Author Archives: Patricia Thao

Being a Flexible Planner

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Things don’t always go according to plan and it could be upsetting. Whether you’re an organized person or not, we all hope that the plans we make could go accordingly and smoothly. The key to counter this is by thinking about possible alternatives, keeping a open mind, and understanding that it is not the end of the world. Here are some tips to help you be a flexible planner:

  1. Keep track of things. Set up reminders, write things down, or use a calendar to help you keep track of small to big events, goals, or dreams. It helps you the most when you take steps to motivate yourself.
  2. Make back up plans. Ask yourself what you plan to next do next if your initial plan doesn’t work out. Although you may end up getting sidetracked to point b instead of point a, just know that it can be a new opportunity for you to do something else.
  3. Throw away your feelings of dejection/rejection. It doesn’t mean that you are left with no options, in fact, there’s too many options out there in the world today. Take the time to reevaluate your situation and think about what is it that you really want to do or achieve. If you’re over/under qualified for something, seek better opportunities suited for you or seek out opportunities to improve areas in which you can work on.
  4. Being flexible means you’re open to new things. Don’t be too strict on yourself in life or refrain yourself from experiencing that you’re not used to. Even if the experience was positive/negative, you have least learn something and gain new information. Also keep in mind that it is your perspective that will influence your experiences in life and to be self-aware of your own thought process.

American Heart Month

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http://news.heart.org/

“Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States. Every year, 1 in 4 deaths are caused by heart disease.

The good news? Heart disease can often be prevented when people make healthy choices and manage their health conditions. Communities, health professionals, and families can work together to create opportunities for people to make healthier choices.

Make a difference in your community: Spread the word about strategies for preventing heart disease and encourage people to live heart healthy lives.” – https://healthfinder.gov/

What can you do to spread awareness?

  • Share about American Heart Month on your social media platforms, with friends, and families
  • “Take action: Be the cure! External Links Disclaimer Logo Join the American Heart Association’s national movement in support of healthier communities and healthier lives.” – https://healthfinder.gov/
  • Join or host community event on finding local resources to live more healthy
    • Local clinics
    • Local fresh, organic, and affordable food options
    • Community parks, clubs, gyms, etc.

Positivity Within Ourselves

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Feeling good about yourself starts from within. It’s okay to have things that you like and dislike about yourself whether it is physically, personality wise, etc. It only means you seek to change and improve yourself throughout life. Society and social media have their own standard for “beautiful” or “perfect” people, but don’t let it influence you to have a skewed image of what perfection is. It is like trying to fit a piece of the puzzle that doesn’t fit because of it’s different size and shape.

The best thing for you to do is to develop a better understanding of yourself. It will take some experiences before you can confidently say you’re happy with who you are.

Here are five tips on how to retain/gain positivity within yourself:

  1. There is no one like you in this world and this holds very true. So be proud of it! (It can be proven with the blueprint of your fingerprint!)
  2. People come and in go in your life, it doesn’t mean that you’re alone. Some people in your life are bound to stay (family, close friends) while others will naturally leave. For those who have been around you through the hard times are the ones worth spending your time with (also, these people tend to give you the most support and share your happiest moments with you).
  3. Don’t just say or plan, take action! If you feel like your constantly stalling in life, maybe it’s time to take action instead of thinking about it. It can be small steps towards a healthier and brighter lifestyle. Like participating in a local club, exercising with friends, spending time with your pets, etc.
  4. Cut out negativity around you. You should try to avoid negativity from other people, television, social media, and so on because it will make you feel it too. Whether it’s cutting out hours of being on social media or with negative people in your life, it would improve your overall mood.
  5. Don’t live your life constantly in the past or the future. It is great to plan your future and reminisce the past, but don’t let it overshadow what you can be doing in the present at this moment. If you want to do something or achieve a goal, make efforts in the presence today to make it happen! You have to motivate yourself to do something for yourself, whether the reasons are to help other people, help the environment, or help you develop new skills.

January 23-29: National Drug & Alcohol Facts Week

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“While there are many questions around alcohol and drug use and addiction, it’s not always easy to find factual answers. Information from the internet, social media, TV, movies, and music isn’t accurate.

For young people, friends can also be a source of misinformation. From January 23-29, National Drug & Alcohol Facts Week provides the facts about drugs, alcohol, and addiction. This week-long health observance is an opportunity to hear directly from scientists and other experts through educational events, Drugs & Alcohol Chat Day, and partnerships. While the week primarily targets high school students across America, the resources and information from these events can be used by any organization as a part of their prevention strategy.” – https://teens.drugabuse.gov/

Statistics:

  • Drug use is most common among young adults who are 18 to 25 years old. Rates of current (past month) use of illicit drugs in 2015 were higher for young adults aged 18 to 25 (22.3 percent) than for youths aged 12 to 17 (8.8 percent) and adults aged 26 or older (8.2 percent)
  • Although drinking by persons under the age of 21 is illegal, people aged 12 to 20 years drink 11% of all alcohol consumed in the United States. More than 90% of this alcohol is consumed in the form of binge drinks.
  • About 570,000 people die annually in the U.S. due to drug use. That breaks down to more than 480,000 deaths related to tobacco, about 31,000 due to alcohol, nearly 22,000 due to overdose from illicit (illegal) drugs, and close to 23,000 due to overdose from prescription pain relievers.
  • In 2015, the Monitoring the Future Survey reported that 10% of 8th graders and 35% of 12th graders drank during the past 30 days, and 5% of 8th graders and 17% of 12th graders binge drank during the past 2 weeks.
  • According to NIDA’s Monitoring the Future survey–a national survey of 8th, 10th, and 12th graders–past-year use of illicit drugs other than marijuana was down from recent peaks in all three grades in 2016. Also notable is the decrease in tobacco use, which is now at the lowest rate in the survey’s history for all three grades.

Statistics were taken from https://teens.drugabuse.gov/ and www.cdc.gov/.

Making New Year’s Resolution Goals

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Each year, people make New Year’s resolution goals that they want to achieve for the upcoming new year. It usually is a goal that seeks self improvement or changing things in one’s life. It’s not necessary to start out the years with goals or without, but it is good to at least have some idea of what kind of things you want to do or change either about yourself or your life.

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www.care2.com

So what’s the point of New Year’s resolution goals?

  • It serve as a reminder of the goal that you want to achieve throughout the year
  • Motivates you to take action and stay on track with your plans
  • It is small stepping stones that can people take to achieve bigger goals

There are different goals for everyone, but the most common ones are:

  • Lose weight
  • Live a healthier lifestyle
  • Do well in school or go back to pursue education
  • Obtain something important (buying a home, getting a car, obtaining citizenship, etc.)
  • Travel more
  • Save more money

So what actions can you take to achieve your resolution goals?

  • Put a reminder in a notebook, cellphone app, or on a piece of paper on your fridge to constantly tell you what you want to do differently, achieve, or improve on
  • Plan and take small steps first (Putting aside $10 a month can help you buy something more valuable in the future)
  • Think about the reasons why you want to achieve your goals:
    • Is it for self-improvement? What about yourself specifically that you want to improve on? Your sociability/communication skills? Your physical state? Your living lifestyle?
    • Is education important to you? Do you plan to pursue higher education and beyond? What type of field that interests you that would need you to have a certain type of educational background?

Who are the Sandwich Generation?

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https://www.psychologytoday.com

“More than 1 in 8 Americans are both raising a child and caring for a parent. They are known as the sandwich generation. Seven to 10 million adults are also caring for an aging parent who lives far away.” – https://www.cdc.gov/

So why is this occurring? Possible reasons are because:

  • More people than ever are aging
  • People are living longer due to advancements in medicine and technology
  • It is taking longer and harder for children to become financially independent

(CDC) Some caregivers may need to change an employment situation to fit in their caregiving role. Caregivers may consider talking to a supervisor about work options allowing the caregiver to maintain both their employment and caregiving roles. These options could include the following:

  1. Having more flexible hours
  2. Reducing working hours
  3. Working from home
  4. Taking a leave of absence
  5. Downgrading to a less demanding job

Facts (CDC):

  • People giving care to both young and older family members report higher levels of depression, anxiety, and lower quality of life. Research has shown that 17% of these caregivers rate their health as “fair” or “poor” compared with 10% of non-caregivers.
  • Among the 44 million unpaid caregivers to older adults in the United States, 75% are employed. The average employed caregiver works about 35 hours a week.

 

Postcard Highlights of 2016

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2016 has ended and it’s officially 2017! To wrap up another year of successful the bicultural healthy living blog, here is a list of postcards highlighted from each month.

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Jan 2016

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Feb 2016

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March 2016

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April 2016

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May 2016

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June 2016

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July 2016

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Sept 2016

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Oct 2016

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Nov 2016

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Dec 2016

Changing Demographic in the US

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“On November 18, the Large Urban County Caucus (LUCC) of the National Association of Counties convened in New York City, bringing together county leaders from across the country to share ideas and develop innovative policy solutions to address their most pressing challenges.

Although they represent just 4 percent of the 3,142 counties in the United States, large urban counties (LUCs) — those with more than 500,000 residents — are home to nearly half of the U.S. population. In other words, as the graphic below illustrates, more than 150 million people live in the 133 LUCs in the United States.

So it is no surprise that these counties are at the forefront of the nation’s shifting demographics. As data in the National Equity Atlas show, the face of America is changing: Just a few years from now, the majority of people under the age of 18 will be youth of color, and by 2044 the United States will be a majority people-of-color nation.” –http://nationalequityatlas.org/

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So what can LUCC do to help people develop their fullest potential?

  • Prioritize in hiring for locals and invest in poorer neighborhoods through providing employment and training opportunities
  • Require businesses and companies to have equity benchmarks and hold them accountable for delivering it towards people
  • “Remove barriers to preventive services to improve and safeguard the health of tomorrow’s leaders, innovators, and workers.” – http://nationalequityatlas.org/
  • Ensure that jobs are provided with benefits of health care, paid sick leave, family support, and such.

Winter Activities & Events in Dec | 2016

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The holiday season is here and that means there are tons of events occurring everywhere. Do you want to participate in fun winter activities, join a event, or know what’s happening locally? Here are some activities listed of where and what you can take part of:

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http://365twincities.com/

  • Ice skate at your local park that has ice rinks. If not, you can try going to a couple locations like The Depot Ice Rink in downtown Minneapolis, Parade Ice Garden, and Wells Fargo WinterSkate in St. Paul.
  • Want to ride train with magical Christmas lights? The event “Santa at Night Trains” is happening between Nov. 5th – Dec 17th from 6PM-PM at the Twin City Model Railroad Museum in St. Paul. Check this link for more info!

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http://www.shutterstock.com/

  • Simply enjoy the snow through making a snowman and sledding. Sometimes, the fun is right outside of the door, we only need to go there ourselves. Check ahead of time of the weather so that you can enjoy your time in the snow the most without it being too windy and cold.
  • Check your local community for volunteer opportunities and donation spots. It is the season of receiving and giving love. So you can choose to show your appreciation to your community in different ways.
  • Skiing is another popular activity during the winter season. Locations such as
    Hyland Hills Ski Area, Buck Hill, and Mount Kato Ski Area are great ski resorts to check out.

This Month in Japan | December

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Like other countries located around the world, Japan is experiencing winter and celebrate the snowfall in their own unique ways. Despite the oncoming cold weather, Japan is remains a popular destination to travel to during the winter because of the festive events, beautiful sceneries, and amazing shopping experiences. Here are some activities and events occurring in December around Japan:

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http://www.kyotoguide.com/

  • Kasuga Wakamiya On-Matsuri is held in mid December, usually around Dec 15th-18th. “The On-Matsuri is a festival held at Wakamiya-jinja Shrine which stands in the precincts of the Kasuga Taisha Grand Shrine. It was first organized in the 12th Century when an epidemic prevailed, and prayers were offered at this festival for the eradication of the plague and also for the blessing of a rich harvest. This historic festival continues to be one of the largest annual events of Nara Prefecture, attracting a great many tourists.” – https://www.jnto.go.jp/

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flutrackers.com

  • Sendai Pageant of Starlight is a free illumination event where pedestrians can enjoy the view of tons of LED light bulb to bring in the holiday spirit. It is held outside and throughout the entire month of Dec. “The venue for the light-up is the Zelkova lined boulevards of Aoba Dori and Jouzenji Dori right in the center of Sendai. A good starting point is Kotodai Station at the eastern end of Jouzenji Dori.” – https://japancheapo.com/
  • A event held in mid Dec and again in mid Jan is a flea market where people sell old antiques, toys, food, plants, and fabrics. “Setagaya Boro-ichi is a Tokyo-designated intangible folk cultural asset dating back some 430 years.” – http://www.gotokyo.org/
  • Popular destinations to visit in Japan are Kyoto, Takayama, Tokyo, Hokkaido, Sapporo, and more! These are just a few locations that offers great sight seeing, seasonal food, and famous local cuisines.