Life & Style. Have a fitness tip or recipe to share? Contact the editor at lifeandstyle@theotherpress.ca ‘The Other Press’ guide to life: cleanliness part one Dont claim to be a grown man if you cant clean By Keating Smith, Staff Writer f your house is home to the leaning tower of pizza boxes and an ever-growing ring of scum at the waterline of your toilet bowl, I can only assume one of two things: you either have some really interesting science experiments going on in your man cave, or you're a slob. And while scientific innovations are always interesting to observe, I will go with the latter notion and call you a slob. Maintaining a clean living space is just as important as brushing your teeth or showering ona regular basis , so read on for The Other Press guide to house cleanliness. Clutter: You may think that the classic bong-and-ashtray combo make a great centerpiece on the coffee table, surrounded by empty beer bottles and pieces of whatever you have emptied from your pockets that you have collected throughout the day, but they don’t. It’s gross. Just get rid of all this stuff. Do you really need that receipt from the grocery store or the 18 cents left over from said shopping excursion? Does this crap really need to take up semi-permanent residence on your coffee table? Less is more—or to put it another way, having all your possessions organized is convenient. Bathroom / Kitchen: Think of all the bodily waste that is disposed of in your bathroom, especially if you share with several roommates. A good thing to do after you morning routine in the bathroom is to quickly wipe everything down. Did you piss all over the area around the toilet? Wipe it up with toilet paper. The same goes for number two streaks in the toilet bowl. If your kitchen is a display of dirty dishes that haven't been touched for days, weeks, or months, remember: you are not creating an art installation, you're attracting insects. If you can’t get to your dishes immediately, at least do future- you a favour and rinse them. Air Quality: The American Lung Association estimates that a human on average breathes 35 pounds of air each day. With this in mind, it is imperative to keep the flow of air in your place continuous even during the winter months if only for a few minutes. Don’t buy one of those corny Glade air fresheners that you plug into the wall, as that only masks the smell. Buy living plants instead. You can also put baking soda on your carpets, leave it for a few hours, and then vacuum it up to bring up some of the deeper smells that can lurk in older carpets. Finally, don’t smoke inside! Even if it’s marijuana; despite how much you want to argue that the smell only lasts a few minutes, you are wrong. Bedroom: If you have a special lady or guy coming over for the first time and you want to impress them, do a search on YouTube for “hospital corners” to find out the best way to make your bed. This is how everyone in the US and Canadian military are taught to make beds. Also, this should go without saying, but wash or change your sheets at least once a week. Beds accumulate dirt and sweat while you sleep, which causes your bed to smell bad over time. Also: dust mites love eating the dead skin cells and hair that shed onto your bed while you sleep (don’t Google image search this). You don’t need to live like Martha Stewart, but if you live healthy and respectably it will create a positive balance in your day to day actions. I can't believe I have to write something as ludicrous as this, but during the past several weeks I have had several female friends confide in me that the men in their life just don’t know how to clean. When you live like a slob it implies that you can’t take care of yourself and that you lack awareness of the basic responsibilities involved in life. Putting in the smallest amount of effort will pay off big time: you'll look mature, organized, and respectable. And best of all, your place will be clean. Next week: how to buy cleaning products on a student budget. Focus on health: the thyroid gland Fverything you wanted to know, but didnt know how to ask By Sonia Panesar, Contributor veryone has a thyroid, but do you know where it is and what it does? According to the Thyroid Foundation of Canada, thyroid disease affects an approximate 200 million people worldwide. While it’s not a good idea to be a hypochondriac about everything that could go wrong with your body, it is a good idea to educate yourself on how the thyroid works, and what you can do to promote good thyroid health. This thyroid is a butterfly- 14 shaped gland that sits on the front of your neck, below your Adam’s apple. It secretes numerous hormones called thyroid hormones. The main hormone secreted by the thyroid gland is called thyroxin, which is also known as T4. The main job of the hormones secreted by the thyroid gland is to control metabolism, help with growth and development, and body temperature. Whilst growing up, the thyroid gland has a major role in brain development. The disorders caused by the malfunctioning of the thyroid gland are: hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, thyroid nodules, and thyroid cancer. Hyperthyroidism is a condition which is also known as overactive thyroid; it is caused by high levels of thyroid hormone in the blood stream. This is because the thyroid gland produces excessive amounts of the hormone. Some symptoms of hyperthyroidism include: hyperactivity, muscle weakness, a rapid heartbeat, sudden weight loss or weight gain, increased sensitivity to heat, and an increased appetite. This condition is more common in women than in men, and has a higher rate amongst smokers. The most common cause of hyperthyroidism is Grave’s disease. This is where our immune systems start attacking our own body systems, and one of the targets is the thyroid gland. Grave's disease has no exact explanation, however it is said to be a genetic condition. Someone who has hyperthyroidism tends to experience double vision as the eyes are affected, and will commonly have bulging eyes. Hypothyroidism is the opposite of hyperthyroidism. The thyroid gland produces a lower level of the thyroid hormone. It does not keep the metabolism rates as required, and therefore the body tends not to receive the required amount of essential hormones. Hypothyroidism tends to affect adults, and in some cases it can affect children. The form of hypothyroidism that affects adults is most commonly known as myxedema, whereas congenital hypothyroidism affects children. Myxedema is caused by an autoimmune inflammation of the thyroid gland, and radiation or surgery. These are the most common culprits of hypothyroidism. Some symptoms include weight gain, bloated face, a hoarse voice; you tend to be Photo courtesy of Joel McCarthy extra sensitive to the cold, and experience constipation, muscle aches, and dry skin. These are the most common symptoms. In order for one to maintain a healthy thyroid gland one should eat foods that are rich in calcium, vitamins E, B6, and C, beta- carotene, iodine, tyrosine, and niacin. Since it is hard to attain all this supplements in one day, it is recommended that you should take a multivitamin to make sure you obtain all these essential nutrients. If you’re experiencing these symptoms, it might be worth it to ask your family doctor to test you for thyroid—with proper medication, hypo or hyperthyroidism can be treated, improving your quality of life dramatically.