Category Archives: Health

Studies and well-being

In the Community of Jabal Natheef

Posted on
Reply

I have been researching international internship opportunities for autumn 2012. One possibility that captures my interest is centered in Amman, Jordan, working with the under-developed community of Jabal Natheef. I would be an intern with Ruwwad, a community empowerment organization founded in 2005. Ruwwad works with partnerships in the private sector, civil society, government, and target communities of Jordan to address the critical needs of youth in densely populated East Amman. With a community population size of about 50,000, children and adults of Jabal Natheef are in need of help in the areas of health, safety, decent living, education, employment, and legal aid.

There are numerous ways I can help in Amman. I would work to improve literacy in children, inspire personal creativity and expression, and tutor those that need extracurricular help outside of the classroom. Another volunteer opportunity could be of an immersion experience within Jabal Natheef, working directly with the community through social services and the community help desk to aid families in need, revamp homes and shelters, and staff daily services. I may also mentor children in information technology literacy, working with computers and the internet to help flourish their educational experience.

Ruwwad has a mesh of networked community services. There are other areas of aid I may have the opportunity to look into, but one thing true about Ruwwad is that it fits my niche and passion — health and human services.

Keep in Dutch with Your Health

Posted on
2

Our Corvallis location Dutch Bros. on the corner of Monroe Avenue and Kings Boulevard is, without question, one of the hottest spots for social hangouts, study sessions, and enjoying an overall good time away from your usual routine. When I go to Dutch Bros., though, I look around at the different drinks people order. I often wonder if many know what exactly is in that beverage they devour. Being someone actively conscious of what foods, drinks, and calorie counts I enter into my body, I decided to look up nutrition information for Dutch Bros.. You might be surprised what kind of stuff you’re loading your system with. What do you think is in your “coffee”? You’ve heard about trans fats, right? Saturated fat is okay for you and some naturally occurring trans fats are okay, but did you know that your purchase from Dutch Bros. could have trans fats? It probably does.

Let’s consider my favorite Dutch Bros. beverage… the Kahlua Kicker. Let’s also say that we’re really craving it today — so we get a 20-ounce. Coffee with some sugar flavoring. You wouldn’t think it’s that bad. Black coffee by itself is just about water. In your mind you think that maybe just some milk and flavored syrup is added. But the consequences of these ingredients are much higher.

Let’s say, on another day, that you want a fast food sandwich — and you haven’t been to Arby’s in a really long time so you decide to go treat yourself to a delicious Regular Beef ‘n Cheddar sandwich. Yum… that hot roast beef and that smooth and tasty cheese. You know it’s just horrible for your figure and your overall health. But, undoubtedly, there is always room for a personal treat here and there as long as it’s in moderation. But that trip to Dutch Bros. for the 20-ounce study drink or quick pick-me-up before class couldn’t possibly be close to as bad as the Beef ‘n Cheddar from Arby’s, could it? Indeed, your 20-ounce Kicker is much worse than an Arby’s Beef ‘n Cheddar sandwich — let alone probably many other food and beverage items out there. And this isn’t limited to just the 20-ounce Kicker. Other drinks can be just as damaging.

Ready for the specs?

An Arby’s Regular Beef ‘n Cheddar Sandwich has:

  • 450 calories
  • 27 grams of fat
    • 7 grams saturated fat
    • 1 gram trans fat
  • 55 milligrams cholesterol
  • 43 grams carbohydrates
  • 1240 milligrams sodium
A Dutch Bros. 20-ounce regular Kahlua Kicker has:
  • 534 calories
  • 37.83 grams of fat
    • 21.62 grams saturated fat
    • 0.75 grams trans fat
  • 161.25 milligrams cholesterol
  • 46.5 grams carbohydrates
  • 187.25 milligrams sodium

Look at the difference here! I’m not trying to pit one product against the other. Essentially, I’m trying to show that most of us who go get our coffee don’t realize that it’s practically just as bad as an item from a fast food restaurant. Yes, sodium levels are drastically different and the sandwich is much worse for you in that aspect, but on a larger spectrum, both items are not particularly healthy for you. And some of us really shy away from fast food because we know it’s bad for our health and we don’t even get ourselves near it. We think we care about what we consume, but when we carelessly order our favorite drink from a coffee shop, we are failing to realize that we’re basically going against our own judgement to stay away from unhealthy fast food restaurants — because the coffee beverage is just as bad!

What can you do about it? You could cut out those flavorful coffee drinks all together — but even I am not willing to do that. Check out nutrition values online (Arby’s)(Dutch Bros. [PDF]) for your favorite drink and dining places. In recent years its been a favoring trend for companies to post the information of the food and drink products they provide. You might want to take a look to maybe reconsider how often your order that item or if you can find an alternative. Then, there’s my favorite and easiest option. Simply order your Kahlua Kicker as a Skinny Kahlua Kicker. You lose some sweetness and some of that creaminess from the rich milk they use, but the nutrition values are significantly lower and it still is tasty and enjoyable yet minus the guilt!

A Dutch Bros. 20-ounce Skinny Kahlua Kicker has:
  • 211.5 calories
  • 0.42 grams of fat
    • 0.55 grams saturated fat
    • 0.00 grams trans fats
  • 10.75 milligrams cholesterol
  • 39.84 grams carbohydrates
  • 174.35 milligrams sodium
What a huge difference going skinny makes!… And it’s at no extra charge too! Think about it next time.

Twine That Frays, Love That Stays

Posted on
Reply

My elderly neighbors moved out recently. Thomas and Ruth were nice folks. I haven’t had a whole lot of interaction with them since meeting them in September but, as of last weekend, I noticed a difference in them. Age had taken hold.

My first impression of the Gallagher’s last autumn was that I perceived them as a normal, older, but still middle-age-minded couple simply living and loving their time together. When I had conversations with them, they were always warm and at ease. I was oblivious to any change… Until I took a brief step into their lives.

Ruth and I began talking one evening as I entered my apartment. She broke the news to me of their departure the next day. As I’m sure anyone would be, I was disappointed to hear of their leaving. Ruth and I began talking about Park Plaza and and the Terway family — coupled with gossip regarding facility care and maintenance. Talk drifted to regarding their three bedroom apartment. Ruth commented how they were sad they had to leave… They had lived at Park Plaza for over 14 years.

I was curious as to why they were moving if she was so sad to do so. Then she said something that raised a flag in my mind. Ruth said they were moving to a Portland-area retirement facility. I quickly got the understanding why. She invited me to see their apartment; it was very spacious and nice – but all the items that make a space personal had been packed up and moved already. Down the hall we ran into Thomas and she began explaining to him about my studio apartment. We moved down to the bedroom and he was behind me at first. Then he rushed into the bathroom to look into the mirror or something. It was a little weird. He came out and joined the conversation Ruth and I were having. Here is when I noticed why the retirement facility was probably the reason for the next step in their lives. Ruth, while Thomas spoke, almost had to feed him verbal cues to help him get through his train of thought and finish a sentence. It was like she was a mediator. I believe Thomas was sinking into Alzheimer’s Disease.

He had that look in his eyes… Similar to my grandfather. Larger, drooping eyelids — and a little haunch to his back. It is sad to think that this is why the Gallagher’s must move on. And it begins to bother me with fear that such a turn is around the corner for my parents. No matter the unleash of fate — whether months, years, or decades later — I will be there for them; because I love them more than anything in this world — and it is my honor to care for them just as greatly as they did in raising me to be the man I am now.

I love you, Mom and Dad.

Published from my iPad.

Grueling

Posted on
Reply

The midterm in week six. The midterm worth 25% of your grade. The midterm you know is going to be grueling. That’s the midterm I have tomorrow at noon… And with less than 18 hours until go-time, the helmet, boots, and armor are coming on. Heading to war… War with a textbook, notes, and a seemingly attention-deficit mind. I feel like I learn so much more from lecture and reviewing the notes I take during then… But when another 25% of your entire grade is based on creatively “synthesizing” text and lecture notes together, I am at no position to favor my own opinion and whine how I can’t focus to read a textbook. I love the content we are learning. Health policy is really fascinating and I have no complaints about the subject matter. I am at least confident I am on the right track to a career.

Sometimes I feel like I’m juggling a dangerous set of items — not always entirely confident in my progress in a class or two — and that I may drop one of those juggled items and ruin my entire act. And, often, I end up making miracles happen and I accomplish everything and life goes on. But that was last term. What do I need to do in order to return to this magical mindset — the one where I buckle down at the local Starbucks every other night and work through pages and pages of reading and notes and all is well? I want that back. I think I am still miffed at how my professor teaches — and it’s her overall attitude and the vibes I receive from her that always sets me in hesitation. If I am confident in my teacher I am confident in my work. But a student needs to learn to function in all types of situations, and so I feel, again, I have no right to hold my opinions high. I am heading back to the books. This will be one of those ugly nights.

Locking the door, the phone is on silent, and the TV is… Well… The TV is still on to Family Guy.

Back to the Beat

Posted on
Reply

Tomorrow will be so different. Tomorrow is yesterday’s brand new day. Tomorrow starts something all-so-new with an all-too-familiar incentive. It was achieved once. Let’s do it again and everything will be complete. Get ready… Another revolution is about to begin. Go forth and don’t look back. Everything will be complete. All… Over… Again.

I’ve been thinking about who I am and what the past 12+ months have meant to me. I brought change to myself that I had longed to carry out at so many points while growing up. I was constantly feeling trapped in my body and at my most troubled times I would look into the mirror — I would look deep into my eyes and I could see who I was on the inside. I was so distraught and angered about my lifestyle, my behavior, my physicality, and my mentality. But I finally listened to my inner cravings to be the real person I was internally — and I fought through the difficulties of getting to that self and I finally made it a real change in my life.

And so I sit here reevaluating who I am and what the past 12+ months have meant to me. Although they were hard at the peak of change, in contrast they were the best months of my life thus far. It established confidence and accomplishment and shows that if we are driven enough we can change anything in this world. I am very happy these days — the happiest I’ve ever been. But, I have realized something that my inner self still craves. I thought my ambitions were just getting ahead of my mind, but I have come to accept that this nagging is something I can’t hide away like I did being that self in the obese body. I changed once, I can do it again.

I’m back to the beat — hunkering down the helmet and gear and sending myself into another crash-course of life-long change. Tomorrow, we go forth.

Hey There!

Posted on
Reply
starbucks patio furniture

Image by bookish in north park via Flickr

Yikes! It ‘s been awhile. Here’s what’s up:

  • Things have been busy and mellow at the same time. It’s confusing. Anyway, my teeth of great wisdom were taken out end of August. It was a challenging recovery full of moodiness, fatigue, frustration, and — oh yeah — a trip to the emergency room with a mouth infection. Great, huh? So… Once the prescribed Penicillin took hold in my system, recovery seemed to double and my green/grey furry, shag carpet-like tongue was nice and fleshy again. I’m back to normal , however I was unable to exercise for a couple weeks and now it is just so difficult getting back into the swing of things. Such work.
  • The family and I have one last outing coming up before I return back to school. As always, it’s a bit bittersweet. But, I’ve gotta admit I’m very much looking forward to my studio and the upcoming (but challenging) school year.
  • I got an iPhone 4 a few weeks ago. However, for some reason I am having battery issues and my battery runs down very quickly. It’s a bit troubling but I hope Apple will take care of me when I bring them my issue.
  • Again, I’m really excited for the school year. Unlike my usual self, I now look outside and it’s much darker earlier and it’s raining and dreary — but I really like it. I think about being at the Madison Street Starbucks in Corvallis — staying warm and cozy with my iPad, book, homework, and music. I daydream about my studio and getting comfy and having a movie or sports on TV as the rain falls heavy outside. I even enjoy the idea of running in the rain and giving no care to how soaked my clothes and gushing shoes get. Well… Okay maybe I’ll take my workout to the gym instead. But I want to do much more this year than last year. So far, my sophomore year was better than my freshman year — now let’s make it so that my junior year continues the succeeding pattern. I think it’s possible now that I have even more friends than before. I can see this being a great, great year with many opportunities. Plus, I am determined on a major and am ready to go gun-ho on achieving my goals. Like I’ve said before… Bring it on!
  • Anyhow… I think this sums up most of it. I need to get my body back in gear for my running class I have this upcoming term. I need to make sure I’m at the top of my game and not a straggler.
  • I need an internship too! Oh jeez now I’m getting overwhelmed. I think I have to have four internship credits to graduate — whatever it is, it equates to about four terms of being an intern. I need to get my guns firing right now! Aye… I feel so behind.
  • So, y’all… That’s it for now. Hope your summer is wrapping up well… And I hope you’re just as ready as I am for another awesome year in the 541!