article by Lesa Lakin
Spinach might just be the coolest vegetable in the game right now. Did you know October is Spinach Awareness Month? Yeah, neither did I… but the NFL Network and Popeye Spinach sure did and they’ve done something pretty cool. As part of a fun segment for NFL AM, Popeye Spinach supplied 400 cans of spinach to create a motivating backdrop while hosts Erin Coscarelli and Rhett Lewis discuss the best players of the week with analysts Terrell Davis and LaVar Arrington. Rhett, LaVar and Terrell give their picks (the players that have clearly eaten their spinach and performed well and those who may need to well… eat a bit more). It’s engaging and super fun… well maybe not so much for the players who have had a rough week.
Check it out…it makes for some interesting weekly recaps:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioTXf-boUMM&w=560&h=315]
Allens Popeye Spinach and the NFL Network donated the cans to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. The LA Regional Food Bank is dedicated to mobilizing resources to fight hunger in the community.
Posts published in “Health & Fitness”
Nigeria has been declared officially free of Ebola after six weeks with no new cases, the World Health Organization (WHO) says. WHO representative Rui Gama Vaz, speaking in the capital Abuja, said it was a “spectacular success story”.
Nigeria won praise for its swift response after a Liberian diplomat brought the disease there in July. The outbreak has killed more than 4,500 people in West Africa, mostly in Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone.
An estimated 70% of those infected have died in those countries. The WHO officially declared Senegal Ebola-free on Friday.
Meanwhile, European Union foreign ministers are meeting in Luxembourg to discuss how to strengthen their response to the threat posed by Ebola.
Speaking on the sidelines, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said he expected the meeting to appoint a co-ordinator to galvanize the EU’s response to the epidemic.
“My colleagues are unanimous in saying that this idea of a European co-ordinator for the fight against Ebola is a good idea. The name will be chosen in the coming days. I think it’s a very important step.”
European countries have committed more than 500m euros (£400m; $600m) but the UK is pressing to double that amount.
The money is being sought to help reinforce over-stretched healthcare systems in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea and to mitigate the damage Ebola is doing to their economies.
Earlier, the Spanish government said a nurse who became the first person to contract Ebola outside West Africa had tested negative for the virus.
article via bbc.com
According to cnn.com, first lady Michelle Obama, never one to miss an opportunity to champion healthy eating via making light of social trends (think “Dougie” or “Evolution of Mom Dancing”), has co-opted a popular tune — and, in six seconds, created a viral sensation.
Here’s how it happened.
In an #AskTheFirstLady segment, Barack Obama impersonator Imman Crosson, or @AlphaCat, asked Obama, “How many calories do you burn every time you ‘turn up’?!”
And she responded with:
https://vine.co/v/OqJKZVQami9
Yes, that’s the first lady grooving with a turnip to DJ Snake and Lil Jon’s “Turn Down for What.”
Obama is known for her commitment to health, especially among children and young people. Her “Let’s Move” campaign aims to “solve the epidemic of childhood obesity within a generation.”
article by Lori Lakin Hutcherson (follow @lakinhutcherson)
#givesight
One of the great things about being the Lifestyle Editor for GBN is that I sometimes get to share positive stories about things that people and companies are doing purely for the betterment of society. When I heard about World Sight Day and TOMS I had to share.
From a fashion standpoint, I simply love the styles. I discovered TOMS had an eyewear line when my own eyesight started to de-crisp a few years back. Since no one wanted to read me food labels, pill bottles or menus anymore, I knew it was time for glasses to become a daily part of my life. But it wasn’t really that big of a deal because I had the privilege of going to the doctor, getting a prescription and driving the saleswomen completely nuts when I couldn’t decide which frames best flattered my face. I’m lucky. But what about the millions globally who can’t afford glasses or don’t have access to proper eye care? Everyone on the planet knows someone who is affected by some sort of visual impairment and TOMS wants to help out.
TOMS is asking a very important question: WHAT DOES SIGHT MEAN TO YOU? Every year, World Sight Day raises global awareness about blindness and visual impairment. This year, World Sight Day is on October 9 and TOMS is hosting an all-day event at the their Flagship store in Venice, California. TOMS is also supporting the day by encouraging fans to take to social media and contribute to an Instagram gallery with images of what sight means to you with the hashtag #givesight. The images collected with the designated hashtag will be curated online leading up to October 9, and select images will appear in TOMS stores around the world on World Sight Day.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_rdP7SqIBY&w=560&h=315]
On the field, twin NFL defensive backs Devin McCourty (New England Patriots) and Jason McCourty (Tennessee Titans) often compete, but off the field these brothers have joined forces for a cause that hits close to home. Inspired by their aunt, the McCourty Twins are bringing awareness to sickle cell disease through their “Tackle Sickle Cell” campaign.
“Growing up, when I was younger, I knew my aunt had a disease, but I didn’t totally understand what she went through and everything involved,” Devin shared in a recent interview. Devin recalls their aunt’s strength and it wasn’t until they were much older that they began to see her different struggles and the complications of the disease. Seeing the direct impact sickle cell was having on her life inspired them to bring awareness and help as many people as possible with sickle cell.
Through their partnership with the Embrace Kids Foundation, the McCourty’s Tackle Sickle Cell initiative is a platform to help them increase awareness, educate and raise funds. Signature events include a 5k walk, casino nights and blood drives. “If we can just keep raising awareness and getting more people involved they can realize this is a serious disease and the more people that are helped and the more that know about it and donate to it, the better it can be.”
According to the CDC, sickle cell disease affects as many as 100,000 people in the U.S. and occurs in nearly 1 out of every 500 African-American births. The twins were tested for sickle cell at age five because their father carried the trait. Although both tested negative, Devin shares that learning about the disease helped him to offer better support to his aunt and his uncle, who also has sickle cell disease. He encourages people who have friends and loved ones with the disease to also become more educated to offer support.
For parents raising children with sickle cell disease, Devin shares that being involved with sports doesn’t have to be off limits. “If you can’t play, it doesn’t mean you can’t be involved, or it doesn’t mean you can’t learn about it. Whether that’s going and being on a team and being a player/assistant coach for the team and learning about whatever sport it is.” Sickle disease doesn’t have to sideline children; they just have to move at their own pace.
In recognition of Sickle Cell Awareness Month, the McCourty twins released a new PSA video that you can check out above. If you would like to join the fight to tackle sickle cell, visit their website www.tacklesicklecell.org, donate blood at a local drive and continue to spread awareness that sickle cell disease affects more people than we may think.
article via blackdoctor.org
On the field, twin NFL defensive backs Devin McCourty (New England Patriots) and Jason McCourty (Tennessee Titans) often compete, but off the field these brothers have joined forces for a cause that hits close to home. Inspired by their aunt, the McCourty Twins are bringing awareness to sickle cell disease through their “Tackle Sickle Cell” campaign.
“Growing up, when I was younger, I knew my aunt had a disease, but I didn’t totally understand what she went through and everything involved,” Devin shared in a recent interview. Devin recalls their aunt’s strength and it wasn’t until they were much older that they began to see her different struggles and the complications of the disease. Seeing the direct impact sickle cell was having on her life inspired them to bring awareness and help as many people as possible with sickle cell.
Through their partnership with the Embrace Kids Foundation, the McCourty’s Tackle Sickle Cell initiative is a platform to help them increase awareness, educate and raise funds. Signature events include a 5k walk, casino nights and blood drives. “If we can just keep raising awareness and getting more people involved they can realize this is a serious disease and the more people that are helped and the more that know about it and donate to it, the better it can be.”According to the CDC, sickle cell disease affects as many as 100,000 people in the U.S. and occurs in nearly 1 out of every 500 African-American births. The twins were tested for sickle cell at age five because their father carried the trait. Although both tested negative, Devin shares that learning about the disease helped him to offer better support to his aunt and his uncle, who also has sickle cell disease. He encourages people who have friends and loved ones with the disease to also become more educated to offer support.
For parents raising children with sickle cell disease, Devin shares that being involved with sports doesn’t have to be off limits. “If you can’t play, it doesn’t mean you can’t be involved, or it doesn’t mean you can’t learn about it. Whether that’s going and being on a team and being a player/assistant coach for the team and learning about whatever sport it is.” Sickle disease doesn’t have to sideline children; they just have to move at their own pace.
In recognition of Sickle Cell Awareness Month, the McCourty twins released a new PSA video that you can check out above. If you would like to join the fight to tackle sickle cell, visit their website www.tacklesicklecell.org, donate blood at a local drive and continue to spread awareness that sickle cell disease affects more people than we may think.
article via blackdoctor.org
Forget your go-to strawberry and banana smoothie combo and sip on something healthy AND exciting this fall! Thanks to antioxidant-rich berries, nuts and green tea, these five recipes are packed with superfood power.
To Make: In the order listed, place all ingredients in a blender and blend on high until smooth. If you are using frozen fruit instead of fresh, only use 3/4 cup of ice.
1. Berry-Cherry Chiller
1 cup ice cubes
1/2 cup sliced strawberries
1/2 cup pitted and halved cherries
1/2 cup lowfat plain Greek yogurt
2 teaspoons ground flaxseed
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Sip Tip: Pure vanilla extract has less calories than flavored syrup, so try not to substitute.
2. Island Mango Madness
1 cup ice cubes
3/4 cup chopped mango
1/2 cup canned pineapple chunks
2 tablespoons canned pineapple juice
1/2 teaspoon lime zest
1 tablespoon lime juice
Pinch cayenne pepper
Sip Tip: The mango does not need to be soft.
Police Officer Raleigh Callaway Receives Kidney from Stranger After Posting Family Photo on Facebook
It took just one photo for a stranger to reach out to a dying man, donate one of his kidneys and save the man’s life. Raleigh Callaway had stage 5 kidney failure, and his health was getting worse. His family was thinking of ways to call attention to their need for a kidney donor, so the family decided to have a photo taken together.
Unknowingly, it was a family photo where his children held on to a poster saying, “Our Daddy Needs A Kidney” that got them all the help they needed.
The photo was flashed on 11Alive shows and posted on similar websites, and among the thousands of 11Alive viewers who have expressed their support for the local policemen, one brave and generous man stood out from the rest and decided to donate his kidney.
The donor, Chris Carrol, lived in Texas, which was hundreds of miles away from the Callaways. He never knew Callaway and was a complete stranger to the family, but he felt that he really needed to help the family.
After a series of tests, it was determined that Carrol was a perfect match with Callaway, and he has since pushed to speed up the process so that Callaway can have the transplant right away. Prior to the transplant, the families had time to get to know each other and have already built a special bond among themselves.
After weeks of preparations, the transplant finally went through last Thursday, and Callaway’s wife Kirsti disclosed that doctors were thrilled with how the surgery went. She also issued another statement later on Thursday, mentioning the success of the surgery.
The response to help Callaway has been overwhelming for the family, prompting Kristi Callaway and photographer Brandy Angel to start a non-profit. Known as Callaway’s Angels, they hope that their organization can encourage people to donate and eventually link up people who need kidneys to those who want to donate.
article via thegrio.com
Avocados are one of the most rich, delicious, and satisfying foods on the planet. But as a nutritionist, I’m also happy to report that an avocado is a powerhouse superfood. These luscious gems—which are technically fruits, although I categorize them as “good” fat—are packed with anti-aging, disease fighting antioxidants, and nearly 20 different vitamins and minerals.
One study out this year found that regular avocado eaters have higher intakes of fiber, vitamins E and K, magnesium and potassium—pretty darn impressive! I eat avocado in at least one meal each day, and I love how versatile they are for cooking (more on that below), but there’s also more health-related news to share.
Check out these five amazing avocado benefits.
They boost satiety
Eating good fats helps to slow stomach emptying, which keeps you fuller longer and delays the return of hunger. Avocados, which provide about 22 grams of fat each (mostly as heart healthy monounsaturated fatty acids, or MUFAs), certainly fit the bill. In one recent study, volunteers rated feelings of satisfaction and appetite after dining on meals with or without avocado. The addition of half of an avocado to meals resulted in a significant boost in self-reported satiety and a reduced desire to eat for up to five hours. This is one of the reasons I often reach for guacamole as my salad dressing.
They’re waist whittlers
According to a recent survey, Americans are still fat-phobic, probably due to the notion that eating fat makes you fat. But the truth is eating the right types of fat is actually a savvy weight-loss strategy. In addition to upping satiety, plant-based fats like avocado provide antioxidants and fight inflammation, which have both been linked to weight management. That may be why recent research revealed that regular avocado eaters weigh less and have smaller waists, even without eating fewer calories.
They protect your heart
The MUFAs in avocados have been shown to slash “bad” LDL cholesterol, and up “good” HDL levels—a double whammy effect that helps to lower the risk of heart disease, the #1 killer of both men and women. A recent UCLA study also uncovered some remarkable heart protective effects of avocado consumption: Compared to eating a burger without avocado, the addition of half of a Hass curbed the production of compounds that contribute to inflammation, improved blood flow, and didn’t increase triglycerides (blood fats) beyond the amounts raised by the burger alone. Avocados are also a source of potassium, a nutrient that helps reduce blood pressure by acting as a natural diuretic to sweep excess sodium and fluid out of the body, which relieves pressure on the heart and arteries (bonus: that also means avocado is a natural de-bloater!).
They’re nutrient boosters
Enjoying avocado at mealtime can help your body absorb more antioxidants from other healthy foods. In one Ohio State study, when men and women ate salads and salsa topped with 2.5 tablespoons of avocado, they absorbed over 8 times more alpha-carotene and 13 times more beta-carotene—phytonutrients known to fight cancer and heart disease. Another recent study found that pairing avocado with tomato sauce and carrots boosts absorption of the veggies’ vitamin A, a key nutrient needed for healthy skin, vision, and immunity.
They’re not just for savory dishes
I adore guacamole, but one of my favorite things about avocado is that there are so many other ways to enjoy it, including in sweet dishes. I often whip avocado into fruit smoothies, whip it into chocolaty pudding, and substitute it for butter when baking. Just trade each tablespoon of butter in recipes like brownies and cupcakes for half a tablespoon of avocado. This swap slashes calories, upgrades the nutritional quality of your goodies, and still provides the creamy texture that will leave you feeling satisfied. Try it, and send us a picture of your healthy creation!
article by Cynthia Sass, MPH, RD via time.com
BALTIMORE — Ma’ake Kemoeatu missed his final collegiate football game because the NCAA suspended him for improperly providing textbooks to his younger brother.
He was a four-year starter at Utah on scholarship and his little brother Tevita was a walk-on. Their parents didn’t have enough money to buy books, so Ma’ake bought them for him and therefore couldn’t play in the Las Vegas Bowl against USC.
But Ma’ake wasn’t trying to cause trouble. The oldest of seven kids, he steps up for his family when they need help.
So when his brother Chris needed a kidney transplant this past August, Ma’ake, a former nose tackle for the Baltimore Ravens, didn’t hesitate when he heard the news. He was going to donate.
When Chris was in eighth grade, he started having kidney pain. Over the years, as he grew into a 6-foot-3, 385-pound lineman for Utah and go on to win two Super Bowls with the Pittsburgh Steelers, the pain got worse.
He played through it. Training camp, regular season practice, games and playoffs. With what was later discovered to be a form of kidney disease. He grew up in a tough family. A family that rarely said ‘I love you’ not because they didn’t have feelings, that’s just how it was.
“I’ve seen him struggle and the last three years of his career, fighting through a lot because of his kidney,” Ma’ake said at a press conference at the University of Maryland Medical Center on Wednesday. “When we found out he needed a transplant, we had to stop our careers because his health was most important to us.”
After the 2011 season, the pain was too much and Chris stopped playing football. Ma’ake ended his career with the Ravens after the 2012 season to be with his brother.
In early 2013, Chris met with Dr. Matthew Weir, a nephrologist at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Chris learned then that he had advanced kidney disease and needed a transplant. Ma’ake immediately said he would be the donor. And he was a 99% match.
“The doctor said we could pass as twins to do this surgery,” Ma’ake said. “My dad wanted to do it, and we kind of got into it because I didn’t want him to do it. I’m the oldest of seven kids so it was my responsibility to take care of my younger brothers and sisters.
“If my brother or any of my siblings needed blood, they have to have my blood. If any of my siblings needed a kidney, it would have to be my kidney.”
Ma’ake had to pause for a second as tears welled in his eyes.
“My dad wanted to do it so bad,” he said. “I had to stop him. But the credit goes to my brother because he had so many flare ups. He had to go into training camp and had to fight through the pain and get ready for the season.”
Seventeen years ago, her doctor’s words shook her like an earthquake: “If you don’t lose weight, you won’t get to your 60th birthday.”
Vivian Stancil, a retired Long Beach school teacher, was 50. She stood 5 feet tall and weighed 319 pounds.
“A bowling ball wouldn’t even describe what I was,” Stancil says. “I could barely walk. But I wanted to live, so I instantly knew what I had to do: change my diet and start exercising.”
That would not be easy. Stancil’s social life revolved around going out to eat every day with her friends. As for exercise, Stancil hadn’t done it in 40 years — ever, really. She not only didn’t know how to swim but was so afraid of water that she couldn’t dunk her head in past her eyes.
On top of that, she was legally blind.
Nearly two decades later, at 67, Stancil not only lived but became one of the country’s most honored age-group Senior Olympics swimmers, with 176 medals. In June, 1976 Olympic gold-medal swimmer John Naber presented her with the prestigious Personal Best Award, given once a year to the senior athlete who best helps to spread the word about health and wellness.
Circumstances made Stancil an unlikely role model. Stancil and her three siblings were separated and placed in foster homes when both parents had died by the time she was 7. At 16, pressured into a marriage by her cash-strapped foster parents, Stancil had two children and began slowly losing her sight because of an inherited condition called retinitis pigmentosa. Divorced at 20 and raising the kids alone on welfare, she survived a self-described “two-year pity party,” got married and divorced again, and started working as a Head Start preschool teacher in her late 20s. That would prove to be her salvation.
She earned a two-year degree in early education, married for the third and final time, to an usher at her church named Turner Stancil, and went on to get a bachelor’s degree from La Verne College. For the next decade, as her eyesight deteriorated, she was the first and only blind teacher in the Riverside and Long Beach school districts. She retired early in her late 40s.
Vivian Stancil, a retired Long Beach school teacher, was 50. She stood 5 feet tall and weighed 319 pounds.
“A bowling ball wouldn’t even describe what I was,” Stancil says. “I could barely walk. But I wanted to live, so I instantly knew what I had to do: change my diet and start exercising.”
That would not be easy. Stancil’s social life revolved around going out to eat every day with her friends. As for exercise, Stancil hadn’t done it in 40 years — ever, really. She not only didn’t know how to swim but was so afraid of water that she couldn’t dunk her head in past her eyes.
On top of that, she was legally blind.
Nearly two decades later, at 67, Stancil not only lived but became one of the country’s most honored age-group Senior Olympics swimmers, with 176 medals. In June, 1976 Olympic gold-medal swimmer John Naber presented her with the prestigious Personal Best Award, given once a year to the senior athlete who best helps to spread the word about health and wellness.
Circumstances made Stancil an unlikely role model. Stancil and her three siblings were separated and placed in foster homes when both parents had died by the time she was 7. At 16, pressured into a marriage by her cash-strapped foster parents, Stancil had two children and began slowly losing her sight because of an inherited condition called retinitis pigmentosa. Divorced at 20 and raising the kids alone on welfare, she survived a self-described “two-year pity party,” got married and divorced again, and started working as a Head Start preschool teacher in her late 20s. That would prove to be her salvation.
She earned a two-year degree in early education, married for the third and final time, to an usher at her church named Turner Stancil, and went on to get a bachelor’s degree from La Verne College. For the next decade, as her eyesight deteriorated, she was the first and only blind teacher in the Riverside and Long Beach school districts. She retired early in her late 40s.
“I did not lose weight with that,” she says with a laugh. “I’d carry pliers to loosen the wires or just drink protein shakes — lots of them.”
Stancil did not laugh, however, several days after she turned 50, when her doctor told her the party was over. “The next day, I broke the news to the Eating Club: ‘I love you all, but you’re killing me. ‘So this is goodbye. But before I go, I need your help: What sport should I do?'”
The Eating Club pondered. “‘You’re too fat to run or ride a bike,’ they said,” recalls Stancil. “‘What about swimming? After all, fat floats.'”
But, determined to live, she eventually found her way to Bob Hirschhorn, an instructor at Silverado Park Pool who was well-versed in training middle-aged adults petrified of the water.
Her sight wasn’t a problem, save for her inability to see lane lines painted on the pool bottom, Hirschhorn says.