Thank you for nominating me for Hilarious Patient Leader in the 9th Annual WEGO Health Awards. I’m humbled by your outpouring of support for Looking for the Light.
I would be honored if you voted for me. Voting is open until the end of July.
Re-energize, Re-generate and Seek Wellness
Melinda
What are the WEGO Health Awards?
The WEGO Health Awards program was created to recognize and honor those making a difference in the online health community. Since its inception in 2011, the WEGO Health Awards have proven to be one of the best ways to celebrate the patient advocates, influencers and collaborators sharing their story and raising awareness for their communities. Last year alone, we celebrated over 6k nominees!
This year’s winners will receive:
$500 prize to be used towards advocacy efforts or travel
Compensated WEGO Health 2021 Patient Leader Advisory Board Seat (estimated cash value $1500)
Opportunity to be featured as a worlds’ top patient expert in HLTH’s patient-centered webinar series, as well as industry exposure opportunities throughout the year
Still have questions about the program? Click here to get your answers!
There are many ways for nominees to get involved in the WEGO Health Awards, and you’ll be hearing from us with more details soon. In the meantime, be sure to share your nomination with your community.
More pregnant women and new mothers are experiencing anxiety and depression during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to survey results published in Frontiers in Global Women’s Health.
Researchers surveyed 520 pregnant women and 380 women who had given birth in the last year. The participants — primarily from Canada — were recruited on social media from April 14 through May 8.
Reference: Davenport H, et al. Front Glob Womens Health. 2020;doi:10.3389/fgwh.2020.00001.
The survey included a questionnaire on self-reported depression and depressive symptoms, anxiety and physical activity before and during the pandemic.
When responding to questionnaires on depressive symptoms, 15% of women had scores indicating depression before the pandemic compared with 40.7% of women during the pandemic.
The survey also identified moderate to high anxietyin 29% of respondents before the pandemic and 72% of respondents during the pandemic.
According to the results, 64% of women reported that they had reduced their physical activity levels due to isolation measures, whereas 15% reported increased physical activity and 21% did not change their physical activity.
Researchers found that women who had at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity each week had significantly lower depression and anxiety scores compared with those who did not.Margie H.Davenport
Healio Primary Care spoke with lead author Margie H. Davenport, PhD,director of the Program for Pregnancy and Postpartum Health and associate professor in the faculty of kinesiology, sport and recreation at University of Alberta, to learn more about the study and what physicians can do to combat depression and anxiety in pregnant women and new mothers.
Q: Why was this study needed?
A: We know that the social and physical isolation measures that are critically needed to reduce the spread of the virus are affecting mental health; however, during pregnancy, the development of depression and anxiety can have detrimental effects on the mental and physical health of both mother and baby that can persist for years. Our previous work has demonstrated that exercise during and following pregnancy is associated with a reduced risk for depression and depressive symptoms, but access to safe places to walk or other types of exercise are greatly reduced. We wanted to conduct this survey to learn more about the impact of COVID-19 on the mental health and physical activity of women during and following pregnancy.
Q: How might recall bias have affected the results?
A: We know that in nonpandemic times, 1 in 7 women experience depression and/or anxiety during the perinatal period. Although recall bias may have influenced the pre-pandemic results, the fact that 41% of women are experiencing depression and 72% moderate to high anxiety currently is substantially higher than we would expect.
Q: What can physicians do to address depression and anxiety in pregnant and postpartum women during the COVID-19 pandemic?
A: It is critical to increase awareness of the impact of social (and physical) isolation on the mental health of pregnant and postpartum women. Speaking to patients about the signs and symptoms of depression and anxiety, as well as continuing to ensure access to diagnosis and treatment of these conditions is a key step in supporting women through a healthy pregnancy.
Q: Physical activity decreased among many of these women during the COVID-19 pandemic. What can PCPs recommend to these patients to help them increase physical activity during the pandemic?
A: The closures of indoor recreation centers and outdoor parks have increased some barriers to physical activity during the pandemic. However, encouraging outdoor walking or online fitness classes can be feasible options to engage in physical activity while continuing to adhere to public health recommendations for physical distancing. Extensive research supports the benefits of walking. Every minute counts!
Q: What additional research is needed to evaluate the mental health of pregnant and postpartum women during the COVID-19 pandemic?
A: Additional research needed to better understand how we can support the mental health of pregnant and postpartum women who are experiencing isolation — even in nonpandemic times — is critical. Working with women to develop supports and resources that fit with their needs — online support groups, better access to diagnosis and treatment, free perinatal fitness classes — is needed to mitigate the effects of the pandemic.pregnant womendepressionanxietycovid-19coronavirus
Additional information:
A mental health treatment center for women affirms this study, particularly in relation to their male counterparts. The Gooden Center found that “women are nearly twice as likely as men to be diagnosed with depression or anxiety,”
Women, the Gooden Center notes, are more prone to trauma, which is deeply interconnected with depression and anxiety along with stress. Complications with trauma, depression and anxiety go much deeper than a lower quality of life. It can lead to reduced life expectancy, life-threatening health complications and suicide.
Note:
If you need help please consider anxiety therapy, where there is life there is hope.
This post is part of TED’s “How to Be a Better Human” series, each of which contains a piece of helpful advice from people in the TED community; browse through all the posts here.
I have a question for you. Have you ever seen something and you wish you could have said something — but you didn’t?
And I have a second question. Has something ever happened to you and you never said anything about it — but you should have?
I’m interested in this idea of action — of the difference between seeing, which is the passive act of observing, and the actual act of bearing witness.
Bearing witness means writing down something you have seen, something you have heard, something you have experienced. The most important part of bearing witness is writing it down; it’s recording. Writing it down captures the memory. Writing it down acknowledges its existence.
One of the biggest examples we have in history of someone bearing witness is Anne Frank and her diary. She simply wrote down what was happening to her family and about her confinement and, in doing so, we have a very intimate record of this family during one of the worst periods of our world’s history.
You too can use creative writing to bear witness, and I’m going to walk you through an exercise that I do with a lot of my college students, who are future engineers, technicians, plumbers — basically, they’re not creative writers. We use these exercises to unsilence things we’ve been keeping silent. It’s a way of unburdening ourselves. It’s 3 simple steps.
Step 1: Brainstorm and write it down
I give my students a prompt. The prompt is “The time when …” and I want them to fill in that prompt with times they might have experienced something, heard something or seen something and they could have said something or intervened but they didn’t. I have them write a list as quickly as possible.
I’ll give you example of some of the things I would write down:
the time when a few months after 9/11 and two boys dared themselves to touch me and they did
the time when my sister and I were walking in a city and a guy spat at us and called us terrorists
the time way back when I went to a very odd middle school and girls a couple of years older than me were often married to men nearly double their age
the time when a friend pulled a gun on me
the time when I went to a going-away luncheon for a coworker and a big boss questioned my lineage for 45 minutes
There are times when I have seen something and I haven’t intervened. For example:
the time when I was on a train and I witnessed a father beating his toddler son and I didn’t do anything
the many times when I’ve walked by someone who was homeless and in need and asking me for money and I walked around them and I did not acknowledge their humanity
The list could go on and on. Think of times when something might have happened sexually, times when you’ve been keeping things repressed, and times with our families. Because our families — we love them, but at the same time we don’t talk about things. So we don’t talk about the family member who has been using drugs or abusing alcohol; we don’t talk about the family member who might have severe mental illness. We’ll say something like, “Oh they’ve always been that way,” and we hope that in not talking about it and not acknowledging it, we can act like it doesn’t exist, that it will somehow fix itself.
Your goal is to write down at least 10 things, and once you have those 10 things, you’ve actually done part one, which is to bear witness. You have unsilenced something that you have been keeping silent.
Step 2: Narrow it down and focus
What I suggest is going back to your list of 10 and picking 3 things that are really tugging at you, three things that you feel strongly about. It doesn’t have to be the most traumatic things but it’s things that are like, “Ah, I have to write about this.” I suggest you sit down at a table with a pen and paper — that’s my preferred method for recording but you can also use a tablet, an iPad, a computer, just something that lets you write.
I suggest taking 30 minutes of uninterrupted time, meaning that you turn your phone off, put it on airplane mode, no email. If you have family or if you have children, give yourself 20 minutes or 5 minutes. The goal is just to give yourself time to write.
You’re going to focus on 3 things — you’re going to focus on the details, you’re going to focus on the order of events, you’re going to focus on how it made you feel. That last one is the most important part.
I’m going to walk you through how I do it. The first thing I feel very, very strongly about is that time when a couple of months after 9/11, these two boys dared themselves to touch me. I remember I was in a rural mall in North Carolina and I was just walking, minding my business.
I felt like people walking behind me were very, very close. I was like, “OK, that’s kind of weird, let me walk a little bit faster.” They walked a little bit faster too and I heard them going back and forth — “No, you do it” “You do it” “No, you do it.” And then one of them pushes me and I almost fall to the ground.
I popped back up, expecting some type of apology and the weirdest thing was they did not run away. They actually stood right next to me and I remember there was a guy with blond hair and he had a bright red polo shirt and he was saying “Give me my money, I did it, man”, and the guy with the brown hair who had a choppy haircut gave him a $5 bill. I remember it was crumpled, and so I’m like, “Am I still standing here? This thing just happened. What just happened?”
And it was so weird to be someone’s dare and then also not exist at all. I remembered when I was younger and someone dared me to touch something nasty or disgusting. I felt like that nasty and disgusting thing.
A second thing I feel very, very strongly about is the time when a friend pulled a gun on me (I should say former friend). I remember there was a group of us outside, he had run up, and he had the stereotypical brown paper bag in his hand. I knew what it was. I’m a very mouthy person and I started going off. I was like, “What are you doing with that gun? You’re not gonna shoot anyone. You’re a coward. You don’t even know how to use it.”
I kept going on and on and on and he got angrier and angrier and angrier and he pulled the gun out and put it in my face. I remember every one of us got very, very quiet. I remember the tightness of his face. I remember the barrel of the gun and I felt like — and I’m pretty sure everyone around me who got quiet did too — felt like this is the moment I die.
The third thing I feel very, very strongly about is this going away luncheon and this big boss. I remember I was running late and I’m always late; it’s just a thing that happens with me. The whole table was filled except for the seat next to him. I didn’t know him well; I had seen him in the office. I didn’t know why the seat was empty; I found out later on why. So I sat down at the table and before he even asked me my name, the first thing he said was “What’s going on with all of this?” and he gestured at my head. I thought, “Do I have something on my face? What’s happening?”
Then he asked me with two hands this time “What’s going on with all of this?” And I realized he’s talking about my hijab. In my head I said, “Oh, not today.” But he’s a big boss — he’s like my boss’s boss’s boss. So for 45 minutes I put up with him asking me where I was from, where were my parents from, my grandparents. He asked me where I went to school, where I did my internships, he asked me who interviewed me for that job. And for 45 minutes, I tried to be very, very, very, very, very polite, trying to answer his questions.
But I remember I was making eyeball “Help!” signs at the people around the table, like “Someone say something, intervene”. It was a rectangular table, so there were people on both sides of us and no one said anything, even people who might be in the position to do so, bosses. No one said anything. I remember I felt so alone. I remember I felt like I didn’t deserve to be in his space. I remember I wanted to quit.
So these are my three things and you’ll have your list of three things. Once you have these three things, you have the details, you have the order of events, you have how it made you feel, you’re ready to actually use creative writing to bear witness.
Step 3: Pick one and tell your story
You don’t have to write a memoir; you don’t have to be a creative writer. I know sometimes storytelling can be daunting for some people but we are human, we are natural storytellers. If someone asks “How is your day going?”, we have a beginning, a middle and an end. That is a narrative.
Our memory exists and subsists through the act of storytelling. You just have to find the form that works for you. You can write a letter to your younger self, you can write a story to your younger self, you can write a story to your five-year-old child, you can write a parody, a song, a song as parody. You can write a play, you can write a nursery rhyme, you can write it in the form of a Wikipedia article.
If it’s one of those situations where you saw something and you didn’t intervene, perhaps write it from that person’s perspective. So if I go back to the boy on the train who I saw being beaten, What was it like to be in his shoes? What was it like to see all these people who watched it happen and did nothing? Or I could put myself in the position of someone who was homeless and just try to figure out how they got there in the first place. Perhaps it would help me change some of my actions, perhaps it will help me be more proactive about certain things.
By telling your story, you’re keeping it alive so you don’t have to do anything; you don’t have to show anyone any of these steps. But even if you’re telling it to yourself, you’re saying this thing happened, this weird thing did happen. It’s not in my head. It actually happened and by doing that maybe you’ll take a little bit of power back that has been taken away.
The last thing I’m going to do is I’m going to tell you my story. The one I’ve picked is about this big boss and I picked that one because I feel like I’m not the only one who has been in a position where someone has been above me and been talked down to. I feel like all of us might have been in positions where we felt like we could not say anything because this person has our livelihood, our paychecks, our jobs in their hands and times we might have seen someone who has power talking down to someone and we should have or could have intervened.
By telling this story, I’m taking back a little bit of power that was taken away from me. I have changed the names, and it happened a decade ago. It doesn’t have any happy ending, because it’s just me writing down what happened that day.
This is how I use creative writing to bear witness.
At Lisa’s Going Away Luncheon
I want to ask my boss’s boss’s boss if he’s stupid
or just plain dumb after he takes one look at my hijab
and asks me where I’m from in Southeast Asia.
I tell him that it’s New Jersey, actually,
and he asks where are my parents from,
and my grandparents and my great-grandparents
and their parents and their parents’ parents
as if searching for some Other blood,
as if searching for some reason why some Black
Muslim girl from Newark wound up seated next to him
at this restaurant of tablecloths
and laminated menus.
I want to say “Slavery, jerk,”
but I’ve got a car note and rent and insurances
and insurances and insurances and credit
cards and credit debt and a loan and a bad tooth
and a penchant for sushi so I drop
the jerk but keep the truth.
Tell me, he says,
“Why don’t Sunnis and Shiites get along?”
“Tell me,” he says, “What’s going on in Iraq?”
“Tell me,” he says, “What’s up with Saudi and Syria
and Iran?” “Tell me,” he says, “Why do Muslims
like bombs?” I want to shove an M1 up his behind
and confetti that pasty flesh and that tailored suit.
Sakinah Hofler is an award-winning writer and a PhD student at the University of Cincinnati in the English Program. Formerly, she worked as a chemical and quality engineer for the United States Department of Defense. She’s an advocate for infusing the arts into our daily lives.
Every season, we send you a limited edition box that contains timeless, high-quality décor. Subscribe quarterly or annually, and cancel anytime hassle-free.
Every month we will delight your doorstep with all-natural, non-toxic, and cruelty-free beauty that truly works! You will receive a mix of 3+ full-sized top-shelf products with a minimum total value of $100+.
Earthlove is an eco-friendly seasonal subscription box for featuring 6-8 hand-picked products including skincare, books, teas, snacks, apparel, accessories, bath, and other surprises carefully curated for helping you live a healthier, earth-centered life.
This post may contain an affiliate link that doesn’t cost you more money and helps fund my coffee habit.
I’ve updated my review with a new testimonial, which affirms what I discovered about the WaveLife Energy Cell, it’s a great pain-relieving product at a very accessible price point. Check out my review below and the WaveLife site for more information.
I’ve heard from WaveLife Technologies that many of you have purchased the WaveLife Energy Cell from my review. I would love to hear how the WaveLife Energy Cell worked for you.
I focused on my left knee pain since it is the greatest pain I have on a daily basis. I’m months overdue for a total knee replacement and thought this was a great way to see how well the product worked.
I taped the Energy Cell right below my knee just to the side to get good coverage of the stick-on pads. I wore it for six hours and the tape on the bandage just started to peel on one side at the end of six hours.
After 20-25 minutes of wearing the Energy Cell, I could feel the pain in my knee start to dissipate. The pain didn’t completely go away but the first day I was able to delay taking a pain pill by an hour and a half hour. Pretty good for the first day. I was really surprised by how easy it was to wear not to mention getting some real results.
The second thru the fourth day I experienced the same results, shortly after taping on the Energy Cell the pain started to dissipate. I was able to go from an hour and a half to two hours later than normal before taking my scheduled pain pill.
I can’t recommend the WaveLife Technologies Energy Cell enough! Anytime I can get pain relief no matter how little is a great day for me. I plan on purchasing a second for my husband.
*Here’s a discount code for 15% off your purchase, WAVELIFELIGHT15*
The Technical Information
Here’s more technical and scientific information about the Wavelife Technologies Energy Cell and the company.
The Wavelife Technologies Energy Cell is now available in the United States, you can find more information on retail pricing and how to purchase at concierge@wavelife.com.
WaveLife’s No Pain Energy Cell is a non-invasive, non-chemical pain management method that is based on over thirty years of research. It’s been developed in cooperation with over 2800 clinics in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. It’s reported to help a wide range of pain, such as arthritis, headaches, lower back pain, post-surgery pain, upper back pain, and osteoporosis. You can find out more about the device and whether it could help you here.
WAVELIFE ENERGY CELL has a wide range of possible applications to address pain and other complications on a cellular level by supporting cell communication and regeneration. The WAVELIFE ENERGY CELL is a reliable companion for physical problems, lack of energy, and regeneration.
Thanks to the special vital field frequencies on the chip, distressed areas in the body can be stimulated safely and non-intrusively to recuperate faster without chemical drugs. Countless applications by therapists have already achieved positive results, with over 30 years of development and successful applications in clinics that support vital field applications in Switzerland, Germany, and Austria.
Scientists developed the WAVE ENERGY CELL in an elaborate process over many years. Tests, numerous satisfied customers as well as therapist bear testimony to its effectiveness.
Bettie Hayes, 82, from Phoenix, Arizona, is a professional tennis coach who had a right hip replacement in 2013 due to osteoarthritis
“I have been suffering from pain on my lower back for at least ten years now. As a pain sufferer, I struggled most with my mobility; I like to garden and I like to play tennis, so pain definitely had an effect on these activities. I first put the Energy cell in my instep and I didn’t see results there, but later I put it on my left and right side of my lower back and immediately felt my pain diminished. Eventually, I got my mobility back again. What I like most about the Energy Cell is that it’s natural and there are no side effects. What I like most about not being in pain is movement; it certainly makes life better.”
WOW! I can’t tell you how honored and humbled I am to be nominated in these categories for the Ninth Annual WEGO Health Awards.
Best in Show: Blog
Advocating for Another
Best in Show: Twitter
Best Kept Secret
Rookie of the Year
What are the WEGO Health Awards?
Since its inception in 2011, the WEGO Health Awards have proven to be one of the best ways to honor, recognize, and celebrate the work of patient advocates, influencers and healthcare collaborators who are helping others and transforming healthcare – often without any formal recognition.
With 16 different award categories, it is the only program to recognize patient leaders across all condition areas and platforms; whether running an online support group, speaking at conferences or sharing their health journey on Instagram, there is truly an award category to recognize every patient leader out there.
Endorsements for the #WEGO Health Awards are open!
Time to support your community leaders. You can think of your endorsement as a vote – so take a moment to browse these tremendous nominees and endorse those you believe should be recognized!
Nominations remain open until July 31st.
Here’s how you can nominate me for these or any of the other categories available. Thank you for all of your ongoing support.
If you suffer from chronic pain chances are you’ve taken addictive pain medication or at least talked to your doctor about finding pain relief. With limited alternatives for those looking for consistent pain relief, many are faced with the tough decision to take addictive medications.
If you read about drug addiction, you’ll often run across the saying dependence is not addiction. To me, addiction means I can’t stop taking the medication without withdrawing and major side effects. Medically addiction is explained as someone who abuses, I agree that is also addiction. I don’t buy into the saying dependence is not addiction.
I have taken addictive drugs most of my adult life for mental illness and have been through withdrawal more times than I can count. My guess is the feeling I’m having while going through withdrawal is very much like a drug addict wanting a fix. It’s ugly!
I also live with chronic pain and have made the decision to take addictive pain medication. The decision was one of the easiest I’ve had to make since the onset of chronic pain in 2013. The biggest mistake I made was not starting or increasing doses sooner and dealing with my General Practitioner instead of a Pain Management doctor.
I took several pain medications while undergoing Lyme treatment but the one I took the most often was Tramadol. After my Lyme treatment stopped I continued to take Tramadol through my General Practitioner, at one point taking 10mg tablets eight times a day and still not getting consistent relief.
I found a Pain Management doctor and now receiving the most comprehensive pain relief to date. He addresses all of my pain each month, we talk about pain levels, exactly where the pain is, what’s changed and is the medication providing me the level of relief I’m comfortable with. I don’t expect to live without pain, I don’t want to take that much medication and I don’t want to increase my addiction level which in turn increases my withdrawal time when stopping a medication.
I struggle with Fibromyalgia, Neuropathy, Arthritis, a bum knee in need of surgery, Lyme, and Osteoporosis. My surgeon gives me a steroid shot every three months for my knee and I see a Pain Management doctor for the rest of my pain.
I’ve tried several drugs for Neuropathy and now manage with 600mg per day of Gabapentin. My doctor prescribed 900mg, which is the maximum dose but I work on the philosophy if fewer works go with less. I always have a higher dose to go up to.
I take Percocet 10mg tablets three times a day
Belbuca (buprenorphine hydrochloride) film strips 900mcg twice a day (oral not skin)
Zanaflex 4mg as needed for muscle spams
I’m addicted to drugs, several drugs and I have to be responsible for not taking too many a day or I have to skip one the next day. When the time comes to decrease or stop taking the medication, I have to work with my doctor to withdraw responsibly, I won’t go through it without medical attention.
The medical community has left many people without medication and no withdrawal plan. It’s completely irresponsible. If your doctor cuts off your medication without a withdrawal plan, first find another doctor or go to the hospital for urgent care, and secondly file a complaint with the Medical Review Board. Together we can end this reckless behavior.
Here is a resource for drug addiction if you’re left to find resources on your own.
I hope you never need to use the above resource. I pray you have a responsible doctor who knows how to slowly and safely taper you off of each medication. It’s important to remember if you are addicted to more than one drug, each has to be dealt with separately. Don’t be pressured into withdrawing off of two drugs at one time without medical attention, often hospitalization.
Happy Anniversary with WordPress.com! You registered on WordPress.com 11 years ago. Thanks for flying with us. Keep up the good blogging.
There are days when it feels like yesterday when I started blogging back in 2005, my blog was called Defining Memories. My blog was a personal diary of the grieving process after my Granny died. After a couple of years, my post started to turn towards other memories, many not so good, but ones that needed to be dealt with. I also started openly talking about my mental illness and my life long journey to reach stability.
I realized a name change was in order, my journey was more of a search, sharing my struggles, my wins, and losses. So Looking for the Light was born. I had no idea of the wonderful journey ahead of me. Although sharing the most intimate details of child abuse, sexual assault, and mental illness wasn’t easy, it opened a door to people like me who were on a similar journey. We were at different points in the journey but talked a language each understood.
I’ve grown and the blog is a reflection of my growth towards a healthier relationship with myself, my past, and how I advocate for chronic illnesses including my mental health and living a healthier lifestyle. I’m in a good place. I turn 57 in a few weeks and feel like I’m on level footing.
This year I was nominated for several categories in The WEGO Health Awards which is a huge honor. It affirms I’ve reached someone and that’s why I share. All of your comments and feedback are so important to my growth and understanding. Needless to say, Looking for the Light wouldn’t be where it is today without you.
If I’ve touched your life in some way, I’m so glad we’ve crossed paths. I grow from every conversation and relationship I make.
Looking for the Light will continue to evolve as I grow, gain knowledge, and look for betters ways to share the information as I learn. You are most important to me and shape the growth of the blog. Your responses or lack of let me know what you’re interested in. Please know, I’m always open to suggestions or ideas, use the comment section to share your thoughts and feedback. I read every comment.
I’m going to close with one of my favorite quotes.
“If you are always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be.”
Led by researchers in Australia, an international team of scientists uncovered new genetic associations for allergies, asthma, and eczema by studying how soon in life individuals developed those conditions.
The researchers identified 76 genetic variants associated with these sorts of allergic diseases in or near 18 different genes. They found that about 50 of the variants are associated with both a higher risk for developing allergic diseases and developing one of these conditions at a very early age.
Genetic Burden
The significance of the finding is that it can help determine the overall “genetic burden” for developing allergies, or asthma or eczema, according to the co-lead author of the study Manuel Ferreira, Ph.D., a specialist in the genetics of asthma formerly at the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute in Brisbane, Australia.
In this study, the findings indicate that people with the highest genetic risk are likely developing one of these conditions earliest in life. Those with the lowest genetic risk may never develop symptoms. Using this insight also helped researchers identify new genetic associations for these conditions.
While genetics plays an important role, environmental factors also influence the risk of developing an allergic condition. But the findings will help researchers better understand why and how allergic disease develops in some individuals and not others, as well as understand the genetic influences.
Overlapping Risk
Ferreira, now at Regeneron, previously worked on a study that found overlapping genetic risk factors for allergic diseases, such as asthma and hay fever, which used data from 23andMe.
For this study, the researchers used data from the dozens of previously published genome-wide association studies for allergic disease — some of which included data from 23andMe, as well as the UK Biobank and others.
Just in time for your summer vacation, ok, Covid-19 vacay. A natural incest repellent is a great alternative for those with sensitive skin or other skin allergies. Remember natural sprays do not contain DEET which can keep mosquitoes and ticks at bay that carry tick-borne illnesses like Lyme Disease.
Add all ingredients together in a glass spray bottle in the order listed above, leaving essential oils to go in last. Shake to combine. Try to use an amber glass bottle if possible to prevent the sun from penetrating the oils inside, which could lessen their potency. Keep Bottle out of direct sunlight and somewhere cool.
I hope your Thursday is off to a great start! Life can be stressful right now, much more than normal. I want you to know I’m thinking of you and sending positive thoughts your way.
This post is part of TED’s “How to Be a Better Human” series, each of which contains a piece of helpful advice from people in the TED community; browse through all the posts here.
One of the side effects of working from home full-time because of the pandemic is working with a less than ergonomically ideal setup. Most of us didn’t have a home office space ready and waiting when we began to shelter in place, so if you’ve spent the past two months shifting around on a borrowed dining room chair with a cushion wedged behind you, you’re not alone.
But no matter our seating arrangements, there are some important things we can do to care for our backs, says Esther Gokhale, posture expert, acupuncturist and creator of the Gokhale Method. It doesn’t mean buying an expensive chair, either. “You don’t need anything fancy if you know what you’re doing to your own body,” she explains.
First of all, the problem isn’t with sitting itself, but how we’re doing it, says Gokhale. “It’s a cute soundbite to say ‘sitting is the new smoking’, but it’s very inaccurate to blame sitting. But no one in modern Western society is doing very well by their spinal discs, or vertebrae, or muscles or nerves.“
So what are we doing wrong?
It actually starts with something we were all taught — incorrectly, as it turns out — starting in childhood: sit up straight, shoulders back.
This advice, says Gokhale, sets us up in the wrong position. “What we end up doing is arching our backs by tensing up our muscles — the ropey ones that the massage therapist will tell you are tight. When we tighten them, we shorten them, and that arches the back, and what that does is it loads the discs [in the lower back] and jams the edges of the vertebrae against each other.”
When we keep trying to sit up straight, we can ultimately alter our anatomy, she explains. “If that becomes a habit — which it does for many people — then those tight, short muscles inhibit the blood supply in the area so now you have an anemic back and repair isn’t happening efficiently.”
This effort also takes an enormous amount of energy and it doesn’t actually last; we’re likely to slump again after a few minutes when we get tired.
If you have a tendency to slump — and most of us do — then you need to learn to lengthen your back. “You could [periodically] stop work to stretch your muscles for a few minutes and they’d get some relief, but a much smarter way is to use the time that you’re sitting to stretch yourself against the backrest,” explains Gohkale. She has created a technique called “stretch sitting” to help perfect this motion. The key? Don’t tuck in your tailbone, and use your muscles more.
“You are going to sit with your bottom well back in your chair, and then hinge away from the back rest. Place your fists on the lower border of your rib cage, and then gently push back so as to elongate your lower back. And now, grab some place of your chair maybe your arm rests or any other part of your chair, and gently push the top of you away form the bottom of you, like this; and now, hitch yourself to the back rest.
OK, now, ideally the chair would have some grippy thing mid-back to hold you, like you see hereor you would have an implement like our stretch sit cushion or a folded towel — something with friction to meet your mid-back and actually hold you up. Since you don’t have any implement, you might try bunching up your fabric in the back of your clothing, creating a kind of ledge, then hooking yourself there, and totally relaxing.”
To have a healthier back, developing core strength is important — but avoid doing crunches. Gokhale believes that you should focus on what she calls the “inner corset”; the group of core muscles that support your spine. The problem, she says, is that people tend to focus on one muscle when developing core strength — the rectus abdominus — but this won’t support our spines.
In fact, the exercises we do to strengthen our back often end up hurting us. “Crunches are well named; they crunch your discs and they crunch your nerves,” says Gokhale. “Instead, you should engage particular muscles that are deep in the abdomen and back. Then, when you’re going to do something active, instead of letting your discs and your nerves take the brunt, you let your muscles do the job.” (Gohkale offers a free guide to caring for your inner corseton her website.)
Standing desks can be good, but it’s still about how you hold your body. When you stand, Gokhale recommends adopting a stance of “readiness”, maintaining a little bit of spring in your knees. “The average person stands parked in their joints, locking their knees back, locking the hips forward, and arching their back,” she explains. “However, the groin is where most of the circulation to and from the legs happens, so you’re blocking all of that. Then, you’re creating an extra curve [in the spine] but you’re distending the ligaments and damaging the discs.”
Here’s the adjustment you need to make. “So what I teach people is to have a little bit of a ready position, with a little spring,” says Gokhale. “That takes muscular effort, but it’s way sounder. If your muscles aren’t used to working this little bit, then the chair pose [in yoga] is something that I recommend as a way of strengthening the same muscles that you need for standing well. In general: Use your muscles, spare your joints.”
When you’re relaxing on the sofa, it’s important to think about your back. We don’t stop damaging — or taking care of — our backs when our working day ends; everything we do has an impact on our bodies. So we should consider stretch sitting while we’re on the sofa too, suggests Gokhale.
This doesn’t mean that you need to tense up there, or that you can’t have a nice, deep sofa to sink into. But you should add a few cushions if you feel you need more support. “The key thing is you want to be upright and relaxed, not upright and tense and not relaxed and slumped. The way you put your base — your pelvis — is key.” This means not tucking in our tailbones, as we often tend to do when we relax on the sofa.
How you sleep affects your back too. Unfortunately, Gokhale has bad news for front sleepers: Don’t.“When you lie down on your front, you have a tendency to arch your back, and your neck is being asked to turn 90 degrees, which it isn’t able to very well. So there’s a lot of squishing and squashing. It’s not good.” Instead, try sleeping on your side — with a pillow between your knees to balance your hips if you suffer from back pain — or on your back.
The good news, says Gokhale, is you don’t need a fancy mattress. “The most important thing to do is add length to your body. Whatever length you have when you plop yourself down onto the bed is the length you’re going to have for the rest of the night. If it’s your short, compressed, daytime, arched or slumped length, then that’s what you’re doing in your bed.”
She recommends stretching out a little bit when you first lie down, focusing on lengthening your back rather than stretching your front so that you don’t arch your spine. That way, you can relax and have a night of sleep that’s good for you and your back.
The summer is in full swing. We may not be going out as much, but the heat is here and in this blog post I want to share with you 5 Anti-Inflammatory Summer Foods to fight the heat and pain.
Who doesn’t love a tall glass of iced tea? We found this amazing recipe for Cinnamon Turmeric Iced Tea for you to try. Green Tea or Black Tea would be some great choices, but most teas would do. The recipe calls for a sweetener of your choice, but you may want to stay away from sugar as much as possible. You can go with a few drops of stevia or a little honey. Extra points if you skip the sugar.
Frozen berries are another tasty way to stay cool this summer. Every supermarket has a frozen fruits section. Berries are full of anti-inflammatory properties and antioxidants to help you fight all sorts of nasty germs. You can eat them alone or blend them into a smoothie with some almond coconut milk.
Enjoy a traditional greek salad with cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, olive oil, vinegar, and feta cheese (or skip the cheese if you are vegan).
Another favorite snack for the summer is hummus with pita chips or whole grain toasted bread. Extra points if your hummus has garlic!
Finally, don’t forget to drink plenty of water. You can throw watermelon and mint into a jar with cool water the night before and the next day you can stay hydrated.
Stay cool and fight the pain with these 5 Anti-inflammatory Summer Foods and don’t forget the sunblock!!
What are some of your favorites? Send us your suggestions and if chosen you will be featured in our social media and win a free Aromalief Cream. Send submissions to info@aromalief.com
My migraine journey started off very quickly, painful, and terrifying. I had no idea what was happening since I had not had a migraine before. I thought something else was wrong with me. Maybe my eyes were strained, maybe I was under to much stress, maybe my brain tumor had come back, I just didn’t know.
I would leave work as soon as I could to go home and lay down and pray for sleep. The pain was unlike any headache I ever had and my doctor called me “a headache person”. I was at the height of my career as a Senior Sales Manager, my whole week was spent in front of clients. It was excruciating to make it through a meeting before I could rush home and take a shot.
I was at more than one corporate meeting and have to leave, take an injection, and go back to the meeting. Those injections make you feel very strange, drugged, almost stoned. I would sit through the rest of the meetings and not remember half of what was said. Thank goodness I can take notes.
After experiencing several migraines in a month I went to my general doctor for help. At first, he gave me the injections to take, since I was only having a couple a month the injections should help. When my migraines starting happening every week the doctor put me on Beta-Blockers. I took them until the side effects were too much and I was still getting migraines.
He then put me on a daily pill for prevention and I continued to use the injections. I hobbled along like this for almost two years. Multiple migraines a week, missed work, missed family outings, and missing out on life. Migraines ruled my world.
One day while talking with my doctor and him scratching his head for answers, he said wait a minute, I read an article that might help us. He pulled it out and read it over and made a referral to an Ear, Nose, and Throat doctor.
Sure enough, I had a deviated septum and the pressure was causing my migraines. I had the out-patient surgery and have had far fewer migraines since.
Here’s some technical information about deviated septum.
For most patients, a deviated septum is something they are born with or that they developed as they were growing up. In some cases, a septum can become crooked as time passes or as a result of traumatic injury. Aside from irregular air flow, the following symptoms may arise from a deviated septum:
Nosebleeds
Congestion
Sinus infections
Snoring
Runny nose
Headaches
When a Deviated Septum Causes a Headache
The association between a deviated septum and the migraine condition can be found in sinus infections. When mucus becomes blocked, it can lead to infections, discomfort and headache, which may in turn cause stress and trigger a migraine episode in some patients. It is important to note that the sinus infection is acting as a trigger of stress rather than a direct trigger of migraines.
A deviated septum can be cured with a surgical procedure known as a septoplasty, which can be performed on an outpatient basis. For patients who suffer from major sinus infections, headaches and snoring, a septoplasty can bring about a major improvement in terms of quality of life. This may also be the case for patients who live with chronic migraine conditions, but only if the majority of their episodes were actually triggered by stress emanating from sinus infections or lack of sleep. According to Migraine Relief Center.
I’m so glad my doctor kept up with reading the medical journals or who knows how much longer I would have had to suffer. If you have constant or more than normal migraines, see an Ear, Nose and Throat doctor. Maybe you will be lucky enough to have a fixable problem.
*Just a note about having nose surgery*
My surgery was around 1994 so the way doctors approach nose surgery may be different today. At the time there were two schools of thought. Packing the nose and not packing the nose after surgery. Thank God my doctor was of the “not packing” school of thought. What that means is after my surgery there were no gauzes packed into my sinuses. I had to take these long q-tips and put Neosporin way up my nose for two weeks. During that time I had to be careful when sneezing and blowing my nose. At the end of the two weeks I went in for a check-up and he gave me the green light everything had healed fine.
The “packing” school of thought is packing your sinuses with gauze. I don’t remember how long you had to leave them in. When it is time for them to be removed, the doctor pulls them out through your nose. Most people I talked to said you want to lose your cookies when they come out. The only comparison I have is when my belly button was pierced. I felt like my stomach was coming up through the needle when he pierced me. To say it was painful is an understatement.
I hope the technology is different today but you might want to ask your doctor before surgery.
For those of you who continue to suffer from migraines, my heart goes out to you. I know how they can disrupt your day and your life. Keep looking for answers, keep reading the medical journals.
Anxiety, chronic pain, and depression are among some of the most common issues in the world and a lot of medicines do not really assist purely with these symptoms. That is why there are plenty of alternatives that can assist, such as CBD. There are plenty of different types of CBD and they work in different ways. They can also be ingested in many forms. Why not take a look at CBD Living Gelcaps to see the benefits. Taken as supplements that can really assist.
CBD has proven benefits on the body and they are renowned as essential supplements that support a healthy immune system, which can benefit your body and boost your natural defenses. Vitamin C supports all aspects of immune function needed for optimal antibody production, whilst Vitamin D is important for improved resistance, and Bilberry is packed with antioxidants that are beneficial to improving the overall immune system. By keeping your immune system healthy, you are keeping your body healthy as the immune system is key to keeping our bodies working healthily. Anxiety and depression often come hand in hand and you can look at some of the ways in which they can affect daily life.
Rapid heart rate
Palpitations
Chest pain or tight chest
Headaches
Sweats
Fear
Mental symptoms such as entrapment, doom, or fear.
You should always talk to your doctor if you have any of these symptoms as there are plenty of ways in which you can help yourself to overcome the symptoms. They are certainly not pleasant and can affect daily activities, including work, which is why taking supplements and also maintaining a healthy lifestyle can really help. Distraction is a huge key for people with anxiety and depression. Focusing on other things and looking at the benefits of new tasks and new adventures. When you don’t have access to your doctor or therapist, then there are some little things that you can add to your life just to give yourself that little boost when you need it.
Listen to music that is upbeat and inspires you.
Have a real laugh! (With friends if possible)
Take a walk around the park or the streets.
Declutter things, keep things simple in the house.
Give someone a hug and start smiling more, it helps reset the brain.
Think about the good things that you have and when things went well.
Allow yourself time to talk things through.
Talking through problems is so important because a problem shared is a problem halved and without this mentality, you will block things in your mind and keep yourself from progressing further. You need to be open to talking and to appreciate that mental health issues are common and you are never alone. With the help of CBD supplements and a great network, you are on the way to recovery. If you feel you have nobody to talk to then be sure to look at places online to help you where you can join online groups and forums.
Six months ago I was diagnosed with Hypogammaglobulinemia, an immune disorder where the body doesn’t create enough antibodies to fight off disease. The Immunologist ran a comprehensive round of labs and found I have low antibodies for all types of Pneumonia except one. He wanted me to get a Pneumonia vaccine now even though they are normally not given until age 65.
My General Practitioner has now given me both rounds of the vaccine. The pneumonia vaccine is a two-prong, one-shot then another eight weeks later. While there she asked if I had Chicken Pox as a child. Yes, I had Chicken Pox so she suggested I get a Shingles vaccine once we completed the Pneumonia vaccines. I go back after September 17th to get my Flu and Shingles round one shot. Yes, Shingles is also a two-round shot.
Shingles is another vaccine that isn’t normally talked about until your 65 but with my weekend immune system, it is better safe than sorry by waiting. Shingles are terrible and extremely painful. The Chicken Pox virus lives in your body and can reactivate by becoming Shingles later in life.
I already knew about the vaccinations because of my grandparents but had not thought about needing them at 55 years versus 65 years old.
Talk with your doctor about your risk for Pneumonia, it was a simple lab test and it clearly showed my body could not fight off all but one type. Who knew there were different types of Pneumonia?
As a parent who is also a survivor of incest, I want nothing more than to protect my children from sexual violence. I constantly wonder what it will take to improve, if not end, rape culture in our society.
Every 73 seconds, an American is sexually assaulted, according to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network, or RAINN. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 1 in 5 women and 1 in 38 men have experienced completed or attempted rape — forced or coerced vaginal, anal or oral sex. Rape can happen at the hands of known or unknown assailants, including spouses or significant others.
My oldest daughter is 9, and my twins — a boy and a girl — are 6. They are not too young to be educated about sexual health and what healthy relationships look and feel like. We refer to their body parts with the appropriate names; we talk about hygiene, privacy and boundaries. I have taught them about tricky people, and the thing we probably talk more about than anything else is consent.ADADVERTISING
At the core of its meaning, consent is about permission or an agreement to give and take something. When we use the word “consent,” we often use it in a sexual context because when someone is raped, permission has not been given, and something incredibly personal has been taken.
My goal is to protect my children, but I also have a responsibility to send them into the world with respect for all bodies and an understanding of how consent works and why it is important. The nuances of communicating our wants and then hearing the response or seeing it in a person’s body language during nonsexual situations are lessons we can teach our kids now so that later, when the stakes are higher, they already have the tools to build safe sexual relationships.
I was in the kitchen one evening and could hear my kids trading Pokémon cards. My 9-year-old daughter asked her 6-year-old brother if he would give up one of his cards for one she was offering. He hesitated and told her he wasn’t sure. She tried again. He considered but was reluctant. She tried to negotiate. He said no. She continued to offer him cards he might like, but he clearly didn’t want to trade. She was badgering him. I knew it was making him uncomfortable because he wanted to please her, but he didn’t want to say yes; he was saying no but, in my daughter’s opinion, not enthusiastically enough.AD
The situation was making me uncomfortable, too, so I stepped in. I praised my son for using his voice to communicate what he didn’t want. I told my daughter that she needed to walk away from the situation. He was telling her and showing her that he didn’t want to trade. I explained that her desires should never be forced onto someone else.
I reminded my daughter of the phrase “You asked, I/she/he/they answered.” This is meant to eliminate nagging when my kids want me to change my mind, and it helps me teach them that they can’t always get what they want. The phrase is a lesson in consent. “You asked for the card, he said no.”
Lexx Brown-James, a licensed marriage and family therapist, certified sex educator and author of“These are My Eyes, This is My Nose, This is My Vulva, These are My Toes,” is also a parent navigating these issues. “When we teach consent to our children — across the gender spectrum — we also have to teach and model respect, [but] respect has changed so much even throughout my own lifetime,” she says. Brown-James grew up in the South and was taught to obey authority without question, but she points out that the definition of respect has changed. It can be a shared goal of treating others how we would want to be treated, no matter the age or power difference, she says.
Brown-James says it is important to empower our children to say yes as well as no, and to make them feel like they will be heard. But kids can’t be in control all of the time, so it’s necessary for adults to model informed consent. Brown-James gives the example of a child going to the dentist. It’s scary, and a child may not want to go, but healthy teeth are important. She suggests giving power to a child’s voice even in those situations. Let them choose the side of the mouth the dentist can look at first. Allow the child to say when they need a break. And be sure you or the dentist check in to see how the child is doing.AD
Consent also needs to be visible and identified in everyday acts. Asking kids if we can hug them, tickle them or take a bite of their food are great ways to model patterns of asking before taking and then showing them that their voice has power. Notice how none of the situations discussed so far have anything to do with sex? This is important.
I emphasize “no means no” and “stop means stop” with my kids, but it’s not always easy. If something hurts or makes us uncomfortable, telling someone to stop is still confrontational. We may want to keep the peace rather than face another person’s negative reactions. Although I hope my kids will speak up for themselves, I also want them to be able to interpret the other side of the no. If they are ever in a situation where consent is not clear through words, I want my kids to learn how to read body language so they can safely stop an action that is making someone uncomfortable.
Joe Navarro, 25-year FBI veteran and author of “What Every Body is Saying” and “Louder Than Words,” writes that parents should start to teach about body language as soon as their children can understand simple instructions. He emphasizes that all nonverbal communication has meaning and that body language conveys our emotions. Navarro encourages parents to remind children that learning to read body language is a way to make people comfortable.AD
But what happens when consent is given, but with hesitation? Not all consent is enthusiastic, so Brown-James refers back to teaching kids how to check in. Kids provide plenty of teachable moments for this when they want to do something but are nervous. Brown-James uses an example of her daughter wanting to pet a dog but feeling anxious. She said yes, but her body language did not convey excitement. By using a slow, check-in-as-you-go approach, Brown-James’s daughter got close to the dog, decided where and when she wanted to pet the dog, then finally touched the dog and was ecstatic. With each step, Brown-James asked whether her daughter felt okay.
The work and mindfulness necessary to teach these nuances are worth the initial stumbling points or emotional labor involved. Rape culture will not improve with a one-time talk at puberty. A foundation of empowerment, respect and thoughtfulness for others needs to be put in place early so kids’ intuition can guide them, whether because someone has touched them inappropriately or because they are navigating a new physical relationship as a teen.
Before our kids become teenagers, though, they need the skills to say no for themselves and for others if a situation doesn’t feel right. Deliberate, ongoing and forward-thinking conversations about consent in nonsexual situations will help them navigate higher-stakes sexual decisions when they are older.AD
Amber Leventry is a writer and advocate who lives in Vermont. They run Family Rhetoric by Amber Leventry, a Facebook page devoted to advocating for LGBTQ families one story at a time. Follow them on Twitter and Instagram@amberleventry.
If your only choice is seeing a General Practitioner for chronic or mental illness, you will have to take on the additional responsibility to make sure you’re getting the best healthcare. What you can’t expect is a General Practitioner to be a one-stop shop, they have 15 minutes per patient and treat the most common illnesses. Once your 15 minutes is up, you have to save questions for the next appointment. And while it may be particularly frustrating to have to leave, it can help you to get into the right mindset for research.
We’re not talking about Dr Google here (which can be a very dangerous rabbit hole to go down), but there can be changes in lifestyle and pain management that may work. It’s not a one size fits all approach, but there are remedies like CBD cream that could work (the https://www.health.com/condition/pain/best-cbd-cream-for-pain is a handy resource) or it could be about focusing on mindfulness or more natural techniques like embracing the cold, as has been popularized by people like Wim Hof in recent years. But these approaches shouldn’t replace the help a General Practitioner can provide, just as long as you go into each appointment prepared.
If seeing a General Practitioner for all your chronic illnesses, go into each meeting expecting three questions to get answered, if the conversation doesn’t go off track. Go prepared with questions, concerns or medicine issues but don’t expect more than 15 minutes unless your insurance company allows 30-minute appointments. I schedule 30 minutes with my GP on each visit, that lowers my stress level and allows us to talk more in-depth if needed.
This itch-relief scrub is therapeutic on so many levels. It contains sugar to help exfoliate, oils to help hydrate, and oatmeal to help alleviate any irritation. The ground lavender buds are optional but they do add some spa-like qualities-yes, please.
You Will Need
1 cup steel-cut oats
Blender/Food Processor
1 TB. dried lavender buds
Mortar & pestle
1/2 cup sugar
1 TB. sweet almond oil
1/4 cup avocado oil
1 TB. coconut oil softened
Lavender essential oil
Bowl
Airtight Jar/Container
To Make
Add the steel-cut oats to a blender or food processor and pulse until the oats have a powder-like texture. Grind the lavender buds into a powder using the mortar & pestle. Combine the oats, flowers, sugar, and oils together in a bowl. Store in airtight jar or container.
Thank you for nominating me for Advocating for Another in the 9th Annual WEGO Health Awards. I’m honored to be nominated, there are so many heavy hitters at WEGO Health.
I would be honored if you voted for me. Voting is open until the end of July.
Thank you.
Melinda
What are the WEGO Health Awards?
The WEGO Health Awards program was created to recognize and honor those making a difference in the online health community. Since its inception in 2011, the WEGO Health Awards have proven to be one of the best ways to celebrate the patient advocates, influencers and collaborators sharing their story and raising awareness for their communities. Last year alone, we celebrated over 6k nominees!
This year’s winners will receive:
$500 prize to be used towards advocacy efforts or travel
Compensated WEGO Health 2021 Patient Leader Advisory Board Seat (estimated cash value $1500)
Opportunity to be featured as a worlds’ top patient expert in HLTH’s patient-centered webinar series, as well as industry exposure opportunities throughout the year
Still have questions about the program? Click here to get your answers!
There are many ways for nominees to get involved in the WEGO Health Awards, and you’ll be hearing from us with more details soon. In the meantime, be sure to share your nomination with your community.
Thank you for nominating me for Best in Show in the 9th Annual WEGO Health Awards. I’m honored to be nominated, there are so many heavy hitters at WEGO Health.
I would be honored if you voted for me. Voting is open until the end of July.
Thank you.
Melinda
What are the WEGO Health Awards?
The WEGO Health Awards program was created to recognize and honor those making a difference in the online health community. Since its inception in 2011, the WEGO Health Awards have proven to be one of the best ways to celebrate the patient advocates, influencers and collaborators sharing their story and raising awareness for their communities. Last year alone, we celebrated over 6k nominees!
This year’s winners will receive:
$500 prize to be used towards advocacy efforts or travel
Compensated WEGO Health 2021 Patient Leader Advisory Board Seat (estimated cash value $1500)
Opportunity to be featured as a worlds’ top patient expert in HLTH’s patient-centered webinar series, as well as industry exposure opportunities throughout the year
Still have questions about the program? Click here to get your answers!
There are many ways for nominees to get involved in the WEGO Health Awards, and you’ll be hearing from us with more details soon. In the meantime, be sure to share your nomination with your community.
Thank you for nominating me for Best Kept Secret in the 9th Annual WEGO Health Awards. I’m honored to be nominated, there are so many heavy hitters at WEGO Health.
I would be honored if you voted for me. Voting is open until the end of July.
Thank you.
Melinda
What are the WEGO Health Awards?
The WEGO Health Awards program was created to recognize and honor those making a difference in the online health community. Since its inception in 2011, the WEGO Health Awards have proven to be one of the best ways to celebrate the patient advocates, influencers and collaborators sharing their story and raising awareness for their communities. Last year alone, we celebrated over 6k nominees!
This year’s winners will receive:
$500 prize to be used towards advocacy efforts or travel
Compensated WEGO Health 2021 Patient Leader Advisory Board Seat (estimated cash value $1500)
Opportunity to be featured as a worlds’ top patient expert in HLTH’s patient-centered webinar series, as well as industry exposure opportunities throughout the year
Still have questions about the program? Click here to get your answers!
There are many ways for nominees to get involved in the WEGO Health Awards, and you’ll be hearing from us with more details soon. In the meantime, be sure to share your nomination with your community.
Over the years, you might have heard the term ‘superfood’ used increasingly. But what really does it mean? Well, in simple terms, these are foods that are packed with nutrients such as minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants, and so are associated with positive impacts on your health. But how do you know what superfoods to eat then?
The thing is, you may currently include a good number of superfoods in your diet without even knowing, so this list of the 10 most popular superfoods has been put together so that you are made away of well-known superfoods, as well as to inform you about some superfoods that you may not be familiar with.
1. Eggs
Eggs are one of those foods that have stood the test of both time and criticism. No doubt, they are pretty healthy and come loaded with very high-quality proteins. More than that, eggs contain a plethora of minerals and vitamins, some of which include vitamin A, B vitamins, choline, and iron. They also contain two very powerful antioxidants, namely zeaxanthin and lutein, which are known for protecting vision and boosting eyesight. That being said, if you are having issues with your vision, don’t hesitate to visit https://eyeglasses.com for some more information.
2. Dark leafy greens
A lot of people aren’t fans of dark leafy greens, but they’re one of the best superfoods to exist. These types of greens contain several nutrients that the body needs to heal, including zinc, iron, magnesium, fiber, and vitamin C. More so, dark leafy greens have earned their place in the superfoods hall of fame. They might also help reduce your risks of suffering from chronic illnesses such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Some examples of these dark leafy greens are kale, spinach, collard greens, and Swiss chard which can be incorporated into your diet via smoothies, soups, and salads.
3. Berries
Many of us who love berries are unaware of the amazing effects that eating them have on the body. For one, berries are very rich in vitamins and minerals as well as certain antioxidants. In fact, berries are particularly effective when it comes to treating digestive issues and are often used in modern medical therapies. Examples of these fruits include blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, and raspberries. You can eat them as they are, or add them to smoothies and desserts.
4. Avocado
Simply put, avocados are great. Yes, they’re good for guacamole, but more than that, this superfood is very rich in healthy fats that keep you feeling full for longer. It also comes packed with antioxidants and fiber that all work to protect against heart diseases. Additionally, this food is can be eaten even on a diet and is even recommended on the Keto diet. Delicious ways to incorporate avocado in your diet include serving it on your morning toast to adding it as an essential ingredient to smoothies and salads.
5. Chia seeds
Chia seeds are tiny, black seeds that have taken the health industry by storm over the past few years. No doubt, these seeds pack a powerful punch when it comes to nutrition. Firstly, they contain pretty much all the essential minerals including calcium, manganese, magnesium, and phosphorus. In addition, vitamin B1, B2, and B3 are also available in abundance. More so, 28 grams of chia seeds contain 11 grams of fiber and just one gram of digestible carbohydrates, making it one of the most suitable foods out there for a low carb diet.
6. Coconut
When it comes to versatile foods, coconuts are out there at the top. They can be consumed as coconut water, coconut oil, coconut flour, coconut flakes, and even just coconut meat. More so, this super food can easily be incorporated into your diet without any headache.
That said, in terms of what makes it so ‘super’ coconut oil especially contains medium-chain triglycerides, which are used as a source of energy once in the body. Furthermore, coconut water is high in vitamins and minerals including potassium, magnesium, sodium, and vitamin C.On top of this, coconut flour is low in gluten and carbs and can be used for baking and desserts.
7. Flax seeds
Flax seeds are one of those foods that didn’t become popular until recently. These seeds contribute towards a healthy heart as they come packed with omega 3 fatty acids that work as anti-inflammatory agents. More som flax seeds can be added to your salads and smoothies by grinding them into a semi fine powder. That being said, they do have other uses apart from consumption. In fact, flax seeds also come in handy as a home remedy for hair growth.
8. Hemp seeds
Yet another super seed is hemp seed. This is a great source of healthy proteins and contains omega 3 and omega 3 fats; both of which work together to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases in the body. More recent studies also associate hemp seeds with relieving the symptoms of menopause in women. For consumption, these seeds are typically toasted lightly and then added to foods like salads, oatmeal, and cereal.
9. Salmon
When next you go grocery shopping, be sure to pick up some salmon. This fish is rich in healthy oils that are a great source of energy and contains inflammation reducing omega 3 fats. More so, this fish is packed with wildly sourced protein that can provide you with almost 60 percent of your daily recommended protein intake. It also contains vitamin D as well as bioactive peptides that help in collagen production.
10. Cocoa nibs
Cocoa nibs are essentially just healthier chocolates. These foods range from really sweet to very bitter, so you get to choose just how you like it. More so, it is a great source of fiber and it also contains a good amount of iron and magnesium. More than that, research has shown that eating cocoa nibs can help elevate your mood and brain activity. As for preparation, they can be used in desserts, smoothie bowls, or just on their own as a nice snack.
I’m a perfume wearer and I’ll definitely tell you that it smells good but the million dollar question is “Is it Toxic?” Perfumes tend to draw on essential oils in their formulations, but also include a number of chemicals (many known and probable carcinogens) that can outrightly cause a lot of health hazards. Fragrance is […]
This movie is riveting, heartbreaking, frustrating and will make you mad as hell at the way patients with chronic pain are treated. The story also looks at how doctor’s who try to help pain patients are treated and sometimes shunned. This is a movie for anyone who suffers from chronic pain, loves or knows someone who sufferers from chronic pain or wants to better understand how patients with chronic illnesses can get treated by the medical community. It’s for the whole family to see and from my perspective the more people around you who see this movie, the more understanding they will be of your limitations.
A long-awaited documentary about chronic pain in North America is shining a light on the other side of the opioid crisis – how chronic pain patients and their doctors have been marginalized and persecuted in the name of fighting opioid addiction.
The 80-minute film takes an intimate look at the lives of four chronic pain patients and their loved ones, including an 11-year old boy living with cancer pain and a doctor who nearly lost his medical license due to allegations he overprescribed opioids.
Two of the “pain warriors” featured in the documentary commit suicide after losing all hope that their pain will be properly treated.
“That captures the essence of our film — invisible, shunned and disbelieved. This is the story of their fight. Pain Warriors is a civil rights movement for our time,” says Tina Petrova, who produced and directed the documentary along with filmmaker Eugene Weis.
“Doctors have been incarcerated, committed suicide, gone broke standing up for appropriate treatments for intractable pain. Families have lost loved ones due to suicides from chronic pain and medical complications such as spinal leaks. This is no small disease. It steals husbands and wives, sons and daughters.”
Pain Warriors is dedicated to Sherri Little, a California woman who took her life at the age of 53 after a last desperate attempt to get treatment for her fibromyalgia and colitis pain. (See “Sherri’s Story: A Final Plea for Help”). Sherri was a good friend of Petrova, who is well-acquainted with the issues faced by chronic pain patients – because she’s one herself.
“I began pre-interviews for the film around 2014, gathering collections of heartbreaking, compelling stories. A pain patient struggling with her own pain demons donated money to the cause, wanting her story told alongside others, and we began making the film in earnest,” she told PNN.
“Has it been easy? I’d say it’s been a hell of a lot of painstaking work by all involved, including the cast, who bravely offered up their vulnerability and very intimate stories. Has it been worth it? Absolutely.”
The release of Pain Warriors was initially delayed due to funding problems, and then because Petrova suffered a severe back injury during physical therapy. She was bedridden and housebound for over a year.
“I’m hopeful that I’m on the mend at long last, and will be able to take the film across North America, once COVID restrictions are lifted, and lead in-person screenings with the people the film was made for — chronic pain patients and the healthcare professionals that sometimes risk everything fighting for their rights,” says Petrova.
Ibsen’s legal battles have not ended. The Board of Medicine has refused to formally close his case, leaving Ibsen in professional limbo. Pharmacists won’t fill his opioid prescriptions and he was forced to close his urgent care clinic in Helena. Now he travels the back roads of Montana writing prescriptions for medical marijuana.
“I’ve been marginalized,” says Ibsen, who plans to sue the Board of Medicine for monetary damages. “Anything the board would say would not completely clear me. I need the judge to say, ‘This is bogus. Stop it. Dismiss the case.’”
If you’re looking for ways to look after your mental health but you don’t know where to begin then don’t worry, you’re definitely in the right place. Although it can be overwhelming, you need to be sure you’re doing all that you can to look after yourself, including your mental health. Luckily, there are lots of ways in which you can do exactly that. From practising self-care to getting fresh air, there are lots of small changes you can make to your day-to-day life. With that in mind, here are 5 small ways to look after your mental health every day:
Make Sure You’re Drinking Plenty Of Water And Eating What Your Body Wants
Although you may not feel as though they’re intertwined, your mental health can often be improved by focussing on what your body needs. Whether that means ensuring you’re drinking enough water or listening to what your body wants to eat, you need to be sure you’re focussing on your physical health too. While it may not be your top priority each and every day, remembering to drink water and eat nutritious meals is important. For more information when it comes to the link between mental and physical health, you can visit this site here.
Practise Self-Care As Often As You Can
Another great way to help improve your mental health is to focus on practising self-care as often as you can. Whether you’re taking a long hot bath or you’re spending the evening watching your favourite TV, you may be surprised at how much comfort it can provide. As self-care is different for everyone, you may want to look at some self-care ideas here.
Consider Writing In A Journal
Although this doesn’t work for everyone, writing in a journal is a great way to get all of your thoughts down in one place. Whether you’re planning out your day or you’re writing down the events that have happened that day, writing things down is known to help many people when it comes to mental health. If you’re looking for inspiration when it comes to finding a mindfulness journal, you can visit this site here.
Do Things That Make You Happy
Another great way to focus on your mental health each and every day is to do things that make you happy. Whether that means seeing the people you love or cooking your favourite meal, the things that you love are guaranteed to make you smile. For a guide to finding things that make you happy, you can visit this site here.
Ensure You’re Getting Fresh Air
Finally, you may want to think about getting some fresh air. Although it doesn’t work for everyone, getting outside and going for a walk can help give you a moment of happiness.
With lots of helpful ways to look after your mental health, you can be sure you’re doing all that you can to put yourself first. What else could you do? Did we miss anything? Let us know your thoughts and ideas in the comments section below.
There’s no doubt about it, we’re on the verge of a mental health crisis. Although lockdown measures have been eased all over the country, critics claim that the measures put in place to get the economy back up and running are too much, too soon. However, while many debate the wisdom of reopening the economy at a time when so many are still dying to COVID-19 on a daily basis, one could argue just as fervently that an extended lockdown is a mental health crisis waiting to happen. We all need to do our part to safeguard and improve our mental health. But before you call your doctor for a prescription, you might want to consider the natural mood enhancers that are all around us. We’re talking about the healing and rejuvenating qualities of plants. Letting plants into your life can boost your mental health in a variety of ways.
Here are 5 ways in which plants can ease your stress and anxiety and help to improve your mental health.
Eat more of them
A plant-based diet has a wide range of health benefits. But did you know that certain veggies and fruits contain natural compounds that can help to correct your brain chemistry, ease your stress and boost your mood naturally? Get more of the following in your diet and you may find that your outlook gets a little sunnier;
Blueberries, strawberries and raspberries
Spinach, kale and other leafy greens
Tomatoes
Surround yourself with them at home
Even with relaxed lockdown measures, you’re probably spending a lot more time at home these days. Why not share your home with some beautiful mood-boosting pals? Houseplants are a great addition to any interior design aesthetic. They oxygenate your living space and imbue your environment with a sense of calm and tranquility.
Spend more time with them outside
Of course, your home isn’t the only place where you can enjoy being close to plants. Indeed, when things get you down, getting out in the open air among trees, plants and flowers can be a real tonic for your wellbeing. Taking a walk in your local park is a great way to do this, as spending some quality time in the garden watching your plants grow.
Use herbal supplements
Plant based health supplements like CBD oil have been linked to positive mental health outcomes in some studies, especially when it comes to managing stress, anxiety and depression. Aches and pains can exacerbate your mental health issues, and there’s also evidence to suggest that topical application of CBD oil can ease pain caused by inflammatory conditions like arthritis.
Use them to make a relaxing drink
Finally, while your cup of joe may give you a jolt in the morning, too much caffeine can actually exacerbate your stress levels and make you jittery. Instead, try a soothing infusion of green tea which is found to have calming effects on the body as well as being an excellent antioxidant.
Make plants your friends to keeping you smiling through this difficult moment.
Thank you for nominating me for Rookie of the Year in the 9th Annual WEGO Health Awards. I’m honored to be nominated, there are so many heavy hitters at WEGO Health.
I would be honored if you voted for me. Voting is open until the end of July.
Thank you.
Melinda
What are the WEGO Health Awards?
The WEGO Health Awards program was created to recognize and honor those making a difference in the online health community. Since its inception in 2011, the WEGO Health Awards have proven to be one of the best ways to celebrate the patient advocates, influencers and collaborators sharing their story and raising awareness for their communities. Last year alone, we celebrated over 6k nominees!
This year’s winners will receive:
$500 prize to be used towards advocacy efforts or travel
Compensated WEGO Health 2021 Patient Leader Advisory Board Seat (estimated cash value $1500)
Opportunity to be featured as a worlds’ top patient expert in HLTH’s patient-centered webinar series, as well as industry exposure opportunities throughout the year
Still have questions about the program? Click here to get your answers!
There are many ways for nominees to get involved in the WEGO Health Awards, and you’ll be hearing from us with more details soon. In the meantime, be sure to share your nomination with your community.
Margie H.Davenport
lookingforthelight.blog 