Personalized Nutrition and Exercise Plan

1.     Final Project: Personalized Nutrition and Exercise Plan

·         Due Date: Day 7 [Individual] forum

·         Describe briefly a current health problem or nutritional need that you are experiencing, or a health or nutrition problem you can foresee experiencing because of your family history.

·         Develop a realistic nutrition and exercise plan to summarize in a 1,400- to 1,750-word paper. Use insights from the MyPyramid Plan Web exercise, the Recommended Dietary Allowances, Recommended Dietary Intakes for your age group and gender, and information from readings. The plan must be plausible enough to be initiated within the next 30 days and continued throughout your life.

·         Include the following:

• Identification of the health and nutrition problem that may be targeted
• Four nutritional or physical exercise goals
• Actions taken to meet each goal
• Anticipated setbacks or difficulties and approaches for overcoming them
• Outcomes by which to measure success
• Evidence of the plan’s effectiveness in addressing the identified problem or need
• Evaluation of potential health risks that may develop if the plan is not implemented

·         Address how your plan may be adjusted to fit your changing nutritional needs as a result of age, pregnancy (if applicable), or changes in physical capabilities.

·         Include information on physical activities, and how they may be altered to accommodate different seasons of the year and changes in age.

·         Format your paper according to APA standards.

·         Post your paper as an attachment(244).

            There are three health problems that I am experiencing or may experience in the future that I need to address and create a nutrition and exercise plan that will help me maintain or avoid these conditions.  These are: obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.   All of these run in my family and I feel they are each linked together and each one affects the other two and I can not write a paper on one without addressing the other two. 

            The first one, obesity, is something I am experiencing now and have been trying to address with my current diet and exercise changes.  I have made several changes to my diet in recent months.  I have modified normal breakfasts from the work cafeteria by simply not getting them.  I bring my breakfast from home which is usually cereal or yogurt with fruit.  I also have incorporated special k granola bars or hard boiled eggs for snacks instead of chips or chocolate.  I chose yogurt and hard boiled eggs for their iodine content to ensure my thyroid is working properly and is not the reason for my weight.

 For dinner I usually keep baby spinach leaves, broccoli and carrots in my refrigerator.  I find by keeping these items on hand I am more likely use them by finding a way to incorporate them into a dinner in order to add more nutrition into mine and my family’s diet.  Even if only for the simplest reason of, to use it before it goes bad.  I add these extras to almost every dish I cook for dinner.  I find it is an easy way to give everyone a few more vegetable nutrients and the vegetables are masked in a way to make it acceptable for my kids. 

Then other change I have made to my diet recently is to add more vegetable nutrients into my diet by way of the amazing grass powder.  I drink one scoop of the amazing grass powder every morning with or before breakfast.  Their website claims each scoop is the nutritional equivalent to seven servings of vegetables and fruits.  Since beginning this there have been a few beneficial side effects, such as my insomnia is gone, I am more rested during the day.  My knees do not hurt as I walk up and down the stairs.  I also now take a women’s one a day tablet along with my fish oil vitamin. 

The exercise program I plan to add into my daily routine is a walk after dinner with my kids which I have already started in order to achieve my thousand daily steps, and I am buying a treadmill for my workout.  Walking is an easy routine for me and with limited time and space to walk or run long distances outside, a treadmill inside will allow me the freedom to walk or jog whenever is convenient for me and can easily be done after the kids go to bed or before the wake up with minimal embarrassment for me.  This is essential for my continued success at using the treadmill daily.  It does not have to interrupt any of my normal routines around the house and will take minimal effort at the start to make success within my grasp.

My second health issue is diabetes.  This disease runs very heavily in my family and I am currently starting to show signs that I should be tested in the near future. For a while I was getting shaky, lightheaded and felt like I was close to passing out.  The only fix was food.  Once I ate, I began to feel better.  It was only happening at lunch time and not every day.  Sometimes weeks would go by and I would not get the shakes.  For this reason it took me a while to pin point what was the cause, why some days and not others.   I narrowed it down to if the first thing I ate was any type of sugar and nothing else by lunch I would get shaky.  I stopped drinking soda and sugar laced coffee first thing in the morning and started drinking milk or juice.  After getting the amazing grass powder that became the first thing I ate or drank in the morning.  As long as I continue with this one rule about sugar, I have no issues throughout the day.  I have done a lot of research online since I am uninsured as to what the cause might be of this behavior and am almost convinced it is a form of diabetes, probably diet controlled diabetes.  I can still drink or eat as much sugar as I want to during the day with no shakes as long as the first thing I eat or drink is not sugar laced. 

This complication was the major reason for my purchase of the amazing grass powder.  This allows me a healthy alternative to drink in the morning and I do not have to worry about my vegetable intake for the rest of the day.  I still plan on getting tested to ensure what type of diabetes I have.  I am taking these warnings seriously since I know what diabetes can do if not properly handled.  I have a grandmother who died of this disease and she had many diabetes related health issues all her life.  Until I can get the testing done, this is my diet changes I have implemented in order to control the disease in myself. 

My third health issue which is just as linked and related to the other two and very prominent in my family history as well, is heart disease.  My grandfather died from his second heart attack in 1972.  My uncle has had a few minor heart attacks over the years, as well as my mother had a very mild attack a few years back.  Heart disease is known to be linked to obesity and diabetes and I am hoping in controlling the first two I will lessen my risk to develop any kind of heart disease later in life. 

I have run into a few complications that has thrown my diet eschew.  First is that we moved, and in moving we have all of our stuff locked into a storage unit while we stay with my stepfather-in-law while we look for our own place.  This adds to the risk of not being capable using my amazing grass powder every day as we adjust to living with someone else.  We spend two weeks on the road visiting relatives on the way south and this also made it hard to keep up using the powder and take our vitamins every day.  Our entire daily routines was thrown out of wack with the trip and move since we no longer had a refrigerator of our own and are not cooking our own meals.  This makes it hard to incorporate all of my vegetable techniques I was using to add more nutrients into our dinners. 

I have managed to maintain our daily after dinner walks, the only change there has been the addition of several members of this household in our nightly walks.  My continually success will be in the reduction of my overall weight and absence of the shakes I feel when not sticking to my rule of no sugar in the morning.  I also realize if I can not keep to these restrictions I could continue to gain weight and put more stress on my heart which can cause heart disease, or lose control of my potential diabetes and upgrade from diet controlled diabetes to insulin controlled diabetes.  This is not an alternative I would like since I do not like needles of any kind.  I do not want to be insulin controlled since that would limit me in many other ways and not be helpful with losing weight.  Many insulin dependent individuals only gain weight while taking insulin and as I am already one hundred pounds overweight this is not an option I would undertake willingly.  Adding weight will only increase my likelihood in developing heart disease and since my disease appears to be quite easily managed with diet control this should not be an issue if I keep to my current restrictions. 

It may also be that once I manage to lose the weight, I may lose my need to control my diet since it may be my overweight status that is causing my diabetes-like symptoms.  Only time will really tell how that will turn out but I am sure I can keep to the new diet and exercise plan I will implement.  Mostly in place besides the treadmill I plan on buying in the near future. 

Reflections on Nutrition

1.     Capstone CheckPoint: Reflections on Nutrition

·         Due Date: Day 4 [Individual] forum

·         Reflect on what you have learned about the science of nutrition, using the assignments you have completed up to this point as reference.

·         Write a 200- to 300-word response addressing the following questions:

o    What assignment did you enjoy the most? Why?

o    Are there any assignments that you have completed that have affected your life in terms of overall health and nutrition habits? If so, which assignment?

o    How has it affected you?

            I have thoroughly enjoyed every assignment in this course and have learned many things I did not already know.  I took this course in an attempt to learn more about nutrition because I have been becoming increasingly aware of my nutritional needs as I age and gain weight.  I learned several of my weaknesses as I examined my daily intake and exercise levels.  I have made several improvements in my nutrition intake over the past several months and now I know some additional ways to alter my intake to better match my nutritional needs. 

            The one assignment that affected my life and me the most, it would have to be the examination of the multi vitamin we did a few weeks back.  I examined not only a common multivitamin but also the amazing grass formula I have already incorporated into my diet in an attempt to better balance my nutritional intake.  I had assumed that with the addition of the powder I did not need a multivitamin.  After examining the nutritional details of the multivitamin and my amazing grass powder I learned that the powder does not cover all my nutritional needs.  I have since bought the whole family multi vitamins and we are now all taking them daily.  

Mitigation Strategies and Solutions

2.     Final Project: Mitigation Strategies and Solutions

 

         Resource: Appendix A

 

         Use the topic you chose as an environmental researcher for the Week Nine Capstone Discussion Question or choose another topic you have learned about over the past 8 weeks.

 

         Focus on a specific environmental problem within your selected topic. Your topic, for example, could be Atmospheric Issues, and your environmental problem could be global warming.

 

         Write a 1,750- to 2,100-word paper that formulates a mitigation plan for your specific environmental problem. Include the following:

 

o    Detailed description of the problem

o    Nonliving and living factors that contribute to or are affected by the problem

o    Positive or negative human impacts

o    Evaluation of current sustainability strategies and solutions

o    Your plan to reach sustainability (See Appendix F)

o    Benefits and challenges of your plan

o    Required government, societal, and global support

 

         Include at least four outside sources. Two of the four sources should be peer-reviewed. If you need assistance with identifying a peer-reviewed article, review Appendix G.

 

         Format your paper according to APA guidelines.

 

         Post your paper as an attachment.

One issue with our environment today is the short supply of energy materials. With the increase in electronic devices and the increase in the population our energy usage will rise to the point that there is just not enough energy to go around. A continued use of non-renewable sources of energy will only deplete our supply of these materials. With the depletion of our supply of nonrenewable source materials, our ever growing needs for power on electronic devices and our increasing population growth we will run out of power in an unpredictable amount of time and none of the items we use this energy for will work. This could set the human population back to the dark ages, before technology. Imagine a world with no cell phones, no televisions, and no transportation vehicles such as cars or even airplanes. A world with no stoves or microwaves for cooking, no refrigerators or freezers for storing, no lights for seeing, no video games or computers to occupy our time. Without even things as simple as cigarette lighters or watches that run on batteries.

The conservation of energy is one solution to our ever expanding energy usage which people are trying to use today to preserve the limited nonrenewable resource materials. Conserving energy is in my opinion a short term solution to a real ongoing and increasing problem. Energy conservation will help us in our quest but is not a solution to the energy crisis. It is merely a stepping stone in our path toward sustainability. Conservation can go a long way in helping stretch our current resources and allow us a longer use of the resources we currently have, but even with our conservation efforts the energy supply will run out. What we need is a renewable source of energy that will not deplete our planetary materials and will make energy available enough for all the electronic devices and human needs for everyone for now and on into the future.

Our power currently comes from power stations that use a multitude of different types of materials to create the power we use today. The most common types of power plants in the past have been powered by nuclear energy or fossil fuels. Nuclear power is used to generate electrical power by harnessing the release of energy from the chain reaction of fission fragments flying apart and entering nearby uranium nuclei. The energy is then used to control and drive a turbine that generates electricity. (Hodgson, 2008) Nuclear power plants are a danger to those individuals in the surrounding area since it emits nuclear energy into the air. It is also dangerous to the environment at large because of the same nuclear emissions.

Fossil fuel power plants rely on oil or coal to heat water to the boiling point and the steam generated is then used to operate a steam turbine to create electricity. (Newton, 2003) A disadvantage to using fossil fuels as an energy resource is that they can be dirty to run and maintain since neither coal nor oil burns cleanly. The smoke coming out of the stacks can contain ash that can be deposited on homes, cars and other exposed surfaces. Coal smoke into the air is also the cause of acid rain that can damage many surfaces as it comes down and can also harm our oceans and rivers. Both of these methods are hazardous to the environment and our atmosphere, not to mention the health of the individuals who live near these types of power plants. Not to mention the price of oil skyrocketing or embargos on oil by countries in which we rely for importing.

There are a few power plants today that use biomass fermentation as fuel, which is the use of waste from sugar cane or other farm crops to boil the water in which the steam is used to move the turbines that create electricity. Some plants use solar panels, which uses the power of the sun to boil water; and some that are hydro powered, which is using running water to turn the turbines. These methods of creating power use renewable energy sources to create electricity for the world, crop waste, the sun, and water.

There are several additional methods of renewable materials to convert into power. Wind power is a great resource for a reliable renewable energy source. Wind power consists of using the power of the wind to turn giant turbines which in turn create energy that is pushed all over the world. The problem with wind power is it needs land in order to install the giant turbines needed, this cannot be done close to cities and must be in rural areas where the turbines will not interfere with everyday life. Even then you are at the mercy of the wind, without wind the turbines do not turn and do not create energy.

Solar power is another way to generate electricity. This uses photovoltaic cells that capture sunlight and convert it directly into electricity, or by using sunlight to boil water which is used to provide power. Photovoltaic have been used for years in small applications such as a solar powered calculator. The problem with solar power is it is intermittent. A power plant that wishes to use only solar power will have to use it in combination with storage devices to run continuous power.

What we need is a way to generate power that does not interfere with daily life, will not harm the environment and maybe even help restore the ozone which in turn would help reverse global warming. Our solution I believe lies with something the Germans are already doing, they have a plant that uses a combination of wind, biomass, hydro and solar power to generate one hundred percent renewable energy. I am not so sure we have to use every source in each plant to make them produce one hundred percent renewable energy but certainly we should employ several ways in one plant.

I am proposing a sustainability plan of incorporating solar energy and biomass fuel as renewable sources to generate electricity. In order to put this plan in effect will be a four step process. Step one will be to research the best ways in which to use solar power and biomass fermentation in a power plant to create the most electrical energy and to be the most efficient. There needs to be research done on several different ways and the efficiency of these ways in order to determine the best option. Research needs to be done on how to get the biomass materials needed on a regular basis and the best ways to transport and install these materials to run the power plant. Some research will need to be done on any rules and regulations by the state and federal governments in the area in which the power plant will be installed. We will also need some research done on what kind of waste this process will create, if any, and how we will deal with the waste.

Step two will involve developing a new blueprint for the construction of the new one hundred percent renewable energy power plant. This will use all the research gained from the research phase and choose the best positions for each part of the plant. A contractor will be required to ensure the plant has everything it needs to be up to code and comply with all rules and regulations from the government on how such a plant needs to function properly and without any danger to its surroundings.

Step three will be to develop a presentation that includes all research and development paperwork. The presentation will consist of the reasons we cannot continue to rely on non renewable sources to generate our electrical power, and what kind of damage our current resources are causing to our environment and the individuals surrounding the plant itself. It will also include the blueprints approved by a licensed contractor, the costs of converting existing plants to renewable energy sources, and the costs of building a renewable energy plant from the ground up. I will conclude the presentation with a breakdown of the costs of installing new or upgrading existing plants with the damage and depletion of using non renewable resources to generate power. My conclusion will also show the benefits of switching to renewable sources to generate power and why we cannot afford to not switch.

Step four will be to organize a meeting with state and federal officials in order to get approval and/or funding. The meeting will need to include several officials from a few different environmental agencies and government affiliates. We need to have a good grouping of environmentalists, government officials, local officials and farmers who would be supplying the biomass materials. During the meeting I will present my plan for sustainability and impress how important it is that we as a country do something to preserve our environment and create a source of renewable energy for our ever growing population.

Step five will move us into the building phase of development. Putting in all devices in their proper places in order to be the most efficient according to the blueprints designed and approved by the contractor. Solar panels installed on the roof and other available spaces, converter boxes to change sunlight into useable energy, engines that run on biomass fuel, and of course the generators needed to change these energy sources into electricity.

One challenge of my plan is going to be the opposition in the government and local officials that might not want to spend the money that will be required to alter the existing plants since renewable resource materials will be more expensive than non renewable resource materials. Another challenge is finding farmers willing to gather their biomass materials since it is generally what is left on the ground after harvesting a crop and preserving and shipping it to the plant. Another challenge is to meet the regulations and requirements in order to run such a plant in a safe manner.

One benefit of my plan will be a reduction in the use of nonrenewable resource materials. Another benefit will be the air pollution will be less since the plants will not be using fossil fuels. One possible benefit is because of the reduction in air pollution our ozone could repair or reverse which will eliminate global warming as an issue. The residences around the plants will benefit with cleaner air and no harmful waste materials being dumped into oceans or rivers. With no harmful waste being dumped into our oceans and rivers will benefit our ocean inhabitants and allow them to live and thrive better due to the better environment.

References

Hodgson, P (2008) “Nuclear Power and the Energy Crisis” retrieved from EBCOHost University of Phoenix University Library on Jan 2010.

Newton, D (2003) “Power Plants” retrieved from EBCOHost University of Phoenix University Library on Jan 2010

Wikipedia (2009) “Power Station” Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org on Jan 2010

Wikipedia (2009) “Solar Power” retrieved from en.wikipedia.org on Jan 2010

Race and Your Community

1.     Final Project: Race and Your Community

·         Resources: Appendix A.

·         Write a 1,400- to 1,750-word autobiographical research paper that analyzes the influences of race as it relates to your community. In your paper, write your first-person account of how human interactions in your community have been racialized. For the community, you may consider relations within your neighborhood, local government, service groups, clubs, schools, workplace, or any environment of which you are a part.

·         Answer the following questions and provide examples:

o    Do members of your community look like you? In what ways do they look the same or different?

o    How do leaders within your community treat people who are like you? How do they treat people who are different?

o    How do other members of your community treat people who are like you? How do they treat people who are different?

o    Do your texts or work manuals contain information by or about people like you?

o    Do the local media represent people like you? If so, in what ways?

o    What are some similarities and differences between you and the people who are in leadership positions in your community? Do you think minority group interests are represented within your community?

o    If you could resolve any inequities within your community, what would you change? How and why?

o    Which main concepts from the text relate to race? Apply some of these concepts to your project.

·         Include the following elements in your paper:

o    The thesis addresses racial issues in your local community.

o    The content is comprehensive and accurate.

o    The paper itself draws on your personal experiences with and opinions about cultural diversity in your community.

o    Three sources are used, and one source is a community member, leader, or representative from a local community organization.

o    The paper is written in first-person point of view, with an autobiographical approach.

o    Text concepts are applied to your observations.

o    Assignment questions are answered.

o    The paper includes perspectives from supporting sources.

o    The conclusion is logical, flows from the body of the paper, and reviews the major points.

o    Paragraph transitions are present.

o    The tone is appropriate.

o    Sentences are well-constructed.

o    The paper, title page, and references follow APA standards.

o    Rules of grammar, usage, and punctuation are followed.

o    Spelling is correct.

·         Post your completed research as an attachment.

White Racism

ETH125

            Even though Black Americans are among the most racially oppressed group in America, White Americans can receive just as much racial aggression in a Black community as a Black Americans in a White community.  You never think of White Americans as suffering too much racial inequality or oppression.  But in the little community of Eatonville, Florida, which is a predominantly Black American neighborhood, The Winter Park Housing Authority has an apartment complex called Margaret Square.  This is an apartment complex which gives housing to low-income families; there have been a few recent additions to the community since I lived there such as the Community Service Center at Margaret Square which has an abundance of community based programs, such as after school programs, summer camps, planning workshops and resource assistance.  This has been put in place in order to enhance the life of the individuals who find themselves in the low-income part of town.  This is a thriving community that takes care of each other and has respect for the other individuals who live here.  With one major exception, during my stay at this complex I was victim of the worst racial aggression I have every faced in my life as a White American. 

            The complex is made up mostly of African Americans families with a few families of White or Hispanic races.  My family was one of three White families in the complex.  I needed to interview for a place in the community with a background check and employment verification.   The interview lady was of African American descent and was a courteous individual.  They do not discriminate because of color, race or religion.  They only determine your need according to your employment and family size.  The management staff was made up of a few ladies of different racial backgrounds and was always sympathetic and kind.  The community leaders were all of different racial backgrounds as well as the local media and were nice and friendly and very accommodating in their assistance with procuring an apartment in this community. 

            It was a whole different story after we moved in.  The community at large is African American and that included the local elementary school.  Eighty-eight percent of students who attend Hungerford Elementary in Eatonville were Black Americans while White Students are at five percent.  (GreatSchools.com, 2009)  My daughter experienced quite a bit of bullying at the school with such comments as ‘cracker’ or ‘white girl’ in abundance.  In the complex there was not any overt bullying but little things like items being thrown at our door, dead animals found on our doorstep, our back porch furniture being moved across the back lawn, and flowerpot being smashed.  Management was very sympathetic but ultimately could do nothing, or claimed they could do nothing.  Same thing with the elementary school teachers and staff, they did not witness the bullying and could not do anything.  The school was disposed to making it a racial issue, I think due to the oppression faced by most Black Americans in the past, they were reluctant to make it appear as though Black Americans can commit racially motivated bullying in their school. 

            The other two white families reported similar incidents, but nothing was ever done to help them either.  One of these families had told me of a previous tenant in a white family that had similar issues.  That particular tenant had gone the extra step to involve management and the police and ended up getting their cars vandalized and the apartment broken into.   In the end they had moved away due to these issues because management would not or could not do anything about it.  Neighborhood meetings were littered with people that had an obvious distaste for white families in their neighborhood.  In my experience no Black family in the complex became a victim of any of these annoying incidents.  After a few meetings it was clear to me that any White family was not welcome in their neighborhood  and there were some that would do anything to make them leave, and if these families did anything to drawn the attention of management or law enforcement, you could suffer worse incidents.

            Community leaders along with the Elementary School teachers and staff were all courteous, but it was obvious the local people did not want White Americans in their neighborhood and make it difficult for even my daughter to go to their school.  The incidents at the school were of such small degree as to be unworthy of the local media or police department, especially since there was no proof or witnesses who would backup my daughters account. 

            Of course, you could take your issues up the chain to the members of the board that regulate the Housing Authority.  There are some White Americans who serve on the board but seemed even more disinclined to feel sympathetic to our plight as members of the minority races, and still little was done to alleviate the issues at hand.  It appears as though the general consensus is that any White American family who found themselves in such dire straits as to find themselves in this community was only due to their own laziness and/or wrongdoing and deserved no sympathy from any management or board members. 

            The few Hispanic families in the complex seemed to have fewer problems if any, than the White families.  They did not feel as welcome as the Black families did but seemed to encounter less resistance, possibly due to the fact they are another minority and suffered their own oppression at the hands of White America.  In conjunction their children also had fewer problems at adapting to a predominately Black Elementary school and did not suffer as much teasing or bullying as White children.  There is of course, some teasing considering that most schools have at least a few children who do not discriminate their teasing to any one race.

            The Black Americans in the community, on the other hand, appear to have little problems that do not relate to living in a low-income section of town and seem to adapt better than the White families.  All the Black members of the community got along great with each other and there are plenty of opportunities for assistance to rebuild their lives.  There are the same opportunities for non black members of the community but those families did not get along as well with the neighborhood.  The African American members of the community have been in this area for several generations.  They all take pride in their community and it shows very well that they care and some even thrive in this small community.  Some thrive so well as to have no desire to leave this community and only strive to make it a better place to live and grow.  They like the feeling of others around them of the same race and feel as though members of other races are interfering in their culture and habitat.  Most feel that we, as White Americans, are intruding on their last frontier and taking what little they have made for themselves.  The community leaders are more excepting of individuals of other races within their community but ultimately do little to assist in alleviating the hostility of the ‘native’ inhabitants. 

            My theory for this behavior is that most minority individuals have a hard time accepting and believing that white families might be or even could be just as poor or oppressed as they are and reject their inclusion in the same opportunities that in their eyes were created for them only.  They feel as though including other races, especially White Americans, in their opportunities takes away from a Black family that could be helped instead.  I feel, the only way we can resolve these inequalities is through education.  We need to educate everyone that oppression is not limited to race or color.  There are all types of oppression and until we learn that our differences make us unique and fun we are never going to all get along.  We need to learn to embrace our differences and the differences of others.  I believe the place to start is with the children.  Teach children tolerance and acceptance of other races and show them that each individual can contribute in a unique and beneficial way regardless of race or color.  Only on our outside do we show any differences at all.  There are many things that make us all similar, our love for our families and communities most of all.    Teach them there is only one ‘race’ of people, the human race, and we are all needed to make this world a beautiful place to live.

References

Great Schools (2009) ‘Hungerford Elementary School’ retrieved from www.greatschools.org on           Jan 2010

CSC (2009) “Board and Staff” Retrieved from www.cscfl.com on Jan 2010

ETH125 Capstone CheckPoint

1.     Capstone CheckPoint

·         Write a 200- to 300-word summary that answers all of the following questions:

o    What information about race and ethnicity in the United States has helped you better understand or relate to specific minority groups?

o    Have you learned something new about your own cultural history?

o    Trends in immigration will continue to shape the face of the United States. What will this face look like in the year 2050?

o    How might the country best prepare for the changing race and ethnicity of its current and future citizens?

            I am generally a very tolerant individual, but the one thing I did learn what the plight of the Japanese Americans.  I did not know about the camps and the teaching while in the camps.  This has given me a greater respect for the Japanese race.  To be able to take something bad and turn it into something good and many have succeeded because of that. 

            This course did not cover any nationality that I come from and I do not believe any nationality I am descended from suffered any persecution or oppression.  I did learn a lot about the cultural history of several races of individuals and gained a greater respect for several. 

            I believe trends in immigration will only increase as time goes by.  As Americans shed their prejudices and learn to live with each other and their cultural differences, the rest of the world will continue to see America as a safe haven and land of opportunity.  We will all continue to intermingle and intermarry and the races will become less pronounced in fifty years that it is now.

            I believe this country would be better served and better prepared if we address the underlying racial issues and work on changing people’s opinions on any one race.  We need to stop looking at little things and taking offense and crying ‘racial’ for every affront just because you happen to be part of a minority.   Not every injustice done is racially motivated.  If you want to create organizations to help minorities, helping them recognize true racially motivated issues should be one thing these organizations teach.  

Persuasive Research Paper : Pharmaceutical Drugs, Harmful or Helpful?

1.     Final Project: Persuasive Research Paper

·         Resources: Appendix A and Appendix H

·         Use the checklist in Appendix H to proofread your final draft. If you cannot answer positively to an item in the proofreading checklist, revise your paper accordingly.

·         Construct a persuasive research paper in 2,000 to 2,500 words, formatted according to APA guidelines.

·         Include the following elements:

o    Title page

o    Introduction and a thesis statement

o    Body with supporting evidence and in-text citations

o    Effective visuals, appropriately introduced

o    Conclusion

o    Reference list with at least five to seven sources, at least three of which must come from the University Library

o    Completed peer-review form

·         Review Appendix A to ensure you have completed every step required for the final project.

·         Format your paper according to APA guidelines.

·         Post your final project and the peer review checklist a classmate completed for your research paper as attachments.

Pharmaceutical Drugs, Harmful or Helpful?

            No one wants to be awoken at two a.m. by a phone call saying their sister is at the hospital.  That is what happened to me, that one phone call had a devastating impact on my life.  I rushed to the hospital in a panic, the doctors told me she was in a coma and they didn’t know if she would come out.  So why did this happen, the doctors figure her new prescription interacted badly with her other prescriptions. They couldn’t say if it was her mistake or her doctors.  She was in a coma for three excruciatingly long weeks before she finally woke up.  Since then, she wasn’t the same.  She was physically and mentally fine, but little things are different.  She would get angry easier, slept more, and ate less.  You could say the person who woke up from the coma wasn’t the person who went into the coma.  Even though pharmaceutical drugs can be very helpful in curing diseases, they can cause more harm than good due to side effects, an individual's dependency, and contributing to the breakdown of our natural immune system.

      Pharmaceutical drugs are defined as any chemical substance intended as use in treatment or prevention of disease. One example of a pharmaceutical drug is prescription drugs, which are essentially any drug that is prescribed by a physician, such as antibiotics or pain killers. Over the counter medications are also considered under the term pharmaceutical drugs.  This covers everything from generic aspirin to NyQuil.  Pharmacology is the study of the effects of chemical substances on living systems. One part of pharmacology is drug action, or how drugs bind to specific cellular targets or their physicochemical/physical effects (Rawlins, 2009). Another part of pharmacology is study of drug handling or how the living body processes, absorbs, distributes, and excretes chemical substances (Rawlins, 2009). 

      Pharmaceutical drugs are used mainly for treatment of diseases or infections.  They can be used to treat or cure short term illnesses such as fevers or the flu. They can also be used to treat or cure long term illnesses such as cancer.   Pharmaceutical drugs can also be used for prevention of diseases. Vaccines are a great way in which pharmaceutical drugs are used to prevent diseases.  Vaccinations inject just enough disease into your body in order for your immune system to learn the cure and file it away in case you are ever exposed to the disease your immune system will recognize the disease and know the cure already without having to find the cure before fighting the disease.  This method has been proven in not only to help prevent diseases but has also been used to eradicate a disease.  Such is the case of small pox.  This disease ravaged the 18^th century; Killing twenty to sixth percent of infected people including five monarchs (Wikipedia, 2009).  This disease is now been eradicated completely after several vaccination campaigns, the World Health Organization certified it in Dec 1979. (Wikipedia, 2009)

      Pharmaceutical drugs can cause as much harm as good. Sometimes drugs do not cure or prevent the diseases they are meant to prevent or cure.  Such as with cancer, not all cancer treatments work one hundred percent.  What works for one individual may not work for another.  Even such basic ailments such as headaches, aspirin does not always work.  There are hundreds of cold medications, and the reason for that is not all work for all individuals.  How many commercials have we seen for a new prescription medication only to see a lawyer commercial a few months later about death or severe illness due to the drug?   With vaccines, which are designed to prevent, you can still catch the diseases. In fact, you could catch the disease from the vaccine itself since the vaccine is a small dose of the disease.  If your body is ill-equipped to figure out the cure, you may get very sick from the vaccine.  Prescriptions medications do not always cure illnesses, which is why there are so many drugs that do basically the same thing. Every prescription drug you buy comes with a list of side effects.  This can be anything from nauseousness to seizures.  There is no possible way for any health professional to certify a drug will not harm anyone that takes it before it has been circulated to the general public. 

            J Rohrlich informed us in “Your Money & Your Life” of the potentially harmful side effects of eight different commonly taken prescription drugs.  The table below lists the drugs with the side effects taking from his website.  I included another column with a list of potential side effects according to RxList.com for comparison.

Table 1

Name	Side effects from J Rohrlich	Other potential side effects from RxList.com
Mirapex	Mirapex, a treatment for Parkinson’s disease, acts on the dopamine receptors in the part of the brain linked to pleasure and reward-seeking behavior. Side effects can include compulsive gambling, wild shopping binges, overeating, and hyper sexuality	RxList.com reported most commonly observed side effects are nausea, dizziness, somnolence, insomnia, constipation, asthenia, and hallucinations.
Alli	A popular weight-loss drug, Alli can cause "gas with oily discharge, an increased number of bowel movements, an urgent need to have them, and an inability to control them."	RxList.com reports side effects as, Loose or more frequent stools that may be hard to control , An urgent need to go to the bathroom, and Gas with oily spotting
Xeloda	Taken by cancer patients, can cause your fingers and palms to peel. Resulting in no fingerprints	RxList.com has five different table lists dozens of side effects, each table for a different percentage of the individuals taking the drug.
Rifampin	Commonly given to patients who have been exposed to meningitis, Rifampin will turn urine, sweat, saliva, and tears a festive red-orange color. The effect can be dramatic enough to stain one’s contact lenses.	RxList.com had Rifampin as the generic to several drugs, several with warnings about contracting “fatal hepatitis”
Abilify	One ad for Abilify, informs the reader that "elderly dementia patients... have an increased risk of death or stroke," "uncontrollable muscle movements [that] may become permanent," and "thoughts of suicide.”	RxList.com reports, the most common adverse reactions were nausea, vomiting, constipation, headache, dizziness, akathisia, anxiety, insomnia, and restlessness.
Chantix	Smokers trying to quit by using Chantix may also experience suicidal thoughts.	RxList.com reports, the most common adverse reactions were nausea, sleep disturbance, constipation, flatulence, and vomiting.
Cymbalta	Severe liver problems, some fatal, were reported.	RxList.com reports, the most common adverse reactions were nausea, dry mouth, constipation, somnolence, hyperhidrosis, dizziness, asthenia and decreased appetite.
Advair	An asthma drug that can cause asthma-related death	RxList.com includes a table of side effects including candidiasis mouth/throat, throat irritation, hoarseness/dysphonia, sinusitis, viral respiratory infections, headaches, dizziness, fever, malaise, fatigue, musculoskeletal pain, muscle cramps and spasms.

            There are many ways in which pharmaceutical drugs can cause harm. The above table only lists a few common medications.  Every drug has a list of potential side effects.  With Every prescription the pharmacist includes a pamphlet listing these side effects with the dosage.  I have been asked recently by pharmacists if I have used these prescriptions before and if I have any questions.  It is up to us to read this information and ask questions.  Individuals who do not educate themselves on the drugs they are being prescribed can take the wrong doses or mix the wrong medications. Every drug has the potential for not only many side effects but also drug interactions.  We as individuals need to ask our doctor about new prescriptions they are giving us.  The National Council on Patient Information and Education gives us this list of questions we should ask before leaving the doctor’s office if given a new prescription:  (Golodner, 1999)

1.      What is the name of the medicine and what is it supposed to do?

2.      Is this the brand or generic name? 

3.      Is a generic version available?

4.        How and when do I take the medicine - and for how long?    

5.      What foods, drinks, other medicines, dietary supplements, or activities should I avoid while taking this medicine?    

6.      What are the possible side effects, and what do I do if they occur?    

7.      When should I expect the medicine to begin to work, and how will I know if it is working?    

8.      Will this new prescription work safely with the other prescription and non-prescription medicines I am taking?

            The National Council on Patient Information and Education gives us this list to ask our pharmacist before leaving with the new medication: (Golodner, 1999)

1.      Do you have a patient profile form for me to fill out?  (If not, then create your own by clicking on Medication List (http://www.talkaboutrx.org/medform.html) . Print this out, complete the form and show it to your pharmacist before your prescription is filled.)

2.      Will it include space for my non-prescriptioin drugs and any dietary supplements?    

3.       Is there written information about my medicine? Ask the pharmacist to review the most important information with you. (Ask if it's available in large print or, if necessary, in a language other than English.)    

4.      What is the most important thing I should know about this medicine? Ask the pharmacist any questions that may not have been answered by your doctor.    

5.      Will any tests or monitoring be required while I am taking this medicine?    

6.      Can I get a refill? If so, when?    

7.      How should I store this medicine?  

            V. J. Wirtz took surveyed a group of individuals over 18 years of age that have bought at least one drug in their life.  The survey tested their knowledge on the harmful effects of the drugs they were buying.  The results of the survey are shown in the table below.

Table 2.

Total customers surveyed	1445
Total individuals who bought prescriptions drugs without a prescription	1055
Total individuals who knew the drugs they bought could cause harm	172
Total individuals who could name at least one side effect of the drugs they were taking	87

            There is an alternative.  Herbal remedies can achieve the same results without all the nasty side effects. There are many medicinal herbal drugs that can be used in the same ways as pharmaceutical drugs. Many herbal drugs can be used to prevent and cure the same illnesses, and since they are not manmade, herbal drugs have less harmful doses.

      These drugs are less known and fewer people believe in the benefit of natural herbal medications.   Some individuals believe since these drugs are not monitored or regulated by the government, some of their harmful effects could still be unknown.  Herbal drugs have been used for much longer than traditional pharmaceutical medications without the harmful effects on the human body.  

    Even if you are not a natural herb user, and still feel more comfortable using pharmaceutical medicines, there are a few steps you can take to protect yourself.  One, know what you are taking, two, know the side effects of each medication, and three, know the potential interactions between your medications.  Ask your doctor questions about your medication, research your medication on the internet, or even ask your pharmacist.  With all the information on the internet, there is no reason any one can not find information about their prescriptions.  So, please, get knowledgeable, do your research, ask questions.  This is your first defense against any harm coming to you like what happened to my sister. 

Anonymous, (Mar 2009). Pharmaceuticals; Studies from V.J. Wirtz et al provide new data on pharmaceuticals.  Retrieved Sept 2009, from ProQuest database.   

Ayo, J, Agu, H, Madaki, I (2005). Food and drug interactions: its side effects.  doi: 10.1108/00346650510605630

CIWMB (May 2009) Pharmaceutical Drug Waste, http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/hhw/pharmwaste/ Retrieved Sept 2009.

Golodner, L (1999) Educate before You Medicate,  http://www.talkaboutrx.org/ golodner_message.jsp. Retrieved Nov 2009.

           

MNT (Aug 2008), Toxic Drugs, Toxic System: Sociologist Predicts Drug Disasters, Says Prescription Drug Harm Growing, Drug Testing, Approval And Marketing Flaws, Adapted from original press release.  http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/117052.php.   Retrieved Sept 2009.

           

ONDCP, Prescription Drugs Facts and Figures, http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/DrugFact/prescrptn_drgs/rx_ff.html.  Retrieved Sept 2009.

Prescription Drugs and Their Potentially Adverse Effects, (Nov 2003). http://www.worldhealth.net/news/prescription_drugs_and_their_potentially/ Retrieved Sept 2009

Rawlins, Michael D. (Sep. 2009).  Pharmacology   The Oxford Companion to Medicine. Retrieved Sept. 2009, from Oxford reference Online database

Rohrlich, J, (Aug 2009) Eight Prescription Drugs with Truly Alarming Side Effects, http://www.minyanville.com/articles/GSK-lly-BMS-CEPH/index/a/23818.  Retrieved Sept 2009.

           

RxList, (Oct 2009) The Internet Drug Index from www.rxlist.com.  Retrieved Oct 2009.

Wikipedia, (Nov. 2009) Smallpox  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smallpox. Retrieved Nov 2009.