Healthy Ambassador CPR Training-January 2013

Healthy Ambassador Mental Health Training- December 2012

Healthy Ambassador Public Speaking Training- November 2012

Healthy Ambassador Life Coaching- March 2013

EAT BERRY BERRY GOOD AND KEEP ON THINKING BERRY BERRY GOOD.

-Marvin Ortanez,Healthy Ambassador Program 2011-2012

Berries, berries, berries! They are everywhere! They can be in many shapes and colors like Red, black, blue and so on. There are oh so sweet and oh so swell to eat! When it comes to dieting, there is no doubt that nutrition is important and we all heard that fruits and vegetables are good for your body, especially nuts such as almonds promote good brain and skin health, but did you know that berries are one of the most foods that can be overlooked in any diet and a kind of super food not just for the body, but for the brain!?

In addition to cancer combat antioxidants that fight free radicals-from toxins in the air, food, water, ect, berries are rich in flavonoids which are compounds which help slow the deteriorate rate of memory and brain illnesses such as development of Alzheimer’s and other mental illnesses, but improve cognitive function drastically, and delay age related memory decline. Also, they help improve levels of good cholesterol ( HDL) and improve blood pressure. These compounds react with proteins and enzymes that may indeed help to keep your brain younger as you age! You can avoid taking any medications any time soon and you can even juggle more berries!

As a matter of fact, in a current research done on women it is estimated that the higher consumption of berries in their diet can slow keep the brain from declining up to about 2.5 years. “In a landmark study in 1999, researchers at Tufts University fed older rats one cup of blueberries a day. The study found that the old rats that were fed the blueberries, learned faster than the young rats, were more coordinated, showed improved motor skills and even outperformed the young rats in memory tests. The study was significant because the researchers discovered blueberry’s potential for reversing some age-related impairment in both memory and motor coordination.” (Jeff Behar, MS, MBA, health, fitness, and nutrition expert)

So in addition to exercise and consuming a lot of known healthy fruits and vegetables, be sure to add some berries to your diet. Don’t be afraid to add some to your morning oatmeal or yogurt or even stop on over to your local Jamba Juice to get one of your favorite smoothies as one of my favorites is Acai (Acai berries). Your brain and body will thank you for it! Keep active, keep fit, keep bringing it, and keep moving forward.. A healthy body is a healthy brain, a healthy brain is a healthy mind, a healthy mind is a positive attitude, and a positive attitude is what makes life so beautiful!

It’s been reported that 1 out of 4 girls and 1 out of 6 boys are involved in some sort of child abuse.

-Dominique Carter,Healthy Ambassador Program 2011-2012

A new pilot program at Argon Elementary School in San Francisco is being launched in hopes to
help children become more aware of abusive behavior being inflicted upon them. It helps them to
understand and recognize physical abuse and sexual abuse. The program strives to teach the children
how to “just say no” in regards to someone touching their private body parts or if someone asks them
to touch theirs. It also empowers them to know that they should get away from that person and tell
someone about what is going on.

It’s been reported that 1 out of 4 girls and 1 out of 6 boys are involved in some sort of child abuse. With these types of programs being in effect it will hopefully allow for these statistics to reduce and eventually eliminating it fully. Currently they are looking for more partners to join to allow this program to expand to have more kids being served.

The Department of Agriculture has decided to allow the schools to decide for themselves if they will use meat that has been treated with ammonia gas.

-Brandon Malone,Healthy Ambassador Program 2011-2012

Lately there has been a lot of discussion over a product that has earned the name, “pink slime.” Pink slime was coined by Gerald Zirnstein and recognized in the documentary made by Michael Pollan called Food Inc..

The American Meat Institute refers to it as Boneless Lean Beef Trimmings (BLBT) or Finely Textured Lean Beef. However, many people seem to have a problem with referring to BLBT as the same as actual ground beef. The meat industry collects these trimmings from parts of the cow closer to the hide and to combat the possible bacterias, such as E. coli, or fecal matter, the trimmings are heated and sprayed with ammonia hydroxide.

Before the meat industry knew about how ammonia could kill off the bacteria and germs, the BLBT were put in dog food or used to turn fat into lard. Now, this pink slime is known to be in about 70% of all ground beef that is sold in most supermarkets. The USDA has approved these trimmings to be labeled as true ground beef without any need to indicate that BLBT are included, but there are people who still believe that the fact that these are typically low-grade trimmings that must be sprayed with ammonia gas before they can be deemed healthy or nutritious does not merit the product as safe.
Now, not only are these BLBT being sold in grocery stores, they were to be used in school lunches and this has sparked even more controversy. However, after much debate and the spread of information regarding pink slime by ABC news, the Department of Agriculture has decided to allow the schools to decide for themselves if they will use meat that has been treated with ammonia gas.
To find out more information regarding pink slime and what grocery stores use this product, you can watch the documentary Food Inc. or visit these links:
ABC News story: http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2012/03/where-you-can-get-pink-slime-free-beef/
Food Inc. Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eKYyD14d_0
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pink_slime

Conferences, Conferences, Conferences. Yes, they may be costly at times, but let me tell you, they are always affordable and you always get your money’s worth.

-Caroline Henry,Healthy Ambassador Program 2011-2012

So you want to be a Doctor, but you don’t know any doctors? You want to work in the medical field, but you aren’t too sure what it takes. No worries, I know exactly how you feel. Lucky for us, I have found some light at the end of this confusing pre-medical tunnel. Through my own personal journey, I have found some wonderful opportunities that have allowed me to further my pursuit. For starters, to initially break this lost state, you should get involved with some science and or medicine clubs on your campus. Clubs are a good way to not only meet like minded people, but to also find out about other opportunities, conferences and internships available in your community. If your club involvement leads to an opportunity to participate in a health related program, it would be wise to take advantage of this opportunity as well. Clubs and programs are a wonderful start to learning the Pre-Medical path. But, there is one more opportunity one should consider when pursuing health—Conferences. I have grown to see and experience that one of the best ways to network, earn information, and clear all confusing concepts is through conferences.
Conferences, Conferences, Conferences. Yes, they may be costly at times, but let me tell you, they are always affordable and you always get your money’s worth.

One conference that I feel is extremely beneficial is the AMSA ARC/UCD Pre-Medical and Pre-Public Heath National Conference. The AMSA Pre-Medical and Pre-Public Health National Conference is a two-day conference located on the University of California’s Davis campus. The overarching theme of this conference is to map each participants path to medicine. The conference brings admissions board individuals, Doctors, Surgeons, and current Medical Students from different places around the country to meet in Davis for this annual conference. For two days you will be surrounded by hundreds of other Pre-Medical and Pre-Dental students that are seeking a health career just like you. The conference’s schedule consists of a series of panelist, Q&A’s, keynote speakers, workshops and health fairs. The panelist contains medical students, admission boards, and current working professionals. They will begin by telling you what you need to know in order to pursue a medical career, and then they will answer any questions that you ask. Following, you have the opportunity to hear from keynote speakers, who will share their experiences and the path they took in reaching their careers. Through the words the keynote speakers share, it will encourage you to pursue your doctorial dreams. Thirdly, after hearing from keynote speakers, you will enter a series of workshops. The workshops cover a wide spectrum of information and can give useful advice to any conference participant. Workshops vary from titles such as Medical School 101, MCAT, and MD/PhD programs. Through classroom like workshops you will be able to receive information about any specific parts in the Pre-Medical/Pre-Dental pursuit that you were once unclear about. In addition to workshops, panelist, keynote speakers, there’s more–health fairs. The Health Fair during the AMSA conference unites tabling amongst Medical schools, summer programs, and Hospitals to answer questions and distribute information.

The AMSA ARC/UCD Pre-Medical and Pre-Public Health National Conference was the first Medicine conference that I participated in. The conference is beneficial to everyone, whether you are in the early pursuit of medicine or for others who are finishing their Pre-Medical or Pre-Dental pursuit, this conference caters to everyone. You will have the opportunity to meet with working professionals who want to help you succeed. You will meet people from all over the nation holding the same professional goals as you. You will leave knowing what you need to do in order to make your career goals come to past. If indeed this conference interest you and you would like to participate in the AMSA ARC Pre-Medical and Pre-Public Health National Conference, I have provided the link below for the conferences website. http://www.amsaarcucd.org/ I strongly recommend one to consider attending this conference, not only will you leave with a snapshot of what it takes to be a Health professional, but you will also leave knowing that you have a few people who you can reach-out to for help. I know I know, all this information seems like a bit much right now, but take it one step at a time. First, checkout the given website, do your research, and GO. I promise all the confusion that once was, will no longer be. And no worries, once you’ve attended the conference, I won’t even expect a thank you for sharing my experience, I’ll just be happy that you went.

I would have to say that it is difficult to consume alcohol through vodka-soaked tampons.

-Dia Yang,Healthy Ambassador Program 2011-2012

Recently, there has been much media attention on the “new method” teenagers are using to get drunk. Teenage girls are said to be soaking tampons in vodka before putting it up their vaginas. Similarly, teenage boys are said to be putting the vodka-soaked tampons up their rectum. The motivations behind such methods of getting drunk are said to be that 1) your breath wouldn’t smell like alcohol, 2) you can pass the Breathalyzer Test used by police officers, and 3) you can get drunk faster because it directly enters the vascular system without going through the stomach. It is important to realize that this method of alcohol consumption does not allow you to pass the Breathalyzer Test. The Breathalyzer Test measures what is in your bloodstream, not the smell of your breath.

There are several questions regarding this new method of ingesting alcohol. Is this method even plausible? How can you insert a tampon that has been soaked in vodka? Even if you can, what are the risks of consuming alcohol this way? A tampon typically has two parts: the cotton part, which is inserted into the vagina, and an applicator, which aids in the insertion of the cotton part. Applicators come in two types of materials: plastic and cardboard. You can either insert the alcohol-soaked tampon with or without the applicator. In the first scenario, soaking a tampon while the applicator is still on, you will encounter the problem of the tampon absorbing the alcohol. Not to mention that the cardboard applicator will be ruined in the process of soaking. The applicator restricts the shape and size of the tampon. Therefore when placed in alcohol, the tampon cannot expand, greatly reducing the amount of alcohol absorbed if any at all. In the second scenario, soaking the tampon without its applicator, you will encounter the problem of how to insert it. As mentioned previously, when tampons absorb any type of liquid, it expands in shape and size. It also becomes very flaccid. Seeing how it increases in size and lacks rigidity, it is quite difficult to insert if not impossible. Given these conditions, I would have to say that it is difficult to consume alcohol through vodka-soaked tampons. Despite this, there probably are people who have tried this. Thus, it is important to look at the consequences of using such methods.

Possible consequences range from irritations of the vagina and rectum to death from alcohol poisoning. The vagina and rectum have a mucosal layer that when in contact with alcohol leads to a burning sensation and irritation that can lead to the disruption of this layer. This can lead to complications later in life during labor for females. More importantly, alcohol consumption this way is very dangerous because your body has no way of regulating how much alcohol you’ve had. Since it enters straight into the bloodstream, there is no longer the vomiting sign to tell you: You have had too much to drink. This is very dangerous because you can have alcohol poisoning without knowing it.

And even if you have gotten to the hospital, there maybe a delay in your diagnosis of alcohol poisoning, which will put you even more at risk. The risks of trying this method of alcohol consumption is definitely too much to just get that buzz.

Triclosan interferes with a type of cell signaling in the brain, heart, and other cells.

-Karen Wong,Healthy Ambassador Program 2011-2012

I remember when I first discovered Bath and Body Works’ line of antibacterial hand gels. The pretty colors and the variety of sweet-smelling scents were appealing, but what really stood out to me was the ability of the product to kill off bacteria without the use of water. Now I could have clean hands wherever I went regardless of the availability of soap and water. However, what I didn’t know at the time was the potentially harmful effects this product could have on my health as well as on the environment all due to a chemical named triclosan.
Triclosan is an antimicrobial agent found in a wide range of household products from toothpaste and soaps to even clothing and toys. This chemical enters the human body through the mouth as well as through the skin into the bloodstream. Triclosan has become so prevalent that in a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), triclosan was detected in the urine of 75% of the 2,517 people tested. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is currently re-reviewing the safety of triclosan because some studies have shown that triclosan alters hormone regulation in animals. Triclosan is believed to block the metabolism of thyroid hormones as well as interact with androgen and estrogen receptors. Additionally, triclosan is suspected to contribute to the rise in antibiotic resistance in bacteria. The University of California, Davis has also found that triclosan interferes with a type of cell signaling in the brain, heart, and other cells. The list of possible health effects on humans does not simply stop there.
While the FDA and CDC are conducting additional research on the safety of triclosan usage, I think it would be wise to avoid household products that contain triclosan until we are more certain of its safety. To find a partial list of products that contain triclosan, go to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services website: http://hpd.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/household/brands?tbl=chem&id=1401. Also, using soap without triclosan would kill germs without putting us in harm’s way. Eliminating as much triclosan as possible in our lives may mean living healthier lives as well as preventing additional problems in the growing public health concern of antibiotic resistance.

Just by giving back a little to your community it could make a big impact in someone else life and also give you a good feeling.

-Koletti Leha,Healthy Ambassador Program 2011-2012

How can we give back to our community?

Sometimes it takes an incident to remind you how big a difference you can make by giving back to your community. I was reminded by the story of 23 year old Charles Butler Jr. who was sadly shot and killed last month in Oakland.

He recently graduated from a Merchant Marine Training Program. Although his death is very sad, his family kindly donated his organs to several people. Butler’s liver was received by a man name Daniel Murphy who desperately needed a liver transplant. Another man name Luke Bares received his kidney and pancreas and was able to be taken off dialysis.

Two other patients also received Butler’s organs, one received his heart and the other his second kidney. It has barely been a month since Butler’s death and he has already saved so many lives.This is truly an inspiring story and a good reminder how we should all give back to communities. Below are some ways you could give back to your community.

1) Register as an organ donor at you your local Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)
2) Donate blood at your local Red Cross or other blood center
3) Donate old clothes to local Salvation Army, Thrift Store, or Local Clothes Drop Box
4) Donate hair to Cancer Patient; can find local locations by google
5) Volunteer at any local community center, homeless shelter, recreation park, ext.

Just by giving back a little to your community it could make a big impact in someone else life and also give you a good feeling. For 2012 let’s make a difference.