Why Thinking Makes Us Feel Tired

Have you ever wondered why you feel tired at the end of a workday, if all you have done is sit in front of a computer? Numerous studies have shown that using our brain for challenging or stressful tasks drains energy and makes us tired. This happens for multiple reasons. Thinking increases glutamate. A recently

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Other Factors In Play With Lockdowns – Mental Health

It seems like people are becoming polarized over COVID-19 solutions. At times, it feels difficult to have nuanced discussions about the various measures being employed to combat the virus. This is really too bad. We are all in this pandemic together. This is not and will never be a black and white situation. COVID-19 is

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9+ Out of 10 Chicago & Cook County COVID-19 Victims Had Preexisting Conditions

Nationwide, data repeatedly shows that most people who die from COVID-19 have contributory secondary causes of death. Here in Chicago, where Rising is headquartered, 94% of the city’s COVID-19 victims and 92% of all Cook County COVID-19 victims had preexisting medical conditions. The Cook County Medical Examiner’s database shows COVID-19 as the primary cause of

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Vitamin D Deficiency Increases Risk of COVID-19 Complications

I previously mentioned the potential of vitamin D to boost immune system defenses against COVID-19. Two recent studies have discovered a strong correlation between severe vitamin D deficiency and complications and/or mortality rates of COVID-19 patients. The first – published in Aging Clinical and Experimental Research – found that COVID-19 infections and deaths were greater

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Pandemic Response: 1968 vs. Now

I found this American Institute for Economic Research article comparing society’s response to the current COVID-19 crisis to the H3N2 pandemic of 50 years ago both enlightening and discouraging. H3N2 (or the “Hong Kong flu,” as it was more popularly known) occurred between 1968-1970. It arrived in the United States from Hong Kong in September

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Sweden Capital – Close to Herd Immunity

Sweden is confident they see a light at the end of the current pandemic tunnel. One indicator is the country’s capital nearing herd immunity. Anders Tegnell, chief epidemiologist at Sweden’s Public Health Agency, tells USA Today, “We think that up to 25% of people in Stockholm have been exposed to coronavirus and are possibly immune.

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Teach a Person to Fish

When I was entering 4th grade, my parents bought their first house, which was my primary home through high school. Seeing my childhood home on Zillow today, the landscaping is greatly improved, but the front looks much the same. Growing up, I spent a lot of time in the basement. It had the only TV

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