The "New" American Dream!

In the world today there is a word that strikes fear in everyone, but yet drives us to want to be better.  That one word can cause so much anxiety and pride at the same time.  As most of you already know there is an epidemic going on in America.  That epidemic is called obesity!  With towns full of fast food and sweet treats; it’s easy to see how Americans can’t say NO to easy food for a busy life.  The main problem we all face is the use of the word “diet”.  Why would one word cause such a problem?  Let’s dive in and take a look into the world of “diets” shall we!

Everywhere we go to eat we can see the word diet all of the time.  When grocery shopping we see it used in other forms; such as fat free, reduced fat, or light.  This creates a false sense of healthy eating within the masses.  Americans, for the most part, do not read the labels of items being bought for their homes.  We see the word “diet” and automatically think its ok for us.  Not knowing that behind that “safe” label lays our hidden enemy.  

Each time we go to the store to buy food, we tend to go for the things that make it easier and faster.  The reason we do this is because our schedules dictate us too.  We no longer take the time to cook a hot meal for our families.  Besides the fact we lose the family dynamic of everyone gathered around the dinner table, we also lose the sense of healthy eating habits.  We are ok with a dollar menu burger because it’s cheap and fast.  We don’t see all the sodium it takes to preserve the foods in packages as a threat until a bad doctor visit. 

The cost of healthcare is going through the roof in this country at an alarming rate.  The main reason is due to the fact of unhealthy diets.  When we think of the word “diet”, we think it is something we have to do in order to be healthy or fit.  We think it’s full of salads and slices of apples or a banana.  We deem it rabbit food and dread eating it with a regular meal.  That is where the problem of diets comes into play.  A healthy diet doesn’t have to look like a rabbit’s menu at all.  It can look the complete opposite and still work like nature intended.

The first rule of thumb is to eat fresh!  This means a wide variety of colors in your foods.  Fresh meats like chicken and fish are some of the best sources of protein.  Fresh (raw) vegetables are the best source of complex carbs which is needed with each meal.  Every meal should consist of a protein, good fat, and a complex carb.  This is a good rule to remember when trying to change to a healthy diet.  Whoops I used that ugly word didn’t I?  Well the word diet itself isn’t meant to be used any other way other than expressing what is in yours.  A healthy diet is completely different from a “diet”.  Adding in nuts like almonds or walnuts is a great source of fats.  Throw in some protein bars for mid-afternoon snacks and you won’t ever get hungry.  Drinking plenty of water throughout your day will help your body digest food properly. 

There are many ways to change to a healthy lifestyle and you must choose which works best for you.  Whichever you choose, just know that it is not a diet you are starting; it’s a lifestyle change and a way of life.  Read labels and learn the difference from healthy and just a hidden form of unhealthy disguised as “diet food”.  Be sure to start a workout program at least 3 days a week for 20 minutes a day.  This could be a brisk walk or circuit training with weights.  It only takes you making up your mind to change your life.  It’s a choice to start now or regret it later.  Be patient because it took time to get you where you are now so it will take time to get you where you want to be.  Food prep is the key to success in any journey, what you eat makes up for 80% of all weight loss.  “To prep for success ensures us to never fail.”  Above all else stay consistent.  Best of luck and hoped this helped.   

 

Me a year apart with 40 lbs. gone and over six inches gone from my body.

 

Can't Get No Satisfaction...

      Today's world is so full of stimulation that it is almost overbearing.  Everywhere people turn there is a bright and shiny app or website.  The age of going out to meet new people has came to a forceful and abrupt end.  The days of social gatherings at someones house have now been reserved for holidays three or four times a year.  If things do not start to reverse soon, all of mankind will lose out on basic connection abilities.  The world is coming to anti-social media in a app store soon.
      Relationships have been the most effected by this barrage of social media as of late.  People now meet online and speak online.  They have forgotten how to talk and interact in person.  A phone call? What is that?  Text messages and IM's have replaced something as simple as a two minute phone conversation.  What use to take a few minutes now takes up hours of our time.  How is that convenient? 
      The problem with all this technology is the false sense of want, people tend to feel.  Love is not suppose to be a byproduct of a relationship, it is suppose to be the cornerstone of one.  Finding love behind a computer screen or phone screen is not the way nature intended for humans to interact with one another.  This mass communication has created so many avenues for cheating and hiding facts.  That creates a monster within itself.
      What happened to face to face communication?  How can people connect on a personal level through typed words on a screen?  The answer to the first question is that it is rare.  To answer the second question would be much harder.  It's the feeling that people fall in love with, because there is not a human there for them to connect with.  So, without the human connection there can not be a real feeling!  Human are capable of all kinds of emotion, but with social media those are becoming gray areas.
      People are no longer satisfied with what they have now.  Once they attained what they wanted, it tends to be discarded just as fast.  There are too many distractions now.  It is like the dog on the children's movie Up. While he is talking to someone he becomes easily distracted by the SQUIRREL, so quickly.  Society needs to get back to basics before it drives human connection and devotion to extinction...

That's All Folks...

 

       What would be a good amount of time for a child to devote for television viewing?  Do parents fully understand how television can affect their child’s perception of reality?  This debate over children and TV has been raging since the early 90’s.  With more and more channels for children to watch these days the risk of over exposure is greater than ever.  Taking a look into the violence, increased risky behaviour, and obesity; the effects of television on a child’s reality becomes more apparent.

        Growing up watching cartoons on Saturday morning has been a staple of American culture for decades.  The violence in those cartoons though has become alarming in recent years.  Imagine how a child takes in information from a cartoon character.  When an act of violence is performed on a child’s TV show; children think that is a normal thing in day to day life.  Children tend to be more aggressive after watching a show that had violence as part of the story line.  This can also change how children view the outside world as well. 

        Children are bombarded today with so many stimuli that it is becoming overwhelming for them.  A child has no experience in the outside world, so what they see on TV is their reality.  For example, a child watches a show with extreme violence and then becomes afraid of the world around them.  Children become less social and more prone to phobias than ever before.  They have a false sense of reality due to what they have seen on a television screen.

         Now violence is just one of the many culprits to blame.  Risky behaviours in TV shows are starting to take hold as well.  When children see a character in their favourite show smoking, drinking, or hinting about premarital sex, they think that is the kind of behaviour is acceptable.  So many TV shows include all types of risky behaviour as part of the plot.  Children cannot tell the difference between reality and television.  Children look to their parents for guidance on the real world but receive a lot of information from TV that has become harmful.

         Children see on the average of about 40,000 commercials each year from watching just 2 hours of TV a day.  With that type of exposure the risk of obesity has taken a new twist.  Every child has a favourite character they watch on a daily basis.  If that same character advertises products then children want it.  It does not matter whether it is good for them or not.  They see it on TV so it must not be that bad!  That is the mentality that must be curtailed by parents. 

         Everything is okay in moderation.  That is the message that must be driven into the parents today.  Parents must explain that what children see on TV is not what really happens in the real world.  Have children go outside and play with other children to help develop that much needed social aspect of their lives.  Above all else, be involved with children, they look to adults for guidance and direction in the early years of life. Martin Luther King Jr. said it best. “Intelligence plus character-that is the goal of true education.”

Social Media is a Plague

      Technology is a wonderful thing most of the time.  While working, computers make it easier and faster to get the to-do list done.  But, with the social media explosion that is happening today, things are becoming blurred.  Friends are now at our fingertips and relationships can be formed over networks.  This has created a new and downright scary breed of anti-social folks.  Further driving this breed is text messages and instant messaging through social networks.  Blog sites also fuel this issue which turns out to be an oxymoron considering this is a blog.
      Go back twenty years ago and things looked and sounded much different.  Home phones would ring and dial up took ten minutes to log on to the Internet, but not at the same time.  Do not take this the wrong way but those days are missed.  People would connect in a way that was meant to be more personal.  They did not just "like" a post or a picture.  Communication then was done on a personal level not behind the screen of a phone or a tablet.  Oh how those days are long gone, never to return.
      Fast-forward to the present and things are not as personal as they once were.  Phone calls are close to the dinosaur era now.  Text messaging has replaced a very simple form of communication.  Face it, texting is not easier than dialing a number but it is less personal.  That is where the anti-social part is starting to gain it's ground.  With less and less of a personal connection "friends" are not what they use to be.
      The monster that is social media is destroying personal relationships and friendships more and more each day.  How many phone calls are made each week?  What about outings with friends that are not tagged in a social media post?  The sad thing is, not many!  People have lost the one thing that separates them from animals.  Connections!  Every friendship and relationship requires a connection.  Crime has risen at a rocket pace in recent years and it is believed that social media is devaluing the human connection.  Sure it allows the user to connect with long lost friends and family but through a digital portal that has no emotion.  Once human life connections are lost then what is their value?
      See the problem lies in the false sense that social media is allowing people to connect daily, but it is not.  It actually does just the opposite.  They tend to forget the emotional connection and how important that really is.  They run into a person that is a "friend" on social media but yet hardly speak to them!  Why? Cause where the hell is the human connection?  It is gone and with it humanity as it was once known.  This was not intended to be doom and gloom but look around and be the judge.  Connectivity needs to be restored before it's too late for the human race!

The Legal State of Mind...

How many people have tried Marijuana?  Should it be legalized? The answers to

those two questions are a hot topic. The legalization of Marijuana has become an ever
increasing debate in modern culture.  Both, opponents and proponents are vigorously
campaigning for their sides of the debate.  While both sides make great arguments, there are a
few issues that are not discussed fully.  Tennessee should legalize Marijuana, considering the
history, criminal aspect, and benefits; opponents will better understand the other half of the
debate. 

Opponents to the legalization of Marijuana tend to argue that crime and drug abuse

would rise.   They seem to believe that legalization would lead to an even greater
overcrowding problem with the prison system.  The truth is that just the opposite would
happen with the decriminalization of Marijuana.  According to the Federal Sentencing
Statistics report, drug offenders make up 50.1% of the total prison population.  With 27.6% in
prison for Marijuana charges, it’s easy to see how the legalization would shrink the inmate
population from the beginning. (Miles)

Marijuana has been used as a pain reliever and a stress reducer on most occasions.

The drug that is found in Marijuana is called delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol or THC for short.
The effect of this drug may differ depending on the individual user’s tolerance levels.  The
earliest recorded use of Marijuana can be traced to India, over a thousand years ago.(Iversen
18)  The uses of it over the course of history have been mainly for religious ceremonies or
recreational use. 
           
            The criminalization of Marijuana has a torrid past.  During the turn of the century
many states were trying to ban marijuana and its use with little avail.  It was not until 1937
that a federal law was made to ban all forms of marijuana.  The key players behind the 1937
Marijuana Tax Act is very disturbing.  Treasury Secretary Andrew Mellon was a chief
financial backer of DuPont Chemicals.  DuPont had just started making synthetic plastics,
like nylon, and was facing stiff competition from hemp farmers.(Turner) Another key
player in the passing of the act was William Hearst, who was a media magnate; he owned a
newspaper, paper mill, and several forests.(Turner) Hearst was also competing with hemp
farmers, so it made sense for a law to be passed so that hemp could no longer be grown in the
United States. 
           
             Even though hemp and marijuana are different plants entirely, the law passed with
ease.  The law did not stop there unfortunately.  During the 1970’s, President Richard Nixon
would weigh in on this issue.  The Nixon administration declared a “war on drugs” in 1971. 
Nixon placed marijuana as a schedule one narcotic, right up there with cocaine and heroin. 
Nixon also beefed up the federal drug taskforce to fight a battle that was falsely started to
begin with.  This is the main reason the debate rages on today. (A Brief…)           

Overcrowding in the prison system has become a major concern as of late.  The

United States makes up 5% of the world’s population but houses 25% of the world’s
population in prisons.  Most of the convictions in the federal prison system come from illegal
drug convictions.  The convictions stem from mainly non-violent drug offenders and even
first time offenders.  The most current data on Marijuana offenders makes up 27.6% of the
total system.(Miles)  That is an alarming number of prisoners for a drug with no known side
effects or related deaths.            

The most disturbing trend is the death tolls related to all drugs, legal or illegal.  In the

United States today more Americans die from tobacco, alcohol, and prescription pain killers
than other illegal drugs.  Drugs like heroin and meth lead the death tolls of illegal drugs
consumed by people.  Those two drugs are considered a schedule one drug based on their
mortality rate.  Not one death has ever been linked to the use of marijuana nor overdoses. (Iversen 158-9)            

With the legalization of marijuana taking place in several states, the benefits are

becoming more apparent.  If Marijuana was decriminalized on a federal level then the
revenue created by the regulation could be endless.  The tax revenue alone could be in the
billions per year based on the current tax rate of alcohol and tobacco.  America has been
facing a slow growing economy since 2008.  Once Marijuana was legal to grow and sell then
the jobs would increase on a national level.  Farmers could grow marijuana and hemp plants
that once thrived in America during the early 20^th century.  Stores would have to open and
hire people to run day to day operations.

After all, the legalization of marijuana makes sense on every level.  The benefits

outweigh the risks.  It is time America rights a wrong and passes a bill that will change the
course of history forever.  With the legalization, prisons would be less crowded with less
drug offenders being prosecuted.  Crime rates would drop because people could buy
marijuana in a legal store front instead of buying from a drug dealer.  And lastly, drug
research for marijuana could be restored in order to find better alternatives to synthetic drugs. 
 (842)

Balanced Parenting: Not as Easy as You Think

Two Approaches to Parenting

Kayde and I in 2011

 

            Becoming a parent is one of life’s greatest joys, but can also be terrifying.  Raising a child in today’s world has become more of a job than a rite of passage. There are two approaches that most parents end up using.  Both approaches have their own consequences while raising a child into adulthood.   The differences between a strict parent and a permissive parent are not as apparent as some may suspect, considering the child’s environment, discipline, and type of adult they will become.

            Let’s start with how each parent controls their child’s environment.  A strict parent tends to set strong boundaries, where as a permissive parent is more relaxed and lets their child have more range of freedom.  Strict parents want their child to live setting goals that can be attained in a set time frame.  Permissive parents allow their children to choose the goals they want to set and whether or not they are attained.   Strict parents try to prepare theirchild for life, but a permissive parent wants to protect their child from the bad things in life.

            The need for boundaries and rules are clear while raising children.  Each approach must understand that throughout childhood, discipline is needed.  While strict parents may not always explain the rules, their children know exactly where they stand on the boundaries.  Permissive parents do not like the thought of their child having to face a punishment or a life consequence.  Strict parents allow the punishment to teach a lesson, whereas a permissive parent does not allow their child to face such a disappointment. 

            With either style of parenting there are all different types of punishments that can be used.  Strict parents set clear rules with an even clearer punishment.  In contrast, permissive parents do not set clear rules with little to no punishment. Every child has different needs just like every child needs a different set of rules.  Strict parents use more of a natural consequences form of discipline; on the other hand, permissive parents want to shield their children from failure or consequences. 

 While raising their children, both parent models will start to see what type of adult their child will become through each style of parenting.  Each approach has a different effect on a child’s psyche.  Most of the time this is not the issue most parents think about during their child’s early life.  Each parent wants to prepare their child, as best they know how, for life ahead.  The transition from childhood to adulthood is not black and white; it has a lot of gray.  Those gray areas are the parts of parenthood that make it into the transition of adulthood.  Raising a child that can handle adulthood without many issues is not an easy task.

            Let’s face it; children grow to become adults eventually.  Each approach to raising children will create a different mindset in adulthood.  Having a strict parent during childhood, children tend to be more direction driven.  They have less self-expression and require someone to point them down each path they take.  Meanwhile, a child with a permissive parent will lack self-control and may become egocentric.  Permissive children think the world revolves around them all of the time.  Most children have issues with either style of parenting, no matter which approach is right or wrong. 

            In the end, each style carries its own pros and cons.  Raising well-balanced children is the same as walking through a mine field without ever stepping on a mine. Mistakes are going to be made.  Every child has a different need that one approach may fit or the other may be required for a certain situation.  There is not a set guideline to perfect parents, that is because they do not exist.   No matter which approach is used, remember to try and balance each approach based on the child’s needs.  Both approaches can be used within certain boundaries that are adjusted to each child.  No two children are alike; therefore finding the right balance of these methods is a key ingredient to the success of raising a well-rounded adult.