was found hanging in a hostel room, the police said on Friday. The victim was a student of Class III of the school at Belpadar, run ...

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Tribal girl found dead in State-run Ashram school - The Hindu