Baby elephants, uplifting outdoor walks and spicy musicals to get back into the semester Happy Monday, Berkeley! This week, I’ll be taking over for Kate so that she can celebrate her birthday, which happened to be this past weekend! Be sure to send her your best wishes. Ease back into the school week after spring break with a trip to the movies on Monday. “Dumbo,” which our very own film beat Jackson Murphy deemed one of Tim Burton’s “best of the decade,” will be playing at Landmark’s Shattuck Cinemas throughout the afternoon and evening. In general, I’m a bit wary of Disney’s recent frenzy of revamping its animated classics as live-action, CGI-filled spectacles (“Aladdin,” “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” and “The Lion King” are a few set to come out soon) — but the trailer for“Dumbo” looks genuinely heart-wrenching and, I expect, ultimately heartwarming. On Tuesday, take advantage of some of the exhibitions put on by UC Berkeley’s very own libraries. Currently on view is “Whose University?: The 50th Anniversary of the UC Berkeley Third World Liberation Front Strike.” Showing in Doe Library, the collection shines a light on UC Berkeley’s Third World Liberation Front Strike in 1969. The uprising was part of a broader social movement, in which students at college campuses across California demanded integration of dialogue about race and identity into academia. These strikes proved instrumental to the birth of the ethnic studies department — here and elsewhere. “Whose University” promises to be a rich collection of photos and archives, and should provide interesting food for thought about the campus’ strides toward, and missteps with regards to, inclusion. Get over hump day by spending some time appreciating some of the beautiful natural wonders constantly at our fingertips as Berkeley students. Wednesday isn’t supposed to be as rainy as the rest of the week, so appreciate it while you can! Take an early-morning hike up to Tilden Park to watch the sunrise (or just to see the goats), hit the Fire Trails for a refreshing jog or brisk walk, or even just wander around Northside and find a quaint little park to sit in for a while. It sounds trite, but oftentimes getting outside and moving around a bit can do a world of good for your physical and mental well-being — it’s a wonderful and wholesome way to recharge without breaking the bank. And while you’re at it, take some
time to check out a new podcast or even to just catch up on one of your favorites. Personally, I especially enjoy “On Being,” in which host Krista Tippett chats with influential spiritual and artistic thinkers. I also adore The New York Times’ “Still Processing,” which consists of insights on contemporary media from culture writers Wesley Morris and Jenna Wortham. Stop by BAMPFA for a new exhibition from its Five Tables Series, which the museum displays on the first Thursday of the month with a different theme. This week, the collection revolves around fashion photography, featuring works from artists both past (such as Andy Warhol) and present (including Catherine Opie and Zoe Leonard). And on Friday, continue the visual arts appreciation momentum with a trip to the David Brower Center, a conservation-oriented organization located in Downtown Berkeley. Currently on view at the Center is “Art/Act: Local — Sea Change,” in which Bay Area artists reflect on the effects of climate change on the world’s oceans and hopes for future improvement. Saturday is opening night of “Pippin” at Berkeley Playhouse. As a bit of a musical theater geek, I find this news very exciting. While I’ve never seen a live production of the show, I’ve listened to the soundtrack extensively and feel relatively confident that it’s the type of musical that even self-proclaimed musical haters can enjoy. It’s a circus-themed show (check out this highlights reel from when the show was on Broadway), so I expect (hope for?) a Cirque-du-Soleil feel to the performance. It’s also a rather spicy production from what I understand — some of the songs from the original cast recording include whipping sounds, so who knows how that might translate visually onstage? Wind up your weekend on Sunday with an afternoon trip to the UC Theatre for the (free!) Music + Art Pop-Up. Local band Small Crush, whom I saw live this summer, will be performing at the event. They’re definitely worth checking out, if only for the fact that they have a song about chicken noodle soup, “Chicken Noodle,” to which I think most of us college students could relate. And, of course, don’t forget to spend some time this week catching up on some of our wonderful arts content! Anagha Komaragiri and (your very own) Kate Tinney kept the arts March Madness flame burning with picks devoted to sitcom characters and sports movies, respectively. And with their reviews of “Transit” and “The Aftermath,” Jackson Murphy and
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Spicy Foods May Help Keep Cancer & Heart Disease At Bay
Spicy foods provide a kick to taste, but they may do more than that as researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard T.H Chan School of Public Health have found eating spicy foods can help you to live longer, as well as decrease risks of dying from cancer, heart disease, and respiratory problems. Health and diet data was collected from 487,375 individuals aged 30-79 to look at links between regular consumption of spicy foods and mortality; after a follow up of 7.2 years on average 11,820 deaths among men and 8,404 death among women occurred. Those who ate spicy foods on a regular basis were 14% more likely to live longer; and less likely to die from cancer, heart disease, and respiratory problems based on their findings after taking into consideration other known factors. The most commonly used spices were fresh and dried chili pepper. Building of these findings another study has been published in the journal PLOS ONE supporting spicy foods helping to prolong life, from University of Vermont College researchers who assessed 16,179 adults who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 1988-1994. During the follow of period of 20 years 4,946 people died; those who ate red chili pepper died at a rate of 12% less than those who did not. Finding suggest consuming chili pepper may lower rates of death from any cause, but was strongest for deaths caused by vascular diseases. Capsaicin found in chili peppers/jalapenos/cayenne pepper has been shown to have antioxidant, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and anti-obesity properties. Other studies support the association of spicy foods and prevention of diseases such as the study published in the American Chemical Society revealing capsaicin helping to reduce risk of cholesterol buildup, and improving blood flow in the vessels. Third Military Medical University researchers have shown those who enjoy spicy foods are less likely to eat salt, leading them to have lower risk of heart problems associated with high blood pressure, as spicy foods were found to trick the brain into wanting less salt. Regions of the brain responsive to saltiness and spiciness were found to overlap in brain scans;
spiciness increased activity in brain areas affected by salt, meaning those who ate more spicy foods were more sensitive to salt so they ate less salty foods. Numerous studies have shown chili peppers to reduce the acidity in the digestive tract that causes ulcers, relieve joint pain, aid in weight loss, alleviate migraines, prevent bad breath, combat allergies, soothe psoriasis, protect against cancer, and to strengthen the immune system, among other benefits.
03 Mass school sickness blamed on spicy food, sympathy vomiting WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) Public health officials in North Carolina say the sudden onslaught of mass vomiting at an elementary school wasn't caused by a nefarious disease, but rather fruit-flavored concentrate, spicy food and "sympathetic vomiting." Citing a Forsyth County Department of Public Health release, news outlets report two dozen fifth-graders and one adult fell ill Wednesday afternoon at Petree Elementary School. State lab results ruled out chemical or infectious agents. After conducting interviews, health officials concluded those sickened ingested the concentrate without diluting it with the requisite water and ate a lot of spicy chips. Health officials say the students also practiced poor hygiene by sharing the food and liquid, the latter of which they drank from their hands, lunch trays and other ill-advised conduits. The entire school was cleaned before reopening Thursday.