Dogs are known for being man’s best friend, usually, they are always there for you (unless distracted by a really squeaky toy or a chew bone). But do dogs know when you are upset?
Many dog can sense of how you are feeling and if you need a little extra attention. This is released in changes with emotions: sad, depressed, or happy as well as with stress and nervousness. This is how your dog can often truly tell if you are upset or sick.
A study confirms data are the best and they have a special bond with their owners, especially when these are feeling sad or distressed.
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The study, published in the journal Learning and Behavior, analyzed 34 dogs and their owners, bringing them into a lab for some trials. Scientists separated owners from dogs and put them within eyesight of each other. Owners were told to yell “Help!” every 15 seconds, with either an unaffected or a distressed tone.
The recordings of the tests showed a pattern. Although most dogs were eager to return to their owner whenever they spoke, they tended to run towards them 40 seconds faster when the demand was distressed.
The sample size of the study is small, so conclusive evidence can’t be drawn, but this attentive behavior from dogs is quite common. Data demonstrates that most dogs are very attuned to their owner’s feelings, much more in tune to them than they are to the feelings of fellow dogs, giving them the chance to know when humans are depressed or sick. According to The Atlantic, dogs have a highly developed sense of smell and hearing, helping them notice changes in your moods and health that you might not even be aware of.
Your tone of voice or tears will attract your dog’s attention and make them more attentive of you. Maybe it’s because they love you unconditionally or because they find your behavior curious and want to understand it. It’s cute either way.
Around 30-40% of the world’s population consume coffee daily. In the USA, these figures are much higher and equate to about 65% In Canada, coffee is more popular than tap water in with 71% of Canadians drinking coffee regularly compared to 63%. Black, with cream, latte, iced – in all forms it is popular around the world. But is coffee actually healthy?
Everyone knows how they like their coffee, when they like it, sometimes in a special mug. Too much coffee can give you the jitters….something which makes us think it is not healthy. Mormons call out coffee and alcohol as bad and it wrong for them to consume it. But studies keep claiming that coffee, in moderation, might help you live longer and have better health.
Early research of coffee suggested it could lead to health problems, recent research provides strong evidence drinking coffee actually has a variety of health benefits.
“The overall evidence has been pretty convincing coffee has been more healthful than harmful in terms of health outcomes,” said Frank Hu, chair of the Department of Nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, in an April 5, 2021, article in Discover. “For most people, moderate coffee consumption can be incorporated into a healthy diet.”
Hu said moderate coffee intake—about 2–5 cups a day—is linked to a lower likelihood of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, liver and endometrial cancers, Parkinson’s disease, and depression. It’s even possible people who drink coffee can reduce their risk of early death.
A study surveyed residents of the UK analyzed how coffee habits affect people’s overall health. These people were grouped and asked about their habits, including how many cups of coffee they consumed on a daily basis, and other factors such as smoking and more. Popular Science reports: “Across 502,641 participants ranging from 38 to 73 years old, both male and female, show the more coffee a person drank the less likely they were to die.”
Photo by Fahmi Fakhrudin via Unsplash
Since the study is completely observational, researchers can’t imply causation, and can only speculate with the numbers and results they were given. The study grouped participants according to six ways of consuming coffee: those who drank less than one cup a day, those who drank one cup a day, two or three a day, four to five, and so on. The last category was for those who consumed more than eight cups of coffee a day. The study found the more people drank coffee, lived longer.
While the results are positive for coffee lovers, Popular Science points out there may be other influencing factors. For example, users have diseases like cancer might not drink coffee and are at higher risks of dying.
While studies like this one have been conducted in the past, this is the first one to account for genetic variations in caffeine metabolism, meaning the research accounted for people’s different reactions to caffeine. An example of this is someone who drinks coffee at night and still sleeps soundly. The research logically found those who have a higher tolerance for coffee were found to consume more coffee on average.
It seems a healthy amount of coffee, even decaffeinated, gives us a discernible health boost despite found the reason. Scientists argue it could be the compounds in the drink (lignans, quinides, and magnesium) that give us a health benefit or the drink’s antioxidant properties. Someday we’ll know. Hopefully.
Small businesses are the backbone of the economy, but the Federal Government is ok breaking a few bones.
Marijuana has become increasing mainstream. With 90% of the public open to it being legal in some form. Companies from Pfizer to Miracle Grow have jumped in and other “vice” companies from BAT, Molson Coors, and Heineken to the $22+ billion market. It seems great, but the industry is struggling. Can a lawsuit save small cannabis businesses?
The Biden administration has been incredibly slow following up on his campaign promise to bring on federal legalization, the Trump term did nothing, rescheduling is just starting and California and New York have ongoing major issues. The House passed SAFE Banking 7 times and now the Senate is on board with SAFER Banking and the new House Speaker is not a fan of helping the industry. Small businesses continue to struggle.
Some cannabis companies have turned to superlawyer David Boies who is suing Attorney General Merrick Garland to strike down marijuana restrictions now in place under the federal Controlled Substances act. This could provide the relief mom and pop businesses need.
What the public doesn’t understand and Congress refuses to address is owning a small business is a major, hard endeavor, and currently, federal policy makes it even harder. Small businesses receive very little tax write-offs, can’t use Small Business Adminstration loans, major banks won’t touch them and ding the owners and employees for personal loans if revealed they work for a weed company.
Ted Olson, a conservative attorney who knows Boies and has opposed him shared “His timing is good. this is the sort of thing this court is looking at”.
“An overwhelming percentage of the American people believe marijuana sales should be legal and also safe and regulated”, said Boies
There are mixed winds about cannabis right now, the public wants it and Ohio just switched to full recreational. But Congress is in disarray and the Speaker doesn’t drink, smoke or swear and discourages is staff from doing any of it. Maybe the lawsuit can force the current administration to update the laws and help small businesses.
The Buckeye state voters made a smart, fiscal decision
Joining 23 other states who are reaping in more tax revenue, less illegal drug market and more help for the medically fragile, Ohio voters go for legal marijuana. For the first time, 52% of Americans live in a legal cannabis state. And Pew Research says 90% of citizens believe cannabis should be legal in some form.
According to BDSA, a leading cannabis data analyst firm “despite having only a few years of legal sales under its belt, the Ohio cannabis market has exhibited strong early growth that indicates continued expansion for the future. BDSA projects that Ohio will launch adult-use cannabis in 2025, contributing an estimated $300 million in that year alone.”
Like alcohol, marijuana is popular for with a majority, but unlike alcohol, it has clear medical benefits including a clear alternative pain relief solution from opioids. It has also shown clear promise with PTSD. With 7.5% of Ohio being veterans or their family, this is positive health news.
“Marijuana is no longer a controversial issue,” said Tom Haren, spokesman for the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol. “Ohioans demonstrated this by passing State Issue 2 in a landslide. Ohioans are being extremely clear on the future they want for our state: adult-use marijuana legal and regulated.”
As a citizen-initiated statute, the law is subject to change. The GOP Legislature, who opposed the popular move, are able to make changes to the law, or repeal it. It will be interesting to see if elected officials listen to the voting public or prefer to move Ohio to a nanny state like Florida.
Ohio Republican leaders who failed to convince Ohioans that legal marijuana will endanger children, increase traffic accidents and create headaches for employers trying to hire. Senate President Matt Huffman, R-Lima, and House Speaker Jason Stephens, R-Kitts Hill, have indicated the Legislature will look at the new law and make changes.
Wine tasting has become a huge sub industry with wineries offering tastings from Virginia to Washington state. But do you know you can do marijuana tasting?
Visits to wineries are slightly down from 2019, but are still going strong. It seems from Total Wine and Bev Mov to local wineries and groceries stores are doing tastings. Thanks to Two Buck Chuck, palates have expanded and who doesn’t want a free taste of wine? So here is the ultimate guide to marijuana tasting.
There was great hope California would have consumption lounges allowing people to really dig into flavor and experience. But Governor Newsom but a big stop on the concept.
With marijuana is being treated more like alcohol these days, it stands to reason the scene could soon see an uprising in cannabis tastings. Similar to the swish and spit rituals taking place at wineries and other liquor-slinging establishments, the reach of marijuana will one day be given center stage for customers to hit samples before making a purchase. Cannabis discussions around tastings are become more commonplace not on in dispensaries, but in living rooms.
Appearance
The first thing a true cannabis aficionado looks at is the overall appearance of the bud. These folks get excited when they see the herb is covered in crystals. That excitement spirals into an excitement when they realize the color of the crystals is more yellow than white. Typically, the more yellow, the more THC. But no matter how yellow the crystals, always ask the weed steward when they what is their roll plan so you can be prepared.
Photo by HighGradeRoots/Getty Images
Aroma
Now that you’ve identified a good-looking bud, the next step is to examine its aroma. Don’t worry. You do not have to be well versed in the art of cannabis selection to represent like a marijuana master. Similar to how it is done in beer and wine tastings, just wave the herb under the nose and take shallow sniffs. The goal is to try and get a feel for its components. You might catch a whiff of citrus, pine or even the business end of a skunk. But, as a rule, if the aroma is pleasing, chances are you will be happy with the next step.
There are a variety of methods in which to capture a rush of optimal flavor. Some say a French inhale is the best method for tasting bud. But the most important aspect of this process to remember is the first hit is when the magic happens. Unless a person has been assigned to pen an elaborate tasting profile on a particular strain, the best advice here is to just take in the smoke, hold it in, and search for the flavors that turned you while testing the aroma. Chances are you will stumble onto something new to tickle the senses. Just make sure the device you are using to sample the bud is clean.
Photo by David McNew/Staff/Getty Images
Effect
This is the fun part — the test drive. Just kick back and see how the herb hits. Does it make you chatty, sleepy, or does it turn you into a cartoon character? It is important to understand how a strain works on you personally. But remember, there are more strains to sample. A good weed testing will consist of around 5-6 strains. You’ll need to try all of them. But be sure to cleanse your palate after every sample. Fruit juice or plain crackers are good for this.
In a commonly repeated legend, Kaldi, a 9th-century Ethiopian goatherd, first observed the coffee plant after seeing his flock energized by chewing on the plant. Most agree coffee drinking the middle of the 15th century in the accounts of Ahmed al-Ghaffar in Yemen. It first appeared in Italy around 1600 (thank you again Italy for something wonderful) and then spread to Europe and the rest is history.
Coffee is an integral part of daytime activity for billions, 30-40% of the world’s population consume coffee every day. First prepared in samovars across Semitic countries before dominating Southern Europe via Italy and France, it’s part of the story of global exchange. Now we know that cannabis was too. Combining it with caffeine is done to increase euphoric feelings and hopefully work output as well.
People have their coffee in a myriad of ways, but spiked with cannabis is one of the all-time greatest hits of psychoactive experimentation. Some people use the combination of cannabis and coffee to kick off mornings pain free, others use for a laser sharp focus. No matter your reason for this pairing, it’s a satisfying way to get your dose of both substances.
1.Non-Dairy Creamer
If you are a routine follower, you probably already know exactly how much creamer you need on a weekly basis. Simply adding a glycerin tincture to that coconut or almond milk creamer will enhance the flavor and be safe on the fridge shelf for the duration. Measure if you’re a perfectionist, eyeball if you’re more chill.
2. Bulletproof Canna-style Coffee
This much-touted ‘brainhack’ includes a dose of either butter or coconut oil in your morning cup. Those are two things you’re likely to have around if you cook with cannabis even occasionally.
You may need to use some type of blender to get the consistency right, but people go crazy for it as-is. Imagine how good it is with some THC!
3. Cannabis Whipped Cream
We squirted this on everything from hot cocoa to golden milk*, but having a canister of Canna-Whip in the fridge leaves you likely to add a swirl to your coffee. Each squirt is a pretty low dose, so you wind up with just the right amount per cup.
That’s a bit of a feat for many, until overindulging in edible cannabis finally gets the analysis it needs to keep everyone high and healthy. Something this chill will be a nice boost but also incredibly delicious and gourmet feeling.
4. Cannabis Cold Brew Ice Cubes
Check out my recipe for Cannabis Cold Brew for up to a week’s worth of generous and strong pours of glorious pre-iced coffee. Making cold brew is so easy that it qualifies as hipster meal prep. Put the last cup into an ice cube tray for simple microdosing your virgin coffee.
Original art from Danielle Guercio
5. Hash Honey
Have you actually had coffee with honey? It’s amazing. Mix .25g of decarboxylated hash with 1 cup of gently warmed honey for 4mg THC per teaspoon of honey that you can add to anything.
6. Chocolate Melt
Got weed chocolates? Put one in the bottom of a mug before you pour over your hot coffee. You don’t need to add cream or sugar to have a tasty treat, simply stir and enjoy.
7. Boozy Coffee
Alcohol based weed tinctures are usually very strong tasting and therefore aren’t always pleasant to consume. Add yours to a 1oz pour of rum and make some pirate coffee. It’s actually a halfway decent hangover cure!
Now you can always use the entourage effect with the extra points you get from coffee’s beloved stimulant, caffeine. There’s not much better than coffee and spliff, even if it’s a 2-in-
While a key, function part of the home, like the kitchen, the bathroom is also a key point for alone and de-stress time. A study of 2,000 adults found 42 per cent often escape to the bathroom for a bit of peace and quiet away from the rest of their household. It is such a happy place 55% regularly have an extra-long bath or shower so they can have more time to themselves.
But not everyone can indulge in redoing a bathroom and making it into something spectacular, so here are some easy hacks to transform your bathroom into a spa.
A good shower head can change your life, and if you’ve never changed yours then you’ll surely appreciate this tip. Changing shower heads is very simple so you can do it yourself, and there are a few cheap (good) shower heads that you can buy online or at your nearest hardware store.
This $20 rain shower head is great if you’re using the default shower head that came with your bathroom. If you want to get a bit crazier and splurge, you can purchase this shower head for $50 that changes lights, regulates water temperature, and will make you feel like you’re showering in space.
A candle is a really important item for your bathroom, making it smell good and providing coziness and warmth. Oil diffusers are also great and less flammable, making you feel like you own and manage a really great spa. Both of these items are easy to purchase and really make a difference in the mood and feel of your bathroom.
There’s nothing more stressful than a ton of toothpaste, pads, hairbrushes and lotions all piled up together because you can’t find a place to put them. Invest in jars and other containers that look good and that will keep things organized. Mason jars are a classic and cheap option for Q-tips, cotton balls, and other loose items. Be sure to get rid of the toiletries and empty bottles of product that are cluttering your bathroom in the meantime.
Bath Salts And Scented Soaps
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Bath salts are great and super relaxing, doing wonders for your skin and making you feel like you’re doing a good thing by spending time in your bathroom. While baths are time consuming and annoying (since you have to scrub your bathtub clean before you use it), they can be a pretty delicious experience with the right tools.
Buy a waterproof speaker for your bathroom and make yourself a playlist with natural sounds, such as rain, water, and anything else that you might find relaxing. Having this speaker will surely make your baths and showers more fun and enjoyable, while also making you feel rejuvenated, as if you spent some time doing something productive. Yay, you!
According to estimates, 50 million to 70 million people have ongoing sleep disorders – and not all solutions work the same.
Cannabis has been used for pain relief and to promote sleep for thousands of years. Over the past several decades, a therapeutic role for cannabis in mainstream medicine has increasingly emerged. Research into the benefits of cannabis for sleep has shown some progess with many people report using cannabis as a sleep aid. Yes, people are choosing marijuana over sleep aids because they tend to work better with less side effects.
A study demonstrates this way of thinking is not at all uncommon, showing less people are purchasing over the counter sleep medications when they have access to legal marijuana.
The study, published in the journal Complementary Therapies in Medicine, was conducted by researchers from the University of New Mexico and California State Polytechnic University. These scientists looked into retail data collected from the Nielsen company in order to understand how legal marijuana in Colorado affected the sales of over the counter sleep medications. Nearly 600 stores (587) were analyzed, and recreational dispensaries from different counties were also sampled.
“For the first time, we show a statistically significant negative association between recreational access to cannabis and OTC sleep aid sales, suggesting that at least some recreational purchasers are using cannabis for therapeutic rather than recreational purposes,” says the study.
Photo by Mayara Klingner/EyeEm/Getty Images
The study explains even if there’s no clinical evidence that supports marijuana as a sleep aid, people are still taking matters into their own hands, causing a significant reduction in the use of over the counter sleep medications.
“Our results are consistent with evidence that legal access to medical cannabis is associated with reductions in Scheduled II-V prescription medications (e.g., opioids and sedatives), many of which may be used in part as sleep aids,” say the authors.
While changes such as this one mean that marijuana is a trusted alternative medicine from a variety of users, the fact that there isn’t enough science to back up these claims means that the people responsible need to catch up. The more that marijuana is embraced, the bigger risks the general population will be willing to take. This isn’t a problem with over the counter sleep medications, which aren’t all that serious, but it might become an issue with other types of conditions.
It happens, you are in hurry, you get distracted, the phone rings and before you know it, the food you were excited about it on the floor. But there is the 5 second rule right?
The Fresh Toast – Most people have done it, mainly in secret, but does the food on for floor 5 second rule work?
High school senior Jillian Clarke during a six-week internship in the food science and nutrition department at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign decided to see what we do (whether it is right or wrong). Meredith Agle, then a doctoral candidate, supervised the study. Well. She also conducted a survey in which 70% of women and 56% of men said they were familiar with the rule. Women were more likely to invoke it. Not surprisingly, people are inclined to eat dropped cookies and candy more often than dropped broccoli and cauliflower.
The urban food myth contends that if food spends just a few seconds on the floor, dirt and germs won’t have much of a chance to contaminate it. Research in my lab has focused on how food and food contact surfaces become contaminated, and we’ve done some work on this particular piece of wisdom.
While the “five-second rule” might not seem like the most pressing issue for food scientists to get to the bottom of, it’s still worth investigating food myths like this one because they shape our beliefs about when food is safe to eat.
Turns out fallen food does pick up germs immediately upon making contact with the floor, and the amount of bacteria transferred can be enough to make you sick, according to Paul Dawson, PhD, a food science professor at Clemson University.
So is five seconds on the floor the critical threshold that separates an edible morsel from a case of food poisoning? It’s a bit a more complicated than that. It depends on just how much bacteria can make it from floor to food in a few seconds and just how dirty the floor is.
A well-known, but inaccurate, story about Julia Child may have contributed to this food myth. Some viewers of her cooking show, The French Chef, insist they saw Child drop lamb (or a chicken or a turkey, depending on the version of the tale) on the floor and pick it up, with the advice that if they were alone in the kitchen, their guests would never know.
In fact it was a potato pancake, and it fell on the stovetop, not on the floor. Child put it back in the pan, saying “But you can always pick it up and if you are alone in the kitchen, who is going to see?” But the misremembered story persists.
So what does science tell us about what a few moments on the floor means for the safety of your food?
Paul Dawson, Professor of Food Science at Clemson University published a study – the only peer-reviewed journal paper on this topic – in the Journal of Applied Microbiology. The goal was to know if the length of time food is in contact with a contaminated surface affected the rate of transfer of bacteria to the food.
To find out, they inoculated squares of tile, carpet or wood with Salmonella. Five minutes later, bologna or bread was laced on the surface for five, 30 or 60 seconds. Then they measured the amount of bacteria transferred to the food. They repeated this exact protocol after the bacteria had been on the surface for two, four, eight and 24 hours.
We found that the amount of bacteria transferred to either kind of food didn’t depend much on how long the food was in contact with the contaminated surface – whether for a few seconds or for a whole minute. The overall amount of bacteria on the surface mattered more, and this decreased over time after the initial inoculation. It looks like what’s at issue is less how long your food languishes on the floor and much more how infested with bacteria is thepatch of floor.
They also found that the kind of surface made a difference as well. Carpets, for instance, seem to be slightly better places to drop your food than wood or tile. When carpet was inoculated with Salmonella, less than 1 percent of the bacteria were transferred. But when the food was in contact with tile or wood, 48 percent to 70 percent of bacteria transferred.
A study from from Aston University in the UK used nearly identical parameters and found similar results testing contact times of three and 30 seconds on similar surfaces. They also reported that 87 percent of people asked either would eat or have eaten food dropped on the floor.
Should You Eat Food That’s Fallen On The Floor?
From a food safety standpoint, if you have millions or more cells on a surface, 0.1 percent is still enough to make you sick. Also, certain types of bacteria are extremely virulent, and it takes only a small amount to make you sick. For example, 10 cells or less of an especially virulent strain of E. coli can cause severe illness and death in people with compromised immune systems. But the chance of these bacteria being on most surfaces is very low.
And it’s not just dropping food on the floor that can lead to bacterial contamination. Bacteria are carried by various “media,” which can include raw food, moist surfaces where bacteria has been left, our hands or skin and from coughing or sneezing.
Hands, foods and utensils can carry individual bacterial cells, colonies of cells or cells living in communities contained within a protective film that provide protection. These microscopic layers of deposits containing bacteria are known as biofilms and they are found on most surfaces and objects.
Biofilm communities can harbor bacteria longer and are very difficult to clean. Bacteria in these communities also have an enhanced resistance to sanitizers and antibiotics compared to bacteria living on their own.
So the next time you consider eating dropped food, the odds are in your favor that you can eat that morsel and not get sick. But in the rare chance that there is a microorganism that can make you sick on the exact spot where the food dropped, you can be fairly sure the bug is on the food you are about to put in your mouth.
Research (and common sense) tell us that the best thing to do is to keep your hands, utensils and other surfaces clean.
They are the most popular way to consume marijuana…do you know how to do it?
Most people have tried a candy gummy, but the adult version can be WAY better. Marijuana gummies accounted for nearly $2+ billion in retail sales last year, capturing more than 70% of the cannabis markets according to data from cannabis data firm Headset. About 50% of the way people consume is through the adorable gummies. They are inexpensive, easier to manage a dose and are a on the go treat without the smell. No wonder they are gaining legions of fans. But do you know how to consume a marijuana gummy?
First, figure out why you are taking a gummy. Is for fun, to manage stress or pain, or is it to sleep? All are popular reasons the public has embraced the sweet, loaded treat.
What to expect
Edibles take longer than smoking or vaping cannabis to kick in — typically around 30 to 60 minutes. The rule is start low and grow, so if you are new, go with low dosage and one gummy. As you become more experienced, you will be able to manage the state you wish to enjoy. If you are managing stress, low dosage may be exactly what you need.
Photo by IRA_EVVA/Getty Images
How To Find The “Right” Gummy
The good news is they usually come in a pack, providing a number of “journeys”, you can take more cost reasonable than some other forms of cannabis. Strength and flavor are both key aspects to choice.
Start by figuring out what dosage you desire. The common mg per gummy is 10 mg, but some companies have 5 mg. This is nice because you can dial back the effects if you need it to be lighter for work or social situations, or even double up if you’re having “one of those days”.
Fruit flavors abound and you can enjoy popular flavors including watermelon, peach, and sour apple. This will take some testing and also the mood you are in. Summer says watermelon while grape has year round appeal.
Gummies have a shelf life of about 6-12 months. Of course it is influenced by various factors like specific ingredients, the packaging, and the storage conditions. Short term or for travel purposes, a ziplock will do. For longer term, an opaque container or in a dark space. Light, particularly UV light, is one of the primary culprits for degrading cannabinoids, including THC.
