As we wrap up the end of the semester, it was interesting to read about the importance of healthcare in the final chapter. Right away, the text emphasizes that the health care industry is advancing and becoming more refined than ever before. With its sophistication, causes individuals to be more aware of the complexity when purchasing its products and services. I found it interesting to read about when to seek medical treatment. Learning about self-care is not only cost-effective, but it also saves a trip to the doctor’s office or clinic. However, there are times that one should seek medical care when the illness or injury occurs. Some common forms of self-care include proper use of over-the-counter remedies, eating a healthy diet, and assessing health care information resources and only using well-known health books and websites. There are many at-home diagnostic kits are available for allergies, HIV, pregnancy, and many other conditions. It’s important to realize the times when you need to seek help, which include accidents that include extreme bleeding or inability to use the injured body, sudden fever over 102 degrees fahrenheit, or trauma to the head or spine along with blurred headache, loss of consciousness or persistent headaches. 

(Donatelle, 2019, p. 350)

It was interesting to read about energy therapies, which focuses on energy fields thought to originate either within the body or other sources. However, these fields have not been experimentally proven. The energy fields include acupressure, qigong, and acupuncture. Acupressure is based on energy flow such as qi, and applies pressure. In traditional chinese medicine, qigong is a technique that brings movement, meditation, and regulation of breathing together, which increases the flow of qi. Acupuncture is one of the most popular TCM therapies, and one of the oldest In this therapy, small needles are precisely placed to various parts of the body to relieve a wide variety of health conditions. Even though I am not a big fan of needles, it would be interesting to try out acupuncture. I would definitely want to go with someone so I didn’t have to face the needles all alone. 

(Donatelle, 2019, p. 363)

Lastly, an important topic while reading this chapter was the issue facing the health care system. The Affordable Care Act was passed in 2010, which was designated to provide a means for all Americans to obtain health care that would be affordable. One issue that arises from this act is the cost of health care. Insurance systems add to America’s high health care costs by increasing consolidation. Within the private health insurance market, only four companies dominate with a total of 83 percent. I was unaware that reduced competition promotes higher premiums because the affordable insurance depends on rivalry within the market. Even with the ACA in place, many health professionals still believe the health care system in the U.S has failed and therefore, should be replaced. I took a course in Healthcare in the U.S, and from that course, and from reading this chapter, I learned how important it is to understand the health care system we are using, and that we aren’t just getting a health plan that we don’t understand and the small details associated with health insurance plans. The text advises people to read the compiled evidence on what is and isn’t working in the health care system, and to base our decisions on how to improve the health care delivery in the U.S, leaving our biased opinions. 

(Donatelle, 2019, p. 367)

Health Aspect:

I had an overall good, but busy weekend. I went into the city yesterday and enjoyed a nice night out, going ice skating (my favorite) and then going to Eataly. I ordered pastries that were delicious, but were a bit expensive. Today, I went out to lunch with my family, and ordered a margarita pizza that was very tasty and ended up doing homework for the rest of the day. I have to study for the final lab practical that is on Tuesday, and I am getting nervous about finals. I know it is important to not stress and to prepare the best I can for when finals begin. I am excited for break and getting the chance to spend time with family. However, I need to finish strong, ending the semester so I can enjoy the time off. I want to continue my goals of running while on break, and continuing on exercising at home. Even though the last couple of days I haven’t been eating healthy, I want to get back into the swing of healthy meals now that I am done celebrating my birthday with family and friends. Best of luck to everyone on finals and I have loved reading the blogs during the semester. Great job everyone! 

Chapter 14 discussed many topics that are relevant to our world today. While reading this chapter, it was interesting to learn more about air pollution, which is the existence of suspended particles and vapors in the air. It was striking to read that not only living creatures and toxic by-products polluted the air, but natural events also are a factor. There are two types of air pollutants which include naturally occurring and anthropogenic. Naturally occurring pollutants include ash from volcanic eruptions, which are particulate matter and anthropogenics are caused by stationary and mobile sources. Stationary sources include factories and power plants, while mobile sources include vehicles. The brownish haze, known as smog, is produced by the photochemical reaction of sunlight with nitrogen compounds, hydrocarbons, and other gases in vehicle exhaust. Although I don’t remember the air quality in China, my parents recalled how bad the smog was that flights would often be delayed because there was low to no visibility. The effects of smog are harmful to people, which include difficulty breathing, burning eyes, and nausea. It’s crazy to wrap my head around how bad the air quality is in China, and seeing pictures is saddening because it’s affecting billions of people who live in China. 

(Donatelle, 2019, p. 334)

A different type of pollution affecting the environment is land pollution, in forms of solid waste and hazardous waste. I was not aware of how much solid waste a person generates and reading that it’s 4.5 pounds is shocking. As a whole, 258 million tons of trash is generated each year, and 34.6 percent of all municipal solid waste is recycled or composted. There are many strategies to reduce solid waste, which include source reduction and recycling. Source reduction is a type of waste prevention in which it is altering the design, use, or manufacture of products and materials. Recently, communities have made it an effort to ban the use of plastic bags, which are harmful to the environment because they are made from nonbiodegradable petroleum. I went into the city yesterday and when I was in the self-checkout at CVS, the computer had asked me if I used any plastic bags, and was going to charge me for the bags I used. However, I was purchasing a water and did not need a bag. I think it’s important for the city and other communities to do this to prevent the use of plastic bags, and to emphasize the importance of utilizing reusable bags. Recycling is another way to reduce waste in which it’s the sorting, collecting, and processing of materials to be reused in a new product. Whenever I am finished using a product, such as a soda can, or paper, I always make it a conscious effort to recycle that item. I always use my hydroflask to prevent myself to drinking from plastic water bottles and it also saves me money in the process. 

(Donatelle, 2019, p. 342)

Lastly, I liked reading about the mindfulness module, where I was able to find ways where I mindful when it came to the environment and sustainability. I was able to read up on what environmental mindfulness means and I learned that it’s about realizing that the earth is not just merely a “thing”, but more importantly, it’s our home, it’s a giver of life that we need to protect in order to be healthy and to give the opportunity to future generations to live and grow, much like we are able to do now. The text emphasized that we need to learn not to be selfish, and to connect with what’s happening around us. Learning to live in a sustainable way can be tricky, but with time and effort, our actions make a life time difference for yourself and those around us. During this semester, I was a part of the Sustainability LLC, where we learned what food waste entailed, prepped and cooked a Vegan Thanksgiving, and the members of the LLC joined together for a Campus Cleanup. During the clean up, we picked up msw waste and recycled products. After the event was over, I felt as though I had made a positive impact on the environment, making it a cleaner place to live. I was happy that I could do my part in the community and eliminate the trash that was surrounding not only the campus, but the environment. 

(Donatelle, 2019, p. 335)

Health Aspect:

Last week, I was able to squeeze in one gym session. I went on the stair climber and lifted for a short time. I had many assignments I wanted to get done, and had checked off a lot before I went home for the night on Thursday into Friday. I celebrated my birthday on Friday, but had a stressful morning at the RMV. I drove back to school to go to my staff meeting, where we picked schedules for next semester. It’s crazy how time flies and this semester went by in a snap of a finger. I had a nice dinner out with my friends to celebrate my birthday. With only three days left in the semester class wise, I am very stressed, but I am trying not to psych myself out and just work through each assignment one at a time. 

While reading chapter 13, there were many topics that stood out to me as being important in order to keep ourselves and peers safe in the community. I liked that the chapter covered ways on how to avoid becoming a victim of violence. Learning to use social networking platforms in a safe manner is an important one to follow. It’s important to learn that posting personal information can potentially put you at risk for identity theft and can be a threat to your personal life. The text also warns readers about the consequences of posting negative messages about employers, resulting in individuals being fired because of messages that were posted publicly on Facebook and Twitter. When I was allowed to make a Facebook, my parents cautioned me that once something is posted on social media is permanently out there for others to view, share and keep for themselves. They also made it clear not to talk to strangers online because of the risk of putting myself in danger. I think it is important not only for younger audiences on social media to be careful, but for anyone who chooses to use social networking platforms because any of the negative consequences can happen to anyone, regardless of age. 

(Donatelle, 2019, p. 320)

Another important topic I learned while reading this chapter was the campus and community response to violence. Preventing and initiating early response efforts to campus safety is an important aspect while living on a college campus. It was interesting to learn that many campuses are reviewing their effectiveness of emergency messages. I was able to see similarities from the text about the campus environment and our campus here at Bridgewater State University. On our campus, we have blue lights located all around campus that have an emergency button to notify the police that there is danger in that area if someone were to push the button, street lights when it gets dark, and 24/7 security in first year dorms. There is also security in other residents halls from 5pm-2am. Having these resources on campus makes me feel safe while living on campus. With the street lamps on at night, I am able to walk back to my dorm after a late night shift. Even though our campus is safe, I am still always aware of my surroundings, in such ways that I am not glued to my phone when I am walking late at night and when I am listening to music, I am still able to hear what’s going on around me. 

(Donatelle, 2019, p. 322)

The last topic that I found interesting to read about and the most important was what distracted driving entails. There are four types of distracted driving that include hearing something not related to driving, looking at something other than the road, doing something other than having your hands on the steering wheel, and thinking about something else other than driving. It was interesting to learn that 76 percent of distracted driving resulted in rear-end crashes, that roughly 550,000 passenger vehicles are driven by individuals using cell phones to text and that distracted driving triples an individual’s risk of getting into a crash. Currently, only 46 states out of 50 have banned texting while driving, while 14 states have banned all handheld cell phone use at anytime while driving. Whenever I’m in the car with my mom on the highway, it makes me angry, but also worried that drivers who are texting are putting their life and others in danger by using the phone or texting going 60 MPH. 

(Donatelle, 2019, p. 324)

Health Aspect 

This past week I wasn’t able to make it to the gym, however, while I was home for Thanksgiving break, I went on the elliptical as a way to get in my cardio. I choose a twenty minute program that already installed on the elliptical, and it makes me overall feel better because I am getting myself moving, rather than just sitting around in my house. This Thanksgiving, my family decided to go out to Legal Seafood, and it was very busy in the restaurant. I ordered a salmon bowl and a cup of lobster bisque. I guess many other families had the same idea and did not want to make a mess in their kitchen and have the convenience of someone else cooking their dinner. Going out was something different, but I think next year we will do Thanksgiving at my house again. 

Chapter 12 discussed many topics dealing with infectious conditions. These conditions ranged from bacterial infections to the different types of sexually transmitted diseases. While reading this chapter, it was interesting to read about what pneumonia entails. I am aware that pneumonia involves the lungs, but I never knew that the chronic coughs, chills, and a high fever were the  result of viruses, fungi, chemicals, or other substances in the lungs. For those who have pneumonia or people they know who have it, it is important to know that bacterial pneumonia responds promptly in the early stages to antibiotic treatment. However, if not treated immediately, pneumonia can cause respiratory failure. A few weeks ago, one of my friends had been sick for almost a month. When he finally went to the Wellness Center, they told him he had to go to Urgent Care right away to get an X-ray. He found out that he had pneumonia and was put on antibiotics. During the flu season, it is especially important to go to the doctor’s when you don’t feel well, even if it results in a simple cold. I think it’s important to utilize the Wellness Center here on campus because it is important to take care of our health while attending school. It’s a relief to know that my friends are healthy, and that he didn’t prolong his wait to the Wellness Center. 

(Donatelle, 2019, p. 287)

Another interesting topic I learned was reading about tick-borne bacterial diseases, such as lyme disease and ehrlichiosis. Lyme disease is characterized by symptoms such as a rash or bull’s eyes lesions, blindness, chronic arthritis, and sometimes no symptoms at all. Humans and pets are targets to tick-borne bacterial diseases and occur in many regions in the United States. The symptoms of ehrlichiosis are characterized by flu like symptoms, in which many progress quickly to respiratory difficulties and worst of all, death. If this disease is caught early, antibiotics can be administered to prevent any serious threats. Whenever my family takes my dogs out to the park, we always check for ticks hiding in the fur. It’s a relief when there aren’t any on them, but when we do find a tick, my Dad takes a pair of tweezers and plucks them out. Additionally, we put tick collars on my dogs to protect them from ticks. My parents are always reminding me to wear long socks when I go hiking to protect myself from ticks. 

(Donatelle, 2019, p. 287)

Lastly, it was interesting to learn about antibiotic resistance. When we think about antibiotics, we think about how they are supposed to eliminate bacteria that are prone to them. However, many antibiotics are becoming impotent against resistant strains of bacteria. Before reading this chapter, I was unaware that antibiotic resistance is on the rise, which is something that is surprising to me. This rise is caused by many factors, such as improper use of antibiotics and the misuse of soaps and other cleaning products. A major contributor of antibiotic resistance is dumping unused prescriptions down the toilet, which causes water to become contaminated and soil. According to the CDC, an astonishing 150 million written antibiotic prescriptions were reported unnecessary. The negative consequence of these unnecessary prescriptions resulted in bacterial strains that are tougher than the drugs that are used to fight combat them. Another contributor of antibiotic resistance misusing and overusing antibacterial soaps or other cleaning products. Cleaning product companies often use people’s fears of germs and diseases as a way to add unnecessary antibacterial ingredients to their products. However, it is difficult to assess the overall resistance because the germs may become stronger than they were before and the products may not kill all of them. I know during the flu season, many people are extra cautious when washing their hands, and cleaning everything they touch. However, it can be overwhelming constantly washing our hands and constantly using hand sanitizer every moment. But like many say, a little can go a long way and sometimes too much isn’t necessarily the best. 

(Donatelle, 2019, p. 297)

Health Aspect:
I had a better week than I did last week, which makes me overall happier. I mapped out what assignments, projects and final exams are due, which makes me a little overwhelmed, but allows me to get a head start now. I’m trying to not stress myself out about everything and truly am taking life day by day, working hard in school, spending time with friends, and taking good care of my body by going to the gym. This past week I have been running and have consistently been hitting my ten minute mark. I’m excited to go home for Thanksgiving and spend time with my family. I went into the city today and spent the day ice skating and Christmas shopping. It’s crazy to think that we have less than a month left of the semester and we will be on winter break. 

Chapter 11 discussed many topics from cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and the many different types of cancer. Before reading this chapter, I have had some familiarity with the topics of cancer and diabetes. The first topic that interested me was the different types of cancers were. Cancer is the uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells. There are four types of cancer that were listed in the text, which include: carcinomas, sarcomas, lymphomas, and leukemias. Carcinomas are cancers that occur on the epithelial tissue, the outermost layer of the skin. This type of cancer metastasize initially through the circulatory or lymphatic system and form solid tumors. Sarcomas occur in the mesodermal layer, which includes the muscles, bones, and connective tissue. Sarcomas are less common, but also form solid tumors. Lymphomas progress and metastasize through the lymphatic system, which is the infection-fighting area of the body. Leukemias are cancers of the blood-forming areas of the body, such as the bone marrow and spleen, which is called leukemia. Leukemia is a non-solid tumor and is characterized by an abnormal increase in the number of white blood cells that is produced in the body. I can vaguely remember my Aunt Nancy fighting through leukemia, but she lost her battle with cancer. It all occurred during the first few months of coming home to my new family after being adopted from China. I don’t have many memories of Nancy, but she was very close to my cousin Erin and my mom, who was her sister. Although cancer runs in my family, since I was adopted, I have no family medical records to determine the potential health outcomes for myself. 

(Donatelle, 2019, p. 269)

Another interesting topic I learned while reading was understanding what diabetes entailed. Diabetes mellitus are a group a diseases, in which each has their own components. Focusing on type 2 diabetes, the pancreas does not make enough insulin or cells in the body become resistant to its effect and do not efficiently use available insulin. I found it interesting to learn that type 2 diabetes develops slowly and in the early stages, cells begin to resist the effects of insulin, which is known as insulin resistance. In type 2 diabetes, insulin output declines and blood glucose levels increase. Reading about what happens in the body because of  type 2 diabetes interested me because my mom has lived with it for many years. I grew up with my mom having to get medication and to take insulin injections daily. However, over the years, she has switched medications and only needs to take insulin injections once a week. I would ask her if it hurt because it seemed painful to always have to inject a needle. However, she said that it was important for her to continue taking insulin injections in order to stay healthy.   

(Donatelle, 2019, p. 279)

The last topic that I found to be interesting was learning about skin cancer. I was not aware that it is the most common form of cancer in the United States. Most cases of skin cancer are highly treatable and non-life threatening, which include basal cell carcinoma or squamous carcinoma. These forms usually occur on the face, neck, ears, arms, hands, and legs as colored spots, scaly patches or bumps in the forms of warts.  However, malignant melanoma is the most serious form of skin cancer and has caused 10,000 deaths in 2017. Malignant melanoma may occur as skin lesions. The size, shape, and color changes and spreads to regional organs and throughout the body. The survival rate falls to about 17 percent if it’s diagnosed after deeper levels of the skin have been invaded. An important prevention tactic is to limit exposure to harmful UV rays. The skin increases its thickness and the number or pigment cells when exposed to UV rays, resulting in darker, tanned skin. The skin’s immune cells are damaged when exposed to an increase in these rays, which lowers the normal immune protection of skin and it increases the chances for cancer. It is important to use a sunscreen that is not expired and does not have a low-SPF, as well as preventing the chance of a  sunburn when outdoors. During the summer, whenever I go to the beach, or I am out for long hours of the day, I make sure to apply sunscreen. I even make sure to re-apply every few hours to prevent getting sunburned. I am extra cautious of my right arm that is burned because my doctors informed me that that skin is more prone to getting burned and they did not want the sun damaging the areas where I had surgery on. 

(Donatelle, 2019, p. 275)

Health Aspect
This week has been very stressful. I registered for the Spring semester, but wasn’t able to get a few of the courses I needed. I had to calm myself down and realize that I still have time to complete my courses over the three semesters I have left. On top of that, I worked over eighteen hours and still had to study for two exams I had last week. I felt defeated and I was making it worse by over stressing. However, I am looking forward to this week and want to focus on what makes me happy and take things day by day. I started Christmas shopping and also getting birthday gifts for my friends upcoming birthdays. As the days start getting colder, I find myself staying in more, and it’s also been cloudy, which makes me feel lazy and want to nap. I know that things are going to get very busy with the discussions at work about scheduling for next semester, along with my professors already talking about when finals are. I want to make it a goal not to stress as much as I did this past week, and reassure myself that everything will work out. 

Like many of us, we’ve all experienced those times where we dread going to the gym, and try to “work out”. With the year coming to a close, we begin to write out some New Year’s Resolutions. If you’re like me, then “hitting the gym” has been on your list in previous years or is on the top of the list this year. But even with the listed benefits of physical fitness, 25.9 percent of Americans do not engage in the recommended physical activity, which leads to an increase in type 2 diabetes, chronic diseases, and obesity. 

While reading chapter 10, I wasn’t aware of the FITT Principle. I learned that FITT was the most effective aerobic exercise used when building cardiorespiratory fitness. This type of exercise engages the entire body involving large muscle groups. Focusing on the FITT principle for cardiorespiratory fitness, individuals complete 3 to 5 days of strenuous, and continuous activity at 64 to 96 percent with an estimated maximal heart rate of 20 to 60 minutes. These individuals also participate in this type of FITT on a weekly basis. Additionally, Borg’s rating of perceived exertion scale is used to determine the intensity of cardiorespiratory exercise. The Borg’s scale is a rating from 6 to 20, and for training the cardiorespiratory system, the recommended RPE is 12 to 16. Since I was never aware of the cardiorespiratory fitness before reading this chapter, I have never tried it, and although it looks intimidating, I would be interested to try this. 

(Donatelle, 2019, p. 238)

Another interesting topic from this chapter talked about core strength. When I think of core strength, my mind goes straight to ab workouts, something I dread thinking about, along with actually doing. Whenever I attempt to do ab exercises, I immediately quit because for one thing, it hurts, and secondly, because I don’t see immediate results. I end up feeling defeated that I don’t have those “six pack abs” on the fit women advertised in magazines or on Instagram. But, reading about core strength, I learned that it’s not only about abs, rather the deep back and abdominal muscles attached to the spine and pelvis. Developing core strength comes from a structured regime of postures and exercises, from yoga to pilates. An easy exercise to increase core strength would include an individual holding oneself in a front or reverse plank while holding or doing abdominal curls-ups. Additional benefits while strengthening core body muscles include reducing stress and enhancing flexibility. 

(Donatelle, 2019, p. 242)

It can feel like purchasing items or memberships to improve fitness can be a waste of money. However, for college students on a budget, buying at home workout equipment can save hundreds of dollars. From personal experience, I felt as though I was spending too much money at the YMCA, while in high school, and most of the time I wasn’t even making it to the gym. So, I canceled my membership and got 15lb weights and resistance bands, and ever since, I have been able to continue to workout while saving my money. Chapter 10 gave great tips on how to smart shop for people who want to continue on their fitness goals. All you need to be successful is a good pair of shoes, comfortable clothing, and what I thought was a good advice was using your own body as resistance. There is no need for expensive treadmills, or those overpriced workout classes. The chapter also discussed buying exercise clothing, which explains that the clothing should be purchased on the basis of comfort, not looks. I can be guilty of going to Marshalls and buying “cute” and “trendy” workout clothes and justifying that it’ll make me workout harder. But lately, I am happy to say that I haven’t been out shopping for workout clothes, or any new clothes since I have been trying not to spend my money on things that aren’t a necessity. 

(Donatelle, 2019, p. 247)

Health Aspect

This week I have been continuing to work on my goals. Even with the never ending quizzes and exams, I’ve managed to keep my stress levels down. I have been working almost twenty hours for the past two weeks, while studying for upcoming exams and completing homework assignments in a timely manner so I don’t become overwhelmed. I’m excited for the long weekend because I’m meeting Danny’s cousins for the first time and I don’t have much planned for the rest of the weekend, other than work. Next week is looking to be a crazy busy week so I want to get ahead this weekend to avoid being stressed. I found purchasing resistance bands to be a great investment for going to the gym or working out at home. I use them when I want to do leg workouts when I don’t want to do squats with weights. Using the resistance bands are a fun way to “feel the burn” and I loved that they were affordable. For anyone who is interested, I use the Seconds app to time each leg workout for a minute because you can customize it to the time and title you want. I find it easier than using the clock timer on my iPhone. I also found good workouts with resistance bands on YoutTube. 

Chapter 9 discussed topics regarding weight management and body image. The chapter gave insight on the health effects of obesity, drastic weight-loss measures, and understanding and improving body image. The first topic I found interesting was the effects of obesity. I learned that obesity doesn’t just affect one part of the body, but rather the whole body. Obesity is a rapidly increasing cause of preventable death in the United States. Obesity is increasing the rate of depression and anxiety disorders, causes high blood pressure, higher triglyceride levels and decreased HDL, which can lead to the development of cardiovascular disease. I found that obesity can affect a person’s reproductive system to be the most interesting, especially in pregnant women, in which it increases the risk of birth defects, and increasing the risk of fetal and maternal death. 

(Donatelle, 2019, p. 205)

The second topic that I found interesting to learn about were the drastic weight-loss measures. In my nutrition course last year, we learned about the different types of weight loss measures, which included the familiar surgical procedure, gastric bypass and liposuction, and the surgical procedure I am not too familiar with called biliopancreatic diversion. Gastric bypass is when an individual’s stomach is seventy percent sutured off. Having this much of the stomach stitched reduces food intake. Liposuction is a cosmetic surgery, which is when fat cells are removed from a specific area of the body. During a biliopancreatic diversion, this procedure reduces the size of the stomach, but in a smaller amount compared to a gastric bypass. With any type of surgical procedure, there are often risks associated with it. The risks of gastric bypass include blood clots in the legs, pneumonia, leakage in the staple line, and possibly death. With biliopancreatic diversion, there is a greater risk of complications and death. Severe scarring, and death have resulted from liposuction, and it is likely a patient will have to require multiple surgeries in order to repair uneven surfaces. 

(Donatelle, 2019, p. 217)

Lastly, I found that understanding and improving our body image was an important topic in this chapter to read about and learn from. According to a recent national poll, 53 percent of men and 67 percent of women were reported to be concerned about their appearance regularly. Having unfavorable thoughts and feelings about one’s body can have negative effects on the health and life of that individual. A negative body image is when a person has a distorted perception of his or her shape or when a person has feelings of discomfort, anxiety, or shame about their body. It’s important for everyone to learn to love their bodies, and to gain a positive body image, which is a true perception of the person’s appearance. Having a positive body image allows that person to understand that everyone is different. At the age of two, I was burned by hot water that left scars on my right arm and neck. Growing up, I found it difficult sometimes to show my scars because kids my age or younger would stare at my arm or would ask me what happened. I felt self-conscious and wanted to have two “normal” looking arms, that is, two arms with no burn scars running down to the top of my hands. I didn’t hate my body, but there were times where I wished otherwise that I didn’t get burned. Reading about the factors that influence body image, I can agree that social media plays a key role in negative body images. When I browse the explore page of Instagram, I see models who have flawless skin, and who look beautiful at every angle, many who don’t have scars like I do. My family and friends see a strong young woman, not the burns that I perceived as “ugly” when I was younger. However, as I am getting older, I’ve learned that these scars are a part of me, and rather than tearing myself down because of it, learning to embrace them is an important step to a positive body image. Some days it can be  difficult, such as meeting new people, but most days, I forget that they are there. 

(Donatelle, 2019, p. 219)

Health Aspect
Compared to last week, I had a much better week. I accomplished my goal of going to the gym, and better yet, I ran a mile under ten minutes! Although it was only by eleven seconds, I still feel proud of myself. It wasn’t easy, but accomplishing my health aspect made my week a lot better. Aside from the gym, I went on a hike at the Blue Hills and the weather was perfect. I love taking walks and taking in the view of Boston. Being able to clear my mind and destress while still being able to be outside is a great feeling. For lunch, I went to La Paloma with my family and I had to get dessert. The churros are amazing and just what I needed after a hike!

While reading Chapter 8, I was able to take a stroll down memory lane and get a refresher on what it means to understand nutrition and how it is beneficial to your health. Last semester, I took an Introduction to Nutrition course. I learned what the essential nutrients were and the included health benefits that come with eating these functional foods.

I found it interesting to find ways toward healthy, mindful eating in college. Being a resident on campus, it can sometimes be a challenge to find healthy options. I especially find it hard to find food in the East Campus Commons dining hall because there are not many options that I find appealing. Nights there will be times where I opt for a salad because I know it won’t be burnt or have a “secret” sauce that has a funky smell to it. However, continuously eating salad gets a bit boring, so even when I know that food will be edible, there’s not much nutritional value in it because I don’t put any protein on top of my salad. A big factor that contributes to me eating on campus is because I have a meal plan, which saves money if I were to go out, but also because the dining halls are on campus, so I don’t have to leave campus to eat my meals. There were helpful tips to use in the dining halls, which included: choosing lean meats, avoiding fried chicken, or fatty cuts of red meat, and if you are on the go, like many college students are between classes, try to choose made-to-order items where you can ask the preparer to hold the mayonnaise, butter, or cream-based sauces. What I don’t do enough of, which I should is to pack healthy snacks to eat in between classes, such as an apple, or fruits and nuts. I sometimes skip breakfast, wait until it’s lunch time to go to the dining halls, and snack on unhealthy snacks during the night. I want to make it a goal to snack on healthy foods, and not have the midnight munchies all the time. 

(Donatelle, 2019, p. 196)

An essential nutrient I think is important to read about and understand its importance is water. It’s important to know that humans can only survive for about one week without water, contrary to several weeks without food. Before reading this chapter, I was unaware that water aids in electrolyte balance, maintains pH balance, and that water is a major component of blood. It was interesting to learn that water intake varies from one individual to the next based on dietary and exercise factors, overall health, age and size, as well the environmental temperature and humidity. In general, women need approximately nine cups of total water from all beverages and men need approximately thirteen cups. It was interesting to learn that caffeinated drinks and soda count towards the total fluid intake, even though many people believed these drinks dehydrated individuals who consumed them. As a Christmas gift last year, my cousin got me the 40oz Hydro Flask. For the first few months I didn’t use the reusable water bottle because of how heavy and clunky it felt. But after getting a roped handle and a straw lid, it made it easier to carry around campus and drink from without spilling all the water on me when using the flex cap. Using the Hydro Flask, I have been able to fill the water bottle at least twice a day, and have been saving on money and reducing plastic waste by not buying cases of water. 

(Donatelle, 2019, p. 182)

Lastly, I found reading about food intolerances to be informative because I am lactose intolerant. Learning about the factors that contributed to lactoses intolerance gave me a better understanding of this intolerance, and being aware that it isn’t a food allergy. A food intolerance can cause a person to experience symptoms of gastric upset, however, the upset is not the result of an immune system response, which I was unaware of. If an individual does not produce enough lactase, which is an enzyme produced by the small intestines, helping break the bonds in the lactoses molecule, undigested lactose remains in the small intestine. Undigested lactose draws water by osmosis, causing the small intestine to become dilated, and speed the transit of the food mass, which results in diarrhea. I sometimes feel like being lactose intolerant is an inconvenience because I can’t enjoy a cheesy pizza, or hard ice cream without the conscious effort to bring lactaid pills that help to prevent the symptoms of this intolerance. I am aware of the dairy products that I am eating because of this intolerance and tend to stay away from thick, heavy cheesy meals. However, I make sure to take a lactaid pill with ice cream because I love the taste of ice cream and could never give that up from one food intolerance. 

(Donatelle, 2019, p. 200)

Health Aspect

This week, I did not make it to the gym because I have been stressed out about my anatomy course. I had an exam this past Thursday that I was studying three nights in advance and I also need to study for the lab practical on Tuesday. This past Wednesday night, the night before my exam, I became so overwhelmed that I started to breakdown and cry. I began to tear myself down, thinking I wasn’t smart enough and found myself doubting my own abilities. However, my family and friends were there to comfort me and reassure me that I am more capable than I set myself to believe. Since we are in the mid-semester mark, classes have been getting busier and it feels like the workload keeps getting heavier by the day. I have been making lists of what I need to get done in my agenda book, and that reassures me that I am on track and being able to check off an assignment makes me feel proud that I was able to be productive. 

To destress I went to Honey Pot Orchid with my parents and boyfriend to get my favorite, apple cider donuts! I grew up going to Honey Pot and every opportunity I get to go there brings back the memories of walking around feeding the goats and picking out a pumpkin from the pumpkin patch they have. I go at least twice a year, and seeing everyone with their family enjoying a beautiful day at the orchard makes me happy. Even though life is stressful, I think it’s important to take the time out of our busy schedules to spend some time with our parents and loved ones to catch up and talk about what’s been happening lately. My goal for next week is to get back in the swing of things and get back to the gym because I find that to make me feel less stressed. 

Continuing on with the topic of addiction, chapter 7 discussed alcohol consumption and tobacco use and how both affect the body. Just like people can be addicted to caffeine or other drugs, many people struggle with breaking the habit of drinking excessively and using tobacco products. 

    As I began reading the chapter, the first thing that struck me was alcohol and college students. As a college student myself, I have seen the factors that encourage drinking take effect on my friends and peers on campus. These factors include peer influence, traditional celebrations, norms, and advertisements specifically targeted to college students. I noticed during my freshman year a lot of people were walking in large crowds to the houses off campus on a Thursday or weekend night. It wasn’t something shocking to see, but I figured that for many of the students, it was their first time away from home, away from parental control. Many other students use drinking as a way to cope with stress, anxiety, academic pressures, and social pressures. Other students think that their independence is rooted with the consumption of alcohol. Before reading this chapter, I knew what binge drinking was, but I was unaware that 40% of all college students follow through with this action. For men, binge drinking is having five or more drinks and for women it is having four or more drinks. Binge drinking is dangerous because it can lead to serious health risks which include unconsciousness, alcohol poisoning, intoxication and worst of all, death. It’s important to be aware of the risks involved with drinking in order to keep yourself, friends, and peers safe. 

(Donatelle, 2019, p. 153)

Drinking and driving is a serious problem, in which I don’t think anyone should take lightly. It’s shocking that there are nearly 10,000 deaths a year due to alcohol-impaired drivers. Additionally, 21% of college students have reported driving after drinking. I found it interesting that over the past 20 years, fatal crashes that involved intoxicated drives has decreased in all age groups. The factors that contributed to this decrease include: laws that made the drinking age 21, educational programs that discourage drinking and driving, and vehicles with increased safety features. In high school, I remember we had assemblies where guest speakers would talk about the dangers of drinking and driving, and since most of us where getting our learner’s permit and soon to be licenses, it was important for us to learn about the effects of drunk drivers. Some of the guest speaker’s weren’t the ones intoxicated behind the wheel, however a stranger’s decision to get behind the wheel drastically changed the lives of the non-drinking drivers as well. These stories impacted all of us because after the guest speaker finished, the whole auditorium would be in silence thinking about how one decision can change our lives forever. I think it’s important to educate students on these behaviors because we aren’t just putting our own lives at risk, but others in our community. 

(Donatelle, 2019, p. 162) 

To wrap up chapter 7, I thought learning about the components and effects of tobacco was interesting to learn about. Focusing on cigarettes, this type of tobacco product is the most common form that is available still to this day. Cigarettes contain more hazardous gases than the nonfiltered brands, which reduce the level of gases such as carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide. When a person smokes, strong doses of nicotine enters the lungs and there are also 7,000 other chemical substances. Smoking cigarettes causes exposed mucous membranes to be irritated by all the harmful chemicals that weaken tissues. These harmful chemicals can lead to cancers of the mouth, larynx and throat. (Donatelle, 2019, p. 171) Before my parents met, my Dad was an avid smoker because his father smoked, and so did his peers. He told me it was because it made them feel “cool” and “tough”. However, after my parents started dating, my mom told him that she did not like it when people smoked and found it unappealing. She also had a negative view on smoking because her father, who also smoked, died of cancer when she was only eighteen, which was caused by his smoking habits. Realizing that smoking wasn’t something he wanted to hold onto, and for my mom to stay with him, my dad decided to quit. Hearing the story of my Dad quitting smoking, not only for a healthier life, but also to be with my mom has made me never want to light up a cigarette. There are so many health benefits for someone looking to quit smoking, just like my Dad did. These benefits include better sleep quality, feeling more alert, and the sense of taste and smell improves. The risk for heart disease decreases after a year of no smoking and after 10 years, the risk of cancers of the lungs, pancreas, and kidney are reduced significantly. A huge benefit for someone who is looking to quit smoking is the amount of money they save. Cigarette costs range from $5.19 (including tax) to $12.60 a pack, which is around $2,912 per year. I used to work at a family owned restaurant that had a convenience store attached to it, and customers would come into buy cigarettes. It’s crazy to think that a single pack costs that much, and sometimes customers would by two or three packs at a time. 

(Donatelle, 2019, p. 175) 

My Health Aspect:

Because of the long weekend, this past week felt very short and I couldn’t believe it was already the start to the weekend. Things are starting to build up and I’m getting slightly stressed, but this weekend I am getting my work completed, while also enjoying some time with my family. It was great catching up with them since I am busy during the week. They came to visit me for Family Weekend and took me out for breakfast at Sunnyside Cafe in West Bridgewater. It was my first time going to that breakfast place and I had an avocado omelette, which was very tasty. I usually stick to my eggs benedict, but I wanted to try something new! I went to the gym and ran a mile on the treadmill, however, it hurt my knees because I tend to slam my feet back on the ground. I need to work on my form as I run so I don’t incur more serious injuries in the future. 

Switching gears from last week’s blog, Chapter 6 we learned what addiction and drug abuse are and the different types of common drugs abuse. It’s important to note the key words when discussing addiction, such as “persistent” and “compulsive”. Those are strong words that describe the dependence on a behavior or substance that a person experiences. 

The first thing that I found interesting was the topic of process addiction. Before reading this chapter, I was unaware of the name of this type of addiction. The behaviors of process addiction are mood altering and the behaviors are addictive. Some process addictions include gambling, compulsive buying, and technology addiction. Gambling is a disorder characterized by an uncontrollable act of gambling, lying to hide one’s involvement with gambling, and unsuccessful attempts to quit. Compulsive buying disorder is characterized by having little to no control over spending money while impulsively shopping. A person may exhibit compulsive buying if he or she buys more than one of the same items, shopping until the point of interfering with work, social activities, and when it begins to create financial issues.When I first got my part-time job back in high school, I began to save up for driving school. After that took a huge chunk out of my account, I continued to save my money. However, I would find myself going to my local Marshalls and buying clothes that I did not necessarily need. I did not have a compulsive buying disorder, but I did find myself buying clothes or shoes that I liked in the moment, but serves no purpose in the long run. My mom would always remind me that I did not need, said item, and I would immediately put it back on the rack. Even though I still browse the store and find a few cute pieces here and there, I am conscious of how much I am spending and do not want to get in the habit of buying more than I am making. Being away at school, I find it easier to save my money, since I eat a majority of food on campus, and I only go shopping on weekends since I live on campus. I found it interesting that compulsive buying disorder effects late teens and early twenty year olds, which coincides with establishments of credit and beginning to become less dependent on parents. Additionally, technology addiction is when a person is more concerned with checking their phones and social media, rather than spending time with friends or focusing on school. From reading chapter 6, I learned that approximately 9% of college students have reported that computer games and Internet use has hindered their academic success. While on campus, I have noticed countless students staring down at their phones in between classes, unaware of their surroundings. It’s not only dangerous because they do not know where they are going, but it’s a sad reality that people are constantly on their phone every second of the day, rather than enjoying their walk on campus. Whenever I am with friends, sure we’re sitting in the same room, but we aren’t “really together”. Most of us are too busy snapping someone else, texting two or three other people having other conversations and we aren’t living in the present with the people we are physically with. With this addiction to technology, we are suffering from sleep deprivation, depression, and also neglecting quality spent time with friends and family. I want to make it a conscious goal to not spend so much time on my phone by putting it off to the side when I spend time with friends, or if I am watching a movie with my family. 

(Donatelle, 2019, p. 137)

Another thing that I found interesting while reading this chapter was drug dynamics. I’ve never heard of that phrase before, but while reading, I learned how drugs affect the brain. Pleasure is a powerful biological force of survival. When a person does something that gives them pleasure, the brain is “wired” to do it again. Any addictive drug can activate the brain’s pleasure center. However, psychoactive drugs change the way the brain functions by affecting chemical neurotransmission. These drugs enhance, suppress, or interferes with these chemical neurotransmissions. Heroine, for example, mimic the effects of natural neurotransmitters. Recently, I watched the movie Beautiful Boy, which is about David Sheff and his son Nic, who struggles with drug addiction, and it tells the story of Nic’s struggle, relapse, and how his family copes with the addiction over many years. It’s a powerful and inspiring movie that I recommend others to see. 

(Donatelle, 2019, p. 140)

The last thing that I found interesting to read about were ways to prevent drug use and abuse on campus. Living on campus, I found it informative to learn about strategies that help reduce substance use among students. The strategies that stuck out to me the most included: using detection programs to identify high-risk students and engaging parents to have open communication with their children. These two strategies are important because it helps students who are struggling with drug addiction get assistance earlier on, rather than it be too late and their life is on the line. Even though most students move away from home, it is important for parents to still communicate with their children about the dangers of alcohol and drugs. Having open communication allows the child to not feel as though they are in trouble if they say too much. 

(Donatelle, 2019, p. 149)

Health Aspect:

During the past week, I did not feel as productive as I usually am and that made me feel a little disappointed in myself. I still got my assignments completed that needed to get done, but I lacked motivation. However, when the weekend came, I felt better and was able to let go of the lingering stresses that may have contributed to my lack of motivation. I went home for part of the long weekend and decided to work out at home. I worked on my mile on the elliptical down in my basement and then did leg and glute workouts in my room. I like to use the seconds app on my phone because I can have how many seconds I want for each workout and customize the title. I also enjoyed a lovely lunch out with my family because it was my Dad’s birthday. Near my house, there’s this ramen place called Fairy Cafe that has delicious korean beef noodle soup that is my all time favorite. Everytime I go there, I always get this ramen!