2017 Goals

I've decided to set goals this year instead of making resolutions.  2016 was a good year, but it was a poor year for my health, so that is definitely one of the things I will focus on in 2017.

Health
I'm going to take care of myself.  The biggest change I'm going to make is in regards to my eating habits.  I've decided to try "clean eating."  I eat relatively well when I'm in school working, but otherwise I'm terrible at making eating choices.  I am going to cook meals at least 5 nights every week, and take my lunch to school everyday.  Secondly, I'm going to attempt to eliminate sugar.  This will be hard, but I feel I'll be able to do it.  I'm aware that I will probably fail, but I'm determined to get back on track if I do.  Lastly, I'm going to try to eat breakfast.  I enjoy sleeping for as long as possible, so I'm sure this will be difficult.

Activity
2016 was a terrible year for activity for me.  I was active sporadically, but nowhere near where I usually have been.  I've decided to re-claim my running and swimming habits.  My goal is to run 500 miles over the course of the year.  I figure if I run a couple of miles every day or 3-4 every other day, I should be able to reach that goal.  I know some of the runs I do will be more than the daily goals.  I am going to record my workouts on my calendar to track how many miles I run per week.

My second activity goal is to attend yoga again.  I'm learning that as I get older, stretching and strengthening are more important than simple cardio.  Once I'm done with basketball season, I am going to attend hot yoga classes again.  Perhaps I can convince someone else to attend with me.

Reading
Usually during the school year, I end up reading only textbooks and articles related to the subject matter that I'm teaching.  I want to read one non-school book per month.  In addition, I will attempt to not purchase any new books during this year.  I am committing to using my library.  I figure that since I pay my taxes I should take advantage of them!

Writing
I've been scribbling down scenes and chapters for a very long time now, but I want to really commit to it this year.  I watch those Hallmark movies all the time and think, "I could totally write that!"  I want to try to pen a screenplay or novel.  Writing will be hard because it's something that needs to be done while alone, but I will try to find time every weekend to write for at least an hour.  Even if the finished product is no good, at least I will have something to show for my effort.

Here's to 2017!

Epigenetics and obesity

The role of Leptin and other hormones, insulin and ghrelin in obesity. The functions of these hormones to stop eating or start eating.

Leptin; made in white adipose tissue. (Brown fat: needed for thermoregulation...mostly limited in humans...babies and eskimos) amount is directly proportional to amount of fat in the body; signals to the hypothalamus that body is full and to stop eating. LETPIN=DECREASE FOOD INTAKE

Insulin; tells liver, muscle, and fat to take in glucose from blood; released from pancreas when glucose is high; can enter the brain and signal hypothalamus to reduce food intake. Type 2 diabetes=lifestyle choices; insensitive to insulin

Ghrelin; produced by stomach and pancreas; induces feeding and storage of fat; signals hypothalamus to increase food intake.

Hypothalamus: responsible for a lot of homeostasis. 2 types of neurons: Neuron 1= neuropeptide Y and agouti related protein which when activated lead to increased feeding; Neuron 2=proopiomelanocortin (POMC) which leads to decreased food intake; can help with weight loss.

Dopamine (neurotransmitter); reward drug...keeps

Think globally; act locally!
How can we change obesity?

Clocc: Childhood Obesity:

Why should we help obesity decline?
Many diseases of obesity
Systems are affected by obesity
Society is paying for it! You can save money if there were no complications.

How can we help?
Education-nutrition
after school activities
student ambassadors
mass media
access to healthy food
encourage parent support & peer leadership
Change policies in the schools and neighborhoods

Contributing to the problem:
More processed food in more developed countries
Less family time

Activity:

Do some research and find data for obesity. Obesity rates; diabetes rates; maybe start locally and see if any research was done

Environmental and genetic factors contribute to obesity.

Environment has no effect on intergenerational traits

Epigenetics: Conrad waddington
One genotype gives multiple phenotypes depending on environment during development.

Certain nutrients need to be given during development.

Changes in dna methylation can contribute to obesity,stroke, atherosclerosis.

Nutrition and epigenetics:
Viewed methyl donors (like folate).
Veg diet influence methylation patterns
Changes in methylation due to changes in early life nutrition.

Nutrition is extremely important for genetics and the exposure to obesity. The predisposition to obesity.

Rations for Dutch during ww2. Famine in netherlands. So there are details of caloric intake. Compares siblings who were born before famine and those born after. Later kids (lower birth weights) have predisposition to obesity, cardiovascular disease, and psychiatric disorders.

Low birth weight women more likely to have low birth weight children. So they are predisposed to getting obesity in later life.

Epigenetics modifications can be reversed. Early intervention is imperative.

Longer time breastfeeding can lead to Lower possibility for obesity.

Lark Rise to Candleford

I've become obsessed with this television show!! It's set in 19th century England, and it's about two towns and all their adventures. It's basically a soap opera, and Julia Sawalha (Saffy) is in it! I just finished Seasons 1 & 2 and apparently Season 3 is currently airing on the BBC. The newest episode was just on in England this night, and I'm anxiously awaiting SOMEONE to upload it, so that I may download it and watch it!!! They say Sir Timothy is returning to Candleford (I know only his whiny wife is returning), so I have to see the encounter between Dorcas and Adelaide (the wife). Timothy and Dorcas should've married, but Dorcas was wary because of their different stations in life...I think she was a bit influenced by her father as well, and poor Timothy wasn't strong enough to fight for her! Dorcas has had many other romances as well, but none seem to stick...sometimes, I find it a bit insufferable how many men she has had...in fact, she refused James because he was BELOW her station (oh, how history repeats itself!), and now I don't know what she'll do this season!

Short sales aren't so short

The place in Bridgeport has a whole mess of things wrong with it. The sellers can't accept anything less than the asking price because that is their mortgage. So I've decided to put in an offer of less and we're going to try to make the sale as a short sale. I think the 'short' part of a short sale just means that less money is going be exchanged. A short sale can take up to 4 months, so it's not a short process. My brother is going to be acting on my behalf because I leave on Tuesday for Australia and won't be back until the end of July. Hopefully everything will be okay. I'm leaving a lot of things, and I feel a little guilty about leaving volleyball, basketball, and softball, but this was an opportunity I couldn't pass up. Kerry is going and she was going alone, so what better time than to accompany a friend?

Buying a place is hard to do

Boy, this whole making an offer thing is really stressful! I took my offer off the table for the place in the south Loop, and I have submitted an offer on the place in Bridgeport. I'm waiting to hear back from the sellers today. Hopefully, I'll hear something tonight, but if I don't, I figure I'll hear something tomorrow. I know the owners of the place have already relocated, and apparently there's a relocation thing with this place. I don't really know what that means, but I guess it can delay the purchase or the closing of the place? Not really sure. This whole process is a bit slow, but I guess because it's the exchange of a lot of money it takes some time. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for this place. I think I'd really like it.

Waiting is the hardest part

I've put in the offer on the condo at 20th and Wabash. The owners countered with an offer of 227K. I countered back with 205, then they countered with 225K. I went up to 208K, and they've bottomed out at 223K. I have to decide if I want to give one last counter, or if I should just give up the place and go after the place in Bridgeport. I think I'll offer 212 tomorrow morning, see what they say, and if I don't like it, I'll give it up and go for the place in Bridgeport. Jennifer said I can try with one last offer, and that's what I'll do, but I'm hoping it will get resolved tomorrow. This is a whole new world for me. I'm nervous about spending this much money...it's like signing your life away.

Offer!

I made an offer on the place at 20th and Wabash. It's a low offer for the place, but Jennifer hopes that by me offering a flexible closing date that the owners will be flexible with the price. We'll see what happens. I'm very nervous about this whole process! I can't believe I may incur a debt of $200000. Yikes! I'm hoping to hear from the owners soon. If they don't go low enough for me, I'm going to place a bid on the place in Bridgeport. After I got burned on the first place I wanted, I decided to have a Plan B. This time I'm a little better off. Fingers crossed!