Blog #9 What Are My Biggest Challenges to Regular Excercise and Healthy Eating That I Face? Also, How Are These Challenges Going To Change For Me Over The Next Five Years?

The biggest challenges that I face with regular exercise and healthy eating would have to be consistency and motivation. It is so easy for me to get out of my routine especially with working out. Like many women we take on many roles and time gets away from us so making sure that I not only make time for working out but also make sure that I actually do the workout is my biggest challenge. I tell myself all the time how I am going to wake up early and go to the gym, and work out or go outside for a walk, but that doesn't seem to happen till the late afternoon or evening. I know that working out is better than not working out but I would like to stay more consistent on the times and days that I work out. I know for me that it will help me manage my schedule instead of me fitting it into my schedule. I must say that I have been way more disciplined now about working out than I have been. I now have been able to maintain a regular work out regimen for the past four weeks, and this week is the beginning of my fifth week which I am in amazement that I have been able to stick to my work out regimen for this long. This is a great accomplishment for me and one that I will continue to work on. However, maintaining a healthy diet has always been easy for me because at an early age my mother instilled eating healthy in both my sister and myself. My mother is definitely health conscientious, which is large part from the influence of my grandparents who are much disciplined in eating healthy. It is hard at times when I am around my boyfriend to not snack or eat sweets because he has quite a sweet tooth and enjoys sharing his treats with me. This does make it hard for me to say no to him at times because I want to indulge too but I soon know I will reap the results from my unhealthy eating. So as a way to avoid temptations I try to do all of the grocery shopping if not most of the grocery shopping. I also eat a yogurt and an apple every morning for breakfast, I always make my lunch with at least one fruit and one vegetable, and I try to make dinner as much as I can so that I can regulate what I eat rather than giving into eating out. When my boyfriend and I do go out we try to stick to eating at places that have good nutritional choices such as Jason’s Deli, Corner Bakery, etc. When I make my own meals it makes it a lot easier for me to control what I eat which makes it very easy for me to stick to healthy eating. Now that I understand and can identify the challenges that I face with maintaining regular exercise and maintaining a healthy diet, I hope to grow on these changes and use them in helping me stay more consistent in the next five years and so on. I see myself in the next five years staying fit and being a lot healthier. If I can continue these new behavior changes now and instill them for the next five years then I know I can instill these changes for the many years to come as I age and get older. Five years seems like a long time away but I know in reality it is just around the corner. I know in the next five years that all of my hard work now and in the future will pay off into some great rewards not just me looking and feeling fit, but also emotionally. Of course the most important thing is that I reduce my risk of disease, and cancer, and add quality to my life.

-Brittany LeBron

Blog #8 What Can be Done to Change Societal Images of Menopause, Aging, and Older Women?

Aging is the last thing any woman wants to think about especially as we get older. However, it is inevitable and a natural part of life. Women should not fear aging but instead embrace it. I know it is hard to do that when we live in a society where youth is glamorized. However, we are all aging and not one person is getting younger so instead of fearing the inevitable we should all stand together and tackle the hard, tough, and difficult topics that all women will face, or are facing. It's unfortunate that society puts a negative stigma on menopause, and aging but I think that is in large part of society not being properly educated on these issues. Of course topics that people are unaware of tend to be associated with negative behavior but exploiting these issues on a national level will alert people that aging and menopause are normal. I also think that society’s negative view on aging is due in large part of being shamed and shut out by our own society because aging is not supposed to be discussed. In order to change these views and misconceptions the mass media should shed some positive light on aging, and menopause. By showing society that these changes are okay and normal it helps society except and come to terms with this natural change that will happen to all women at some point in their lives. The more people become educated on these issues the more positive effects and self acceptance everyone will have for not only themselves but for others as well. Also, I think that women who are facing menopause, and ageing should join classes that help them face some of the changes that they are going through. These self help classes will not only help women cope with the changes they are facing, but also surround these women with women who are also going through the same changes. Women should not have to go through menopause, or other bodily changes alone but instead tackle these issues and changes together. By focusing on our future and excepting life’s natural process this will not only benefit those going through this life changing process but also help prepare women who are about to go through the same process of life. Educating people and self acceptance is key in order to change societies view on menopause, and aging women.

-Brittany LeBron

Blog #7 Are STDs Associated with Immorality, Being Promiscuous,or Low Social Statuses?

My own personal thoughts on STDs is that any man or woman who is having sex has a chance of contracting a STD and that certain behaviors can contribute to a person of having a higher risk of getting a STD. Some contributors of having a higher risk of contracting an STD can be associated with immorality, being promiscuous, and having a low social status. I tend to think that each person has their own sets of morals and values and this makes up the behaviors in which an individual behaves in. Peoples morals and beliefs typically stem largely from social, culture, and religious beliefs and are the stepping stones in which an individual behaves. If a person is taught about safe sex, waiting till marriage, and that sex should be a personal and informative decision then a person is more likely to wait to have sex, and incorporate safer sex when that individual is ready to engage in sexual activity. Being promiscuous is also another factor that can increase a person’s risk of contracting a STD. Women and men who engage in sex with multiple partners increase their risks of getting an STD, as well as in having unprotected  sex. Realistically many couples don’t use condoms or use other protective measures that aid in preventing pregnancy and STDs. These negative behaviors only add to the increase of newly infected people each year. Another factor that does not help in one’s favor of their potential risk of an STD is low social status because they do not have the resources or education that can help aid them in prevention. Knowledge is power and unfortunately many people don’t know about the health risks that are associated with unsafe sex practices until it is too late. Being properly educated about STDs, how they are contracted, and how to prevent them are great ways for people to lower their risk of getting STDs. Unfortunately even knowledge about STDs and the harmful consequences that are associated with them will not enable more people to engage in safer sex practices but instead may have the opposite affect on people because so many people believe that getting a STD can’t happen to them. There are also many factors that make certain ethnicity's, age groups, and regions around the world at risk to have higher STD rates but using protection, making informative decisions, and access to education on STDs will help lower more people from being infected and hopefully reduce your risk of contracting a STD. Remember knowledge is power!

-Brittany LeBron

Blog #6 Why Should Prenatal Testing be Routine for All Pregnant Women?

Deciding to have children is a huge decision and with this decision is deciding to ensure both the safety of the mother and the unborn baby. Prenatal testing should be routine for all mothers because the potential risk for the baby to be born with some sort of birth defects, genetic defects, or even the potential risk of having disease etc. is a very high possibility. Prenatal testing is not only important for the baby but also for the mother because there could be potential health risks that could affect the mother and her health. There are many agents that can cause birth defects such as a family history, environmental agents, but many are unexplained. 60% of children who are diagnosed with some form of birth defect are unexplained (American Pregnancy Association, 2010). This is a very high rate of children being born with birth defects that are    unexplained which is why it is so important to get prenatal testing. Tests should be taken before a couple becomes pregnant to assess their health and the likelihood of having a child with birth defects, as well as taking the proper test during each trimester. Some examples of prenatal testing are: First Trimester Screen, Chorionic Villus Sampling (CVS), and Quad Screen, to name of few.  For example the CVS testing is used to determine if there are any chromosomal abnormalities due to family history, or if there is a potential risk. The CVS testing has a 98%-99% accuracy level (American Pregnancy Association, 2010). This is a very high detection rate which can help a couple make the decisions that are right for them. Prenatal testing is not only good for the baby and the mother but also for the couple to assess if they have the financial income, or resources to care for a child who may be born with birth defects. These are no easy decisions which are why planning a pregnancy and taking proper vitamins, minerals, exercising, and eating healthy are important keys to ensure a healthy baby free of birth defects. Unfortunately there are no guarantees and even women who do everything by the book are still at risk of having a baby with birth defects. If deciding to become pregnant please get prenatal testing, it will benefit you tremendously.
-Brittany LeBron


Reference:

American Pregnancy Association. (2010). Promoting Pregnancy Wellness. Retrieved

October 7, 2010, from the World Wide Web: http://www.americanpregnancy.org/index.htm