The Health Racquet

Volume 3, Number 22: Becoming Friends With Your Alarm Clock

2006-04-25T13:52:00.000-07:00

The Health Racquet
Volume 3
Number 22

It is well to be up before daybreak, for such habits contribute to health, wealth, and wisdom.
- Aristotle

Becoming Friends with Your Alarm Clock
By Allegra Tschappler

Did you know that getting up early is good for you? Yes, all you night people, it’s true! However, it is extremely difficult for lots of us. We want to stay curled up in bed until the end of the world, and getting up just isn’t an option (we think). However, I’ve found that when I sleep in, I tend to feel guilty. There is so little time in our lives, and we tend to squander it. When you sleep in, that’s just one more way to waste time.

As kids, we are trained to get up before 8 am because that’s when school starts. However, we are still left with an option to be lazy. We can either sleep in until 7:45 when we jump into the shower (provided a sibling doesn’t decide to sleep in as well and get up one minute before you, beating you to the shower), or we can get up at 6 or so. When I get up at six, I find that I can get my mind focused on God, and I’m willing to try nutty stuff like running around the property at top speed for half an hour or so. Plus, I don’t have any competition for the shower.

I’m sure that the Tschappler kids aren’t the only ones that have the option to get up early or sleep in either. Even when you grow up, you still have the option to not go to work for the day (well, kind of—if you want to keep your job you should go in). As a stay-at-home parent, you can sleep in because your kids are most likely to be willing to sleep in as well. However, the choice is ours. If we choose to get up early, we are establishing good patterns that will last our entire life.

Okay, now wait a minute! If your body likes sleep and you can still get away with sleeping in until the very last minute, why should you get up early? I mean, that’s really only for weirdoes who like to do sun-dances to bring up the sun, right? Right?

Sorry, man. You’re wrong this time. Getting up early is the best way to get a start on your day. If you get up an hour before everyone else does, you can spend your time going around the house cleaning up a little bit (hey, even guys can do this!), reading your Bible in your room, catching up on a few sewing projects, making breakfast for the rest of the family, or exercising.

The main goal of getting up early is to get yourself fully awake and ready to honor God, raring to go and do something productive. If you feel like you’ve already gotten something accomplished for the day (yes, getting up early does make you feel that way), you will be willing to go on to other more formidable tasks such as cleaning the toilet or running around for half an hour or more.

So set that highly annoying alarm clock, and don’t ignore it. Maybe you can even put it across the room so that you aren’t tempted to roll over, turn it off and go back to bed. As Proverbs says in Chapter 24:33-34, “A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man.”

Volume 3, Number 21: Sleep Deprivation

2006-04-25T13:46:00.000-07:00

The Health Racquet
Volume 3
Number 21

Sleep Deprivation

By Allegra Tschappler

“Beep, beep, beep, beep, beeeeeeeeep” “Would someone shut off that stupid alarm clock, stop the world for a day, and let me get some more sleep?” Have you ever asked yourself this question? If so, you may have sleep deprivation.

Sleep deprivation happens when we have something that needs to be completed urgently and we feel like we don’t have enough time. We stay up late getting whatever it is done, and then the next morning when that annoying alarm clock rings, we really regret it. There are other ways to cause sleep deprivation, but this is one of the most common, especially in teenagers.

One of the obvious results of sleep deprivation is that you will feel tired during the day. When you are tired, you don’t perform at your best, and you feel poorly.

In addition to the symptom of feeling tired during the day, sleep deprivation also creates a lack of energy, allows us to feel depressed or irritable, gives us trouble remembering things, and we get sick more often. Doesn’t this sound awful? How can we fix this pervasive and costly problem?

A few suggestions from Postgraduate Medicine.com (http://www.postgradmed.com/issues/2002/10_02/pn_sleep.htm):

• Stay away from caffeine, particularly later in the day.
• Have a light snack (but avoid eating a large meal) shortly before bedtime.
• Go to bed and get up at the same times each day, even on weekends.
• Get regular exercise early in the day.
• Keep your bedroom cool, dark, and quiet. A fan or soft music can help disguise distracting bedtime noise.
• Don't take sleeping pills unless your doctor prescribes them.
• Avoid daytime naps unless they last less than 1 hour and are taken before 3 PM.
• Try counting sheep or counting backward, which can lull some people to sleep.
• If you lie in bed awake for more than 30 minutes, get up, go to a different room and read or watch television, and return to bed when you feel sleepy.

It has been said that sleep is like water: without it we can only live so long. When we deprive ourselves of sleep, we will experience nasty side effects, similar to dehydration. So don’t allow yourself to become sleep-deprived. Besides, the Gold Standard is coming up!

Volume 3, Number 20: Tournament Survival

2006-03-20T16:36:00.000-08:00

The Health Racquet

Volume 3

Number 20

Tournament Survival Skills 101

By Allegra Tschappler

Whew! You’ve just made it through the Rocky Mountain Classic. Now for the Gold Standard… How will you survive this tournament season? And even if you’re not in speech or debate, you may have something stressful coming up that you would like to survive, preferably mostly alive. So, how are you going to do it?

Here are a few ideas:
1. Take Vitamin B-Complex
2. Pack lots of extra water bottles—speaking really is hard work!
3. Make sure you eat high-protein foods
4. Girls, bring an extra set of shoes—who wants blisters?
5. Don’t worry. If God wants you to win, He will make sure it happens. If that’s not His plan for you, then applaud the ones that do.

The B-Complex Vitamins include thiamin (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), pyridoxine (B6), biotin (B7), folic acid (B9), and cobalamin (B12). Lots of strange-sounding names, but the positive effects are great:
1) Helps provide energy
2) Maintains healthy nervous system, heart and other muscles (so you don’t pass out when giving your 2AC)
3) Helps provide higher energy
4) Helps transferal of nerve impulses to the brain
5) Has enhancing effect on adrenal glands

So, B-Complex Vitamins may be great, but why would we want protein? Protein is helpful because it can be converted by our marvelous bodies into energy. When you are preparing to be in long debates or to give your impressive speeches, it is helpful to take the protein so you can have the energy you need. You can get the protein you need through fish, poultry, beans, nuts and whole grains.

To get the B Vitamins you need, try the same things: fish, poultry, meat, beans, nuts, whole grains, bran, spinach, eggs, broccoli, etc. For a whole list, please go to http://www.netfit.co.uk/vit3.htm.

Instead of drinking solely Mountain Dew, getting a high and then being incredibly depressed, try these ideas. They just might work!

Volume 3, Number 19: Irish Cuisine

2006-03-15T08:30:00.000-08:00

The Health Racquet
Volume 3
Number 19

Irish Cuisine

By Allegra Tschappler

Take a look at the following recipes, and see if you can tell me what they hold in common.

Irish Scones*

1/2 cup butter
4 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup milk

In a bowl, combine butter and flour with pastry blender or fingers. Add baking powder, salt and sugar. In another bowl, beat egg and stir in milk. Mix into dry ingredients to make dough. Turn onto floured surface and roll to one inch thickness or pat carefully with hands. With a cookie cutter cut dough into 2 inch rounds. Place on greased cookie sheet, about one inch apart and bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Makes about 18 scones. You can also add raisins, dates or other dried fruits to the dough.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Irish Champ*

8 medium potatoes
1/2 cup milk
5 tablespoon butter
One bunch scallions or green onions, chopped

Peel and cube potatoes and boil in salted water until tender. Drain and mash slightly. In a small pan, heat milk and butter until butter is melted. Add chopped scallions. Fold mixture into the potatoes until well blended. Potatoes will still be somewhat lumpy. Makes 6 servings.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Irish Potato Pie*

6-8 potatoes, peeled
6 bacon strips
3-4 leeks
Salt
Pepper
One cup grated Cheddar cheese

Cook the potatoes in boiling water until tender. Drain. In skillet, fry bacon until crisp and drain on paper towels. Trim leeks so that you have the white part and a small amount of green. Wash well, and slice thin. Add leeks to pan, and sauté over medium heat until soft. Slice the boiled potatoes, and arrange half in the bottom of a pie plate. Season with salt and pepper. Layer with bacon, leeks and one half of the cheese. Cover with remaining with remaining potatoes and season again. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes until top is browned and cheese is melted. Makes 6 servings.
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If you guessed butter or potatoes, you are right. Also, the three recipes are incredibly simple yet very hearty. This reflects the earlier lifestyle of most Irish people: simple, yet hearty.Although the traditional Irish fare is simple and hearty, some other selections of food have been added to the menu. American fast-food, Italian pizza, Indian curry, Chinese food and even some West African foods have been seen throughout Ireland. Why, they even have the ingredients for these foods (traditional European, American Tex-Mex/Mexican, Indian, Chinese and others) in the grocery stores.**

Thanks to the fast food introduced into Ireland recently as well as the constant use of butter in traditional Irish foods, obesity and heart disease are higher there than anywhere else in the world.**

Alongside this fascinating change that took place with the emergence of fatty foods, the last 25 years have seen a change in Irish cuisine. This change basically uses traditional recipes and ingredients in new ways that are more healthy. It is created around fresh vegetables, fish (salmon and trout especially), oysters, other shellfish, the traditional soda bread, hand-made cheeses and the potato. Irish stew, Dublin coddle, the Irish breakfast and potato bread have all reappeared in the Irish cuisine.

Although the Irish turned from eating their traditional fare, many are finding the former way of eating preferable to the fast-food of America. Just goes to show that the Irish really knew how to cook in the first place!

*Taken from “Irish Cuisine for St. Patrick's Day,” by Brenda Hyde

**Taken from "Irish Cuisine," on Answers.com

Volume 3, Number 18: Fasting Safely

2006-02-28T06:55:00.001-08:00

The Health Racquet
Volume 3
Number 18

Fasting from a Physical Point of View

By Allegra Tschappler

Although true Biblical fasting is not primarily a physical discipline (see http://www.new-life.net/fasting.htmfor more information), it can have positive side-effects with regard to how your body reacts. According to Elson M. Haas, M.D., "detoxification is an important corrective and rejuvenative process in our cycle of nutrition. It is a time when we allow our cells and organs to breathe out, become current, and restore themselves." Even though this is far from the primary purpose of fasting, it can be a good way of detoxification.

Again according to Elson M. Haas, (whose views I do not entirely agree with) fasting can have several medical benefits:
1. minimizing the work the digestive organs have to do
2. liver gets a chance to clean up
3. stored or circulating chemicals are broken down
4. blood & lymph cells get a chance to catch up, repair themselves and get rid of waste
5. stored fat is used up-taken from http://www.healthy.net/scr/article.asp?ID=1996

These are all great, but we need to keep our purpose for fasting on seeking God.
Although fasting does have good side-effects, it can also have some bad ones that you should be aware of coming into and out of fasting:

1. "Make sure you are medically able to fast before attempting it. Some brothers and sisters that I know can only do a one-day partial fast. They drink different types of juice, but take no food or other liquid. God knows and understands their medical condition and does not expect them to harm their "temple" (1 Corinthians 6:19) in order to be spiritual. There are no rigid standards about fasting in the Bible that say you must do this or that.
2. "Begin with short fasts and gradually move to larger periods of time if you desire. If you've never fasted before, you need to start slow. Don't start with a three day fast!
3. "Be prepared for some dizziness, headache, or nausea in the early going. Most of our bodies have never gone without food for longer than a few hours.
4. "Break a prolonged fast gradually with meals that are light and easy to digest. Trying to gorge yourself following a fast will only make you sick and will leave you with an unpleasant memory of fasting." -taken from http://www.new-life.net/fasting.htm

Fasting can be of enormous benefit spiritually and even has good physical side-effects, but we must also be careful that we do not harm our bodies beyond what they can stand. If you aren't medically able to fast totally but still want to fast, a partial fast is recommended.

To find out more about how to fast safely, please visit http://www.billbright.com/howtofast/fastsafely.html.

Another website you could visit: http://www.morningstarministries.com/fasting.html.

Volume 3, Number 17: Computer Potatoes

2006-02-27T20:59:00.000-08:00

The Health Racquet
Volume 3
Number 17

Long Computer Time=Heart Problems?

By Allegra Tschappler

Looking at this article, are you wondering about doing a Google search on heart problems vs. computer time? Or maybe you don’t even care to research the topic because you’ve got better things to do, like visit your favorite forum, IM a few friends, or look up the latest news on bubblegum. Even if you’re not tempted to follow the above typical guidelines for our computer-savvy/crazed generation, you are probably still wondering how computer time and heart problems are related…

The British Heart Foundation says that unless children exercise more and follow a healthier diet, the number of people dying prematurely from coronary heart disease will rise in the future. A study done by the foundation shows that more than one third of kids in England and Wales do not reach even the minimum required. If that’s for Great Britain, just think what the statistics for America are!

According to the United States Department of Health and Human Services, the effects of eating unhealthy foods and being inactive are that most people become obese or overweight. These, in turn, lead to serious heart disease which is affecting more and more people. According to the British Council, “Levels of obesity are rising and are especially worrying amongst young children but this isn’t just an issue about what we eat. As a nation of couch potatoes are we sacrificing our health by only exercising our fingers and thumbs?”

Now, this isn’t trying to scare you into quitting using the computer at all or exercise at all costs, but exercising more is encouraged. If you have to be at the computer for longer times for school or work, don’t worry! When you have a break, take time to walk or run or do pushups. A little bit at a time, you can keep yourself healthy while not quitting the stuff you need to do.

Volume 3, Number 16: Can Forgiveness Be Healthy?

2006-02-27T20:00:00.000-08:00

The Health Racquet
Volume 3
Number 16

Can Forgiveness Be Healthy?
By Allegra Tschappler

How would forgiveness be an issue of interest? I mean, it’s just what you have to do when your big brother knocks over your tower or when your little 4-year old breaks an antique piece of china. It’s true that forgiving your big brother for being annoying is healthier than retaliating and getting a bloody nose, but are there other healthy advantages to forgiveness than avoiding punishment of a sometimes brutal nature?

The answer is yes. According to Adam Cohen at UC Berkeley, “If we didn't forgive people for any of these hurts, real or imagined, our lives would be filled with anger and spite. We might spend our time plotting and carrying out revenge, and avoiding people that we really ought to be close to. Forgiveness can free us from this kind of life. It allows people to live together and get on with their lives. It must be one of the most important factors in promoting peace between people, and well-being.”

Delving into peace between people and well-being, we see that forgiveness has several benefits, as well as more that haven’t been researched yet:

Reduces heart disease: "…studies show that letting go of anger and resentment can reduce the severity of heart disease and, in some cases, even prolong the lives of cancer patients."-ABC News, 1/2/1998
Prevents crime: The University of Montgomery conducted a study in 1995 that said that those who were bent on revenge (the opposite of forgiveness) were incredibly likely to commit a crime. It ended up saying that forgiveness education could help reduce crime.
Heals troubled marriages: Dr. Fredrick DiBlasio of the University of Maryland, a family therapist, used forgiveness as his tool to reunite couples when many other tools had been unsuccessful.

According to http://www.forgiving.org/Campaign/harness.asp, not only is this true, but more studies are being conducted as well in Northern Ireland, South Africa, and Rwanda.

http://peacecenter.berkeley.edu/research_forgiveness_cohen.html
http://www.forgiving.org/Campaign/harness.asp

Volume 3, Number 15: Team Engage and How It Impacts Our Culture

2006-02-27T19:38:00.000-08:00

The Health Racquet

Volume 3

Number 15

Team Engage and How It Impacts Our Culture

By Allegra Tschappler

In this world where the media penetrates our culture deeply, kids learn to believe that if you have a boyfriend/girlfriend, you have to have sex with him/her or else he/she won’t love you any more. But if someone thinks that sex is the only way to have love, something is inherently wrong.

You may ask, “How do we fix this problem?” I mean, once kids are teenagers, they seem to be set in their ways…scary thought, eh? But they aren’t. Teenagers are just going through a stage between being an innocent little kid and a well-informed adult. However, that well-informed person may be a little too well-informed on the ways of this world from first-hand experience.

We need to prevent kids from going out and having sex just because everyone else is doing it, and the way to do it is by educating kids and making them think about their decisions. One program based in Colorado Springs is called Education for a Lifetime, run by Life Network. Here’s a little bit of information about them:

About Education For A Lifetime:

"Welcome to an overview of the Education for a Lifetime programs through Life Network. We call our programs “education you can use forever” because skills such as decision-making, refusal skills, character education and abstinence from all high-risk behaviors are skills for life.

"The Education for a Lifetime programs have been serving the Colorado Springs community for over 13 years. We speak to over 10,000 students annually and provide comprehensive programs for schools, parents and communities. We speak to schools in Colorado Springs District 11, Cheyenne Mountain District 12, Lewis Palmer District 38, Fountain/Fort Carson District 8, Sand Creek District 49, Harrison District 2, Widefield District 3 as well as alternative schools. Life Network is a 501 (c) (3) organization, established in 1983. The programs offered through Education for a Lifetime are presented at no cost to the community and exist solely through donation, fundraising or grants.

"The Education for a Lifetime programs focuses on a whole-person model of health. This model teaches that teen sexual activity affects students socially, emotionally, physically, ethically and mentally. Our programs are not designed to simply impart information, but to encourage a lifestyle and of healthy choices that will lead to behavior change.

"It is our hope that these programs continue to serve the Colorado Springs community in a comprehensive manner. Education for a Lifetime utilizes volunteer speakers as a primary source of their outreach. Speakers go through training as well as periodic update meetings to stay current on issues of sexual abstinence, youth development, marriage and family issues. EFL has a medical advisory board that oversees materials for medical reference and accuracy.

Programs

Game Plan: "This four-day classroom presentation covers topics such as healthy dating, relationships, refusal skills, media literacy and STDs. It also includes a teen panel presentation on the value of making a commitment to sexual abstinence and abstinence from all high-risk behavior.

I Can Lead: "Students thrive in this small group semester program for sixth through ninth grade at-risk youth. It promotes abstinence from all high-risk behavior, provides mentoring relationships, teaches anger management, helps students set goals, encourages healthy behaviors and shares the value of staying in school drug and alcohol-free.

Team Engage: "This year-long leadership program for high-school students encourages character education, mentoring (via community leaders), mentoring others (I Can Lead students) and students-led abstinence education panel presentations in both junior high and high school.

Parent Sex Education Nights: "This powerful program is designed to educate and help parents connect to their children in order to nurture their child's sexual health and well-being.

Military Sexual Integrity Outreach: "Colorado Springs is home to a number of military bases. We have a specially designed program promoting sexual integrity in the military for incoming soldiers.

Mission

"The mission of the Education for a Lifetime department is to bring whole-person health to all youth, but particularly to high-risk youth of Colorado Springs in order that they may lead healthy and productive lives. We encourage students to abstain from all high-risk behavior with an emphasis on sexual abstinence so those students can stay in school, attain a quality education, and begin to focus on their goals and dreams.

Empower Youth

Help Empower Youth With an Education That Makes a Difference.
"The power of our programs rests with the wonderful people in our community who volunteer and give their time to speak to adults and youth. Speakers go through training as well as periodic update meetings to stay current on issues of sexual abstinence, youth development, and marriage and family issues. We also have a medical advisory board that oversees materials for medical reference and accuracy. Please contact us today to hear more information about Education For a Lifetime, book a program or learn about our volunteering opportunities by calling 719.591.5424."

The one program mentioned, Team Engage, is another part of Education for a Lifetime which goes into the schools and gives kids “the know” about abstinence and making right choices from a Christian standpoint. Although these volunteers aren’t allowed to share their faith in the classroom, they have managed to find other ways to do it and not get in trouble. It’s amazing how God works when He wants His Word to be spread! Here’s a little more information about the program, straight from their website:

"The decision to live a life with no regrets is not one that your parents, your grandma, your dog, your boyfriend or girlfriend, or even Team Engage can make for you. It is a life-long decision you must make for yourself. If you choose the left door, you will live a life that is reckless and ends in life-long regrets. If you choose the right door, you will live a life filled with self-respect, self-discipline, and self-integrity. Your decision will affect the rest of your life.

choose a life with purpose. choose a life with no regrets.
choose a life with team engage.

what’s the point?

mission
To engage students in the choice to stand firm for abstinence from sex, drugs, alcohol and tobacco.

how can team engage help you choose life?
Each one of the Team Engage students has signed a contract to stand firm against the influence of drugs, alcohol, and tobacco throughout high school as well as all sexually activity until marriage. Our first goal is to provide a peer support environment for the high school students that sign the contract. Our second goal is to provide those same students with opportunities to speak out to a lost and dying generation and make a difference through classroom presentations. As a city wide youth volunteer organization we represent 13 different high schools in the Colorado Springs region. This makes for a diverse group of teenagers who are making a difference in their community.

requirements
Each Team Engage member is required to attend two classroom presentations each semester (four presentations per year), two Team Engage training meetings per month, and two training retreats per year (Fall and Spring)"

Although this program is located in Colorado Springs, it’s worth the drive you may have to make. But if you still don’t want to drive, there are other ways to get involved in an abstinence program. One of the very important parts of abstinence is that you remain healthy. STDs are such bad things, and abstinence is the only way to avoid them.

Here are some helpful links:

Education for a Lifetime – http://eflonline.org/
Team Engage - http://www.coloradoteenadvisors.com/
Team Engage- http://www.du.edu/~edesaire/Project%202/mainpage.htm
Team Engage - http://www.teamengage.com/
Centers for Disease Control - http://www.cdc.gov/
Medical Institute for Sexual Health - http://www.medinstitute.org/
MISH Healthfinder - http://www.healthfinder.gov/orgs/HR2757.htm
National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy - http://www.teenpregnancy.org/Default.asp?bhcp=1
Pure By Choice - http://purebychoice.com/
Pure Schools - http://www.pureschools.com/
Health related behaviors of Colorado Adolescents (Report) -
http://www.cdphe.state.co.us/hs/pubs/yrbs2003d.pdf
Administration for Children and Families - http://www.acf.hhs.gov/index.html
Colorado Coalition for STD Prevention - http://www.cdphe.state.co.us/dc/ccsp/
Colorado Adolescent Health Report 2003 - http://www.cdphe.state.co.us/ps/adolschool/adolehealthreport.asp
Abstinence Clearinghouse - http://www.abstinence.net/
Family Research Council - http://www.frc.org/
Christopher West’s books - http://www.christopherwest.com/
Focus on the Family – www.family.org
The Heritage Foundation – www.heritage.org
Institute of Youth Development – www.youthdevelopment.org
Worth Waiting For - http://sites.silaspartners.com/worthwaitingfor
Pure Love Club - http://www.pureloveclub.com/
The Medical Institute - http://www.medinstitute.org/

Character

Character Education Partnership - www.character.org
American Values - www.americanvalues.org
Wise Skills Resources - www.wiseskills.com
The National Center for Youth Issues - www.cyi-stars.org

Curriculum

Choosing the Best - www.choosingthebest.com
Teen Aid - www.teen-aid.org
WAIT Training - www.waittraining.com
Sex Respect - www.sexrespect.com
Project Reality - www.projectreality.org

Faith-Based

Linda Klepacki - http://www.family.org/cforum/fosi/abstinence/
LifeWay: True Love Waits - www.truelovewaits.com
Pure Intimacy - www.pureintimacy.com

Great Teen Sites

BreakDown - www.ibreakdown.com
My Life, My Freedom - www.mylifemyfreedom.org
Abstinence Program - www.sexcanwait.com
Not Me, Not Now - www.notmenotnow.org
Greattowait - www.greattowait.com
Worth the Wait - www.worthwait.org
Love Matters - www.lovematters.com

Media

Phil Chalmers’ Website - www.philchalmers.com
Waiting Teen Media - www.waitingteen.org

Pornography Filters

Pure Life Ministries - www.purelifeministries.org
8e6 - www.netaccountability.org
Bsafe Online Internet Filters - www.bsafehome.com
X3 Watch - www.x3watch.com
Filter Services - www.integrityonline.com
XXX Church - www.xxxchurch.com

Pregnancy

Stand Up Girl - www.standupgirl.com

Pure By Choice Performers and Speakers

A.G.E. - http://www.godstylerecords.com/
Sanctus Real - http://www.sanctusreal.com/
Mark Hart - http://www.lifeteen.com/default.aspx?PageID=BGHOME
Tree 63 - http://www.tree63.com/
Supertones - http://www.supertones.com/

Organizations

A & M Partnership - www.abstinenceandmarriage.org
Aim For Success - www.aimforsuccess.org
Club Varsity - www.clubvarsity.org
Just Say YES (Youth Equipped to Succeed) - www.justsayyes.org
4Abstinence - www.4abstinence.com
McLennan County Collaborative Abstinence Project (McCap) - www.mccap.org
Worth The Wait - www.worthwait.org
ClubAC.com - www.clubac.com
Enlighten Communications, Inc. - www.enlightencom.com

Volume 3, Number 14: The Psychological Effects of Abortion: Part II

2006-02-12T07:44:00.000-08:00

The Health Racquet

Volume 3

Number 14

WHY CAN'T WE LOVE THEM BOTH
by Dr. and Mrs. J.C. Willke
CHAPTER 9
HEALTH: MORE SPECIFICALLY, MENTAL HEALTH

Posted on this blog by Allegra Tschappler

In discussing abortion, and abortion for the mother’s health, it is absolutely crucial to know what "health" means, legally and in practice, regarding abortion. "Health" was defined in detail by the U.S. Supreme Court. The Court said that abortion could be performed: ". . . in the light of all factors — physical, emotion-al, psychological, familial, and the woman’s age — relevant to the well being of the patient. All these factors may relate to health." Roe vs. Wade, January 22, 1973

And in its companion decision, "Maternity or additional offspring may force upon the woman a distressful life and future. Psychological harm may be imminent. Mental and physical health may be taxed by childcare. There is also the distress for all concerned associated with the unwanted child, and there is the problem of bringing a child into a family already unable, psychologically or otherwise, to care for it." Doe vs. Bolton, January 22, 1973 44

In a concurring opinion, Justice Douglas further elaborated what "health" meant when, in law, it related to abortion. He detailed if she had to: "endure the discomforts of pregnancy; to incur the pain, higher mortality rate, and aftereffects of childbirth; to abandon educational plans; to sustain loss of income; to forego the satisfactions of careers; to tax further mental and physical health in providing childcare, and in some cases, to bear the lifelong stigma of unwed motherhood." Roe vs. Wade, January 22, 1973

This definition of "health" has been adopted internationally. As a result, in any nation, if abortion is allowed for the woman’s "health," that country permits abortion on demand unless other aspects of its laws add restrictions.
The World Health Organization of the United Nations defined it as including social, emotional and economic well being of the woman as defined by the woman herself.

Q. Let’s narrow it down to mental health, in the psychological sense, and ask–are there mental health reasons for abortion?
A. No! The woman with mental health problems is far more likely to experience post-abortion emotional and psychological problems than a more stable woman.
Four classic references here are these: "Women with a history of psychiatric disturbance were three times as likely to have some psychiatric disturbance" after an abortion as others who had no such history." E. Greenglass, "Abortion & Psychiatric Disturbance," Canadian Psych. Assn. Jour., vol. 21, no. 7, Nov. 1976, pp. 453-459
Dr. Charles Ford and his associates at UCLA reported the same finding. "The more serious the psychiatric diagnosis, the less beneficial was the abortion." C. Ford et al., "Abortion, Is It a Therapeutic Procedure in Psychiatry?" JAMA, vol. 218, no. 8, Nov. 22, 1971, pp. 1173-1178
"The more severely ill the psychiatric patient, the worse is her post-abortion psychiatric state." E. Sandberg, "Psychology of Abortion" In Comprehensive Handbook of Psychiatry, 3rd ed. Kaplan & Friedman Publishers, 1980
All of these support the original official statement of the World Health Organization in 1970: "Serious mental disorders arise more often in women with previous mental problems. Thus, the very women for whom legal abortion is considered justified on psychiatric grounds are the ones who have the highest risk of post-abortion psychiatric disorders."

Q. Then "mental illness" as a reason for abortion is just an excuse?
A. Precisely.

Q. What about psychological problems after abortion?
When your authors wrote Handbook on Abortion in 1971, there were a few murmurings about post-abortion problems, but little was known. We then saw the negatives as mostly physical.
When we wrote Abortion: Questions & Answers in 1985, physical damage, while still a major problem, was given less emphasis, and negative psychological aftermath was being seriously investigated. With the publication of this book, far more is known about what is now called Post Abortion Syndrome which clearly is a post traumatic stress syndrome.

Q. A Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome?
A. Yes. This type of problem was first seen in large numbers in Vietnam veterans, but did not manifest it-self until a decade after they returned. The same ten-year delay has been evident with abortion. T. Keane, Vietnam Vets Trauma disorder level at 15%, Am. Med. News, L. Abraham, Dec. 2, 1988, p. 2

Q. What is Post Abortion Syndrome (PAS)?
A. Many women are very ambivalent about getting aborted but do go ahead. Those around her told her (and she told herself) that it wouldn’t bother her. When symptoms occur, she tells herself it can’t be the abortion causing them, and then into play come her two major psychological defense mechanisms:
Repression and Denial.
For some this works successfully. For others it shades off to manageable distress, to severe and life-changing upset and even to suicide.

Q. There is a delay?
A. Yes! Her initial response in most cases is a feeling of relief. Then, with repression and denial, she avoids the problem, usually for years —5 years is common, 10 or 20 not unusual.
But then, for some, the negative feelings bubble up and break through. Often the precipitating event is: she has a baby, or a close friend or relative has a baby that she has close contact with. She finds out she is sterile, or other life-changing events.

Q. What are the symptoms of PAS?
A. Guilt is ever present in many guises, along with regret, remorse, shame, lowered self-esteem, insomnia, dreams and nightmares, flash backs, anniversary reactions. There often is hostility, and even hatred, toward men. This can include her husband, and she may be-come sexually dysfunctional. Crying, despair and depression are usual, even at times with suicide attempts.
Recourse to alcohol or drugs to mask the pain is frequent, sometimes leading to sexual promiscuity. There is also a numbing and coldness in place of more normal warmth and maternal tenderness.

Q. Is this due to religious guilt feelings?
A. Perhaps in some it is a factor, but most women re-ported on in the early studies were unchurched at the time.

Q. Perhaps they had seen pictures of fetuses?
A. Again, not most. Most did not know "it" was a "baby" when they aborted.

Q. But I’ve heard that the American Psychological Association says that PAS doesn’t exist.
A. This group has been strongly pro-abortion, and this definitely colors its thinking. But during the past decade or more, there have been dozens of national conferences on PAS. There are many professional articles and about 15 books adding more and more authentication to its existence and knowledge about it. Further, every one of the almost 4,000 pro-life pregnancy help centers in the U.S. now has found that an increasing percentage of their time is now devoted to treating PAS women.

Q. But so many studies deny PAS.
A. True, and most are invalid for two reasons:
(1) Timing: Most studies have investigated feelings for only a few weeks or months post abortion when she is still feeling relief that her problem is gone. Since the delay before PAS symptoms intrude is often 5 years or more, these studies are invalid.
(2) Superficiality: Her repression and denial push this deep into her subconsciousness. If the survey is done by questionnaire or single interview, she routinely denies problems. These studies are invalid. Only by lengthy psychological testing and counseling can she often admit to some symptoms, much less tie them to the abortion she so desperately wants to forget.

Q. You mean most studies miss PAS?
A. But most polls show few emotional problems — only a sense of relief! Yes, but "What women really feel at the deepest level about abortion is very different from what they say in reply to questionnaires." A Canadian study polled a group of women who had previously completed a questionnaire in which they denied having problems from an abortion. One half of this group was randomly chosen for in-depth psychotherapy." What emerged from psychotherapy was in sharp contrast [to the questionnaires], even when the woman had rationally considered abortion to be inevitable, the only course of action." It was demonstrated that the conscious, rationalized decision for an abortion can co-exist with profound rejection of it at the deepest level. Despite surface appearances, abortion leaves behind deeper feelings "invariably of intense pain, involving bereavement and a sense of identification with the foetus." I. Kent et al., "Emotional Sequelae of Elective Abortion," British College of Med. Jour., vol. 20, no. 4, April 1978 I. Kent, "Abortion Has Profound Impact," Family Practice News, June 1980, p. 80

Q. Are there valid studies?
A. Yes, and two meta-analyses: James Rogers, who carefully examined over 400 published studies, pointed to the almost universal use of "poor methodology and research design" and "grossly substandard power characteristics." He concluded that "the question of psychological sequelae of abortion is not closed." J. Rogers et al., "Validity of Existing Controlled Studies Examining the Psychological Sequelae of Abortion," Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith, vol. 39, no. 1, Mar. 1987, pp. 20-29 49
Another concurred that existing research is methodologically flawed and that women who abort show more negative outcomes than those who deliver their babies. E. Posavac et al., "Some Problems . . . Psychological Effects of Abortion," Psychology & Health, 5, 13-23

Q. How about specific studies?
A. An excellent study thoroughly explaining and documenting PAS by the team that named this entity is:
A. Speckhard & V. Rue, Post. Ab. Syndrome: An Emerging Public Health Concern, J. of Soc. Issues, vol. 48, no. 3, 1992 and E.J. Angelo, Psych. Sequelae of Abortion, Linacre Quart. vol. 59:2, May 1992 and P. Ney et al., Mental Health & Abortion, Psychiat. Jour., U. of Ottawa, vol. 14, no. 4, 1989 and L. DeVeber et al., Post Abortion Grief, Psychol. Sequel. of Ab., Humane Med., Vol. 7, no. 3, Aug. ’91, p. 203
Two excellent monographs are:
J. Brende, Post-Trauma Sequelae..Abortion.., Trauma Rec. Pub., 458 Morning Glory Dr., Sparta, GA 31087
V. Rue, Post Abortion Trauma, Life Dynamics, 1994, P.O. Box 185, Lewisville, TX 75067
Also a quarterly newsletter from the Association for Interdisciplinary Research in Values & Social Change available from NRLC, 419 7th St. NW, Washington, DC 20004.

Q. Does it ever lead to suicide?
A. Suicide is rare among pregnant women, but much more common after induced abortion. It is never re-ported under maternal mortality from abortion, of course, even though it is causative.
"The suicide rate after an abortion was three times the general suicide rate and six times that associated with birth.... the rate for women following a live birth was 5.9 per 100,000; following miscarriage 18.1; following abortion 34.7." They note that women frequently get short term "post-natal blues after having a baby, but that this rarely translates into suicide, and that the initial stress of having a child is transitional, the over-all effect having a positive effect on women’s health." M. Gissler, Abortion/Suicide Link,Br. Med. J., Dec. 6, 1996

Q. Then it is rare among pregnant women?
A. In Abortion: Questions & Answers your authors de-tail 5 studies clearly showing this. One comment may suffice: "The fetus in utero must be a protective mechanism. Perhaps women are reluctant to take another life with them when they do this."

Q. How about after abortion?
A. In the above book your authors also give the findings of Suiciders Anonymous, and that: suicide post-abortion is several times more common than post-delivery. British Medical Jour., 1996

Q. What of Psychosis afterwards?
A. This has not changed since Dr. M. Sims’ original paper. He stated that, compared to post-delivery disturbances, post-abortion psychoses are much more serious, last longer, and are more likely to recur. They are more often the "hard" cases. M. Sim, "Abortion and the Psychiatrist," British Med. Jour., vol. 2, 1963, pp. 145-148

Q. How about an example from a non-Christian culture?
A. In Japan, where abortion has been legal and accepted for over four decades, a common custom is to conduct Mizuyo Kuyo services in honor of the god Jizo. This god has been made the patron saint of infants who died of starvation, abortion, or infanticide. Small baby statues, in his honor, are bought and dressed. Then, in a Buddhist Temple, rites of sorrow and reconciliation are carried out.

Q. Does abortion have any negative effects on her other children?
A. In some cases a definite "Survivor Syndrome" has been demonstrated. Children usually know that mother is pregnant. They also know when she "gets unpregnant." This may cause Survivor’s Syndrome, similar to that of Jews who survived the holocaust. It is an irrational but real guilt at "why was I saved and why were they killed." Dr. Ney has written about this. Dr. Edward Sheridan of Georgetown University has observed also a fear and mistrust of the mother. Originally, a small child, sensing a sibling’s arrival, doesn’t welcome it. "When the baby suddenly disappears, the frightened child may get a warped sense of his own power to ‘will people away.’ Or, if he knows that his mother was an active agent in doing away with the sibling, he begins to fear her." A simple explanation of this was published in: L. Bond, "The Surviving Sibling," Nat’l RTL News, Sept. 25, 1986.

It is also closely associated with child abuse: Dr. Phillip Ney, Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Christ Church, New Zealand, and of later at
the University of Calgary, Canada, while still at the University of British Columbia, published a widely read study of this. His analysis clearly pointed to the fact that abortion (and its acceptance of the violence of killing the unborn) lowered a parent’s psychic resistance to violence and abuse of the born. P. Ney, "Relationship Between Abortion & Child Abuse," Canada Jour. Psychiatry, vol. 24, 1979, pp. 610-620

Q. Is there treatment for PAS?
A. Yes, but it is not easy. We first must note that only a few doctors are sensitized to the necessary dynamics of treatment. Specifically, most psychiatrists and psychologists aren’t much help, nor are psychotropic drugs. This requires a gradual healing process, and during it she must have ongoing close emotional support from one or several people who do not have to be trained professionals.

As of the late 1990s, the place to start is your pro-life pregnancy help center. They can either work with her themselves and/or will know who can.
Basically, there are five steps to the healing process:
(1) Counter the denial. Bring this back into her consciousness and admit she was a party to killing her own baby.
She must grieve over her lost child — tears, mourning as for another loved one.
(3) Seek Divine forgiveness. This was not expected but seems essential for almost every woman.
(4) Forgive others. Difficult, again, but some of this is needed to complete the healing and get rid of her long repressed anger.
(5) Forgive herself. Not many get this far, but those who do have real inner peace. What is absolutely crucial at every step in the above is compassionate empathy, support and understanding from one or more persons around her. J. Willke, P.A.S. Five Steps on How You Can Help, Life Issues Connector, Mar. 1996

http://www.abortionfacts.com/online_books/love_them_both/why_cant_we_love_them_both_9.asp

Volume 3, Number 14: The Healthy Effects of Precinct Walking

2006-02-02T10:46:00.000-08:00

The Health Racquet
Volume 3
Number 14

The Healthy Effects of Precinct Walking

By Allegra Tschappler

It's not quite that time for walking precincts, but it is time to start thinking about precinct walking. Have you ever done it before? If not, I've got to say it is one of the best ways to get exercise: You not only work your body, you get volunteer hours, you help get people you want elected, and you try out your communication skills as well as honing them.

As you probably know by now, walking is so important for our bodies in several ways:
1. It improves cardiovascular health
2. It reduces the risk of heart disease and mental illness
3. It helps maintain a healthy body weight
4. Walking also helps improve resistance to sicknesses

If you get out and walk several hours a day while helping elect those you want in office, you will be doing yourself and your state government a great service. Therefore, I strongly urge you to get some flyers for your preferred government official and take a walk.

Credo Academy Class Feedback Form

2006-01-30T12:41:00.000-08:00

Credo Academy
Class Feedback

Please rate from 1-5 (1 being not important, 5 being the most important) the importance of Credo Academy offering the following types of classes:

1) Core Classes (such as US History, Math, Biology, etc)

1 2 3 4 5

2) Elective Classes (such as Music, Art, etc)

1 2 3 4 5

3) Classes that focus on more specific topics and/or research oriented

1 2 3 4 5

4) Clubs (such as Honor Society, etc.)

1 2 3 4 5

5) Classes to prepare for ACT/SAT exams

1 2 3 4 5

6) Classes to prepare for AP Exams

1 2 3 4 5

Please list classes not currently being offered at Credo that you would like to see offered:

_______________________________________________________________

Volume 3, Number 13: The Phsycological Effects of Abortion: Part I

2006-01-26T07:13:00.000-08:00

The Health Racquet
Volume 3
Number 13

The Phsycological Effects of Abortion: Part I

By Allegra Tschappler

If someone has been affected by a past abortion, they may find themselves experiencing a wide range of unexpected, and confusing, thoughts and emotions. Whether it has been days, months or even years since the abortion, many men and women are affected by Post Abortion Syndrome at some point in their life.

The Signs of Post Abortion Syndrome (P A S)
Grief, sadness or sorrow
Feelings of loss
Moodiness, depression or anxiety
Frequent crying spells
Sleeplessness, nightmares or flashbacks
Troubled relationships
Eating disorders
Anger or rage
Suicidal impulses
Feeling "numb"
Discomfort around, or keen interest in, small children and babies

They are not alone. Life Network, through Bridges of Hope, offers a 9 week support group comprised of women who have experienced the pain of an abortion. This is a safe and confidential environment where they can begin the healing process. During this study, issues of anger, guilt and forgiveness are some of the topics covered. Trained and caring facilitators assist in small group interaction and post abortion support Bible studies. For men who may be struggling with a decision that was made regarding an abortion, Bridges of Hope also offers one on one support with a male facilitator. This pain can often be just as real for a man who must deal with a past abortion.
Whatever the circumstance, we want to help.

http://www.elifenetwork.com/

To read more about the psychological effects of abortion, please read Volume 3: Number 14, The Psychological Effects of Abortion: Part II

Volume 3, Number 12: A New Look: Acne!?!

2006-01-02T22:35:00.000-08:00

The Health Racquet
Volume 3
Number 12

A New Look: Acne!?!

By Allegra Tschappler

This semester, I'm going to take a new look at things besides eating healthfully and exercising. This is mostly geared towards teenagers, although adults and younger kids can learn as well.

Do you have acne? If you are a teenager, you probably do. According to OSF Healthcare, acne is THE most common skin disease in the United States. 85% of people between 12 and 25 have some sort of acne.

But don't be discouraged! There are ways to treat this annoying skin disease. Again, taken from OSF Healthcare, there are several things you can do at home without having to see a dermatologist:

Wash your face gently with a mild cleanser. Since acne is not caused by dirt, hard scrubbing with a strong detergent soap can make things worse.
Leave your skin alone. Don't try to squeeze the pimples, blackheads or whiteheads. Squeezing could cause them to rupture below the skin and result in scarring.
Be careful with cosmetics. Choose ones that are labeled noncomedogenic and oil free.
Moisturizers add oil and that's something you don't need. Watch out especially for lipstick with moisturizers.
Shave carefully. Use an electric razor or a sharp safety razor making sure the beard is softened well with soap and water before applying shaving cream.
Watch out for the sun. A tan may make the skin seem better and drier for awhile but it's temporary. The sun can result in premature aging and skin cancer. (Read about "Skin Cancer") In addition some medications for acne make your skin much more sensitive to sun.

I personally have been encouraged whenever I use pHisoderm. It contains 2% salicylic acid, which works for me (most of the time), but probably doesn't work for EVERYONE. Another idea is to try benzoil peroxide solutions. My aunt has acne, and she tried this stuff. She says benzoil peroxide has gotten rid of her acne like nothing else.

If you don't want to buy chemical solutions, try herbal ones like these: tea tree oil, echinacea and goldenseal. Aloe, chamomile, primrose oil, vitamin E and zinc are said to be helpful as well. That way you don't worry about chemicals doing weird things to your face.

A word of encouragement for those suffering from this skin problem: almost everyone has it, so they feel empathy towards your situation. Those who don't have it probably did at one point or another. So try to heal your face, and then don't worry about it. You are still beautiful in God's eyes, and since His is the only opinion we should truly care about, thank Him for giving you acne. He has created your body in such an amazing way, and we simple humans can't truly understand it.

For print version:

OSF Healthcare link: http://www.stayinginshape.com/3osfcorp/libv/k20.shtml
pHisoderm link: http://www.phisoderm.com/

Volume 3, Number 11: New Year's Resolutions

2006-01-02T20:40:00.000-08:00

The Health Racquet
Volume 3
Number 11

Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare. -Japanese Proverb

New Year's Resolutions

By Allegra Tschappler

Welcome back! I'm so excited to get going again. Hopefully the break was a welcome relief from normal schedule, a time to do new and exciting things.

You know, we humans usually make resolutions that are way over our heads. Either we can't possibly complete them, or we forget them or we just don't make them because we know we'll break them. How can we get out of this cycle but make the new year a welcome time for a new and fresh start?

Here are some ideas:

1. Be specific. Instead of saying, "I will exercise more," say something like "I will walk an hour a day for the next month". Instead of, "I will stop eating junk food", "I will not drink soda for a year" could be just as good. But you're probably getting the idea!

2. Don't set impossible goals. The above listed ones probably aren't too hard, but don't set a goal like being able to run two miles in a minute without being able to do one mile in a minute. Otherwise, walking an hour a day or not drinking that soda could be a good start. Take baby steps, and you will ultimately reach your final goal.

3. Write it down. Otherwise, it's easy to forget it in say, a month. Put that piece of paper on your wall, along with the progress you've made. That way you are reminded, and your progress is sure to be encouraging. If you aren't making any progress, the paper will remind you gently.

4. Make a timeline. Have those little baby steps outlined so that you can cross them off and get that feeling of accomplishment. Once you've avoided soda for a month, you might want to reward yourself with a special drink like a big bottle of Gatorade or a special-recipe cup of coffee. Whatever it is, a reward helps you have something to look forward to, along with that crossing-off of the timeline.

5. Have accountability. If you're going to walk that hour every day, try doing it with someone else! That way, even if you don't want to do it one morning, your partner can keep you going. Even if they don't participate in the resolution with you, it's still good to have someone you know cheer you on. As my dad says, "You guys don't understand how important your cheerleading can be to me!" Get a cheerleader, and maybe do the same for them in their resolution.

If you haven't made resolutions, you might think about it. As Christians, we are constantly growing, and it's fun to see how God works in our lives. He can help us accomplish our goals if they are really honoring to Him, and we will gain the satisfaction that comes with finishing a job.

Maybe your resolution for the year will be to find a verse that's just for you. Maybe you want to memorize verses and see how many you can do. Whatever you do, if you ask for God's help, I can bet that He will be more than happy to do so. So press on! We have a higher goal, which is reaching heaven.

Volume 3, Number 10: The Good and the Bad

2005-12-08T13:39:00.000-08:00

The Health Racquet
Volume 3
Number 10

The Good and the Bad
By Allegra Tschappler

My dear readers, I have some bad news and some good news: This is the last issue of the Credo Chronicler you'll get in paper format for a good three weeks. That's the bad news. The good news is that those three weeks are your Christmas break from Credo. So enjoy it while you can!

While you are taking your break, remember to eat healthfully and get outside to exercise when it's not 10 below zero degrees fahrenheit! Even when it's cold, however, you can still eat healthfully. And you can exercise.

Of course, when it's as cold as it was last Wednesday, you'll want to stay inside and do something like pushups or run around yelling like a maniac. Okay, don't yell! But you can "do" stairs. Go up and down them for half an hour, and then describe the sensation in your legs. It's a good feeling, because you really feel like you've exercised.

Another good way to exercise is to get out and go sledding or ice skating. It is the perfect time of year for the previously mentioned activities, and you have a blast doing it. If you have the time and resources, go skiing! Or, if you like better, go snowboarding. But Bryan can tell you why skiing is better...

After getting out in the cold, come inside to a hot cup of tea. Here are just a few flavors you could try: White Christmas, Christmas Morning, Christmas Eve, Holiday Chai, Chamomile, Lemon Blossom, Lemon Ginger, Licorice Spice, Mango Passionfruit, Peppermint, Triple Ginseng, and Wild Raspberry. These are just a few ideas from one tea company (Stash). These have much more interesting tastes than normal hot chocolate (and a much wider variety), and they are good for you. Just don't forget the honey!

Volume 3, Number 9: Is There More?

2005-12-01T18:41:00.000-08:00

The Health Racquet
Volume 3
Number 9

Is There More?

By Allegra Tschappler

Are there any more ways to get and stay healthy besides exercise? There most certainly are. Exercise is only a small part of getting and remaining healthy, and it's especially hard to do during the long, winter months here in Colorado, although we get more good days in the winter than most places.

One way to get healthy is to eat healthy foods. Not a terribly complicated idea, but still hard to do. God has given our tongues four types of taste buds: sweet, sour, salty and bitter. Even when we were babies, however, we preferred sweet things to the other tastes. And we still do, if we're anything like the average American. But even if sweet things taste good, so can sour, salty and bitter tastes. It depends on your taste, though. (Sorry for the pun) Some like sour things like pickles, while others like my little sister really, really like salty things like french fries. I think that a majority of adults also like bitter tastes because so many drink coffee. Actually, I like it too!

So, what healthy foods can we eat that also taste good? It seems like most are made with tofu, raisins, or carob powder, which don't taste all that great. In fact, some people might say they are downright nasty! But God gave us healthy food because He doesn't want us to misuse our body by constantly eating junk food. If God gave us healthy food, there must be some way to enjoy eating healthy food because He doesn't make all good things taste or appear bad.

Here's an idea: after exercising for an hour or so before breakfast, go inside and eat something like oatmeal with honey on top. You can even put raisins (yes, I know, healthy!) or cinnamon on it. There are all sorts of interesting ways to spice up something really boring-tasting like oatmeal or grits. And the best part is, it's good for you! (And it lowers your cholesterol.)

For an extra-special snack, you can drag out the blender, some bananas, some strawberries, milk, orange juice concentrate and a cup for testing. It makes a super-good snack, it's filling, and it's healthy. Best of all, you now know how to cook (somewhat).

So try eating more healthy foods and cutting back on those not-so-healthy foods. You will be surprised at how good you feel when you don't eat things you know you shouldn't and do eat things that will build your body for God's work.

Volume 3, Number 8: Back To Exercise!

2005-11-22T16:20:00.000-08:00

The Health Racquet
Volume 3
Number 9

Back to Exercise!
By Allegra Tschappler

Welcome back to Credo! I hope everyone had a very enjoyable and relaxing Thanksgiving break.

Last time, we discussed how the average American gains about seven pounds over the holidays. But the eating isn't the problem. It's the lack of exercise. When you don't exercise, you start feeling rather draggy, which causes you to stay as far as possible away from exercise. Then, when you feel draggy, you eat to make yourself feel better. Then you expand your stomach until a normal meal isn't so normal to other people...you see how it can go downhill from there!

Instead of preaching at you, though, I would like to give you encouragement. If you are struggling with maintaining a constant time for exercise, it is a good idea to join the President's Challenge. It is a place where you can get new ideas for exercising (chopping wood? Who would have thought of that?), and you can record how well you've done. You will have incentive (yes, another deadline) to get your exercise in for the day. To really know what I'm talking about, though, you need to see for yourself. Just sign up and join the group called "credo".

Whatever you ate this Thanksgiving, please continue exercising. It will help you maintain that energy you need for everything you do, and you will feel much better.

Volume 3, Number 7: Why Exercise? Part Two

2005-11-13T19:05:00.000-08:00

The Health Racquet
Volume 3
Number 7

Why Exercise? Part Two
By Allegra Tschappler

Thanksgiving is coming...then comes Christmas...then comes New Year's. So, why do we care about a list of the holidays? Well, if you're anything like the normal American, you will gain seven pounds over the holidays. But you don't have to gain all this weight. If you exercise regularly, say an hour a day, you can keep off a vast majority of this weight gain. The rest is up to the way you eat, but exercise will help a lot.

Not only will exercise help you keep off those dreaded pounds, it will also help you deal with the stress that always comes with baking Thanksgiving meals, inviting people, being around people for more time than you ever hoped for, wrapping presents, going to Christmas parties, etc. Lets face it: the holidays may be fun, but they can be stressful. Exercising will give you time alone, where you can refresh your outlook on life.

As usual, I would encourage you to seriously consider joining the President's Challenge to get the motivation and competition you may look for when exercising.

So get out there and exercise! It can't do any harm, and you've now got two reasons to do it.

Volume 3, Number 6: Why Exercise? Part 1

2005-10-30T06:42:00.000-08:00

The Health Racquet
Volume 3
Number 6

The Ultimate Question: WHY? Part 1
By Allegra Tschappler

Why do we exercise? Why do we try to do the President's Challenge? Why all this time spent when you could be devoting more of it to school. I mean, come on! An hour a day just for exercise? You could be working on your debate case, polishing up your speech, or working on math!

I believe one of the reasons we need to exercise is that we want to glorify God. When we exercise, we are building up the temple of the Holy Spirit (our body) to do His work. If we allow ourselves to become fat and lazy for want of exercise, we can become seriously detrimental to the Christian faith. People look at us and say they don’t want to be a Christian because “all” Christians are fat and lazy. Hey, they’re making a hasty generalization, but that’s what we all do. I may be going over the edge here in what the results of not exercising may do, but I do know that God likes us to get out and exercise so we can do His work.

Volume 3, Number 5: The President's Challenge Revisited

2005-10-24T15:54:00.000-07:00

The Health Racquet
Volume 3
Number 5

The President's Challenge: Credo Group!
By Allegra Tschappler

YOU'RE INVITED TO JOIN THE PRESIDENT'S CHALLENGE!

Allegra Tschappler has started a group to take the President's Challenge together: Credo, and you're invited to be part of it!

WHAT IS IT?

The President's Challenge is a series of programs designed to help improve anyone's activity level. Joining a group is a great way to make staying active easy.To learn more about the President's Challenge, go to:http://www.presidentschallenge.org

WHY JOIN?

Staying active with others can be a lot of fun. They'll help keep you motivated - even when you don't really feel like it. Groups are a great way to meet new people. There are even programs for people at different activity levels: the Active Lifestyle program aimed at beginners, and the Presidential Champions program for those who are already active.Signing up for a group is simple. And there's no limit to how any you can belong to. You can join or leave at any time. All you have to do is register. It's quick, and there's no cost just to participate!

HOW TO JOIN:

1) Go to http://www.presidentschallenge.org/login/register_individual.aspx

2) Fill out the registration form.* Be sure to include the following info during registration

*Group ID Number: 34613

Group Member ID/Name: Credo

3) After registering, start logging your activities. As you log activities you'll be able to track your progress toward winning a President's Challenge Award or Medal.

Good luck!

Volume 3, Number 4: Here's a Healthy Recipe

2005-10-24T15:48:00.000-07:00

The Health Racquet
Volume 3
Number 4

Here's a Healthy Recipe
By Allegra Tschappler

Another way to become healthy, besides exercising, is to find and use good recipes like the following:

Apple Bread

Ingredients:
3 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 eggs
1-1/2 cups Sucanat, or packed brown sugar
1/2 cup oil
1 Tablespoon vanilla
2 cups diced apple (without skins)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon flour

Mix flour, cinnamon, soda, salt, and baking powder together. Beat eggs and add Sucanat or brown sugar and oil. Add vanilla and dry ingredients. Stir in apples. Mix walnuts in a teaspoon of flour and add to batter. Pour into 2 greased loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
Makes: 2 loaves

Taken from an article on Creative Homemaking's website.

If you have any good, healthy recipes that you would like to share with others, please give a copy of it to me, along with your name, and I will happily put it in this newsletter.

Volume 3, Number 3: The President's Challenge

2005-10-24T15:47:00.000-07:00

The Health Racquet
Volume 3
Number 3

The President's Challenge
By Allegra Tschappler

The whole purpose of this department is to give you the most up-to-date information about health ideas, fitness routines, healthy recipes and more. If you have any ideas you'd like to share, please let me know, and I'll try to get it in here.Have you decided that you need to get in shape? Perhaps you want to lift those 50-pound feedbags, but just can't make it. Perhaps you're just trying to lift your little brother, who just happens to be a little more than you can handle. Whatever you're trying to do, my suggestion is that you go to The President's Challenge. The website is http://www.presidentschallenge.org/. I have been trying this out, and it seems to be working...of course, one can't tell after only a few days. Anyhow, please visit this website and tell me what you think.