Dr. Rebecca

In the last unit of the Cure course, which is called Prevention, the class went over the breakthrough of treatments and medicines. We also looked at how nutrition has a lot to do with trying to prevent a disease, or how certain foods can possibly help treat an illness. For the math portion of this unit, we learned how to graph circles, ellipses and hyperbolas. For the final action project, the class was assigned to create a script where we take on the role of a doctor, and have to give advice to ourselves about nutrition and staying healthy. The "consulation" will be seen through a video that is also part of the action project grade. The whole idea of this project is to become our own prevention doctor. We get tips and advice by asking different questions, and the doctor, ourselves, respond in a way that is expected from an actual doctor. I found this unit and action project interesting because I never really knew the importance of nutrition and the fact that some foods can actually heal or prevent an illness. Doing the research for this project was actually fun because as I was reading, I would learn many things about how simple changes in a person's lifestyle could improve their health. Thanks to this unit and project, I can now make some changes in my own lifestyle, that would for sure improve my health. I hope you enjoy my script and video below!



Doctor: Hey, Rebecca, it’s nice to see you again!

Rebecca: Hey, Dr. Dorantes, how have you been?

Doctor: I’ve been good! So what’s up?

Rebecca: Well my sister has been getting major headaches lately, and she finds herself falling asleep in class, and she recently was diagnosed with sleep deprivation, the same condition my aunt has. I was just wondering if there is any chance that I can get it? And if there is, how can I prevent it?

Doctor: There is in fact a specific gene that some people carry that makes some people feel more sleepy and fatigued, yet they can’t fall asleep (WebMd). But let me ask this, how many hours of sleep do you normally get?

Rebecca: Hmm, well only like 7 or so.

Doctor: Well since you’re trying to avoid sleep deprivation, you should definitely be getting more hours of sleep. As a teenager, you should be getting about 9 or 9 and a half hours of sleep (Nationwide Children's Hospital). I’m also worried about your performance in school. Sleep deprivation can affect the brain and cognitive function.

Rebecca: Oh god really? I want all this to stop, but I’m not going to lie, I need my many doses of caffeine to make it through a day. How much of it do I need to stop drinking?

Doctor: I’m glad you understand the effect with caffeine and sleep. Well heavy doses, like about 500 or 600 mg (Mayo Clinic), can cause symptoms that do lead to sleep deprivation, so even though it might be hard, you might want to cut back at bit.


Rebecca: I’ll do anything that will help me stop from getting the illness, I see how miserable my sister acts because of lack of sleep. What are other factors that can lead to symptoms?


Doctor: Many! Especially having to do with diet. Some things you should stay away from are nicotine, alcohol, and fast food. Lack of sleep can cause the brain to crave more fatty foods (Health Day), and alcohol is known for waking up people in the middle night (WebMD). Do you work out at all?

Rebecca: Yes, when I get a chance to.

Doctor: Well just make sure it’s not right before you go to bed, because it’ll be pretty hard for you to wind down and fall asleep. It would also help you to come up with a strict sleeping schedual. It’s great that you do workout though, but what things do you do sometimes instead of working out?

Rebecca: I like to watch tv and spend time on the internet.

Doctor: Well other ways to prevent those symptoms include, not watching, eating or even reading in bed. Your biological clock doesn’t work right when lights are hitting the eyes because it sends signals to our brains that make it hard to control the hormones that makes us sleepy. (National Sleep Foundation)


Rebecca: Alright, got it! But, back to the food. I love food, so can you suggest any foods that actually make you sleepy?


Doctor: I can! You’re lucky, because they are so yummy. Some of those foods include, cherries, walnuts, milk and bananas. All those produce a natural occurring hormone called Melatonin, that can help control your sleep cycle (National Sleep Foundation) . It works in the body like a clock, and let’s your body know it’s time for bed.


Rebecca: Alright, I can deal with that! But can I still have things I love, like chocolate?


Doctor: You can, but not as much anymore! Chocolate also has caffeine along with dark chocolate.


Rebecca: That’s going to be a hard one! I mean this is all going to be hard, but I don’t want to fall into a sleepless life like my sister!


Doctor: I wouldn't want that to happen to you either! How about we schedule another appointment from about a month from now, and in the meantime, if you have more questions or just want more tips, just call!


Rebecca: Thank you so much for the help! I’ll definitely keep you up to date on how things are going!