Nerds Republic

The phrase “sugary foods” probably brings a few things to mind: junk food, chocolate bars, donuts, and soft drinks. What you probably don’t think of are snacks that are generally accepted as “healthy” alternatives.

Take Part wanted to illustrate just how sugary some normal foods are, so they compared their sugar content to that of a Krispy Kreme donut. The results were pretty shocking.

I’m going to start eating grilled cheese and donuts.

Using this dressing on salads seems like a terrible idea.

I guess no one thought Fruit Loops were a good idea.

Yep, even “healthy” fruit juice is worse than ONE Krispy Kreme donut.

…that whipped cream is worth it, though.

The break room donuts are suddenly WAY more appealing.

To see even more shocking sugar statistics, visit Take Part.

The full gallery of Krispy Kreme comparisons will leave your jaw on the GROUND.

Suddenly, I don’t feel so bad about gorging on Krispy Kreme donuts…

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Ste Walker looks like any ordinary 24-year-old man. He works a normal job in Halifax, England, he eats at restaurants, he goes on dates — all normal 24-year-old guy stuff. But looks can be extremely deceiving.

Walker actually suffers from Crohn’s disease. The condition is chronic, and it negatively impacts thousands of people’s lives worldwide. On the surface, he looks like a regular guy, so people give him a hard time when he uses handicapped parking spaces and toilet stalls. He understands why people get upset, which is why he decided to let everyone in on the pain that has to deal with every day.

Ste Walker posted some photos on Facebook to show people that those suffering with Crohn’s disease often look totally normal on the outside.

What’s going on below the surface, however, is something much more debilitating.

Underneath his clothes, things are far from pleasant. He’s forced to endure endless pain just to keep his basic bodily functions on track.

He wears a Hickman line, which is a silicone tube that allows medicine and lubricant to be administered to his body because his stomach doesn’t function properly. He also wears an ileostomy bag, which serves as a secondary bowel.

His Ryhlls tube — which enters his abdomen through his nose — helps his stomach drain properly. Aside from all of that, he takes multiple medications every day to help regulate liver and kidney function.

(via IFL Science)

The point of Ste Walker’s Facebook project is to let people know that they shouldn’t be so quick to judge people who don’t appear to be handicapped or unhealthy on the surface. Some are forced to endure suffering that’s invisible to everyone else.

Everybody farts. It’s just a fact of life. I’m sure that you’ve laid down some stink more than once, and there is no shame in admitting that. The next time you do it, though, you will be able to drop some knowledge on anyone around you who might be offended.

That’s because scientists have just discovered that smelling farts can be beneficial to your health. Yeah, you read that correctly. Some scientists even believe that smelling farts can prevent cancer and other diseases.

Researchers believe that smelling farts can be good for your health because farts contain hydrogen sulfide, which can help prevent mitochondrial damage.

If you keep mitochondria healthy and intact, diseases like cancer have trouble forming and spreading.

While large doses of hydrogen sulfide gas are bad for you, scientists believe that sniffing it every now and again can help prevent cancer, strokes, heart attacks, arthritis, and even dementia.

So the next time you get a whiff of a fart, don’t turn your nose up in disgust! Celebrate it. You could be preserving your long-term health.

(via The Week)

If you’re in public and you let one rip, just tell everyone around you that you’ve done them a favor. Still…the short-term stench is pretty bad either way, so maybe just blame the fart on someone else.

Virsaviya Borun is a very special little girl. Upon first glance, this six-year-old seems like your average kid. She plays, she sings, and she dances, but there’s more to this cute little girl than meets the eye.

She actually suffers from a condition called thoraco-abdominal syndrome, which causes some of her organs to develop outside of her body. Her heart is the most visible of all.

Virsaviya Borun’s heart rests just beneath her skin, making it immediately visible.

A photo posted by ✨💎@fit_thick_Riri💎✨ (@dariborun) on Oct 17, 2015 at 5:27pm PDT

Her condition is incredibly rare and somewhat debilitating, but she powers through by playing, dancing, and singing every day.

#PrayForBathsheba #VirsaviyaWarrior #BathshebaStrong #TeamBathsheba

A video posted by ✨💎@fit_thick_Riri💎✨ (@dariborun) on Oct 31, 2015 at 4:45pm PDT

Her mom is trying to find a doctor who will attempt to put the girl’s heart in the proper place, but every physician has turned her down because of the inherent risks.

A video posted by ✨💎@fit_thick_Riri💎✨ (@dariborun) on Oct 27, 2015 at 5:48am PDT

Because of her condition, Virsaviya can’t attend school, but that doesn’t stop her from learning. Her mom is even teaching her different languages! Here, this little star-in-the-making is being interviewed.

#interview #telemundo #virsaviyaWarrior #BathshebaStrong #TeamBathsheba #PrayForBathsheba #powertv #tv #socialmedia #oprah #theellenshow #smsaudio #frigo #WITW #ilovejesus #ifeelblessed #prayerswork #whenyoubelieve #ibelieve

A video posted by ✨💎@fit_thick_Riri💎✨ (@dariborun) on Oct 29, 2015 at 7:33am PDT

(via News Australia)

Virsaviya’s mother has set up a fundraising website to help cover medical expenses. If you are interested in donating, click here. Your money would be going to a good cause. Who knows? Your donation may one day help this adorable little girl undergo an operation that will make her life much safer and more comfortable.

Everybody poops. It’s a fact of life, and even if you don’t talk about it as openly as some people do, it’s important to know what your poop is telling you about your general health and wellness.

This infographic pretty much sums it all up. If you ever had questions about what you see in the toilet, you should consult this handy little image.

(via Huffington Post)

That should answer any and all questions you have about your bowel movements. I hope you found the answers you were looking for. Now go drink some water and eat a veggie or two.

The human body is an amazing thing. It can fight off diseases, digest food, and regulate all of your bodily functions automatically.

But there are things that hundreds of people believe about the human body that aren’t true at all. In fact, you might believe in some of these myths as well. Luckily for you, we’re here to debunk them for you today.

1. You can’t lose weight because you have a slow metabolism.

Sure, you may not be naturally thin like those people who can eat french fries and pizza every day without gaining an ounce, but you can still maintain your desired body weight fairly easily. That depends more on your personal goals and actions than any sort of bodily predisposition.

2. Flat feet are prone to injury.

Studies show that people with flat feet are actually less prone to injury. People with normal or high arches are more susceptible to stress fractures and strains.

3. Your metabolism slows down as you get older.

This is true, but it’s not as drastic as you might think. The real culprit here is not your metabolism, but your body’s ability to gain and keep muscle mass. The metabolism does slow down a bit, but not enough to make you gain insane amounts of weight or anything like that. Your body just looks different because you can’t maintain all those massive muscles you had in your twenties.

4. Shaving makes hair grow back thicker and coarser.

This one was technically debunked way back in 1928, but people still believe it. This is actually just an optical illusion. When hair grows back, it looks darker because it’s perpendicular to your skin for a while until it’s long enough to lay flat again. That makes it look coarser and thicker.

5. You continue burning calories after an intense cardio session.

If you are looking to burn calories, I’m sure you’ve heard that the best way to do it is through High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). While it’s true that HIIT will burn more calories after the workout, the amount is so insignificant that you might as well just stick to your regular (and less soul-crushing) cardio routine.

6. Healthy teeth are white.

The natural color of human teeth is yellow. Pearly whites look nice, but they’re actually not natural. In fact, chemical whitening does more harm than good. Bleaching them actually damages enamel.

7. You can’t gain muscle because you have a fast metabolism.

If you have a hard time building muscle, your metabolism isn’t to blame. The reason skinny people have a harder time putting on muscle is because they aren’t eating enough protein-packed food to do so. Eat more and you will see results. It doesn’t get better than that, right?

8. You can suck out the poison from a snake bite.

Sucking out the poison of a snake bite is actually pretty dangerous. It can cause an infection in the wounded area and make things worse. Instead, you should wash the bite with soap and water, keep the bitten area lower than the heart, and seek medical attention.

9. Eating six small meals a day boosts your metabolism.

This theory states that eating six small meals per day helps keep your metabolism going throughout the whole day. Research shows that there’s technically nothing wrong with eating six smaller meals, but it also concludes that the body doesn’t react to this meal plan much differently than it does to eating three meals a day.

10. Cold air and wet hair will make you sick.

Your mom was wrong, okay? I know that’s hard for you to accept, but hanging out in the cold or going to sleep with wet hair will not give you a cold. The virus associated with the common cold is actually all around you, waiting to strike at any moment.

11. Eating certain foods will boost your metabolism.

Okay, it’s pretty obvious that none of us understand how the metabolism works. I’m sure you’ve all heard the myth that eating cinnamon, red peppers, and similar foods will boost your metabolism. That’s just not true. It might give it a temporary spike, but it won’t lead to anything permanent.

12. You need eight hours of sleep a night.

Every person needs a different amount of sleep, but researchers concluded that the average person can do just fine on five or six hours of sleep a night. And sleeping for longer than eight hours can actually do more harm than good. Just do what feels best for you!

13. Reading in dim light harms your eyes.

While reading in the dark will cause eye strain, it’s nothing serious. Almost no permanent damage can happen from reading in the dark for long periods of time.

14. Fasting slows your metabolism.

Seriously…we could have just called this piece “No One Understands Their Metabolism.” Studies show that you can go up to three days without food without damaging your metabolism. It would take nearly a week without food for your metabolism to undergo a drastic change.

15. Peeing on a jellyfish sting makes it feel better.

In lab tests, urine actually makes the pain of a jellyfish sting even worse. Basically, no good can come from enduring a sting and having your buddy pee on you.

16. Gaining muscle boosts your metabolism.

Gaining muscle doesn’t boost your metabolism that much, so if you are picking up the weights for that reason alone, I’m sorry. If anything, building a pound of muscle will help you burn about five more calories.

(via Fit Mole / Life Hacker)

Now that we all know better, let’s make our bodies the best they can possibly be. Let’s live long and healthy lives. After all, you only get one body. Be nice to it.