Group Project: Garbage Island

Sources:
Christian Mendoza:
http://www.mindfully.org/Plastic/Ocean/Moore-Trashed-PacificNov03.htm

http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/earth/oceanography/great-pacific-garbage-patch.htm


Steven Lewis:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/23/oprah-shines-light-on-gre_n_190552.html

http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/encyclopedia/great-pacific-garbage-patch/?ar_a=1


Alex Brunsell:
Kenneth R. Weiss, Altered Oceans: Plague of Plastic Chokes the Seas, L.A. Times, Aug. 2, 2006, at A1

Jose G.B. Derraik, The Pollution of the Marine Environment by Plastic Debris: A Review, 44 MARINE POLLUTION BULL, 842, 844 (2002)

Linnea Harris:
Coulter, Jessica R. "A Sea Change To Change The Sea: Stopping The Spread Of The Pacific Garbage Patch With Small-Scale Environmental Legislation." William & Mary Law Review 51.5 (2010): 1959-1995. Academic Search Premier. Web. 5 May 2014.

MacIver, Corey. "The ''Great Pacific Garbage Patch'' : Responsibility And Obligation In An Uncertain World." Conference Papers -- Western Political Science Association (2009): 1. Academic Search Premier. Web. 5 May 2014.

Organ Donation

Organ donation is something that hits close to home for me. My cousin was born with a genetic heart defect and by the age of 2 needed a heart transplant. While he waited, his health deteriorated drastically, but fortunately he was able to hold out until a heart became available. I also have experience with the other end of organ donation. A close friend of mine was killed in a car accident a few years ago and she was able to donate her organs and tissue to about 8 different people. Knowing that something good came of her tragic accident gave her family some peace in a terribly difficult time. I believe organ donation is such an important thing and that everyone should become an organ and tissue donor. While organ donation saves thousands of lives each year, many people die each year waiting for an organ to become available. It saddens me to think that so many deaths could be preventable if only everyone became educated on the importance of organ donation. Some interesting facts that might help people choose to become an organ donor would be that ANYONE and EVERYONE can become an organ donor no matter their race, ethnicity, or gender. Also, most major religions support organ donation saying that it provides one last gift of love and generosity to those in need. The cost to become an organ donor is free! It doesn't cost the family of the donor anything for their organs and tissue to be donated once they have passed. It's also super easy to become an organ donor. If you go to http://www.organdonor.gov and follow the link "Becoming a Donor" you will be led to your state's website to donate. It takes less than 10 minutes! 10 minutes well worth it. I believe that if everyone was more educated on the facts and how easy it is to sign up to donate, we could get a greater percentage of the population to become donors.

Affordable Care Act

Cancer Movie Poster

Chapter Objectives

The Immune System

How does stress affect the immune system?
      Our textbook talks about a few different theories that explain the effect stress has on the immune system. One of these is the General Adaptation Syndrome. The GAS includes 3 stages. The first is the alarm stage in which the body is more vulnerable to disease or injury because the body is geared up to deal with a stressful situation. The next stage is the resistance stage. With continued stress, the body develops a new level of homeostasis to better handle normal life and normal stress. The final stage is the exhaustion stage in which the body experiences a life-threatening type of exhaustion due to the amount of energy required to deal with the first two stages. As time has passed, this theory has proved to be a little outdated. The Allostatic Load, another theory on stress and the immune system, states that the susceptibility to disease is actually due to the effects of the stress response and not to exhaustion. Long term exposure to stress hormones has been linked to health problems. Also, although the resistance stage promotes homeostasis, it has negative effects on the body. The last theory mentioned in the book is called psychoneuroimmunology. This studies the interactions of the nervous system, the endocrine system, and the immune system. The main idea is that stress, through the actions of the nervous and endocrine systems, impairs the immune system and therefore affects health.
         A study was conducted with people who had been hospitalized with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). The study was showing the affects of stress on these patients and how discharged patients who experienced stress were more likely to be readmitted to the hospital. Those conducting the study monitored patients who had been hospitalized for ACS and had them record the instances in which they felt stress over a two week period. Those who reported having high stress were more likely to be readmitted to the hospital within 30 days of their original discharge date than those who reported low stress levels.
      From the information in the textbook and the study found, it is clear that stress definitely affect the immune system in a negative way. The more stress we have, the more our immune system suffers and the more likely we are to get sick.

Edmondson, Donald, et al. "Psychological Stress And 30-Day All-Cause Hospital Readmission In Acute Coronary Syndrome Patients: An Observational Cohort Study." Plos ONE 9.3 (2014): 1-4. Academic Search Premier. Web. 17 Apr. 2014.

"Stress: The Constant Challenge." Health Education/Fitness. 12th ed. N.p.: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2012. 28-30. Print.

The Miracle of Life

     After watching this video there are a few things I thought were interesting or that I didn't know prior to watching this movie. One thing I thought was pretty crazy was that a lot of people get pregnant unintentionally. After watching the movie, I learned how time specific and detail specific it is for a sperm to fertilize an egg. There are so many different factors that contribute to the fertilization of an egg. The sperm has to make it to the egg and has to fit the egg like a puzzle piece for the egg to envelop it. The egg must be fertilized in a specific region and the sperm must fertilize it there before dying. There are so many factors that contribute to this process that I just found it shocking how many people actually get pregnant. It seems like such an intense process yet people are getting pregnant every day.
      I haven't seen a live birth until I watched this video. An actual birth, not one in a movie or television show was pretty crazy to see. In the movies, they show it being a difficult process but this video really showed just how difficult it is. The process is so long and tiresome, but the result is miraculous.

Environmental Health

GARBAGE ISLAND:
     In this video a man who traveled from Hawaii to California via boat reported seeing tons and tons of trash in the ocean on his way back. He said the amount of trash seen would be double the size of Texas. There was tons of broken plastic and other identifiable objects. He stated that plastic does not biodegrade, but photodegrades. This means that the sun breaks down the plastic into smaller pieces, but the plastic always stays plastic. It never fully degrades. He stated the the plastic to plankton ratio was 6-1! Ocean life ingests these bits of plastic and debris and eventually we end up ingesting it by eating food from the sea. All this garbage and debris is said to possibly affect our reproductive system and even increase our risk of diabetes and other diseases.

POPULATION GROWTH:
    The main idea of this video comes from a quote by Sir David Attenborough stated in the video which says, "Instead of controlling the environment for the benefit of the population, maybe we should control the population to ensure the survival of our environment." The video talks about how quickly our world population is increasing and how fast it will continue to grow in the coming years. If it continues to grow at this rapid rate and we continue to thrash our environment we will suffer great consequences. The video offers 3 suggestions to help control the population and to help the environment. First, we should reduce consumption and sustainable solutions. Second, we should make family planning tools such as contraceptives universally available. Lastly, we should empower women and educate them on health care and birth control.

BOTTLED H2O:
     The negative effects on the environment that bottled water consumption has are real. It's interesting to point out that in blind taste test, tap water is preferred over bottled water. Although we blindly prefer water from the tap, bottled water companies have manufactured demand of buying water in bottles. They tell us we need it, that water from the tap is unsafe to drink, which in most cases is actually false. They seduce us with nice designs of bottles and mislead us with skewed facts of bottled water versus tap water. All our plastic water bottles are piling up in landfills and not being recycled. We should say no to buying bottled water and invest in public water infrastructure. 

THE GIRL WHO SILENCED THE WORLD FOR 5 MIN:
      This is a pretty powerful video of a young teenage girl who is speaking in front of the leaders of the world in fight for her generations future. She is boldly telling them that if they don't stop their ways there will be none of the Earth's beauty for future generations to enjoy. She said that they need to do more in the way of action and less in speaking. Their actions need to match their words. A powerful statement was that if you don't know how to fix something, don't destroy it. We don't know how to bring back extinct species, so we shouldn't kill endangered ones. I think this video is good for all to watch because we all could be doing a little more to ensure the environment's safety.

AMAZON DEFORESTATION:
       Amazon deforestation contributes 20% of greenhouse gases. This is more than all the transportation methods put together. The most common reason for deforestation these days is plantations to supply cheap feed for major companies' livestock. Chain restaurants and other major food companies want as much product as possible for the least cost. All this selfish demand, is majorly contributing to the health of the environment.

SAVING VALENTINA:
       While boating in the Sea of Cortez a couple comes across a humpback whale. They watch as the whale stays still for several minutes. One of the boaters decides to jump in the water with his snorkel gear to assess the situation and he finds that the whale is tangled in a large fishing net used by local fisherman. Careless acts such as littering or misuse of equipment are negatively affecting the ocean and its wildlife.

CANARY IS DEAD:
      In an intense coral reef study, findings show that two-thirds of the Earth's coral reefs are at serious risk of disappearing. One quarter of the Earth's coral reefs have already disappeared. In this study, the Phoenix reefs proved to be some of the most pristine coral reefs. Just a short 5 years later however, the Phoenix reefs are all dead. Some of the causes of coral reef decay are the killing of ocean wildlife, pollution and over heating. Major overheating of ocean waters in the region of the Phoenix reefs was shown between August 2002- March 2003.

GLOBAL WARMING:
       Over the past 2.5 million years the Earth's temperature has fluctuated. Over the last century however, the temperature has risen greatly. Human activity has caused a 1.2-1.4 F increase in temperature over the last 100 years. Greenhouse gases trap heat near the Earth in what is known as the greenhouse effect. As the temperatures continue to rise, we will see a decrease of polar ice and weather changes that will affect environmental health.

Additional Sources for Bottled Water:
http://www.saynotobottledwater.in/index.php?id=1
http://pacinst.org/publication/bottled-water-and-energy-a-fact-sheet/

Bully

Summary:
     The movie, Bully, is a documentary that can be watched on Netflix. The movie profiles individuals and families who are facing different stages of bullying. Some families have lost loved ones due to bullying and other individuals are currently being bullied. The film also touches on the aftermath of severe bullying and how these people who have been so negatively affected by bullying are trying to put a stop to it. The documentary takes place in different states and towns in the midwest and southern parts of the United States. For more information on the documentary, you can visit the website www.thebullyproject.com

Reaction:
     Before we had watched this movie in class, I had stumbled upon it on Netflix and began to watch it. I couldn't watch the whole thing the first time I tried watching it because I just felt sad. It made me feel sad watching kids be so mean and hurtful to kids who seemed so defenseless. I was shocked at how much these kids were getting away with, especially on the bus. Whenever I have ridden a school bus, the rules were very strictly enforced. I was outraged out how poorly the assistant principal was handling all the bullying incidents. Not only did she tell a child who was being severely bullied that he had sunk to the level of his tormenter, but she blatantly lied to the parents of a child being harassed on the school bus, telling them there are no problems on that particular bus and that those children were "golden." This movie made a pretty big impact on me. I couldn't watch it all the way through the first time I tried, but I'm glad I had to watch the whole thing in class. It really made me think about my own experiences in those teenage years. It made me question whether or not there was that much bullying happening when I was in middle school and high school. If there was, was I just blind to it all? Was I participating in it without even knowing?

Plan:
     This movie made me think a lot about my participation or lack of participation in bullying and how I can not only not participate in bullying, but how I can prevent others from doing it as well. A powerful point in the movie is when they talk about how individuals really can make a difference. I know that for me, I am more dedicated to the cause of ending bullying after watching this movie. I have never been tolerant of bullies or bullying, but watching this movie made me realize just how many kids are still being negatively affected by bullying. Its amazing that we live in a world so diverse and we still are struggling with loving others and being accepting of them. I think Bully should be shown in all high schools and middle schools in the country. I think it would have a lasting effect on the majority of the students and that they would at least think twice before bullying others. I think for me, personally, I will be more adamant about sticking up for others who are being bullied. Its not enough to just not be a bully, but I need to help those in need. I can also encourage others who are bullying not to do so.

Personal Safety: Digital Safety

Aha Moments!

Chapter 2: Stress: The Constant Challenge
1. A stressor is a situation that triggers physical and emotional reactions and a stress response is the reaction to the stressor. Stress is the general physical and emotional state of the stress response.
2. Prolonged stress is linked to deterioration of your health. One theory that describes this is called the General Adaptation Syndrome. The syndrome indicates that when stress lingers, a person will learn to live at a new level of homeostasis, but the body can become exhausted and lead to disease.
3. Nutrition plays an important role in almost all aspects of life, including stress management. A good balanced diet will give you more energy, enabling you to handle stress better.
4. Stress doesn't have to be all bad. Eustress is good stress caused by a pleasant trigger while distress is caused by an unpleasant trigger.

Chapter 3: Psychological Health
1. Anxiety is the feeling of fear that is not in response to any definite threat. When the fear is in response to a specific thing it is called a simple phobia.
2. OCD deals with obsessions and compulsions. Obsessions are constant, unwanted thoughts while compulsions are repetitive, difficult to resist actions that are associated with the obsessions.
3. 50% of college students report having depression severe enough to hinder daily functioning.
4. Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death in people ages 15-24 and is the 11th leading cause of death for all ages. For every death there are 15 attempts.

Chapter 7: Drugs and Addiction
1. Addiction isn't just exclusive to drugs and alcohol, but people can also have addictive behaviors. Addictive behaviors include compulsive gambling, exercising, buying and shopping and more.
2. Males, thrill seekers, and young girls who date older boys are at a higher risk of trying drugs. Troubled adolescents and those who come from a dysfunctional family are also at a higher risk.
3. To be considered dependent on a substance one must experience 3 or more of the following characteristics in 12 months. Develop tolerance, experience withdrawal, take the substance in larger amounts or over a longer period than intended, express a persistent desire to cut down or regulate use, spend a significant amount of time getting, using, and recovering from the effects of the substance, giving up or reducing important activities because of use, and/or continuing to use despite knowing its contributing to a psychological and/or physical problem.
4. Marijuana(Cannabis) is its own drug type. The other 5 types of drugs are opioids, depressants, stimulants, hallucinogens, and inhalants.

Chapter 8: Alcohol and Tobacco
1. The proof value of alcohol is the concentration of alcohol in a beverage. The proof value is two times the percentage concentration.
2. In 2008, 11,773 Americans were killed in accidents involving a driver with a Blood Alcohol Concentration of .08% or higher. This makes up 32% of all traffic fatalities. This number of fatalities is surprisingly 10% lower than the number of fatalities in 2007.
3. In the U.S., 90% of adult smokers started smoking before age 18.
4. The smoke exhaled by smokers is called mainstream smoke while the smoke that comes off the burning end of the cigarette or cigar is called side-stream smoke. Together, these two types of smoke are called environmental tobacco smoke, more commonly known as second hand smoke.

Chapter 16: Personal Safety
1. 75% of all motor vehicle injuries occur within 25 miles of home and at speeds lower than 40 mph.
2. 1-2 million older adults are abused, exploited, or mistreated by those supposedly caring for them. Only 1 in 6 incidents are ever reported.
3. Battering and child abuse is not exclusive to one socioeconomic level. It occurs in all walks of life. The main reason this occurs is because the abuser feels the need for control.
4. Children may view as many as 10,000 violent acts on TV or in movies every year. Consequences for violent behavior is depicted less and less in movies and television. This type of exposure may desensitize kids and teach them that violent behavior is okay and acceptable.

Stress and Psychological Wellness

I watched the "Broken Escalator" video and I think it relates perfectly to stress. The video shows two individuals on an escalator and all of a sudden the escalator stops moving. This immediately causes the two individuals distress. The stressor, or the cause of the distress, is the breaking down of the elevator. The stress responses that they exhibit include anger, annoyance, and panic. These two people were so focused on the fact the elevator stopped moving, they didn't realize that they could solve their problem by just using the elevator as a stair case. They could have returned to a state of homeostasis by just taking a step back and using some cognitive thinking techniques. All of this stress caused them to burnout. They pretty much gave up all hope and just sat down on the steps waiting for someone to come fix the "broken" escalator. They could have used some relaxation techniques such as meditation or visualization to manage the stress they had caused for themselves. I think a lot of the time we add to our own stress levels. There was another way to fix this situation, but they were so stuck on someone coming to fix it, they didn't even realize that there could be any other option. This, in turn, caused them more stress because they felt hopeless and stuck. A lot of times we get so stuck in our daily routine that one little hiccup can disturb our homeostasis and throw us into a whirlwind of stress. I also think that sometimes the other options can not only help us manage our stress, but improve our overall wellness. For example, walking up the escalator would have not only solved their dilemma and therefore eliminate their distress, but it would have also given them some exercise which would improve their overall wellness. As we decrease our distress levels our overall wellness will improve. We can also improve our overall wellness through eustress. Eustress is stress caused by a pleasant stressor. Eustress motivates us and pushes us to be better in all aspects of wellness. Stress isn't always a bad thing and we don't always have to be stuck on a "broken" escalator.

Nutrition Journal

Food Journal:
--Lunch:
---- 2 oz. Penne Pasta
---- 1/4 cup Alfredo Sauce
---- 8 oz. Blueberry Lemonade
---- 50g Caesar Salad
---- 4 Chocolate Chip Cookies

--Dinner:
---- 2 oz. Salami
---- 1.5 oz. New Zealand Cheddar Cheese
---- 2 oz. (1/4 loaf) Baguette
---- 8 oz. Blueberry Lemonade

--Snacks/Water:
---- 20 Roasted Plantain Chips
---- 3 cups Water

CARBOHYDRATES:
1. Grams of Carbohydrates consumed: 213g
2. Calories from Carbohydrates: 852 calories
3. Percentage of total calories: 49%
    * Compared to the recommended 45-65%, this number fits perfectly in that range.
4. Complex Carbs: Pasta, Caesar Salad, Baguette
    Simple Carbs: Salami, Plantain Chips
     Concentrated Simple Carbs: Alfredo Sauce, Lemonade, Cookies

FAT:
1. Grams of fat consumed: 81g
2. Calories from fat: 729 calories
3. Percentage of total calories: 42%
    * Compared to the recommended 20-35%, this number is pretty high. The cookies contributed to a large portion of this number. I could eat less cookies to reduce my fat intake per day.
4. Amount of cholesterol consumed: 142.5mg
    * Compared to the recommended 300mg max of cholesterol per day, this number is good.

PROTEIN:
1. Grams of protein consumed: 47.5g
2. Calories from protein: 190 calories
3. Percentage of total calories: 11%
    * Compared to the recommended 10-35%, this number fits in perfectly.

VITAMINS/MINERALS:
1. I am definitely lacking nutritional value when it comes to the vitamins and minerals section. I got 86% of the daily recommended Vitamin A needed. This was my highest percentage and it came mostly from my salad. My Vitamin C intake was the lowest with only 18% of the daily recommended value achieved. I received 38% of my recommended Calcium intake, with most of that coming from the cheese I ate. I consumed 31% of the daily recommended Iron intake and consumed 220mg of Potassium. 
2. I consumed 6 grams of sodium which is the maximum amount recommended daily. The salami I ate majorly contributed to this number. Salami is salty by nature, so I would just need to eat less of it to get my number down. The cookies, baguette, and alfredo sauce also had lots of sodium. I could eliminate the cookies from my diet or eat less of them to reduce the amount of sodium in my diet. The pasta sauce I used was in a jar which increases the amount of sodium, so next time, I could make my own sauce to cut the sodium down a bit.

CONCLUSION:
    I learned a lot from tracking what I ate on an average day. I usually eat more than this, but I was busy running errands most of the day so I didn't get a chance to eat much. It was kind of an eye opener on how much I consume and the nutritional value of it all. My fat intake was pretty high, which made me think about how much higher it would have been if I hadn't been running errands and I ate like a normally do. Something else that really caught my attention was the lack of vitamins and minerals I eat daily. That is definitely something I will be thinking more about as I make my decisions on what I want and need to eat. The last thing I would change would be to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables. Not only would that help me satisfy my sweet cravings, but I also think that it would help boost my vitamin and mineral intake.

Movie Poster

Movie Notes:

- 60 days and 60 nights of juicing seems excessive. 

- Prioritizing health over wealth is important. 

- To have permanent results, you need to have permanent change.

- The first few days of a juice fast are the toughest. It may even lead to some depressing moments.

- He said he did the crime of putting his body in that kind of horrible shape, so he needs to do the time to fix it.

- Liquid fasting is still considered eating, but because it's liquid it's absorbed quickly.

- Fasting used to happen in the hunter/gatherer times, but not really by choice. 

- Nowadays, we eat and eat, but don't expend nearly enough of the calories we take in, hence the weight gain and poor overall health. 

- The closer a food is to its natural state, the healthier it is.

- Micro nutrients are fruits, veggies, nuts, beans, and seeds. Macro nutrients are every thing else.

- Micro nutrients are essential for good health and wellness.

- During his street interviews, it was interesting to see how large of a number of people surveyed did not eat fruits or veggies. They all blamed themselves for their lack of good nutrition.

- The comparison of what 400 calories of different types of foods looks like in the stomach was very interesting.

- The guy whose theory is, "Whenever I die, I want to to die happily eating whatever I want," demonstrates most people's way of thinking I think, but being healthy doesn't have to be torturous.

- All that juice gives him tons of energy and all that juice consumption has actually made him crave fruits and veggies instead of junk food. 

- The purpose of juicing isn't to be skinny, it's to be healthy. Poor health leads to negative feelings.

- The average person's diet consists of 60% processed/refined foods, 30% animal products, 5% whole grains/white potatoes, 5% fruits and veggies.

- On the the plant based diet, the average person lost 53 pounds and never gained it back.

Weekly Exercise Routine

    This exercise routine was created with the "slightly inactive, yet wishfully active person" in mind. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays focus on cardiorespiratory exercises, while Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays focus on strength training. Below are day to day activities along with pictures for reference. 

MONDAY-WEDNESDAY-FRIDAY:

 - 5-10 minute warm up: Jump rope to warm up muscles

 - 30 minute cardio/aerobic work out: Start at a brisk walk for about 5 minutes then progress to a jog. Jog for 20 minutes then slow down to a brisk walk to cool down. The more often you jog, the less tedious it will seem to become. As your endurance increases, you can advance and begin your cardio workout with a jog instead of a brisk walk and progress to a run. Run for 20 minutes and slow down to a jog, then brisk walk for a cool down. Make sure to be working out in your target heart rate range (55/65-90% of maximum heart rate).

 - 5-10 minutes stretching: Begin stretching by bringing your left arm diagonally across your body and supporting it with your right arm. Hold for 15-30 seconds. Switch arms and repeat twice on both arms. Next, while standing up straight with your feet close together, bend over and reach as far as you can and hold for 15-30 seconds. Rest 10-15 seconds and repeat. Standing up straight, bend one leg at the knee backward and hold ankle. Pull gently back and hold for 15-30 seconds. Switch to other leg and repeat twice for both legs. You can use a wall or sturdy surface to help balance if needed. Raise one arm straight up in the air and bend at the elbow so that the palm of the hand is resting on the back. Use opposite hand to pull down gently on elbow. Hold for 15-30 seconds. Switch arms and repeat twice for both arms. Standing straight up with your feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart, reach left arm in the air and arch the upper half of your body towards the right so that the palm of your left hand is now facing the floor. Hold for 15-30 seconds. Switch sides and repeat twice on each side.

TUESDAY-THURSDAY-SATURDAY:

 - 5-10 min warm up: Jump rope to warm up muscles

 - 20-30 min strength training: The following pictures will demonstrate the exercises in this part of the training. Each exercise can be done with household dumb bells. If you don't own dumb bells, you can use household items such as water jugs or old milk containers filled with water or sand depending on your ability. Choose a weight light enough that will allow you to complete the 8-12 reps, but heavy enough to give you a challenge. Make sure to rest in between individual sets and in between exercises (30-60 seconds). Between 2-4 sets of each exercise will give you a good strength training workout.

 Bicep Curls

Lunges(at least 8-12 reps per leg)

Chest Press

Weighted Sit-ups

Shoulder Press

Dumb Bell Squats

Tricep Extensions

 - 5-10 minutes stretching: Begin stretching by bringing your left arm diagonally across your body and supporting it with your right arm. Hold for 15-30 seconds. Switch arms and repeat twice on both arms. Next, while standing up straight with your feet close together, bend over and reach as far as you can and hold for 15-30 seconds. Rest 10-15 seconds and repeat. Standing up straight, bend one leg at the knee backward and hold ankle. Pull gently back and hold for 15-30 seconds. Switch to other leg and repeat twice for both legs. You can use a wall or sturdy surface to help balance if needed. Raise one arm straight up in the air and bend at the elbow so that the palm of the hand is resting on the back. Use opposite hand to pull down gently on elbow. Hold for 15-30 seconds. Switch arms and repeat twice for both arms. Standing straight up with your feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart, reach left arm in the air and arch the upper half of your body towards the right so that the palm of your left hand is now facing the floor. Hold for 15-30 seconds. Switch sides and repeat twice on each side.

SUNDAY:

 - Rest day, but you can still participate in lifestyle physical activities such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator or walking to do nearby errands. The more you increase your lifestyle physical activity, the more your overall wellness will improve.

Introduction

Hey classmates!
       My name is Linnea Harris. I am returning to Palomar after a couple-year hiatus and my major is biotechnology. I played competitive basketball for about 10 years, but a knee injury has kept me out of competitive play for many years. I still love playing basketball and shoot around almost every day at the court in my backyard. I also like to play tennis and going to the golf driving range. I enjoy being outdoors, especially in this great San Diego weather! I work at an after-school program through the San Marcos Unified School District. I help the kids with their homework, play games with them, and do art projects with them. I specifically work with 4th and 5th grade students. Although challenging at times, I find the job quite rewarding and enjoy going to work every day. I'm taking this class to fulfill the requirements to get my Associates in Science, but am really excited to learn more about having a healthier lifestyle and increasing my personal wellness. I truly believe that, generally, happy people are healthy and that healthy people are happy, hence the "Be Healthy. Be Happy" title of my blog. I look forward to getting to know you all and increasing our personal wellness together.

Linnea