Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup of sliced red onion
• 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
• 1 avocado, halved and pitted
• 8 slices of turkey bacon
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup of plain yogurt
• 8 slices of whole-grain bread, lightly toasted
• 8 small leaves of lettuce
• 1 tomato, sliced
• 12 ounces of turkey breast
• 1/2 small cucumber, sliced

1. Mix the vinegar and water in with the onion slices in a bowl. Then drain after it stands for about fifteen minutes. Cook the turkey bacon while the onions sit. Then mash up the avocado with the yogurt and season with salt and pepper. Spread the avocado on the bread and top with the lettuce, tomato and then add salt and pepper. Add a layer of turkey breast, bacon cucumber and onion. Then spread the remaining avocado and cut your sandwich in half to enjoy.

*Feel free to substitute or omit any of the ingredients to your preference

Source: Food Network

“When I use [protein supplements], I notice a difference in my weight and size,” Kim said.

Kim, who plays sports year-round, is just one of many AHS students who have begun using protein and workout supplements out of a desire to maintain their fitness and gain muscle mass.

“I wasn’t expecting it to work, but [the protein powder I use] really does help,” junior Stephen Oakes said.

Oakes’s exercise routine includes drinking one shake in the morning and another within 15 minutes of working out.

“I’ve definitely been getting results with swimming, but I haven’t noticed any physical changes,” Oakes said.

This use of protein supplements raises questions about their actual effectiveness, as students and teachers hold varying beliefs concerning whether the supplements benefit athletes or instead hinder their performance.

Most people already consume sufficient protein in their daily diets, which means that they do not need an extra amount. In fact, many supplements exceed the daily recommended amount of protein. Instead of using such supplements, athletes can gain protein through the foods that they eat, as excess protein consumed through supplements can merely turn into calories.
Head Swim & Dive Coach Neal Jarvis advises his swimmers against taking protein shakes and supplements, recognizing the extra calories that they can create.

“In most Western diets you get more than enough protein and your body cannot store it for very long and most of it ends up passing through you. The shakes are not necessary, especially if you’re not working out,” Jarvis said.

Many supplement users are also unaware of the effects of the substances they consume in terms of how they affect one’s body. Creatine, a main ingredient in most workout supplements, is widely used by athletes to enhance athletic performance and build muscle.

When creatine is not consumed as part of your daily diet from foods such as fish and other proteins, your body produces it naturally. If excess creatine is consumed, your body’s muscle stores increased amounts of creatine and phosphocreatine, which studies have shown can enhance athletic performance in the short term.
However, many studies indicate that creatine does not have an effect on long-term athletic performance or exercise involving muscular endurance.

“I’ve been using them for about a year and a half and they’ve shown good results,” junior Justice Garrish said.

Many supplements also contain high levels of caffeine. Caffeine is a common energy booster, so it makes sense that it would be an ingredient in workout supplements.
However, high levels of caffeine, combined with strenuous exercise can lead to serious health problems. That being said, such supplements, including energy drinks, are strongly discouraged for high school athletes.

Since many athletes strive to perform at their peak, the side effects of these protein supplements seem like enough to turn one away.  In fact, short term side effects include muscle cramps, nausea and digestive problems, though they vary depending on the product. Although there have not been any concrete studies on the long term effects of these supplements, there are indications that they may cause future kidney damage.

“I don’t really think [supplements] are a risk,” senior Delwyn Molina said. “If you continue to work out they are nothing but beneficial for your body.”

However, supplements alone are not enough to make a difference.

“For the supplements to work, a certain regiment of diet and exercise has to be followed and most highschoolers do not do that,” athletic trainer Chris Austen said.
That is not to say that protein supplements need to be avoided altogether. There are supplements and beverages that are safe if consumed properly and can produce the results that their makers advertise.

“I think it depends on what you are trying to do,” senior Alec Villafana said. “If you want to bulk up, I think the supplements help; if you’re trying to lose weight, they probably don’t.”

The study compared brain scans of those who have been playing soccer for many years.The players who reported heading the ball more frequently processed information slower than those who headed the ball less and had impaired memory.

“I definitely feel like I can’t remember things as well as I could before [playing soccer],” junior Connie Tran said

Typically the frontal lobe is damaged from this repeated action. The frontal lobe is responsible for attention, planning, judgement, and personality. While the impact is typically not severe enough to cause major changes, slight alterations in how the brain operates can be detected.

The scans were done by the use of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), which is similar to magnetic resonance imaging. The machine scanned for the movement of water molecules. The scans of the players who head the ball less often showed the water molecules moving in unison, while the water molecules in unhealthy brains moved more did not move together.

“I don’t think [the study] is true because I’ve been playing soccer since I was four and haven’t noticed anything,” junior Kurtis Neal said.

In high school sports across the nation, football generates the most amount of concussions, but just after that is girls’ soccer. Boys’ soccer falls fifth on the list just after boys’ and girls’ lacrosse.

“Sometimes I feel really dizzy, and I probably have gotten concussions, but haven’t treated it,” sophomore Michelle Burnett said.

If you are ever hit in the head while playing a sport and experience headaches, blurred vision, confusion, or a number of other symptoms it is best to get it checked out by an athletic trainer or doctor as soon as possible.

Mediterranean Chef Salad
266 calories per serving
Makes four servings

Ingredients:
1 package (18 oz) fat-free, plain precooked polenta
Olive oil cooking spray
2 pints grape tomatoes
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 cup canned cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 head romaine, torn (about 6 cups)
20 basil leaves
4 oz fresh part-skim mozzarella, cut into small cubes

Directions:
1.) Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2.) Cut polenta in half lengthwise and chop crosswise seven times to make 32 triangles.
3.) Cover a small baking sheet with the olive oil.
4.) Place triangles on baking sheet and coat them with the olive oil.
5.) Arrange tomatoes on a separate baking sheet and spray with olive oil.
6.) Bake both sheets for 10 minutes and then remove the tomatoes and stir them, keep the polenta in the oven.
7.) Return tomatoes to oven and cook for about 20 more minutes, or until tomatoes are wrinkled and slightly brown, flip the polenta over and bake for about 20 more minutes.
8.) Pour vinegar over the tomatoes and put them in a bowl.
9.) Mix beans, salt, pepper and pepper flakes in the same bowl.
10.) Place romaine and basil on a plate and pour the tomato mixture over.
11.) Place croutons and cheese on top.

Recipe Source: Self.com

Screening areas, donor chairs, and nurses filled Clausen Hall on Dec. 12 as Inova held its annual blood drive at AHS.

“The leadership committee has planned this for two or three weeks,” junior Olivia Franjie said.

“I’m pretty excited; I enjoy the sight of blood,” senior Glenda Sanchez said.

The whole process is relatively quick and efficient. However, the nurses make sure to give the donors a couple minutes rest before returning to class.

“You come in and fill out a form about your medical history and then you go to a screening where they prick your finger to make sure all of your blood levels are healthy,” Franjie said. “Then they lay you down and take your blood. It takes about ten minutes and then they give you about 15 minutes to rest and get sustenance before you’re allowed to leave.”

“He said it was going to be a short pinch, but it was a long pinch!” senior Sam Kamara said. “Other than that it was fine.”

“It kind of stung a little bit when they put the needle in my arm,” senior Robel Solomon said.

The majority of the donated blood is given to people who have cancer, blood diseases, or have recently undergone surgery.

“The best part is knowing I saved three lives,” Franjie said.

“I saved the lives of three lucky chaps today,” sophomore Michael Sgrecci said.

“We actually do blood drives every day of the year. We have four or five teams and we can do up to five drives a day,” Inova Mobiles Team Leader Corina Fuentes said.

Although all students have had they’re blood taken before for annual physicals or other reasons, this was the first time donating blood for many of the students.

“I was afraid blood would start spewing out when they took out the needle,” Sgrecci said.

Overall, the drive was deemed a success, as the leadership committee received a lot of positive feedback on how well-organized everything was.

“Everything has been steady, people have been coming in at their correct times. It’s been pretty organized,” Fuentes said.

“It was really successful,” Franjie said. “We had over 170 people sign up and we hope we can get more next year.”

Photos by Allison Ilgan

Sophomore Lizzie Manthos drinks a Starubucks seasonal beverage. Many students are unaware of the drink’s lack of nutritional value.

It is a rarity to travel anywhere in the U.S. and not be able to find a Starbucks coffee shop close by, and as the holiday season approaches, the menu has grown to incorporate festive drinks that can contribute to the dreaded annual weight gain.

It is no secret that Starbucks drinks have little nutritional value and contain a high number of empty calories, but they are still widely popular and regularly consumed. Many Starbucks goers ignore the fact that the drinks are unhealthy or simply do not how bad the drinks are for them.

“I don’t think about how many calories are in [Starbucks drinks] because I don’t get them too often and they’re really good,” junior Tina Uglietta said.

Uglietta typically gets a tall Hot Chocolate, which has 290 calories, although she guessed that it only contains 150 calories. This was a common trend among AHS students, for those who avidly go to Starbucks usually only have a vague idea of the nutritional content of the drinks.

Most of the Starbucks drinks, excluding plain coffee, average around 250 to 300 calories for a grande, or 16 ounce, cup. However, the holiday drinks, which reappeared on the menu in mid-November, contain even more calories and grams of sugar.

Students at AHS realize that Starbucks drinks are unhealthy, but when asked how many calories they believed their favorite drinks contain, the majority of students guessed that the drinks had a significantly lower amount of calories and sugar than they actually do. Students often thought that the drinks had half or even up to a fourth of the actual number of calories.

“I get a tall Soy Chai Latte because it’s a healthier option,” junior Luke Lundy said. In reality, however, the drink has 43 grams of sugar, more than the amount in a 12 ounce coke can.

Starbucks coffee drinkers often think that some drinks are healthier than others because of their names or how they are prepared. However, the only way to know for sure is to conduct research, as Starbucks posts the nutritional information online for all of the drinks that it sells.

“Smoothies are probably one of the healthiest drinks at Starbucks,” senior Alli Foster said. One would think that because the main ingredient of the smoothies is fruit, they would be a good choice, but smoothies still contain a high amount of sugar.

Avoiding Starbucks all the time is not necessary, but it should be treated as an indulgence and one should take note that it should not be consumed every day or even once a week. When ordering a drink, ask for no whipped cream. Also, switching from whole milk to nonfat milk can cut the calorie count significantly.

It may be tempting to order a large size, but most of the time a tall will suffice. If the reason that you go to Starbucks is for the caffeine, then opt for plain coffee and add in the sugar and milk yourself in order to limit the amount of calories in the drink and control how many grams of sugar you intake.

What you need:

- 1 cup of whole almonds                                 – 1/3 cup maple syrup

- 1 1/2 cup of whole wheat pastry flour        - 1/4 cup apple juice

- 1/2 cup of oat flour                                          - 1 tsp almond extract

- 2 tsp baking powder                                        - 1 tsp vanilla extract

- 1/4 tsp salt                                                         – 1/3 cups chocolate chips

- 1/3 cup of canola oil                                        - 2 tbsp raspberry preserves

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit  and use a non-stick cookie sheet. or spray the sheet with non-stick spray.

2. Process the almonds in a blender  until they are finely ground. Then transfer them to a large bowl and add the whole-wheat flour, oat flour, baking powder and salt to the bowl. After that, whisk the oil, maple syrup, apple juice, almond and vanilla extracts in a medium bowl. The wet ingredients can then be added to the dry ingredients. Mix together all of the ingredientds. Use your hands to knead the dough together and add 1 to 2 tablespoons additional apple juice if the mixture is too crumbly.

3. Form the dough into balls to be placed onto the cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart. Once they are on the tray, gently flatten the balls into disks, and create an indent in the center of each cookie. Place a few chocolate chips in the center of each cookie, and then place some preserves on top of them.

4. Place the tray in the oven, and wait about 15-20 minutes before removing the cookies. The measurements make about 2 batches of cookies.

5. Let them cool, place on a plate and enjoy!

*Source: Delish.com