All posts by J S

Lifestyle

Add this to your healthy- black-self diaries

You want to be more than just a pretty face…..you want to be
a healthy mind and body!

We, black & brown folks, are at the head of so many
lists. The smartest, hardest working, most beautiful
souls but, (black men) with highest increasing rate
of colorectal cancer between ages 29 – 45 (!) of all
racial groups.

What has led to this? There are many contributing
causes.Heredity plays a part for 50% of all cases.
We can’t control that. Researchers think that diet plays an important part. We can control that. See how many check marks
you score on this list of colorectal cancer favorite foods:

  • Sodas & sugary beverages
  • Red meat
  • Sandwich meats/processed meats
  • High fat intake
  • White bread
  • Alcohol
  • Sugar
  • Fast foods

Other conditions that are associated with increased risk
of colon or rectal cancer are obesity, lack of exercise &
smoking. Having a family history of colon cancer may
make you especially vulnerable even with a normal diet.
That’s why getting checked is essential if there is someone
in your lineage who has had colon or rectal cancer.

The death of actor Chadwick Boseman at age 43 has brought the increasing occurrence of colon cancer among people of color to the forefront.
Chadwick Boseman_Photo by Gage Skidmore July 23, 2016

The world was stunned when actor, Chadwick Boseman,
left the world at only 43 years old. He died from colon cancer.
His death has brought visibility to the fact that people are
getting this type of cancer earlier and earlier in life.

There are many ways to screen for this cancer, both with
tests that you can take at home and colonoscopies
performed on an outpatient basis under anesthesia.
The earlier it’s found, the easier it is to treat. In younger
people, it is showing up in more advanced stages by the
time symptoms are noticed. With a variety of home tests
available, (Check with your doctor’s office to clarify whether
and how your insurance will cover it), why not get tested
and ease your mind.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the 3rd most common cancer
among both men and women. It used to be more prevalent in
adults 68 and older.

One can see alot of ways that you could fall into habits that
set you up for this cancer. For example, it is frequent that folks
with depression also complain of constipation and weight gain.
Depression can make it feel like the hardest task in the world
to put on your shoes and head out for a run or to the gym.
Succumbing to cravings for foods that are emotionally satisfying
(“comfort foods”) often results in more depressive
lows. Those subtle emotions can also trigger you to reach for
alcohol, cigarettes and whatever else makes you feel a
little better in the short run.

How can you start a change, today?

Take a long walk, watch a funny movie, eat a piece of
fruit, draw, exercise, meditate, sing, write a poem or a
“get it off your chest” letter (don’t mail it-tear it up)
to your boss or ex. Get it out of your body, so that
healthy, fresh, new food and new ideas can come in.

For more info, check out the American Cancer Society’s
recommendations.

Books We're Reading, Racism/Diversity

Rx for racism

Gallery

Now that racism has come out of the closet, there is the
question of how to approach it. As black folks, many of
us have been waiting too long to turn big, bright lights
on it. Something so big, that we have been walking around,
climbing over and burdened under all of our lives – we want
to expose all the ugly, huge extent of it. Blacks are too (?)
angry about it and naturally want to throw it in the faces of
those who’ve taken advantage of us, dismissed us and
simply lied about us. Especially those who’ve accepted the
lies unquestioningly. Whites, say they feel suddenly exposed
and wanting to not be blamed for accepting “privileges”
that they didn’t realize are not afforded everyone.

Confrontation rarely causes people to immediately give in,
admit guilt and sin no more. Trying to convince, educate and
persuade really rankles many black folks. “Why should I have
to teach you how to not be prejudiced?”, they moan. And they
are right. Fairness, empathy and truthfulness are the expected
behaviors that mark one as human. How do you get people to
recognize the suffering of others and actively work to correct
the laws and social customs that cause it?

Author Celeste Headlee has some great ideas. She focuses on a
logical and valuable technique for getting people to change their
minds. It’s a tool that all of us can use. One wants to do what works
so that we can quickly reduce the spread of racism by those who
use it as a political tool.

Current News

Are black people protected from covid-19 by taking vitamin d?

…Black people with vitamin D3 levels of only 30-40 ng/ml had a 2.64 times higher risk of testing positive for COVID-19 than those with levels of 40 ng/ml or greater.*

Most physicians are testing and recommending vitamin D3 supplementation for folks who live above the Mason-Dixon line. Vitamin D has been found to be deficient in dark skinned people and to those who are not exposed to sufficient amounts of sunlight. Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol), the most active form of vitamin D, is created when the skin is exposed to sunlight. In the northern half of the United States and in the winter months, our bodies do not produce adequate amounts of vitamin D.

Vitamin D is important to the immune system. It protects against muscle weakness and helps to regulate the heartbeat. It aides in the prevention and treatment of breast and colon cancer, osteoporosis and osteoarthritis. It is needed for normal blood clotting and to regulate thyroid function. Vitamin D helps strengthen bones and reduce the risk of prostate cancer.

It is estimated that at least 76% of Americans are deficient in vitamin D.

A recent research study at the University of Chicago Medicine found that Black people with levels of only 30 to 40 ng/ml had a 2.64 times higher risk of testing positive for COVID-19 than those with levels of 40 ng/ml or greater.*

Dr. David Meltzer, Chief of Hospital Medicine at the University of Chicago and is the lead author of the study. He became interested in investigating this after seeing an article in 2020 about the effects of vitamin D supplementation. That article noted that people randomly assigned to take vitamin D supplementation had much lower rates of viral respiratory infection than those who did not take the supplements. People with darker skin who comprise nearly half of the world’s population have vitamin D levels below 30 ng/ml.

Vitamin D3 is inexpensive and readily available at drugstores and grocery stores. Dr. Meltzer said, “Currently, the adult recommended dietary allowance for vitamin D is 600 to 800 international units (IUs) per day. The National Academy of Medicine has said that taking up to 4,000 IUs per day is safe for the vast majority of people, and risks of hypercalcemia increases at levels over 10,000 IUs per day.”

However, some cholesterol-lowering drugs , antacids, mineral oil and steroid hormones such as cortisone may interfere with absorption. Because some thiazide diuretics, such as chlorothiazide (Esidrix, HydroDIURIL, Oretic) disturb the body’s calcium/vitamin D ratio, taking over 1,000 IU daily may cause a decrease in bone mass.**

Check with your doctor.

** Phyllis A. Balch, CNC, Prescription for Nutritional Healing, 4th Ed., Penguin Books, 2006

*Li Y, Tong CH, Bare LA, Devlin JJ. Assessment of the Association of Vitamin D Level With SARS-CoV-2 Seropositivity Among Working-Age Adults. JAMA Netw Open. 2021;4(5):e2111634. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.11634

Current News

Stacey Abrams – Our modern day heroine of the vote

A Spelman College graduate and attorney, Stacey Abrams responded to the sabotage of her run for governor of Georgia by bringing hundreds of thousands of people of color to the polls in time for the 2020 election. Stacey understands that our votes have the power to determine election outcomes. She understands that our people, when apprised of the facts, are most likely to use our strong family and cultural values to pick our leaders. People of color are now and have always been focused on The Big Truth. Our democracy is in danger of being lost because Republican politicians are giving up all sense of pride to keep power. In the adoption of The Big Lie, Trump supporters in government all over the United States are using the playbook of denial to keep racial apartheid in place.

One would think that access to the internet would cause politicians to hesitate to put out patently false rumors, knowing that we can just look up the facts. But the internet is flooded with misinformation and outright lies. Because her opponent in the Georgia race actually controlled the election in which over a million of likely democratic voters were disenfranchised, Ms. Abrams feels that the governorship was actually stolen from her. Republicans and their supporters in the state of Georgia continue maneuvering to reduce the potential of people of color to vote in upcoming elections. Not one to take her toys and quietly recede into the background, Stacey has come out fighting, with facts, education, and a strong sense of purpose and fairness. Stacey has shown us how to handle “defeat” with well managed power. A Yale Law School graduate, she is teaching us to claim and protect our votes, our “citizen’s gold”. Stacey’s Fair Fight team has mobilized, especially, the voices & votes of black women.

The next time you are challenged with resistance and defeat, think of sister Stacey. Do your homework. Think about what needs to change in order for the next brother or sister to claim their victories. If it’s as individual as your one vote or as sweeping as all the votes in your county, state or region, get out there and do your part!

Wow! What black women’s activism can do ala Stacey Abrams. Revel in her success. Follow her steps. Never again feel that you have no choices. That you can’t be heard. Look how Stacey did it. Our democracy survived (so far) because this former representative of the Georgia state house led the way to democratic victory.