It’s almost the weekend, and I’m off to a wedding later today, so I wanted to take it easy today.

I’m a huge online newspaper reader. I actually was an editor on my school’s paper during college, and the love of journalism and the news stuck with me. I found two articles that I read this week that I wanted to share and talk about a bit!

The first is this article about coconut oil. Coconut oil has been such a popular ingredient lately, with people being advised to put coconut oil on or in just about everything. It turns out it may have been over-hyped – it’s not bad for you, but it’s not the superfood it’s been claimed to be, either.

I’m always really skeptical when people talk about food or diet fads as the one and only answer to a problem. There isn’t really a secret or a magic ingredient that can fix health or healthy eating! Especially when there is no scientific, researched-based evidence behind the claims. You’re much better off using common sense rather than following the diet of the year. Keep using coconut oil on your hands, your hair, and your face, but maybe don’t put it in everything you eat and drink.

The other article I want to share is this one – it’s a more personal article. A middle-school student wrote an article about how she couldn’t get a book published with a “regular” disabled girl as the main character – all the book publishers she submitted it to wanted to see the girl more defined by her disability, and see her struggle with it.

Just like the author of that article, I don’t see myself as being defined by my disability – it’s a part of me, but only a part. It can be difficult to get the world to see past my wheelchair, to get other people to see the similarities between me and them, and not just the differences. It’s a really great read, and I’m incredibly impressed by the author – being published in The New York Times while still in middle school is amazing.