Tag: health and medicine

What Causes Insomnia?

C1 – Advanced

Do you struggle to go to sleep even though you are tired? Or do you wake up in the middle of the night and lie awake for hours, tossing and turning, anxiously checking the clock?

Insomnia is a very common problem and most of us experience this some time in our lives.

So what is insomnia? Is there any way to break the cycle?

Watch the video as Dan Kwartler details the science of insomnia.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What keeps you up at night?
  2. Do you have difficulty falling asleep?
  3. What are some ways to help you fall asleep easily?
  4. How do you feel when you suffer from Insomnia? How do you cope with it?

Is Reading News Bad

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Reading newspaper is a good habit that can provide us a clear idea and understanding of what is happening in your country and the whole world. It carries information about politics, economy, entertainment, sports, business, industry, trade and commerce. However, a survey found that news consumption has a tremendous downside for mental health.

Read the article below to find out the downsides of reading too much news.

http://time.com/5125894/is-reading-news-bad-for-you/

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “feed” mean here, “Yet one in 10 adults checks the news every hour, and fully 20% of Americans report “constantly” monitoring their social media feeds—which often exposes them to the latest news headlines, whether they like it or not.”? Use it in a sentence.
  2. What does “exacerbate” mean, “Our studies also showed that this change in mood exacerbates the viewer’s own personal worries, even when those worries are not directly relevant to the news stories being broadcast.”? Use it in a sentence.
  3. Explain “negativity bias“.

Discussion Questions:

  1. How does news affect you?
  2. What are the positive and negative aspects of watching or reading news for you?
  3. How has the way that news is presented changed in the past 15 to 20 years? What are your thoughts on “bystander-captured media”?
  4. What was the most devastating news that you have ever watched, read, or heard about?
  5. Talk about some news today.

Sleeping Late

B1 –  Intermediate

Do you always sleep late? If staying in bed till late morning interests you, better watch out for yourself. This is not a recommended practice by health experts. Even doctors all over the world suggest to strictly avoid sleeping late. Sleeping late not only makes your body subject to various health problems, but also disturbs your daily routine and increases stress. Your physical and mental health both will be greatly affected.

Read the article about a new study that found that going to bed late may be bad for our health.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1804/180416-sleeping-late.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What time do you usually go to bed? Why? Do you wish you slept earlier/later? Explain.
  2. What does sleep mean to you?
  3. Do you always get enough sleep? Why is that?
  4. What are you like when you don’t get enough sleep? Describe.
  5. How have your sleeping patterns changed over the years? Describe.

Headaches

B1 – Intermediate

Almost everyone suffers from a headache at least once a year. In most cases, they are not dangerous and the person suffering it can still function normally. 

Headache is usually described as pain anywhere in the region of the head or neck. Headaches are very common and their effect can range from mild to worst.

Read on to know about the types of headaches, their causes, and ways to treat them.

https://www.english-online.at/health_medicine/headache/headache-disorder-of-nervous-system.htm

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you often suffer from headaches? What type of headache do you often suffer from? What usually cause them?
  2. What do you do when you have a headache?
  3. Do you think people should see a doctor immediately when they have a headache? Why/why not?
  4. Some say that physical activities such as exercise can help with relieving headaches. Do you agree or disagree with this? Explain.

Showering Everyday Is Bad

B2 – Upper Intermediate

It’s common sense that we take a bath to wash away germs that can make us sick, to keep clean and to smell fresh. However, a research shows that we do not actually have to shower every day for it may cause more harm than good.

Click the link to find out.

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/is-shower-everyday-good-or-bad-cleaning-hygiene-university-utah-amazon-village-microbes-skin-a7546216.html

Discussion Questions:

1. Do you take a shower every single day? How do you feel when you skip a shower?

2. After reading the text, would you change your routine?
What is your daily self-care routine?

3. How do you take care of your skin? What are the advantages of having beautiful skin?

Absurd Diets of the Rich and Famous

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Having breakfast at the same place every single day for 15 years… bacon and eggs three times a day… apples and carrots for weeks on end…

These diets may sound untrue but they are actual diets of some very wealthy and high-profile people.

Find out about famous people’s strange diets through this article:

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/shortcuts/2017/oct/15/bacon-eggs-every-meal-absurd-diets-rich-famous

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “foible” mean? “Their eating habits may not be quite as “insane” as former royal chef Darren McGrady branded them earlier this month, but the British royal family have their share of foibles around food.” Use this word in a sentence.
  2. What does “bejewelled crockery” mean? “Bejewelled crockery aside, however, the Windsors seem quite normal compared to these notably eccentric diners.” Use this phrase in a sentence.
  3. What does “stone” mean here, “All of which,” he concluded, “should be dealt with outside, in the warmth of a hot sun, and preferably stone naked.“? Use this word in a sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are your thoughts about the eccentric diets of the rich and famous that were mentioned in the article?
  2. Which one did you find most absurd and why?
  3. Why is proper diet important?
  4. Talk about special diets you know of or those you’ve actually tried in the past or would want to try in the future.

The Healing Power of Nature

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Have you ever felt stressed out because of your busy life? Are you sick and tired of the pollution in the city?  Then you might want to recharge and reconnect yourself with nature.

Watch the video below and talk about how immersing yourself in nature will heal you.

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “parasympathetic division (of the nervous system)” mean? “When we step into a natural landscape, our bodies experience a shift from a sympathetic division of the central nervous system, which handles stress, to the parasympathetic division, which handles rest.” Use this term in a sentence.
  2. What does “incessant” mean? “This activates the body’s relaxation response, wherein breathing slows down and deepens, internal dialogues become less incessant, worries are less pressing, and one is able to appreciate the present moment.” Use this word in a sentence.
  3. What does “green space” mean? “Another study published in 2003 found that the health of every single bodily system increased with the amount of green space in one’s living environment.” Use this phrase in a sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are the health benefits of being in nature?
  2. What does nature do to you?
  3. Share your insights regarding this, “Nature has incredible healing powers.”
  4. What do you think about “forest bathing”?
  5. Do you think patients would recover more quickly if they had a view of nature from their hospital room window? Explain.

Health Benefits of Vegetarian Diets

B2 – Upper Intermediate

The single most important thing an individual can do for their health, for the environment, and for the sake of the innocent animals is to adopt a vegetarian diet.

Read the article about the health benefits of vegetarian diets.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11311397

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. Explain the term “lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet“. “To this large basis of plant foods, small amounts of animal foods, both indirect (i.e., milk and eggs, such as in the lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet), and direct (i.e., any kind of flesh, such as in the original Mediterranean diet) can be added, or not.” Use the term in a sentence.
  2. Explain the term “meta-analysis“. “We found a meta-analysis on bone health with uncertain unfavorable effects, but it was unique, which led us to exclude bone health from the review.” Use the term in a sentence.
  3. Explain the term “paradigm shift“. “As early as 2003, Prof. Sabaté proposed a “paradigm shift” to suggest why more people following a vegetarian diet could achieve optimal health.” Use the term in a sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are some reasons that people choose to be vegetarian?
  2. Share your insights on this, “The trend of following a vegetarian diet is increasing among citizens of developed countries.”
  3. Have you or any you know ever been a vegetarian? Talk about this diet and lifestyle.
  4. Is it good to be a vegetarian for some periods of time for the sake of our health?
  5. What’s your opinion about being a strict vegetarian? Is it healthy generally speaking?

Ways to Keep Exercising in a Heatwave

C1 – Advanced

With the global temperatures going higher and higher by the year, we might be putting our health at risk when we continue exercising.

Now, just because it is summer doesn’t mean we have to put our exercise routines on a halt. There are ways to keep being active – and not having to worry about suffering from a heatstroke.

Read the article about some ways to keep exercising even in the middle of a heatwave.

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/jun/15/10-ways-to-keep-exercising-in-a-heatwave

Discussion Questions:

  1. Does high temperature somehow affect your workout routine? Share your experiences.
  2. Which among the tips mention do you practice? Which ones are you willing to try?
  3. How else do you deal with the heat to keep exercising during very hot weather days?
  4. What are your thoughts on acclimatization?
  5. “A heatwave could be an opportunity to try something new.” Would you be willing to mix your exercise routines up to adapt to the summer heat?

Why Sitting Is Bad for You

C1 – Advanced

Ponder on how much time you dedicate to sitting down on a daily basis. You may sit down throughout the entire working day at a desk in front of a computer. You sit during your commute to and from work. And you sit when you’re watching TV in the evening, or surfing the web.

But is sitting really that risky?

Watch the video carefully and be able to answer the questions that follow.

Discussion Questions:

  1. According to the video, why is too much sitting harmful?
  2. Do you agree that sitting too much can ruin your health? Why or why not?
  3. What are some ways to reduce the health risks from too much sitting?
  4. How sedentary is the modern lifestyle? Share your insights.