There are many benefits to finding ways to reverse type 2 diabetes. A big one is its expense. According to the American Diabetes Association, the combined cost of medical care and lost productivity due to diabetes in the United States exceeded $174 billion in 2007.
People with diabetes pay 2.3 times as much for health care as non-diabetics, and $1 in every $10 spent for health care is attributable to diabetes.
Sadly, even though type 2 diabetes was once considered an adult disease, so many children now receive this diagnosis that it is no longer referred to as adult onset.
Recent guidelines from the American Diabetes Association advise that some new patients try healthy eating and exercise before they begin medication. Now, the latest science reveals that fine-tuning many long-held health habits may lead to even better results.
1. Eat fruits and vegetables. They can reduce your diabetes risk and protect your heart. In a new study, people who ate at least 12 types each week had a lower diabetes risk than those who ate a less diverse mix—regardless of overall quantity. Mix arugula with your romaine, snack on fruit salad, pile new veggies onto your sandwich.
2. Lose weight—even just a little—for better blood sugar control. Don’t worry if it’s taking a while to slim down. In a 2012 review paper, Sheri Colberg-Ochs, PhD, noted that exercise alone improved the ability of previously sedentary, middle-aged adults to metabolize sugars, regardless of whether they lost any weight. Their total cholesterol dropped too.
Posts published in “Health & Fitness”
What are some great homemade face mask ideas to get the glowing skin you’ve always wanted – without spending a fortune? A little known secret is that you don’t need chemicals or exotic, hard to find ingredients, the best skin care can be found right in your refrigerator or pantry. Perfecting your complexion is easier than ever with these miracle masks, toners, astringents, moisturizers, face-lifting and skin-tightening facials you can make for yourself at home. Best of all, they’re easy to mix and inexpensive to prepare.
Choose one or two days a week to have your own facial spa day at home with these simple and beautifying ideas!
Want an instant facelift? Try this Mask!
All it takes is 2 simple ingredients:1egg white and ½ teaspoon lemon juice.
- Whip egg white and lemon juice until foamy. Gently spread mixture on face.
- Lie back and let dry for no more than 10 minutes.
- Apply 2nd layer on top of dried mask on face. Lie back for another 10 minutes (maximum 15 minutes only). Rinse off with lukewarm water. Splash with cold water then pat dry.
Firming and Moisturizing Made Simple
Grab some honey (organic, if possible but not necessary) and 1 egg. For dry skin use yolk only. For oily skin use egg white only. For normal skin use whole egg.
- Measure 1 tablespoon honey, heat in microwave for few seconds only. Thoroughly
- Mix honey with egg.
- Apply and leave on face for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Completely rinse off with warm water.
Natural Cleansing for Sensitive Skin
Whip up this cleanser to gently cleanse pores, removes dead skin cells, and softens dry, sensitive skin without irritating it.
- Measure 2 teaspoons yogurt with 2 teaspoons baking soda.
- Mix ingredients well, then apply to face.
- Gently massage into skin for at least 2 minutes.
- Rinse well with warm water.
Throwing on a pair of running shoes and heading out the door is one of the cheapest, simplest forms of exercise. But when two college friends took up running to burn off some of the freshman 15-pound weight gain, their families and friends couldn’t relate.
“[They] would ask us what we were doing, and when we said ‘running,’ they would look baffled,” said Toni Carey. She started running shortly after graduating Middle Tennessee State University, inspired by watching her friend Ashley Hicks take up the sport. Both Carey and Hicks are African-American, and they say they also felt excluded at the races they attended.
“We would be the only black people there,” Carey says, “and we never got a warm welcome. It was like, ‘are you guys in the right place?'”
That’s likely because Carey and Hicks are, in fact, a rarity. The 2013 National Runner survey, an annual report by Running USA of nearly 25,000 American runners, showed that only 3.3 percent of African-Americans were classified as “core runners” — defined as those who compete in races and train year-round. That’s compared to 88.1 percent of runners who were white, 5.2 who were Hispanic and 4.1 who were Asian or Pacific Islander. (Respondents could select more than one ethnicity, so that’s why those numbers add up to more than 100 percent.)
So Carey and Hicks decided to do something to encourage their community to join the activity they loved. They began by blogging about their races and training, and then, Carey says, “It took a life of its own.”
That was 2009, and “it” became an online group called Black Girls RUN! Today, nearly 70 running groups exist across the United States, with about 61,000 members. The Black Girls RUN! Facebook page has over 70,000 “likes,” and the Twitter feed has almost 17,000 followers.
Summer can be a difficult time for women with body image issues. From bikinis to clothes that reveal rather than cover up, our bodies are more on display during the warmer months. Essence Magazine is dedicating the latest issue to body image with its cover subject and the many articles that advocate for us to love and embrace our unique shapes.
Serena Williams, who two years ago was fighting to breathe after suffering a pulmonary embolism, fronts the issue in a beautiful blue one-piece swimsuit that highlights her famous curves and toned arms and legs. Her radiant skin and confident pose are only outshined by her gorgeous smile. In the issue, she says: “I feel lighter, I feel healthier, and even though I’m 31—which really isn’t old, but for an athlete, particularly a tennis player, it’s old—I promise you, my body has never felt better. Considering how much I’ve played and how much I’ve done, I feel fine. I’m strong…”
The stunning photograph is flanked by coverlines like “Love Your Body,” and “2,500 Black Women on The Beauty of Our Bodies,” which reflects the core philosophy of Essence Magazine with its commitment to uplifting women and serving as a positive and uplifting space for us on the newsstand.
The article “Be Healthy at Every Size,” is significant because it places health over size-shaming. Serena’s quote is thematically in line with the cover’s push for self-acceptance and love; she says “It’s important to look in the mirror and say ‘I love myself.” Finally, the issue promises to offer swimsuits that flatter our curves and sweat-proof hairstyles and products.
article by Jessica C. Andrews via clutchmagonline.com
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WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama on Monday called for a more robust national discussion on mental illness, saying the time had come to bring the issue “out of the shadows.”
Speaking at the opening session of a White House conference on mental health, the president said his goal was to let people affected by these issues know they should not suffer in silence.
“Struggling with a mental illness or caring for someone who does can be isolating,” Obama said. “It begins to feel as if, not only are you alone, but that you shouldn’t burden others with the challenge.”
The conference is part of Obama’s response to last year’s shooting massacre at a Connecticut elementary school. While the president emphasized that most people with mental health problems are not violent, he said untreated mental illness can lead to larger tragedies.
There’s been little publicly revealed about the mental health of Sandy Hook shooter Adam Lanza, although it’s been documented that other gunmen involved in mass shootings suffered from mental illness. Federal law bans certain mentally ill people from purchasing firearms, but the background check system is woefully incomplete and Obama is trying to get more mental health records included.
“We can do something about stories like this,” he said. “In many cases, treatment is available and effective.” Top administration officials, along with actors Bradley Cooper and Glenn Close, were among those participating in the White House conference.
The agenda includes discussion of insurance coverage for mental health care and substance abuse, recognizing the signs of mental illness in young people and improved access to services for veterans. The overall goal is reducing the stigma of mental health problems and encouraging those who are struggling to get help.
April showers brought more than May flowers for first lady Michelle Obama and a group of elementary school children from two New Jersey schools seriously damaged by Hurricane Sandy, Monday. Students from Union Beach Memorial School in Union Beach, N.J., and Long Beach Island Grade School in Ship Bottom, N.J., joined Obama to harvest crops, such as lettuce and broccoli, planted in the White House garden in April.
“One of the reasons why we wanted to invite you guys is I understand that given all that you guys have been through,” she said. “Many of your schools got damaged in Sandy, right? — but despite that, you guys are still going to school every day, and you’re working on eating healthy … And it hasn’t been that easy, but you guys have managed to get through the school year way on top of the game, and we’re just very proud of you,” she added.
The children’s visit to the White House coincided with President Obama’s visit to their home state of New Jersey to highlight rebuilding efforts in coastal areas damaged during Hurricane Sandy last fall.
The clip, entitled “Cherishing Life’s Special Moments,” seeks to raise awareness about the importance of speaking with your doctor about prostate cancer.
Prostate cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death for men in the United States, affecting one in six men, according to PCF. In the U.S. alone, 2.5 million American men and their families are currently living with prostate cancer.
“As a father, I cherish the special moments in life and understand how they can fly by in an instant,” said Quincy Jones. “Prostate cancer has affected dear friends and family of mine, so I am honored to be part of this campaign with Stand Up To Cancer and the Prostate Cancer Foundation to reinforce how incredibly important it is for men to talk to their doctors about prostate cancer.”
“I was excited to shoot this PSA with my father,” said Rashida Jones. “We have to protect the men we cherish, so please talk to your fathers, your grandfathers, husbands, brothers and sons and make sure they speak to their doctors about this disease and how to reduce their risk.”
“Men are 40 percent less likely than women to have visited a healthcare provider in the past year…But talking to one’s doctor about prostate cancer is critically important,” said Stand Up To Cancer President & CEO Sung Poblete, PhD, RN. “We are thrilled to have the father and daughter pair of Quincy and Rashida Jones spread that message through this PSA, and hope it empowers men to speak with their doctors about prostate cancer and when screening is right for them so they can make informed decisions.”
To learn more, visit StandUp2Cancer.org or PCF.org.
article via thegrio.com
From The Daily Beast:
Actress Vanessa Bell Calloway couldn’t helped but be moved by the recent editorial by fellow actress Angelina Jolie discussing her decision to have an preventative double mastectomy. In 2009, the veteran of stage, television, and film went in for a mammogram and was told the results looked “suspicious.” The co-star of the Showtime series “Shameless”—who appeared in the original Broadway production of “Dreamgirls” and became a familiar face to fans in the hit films “Coming to America,” “What’s Love Got to Do With It,” and “The Crimson Tide”—shares with Allison Samuels of The Daily Beast her head-butting battle with breast cancer, the lessons she learned about relinquishing control, and her plans for a healthier future for her two daughters.
I can still remember sitting straight up in my bed one morning thinking something’s wrong. I didn’t know what it was and I didn’t know where it was, I just knew something wasn’t right and I couldn’t explain it. I told my husband, an anesthesiologist, about the feeling I had. First he asked if I was in pain and I said no and then he said not to worry, but of course I did anyway. I had that nagging feeling that all women get at one time or another when that little voice in our heads just won’t be silent.
I’d always been very diligent about getting my yearly mammograms, pap smears, and anything else related to my health since I’d become an adult woman. Sometimes I’d even get them twice a year if the spirit hit me. I took care of myself in other ways as well. I’d been a dancer since childhood so exercise was a part of my daily regiment, and because I’m an actress, being fit goes along with the job description. A healthy lifestyle was an attitude I wanted to pass down to my two daughters, Ashley 22, and Alexandra, 18.
But despite all those years of dogged dedication to my well-being and the fact that there is no history of breast cancer in my family, four years ago I heard the dreaded words no woman wants to hear: the results of my mammogram were “suspicious.” In my mind I knew “suspicious” could mean cancer, but as much as I tried not to dwell on that reality, I somehow couldn’t stop myself. I told as few people as possible as my husband and I waited for the doctors to probe deeper.
It was cancer in its early stages in my left breast. Yes, at 51 years old I was stunned, but I had a plan that I put into action quickly. To know me is to know that I’m a “planner.” This would be no different. I would simply have a lumpectomy. Then I’d have radiation to complete treatment. There would still be no need to tell my parents, my husband’s parents, or my two daughters as my youngest was a sophomore in high school and my oldest was a sophomore in college. My girl’s lives wouldn’t have to be turned upside down and I could continue to go on auditions for television roles in-between treatments.
NBC Southern California – The National Institutes of Health awarded UCLA a grant to study the genetic causes of autism in African-American children. Areva Martin of the Special Needs Network says “there’s a void” of qualified health care officials to make the diagnosis in communities like South LA. The study hopes to change that, and aims to recruit at least 600 African-American families who have a child diagnosed with autism.
Watch video of this story by clicking here.
Related Stories:
- BET’s Centric to Premiere Autism Awareness Documentary Featuring Tisha Campbell-Martin, Nicole Ari Parker & Blair Underwood
- Charmin Bear Charms Autistic Boy
article by Dr. Bruce Hensel via thegrio.com
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ENews reports Oprah Winfrey is offering the first glimpse of her farm in Maui (see video above), which is now yielding healthy produce she gives to the needy. All signs point to Winfrey intending for her farm to eventually supply an organic foods business with partner and fitness expert Bob Greene. Additionally, Winfrey and Greene are holding a contest to bring one lucky viewer/reader and their guest on a tour of the farm. Details on how to enter can be found at Oprah.com.
article by Lori Lakin Hutcherson and Lesa Lakin