Press "Enter" to skip to content

Posts published in “Health & Fitness”

Former Restauranteur B. Smith Fighting Alzheimer’s by Spreading Awareness with New Campaign #Take1Moment

By goodblacknews on September 21, 2015

B. Smith (photo via thegrio.com)
B. Smith (photo via thegrio.com)

Alzheimer’s isn’t stopping ex-model and former restaurateur Barbara Smith – known as B. Smith – from bringing awareness to the disease and the caregivers who play a vital role in the lives of those fighting it.
Smith and her husband, Dan Gatsby, have partnered with the Caregiver Action Network for a social media campaign designed to help caregivers of the nearly five million Americans battling the brain disorder.
They are urging people to share a memory or picture of someone who has or had Alzheimer’s on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest using the hashtag #Take1Moment.
In return, the campaign will give a “thank you meal” to a caregiver courtesy of Chef’d, a gourmet meal delivery service. They plan to give away 1,000 meals.
“Caregivers are like first responders in the family. They run to the situation as opposed to running away,” Gatsby told TheGrio.com on Monday, which is World Alzheimer’s Day.
“The thing about being a caregiver and the husband is that sometimes the roles get to be intermingled and you have to make decisions or you have to sort of be a parent at times,” said Gatsby, who has been married to Smith for 23 years and her caregiver since she was diagnosed four years ago.
“It can be a very stressful situation, but you have to learn to be patient,” Gatsby said. “We have such a strong love and commitment for each other that we work through those things.”
In November, Smith, 66, made headlines when she was reported missing from her Long Island home, but was found safely 14 hours later in a Manhattan diner.
Smith, who was the first black model on the cover of Mademoiselle in 1976, told TheGrio.com that she feels “great” and couldn’t fight this battle without her husband. He regularly encourages her to exercise and read. She also still enjoys cooking.
“He’s with me the whole time. I’ve been feeling good about all the things that we’ve been doing together,” said Smith, who hosted the popular TV show, “B. Smith with Style” and owned three southern comfort food restaurants (which have now all closed).
The couple said they’ve also gotten involved in the fight against Alzheimer’s because blacks are two times more likely than whites to develop the degenerative brain disease, which is the sixth leading cause of death in the country.
According to a study conducted in 2013 by the Rush Institute for Healthy Aging in Chicago, Alzheimer’s rates could nearly triple by 2050.
But Gatsby is hopeful the continued awareness can lead to a different outcome.
“I believe 20 years from now the kids are going to be saying, ‘I heard of Alzheimer’s, what is it?’ But we can only do that if we start now by talking about it and taking care of the people who are taking care of the people who have Alzheimer’s,” he added. “We’re going to find a cure for this.”
Smith, who has authored three books on cooking and lifestyle, is currently working on a new book about dealing with Alzheimer’s, which is due out in January. It will be co-authored with her husband.
But Smith isn’t waiting for the book to come out to send a strong message to people fighting Alzheimer’s.
When asked to share words of encouragement, Smith swiftly responded with three words: “Never give up.”
For more information about the campaign, visit caregiveraction.org.
article by Michael J. Feeney via thegrio.com

NHL Star Defenseman P.K. Subban Makes $10M Donation to Children's Hospital

By goodblacknews on September 18, 2015
Montreal Canadiens defenseman P.K. Subban (photo via sportingnews.com)
Hockey fans who love to hate Montreal Canadiens defenseman P.K. Subban might need to reevaluate their thinking.

Subban will donate $10 million to The Montreal Children’s Hospital Foundation over the next seven years, the facility announced Wednesday. The hospital renamed its atrium after the player in gratitude.

The hospital is calling Subban’s pledge “the biggest philanthropic commitment by a sports figure in Canadian history,” according to CBC. That doesn’t sound like the work of the man Sports Illustrated tabbed as the NHL’s most hated player in 2013, but Subban has long been a polarizing figure.

Subban, 26, signed an eight-year, $72 million contract with the Canadiens last year and is a candidate to be named captain of hockey’s most storied franchise.

article by Marc Lancaster via sportingnews.com

Jadakiss & Styles P Invest in "Juices For Life" Juice Bars to Boost Health in Hometown of NY (VIDEO)

By goodblacknews on September 4, 2015

Jadakiss and Styles P (photo via myfabolouslife.com
Jadakiss and Styles P (photo via myfabolouslife.com

Two legends in the hip-hop community are making it their goal to raise awareness about health and wellness with the launch of several juice bars in New York’s most impoverished neighborhoods.
In an interview with Elite Daily, Styles P and Jadakiss, known for their group The Lox, explain the inspiration behind opening Juices For Life, a juice bar that promotes healthy living. The rappers opened up about their childhoods, reminiscing about the unhealthy snacks, like honey buns and chips, they would eat daily.
Consuming junk food in their hometown of Yonkers, NY not only put a strain on their wallets, but their health. In recent years, both artists were inspired to change the lifestyle in their neighborhoods and beyond.
Huffington Post reports:

“You’re going to get out what you put into your body,” Jadakiss said. “We didn’t know. All we knew was run to the fast food spots or run to get big bags of candy. It’s a bunch of garbage.”

Juices For Life can be found in the Bronx borough of New York City, with two other locations in the borough of Queens and in Yonkers. The juice bars also offer drinks intended to help alleviate allergies, arthritis, acne, and bronchitis. The musicians declare there’s simply nothing “soft” about promoting fruits and vegetables in the Black community.

“Our juice bars are open in the hoods on purpose to educate our people on health awareness.” Styles P said. “Build it and they will come.”
“Most of the hood don’t have access to good food, most of the hood don’t have health insurance…”Jadakiss added.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUzrvOO2LXk&w=560&h=315]
If you’re in the New York area, check out Juices For Life and great recipes you can make at home here.
article by Desire Thompson via newsone.com

Ret. Air Force General Edith P. Mitchell Named New President of the National Medical Association

By goodblacknews on August 17, 2015

Dr. Edith P. Mitchell
Dr. Edith P. Mitchell

Edith P. Mitchell was named recently as the 116th president of the National Medical Association (NMA). The NMA is the oldest professional society for African-American physicians and represents about 30,000 members.
Dr. Mitchell is a retired Brigadier General of the United States Air Force. She currently serves as the director of the Center to Eliminate Cancer Disparities at the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia.
“I am deeply honored to be sworn-in as president of this prestigious organization,” Dr. Mitchell said at the association’s recent national convention in Detroit. “There is still much work to be done with regards to disparities in medical treatment. I believe that we can all work together and make great strides to address barriers in helping underserved populations get better care and lead to better health care in our nation.”
Dr. Mitchell is a graduate of Tennessee State University in Nashville and the Medical College of Virginia. She completed her residency at Meharry Medical College.
article via jbhe.com

Angela Simmons Inspires and Encourages Harlem Youth with GIRLTALK #Takeover Event

By goodblacknews on August 2, 2015

GIRLTALK #takeover On Wednesday, 200 girls in Harlem were treated like divas. The girls, ages 8-16, were received manicures, runway walk tutorials, makeovers and much more in an attempt to inspire them to feel beautiful, confident and informed.
The day-long event was the brainchild of Angela Simmons and her partner Kerri Berson Levine. The two, who had been friends for a while, had spoken about hosting an event for young girls often. Three years ago, through a partnership with the Boys and Girls Club, they launched what is now GIRLTALK #takeover.
In addition to the beauty component, there were fitness activities hosted by Pretty Girls Sweat, a yoga class. And in a classroom on the premises, health professionals spoke to the teenagers about healthy romantic relationships, reproductive health and puberty.
During this session, Simmons popped in to discuss the pressure many girls feel to engage in sex, perhaps prematurely.
She shared that she’s a virgin, waiting to marriage to have sex.
I had a chance to chat with Simmons and she explained that she felt it was important to share that story.

“I feel like in this day and age with social media, that decision is often made for them. So I want them to be able to make their own decision on what they want to do and to know that if they make the decision, they’re not an alien, they’re not by themselves.” 

In addition to these lessons, the girls had a few surprises that day when 14-year-old Little leaguer and Espy Award winner Mo’Ne Davis showed up to give a slew of hugs, sign autographs and take pictures.
Later, artists Ne-Yo, Justine Skye and Simmons’ younger brother Diggy came through to meet the girls.
This won’t be the last time you hear of GIRLTALK #takeover as there are plans to take the program to other cities in the nation.
article by Veronica Wells via madamenoire.com

Angela Simmons Inspires and Encourages Harlem Youth with GIRLTALK #Takeover Event

By goodblacknews on August 2, 2015

GIRLTALK #takeover On Wednesday, 200 girls in Harlem were treated like divas. The girls, ages 8-16, were received manicures, runway walk tutorials, makeovers and much more in an attempt to inspire them to feel beautiful, confident and informed.
The day-long event was the brainchild of Angela Simmons and her partner Kerri Berson Levine. The two, who had been friends for a while, had spoken about hosting an event for young girls often. Three years ago, through a partnership with the Boys and Girls Club, they launched what is now GIRLTALK #takeover.
In addition to the beauty component, there were fitness activities hosted by Pretty Girls Sweat, a yoga class. And in a classroom on the premises, health professionals spoke to the teenagers about healthy romantic relationships, reproductive health and puberty.
During this session, Simmons popped in to discuss the pressure many girls feel to engage in sex, perhaps prematurely.
She shared that she’s a virgin, waiting to marriage to have sex.
I had a chance to chat with Simmons and she explained that she felt it was important to share that story.

“I feel like in this day and age with social media, that decision is often made for them. So I want them to be able to make their own decision on what they want to do and to know that if they make the decision, they’re not an alien, they’re not by themselves.” 

In addition to these lessons, the girls had a few surprises that day when 14-year-old Little leaguer and Espy Award winner Mo’Ne Davis showed up to give a slew of hugs, sign autographs and take pictures.
Later, artists Ne-Yo, Justine Skye and Simmons’ younger brother Diggy came through to meet the girls.
This won’t be the last time you hear of GIRLTALK #takeover as there are plans to take the program to other cities in the nation.
article by Veronica Wells via madamenoire.com

"Swim Whisperer" Conrad Cooper Teaches Kids to Be Water-Safe

By goodblacknews on August 1, 2015
For 20 years, Conrad Cooper has been teaching children in Los Angeles to swim by earning his young students' unwavering trust.
For 20 years, Conrad Cooper has been teaching children in Los Angeles to swim by earning his young students’ unwavering trust. (Elissa Nadworny/NPR)

If you looked at the children at the edge of Conrad Cooper‘s pool, you’d think you were watching an ad for something. Jell-O, maybe. Or a breakfast cereal kids like. They’re that cute.
They’re lined up on the steps in the shallow end, 10 little ones, ranging from age 2 to 5. The boys are in board trunks, many wearing rash-guard shirts like the weekend surfers they might become years from now. The girls wear bright one-piece suits and two-pieces that show their childish potbellies.
They are a rainbow tribe: black, Asian, white, biracial. And every eye is trained on the large man in the middle of the pool.
Conrad Cooper has been teaching little kids (and some adults) to swim for 20 years now. His business, Swim to Me, operates out of his pool in the View Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. He has taught kids who scream with fright at being put in the water, and adults who never thought they’d ever be able to swim.

“After two or three times in the pool with me,” Cooper says, “they recognize, ‘OK, this guy is serious. He’s not taking no for an answer. I’m going to do this.’ ”

His families come from around the corner and across the ocean, because word of his effectiveness travels. “He does not fool around,” parents will tell you, “but it works.”
It’s not a method that works for everyone.
“If you think this is someplace you can come and do monkey-walking by the side of the pool and sing songs … you’re in the wrong class,” Cooper says. A tall brown man with sun-bronzed dreadlocks and Pacific Islander tattoos, Cooper radiates authority, in and out of the water.
To hear audio of this story, click here.
Helicopter parents are politely instructed to find a landing place in one of the comfy chairs that ring the large saltwater pool — and stay there. Parents who want Cooper to teach their children have to promise to abide by his rules: They’re there to support the method, not to comfort their children.

That sometimes comes as a shock to his students.
“After two or three times in the pool with me,” Cooper says, “they recognize, ‘OK, this guy is serious. He’s not taking no for an answer. I’m going to do this.’ ”

"Swim Whisperer" Conrad Cooper Teaches Kids to Be Water-Safe

By goodblacknews on August 1, 2015
For 20 years, Conrad Cooper has been teaching children in Los Angeles to swim by earning his young students' unwavering trust.
For 20 years, Conrad Cooper has been teaching children in Los Angeles to swim by earning his young students’ unwavering trust. (Elissa Nadworny/NPR)

If you looked at the children at the edge of Conrad Cooper‘s pool, you’d think you were watching an ad for something. Jell-O, maybe. Or a breakfast cereal kids like. They’re that cute.
They’re lined up on the steps in the shallow end, 10 little ones, ranging from age 2 to 5. The boys are in board trunks, many wearing rash-guard shirts like the weekend surfers they might become years from now. The girls wear bright one-piece suits and two-pieces that show their childish potbellies.
They are a rainbow tribe: black, Asian, white, biracial. And every eye is trained on the large man in the middle of the pool.
Conrad Cooper has been teaching little kids (and some adults) to swim for 20 years now. His business, Swim to Me, operates out of his pool in the View Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. He has taught kids who scream with fright at being put in the water, and adults who never thought they’d ever be able to swim.

“After two or three times in the pool with me,” Cooper says, “they recognize, ‘OK, this guy is serious. He’s not taking no for an answer. I’m going to do this.’ ”

His families come from around the corner and across the ocean, because word of his effectiveness travels. “He does not fool around,” parents will tell you, “but it works.”
It’s not a method that works for everyone.
“If you think this is someplace you can come and do monkey-walking by the side of the pool and sing songs … you’re in the wrong class,” Cooper says. A tall brown man with sun-bronzed dreadlocks and Pacific Islander tattoos, Cooper radiates authority, in and out of the water.
To hear audio of this story, click here.
Helicopter parents are politely instructed to find a landing place in one of the comfy chairs that ring the large saltwater pool — and stay there. Parents who want Cooper to teach their children have to promise to abide by his rules: They’re there to support the method, not to comfort their children.

That sometimes comes as a shock to his students.
“After two or three times in the pool with me,” Cooper says, “they recognize, ‘OK, this guy is serious. He’s not taking no for an answer. I’m going to do this.’ ”

8 Year-Old Zion Harvey Becomes Youngest Recipient of Double Hand Transplant

By goodblacknews on July 30, 2015

8 Year-Old Zion Harvey (photo via newsone.com)
8 Year-Old Zion Harvey (photo via newsone.com)

An 8-year-old Baltimore boy who is being dubbed a medical phenomenon is looking forward to finally being able to play with his little sister and, hopefully, the new puppy he asked for.
And while Zion Harvey’s wishes seem simple enough, picking up his 2-year-old sister or eating a slice of pizza were both things he had difficulty doing after losing his feet and hands to sepsis as a toddler. But as the youngest patient to receive a double-hand transplant last month, the possibilities are endless.
While debuting his new digits at a Tuesday news conference, the little boy with wisdom beyond his years asked his family to stand so that he could thank them for helping him through his struggles.
“I want to say to you guys, thank you for helping me through this bumpy road,” he said.
The surgery, one of a few in a “small, but growing, transplant field, which has moved beyond internal organs,” the Baltimore Sun writes, was the first pediatric double hand transplant performed at Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia.
More than 100 people worldwide have received upper-extremity transplants since the first was performed in France in 1998, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.
“This is a monumental step,” said Scott Levin, chairman of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Penn Medicine and director of the Hand Transplantation Program at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. “I hope personally we can help many more patients like Zion in the future.”
Zion, who was already taking drugs to prevent his body from rejecting a kidney transplant he received at 4-years-old, was considered a good candidate for the hands. Doctors were less concerned that Zion would have a negative response to the drugs, since he had been exposed to them for a while.
Only about 15 children a year are eligible to donate hands, so doctors weren’t sure when one would become available. They had to find hands that were the right color and size for Zion. While waiting for a match, the surgery team practiced the procedure on cadavers. They developed a step-by step playbook for the day of surgery. Then the call came: Hands were available. Ray was both nervous and excited. Zion was preoccupied with plans for a sleepover he would now have to miss, and it wasn’t until he arrived at the hospital that reality hit.
“Mom, I think I am nervous now,” he recalls saying as he lay in a hospital bed that engulfed his small body.
“There is no need to be nervous,” Zion’s mother, Pattie Ray, responded. “This is a good thing.”
The painstaking surgery took about 10-hours to complete. Two days later, when Zion finally took a look at his new hands, he was beyond excited. And along with using his hands to do everyday activities, Zion is looking forward to finally being able to play football.
His mother, who called the sport “dangerous,” is probably less excited about throwing around a football, but says she just wants to see her child do well.
article via newsone.com

Actor Jay Ellis and Artist Shantell Martin Team with AmfAR to Raise Awareness For “Countdown to a Cure for AIDS"

By goodblacknews on July 24, 2015
Jay Ellis and Visual Artist Shanell Martin with AmfAR Towel
Jay Ellis and Visual Artist Shanell Martin with “Be Epic, Cure AIDS,” Limited Edition AmfAR towel

My first memory of being directly affected by the death of someone who lost their life to AIDS was when tennis legend Arthur Ashe died. My father broke the news to me. It was one of those unshakeable things — nearly impossible to process and even harder to understand. In a lot of ways it hit my Dad pretty hard.  My parents had gone to college at UCLA with Arthur and growing up in our household, they made sure we knew he was way more than an incredible tennis player… he was an activist that paved the way for so many.  He was “a great kind guy,” their classmate and hero.
Arthur had certainly had his health challenges… but athletic superheroes weren’t supposed to succumb to an incurable disease at 49.  It was unfathomable.  The news of his death hit over twenty-two years ago… and sadly we still do not have a cure for a disease that affects the black community (Africans & African- Americans) the most.  Statistically, we make up more than forty percent of all new cases… and Jay Ellis (“The Game”) and famed British visual artist, Shantell Martin, know its time to do something about that. Their collaboration with amfAR (the Foundation for AIDS Research) and its “Countdown to A Cure for AIDS” initiative is something I can really get behind.
Out of this amfAR collaboration comes a limited edition beach towel. Designed exclusively for amfAR to help raise awareness and find a cure for HIV/AIDS, the towel’s design features Martin’s black & white illustrations and the inscription, “Be Epic, Cure AIDS,” a nod to amfAR’s “Countdown to a Cure for AIDS” initiative, aimed at developing the scientific basis of a cure by 2020.
amfar-towel-whiter-1

This summer, I can’t think of a better accessory. This towel is exclusively sold at Scoop NYC locations and on amfAR’s website: http://shop.amfar.org/shantell-martin-amfar-towel.html for $40 with 100% of the proceeds supporting research to find a cure for HIV/AIDS. Let’s all do what we can.

Did you know:

  • Nearly 37 million people are now living with HIV. 2.6 million are under the age of 15.
  • In 2014, an estimated 2 million people were newly infected with HIV.
  • 220,000 were under the age of 15.
  • Every day about 5,600 people contract HIV—more than 230 every hour.
  • In 2014, 1.2 million people died from AIDS.
  • Since the beginning of the pandemic, nearly 78 million people have contracted HIV and close to 39 million have died of AIDS- related causes.
  • As of March 2015, around 15 million people living with HIV (41% of the total) had access to antiretroviral therapy.

Learn more about amfAR here: http://www.amfar.org/about.html.  If you don’t know her work already, find out more about Shantell Martin and her amazing art: http://www.shantellmartin.com/about/.
And Jay Ellis and his fascinating transition into the acting world: http://www.jay-ellis.com

Lesa Lakin GBN Lifestyle Editor
article by Lesa Lakin
GBN Lifestyle Editor