New Year and Last Semester!

So it's a new year, 2012 and it's the coldest day so far this winter season...so of course the natural thing to do with the parents (minus brother and his wife) is go to south to Arizona! I'm taking a trip with my parents for my last long break I will probably have in a long time, being this is my last semester going for my MPH/MHA at Iowa. I'm excited and sad at the same time that this will be some of my last classes in grad school but I look forward to learning throughout my career and relying on those I made friends with and worked with while here at Iowa.

People, I have learned throughout my life are your best asset, whether career, personal or happiness. Most of you may know this, but it really does come down to who you know to get your foot in the door, or ask for a recommendation and you never know who knows who, so never burn bridges. I've seen people do it too often over little stuff and it's not worth it.

So as I start the new year, spending it with my family, I plan to take what I've learn and expect new challenges to face me each day and learn from my mistakes, because no one is perfect and we all have something new to learn, even if we forget.

Ryan

Food Fridays!

So I have been starting to workout more since the New Year and have implemented new strategies to prevent me from treading back to my old habits/excuses of being to busy to exercise or care about my health.

One of the ways I found to help me stay fit and continue exercising was to join in on workout classes. The University of Iowa recently completed a brand new rec. center, called the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center (CRWC). The classes are free, and you sign-up for them a few minutes before they start, which makes it a first come first serve type of system. I have really enjoyed the workout classes, even if I am one of the few men in the classes. They work my butt off and I feel great afterwards, so what's not to love!

Second, I made an appointment with the Wellness Center staff for a nutrition consultation. I have never liked milk much and really only have it with cereal or desserts, and was worried about calcium intake and just overall nutrition. The best part is that this is another FREE service offered to full-time students at Iowa. I had my consult yesterday and am headed to the grocery store tonight with some great new ideas and more knowledge about specific foods I can eat to boost my workouts and overall health. Plus, the consult was ironically with an alumnus of the MPH program, which made me feel even more at home and confident I had the best resources at my fingertips.

So if your struggling or just plain trying to figure out how to maintain a healthy new you, these are some of the ways and changes I've made and hopefully with help you out :) I mean everyone knows they need to workout and eat healthy, but how many of us actually maintain that attitude...

Ryan

New Years Resolutions

So as today is the last in 2010! So what does this mean to you...

1) One more year till 2012 when the earth will end?

2) The year you start working out more and eating more healthy?

3) Stop smoking?

Whatever your thoughts are on a new year beginning, I encourage you to take time to reflect on the past year and where you've seen your life grow. I have been doing a lot of this and have accomplished so much at the same time learning a lot from decisions I've made. In addition, I am one of hose that wants to start working out more and eating healthier, which will be realized in the next couple weeks hopefully!

A story that got me thinking of all this was in Huffingtonpost.com about anti-smoking adds that New York City was going to enforce be placed at business. The signs were struck down by a 1965 law that states that the federal government has to deal with cigarette labeling and advertising. The law also stated that no state law could impose a requirement or prohibition with respect to advertising or promotion of cigarettes. I was shocked that in 2010, almost 2011, that we are still debating and arguing over the health effects of smoking. It irritates me to see so many still smoking, with so much help to quit, but this may fall on the part of health promotion of public health agencies and the need for diverse was to market prevention programs to a wide variety of individuals.

In all, I hope you have a safe and healthy New Years and see you in 2011~

Ryan