Autism Speaks!

www.autismspeaks.org

Hi everyone I wanted to talk to you guys about raising awareness for Autism! According to Autism Speaks Foundation Autism is" Autism is a general term used to describe a group of complex developmental brain disorders known as Pervasive Developmental Disorders. "Even with all the medical advancements we have in our society the causes of Autism is still unknown. Research shoes that there are many different levels, and severity of symptoms that Autism causes. 
According to Autism Speaks theses are some of the red flags with Autism

• No big smiles or other warm, joyful expressions by six months or thereafter

• No back-and-forth sharing of sounds, smiles, or other facial expressions by nine months or thereafter

• No babbling by 12 months

• No back-and-forth gestures, such as pointing, showing, reaching, or waving by 12 months

• No words by 16 months

• No two-word meaningful phrases (without imitating or repeating) by 24 months

The foundation for Autism Speaks mission is to create funds for global bio medical research in order to create prevention, and treatment for Autism. There goal is to also raise awareness on its effects on families and also the person who is suffering from Autism.

It is really important to bring hope to those who struggle with Autism and their families. I think its really important to give these families a sense of community, and to have a caring and helpful attitude towards them. 

If you want to help raise awareness for Autism you can visit this website that i visited, and you can help make a difference! 

http://www.autismspeaks.org/mission.php

xo

Information on Abortions

image www.prochoice.org

Abortion has been a very controversial issue for years, and because of that i was not sure if i should speak about it, but i decided to share some information with you guys!
Recent statistics show that one in three women in America will have an abortion by the age of 45, and although abortion is known as one of the safest medical procedures in the United States, there is still a great deal of controversy that surrounds it. 


I personally believe that there are many different alternatives that a women can choose instead of choosing abortions. My personal beliefs go against abortion, and i believe that God is the only one who gives us life and he should be the only one who can have the power to take it away from us. I also strongly believe that everything happens for a reason, and maybe at the time that you become pregnant you feel that it is not the right time for you, but maybe its the right time for someone else, and that person is not able to have children , and its something that they have really been wanting. You could be that person who gives them a life changing gift.  


There are many ways that you can become informed on what to do if you or someone you know is ever in this situation.  The most important thing you can do is become informed before ever making a decision. You should also avoid situations where you can become influenced by someone, you should always be the on making the final decision wether it be to go through with an abortion or not. 


These are some websites you might find useful to inform your self when making a decision.


http://www.prochoiceamerica.org/ 
http://www.abortionfacts.com/
http://www.prochoice.org/


I hope this information was useful!
xo

Diabetes

Diabetes is a disease that is targeting more teens every year. Diabetes can be caused by resistance to insulin.  the most important thing when trying to understand Diabetes its very important to understand the process, which is a normal process. 

According to the health guide from the New York Times several things happen when food is being digested: 

• A sugar called glucose enters the bloodstream. Glucose is a source of fuel for the body.
• An organ called the pancreas makes insulin. The role of insulin is to move glucose from the bloodstream into muscle, fat, and liver cells, where it can be used as fuel.
• People with diabetes have high blood sugar. This is because:
• Their pancreas does not make enough insulin
• Their muscle, fat, and liver cells do not

People with diabetes have high blood sugar. This is because:

• Their pancreas does not make enough insulin
• Their muscle, fat, and liver cells do not respond to insulin normally
• Frequent urination
• Unusual thirst
• Extreme hunger
• Unusual weight loss
• Extreme fatigue and Irritability

They also included different types of Diabetes which helped me understand the differences between each one:

• Type 1 Diabetes is usually diagnosed in childhood. Many patients are diagnosed when they are older than age 20. In this disease, the body makes little or no insulin. Daily injections of insulin are needed. The exact cause is unknown. Genetics, viruses, and autoimmune problems may play a role.
• Type 2 Diabetes is far more common than type 1. It makes up most of diabetes cases. It usually occurs in adulthood, but young people are increasingly being diagnosed with this disease. The pancreas does not make enough insulin to keep blood glucose levels normal, often because the body does not respond well to insulin. Many people with type 2 diabetes do not know they have it, although it is a serious condition. Type 2 diabetes is becoming more common due to increasing obesity and failure to exercise.
• Gestational Diabetes is high blood glucose that develops at any time during pregnancy in a woman who does not have diabetes. Women who have gestational diabetes are at high risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease later in life.

If you have any of these symptoms it is important that you visit your primary doctor. 

The following website is a website you can use to check your symptoms, it can also help you determine your risks for pre diabetes. 

http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/prevention/diabetes-risk-test/

 I hope this  helps! 

xoxo

Is your last text worth dying for?

image http://mashable.com/2010/03/08/att-texting-driving/

Hi everyone! I hope you guys enjoyed your weekend! This past weekend I realized that a lot of us are very careless when we drive! Many recent accidents have been caused because of people who choose to text while they were driving, and sadly most of these accidents end up deadly. This year on September 12, 2010 we had “Don’t text and drive Awareness day", in order to raise awareness of the dangers of texting while driving.

According to CNBC while going 70 mph it takes the average person to brake:

• 0.54 seconds unimpaired

• 4 feet talking on a cell phone or legally drunk

• 36 feet if reading email

• 70 feet if texting

• According to Dr. Strayer from the University of Utah "a driver is 4 times more likely to be in an accident if they are talking on a cell phone while driving, and 8 times more likely if they are texting while driving".

I wanted to share a sad story about a girl who didn’t think texting while driving could wait:

“Mariah West was a devoted texter.

At 18, she could hold dinner conversations with her family while surreptitiously texting with friends, hiding her cell phone under the table.

Everyone in the Rogers, Ark., high school senior's circle had warned her about texting while driving; they'd see her car swerve and know what she was doing. It cost her her life.

Last May, on the day before graduation, Mariah was driving to a Minor League Baseball game in Springfield, Mo., texting with the player who'd invited her. As she was sending him a text, she lost control of the car, which clipped a bridge, skidded on its roof along the edge of the bridge and flipped back into oncoming traffic.

Mariah, who had been getting directions to the Springfield Cardinals' stadium, was partially ejected, her skull crushed, says her mother, Merry Dye, 45. The last message Mariah got: "Where U At."

Story written by By Larry Copeland from USA TODAY

It's really important for us to spread the awareness in order to stop drivers from texting while driving. I personally forget sometimes how dangerous it is, and I remind myself every time I think of doing it. At the moment we might think that it’s really important to send a text to someone, but I am sure it’s not so important that you are willing to risk your life for it.

Look at the last text you got on your phone, is that text worth dying for?

What are you waiting for?

 image http://www.quitcigarettesnow.net

Another important cause to me is to raise the awareness of smoking, and what it can do to you. The primary reason the doctors gave my doctor for the cause of his illness was that he was an everyday heavy smoker. This caused his arteries to become clogged, and then his body created blood clots causing him to first suffer from thirteen cardiac arrests followed by a stroke. Smoking , can not only cause heart disease but it can also cause other diseases such as lung cancer, emphysema, and other types of life threatening cancer, and diseases.  I know that although some smokers try to quit smoking, it seems almost impossible to them because of the nicotine that cigarettes contain which is highly addictive. I really believe that if people become aware of the way smoking can change your life in just a matter of second, and can almost tear apart a family then maybe they'll think twice the next time they want to buy a pack of cigarettes.   

The following website is a website that I think is very informative and gives different steps to help you quit:

http://www.smokefree.gov/ 

This website contains information on 

• Benefits of quitting
• depression basics
• medications that can help you quit
• secondhand smoking
• stress & smoking
• & also withdrawal

One of the things I enjoyed the most about this site is that it contains a section where you can speak to expert consultants who can help you and your desire to quit. You can contact them by phone, email, or even instant messaging. This feature is very convenient to those of you who are very busy, and can't find the time to talk to someone about your addiction. 

I hope you take some time to look at this website, and if you know someone who is having trouble quitting, then share this website with them and maybe you can make a difference.

His House Children's Home

 image ww.hhch.org

His house children’s home is a cause that is very close to my heart. His House children’s home is an orphanage that is located in Miami Gardens, Florida. I first came to know this orphanage because of my church, we used to go there once a month after church on Sunday's to help out with the children, and have a picnic for them, These children made me realize how truly blessed we are to be able to live at home with our families, and those who care about us. Many of these children came from either parents who were abusive with drugs, or from parents who were abusive with them, and also from parents who neglected their children. His House gives a warm home to these children, and they give them love, and try to instill Christian beliefs in them, in hope for a better future for these children. 

When I first went to volunteer at His House Children’s Home, I didn’t think I would make a big difference since there were so many people going from my church, but when I got there I realized how many children there were and how much each of them really needed our love, and our time. I feel lucky that I was able to spend time with them, and it made me feel like although I was able to only spend a couple of hours with them it really made a difference to them. I would really encourage you guys to get involved with your community even if it’s not at His House Children’s Home, but anywhere so that you can make a difference in someone’s life.