Hey NYCCT! Genny here and man oh man it’s that time of year again… FINALS! I know you’re all stressed and I know you’re all anxious but you just need to remember, take a deep breath and keep track of yourself. Don’t drown yourself in paperwork and negative thoughts. Remember that you’re strong and you’re intelligent, if you studied for the exam then you know the material, don’t sell yourself short and most importantly don’t over-study meaning doing continue studying until 3 when the exam is the next morning at 8, it’ll shut you down. For Communication Design students, although we don’t get much exams we do get final projects so I want to remind all of you to get your projects done, package and PDF them and most importantly, remember to keep your flash drive somewhere safe! For posters I recommend you go to Remsen Graphics 3 17×11 posters are $7.50, not bad right??

On a better note, I’d like to remind you all in this crucial moment that your health matters. Be mindful and keep yourself relaxed, go on a nature walk, I often find that when I’m anxious I run off to Dumbo or to The Brooklyn Promenade. At this time of year you can even go to Central Park or 42nd st Grand Central if you’re a city person and that’s where you find your inner zen. Me personally, I like to look at the flowers and admire the popping colors we were given to by nature herself. This is a moment to take a step back and look at the bigger picture, remind yourself that a test grade or project grade does not define you, remember to smell the flowers and just simply live, don’t let the consuming thoughts of final drown you over. I would like to wish everyone the best of luck on all upcoming final exams/projects, you got this!

Hey everyone Genny here! Mothers, aunts, grandma’s and future mothers, this post is for you. A star so bright and so soft, you fill the earth with life and love. When we are down you cheer us up, you bring comfort to us when we are upset. You, the goddesses, the guardians of the human race, I thank you today for all that you do and all that you will continue to do. Today I thank ALL mothers no matter if you’re biological or not, why? Because you dedicated your life to nurturing another life, protecting another life and loving another life. You’re strong willed and never let anyone make you think otherwise, you are loved and you are strong. Never tell yourself you’re not strong because YOU gave birth, you passed through such agonizing pain, you survived it and you should be proud. Thank you for all your efforts, thank you for giving us the strength to walk towards tomorrow, thank you because its reasons such as yourself that we, the younger generation are proud to be woman, we know we are not weak and that we are capable of anything we set our minds to. Happy Mothers Week to all!

Hey guys! Gen here, and today I’d like to show you,y daily routine. Now I know that you all know me by name but I feel as if that’s all you know me as, Gen the writer. But today, I’d like to show you behind the scenes and how my life usually plays out for example, going to classes. I’m a communications design student so most of my classes reside on the 11th floor in the Pearl building, it’s an interesting experience being exposed to so many creative thinkers and colors.

Other than school, I use my time to work with a startup company known as O.T.O. This is a company in the making, in which, the employees within the company Overcome The Odds (O.T.O), whether it’s poverty or academics, it can be so many things. We are underdogs rooting our way to the top. This company is more than just a business thing, it’s also a family. We’ve grown and achieved things together. In this company we remain humble to our origins. We do this by partaking in a monthly food and clothing donation to the less fortunate. The company itself is a production company which has reality shows as well as a cartoon illustrated series, “The Mr.TurnUp Show”, and as for the reality shows we call it “ Reel Talks.“ In a small amount of time the company has increased in size, and we continue to look for amazing talent in efforts to help us make a difference here in New York. Yes when I say talent, I mean you COMD students, and to you as well, actors!

I write today to tell you about my daily life, and to provide you with an amazing chance to be part of something great, whether you just want experience or wish to become one with the company as a worker, it’s your choice,. Our doors are open to anyone looking to put the work in. By no means is this an advertising blog but an honest one. Just a piece of advice that will benefit anyone who reads this in the long run because we all know that most jobs aren’t accepting of people if they lack experience. So if you need experience, well you found the right place!

City life and nature balanced in a near perfect unison, beautiful isn’t it? Central Park Is one of New York’s most visited areas by both residents and tourists alike. It’s refreshing from all the crazy street life, like stepping into a new world with wildlife and peace. In my previous post I had mentioned I’d be going somewhere and well here I am! I also mentioned that nature brings peace and is what keeps me calm, it’s my personal way of releasing stress.

Central Park is the Place to go if you’re in the city and you can’t make it out to another place like Corona park or Forest Park. Nature is beautiful, even with the cycle of seasons seen year after year, it’s beauty is never the same and it never gets old, always fresh and always beautiful one can never get enough of such a breathtaking view. Nature is like food for the soul, the more we take in the more we grow and the healthier we become. College life can be stressful, trust me I know. I had so many moments here in City Tech, wandering the halls during my class breaks and wondering, “ how in the heck am I going to make it through this semester? It’s way too much work, can I even handle it?” I always ask myself the same question and the answer always remains the same being yes I can, thing is I often find myself in need of a little push to get there and that’s where mother nature comes in, she is my mediator in my battle within myself when I fear the worst in my academics, It takes one train ride to get there and many steps to clear the battlefield. We have to remember that at the end of the day, we are only human and we can only do so much but we must never sell ourselves short as we are all full of potential. Going back to Central Park, with or without blooming flowers it looks as beautiful as ever, it is my escape from the world of academics, if you find that you’re low on time but need an escape I recommend this as one of the go-to places, and I’ll end it with this one question, when was the last time you treated your body mind and soul to a moment of peace? TREAT YO SELF!

Buenos Tardes City Tech! Gen here giving y’all part two on Nature and its benefits! Today’s topic will be based on Stress. As we all know there are many factors that keep us healthy: good bacteria, cells, and most importantly our immune system. But there are many factors that can disturb the body’s natural methods of cleansing: such as stress. It’s nothing new, many people suffer the effects of stress but the issue is when it builds up over years: this is when it can become severely harmful to one’s health.  In an article written by the American Society of Landscape Architects ( ASLA ) it is said that “ High levels of long-term chronic stress can lead to reduced cognitive function, anxiety disorders, and depression.” Chronic stress takes a toll on us, physically. It can lead to  poor sleeping habits and headaches which decreases our immunity. So yes, stress is a bad factor that can disturb our bodies.

Stress has impacted my life in many ways, to the point where it’s caused me countless of sleepless nights leading to insomnia, it’s also a reason why I drink lots of tea.The antioxidants, as I mentioned in previous posts, have the potential to build immunity to our bodies and help us (or even prevent us) from getting sick. From my stress, I’ve learned that nature is a great natural remedy and can lower your anxiety levels, it’s worked for me. According to ASLA:

Numerous studies have shown that access to trees and green spaces calm us and help to alleviate stress. One such study found that trees and green space are a major predictor of longevity, especially among people living of lower-incomes communities.

More broadly, integrating nature into the built environment in the form of parks, trees, or green roofs, can help counter the stressors of urban life. This is supported by a Scandinavian study, which found that office workers with forest views showed greater job satisfaction and lower stress levels than office workers with non-forest views.

There have been many cases and studies proving that nature helps us and it’s no surprise either.Before technology… before secure infrastructures, we, human beings, had caves and the great outdoors; it’s what kept us alive and healthy. So why not try to connect back to your old roots and give it a try??? My recommendation? Look through my previous blogs and see which place suits you best! Lemme know what you think and what places you have in mind. From reading this I definitely know what I’m doing this week. Stay tuned to find out on next week’s blog!

Springs here and along with it? The beauty and scenery of colors and wildlife! Gen here bringing you the best guidelines to health and wellness, the next few weeks I’ll be focusing on nature and how it affects us positively, and can bring benefits to us all, the resource I’ll be using quite frequently will be from the American Society of Landscape Architects. Nature is known to be a form of de stressing and a way to let loose from the city life, today I want to bring light on how nature can affect depression.

For those who don’t know, depression is a mental illness that consumes the life of its host, many people have this mental illness, it’s hard to get through and people now and days do not understand the severity of it and how bad it is, I want to remind you all to be mindful towards others and to be caring, if you don’t have depression but know someone who does then I urge you to help them, don’t judge them, you haven’t been in their shoes so please don’t go telling others how they feel and that “ it’s a phase, it’ll pass.” From personal experience, I’ve met and known people with depression, and fortunately was able to help,within my previous experience I’ve learned that  it takes is a helping hand and listening ears to help someone, and it takes nature to take a full blow at it. Based on the National Center for Health Statistics, there has been a massive spike or increase in the amount of teens and young adults who have been prescribed antidepressants being 400%. It is said that this illness alone “ affects 14.8 million Americans or 6.7 percent of the U.S. population and is the leading cause disability in the U.S. for ages 15 to 44. ” So then what can we do about this? Again, nature people nature is a great place to start!

Before cities before anything, as humans all we had was the great outdoors so it’s no surprise that this is beneficial to us all and to those suffering with depression. Many of you are probably asking “ how? “ well here’s the really brief summary of it. In a research conducted by the dutch they found that “ living close to parks, or at least near lots of trees, can have far reaching mental health benefits for people. In turn, living in places without parks or trees, especially if you are young or poor, can have major negative impacts.” This study can be found In the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health and more proof can be found in the provided link on the American Society of Landscape Architects, if you know someone who’s suffering from this illness, remind them that their not alone and there is help everywhere in anywhere, with the information provided we can all make a difference in the lives of others, knowledge is power, use it wisely and share it with the world, if you have any questions on this topic feel free to comment in the comment box below, thanks as always for tuning in!

P.S: Please keep in mind that this does not replace your doctor’s reccomendations or advice, if you feel that you are in need of help, please consult a licensed personnel such as a doctor or a psychologist

Good afternoon City Tech! With the last week of March ending really soon, I’d like to close it off with respect to women. To the child bearers, beautiful feminists, sophisticated and educated women, this week goes to you, all of you. Know that your efforts are appreciated and respected.

We, as a whole, have come a long way. Can you believe that back in history, we could not vote? Nor go to school? Scary times, but I’m grateful that we live in a generation where things are almost at an equivalent level.

In response to this week, I wanted to give a shout out to a special lady I hold dear to my heart, Roshni Singh. She’s is my boyfriend’s aunt, and an amazing and generous woman who looks out for so many people. Ever since I met her, I felt like I had blessings come my way. She’s most likely an angel In disguise. Chachi, if you read this, know that I love you so much and I want to thank you for everything you do for me and Lokendra. You make us both happy and you’re basically family to me. Whenever I see you I immediately have a smile on my face. I love talking to you and I feel like we connect on such a deep to earth level, like an instant bond. Your charisma and character is what drives me for the future, I sometimes think to myself, “ I want to be like her, I want to be an amazing and generous mom with a loving family.” You’re my inspiration for the future I wish to have with Lokendra, and I want you to know that because you deserve the recognition, and all the love you can possibly get.

Good Afternoon, CIty Tech! Gen here, and today will be the last of our tea adventures, so today we’ll end it with my favorite tea of all: Herbal tea! I have so many favorites such as peppermint tea, chamomile tea, Eucalyptus, so on and so forth.Growing up, I always had a passion for herbs and what they could provide us. I was always a flower child, loving nature and appreciating her for what she is, even when she’s at her worst. Whenever I was sick I always found comfort in herbal teas, no matter what they had always made me feel better, my first herbal tea was introduced to me around age 3.

My memory extends till age 2 which is why I can tell this story, I was sick this one time on a winter’s day like today, being hispanic, I was growing up in an environment where tea and of course, menthol/vaperu was the instant remedy. Upon my first experience with tea being chamomille, I remember it being hot, so my mother blew on the tea and fed me it by spoon instead of sips, she wanted to make sure I didn’t burn my tiny baby mouth. It was lightly sweetened with honey, and at that point of the tea reaching my taste buds was when I knew, that tea was my instant passion, something I wanted to keep in my life. Since that very day, as I grew older I’d use my free time to search on about teas and their benefits, what I can drink when I’m feeling this or that and with this knowledge I also help my friends and family whom also wish to use nature’s benefits instead of medicinal usage, but keep in mind that though teas are very good for you, it can never replace the supplements needed if your in poor health, if you have something serious always consult to your doctor. Due to my passion and love for herbal tea, instead of just listing a few facts about herbal teas I’m going to list many with the credit of The Hearty Soul for providing a list of teas and their benefits, I hope you all enjoyed my Tea series, and I hope this encouraged you all to drink tea on a daily, and if not, then to at least try it. If you’re worried about expenses, rest assured: These can be found in day-to-day food stores, and they’re cheap, believe me.

Looking for something to help your skin? Something that’ll keep the stress from showing? Look no further. White Tea to the rescue! Did you know that white tea is famous for the fine white hairs called pekoe that cover its leaves? This tea has grey-colored leaf buds and limish colored tea that’s known to be sweet, According to Teavivre, it was also considered to be the pinnacle of tea in china, so it was here before black tea!

Going back to the whole skin care routine, white tea is a must-have when it comes up to healthy skin. In a study presented with Organic Facts it is stated that:

“… this tea (white tea) may increase antioxidant effects of organs as well as plasma. Another study was done to investigate neuroprotective effect of white tea extract on hydrogen peroxide-induced toxicity. The results of this study showed that white tea extracts with its antioxidant properties help in cell neuroprotection.” This tea has antioxidants that help with quick recovery for skin that’s been damaged, and protects against UV lights.

Being a tea person myself, I’m considering doing a one week challenge of just white tea instead of my usual teas. It would be an interesting experiment, right?

Anywho, going back to the tea facts, a major benefit other than great skin is oral health. “But how and why?” you may ask. White tea is known to improve oral health as mentioned by a previous source, “the presence of polyphenols, flavonoids, and tannins help in inhibiting the growth of various bacteria that may cause plaque formation. The fluoride content found in this tea may also be effective in reducing the risk of dental caries or tooth decay/cavity.”  Ladies in gentleman keep in mind that this is not a replacement factor for oral hygiene such as brushing and flossing.

So bottom line here, folks: Get yourselves some tea! What do you have to lose? You can only gain from this experience, my recommendation on the topic of white tea is to start with a popular kind of white tea known as the silver needle. It has a beautiful scent and taste; lemme know if you give it a try!

Man, anyone else feeling a bit tired or sleepy? Want a quick fix without caffeine in pure black coffee? Well, I think I have the perfect thing for you, Black Tea! According to Teavivre it’s history in china can be dated back to the Ming Dynasty being around the late 1500’s. The first black tea was produced in Fujian province around the Wuyi mountain. Personally for me I drink black tea in the mornings mainly to get myself to wake up. Black tea also has a healthy amount of caffeine as well as antioxidants. According to Organic Facts there are many benefits to drinking black tea. The first benefit of black Tea is that it prevents cardiovascular diseases. As we age it gets tougher to protect our hearts so why not make it easier for ourselves and drink a cup of black tea? A cup a day can keep coronary artery dysfunctions away. According to the American Hearts Association it’s also a good way to reduce your cholesterol level, this same study can also  be corroborated with Organic Facts.

Have an upset stomach? Not able to perform your daily tasks because of a stomach virus or flu? Black tea can also help you with digestion problems. Another benefit of this tea is that it treats diarrhea. As shown in Organic Facts “This tea has a healing effect on intestinal disorders due to the presence of tannins. It is advisable for all diarrhea patients to sip plain, black tea slowly for maximum benefits.” It’s due to this same factor being tannins, that black tea is also great for improving digestion. On the note of bodily systems black tea also helps people with asthma or if someone is sick with the common flu. The article further explains this effect, “as it expands the air passage, thereby allowing them to breathe more easily.”

Lastly but not the least important is that black tea prevents breast cancer, yes ladies and gents, it prevents the scary cancer that’s dangerous to us all. Going back to a paragraph seen in Organic facts:

“ Drinking tea, either black or green, aids women in preventing cancerous growth in the breasts, especially women in the pre-menopausal phase. Tea also assists in raising the level of globulin hormones during the menstrual cycle. The presence of theaflavins in black tea destroys abnormal cells in the body before they cause any major damage or change into cancerous cells.”

Definitely a beneficiary tea in my books, which is why I have a plethora of black teas in my household to drink in the mornings. Loving tea yet? Because I know I do, want or need any recommendations on what teas to try? My personal favorite is Darjeeling black tea which is also known as the “ Champagne of Tea.” Lemme know in the comment box below on what you think!