So what is E coli? Believe it or not it is a necessary evil in humans as it provides the vitamin K needed for good health. E coli is found in the large intestine and is also the most widely studied organism in biology. Its cells have the capacity to divide every twenty to thirty minutes thus allowing it to spread very ... continue reading

I was reading about Allostasis today while catching up on some homework for health psychology and I wanted to illustrate how this concept has been diminished in an individual using my own experiences. First allostasis is the ability to achieve stability through change. The autonomic nervous system, the hypothalamic-pit... continue reading

I have been absent for a couple of weeks trying to get things settled with the car accident I was in the first part of October as well as dealing with the theft of my books and my sons video games not less than two weeks after the accident.

We have been talking this week in psychology of sport and fitness about how ... continue reading

I was a victim once again of theft in my neighborhood. I had my books stolen out of my car this past weekend and my sons video games that we had just that night gotten back from the ex boyfriend. I had just got home and was in the process of unloading my car and had to stop to use the restroom and in less than ten minu... continue reading

In my psychology of sport and fitness class we have been discussingthe use of imagery and how it can help performance of those who are athletic. I got to thinking today before I sat down to write my column for this week that it could also apply to other aspects of daily living for those of us who are non athletes as we... continue reading

When I think of weight loss motivation I think of what motivates me is the desire to see the end result. However, quite simply motivation is defined as the direction and intensity of one’s effort. So in respect to weight loss motivation can be construed as self motivation to lose the weight once and for all.
 
M... continue reading

I had to do this project for my stress management class last semester and I decided to plan a weekend a retreat which I modeled after a kit created by Susan Piver titled Bliss in a Box: A weekend Contemplative Retreat at Home.
In the kit are a list of suggested foods, but I chose some modifications. The kit also uses... continue reading

For those of you who have been following amything that I have been doing on the internet you know I have been reporting on the battle to reform the media’s influence on childhood obesity. Last Wednesday was the day that the joint commission of the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Health and Human services... continue reading

It is great to be back writing for The Cheers again. I want to thank Siim for taking me on as a writer again.
 
With that being said I thought I would take a moment to introduce myself again for those who are new readers to The Cheers. I am a thirty-five year old mother to a seven year old little boy. I live in ... continue reading

Today as I
sat in class listening to my professors lecture I was all too painfully aware
that I was still in the have not’s category of life as I seam to be destined to
stay on state funded health insurance. A staggering 43 million American’s do
not have adequate health insurance or go uninsured every year. More li... continue reading

“Let’s
talk about sex baby, let’s talk about you and me,” are familiar lyrics to a
90’s rap song by Salt n Pepper. However, they used this as message to get teens
in their target audience to wake up and take account of the sexual issues
facing that generation.




Sexual
responsibility is still an uphill batt... continue reading

There won't be a new column from Joe this week - he had to take a week
off, but will be back with new content again starting from next week,
published every Saturday.

Cheers
The Cheers... continue reading

Last week I talked a little about
the difference between health and wellness and I touched on things such as
behavior changes and how they can lead to a total overall state of wellness.
This week I want to take that a step further and show you how things like
prevention, factors influencing behavior change and th... continue reading

Health and wellness one would think are one in the same, however, even though they are closely related are still very different.

Health is defined as a dynamic ever changing process of trying to
achieve your individual potential in a variety of dimensions i.e.
intellectual, emotional through feelings and self es... continue reading

Alright guys and gals switching gears a bit this week. I want to talk about healthy relationships.
There are three keys to having a healthy relationship

Knowing yourself
Having a values system
Communication
Communication is defined as a process that involves specific skills for expressing ideas effectively. O... continue reading

I thought this week I would write more on stress
management as that has pretty much been a focus area for me for what seems like
awhile now.




Two weeks ago I put some questions to you to help you
evaluate your own stress and/or stressors. For privacy issues I will have to
give generalities as to how I measu... continue reading

Here I sit doing the one thing that is a major stressor,
procrastinating on writing my column for this week. Why did I wait till tonight
I have no clue? I had a whole four days to myself, no kid. I have the research
here in front of me here and have had it since October of 2005. It can easily
be the easiest article... continue reading

So, you're stressed out. You woke up to a blaring
alarm clock, got up and went to the kitchen only to realize you forgot
to get the coffee pot ready to go the night before. In my case, since I
don’t drink coffee, I am sometimes apt to forget to put a few bottles
of Diet Pepsi into the refrigerator.
You trudge hal... continue reading

To start off I would like to thank Siim for taking
me on as a health writer. I promise you will enjoy what you read from
me or at least come away slightly more informed than you were before
you turned on your computer.
My name is Joe and I am a female JOE, by the way.
It's a long story; don't ask unless you have a... continue reading