Corellis Mandolin by Louis de Bernieres Essay - 2332 Words

Corellis Mandolin by Louis de Bernieres Carlo was fighting for Italy, while Mandras was in the Greek army. Both of the characters experienced a lot during the war. Nevertheless everything Mandras and Carlo fought on opposite sides. What does it say about the novels moral scheme, that the sufferings of ordinary people on both sides are recounted in detail? Consider these two characters but also other â€Å"moral† issues raised in the novel so far. Mandras and Carlo fought on opposite sides. Their experiences and feelings through out the war are recounted to the readers in a lot of details. And even though they were â€Å"enemies†, their stories are very similar, as if the author is talking about the same man. This style of†¦show more content†¦I would not desert him [†¦] he would make me an inspired hero. I would have someone to impress, someone whose admiration would give me that which I cannot give myself; esteem, and honour.† (p. 29). He wants to join the army because he is a homosexual and he wants to be able to love and be loved, or the least to be able to impress someone and get his admiration. At the same time Mandras also wants to join the army, and his reasons come from love as well. He wants to go to war, because this way he feels he will be able to do something important, and thus by the end of it, he would be good enough to marry Pelagia. â€Å"I will never be a man until I’ve done something important, something great, something I can live with, something to be esteemed [†¦] no man is a man until he has been a soldier.† (p. 80). As we can see from the quote, Mandras basically wants to gain the same things by joining the army: esteem and honour. He wants to impress people by his actions and show that his life is not pointless, that he risked himself in order to defend his country and its people. The next similarity between the characters is what they have found out about the war, their disappointment and despair. Both of them realised that war is not at all as what they thought it would be. After Carlo and his friend Francesco had their first atrocity, they no longer felt excited by the war. â€Å"We felt no triumph. We felt exhausted andShow MoreRelated Louis de Bernià ¨res Novel Captain Corellis Mandolin Essay1001 Words   |  5 PagesLouis de Bernià ¨res Novel Captain Corellis Mandolin Already from the first chapter the author introduces us to one of the most important characters of the book, Dr. Iannis. There are several factors that help the writer to present him to the readers. The most important ones are language (including the narrative style) and classical allusions. The diction in this chapter is very difficult and contains a lot of medical terminology. 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He quickly wins the heart of Pelagia through his humour and his sensitivity, not to mention his stunning ability on the mandolin. But Pelagia is engaged to Mandras, a local fisherman who is away fighting with the Greek armyRead MoreEssay on Louis de Bernieress Captain Corelli’s Mandolin1053 Words   |  5 PagesLouis de Bernieress Captain Corelli’s Mandolin Louis de Bernieres uses three principal techniques to portray the effects of war so powerfully in his book. These techniques are the powerful narrative, strong pictorial language, and black humour. Above all, the message is conveyed in the narrative, especially when Louis De Bernieres graphically describes the war’s impact on the soldiers who are fighting for their country. At first, the soldiers are united in their fight against the enemyRead MoreThe Two Sides to Every Greek: Hellene vs. Romoi1844 Words   |  8 PagesLouis De Bernieress novel, Corellis Mandolin, is a story about time and change. The story itself explores many aspects of life such as love, betrayal, chaos, tradition, history and numerous other elements that are often warped over time. De Bernieres notes that he tried to be as true to history as possible. But beneath the layers of time, change and history there is another element of Greek culture that parallels the stories within the novel. There is a continuous theme of the conflicting forces

The Battle Of Trenton A Critical Battle - 1518 Words

The Battle of Trenton was a critical battle that took place on 26 December 1776, during the early years of the American Revolutionary War. The battle took place in the township of Trenton, New Jersey between the Continental Army, personally led by Commander-in-Chief, General (GEN) George Washington, and the British contracted Hessian Army, led by Colonel (COL) Johann Rahl. The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2013) states that the Battle of Trenton served as the first major American victory in the Revolutionary war. Prior to the Battle of Trenton, American forces had endured nearly constant defeat as the British pushed them from New York and into Pennsylvania. The Continental Congress pleaded for a victory to save the cause. The†¦show more content†¦First and foremost, Washington chose to strike during the heart of winter at a time when most British forces were disengaged from the war effort due to harsh conditions and a perceived sense of inevitable victory. Additi onally, the patriots utilized the element of surprise, by initiating the assault on Christmas night under the cover of darkness and during the middle of a fierce winter snow storm. Washington had purposely released information to British and Hessian forces through double agent operations, which solidified their beliefs that the Continental Army was incapable of launching a strike. The Hessian commander had even received notification from a British spy imbedded within the Continental Army, that an attack was imminent. The Hessian dismissed the importance of the spy’s written report and neglected to read it. Also, it was unknown at the time, but later suspected that the Hessian Army was in a state of inebriation, as a result of Christmas festivities. All of these factors in addition to a lack of consideration by the Hessians for intelligence information set the stage for an American victory. Following being driven out of New York City to the west bank of the Delaware River by British forces during the summer of 1776, American forces were suffering from the effects of physical and psychological defeat. The American army was on the cusp of falling apart all together. In addition to this

Essay on Antigone vs Creon Example For Students

Essay on Antigone vs Creon In the Greek play Antigone writer Sophocles illustrates the clash between the story’s main character Antigone and her powerful uncle, Creon. King Creon of Thebes is an ignorant and oppressive ruler. In the text, there is a prevailing theme of rules and order in which Antigone’s standards of divine justice conflict with Creon’s will as the king. Antigone was not wrong in disobeying Creon, because he was evil and tyrannical. The authors of â€Å"Antigone: Kinship, Justice, and the Polis,† and â€Å"Assumptions and the Creation of Meaning: Reading Sophocles’ Antigone. Agree with the notion that Antigone performs the role of woman and warrior at once. She does not only what a kinswoman would, but also what a warrior would do. Antigone’s views of divine justice conflict with Creon’s will as head of the state. Two brothers fighting against one another in Thebes’ civil war died while fighting one another for the throne. Creon, who had become the new ruler of Thebes, decided that one brother Eteocles would be honored, while Polyneices would be put through public shame. The body of Polyneices was to not be sanctified by holy rites, but was planned to be left unburied on the battlefield for animals to prey on it. Antigone, the sister of the two brothers wants to properly bury Polyneices’ body, but in doing so she would by defying king Creon’s edict. When Creon’s orders the Sentry to find out who had buried the body of Polyneices, Antigone is found to have buried the body of her dead brother. Since she disobeyed authority, her and her sister are temporarily imprisoned. He then wishes to spare Antigone’s sister Ismene and bury Antigone alive in a cave. To some up the foregoing, in honoring her brother she is performing the role of woman and warrior at once. A few underlying messages of this story is the right of the individual to reject societies infringement on the freedom to perform a personal obligation, and the concept of divine law. Antigone refuses to let King Creon dictate what she does with her brother’s dead body. Antigone states, â€Å"he has no right to keep me from my own† (Sophocles, 441 BC, line 48). Antigone feels that nobody has the right to dictate how she plans to bury her family member. In addition, Creon demands civil disobedience above all. Creon believes that the worst thing an individual can do is act against authority. In contrast, Antigone believes that state law is not absolute. Meaning one should be able to act against the law in extreme cases to honor the gods. Divine law could be proved valid, for example, â€Å"the fact that Polyneices’ dust-covered corpse had not been disturbed by animals could be taken as a possible sign that burial was accepted as valid by the gods† (Sourvinou-Inwood, 1989, pg. 142). Sourvinou-Inwood is stating that because the animals had not touched the dead body, it could be a sign from the gods that a proper burial should be in order. That Creon could have been wrong and the gods wanted Polyneices buried. Moreover, the Greeks supported absolute monarchs, however, simultaneously they also believed in divine law and had a profound amount of respect for the gods and their laws. Creon states â€Å"am I to rule this land for others, or myself†? (Sophocles, 441 BC, line 823). This statement shows how Creon has little consideration for others around him. He does not care that Antigone wants to properly bury her family member; he only cares about the fact that Antigone went against authority and disobeyed the law. Creon states â€Å"there is nothing worse than disobedience to authority, it destroy cities, it demolishes home† (Sophocles, 441 BC, line 720). The fact of the matter is that Creon is an oppressive tyrant who possesses numerous tyrannical qualities. By not listening to his people, and by only practicing his own beliefs, he in fact is destroying the city himself. .u5ef0a0c01a0133e0dfc6ca269f42b4c3 , .u5ef0a0c01a0133e0dfc6ca269f42b4c3 .postImageUrl , .u5ef0a0c01a0133e0dfc6ca269f42b4c3 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u5ef0a0c01a0133e0dfc6ca269f42b4c3 , .u5ef0a0c01a0133e0dfc6ca269f42b4c3:hover , .u5ef0a0c01a0133e0dfc6ca269f42b4c3:visited , .u5ef0a0c01a0133e0dfc6ca269f42b4c3:active { border:0!important; } .u5ef0a0c01a0133e0dfc6ca269f42b4c3 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u5ef0a0c01a0133e0dfc6ca269f42b4c3 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u5ef0a0c01a0133e0dfc6ca269f42b4c3:active , .u5ef0a0c01a0133e0dfc6ca269f42b4c3:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u5ef0a0c01a0133e0dfc6ca269f42b4c3 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u5ef0a0c01a0133e0dfc6ca269f42b4c3 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u5ef0a0c01a0133e0dfc6ca269f42b4c3 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u5ef0a0c01a0133e0dfc6ca269f42b4c3 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u5ef0a0c01a0133e0dfc6ca269f42b4c3:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u5ef0a0c01a0133e0dfc6ca269f42b4c3 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u5ef0a0c01a0133e0dfc6ca269f42b4c3 .u5ef0a0c01a0133e0dfc6ca269f42b4c3-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u5ef0a0c01a0133e0dfc6ca269f42b4c3:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: JB Priestly's An inspector calls EssayFor instance, he is more concerned with preserving certain values of law rather than the good of the city. Another aspect of Antigone is the concept of kinship. Kinship could be defined as a group that perceives their social universe as divided into two opposed spheres of moral alignment. On one hand, there is the familial domain, on the other, the sphere on non-kinship. Warfare between kin is considered a heinous crime, for example, the brothers Eteocles and Polyneices murdering one another on the battlefield. In â€Å"Antigone: Kinship, Justice, and the Polis,† John D. B. Hamilton states that â€Å"Antigone carries out a religious duty and observes the principles of kinship morality as she performs a symbolic burial rite for Polyneices, defying Creon’s prohibition† (Hamilton, 1991, pg. 87). In the act of honoring her brother, Antigone performs the function of woman and warrior at once. She is not only doing what a kinswoman should, and could do, but also what a warrior would do. Sourvinou-Inwood distinguishes two dominant action plots: mourning and burying. When a reference is made to mourners, these are mostly women; when to burial, they are men (Hamilton, 1991). In addition, in carrying out funeral rites for her brother, Antigone creates a terrible conflict between herself and Creon. This brought up the issue of proper burial in Greece, and there is evidence that there are two types of funerals for the dead. One is the familial funeral; the other the public or grand one. This has proved to be apparent nowadays because there are small graveside scenes with family, and relatives. However, there are also funerals that are massively orchestrated to that of somebody such as John Kennedy (Hamilton, 1991). The arrogant and cruel Creon fails to take Antigone’s honor in family into account, and completely disregards her justifications for her actions. Moreover, when Creon asks if Antigone dared to transgress his laws she responded by stating, â€Å"I did not believe that your edicts were so powerful that you, a mortal, could override the gods’ unwritten and unshakable customs† (Sophocles, 441 BC, line 449). Antigone believed that Creon’s edicts were not as powerful as the â€Å"gods’ unwritten customs,† therefore she should not be penalized for her actions against the state. Moreover, in honoring Polyneikes, she honors the womb. In carrying out funeral rites for her brother, she is acting as a member of genos, as kinswoman. â€Å"Antigone’s action validates kinship based on the womb in compensation for its being dishonored; she restores equilibrium of honor to those from the same womb† (Hamilton, 1991, pg. 95). By proclaiming the power of the womb Antigone was expressing her moral right as kin, and also attempts to put all women in their proper burial place within a new polis. The conflict between Antigone and Creon is also personal for Creon beyond divine laws and mortality of kinship; it goes into the right of women to have integrity and free will. Creon’s need to defeat Antigone is not only because of the order of the state, but to preserve his pride as king, and as a man. To sum up the foregoing, Creon exclaims to Antigone â€Å"die then, and love the dead if thou must; no woman shall be the master while I live† (Sophocles, 441 BC, line 522-424). This statement illustrates king Creon’s arrogance and desire to severely punish Antigone for not only challenging authority, but because Antigone’s rebellion is immensely threatening in that it upsets gender roles and hierarchy. Even when Creon realizes he may have been wrong he cannot admit defeat to a woman. To conclude, through the study of the play Antigone, and the examination of the two critical articles, â€Å"Antigone: Kinship, Justice, and the Polis,† and â€Å"Assumptions and the Creation of Meaning: Reading Sophocles’ Antigone,† it is evident that few of the aspects of this play are divine law, kinship morality, and the rights of woman. Furthermore, John D. B. Hamilton, and Christiane Sourvinou-Inwood support the notion that the one of the purposes of the Greek play Antigone was to demonstrate how Antigone performs not only the role of kinswoman, but warrior as well.

Unhealthy Lifestyles and Diet Essay Example

Unhealthy Lifestyles and Diet Essay An unhealthy lifestyle means more illness and more expense to treat those illnesses. This means a bigger burden on an already challenged healthcare system. Poor health also means more time lost at work, less quality recreational time, and even shorter lifespan. But the people in this modern day have a mindset that takes good health for granted. One can suffer from years of aches and pains, and would just ignore them, and then feel so surprised when one finds out one has developed a serious chronic disease. Majorities would usually leave their health to the hand of the doctors, relying on the advance medical technology, medical drugs when the fall sick. We have the choice to live a healthy lifestyle, but many chose to live just for today, enjoy life, and most of the time end up suffering in pain with chronic diseases and illnesses. Unhealthy Lifestyle There are many factors contributing to the degeneration of health among many people today. We live in a terribly polluted world. We are all exposed to thousands of toxins and chemicals every day at work, home, in the air, and in the food that we eat and water we drink. In addition, we are eating more processed foods than ever before in human history and we constantly abuse or bodies with pharmaceuticals We are constantly bombarded by fast food at every corner. And video games have led the majority of teens to spend countless hours in front of the television being sedentary. We will write a custom essay sample on Unhealthy Lifestyles and Diet specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Unhealthy Lifestyles and Diet specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Unhealthy Lifestyles and Diet specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer And, as a result of all of this, there exists a generation that is out-of-shape, overweight and obese. Many would spent hours on a couch in front of the picture box watching their favorite TV programs, together with several packets of snacks like potato chips and other junk food, and they don’t get up from your butt to move around for the next couple of hours, and that’s alright. Too much junk food being put into childrens hands. Children were introduced to fast food restaurant at a very young age by their parent, having been brought up in this environment, they grew up spending long hours of their free time there ,chatting with friends, galloping burgers, French fries and cups of Coke, without thinking of how nutritionally deficient foods would intoxicate their body, But do children understand that junk food or snacks like potato chips, burgers and fries have high levels of fat, sugar or salt and are simply unhealthy? Junk food which contains saturated fat increases blood cholesterol levels and therefore increases your risk of heart disease and some cancers. Smoking and drinking are two big habits that can affect your health and the way you feel. Smoking, in particular, is one habit to quit if you havent already because it greatly increases the risk of heart disease and cancer. Alcohol can be fine in moderation, but when you are with some good buddies in a party, you may drown yourself with glasses of them without realizing how intoxicated your body is, it also can contribute to sleep problems and suppress your appetite, preventing you from eating well. Life is full of stress. Modern life is full of hassles, deadlines, frustrations, and demands. Work can be a stressful place, whether in an office, a factory, or a school. For many people, stress is so commonplace that it has become a way of life. Stress isn’t always bad. Some stress is good, it can help you perform under pressure and motivate you to do your best. But too much stress is bad, when you’re constantly running in emergency mode, your mind and body pay the price. The stress response also helps you rise to meet challenges. Stress is what keeps you on your toes. But beyond a certain point, stress stops being helpful and starts causing major damage to your health, your mood, your productivity, your relationships, and your quality of life. Long-term exposure to stress can lead to serious health problems. Chronic stress disrupts nearly every system in your body. It can raise blood pressure, suppress the immune system, increase the risk of heart attack and stroke, contribute to infertility, and speed up the aging process. Long-term stress can even rewire the brain, leaving you more vulnerable to anxiety and depression. Public are generally dependent on medical drugs and are not aware that medical drug side effects are dangerous to their health. In the world today, Many people seems to think that they just want medicines and drugs to solve their health problems, they believe they can always seek medical assistance,. But what they are not aware of is that these pharmaceutical medications may have potential adverse reactions. Some of the most popular prescription drugs on the market are used for the treatment of arious conditions such as high cholesterol to depression to rheumatoid arthritis to sexual enhancement. Some of these pharmaceuticals drugs can cause serious problems such as liver damage, muscle pain and in some cases severe muscle breakdown and even death. When you go to a medical doctor and he gives you many packs of pills and capsules in various colours, shapes and sizes, drugs which are toxic to your liver and do crazy things to your health and metabolism, perhaps you obediently swallow t hose little poisons without considering what they are doing to your body. Polluted Environment The industrial revolution, technological advancement and modern transportation have seriously depleted oxygen levels in our atmosphere. Our obsession with carbon-based fuels for power generators, planes and automobiles consumes vast amounts of oxygen daily. Coupled with this is the huge reduction of our forested areas and all plant life as the need for timber and paper continues beyond our production capacity. At the present time, scientists have determined that our atmospheric oxygen concentration levels are being reduced by about 0. 8 percent every 15 years or so. Regrettably, at the moment, there is no reason to believe that this trend is going to change. Toxic stress, toxic chemicals and air pollution (all of which are becoming more prevalent in our industrialized cities), as well as increased use of antibiotics, emotional stress (which produces adrenaline and adrenal-related hormones that use more oxygen), physical trauma (reduces circulation and oxygen supply) and infections (the body uses oxygen to fight bacteria, fungi and viruses). Frequent use of drugs also depletes your oxygen supplies at the cellular level. A shortage of oxygen in the blood could very well be the starting point for the loss of the immune system and the beginning point of health problems like cancer, leukemia, AIDS, seizures, nerve deterioration and candida. Future research will clarify the links between poor oxygen levels and disease. Initial symptoms of oxygen deficiency may include overall weakness, fatigue, circulation problems, poor digestion, muscle aches and pains, dizziness, depression, memory loss, irrational behavior, irritability, acid stomach and bronchial complications. When the immune system is compromised by a lack of oxygen, the body is more susceptible to opportunistic bacteria, viral and parasitic infections, colds and the flu. Oxygen deprivation can also trigger life-threatening diseases, as underscored by Nobel Laureate Dr. Otto Warburg’s assertion that cancer and other infections or diseases cannot live in an oxygen-rich environment. Poisonous agents from the household items. Our bodies are absorbing the harmful chemicals surrounding the environment today. It is thus imperative that we clean up our living environment as much as possible. Those regular detergents, soaps, shampoos, toothpastes and perfumes that we uses today contain many chemicals which are toxic to our bodies, some even carcinogenic. Although we dont directly ingest them, these chemicals are absorbed by our skin, other harmful chemicals such as turpentine, arsenic, insecticides, paints, etc. Again, even though we dont ingest them, we are constantly breathing in their gaseous fumes. Lack of Exercise. You just put in a good 10 hour day in front of your computer screen, and the last thing you want to do is exercise. Lets see, exercise, and improve your fitness level, or sit down with a glass of wine and watch your favorite evening television show. What would you do? Seventy percent of individuals know they should exercise, but choose the wine and the television program instead. Do you know this simple daily decision can end up being detrimental to your health? Effects of irregular eating or skipping meals †¢ Mouth ulcers †¢ Acidity and heart burn †¢ Nausea †¢ Constipation †¢ Lowered blood pressure †¢ Elevated uric acid (kidney disease) †¢ stresses brain and body †¢ Fat Storage Eating breakfast primes your metabolism and helps set its pace for the day, says Michelle A. Gordine, M. D. , author of the book Reclaiming Our Health: A Guide to African-American Wellness. By contrast, skipping breakfast puts your body in starvation mode, an energy conservation setting of your bodys metabolic machinery that promotes fat storage and discourages calorie-burning. †¢ Blood Sugar Skipping meals, particularly breakfast, can wreak havoc on your blood sugar levels. After fasting overnight, your blood sugar levels may be at their lowest ebb of the day. Skipping this meal can result in hypoglycemia dangerously low blood sugar which can cause you to feel dizzy or sleepy and overeat to compensate. A spike in blood sugar from a large afternoon meal leads to a late afternoon blood sugar drop, sending you on a blood sugar roller coaster, according to Roberta Larson Duyff, author of the American Dietetic Association Complete Food and Nutrition Guide. Instead, try cutting back on dinner and shifting the bulk of your calorie intake toward the first half of the day. You may find that eating this way gives you more energy when you need it the most. After doing this for a few days youll naturally become hungry at breakfast time. †¢ Malnutrition Older adults who experience decreased appetite as a function of aging may be in danger of malnutrition from skipping meals, according to nutritionist Sari Edelstein, Ph. D. , R. D. , author of the book Life Cycle Nutrition: An Evidence-Based Approach. Aging also brings with it decreased nutrient absorption. The combination of the two is a recipe for potential nutritional deficiencies. Early intervention can prevent weight loss and other serious health consequences, such as osteoporosis and decreased immune function. Brain Function Maintaining even-keeled blood sugar levels ensures that your brain and muscles receive a steady supply of glucose, their preferred fuel source. Eating regular meals results in better mental acuity, learning and memory, improved work performance and better strength and endurance. Your attitude toward work or school may also improve and you might find that y our demanding boss or that irritating co-worker arent as unreasonable as you previously thought. †¢ Blood Sugar Drops and Spikes One of the most important reasons that skipping meals is unhealthy is due to the affect this has on your blood sugar. When you eat a meal, your body breaks up the food. Some of this food is stored as fat, while other parts of it enter your bloodstream as sugar, and work to provide you with energy throughout the day. When you skip a meal, your blood sugar drops dramatically. This not only can make you feel sluggish and tired, but it can also wreck havoc with insulin in your body. If you chronically skip meals, you can be setting yourself up for the development of diabetes later in life. †¢ Inadequate Nutrition Another important reason why skipping meals is unhealthy is due to the fact that you are more than likely not receiving adequate nutrition. Eating a diet that is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean meats helps not only to ensure that your body functions properly, but can also help in the treatment and prevention of a number of serious conditions. Some conditions that can be improved with proper nutrition include cardiovascular disease, strokes, and some types of cancer. You may believe that you can skip meals and still achieve optimal nutrition by supplementing your diet with multivitamins. And while multivitamins do have their place, research has shown that these pills arent as effective as real food at providing your body with what it needs. For good health, try to eat as naturally as possible. †¢ Altered Metabolism You  typically  skip meals for two main reasons. One,  you are ultra busy and dont have enough time to grab a quick snack, or two, you are trying to lose weight. If you are one of the people who are trying to lose weight, you may be actually sabotaging yourself by skipping meals. When you eat, your metabolism, which is one of your bodys functions, works to break the food down into smaller, usable parts. When you skip a meal, your metabolism has nothing to do. In a way, your metabolism is like a muscle. You must use it, or you will lose it. When your metabolism does not have to work to break down food, it begins to slow down. Then, the next time you do actually eat something, your metabolism is not able to break the food down as quickly, and as a result the food is stored as fat. Therefore, in order to maintain a healthy weight (or even lose weight), it is essential that you eat regularly throughout the day. Recent research has found that five to seven small, regularly timed meals eaten over the course of a day works best when trying to maintain a healthy weight. The Effects of Sleep Deprivation Neurologic Effects Sleep deprivation mimics the effects of drinking alcohol you may experience slurred speech and uncontrolled reflexive movements of the eye called nystagmus. You may also develop a slight shakiness or tremor in your hands. Some people even have a more pronounced droopiness in their eyelids, called ptosis. Various other neurological reflexes can change in sleep deprivation. These are unlikely to causes symptoms you would notice. However, if your doctor were to test them, you may have sluggish corneal reflexes, a hyperactive gag reflex, and hyperactive deep tendon reflexes. In addition, you may have a reduced threshold for seizures. As a result, people with epilepsy are at greater risk for seizures when theyre sleep deprived. One thing that you may notice right away is an increased sensitivity to pain. Studies have shown our sensitivity to heat and pressure pain is especially enhanced when we don’t sleep enough. Also, there is reported to be an increased sensitivity to pain in our esophagus, as might occur in the setting of nighttime heartburn Vital Sign Changes Research studies have demonstrated that sleep deprivation may cause subtle changes in your vital signs. Vital signs are important physiological markers that are often tracked as part of a general health assessment. These include: †¢ Body temperature †¢ Blood pressure †¢ Heart rate †¢ Breathing rate †¢ Reduced decision-making skills †¢ Poorer memory †¢ Reduced concentration †¢ Reduced alertness †¢ Shortened attention span †¢ Slower than normal reaction time †¢ Poorer judgment †¢ Reduced awareness of the environment and situation †¢ Reduced work efficiency smoking, poor diet, lack of exercise and drinking too much increased the risk of dying by such a large degree that it was the equivalent to being 12 years older.