Blog # 14

One of the many challenges women face daily is finding a balance in their personal, professional, and educational lives. Coinciding with that challenge is developing a strategy that works, and then consistently maintaining it to keep our minds sane, staying on track to achieve our goals, and having some fun in the process. Staying focused on the demands of a hectic and demanding lifestyle, which many people lead in the busy world of life, is the key to any balance and inner harmony. This is similar to the domino effect, for if our inner self is not in harmony, everything else becomes askew and disrupted.

Setting priorities in all areas of our lives is the first step in establishing short and long term goals. Knowing what is important in each area of our life allows this process to be easier and balance more attainable, while keeping focused on the result of our efforts. Using a daily planner is an excellent tool to help guide on a daily basis. A journal is a wonderful companion to the planner to evaluate what is working and what needs fine tuning. Often times we are not aware how much our daily activities, and the choices we make effect us until we sit down and take the time to write about what we are feeling. Most importanly is taking healthy care of ourselves in mind, body, and spirit. Live well, laugh a lot, and love much is a motto that has helped me keep daily life in peespective and in balance.

Michelle Dukes

DB # 13

The admission that an individual has a problem, an unhealthy habit, an attitude that needs adjustment or an issue with drugs or alcohol shows strength and courage. This applies especially to women who continue to be stereotyped as the weaker, emotional sex. The realization that something is interfering with how one feels, functions, and handles life’s challenges shows that the person is thinking about the choices made, and the consequences of those decisions.
Women who have a problem with alcohol and drugs are not weak, quite the contrary! However, the decision to use these substances to cope could be viewed as such.

Using chemicals of any kind, whether it be alcohol, drugs, or prescription drugs has the potential for abuse. Women, especially those who feel they must be the "power" force of their family, and are high achievers, and have high expectiations of themselves are at high risk for using and abusing alcohol and drugs. We live in a fast paced society and want immeditae results, and instant gratification. When we don't have those things we often feel it is a reflection on us .

Michelle Dukes

Blog # 12 Eating Disorders

What to do if a freind is suspected of having an eating disorder and denies it?

" Take PRIDE in how far you have come, and have FAITH in how far you can go."

Blog # 11

If peple were more fututre minded I believe many changes would be made to live a healthier lifestyle. Unfortunately many people live their lives in a level of denial believing that disease and health problems only happen to others. Because of this somewhat stunted way of thinking poor choices regarding sexual behavior, food choices, and certain habits and addictions may develop often at an early age.

How many times while growing up does one hear the consequences of what will happen if you don't eat your vegetables, smoke cigarettes, stay out in the sun without using a SPF, and drink and drive, to name only a few of the endless list presented by parents? As adults who hopefully have learned valuable lessons from expereince, how many risky and unhealthy things have we done with little regard to developing disease, cancer, or some other chronic health problem? If we are honest I would bet quite a few.

Being future minded is a liefstyle choice just as dieting, exercising, the decision to stop smoking, or any other behavior that needs to be changed to ensure a healthier and quality filled life. The question that comes to mind as I write this is whether more people would be mindful of current health habits that have a direct impact on future health if they were more educated and informed on health issues. My own habits and behaviors have changed as a result of staying current on the benefits of physical activity, making healthy food choices, and developing healthy, positive, and supportive relationships.

Michelle Dukes

" Do not lose your inward peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset."

Blog # 10

Academic institutions especially those of higher learning such as TWU can play a pivotal role in addressing disease prevention for women. Incorporating health fairs is just one option that can be used to address a large audience. I realize that TWU does conduct health fairs for students, however I would like to see more of them through out the school year and even during the summer months. I have been to a couple of these forums and while I have learned basic information on various health topics, I would like to see more health issues addressed to the particular needs of women. Issues such as breast cancer awareness, osteoporosis, menopause, and other health conditons specific to women would be especially beneficial.

Instituting a campus health committe to develop student surveys on what their particular needs are and what they want would be a good place to start when deciding what types of activities or programs to offer. I participated in an optional health program last semester that involved weekly assignments and challenges. Prizes were randomly given weekly to participants which was a motivating factor to follow thru on the assignments. This is just one option that was fun to do as well as offering continued activities to pursue at an individual pace once the program was complete.

Academic institutions can also address disease prevention issues by introducing more lecturers who are experts in their fields on a particular health topic. I have found these to be very informative and beneficial as most of the time they offer more in depth information that I would not necessarily get from from reading Women's Health, or getting info from WebMD.

Michelle Dukes

" Gratitude is absolutely the way to bring more into your life."

Blog # 9

The biggest obstacles I face regarding regular exercise and a healthy diet are what I refer to as the three C’s: commitment, consistency, and challenge. Whereas I consider myself a very health conscience person, and do whatever I can to lead a healthy lifestyle, there always seems to be external and internal factors that create hurdles to overcome in order to maintain my healthy goals. Habits and routines are difficult to break or adjust because they require change, and getting out of one’s comfort zone. In addition to these behaviors rationalization can often be a psychological war fought with ourselves. If not vigilant, this thought process can win, defeating the good intentional goals set.

Commitment is the biggest obstacle I face when it comes to exercise and eating a healthy diet. Busy schedules, weather, and attitude can hinder the commitment needed to make any kind of change especially those that require additional energy when one is already tired from a busy day at work or school. As with exercise, eating a healthy diet also requires commitment and pro-activeness. Energy drinks, Starbucks, and quick snacks are very tempting when in a hurry or just too tired to take the time to prepare a meal and sit down to eat it much less enjoy the taste and nutrition healthy food has to offer.

Consistency in maintaining pro-active behavior towards living a healthy lifestyle is the second biggest hurdle for me to overcome. Changing a behavior for a short period usually is not that difficult compared to making a lifelong commitment. When the weather is nice walking, cycling, swimming or any other outdoor activity that I enjoy is easy to maintain. As with many regular or scheduled activities when consistency is broken for any length of time, the harder it is to get back on track.

Challenge is the third obstacle I have and the one that requires the most diligence. Due to the high level of activity I require to keep boredom and monotony at bay, changing the types of exercise and foods eaten on a regular basis is imperative to leading a healthy and quality life. I believe lack of variety is the reason many people fail to be successful at losing weight or attaining other personal goals. Honesty towards recognizing negative and positive self talk, behavior, and the level of involvement one is willing to engage in will determine how successful any life change will be.

These obstacles will continue to require maintenance not only for the next five years but for a lifetime if I want to live a healthy lifestyle. I have incorporated many useful tools such as keeping a daily food and exercise log that has aided in my success. Reading current and accurate information regarding health issues, maintaining regular medical checkups, and developing relationships with others that have similar health goals has been beneficial in keeping my motivation and desire to stay healthy. The bottom line is to decide what you want, and how you want to live your life. I want to feel and look good, and have a quality filled life. In order to obtain these things takes work, having a positive attitude and outlook, being pro-active, and knowing that I am empowered to accomplish whatever I want.

Michelle Dukes

" What you put into someone's life will someday come back to you".

Blog #8

I believe there is much that can be done to change societal images of menopause, aging, and older women. Many of our thoughts, feelings, and prejudices of a particular product, ethnic group, culture, or words such as "menopause" and "old age" are formed by the media and subliminal marketing. What we see often leaves an impression of the way we will ultimately think about a subject.

The Internet, television, magazines, and radio are powerful forms of media that have a tremendous impact on our thoughts and images, and even the decisions we make. The influence of the media could positively change the way our youth obsessed society views subjects such as menopause and aging by portraying accurate and factual information, alleviating misconceptions and fears.

Rather than focusing on the negative aspects of these issues by highlighting the negatives such as the inability to do certain activities as a person ages, the media could portray women as still being youthful, active, and enjoying life. For many women there is a sense of liberation as she ages so to speak. Most likely children are grown and having familes of their own, career goals have been met, and there is a certain amount of freedom knowing one can still have an enjoyable and satisfying sex life without the fear of becoming pregnant.
I believe there is a certain amount of fear when a persons body goes through changes whether it is adolescence or menopause. I would like to see more ads showing women doing everything they always do. Just because a woman ages and goes through menopause doesn't mean she has to give up the life she is accustomed to or still envisions to have. Aging and menopause are natural progressions of life not be feared, but rather embraced. I have included a short but informative video clip on some basic facts of menopause. Being in tune to one's body as well as taking a pro-active approach to life's challenges empowers a person to accept changes with a healthy perspective.

Michelle Dukes

" If we did everything we were capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves." ~ Thomas Edison

BLOG # 7

My thoughts on the relationship if any between STDs, immorality, promiscuous behavior and low social status.

"AS is our CONFIDENCE, so is our CAPACITY." ~ William Hazim

"FEAR knocked on the door. FAITH answered. And lo, no one was there." Author unknown

Blog #6

Should prenatal testing be routine for all pregnant women?

" Optimism can take you anywhere, for everyday may not be good, but there is good in everyday."

BLOG #5 - My views on having children

I chose to share my own thoughts of having children or rather the decision to remain childless. I had always thought when I was growing up that I would someday have children, get married, have a nice house, and live the American dream. For the most part I have done that. I got married, had a beautiful home, and pursued a career. The child part never happened. While I was married my husband and I tried diligently to become pregnant for over three years. After going through a myriad of testing the results showed no reason I could not bear a child; I was physically healthy and there was nothing wrong with me physiologically. I will never know if the problem may have been due to a physical or genetic issue with my now ex-husband as he refused any type of testing.

I have since come to believe that the reason God did not bless me with children of my own is because not only was I spared the physical pain (I often thought I would be a nervous wreck during the entire pregnancy), but I stepped in as a replacement mom to my two twin nieces when their mother left them at the age of two. I am somewhat of a surrogate mom (they have several by the way), and I love my nieces, now age eleven like they were my own. I have never regretted not having my own children and I do not feel like I have missed out on being a woman or feeling less than, or any of that other stuff people tend to say who don’t have a clue.

I am very much a free spirit and prefer to be able to do things when I want without any tying binds. Having a child is a serious commitment, and one which should be a priority above all else. I have a tremendous amount of love for children, but lack the patience needed to raise and care for one. However, had life circumstances been different I am sure I would of adjusted. While I am still able to have children, I feel I am too old to bear one. There is a lot of focus on teenagers having babies, but little attention to women in their forties and older who decide to have children late in life. Each age group has a specific set of issues to address.

Michelle Dukes

" I learned there are troubles of more than one kind. Some come from ahead, others behind. But I've bought a big bat. I'm ready you see. Now my troubles are going to have trouble with me." ~ Dr. Seuss

" All that I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

" The world behaves differently when I take action to go after what I want." ~ Price Pritchett

" It is always wise to stop wishing for things long enough to enjoy the fragrance of those not flowering." ~ Patrice Gifford

Blog #4

Should sex education be taught in the nation's public schools, and if so what kind of education should be provided? (abstinence-only, abstinence-plus?)

" I think the best way to become the best is just to have fun." ~ Shaun White, Olympic gold medalist in snowboarding

SparkPeople.com

I wanted to share this website with everyone who is interested in making healthy lifestyle changes. This is an excellent website that offers great information on just about every health topic. Also provided are many activities, a daily blog, tracking systems for diet and excercise programs, and alot of motivation to make and keep change! This website is also offered on Face Book and posts daily. I have found this website not only very informative but also fun. Check it out and enjoy!!!

Michelle

" You can't be brave if you have only had wonderful things happen to you." ~ Mary Tyler Moore

" Always look at what you have left. Never look at what you have lost." ~ Robert H. Schuller

Why be normal when God made you unique?

Blog # 3

How would I rate my preventative practices? What are some ways I can improve my health and what preventative practices do I already implement?

Blog #2
1.) When preparing your news article on the economics of women's health care in the U.S., did you find any information that was alarming or surprising?

2.) Do you believe that access to healthcare is a right or a prilvedge?

" Happy are those who dream dreams and are ready to pay the price to make them come true." ~ L.J. Cardinal Suenens

" The range of what we think and do is limited by what we fail to notice. And because we fail to notice, there is little we can do to change, until we notice how failing to notice shapes our thoughts and deeds. " ~ Stephen Covey

" Life is mind over matter - once you loose your mind, it doesn't matter."......A little Friday humor!!!

" Every person you meet today, you've met for a reason."

" Don't be anxious about tomorrow - God will take care of your tomorrows. Live one day at a time."

Blog #1
What health issues are you most concerned about? Why? Interview 2-3 women ( different ages, ethnic backgrounds, cultures) and ask them the same question. Are your concerns similar of different? Explain