Reflection: Weeks 13 & 14 and Overall Course

WEEK 13

The Monday of week 13 we ended up having class at Goodwill.  It was awesome!!  I seriously loved the switch up of things, the tour, the group challenge of spending only $20, and everyone who worked there seemed so kind.  I never knew that Goodwill offered jobs for people with disabilities, I think that is great!  By employing people with special needs they actually get that work experience of working with people, being on time, and learn communication skills that they can use throughout the rest of their life.  I also enjoyed listening to the man who spoke to us and toured us around the building.  I could tell he loved his job and it was so nice to see the employers there wave to him as we were walking around.  This was probably my favorite day of class.

WEEK 14

This was the last day of class and unfortunatley I could not make it.  I ended up getting stuck up in the UP until Monday night, so that was kind of a bummer.  From the course calendar and other posts all the students brought in their junk projects and shared them to the class.  If you look at my previous post I shared mine through a blog post since I was unable to make it.  I also heard that I missed out on a delicious snack
:( bummer. 



OVERALL COURSE REFLECTION

I went into this course having no idea what environmental health was even about.  I am a psychology major, so it felt a little awkward to be in the beginning since I wasn't aware of much in the field.  I am so glad I decided to stick with it!  This class ended up being one of my favorites and I learned so much valuable information that I can relate back to for the rest of my life!

One big thing I learned was how to blog.  I heard of the term before, but I no idea how to create one or what I would even post about.  I now feel totally confident when using them and realize it could to a great tool to use for my future career.

I also loved the eco-chic lifestyle change!  I decided to get outdoors 3 times a week.  Overall, I reached my goal each week, with th exceptions of when I was very ill.  I realized that once you put enough energy into something and continue with a change, it eventually becomes second-nature and I can't even remember when I didn't work out.   I am very lucky to have had gotten this opportunity to make a lifestyle change that could benefit me.  Although, one thing I'm thinking about switching up is to bring a baggy along and pick up any trash I see while I am outside running (once the weather gets warmer of course). 

Overall I feel like I have gained so much knowledge from being in this course.  Now I realize how important it is to recycling/resuse, how critical it is to support no smoking campuses, that it's better to buy stuff in large quantities, buying local food betters our environment greatly, and that reusable bags rock.  Before I had the idea that I couldn't do much to better the environment, but now I realize it's the little things that matter!  Hope you all have a good break and good luck with finals everyone!

Eye Opener: Online Learning Activities

MALS RAIN FOREST ACTIVITY:  RELAY FOR LIFE

*This activity was great!  It made me aware of what Relay for Life is and how people can become partakers in this event.

Three Things I Learned...
1.)  This organization was created to help raise money for the American Cancer Society.  People come together who have had cancer affect their life in some way and show the world that they can fight back!
2.)  I thought it was the candles were a great sentimental aspect to add to the run--which represented the people who lost the battle with cancer.  It is pretty sad if you think about it, but on the bright side of things these deaths encourage people to engage in the walk and more research time dealing with cancer.
3.)  It's a 24 hour walk!  WHOA

MEDITERRANEAN MELISSA ACTIVITY:  WATER SCIENCE

*The purpose of this activity was to make aware the actually statistics dealing with water use around America.  We then visited a couple websites and entered our own information to figure out how much water I used.  I also then answered an opinion survey which was kind of cool because I got to see how others answered the questions around the country.  There was also a link that I visited that showed the current water quality around the state of MN. 

*I feel that this was such an engaging post and the sites had great information to them!

*I entered all of my information into "How much water you use in a day when you are at home all day..." and the results indicated I use about 90.3 gallons!!! That is isane holy cow!!  This makes me want to start limiting the amount of water I use. 

*Here are the numbers they used in their calculations:


Bath: 50 gallons
Shower: 2 gallons per minute
Teeth brushing: 1 gallon
Hands/face washing: 1 gallon
Face/leg shaving: 1 gallon
Dishwasher: 20 gallons/load
Dishwashing by hand: 5 gallons/load
Clothes washing (machine): : 10 gallons/load
Toilet flush: 3 gallons
Glasses of water drunk: 8 oz. per glass (1/16th of a gallon)



ASHLEY'S GREEN LILLY PAD ACTIVITY:  FLOURIDE AROUND YOU

*For this activity we read three different articles for this activity being the top ten facts of having fluoride, fluoride sources, and information on how much fluoride is in the community you reside in.  Very interesting articles and brand new information for me!

I decided to post a picture of the toothpaste I use daily.  Seems pretty obvious that this would have flouride in it, but it made sense to post it, since I use it two times a day.  I couldn't even imagine what my teeth would look like if I didn't use toothpaste.  I absoultely hate not brushing my teeth, so it'd be kinda tough for me to give up my toothpaste even if it had dangerous chemicals in it.  I guess I could always substitue to another toothpaste that is safer for my health...but idk...i really like my vivid white crest.

Share and Voice: Junk Project

Since I was unable to make it to class today I am now sharing my junk project through this post.  Over the weekend I went to a family Christmas party at my grandma's house and kept this project in mind.  My grandma has so much junk in her basement it's crazy, so I knew it wouldn't be hard to find some things she had laying around and put them to good use.  I took two items back home with  me...

This jar glass was sitting in a box in my grandma's basement about to go to the the town's thrift store.  Instead I decided to take it home with me to use as a change holder.  It was perfect, because just a couple weeks ago my other change bowl got knocked off my dresser and busted, so I had all my change in a zip lock baggy until now.

I found this vase in the same box, as well.  It was super dusty and didn't look that great, but I washed it off and it ended up looking brand new.  My grandma she said she got it around two years ago for her birthday, which held a boquet of flowers.  She didn't have any use for it, so she stored it---a ritual for her.  I thought it was cute, so I took it home and now I use it to hold my dry erase markers!

Advocacy Project: Concepts Relating to Obesity in America Learning Activity

PURPOSE:

To make aware ideas, concepts, and facts that correlate with obesity and to bring about the seriousness of the disease.  And also to comprehend the idea that the trend of obesity is steadily rising and something needs to be put into place to hault this trend.

BACKGROUND/REASONING/EVIDENCE: 

There is a vast amount of information known about obesity and the negative aspects that come along with it.  According to Down to Earth, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that obesity in adults have increased by 60% within the past twenty years and obesity in children have tripled in the past thirty years.  This is a crazy incline that needs to be turned around!  Unfortunealty, obesity-related deaths have increased to more than 300,000 a year, which is second to tobacco-related deaths.  Down to Earth states in their article that Native Hawaiians have the highest rate of obesity, being that 20% of Hawaiian children are overweight.

As the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry states, through techological advancement, America has found ways to produce food in large amounts, leading the quality of food to lessen drastically.  The highly processed foods are loaded with sugar and hydrogenated oils, which are not good for our bodies.  Another terrible statistic is that the average child sees more than 10,000 food ads on TV each year, most for high-fat, high-calorie, and high-sugar meals.  Children's socialization skills are also greatly hindered when they are overweight, as they usually are the ones at school to be made fun of, leading to these impairments.

Accoriding to ObesityinAmerican.org gives plenty of facts about obesity in America.  One being that a raging 33% of children in the USA are obese!  That means 1 out of 3 children are considered to be abnormally overweight!  It also brings about the fact that social economic status is greatly correlated with the risk of becoming obese.  It is also important to realize that obesity is a life long treatment, so it should be concerned as a serious issue.  There are many complications obese people face, such as hypertension, diabetes, stroke, heart disease, high cholesterol, etc.  Some physical complications can results in difficulties breathing, walking or running, pain in knees and back, increased sweating, and gallstones.



Netdoctor suggests that there are a couple causes of obesity including: overeating, irregular meals, lack of daily physical activity, and hereditary genes.

INSTRUCTIONS:

I had originally planned to create a word find for these facts and definitions, but sadly this post would not let me copy and paste the puzzle I made into this document.....so here is plan B....

After reading the above summary of the reliable links and resources I found, please take the time to answer these seven questions dealing with obesity in America today, by referring to the above information (there is no need to click on the links, I summarized the articles for you).


1.)  Obesity can cause ________________ referred to as high blood pressure and can harm the arteries.

2.)  ______________ are highest at risk for obesity.

3.)  _____ percent of children in the US are considered obese.

4.)  Obesity is a _______   ________ treament.

5.)  Obese children's __________________ skills are greatly hindered, mainly due to the disease.

6.)  _________   ___________ is positively correlated with the risk of becoming obese.

7.)  Increased consumption of ____________ foods have assisted to rise the trend of obesity.

*If I can figure out how to get my word find puzzle on this post, you should try that out as well!

Read 'n' Seed 6: Final Review of "Eating Locally: 100 Mile Diet"

Since the next couple days are going to be very busy for me, I thought it would be best to write the final review of the "100 Mile Diet" today, instead of waiting until Friday.

OVERVIEW OF ENTIRE BOOK:

The "100 Mile Diet" is about a couple that decides to only eat food produced 100 miles of their Vancouver home for one year.  This book includes their detailed story as the authors connect with the people and places that produce what they can eat.  The narrators highlight the challenges the couple faced, the benefits they attained while engaging in this diet change, information about local food that they weren't aware of before, how large food corporations are steadily taking over, and goes in depth about stories and emotions they encountered throughout the year.


3 MOST SIGNIFICANT THINGS LEARNED:

1.)  Why is it important to eat locally?
     * Help flourish local economy
     * Locally grown foods are almost always better for you and also tastes better (no pesticides and chemicals!)
     * You help reduce global warming by eating locally (don't eat food that has to be shipped thousands of miles, just to reach your plate).
     * Local produce is much fresher
     * Better for air quality and pollution
     * More variety when eating local food
     *Local fruits and veggies have longer to ripen

2.)  People who buy from large food corporations do not have as much variety, in comparision with people who buy from local farmers markets.  I never recognized this issue until I read this book, but it seems so obvious to me now.  This is because large food industries want to make large quantities of food at a time (to make large profits), so they do not have the resources, money, or time to give their consumers the different options and varieties of the products.

3.)  By eating locally we avoid consuming processed foods, which in reality we are watching out for out health and reducing our chance of obesity and preventable health related diseases, such as heart disease and hypertension.  This foods produced by large companies do not have the same nutrious value as those products that come from a local market. 

*New terminology:  Locavore: a person who eats only locally grown food that is usually grown 50, 100, or 150 miles away from their home.



WHAT DOES THIS BOOK MEAN TO MYSELF AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT:

This book is so important for everyone to read, because it brings about the idea that there needs to be a collaborative effort to build more locally based and self-reliant food economies.  This needs to be done so we can flip the trend of large food corporations taking over and steadily gaining more power, every time a consumer purchases one of their items.  The people who manage the distribution of food should take into the considerations of air polluntion, water pollution, fossil fuels, global warming, and green house gases being released into our environment, while shipping food many, many miles.  Buying groceries from big corporations aren't only damaging our planet, but people should also be understand that there are drastic quaility characteristics in comparision to local markets.  This comes about because of the way the food is produced, leading to lesser quality of food coming from the large corporations.



DO YOU RECOMMEND THIS BOOK? WHY OR WHY NOT:

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to become more informed on the idea of eating locally.  I had no idea about organic food, local food, and large food industries until I got ahold of this book.  I now feel very informed on the choices of food I have, and realize that what I select that I am going to eat effects much more than myself.

Pictures of Farmer's Markets in Duluth MN!

Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 10: Overall Project Reflection

My SMART goal:  To engage in an outdoor activity 3 times a week for at least 30 minutes at a time.  When the weather started getting chilly and rainy, I decided to switch up my goal: to get outside if the weather permited, and if it didn't then I would just workout at the UMD gym.

Successes and challenges:  I found that when I had few work hours for the week, the weather was nice and sunny out, and my school work load was not that heavy was when it was the easiest to get outside.  It also helped me out greatly to have a "buddy" to get outside with, such as my boyfriend or my roommate.  I also realized that I really enjoyed running and/or walking at night.  I found it to be challenging to get my butt out the door when it was cold and windy out, so I thought the best answer to this problem was to start working out at the UMD gym instead of outdoors.  I also recognized that getting outdoors worked as a great stress reliever for me and made me feel so refreshed and energized.

Benefits and what I learned:  After starting to get outside regularly I realized that I slept much better at night than I previously did.  I felt healthier, more alert, and more focused during the weeks I attained my lifestyle change.  I learned that if I gave my self a goal within limits, I could attain it if I tried my best.  I also realized that after I reached my lifestyle change, it became second nature to me.  Although, there were some bumps along the way and adjustments that were needed.  This lifestyle change was very fun and I was bettering my health at the same time.

How did others/environment benefit:  Umm.....well my boyfriend and roommate benefited because I ended up dragging them outdoors with me most weeks to exercise with me.  Also, maybe if people saw me running outdoors, it would give them the motiviation to get outside and enjoy the scenary of Duluth.  I don't see the environment benefitting much in the situation.  Maybe next time I get outdoors I could include picking up trash that I see while exercising.

Will I continue this behavior: I totally want to continue this behavior.  I plan to stick to my exercise program of 3 times a week.  I will plan to workout in a gym until we get enough snowfall to get outside to go sledding or ice skate or something.  This lifestyle change has improved my health and attitude.

Recommendations for others:  I feel that it is extremely important to make an attainable goal, but don't make it too easy to reach.  I would recommend doing something that will better your health and/or the environment.  If you are having difficulties on reaching your goal, make some modifications, just don't give up.

Advocacy Project: Letter to Public Official

December 6, 2009
Senator Amy Klobuchar
United States Senate
302 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-2304

Senator Amy Klobuchar,

I am writing to you to vote yes to the H.R. 3688 bill, which encourages programs of health promotion and disease prevention.  Obesity is a rising epedemic in the United States and I feel we need to make aware the risks of this deadly disease and promote health strategies, so people can avoid becoming a sufferer.  According to the Alliance for Health Reform, 130 million people are obese in America and 1 in every 3 children are considered to be obese.  This trend needs to be stopped and turned around and I feel this bill can help do such.

It is also essential to recognize that people who are most prone to obestity are people who have low economic status and those of Hispanic and American Indian decent.  This bill offers specific help for these people who cannot afford gym passes or the resources needed when becoming a healthier person.  Free gym use and  available gyms in areas where obesity is abundant will help impede this inclination.

It is also significant to understand how obese people are affected by their situation.  Obese people face damaging effects on their socialization skills, cardiovascular difficulties, hypertension, sleep apnea, high blood pressure, diabetes, and the list goes on.  If a bill can help these people avoid those harmful concerns, why not we pass this bill and enhance our population to become healthier people?

I feel that it is extrememly important to put this bill into affect as soon as possible.  This bill will benefit society as a whole, by making exercising resources availble.  These available resources would incude improving or building gyms located in low income areas, free or very low cost gym passes, and gyms near bus lines.  By putting this bill into practice, the United States population's health will improve--both mentally and physically.  If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.  I appreciate your time.


Sincerely,


Paige Jokinen
(Contact Information)

Reflection: Weeks 11 & 12

WEEK 11

On Monday we had our Advocacy Issue Overview due.  I completed mine on a bill that wants to decrease the amount of children and adolescents that are overweight and obese.  The assignment took a lot of time, but it was very interesting going through the questions and finding related information on the internet.  During class on Monday we got into small groups and went through an exercise where we were given an object and had to think of some creative idea of what the object could be reused as.  It was very fun and quite amusing listening to the groups' ideas.  On Wednesday we had our Eco-Chic lifestyle post due as usual and on Friday we had our fourth quarter of our Reed 'n' Seed posts due.  I loved the book I read, but it was nice to finish it, since my homework load is getting heavy, as the semester is coming to an end.

WEEK 12

On Monday we had our Photo Essays due at the beginning of class.  Everyone then hooked up to MckLinkey hop on Dr. V's blog, then we took turns sharing our essays infront of the class.  I found this to be very interesting and eye opening.  I never knew so many people are actually junking when they don't even realize it!  Such as my dad--the Craig's List fanatic.  It was a very fun project.  On Wednesday, as always, we had our Eco-Chic Lifestyle update and unfortuneatly the Thanksgiving holiday got to me and I did not reach my goal as I intended to...bummer!!  But I am hoping this coming week will be better.

Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 9: Weekly Update

My SMART Goal:  is to exercise 3 times a week for at least 30 minutes, preferably engaging in an outside activity, but if the weather does not permit, then indoors.

Successes and Challenges:  This week I did not stick to my SMART goal as I intended to.  I was planning on exercising at least three times this week for thirty minutes a time, but I only went to the gym once.  This is the worst I have ever done with my SMART goal, what a shame.  A big challenge I faced was that it was Thanksgiving break for most of this week, which usually consists of eating lots, being lazy lots, sleeping lots, and shopping lots.  I thought I would at least get to the gym two or three times with my sister when I went back home for break, but we only ended up going once.  Although, if you count shopping for 8 hours straight (4AM to Noon) as a work-out, then you can add one more exercise onto the week.  My feet were so sore after and I totally passed out on the couch when I got home.  There were plenty of times when I could have went outside for a twenty minute run or went on a walk with my dog, but I was really pretty unmotivated since I was on vacation.

Feelings Experienced:  I felt like a bum basically all Thanksgiving break.  I ate too much and laid around too much, but it was awesome.  Although, getting to the gym on Sunday with my sister was a good switch up of things and ended up being very refreshing.  If shopping counts as exercise, I got 8 hours worth on Black Friday, but not sure if that is considered a work-out or not.

What I Learned:  That I should have incorporated a walk or two into my Thanksgiving break, because I had plenty of time to do so, and instead I just ended up laying on the couch most of the time and visiting with family.  It would have been better to go for a walk with my mom, dad, sisters, and cousins, instead of just sitting on our butts and chatting.

Plans for Next Week:  Next week is an extremely busy week school work wise.  I have two huge papers to complete, a take home final exam to start, two presentations, and a test!! Ah I'm getting stressed out just thinking about it.  Anyways, I plan to run or walk for at least twenty minutes three times next week.  I feel that this is important to do even though it is such a busy week, because exercising works as a stress reliever for me and it will be a nice break from working on school work.  I am hoping I do better this coming week!!

Share and Voice: Tips for Reducing Waste During the Thanksgiving and Winter Holidays

http://www.epa.gov/osw/wycd/funfacts/fall.htm


I couldn't believe how much trash my family produced at Thanksgiving dinner and there was only 12 of us!  I couldn't imagine how much trash the entire United States produced over the break.  EcoWorld states that since 1995 our winter holiday wastes have increased 20%.  Another interesting statistic found by EcoWorld was that if every family in the U.S. decreased their gas consumption by one gallon, 6.5 million tons of climate-changing carbon dioxide would be prevented from entering the air.  I thought it would be beneficial to learn some ways how to reduce waste during the Thanksgiving and winter holidays.  Some tips listed as:

*Make a committment to recyle-by doing so you are lessening the waste that accumulates in landfills
*Use grass clippings or shredded leaves for mulch.  You then can pile them around your shrubbery and pile degradable produce and food into the mix.
*Avoid plastic throw away dinner ware and paper napkins!!!  Use cloth napkins and a dinning set if you are hosting a party.  If there are decorations involved, save them and use them for next year.
*Save leftovers!!  Do not toss food that is not spoiled.  This saves you money and your time to prepare your meals.
*If the amount of left overs is small, compost these food scraps.
*Be sure to actually take the time to show your guests where to put the recylcing (paper, plastic, etc).  If they do not know where to recycle their item, it is far more likely that they will just toss it in the trash.
*Fill your dishwaster to capacity before running it--if you do not do so, it is a waste of water
*It is important to wash and reuse items that are brought to the party by guests.  Such as:  jars, cookie tins, dairy tubs, etc.  You can use these to place your leftovers in or use them as pen holders or decor for the house.
*Avoid putting food down the disposal that could clog the drain.  If not avoided, this could lead to damage of the pipes and send parts of your sink to the dump before their time.
*Buy food in bulks!!
*If you are traveling for the holidays be sure to turn down the thermostat and shut off all lights

Eye Opener: Photo Essay

I went back home to Plymouth over this Thanksgiving break and was trying to come up with a theme for this photo essay post.  My mom and I came up with the idea of going around the house and posting pictures of everything my dad has gotten from Craig's List.  I knew my dad was a big fan of sales off of Craig's List, but I didn't realize how much stuff he has bought or gotten for free off there!

Craig's List offers local classifieds and forums for jobs, housing, for sale, personals, services, local community, and events through an online website.















Here are some items my dad purchased (or got for free) off Craig's List...

My dad found a posting of free brand-new carpet.  He went to go pick it up, not knowing what to expect, and luckily it was in mint condition.  I guess the guy ordered too much when he was building his new house and wanted to get rid of it fast.  My dad put this carpet all throughout the first level of my parent's house, saving close to $1000!

A working dishwasher purchased for $50 dollars! 

When my dad went to go pick up the dishwasher, I guess the lady was in the process of remodeling and my dad saw this towel-holder in her trash.  He brought it home and my mom added the dragon fly designs and blue dots.  And I always thought it was from Target or something!

My mom found this really expensive mirror that she wanted to buy and hang over the couch, but my dad said it'd be a waste of money and that he can find something just as good, on the one and only, Craig's List.  This mirror was only $15 bucks, rather than the $200 mirror my mom wanted to buy!

Chair off Craig's List for $30 bucks

Four snow tires for $75 bucks...if purchased from a tire store it would have been around $320.  Sure, they aren't brand spanking new, but they work!

Found and bought on Craig's List.  Spent $5,100 on this 2002 Subaru Impreza wrx, instead of a new 2009 Subaru Impreza wrx anywhere from $24,995-27,995.

This post shows that "one man's junk is another man's treasure."  Sure, all of these items have been used before, but why not use them again? By doing so you are helping our planet and your wallet.  It is so important to reuse items instead of buying them new, because you are keeping useable goods and materials out of the dump, you are lessening the waste that is piling up on Earth, decreasing the number of fossil fuels produced when the new products are made, lowering air and water pollution,  and you are saving your money!

Read 'n' Seed 5: Fourth Quater of 100 Mile Diet

CHAPTERS AND PAGES: 

I read chapters December, January and Feburary, which led me up to the last page 252.

MAIN TOPICS:

*In December a main point the narrators highlighted was that when Alisa went to visit her grandmother, she was fed microwaved pasta and accepted it.  It was the first food not included in the diet and she almost vomitted because she wasn't used to the processed ingredients and taste, but choked it down to make her grandmother happy.
*In January the couple finds a resturaunt near by their home and figures out that everything sold there is completely locally grown.  They love the food so much, that they even try the beef there and love it.  It was their first time eating beef in countless years, since they have been vegetarians up until then.
*In Feburary the couple is invited to a wedding in Mexico.  While there, the couple realizes how the locals of Mexico eat and realize there needs to be a huge change in the way America's food organizations and distributors are organized.
*The couple also brings about the fact that by going on this diet made them realize what foods are seasonal and when they are optimal
*At the end of the book, the couple emphasize that they hope this story influences people to try to go on the localized diet, or try to mainly buy localized products to stop the big corporations from taking over.

SIGNIFICANT THINGS LEARNED:

*I decided to google how this book influenced the way food stores and markets changed after this book came out.  I found a website that found out that serveral farmers, gardeners, and food producers began offering services to deliver produce or urban farming or gardening services in the Vancouver area.  It just goes to show that once an important issue is made aware to the people of the public, that even if it's only a few people who make changes, we are still making our way to a large societal change.
*This section of the book also made aware that the average person in the United States meals consists of at least 1500 miles (at each ingrediant.)
*The January chapter brought about the idea why it can be a challenge to provide local food to consumers, such as:
-Weather conditions
-Seasonal foods
-Expensive
-Do not have machinary, so have to hand pick most produce-can be time consuming
*On the positive side, they also list some advantages for eating locally:
-help local economy
-locally grown food is almost always better for you and also tastes better
-Reduce global warming
-Local produce is much fresher
-Better for air quality and pollution
-More variety when eating local food
-Local fruits and veggies have longer to ripen

WHY SHOULD WE CARE??

*Like I've said plenty times, we should care about this to realize that huge food corporations are steadily taking over America's food corportion and distribution center.
*By eating locally we are reducing our carbon footprint, by lessening the amount of foods that have to travel over sea to reach our plate.
*By eating locally we are avoiding processed foods, which in reality we are watching out for our health and reducing our chance of obesity and preventable health related diseases such as heart disease and hypertension.

Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 8: My SMART Goal

My SMART goal:  To get outside 3 times a week and engage in an activity for at least 30 minutes, such as biking, hiking, running, sledding, etc.

Successes and Challenges:  This week I faced a big weather challenge.  It has been really rainy for the past couple days and getting chilly out quick.  I got outside on Saturday and ran with my boyfriend for a half hour, but other than that I did not get outside.  Although, I decided to use the UMD gym and that was a great workout.  I ran on the treadmill and went on the eliptical and ended up being there for over an hour.  I also had a very busy weekend and week with a heavy load of homework, so that could be another reason why I didn't reach my goal this week.

Feelings Experienced:  As I have said over and over, whenever I exercise I always feel very refreshed!  I also enjoyed exercising indoors, which usually I do not do, but was a good change of things.  I was feeling pretty overwhelmed this week with homework, so getting outside wasn't number one on my priority list, even though it is an important factor of my week.

What did I learn:  I learned that some weeks are going to be busier than others, so you have to prioritize.  I also realized that I should have sat down with my planner and scheduled times and specific days of when I was going to exercise, since I was having a very busy week.  I also found out I do not like running in the rain!!!  I heard from a friend that she enjoys it much, but not me.

Plans for next week:  I figured that it is best for me to exercise indoors (unless it is nice out) until the snow comes.  I looked at the weather for the upcoming week and it looks like all rain!!  Boo.  Also, I think I may have some motivation problems on Thanksgiving Day, so I realize I most likely won't have the guts to get my butt off the couch and outside.  Since I am spending the next five days back home, I am planning to hit up the gym with my sister, since she usually goes a couple times a week.

Happy Thanksgiving break everyone!!

Advocacy Project: Issue Overview

INTRODUCTION

What is the problem?  That we need to promote health and reduce chronic disease associated with weight and diet.  Even more so, to reduce the proportion of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese.
What current legislation has been proposed to address this?  H.R. 3688 To encourage programs of health promotion or disease prevention.

WHO IS AFFECTED BY THE ISSUE?

Who is affected the most?  Statistics show that 1 out of 3 children in the United States are obese, according to KidsHealth, so just there a raging 33% of our population is being affected by this problem.  WordPress Blog states minority women are known to have a higher risk of becoming obese, rather than non-hispanic women.  And according to redOrbit, a study found almost 13 percent of Asian children were obese, along with 16 percent of whites, almost 21 percent of blacks, 22 percent of Hispanics, and 31 percent of American Indians.

Who loses and what do they lose?
In association with the above informaiton, people of American Indian, Hispanic and African American decent lose the most.  Also, people with low econmonic statuses lose too, because as we saw in class, wealth and health have a very positive correlation.  People with little money may lose their hope at staying healthy if they do not have the funds to do so.
Who wins and what do they win?
People with high statuses and wealth are more likely to "win" in this situation.  Wealthy people have the resources and opportunities that the poor do not.  As statistics show, people of Asian and White decent are more likely to win too.  They win the hope that being able to overcome a health problem because they have attainable resources and they also have the hope that they will not become obese since the statistics are low in their decent.

WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE ISSUE?

For the people mostly affected?
As American Academy of Pediatrics indicates, consequences of obesity in children list as: negative effects on their socialization, cardiovascular difficulties, hypertension, glucose intolerance, sleep apnea, hyperlipidemia, high blood pressure and diabetes.
For their families?
Families dealing with their obese children may have to spend their income on medical bills and may not have medical coverage.  It is also important to highlight that if one person in the family is a victim of obesity, it is very likely the others in the family have high risk of becoming a victim of that disease, as well.
For society?
Society is always spending millions of dollars engaging in research dealing with obesity in children and trying to campaign healthy eating habits.  For example, the National Cancer Organization spends 1 million dollars on their Eat 5 Servings a day campaign.  Society also have to pay with their tax dollars treatment plans for the obese and even medications.

WHAT IS THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF THE ISSUE?

What are the economic costs of the issue and who bears them?
-According to CDC, the commonality of obesity has a very overwhelming impact on the US health care system.  It is known that medical costs associated with weight problems, may include direct or indirect costs.  Direct costs are known as: preventive, diagnostic, and treatment services related to obesity. Indirect costs relate to morbidity and mortality costs.
-Research shows that 9.1% of total US medical expenses are due to obesity issues, that is $92.6 billion dollars.
-All US citizens who pay taxes and insurance bear these costs. 
What are the economic benefits of this issue and who benefits?
-Since obesity is becoming a well known deadly disease, more prevention campaigns are evolving, making it aware to people that this is a very serious issue that must be avoided at all costs.
-People on the way to obesity greatly benefit when they see these campaigns.  This type of information gets them to open their eyes and reach out for help, and also gives them the motivation that they can succeed.

WHAT IS THE SOCIAL IMPACT OF THE ISSUE?

What are the social costs of the issue and who bears these costs?
There are many negative social impacts of the issue as Natural Weight Loss states, such as children who are obese don't seem to socialize as much, they get made fun of more, and usually have very low self esteem.  It is also important to realize that obese people are usually labled as being lazy, which in some cases is not the problem.  Parents of children tend to bear these costs, and sadly, the children themselves.
What are the social benefits of the issue and who benefits?
One important benefit of this issue is that fast food resturaunts are starting to offer healthier meals and are making sure to list the nutrition facts.  It is great that resturaunts are actually setting aside the time to alter their meals and add options for the consumer.

WHAT ARE THE BARRIERS?

What are the barriers to addressing this issue?
-This is a lifelong treament
-According to Science Direct, barriers can include lack of recognition of obesity as a chronic condition, low socioeconomic status, time constraints, intimate saboteurs, and a wide range of comorbidities including mental health, sleep, chronic pain, musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive and endocrine disorders.
How can they be overcome?
-To make the public aware of all the health problems associated with obesity!!!  It is so important to get the information there, because if society does not have any knowledge on this topic, they will not address their ways.

WHAT ARE THE RESOURCES?

What resources will we need to address this issue?
We will need advertisment campaigns, posterboards, forums, group meetings, maybe start a "avoid obesity club", and I think it is important to put reliable statistics and studies out to the public, to show how real this issue has become.
Where and how can they be tapped?
I think it is most important to get these resources out and about on college campuses, because that tends to be the time when some students start to lack nutritious foods and dwindle in their exercises.  I feel that addressing this issue in doctor's offices would be beneficial, as well.

WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF THIS ISSUE?
What is the history of this issue in the community?
The rate of obesity in the US has been rising over the past years.  It has always been somewhat of an issue, but since recent times, it has turned into quite a problem.
What past effort was made to address this?
-Resturaunts have alterned menus
-Health classes highlight the issues relating to obesity
-Improving school lunches
-Maintaining gym classes at school
What were the results?
They have all helped some, but it doesn't seem like these efforts have stopped the rise of obesity in America.  If we keep bringing forth our efforts, I feel that hopefully we can turn this trend around and become a healthy America again.

ALLIES AND OPPONENTS

Who would support this issue?
I don't see why anyone would not want to support this issue.  It benefits society as a whole and if the rise of obesity can be decreased, I think any person in general would want that.  I feel that families with obese children would be the biggest supports and also people in the medical and health profession.
Who would oppose this issue?
I would say just the people who don't want to spend money on campaign ads and other resources to bring this change about.

MY RECOMMENDATION
I totally support the idea of trying to reduce the proportions of children who are overweight and obese, even if I have to give a little more tax dollars to the government, because in the end it will benefit sociey all together.

Reflection: Weeks 9 & 10

Week 9

On Monday during class we learned about what advocacy was through three class presentations based on the three readings that were due at class time.  Two of the groups did a skit and the other group gave a pretty thorough presentation.  I really enjoyed being involved in the skit and watching the other skit, because it gave me a visual image and scenario that I could relate advocacy to.  I'd recommend making a skit relating to advocacy a course project, rather than just listening to someone explain the reading...just my opinion though! 

Also we had a advocacy project due at class time, which brought about our political representatives and their contact information.  On Wednesday, as usual, we had our weekly update of our Eco-Chi Lifestyle change, which mine is getting outside three times a week.  I reached my goal successfully, thanks to the beautiful weather we had throughout the week.  On Friday we had our third quater of our reed 'n' seed due.  I think this post was much better than my previous reed 'n' seed posts, because it was more concise and I just highlighted the main topics.

Week 10

On Monday we watched a clip from the documentary series called "Unnatural Causes".  The part that we watched was about health and wealth and how they correlated.  I loved this movie!!  I did not know the correlation between the two was so great, and this video gave me great insight to why the association seems to be true.  It seems that people who are poor have such a hard time dealing with medical costs, health problems, housing factors, and even getting food on the table.  This was a big eye opener that something needs to be done in America to get universal health care, so people can sleep easier at night.  I also thought itw as crazy that the United Statse spends 3 trillion dollars (if I remember right) on medical services a year, but we are bumber 30 on the list of the healthiest countries.  That is crazy!  We should learn from other countires and get on track.  During the movie we got to snack on delcious banana apple bread that was brought in by Danielle.  It was soooo good!!! 

Dr. V also went over the Photo Essay an the basics dealing with that assigment.  From what I've heard, it seems like this is going to be a pretty fun assignment.  Our advocacy project dealing with healthy people and THOMAS was due at class time on Monday and I decided to pick a goal dealing with obesity and nutrition.  On Wednesday we also had a lifestyle change update, and I just gave a summary of how I have been reaching my goal.  It's been a good two weeks and I can't wait for the junking project on Monday...hopefully I can think of something creative!  Have a good weekend!

Share and Voice: What is Earth Day?

I was looking through my planner the other day and it listed April 22nd as "Earth Day" and I had no idea what this holiday was all about.  I decided to search the web and figure out what is Earth Day and how it evolved.

*Earth Day was created to inspire awareness and appreciation for our planet.  It was actually founded by a U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson from Wisconsin.  After the holiday was set in stone, a symbol was created November 7, 1969 to represent Earth Day which looked like this....

*The symbol is a combination of the letters "E" and "O", standing for Environment and Organism

*Earth Day mainly came about because of the increasing worriness about environmental crisises, so a national day was put in affect to talk about environmental problems.

*In 1999, as the millennium was nearing, a campaign was put into effect on Earth Day that focused on global warming and a push for clean energy.

*On the first Earth Day in 1970 a Earth Day Network was put into action where activists can connect change in local, national, and global policies.  This network reaches over 17,000 organizations in 174 countries.

*Why April 22nd? This date was chosen because people thought that it wasn't a busy time in the year for students (final exams weren't nearing) and wanted to teach these students about cirtical factors dealing with the environment.  There was also no spring breaks that needed to be worried about, and it was late enough in the spring months that there would be pretty good weather.  It was also decided that Wednesday would be a best day because it was mid-week, and most students would most likely be attendants in their classes.

*The main point of this holiday is to foster appreciation of the Earth's environment and become aware of the issues that threaten it.

*If one would like to become involved in Earth Day, your school would be a good place to contact, since they usually have some kind of environmental meeting or volunteering program on the holiday.

Share and Voice: Go Green! Advantages of Reusable Bags

http://www.helium.com/items/976541-go-green-benefits-of-reusable-bags

After reading Mal's Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Update, I wanted to find out what are some specific advantages of using resusable bags.  Unfortunately, I have still not bought any of these, but now after this article it really gives me a kick in the butt that I should get some!!  Some of the advantages were listed as...

*Plastic bags are made from harmful, non-renewable resources.
*These non-renewable resources are already being consumed in large amounts (ex: fuel for automobiles), so if people lessen their use of plastic bags, non-renewable resources could be lessened.
*Only 0.6 percent of bags are recycled
*Every year people throw away over 100 billion plastic bags
*Most of the bags don't even make it to the landfill because many get caught in the wind, then these get caught in trees, sewers, gutters, and waterways.  This unfortuneately has created a huge pile of plastic bags floating in the Pacific Ocean, known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, which is double the size of Texas and still growing
*This Great Pacific Garbage Patch causes great hazzards for ocean animals
*"267 marine species had suffered from some kind of ingestion or entanglement with marine debris"
*Plastic bags are not only hazzardous to animals, but can be hazzardous to children as well.  There is an average of 25 deaths a year who died of suffocation due to plastic bags, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and 90% of the deaths were under the age of one.

Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 7: Weekly Update

My SMART Goal:  To get outside 3 times a week, for at least 30 minutes each time.  For example running, walking, rollerblading, sledding, hiking etc.

Successes and Challenges:  I was successful this week and got outside 3 times.  I went on two walks and played tennis today with my roommate.  Although one challenge I faced was that the weather was rather chilly this weekend.  My sisters came up for the weekend, so we decided to bundle up and go walk around down in canal.  We probably walked around for about 30 minutes, but no more since it was quite chilly.  The scenary was so pretty though!  Other than that, I did not face any other challenges, since there hasn't been much rain lately, in comparison to last month.

Feelings Experienced:  Even though most of the days I exercised outdoors were chilly, that did not make me stop going outside to exercise.  I put on a scarf, mittens and even a hat one day.  I felt a little funny, but I when I saw other people running outside that were bundled up, I didn't feel as weird.  Like I have said before in my previous posts, I feel refreshed every time I go outside and exercise.

What I Learned This Week:  I learned that if you have company from out of town it is a great idea for them to get outside and enjoy the beautiful scenary of duluth (esp if they are from the cities), instead of just bumming around in your house all weekend.  It is a great way to "bond", have company while exercising, and it is much healthier than sitting on your butt all weekend stuffing yourself with junk food (which my sisters and I usually do).

Plans for Next Week:  I know the weather is getting cold, but I am still hoping to get outside 3 times a week.  If the weather gets way cold, I plan on exercising indoors, but we'll see what happens.  I also figure that I should start going on runs and walks during the day, because at night it is much more chilly.

Hope everyone's week has been running smoothly!

Advocacy Project: Healthy People/THOMAS

Goal: Promote health and reduce chronic disease associated with weight and diet


Objective: Reduce the proportion of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese.

*Progress Quotient Chart: This chart showed that children from 6-11 years old 83% of them moved away from the target and children ranging from 12-19 years old 83% moved away from target, as well.

*Unfortunately, no objectives in this focus area have been met or surpassed their goals.

*Food security (19-18) was the only objective that moved toward its target for which the change was statistically significant. "Food security" is defined as household members having access at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life. This objective aims to increase food security among U.S. households from a baseline of 88 percent in 1995 to a target of 94 percent in 2010.

*Challenges: There are countless challenges dealing with this goal and objective.  The food in the United States is more abundant than ever and the sizes of meals are increasing.  Another obstacle to overcome is that our country is becoming extremely sedentary.  It is important to realize that healthy food may cost more, but the nutrients in that food are priceless.  Also people may not have the resources needed to get access to a fitness center.

*It is important to heighten the amounts of healthy foods consumed, such as fruits, whole grains, and vegetables.  However, people who do not regularly eat this these types of foods may feel that these products do not taste as good, the price may be higher, and they may not be at convience for the shoppers.

*Seven objectives are aimed at encouraging healthful eating patterns:
-They address fruit, vegetable, and grain product intake (19-5, 19-6, and 19-7)
-saturated and total fat intake (19-8 and 19-9)
-total sodium and calcium intake (19-10 and 19-11).
*The data dealing with the above facotrs were not available to an idea up updated esimates on the percentage of the population that does meet these specific food intakes.  The assessment of progress in relation to the targets was not possible for this report because a second day of diet recall data on survey respondents was not available from the most recent national dietary intake survey, the 1999–2002 NHANE.

Emerging issues: Surgeries are coming about as treatment options, but there are health risks involved dealing with these major surgeries and they need to be evaluted and compared with the benefits.  Data needs to be collect to monitor medical care and the quality of assurance.

*It is also important to realize that prevention instead of treatment could be the best option in turning around the commonality of obesity in America.  It is critical that society will unite together to give hope to people fighting this deathly state of being.  There is still much overweight progress that needs to get done before 2010.


HR 3688 IH To Encourage Programs of Health Promotions or Disease Prevention. (Introduced to the House)


Title:  For purposes of subsection (a), a program of health promotion or disease prevention (referred to in this subsection as a `wellness program') shall be a program that is designed to promote health or prevent disease that meets the applicable requirements of this subsection.


Sponsor: Rep Michael Arcuri, Introduced October 1st 2009, Cosponsors Mr. BUYER, Mr. CASTLE, Mr. POLIS of Colorado, Mr. DONNELLY of Indiana, and Mr. DEAL of Georgia


Latest Major Action:  1st session in the House of Representatives 10/1/09

Recommendation: Vote Yes for HR 3688 To encourage programs of health promotion or disease prevention

Read 'n' Seed 4: Third Quater of "100 Mile Diet"

Chapters and Pages:

I read chapters September, October and November, which led me up to page 193.


Main Topics:

*Throughout these three chapters it continues to bring up the idea that the couple could barely find anything in their neighborhood's grocery stores and relied greatly on Farmers' Markets.  The story goes in depth about the foods they were able to find there and the experiences that go along with their trips to the Markets.
*Main foods that they could not eat (because they couldn't be found within the 100 mile radius) were cooking oils, rice and sugar, which they found to be very challenging, because before this lifestyle change Alisa stated that they would have rice with their meals at least three or four times a week.
*The couple also highlights that before this book the couple started writing entries about their experiences and feelings of the 100 Mile Diet on Tyee.
*The most common food Alisa and her husband bought from the Famers' Markets were root vegetables, corn, berries, chicken, seafood and chicken.
*The September harvest provided them with peppers, eggplant, grapes, melons, and tomatoes, which added more flavor to their meals.  Since they knew winter was coming, they tried to save and freeze some of these items, so they could last throughout the cold months.
*In November the couple faced family problems and the husband totally stopped engaging in the 100 Mile Diet, but got back on track after a week or so.

Significant Things Learned and New Terminology:

*Within these three chapters the couple uses a new word called locavore, which is the definition of a person who eats only locally grown food that is usually grown 50, 100, or 150 miles away from their home.
*I should also mention that this couple actually started their own website called The 100 Mile Diet: Local Eating for Global Change.  If you visit the website it will give the reader tips on how to eat locally, what their book is about, gives a URL to their blog, and local resources that one can become familiar with.
*During the chapter of November, I realized that even after 9 months of being successful with a goal, that one trigger or bad incident can influence failure to reach that goal.  I thought the couple would have much more troubles in the beginning and that once they got in the swing of things, they would never want to leave their new lifestyle.  But it just goes to show that even after maintaining a goal of 9 months, challenges may still come up in the future and will have to make modifications to get back on track.


Why Should We Care About This:

*Like I have said before in my previous posts, this book makes aware how important it is to eat locally.  First of all, almost all of local foods are more nutritious and taste better.  It is also critical for people to realize that by buying local food you are making a change, because locally grown food is environmentally safe.  This is because most food found in grocery stores are shipped to the corporation, causing more fossil fuels to pollute the air.
*The book brings about the idea that there needs to be a "collaborative effort to build more locally based, self-reliant food economies-one in which sustainable food production, processing, distribution, and consumption is integrated to enhance the economic, environmental and social health of a particular place."
*I feel that it is important for people to understand that the population needs to start buying food from local systems so that global corporations do not keep gaining more and more power.
*It is also vital to know that there are drastic quality characteristics in comparison to local markets and big food corporations, being the product of the food and the way the food is being produced.

People shopping at a farmer's market

Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 6: Weekly Update

SMART Goal:  To engage in an outdoor activity three times a week, such as running, biking, playing tennis, etc.

Successes & Challenges:  This week I did not face many challenges.  I did not have a huge homework load, my work hours were slim, and the weather was beautiful!!  I got outside 3 times this week.  I went for 2 night runs, and when I went home to Plymouth this weekend, my boyfriend and I walked around Minneapolis for over an hour, which was super fun!!  I was going to take some pictures but my camera was dead and I forgot to bring my charger :(  The only challenge I faced this week was late last week when I didn't want to get my butt out of bed.  I told myself that if I go for a run, afterwards I can catch up with Desperate Housewives online, and that made me get going.

Feelings Experienced:  I feel so great after I am done running or walking.  It is very refreshing and my body feels so good afterwards.  I have realized I love running and walking outside when it is night time, rather than during the day.

What I Learned This Week:  That once I got into the groove of things of regularly exercising, I now cannot see myself not doing this even after this class is over.  I also have figured out what what I enjoy doing best and to give myself a small reward if I am feeling lazy to get outside.

Plans for Next Week:  To stay ontop of my lifestyle change, even though I have a lot of projects to work on next week.  When I feel like I am getting really busy with school work and think I don't have the time to get outside, I am just going to try to remember the feeling I get when I am done running and that will hopefully motivate me to get outside!

These are some of the sites we saw while we walked around Minneapolis....

The Gold Medal Flour Mill

Cherry and Spoon Sculpture

A view of MPLS at night