Substance Abuse

Pop a Molly, I’m sweating! (Whoo!) This is part of a song called “All Gold Everything,” sung by the rapper Trinidad James.  But what exactly is a Molly you may ask? According to Snopes.com, “Molly is a dangerous recreational drug made from cocaine, crack, ecstasy, meth and bath salt.” The drug “Molly” has become very popular among teenagers.  Some of the side effects include confusion, depression, sleep problems, drug craving and anxiety lasting for days or even weeks, according to the National Institute of Drug Abuse.  Every one, especially woman, should be careful and avoid using this drug since the long-term side effects are unknown.  If you find yourself at a party or club you should never lose sight of your drink or fall for the cute guy asking you to try the drug.  Woman can become vulnerable to sexual abuse when under the influence of drugs and alcohol.  But you can always say no and avoid the risk of being raped. 

Body Image & Food

There's someone very close to me that has a "weight problem."  She is only twelve years old and has been restricted from eating candy, chips, soda and everything else kids her age receive as a reward for good behavior or good grades either at home or at school. It breaks my heart to see her abstain from eating a cookie or candy while her siblings and parents enjoy the delicious treats.  If you looked at her you would never guess that she has a weight issue, she is about 5'5 and weighs about 140 pounds which to me are evenly distributed. She is the sweetest girl ever!  Her mom constantly reminds her of the food she is forbidden to eat.  She's called "gordita" which means fatty.  It's not meant in a bad way but in a sweet kind way.  Is that crazy or what?  And I bet there's a "gordita" in every Mexican family.
Family has a huge influence on the way a woman feels about food and her body since they see everything one does, say, wear, eat etc... They will let you know if it looks like you've lost or gained weight.  If what you're wearing looks good or bad and even talk about your hair cut.  This is very sad and it shows how ignorant we are.  We should become more educated so we don't harm others by the words that come out of our mouths.

Blog 2

According to the New Dimensions in Women’s Health book, menopause is the “cessation of regular menstrual periods by surgical or natural means.” (Alexander, Alexander, Bader, Garfield & LaRosa, 2010)  There are different symptoms that come with menopause, “insomnia, fuzzy thinking, anxiety, hot flashes, loss of libido and more,” according to Women to Women. (Mills, 2011)  But for Japanese women, menopause is “a time when the body loses its balance, [and] don’t worry about menopause much at all.” (Mills, 2011)  To the Japanese women, menopause is a “period of regeneration or renewal.” (Mills, 2011) They respect their elders a lot and believe that “experience is fundamental to learning.” (Mills, 2011) Japanese women don’t experience the same symptoms as western women, for example hot flashes.  “Only about 25% of Japanese women reportedly experience hot flashes.” (Mills, 2011)  In fact, they recently came up with new words, “hotto furasshur (hot flash) and horumon baransu (hormone balance), for menopausal symptoms.” (Mills, 2011) Even though there’s not a clean answer to explain for the lack of symptoms, “most research tends to point to diet as the main reason.” (Mills, 2011)

 Alexander, L. L., Alexander, W. J., Bader, H., Garfield, S., LaRosa, J. H. (2010). Sexual Health. New Dimensions in Women’s Health (pp. 63-88). Jones and Bartlett Publishers.

Mills, D. (2011) Women to women. A look at menopause across cultures. Retrieved from http://www.womentowomen.com/menopause/menopauseacrosscultures.aspx

Blog 1

Some of the health issues I am most concerned about is child obesity and breast cancer.  Child obesity can lead to many other health issues but also to bullying and low self esteem.  This kids are our future and as parents (I'm not a parent but I am the oldest of 6) we should take action and take better care of our kids.  As for breast cancer, I recently had a biopsy in my right breast, even though the lump wasn't cancerous, I was scared out of my life.  It is really important for women to get checked and to be informed.
I interviewed 3 of my neighbors who's name have been changed in order to protect their identity.
-Dulce is in her early 30's, has 4 kids and one on the way.  When I asked her what health issues she was most concerned about she said diabetes and heart disease.  She was concerned with diabetes because all of the times she's been pregnant she has had gestational diabetes and was told that she was at higher risk of developing diabetes later in life.  Dulce was also concerned with heart disease because she heard in TV that the leading cause of death in females was from heart disease, when she thought that it was from breast cancer.
-Ivonee is in her early 60's lives with her husband and takes care of her great grandkids on the weekends. Ivonee was mainly concerned with cancer (all types) and alzheimer's.  She's concerned with cancer because there are so many types and because the treatment can be really expensive.  She's concerned with alzheimer'sbecause she is getting old is noticing that she is becoming forgettful.
-Shay lives with her teenage sons and is in her late 30's.  She is most concern with heart disease and breast cancer.  She's concerned with heart disease because not only is she a female but also African American which puts her at greater risk.  She's concerned with breast cancer because she her Mother died of breast cancer a couple of years ago.

Our concerns were mainly similar most of us where concerned with cancer.

Hello everyone!

My name is Cecilia Frias, but you guys can call me Ceci.  My major was Nursing but I decided to change it to Nutrition.  I transferred from TCC last fall, and I'm a full time commuter at TWU.  I am 21 years old and the oldest of six, the youngest one is 7 months and she's my life.  I was born in Mexico but I've lived in Texas for almost 13 years, so I consider myself Mexican American.  I plan on becoming an RN (after I get my Bachelors in Nutrition) and working at the Harris's Emergency Room one day.  Before I retire I would like to become a teacher and teach Anatomy and Physiology at my old high school, Trimble Tech in Fort Worth.  
I love hanging out with my sister, cousins and friends.  I like to go bowling, ice skating and working out.  I also enjoy dancing and watching movies either from Netflix or at the movie theater.  I love trying out new things and traveling.  I try to eat healthy and stay active but with school and work it can be a challenge.  But I enjoy being healthy (I bet no one likes being sick? ) so I try my hardest to stay away from fast food and from the couch.  
I expect to learn more about the factors that impact women's health and how we can improve it.  I enjoy volunteering and would really like to help my community by giving them information which they can use in order to stay healthy and active.  I think we are all unique but I can't think of anything that makes me unique but one thing that no one knows about me is that I love to smell my socks after I take them off and that I'm in love with my toes, they're so cute. Haha yeah weird I know!