So, awhile ago I was noticing how nearly all of my blogging friends use blogger to upload their masterpieces. I kinda thought blogging was cool, so I wanted to have one, but I was struck with a dilemma: Why would anyone want to read my blog? I posted anyway, and people read (likely due to boredom), but I was still left with an underlying feeling that my blog was pretty pointless.
Over the summer, during my Public Health Nursing class, I realized this blog might be a good avenue to offer miniature pearls of wisdom and snippets of information that I come across in order to help people live healthier and dispel many of the health rumors that become ingrained in our society through the media. My plan is to post small, interesting, health-related information that I come across, and I can also answer questions or look into researching that topic.
DISCLAIMER: It is also important to mention that I'm not a physician, so I cannot diagnose or answer people's quirky questions. If anything ever seems different or not right, it is essential that you make an appointment with your doctor or go to the hospital. There are a lot of legal issues involved in distributing health information electronically, so I want to stay out of that by limiting my posts to more general health concepts rather than try to solve individual's specific questions.
Ok, so my first post is going to be mostly for the ladies, but all the guys that read my blog should know it too so you can tell girls about it. Folic Acid (or folate) is an essential vitamin in the diet to produce red blood cells. Generally, people don't have a deficiency of folic acid in the diet in the U.S., but the important consideration is for sexually-active females. In the early development of the fetus, folic acid is essential to build the neural tube (which eventually becomes the spinal cord and brain), and not having enough folic acid may cause the fetus to have defects such as spina bifida or anencephaly (latin: without head). 400 mcg (micrograms) is the recommendation set for all women of child-bearing age, which happens to be around the usual amount in a multivitamin; otherwise you might find folic acid in leafy vegetables, orange juice, peanuts, and whole grain bread and cereals.
So, that's about what you can expect for the future. There are many important considerations and minerals, like iron, during pregnancy, so always be sure to schedule the prenatal visits with your doctor. I'm thinking my next post is going to address smoking.
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the guy
- Tom Hughes
- Long Beach, California, United States
- I'm a registered nurse, working at Long Beach Memorial. I enjoy my job very much, though it can be very stressful and difficult at times. In my free time, I read, throw frisbees, and try to score goals for my roller hockey team. I read every piece of information available that pertains to the LA Kings, I rip movies to my hard drive to watch them later, and I love Xbox live. I recently bought a new bike that I pedal around all the time; if you're ever in Long Beach look for me. I love drinking coffee and beer, occasionally to the point of excess, but I make it a point to always have fun.
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5 comments:
I have A.I.D.S., what should I do?
ps- I enjoy everything about you.
what are your thoughts on floride?
From what I understand, fluoride is great for helping to keep the bacteria growth minimal and making the enamel on the teeth more acid-resistant to the bacteria's sugar metabolism. The one's you get over-the-counter, like ACT (what I use per my dentist's recommendation), I like to use just as part of a general overall healthy mouth regimen. Ask your dentist, but it also isn't a good idea to be reliant on the fluoride because it can break down the bone tissue of the teeth, but on the other hand, the fluoride content may not be strong enough in ACT to do that.
The best recommendations for keeping your mouth healthy and lowering the risk of periodontal (gum) disease are to floss everyday and brush, making sure to gently get the gums and remove the plaque. Flossing is so important, and I don't think enough people do it, but bacteria love to implant there and hang out, and people can eventually develop infectious diseases like endocarditis (heart infection) from it.
On a side note, brushing is the mechanism that is essential for removing the plaque from the gums and teeth, the brand of toothpaste is not really significant in removing bacteria or plaque.
maybe you should read more on flouride, I was just wondering if you had learned anything about it. I know your not training in dental but there is some controversy around it. http://www.fluoridedebate.com/
Yeah, that website has more to do with the controversy about fluoride in tap water. Using it as a supplement in an occasional mouth rinse isn't harmful, but as with most things, overuse can lead to detrimental effects. It isn't as effective as brushing and flossing, but as I said in the last comment, it can help to limit the growth of bacteria.
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