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One year ago today

NosmoKing — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 15:32:47 GMT

It was April 4, 2008. That was the day my Pop died. It can't be a full year since that terrible morning. During the funeral, I wondered when this surreal feeling would end. Pop died suddenly, without warning. I was with him only 12 hours before he was pronounced dead in the emergency room. He seemed fine. He picked me up at work that afternoon. My car was in the shop. When he dropped me off here at my home Pimplebutt, I kissed him goodbye and thanked him for the lift. I hesitated as I opened his car door.

"Look at my tulips coming up, Pop! They'll be beautiful in a week or two!"

"They're beautiful now." he said "It's Spring and we're out of the woods!" he said.

We have never been deeper in a dark wood than we were the very next morning, or even to this day, one year later.

I miss him so.

Finished Paper

Julia — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 14:27:40 GMT

Well, I was up all night Sunday night writing and missed my two classes on Monday...but I got my paper turned in before the deadline. :cool:

The assignment is actually 2 parts. This first part was to write a paper with nutrition scientists as the audience.

The second part is to take the information from the scientific paper and translate it into a consumer paper that the average consumer would/could read.

Here's my scientific paper:

Dietary Quality and Obesity

Julia @nopc
NTR441
September 29, 2008

Despite recommendations by government and health organizations, the percentage of American adults categorized as overweight and obese has reached epidemic proportions. As the rate continues to rise, two-thirds of the American population is currently overweight and 31% are obese (Quatromoni, 2006). Overweight and obesity are significant risk factors associated with chronic diseases such as arthritis, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and other persistent health conditions. Because diet plays a primary role in the development of obesity, it is considered one of the most preventable causes of death in the United States (Quatromoni, 2006). Scientific research, however, has failed to establish a causal relationship between any specific dietary component and obesity. While previous research focused on a single macronutrient, current research has begun to focus on the overall pattern of dietary quality rather than the effect of a single macronutrient on weight gain, obesity, and corresponding disease states. This review examines the available data as it relates to dietary quality and obesity, and seeks to determine if a diet which follows the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the Food Guide Pyramid correlates with a lower rate of obesity.

To quantify dietary quality, two primary indexes have been developed: the Diet Quality Index (DQI) and the Healthy Eating Index (HEI). The DQI indicates compliance with the eight Diet and Health recommendations of the National Academy of Science: fat intake (≤30% of energy); saturated fat intake (≤10% of energy); cholesterol (<300mg/day); fruits/vegetables (≥5 servings/day); whole grains/legumes (≥6 servings/day); moderate protein; sodium (<2400mg/day); and adequate calcium. The DQI score is based on a scale of 0-16, with a lower number indicating a better quality diet (Gao, 2008).

The Healthy Eating Index (HEI) is a score which reflects diet quality based on adherence to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the Food Guide Pyramid. Originally developed in 1990, the Guidelines have been updated regularly every 5 years by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Health and Human Services (HHS), with the most recent update released in 2005. The HEI includes 10 components, each earning a score of 0-10 points, giving an optimal diet a score of 100 points. Five of the components quantify the number of servings from each of the 5 main groups included in the Food Pyramid: grains, vegetables, fruit, milk, and meat/beans. The remaining 5 components measure total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, and dietary variety (Gao, 2008).

Although research examining overall dietary quality is limited, a handful of recent studies have indicated an association between poor dietary quality and weight gain or obesity. In the largest study, Guo, X, et al, conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 10,930 adult participants (ages 20-75) from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANESIII) to investigate a correlation between HEI scores and obesity. Anthropometric data was collected to define weight categories based on Body Mass Index (BMI) and criteria set forth by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). A 24-hour dietary recall was obtained from each participant to determine HEI scores; an Odds Ratio (OR) was calculated to exclude confounding factors such as age, gender, ethnicity, income, education, physical activity, smoking, and alcohol use. According to the results, a graded increase in obesity was associated with decreasing HEI score and the OR of obesity among low HEI scores was almost doubled compared to higher scores indicating better diet (Guo, 2004). Although the cross-sectional design of the study cannot provide evidence of a causal link and reporting inaccuracies are often a consideration when using 24-hour recalls, neither limitation would significantly affect the results of this study. The authors concluded that because diets which adhere to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans are associated with lowered risk of obesity within a population as evidenced by a correlation between obesity and low HEI, the Guidelines can be used as an effective educational tool to improve public health (Guo, 2004).

The purpose of a recent study conducted by Gao, S, et al, was to determine if the updated 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans is a better predictor of obesity than the original 1990 HEI. This study consisted of longitudinal data obtained from 6230 participants of four different ethnic backgrounds: White, African-American, Hispanic, and Chinese. Participants between the ages of 45 and 84 years were recruited from six major US cities. Dietary data was obtained by self-reported, 120-item Food Frequency Questionnaires (FFQ) and structured interviews; follow-ups were scheduled every 18 months. Outcome measures to determine obesity status consisted of BMI and waist circumference (Gao, 2008). To establish a pattern between HEI and obesity, a global trend test was used and linear regression models were formulated to account for confounding variables such as smoking, alcohol use, and socio-demographics. Results from both HEI versions varied significantly by ethnicity. Although neither HEI version could be associated with overweight status, both were associated with an increase in obesity in white participants. Variations in BMI between different ethnicities may account for the discrepancy, which could be corrected by developing different BMI cut-offs for different ethnic groups. Other limitations of this study include the inherent unreliability of FFQ, as well as the consideration that the dietary data is merely a snapshot and may not be an indication of the participant�s normal diet during the entire 18-month period. In conclusion of this study, the authors reported a definitive correlation between HEI and obesity within the white population, but suggested more studies are needed for different ethnicities (Gao, 2008).

(to be continued in the comments section)

Weekend Fun

Julia — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 15:15:25 GMT

Not!

What I'm doing this weekend:

Spending the weekend writing a research paper on the correlation between dietary quality (as it applies to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the Food Guide Pyramid) and obesity.

Last week I tracked my diet for three days (using a 3-day Food Diary). Then I cut my protein in half for three days and tracked my diet for those three days. I analyzed the nutrient content for each 3-day period, and then compared the two.

What I learned: I have a really crappy diet.

My diet was way low in just about every important nutrient except protein (on the normal diet) and fiber (on the low-protein diet). But since I am addicted to Energy Vitamin H2O - which is loaded with B vitamins, 50mg caffeine and 50mg guarana - I get >500% or more of certain B vitamins!

So some things - like riboflavin and thaimin - I get 5x the amount I need; and other things - like folate, vitamin E, calcium, etc. - I get like 10% or less. Not good... :(

I also got to do two 24-hour urine collections. That was fun. :rolleyes:

What I learned (so far) from collecting my pee for 24 hours: I pee a lot; peeing in a bottle takes practice; make sure the cover is screwed on very tightly when transporting pee in a vehicle...
:o:D

My Classes

Julia — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 21:08:07 GMT

This semester is going to be my busiest. I hope it doesn�t kill my GPA because I need a really high GPA to have any shot at an internship. I have six classes this semester and 2 hours of work study, so I have 13 credits.

These are some of the classes I have had, leading me up to this point:

Chemistry I and II, Organic Chemistry; Biochemistry; Anatomy and Physiology I and II; Microbiology; Algebra, Trig, and Calculus; Technical Writing; Statistics; Food Service Purchasing, FS Management; Nutrition Counseling; Medical Nutrition Therapy I and II; several in-depth nutrition/physiology classes; and even a basic cooking class�

My classes this semester:

Human Nutrition Assessment (Lecture)
In this class, I will be learning how to actually use a lot of what I have been studying for the last three years. This class teaches me how to perform any and all types of nutrition assessments. This includes diet analyses; calculating nutrient composition of foods; physical assessments of patients such as weight, BMI, skin-fold tests, bone-density, etc; laboratory assessments such as glucose, urea, sodium, lipids, iron, liver function, etc; and interpreting medical terminology.

Human Nutrition Assessment (Lab)
This is the lab portion of the above class. We call it the �personal guinea pig� class because we perform all the physical and laboratory tests on ourselves. I have been looking forward to this class since I began this program! I will probably be writing about this class a lot�

For example, I was issued my pee collection bottle yesterday. Bet you can�t wait for me to share that story� Next Friday I have my blood drawn. Ick. :o

Advanced Human Nutrition II
This is the second semester of an extremely detailed study of human physiology and nutrient metabolism. The first semester studies how vitamin and minerals are digested, absorbed and used throughout the body.

This semester studies the three macronutrients in excruciating detail. If there is anything you want to know about how Carbohydrates, Fats, or Protein break down and are used by the human body�just ask me. ;)

Management of Food Service Systems
This is the class that requires me to become ServSafe certified. We learn about managing food service operations on a large scale. The Food Safety and Sanitation stuff is kinda cool. But I don�t think I�m going to enjoy the Recipe Standardization, Menu Planning, Food Service Equipment, or Food Service Marketing parts. Bo-ring�

At least my instructor is fun�

Microbiology Lab
I had the lecture portion of this class last semester, but the university was in the process of building brand new lab rooms so they didn�t offer the lab portion last semester.

Other students tell me this science lab is the most fun. So far it is pretty cool. We have made streak plates with bacteria (some kind of staphylococcus and serratia) and test tubes with the same bacteria. We also swabbed different things in the environment and saw what grew in the petri dishes. Some of the things swabbed were a keyboard; cell phone; fingernails; shoe; toilet bowl; water fountain; handrail; elevator button; etc� Some of them grew some pretty gross cultures!

Next, we took a small amount of the bacteria we grew and fixed it onto glass slides so that we can examine the bacteria under a microscope. Cool stuff!

Introduction to Profession in Nutrition and Dietetics
This is a one credit freshman course that just never fit into my schedule. I could take it online, but the instructor is also my advisor and she has a lot to do with me getting accepted into the master�s program, so I think it�s a good idea for her to see my work. Plus, each week we have a different speaker come in and talk about different types of jobs that are available to people with these degrees.
Last week we learned about how difficult is to get accepted into an internship�

Research Work Study
This isn�t really a graded class, but it is two hours of credit, somehow� And it will give me a really good shot at getting that master�s program/internship position� which I really, really need.

I�m not exactly sure what I will be doing, yet. But I know I will be working for a doctoral student who is doing research to compare the quality of the diets of different cultures and the rates of obesity. I think I will be looking at records of people�s diets and scoring them based on the Healthy Eating Index, which assigns numbers to foods eaten during the day so you can total up the points and give the diet a score. Sounds like fun, eh?

Today I am doing an online training module so I will be certified in �Protecting Human Research Participants.� It�s actually pretty interesting� but I�m a dork like that. :o

So those are my classes this semester. Along with trying to study for the GRE and whatever else it takes to apply for grad school by February, this semester is gonna kick my butt�:eek:

Back To School

Julia — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 18:02:27 GMT

Hey�I�m finally a senior! No�not a senior citizen. :rolleyes: Not yet, anyway�

After five long years, I am finally only eight classes away from actually graduating with my Bachelor�s of Science in Dietetics!

(Doesn�t that sound a little too much like �DiaNetics�? That�s kind of creepy to me�
DieTetics is just an intellectual way to say �Nutrition.� I don�t know why they can�t just call it �Nutrition.� :rolleyes:

It�s definitely not an easy degree, though. What used to be a �Home Ec� degree back when I SHOULD have gone to college is now a heavy science, management, and communications degree that is concentrated more on human anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry than any other pre-med degree. It�s a tough degree and the program I attend is one of the most difficult in the country.)

Anyway�after this semester I only have two classes left to take during spring semester, so I will FINALLY graduate in May 2009.

Hurray! A light at the end of the tunnel!

(Some of you might remember when I first went back to school�just to take a couple of history classes out of interest. One of my favorite classes ever - and my most favorite instructor ever - was that History of the US in Vietnam class that I took�five years ago. Well�this is where that decision to take two history classes has led me.)

But, wait�

The light that was so bright I could see the exit of this tunnel I wandered into just got a lot dimmer and the tunnel grew even longer.

Because to actually become a Registered Dietitian, I have to apply for, get accepted to, and complete a six to twelve month internship�which I will probably have to pay for and work for free. The competition is pretty tough, and since I really have to stay in the Phoenix area, my internship options are extremely limited. About 700 people will be applying with me for one of only about 24 internship positions in the valley. And I�m really only applying to two internships; together they accept a total of 14 interns per year.

Unfortunately (or fortunately) the program that is my best option � both to get accepted and that I can afford � involves earning a master�s degree from the same university I am attending now. It�s a two year program, but after those two MORE years of working my butt off in school, I would be Julia, RD, MS. :cool:

So THIS semester, I am working my butt of to get one of those eight slots.

Six classes this semester�mostly difficult; two hours of work study helping a doctoral student with her research project; I have to study for and take the GRE; write a personal essay; beg three people for letters of recommendation�

And I�m going to whine and vent about it all right here��cause this seems like a good place to do that. :p

Fathers and Sons

NosmoKing — Fri, 09 May 2008 20:18:01 GMT

After Pop passed last month, I have found more often than not, not only his memory comes to mind, but his manners and the way he dealt with people. He was so gentle and patient.

I have a pretty stressful job. I have to tell people every day that their home or business is unsafe, or unsound. I have to deal with people who are reluctant, so to speak, to mop and sweep and dust their homes. I think that if I were to wipe dog crap from my shoe with the reports I have to send some folks, when the report comes through the mail slot in their homes, that crap stained letter would be one of, if not the cleanest thing in the house.

I have been trying to conduct myself more and more in my Pop's shadow. "What would Pop do?"

I surely miss him more each day. I was the older of two sons. Pop took such delight in introducing his boys to his friends and business associates. I know how much he loved us, but it's so hard dealing with the suddenness of his death.

There was no long goodbye. For that, I'm grateful. We did not have to go to the hospital for weeks or months. We did not have to watch Pop become unrecognizable and uncommunicative. Pop died with his dignity intact, but he broke hearts in his passing so unexpectedly.

There's more than meets the eye

NosmoKing — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 03:36:55 GMT

Since Pop's funeral last week, I have had a baptism by fire in the world of life insurance, stock transactions, wills and a looming Probate court.

For instance: I had never heard of a Medallion Signature Guarantee (MSG). Now, I need three of them. An MSG is like getting something Notarized, but this process is Notarized on steroids. An MSG is performed by an officer of a commercial bank who not only vouches for your signature, but guarantees the transaction is valid. Pop, as it turned out, had a more extensive stock portfolio than even Mom had known about. In order to legally transfer his shares into Mom's name, an MSG must appear on the transfer forms.

We have been advised to create an irrevocable trust for Mom and her assets. Has anyone ever opened such a trust? What kind of fees should I anticipate?

Beyond all this, I miss my Pop dearly! He taught me everything I know about being a genuine man and member of this community.

The respect and admiration he has received in his passing has shown me that his standing and reputation is sterling. I have such big shoes to fill.

My Pop

NosmoKing — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 21:38:34 GMT

Early Friday morning, my Pop passed away quietly, gracefully with his sons and wife at his bedside in the emergency room. The stroke hit his head at 2:00 am. Pop had shown no symptoms or signs of distress at all. I got to the Big House at 2:30 to find the ambulance in the driveway.

My brother and his wife were there comforting mom. We all followed the ambulance to the hospital. At 3:45 the attending doctor came to us in the waiting room to say the damage to the left side of Pop's brain was too severe to help and we were about to have a very bad outcome from this situation.

Our minister arrived at 4:30. He spoke to each of us privately and then called us around Pop's bed in the emergency room. Pastor Ekert, a most compassionate man, prayed that Pop could pass quietly and gently. As he spoke "Amen", Pop breathed his last.

He was the most important man in my life, and always will be. He had no vices. He didn't smoke or drink or use foul language or gamble or run around on Mom during their 55 years of marriage.

I already miss him dearly.

Looks like I keep up with blogs nearly as well as I keep up with diaries...

rockstar135 — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 04:20:02 GMT

As in not...

Anyway, I took a collage of photos that I feel represent me well and I posted it here:

http://good-times.webshots.com/album/562984088XEsDct

Check back 'cause I'll keep on adding stuff!:)

Spring has sprung!

sockmonkey — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 00:00:33 GMT

Well spring is finally here in Michigan. The lovely weather is about to hit starting at midnight tonight. All weekend it will be sunny and in the 60's. YIPPEEEEE!

Some parents are boneheads

sockmonkey — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 23:12:33 GMT

I think the oddest story I have about taking a child where he or she does not belong happened to me about 2 weeks ago.

A woman came into the spa and was scheduled for a brazillian wax. Knowing that we did not have an area to accommodate children to wait for their parents (we have a check in desk and then they go into a private room or changing area, we dont have a lobby to speak of) and that we do not provide baby sitting services as well as that we are an adult only spa. (18 and older) she brought her child into the room with her and basically traumatized her.

A brazillian wax is a very intimate process where let's just say it.... your are bent over every which way in order to remove the hair from your private areas. So this poor child watched her mother get a wax and saw more than most OB/GYN's see on a regular papsmear.

What a thoughtless cow. The child was very quiet mainly because the poor thing was probably in shock.

This was NO place for a child. Our business is no place for a child as adults pay to get away from their children and to be annoyed with someone else's kid is probably not what they were looking for. It's sort of like that movie "Sweet Home Alabama" where a mother was bringing her kid to the bar where she hangs out at so she could breast feed. "You have a baby at a bar!".

Spring Break!

Julia — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 21:59:53 GMT

Woo Hoo!!! Hurray for Spring Break!

Holy crap this semester is kicking my butt!

First I thought my son was gonna die of the MRSA; then we all got that horrible flu; then I got so far behind in my classes that I failed two exams. :hissy:

But I did go to the Foo Fighters concert, which was kick ass!

And I did manage to take a 3-day weekend to go somewhere I had never been before:

Bisbee, Arizona

And in less than 90 days (if I make it that long without a nervous breakdown ;)) I will be back in Big Sur!!!!!

Sigh...

Jury duty!

NosmoKing — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 14:55:59 GMT

Well, I got the summons about two weeks ago. Yesterday was my first day to report to the courthouse. there were two trials scheduled. One was a felony assault, the other a civil case. Both were settled out of court, so to speak, moments before I, the Jury was to be voir dired.

So, we were all dismissed for the day. report at 8:30 am, get treated with all the regard of a cat toy for four hours, break for lunch and then, dismissed.

Today, I reported as ordered at 8:30. The bailiff seated us in the courtroom and showed us a video on our responsibilities as jurors. They sat 13 of us in the jury box and again, we waited. finally, after an hour and a half, the judge appeared and said the defendant was monitoring (his word) the witnesses against him as they arrived at the courthouse. Apparently, when he saw who was to testify against him, he took off! There is a warrant out for his arrest, and the jury was excused.

I am to call the courthouse answering machine this evening to find out if I have to do this again tomorrow.

How do you get out of jury duty? I'm thinking that when an attorney asks me if I can render a fair verdict, I should say "If he didn't do anything wrong, what's he doing here?"

More flu

Julia — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 16:03:16 GMT

I guess this has become the illness blog. :o

Damn flu!

We took a long weekend and went on a short trip to Bisbee, AZ.

Poor kid got the frickin' flu and a fever AGAIN on the first day we got there so he just hung out in the cottage.

And then I started getting it on our last day there.

He missed school again yesterday, but is better and back in school today.

I, on the other hand, am whining because I have a 101.5 temp, I can't breathe, and my lungs are killing me...

Whaaaaah!
:hissy:

Tuesday

sockmonkey — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 15:13:39 GMT

I like having Tuesday off. Its the perfect day. Today unfortunately it is 11 degrees, so I guess sunbathing is out huh? On the good side there are no builder men at my house today and the sun is shining.

Have a happy Tuesday everyone!