Last Post

Looking back at this whole blog experience, I would have to say that I didn’t personally enjoy it. I don’t really like how we had to comment on so many people’s posts, and how we had to publish our work. I would have much rather have enjoyed a notebook or a journal where I could have physically written my thoughts and research instead of typing. There were some posts that I found very interesting and learned much about, and it was nice to see different styles and techniques of writing people use. I personally found it rather difficult to set this thing up and on top of that I don’t know why, but I could not keep up with the assignments. I had a lot to do this summer, especially on the computer, so I guess I just put off these assignments; if I could change anything, it would be no procrastinating, because this time it affected others. I will not be continuing to write in my blog, but I will however continue to use my Gmail account and use the new features of Google docs that I picked up from this class. I hope that for those of you who actually read my blog didn’t find it so boring, I tired my hardest to keep it light hearted and simple.

"How Love keeps you healthy"

Title: How Love keeps you healthy.

By: Sarah Mahoney

Published by Prevention Magazine

Website: http://web.ebscohost.com.prozy.palomar.edu/ehost/detail?sid=23d31690-5b3e-42eeacc4c83f657e103f%40sessionmgr114&vid=8&hid=13&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=hxh&AN=19420536

So what this article talked about was basically how affection can positively affect not only our relationships, but also our bodies. Although this article seems to mostly only target women, it does have some insight to the benefits that men also get from a healthy dose of affection and love. According to the article, “women in good marriages have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease than those who are in high-stress relationships.” The part about not having so much stress in our relationships reducing cardiovascular disease seems pretty logical to me, I mean if you add on a person who is constantly nagging and fighting with you, then of course you’re not going to be emotionally happy (and this could also effect your immune system!). The article also talks about how people who are in some kind of relationship are less prone to getting sick because they have someone to talk to, connect with, and most importantly (according to the article), and have sex with compared to people who are single. Simple “bear hugs” produce oxytocin which is basically a hormone that relaxes a woman’s body; this is usually released frequently when a woman is trying to bond and trust others.

 The article also brings up the important fact that fighting is healthy, and that it is necessary for a relationship to have in order to “engage in the relationship.” In other words, fighting relieves the dullness of everyday life, but should not be taken to extremes or else it could damage one another. Finally, the article mentions that in order to have a healthy relationship that could help you fight off cardiovascular disease was to engage in sexual activity 1-2 times a week. The reason why this is important is because high amounts of immunoglobulin A (an antibody that starts fighting off diseases and infections first) are released.

The reason why I chose this article was because I found interesting how such simple things can help our health. It took me a while to find an article that had some kind of relevance to what we have been learning in class, and also because I think that it has a lot of research that supports the author’s points. I have to agree that fighting is healthy and that when I’m in a good relationship, I am personally less stressed and more capable of having a good day at work or school because I always have someone to vent to. It’s nice to know that acts of affection that give us that warm tingly feeling is really oxytocin and other antibodies that are produced, taking action and boosting our immune system. It’s like killing two birds with one stone!

Marriage Experts

So for this post, I interviewed my grandparents (my mother’s parents), who have been married for 55 years and are still very much committed. They are both Mexican and got married at the age of 18 & 17, they had a total of about seven children (two of which died as infants), and have now about 30 grandkids and 6 great grandchildren.

I started off by asking my grandmother what her secret was for staying with my grandfather for so long, and she said that patience has been very important for her. She also said that fighting (not physically) and arguing is something very natural and that the way that they get over it is by giving each other space and time to let it all out. She told me that over the years they had many problems they faced, but that their marriage held up through it all because they knew it was the right thing to do. I asked her why she thought couples today got divorced so quickly, and she replied that “people today just don’t want to put up with one another, that everyone wants things to go their way and the easiest way possible.” She went on to say, that couples today don’t like to be challenged, and that they are always looking for someone who has the next big thing or has more money than their spouse. According to her, the best advice she could give a couple would be that they should try and weight things out and have a lot of patience with one another, because in the end no one is perfect.

I turned to my grandpa next and asked him what he did to make his marriage last so long; he said, “once people got married in our day, we had no other choice but to stick together, divorce was never an option for us.” He said that the way he thinks they have been successful is by always being on the same page and agreeing with one another. He said that he thinks that today’s marriages don’t last long is because of money and because everyone is so “free,” and that’s why no one can take marriage freely. He explained that money is a problem because no one can get enough of it; he reflected that back when he was my age and starting his family, men were the only ones with a job and who earned the income, so women had no choice but to go along with what the husbands said and gave them as an allowance. He said that marriage changed when women started working, and when they also earned money; he says that once that occurred, that there were more disputes over what could and could not be bought and done in households. This also ties into the whole freedom belief; he says that today there are more places that people can go to or buy to show off their money. He also mentions that transportation has changed our freedom and allowed people to separate from each other a lot more easily. His advice for couples would be that they share everything with not only each other but also with other families, and try to always hear what the other person is saying in order to have good communication with one another.

I think that something these two forgot to mention was that having something in common, like in their case their religious beliefs, is something that keeps couples strong because it is something that they will always be able to have in common. I also think that seeing my parents, grandparents, and almost everyone before them have been a good model to look at. It’s very common today that people’s parents are divorced themselves, so there really isn’t anyone to look up to. I think that they both brought up very good points, and it was fun hearing their stories.

Keeping my future children off of drugs

I think that the way I’ll keep my children away from drugs is the same way that my parents kept me from drugs: discipline and communication. My parents have always been very hard on me, however they always talked to me about what they had lived and seen and how it really isn’t worth it. My parents really never let me out until I was about 17, so they had a lot of control over what I did and who I talked to; although I don’t think I will be as strict with my children, I probably will keep an eye on who they hang out with, because friends have a huge influence on each other. Communication is also key for a drug free life, if parents talk to their children and listen and also give their input, and then there will most likely going to be a healthy relationship between the parents and their child. Another good reinforcement would be by keeping them active with activities such as sports, clubs, and getting involved at home and in the community (church, charities).    

My Love Language

So my outcome from the quiz said that I like "quality time," which don't get me wrong, that's pretty accurate, but the results make me seem like a total bear hugger. I don't know if you'll understand what I mean but it seems like the questions on that quiz were composed of questions involving gifts, touching, or hearing compliments every other second. I personally have this squeemish reaction when a person tries to give me a gift or pay for me; I'm very independent and can afford my own things and meals thank you very much! It's hard to say that to someone without hurting their feelings or without them think what a---snoot! It's no that I'm a snobby person, I just was raised to work for my own things - guess that lesson stuck too well in my brain! Anyways, the quiz repeated a lot of the same questions which makes its results somewhat vague. I guess for a quiz that only took me about 5-10 minutes to complete it was accurate, I mean there truly is nothing more I enjoy than spending quality time with my family and friends. I'm not really the touchy kind of person to begin with, but the way the questions were worded, it made it seem like you needed to be touched, I wasn't sure what to make of that option so I would always hit the other option. Physical contact I guess is okay when you give someone a hug goodbye but other than that I like people to respect my bubble! I'm probably getting off topic and rambling, but I'm just trying to make the best of this blogging thing (now why can't "makes the best out of any situation" be an option?).

Nutrition Facts Comparison

Taco Bell

Best: Fresco Chicken Soft Taco (Light Grey)

Worst: Volcano Nachos (Dark Grey)

Serving Size (g)	Protein (g)	Calories	Calories from fat	Saturated Fat (g)	Total Fat (g)	Trans Fat (g)	Cholesterol (mg)	Sodium (mg)	Carbohydrates (g	Dietary Fiber (g)	Sugars (g)
110	12	150	35	1	3.5	0	25	480	18	2	2
354	20	980	540	9	60	0.5	45	1590	89	15	6

Popeyes

Best: 4 Piece Nuggets (Light Grey) 

Worst: Chicken Livers (Dark Grey)

Portion size	Calories	Fat (g)	Sat Fat (g)	Trans Fat (g)	Cholesterol (mg)	Sodium (mg)	Carbs (g)	Dietary Fiber (g)	Sugars (g)	Protein	MSG?
4	150	9	4	0.5	25	230	10	1	0	7	Yes
10	1190	80	34	4.5	765	2070	65	6	3	54	Yes

Denny’s

Best: Fit Fare® Veggie Skillet (Light Grey)

Worst: Fish & Chips (Dark Grey)

Serving Size (oz)	Calories	Fat (g)	Calories from fat	Trans Fats (g)	Saturated Fat (g)	Cholesterol (mg)	Sodium (mg)	Carbs (g)	Fiber (g)	Protein (g)	Sugars (g)
19	330	9	80	0	1.5	0	1450	44	9	20	9
23	1530	90	800	1	15	130	2430	145	10	41	18

Foods Ranked (Healthiest to Unhealthiest)

1. Fresco Chicken Soft Taco – Taco Bell

2. 4 Piece Nuggets - Popeyes

3. Fit Fare® Veggie Skillet – Denny’s

4. Volcano Nachos – Taco Bell

5. Chicken Livers - Popeyes

6. Fish & Chips – Denny’s

Reflection:

            What I noticed from looking at all of the nutrition facts of all of the menus is that the only very low calorie items are dressings or sides. I was surprised to see that Taco Bell was the overall healthiest; I was expecting Denny’s to be the healthiest only because it seemed to me that they had more vegetarian options (which tend to be healthier). Popeyes was even healthier than Denny’s! Who knew? I tried to pick places that I tend to go to and was surprised to find that the things that I usually order really aren’t that high in calories; nevertheless eating out really isn’t the greatest choice because foods can contain things like MSG’s (like at Popeyes). It’s actually really cool to check out what restaurants have on the menu and look at the information because at least then you know how to budget out your carbohydrate and calorie intake for the day. If we can take the time to look at out Facebook page every other ten minutes, I think we can take some time to at least glance at what we put in our bodies.

Food Inc. Review

After watching Food Inc. my eyes were definitely opened as to how cruel animals are treated as well as the workers and farmers. I have read Fast Food Nation and watched Super Size Me but the images in my mind weren’t as disturbing. One of my biggest concerns now is finding out where my food came from and carefully budgeting myself so that I could buy healthier things; one of the ways is to avoid eating out in the first place, and instead buying actual groceries that will feed me multiple times. This brings to mind the family that was shown in the movie where the father needed special medication and the only food that would meet their budget was food from the dollar menu; I think that it is absolutely fictional that they could only survive on the dollar menu! People could go out and buy things in bulk (like beans, lettuce, chicken) and take some time from their lives to cook. They could save their gas on driving to the fast food and place and apply it their groceries! What I still don’t understand is why company owners would deport workers after a certain time of working for them? What’s the purpose? I mean if those illegal immigrant workers are working hard and they basically don’t have any rights why bother? I really did not like seeing how the chickens would just plop down on the ground because they were too heavy to walk; if the food we eat isn’t healthy in the first place, what makes us think that we will? I don’t know if I’m mad or scared about the fact that people can’t speak out against big corporations for fear of being sued and then practically having to declare bankruptcy and agree with the corporations. I understand that it is hard to put a limit to these corporations’ power and influence because there are so many leaders that make up our government that are backed by corporation, I just hate to think that they practically make a deal with the devil to get to where they’re at. I would definitely recommend this movie to everyone; especially my friends and family who I know consume a lot of fast food. This film has changed my perspective on food and agriculture; I think with a nation that is practically dying because of what we eat, it’s time to take off the rose colored glasses and push for a change. I am one of those people who think that one vote won’t make a difference, but when it comes to food, I have changed that mentality. If everyone in this nation could avoid eating out at least once a week and investing in a good cook book and groceries, we would gradually become a healthier nation. My favorite part of this film was how it was presented; we were shown the bad and then given options as to how to fix it or how to stop from making big corporations from getting any more powerful than they have already become.