January 4, 2012 - This is the 6th of 6 pages devoted to PCH 201 Wellness. This is a very important page that I use to communicate with you between classes. You should check this page frequently, especially between Thursday and the following Tuesday. This is where I post messages, announcements, grades, etc.
So, for those of you checking to find out more information, see below my first message to the class.
First, it's important to clarify that the FDA does regulate dietary supplements - it's correct that they aren't regulated as tightly as drugs, but they are regulated under the umbrella of foods. The Current Good Manufacturing Practices that the FDA has implemented require that proper controls are in place so that dietary supplements are processed in a consistent manner, and meet quality standards:
Quality Standards
Yes, there have been numerous reports of quality control issues, contaminants, etc. but this of course doesn't apply to all products. We have an FAQ that addresses this topic and gives people tips on how to find a quality product:
FAQs
We also have a Web page that addresses how to evaluate health information on the internet. This might be something you'd be interested in sharing with your students:
Evaluating Information
There are many articles in PubMed that address various forms of vitamin A including vitamin A palmitate (retinyl palmitate). Here are a few, with many related articles at the last (longer) link:
#1 #2 #3
You can get PID without having an STI. Normal bacteria found in the vagina and on the cervix can sometimes cause PID. No one is sure why this happens.
Women who douche may have a higher risk of developing PID compared with women who do not douche. Research has shown that douching changes the vaginal flora (organisms that live in the vagina) in harmful ways, and can force bacteria into the upper reproductive organs from the vagina.
Women who have an intrauterine device (IUD) inserted may have a slightly increased risk of PID near the time of insertion compared with women using other contraceptives or no contraceptive at all. However, this risk is greatly reduced if a woman is tested and, if necessary, treated for STDs before an IUD is inserted.
Semi-vegetarian: "Consisting mainly of vegetables and foods made from
cereal grains, with occasional inclusion of fish, chicken, or red meat" (Free
Dictionary);
"Flexitarian: One who normally maintains a vegetarian diet but occasionally
makes exceptions and eats meat or fish" (Free Dictionary)
Palmitate: An antioxidant and a vitamin A compound that is added to low-fat
and fat-free milk to replace the vitamin content lost through the removal of
milk fat. Palmitate (more formally known as retinyl palmitate) contains
palmitic acid, a 16-carbon saturated fatty acid, which is the major fatty acid
found in palm oil. The palmitic acid is attached to the alcohol form of vitamin
A, called retinol, to make vitamin A stable in milk. The name "palmitate" comes
from the French "palmitique" from palmite, the pith of the palm tree (Medterms.com)
Marijuana Policy Project Connecticut (per Anthony's question)
"Near the end of the 2011 legislative session, Connecticut legislators were dealing with two bills addressing marijuana policy reform. One aimed to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana. The other would have made Connecticut the 17th state to allow for the physician-approved use of medical marijuana. Unfortunately, the legislature was not able to sort out the details on how medical marijuana could be produced and distributed, so the medical marijuana bill stalled. The good news is that the legislature was able to pass the decrim bill."
Yes, there is now an example of how the Program Proposal paper should look like. See:
Program Proposal Paper Example
The link is also available on the Program Proposal Template, right before the grading grid page.
Still thinking about what you want to do for your health diary? Do you think a lot of coffee and/or sodas or energy drinks? All this has caffeine. Here's the latest study about the effects of caffeine on the female hormone, estrogen! This is the first time researchers have reported that estrogen can be affected by caffeine consumption...
Excerpts" "...Using oral contraceptives or the hormonal injectable significantly affects a woman's risk of acquiring certain sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)."
"Use of oral contraceptives was associated with a significantly increased risk of chlamydia (hazard ratio, 1.8), vaginal candidiasis (1.5), cervical mucopus (1.7) and cervicitis (1.8), and a decreased risk of bacterial vaginosis (0.8). Women who used the hormonal injectable had significantly elevated risks of chlamydia (1.6), cervical mucopus and cervicitis (1.5 each), and significantly decreased risks of trichomoniasis (0.6), bacterial vaginosis (0.7), vaginal discharge (0.8) and pelvic inflammatory disease (0.4). Consistent use of condoms was associated with significantly decreased risks of gonorrhea (0.6), chlamydia (0.6), genital ulcer disease (0.5), bacterial vaginosis (0.9), cervical mucopus (0.6), cervicitis (0.8) and pelvic inflammatory disease (0.6)."
#2 - January 21, 2012
Between Thursday and Tuesday, make sure you check this page for any announcement. When I start collecting homework and papers, I will be issuing a Weekly Update Report of missing assignments, either on Thursday or Friday. This means, if you have an assignment due, and you did not hand it in on the due date, it will be noted on the Weekly Update Report. Make sure you get these in ASAP. All missing assignments will be listed by your ID number.
I have created a Due Dates Page, which lists everyone's assignments, by last name. Check and make sure I have your assignments correct. This is on the temporary news page, which includes graphics about the class that you may want to look at as well. On this page I will be posting status reports of exams and your group activity handouts. I will explain this next week. Or, you can E-mail me, if you have questions.
Due Dates for Assignments, by Student
Welcome to PCH 201-02 that will be held Tuesdays/Thursdays, 9:35 - 10:50 AM, in Morrill 016 (Basement Level). On the first day of class you will be signing up for 4 major class assignments. You will pick a topic for a fact sheet paper, a group to be a part of to develop a Wellness presentation, a date to hand in your health diary and a date and topic for your program proposal.
I will be explaining these assignments during the first weeks of the semester. Meanwhile, you can look over what is available and jot down a few choices for each assignment to bring to the first day of class. Choices are on a first-come, first-served basis. I will have these sign up sheets available on the first day of class.
Sign Up Sheets
If you have any questions, you can always E-mail me at: bcjungmph@yahoo.com, or use the "E-mail Me Anytime" link available on all 6 pages. If you use this link, make sure you include your E-mail address if you want a response. I will always respond to your E-mail. If you don't get a response, E-mail again, it could a technical glitch....
See you on Thursday, January 19, 2012! We are going to have a great semester!
