During the COVID-19 pandemic we’re all living through the same events but experiencing them differently. For some quarantine may have been beneficial for their mental health in the sense that they’re removed from the typical hustle and bustle of life and have time to work on themselves. Others may have worsened symptoms of anxiety and depression due to the unknown of the virus and the self isolation. And even though the majority of us are at home it can be extremely stress inducing especially for health care workers. It’s important to monitor our mental health during this time. Confide in the people that you trust because they’re likely to be going through something similar. It can be comforting to hear from someone which is why it’s important to check in on your loved ones and let them know you miss them. This experience can enable us to strengthen our bonds with one another as well as take the time for ourselves for self discovery. Although we can’t physically be with one another the internet can bring us together. We’re all in this together and it’s important to note that even if we can’t see each other in person we can still be there for one another.

Whether it’s your Freshman or your Senior year, transitioning back to school from summer break is an inevitable and stressful experience. The sudden workload, the tests, and quizzes all come as a shock and can feel like an overwhelming experience - especially to newcomers. For the first few weeks, it feels as though you’re scrambling desperately trying to get back to the structure of early mornings and fast paced class periods. It’s an awkward period of time that we’ll all eventually look back on and see as trivial, but for now it’s all too real. It is, however, imperative for us all to keep mindfulness, to remember that change is beneficial, and each passing year adds different obstacles that you’ll overcome. Keep a lookout for the many opportunities offered by the school through news articles and morning announcements. Time flies - so acknowledging your situation and working with it is the only way to manage our time effectively . Seek guidance from upper classmen or from your counselors - they won’t bite! Kearny High is filled with staff who are all here to help and make this experience as comfortable as possible. We all just need to look out for each other and work as a community so we can push through these stressful times as one.

Vegetarianism, a lifestyle that’s often misunderstood and confused with other diets. Firstly, to set the record straight vegetarians , vegans, and pescetarians are different. Vegetarians don’t eat any type of meat (including fish), however, they eat dairy products. Vegans don’t eat any type of animal products, including milk, eggs, and cheese. Then there are pescetarians who are similar to vegetarians, however, they eat fish. Many people like to make the argument that “fish” are not meat, but it’s the flesh of an animal. Therefore, many vegetarians consider it to be meat and don’t feel comfortable consuming it. Not all vegetarians abstain from meat simply because they love animals. Some do it for reasons pertaining to climate change due to the obscene amount of methane gas produced from cows. Others do it because of their allergies, mistreatment of animals, growth hormones, and or bioaccumulation. Regardless of their reasoning, they’re valid in their decision and should be respected for their choice. Also to those who do eat meat, on behalf of all vegetarians, vegans, and pescetarians, please don’t over complicate their diets or challenge their lifestyle, instead educate yourself. There is no reason to have a desire to convert them and they are not the spokespeople for vegetarianism , veganism, and pescetarianism. They simply have their own personal reasons to not eat meat and or dairy products, so please be respectful.

A classic Thanksgiving meal that the majority of us are familiar with consists of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, corn, dinner rolls, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie. However, everyone can celebrate Thanksgiving in their own way. Pringles did create an entire Thanksgiving dinner in chip form… but regardless of that, maybe this year you’re looking for a change that just happens to be a veganized Thanksgiving. However as we all know the center of this meal is well meat—so what are we to do about that?

What is gluten? How does it affect you and where does it come from? Gluten can be found in foods that you eat almost everyday such as bread, cereal, rice and anything that is wheat based. Gluten is composed of two proteins that are stuck together, glutenin and gliadin. Gliadin seems to be the most troublesome of the two as it is the cause of celiac disease. About 1% of Americans suffer from celiac disease. Someone with celiac disease cannot consume gluten because it will damage their small intestines. Gluten can cause inflammation in the small intestines and can prevent the absorption of nutrients in someone with celiac disease.

Glutenin is a relatively stronger molecule than gliadin and is responsible for the elasticity in the dough and keeping the protein together. Gliadin contributes by making the dough of bread easy to knead. Together, gliadin and glutenin make gluten which can translate to “glue” in latin.

Although we consume products and foods that contain gluten, this does not mean that gluten is necessarily healthy, and not necessarily unhealthy. Gluten contains no nutritional value and essentially you’re just consuming an empty food. The idea of gluten free diets have become popular in this decade and the truth is there is no studies that show the effects of gluten in someone without Celiac disease. The gluten free diet trend has nothing to back it up other than celebrity endorsement and the simple logic that is “if it is bad for people with celiac disease then it is bad for me.” Gluten at the end of a day is like any other substance in food, it sounds sketchy and some people don’t fully understand it. Humans have been baking bread for about 10,000 years and chances are they will be eating bread for more to come. But, like any other substance, eating and consuming too much of one thing is always bad for you.

Allergens, something that isn’t to be taken lightly. The severity of the reactions can range depending on the person, however, people with anaphylaxis could potentially die from eating something they’re allergic too. For many people allergies can cause anxiety and fear, not only for the individual but for their family. There are a multitude of reasonable worries that come with allergies which is why for many oral immunotherapy (OIT) can be a life changing option. The process slowly builds up the patient's tolerance to their allergen until they’re able to consume said allergen without experiencing a reaction. However, keep in mind that the process requires the patient to be diligent; it is mandatory for them to eat the food everyday under the conditions their allergist describes. The outcome of this somewhat tedious treatment for some can resolve the severe fears and worries that come with a basic need for survival; eating.

If you are like most people you have probably been misled as to what a diet actually is. You will hear people announce that they are “on a new diet,” however, they have been on one all along. It’s more accurate to say, “I’m changing my eating patterns”. Unfortunately, a lot of people become misled by the media and online claims and change their diet to something unhealthy, restrictive, and counterproductive to lose a lot of weight in a short amount of time. Most people feel as though if one is slimmer one is automatically healthier, but that isn’t necessarily true if you aren’t getting the nutrients you need from your restrictive diet. There is a difference between losing “weight” and burning fat. When you go on a scale to discover only what your mass is you aren’t taking into consideration the percentage of body fat and the percent of muscle mass. Many people that make unhealthy dietary changes that automatically drop their caloric intake cause their body to start eating away at energy stored as protein instead of lipids (fat). Your body does this in fear of starving so it gets rid of the least important source of energy first which would be protein. Now with your body in survival mode, you aren’t able to perform other bodily functions as well. For example, these proteins can be used to build and repair tissues, but these functions can be slighted due to a growing deficiency. It’s important to maintain a healthy diet and stay active so you can achieve the recommended BMI for your height. Instead of depriving your body, work with it and understand the consequences of over and under eating to attain good physical health. Doing things the right way may take longer, however, they produce the best quality results without jeopardizing your health. If you have concerns about your weight you should discuss them with your parents and or doctor to help you fulfill your health goals.

A common phenomenon amongst students is the chronic feeling of stress; if you happen to be one of those people then this article should be for you. When experiencing chronic stress according to the Mayo Clinic, your body will be susceptible to the following conditions, headaches, anxiety, muscle tension, chest pain, lack of motivation, substance abuse, fatigue, irritability, depression, etc. All of this can decrease a students’ productivity in school, leaving them in an endless rut. A solution the Kearnian would like to propose is meditation.

The practice may seem intimidating and bold at first but it just requires an open mind. It helps to create a state of mindfulness where you’re here and present. Many people give up on their first try because they think they’re “doing it wrong” or because their mind becomes restless. However, just like with everything else, it requires practice in order to see results. So the following is a basic guide that’ll help you start your journey to mindfulness;