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"Hanukkah because society gives the most attention to it." "I would say rosh hashanah because it is a time to celebrate the new year and to forget all of your sins that you made in the past year."

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Is it worth educating people about the importance of Jewish holidays?

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Should we limit caffeine consumption?

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Who would draw the line?

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https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-07-23/elite-athletes-pushing-through-the-pain-barrier/8734356

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How do elite athletes push through the pain barrier?

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If you watched Richie Porte spectacularly crash out of the Tour de France, you might wonder why he’d ever get back on a bike. Some athletes seem superhuman, but what makes them different to you and I?

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https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/307526

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Teenagers are drinking too much caffeine, despite being aware of the risks. Easy availability, parental influence, advertising and social norms all play a role.

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https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-faith/survey-yom-kippur-passover-top-jewish-holiday-list/2013/09/03/2d12cd70-14d9-11e3-b220-2c950c7f3263_story.html

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https://healthblog.uofmhealth.org/childrens-health/parents-perk-up-to-dangers-of-caffeine-for-teens

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Parents, Perk Up to the Dangers of Caffeine for Teens

Beverages intended to bring a buzz can have unintended consequences, as a teen's recent caffeine-related death shows.

1:00 PM

Author | Kevin Joy

For caffeine consumers and teetotalers alike, the news was shocking: A South Carolina teenager died after drinking a cafe latte, a large Diet Mountain Dew and an energy drink in two hours. He collapsed at his high school in late April.
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Davis Allen Cripe wasn't using drugs or other substances, nor did the 16-year-old have a heart condition.

Which is why the suspected cause of death - a caffeine-induced cardiac event triggering a probable arrhythmia - has renewed discussion about adolescents and caffeine.

"We lost Davis from a totally legal substance," said Gary Watts, the coroner in South Carolina who performed the autopsy, at a news conference in May. Watts said he sought "to let people know, especially our young kids in school, that these drinks can be dangerous."

It's a hazard Catherine Miller, M.D., has witnessed firsthand.

Whether by accident or intention, young people can easily overdo it with caffeine - a risk heightened when combined with alcohol or other health conditions. The results are rarely fatal but can be alarming, she says.

"I have seen caffeine use in patients high enough to necessitate consulting poison control," says Miller, an adolescent medicine specialist at University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital. "And I've had to put patients in the hospital a few times because of (caffeine-related) cardiac or neurological toxicity."

The recent death needn't strike deep fear in families, she says.

It should, however, prompt a conversation at home and an evaluation of which beverages - and how often - kids drink.

How much is too much?

Caffeine, a central nervous system stimulant, helps people feel more alert and less tired. That's why so many people reach for a morning cup of coffee or a lunchtime soda for a quick energy boost.
SEE ALSO: When Should Kids Stay Home Sick from School?
"About 15 minutes after a drink, it's entering your bloodstream and you're feeling the effect," says Miller.

There are also more widespread effects on the body, including temporary increases in heart rate and blood pressure. In the digestive tract, there is increased acid secretion in the stomach and faster transit time.

Caffeine also acts as a diuretic, causing the body to get rid of water. Common neurologic effects include tremor and heightened anxiety.

Still, it is typically harmless: Adults can safely consume up to 400 mg of caffeine per day - about four to five cups of coffee - according to the Food and Drug Administration. And natural sources of caffeine, such as pure coffee and tea, have been shown to have some health benefits.

But with regular ingestion, individuals generally develop some level of tolerance and will need higher doses to get the same benefit of alertness. Abrupt cessation can lead to withdrawal symptoms of headaches, irritability and drowsiness.

For kids and teens, the American Academy of Pediatrics suggests caution. Adolescents ages 12 to 18 should cap daily caffeine intake at 100 mg (the equivalent of about one cup of coffee, one to two cups of tea, or two to three cans of soda). For children under 12, there's no designated safe threshold.

Roughly 73 percent of kids consume caffeine each day, a 2014 study found.

Kids and adolescents can be more sensitive to caffeine's undesirable side effects, such as anxiety, diarrhea and dehydration. Even within suggested doses, caffeine use in the afternoon and evening can have negative impacts on sleep quality and quantity.

With high levels of ingestion, notes Miller, "caffeine can lead to dangerous abnormal heart rhythms or lead to neurologic symptoms of hallucinations or seizures."

Loaded liquids

A prime source of risk: energy drinks, which contain 80 to 500 mg (or more) of caffeine.
SEE ALSO: Pass the Salt: Iodine Crucial for Kids' Diet
Combine colorful packaging with vague labeling - manufacturers aren't required to disclose caffeine amounts - and they are an enticing, risky elixir.

"A lot of times, you don't know the total amount of caffeine in a beverage from reading the nutrition label," says Miller. "And kids might be drinking multiple energy drinks in a day."

Some companies warn against use by children and pregnant women, but this isn't necessarily an effective safeguard. More than 40 percent of U.S. poison control center calls tied to energy drinks involved children younger than 6, according to a 2014 study by the American Heart Association.

Across all ages, emergency department visits involving energy drinks doubled between 2007 and 2011, federal data show.

One possible culprit: alcohol and energy drinks. When combining alcohol (a depressant) with caffeine (a stimulant), the body has "a longer period of alertness" compared with drinking only alcohol, Miller says. This can result in higher alcoholic beverage consumption and higher blood alcohol levels, leading to higher incidence of dangerous health impacts and risky behaviors, she says.

Miller, who asks teen patients about their caffeine habits during routine exams, tries to understand the reasons behind an individual's use and the pattern of use. The most frequent concern she discusses with patients is caffeine used in place of true sources of energy and alertness.

Adequate nutrition, exercise and sleep are far better - and safer - than anything in a cup or a can, Miller says.

More Articles About: Children's Health CS Mott Children's Hospital Arrhythmia or Abnormal Heart Rhythms Nutrition Hospitals & Centers

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Parents, Perk Up to the Dangers of Caffeine for Teens

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Get the American Academy of Pediatrics' recommendation for how much caffeine a teenager can have and learn about caffeine's undesirable side effects on teens.

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https://health.usnews.com/health-care/for-better/articles/should-athletes-play-through-pain

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The "gladiator" mentality throughout sports history has been widely celebrated and glorified. For avid sports fans such as myself, we can remember those seemingly impossible performances by such revered modern-day warriors as the late, great Kobe Bryant, shooting and making two free throws after tearing his Achilles.

While every performance and memory is unique, we've all likely seen and can recount some version of it: The athlete has trained extensively and exhaustively for this event, culminating in an ultimate "battle," during which he or she sustains an injury. We, the spectators, watch in awe as the athlete powers through the pain to emerge the victor and ultimate champion. There are countless movies with this premise, and some variation of it still occurs today. But at what ultimate cost? And how does an athlete know when it's "worth" the risk to play through pain or when it's best, safest or career-saving to pull back? The answers are nuanced and can depend on various factors, but the risk of playing through pain or injury is high.

First, it's essential to consider the distinction between muscle soreness and pain. Soreness and muscle aches are part of the experience of sports and vigorous exercise for most athletes. The sensation of soreness is typically described as generalized, dull and without sudden onset. It often starts after a rigorous workout and may be lingering when the next exertional activity begins. When this type of pain is not debilitating, doesn't cause the athlete to compensate for it with overuse of other body parts or doesn't require an alteration of standard body mechanics, then it's probably safe to finish the game, match or competition. However, even in cases where an athlete attributes pain to generalized soreness, if that sensation has lasted longer than a few days after the activity has ended, further evaluation should be considered.

Pain that may indicate the occurrence of a more acute injury, however, is frequently described as sharp, with a sudden onset and localized to one specific area of the body. Pain that causes a significant change in form/technique, is accompanied by weakness, or functional deficit is a definite red flag. This type of pain likely indicates that an injury has occurred. In this case, play should stop, and an experienced and qualified physician should evaluate the injury as soon as possible. In many cases, this simple instruction is far easier delivered than heeded.

Whether we like it or not, the "warrior athlete" - the one who overcomes seemingly insurmountable odds to play and perform at the highest level while visibly injured - has been elevated to hero status countless times throughout sports history. So, it's no surprise that we'd be hard-pressed to find an athlete, at virtually any level of play, who hasn't played through pain or injury at some point during his or her athletic career. These societal sports' currents run powerful and deep.

The best and most effective approach to reducing the incidence of playing through the pain that develops into catastrophic injury is education. We can help minimize injury risk so that players can make informed decisions for their specific set of circumstances. For that to happen, there must be supportive and trustworthy relationships between the coaches, athletic trainers and physicians involved in the athlete's care. When it comes to the physicians in this equation, it's crucial for players to honestly believe that their doctor is on their team and has their best interest as a priority. To achieve this goal, doctors must be adept at encouraging a culture of empathy and understanding with their patient athletes.

Finally, it should be noted here that this discussion of playing through or pulling back is centered on adults. Children are far too young to make such nuanced decisions for themselves. Additionally, their young bodies are still developing and must be more strongly safeguarded against injury. Plus, kids are even more highly influenced by pressures (whether those pressures are perceived or real) from their coaches or parents to "perform." They want to make us adults happy, and as a result, many end up playing through injury when they unequivocally should not. Additionally, adult athletes who are idolized by young children can model great discernment for our youth when they make the tough but brave decision not to play through pain or injury.

In a nutshell, if you're an athlete who is experiencing pain: When in doubt, sit it out, and get a proper evaluation as soon as possible. An earlier diagnosis of what's causing the pain typically leads to earlier and often simpler interventions. Getting to the bottom of the pain sooner rather than later might cost a game or two - but that's a far smaller price to pay than an entire athletic career.

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The "gladiator" mentality throughout sports history has been widely celebrated and glorified. For avid sports fans such as myself, we can remember those seemingly impossible performances by such revered modern-day warriors as the late, great Kobe Bryant, shooting and making two free throws after tearing his Achilles.