Coronavirus Complicates the Fight Against Opioid Addiction – WAER

The coronavirus pandemic has occupied headlines for most of 2020, but there is another public health emergency that hasn't gone away. Monday, August 31st is Overdose Awareness Day, an opportunity for Central New York health experts to remind communities the problem is still prevalent. Helio Health is one substance abuse treatment center that has faced challenges due to the pandemic. Medical Director Dr. Ross Sullivan says the transition to telemedicine has been valuable, but Helio is still struggling to reach everyone that needs help.

We had to convert the way we gave our resources really quickly, but even in doing so theres still people who need to come in and now they cant. Theres no transportation, Sullivan said. Even in our instance, Covid still impacted us even though we converted our services over to telephone and video as soon as it happened.

Helio Program Director Ron Wood adds the quarantine coronavirus forced many people into could have been costly for those fighting to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Were hearing of increasing reports of individuals overdosing, being revived by Narcan, going to the hospital, and then not being connected to services fast enough, unfortunately having sometimes multiple overdoses before theyre able to be connected to care, Wood said.

Like most institutions, the substance recovery field has had to adapt and change due to the pandemic. Helio Health has been fortunate to stay open, but Sullivan says the lack of prevention and Narcan training sessions these past four months has made it challenging to fight the opioid crisis.

I remember, on the weekly, we would talk about Narcan. We would give lectures and talks to people throughout the community and the state, Sullivan said. Those things about Narcan and harm reduction... I haven't really seen many of them in the last few months, or they haven't asked us to partake in a lot of these things. Theres a whole different consciousness out there right now.

Wood and Sullivan agree that the pandemic is rightfully on top of many people's minds. However, they wish everyday could be Overdose Awareness Day because of the instability the year has brought on for those struggling with addiction.

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Coronavirus Complicates the Fight Against Opioid Addiction - WAER

3 easy heart-healthy changes that just might make all the difference: You can start today – KPRC Click2Houston

What you eat, what you do or dont do on a daily basis -- all of it can have a profound impact on your heart.

The following information isnt here to scare you, but did you realize heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States for BOTH men and women, and one person dies every 36 seconds at the hands of cardiovascular disease? Thats according to information provided by Modern Heart and Vascular Institute, which sources the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

There are many things we can do to prevent surgeries and reduce the use of medications and bags of pills, said Dr. Agarwal at the Modern Heart and Vascular. Our team wants people to know that our focus is on prevention.

By now, most people know it helps your heart and overall health to consume a healthier diet and exercise more. Modern Heart and Vascular Institute would like to provide some heart-healthy lifestyle tips you can implement to help you on your path to a healthier life.

While were not asking you to avoid processed foods altogether (yet), lets start with a few substitutions, the experts said.

Instead of picking up that bag of chips, you can opt for carrots, celery or snap peas. Each of these snacks makes for easy and convenient eating and provide that similar crunch you get with chips.

If you frequently indulge in cookies and cakes, try a fruit salad.

Choosing those no-sugar or low-calorie options arent doing you any favors, and its better to get some great nutrients and antioxidants into your system.

In making just a few of these substitutions, you can help ward off buildup in your blood vessels, which can lead to coronary artery disease, high cholesterol and high blood pressure.

Exercise is incredibly important when it comes to the health of your heart, but that doesnt mean you need to go to great extremes, especially if youre not very active at the current time.

Ease into it.

Modern Heart and Vascular Institute recommended the following:

These are some small steps that will add some much-needed exercise to your day.

Even if you werent stressed before 2020, you might be now.

But stress is hard on your heart, so any steps you can take to relax are well-worth the effort.

You can also try some deep-breathing exercises throughout the day. If you feel your stress levels rising, simply stop, breathe in for four seconds and out for four seconds. After just a few minutes, you should start to feel better.

If youre looking to tailor a lifestyle plan that will help improve your heart health, Modern Heart and Vascular Institute has a board-certified cardiologist and a board-certified dietitian and nine locations in the Houston area. Click or tap here to learn more.

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3 easy heart-healthy changes that just might make all the difference: You can start today - KPRC Click2Houston

#TogetherWeWin: inspiring examples of solidarity during the COVID-19 outbreak in eastern Europe and central Asia – UNAIDS

Inspiring stories of solidarity during the COVID-19 outbreak in eastern Europe and central Asia have been shared by community leaders, businesspeople, celebrities and others. Under the umbrella of #TogetherWeWin, a series of Instagram and Facebook Live talks have shown how people are supporting each other in this difficult time.

The COVID-19 pandemic has become not only a challenge to health care and economies, it has also become a test for social solidarity. We have seen some amazing examples of solidarity and unity in supporting people who are left behind, said Alexander Goliusov, Director, a.i., of the UNAIDS Regional Support Team for Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

Arusik Mkrtchyan, from Armenia, a long-time friend of UNAIDS, spoke with Narine Manukyan, chair of the AI MAYER (Armenian Mother) charity, which helped more than 300 families who lost their livelihoods during the lockdown with food and medicine. I have always believed that charity should support people in a sustainable and long-term way, create opportunities for people to solve their problems by themselves. But in this situation, families with children with disabilities whose parents lost their jobs faced the problem of not having food to eat, said Ms Manukyan. Ms Mkrtchyan also spoke with Hamlet Khnkoyan, who started the Lets Help Families in Need movement, which initially helped several families in his neighbourhood with food supplies but snowballed into supporting more than 600 families.

Olya Tira, the UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador for the Republic of Moldova, spoke with the blogger Lilu Ogovan, a founder of Together for You, Anna Racu, and Ruslan Poverga, from the Positive Initiative.

Ms Racu spoke about Together for You, which supported medical personnel by providing personal protective equipment and disinfectant, as well as purchasing other medical equipment. Aid was initially provided to ambulance stations, but, over time, hospitals that were looking after patients with COVID-19 were also helped. Mr Poverga said that the Positive Initiative, together with partners, delivered antiretroviral therapy to more than 850 people living with HIV, including 65 Moldovans who were trapped abroad during the lockdown. The crisis forces people to be creative. People stopped thinking in terms of possible and impossible, we just know that it is necessary to do this and thats it, and the question is only how exactly we will achieve what we want. And I am very glad that, thanks to our partners as well, we have succeeded, Mr Poverga said.

In Belarus, there was a live broadcast by Yuri Tkachuk, a singer, television presenter and member of the countrys UNAIDS Red Ribbon Team. UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador Svetlana Borovskaya, along with television journalist and producer Irina Rombalskaya, as well as representatives of the People Plus community organization, Tatyana Zhuravskaya and Anatoly Leshenok, and Julia Stoke from the Positive Movement, discussed the theory of small actions.

I believe in this theory. Even when it looks like you do not have a lot of time and financial resources, you can still help substantially. For myself, I chose the path of one good deed a day, said Ms Rombalskaya, who is buying food and medicine for older people during the lockdown. Ms Zhuravskaya and Mr Leshenok organized the delivery of antiretroviral therapy and helped Belarusians who were outside the country when the border was closed to obtain antiretroviral therapy.

In Kazakhstan, a Facebook Live stream was hosted by Adele Smith, a television presenter and head of the Charity Warehouse project. She talked to Aruzhan Sain, the Commissioner for Childrens Rights in Kazakhstan and founder of the Volunteer Charity Foundation, which helped children with serious illnesses during the COVID-19 outbreak when, due to the closure of the border, there was a significant shortage of medicines and medical supplies. Volunteers found and purchased medical equipment and medicines and delivered them to childrens hospitals, with the foundation later expanding its work to other medical institutions.

Konstantin Avershin, a businessman and leader of the Im Alma-Ata movement in Kazakhstan, initiated the Who If Not Me challenge, aimed at helping people in need. Assistance was provided in various areas, from the supply of personal protective equipment to doctors to legal support for victims of domestic violence. The challenge brought together 14 cities in Kazakhstan, many volunteer networks operating in the country and the government.

Elena Bilokon, the founder of the Community of Women Living with HIV in Kazakhstan, also joined the broadcast and spoke about her story of supporting people from key populations and about living with HIV in a crisis.

Erkin Ryskulbekov, a UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador for Kyrgyzstan and television presenter, invited a human rights activist, Gulgaaki Mamasalieva, and Kyrgyzstans triathlon champion, Aivaz Omorkanov, to his Instagram Live feed.

Ms Mamasalieva shared her experience in creating an online forum that brings together most of the countrys volunteer organizations and makes it possible to make a direct request for assistance and receive an immediate response. The forum is based on the Telegram platform and facilitates volunteers communicating with each other during an emergency. We have 10 years of experience in civil monitoring. We know all the standards and requirements for providing such assistance, including how these processes should be organized during emergencies, said Ms Mamasalieva.

Mr Omorkanov spoke about how he managed to complete his triathlon training programme while staying at home under lockdown as well as starting an online fundraising initiative, inviting world sports starts to join him and raise funds to provide personal protective equipment for doctors at the infectious diseases hospital. In total, US$ 6500 was raised. My message was that we can help our country even while staying at home, said Mr Omorkanov. In addition to raising funds, the action had another goalto encourage people to do sports and maintain a healthy lifestyle, even while under lockdown.

Mr Ryskulbekov ended the discussion by saying, When I do charity work and help people, I understand that although my actions are needed by others, Im actually the one who needs it the most; its me who becomes happier by doing good things.

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#TogetherWeWin: inspiring examples of solidarity during the COVID-19 outbreak in eastern Europe and central Asia - UNAIDS

Common Wants to Boost Your Mental Health – menshealth.com

During the coronavirus pandemic, Common, the Oscar-winning songwriter, rapper, and activist was watching the news and he didnt like what he saw: fear-based conversations and divisiveness. Meanwhile, he was working hard to renew himself and stay in a good mental space. I understood that some people were feeling the weight of the moment, but I also thought, What are the things that are helping me say in a positive mindset? Spirituality, fitness, eating healthy meals consistently, and I was meditating more than I ever had before, he said.

Out of this came Com&Well, a new 6-episode You Tube series that features lessons from people he relies on to support his own physical and mental fitness. I caught up with Common to discuss how he got started taking care of his mental and physical wellness, and his hopes for helping you out with it, too.

Gregory Brown: What inspired your own wellness journey?

Common: I was like 22 years old and people were exposing me to a healthy lifestyle. Being around my brothers who were Muslim and non-pork eaters, who said: You shouldnt eat pork; it aint good for you. Being around enough people who told me: Hey, man, theres a better way of living. Then, I made a decision not to eat beef anymore. Funny enough, KRS-One had a song called Beef, (laughs) so I want to thank KRS, too. What our communities need is people who they connect with and who they see themselves in so the lifestyle doesnt feel so foreign.

GB: Im a Black man, so I know that sometimes there can be some jokes and pushback even in our own family, especially with any discussions about being vegan or vegetarian. Did you run into any of that?

C: (Laughs) Aw, man. When I first came around my family and talked about being vegetarian, they were still trying to slide in some turkey meat, or beef or pork even in the greens. My mother was like, What are you doing? but you have to understand that part of the way they want to show love is just cooking for you, and they cook what they know is good. It takes time and thats one thing that I want to let people know. Its a process. Im not saying that everyone has to be a vegetarian, but its about paying attention to your diet, seeing whats clean and seeing how your body feels. Now my mother cooks vegetarian food that is incredibly good.

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GB: When you changed your diet, did your mind feel any different?

C: 100%. I knew myself better. I felt stronger in the mind, clearer. I felt like I was making decisions better, and Im a Pisces, so Im indecisive a lot. I felt like I could see things from a higher level. I really started eating a healthier diet because I wanted to feel better. When I changed my diet, I felt it, man.

GB: Wellness is personal for both of us; not only am I a psychiatrist, but I have also overcome depression and I believe that developing a yoga practice played a significant role in my own recovery.

C: Similar to you, I was going through a really tough time in my life and a woman in my acting class took me to yoga and it was healing for me. At first it felt a little hard and I was cynical about it, but I was hurting and I was open to anything that might help. I started opening myself up in the yoga class, and by the time the class finished I was sweating the pain away and I felt new. The issues obviously didnt go away forever, but in that moment, I felt good and I took that moment and moved from there.

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GB: Were living in a time of civil unrest; how can we stay engaged in the struggle for racial justice while still taking care of our mental health?

C: Mental health is essential to social change and racial justice, because if we dont take care of our mind, then how can we go out there and be full for the Movement? It can actually weigh down on you whether youre an activist or not. Personally, I have my therapy sessions and I feel betterI need to do that for myself, so I can go out and do what I need to do for the world. Part of getting the world better is getting you better. Self-care is part of the fight for racial justice.

GB: What keeps you awake, inspired, and hopeful?

C: I believe that Gods vision for us is to have a happy life, so knowing that, Im always hopeful. That doesnt mean I dont feel the pain, disappointment, and the anger. One of the things I try to do to cope is similar to a food analogy; I put good things in my body, I dont keep digesting stuff like: The world is ending. I dont speak those things, because theres power in our words. You also have to take steps towards happiness, joy, or healing, meaning you have to find yoga, and you have to find meditation, and exercise, and healthier food, and scriptures or mantras.

GB: What do you want the lasting impact of Com&Well to become?

C: I hope that some young kids who are feeling stressed out might find something in diet, or start trying to eat more fish and vegetables. Or, a Latino kid or even a poor white kid or a black kid in whatever city in this country would say: Man, I might think about meditating. I want Com&Well to have the type of effect for others that KRS had on me.

This interview has been edited for clarity and style

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Coloring book by Arts-Kids and Cowboy Ted Foundation director provides kids steps to a happy life – The Park Record

Cowboy Ted Hallisey wants to give kids a leg up in life.

To that end, the Arts-Kids executive director and Cowboy Ted Foundation for Kids founder has published Cowboy Teds Healthy Lifestyles Program: Eight Steps to Good Health and Happiness.

The guide, available in physical or downloadable form, is offered in full color or as a coloring book, according to Hallisey.

Orders are being accepted by phone at 435-615-7878 or by emailing tedhallisey@gmail.com.

Cowboy Teds Healthy Lifestyles Program centers around eight concepts:

Respect parents

Lead a healthy lifestyle, which includes proper nutrition and exercise

Work hard in school

Be nice to others

Be kind to animals

Set goals

No drugs, tobacco or alcohol

Do something nice for another person every day

The guidelines are intended to, as we say at Arts-Kids, help kids find a happy place, Hallisey said. Our program is basically suicide prevention and teaches kids how to be resilient. And studies have shown that kids are less likely to fall into depression if they experience happy times. So we want them to have more happy times.

The guide, which is illustrated by Craig Hayes, is an expansion of a school assembly Hallisey presented 20 years ago that covered emotional, mental and physical health.

A friend of mine who was a principal asked me to talk about the Cowboy Ted program, he said. At that time I was only doing tobacco (prevention), and she told me to expand on that.

Hallisey went home to write a plan, and came up with the eight steps.

Eight is symbolic of the eight-second ride in rodeo, so I used the Cowboy persona to get the kids attention, he said.

Hallisey has since centered his foundation on these eight steps, and recently applied them to Arts-Kids, a Summit County-based nonprofit that uses the performing arts to help children build confidence.

The Arts-Kids board asked me to bring in the Cowboy Ted stuff, because we had decided these steps fit both organizations missions, Hallisey said.

For the past few years, Hallisey, his son Nicko, who is a musician, and Nels Anderson, owner of Drum Bus, a musical nonprofit that utilizes percussion to boost self-esteem, have applied the eight steps into their workshops.

The idea to publish and distribute the books this year came after the Arts-Kids programming was put on hold due to the coronavirus.

COVID hit and really threw us off course, but the work we do with the kids is so important that I wanted it to continue even though we werent getting together, Hallisey said.

The books are currently available in English, and Hallisey is working with Miriam Garcia, program director for Holy Cross Ministries school readiness program, to get the books printed in both Spanish and English for students who come from Spanish-speaking households.

Miriam said the books would benefit both parents and students, because while the kids know English, many of the parents dont, he said. This way the books will also become a reading and teaching aid. The kids can go home and help their parents with English.

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Coloring book by Arts-Kids and Cowboy Ted Foundation director provides kids steps to a happy life - The Park Record

4 Ways Businesses Will Adapt Their Healthcare Landscape – Op-Ed – HIT Consultant

Dr. Donald Brown, CEO and founder of LifeOmic

The coronavirus pandemic has affected every aspect of our lives, from how we work to how we get our health care. The crisis has put the creativity of many small businesses to the test after being forced to move operations online once social distancing became the norm. As economies reopen, many aspects of our life that changed in response to the virus will likely return to the way they were.

However, we have the opportunity to emerge stronger from this crisis if the salient shortcomings from our economic system are addressed. Regarding health care, the virus has exposed deep flaws in the way services are provided and has shown us how businesses and people can be better prepared when the next pandemic hits.

1. The way companies insure their workers will change

One trend we will likely see occurring is the decentralization of healthcare. Before the pandemic, there had been growing signs of American businesses becoming tired of a rigged system where costs to keep employees insured often spiraled out of control. One example of this dissatisfaction was the partnership between Amazon, JP Morgan, and Berkshire Hathaway, who more than 2 years ago announced the formation of their own joint venture to provide healthcare coverage to their employees.

The pandemic is going to introduce a long term change in healthcare and especially the relationship between companies and healthcare providers. More companies will make the switch to self-funded insurance and assume the healthcare expenses of their employees while being reimbursed for claims that exceed a certain amount through stop-loss insurance. Businesses will also start to hire their own physicians to offer services to their employees directly to reduce their dependence on the healthcare system.

Given our early struggle to increase our virus testing capabilities, companies may take steps to avoid waiting for the federal or local governments to step in during a pandemic. Businesses may start partnering with local labs to design their own diagnostic tools and serological tests which would allow them to react more quickly and successfully to an outbreak. Businesses will value knowing which of their employees have been exposed, how many might be immune, and which might be more susceptible to infection based on parameters such as BMI or blood pressure readings.

2. Businesses and people will take charge of their own health

Although the United States spends close to 20% of its GDP on healthcare, diseases that put people at higher risk for severe COVID-19 illness, including obesity, diabetes, and heart disease, are still prevalent in the population.

This crisis exposed the need for businesses to help employees maintain a healthy lifestyle in order to protect themselves and their jobs. Businesses may start promoting behaviors proven to strengthen the immune system and improve overall health, including taking active breaks at work to increase physical activity or encouraging healthy eating by offering healthy food choices. Companies may also start to offer testing equipment in office locations to help employees keep track of their health. Businesses may start investing in mini-physiology lab stations that include equipment to measure blood pressure, lung function, and heart health. They may also invest in blood tests that measure important biomarkers that allow employees to make better health choices that reduce their risk of disease.

3. Telehealth solutions will become widely available

The pandemic has amplified the need for a technology-driven transformation of healthcare. Companies can invest in built-in telemedicine capabilities so that employees have an easy way to get online care when they need it. The regulatory barriers that have delayed widespread use of telehealth should start to disappear. Hospitals can benefit from offering these services and implementing them now will better equip them for future crises. Doctors can remotely provide care to vulnerable patients so they dont have to be exposed by going to a hospital, and physicians and nurses who have to quarantine themselves can still see patients through telehealth means so that hospitals dont have to face staff shortages when they believe they might have been exposed.

4. Artificial Intelligence will change everything

The use of AI in healthcare will combine with the trends described above to completely disrupt healthcare, especially in terms of corporate wellness. Skyrocketing costs and disillusionment with the governmental response to COVID-19 will convince organizations of all sizes to take more direct responsibility for the health and wellness of their employees. Cloud-based systems can aggregate everything from electronic medical records to whole-genome sequences. Fitness trackers and other inexpensive devices can add real-time physiologic data that can be tracked over time.

All this data would be overwhelming for human physicians, but its perfect for AI-based systems. For example, an AI can continuously calculate the probabilities of dozens of diseases for each employee and generate automatic recommendations when a probability exceeds a certain threshold. Such systems can also give employees personalized advice to help them reduce such probabilities and return to a healthy state. The advice can range from lifestyle changes (nutrition, exercise, etc.) to supplements or further testing. These AI-based systems will grow in sophistication over time to rival and even exceed the capabilities of human physicians.

Summary

The American healthcare system was clearly dysfunctional even before COVID-19. However, the pandemic has put the flaws into sharp relief and will almost certainly push companies and other organizations to seek better solutions. Those solutions will leverage many recent developments including:

Together, these trends will usher in lasting change that will transform the healthcare landscape for all businesses.

About Dr. Don Brown

Don is a serial software entrepreneur (founder of 4 companies), life-long learner (4 degrees: a bachelors in physics, a masters in computer science+ biotechnology and an MD) and philanthropist (donated$30 million for the establishment of theBrownImmunotherapy Center at the Indiana University School of Medicine).Prior to LifeOmic,Don founded Software Artistry which became the first software company in Indiana ever to go public and was later acquired by IBM for $200 million. Don then founded and served as CEO of Interactive Intelligence which went public and was acquired by Genesys Telecommunications Laboratories in 2016 for $1.4 billion.

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4 Ways Businesses Will Adapt Their Healthcare Landscape - Op-Ed - HIT Consultant

Designing A Healthy Lifestyle: Plan The Herbalife Nutrition Way – Modern Ghana

When it comes to getting fit and healthy, there are many factors that can contribute towards your overall sense of wellbeing. Nutrition, rest, stress levels, work commitments and genetics are just but a few of those factors with the potential to affect personal health and fitness goals.

Becoming healthier and more active is a long-term lifestyle change and one that requires a daily commitment. However, it is not late if you have not made that commitment yet. You can start today by addressing smaller areas in your daily life and try to change one habit a day.

The tips below from Herbalife Nutrition, a leading health and wellness brand, would prove beneficial as you get started.

Its All about Balance

The more active you are, the more important it might become to give your body an adequate amount of nutrients, in order to keep being the best version of yourself. This includes staying hydrated and eating well-balanced meals on time. Why not keep a journal of your daily nutrient intake and make weekly notes to track how you feel?

Make Sleep a Priority

Getting a good nights sleep is a vital part of leading a healthy and active lifestyle. It helps the body to rest, regenerate and recover from daily activities. Try sleeping for 6-8 hours a night whiles practising better sleep hygiene for optimum results.

Snack Smarter

Lots of us snack our way through the day, but many snacks tend to be low in nutrients and high in calories! Snack smartly with healthier food swaps and versions of your favourite snacks that will satisfy your cravings without the extra calories!

Take Stock of Your Week

It goes without saying that modern life can be stressful. Take stock of what happens in your week and where your time currently goes. It could help you to discover hidden moments of downtime that you didnt know about before!

Reach For Your Goals

In many countries, the recommended daily amount of exercise is at least 30 minutes. If you want to improve your current fitness level, you need to make time for it. Set aside 45-60 minutes a day for you to warm, up, exercise and cool down to achieve the best results.

A Lifestyle Tailored To You

We are all individuals with different body types, who respond differently to exercise and lifestyle changes. Centre your healthy and active lifestyle plan on what you personally enjoy. Choose a time of day that fits your schedule for exercise and find ways to incorporate good personal choices into your daily routine.

Check in With Your Emotions

The way we feel about ourselves can affect our energy level, effort level and results. Boost your confidence by writing down your health goals, your feelings and say five positive things about yourself every day. It will help you to stay positive about achieving your goals: even on days when you go off plan.

Dont Compare and Despair

Its natural for us to compare ourselves to others. Being inspired by a friends progress can be very motivating and encourage us to reach our goals, but, theres a fine line between feeling inspired and inadequate. Remember: you are a unique individual and your personal progress is just that: personal.

Herbalife Nutrition is a global nutrition company whose purpose is to make the world healthier and happier. The Company has been on a mission for nutrition - changing people's lives with great nutrition products and programs - since 1980. Herbalife Nutritions targeted nutrition, weight-management, energy and fitness and personal care products are available exclusively to and through its independent members in more than 90 countries. Through its corporate social responsibility efforts, Herbalife Nutrition supports the Herbalife Nutrition Foundation (HNF) and its Casa Herbalife programmes to help bring good nutrition to children in need. Herbalife Nutrition is also proud to sponsor more than 190 world-class athletes, teams and events around the globe.

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Designing A Healthy Lifestyle: Plan The Herbalife Nutrition Way - Modern Ghana

Local health officials give advice to those dealing with the stress of the pandemic – WXOW.com

LA CROSSE, Wis. (WXOW) - So many are feeling the stress of the ongoing pandemic.

Like Dr. Shilagh Mirgain, local health professionals said many people are engaging in "risky" behavior because of the pandemic. A big part of that is peer pressure.

Shilagh Mirgain, Ph.D., is a Senior Psychologist and Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health.

"We're finding that in the summer, people start to get relaxed and engage in maybe some risky things that they would not have before the pandemic first started. One of the contributing factors to that is peer pressure," said Mirgain. "We know that we adopt healthy lifestyle practices when those in our peer group or social surroundings are also adopting them. It is so important to foster some acceptance and meaning, to think about letting go of any old normal, recognizing things aren't returning to normal any time soon, and a way of doing that is thinking in the future a year or two now,'How will I want to look back at this time.'"

Dr. Mirgain said when people set goals to eat healthily, get some exercise in, and focus on the good happening in their lives, those habits can be the "north-star" to leading a path to a better life and future.

You can learn more about Dr. Mirgain and more of her professional tips here.

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Local health officials give advice to those dealing with the stress of the pandemic - WXOW.com

Copper Basin Coalition Aug. 20: A positive direction for Globe-Miami youth – Arizona Silver Belt

How can you help Globe-Miami youth steer a positive course in life?

Arizona Youth Partnerships mission is to build solid foundations for local youth and families by partnering with adults who care here in southern Gila County to find creative solutions for local issues together. Please join us in supporting the Copper Basin Coalitions mission to empower youth and adults to choose a drug-free and healthy lifestyle! Copper Basin Coalition partners meet on the third Thursday each month; prior to this year, meetings were in person. Now, social distancing circumstances have moved our meetings online. As convenient videoconferences, you can join from the comfort of wherever you want to connect via ZOOM. New partners are always welcome -- please join our next meeting Aug. 20 at noon, hear about our activities, share your creative ideas and help spread the word.

Email [emailprotected] to be added to the invitation list for our meetings and to receive a convenient Click Here link for the Zoom website where well meet. The link is also posted on facebook.com/CopperBasinCoalition. Like and follow us to join our growing local community for useful tips, links, resources and event announcements. Questions or need assistance? Contact Ruben Castro of Arizona Youth Partnership at 602-478-4856 or email him at [emailprotected]

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Copper Basin Coalition Aug. 20: A positive direction for Globe-Miami youth - Arizona Silver Belt

20-year-old hospitalized with COVID-19 urges young people to take it seriously – KSHB

KANSAS CITY, Mo. A 20-year-old Manhattan woman hospitalized with COVID-19 hopes her story will hit home with young people who don't take the virus seriously.

Cecilia Erker first noticed a loss of taste in early July and didn't think too much of it. However, when she woke up the next day, she had all of the classic symptoms.

"I've never been more sick in my life," Erker said. "I felt like I got hit by a bus, I was running a 102 degree fever, I had a cough, I was vomiting."

Erker isolated at home but failed to get better. She took several trips to the ER in Manhattan and had CT scans and chest X-rays. She learned she had developed a secondary infection in her lung.

Doctors told her she needed more intensive care, and she was sent to the University of Kansas Medical Center, where she spent three days in the ICU and five days in isolation in a COVID wing.

She developed a secondary infection and will undergo surgery to have most of her lung removed next week.

Erker said she lived an active and healthy lifestyle before testing positive.

"I never thought I'd be in this position, to be two weeks away from turning 21, and I'm basically losing a lung," Erker said.

Erker described the experience as terrifying, but she hopes it will hit home with those who don't take the virus seriously.

"It's very real; no one's invincible, no one's immune, it doesn't matter if you're young, old, healthy," Erker said.

Erker is one of a growing number of cases in young people across the country. In Missouri and Kansas, those in the 20-30 age groups are showing the highest number of cases currently.

Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of Infection Control and Prevention at the University of Kansas Health System, said gatherings are likely to blame.

"If we can remember to wear our masks and gather in small groups, certainly less than 10 is much safer in smaller groups than larger groups, we can really start to decrease the spread of this disease," Hawkinson said.

Erker hopes others will think of her story when they consider going against that advice.

"I went out to restaurants, hung out with friends, and now I'm paying the price for it, and I regret it. If I could take it back I would," Erker said.

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20-year-old hospitalized with COVID-19 urges young people to take it seriously - KSHB

Listen up! How sound waves could be used to lower cholesterol levels – The Irish News

A ONE-OFF, painless blast of ultrasound may be a new way to lower cholesterol and high blood pressure and cut the risk of heart disease.

A significant number of people have high cholesterol and around one in four has high blood pressure. Both are key risk factors for heart disease.

Currently, treatment involves adopting a healthy lifestyle not smoking, eating a healthy diet, exercising and limiting alcohol and medication such as cholesterol-lowering statins.

But researchers are investigating a new approach that blasts fat around the kidneys with ultrasound. This excess fat known as perirenal fat has been shown to be a key player in the risk of cardiovascular disease.

It is linked to high cholesterol and high blood pressure, and destroying much of that fat significantly lowers cholesterol in the long-term, animal studies have found.

Now, researchers at Nanjing Medical University in China are carrying out a trial to see if blasting this fat with ultrasound will have benefits in humans, too.

A hand-held device is used to fire a beam of highly focused, high-intensity ultrasound at the fatty tissue around the kidneys. The one-off procedure lasts a few minutes. Eighty-four patients with a history of high blood pressure and high cholesterol, who also have significant deposits of perirenal fat, are taking part in a trial where the treatment will be compared to a placebo.

Doctors will check their cholesterol levels and blood pressure readings before and three months after treatment.

Perirenal fat is a form of visceral fat fat stored within the abdominal cavity close to internal organs, including the liver. It is sometimes referred to as active fat, because research has shown that it plays a key role in affecting how hormones work.

For example, high quantities of visceral fat are associated with insulin resistance. This can lead to the onset of diabetes.

Fat around the kidneys is thought to be a unique type of visceral fat, as it has a network of blood vessels and nerves which researchers suggest means it may be especially active.

It secretes compounds called adipokines, some of which cause inflammation that can lead to a narrowing of blood vessels.

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Listen up! How sound waves could be used to lower cholesterol levels - The Irish News

How to Make a Breakfast Smoothie With BKLYN Blend – HYPEBEAST

The adage breakfast is the most important meal of the day still rings true and is a wise motto to live given peoples busy schedules. Most today may be skipping out on their first meal or opting for a not-so-healthy quick fix like sugary pastries and cereals but there is a smart alternative. Making a healthy breakfast smoothie is an efficient way to get some immune-boosting nutrients first thing in the morning and the good folks at BKLYN Blend shows us how to make one.

BKLYN Blend is a minority and family-owned business located in Brooklyns Bedford Stuyvesant neighborhood. Ralph Warren, Keishon Warren Ali Coutard and Ed Cooper own the location which provides healthy food options and encourages a healthy lifestyle culture to inner-city families. Menu items such as their healthy reuben sandwiches, shrimp salads and french toasts are some of the go-to options but their breakfast smoothies are definitely worth the try. The eatery also offers a wide array of custom menu items and they add a little Caribbean flare to compliment head chef Ed Coopers Trinidadian Roots.

All-in-all, this particular breakfast smoothie is simple to put together and even more delicious to drink. Its the best way to start the day and we highly recommend making your own or heading to BKLYN Blend to order one or any of the other many menu options if youre ever in the area.

For more of HYPEBEAST How To series, see how you can learn the rock-the-baby yoyo trick with Paul Han.

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How to Make a Breakfast Smoothie With BKLYN Blend - HYPEBEAST

ISSA Taps Precision Nutrition As Their Exclusive Provider of Nutrition Education, Certification, and Coaching – Apache Junction News

PHOENIX, July 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --TheInternational Sports Sciences Association (ISSA), a pioneer in the personal training certification industry, has announced an expanded partnership with Precision Nutrition, the world's largest online nutrition and healthy lifestyle coaching and certification company. Through this new collaboration Precision Nutrition is providing industry-leading nutrition and behavior change coaching methods to ISSA coaches and athletes around the world.

ISSA President Andrew Wyant enthusiastically announced, "I've closely watched Precision Nutrition build the most impressive program for nutrition coaching over the past decade. Throughout that time, I've always wanted to bring their unique approach to coaching to our personal trainers. Today, I am thrilled to be able to formalize this partnership and have Precision Nutrition provide ISSA trainers with their nutrition education and certification."

As an exclusive ISSA partner, Precision Nutrition's Level 1 Certification course is available to ISSA's coaches and athletes through the ISSA website, with additional nutrition coaching education and tools becoming available in the coming months. ISSA fitness professionals will now have access to the latest research and scientifically-proven coaching methods that help change behaviors and deliver results.

"ISSA and their growing community of fitness professionals both share in Precision Nutrition's values of comprehensive, yet practical education and coaching," said Marc Zionts, Executive Chairman of Precision Nutrition. "We're proud to bring the Precision Nutrition Level 1 Nutrition Certification to ISSA trainers, so they can master the latest in the science of nutrition and feel confident and qualified to coach anyone."

Together, these leading companies have a combined 50 years of experience in education and health certifications, positioning the partnership to provide unprecedented preparation to students and trainers. Leading the professional health and fitness industry, ISSA and Precision Nutrition offer affordable online education programs that empower students to become certified and successful health and fitness professionals.

About Precision Nutrition

Precision Nutrition offers a sustainable, practice-based approach to losing fat, building strength, and getting healthy. As a global leader in providing health and fitness professionals the education, tools, and coaching they need, nearly 100,000 coaches in over 140 countries use the Precision Nutrition Level 1 Certificationalong with ProCoach, the company's proprietary coaching softwareto improve client results, increase operational efficiency, and drive business growth. Precision Nutrition offers the only nutrition certification endorsed by CrossFit, the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), and the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). The American Council on Exercise (ACE) and The National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching (NBHWC) also approve Precision Nutrition for its professionals' continuing education credits.

In addition, Precision Nutrition Coaching for Men and Women is a personalized, evidence-based healthy nutrition and lifestyle program, which has been validated in multiple peer-reviewed studies and helped over 100,000 people improve their nutrition, fitness, and lifestyle. For more information, visit http://www.precisionnutrition.com.

About the International Sports Sciences Association

The International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA) is a global leader and pioneer in the personal training certification industry. For more than 30 years, ISSA has been committed to providing the highest quality certification programs by merging the gym experience with practical applied sciences and building trust in order to help people build their goals. ISSA offers personal training specializations including senior fitness, exercise therapy, and corrective exercise. To date, ISSA has trained more than 300,000 students across 140 countries, all while continuing to develop greater access to opportunities that promote a healthier world: http://www.ISSAonline.com.

Contact: ekoontz@lavidge.com

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ISSA Taps Precision Nutrition As Their Exclusive Provider of Nutrition Education, Certification, and Coaching - Apache Junction News

Hydration Therapy Clinic Vida-Flo to Open in Franklin – Williamson Source

Vida-Flo, a pioneer in the IV Hydration and Vitamin Infusion industry, will open itsnewest location in Franklin on Saturday, Aug. 15 at 1201 Liberty Pike, Suite 102-B.

Vida-Flo is a hydration therapy clinic that helps people achieve the goal of a physically well-conditioned and healthy lifestyle. In celebration of the grand opening weekend, Vida-Flo Franklin is offering everyone a free B12 shot Saturday, Aug. 15. Additionally, anyone who books a service throughout the grand opening weekend will be entered-to-win a free membership.

Its always been a dream of mine to open a second location in Williamson County, said Michael Haley, owner and operator of Vida-Flo Franklin and Vida-Flo Nashville. After four years providing hydration therapy services to the Nashville community through our Midtown clinic, I know there is a need for the same services and more in Franklin. Im excited to be part of this community and grateful for the opportunity to educate our clients about the immediate benefits of our services, especially at a time when staying healthy and well is of the utmost importance.

Vida-Flo aims to be a healthy and helpful problem solver for a variety of goals and medical needs by providing Intravenous (IV) fluids, vitamins, antioxidants, and medications to ensure individuals are fueled, refreshed and hydrated. Its a service that benefits everyone from busy entrepreneurs and on-the-go moms to fitness gurus and world-class athletes. Vida-Flo helps with a variety of medical issues including Crohns disease, migraines, pregnancy and stomach bugs/flu. The hydration therapy business also offers an on-the-go service for those who cant always make it into the clinic, or who prefer to receive services from their home.

IV Hydration helps to improve vitality by immediately and directly relieving illness, boosting energy, and improving physical appearance. Through direct delivery of vitamins, antioxidants and medications, the body absorbs 100 percent of the treatment, as opposed to drinking fluids or taking oral medications where the body only absorbs about 30 percent.

Upon each visit to Vida-Flo, a consultation with a nurse will occur by taking vital signs and assessing medical history. Each consultation will ensure clients are suitable for treatment in order to receive a safe and medically ethical service. Vida-Flo Franklin is overseen by Dr. Howard Aubert, MD.

Haley says, Our team of registered medical professionals is trained to ensure you receive a personalized, effective and medically beneficial service that meets your health and wellness goals. We pride ourselves on teamwork, innovation, client-centricity and excellence at Vida-Flo, and the team is excited to serve a variety of health, wellness and beauty needs at the new Franklin clinic.

Vida-Flo Franklin is the second location to open within the Greater Nashville area. Haley also owns and operates a location in Nashville on Demonbreun Street. Continuing for a limited time, the Franklin-based business will offer their specially priced membership option for either $59/month or $89/month, depending on the number of clinic visits per month. For more information about Vida-Flo Franklin, visit the locations website at vidaflofranklin.com orcall 615-840-6747.

Franklin Grand Opening Details:

To celebrate their grand opening weekend, Vida-Flo Franklin is offering everyone a free B12 shot on Saturday, Aug. 15. Additionally, anyone who books a service throughout the grand opening weekend will be entered-to-win a free membership. The Franklin-based business is also offering founding memberships for either $59/month or $89/month, depending on the number of clinic visits per month. Ongoing, the hydration therapy clinic will offer a robust booking schedule to ensure everyone can prioritize their health, wellness and beauty throughout the year.

In partnership with the Williamson County Chamber, Vida-Flo Franklin will celebrate their official grand opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday, Aug. 19. More details will follow about the celebratory event.

ABOUT VIDA-FLO FRANKLIN:

Vida-Flo is a company that specializes in Intravenous (IV) Hydration and Vitamin Infusion in 10 states across the nation. Within the last nine years, Vida-Flo has provided more than 100,000 treatments to people with health issues ranging from kidney stones to Celiac Disease. The company aims to make hydration an ongoing part of a healthy regimen for any male or female by customizing treatment programs based on a variety of needs and goals. Vida-Flo Franklin is the second location for Franchise Owner Michael Haley. The clinic is located at 1201 Liberty Pike, Suite 102-B, Franklin, Tennessee 37067. For more information, visit vidaflofranklin.com or call 615-840-6747.

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Hydration Therapy Clinic Vida-Flo to Open in Franklin - Williamson Source

The Ultimate Guide to Nutritionists and Dietitians in Boston – Boston magazine

Nutrition

These 14 experts can help you maintain a healthy relationship with food and your body.

Photo via Getty Images

Wading through diet culture these days can be tricky. On one hand, our culture has been conditioned to believe (incorrectly so) that to be skinnier is to always be healthierand to believe that self-restriction is always attainable and sustainable. On the other hand, America does have one of the highest rates of obesity in the world. Heres the thing: No matter where you fall on the scale, there are professionals here to help you navigate not only the grocery aisles, but your own internal narrative around food. This is, by no means, a comprehensive list of nutritionists and dietitians in Boston, but its a good start.

Before we dive in, though, its important to keep in mind the difference between nutritionists and dietitians. (No, theyre not the same thing!) Dietitians can be nutritionists, but not all nutritionists are dietitians. Dietitians must earn multiple degrees, pass multiple exams, and go through many hours of intensive supervised practice; they have far more experience, education, and expertise in giving medical nutrition advice. Meanwhile, since the term is not as highly regulated, anyone can self-identify as a nutritionist. (Read more here, to get a better understanding of the differentiation between the two.) While both can be helpful, weve focused on dietitians for the list below.

Karuna is a sanskrit word for self compassion, and this wellness studio makes compassion for your bodyand your choicescentral to its offerings. With two offices in Norwood and Franklin, Karuna has five dietitian nutritionists on staff offering nutrition counseling, cooking classes, and fitness classes. All offerings intertwine principals of Intuitive Eating (an approach that builds eating habits around internal body cues, rather than external cues) and the Health at Every Size ethos.

Matt Priven, owner and founder of Oceanside Nutrition, offers an array of focus areas for individual nutrition counseling, including Intuitive Eating, general nutrition, digestive health, and more. Oceanside has two offices in Boston and Newburyport, and is currently offering telehealth appointments.

Whether you feel out of control with food, miss out on life because of the way you feel about your body, or just feel really confused about what to eat, Alexis Penney, owner of Shanti Nutrition, can help. Her mission is to help women find more peace with food, health, and their bodies to live their best lives and feel empowered.

Kara Lydon is another anti-diet dietitian, here to help all people overcome their fixation on rigidity. Besides offering a wide array of nutrition counseling (on subjects like Intuitive Eating, eating disorders, and digestive orders) she also has a huge database of delicious and nutritious recipes on her blog. In addition, she has an ebook and offers yoga instruction.

Jillian Greaves is the dietitian mastermind behind Prevention Pantry Nutrition. She combines her passion for creating simple yet flavorful recipes with professional expertise in the nutrition sciencesall to help her clients increase energy, balance their hormones, and improve digestion. She offers in-person, one-on-one nutrition counseling at Back Bay Health and via telehealth appointments.

Celebrating the role food that plays in our cultures and traditions, Sally Cohen helps clients accomplish their goals with food and exercise through a non-diet approach. Shes also a running coach, so she marries the intricacies of sport performance with nutrition to help runners of all ability levels improve their training and overall healthy lifestyle.

Sydney Gatward, the registered dietitian behind Liberated Nutrition, uses Intuitive Eating principles and the Health at Every Size approach to help her clients break free from diet culture. She also specializes in hormonal imbalances, prenatal nutrition, and management of digestive complaints.

If youre having IBS issuesor any other type of digestive complaint, like bloatingLauren Adler Dear is your girl. Her business, Dear Nutrition, specializes in utilizing the Low FODMAP Diet, which limits foods with sugars that are hard for the human body to normally digest. She is also an Intuitive Eating and Health at Every Size dietitian, and built a passion for food from growing up cooking, gardening, and working on many organic farms after school.

Not only is Ryan Maciel a registered dietitian, but he is also a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist working at Catalyst Fitness in Cambridge to help people of all backgrounds build a sustainable and healthy nutrition and fitness practice.

With a functional medicine background and extensive knowledge on gut health, Bridgitte Carroll works with clients to get to the root of their health problems. She helps people build a sustainable nutrition, lifestyle, and supplement routine to help them start feeling better quicker. She also has a 12-week group coaching experience for those wanting to dive a little deeper into their gut health.

If you want to learn to love the skin youre in, build lifelong healthy habits that instill a better relationship with food, movement, and your body through Jessi Haggertys size-inclusive, anti-diet approach to health behavior change. Jessi is a registered dietitian offering medical nutrition therapy, Intuitive Eating counseling, and body image coaching.

Kathleen Johnson is the dietitian behind Halve Your Cake. She specializes in gut health, autoimmune disease, womens health, and general wellness.

Bringing more than 15 years of experience to his practice, George Mandler helps clients through both nutrition and acupuncture. He is a board certified registered dietitian and a licensed acupuncturist working out of an office in both Stow and Cambridge to help clients with pain, fertility challenges, digestive issues, and more.

At Riverside Nutrition, founder and registered dietitian Chloe Schweinshaut believes in a whole body, whole food approach. She offers nutrition counseling on weight issues, nutrition for first responders, allergies, and more plus corporate wellness programs.

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The Ultimate Guide to Nutritionists and Dietitians in Boston - Boston magazine

5 Healthy Desserts That Goes Well With Red Wine – Artvoice

We always have a special treatment for a dessert. It symbolizes a good way to end a tasty and savory meal, much more when paired with a glass of wine. That is why it is crucial that you carefully choose the right dessert that will go well with a glass of red wine for your after-meal taste.

If you are having an elegant dinner at a restaurant or having a family dinner gathering, you better check out the list we made. These are guilt-free, healthy desserts that are easy to find, and best paired to a bottle of red wine. We also have included a brief introduction on how you can have the best dessert and wine pairing.

There are so many ways to do dessert and wine pairings, but theres a rather simple way to have it done. In many places like Italy, they have this tradition that every dessert is paired with a glass of wine, not coffee or tea. So it is best to pair your desserts with Piedmont wines, Italys bold and vibrant red wine that goes well with any chocolate-based dessert.

When the color of the dessert gets darker, the wine gets darker as well, thats how dessert and wine pairings go. However, when thoroughly explained, there are three things to consider to figure out what wine to pair for a dessert. It would help if you considered the following:

Now that you know the basics of dessert and wine pairing anatomy, here are a few healthy selections that you can indulge in guilt-free while enjoying a glass of red wine.

The Classic: Oatmeal Cookies and Pinot Noir

Oatmeal cookies are not everyones favorite cookie, but it is a go-to baked goodie for everyone thats leaning on a healthy lifestyle. If you want to share your homemade oatmeal cookies during a friends reunion, it is best paired with the all-time classic Pinot Noir. Especially, oatmeal cookies have raisins; the fruit notes of the raisins blend well with the simple character of a Pinot Noir.

Back to Basics: Dark Chocolate and Cabernet Sauvignon

If you are both a chocolate and red wine lover, you can enjoy the best of both worlds by munching in a dark chocolate-based dessert or just a plain dark chocolate bar with a Cabernet Sauvignon.

The good thing with dark chocolates is that they are less sweeter than the usual milk chocolates. There are many health benefits in munching dark chocolate made from the cocoa seed, a natural antioxidant that lowers the risk of heart-related problems.

Love baking? Prepare a dark chocolate fondue cake or a whole-wheat dark chocolate brownie during parties and let your guest nibble down healthy desserts.

Sweet Pair: Salted Caramel Keto Pie and Port Wine

You dont need to compromise your sweet tooth when living a healthy lifestyle. Enjoy a slice of a salted caramel keto pie and pair it with a glass of red port wine. The sweetness and the richness of port wine are deep as it ages, which is why it is best paired to a decadent dessert. Since keto pies are gluten and sugar-free, the port wine will balance the taste in your mouth with its sweetness.

Spice It Up: Vegan Toffee and Pecan Cake and Shiraz

Take a bite on to a new adventure in your taste buds as this spicy combination of vegan toffee and pecan cake paired with Shiraz will treat you with a blast. The cake is baked with goodness of pure, healthy ingredients, a perfect pair for a spicy Shiraz. The toasted nut combination will give off a smooth finish while giving out the complex character of Shiraz.

Budget-Friendly: No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecake and Ruby Port

Cap off a heavy meal with a light and low-fat no-bake strawberry cheesecake and pair it with a Ruby Port. The colors of this pair will surely capture your attention. Not to mention, Ruby Port wine is considerably affordable, the best choice for an inexpensive family weekend gathering.

Ruby Port wines are known for their fruity flavors like berry and dates, the best complement with strawberry cheesecake. The fruity notes will explode in your mouth, yet the sweetness and tannin are well-balanced.

Desserts will always have a special place in our hearts and mouth. In every meal, aside from the main dish, we always look forward to how tasty and decadent the dessert will be. Moreover, when there is a glass of red wine.

That is why it is essential to carefully select the right dessert and wine pairings to fully enjoy a sumptuous meal. You can both enjoy munching in and staying healthy by choosing healthy desserts to pair with your favorite red wine.

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5 Healthy Desserts That Goes Well With Red Wine - Artvoice

10 reasons to have a primary care physician – Post Register

It is highly recommended that people have a primary care doctor who knows you and your family well. Here are 10 compelling reasons why its important for you and your family to have a primary care doctor (PCP).

Continuity of Care

When an entire family has an ongoing relationship with a primary care doctor, they get a better quality of care. They get to know you and your family over time, and, ultimately, know what is right and wrong for you because they are familiar with your lifestyle, your health, your family, and your medical history.

Health Education

You and your family will receive special attention from a primary care doctor. They are like medical life coaches and take the time to teach healthy lifestyle choices to help you and your family live the best possible lives.

Higher Level of Comfort

A primary care doctor is someone you can always feel comfortable voicing your concerns to and leave an appointment feeling as though you were really listened to. They will help you to become an informed and active member of your healthcare decision-making process.

Preventative Care

A primary care doctor understands preventative care. Like a dentist, they perform annual checkups to uncover any problems. The earlier health abnormalities are detected, the better chance you have at receiving treatments that could result in more favorable outcomes.

Health Management

They provide thorough health evaluations for the entire family from infants to the elderly. These evaluations include well-child visits for immunizations and sports physicals and wellness exams for men and women. These preventative exams can help detect high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart problems, thyroid issues, diabetes, a variety of cancers, and so much more.

Advocate

A primary care doctor is a reliable and trustworthy resource to help you navigate the complex healthcare system.

Referrals to Other Medical Specialists

An experienced and well-connected primary care doctor will provide qualified assistance in finding the right specialist when required by illness or injury.

Coordination of Care

If a specialist is required, a primary care doctor can coordinate information between other healthcare providers, making sure there is no duplication of testing to help reduce your medical costs.

Better Patient-Doctor Communication

They are your first-line of defense if something is not right. They will take your phone calls and answer any questions you might have about a pressing medical issue. They can assess the urgency of most medical problems and will direct you to the best place for that care.

Longevity

They look at the big picture of you and your familys health. Overall, having a primary care doctor will keep you as healthy as possible as you navigate through the many stages of life. Studies show people who regularly visit a PCP have longer, healthier lives.

In addition to all of those compelling reasons to have a PCP, Binghams PCPs are currently offering Tele-Health visits (online or over the phone) for those individuals that find it difficult to come into the office. In the past three months, weve had over 4,000 Tele-Health visits. And, in case you didnt know, Bingham offers a FREE transportation service that picks up patients from their home, gets them to their appointment, and gets them back home.

Need a Primary Care Physician?

Bingham Healthcare Family Medicine has a growing number of family medicine specialists located throughout eastern Idaho. To find a provider in Blackfoot, Idaho Falls, Shelley, or Pocatello, please visit BinghamMemorial.org/Family-Medicine or call (208) 785-4100.

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10 reasons to have a primary care physician - Post Register

Biden and Trump: Why doctors say attacks on age can be ‘dangerous’ – STLtoday.com

Small called it "dangerous" to refer to stumbling over words on the campaign trail as signs of mental decline.

"I think it's very dangerous to over interpret mental slips, when you see it in an older person, and I think when we do that, it strikes me that it's a form of age discrimination -- what we call ageism," Small said. "We know that there are many factors that affect our mental acuity, people under stress, even giving speeches will increase mental slips of people who are distracted."

What we know about each candidate's health

As the race to the November presidential election goes on, incidences of word slips or fatigue are likely to continue, Small added.

"You're constantly on the road, it's hard to get enough sleep. We know lack of sleep will affect your mental acuity. We know that stress will affect mental acuity. It's difficult to maintain a healthy lifestyle, to exercise regularly," Small said. "There's a lot of adversity on the campaign trail, and that tests a person's emotional stability."

So what do we know about each candidate's health? For now, there is more public information available around their physical than mental health.

Based on the medical records that have been released -- President Trump is on a statin to manage his cholesterol and is considered clinically obese.

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Biden and Trump: Why doctors say attacks on age can be 'dangerous' - STLtoday.com

Many residents of homeless camp in Morgantown say they dont want to leave – WBOY.com

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. A homeless encampment along Deckers Creek, which has roughly 31 residents, will be closed July 18, but the decision is not sitting well with many residents.

The camp has been a source of controversy in the Greenmont neighborhood, where its located, because many people think its residents disturb the peace and are not leading a healthy lifestyle while living there. In response, the City of Morgantown, in conjunction with Monongalia County officials and social service nonprofits, like the West Virginia Coalition to End Homelessness, teamed up to form a task force with the goal of finding permanent and temporary housing solutions for the camps residents. So far, more than a dozen people have been relocated, Emily Muzzarelli, the interim city manager, said, and those who are left can take advantage of shelters like Bartlett House. However, that solution isnt ideal for some camp residents.

We have people that refuse to leave because they believe that this is their home, and we know that its going to be hard for us to leave because everybody needs a place to stay, Denita Benton said.

Benton said she has been a resident at the camp for about a month, and she wants to move, but is hesitant because she has health problems. In addition, she said she has a strong sense of camaraderie with other camp residents.

This is a sentiment that was shared by many of the people at the camp on Friday afternoon, one day before they have to vacate. Christopher McCoy, who has lived at the camp for about one-and-a-half months, explained why he does not want to move.

Because of friends, family. Its a place to live. Because we have nowhere else to go. I really dont want to move because this is home.

A woman, who only gave her first name as Tonya and said she had also been at the camp for about a month-and-a-half, echoed McCoys sentiment about not wanting to leave.

Friends and family, friends and family that Ive made. I came out of here for a reason. Everyone needs support. Everyone needs family.

Another thing that McCoy said that Tonya related to was the sense that there is nowhere else to go. While many former residents had been provided housing solutions, there are still many people at the camp and throughout the city who need a place, as well, so they should not be forced to move, Tonya said.

However, their point isnt entirely accurate, because as mentioned earlier, the Citys task force has provided options like Bartlett House.

We provide a variety of services. We have our emergency triage center downtown, which if people need a place to stay, theyre able to stay there, Keri DeMasi, chief executive officer and executive director of Bartlett Housing Solutions said. Theres also a case manager down there that will work with them for finding a housing plan so that they can get out of there quickly into housingpermanent housing placement.

But, Bartlett House is a place Tonya, McCoy and Benton said they refuse to stay. They cited secondhand accounts of discrimination based on race and gender, as well as generally unpleasant behavior from the staff.

But this is a narrative that DeMasi is strongly pushing back on, stating such unsubstantiated claims can be very detrimental to nonprofits like Bartlett Housing Solutions.

The only thing that Ive asked is to give us the opportunity to look into that allegation before they go out there because we dont recover from things like that, and I take those things very seriously, DeMasi said. I dont take my staff members voice as gospel any more than I take a clients word for gospel. I have a professional responsibility to look into every single complaint, allegation, grievance, whatever word you want to call it, thoroughly, and come to a decision, whether thats in our favor or against us, and I take that responsibility very seriously.

Only time will tell if the residents will refuse to leave the camp or not, and if those vehemently opposed to staying at Bartlett House will change their minds. Muzzarelli said one thing is for sure.

If people refuse to move, that is up to the property owner to take legal action to get individuals off the property, no different than anybody elses property, Muzzarelli said.

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Many residents of homeless camp in Morgantown say they dont want to leave - WBOY.com

Cardiac arrest survivor wants women to be aware of the signs which show their heart might be in trouble – Wrexham.com

Wrexham.com > News

Posted: Sat 18th Jul 2020

A heart attack and cardiac arrest survivor wants women to be aware of the signs which show their heart might be in trouble.

Tracy Healey is a fit and health 55 year old who eats well, doesnt smoke and generally leads a healthy lifestyle.

But earlier this year she suffered both a heart attack and a cardiac arrest after not recognising early warnings signs.

Tracy, who lives in Corwen, is now joining cardiac nurses at the North Wales Cardiac Centre to urge other women to keep an eye out for the telltale signs that their health could be in danger.

While both men and women can both experience the same common symptoms when experiencing a heart attack, early indications that youre unwell tend to be different for each gender.

Tracy said: I ignored the indigestion type pain that occurred in the night. It was only when the worsening discomfort started to move down one arm, and I awoke feeling very unwell with clammy skin and worsening pains around 4am that I decide to seek medical help and it was a good job I did.

Heart attack symptoms vary from person to person, and can include chest discomfort or tightness, pain that spreads to left or right arm, neck or jaw, back or stomach, unexplained sweating or shortness of breath.

Only around half of the women who have heart attacks, experience the constrictive chest pain typically associated with a heart attack. Typically, women tend to more commonly experience heartburn-like discomfort, neck or back pain, or nausea.

Tracy said: I never thought that I would ever have a heart attack at 55, I am generally fit and healthy I dont smoke and had been out for a nice walk the day before the incident with my family.

I do have a family history of heart disease but I have never had any symptoms suggesting I had a heart problem until now. I did not have the classic symptoms of a heart attack that you see on TV, like a crushing type chest pain.

My symptoms were different to that, having a heart attack never crossed my mind. My pain felt like mild indigestion at first, I went to bed but did not sleep for long as the pain got worse and kept waking me up. I began to feel hot and It was only when I started to get an odd discomfort in my arms that I thought something was not right and Id better seek medical help. Im still shocked about the whole thing.

After struggling with the digestive pain she experienced for around four hours, Tracy visited Wrexham Maelor Hospital Emergency Department to seek help.

On arrival to hospital my chest discomfort got worse, I began to feel generally unwell and this is when my heart stopped beating and I had a cardiac arrest, she said.

Luckily I was in the emergency department at the time and the staff began CPR. I was then transferred by ambulance to the North Wales Cardiac Centre at Glan Clwyd where I was told that one of my coronary arteries, which is a blood vessel that feeds blood and oxygen to my heart muscle had blocked and was restricting blood flow.

Thankfully the team at the North Wales Cardiac Centre were quickly able to unblock the coronary artery by inserting a stent through my wrist, allowing blood to flow back to the heart muscle.

Anne-Marie Angel, Coronary Care Nurse at the North Wales Cardiac Centre, said: Heart attack symptoms vary from person to person. Common signs include chest discomfort that feels like pressure or tightness, pain that spreads to left or right arm, neck or jaw, back or stomach and some may feel sweaty or short of breath.

Women are more likely to get symptoms including back or neck pain, indigestion, heartburn or nausea. These symptoms are often easy to ignore and are passed off as something else.

We also know that women may be less likely to seek medical help or treatment despite all the warning signs and this unfortunately can dramatically reduce the chances of survival.

Luckily Tracy decided to seek medical help in time to receive rapid treatment, which is essential for a good recovery.

Tracy added: I am so very grateful to the staff at both Wrexham Maelor, Glan Clwyd Hospital and the North Wales cardiac centre, for the care I have received.

Everyone has been so reassuring, kind and supportive and I cant thank them enough.

If I could send one message out to the public of North Wales, it would be dont ignore your chest pain like I did, call 999 and get medical help as soon as you can, I almost left it too late.

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Cardiac arrest survivor wants women to be aware of the signs which show their heart might be in trouble - Wrexham.com