It's Been One Year

Last year at this time our little family was making some changes.  I was anticipating my first time ever of going to college, and my girls were making a big change with a new school.  I remember it was so hot the first week or two of school.

This year it will be a rainy first day start.  This will be their second year and I will be finishing up in November.  I do not know why I am so nervous for them.  I honestly wish I could stay and hold their hands through the first day, just till the butterflies go away.  If I could split myself in two, and the school would allow me to hover, I would.

Instead, I will do the right thing, the only thing that will ensure them the strength they need to succeed in this life.  I will pray without ceasing.  Sometimes in life I face emotional challenges that bring me closer to God.  I never thought this would be one of them.

How to gain weight...an article that may help find a strategy to lose weight.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/underweight/AN00597

This is an article about how to gain weight.  Eating to purposely gain weight peeked my interest when I was reading about it in my Nutrition text book.  The idea behind it is to gain weight the healthy way.  The same with this article and what I found in the nutrition book are my thoughts.  This is a great way for people who are eating healthy, yet gaining weight, to see where the pitfalls may be.  The things they recommend eating are good, however these are the things that a person trying to lose weight should eat sparingly.

What do you think about this as a tool for weight loss?

My thoughts on Paleo Diet

Paleo Diet Pros and Cons

First let me begin by saying there is no single diet on earth that can be tailored to fit every individual. Second, the five ways to recognize a nutritious diet according to Chapter One of Nutrition Concepts and Controversies are; “Adequacy, Balance, calorie control, moderation, and variety”. I did not know much about it before taking a solid look into the Paleo Diet. I have wanted to look into it for some time as I have had my doubts about it. My doubts stemmed from hearing that it omits dairy. Well upon my research, according to the web site www.robbwolf.com/what-is-the-paleo-diet, the creator of the diet, Robb Wolf, states that the foods to avoid are “ dairy, grains, processed food, sugars, legumes, starches, and alcohol.”

I am going to approach my disdain for this diet with a food by food basis. Cutting out any staple food in general is not a good idea. First food I will address is dairy. Dairy has been under attack when it comes to fad diets every since I can remember. Milk is known to contain calcium. The author of Nutrition Concepts and Controversies states, “A diet lacking calcium causes poor bone development during the growing years and increases a person's susceptibility to disabling bone loss in adult life” (Concepts and Controversies). Milk and milk products also contain; protein, riboflavin, vitamin B12, calcium, magnesium, and potassium.

Next I will tackle legumes. Legumes are high in iron and contain essential vitamins and minerals (Concepts and Controversies). “Most foods that are rich in iron are poor in calcium” (Concepts and Controversies).

Grains are a very important food, they contain folate, niacin, riboflavin, thiamin, iron, magnesium, selenium, and fiber. The body needs Forty-odd nutrients to function at it's best. Many of these nutrients are found in the foods the Paleo Diet suggests we cut out.

Believe it or not starches do have their place in the human diet. The USDA recommends 4 cups per week on a 1,600 calorie diet (Concepts and Controversies) “Even an ordinary baked potato contains hundreds of different compounds” (Concepts and Controversies) proving that they should be included into our diet.

I will approach my approval of the diet with a food by food basis as well. The Paleo diet is not all bad, in fact the foods they are pushing us to add more of are excellent foods, the best of the best. Fruits and vegetables rate very high in my diet. I concentrate on adding more each week as to meet my recommended nutrient intake. On top of being loaded with essential vitamins, fruits and vegetables contain something called phytonutrients. Phytonutrients are extremely beneficial to our bodies and are something that can only be obtained through fruits and vegetables, or in other words, cannot be made into a vitamin. Doctor Haas states in her book, “Phytonutrients outnumber traditional nutrients by about 10,000 to 1. All of the wonderful qualities that we associate with good food-the way it looks, smells, and tastes-are the result of a food's phytonutrients” (Staying Healthy with Nutrition). The next food Wolf, founder of the Paleo Diet, tells us is “okay to eat” is lean meat. Lean meat contains protein, niacin, thiamin, vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, iron, magnesium, potassium, and zinc (Concepts and Controversies). Nuts and seeds are also on his okay to eat list. Nuts and seeds including; flaxseeds, sesame seeds, and almonds along with healthy oils. Olive oil, contributes to vitamin E, and essential fatty acids (Concepts and Controversies). Lastly I would like to talk about the health benefits of certain seafoods. Salmon and other types of fish are known to contain high levels of omega 3, and omega 6 essential fatty acids. In fact the USDA recommends eating seafood two times a week (Concepts and Controversies). One more thing I agree with Wolf about is omitting processed food and refined sugars, along with alcohol. There are no health benefits to either. I will however provide one caution of omitting processed food and refined sugars all in one. It can cause a serious binge session if the individual who proceeds with the Paleo Diet chooses only to stay on the diet until the weight is lost. This is why everything nutrition should be handled in moderation and with a lifestyle change in mind, and this is also why I do not agree with cutting out dairy, legumes, whole grains, and even starches. The way I see it, the broader my choices of food, the better opportunities I have to make good choices.

Citations

Sizer, , and Whitney. Nutrition Concepts and Controversies. 12th ed. Belmont: Wadsworth, Cengate Learning, 2012. N. pag. Print.

Haas, MD, Elson M., and Buck Levin PhD, RD. Staying Healthy with Nutrition. 21st centuryst ed. New York: Ten Speed Press, 2006. N. pag. Print.

Wolf, Robb. "The Paleo Diet Works!." http://robbwolf.com/what-is-the-paleo-diet/. Media Temple, 2013. google.com. Web. 8 May 2013.

Career is getting started!

Things are really starting to happen!  I have been enjoying my fitness screening class in that I have been having interaction with clients.  I have done fitness testing, fat analysis, and movement screenings!  This is all the first steps to personal training.  Next week will mark my 6th month of the program!  Only 8 more months to go.  I just finished up my paper that defines my code of ethics.  This got me to thinking.  Having ethics is one thing, but defining them and writing them down really helps bring to light the way I want my behavior to be.

Today I finally got a hold of the man at YMCA and he had some good news for me.  He said they already have an internship deal with the college, but he would ask the higher ups about letting me get on board.  He asked me to send him a resume and a cover letter explaining my desire to internship at the YMCA, and some other stuff that I would have to check my notes about.  I see this as an opportunity to get a jump start on not only my resume, but my career!  I know it will be a push doing that along with school and family, but I think it will make a great impact on my knowledge.  Blessings are being poured out as advantages!!!!  My mentor with the college said to send him a copy of my cover letter and resume and he will look it over as a trainer and give me advice.  WOOHOO!!  So maybe next week end I will have time to work on that.  Meanwhile, here is a copy of my code of ethics paper.  This paper is not about thinking I am such a great person with no issues in my life, because believe me I mess up all the time, it is just what I plan to maintain as a decent human being.

 "I believe that change is always possible. Being liked for whom I am is great, but only if that is the person who I want to be."

 Professional Code of Ethics and Personal Code of Ethics.

Professional Code of Ethics

I chose availability, compassion, communication, commitment, and straight-forwardness for my professional code of ethics. These values all help to enforce my ethics as a professional, and will propel my career as a personal trainer through reputation.

Availability to me means being available to my client. My clients will have questions, and it will be my job to be available to answer them. I expect my clients to do what I ask of them; therefore I want them to be knowledgeable about what is expected.

If a client is struggling with achieving their goal, whether the struggle be in nutrition, or maintaining a fitness regimen, I want to have compassion for them in their struggles. I want them to know that I understand what they are going through.

That being said I also promise to be straight-forward. When I see that a client is making excuses rather than giving it their all, I plan to let them know the areas they show weakness. I will be compassionately straight-forward. 

The commitment I will make to my profession will be diligent and organized. I will maintain an unmatched level of responsibility. I will be committed to detail within each session of personal training, not leaving out or skipping steps.

Having a professional code of ethics is important because it provides a template for which to be responsible. There are so many ethics and virtues that are important to being a personal trainer. I believe writing them down and making them my own, sets a standard for how I will run my business. It also gives my clientele something concrete to which they can hold me.

Personal Code of Ethics

I chose passion, integrity, honesty, loyalty, and fitness for my personal code of ethics. These values help me to be a well rounded trustworthy person. They give me credibility in life and help me to be the person I should be. It is important in life to set a value system by which to live. Without values, ethics, and morals, we are prone to do things that are unacceptable not just to society, but can also hurt personal relationships.

Integrity is so important to me it goes right along with trustworthiness. The word integrity means moral uprightness. It is the difference in cheating on my taxes when I know I will not be caught, and doing the right thing even though I may face a penalty.  Integrity to its core is unacceptable to society, but for me it shapes my life in a way that I can live with myself and face my Father in prayer every morning.

Honesty to me means not being a liar. When I am honest, then I am forthright and truthful. I do not believe in being honest to a fault, or in other words "telling it like it is" when I have not even been asked. I am speaking of the honesty that goes without scheming, cheating, and lying. 

Sixteen years ago I made a promise to be my husbands wife for the rest of my life. Along with that promise came the duty to be loyal. When my husband makes a decision that is inline with the word of God, I will be firm and constant in my support of his choice. Serving God is my most unwavering strength. I will be fervent in furthering His kingdom, showing loyalty to its depths.

Passion for me means doing things with maximal effort. When I chose to go to college in my latter part of life, I knew it needed to be done with passion. When I decided to start running, and ultimately decided to be a long distance runner, passion soon took over. I will do whatever it takes to succeed no matter how much it hurts me. That being said, I will not sacrifice my family's needs for my success.

Fitness is, at this point, a very significant value. It is a value that I must work very hard at maintaining.  I train with fervency and vigor.  I am committed to completing my training no matter what obstacles I face.  Being physically fit means pushing my limits, and by doing that, I gain respect for myself in my achievements.

Having a personal code of ethics is important because it brings value to the person I am and strive to be. I can be confident in my relationships with my husband, daughters, friends, and family. My ethics are very important to me. They shape the way I live and conduct my life.  I believe that change is always possible. Being liked for whom I am is great, but only if that is the person who I want to be.

Admitting I may have been wrong?...sort of.

     The moment I saw those two lines crossed in the shape of a plus I made a vow.  I was determined.  I was going to make a safe place for a baby to grow, take nourishment from food that I did not even enjoy.  It wasn't going to be about a pregnant eating fest, I was going to be the picture of health.  
     Have you ever tasted brown rice?  Let me ask you this, when you tasted it had you expected it to taste a little like white rice?  I was going to be the perfect picture of health for this life inside me, but really whole grains weren't that important, in the grand scheme of things.
     Fast forward a few years, I had gone now through two pregnancies and two births. I was blessed with two little girls.  I may have messed up nutrition with the first one, but I would be remiss to do it again!  It wasn't very long until Captain Crunch was calling my name.  I had enough crunch doodles with a feeble attempt of a sugar coating.  Besides, I had to eat that rubbish my whole life.  I did not want my kids to feel deprived, and go off the deep end when they are adults as I did.  I was going to be the picture of health, but a little sweet cereal in the morning wasn't a big deal... in the grand scheme of things.
   Life moves fast, and nutrition should move with it.  My attempts to make my second daughter a nutritious prodigy got lost in the bustle of life.  This could be the point where I give all sorts of excuses why it happened, but I will not.  All the excuses in the world would not bring back the chance I had to give my children proper eating habits.  I believe my husband and I have made some very good decisions, and have done a number of things correctly.  I stand firm in our commitment to their eating methods ; not forcing them to eat everything on their plate, not offering more eating for eating: i.e. treats.
     You may ask why the sudden conscious retort regarding nutrition?  The answer is that I am now learning about it in a method I can appreciate.  Over the years upon hearing about the damaging effect of high fructose corn syrup, or dangerous GMO's, or...(you get the picture), its over all result on my lifestyle was my obstinacy.  I felt these articles, media posts, and news casts were nothing more than a passing fad, a rant in which people could have something they could use to pick apart the foods I liked to eat.
     The more I learn through my professor and books on how the body works with the foods we eat, I realize just how vital nutrition is.  All is not lost with my children and how they eat.  My husband and I are taking another stand when it comes to dinner time.  We are making small changes in all of our eating habits that we hope will turn into big results.  

The Harmful Effect of Sunscreen

     Dear friends, this is the paper that I have poured my heart into.  I wish these words were not interrupted with so many citations and quotes, but that is what you get with a research paper.  Thank you for taking the time to read, learn, and hopefully enjoy.  A little side note "Rebecca" is me, and that really happened.

The Harmful Effect of Sunscreen

One evening when exiting an elevator after a day in the sun Rebecca crossed paths with a couple of opinionated women. They took one look at her sunburn and gave her a hassle about it. Trying to escape embarrassment she responded, “I need a souvenir to take back to Oregon,” to which one replied, “Like what, skin cancer?” followed by vexing laughter. She was ashamed of herself for not using sunscreen. Although she should have taken precautionary measures to prevent sunburn, she could have benefited from the knowledge that sunscreen can be dangerous to a person's health. Sunscreen blocks the body's ability to manufacture vitamin D, uses problematic chemicals, and has not been proven to protect against skin cancer.

Sunscreen blocks the body's ability to manufacture vitamin D. In Dermatologist Jordi Farrerons objective to investigate whether sunscreen may lead to loss of bone mass, he conducted a two year study of “Sunscreen and Risk of Osteoporosis in The Elderly,” in it he states, “Vitamin D is of capitol importance for calcium absorption and bone health. Humans synthesize vitamin D chiefly by conversion of 7-dehydrocholesterol into pre vitamin in the presence of ultraviolet radiation”(Farrerons). In other words, humans obtain vitamin D through bare skin exposure to the sun. The ultraviolet radiations, or uv rays, needed for synthesizing, are the exact things sunscreen blocks. Blocking the rays that health care providers suggest cause cancer results in blocking the vitamin that helps us ward off cancer in the first place. Vitamin D builds strong bones. It is becoming evident that it protects against a number of deadly cancers (“Dermatologist Touts the Benefits of Sun Exposure without Sunscreen to Help the Body make enough Vitamin D to Help Prevent Cancer”). “We might be smarter if we use less sunscreen,” suggests reporter Patricia Neighmond for NPR news, who interviewed epidemiologist Dr. Giovannucci for the article (“Dermatologist Touts the Benefits of Sun Exposure without Sunscreen to Help the Body make enough Vitamin D to Help Prevent Cancer”). Vitamin D deficiency cancers outnumber skin cancer deaths (“Dermatologist Touts the Benefits of Sun Exposure without Sunscreen to Help the Body make enough Vitamin D to Help Prevent Cancer”). Unfortunately with all this sunscreen lathering advice comes the reduction in the very much needed vitamin D Synthesis. Epidemiologist Dr. Giovannucci states that, “Vitamin D might prevent more cancers than Sunscreen does” (Giovannucci). Doctor Holick, who is a dermatologist, states in his book, The UVAdvantage, that he advocates the health benefits of the sun. Dr. Holick is most known for his vitamin D research (Skernivitz). He claims, “The U.S. population is deficient in the vitamin,” and suggests that the easiest way to remedy what Holick calls a “medically significant epidemic,” is to, “invite the moderate sun exposure...omitting sunscreen, of course” (Skernivitz). Alarmingly it is just one more contradiction we face as a nation concerning our health. Therefore, there is validity to the claim that we should invite moderate sun exposure into our regimen.

Sunscreen uses chemicals that can cause a host of problems. Doctor Seri-Levy, Ph.D., chemist and chief executive officer of Sol-Gel Technologies Ltd. Of Israel, states in a Free Radical theory, “Some researchers have claimed that sunscreen chemicals decompose into free radicals. These reactions may be caused by the chemicals themselves, or by the by-products that may be formed by chemical interaction or decomposition”(Coriene). There have been reports that sunscreen products have caused cutaneous, or skin affecting reactions to in vitro model systems (Coriene). According to The Environmental Working Group, who released the 2012 Sunscreen Guide; they warn against the use of a type of vitamin A called retinyl palmate found in sunscreen. This chemical can increase the risk of skin cancer when the sun is exposed to the skin on which sunscreen is applied (Dellorto). Sunscreen contains ample amounts of problems related to chemicals that can all together be avoided.

Sunscreen gives a person a false sense of security regarding the prevention of skin cancer. One way sunscreen is proven to be a danger to the human race is through lack of knowledge. A majority of people are under the impression that if they put sunscreen on they can just stay in the sun all day carte blanche (“Sunscreen Can't Give Blanket Protection”). Sure sunscreen will protect the skin from aging, and a sun burn, but what about the things going on underneath that we cannot see? People are spending an increased amount of time in the sun with no regard to overexposure simply because they have applied sunscreen. A day spent people watching at the beach, or at a carnival would exhibit peoples' overexposure due to the “safety” mindset of wearing sunscreen. The following quote is in relation to a study done regarding malignant tumors being able to form, after exposure to the sun, despite the use of sunscreen.

“In a study, researchers applied either a sunscreen or an oil-water mixture to mice's ears and tails. After 20 minutes, the team exposed some mice for 20 to 27 minutes to UV-B, the rays most sunscreens try to block. They repeated the exposure twice a week for three weeks, so the mice received about three times the UV-B needed to give them a sunburn. After the final session, the researchers injected all of the mice's ears with melanoma cells from genetically identical mice to see how well their immune system fought off the cancerous cells. The group of mice put under the sunlamp had a higher incidence of melanoma tumors than the unexposed mice.” (“Sunscreen Can't Give Blanket Protection”).

The aforementioned study is one more piece of evidence proving that sunscreen does not protect against skin cancer. In Janice Stanger, Ph.D.'s article "Six Hidden Dangers of Sunscreen You Must Know for Summer." she states, “The evidence that sunscreen protects you against skin cancer is weak and inconsistent. More than two million Americans develop skin cancer annually, and the incidence of this condition is rising. In fact, some studies have found an increased risk of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, among those who use more sunscreen” (Stanger). In the “old days” before sunscreen, people had devices they used to protect themselves from the harmful effects of the sun. Umbrellas, hats, and clothes are still available for our use today.

      With a result of vitamin D deficiency and too much time in the sun, if people continue to use sunscreen the way they use it now, they will be faced with higher numbers of cancer than humanity has ever known. People will be saturated with harmful chemicals that cause reactions in their body that will do nothing less than harm in the long run. Heed the warnings of research before you. Omit sunscreen from your regimen.

Afterthought: I realize that you as the reader have your opinion of how you will relate to the facts above.  I just want to say that I do plan to use sunscreen, only in a responsible manner.  I had to be one sided in this essay for the sake of the argument.  I also received my grade on this paper...I got an A!!!!!!!

Works Cited

Coriene, E. Hannapel. "Glass Bead Sunscreen Protects Skin from UV Rays, Toxic Chemicals." Dermatology Times 20.12 (1999): 9-. ProQuest Research Library. Web. 4 Jan. 2013.

Profile: Dermatologist Touts the Benefits of Sun Exposure without Sunscreen to Help the Body make enough Vitamin D to Help Prevent Cancer. Washington, D.C., United States, Washington, D.C.: National Public Radio, 2005. ProQuest Research Library. Web. 3 Jan. 2013.

Interview: Ed Giovannucci Discusses the Possible Benefits of Increased Levels of Vitamin D Created by Sun Exposure. Washington, D.C., United States, Washington, D.C.: National Public Radio, 2005. ProQuest Research Library. Web. 3 Jan. 2013.

Farrerons, Jordi, et al. "Sunscreen and Risk of Osteoporosis in the Elderly: A Two-Year Follow-Up."

Dellorto, Danielle. "Avoid Sunscreens With Potentially Harmful Ingredients, Group Warns." CNN Health. CNN 2013 Cable News Network, 16 May 2012. Web. 7 Jan. 2013.

Dermatology 202.1 (2001): 27-30. ProQuest Research Library. Web. 3 Jan. 2013.

"Health." Maclean's Aug 04 2003: 16-. ProQuest Research Library. Web. 4 Jan. 2013 .

Hancock, Tyson B. "Medical Terminology." Bryan University. 12 Dec. 2012. Web. 6 Jan. 2013.

Skernivitz, Thomas P. "To Sun Or Not to Sun? Derm Researcher Draws Fire." Dermatology Times 25.7 (2004): 1-86. ProQuest Research Library. Web. 4 Jan. 2013.

Stanger, Janice. "Six Hidden Dangers of Sunscreen You Must Know for Summer." The Perfect Formula Diet. 2013 Janice Stanger, 28 May 2012. Web. 4 Jan. 2013.

Stanger, Janice. "Vitamin D: The Good, the Necessary, and the Toxic." The Perfect Formula Diet. 2013 Janice Stanger, 22 Jan. 2011. Web. 4 Jan. 2013.

"Sunscreen can't Give Blanket Protection." Science News Jan 22 1994: 54-5. ProQuest Research Library. Web. 4 Jan. 2013 .