Modest $6,000 Urban Bachelor Pad in Brazil

 

Link:

http://hiconsumption.com/2012/10/6000-urban-bachelor-pad-in-brazil/

These 9 Famous Writers Can Teach You More About Love Than Any Hallmark Card Ever Could

 

The commercialized Valentine's Day presents a neatly Photoshopped image of modern romance that sets an impossible standard for even the most loving couple. Hallmark greeting cards sing trite stanzas about soul mates and eternal love. Meanwhile, all of the commercials for chocolate, perfume and creepily gargantuan teddy bears somehow seem to be conspiring to undermine our own awkward fumbling love lives.

However, we contend that these famous writers' musings on romance will make even greatest cynic appreciate the complexities, the sorrows and, ultimately, the incomparable joys of love:

1. Love isn't easy, but it can be transformative.

"Love can change a person the way a parent can change a baby: awkwardly, and often with a great deal of mess."

― Written by Lemony Snicket in his novel, Horseradish: Bitter Truths You Can't Avoid.

2. You have more love to give than you could ever know.

"Nobody has ever measured, not even poets, how much the heart can hold."

― Written by Zelda Fitzgerald in her novel, Save Me The Waltz. She is shown above with her husband, the acclaimed author F. Scott Fitzgerald.

3. Some passions may be impossible to resist.

"The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it."

― Written by Oscar Wilde in his novel The Picture of Dorian Gray.

4. Love is the greatest gift and the greatest sacrifice.

"In the flush of love's light
we dare be brave,
And suddenly we see
that love costs all we are
and will ever be.
Yet, it is only love
which sets us free."

― Written by Maya Angelou in her poem, Touched By An Angel.

5. Finding love takes luck.

"I wish I had more friends, but people are such jerks. If you can just get most people to leave you alone, you're doing good. If you can find even one person you really like, you're lucky. And if that person can also stand you, you're really lucky."

― Written by Bill Watterson , author and artist of Calvin & Hobbes.

 

6. When real love hits, it shouldn't make you feel weak.

"Don't ever think I fell for you, or fell over you. I didn't fall in love, I rose in it.”

― Written by Nobel Prize-winning author Toni Morison in her novel, Jazz.

7. When you love somebody, their goofiest quirks become their most endearing.

“It is a curious thought, but it is only when you see people looking ridiculous that you realize just how much you love them.”

― Written by author Agatha Christie in her book, An Autobiography.

8. Love is more meaningful than almost anything else.

"It doesn't matter who you are or what you look like, so long as somebody loves you."

― Written by Roald Dahl in his children's book, The Witches.

9. Be grateful for all the love you find, be it platonic or romantic, lifelong or merely temporary. That love is ultimately what gives your life value.

“A purpose of human life, no matter who is controlling it, is to love whoever is around to be loved.”

― Written by author Kurt Vonnegut in his novel, The Sirens of Titan.

______________________________________________________

Even if your disgust with Valentine's Day has reached its seasonal peak and the mere sight of Sweetheart candies make you nauseated, it's hard to feel quite as cynical after reading these masters of language describe what is truly the most remarkable human emotion.

17 Bizarre Sex Facts You Probably Didn't Know

 

Posted: 09/17/2013 7:47 am EDT  |  Updated: 09/18/2013 11:40 am EDT The following is an excerpt from "1,227 Quite Interesting Facts" [W.W. Norton, $15.95] , a collection of difficult to believe yet entirely true miscellanea, assembled by the creators of British quiz show, "QI." 1. One in ten European babies is conceived in an IKEA bed. 2. Alfred Kinsey, author of Sexual Behavior in the Human Male (1948), had a collection of 5 million wasps and could insert a toothbrush into his penis, bristle-end first. 3. British spies stopped using semen as invisible ink because it began to smell if it wasn’t fresh. 4. A single sperm contains 37.5 MB of DNA information. One ejaculation represents a data transfer of 15,875 GB, equivalent to the combined capacity of 62 MacBook Pro laptops. 5. Male fruitflies rejected by females drink significantly more alcohol than those that have had a successful encounter. 6. A female ferret will die if she doesn't have sex for a year. 7. Seven Viagra tablets are sold every second. 8. The German for "contraceptive" is Schwangerschaftsverhütungsmittel. By the time you've finished saying it, it's too late. 9. The American Psychiatric Association listed homosexuality as a mental illness until 1973. 10. The best-selling work of fiction of the 15th century was "The Tale of the Two Lovers," an erotic novel by the man who later became Pope Pius II. 11. A single human male produces enough sperm in two weeks to impregnate every fertile woman on the planet. 12. In 2008, archaeologists in Cyprus found a 7th-century curse inscribed on a lead tablet that said, "May your penis hurt when you make love." Nobody knows who made the curse, or why. 13. The founder of match.com, Gary Kremen, lost his girlfriend to a man she met on match.com. 14. Gymnophoria is the sense that someone is mentally undressing you. 15. A female chimpanzee in a fit of passion has the strength of six men. 16. At the 2012 London Olympics, which lasted for 17 days, the athletes were provided with 150,000 free condoms- approximately 15 each. 17. The "G-spot" was nearly called the Whipple Tickle- after Professor Beverley Whipple, who coined the expression that we know today.

Não é fácil, mas é possível. Isso é o que importa.

UAV successfully sees and avoids another aircraft while in flight.

 

 

The Scan Eagle UAV, and the Cessna that it knew not to fly into

In a recent flight test in Australia, a Scan Eagle UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) succeeded in visually identifying an approaching Cessna aircraft, and letting its own ground-based operators know that evasive action was required. It’s being hailed as a major step towards the allowance of UAVs in commercial airspace.

Part of the Queensland Government’s Project ResQu, the test was carried out by Queensland University of Technology’s Australian Research Centre for Aerospace Automation (ARCAA), in collaboration with Boeing Research & Technology – Australia, and Scan Eagle manufacturer Insitu Pacific.

The vision-based sense and avoid technology used in the UAV had previously been designed and tested for use in manned aircraft, as a backup for human pilots. Although the Scan Eagle was manually steered out of the way by its remote operator, it is hoped that future UAVs equipped with the system will be able to avoid mid-air collisions autonomously.

“Ultimately, this will allow UA [unmanned aircraft] to provide public services such as assistance in disaster management and recovery, as well as in environmental, biosecurity and resource management,” said ARCAA director Prof. Duncan Campbell.

 

Source: Queensland University of Technology

“O Boticário” em Paranapanema.

.

       Loja “O Boticário” recentemente estabelecida em minha cidade natal, Paranapanema.

​Presidente do Conselho de Administração do Grupo Boticário dá 10 dicas de empreendedorismo.

Quando o formato de franquias ainda não existia no Brasil, o empresário e farmacêutico Miguel Krigsner, fundador de O Boticário, investiu neste modelo de negócio para levar a marca por todo o país.  A aposta deu mais do que certo: O Boticário é a maior rede de franquias do Brasil e a maior do mundo no segmento de beleza.

A empresa, que surgiu em 1977 como uma farmácia de manipulação em Curitiba, anos depois deu origem ao Grupo Boticário, composto por quatro unidades de negócio – O Boticário, Eudora, quem disse, berenice? e The Beauty Box.Conheça mais sobre a trajetória da empresa aqui.

O perfil visionário e empreendedor de Krigsner foi crucial para a companhia conquistar a posição de destaque que ocupa no mercado de beleza. Para ajudar empreendedores a colocarem seu negócio em prática, Krigsner listou dez dicas, baseadas em sua experiência. Confira:

1) Paixão. É preciso ser feliz no dia a dia. Acordar com vontade de trabalhar e gostar muito do que faz. Eu gosto muito de empreender e do segmento em que atuo.

2) Quando eu comecei a fazer os primeiros produtos cosméticos, ainda na farmácia de manipulação que abri em 1977, sabia que o diferencial a favor do meu negócio frente aos gigantes concorrentes da época seria a qualidade. Priorizamos a qualidade dos nossos produtos, das nossas relações e dos nossos serviços até hoje e faremos sempre assim. Não teria dado certo sem isso.

3) Quando empreendemos, precisamos de coragem para assumir riscos e enfrentar as dificuldades, principalmente no início.

4) Toda empresa tem o objetivo de gerar riqueza. Mas, sozinho, este é o objetivo mais pobre que pode existir dentro de uma organização. Para obter sucesso é preciso valorizar cada conquista e reconhecer todos os envolvidos.

5) Uma empresa é o reflexo das suas relações. Com os fornecedores, com a sociedade, colaboradores e, principalmente, com os consumidores. É preciso ser honesto nestas relações. Passar e sentir confiança de todos os envolvidos com o negócio.

6) Visão. É preciso ter clareza de onde se quer chegar. O empreendedor que deseja crescer não pode ter seu negócio apenas como um ganha-pão. Nunca me passou pela cabeça que O Boticário chegaria aonde chegou. Mas sempre me passou pela cabeça o sonho de fazer algo muito diferente.

7) Responsabilidade Social. Nunca devemos pensar somente nos resultados financeiros. Temos que considerar o impacto que causamos na comunidade e somos responsáveis por pensar neles também. As empresas devem ter missões que transcendem o propósito financeiro.

8) Embora dicas possam ajudar, não existe fórmula pronta. É preciso ser melhor sempre e investir tempo e recursos em aperfeiçoamento constante.

9) Resiliência. Eu aprendi muito isso com meu pai. Ele escapou de uma guerra e teve que recomeçar a vida mais de uma vez em lugares diferentes. Ter sempre força para se levantar e recomeçar é fundamental.

10) Não se deve nunca pensar em encurtar o caminho. Experiência, prosperidade e maturidade vêm como o tempo. Não são construídos de uma hora para outra. É preciso ter paciência para entender e aceitar isso como um processo natural.

 

What can high-iodine foods do for you?

 

iodine 

 

• Help ensure proper thyroid gland functioning

What events can indicate a need for more high-iodine foods?

• Goiter (enlargement of the thyroid gland)
• Fatigue
• Weakness
• Depression
• Weight gain

Concentrated food sources of iodine include sea vegetables, yogurt, cow's milk, eggs, strawberries and mozzarella cheese. Fish and shellfish can also be concentrated sources of iodine.

World's Healthiest Foods rich in
iodine

FoodCalsDRI/DV

 Sea Vegetables 11500%

 Yogurt 14947.3%

 Milk 7418.7%

 Eggs 7818%

 Strawberries 468.6%

For serving size for specific foods see the Nutrient Rating Chart.

Description

What is Iodine?

If you backpack in the mountains, you may have used iodine tablets to purify your drinking water. Or, perhaps you've used an iodine-based disinfectant to clean a minor skin wound. But did you know that iodine is essential to life?

Iodine, a trace mineral, is required by the body for the synthesis of the thyroid hormones, thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). (T4 contains 4 iodine atoms. When one of the iodine atoms is stripped off of T4, it becomes T3, with 3 iodine atoms remaining.)

Under normal circumstances, your body contains approximately 20 to 30 mg of iodine, most of which is stored in your thyroid gland, located in the front of your neck, just under your voice box. Smaller amounts of iodine are also found in lactating mammary glands, the stomach lining, salivary glands, and in the blood.

How it Functions

What is the function of iodine?

As a component of the thyroid hormones thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3), iodine is essential to human life. Without sufficient iodine, your body is unable to synthesize these hormones, and because the thyroid hormones regulate metabolism in every cell of the body and play a role in virtually all physiological functions, an iodine deficiency can have a devastating impact on your health and well-being.

Regulating thyroid hormones

The synthesis of thyroid hormones is tightly controlled. When the amount of thyroid hormone in your blood drops, the pituitary gland secretes a hormone called thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). As its name suggests, TSH then stimulates the thyroid gland to increase its uptake of iodine from the blood, so that more thyroxine (T4) can be synthesized. When necessary, thyroxine is then converted to the metabolically active triiodothyronine (T3), a process that involves removing one iodine atom from T4.

Several other physiological functions for iodine have been suggested. Iodine may help inactivate bacteria, hence its use as a skin disinfectant and in water purification. Iodine may also play a role in the prevention of fibrocystic breast disease, a condition characterized by painful swelling in the breasts, by modulating the effect of the hormone estrogen on breast tissue. Finally, researchers hypothesize that iodine deficiency impairs the function of the immune system and that adequate iodine is necessary to prevent miscarriages.

Deficiency Symptoms

What are deficiency symptoms for iodine?

In the early part of the 20th century, iodine deficiency was quite common in the United States and Canada. However, this problem has since been almost completely resolved by the use of iodized salt. In addition, iodine is now added to animal feed, which has increased the iodine content of commonly consumed foods, including cow's milk.

Unfortunately, in countries where iodized salt is not commonly consumed, iodine deficiency remains a signficant problem. Dietary deficiency of this vital mineral results in decreased synthesis of thyroid hormone.

Goiter, or enlargement of the thyroid gland, is usually the earliest visible symptom of iodine deficiency. (Goiter can occur for many other reasons as well, but iodine deficiency is among the most common causes worldwide.) The enlargement of the thyroid results from overstimulation of the thyroid gland by thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), as the body attempts to produce increased amounts of thyroid hormone.

Goiter is more common in certain geographical areas of the world where iodine is lacking in the diet and where selenium is lacking in the soil. (Selenium is directly involved with certain activities of the thyroid gland.)

Iodine deficiency may eventually lead to hypothyroidism, which causes a variety of symptoms including fatigue, weight gain, weakness and/or depression. Interestingly, iodine deficiency can also cause hyperthyroidism, a condition characterized by weight loss, rapid heart beat, and appetite fluctations.

Severe iodine deficiency during pregnancy or infancy causes cretinism, a condition characterized by hypothyroidism leading to failure of the thyroid gland and/or severe mental retardation, stunted physical growth, deafness, and spasticity. If discovered in its initial stages, cretinism can be corrected with iodine supplementation.

Toxicity Symptoms

What are toxicity symptoms for iodine?

Accidental overdose of iodine from medications or supplements in amounts exceeding one gram may cause burning in the mouth, throat and stomach and/or abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, dirarrhea, weak pulse, and coma.

It is difficult to take in too much iodine from food sources alone. It is estimated that men and women consume at most 300 mcg and 210 mcg of iodine per day, respectively. In general, even high intakes of iodine from food are well-tolerated by most people.

However, in certain circumstances, excessive consumption of iodine can actually inhibit the synthesis of thyroid hormones, thereby leading to the development of goiter (enlargement of the thyroid gland) and hypothyroidism. Excessive iodine intake may also cause hyperthyroidism, thyroid papillary cancer, and/or iodermia (a serious skin reaction).

In an attempt to prevent these symptoms of iodine toxicity, the Institute of Medicine established the following Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (TUL) for iodine:

• 1-3 years: 200 mcg
• 4-8 years: 300 mcg
• 9-13 years: 600 mcg
• 14-18 years: 900 mcg
• 19 years and older: 1,100 mcg
• Pregnant women 14-18 years: 900 mcg
• Pregnant women 19 years and older: 1,100 mcg
• Lactating women 14-18 years: 900 mcg
• Lactating women 19 years and older: 1,100 mcg

It is important to note that if you have an autoimmune thyroid disease (for example, Grave's disease or Hashimoto's disease) or if you have experienced an iodine deficiency at some point in your life, you may be more susceptible to the dangers of excessive iodine consumption, and may, therefore, need to monitor your intake of iodine more carefully.

Impact of Cooking, Storage and Processing

How do cooking, storage, or processing affect iodine?

Food processing practices often increase the amount of iodine in foods. For example, the addition of potassium iodide to table salt to produce "iodized" salt has dramatically increased the iodine intake of people in developed countries. In addition, iodine-based dough conditioners are commonly used in commercial bread-making, which increases the iodine content of the bread.

Factors that Affect Function

What factors might contribute to a deficiency of iodine?

Since absorption of iodine from the digestive tract is very thorough, deficiency of iodine typically occurs from too little intake of iodine-containing foods. However, there has been some controversy surrounding the impact of diet not on iodine absorption, but on iodine utilization by the thyroid gland. Since the thyroid requires iodine to make thyroid hormones, this utilization is essential. Two groups of substances found in food - isoflavones, most commonly found in soy foods, and thiocyanates, most commonly produced in the body from glucosinolates found in cruciferous vegetables like broccoli - have been shown to interfere with iodine utilization by the thyroid gland, but only under very specific circumstances. These circumstances involve simultaneous dietary deficiency of iodine or selenium (or both) and imbalanced overall dietary intake. We're not aware of any evidence showing problems with iodine metabolism by the thyroid gland when either soy foods or cruciferous vegetables are eaten in moderate amounts in an overall balanced diet that also contains appropriate amounts of iodine and selenium. Since soy foods and cruciferous vegetables provide so many well-documented health benefits, we do not believe there is ordinarily any reason to eliminate these foods from the diet for iodine-related reasons. However, for individuals with a history of thyroid problems, poor dietary balance and deficient intake of iodine and/or selenium, we recommend consultation with a healthcare provider to decide about the role of these foods in health support.

Nutrient Interactions

How do other nutrients interact with iodine?

The conversion of thyroxine (T4) to triiodthyronine (T3) requires the removal of an iodine molecule from T4. This reaction requires the mineral selenium. The iodine molecule that is removed gets returned to the body's pool of iodine and can be reused to make additional thyroid hormones.

If your body is deficient in selenium , the conversion of T4 to T3 is slowed, and less iodine is available for the thryoid to use in making new hormones.

Animal studies have shown that arsenic interferes with the uptake of iodine by the thyroid, leading to goiter. In addition, dietary deficiency of vitamin A , vitamin E , zinc and/or iron can exaggerate the effects of iodine deficiency.

Health Conditions

What health conditions require special emphasis on iodine?

Iodine may play a role in the prevention and/or treatment of the following health conditions:

• Cognitive impairment
• Cretinism
• Fibrocystic breast disease
• Goiter
• Hyperthyroidism
• Hypothyroidism
• Multiple miscarriages

Food Sources

What foods provide iodine?

The amount of iodine found in most natural foods is typically quite small and varies depending on environmental factors such as the soil concentration of iodine and the use of fertilizers. Some of the richest food sources of iodine are often processed foods that contain iodized salt, and breads that contain iodate dough conditioners.

Sea vegetables are an excellent source of iodine. Yogurt, cow's milk, eggs, and strawberries are very good sources of idone. Good sources include mozzarella cheese.

Fish and shellfish require their own special category when it comes to iodine content, because the amount of iodine they contain is not always easy to predict. For example, the amount of iodine found in fish may not match up very predictably with the amount found in their home waters, or even with their diet. Four ounces of very low iodine fish might only provide about 70 micrograms of iodine, or less than half of the adult RDA. By contrast, four ounces of very high iodine fish might contain as much as 1,000 micrograms of iodine—an amount just below the Tolerable Upper Limit (UL, or safety level) of 1,100 micrograms.

Due to the great variability in fish iodine content, and the relative lack of good information for consumers to base their nutritional decisions in this area, we would not recommend reliance on fish alone to provide all of your dietary iodine needs. However, you can count on getting iodine from most fish, and on any one particular day, we would recommend thinking about a 4-6 ounce fish meal serving as providing at least 50% of your iodine needs. Conversely, if you are trying to greatly restrict your iodine intake, you might want to eat fish on a less frequent basis to lower your risk of iodine intake above the RDA level.

Nutrient Rating Chart

Introduction to Nutrient Rating System Chart

In order to better help you identify foods that feature a high concentration of nutrients for the calories they contain, we created a Food Rating System. This system allows us to highlight the foods that are especially rich in particular nutrients. The following chart shows the World's Healthiest Foods that are either an excellent, very good, or good source of iodine. Next to each food name, you'll find the serving size we used to calculate the food's nutrient composition, the calories contained in the serving, the amount of iodine contained in one serving size of the food, the percent Daily Value (DV%) that this amount represents, the nutrient density that we calculated for this food and nutrient, and the rating we established in our rating system. For most of our nutrient ratings, we adopted the government standards for food labeling that are found in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's "Reference Values for Nutrition Labeling." Read more background information and details of our rating system .

World's Healthiest Foods ranked as quality sources of iodine
Food	Serving Size	Cals	Amount (mcg)	DRI/DV (%)	Nutrient Density	World's Healthiest Foods Rating
Sea Vegetables	1 TBS	10.8	750.00	500.00	829.5	excellent
Yogurt	1 cup	149.4	71.05	47.37	5.7	very good
Milk	4 oz	74.4	28.06	18.71	4.5	very good
Eggs	1 each	77.5	27.00	18.00	4.2	very good
Strawberries	1 cup	46.1	12.96	8.64	3.4	very good

World's Healthiest Foods Rating	Rule
excellent	DRI/DV>=75% OR Density>=7.6 AND DRI/DV>=10%
very good	DRI/DV>=50% OR Density>=3.4 AND DRI/DV>=5%
good	DRI/DV>=25% OR Density>=1.5 AND DRI/DV>=2.5%

Public Health Recommendations

What are current public health recommendations for iodine?

In 2000, the Institute of Medicine at the National Academy of Sciences developed new Dietary Reference Intakes for iodine. Adequate Intakes were established for children up to one year old, and Recommended Dietary Allowances were determined for all people over one year old. These recommendations appear below:

• 0-6 months: 110 mcg
• 7-12 months: 130 mcg
• 1-8 years: 90 mcg
• Boys 9-13 years: 120 mcg
• Girls 9-13 years: 120 mcg
• Boys 14-18 years: 150 mcg
• Girls 14-18 years: 150 mcg
• Men 19 years and older: 150 mcg
• Women 19 years and older: 150 mcg
• Pregnant women 14 years and older: 220 mcg
• Lactating women 14 years and older: 290 mcg

In an attempt to prevent these symptoms of iodine toxicity, the Institute of Medicine established the following Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (UL) for iodine:

• 1-3 years: 900 mcg
• 4-8 years: 300 mcg
• 9-13 years: 600 mcg
• 14-18 years: 900 mcg
• 19 years and older: 1,100 mcg
• Pregnant women 14-18 years: 900 mcg
• Pregnant women 19 years and older: 1,100 mcg
• Lactating women 14-18 years: 900 mcg
• Lactating women 19 years and older: 1,100 mcg

source: www.whfoods.org

Construa gráficos de funções matemáticas usando o buscador do Google

Link:

http://www.prof-edigleyalexandre.com/2011/12/construa-graficos-de-funcoes.html

"Gluten Sensitivity" May Be a Misnomer for Distinct Illnesses to Various Wheat Proteins

 

Gluten may not be the only wheat protein that can make people sick

Feb 1, 2014 |By Roxanne Khamsi

Two years ago, at the recommendation of a nutritionist, I stopped eating wheat and a few other grains. Within a matter of days the disabling headaches and fatigue that I had been suffering for months vanished. Initially my gastroenterologist interpreted this resolution of my symptoms as a sign that I perhaps suffered from celiac disease, a peculiar disorder in which the immune system attacks a bundle of proteins found in wheat, barley and rye that are collectively referred to as gluten. The misdirected assault ravages and inflames the small intestine, interfering with the absorption of vital nutrients and thereby causing bloating, diarrhea, headaches, tiredness and, in rare cases, death. Yet several tests for celiac disease had come back negative. Rather my doctors concluded that I had nonceliac “gluten sensitivity,” a relatively new diagnosis. The prevalence of gluten sensitivity is not yet clear, but some data suggest it may afflict as many as 6 percent of Americans, six times the number of people with celiac disease.

Although gluten sensitivity and celiac disease share many symptoms, the former is generally less severe. Compared with individuals with celiac disease, people with gluten sensitivity are more likely to report nondigestive symptoms such as headaches and do not usually suffer acute intestinal damage and inflammation. Lately, however, some researchers are wondering if they were too quick to pin all the blame for these problems on gluten. A handful of new studies suggest that in many cases gluten sensitivity might not be about gluten at all. Rather it may be a misnomer for a range of different illnesses triggered by distinct molecules in wheat and other grains.

“You know the story of the blind man and the elephant? Well, that’s what gluten-sensitivity research is right now,” says Sheila Crowe, head of research at the gastroenterology division at the School of Medicine at the University of California, San Diego. As doctors continue to tease apart the diverse ways that the human body reacts to all the proteins and other molecules besides gluten that are found in grains, they will be able to develop more accurate tests for various sensitivities to those compounds. Ultimately clinicians hope such tests will help people who have a genuine medical condition to avoid the specific constituents of grains that make them ill and will stop others from unnecessarily cutting out nutrient-dense whole grains.

Seeds of Sickness
Among the most commonly consumed grains, wheat is the chief troublemaker. Humans first domesticated the wheat plant about 10,000 years ago in the Fertile Crescent in the Middle East. Since then, the amount of wheat in our diet—along with all the molecules it contains—has dramatically increased. Of all these molecules, gluten is arguably the most important to the quality of bread because it gives baked goods their structure, texture and elasticity. When bakers add water to wheat flour and begin to knead it into dough, two smaller proteins—gliadin and glutenin—change shape and bind to each other, forming long, elastic loops of what we call gluten. The more gluten in the flour, the more the dough will stretch and the spongier it will be once baked.

Until the Middle Ages, the types of grain that people cultivated contained far smaller amounts of gluten than the crops we grow today. In the following centuries—even before people understood what gluten was—they selectively bred varieties of wheat that produced bread that was lighter and chewier, inexorably increasing consumption of the protein. As technology for breeding and farming wheat improved, Americans began to produce and eat more wheat overall. Today the average person in the U.S. eats around 132 pounds of wheat a year—often in the form of bread, cereal, crackers, pasta, cookies and cakes—which translates to about 0.8 ounce of gluten each day.

Erikson's Theory of Psychosocial Development

 

 

Psychosocial Development in Infancy and Early Childhood 

By Kendra Cherry

Erik Erikson proposed a theory of psychosocial development that looked at development through the whole lifespan.

What is Psychosocial Development?

Erik Erikson's theory of psychosocial development is one of the best-known theories of personality in psychology. Much like Sigmund Freud, Erikson believed that personality develops in a series of stages. Unlike Freud's theory of psychosexual stages, Erikson's theory describes the impact of social experience across the whole lifespan.

One of the main elements of Erikson's psychosocial stage theory is the development of ego identity. Ego identity is the conscious sense of self that we develop through social interaction. According to Erikson, our ego identity is constantly changing due to new experiences and information we acquire in our daily interactions with others.

When psychologists talk about identity, they are referring to all of the beliefs, ideals, and values that help shape and guide a person's behavior. The formation of identity is something that begins in childhood and becomes particularly important during adolescence, but it is a process that continues throughout life.Our personal identity gives each of us an integrated and cohesive sense of self that endures and continues to grow as we age.

In addition to ego identity, Erikson also believed that a sense of competence motivates behaviors and actions. Each stage in Erikson's theory is concerned with becoming competent in an area of life. If the stage is handled well, the person will feel a sense of mastery, which is sometimes referred to as ego strength or ego quality. If the stage is managed poorly, the person will emerge with a sense of inadequacy.

In each stage, Erikson believed people experience a conflict that serves as a turning point in development. In Erikson's view, these conflicts are centered on either developing a psychological quality or failing to develop that quality.During these times, the potential for personal growth is high, but so is the potential for failure.

Psychosocial Stage 1 - Trust vs. Mistrust

• The first stage of Erikson's theory of psychosocial development occurs between birth and one year of age and is the most fundamental stage in life.
• Because an infant is utterly dependent, the development of trust is based on the dependability and quality of the child's caregivers.
• If a child successfully develops trust, he or she will feel safe and secure in the world. Caregivers who are inconsistent, emotionally unavailable, or rejecting contribute to feelings of mistrust in the children they care for. Failure to develop trust will result in fear and a belief that the world is inconsistent and unpredictable.
• Of course, no child is going to develop a sense of 100 percent trust or 100 percent doubt. Erikson believed that successful development was all about striking a balance between the two opposing sides. When this happens, children acquire hope, which Erikson described as an openness to experience tempered by some wariness that danger may be present.

Psychosocial Stage 2 - Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt

• The second stage of Erikson's theory of psychosocial development takes place during early childhood and is focused on children developing a greater sense of personal control.²
• Like Freud, Erikson believed that toilet training was a vital part of this process. However, Erikson's reasoning was quite different then that of Freud's. Erikson believe that learning to control one's bodily functions leads to a feeling of control and a sense of independence.
• Other important events include gaining more control over food choices, toy preferences, and clothing selection.
• Children who successfully complete this stage feel secure and confident, while those who do not are left with a sense of inadequacy and self-doubt.
• Erikson believed that achieving a balance between autonomy and shame and doubt would lead to will, which is the belief that children can act with intention, within reason and limits.

 Psychosocial Stage 3 – Initiative vs Guilty

 

During the preschool years, children begin to assert their power and control over the world through directing play and other social interactions.

• Children who are successful at this stage feel capable and able to lead others.Those who fail to acquire these skills are left with a sense of guilt, self-doubt, and lack of initiative.
• When an ideal balance of individual initiative and a willingness to work with others is achieved, the ego quality known as purpose emerges.

Psychosocial Stage 4 - Industry vs. Inferiority

• This stage covers the early school years from approximately age 5 to 11.
• Through social interactions, children begin to develop a sense of pride in their accomplishments and abilities.
• Children who are encouraged and commended by parents and teachers develop a feeling of competence and belief in their skills. Those who receive little or no encouragement from parents, teachers, or peers will doubt their abilities to be successful.
• Successfully finding a balance at this stage of psychosocial development leads to the strength known as competence or a belief our own abilities to handle the tasks set before us.

Psychosocial Stage 5 - Identity vs. Confusion

• During adolescence, children explore their independence and develop a sense of self.
• Those who receive proper encouragement and reinforcement through personal exploration will emerge from this stage with a strong sense of self and a feeling of independence and control. Those who remain unsure of their beliefs and desires will feel insecure and confused about themselves and the future.
• Completing this stage successfully leads to fidelity, which Erikson described as an ability to live by society's standards and expectations.

 

   Psychosocial Stage 6 – Intimatcy vc Isolation 

• This stage covers the period of early adulthood when people are exploring personal relationships.
• Erikson believed it was vital that people develop close, committed relationships with other people. Those who are successful at this step will form relationships that are committed and secure.
• Remember that each step builds on skills learned in previous steps. Erikson believed that a strong sense of personal identity was important for developing intimate relationships. Studies have demonstrated that those with a poor sense of self tend to have less committed relationships and are more likely to suffer emotional isolation, loneliness , and depression.
• Successful resolution of this stage results in the virtue known as love. It is marked by the ability to form lasting, meaningful relationships with other people.

Psychosocial Stage 7 - Generativity vs. Stagnation

• During adulthood, we continue to build our lives, focusing on our career and family.
• Those who are successful during this phase will feel that they are contributing to the world by being active in their home and community.Those who fail to attain this skill will feel unproductive and uninvolved in the world.
• Care is the virtue achieved when this stage is handled successfully. Being proud of your accomplishments, watching your children grow into adults, and developing a sense of unity with your life partner are important accomplishments of this stage.

Psychosocial Stage 8 - Integrity vs. Despair

• This phase occurs during old age and is focused on reflecting back on life.
• Those who are unsuccessful during this stage will feel that their life has been wasted and will experience many regrets. The individual will be left with feelings of bitterness and despair.
• Those who feel proud of their accomplishments will feel a sense of integrity.Successfully completing this phase means looking back with few regrets and a general feeling of satisfaction. These individuals will attain wisdom, even when confronting death.

More About Erikson and Psychosocial Stages

The Strengths of Erikson's Theory

One of the strengths of psychosocial theory is that it provides a broad framework from which to view development throughout the entire lifespan. It also allows us to emphasize the social nature of human beings and the important influence that social relationships have on development. Researchers have found evidence supporting Erikson's ideas about identity and have further identified different sub-stages of identity formation. Some research also suggests that people who form strong personal identities during adolescence are better capable of forming intimate relationships during early adulthood.

Limitations of Psychosocial Theory

What kinds of experiences are necessary to successfully complete each stage?How does a person move from one stage to the next? One major weakness of psychosocial theory is that the exact mechanisms for resolving conflicts and moving from one stage to the next are not well described or developed. The theory fails to detail exactly what type of experiences are necessary at each stage in order to successfully resolve the conflicts and move to the next stage.