S.C. State Museum Hosts Friday Night Laser Lights

in June

TheS.C. State Museum is hosting its Friday Night Laser Lights event on Friday, June 16, from 6 to 10 p.m. An adult event, participants will enjoy special shows featuring lasers choreographed to iconic music inside the museum’s 55-foot digital dome in the BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina Planetarium. Other event highlights include a cash bar with craft beer selections, wine, specialty drinks and nonalcoholic beverages and delicious food for purchase from local food trucks. Advance online ticket purchases are strongly recommended.

Please note: Laser shows contain bright, flashing lights that may cause discomfort to those with light sensitivity or other pre-existing conditions.

Cost: $10 for members; $8 for nonmembers. Location: 301 Gervais St., Columbia. For more information, call 803-898-4921 or visit SCMuseum.org/events/friday-night-laser-lights-june.

ICRC Hosts Sunset on the Shoals

Are you ready for a great time on the water? On Friday, June 9, from 6 to 8 p.m., the Irmo Chapin Recreation Commission (ICRC) is hosting its Sunset on the Shoals event at Saluda Shoals Park. For adults ages 21 and up, participants will enjoy an interpretive one-hour paddle tour on the Saluda River while learning about the rich and unique history of the area. The tour will be followed by a wine tasting. Light refreshments will be served at 6 p.m. As a note, the trip is dependent on weather and river levels. Boats and all necessary equipment needed will be provided.

Cost: $47 per person. Location: 5605 Bush River Rd., Columbia. For more information, call 803-772-1228 or visit icrc.net/event/sunset-shoals-0.

KMB Hosts Lakeside Litter Sweep

Keep the Midlands Beautiful

(KMB) is hosting its Lakeside Litter Sweep event on Saturday, September 16, around areas of Lake Murray. Local Midlands area residents are welcome to join more than 20 event partners and approximately 250 volunteers coming together to clean up Lake Murray's shorelines, islands and water while having a great time. Volunteers can choose to stay onshore, utilize their own boats or sign up for a free pontoon boat ride to the islands designated to be cleaned. Preregistration is required.

For more information or to register, call 803-733-1139 or visit KeepTheMidlandsBeautiful.org.

The Wonders of Saffron

Saffron, like most other plants and herbs, is rich in antioxidants (substances that help fight cell damage). Saffron stimulates the secretion of dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine—all the neurotransmitters associated with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and attention-deficit disorder (ADD).

This incredible herb has been shown to improve mood; cognitive, emotional and behavioral abilities; and sleep patterns. Not only is saffron great for ADHD/ADD and depression, but it is also wonderful for diabetes. Diabetes can cause sleep disturbance and sleep dysregulation. A new double-blind, placebo-controlled study found that saffron helps with diabetes, significantly reducing and improving blood sugar, insulin resistance, insulin, total cholesterol, LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol, liver function and triglycerides.

Additionally, saffron can help fight cancer; increase libido; improve eye health; help prevent heart disease; may improve PMS (premenstrual syndrome) symptoms; may reduce appetite and aid in weight loss; relieve gas and acidity; remedy asthma; help heal wounds; promote digestion; boost functioning of the brain; and has been shown to be beneficial during pregnancy.

For more information, call 839-207-0057 or visit RadiantHolisticHealing.net. See ad, page 8.

Coming In July

Regenerative Organic Farming

Rise in Children With Autism

In March, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) released updated statistics on the rate of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which has been steadily on the rise. One in 36 children was diagnosed with autism by age 8 in 2020, or about 2.8 percent of children, up from one in 44 children in 2018, and one in 150 children in 2000 when the CDC first established the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network to track ASD prevalence in this country.

Autism was 3.8 times as prevalent among boys (4 percent) as girls (1 percent), and for the first time among 8-year-old children, the prevalence was slightly lower among white children than other racial and ethnic groups, which is a reversal of racial and ethnic differences observed in the past. The CDC partially attributes these patterns to improved screening, awareness and access to services.

The report included communities in 11 states that participate in the CDC Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network—Arizona, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, Tennessee, Utah and Wisconsin. Children included in this report were born in 2012 and lived in surveillance areas during 2020. ASD prevalence varied from state to state, with Maryland having the lowest and California the highest observed rates.

New Insights on Water Consumption Requirements

We have been conditioned to believe that eight glasses of water are required each day, but new research published in Science found that daily water needs vary based on numerous factors. Researchers studied 5,604 people aged 8 to 96 from 23 countries, measuring their water turnover—the amount of water lost and replaced each day. They found that for most healthy adults, drinking eight cups of water a day is unnecessary because water needs vary depending on age, sex, body size, physical activity level, athletic status, pregnancy, socioeconomic status and environmental characteristics such as latitude, altitude, air temperature and humidity. People that lived in less developed countries had higher water turnover than people from developed countries. While hydration should be prioritized, most people that pay attention to their bodies and drink when thirsty are likely drinking enough water.