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HEALTH NUGGET

F

OOD FOR THOUGHT

W

BULGE

HEN IT COMES TO FOOD, THE BATTLE IS NOT FOR THE—IT'S FOR THE BRAIN. NUTRITION AFFECTS MOOD,

MEMORY

WAY THAN WE HAVE REALIZED

MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE WHEN IT COMES TO

AS

, LEARNING, AND BEHAVIOR IN A MORE PROFOUND. POSITIVE DAILY CHOICES“HEAD” AS WELL“HEART” HEALTH!

I

NSPIRATION SPEAKS!

“

THINKING AND ACTING

pg. 55)

ERRONEOUS EATING AND DRINKING RESULT IN ERRONEOUS.” (Ellen G. White, Testimonies to the Church, Vol. 9,

S

CIENCE ANSWERS!

“

THE PRODUCTION OF BRAIN CHEMICALS THAT REGULATE APPETITE

AND MOOD

CRAVINGS

REPEATED POOR FOOD CHOICES SET FUNDAMENTAL PATTERNS IN, SO THAT YOU BECOME A VICTIM OF MOOD SWINGS, FOOD, POOR SLEEP HABITS AND OTHER EMOTIONAL PROBLEMS –

BECAUSE OF POOR

EATING HABITS.” (Somer, E., Food and Mood”)

I

NSPIRATION SPEAKS!

“

DRINK

THE MIND ALSO IS SERIOUSLY AFFECTED BY WHAT WE EAT AND.” (Ellen G. White, Counsels Diet and Foods, pg. 133)

S

CIENCE ANSWERS!

“T

GROWING AT A RAPID PACE

MOOD AND GENERAL WELL

ITS CONTRIBUTION TO THE DEVELOPMENT

MANAGEMENT OF SPECIFIC MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS

HE BODY OF EVIDENCE LINKING DIET WITH MENTAL HEALTH IS. AS WELL AS ITS IMPACT ON FEELINGS OF-BEING, THE EVIDENCE DEMONSTRATES, PREVENTION, AND.”

(Andrew McCulloch, Director, Mental Health Foundation, United Kingdom).

“L

ET NUTRITION BE YOUR MEDICINE”

~Hippocrates

Excerpts taken from www.adventistreview.org—January 22, 2009, Total

Health—Science Validates Decades of Inspired Counsel written by Vicki Griffin,

M.P.A., M.A.C.N. (Director of Health Ministries for the Michigan Conference

of Seventh– day Adventists)

Linda J. Tigner-Weekes, M. D., Director, Health Ministries

 

 

 

 
World Aids Day was December 1.  The Youth Department of the Valley Crossroads Church tackled the issue of HIV/AIDS in the African American Community.  The following is a summary of the presentations and discussions that occurred during the December AY programs.
 
 
 
Overview
African Americans have been disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS since the epidemic’s beginning, and that disparity has deepened over time. African Americans account for more AIDS diagnoses, people estimated to be living with AIDS, and HIV-related deaths than any other racial/ethnic group in the U.S. The epidemic has also had a disproportionate impact on subgroups of African Americans including women, youth, and men who have sex with men, and its impact varies across the country. Moreover, African Americans with HIV/AIDS may face greater barriers to accessing care than their white counterparts. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that between 488,000–557,000 African Americans were living with HIV or AIDS in the United Stated in 2003, a figure which has likely grown since that time.
 

CDC, HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report, Vol. 16, 2005.
 
Race/ethnicity of persons (including children) with HIV/AIDS diagnosed during 2004
CDC, HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report, Vol. 16, 2005.
 
 
Fast Facts (Taken from The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation and CDC HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report, 2005)
 
Snapshot of the Epidemic
·          Although African Americans represent only 13% of the U.S. population, they account for 40% of the 944,306 AIDS cases diagnosed since the start of the epidemic and approximately half (49%) of the 42,514 cases diagnosed in 2004 alone.
 
·          The AIDS case rate per 100,000 population among African American adults/adolescents was nearly 10.2 times that of whites in 2004.
 
·          African-Americans accounted for 55% of deaths due to HIV in 2002 and their survival time after an AIDS diagnosis is lower on average than it is for other racial/ethnic groups.
 
·          HIV was the 3rd leading cause of death for African Americans, ages 25–34, in 2002 compared to the 6th leading cause of death for whites and Latinos in this age group. It ranks higher for some subpopulations—HIV was the #1 cause of death for African American women ages 25–34 in 2002.
 
Key Trends and Current Cases
·          African Americans account for a growing share of AIDS diagnoses over time, rising from 25% of cases diagnosed in 1985 to 49% in 2004.
 
·          A recent analysis of 1999–2002 data from a national household survey found that 2.2% of African Americans in the U.S. were HIV positive, higher than other groups and the only group for which prevalence increased significantly over time.
 
·          Estimated AIDS prevalence among African Americans increased by 35% between 2000 and 2004, compared to a 22% increase among whites.
 
·          ƒnDeaths among African Americans with AIDS declined by 7% between 2000 and 2004, compared to a 19% decline among whites over this period.
 
Geography
Although AIDS cases among African Americans have been reported throughout the country, the impact of the epidemic on African Americans is not uniformly distributed:
 
·          AIDS case rates per 100,000 population for African Americans are highest in the eastern part of the U.S., particularly in the Northeast.
 
·          Over half (51%) of African Americans estimated to be living with AIDS and 55% of newly reported AIDS cases among African Americans in 2004 occurred in the South.
 
·          Estimated AIDS prevalence among African Americans is clustered in a handful of states, with 10 states accounting for 72% of African Americans estimated to be living with AIDS in 2004. New York, Florida, and California top the list. Ten states also account for a majority of newly reported AIDS cases among African Americans (71% in 2004).
 
 
Women and Young People
·          African American women account for the far majority of new AIDS cases among women (67% in 2004); white women account for 17% and Latinas 15%.
 
·          Among African Americans, African American women represent more than a third (36%) of AIDS cases diagnosed in 2004; by comparison, white women represented 16% of AIDS cases diagnosed among whites in 2004.
 
·          Although African American teens (ages 13–19) represent only 15% of U.S. teenagers, they accounted for 66% of new AIDS cases reported among teens in 2003.  A similar impact can be seen among African American children.
 
Transmission
 
·          ƒnHIV transmission patterns among African American men vary from those of white men. Although both groups are most likely to have been infected through sex with other men, white men are almost twice as likely to have been infected this way. Heterosexual transmission and injection drug use account for a greater share of infections among African American men than white men. Similar proportions of African American and white women are likely to have been infected through heterosexual transmission, the most common transmission route for both groups and for women overall. White women are somewhat more likely to have been infected through injection drug use than African American women.
 
·          Among men who have sex with men (MSM), African Americans have been particularly hard hit. A recent study in 5 major U.S. cities found that 46% of African American MSM in the study were infected with HIV, compared to 21% of white MSM and 17% of Latino MSM. Knowledge of HIV status among those already infected was also very low.
 
 
 
 
 
RISK FACTORS AND BARRIERS TO PREVENTION
Race and ethnicity, by themselves, are not risk factors for HIV infection. Even though HIV testing rates are higher for African Americans than for other racial and ethnic groups, African Americans are more likely to face challenges associated with risk for HIV infection, including the following.
Sexual Risk Factors
African American women are most likely to be infected with HIV as a result of sex with men. They may not be aware of their male partners’ possible risks for HIV infection, such as unprotected sex with multiple partners, bisexuality, or injection drug use. In a study of HIV-infected persons, 34% of African American men who have sex with men (MSM) reported having had sex with women, even though only 6% of African American women reported having had sex with a bisexual man.
Lack of Awareness of HIV Serostatus
Not knowing one’s HIV serostatus is risky for African American men and their partners. In a recent study of MSM in 5 cities participating in CDC’s National HIV Behavioral Surveillance, 46% of the African Americans were HIV-positive, compared with 21% of the whites and 17% of the Hispanics. The study also showed that of participating African American MSM who tested positive for HIV, 67% were unaware of their infection; of participating Hispanic MSM who tested positive for HIV, 48% were unaware of their infection; of participating white MSM who tested positive for HIV, 18% were unaware of their infection; and of participating multiracial/other MSM who tested positive for HIV, 50% were unaware of their infection.
Substance Use
Injection drug use is the second leading cause of HIV infection for African American women and the third leading cause of HIV infection for African American men. In addition to being at risk from sharing needles, casual and chronic substance users are more likely to engage in high-risk behaviors, such as unprotected sex, when they are under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Drug use can also affect treatment success. A recent study of HIV-infected women found that women who used drugs, compared with women who did not, were less likely to take their antiretroviral medicines exactly as prescribed.
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
The highest rates of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are those for African Americans. In 2003, African Americans were about 19 times as likely as whites to have gonorrhea and about 6 times as likely to have syphilis. Partly because of physical changes caused by STDs, including genital lesions that can serve as an entry point for HIV, the presence of certain STDs can increase one’s chances of contracting HIV 3- to 5-fold. Similarly, a person who has both HIV and certain STDs has a greater chance of spreading HIV to others.
Denial
Studies show that a significant number of African American MSM identify themselves as heterosexual. As a result, they may not relate to prevention messages crafted for men who identify themselves as homosexual.
Socioeconomic Issues
In 1999, nearly 1 in 4 African Americans were living in poverty. Studies have found an association between higher AIDS incidence and lower income. The socioeconomic problems associated with poverty, including limited access to high-quality health care and HIV prevention education, directly or indirectly increase HIV risk.
 
 
Access to and Use of the Health Care System
·          The HIV Cost and Services Utilization Study (HCSUS), the only nationally representative study of people with HIV/AIDS receiving regular or ongoing medical care for HIV infection, found that African Americans fared more poorly on several important measures of access and quality than whites; these differences diminished over time but were not completely eliminated. HCSUS also found that African Americans were more likely to report postponing medical care because they lacked transportation, were too sick to go to the doctor, or had other competing needs.
 
·          ƒnAccording to HCSUS, African Americans with HIV/AIDS were more likely to be publicly insured or uninsured than their white counterparts, with over half (59%) relying on Medicaid compared to 32% of whites. About one fifth of African Americans with HIV/AIDS (22%) were uninsured compared to 17% of whites. African Americans were also much less likely to be privately insured than whites (14% compared to 44%). A recent analysis of data from 2000 2002 in 11 HIV primary and specialty care sites in the U.S. found higher rates of hospitalization among African Americans with HIV/AIDS, but differences in outpatient utilization were not significant.
 
·          ƒnCDC data indicate that over a third of African Americans with HIV diagnoses (39%) were tested for HIV late in their illness—that is, diagnosed with AIDS within one year of testing positive—in the 35 areas with HIV reporting; a similar proportion of whites (38%) were tested late.
 
·          ƒnAmong the U.S. population overall, African Americans are more likely than whites to report ever having been tested for HIV (67% compared to 44%). However, these self-reported testing rates may be overestimates, since 21% of African Americans assumed that the test was a routine part of an exam.
 
·          African Americans are more likely to report that they have talked to both their doctor and their partners about HIV than whites and Latinos. They are also more likely to say they need more information about HIV testing.
 
Concern About HIV/AIDS
African Americans are concerned about HIV/AIDS, and are the only racial/ethnic group to name it as the number one health problem in the U.S. Most (56%) African Americans say the U.S. is “losing ground” on the domestic AIDS epidemic. Personal concern about becoming infected with HIV is also highest among African Americans, as is concern among African American parents about their children becoming infected. However, the proportion of African Americans saying they are personally concerned about becoming infected has declined since the mid 1990’s. (KFF, “Survey of Americans on HIV/AIDS: Part Three – Experiences and Opinions by Race/Ethnicity and Age,” August 2004)
 
Politicians are calling for action against AIDS in the Black community: Julian Bond, chairman of the NAACP who appeared in Toronto at the 16th International AIDS Conference, said African Americans should seek out HIV testing so they can learn whether they are harboring the virus. As a part of the latest campaign, he recently took a test himself. "Now is the time for us to face the fact that AIDS has become a black disease,'' he said. "It has invaded our house, and our leaders must accept ownership and fight it with everything we have.'' (San Francisco Chronicle Aug. 2006)
How Can the Church Address this Concern?
 
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is committed to meeting the challenge of AIDS comprehensively and compassionately. The General Conference formed an AIDS Committee in 1987.
 
In an effort to guide the global church’s response to AIDS, the Committee published AIDS—A Seventh day Adventist Response. It wasreleased by the Health and Temperance Department at the General Conference Session in Indianapolis, Indiana, 1990. The paper provides the following ideas:
 
·          Mission
Each church family should discuss the following question:
      "Does our mission and purpose closely reveal the face and heart of God as reflected in the life and actions of     Jesus Christ?"
 
Desiring to reveal the redemptive love of Christ, we need to separate the disease from the issue of morality, demonstrating a compassionate, positive attitude toward persons with AIDS, offering acceptance and love, and providing for their physical and spiritual needs.
 
Whether an individual is sick with cancer, diabetes, or AIDS should have no consequence of varying degrees of compassion by other church members. Our job is simple; care for the sick, shelter the homeless, and feed the hungry. Judgment should be left to God.
 
·          Information
We must be adequately informed as to the dangers of AIDS and how it is spread. We must use that information to protect ourselves as well as share with others the information on prevention.
 
·          Services
        IndividualMembers of the church are in a position to offer practical services such as the following:
                 -Transportation to doctors visits
                 -Baby-sitting
                 -Healthy lifestyle classes that are relevant to and include individuals who are HIV positive
             -counseling
              -home visits


                
 
 

   
A Touch Of Sugar Diabetes
by Linda Tigner-Weekes, M.D.F.A.A.P.
Health Ministries Coordinator

ALARM! ALARM! ALARM!

Americans gained more weight during the decade of the nineties than the previous four decades, (the 50's, 60's, 70's and 80's), combined. Dr. David Satcher, the former United States Surgeon General, has reflected that obesity and inactivity have replaced tobacco as the top cause of premature death and disease. The I.R.S. now recognizes obesity as a medical disease. What does obesity and inactivity have to do with Diabetes? Everything. Researchers at Yale University found up to ¼ of seriously overweight youngsters are well on their way to Diabetes. These children ages 4-18 have a condition called impaired glucose tolerance, a higher-than-normal level of blood sugar that often precedes full-blown Diabetes, (also known as a touch of sugar).

During the nineties, there has been a mind-boggling 49% increase in the number of people with Type II Diabetes in all ages. 2001 saw more than 800,000 new cases diagnosed, the most ever in a 12-month period. Some regional studies suggest the incidence of Type II Diabetes practically unheard of in the pediatric population has jumped from less than 5% before 1994 to up to 50%. Children who develop Type II Diabetes are for the most part obese and inactive.

What exactly is Diabetes?

Diabetes affects our body's ability to produce of properly use insulin, a vital hormone secreted by the pancreas. Insulin is responsible for getting the sugar, (glucose), from the food we eat into the cells to be used as energy.

There are 3 main types of Diabetes.

TYPE I Diabetes, also known as insulin dependent Diabetes (IDDM), and juvenile Diabetes. In Type I, the immune system destroys the insulin producing beta cells in the pancreas, so that it secretes little or no insulin at all. It is usually diagnosed from early childhood to the early twenties. Type I afflicts about 5% of all diabetics. The typical patient is rarely overweight. The patient is dependent on insulin from an outside source. It is hoped that in the near future modern technology will make insulin shots obsolete. Type I Diabetes is related to genetics, not lifestyle.

TYPE II Diabetes, also known as non-insulin dependent diabetes (NIDDM), and adult onset Diabetes. It used to be diagnosed mostly in overweight and sedentary adults over 40. As I have discussed before that is no longer true. 90 to 95% of all diabetics have Type II.

GESTATIONAL Diabetes is diagnosed during pregnancy. It usually resolves after the birth of the baby. Very careful management is required to ensure that both mother and baby are healthy. Gestational Diabetes is a red flag to the mother that she is at risk (higher) for Type II Diabetes later in life if lifestyle changes are not made.

SYMPTOMS FOR DIABETES

 

Sources
Ebony, March, 2002
Vibrant Life, Sept/Oct, 2001
Heart & Soul, March, 2002
USA Today March 14, 2002

 

  • Constant Thirst
  • Frequent Urination
  • Blurred Vision
  • Fatigue
  • Tuppetite
  • Cuts & Bruises Heal Slowly
  • Excessive Weight Loss
  • Tingling, Numbness in Hands or Feet
  • Recurring Infections of the Skin, Gums, Bladder
  • Yeast Infections
RISK FACTORS FOR TYPE II DIABETES

Overweight Cigarette Smoker Increasing Age
Blood Relatives With Diabetes Had Diabetes While Pregnant High Blood Pressure
Little or No Exercise During A Regular Day High Cholesterol & Tri-glycerides If BMI (Body Mass Index) > 30
Had A Baby Weighing 9 Or More Pounds At Birth Told That You Had A "Touch Of Sugar" In The Past Ethnicity (American Indian/Alaska Native, African, Pacific Islander, Caribbean, Hispanic of any Race)
GET TESTED

A diagnosis of full-blown Diabetes is given to people whose fasting blood sugar level, determined by a blood test after overnight fasting, is more than 126mg/dl, or whose score on a two-hour oral glucose tolerance test is 200 mg/dl or above.

Those who score 110-126 on the fasting blood sugar test or 140-149 on the glucose tolerance test are in the intermediate zone or as a layperson would say a "touch of sugar". It is a pre-disease state. Until recently no one knew how to stop the progression of the pre-disease state to full-blown disease. Two recent studies done in Finland and the United States have shown that progression can be halted at least by 50% by walking 30 minutes five days a week and losing 5-7% of weight.

SOBERING FACTS

Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness, kidney failure, heart attacks, strokes and amputations. 100 billion dollars a year are spent on the complications of diabetes.

1 in 10 black Americans, (at least 2 million) have Diabetes, and of those affected, more are likely to develop complications than any other ethnic group. The death rate for blacks with Diabetes is 27% higher than it is for whites. 1 in 4 black women over the age of 55 have Diabetes. 50% of all black women are overweight. The great tragedy is the fact that one-third of us have Diabetes and don't know it. By the time the diagnosis is made it is because of a complication of a disease in progress for at least 10 years. Doctors suggest testing at age 35 and every 2-3 years after.

AT RISK WEIGHT CHART

4'10" - 129#

5'0" - 138#

5'2" - 147#

5'4" - 157#

5'6" - 167#

5'8" - 177#

5'10" - 188#

5'11" - 193#

6'0" - 199#

6'1" - 204#

6'2" - 210#

6'3" - 216#

6'4" - 221#



RECOMMENDED CHANGES TO CONTROL OR AVOID DIABETES

1. Reduce dietary fats to 25% or less of total calorie intake.
2. Lose weight.
3. Exercise regularly (daily).
4. Avoid things that aggravate the problem (refined sugar alcohol, caffeine & nicotine)
5. Eat a proper diet (low in fat, moderate protein, complex carbohydrates such as beans, vegetables and whole grains. The fiber found in such foods is critical in controlling blood sugar. Even fruit can be handled in this kind of diet if eaten un-refined and in moderation).
6. Space meals appropriately - always eat breakfast.
7. Moderate exposure to sunshine. The above lifestyle changes are more likely to be effective the earlier that Diabetes Type II is detected.

For Diabetes information call:
1-800-Diabetes (1-800-342-2383)
or visit the American Diabetes website at www.diabetes.org



HEALTH BY CHOICE - NOT CHANCE

 





Happy New Year
Dear Friend,
      "I hope all is well with you and that you are as healthy in body as you are in spirit" ( 3 John 2, NLT). Most of us make New Year Resolutions that involve our physical health but few of us make Resolutions that involve our spiritual and moral health which may explain why most Resolutions are forgotten by the End of February. As we plan our Health Action Plans for the year 2007. Lets us look to the Bible health and lifestyle principles. The Creator's owner's Manual cannot be improved.
 
In medical peer-reviewed studies reveal that religious committed people combined with a healthy lifestyle have fewer deaths from Coronary Heart Disease, Emphysema, Cirrhosis, and Suicides.
 
Exodus 15:26
" If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in His sight, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: For I am the Lord that healed thee."
 
January is Glaucoma Awareness Month.
Glaucoma is an eye disease in which there is gradual damage to the nerve fibers of the optic nerve. Usually, but not always, the damage of Glaucoma results from elevated pressure inside the eyeball.
 
Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) is the most common form in U.S. It usually affects people overage 40, and Blacks are much more susceptible than Whites. About three million Americans have the disease and half of them don't know they have it. An estimated 80,000 people in the U.S. are legally blind, in both eyes, from Glaucoma. It is the principle cause of blindness among Blacks, and the second-leading cause (after age-related muscular degeneration) of blindness in the whole American population. 












HIV/AIDS & AFRICAN AMERICANS

 Linda Tigner-Weekes, M.D.F.A.A.P.
Health Ministries Coordinator

 


Additional links on this topic:

March Newsletter

Happy New Year