Health Matters Archives | Mommy's Hangout/Atlanta Mommy Blogger/Jen Williams

Why heart health awareness is crucial for African Americans

February 16, 2021 by Jen

(BPT) – When former NBA player Caron Butler was in the league, exercise wasn’t something he needed to worry about during his 14-year professional career. These days, in his new role as an assistant coach at Miami Heat, he’s learned to be more mindful about incorporating physical activity into his daily routine to help maintain good heart health.

“Now that I’m retired, staying in shape is no longer part of my job,” Butler says. “I have to make sure I set aside time to shoot hoops with my kids or go for a walk during the day — especially while we’re spending more time at home.”

Butler hopes others follow his example. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States each year,^[i] and African Americans are about 20% more likely to die from the condition compared to other racial or ethnic groups.^[ii] With these statistics in mind, and as you navigate life during the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s even more important to be aware of heart health as existing heart conditions can increase the risk of severe illness from COVID-19.^[iii]

Black men, in particular, face disparities when it comes to heart disease and heart health. These disparities can include medical procedures and care.^[iv] A 2018 study in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that Black men were less likely to receive cardiac medical procedures than white men — even when presenting with similar symptoms.^iv

To help increase awareness and encourage action, Butler has teamed up with Astellas to encourage Black men and women to set the screen — make an appointment for a heart health screening. Set the Screen is a national campaign designed to empower African Americans to prioritize their heart health by raising awareness of some of the known (smoking, alcohol consumption and obesity) and lesser-known cardiovascular risks, such as genetics.^[v]

Butler has experienced heart disease on a personal level with his extended family and is passionate about ensuring Black men know their risk and, importantly, speak with their doctor to help reduce it.

Now that he’s not playing professional basketball every day, Butler tries to adhere to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ guidelines that suggest 150-300 minutes of moderate activity or 75-150 minutes of intense activity each week.^[vi]

Physical activity is vital to heart health, but so is rest. The benefits of a good night’s sleep can extend far beyond sweet dreams. Almost one-third of Americans get 7-8 hours of sleep each night, which puts them at a higher risk for heart disease.^[vii]

As Americans are increasingly aware of their health amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, scheduling a cardiovascular screening virtually or in person is an important step in taking control of your health. “Set the Screen” and make an appointment with your doctor today.

“I am proud to partner with Astellas and the National Basketball Retired Players Association (NBRPA), to help address some of the health disparities that exist in this country today,” says Butler. “By encouraging more African Americans to talk to their doctors, I believe we can empower them to make their heart health a priority.”

To learn more about how to reduce your risk of coronary heart disease, the most common type of heart disease^[viii], visit MindYourHeartFacts.com.

Sponsored by Astellas Pharma US, Inc.

[i] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Vital Statistics Reports. Deaths: Final data for 2017 (06-24-2019). https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr68/nvsr68_09-508.pdf. Accessed 10-07-2020.

[ii] U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Office of Minority Health. Heart Disease and African Americans (02-14-2020). https://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/omh/browse.aspx?lvl=4&lvlid=19. Accessed 11-24-2020.

[iii] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19). People with Certain Medical Conditions. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/people-with-medical-conditions.html#heart-conditions. Accessed 12-03-2020.

[iv] Arora S, Stouffer GA, Kurcharska-Newton A, et al. Fifteen-Year trends in management and outcomes of non-ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction among black and white patients: the ARIC community surveillance study, 2000–2014. J Am Heart Assoc 2018;7(19):e010203.

[v] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Know Your Risk for Heart Disease (12-09-2016). https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/risk_factors.htm. Accessed 11-24-2020.

[vi] U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. 2nd ed. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2018.

[vii] Virani SS, Alonso A, Benjamin EJ, et al. Heart disease and stroke statistics-2020 update. Circulation 2020;141(9):e139-596.

[viii] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) (12-09-2019). https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/coronary_ad.htm. Accessed 12-09.20.

Improving Your Health In 2021

January 27, 2021 by Jen

There are so many ways to improve your health this year, but you have to figure out what health goals you have before you jump into anything! Improving your health is easy, but also takes a lot of work. Here are a few ways that you can improve your health in 2021:

Focus On Your Eating Habits

No matter if weight loss is or is not one of your goals in 2021, focusing on your eating habits can dramatically help you improve your health this year. Why? For starters, eating a diet full of processed foods can slow down your metabolism, and you are probably eating a lot of ingredients that are not so good for you – ingredients that you can’t pronounce. That’s why reading nutritional labels on your food (if you are buying processed) is important. Look out for the total amount of calories a product contains, and not just for 1 serving (which is typically what’s stated on the label). But, when reading nutrition labels, it is not just about the calories.

The most important part is the ingredients. Reading nutrition labels will help you to avoid only reading marketing labels like “high in fiber”, “low fat” or “zero sugar”, as these labels may be misleading. While a product is “high in calcium,” it could also be high in sugar – a detail you may have missed if you hadn’t read the nutrition label. Some of the better eating habits that you might want to focus on are only buy processed foods with ingredients that you are familiar with, focus on more fresh produce and meat, cut out a lot of non-organic food, and reduce your portion sizes. As always, your eating habits should be fine-tuned to your specific needs and goals!

Slow Down Your Bites

Did you know that eating too quickly can cause weight gain? According to quite a bit of research, faster eaters are more likely to be overweight, as compared to people who eat more slowly. WHAT?! In one study, it was also suggested that this is 115% more likely to happen in middle-aged women. As you eat, your body releases ‘fullness hormones’ that tell your brain you’ve eaten and should stop. However, as this process takes about 20 minutes, speedy eaters may consume too much food and only receive this signal later – which explains the ‘post-buffet bloat’ you may feel after a satisfying meal. The next time you’re having a meal, make a conscious effort to eat slower and observe the effect on your appetite.

Get More Sleep – And Better Sleep

Sleep deprivation affects both your physical and mental health. Our bodies need at least seven to eight hours of sleep (you might even need more depending on your current health and activity levels) during which our brains and bodies are working hard to maintain immune systems, memory strength, and even hunger levels. Some simple steps to getting enough sleep include setting a regular sleep-wake schedule, limiting caffeine, relieving stress and getting enough physical activity, which will help to promote deeper, restful sleep.

Increase Your Water Intake

You may have heard of the saying to “drink 8 glasses of water a day”, yet not many may actually follow this because a lot of people often choose to count their total liquid intake instead – which usually includes sodas, coffee, and other beverages. There are numerous benefits of drinking more water – it helps us to control our calorie intake, energizes our muscles, keeps our kidneys healthy, and hydrates the skin. As you stay hydrated with water, you’ll also find yourself having fewer cravings for sugary or less healthy beverages. Increasing your water intake will help you improve your health in 2021, no matter what your goals are!

Work On Your Mental Health

Your overall health is not just limited to what you eat, how much you workout, or how your body feels. You need to consider your mental health, as well, and honestly, that is probably even more important than how many times you workout each month. Your mental health has the ability to control all other aspects of your health – and life. This past year has been rough, so if you are struggling with your mental health, you are in the boat with lots of other people.

Don’t worry, though, because you can do things to improve your health, such as trying out therapy Peachtree City at Ray of Hope Counseling Services. They have so many convenient locations in Georgia, Ray of Hope Counseling Services provides all different types of therapy services. Each therapist that is employed by Ray of Hope holds their license (obviously) and in addition to that, each therapist at Ray of Hope Counseling Services also has additional training and/or holds certifications in their specialty area.

For example, the founder, Lynn Thompson Umstead, has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and a Masters of Science degree in Clinical Psychology. She has had experience in a wide variety of settings when working with individuals, couples, and families. These settings include in-home therapy, in-patient and out-patient hospitalization programs, group homes, administration of psychological testing in private practice and in a hospital environment. Lynn is also Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) trained, which I thought was so cool and interesting!

Break Out The Workout Gear

With our busy schedules, it can be hard to find time to exercise when your day consists of sitting in a car (if you are driving to work nowadays), sitting for eight hours at work, and then sitting at the dinner table and then in front of the TV when you get home. Exercise can be simple, though—even a quick walk each day can significantly decrease the risk of heart disease and diabetes while getting the blood flowing and letting your mind relax for a bit.

Facial Skin Treatments

January 24, 2020 by Jen

Treating the skin on the face is a serious industry, which should not be surprising. After all, faces are the first things most people notice about others. That is why so many people want to keep their faces looking as good as possible. If you are one of those people, it is best to seek treatment as soon as you start to notice wrinkles or blemishes. Catching problems early gives you more potential treatment options.

Levels of Facial Skin Treatments

Not every treatment for your skin has the same intensity or level of treatment. Some are definitely stronger than others. As a consequence, certain treatments are simply not designed to repair excessive damage. Mild to moderate skin concerns have the most potential fixes. Many of those corrective procedures are also quick and relatively easy. That is especially true when compared to invasive surgeries that are often necessary after skin conditions get out of control.

The Purposes of Facial Skin Treatments

You might think the only goal of having a facial treatment on your skin is to get rid of a specific blemish. However, such treatments can have multiple goals. For example, clinics now buy JetPeel devices to provide total resurfacing for facial skin. Lasers, chemical peels and other procedures, such as micodermabrasion, also perform similar total face treatments.

In addition to spot treatments and total face treatments for current problems, facial procedures can have a third purpose. That is to get your body to start strengthening your skin cells. Many treatments get your body to make more skin-protecting substances like collagen or make substances that already exist work in a more efficient way. As your skin cells gain more collagen and that collagen starts binding together better, your skin gets stronger. That helps to keep it from being harmed as easily in the future.

What Exfoliation is and Why Skin Exfoliation is Necessary

Procedures like microdermabrasion and chemical peels exfoliate your skin. Exfoliation is a process of getting rid of debris. Often it is done through microscopic crystals or other materials being propelled at your skin at high speed. However, it can also be done in other ways, such as with laser light and heat. Regardless, the result is the offending materials and dead skin cells are removed. Then the remaining healthy skin is more visible and safer from damage.

The Strengths of Facial Skin Treatments

Many facial skin treatments have varying degrees of strength, meaning some affect more skin layers than others. In general, the strongest treatments tend to produce the most noticeable results, but they also produce the most noticeable temporary side effects. For example, laser treatment is strong, but it often causes temporary redness or swelling.

In recent years, the skincare industry has developed many new technologies, such as JetPeel. Each of those newer technologies is designed with minimum downtime and maximum comfort in mind. However, you still have to choose a procedure type and strength that suits your situation. In some cases, a little temporary redness or swelling may be necessary to achieve the results you want.

You also need to understand that many treatments are fully flexible and can be adapted to suit you. For instance, there are some devices that treat multiple skin concerns. There are also procedures that have adjustable strengths. For example, chemical peels can be adapted by changing the chemical mixture.

A Final Word on Facial Skin Treatments

A final thing to remember is facial skin treatment should never be entered into without the proper research. Having the wrong procedure performed could do more harm than good. Make sure you are comfortable with the clinic, the clinician and the procedure selection before you undergo any type of treatment. Also, be sure your skin is properly assessed by the clinician. Take his or her suggestions to heart when making your treatment selection.

Tips for looking after your eyesight

December 11, 2019 by Jen

Lots of us know about looking after our bodies through diet and exercise, and many of us make sure we practice good posture and ergonomics. Something that most people don’t know the importance of, however, is looking after their eyes. You use them for everything, and without them, life becomes a whole lot harder.

There are some simple tips and tricks to follow, like wearing good quality glasses (we like the range at EyeBuyDirect) and drinking lots of water, but there are some more unknown things you should be doing. We have rounded up a list of tips that will give your eyes the best chance at staying healthy for your whole life.

Eat Well

The first thing you should be doing to look after your eyes is dialing in your diet. Make sure you get enough of the important nutrients; these include omega-three acids, zinc, and lutein.

To make sure you get enough of the vital nutrients your body needs, eat lots of green vegetables, especially spinach and kale.

Eat lots of oily fish like salmon and eat eggs and nuts too. Another important nutrient comes from citrus fruit, so eat an orange or two a week to top that up.

Eating healthy also means you will be at a healthier weight; this reduces your chance of developing obesity-related diseases that can cause eye problems, like diabetes.

Quit Smoking

Quitting smoking will reduce the chance that you develop cataracts as well as macular degeneration. If you are struggling to quit, seek help, there are so many health benefits to quitting smoking as well as your eyes.

Limit Screen Time

Computers and phone screens are notorious for ruining eyesight. The blue light they emit causes immense strain on your eyes. To protect yourself from this, if you wear glasses or contacts, make sure they are in date and made for looking at computer screens.

You can also position the monitor, so your eyes are level with the top of the monitor; this puts your eyes in the optimal position looking down at the screen.

If you are using a computer in a room with a window, try and position your screen so that whilst you are working, the glare from outside does not reflect your off your monitor into your eyes.

A good rule of thumb to follow is to have a break every 20 minutes. During that break, look at a spot 20 feet away for about 30 seconds. Then every two hours, you should physically get up and take a 15 minute break away from your work area entirely.

Your eyes are one of your most important assets, make sure you follow these tips to make sure that they do not get irreparably damaged early on in your life. Unfortunately, most long term eye injuries have no early symptoms, so there is no way to know you are damaging your eyes until you realize it is too late.

Top 7 Tips to Keep Your Kids Healthy During the School Year

December 6, 2019 by Jen

As parents, your main role and responsibility is to ensure your children are happy, safe, and healthy. Once your children reach school age, they will learn and develop all sorts of social skills that can help them become independent individuals, however, school can be a place where they pick up different kinds of illnesses and germs that they may bring into the home. With children spending a lot of time in a classroom, infections can easily be transferred to one another, so here are 7 useful tips on how to keep your kids happy and healthy during the school year.

Proper Hand Washing

When your children are away at school, there are lots of nasty bugs and illnesses that they can receive, so one of the most important things that you can do is teach your little ones how to wash their hands properly. Most importantly, you need to ensure they’re washing after blowing their noise, before eating, or after using the bathroom, as this can help reduce their chance of becoming sick, as well as reducing the risk of them infecting others if they catch an illness or infection.

Boosting their Immune System

As a parent, it’s important that you keep your child’s immune system strong, helping to ward off any illnesses throughout the school year, whether it’s by getting enough sleep, incorporating regular exercise into their routine, or maintaining a healthy diet. All of these tips can help reduce your child’s risk of getting a cold, flu, or other types of infections.

Preventing Cold and Flu

If your child is prone to getting a cold or flu, it can be heartbreaking to see them in distress, especially as you’re unable to take their pain away. Teaching your kids important healthy habits can help reduce the risk of them developing such infections. Some healthy habits that your kids should know include not touching their eyes, or not sharing utensils or cups with their friends. Knowledge is power, so the more you teach them and drill it into them, the more aware they will be.

Set Good Sleep Habits

If your child isn’t getting enough sleep before school, they may wake up feeling rundown and be cranky. Your child needs to have plenty of energy and motivation to excel at school, so if you have noticed a difference in their concentration levels, it could be because they’re not getting enough shuteye. Sleep is crucial for all of us, so whether it’s by limiting electronic stimulants, creating a comfortable room for them to sleep in, or curbing their caffeine intake (commonly found in chocolate and soda), your child’s sleep should begin to improve.

Look for Stress and Anxiety

With a mountain of homework, tests to revise for, not to mention all the social pressures that dominate them in the world we live in today, it’s no surprise that children are facing a lot of stressful situations which can bring on anxiety. If you’ve noticed a change in your child’s behavior, it could be because they’re feeling anxious and worried. As parents, we don’t want to see our loved ones struggle, so always make sure that you’re on hand to listen to their thoughts and feelings. Having your child open up to you can help when it comes to managing their anxiety better.

Provide a Healthy Breakfast

They say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day (and for good reason too!). For your child to excel in their schooling, you should prepare a balanced breakfast that’s packed with low-fat protein and complex carbohydrates, which can help improve brain function and maintain a steady level of stamina and energy throughout the day. Kicking their day off to a good start can boost their mood and help them prepare for a day of learning. It’s just as important for your kids to be following a healthy, balanced diet too, so make sure that they eat plenty of fruits and vegetables which can provide them with tons of health benefits. No one is saying they can’t have a sweet treat from time to time, however, but all in moderation!

See a Pediatrician

No matter how much experience you have as a parent, there may be times when you’re struggling. If you need a helping hand, you may want to consider contacting a pediatrician who can stand by your side in helping to keep your child happy, safe, and healthy as they grow. When looking for the best pediatrician, look for reputable clinics. One example can be seen through the team at KMP who have 28 years of experience in helping parents and children in all avenues of life. You can learn more about their doctors and services on their website, which is always worth looking into before you book an appointment with a pediatrician.

Whether you’ve got toddlers running around the home, or you’ve just given birth, there are all sorts of stresses and worries that you will experience as a parent. Remember, it’s totally normal to want what’s best for your child and to feel anxious from time to time, so to give your kid the best start in life, using any of the tips listed can help them grow into happy, healthy, and responsible adults.