Pam's Green Blog

Reflections Post: Weeks 13 & 14, Overall

2009-12-18T13:31:00.001-06:00

Reflection Week 13:
So this week our big thing was a tour of Goodwill on the west side of Duluth. I have visited this store many many times, to donate items, and to shop. Being a college students and having so many thrift stores in Duluth is awesome. I love finding cool used stuff, and paying next to nothing for it. This field trip was so much different though than any other time I have been there. Driving up to the store I looked at it like I always do because its such a HUGE building but it never actually crossed my mind as to what goes on in the rest of the building. It was amazing to take a tour of the entire place and see all the stuff that actually goes on! I felt like one of the more educated people on the topic of goodwill, which was kinda cool. I always knew that they provided a jobs to the mentally disabled, and that they are non-profit. The mattress thing blew my mind. The fact that they take goods that no one wants and are 1 step away from going to a landfill, and then have some guy from the Twin Ports area design a machine to compress old mattresses into a 2x2x2 brick that they can sell is awesome.
On Wednesday I did my final post for my SMART goal, overall I am super stoked on how I did. My goal to eat red meat only once a week proved to be a lot easier than I thought, and also over the course of this class I have a completely new outlook on food. I am taking small steps toward become a nutritionally sound person. Next things on my list, cut out the alcohol, and hopefully have some type of a garden this summer! Eating less red meat, and getting my proteins from other more eco-friendly sources will always be going on in my life.
Friday I did my final post the Read 'n' Seed. All in all the book wasn't bad, I struggled with the style of writing the author used. When picking out books I should have looked at some less "scientific" ones.
Week 14:
Monday we had our last class :'(. I'm not even being an ass kisser when I say this is one of the best classes I have ever taken. You know going to college and taking all these stupid generals that no one is actually passoinate to learn about. Its refreshing to learn life lessons in class, and not some stiff blabbing at you with a powerpoint straight out of your extremely over priced textbook. We all brought in our junk projects and there was so many cool ideas!
Wednesday, I did my other group members Online learning activity and learned about the negative effects smoking has on people's health, and how it discourages them from exercising. I also learned about some Water sanitation issues from around the world, and how the gov't can control what consumers buy so much, that they can damage farmers business by just saying there is a possibility of contamination of a certain crop.

So today is my last post. Did all the share and voices, eye openers, junk projects, blogging and all the other stuff for the semester. Which I feel like I learned from definitely. My favorite parts of the class had to be the documentaries. They were very eye opening and just kind of inspire me to be a better person and take action on issues. It also makes me want to be a more educated person on things so that I can in turn educate others. Which is exactly what the makers of documentaries are trying to do, is create a chain reaction in us, and to be completely honest I probably would have never watched any of those if they hadn't been shown to me in this class. So now that I had all this information conveniently presented to me I will take it as my responsibility to get it out there to others throughout my life. This class has honestly changed my life.

Pam

Eye Opener: Online Learning Activities

2009-12-16T16:49:00.002-06:00

1. Abby's Earth Experiment Learning Activity-

"For this activity you will need a straw. A cocktail straw is best, but you could also grab a straw from the food court if you don't have one on hand at home. Here's how you begin:
1. Breath through the straw for 30 seconds. Has breathing become harder? How much more restricted do your airways feel?
2. Take away the straw and recognize how easy it is to breath again. Did you immediately desire to gasp for a deep breath?
3. For 1 minute either run in place or do jumping jacks.
4. Immediately following that minute breath through the straw for as long as possible. How long did you last before gasping for air? Did you notice how such a little amount of exercise made breathing so difficult?"

So the only straw I could find in my house was one of those REALLY long stiff ones that goes into those $15 water bottles you buy at Valley Fair when you're dying of thirst and the disposable ones are like $7.50 so you decide to splurge and get the one you can refill! I don't know if this worked for, or against me... Breathing through it was not very fun in the first place because I have a fear of suffocating. Then I ran up and down my stairs 6 times! Woah, trying to breathe out of then was like... well I guess it was like breathing out of a straw after running up and down your stairs 6 times, not cool!
Being one of those darn ex-smokers I can totally relate to this... I started smoking at very young ago socially, and whenever I would be snowboarding and think I was all cool on the chairlift having a cig then try to hike up the park afterwards I could definitely tell that I was killing my lungs! So I have actually done this experiment in life, which is kinda like a slap in the face... some of the things you do when you're young and dumb.

2. Danielle's Discoveries Online Learning Activity
For Danielle's experiment she posted 3 videos and ask questions afterward that I was asked to respond to...
1. After seeing this video, how do you feel about the fact that this whole European program, creating better sanitation for all, is developed and carried out by women?
I feel very empowered to be a woman today... it is amazing how far we have come in advancing our statuses in the world, it doesn't surprise me though that woman are behind advocacy for sanitation though. We tend to be more clean and worry about "less important" things like this!
2. The 2nd video didn't work for me... :/
But after watching the 2nd video about the tomato farmer's losing all that money from the E. Coli scare it just reminds me about how much trust people put in our gov't... so many people put their responsibilities and trust in the hands of the gov't so when they say "don't eat tomatoes" it takes those farmers a long time to recover from an incident like that. The worst part is that it wasn't even the tomatoes that were causing the problem, it was the jalapenos. I can understand why those farmers would be upset and why they expected reimbursement!

Pam

Share and Voice: Virtual Eco Mall

2009-12-14T08:48:00.000-06:00

So since taking this class I have started trying to incorporate more "green" products into my life. Being that it is Christmas why not spread the good idea around by buying eco-friendly gifts for my friends and family. While looking around online I found this cool website http://www.ecomall.com/. It's like a big databases of different types of stores and places to get certain products you're looking for without harming the environment. They have links to everything from solar powered products to aromatherapy to yoga. Hope you guys find some stuff to!

Pam

Advocacy Project: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Learning Activity

2009-12-13T19:32:00.000-06:00

Purpose: To educate others on the negative effects of Fetal Alchohol Syndrome has on the lives of the people with it and the people involved with them.
Background/Reasoning/Evidence:
Most of the features of FAS are variable. They may or may not be present in a given child. However, the most common features of FAS involve the growth, performance, intelligence, head and face, skeleton, and heart of the child.
Growth and birth weights are minimal. Retardation of height growth is evident on the measurements of length in infancy and of standing height later in childhood. The growth lag is permanent.
Performance is impaired. The FAS infant is irritable. The older FAS child is hyperactive. Fine motor skills are impaired with weak grasp, poor eye-hand coordination, and tremors.
Intelligence is diminished. The average IQ is in the 60s. The face is characteristic with short eye openings , sunken nose bridge, short nose, flattening of the cheekbones and middle face, and smooth, thin upper lip.

Learning Activitiy Instructions:
Go to this website http://www.aafp.org/afp/2005/0715/p279.html and look the different physical characteristics of a child with F.A.S. and then state whether or not the children below have F.A.S. and answer the few short answers questions at the end.

1. One occasional drink during pregnancy is okay, especially towards the end to calm the mother's nerves, and aid in sleep.

True or False

2. A common birth defect in F.A.S. babies is having an abnormally short and crooked pinky.

True or False

3. There is no known cure for F.A.S.

True or False

4. Preventing Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is not possible.

True or False

5. If the male has been consuming alcohol during conception, this puts the baby at risk for F.A.S.

True or False.

Whoever completes this exercise can just leave their answers in the comment box below and I will post the correct answers when both of my group members have done so.

See ya Monday!

Pam

Share and Voice: US Healthcare Reform

2009-12-13T18:14:00.001-06:00

So the more and more I research this Healthcare Reform business the stronger I feel about it. I have officially decided that I am in favor of "socialized" healthcare, because at least that means healthcare for everyone. Yeah maybe half of America is undereducated and lazy, and yeah it really sucks that the people that work hard and make a living have to pay taxes to help those poor slugs pay for doctor exams, and ER visits. But where would we be if it was every man, woman and child for themselves.... what other types of "socialist" things do we have in this country?! UMMMMMM a HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION, yep that costs money to, but the fact that it is payed for by our taxes make it possible for underpriveleged people to at least get that far, and then we even give them grants if they choose to go to college. So why is it so acceptable for society to pay for people to get an education but not cover the costs of chemotherapy, or heart surgery. The United States Healthcare System is ranked #37 on the World Healthcare Organization. They have healthcare-for-all type systems in so many other countries and the more research I do the more convenient and less hassling those type of systems seem. So why such an uproar about this.... oh yes $$$$$ The health insurance companies and pharmaceutical tycoons will be doomed, what a bummer.

So here is link to all the current Reports on the Health Reform.

Lemme know what you all think!

Pam

Read 'n' Seed : Final review of "Exposed"

2009-12-11T16:55:00.004-06:00

Summary:

Going over the 4 sections of my book I would sum up the 1st part as introducing (on global scale) the world its progress in becoming more environmentally friendly and repairing the damage we've already done. Europe is obviously the international leader in implementing "green" laws and regulations on the products bought and sold in their countries.

The 2nd session was more informative on the scientific infomation. There was one whole chapter devoted to Phthalates, which is used in producing plastic and has been linked to causing infertility and causing malfunctions of the reproductive systems in men.

The 3 sections was mainly stories about how these chemicals were affecting the lives of men, women and children. They are everywhere and if our government doesn't start doing something about it there will be consequences.

     The fourth, and final quarter of my book is about our future. The chapter opens up with the fact that our generation of educated, and intelligent students and young people don't even remember a time when the United States was a leader in being Green.
Overall:
     When choosing a book I thought this one was one of the most interesting I could find... When I started reading it though I really didn't like it very much.   The author Mark Schapiro uses a lot of very technical terms and doesn't describe them in layman's terms (like how we've learned to do in class.) The book really doesn't have a lot of personality, which is something I struggle with, I've always had problems reading my textbooks. But once I started really reading and looking up some of the terms on my own the book became more and more interesting.   It really is quite the reality shock to learn about some of the chemicals that are in the everyday things around us and what they can do to our bodies. Simple things like plastic water bottles to the furniture in your house can create reproductive problems. Even the cosmetics you use can give you cancer. It really makes a person question what the world is coming to, profit over health apparently. The sad part is that the U.S. clearly knows about this and has not taken hardly any steps at all to look at other alternatives to these products like Europe has.
     So all in all I am pleased that I chose this book and would recommend it to someone, but first I would tell them to make sure to have their computer so they can look up some of the terms. :/

Pam

Eco Chic Lifestyle Change: Week Ten, Overall Reflection

2009-12-09T15:44:00.001-06:00

My SMART Goal

My SMART goal for the past week of the Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change project was:

"I will not eat any red meat for the week (7 days.)"

Successes & Challenges
So this weekend was Lutsen and Spirit Mt. opener, and since I really don't know a lot of girl snowboarders I go with my guy friends, there is maybe like 1 or 2 of them that actually care about the food that they eat. The majority of them live off of Chinese take out, Ramen, and Jack's Pizzas.... pretty disgusting ha. So me and 5 of my guy friends went up Friday night to Lutsen Mt.'s and had a little pre-season celebration in our condo, I think we went through about 4 frozen pizzas and 3 cases of beer. Every weekend I spend with these guys I feel more and more like a man, and the shred season has only just begun. It makes it really hard to follow my SMART goal when you're
     a) low on groceries
     b) hanging out with people who eat REALLY unhealthy
     c) traveling
So I know over the weekend I had a couple slices of cheap pepperoni pizza, and then I had a venison burger on Sunday for dinner.

Feelings

I am disappointed in myself for not reaching my goal of eating no red meat for the week. Although pertaining to the venison I feel okay about that. For the future I would like to minimize "store bought meat" as much as possible, but stuff like venison and elk that has came from my family's hunting isn't necessarily unhealthy in moderation.

What I Learned
How well I do when I at home or working, but then how all my previous ideas about how eating plans go out the window during the weekend and when I am traveling.

Plans for LIFE!
I may not be completely semi-vegetarian yet, and I may never be in my life. But the more and more I learn about the negative effects of the cattle industry, the disadvantages of store bought red meat and how it effects health, the easier it has to become. The more educated I become the more conscious the decisions are that I make about my food choices, and in turn feel more confident and healthy about what I am eating. I am glad that I chose this SMART goal because it is something that I will continue for my entire life.

Pam :)
Blogged for the Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 10 hosted by Amy@Eco-Chic with Amy.

Share and Voice: The 11th Hour

2009-12-09T08:00:00.000-06:00

This is the full length documentary released in 2007 was produced and narrated by Leonardo Dicaprio. Global warming, deforestation, mass species extinction, and depletion of the oceans' habitats are all addressed. The film's premise is that the future of humanity is in jeopardy.

The film proposes potential solutions to these problems by calling for restorative action by the reshaping and rethinking of global human activity through technology, social responsibility and conservation.

I watched this video and found it very disturbing as well as eye opening. I encourage anybody who sees this to watch it to!

"Global warming is not only the number one environmental challenge we face today, but one of the most important issues facing all of humanity ... We all have to do our part to raise awareness about global warming and the problems we as a people face in promoting a sustainable environmental future for our planet."
—Leonardo DiCaprio.

Post Options

Share and Voice: Recycling Do's and Dont's

2009-12-08T11:38:00.001-06:00

So sometimes when I am recycling I get a little confused at to what's acceptable and how clean things need to be, so I googled and came up with a few of these sites....

http://www.nrc-recycle.org/11dos.aspx

http://www.edcodisposal.com/recycling/dos-donts.html

http://www.napavalleyregister.com/articles/2007/09/07/news/local/doc46e0db9084c86156439912.txt

hope this is helpful to someone, it was for me!

Pam

Advocacy Project: Letter to a Public Official

2009-12-07T13:36:00.000-06:00

December 7, 2009
Senator Amy Klobuchar
United States Senate
302 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-2304

Senator Amy Klobuchar,

Hello, my name is Pamela Schmitt, I currently reside in Duluth, MN and attend the University of Minnesota Duluth. I am writing this letter in regards to a bill that was introduced last January. H.R.439 is bill to amend the current Public Health Service Act. Mainly in regards to pregnant and parenting woman who are dealing with substance abuse. The goal of the amendment being to reduce substance abuse among these types of individuals.

This bill would provide more funding and improve the system in which we care for and treat non violent drug abusers. Mothers and pregnant women need a different kind of professional attention then others and providing this would create a higher success rate in recovery. Not to mention a reduction in miscarriage, birth defects, depression, STD's, and negative effects on the children's life. Over 9 million women use illegal drugs every year in the U.S. (NIDA, 2006) and by doing so they increase their chances of having unprotected sex, and conceiving under the influence.

I believe the implementation of this policy will allow for a positive change in many American lives. This policy will provide appropriate actions to protect the health of women and their children.   Not to mention lower the use of illegal drugs and all of its pollution is causes in the lives of its abusers. Minnesota is not immune to any of these problems and I would hope that you think about that if you do ever get to vote on this bill. From all the implants we get and even 10th generation Minnesotan's, we are having problems with these problems, Meth, Crack/Cocaine, and prescription medications are all destroying communities and homes in our great state.

So as one of the citizens who voted for you I would like to stress it one final time how important a bill like this is to society. All of the people that voted for you entrust that you will do what is right to protect and improve society. Please vote YES on H.R.439.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,
Pamela Schmitt
(contact information)

Reflections Post: Weeks 11 & 12

2009-12-03T16:55:00.000-06:00

Week 11

For week 11 we started off class by splitting up and developing definitions for Environmental Literacy, and 2 other things.... :/ ha can't really remember what they were. We divided up into 3 different groups and each took one term. Dr. V told us that we had to make the definition understandable to a 10 year old. Which made it a little difficult. So when we looked at what each group had to say about their term in the 1st round, they were all kind of broad and using big words, the 2nd round some of them got a little better, and for the most part the 3rd ones were the best, they were a little more specific and in simpler terms. We then watched The Story of Stuff narrated by Annie Leonard. She did an excellent job at making the waste industry and process of buying and disposing material goods so simple. People just never think about those types of things though. You need or want something, buy it, it breaks of becomes of no use to you and then you throw it away. Well when 6 billion people are all doing this on one planet it piles up QUICK. We then talked about our junking projects which I wasn't there for.

Week 12

This week we started off by learning how to do blog hops on McLinky, so now we can all be connected! If the outside world does ever decide to read our sweet ass blogs for Environmental Health 3500. Then we went over our photo essays, which everyones were so cool and interesting. I really liked having everyone present their posts. I get a chance to go outside my group every once in awhile but its so much better when the author presents the information straight to ya!... We then talked about our letters to an official or editor, and then our online learning projects.

Reflections
The thing that stand out to me the most was the video we watched during week 11. Annie Leonard did such a good job of explaining it and making people feel passionate about the issue. Since taking this class I am just more aware of my actions and consequences. The growth I have gone through environmentally makes me feel so much more positive about myself, and I am confident when I educate the uneducated on the issues we have been learning about.

Pam!

Eco Chic Lifestyle Change: Week Nine

2009-12-02T08:00:00.002-06:00

Gobble Gobble, Happy Thanksgiving (our turkey!)

My SMART Goal

My SMART goal for the past week of the Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change project was:

"I will eat only 1 serving (1 serving=4 oz.) of red meat per week (seven days) or less"

Successes & Challenges
OH BOY! Thankgiving= Epic Fail at my goal. There was so much food at my family Thanksgiving it wasn't even funny. I haven't been eating too much for the last few weeks (when I had the piggy flu.) But now that I feel better, my appetite came back... big bummer, and I ate like a HORSE it was kind of disgusting actually. I didn't eat breakfast on thanksgiving at we had a really late dinner to accommodate a few family members, so when 2 o'clock came around I was starving. My aunt brought a ridiculous amount of H'orderves so cocktail weinies and meatballs, and dips and such were plentiful and I definitely over did it. Then I had a piece of ham and turkey. So my goal was not even close to being reached this week... :

Feelings

I kinda feel like I didn't even try to not eat as much red meat, but I guess doing it like that a few times a year isn't too bad. I don't really feel that guilty about it, but I would like to live a lifestyle in a more consistent way I guess.

What I Learned
When you're hungry you're hungry, and my family is not very understanding about my goal. But when I explained it to my dad that I am just trying to eat processed store bought red meat he totally got it, then he told me i'm slowly turning into a "dred lock having, vegan, granola eating hippie." Whatever I guess haha.

Plans for Next Week

For this upcoming week, I am changing my SMART goal to make up for the fail last week:
"I will not eat any red meat for the week (7 days.)"

Pam :)
Blogged for the Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 9 hosted by Amy@Eco-Chic with Amy.

Share and Voice: Sicko

2009-12-01T15:51:00.000-06:00

So lately I have been feeling pretty uneducated about the Healthcare Reform that is going on in our Government today. I have been doing some things to figure out my stance on the issue and recently watched the documentary "Sicko" by Michael Moore. Obviously this movie is biased and leans toward the liberal side, but I like Michael Moore's movies and think they are very researched yet he puts a sarcastically American humor into them. The movie basically talks about how 50 million of the 300 million Americans have no health insurance and how this effects people. Some of our government officials tell us how bad this could end up because we will have "socialized" healthcare. We will end up like Socialist countries like Soviet Union and this would be terrible because doctors won't be able to choose where they want to practice, and people will DIE waiting for procedures and surgeries to be performed on them.

So Michael Moore went to a few countries with this so called "Socialist" healthcare like Canada and Great Britain. He talked to people in hospitals, people he knew, people on the street, people who e-mailed him there stories. They all are disgusted with our system, and that people are turned away and die because of being denied for procedures, or people that have their lives ruined by medical debt. Living, and having fingers reattached, and cancer treatment shouldn't have a price on it if it doesn't have to.

It was also VERY interesting to here from some former CEO's of multi-billion dollars Health Insurance companies who talked about spending the rest of their lives guilt stricken with the deaths they've caused just to save money for their company. My problem with these companies is that they are using our health problems to make a profit and do so by denying coverage to people in need......

That is all I am going to say because I feel like I could go on forever! Lemme know you're guys' opinion on the matter!

Pam

Eye Opener: Photo Essay

2009-11-30T11:56:00.002-06:00

So I really wasn't sure what to do, and I won't lie I am doing this a little last minute..... but I am very happy with what I got! I decided to go to all the different areas of my house and find stuff that I am doing to at least make steps towards becoming the most pro-environment I can be!

Starting off in the kitchen... my favorite room :)

There is NO excuse not to recycle! :)

Instead of throwing these containers away I put my thanksgiving leftovers in em'!

The family I nanny for has a chicken coop, so I get organic, free range chicken eggs, fo FREE...pretty sweet I know!

local wild rice, for my chicken wild rice soup.

some Green Beans from the garden, freshly frozen.

Venison, a very healthy alternative to Beef, and processed in my parents garage!

Dawn is definitely not the best dish soap for the environment, but at least we're saving the seals ;)

still not the best, but getting there.

I got all of these cool bottles and candles at Goodwill, finding sweet recycled stuff for the house was what I did all summer!

this is my roommates end table, she took it apart and grouted and tiled it, pretty sweet junking huh?!

our kickass love seat from Salvation Army!

we keep it pretty cool in our humble abode, saves on $$$$ and propane.

smoking is a nasty habit, but instead of people tossing them all over our lawn when we have shin digs, they are asked to put them in the fancy shmansy receptacle.

my roommates sweet "Fitger's Growler" design she did for a class, then turned into a little corner decoration.

hang your towels up kids, that way you use the same one for a week or so and save some water. :)

pretty sweet laundry basket from TJ Maxx, made outta old magazines.

you should recycle in your bedroom to, not JUST the kitchen....(those are my roommates plastic water bottles! I promise.)

My mom recycled this bag to me over thanksgiving, can't decide if it's stylin, or not. What do you think?

pile of clothes waiting to go to Goodwill!

saving plastic,and supporting breast cancer research all right next to my bed :)

represent.

kittens make people happy, and happy people are less likely to do bad things, which is why I think Whitney is environmentally friendly.

an old cloth shower curtain, that I cut in half and turned into curtains for my windows!

some homemade art on the wall in my room.

cabinet I made in High School shop out of solid oak, It will last forever and doesn't have harmful plastics and chemicals in it like cheap store bought ones. (DVD's not environmentally friendly :( )

I use my snowboard to appreciate the white fluffly stuff mother nature makes for me to ride on!

Homemade headwear, thanks for watching folks!

Read 'n' Seed : 4th Quarter of "Exposed"

2009-11-27T16:00:00.001-06:00

Chapters and Pages
Chapter 9 Pages 178-198

Chapter 9:The New Diplomats, Powers and Pitfalls

Main Topics n My Opinion

Summary

Chapter 9 is the final chapter of my book. Going over the first 3 sections of my book I would sum up the first part as introducing (on global scale) the world its progress in becoming more environmentally friendly and repairing the damage we've already done. Europe is obviously the international leader in implementing "green" laws and regulations on the products bought and sold in their countries.

The second session was more informative on the scientific infomation. There was one whole chapter devoted to Phthalates, which is used in producing plastic and has been linked to causing infertility and causing malfunctions of the reproductive systems in men.

Chapter 9

The fourth, and final quarter of my book is about our future. The chapter opens up with the fact that our generation of educated, and intelligent students and young people don't even remember a time when the United States was a leader in being Green. Every 2 years there is a poll in Europe as to whether the U.S. has a positive effect on the environment. In 2004 40% said "yes", and in 2006 only 29% had the same answer. What does this say on the image we are projecting to the rest of the world? America has always been the greener grass on the other side, the land of oppurtuinty. Now we are the laughing stock of the environmental segment, and this is highly due to greed, poor production regulations, and uneducated people not giving a second thought to the products they fill their homes with, prepare food with, or work around.

In order to secure a future without even higher cancer rates, skyrocketing fertility rates, and landfills upon landfills of disposable crap we need to rethink what we are doing to this world and start taking action like other countries around the world. And it starts with YOU! It is our responsibility to make our future, you can't leave that up to anyone else, no matter how unfair that seems.

Pam

Eco Chic Lifestyle Change: Week Eight

2009-11-25T16:00:00.002-06:00

My SMART Goal

My SMART goal for the past week of the Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change project was:

"I will eat only 1 serving (1 serving=4 oz.) of red meat per week (seven days) or less"

Successes & Challenges
For the last TWO weeks I have been sick. I have almost absolutely no appetite and usually eat like two small meals a day. This has been very good for my goal of eating one serving of red meat per week, because I hardly eat at all! But on Saturday me and my roommates had our second annual TURKEYPALOOZA, where we all get together and everyone brings a dish, and wine ;). We play some music, all wear recycled clothing from Goodwill or Savers and hang out, eat, drink and have a great time. So I had a small piece of ham on Saturday night, and that was my serving for the week. The challenge for the upcoming week is going to be going home for ACTUAL Thanksgiving!

Feelings

I would really love to NOT be sick anymore, so I went to the doc. and she just told me it will take awhile for my appetite to come back. I have lost about 12 lbs. in the last 6 weeks, which isn't a very health rate. But I fit into some jeans from high school which is a VERY good feeling. It just seems to be coming easier and easier to not eat red meat. Like the other day I was in the food court, and I was starving on my way to class. I thought about grabbing some chicken strips, or a slice of pizza, and a milk or something. But all the things we've been learning about meat, dairy and those things made me reconsider. I got a V8, some pineapple, and almonds.

What I Learned
I don't need meat to feel full, and I can save a lot of calories and get a lot more nutrition from fruits, vegetables and grain most of the time. I think I have lost weight due to the fact that I am making more conscious decisions about what I'm putting into my body.

Plans for Next Week

For this upcoming week, I am keeping my SMART goal the same:

"I will eat only 1 serving (1 serving=4 oz.), or less, of red meat per week (7 days.)"

My friend Skye, in her boyfriends new coat he found at Savers ;)

Pam.

Blogged for the Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 8 hosted by Amy@Eco-Chic with Amy

Advocacy Project: Issue Overview

2009-11-23T13:27:00.002-06:00

For my issue/ problem I chose Substance Abuse, and for my objective I chose 26-7. Reduce intentional injuries resulting from alcohol- and illicit drug-related violence.
The current legislation I found that has been proposed to address issues of substance abuse is H.R.439

Title: To amend the Public Health Service Act regarding residential treatment programs for pregnant and parenting women, a program to reduce substance abuse among nonviolent offenders, and for other purposes.
When someone is using drugs and alcohol and they turn violent it affects everyone around them. Their friends family and coworkers.
Young children and spouses, and close family members are the most affected by violent actions of a loved one.
Whether it is a wife, husband, son, daughter, mother, father, brother or sister losing someone to substance is a very hard thing.
Noone is gaining anything by using drugs and alcohol and turning to violence.But by implementing this bill there would be more resources for the non violent users to seek out help.
Consequences of the issue...
The abuser will destroy many relationships in their life, and put their health in danger.
The families of an substance abuser may never forgive or forget the actions of their loved one when they were using. The bill would help these families get help with getting off drugs and turning their lives around.
By providing more support for the nonviolent abusers we are doing a service to society by reducing the amount of people abusing drugs and alcohol, therefore encouraging others to stop as well.
Economic Impacts of the Issue....

The cost of a bill like this would be the funding for the support programs the bill would put into effect. But, at the same time it would also be reducing costs in other areas. When a low income substance abuser gets into a bar fight and goes to the hospital who do you think picks up the bill.... tax payers.
So the taxpayers could be putting their money towards prevention instead of cleaning up the aftermath of drug abusers.
Social Impacts of the Issue....

The social costs of the issue of substance abuse is the impact it has on the younger generation. Violence at a young age can ruin a persons perception of right and wrong later in life. It also takes its toll on adults involved as well.

The only people that could benefit from watching someone abuse drugs and alcohol are the ones who learn their lesson about using them and steer clear. So a bill that would create more places for people with addiction problems would prevent and educate people about abuse.
Barriers...
A lot of people probably won't see the big picture of prevention and helping abusers and not like the idea of their tax money going to someone else's drug addiction problem.
Advocacy toward the issue. Campaigns about helping those in need and the affects drug abuse has on innocent bystanders.
Resources....
People with first hand experience to come forward and advocate for this bill, have them discuss the benefits of programs of this type.
Experts on the issue of drug abuse could also talk from a professional perspective on how something like this would benefit everyone involved from the abuser to the tax payers.
History of the Issue...
Duluth, MN has one of the most internationally recognized campaigns about preventing domestic abuse. Minnesota is a very supportive state and I feel like our state would, for the majority, be in favor a bill like this, that would help out those in need.
Many rehabilitation centers and support centers have been established in the communities, but funding runs out eventually.
Hazelden a local foundation located at a few various locations around the metro has one of the highest success rates in the nation. My freshmen year my roommate ended up going there for an alcohol problem, she has now been sober for 7 months. But places like this are NOT cheap. So she had to fight with her insurance constantly to pay for her stay there. So a bill like the one would help people in need that maybe can't afford it.
Allies & Opponents
Allies: People that care about their struggling friends and family members. Anyone with first hand experience, and someone who knows the benefits of supportive programs.
Opponents: People who think a person's financial burdens and personal problems are their own to deal with.
My Recommendation...
I am in support of this bill and I am a believer in the benefits of supportive programs and outreach to those in need.

Me and my old roommate Savannah, who got the help she needed last year from Hazelden. She is living proof of the benefits of these types of programs. :)

Pam!

Reflections Post: Weeks 9 & 10

2009-11-19T16:08:00.002-06:00

Week 9

On Monday of Week 9, we dida active learning, by dividing the class into 3 groups. We eached described 3 different parts of advocacy. Our main topics was reasons why people don't advocate, and easy was to do better than you are currently doing. Then we got ants on a log again, no complaints from me! :) We also had an Advocacy Project post due which include our personal elected officials from our hometown mayor, to the President of the U.S.A.
On Wednesday I did my week 6 of the Eco-Chic Lifestyle change. Which I did not fully achieve that week.
and Friday I did the 3rd Quarter Read n Seed, which went a lot better than my 2nd one! I am starting to like the book more and more.

Week 10

Monday of this week I was sick! I am still sick!, and I am sick of being sick! I did not go to class, and have yet to meet up with Dr. V and discuss what I missed.
Wednesday and I posted my week 7 of the Eco Chic Lifestyle Change, I achieved my goal for the week, because I have been eating nothing but vegetable and chicken type soups.

We are starting to near the end of the semester and it's going to be time to register for me next week! I am sad that this class will be over. Its a change to be in a lecture that is engaging! I feel like I taking so much knowledge away from this class, and it is stuff that I will actually be using throughout my life. Which is why I am considering a minor in Health Education. I wish there was such a thing as a minor in Community Health. Because as I was looking at the classes pertaining to the minor I don't really know how much they would tie in. Like Sex Education, etc. seems geared more towards people that are going to be teachers. We will see, still have to meet with my adviser. But either way this class is truly changing my life for the better. I wish they could make this type of thing a category that must be filled. Honestly when I signed up for this class it was because it was a recommended as a lib. ed., it sounded interesting but I may have never heard of it before if it wasn't for my advisor. I think the name should be like LIFE CHANGING CLASS 3500. Just to make it more noticable when picking out classes :).

See you all Monday,

Pam!

Very yummy red meat-free salad I had on Tuesday :)

Eco Chic Lifestyle Change: Week Seven

2009-11-18T06:00:00.002-06:00

My SMART Goal

My SMART goal for the past week of the Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change project was:

"I will eat only 1 serving (1 serving=4 oz.) of red meat per week (seven days) or less"

Successes & Challenges
Since about last Tuesday I have been sick with some type of virus. I think it is some type of badass cold, that is about to turn into a sinus infection if I don't take care of it. I have absolutely no appetite and have been living off soup and ice cream, which are the only two things that make my throat feel better. I've had chicken noodle, chicken rice, vegetable, southwest vegetable, country vegetable, BUT no red meat for an entire week is what I am proud to boast about!

Feelings

Wish that I had a better reason for not eating red meat. The fact that I have hardly been eating at all has a lot to do with the fact I achieved my goal.

What I Learned
Your body can go up to 6-8 weeks without food and survive, BUT a couple days without water and you're a goner. I've probably been eating 600-800 calories a day, and drinking about a gallon and a half of water per day.

Plans for Next Week

For this upcoming week, I am keeping my SMART goal the same:

"I will eat only 1 serving (1 serving=4 oz.), or less, of red meat per week (7 days.)"

Hoping to feel better soon!

Pam.

Blogged for the Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 7 hosted by Amy@Eco-Chic with Amy

Advocacy Project:Healthy People/THOMAS

2009-11-16T13:52:00.003-06:00

1. Healthy People 2010 Goal of Interest
I chose to do my advocacy project on the Substance Abuse

GOAL: Reduce substance abuse to protect the health, safety, and quality of life for all, especially children.
for my objective I chose:
26-6. Reduce the proportion of adolescents who report that they rode, during the previous 30 days, with a driver who had been drinking alcohol.
In 1999 33 percent of students in grades 9 through 12 reported riding during the previous 30 days with a driver who had been drinking alcohol. With a Healthy People 2010 goal of reducing the percentage of 9-12 graders who rode with a driver under the influence in the past 30 days of 30%, we have already achieved this goal.
Disparities:
Looking at the disparities, the White Non-Hispanic group had the best rate towards the goal.
Males had the better rates when it came to improving this. The African American group had the most disparity towards the goal at 11-50%.

Opputunities and Challenges:
A big known risk dealing with substance abuse is the chance of getting an STD. The group with the highest rates of this are With this being known, many states require a certain amount of their Substance Abuse prevention funding for HIV prevention, testing and counseling.
Emerging Issues: The abuse of drugs and alcohol among young people is a never ending battle. The party scene in college seems to get more and more lucrative every year. Alcohol abuse as an adolescent is a major pre-cursor for it to occur later in life as well, and a lot is being done to tackle this problem before it starts. Another problem America's youth faces is the famous Methamphetamines , especially the rural areas, the use seems to be going down in recent years. Meth seem like the urban areas alternative to Oxycodone, Oxycontin and other prescription painkillers, that are like expensive heroine. Prescription drug abuse is on the rise in young people and seems to be the newest fad.

H.R.439

Title: To amend the Public Health Service Act regarding residential treatment programs for pregnant and parenting women, a program to reduce substance abuse among nonviolent offenders, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Rehberg, Denny [MT] (introduced 1/9/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Latest Major Action: 1/9/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Recommendation: Vote Yes to H.R. 439 to amend the PHSA.

My Political Representative: Jim Oberstar

Read 'n' Seed : 3rd Quarter of "Exposed"

2009-11-13T16:44:00.004-06:00

Chapters and Pages
Chapter 6, 7 Pages 105-178

Chapter 6: Rise and Fall of the Machine

Chapter 7:Chemical Revolution

Main Topics n My Opinion

Chapter 6 mainly talked about the pros and cons of technology. What do you do with a printer or old television that has become obsolete and is no longer of any use to you. You can either throw it away with your regular trash, properly recycle it, or give it to someone who could fix it or take all the useful parts. Most people just end up throwing them away and buying another cheap-o. This has serious consequences. Schapiro talks about how 50% of used cell phones, televisions, and other throw away electronics are shipped to landfills in countries like Taiwan and China. When studies on drinking water in these countries were done they had 10,000-24,000 times the amounts of Lead, Cadmium, and Mercury in their drinking water.

It goes to show how stuff that we do in our country is not only hurting the united states, but our old iPods, Blackberry, and desktop computers and poisoning innocent people in other countries around the world.

Chapter 7 is based around a story. A story of the European Union choosing 112 woman from all over Europe to have their blood tested for chemicals. In sets of 3, a grandmother, mother, and daughter all living in the same area. These woman all had their blood all looked at and the results were shocking! The grandmothers (who have spent the most time alive) had the highest amounts, with the largest being 63 different compounds in their blood. The worst part of this story is that the next highest were the grandaughters! The highest found in the age group was not far behind the grandmothers, 59. With the mothers in the middle having the lowest amounts, with their highest being 49.

This showing that kids in Europe are exposed to many different types of chemicals at a young age. The sad part is that most of them are coming from toys, or all of the new technology invented to keep them "busy" like computers, cell phones, iPods, Barbies. All of these things are actually leaching chemicals into our surroundings and the sad part is there is no where to put it all! The end of the chapter gives a little philosophy. All the risks we take like driving a car, smoking, drinking, microwaving our food in a plastic containers, its all dangerous and the more and more we fall into a lifestyle that is completely manufactures the less healthy our lives are.

How this affects me...

It makes me feel a lot more conscious about what I buy. Sometimes when I have to buy stuff like a desk for my room, or a new DVD player cuz my old one shit out I usually go for the cheaper one. Well the last time I went out and got a DVD player I decided to get a nice and little more pricey one. I figure if I'm gonna get one I might as well get one that will last. Or instead of buying a new iPod the next time mine malfunctions I'll make sure I get everything looked at before I buy another one, and I'll make sure I recycle it properly if it does come down to disposing of it. It's scary to me how many things we as humans expose ourselves to everyday. I feel like there is going to be tremendous consequences for all of this in the not so distant future, and it worries me that the majority of the world isn't even aware of most of this information.

Thought this quote from Luke Ramsey fit pretty well, and I borrowed from my friend Gus over at his amazing peek/stare blog-

Luke Ramsey

"People keep taking about how we’re destroying the world and then they continue to destroy the world. Don’t worry about 2012. It’s not about destruction, it’s about a shift in consciousness and a rebirth of love and understanding. There will be less testosterone and more estrogen. These religious nuts got it all messed up. It’s not about Armageddon, it’s about change, because Mother Nature needs it. Humans think we’re smart. We think too much. We need to start feeling more. There’s too much focus on technology and the future. Yes, technology is amazing, but we need to focus more on the now and embrace natural wonders. Like how cool is it that when we get cut – our skin heals. Or how amazing it is that when we plant a seed and give it water – it grows. Get fascinated by the simple things. Watching NASA send a missile to the moon and then Twittering about it on a cell phone, just doesn’t seem all that evolved. Choose love and light, because it feels good."

see ya guys monday!

Pam

Eco Chic Lifestyle Change: Week Six

2009-11-11T11:39:00.002-06:00

My SMART Goal

My SMART goal for the past week of the Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change project was:

"I will eat only 1 serving (1 serving=4 oz.) of red meat per week (seven days)"

Successes & Challenges
So this week decided I would wait until towards the end of the week to eat my serving of red meat for the week, or at least til' an opportunity arose. Saturday I decided to go to Palisade because it was absolutely GORGEOUS on Saturday. We stayed at my friends cabin outside of Silver Bay. We decided to grill some cheeseburgers, and they were sooooo good. So then Sunday my friend invited me over for dinner. I asked her what she was making and she said chicken alfredo. I told her oh perfect, because I can't eat red meat anymore this week. I get there and she had decided to put BACON in the alfredo as well. When I told her I wasn't supposed to have red meat, her response was " Pork is red meat?' lol. So I ate it anyways, there wasn't too much bacon so I wouldn't count it as a full serving, but I still at more than 4 oz. in one week I'm sure.

Feelings

Kinda bummed I missed my goal again this week. But I did not deliberately choose to eat the alfredo like I did the burger. I felt more obligated to eat the alfredo since she had made it for me.

What I Learned
Not everyone around me is as of aware as their food and the process that actually goes in to making it. Not all of my friends care what goes into their body, and it is my job to start educating them. :)

Plans for Next Week

For this upcoming week, I am keeping my SMART goal the same:

"I will eat only 1 serving (1 serving=4 oz.), or less, of red meat per week (7 days.)"

Pam.

Blogged for the Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 6 hosted by Amy@Eco-Chic with Amy

A couple buddies and I hiking by a "secret spot" at Palisade Head on Lake Superior

Share and Voice: Cool Blog Award!

2009-11-09T12:15:00.000-06:00

Share & Voice: Blog On Award

Last week I received an award from Ashley for my UMD Smoking Forum post. My post was about my experience attending the forum, and my views on the issue.

This week I came across one and knew instantly it was award worthy. Danielle for her blog about the Coca- Cola. I think she did a great job and deserves this award for educating people about Coke, and how people outside of our country or region feel about it. I had no idea about a lot of the stuff she wrote in the post. So everyone GO READ IT! :)

Award Instructions for the Award Winner(s)

Leave a comment below so that I know you "picked up" the award.
Within 1 week, create a Share and Voice post that says you've received the award and indicate who the award is from (be sure to hyperlink).
Also indicate to whom you are going to pass on the award and why. Be sure to hyperlink the blogger (use main blog URL) and the blog title (use the specific URL for that blog post).
Copy and paste these instructions at the bottom of your post.
Publish the post.
Visit each blogger you've awarded and leave a comment telling them they've won.
Continue the process...

Advocacy Project: My Political Representatives

2009-11-09T12:01:00.000-06:00

I live in Brandon, MN. Which is located in Douglas County (nicknamed "Lake Country")

My President

Name: Barack Obama

Address: The White House

               1600 Pennsylvania Ave
               Washington, DC 20500
               Website: http://www.barackobama.com/

State Representative

Name: Torrey Westrom

Address: 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Saint Paul, Minnesota 55155
Phone #: 651-296-4929

Website: http://www.stevensgop.org/rep_torrey_westrom.html

State Senate

Name: Bill Ingebritsen

Address: 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
State Office Building, Room 123
St. Paul, MN 55155-1206

Phone #: 651.297.8063

Website: http://www.senate.leg.state.mn.us/members/member_bio.php?mem_id=1120&ls=86

U.S. Representative

Name: Collin Peterson

Address:2211 Rayburn HOB
Washington, DC 20515

Phone #: (202) 225-2165

Website: http://collinpeterson.house.gov/

U.S. Senator

Name: Al Franken

Address: 320 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington D.C. 20510

Phone Number: 651-221-1016

Website:http://www.alfranken.com/

Governor

Name: Tim Pawlenty

Address: 130 State Capitol
75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
St. Paul, MN 55155

Phone #: (651) 296-3391

Website: http://www.timpawlenty.com/?ref=googletpaw&gclid=CJPZreq5_pPostCFQohDQodWyfUoA

Douglas County has no Country Board President.

Mayor

Name: Doug Johnson

Address: 115 Front Street (Old Brandon Communications Building)

P. O. Box 137

Brandon, MN 56315

Phone #: 320-524-2260

Website: http://www.brandonmn.com/CityofBrandon.htm

(my town has 450 people, so not a very elaborate website!)

Reflections Post: Weeks 7 & 8

2009-11-06T15:09:00.000-06:00

WELL!.... it has been a busy last few weeks.

Week.7.
We were assigned to do the EWG eye opener. I evaluated my BareMinerals makeup. It came back with a score of 3, so not too shabby. But, there is always room for improvement.
After awhile a guy from the American Lung Association to recruit us to go the the UMD Smoking Forum last wednesday. We had a discussion about what we would say, if we were to attend. SO.... I decided to go.
I am in favor of a smoke free campus. I said my piece while I was there, you can read all about it on my Smoking Forum Post.
My Read n Seed quarter 2 was due last friday. Definitely needs improvement.

Week.8.
So we got to learn all about Dr. V's favorite!.... Junking. This is a pretty cool hobby I would like to get into.
I have all sorts of random crap that could probably go towards that kinda stuff.
Then we watched a documentary called Thirst. It focused on a town who was trying to privatize its water supply. I don't think that a company should be able to profit off of water. That's like trying to sell air. The coolest part about the vid was that the community all worked together to try and stop the evil mayor from going through with it. It was really disappointing to see them get shot down over and over, but they never gave up. I am gonna do a little research and see what happened in the end.

Til' Monday
Pam :)

Eco Chic Lifestyle Change: Week Five

2009-11-04T16:10:00.001-06:00

My SMART Goal

My SMART goal for the past week of the Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change project was:

"I will eat only 1 serving (1 serving=4 oz.) of red meat per week (seven days)"

Successes & Challenges

I have been doing SO good.... up until this week.

For my serving of the week I chose to get a Spicy Italian Sub at Subway. I got a six inch. It was delicious. I hadn't had one in like months, and its always been my favorite. Then a few days later I went out to eat with my roommates. We went to Grandma's in Canal. I was being a very good SMART Goal follower and order a buffalo chicken wrap. My roommate ordered a Steak Cheese French, which if none of you have ever had its super good (if you like salty, greasy, cheesy stuff every once in awhile!) So we got our food and my roommate decided she wasn't in the mood for steak. She wanted to switch, I couldn't resist!
Feelings

I am pretty disappointed in myself that I didn't achieve my smart goal this week. Lately I have been feeling much healthier eating mostly poultry and fish.

What I Learned

I usually eat my serving of red meat like A.S.A.P. in the week. For the following weeks I am not going to make it a plan to eat red meat. I will wait for an opportunity to arise and if I don't eat any at all during the week, that's okay!
Plans for Next Week

For this upcoming week, I am keeping my SMART goal the same:

"I will eat only 1 serving (1 serving=4 oz.), or less, of red meat per week (7 days.)"

Pam.

Blogged for the Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 5 hosted by Amy@Eco-Chic with Amy

Eye Opener: Junk On The Brain

2009-11-02T10:27:00.000-06:00

1. antiques/antiquing- is shopping for an old collectible item

junk/junking- Junking is the retrieval of ordinarily discarded things and materials
flea market-a type of bazaar where inexpensive or secondhand goods are sold or bartered
thrift shop-Thrift stores are generally owned by a charity, and have secondhand goods for sale
upcycling- involves processing used materials into new products
resale shop-basically the same thing as a thrift shop, but items aren't always as old

2. Instead of us all going out and spending money on new products, we can sometimes find cool items that are already in the world, instead of creating more waste.
3.Goodwill, 700 Garfield Ave, Duluth MN
http://www.goodwill.org/

(218) 722-6351

4a) I love this thing and it shows how a little paint can make anything sweet.

http://junkmarketstyle.com/item/17747/from-frumpy-to-fabulous

b.In the spirit of Christmas! How original.
http://junkmarketstyle.com/item/17701/sea-glass-christmas-wreath

c.This table kicks ass! Love the spring base.
http://junkmarketstyle.com/item/17516/steel-spring-table

Share and Voice: Best Green Blog

2009-11-01T23:55:00.003-06:00

So, now that we are all becoming so good at blogging..... I found a really good site to keep us all updated on our Green news. The Green Blog.covers everything from Global Warming, Food choices, Vegetarianism, and lots lot more. It basically searches out and finds award worthy blogs and features all of them on their website. I really like this because its almost exactly like all of our blogs. Most of them are usually devoted to certain things though. Like eating locally, and the health of our oceans.
So I think this is a really cool way for all of us to dabble in a bit of everything GREEN and find all sorts of resources on becoming more eco-friendly.

See you guys monday,
Pam

Read 'n' Seed : 2nd Quarter of "Exposed"

2009-10-30T15:48:00.000-05:00

Recap of 1st part:
So in the 1st quarter of the book the author mainly talked about the political points dealing with the toxic chemicals. Also, how Europe is the main leader worldwide in going green in their industry. The United States is lagging behind in Step forward to think ecologically.

2nd Quarter:
The 2nd part of the book mainly focuses on all the chemicals in everyday products and all the different effects. From certain lipstick to being carcinogenic to plastics causing infertility and male reproduction malfunctions.
There is a whole chapter devoted to Phthalates, which is a chemical that makes plastic flexible. The stuff is in virtually everything around is and is linked to a lot of health problems going on in the U.S. today!

Conflicts:
This is an interesting book but it is hard to focus on it when I'm reading. He uses a lot of really big words all the time and it makes it hard to just relax and read it. But I'm trucking through! Hopefully it gets a little more interesting, or at least he starts talking in layman's terms!

Pam

Share and Voice: UMD Smoking Policy Forum

2009-10-28T23:26:00.000-05:00

So, I decided to go to the forum, I saw a few others there and was really proud of everything everyone in my class had to say. Go ASHLEY!... she even got an applause from everyone.
What I said:
I stated that I am an ex-smoker but still have an occasional social cigarette in the appropriate setting. I also stated I am in favor of a 100% smoke-free campus, but believe it needs to be enforced and not just based on honest, because honestly thats not working. I then asked how anyone thinks that a designated smoking area is actually designated, because although the smokers (if they actually stay in their "area") may be in a place, but that doesn't mean the smoke is actually going to stay there. And the fact that if people are standing outside smoking, or sitting in their cars smoking they are then coming into class, giving off 3rd hand smoke. Which in recent years has also been proven harmful!

Conflicts:
One guy was making it very obvious that he thought it was his "right" to smoke. Well with his right to smoke he is affecting other peoples right to NOT smoke, so he can go find a secluded are with an ashtray somewhere and smoke, where he's not gonna make everyone else breathe it in, thats what I think.

I had to leave a little early so if anyone could update me on what happened all in all that would be great!

Pam

Eco Chic Lifestyle Change: Week Four

2009-10-28T11:00:00.002-05:00

My SMART Goal:

I will only eat 1 Four oz. serving of Red meat per week (seven days.)

Challenges:

This weekend I went to the cities for a wedding. When I chose my meal 2 months ago I signed up for Filet Mignon. So when my waitress came I asked her if I could change to vegetable ravioli. That was hard because when my brother got his beef tenderloin I was VERY jealous haha. But the vegetable ravioli was delicious.

My Serving for the week:

On Sunday morning I ate 2 pieces of bacon. Even though that is probably one of the most processed red meats you can find it was DELICIOUS, and in extreme moderation I feel okay about it.... then I had a bite of my friend's cheeseburger at lunch. So I doubt that is over 4 oz.

Upcoming week:

I hope to keep up the good work!

Pam

Blogged for the Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 4 hosted by Amy@Eco-Chic with Amy.

Eye Opener: Environmental Working Group

2009-10-26T08:00:00.000-05:00

AAAAAAHHHHH!
So I chose to do my evaluation on my foundation. I use Bareminerals, which is a product of Bare Escentuals. Thinking that I would finally get a good report on something I do in my life, I was so wrong.
This is how the company describes the product:
"It began with Bare Escentuals' introduction of our bareMinerals SPF 15 Foundation. Made from 100% pure bareMinerals it’s free of preservatives, oil, fragrance, talc and other skin irritants. Millions of women who discovered bareMinerals have fallen in love with the look of beautifully bare skin. With bareMinerals, your search for the perfect foundation is over."
So when I see this description I would have never guessed the results the Environmental Working Group gave me.
This product contains ingredients that have been linked to Cancer, Developmental and Reproductive Toxicity, Allergens and immunotoxicity, along with a bunch of other crazy problems.
I am pretty disappointed in how this site is laid out, and I kinda feel like I'm to dumb to actually process everything it says. But the gist of it is that my foundation, on a scale of 1-10 has a score of 3 for being hazardous for these side effects. 3 might not seem like a big number but I don't know why I would put something with ANY sort of risk on my face. I will definitely be shopping for some new foundation.

<------ apparently NOT!

Pam

Reflections Post: Weeks 5 & 6

2009-10-23T06:00:00.001-05:00

WHAT WE DID!
So for week five we had to do an eye opener. I did the tour of our food industry. Then we watched a film about Genetically Modified Foods. I then did a post about my first 7 days of my SMART Goal, (which is going wonderfully!) My last post of the week was my first quarter of my Read 'n' Seed.
Week 6 we started out class with a good discussion, I love discussions because it makes me feel so much more involved in the class. Then we watched a film by John Robbins about the Revolution of Food. After which , we learned how to make a graphical header for our blog, which I had already done.
WHAT I LEARNED!
The tour of the food industry was a lot of stuff we've been learning about in class, but the way they had it laid out in a way that everything is connected, was really eye opening. The only time I ever thought of food negatively before this class was when it had to do with my weight. Now that I realize food affects so much more than our body I have been making much more eco-friendly, and nutritious choices.
The film about GMO's was also scary. I think there should not be a patent on anything in nature. Nature is called nature for a reason we don't have a whole lot of control over it, and therefore can't own it.
So far my book Exposed is going really well.
From the John Robbins film I took away so many disturbing images in my head. The arthrosclerosis (when they pulled the fat out of an artery!), the blood with all the fat in it!, and a heart surrounded by fatty tissue. I like how he views food as a healing thing. It is so true that we need to watch what we eat so much closer than most of us do, it affects our bodies so much.
WHAT I'M GONNA DO!
All of the things I've been shown, and all that I have learned over the last few weeks just keep motivating me more and more to live a healthier lifestyle, not just for my body's sake but also for my surroundings. I will voice my educated opinion about these topics, and make better choices when it comes to my own actions.

See you monday!
Pam

Eco Chic Lifestyle Change: Week Three

2009-10-21T10:00:00.018-05:00

Week 3 of my Eco Chic Lifestyle Change!

Today is the beginning of my 3rd Week of only eating one 4 oz. serving of red meat per week, (every seven days.)
Challenges
None of my friends are being very helpful! I have sunday night dinner with a bunch of friends sometimes and they are guys and wanna have like burgers or steak! Ha can't do that! But I have been preaching it up to them on how red meat is so bad, and why.
My serving for the week
So my friend turned 21 on last wednesday. She works at Old Chicago so I took her there for her first legal drinks. And we ordered her favorite pizza, which is a MEAT ME haha its got like sausage, salami, pepperoni, Canadian bacon, and green olives ;) haha not my choice! I picked off some of the meat trying not to go over my serving. I have no idea if I did go over. I had two pieces of pizza Wednesday, then I ate a left over piece like Saturday evening, so I kinda feel like I cheated a little this week.

Goals for this upcoming week...

I am going to try my hardest to only eat one serving of red meat this week. Its getting easier and easier to turn it down, and I feel so much better not eating it. Not only health wise, but environmentally wise.

until next week!
Pam

Blogged for the Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 3 hosted by Amy@Eco-Chic with Amy

Share and Voice: Vitamin Water drinkers BEWARE!

2009-10-20T19:06:00.001-05:00

So I remember when this stuff came out, I was still in high school. Kelly Clarkson was doing commercials and talking about how awesome it was, and how good it made her feel! I never really tried the stuff... I've probably bought it less than 10 times. I like the 10 calorie lemonade one. Then someone told me I might as well drink a soda when I was going to buy one! I was so confused?! This stuff is just water with vitamins added to it right?
...
NO!
1. The first big no no I discovered about it is the renamed ingredient they use as a sweetener.... "Crystalline Fructose"! AKA HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP. HFCS has been linked to obesity and insulin resistance. It is allegedly one of the main causes of our obesity empidemic that is going on right now! This could be caused by the fact that it causes insulin resistance, and is linked to diabetes! Crystalline Fructose is pretty much just refined and milled HFCS, and full bottle of VitaminWater contains around 30mg of the stuff. You are not suppose have ANY HFCS in your diet, obviously this is almost impossible, its in a lot of todays products. So don't be fooled by the fancy labeling!
2. They use vapor distilled water, and which is completely empty of anything including minerals, then they add minerals back in. But distilled water actually is used to pull out toxins out of your body, but also pull some nutrients. So you might be getting some minerals, but your also losing nutrients at the same time, with distilled water. I can't say for sure that this water does that, but supplements are only suggested for people who can't obtain enough of an essential vitamin or mineral from their diet of whole foods.
3. Its in a plastic bottle. Which i'm not even fully going to go into... but studies on plastic bottles have proven chemicals leaking into the bottle could mimic estrogen, and other chemicals linked to diabetes.
http://www.worldhealth.net/news/are_you_drinking_water_from_a_plastic_bo/
4. Finally, there aren't even that many fricken vitamins in it!

Nutrition Facts:
Serving Size 8 fl oz; Servings per Container 2.5
Calories 50
Total Fat 0g
Sodium 0mg
Total Carbohydrate 13g
Total Sugar 13g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 60%; vitamin B3 10%; vitamin B6 10%; vitamin B12 10%; vitamin B5 10%, Zinc 10% (got this from EmilyPlaysCello's blog The Truth about Vitamin water)

Calories in V8 100% Vegetable Juice

Serving Size 8 oz (224.0 g)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 50

Sodium 480mg

Total Carbohydrates 10.0g

Sugars 8.0g

Protein

2.0g

Vitamin A 40%	•	Vitamin C 120%
Calcium 4%	•	Iron 4%

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

got this from http://caloriecount.about.com/calories-v8-100-percent-vegetable-juice-i84093

Now I'm no doctor and I'm not suggesting one is better than the other but the obvious thing is V8 packs more vitamins, no HFCS. But it also contains sodium which can be bad in high amounts!

So i'm not trying to bash anyone and i'm sure i'll end up drinking the stuff sometime again, it probably is better than a coke, but the principle of the matter is that its advertised to be SO HEALTHY, and marketed that way, but its really not!

Pam

Share and Voice: Positively 3rd Street Bakery!

2009-10-19T10:48:00.001-05:00

So my Share and voices have kinda been on a food kick lately! But I just wanted to tell people about 3rd Street Bakery.... I live right next to it, and I am sitting in bed actually smelling it as I'm writing this! The bakery uses almost all organic ingredients, and makes some of the most delicious baked goods I've ever had. They are located on the corner of 12th Ave. and E. 3rd St. If you are a big donut person you will definately be disappointed. But they have amazing granola, cookies, bars, muffins, breads, bagels, and even pizza crusts! They sell there products at a couple different places around townBlogger: Pam's Green Blog - Create Post. One of them being the co-op. They also sell local syrup and honey. Couple of things I can't live with out from the bakery are the Godess Bar's, their granola ( so good in vanilla yogurt), and there THUNDER COOKIES... they are pretty much famous. Check em' out!
http://positively3rdstreetbakery.com/home.html

Read 'n' Seed 2: First Quarter of "Exposed"

2009-10-16T12:19:00.004-05:00

Well, I will start it off by saying I had no trouble findng my book! Ha googled for an environmental book and this one had a lot of hits. It was written by Mark Shapiro. Mark has been an investigative journalist since before I was born! He is a journalist for the Center of Investigative Reporting. His whole career is based on searching out toxic things in everyday life.

The first 3 chapters of the book are mainly about our gov't and how we need to catch up to Europe and start banning certain chemicals. One chapter is basically about how some of the biggest electonics companies in the U.S. are starting to adapt the the European Unions regulations on toxic chemicals. Apparently the chemicals used in the a carcinogenic and dangerous when not disposed of properly. So if we don't start to take those things out of our exports Europe will no longer purchase from us. Asia is also on the green bandwagon by banning many chemicals and products.

Mark also attacks the U.S. Gov't stating that going green would not be bad for the economy. Already proven by the European Union that going green creates jobs, adds to the market and is SAFE! Comparing a European woman's cosmetic bag to someone in United states is completely differnt. Certain cosmetics are also carcinogens and toxic.
So far he hasn't really gone into detail about any chemicals or certain products, but I think the first few chapters are giving a background for stuff. So hopefully in the upcoming ones I can learn all about stuff I shouldn't be using!

Pam

Share and Voice: Whole Foods Co-op

2009-10-14T23:44:00.002-05:00

So for this share and voice, I just wanted to share with all of you (who don't already know) how wonderful Duluth's local Whole Food's Co-op is. Located in central hillside, at 610 E. 4th St. it is easy to find, in an easy location, and has so many cool things to offer!
Becoming a member:
A membership to The Co-op is $100, the minimum down payment is $20. You have a 2 year grace period to pay off the balance, and can also apply for a Fran Skinner Scholarship. When you are a member you get monthly specials! A say in how the business is operated, by your vote, and a BIG book of coupons.
Benefits of Shopping at the Co-op:
The Co-op pledges that at least $0.66 of every dollar you spend will stay in the Duluth area. Which ties in with what we're learning about supporting your local businesses. They offer USDA Organic, Vegan, all natural products and many other types of health conscious products.
Other Cool Stuff:
One thing I thought was really nice is all the cool classes the place offers whether you want to take Yoga, learn how to start your own chicken coop, or cook Gluten-Free meals they offer sessions on just about everything.

Just thought I'd share that with you guys!

Pam

Eco Chic Lifestyle Change: Week Two

2009-10-14T12:28:00.004-05:00

Overview:

So I've gone through one week with almost no red meat! YEY! ha I'm not gonna lie it has been a little challenging. Most people think of red meat as just like steak and bacon. But this week I've had to turn down pepperoni pizza, chili, ham and cheese omellette, pork egg rolls. So many common foods have red meat in them! The eye opener this week made me feel so much better about my SMART goal though. Taking the food tour just showed me how detrimental red meat is to our world, and how it is effecting our environment, especially cattle!
Challenges:

Eating at school definitely sucks! With all the different hot options like spaghetti, hamburgers, pizza. But I have been eating so much healthier, and also saving a lot of calories, and fat from the foods I choose to eat instead. One thing I am concerned about is Iron. I need to make sure I am getting enough Iron in my diet so find the vegetables that come packed with it will be a good project for this week.
My Red Meat choice of the week!:
For my serving last week I had tator tot hot dish. We hadn't turned heat on and my roommate made it in the oven. So good, and sooooooo worth it!
Haven't decided what I'm gonna have this upcoming week, maybe none at all(but probably some pizza! :))

See you all monday!
Pam

Blogged for the Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 2 hosted by Amy@Eco-Chic with Amy.

Eye Opener: CSPI

2009-10-12T13:56:00.005-05:00

Today I did the Eye Opener #1 for the CSPI, after touring our food supply I feel like I actually knew a little about all that stuff! I have been getting into the effects that cattle and other livestock have on the environment. This ties along good with my SMART goal of limiting my red meat servings to 1 per week. I've also been incorporating more organic foods into my diet to do my part to get the corporate farming crisis in America under control. In high school I did a research paper titled "The Family Farm:Nearing Extinction". There is SO MUCH information online about the dying family farm. The subsidization of crops and farm products are making it almost impossible for small production farms to keep up with costs.

Reflections Post: Weeks 3 & 4

2009-10-09T13:32:00.000-05:00

Allrighty People! Can anyone else believe we are done with our 4th week of school?! pretty soon it will be HALLOWEEN (which I think I am going to be a firefighter this year for it), then turkey day, then Christmas break woohoo!... Well in the the 3rd week we didn't really have class but me and Steve about my blog and if I was up on everything. I had a few glitches. I just need to make sure I stay up on everything and I am checking everyones blogs and such, doing my comments and posts! I had 5 exams this week :( so not a very fun time for me! This whole blogging thing has become kinda interesting to me, I've been going all over the place and checking out different types of blog and having a great old time!

4th Monday Rita brought Banana's and I don't know if it was because I skipped lunch that day or if she is just really good at picking out bananas, but they were delicious haha! We also started out with that fun experiment and I got chosen first haha, good thing I had read the SMART goal powerpoint or I probably would have looked like an idiot. Then we got to watch An Inconvenient Truth. That was a very powerful movie.... I don't know if I'm completely ready to devote my life to the cause of global warming yet. It definitely helped me out with a lot of skepticism, but I just don't feel a 100% on it yet. I can't really explain why, it probably has something to do with being brainwashed by our government, but I just wondering how many of the facts are facts and such. But that does not mean I don't believe we are destroying our earth. Slowly but surely we are going to hurt this planet, in a way that might never be reversed...

On a little note me and Jordanne are bringing snack next week! Not sure what it will be yet, but I kinda have an idea, hope to see you all Monday!

Pam

Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 1: My SMART Goal

2009-10-07T12:09:00.001-05:00

1. I will limit my intake of Red Meat to 1 serving 4 oz. per week.
2. This goal is Eco-Chic to me because it will make me to find healthier alternatives than typical red meat options like Ground Beef, which come from corporate farms and are loaded with antibiotics and have other disadvantages. My SMART goal will force me to find other sources of protein such as white meat and legumes.
There has also been studies that red meats, which are highly acidic are linked to certain cancers, specifically colon cancer.
3. I have always thought about being a semi-vegetarian but I come from a small farm community and have been raised on roasts, hamburgers, steak, ham, and just about every other type of red meat. But I feel like if I limit myself and make a conscious effort to avoid it, most of the time I am definitely headed in the right direction. There will be a lot of health benefits arising from this as well!
4. To start today I had a banana and glass of milk for breakfast, and for lunch I am having brown rice with blacks beans and peppers!

See you all Monday!
Pam

Blogged for the Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 1 hosted by Amy@Eco-Chic with Amy.

Eye Opener:Ecological Footprints

2009-10-05T14:02:00.000-05:00

After taking the Ecological Footprints Quiz on http://www.myfootprint.org/ my results were that it would take 3.6 earths if everyone on earth lived like me....
That is a HUGE eye opener, I thought I did my part by recycling most stuff, taking less showers (or at least shorter ones,) and apparently this is not enough. I feel as though kinda riding the fence between being eco-friendly and being non conscious about anything is just not enough! Everything that we do from using chemicals to overeating is effecting the earth! So I hope to learn a lot over this course!

Read 'n' Seed 1: Exposed

2009-10-02T14:05:00.002-05:00

Exposed , Mark Schapiro
The book is about how many ingredients in common American sold products have devastating health effects and may be behind a lot of the major health problems of today's society. It also focuses on how Europe has begun banning many of these products in there country. The book attacks the U.S. Government for not following Europe, and argues the our governments reasoning for not doing so.
I think its interesting how much stuff we surround ourselves with and put into our body that we really have no idea dangerous to our health. I would like to be more educated in that kind of stuff.
Here are a couple reviews,

In this book there are 189 pages and 9 Chapters. I plan to read the first 50 pages for Quarter 1, the pages 51-100 for Quarter 2, the pages 101-145 for Quarter 3, and for the final quarter read the remaining pages 146-189.

Above I have linked the title of the book to a web page describing the book, and I have also linked the authors name to a website about his work. I am very excited to start reading this!

See you all monday...
Pam

Reflections Post: Weeks 1 & 2

2009-09-24T14:45:00.000-05:00

As the first few weeks are winding down it feels nice to get caught up with everything that has been going on!   I have to say that out of the all the classes I am taking this is probably going to be my favorite. The first class was very interesting and a lot more powerful than anything I had expected. Without preconceived notions about this class I can't say that I ever thought it would be this interesting. That probably has something to do with the fact I am a business major though, and haven't really been exposed to this kinda of stuff (academically anyways.)
I have always been moderately environmentally conscious, growing up my dad is kind of an old hippie and we always recycled and planted tree around the town. Living in a small community makes it a lot easier to see the effects people have on their surroundings. If your neighbor has garbage in their lawn, its their garbage. If you have cigarette butts all over your front porch they are yours. Everyone knows everything you do to the around the community. This also goes for the positive like, picking garbage out of ditches, having a leaf raking day, all sorts of stuff like that. The main people who are responsible for keeping small communities like ours were the people living there, not city employed people.
   Being that all my classes are with mostly business majors it is so exciting to see all of you taking up classes about different types and industries in health. I am very excited to take a lot of stuff away from this class. The Read N' Seed should be very cool to. Reading is definitely a pass time of mine and the fact that I get to pick the book for the subject makes it even better. I chose Exposed, by Mark Schapiro. The fact that I am required to read a book I would normally not read but is also interesting to me just goes to show how many doors this class will open my mind and perception of the information around me and what I will choose to learn in the future.
         Sometime next month is my snack and I have been thinking VERY hard on what I want to bring! I am really excited to try something new every week with all of you. Well I'm going to wrap it up now. So until the next class.

Pam

Welcome to Pamvironmentally Friendly!

2009-09-22T20:49:00.004-05:00

My name is Pam, I am somewhere in between a Sophomore and Junior and will start my major in Healthcare Management next semester, maybe double majoring in Business Management as well (someday I would like to own my own business.) I chose a picture of a creek that runs into Lake Superior. I love Duluth and all the outdoor things it has to offer, yet it still has the feel of a city somewhat. Some of my favorite things to do are snowboarding, cooking, just hanging out with friends, I am a huge movie buff and love all types of movies. Reading is also a big one for me, otherwise I am always down to try new things, like this sweet class!

There are 6 possible types of posts on my blog. They include:

Advocacy Project
Eye Openers
Reflections
Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change
Read 'n' Seed
Share and Voice

The members of my web group are:

You can subscribe to my blog by clicking the subscribe gadget in the gadget column. You can also follow my blog by clicking "Follow this Blog" in the gadget column. I am subscribed to all the blogs in my blog list gadget. You can see my complete profile and all the blogs I am following by clicking on "See Complete Profile."

So I'm gonna finish it off by just saying thank you to everyone who stopped by to check out my new blog! Its still in production but over the semester I'm sure it will evolve...

Pam

Blogged for the Welcome Linky Party hosted by Amy@Eco-Chic with Amy.

Duluth and its many outdoor possibilities

2009-09-20T17:15:00.001-05:00

Being it was only the 2nd weekend since school has started I haven't really been slammed with homework to bad yet. Saturday was gorgeous and we went to Seven Bridges road which is lake side by Lester Park and did a little jumping :) Great Weekend see you all tomorrow! (this is my friend Jason who went up to the tallest one, which you have to sprint off of to clear the rocks, but decided to climb a tree up another 15 feet and jump from that as well! Crazy)