The semester’s off and running, the weather’s getting worse, and next summer feels like an eternity. It’s easy to find your mood plummeting, your motivation waning, and your usually chipper self turning into a snappy betch. Misery has a snowball effect: you’re grumpy, and it rubs off on your roommate; you’re already in a bad mood, and walking into a pop quiz can set you over the edge. Before the blahs take over your body, take time to stop, breathe, recharge and rejuvenate. Here are five quick pick-me-ups to get you out of a funk.

1. Sleep: You’ve been up at the crack of dawn every morning to hit the gym, struggle to stay awake through three back-to-back classes, rush to your part-time job, and finally head home to tackle several hours worth of homework. Of course you’re feeling dreary! Lack of sleep can have adverse psychological effects– take it from a girl who is known to burst into tears at the slightest provocation after pulling an all-nighter or two– so even if you can’t fit in a full eight hours of sleep a night, treat yourself to a long, comatose nap. When you wake up, you’ll be more energetic and alert, so it might even boost your studying stamina later in the week.

2. Treat Yourself: You’ve been running on empty for weeks, neglecting yourself in order to make a good impression on your professors, sorority sisters, friends, coworkers, etc. Do something nice for yourself. If you have some extra cash, buy yourself a new outfit. If you think you look good, you’re bound to feel good, too. Low on cash? Scrape together some change and download a couple of jams on i-Tunes. I mean, they’re only 99 cents most of the time– you deserve it! Get a track that will raise your spirits, like Flo Rida’s “In the Ayer,” DJ Laz’s “Move, Shake, Drop Remix” or, for a bubblegum pop sound, The Orion Experience’s “Obsessed with You.” Then, crank up your speakers and have your own personal dance party for a few minutes. It’ll be worth it. Read More »

There are days when I exist almost completely on a smoothie diet.

I get up late, leave myself no time for breakfast, and grab a Vitamin C Blaster! on my way to class. Lunch time rolls around, I’ve got meetings and rehearsals before another batch of classes, so I run back over and buy a Protein Berry Boost. The people at the smoothie place know me by name. It’s like we’re in some secret club; I come in, they see me, nod, and get to work.

But I recently read an article that stopped me in my tracks.

Here I was thinking I was being Miss Healthy, drinking my nutrients, when in actuality, I might have been loading my body with unwanted fat and carbs.

Cool.

For one thing, a small, store-bought smoothie usually rounds out at about 16 ounces, which is roughly two cups. Anything larger than that is more than an average woman needs in one serving, especially if there’s yogurt, flavoring, and sugar added.

Also, just because something has a piece of fruit in it, doesn’t mean it’s healthy. A small “Chocolate Elvis” from the chain Planet Smoothie may have bananas in it, but it also has loads of calories, 9 grams of fat, and 108 grams of carbs. Read More »

These days, energy drinks claim to do just about everything other than actually give you energy. Whether it is weight loss or better mental activity, there never seems to be a shortage of new products available in stores.

But, now, a certain health or energy drink called Boost Plus gave one man an uncontrollable erection, ending up with him being hospitalized. HA. That really must be an inconvenience at work to have a huge boner.

I know I may sound insensitive, but come on, it’s a little bit funny…right? Anyways, this was not merely an annoyance for this poor man, but resulted in having surgery to calm down his over-excited self.

Yahoo News reports that he went to bed after drinking Boost Plus and woke up “with an erection that would not subside.” He then sought treatment that day for the condition, called severe priapism.Because his situation was so bad, surgery was needed in order to implant a Winter shunt, which moves blood from one area to another.

Man, talk about negative side effects. I wonder what it would do to a girl?