Productivity & Health

Recent articles


By Mohamad-Ali Salloum, PharmD August 22, 2024
Perfectionism, often perceived as a virtue, can paradoxically hinder personal growth and well-being. By understanding the pitfalls of perfectionism, individuals can cultivate healthier mindsets and behaviors.
By Mohamad-Ali Salloum, PharmD August 11, 2024
Procrastination is the act of delaying tasks or decisions despite knowing that it will lead to negative consequences. It’s a common human behavior, affecting approximately 20% of adults . But why do we procrastinate, and how can we overcome it?  Let’s explore the science behind it.
Presentation
By Mohamad-Ali Salloum, PharmD August 4, 2024
Presentations are an essential part of professional communication, whether you’re pitching a project, sharing research findings, or delivering a training session. While preparing for a presentation, you might anticipate most questions that could arise. However, unexpected questions can catch you off guard. In this article, we’ll explore strategies to handle such situations gracefully and maintain your credibility.
By Mohamad-Ali Salloum, PharmD August 3, 2024
Presentations can be nerve-wracking, but with the right techniques and a dash of confidence, you can deliver a compelling talk that captivates your audience. Whether you’re presenting at work, school, or any other setting, let’s explore practical strategies to enhance your presentation skills and conquer public speaking anxiety.
By Mohamad-Ali Salloum, PharmD May 20, 2023
In the fast-paced world of corporate jobs, it is crucial for individuals to recognize the significance of embracing creative hobbies. This article highlights the multifaceted benefits of engaging in activities that foster creativity, such as stress reduction, enhanced well-being, cognitive skill development, improved productivity, and innovation.
7 excel sheet tips that will make your workflow easier.
By Mohamad Ali Salloum, PharmD January 6, 2023
Microsoft Excel is that one friend that will always have your back in terms of productivity and efficiency :D
7 books that will change your life
By Mohamad-Ali Salloum, PharmD December 17, 2022
Changing your life starts with reading more...
Drinking water, science, medicine, coma, death
By Mohamad Ali Salloum, PharmD December 10, 2022
As Paracelsus said: “All things are poison, and nothing is without poison; the dosage alone makes it, so a thing is not a poison." What he meant briefly is that: "The dose makes the poison". This is true because any substance can be toxic only if it reaches a susceptible biological system within the body in a high enough concentration. This concentration can be in milligrams or in grams. (here comes the concept of potency) So back to our question, can drinking water lead to a Coma? The brief answer is “ YES, it can…it rarely happens, but it DOES happen” But HOW? Why does anybody want to drink that much water? What is the mechanism? Let’s talk science now. This condition is called “Water intoxication”. ·Causes This excessive hydration happens because of 1 - Endurance exercises (i.e. Marathons, Ultramarathons, Military training, big sporting events…) - Drug Abuse. - Iatrogenic (no known cause) - Cerebral salt-wasting - Psychiatric conditions (i.e., Compulsive water drinking, aka psychogenic polydipsia) So excessive hydration for a “normal” person is extremely rare. ·Symptoms First symptoms of water intoxication: - Headaches. - Nausea. - Vomiting. Severe symptoms of water intoxication: - Confusion - Drowsiness - Increased blood pressure - Muscle weakness or cramping - Difficulty breathing In severe cases, it can cause seizures, brain damage, Coma, and even death. ·Mechanism Water is readily absorbed in our digestive system with no obstacles. Thus, when we drink excessively, water goes directly to our blood vessels, and our blood volume increases. As we know from basic chemistry, when we add more water (solvent) into a container without adding more solute (minerals or ions), we call this dilution. In this case, the blood volume increased but the Sodium amount stayed the same, so the sodium in our blood is now diluted. In normal cases, the range of sodium levels in the blood should be between 135 mEq/L and 145 mEq/L. When the Sodium level decreases below 135 mEq/L, we call this Hyponatremia. Sodium usually helps to maintain the balance of the fluid inside and outside of the cells. When hyponatremia occurs, the water will travel from outside to the inside of the cells. And since water has access to all of our body parts with no obstruction, the next target is the brain. Applying Osmosis Phenomenon, water will move from outside to inside the neurons in our brains, leading to: - Brain swelling - Disturbance of electrolyte distribution (Sodium, calcium, potassium,…) inside the neurons. Thus, normal brain functions will be disturbed which will lead to the symptoms mentioned above. ·How can we know the limit? The volume of the water is not the problem. The timing is. The kidney normally excretes 0.8 to 1 Liter of water PER HOU R. 3 Drinking water in a short time more than the kidney can excrete will lead to hyponatremia and thus water intoxication. Some study reports were as below: - Soldiers developed symptoms after consuming ~2 Liters of water in 1 hour. 4 - Several military cases and three deaths from overhydration and resultant hyponatremia and cerebral edema. All these cases were associated with more than 5 liters (usually 10-20 Liters) of water intake in a period of a few hours. 5 So, make sure that when you are over-sweating or overheating and feeling like you need to drink a lot of water, just limit it to 1-1.5 L per hour. 5 The correct amount of water needed per day differs from person to person and the factors are: - Body weight - Level of Physical Activity - Climate - Breastfeeding The National Academy of Medicine recommended in 2004 that: 6 - Women aged 19-30 years are to consume ~ 2.7 liters per day. - Men aged 19-30 years to consume ~ 3.7 liters per day. You can read more about the daily water intake recommendations here: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/306638
Detox from Social Media
By Mohamad Ali Salloum, PharmD November 25, 2022
On 10 Oct 2022, I deleted all my social media accounts (except for YouTube and LinkedIn). I realized how much social media can take from our time without us even noticing it. It’s not just the time that it’s taking from us. It’s also our attention, willpower, happiness, contentment, and a lot of other things.
By Mohamad Ali Salloum, PharmD November 22, 2022
OneNote is one of the most useful productivity apps that you can use to enhance your study/work quality and efficiency...not to forget about FUN! :D
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