Bidii Health Supplement - Issue 07 2024

BIDII is dedicated to educating the African Caribbean community on matters of health and well-being to stimulate our collective prosperity.

With great information available on food, health and beauty, Bidii aims to encourage a better and healthier lifestyle for both men and women.

This supplement on health is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a trusted health advisor for any questions you may have regarding any specific medical conditions.

Credits:

Editor: T. Prendergast | Publisher: Bidii Ltd | Layout & Graphic Design: D. Palmer

Contributors:

Valerie Obaze | Vanessa Osei-Kwaku

Tora Abrahams and Ola Fagbohun | Cherrelle Douglas | Gillian Bolton

Our Health

R&R Luxury

Bidii interviews Valerie Obaze, CEO and Founder of R&R Luxury, the plant-based skincare brand from Africa. We discuss how the brand has embraced the power of Shea Butter for health and more, in order to empower women, the nation, and beyond.

Q: What was the reason for R&R Luxury starting in 2010 and how has it evolved?

A: I started R&R Luxury just after the birth of my first daughter – the brand was named after her (R&R are her initials). As I was becoming a mother for the first time, I wanted to use only natural products on my newborn and looked for a solution that was available locally to

me at the time, in Nigeria, making use of the wonderful botanical ingredients available in this part of the world.

Shea Butter was the obvious answer for a highly effective, locally sourced moisturiser. However, I wanted something that was a bit easier to apply and when I found out that shea could be processed into a liquid or oil format, my life was changed forever and that is how R&R Luxury was born. Naturally, Shea Oil was our first ever product and since then the brand has evolved to offer a full range of skincare and body care products that are made using natural African ingredients.

As well as our shea range, we offer black soap in its traditional bar format and also in a liquid version, which is closer to a shower gel. We also produce pure cold pressed oils such as virgin coconut oil and baobab oil, which is amazing for the skin and hair.

Q: What is your main ethos when it comes to women’s well-being?

A: The first step of wellness is being self-aware. Knowing what affects my moods in a certain way makes it easier for me to be in my happy place, intentionally.

I also think that community plays a big part in women’s well-being, which is why we started the R&R Luxury Wellness Fest event in 2021 - to bring women together to engage in and celebrate 360-degree wellness from the mind to the body and soul. We have built quite the wellness tribe and every time we connect I learn more about wellness and how everyone’s wellness journey is made up of unique parts.

Q: There are many brands making Shea butter products. Why do you think it is so popular?

A: Shea butter has been around for centuries and is proven to work. It is the secret to ageless healthy skin - our ancestors used it to moisturise their skin, heal wounds and even to cook.

While most commercial brands use just a tiny amount of shea butter in their formulation, we at R&R truly believe in the power of shea and the amazing benefits it has as a standalone ingredient, so we let it shine by making it the core ingredient (90-99%) in most of our formulations.

Q: How does Shea butter help people with different skin conditions?

A; Shea Butter, or Nku, as it’s known in Accra, is famous for its superior moisturising benefits and is used in skincare formulations by several big brands worldwide. It’s high in fatty acids. It softens the skin, locking in moisture, and is also high in antioxidant vitamins A and E - which provides anti-ageing benefits for all types of skin. Shea butter is also known to help heal the skin, thanks to anti-inflammatory properties

that can soothe skin irritations and rashes.

Q: It has been said that R&R Luxury is one of few organisations in Africa that source, manufacture, sell and export. What exactly does that mean?

A: What it means, in a nutshell, is that all of our operations are based on the African continent. Specifically in Ghana.

By sourcing our ingredients, manufacturing our products and selling in Africa, we keep our supply chain tight and help grow the economy and empower local communities by providing employment. We’re very proud to be able to give back and provide support to the community around us; and last year, we officially launched our own processing centre and NGO in the north of Ghana: the Women of the Savannah Development Project. At this centre, the raw shea butter, black soap and lemongrass essential oil that go into R&R Luxury products, are produced, which means that we have full control over the quality of our ingredients and can ensure they have been produced to a high standard. We also get the chance to work directly with the wonderful women who produce raw ingredients, by hand, and are finding ways to empower them. Our ultimate goal is to help take these women out of the poverty cycle and improve their livelihoods.

Follow R&R Luxury: @randrluxury

Diabetes

Q: How did you begin your journey into educating others about diabetes.

A: My journey into health started in 2013, when I started working as a Wellness coach helping people who wanted to lose weight. I really enjoyed it and I learned a lot but I wanted to know more about how food affects the body. So, I went on to do a master’s in public health nutrition. While doing my master’s in public health nutrition, I got some voluntary experience with Diabetes UK. Since then, I’ve been doing speaking events and roadshows; approaching members of the public to do blood sugar checks; and giving advice and guidance on how to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Whilst volunteering with Diabetes UK, a family member got type 2 diabetes, so I started researching more about diabetes and

recommending to her what foods to eat and what foods to reduce in order to control blood sugar levels.

My aunt’s blood sugar levels were quite high to begin with, but as she started to make changes and take my advice, she was able to control it and she saw her blood sugar reduce.

I currently work in diabetes prevention, where we deliver talks to people who have been referred to our programme by their GP because their blood sugar levels are high. This is called prediabetes: your blood sugar levels are high but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. A blood test can reveal your HbA1c levels; the prediabetes range is between 42mmol/mol – 47mmol/mol. This should be done at least once a year, although people with other health conditions may have it more often.

Q: What is diabetes? And why is its disproportionate impact on the Black community so concerning?

Vanessa Osei-Kwaku explains the issues caused by diabetes and why we have to make conscious changes to fight this condition.

A: There are different types of diabetes, the main ones that everyone knows are type 1 and type 2.

Type 1 diabetes is where the body attacks the immune system. It destroys the cells that produce insulin. Type 1 mainly happens in childhood. Some people think you are born with it, but that’s not the case.

Type 2 is more of a lifestyle thing and that’s when the body doesn’t produce enough insulin, or the insulin it makes doesn’t respond properly. This is known as insulin resistance. Type 2 diabetes can be prevented. The risk of type 2 increases with age if you have a parent or sibling with type 2 diabetes and also, ethnic minorities are at an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

According to the British Diabetic Association, the stats of the black community is about 11% of the black community have type 2 diabetes. In general, about 90% of people with diabetes have type 2. There’s currently not enough research to say why black people, or people of ethnic minorities, have type 2 diabetes - but it’s linked to genetics and it’s also our lifestyle, including our food. As a community, we like putting lots of oils and fats in our food, lots of salt and sometimes sugar, so it’s our lifestyle combined with genetics that can increase the risk. From the age of 40 upwards, your risk increases because of a change in body composition. This is the amount of fat and muscle in the body. We tend to have more fat in our body as we age and we lose muscle mass.

Q: Some people have stated the ability to completely reverse diabetes. Should people aim for this? Or, is it more realistic to just manage it??

A: You can’t completely reverse diabetes. Once you have it, you have it - but you can put it into remission. This is when your blood sugars return to a normal level and you no longer have to take glucose lowering medication. If you are overweight, it’s recommended to lose 5% of your overall body weight and that can

help to put diabetes into remission.

Exercise helps to reduce the risk of diabetes and helps to manage it for people that have it. The government actually recommends that we do 150 minutes of activity a week. That’s 30 minutes five times a week. When exercising, you’re using the energy/glucose in your body, so that can help to reduce blood sugar levels.

It’s also important to make sure to eat good quality whole foods like fruit, vegetables, legumes and pulses. Try to reduce processed foods, fried fatty foods, and reduce foods that have too much salt and sugar - by reading the traffic light label on food packaging. It’s important to increase fibre intake. Fibre is a type of carbohydrate found in foods like wholegrains, beans, nuts, fruit and vegetables. The body can’t break down fibre, so it passes through our gut and into the large intestine. A benefit of eating fibre is that it keeps us fuller for longer and it can reduce the rate of absorption of glucose. Fibre can also help to reduce the risk of certain conditions like bowel cancer, heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.

There are no specific good or bad foods. But refined carbohydrates tend to be foods that will spike your sugar levels. For example, white foods like white bread, white pasta, white rice and sugar sweetened drinks. You can have these but in moderation. The portion size matters too. A quarter of your plate is a good amount. It’s better to make a swap to whole grains, because they keep you fuller for longer and slow the release of glucose. It’s also important to get enough protein in the diet, as this also helps to keep us full. Something to be aware of when increasing fibre in the diet is to do it slowly to avoid bloating and gas. And also increase the amount of fluid because fibre adds bulk to stools. So, drinking enough fluid throughout the day will help it to pass through smoothly.

Follow Vanessa Osei-Kwaku: linkedin.com/in/vanessa-o-28b9a85a

Our Sisters

The Maternal Factor

The March edition of Our Health Supplement is about recognition, as we celebrate Mother’s Day and International Women’s Day. These dates give us at least a brief time where we can appreciate and reflect.

Maternity is a key phase for most women. Often, our traditional views of the maternal journey and its practices come into stark contrast with that of western society.

Our health is never more important than during the maternal journey. And having support along the way is essential. However, even in maternity, the black community has to turn to advocacy to seek answers and receive support.

As many will already know, Black women are known to be at a greater risk of maternal mortality in the UK when compared to White women, with research showing Black

women were 3.7 times more likely to die during or in the first year after pregnancy than White women.

lordslibrary.parliament.uk/maternal-mortality-rates-in-the-black-community/

This statistic again highlights the disparities in black health when compared to other groups within mainstream society and makes us question how this can be.

Access to services and medical advice is important. However, gaining community support and speaking with older generations provides a great foundation, also.

Organisations working to make our maternity experience a positive one, include:

Five X More - fivexmore.org

Black Mamas Birth Village - blackmamasbirthvillage.co.uk

Global Black Maternal Health - globalblackmaternalhealth.org

Black Mothers Matter - blackmothersmatter.org

Southwark Maternity Commission - southwark.gov.uk/childcare-and-parenting/advice-and-support-for-families/southwark-maternity-commission

Tackling Reproductive Health Issues

The work conducted by the Black Women’s Reproductive Health project is much needed, yet overlooked. Bidii interviews founder, Tora Abrahams, along with the project’s ambassador, Ola Fagbohun, as we seek to understand the experiences and representations of Black women when it comes to reproductive health.

Q: How and why did the BWRH project start?

A: [Tora] Probably the same for many of us, in 2020, the video of George Floyd’s murder in the media and the world talking about Black Lives Matter, and what it means to be Black.

For the Black Women’s Reproductive Health (BWRH) project, that also impacted them in terms of their thinking about how they can make the work more relevant, at this time, in the 5th, 6th, 7th wave of Black consciousness

perhaps. So, at the time, they were doing some work around period poverty with an organisation called Freedom 4 Girls UK. At the same time in 2020, the 5 Times Maternity Report was released.

BWRH said there is an issue around maternity. That is true. But there’s also an issue around menstrual pain and menstrual health. And you can’t have maternity without having periods or not having periods, etc. So, the health of the reproductive system came into it.

I think also, the report by Five X More showed how Black women, particularly, were really suffering in terms of maternal health, pregnancy, labour pain. And I think most of all the fatalities that were coming out had to acknowledge that race or ethnicity is an issue.

BWRH started to think, how can they be part

of this whole story about changing how Black women’s health, particularly reproductive health, is seen, felt, viewed and dealt with - not only in society but also within the healthcare system. So, BWRH decided to do some initial research looking at trying to better understand the landscape of Black women and girls’ reproductive health. They came across some information about how menstruation and periods are taboo and stigmatising subjects in many communities. One of the big ones was the fact that many Black women, particularly, were being dismissed when telling their healthcare professionals about living with chronic period pain. These women weren’t believed and really what the BWRH team wanted to do was to pivot and look at how they can support, particularly, Black women to have better health outcomes when they’re dealing with the healthcare professionals (when it comes to their reproductive health). When they were going through the research they realised that while there was a lot of information out there, most of the research that relates to Black women tended to focus on African American women, and there wasn’t a lot of research that was done specifically on Black British women.

Use of the political term BAME didn’t or doesn’t help, So, whenever research is done on black people, it’s all locked under the title of BAME. So to unpick how Black women in particular are dealing with issues in regards to their reproductive health is difficult. So, what BWRH realised was there was very little research that was targeting Black women in particular. And so, as an organisation, they wanted to start somewhere. And since they were already looking at Black women and period poverty, they also chose to look at Black women and their menstrual or reproductive health.

Then started the journey for this project, where the BWRH team started to look at how they could be more impactful with the work.

[Ola] So doing our own research and speaking directly to Black British women was important since there was not much on this subject out there. We ran surveys, held focus groups and pressure groups, and got our own data of what Black women were saying to us.

However, the thing to remember is that the BWRH project is mainly run by volunteers, not academics or healthcare professionals. So, as an organisation moving from just focusing on periods and period poverty, to move into reproductive health, we knew would be a big undertaking. But we also knew that this was much needed as the data wasn’t out there.

One of the things that came out of the work was also a lack of funding for research around deeply understanding Black women’s reproductive health.

Whilst doing the research, the core BWRH team were quite surprised and dismayed by a lot of the information they were seeing about misdiagnosis of certain health conditions that relate to reproductive health. What they realised was that some of this was based on women’s experiences that related to their racial heritage, and their socio-economic status, and a lot of other issues that we see in ongoing health inequalities and disparities. It was therefore even more important for the team to highlight the issues raised from a racial as well as a gendered point of view.

As I mentioned, a lot of research on reproductive health has been done either on African American women or Caucasian women. Oftentimes, the policies, interventions, and treatments in use are based on studies of Caucasian women.

“Beauty without grace is like a rose with no scent”

What’s also quite interesting when people ask the question “Why do we focus on Black women for reproductive health?”, is that through doing a lot of the research we found out not only are we more likely to die in childbirth (back then, it was five times more likely. Now it’s four times more likely according to the most recent MMBRACE report) or to have other life threatening or limiting issues around maternal health, Black women are also up to three times more likely to have uterine fibroids and oftentimes much of that is undiagnosed. Many Black women are also dealing with endometriosis, fibroids and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and very severe period pain.

In real terms, this means many Black women are dismissed, feeling dismissed (gaslit), by the healthcare system and within our own communities, where the prevailing message (or kind of a ‘rite of passage’) is to grin and bear it because that is what generations of other black woman have done and are expected to do. It kind of becomes normal even though we know that many are suffering. And then also there’s the whole issue around, as I mentioned earlier, the taboo about periods or menstruation - which means we don’t discuss them, especially difficult ones that are perhaps ‘common’ for us but not necessarily ‘normal.’ We don’t talk about periods. In many cultures, religion, faiths, it’s dirty; women are hidden when on their period and often there is shame attached to it.

Q: You had a heavy volunteer group to conduct the research. How did that impact the project?

A: [Tora] Our core team that we started with back in June 2020 were already offering volunteer support to Freedm4Girls UK, but under different projects. After George Floyd and the reignition into BLM, we all felt enraged and it sparked a need in us to address systemic racism within an area that we already

practiced - period health.

Being volunteers can be incredibly trying though. We are doing all of this work in our own time, on limited resources, and during a pandemic, when people were fatigued from the fatigue of lockdown and more. And it’s actually quite worrying when you consider the statistics that our data came up with, for example, 71% of women didn’t feel their needs were being listened to, met or actioned by healthcare providers. That is a huge chunk of women! When you consider this with Five X More and the MBRRACE report’s stats, how is more not being done about this?! Black women are continually suffering, not being heard and the outcomes are fatal.

[Ola] Once they’d completed the research, the BWRH team wanted to make sure it was disseminated widely and so they shared the research at the 2022 Black women’s Health conference at Oxford University and that was the first time that I had come across the report. They were also seeking ambassadors to help them to disseminate the report on a much wider basis.

It’s not only the traditional scientific or academic evidence we can use, If somebody tells you something about their lived experience, that’s evidence too, and I think that the question a lot of people say, when you talk about particular Black women’s reproductive health, is that the research is not out there. It is, we have it, both qualitative and quantitative data. It’s the funded research and the peer reviewed research. the so-called “valid accepted academic forms of research” that isn’t out there. But there is a lot of lived experience evidence out there. There are people writing books, or in magazines, online through blogs, webinars and social media, all sharing their experiences. There’s a hierarchy of what is accepted as evidence. For the BWRH project, they called their research approach ‘grey

research,’ and labelled their August 2022 report as a ‘Discovery Report’; that is, research that isn’t peer reviewed. It isn’t that kind of traditional ‘royalty/gold standard’ research because it’s not all academic.

Title

But the BWRH project was really keen to say that information is out there and we’re going to include it. We started looking at blogs and who was sharing their lived experiences on Instagram and YouTube. That is the authentic voice in the research that is vital and makes this report unique. We can do all the funded academic research we like but we need to make sure we capture many diverse voices because we know there is much more to a Black woman than a race or ethnicity and gender. The BWRH research gathered all these narratives, showcasing the diversity across black womanhood and we did it even within the constraints (staff, funding, time, etc.) that we had.

We started looking at this in October 2020 and it took us two years to gather all this information, analyse it and produce a report:

BWRH - Project Report 2022

https://bit.ly/3wKE5G5

We wanted to do this because of the lack of peer reviewed and academic commissioned studies. And so it...well...was going to take time. The report that was produced would be something we could take out and about and be proud of, knowing that it was rigorous and would silence all our naysayers. We took our time and I think that’s important to mention because oftentimes people rush because they want to get the message out. I love how the report says it - ’to collect the real experience of Black British women when seeking healthcare support for their menstrual productive health needs.’

BWRH took all the responses, analysed the words and detailed how misogyny, racism and sexism have impacted the experiences of Black women, as they seek support for their repro-

ductive health. I think in terms of a research piece, it is quite innovative in the way that we use mixed methodologies and managed to interview about 165 Black British women.

In the research findings, one of the common points mentioned refers to women saying they wouldn’t go to work and they wouldn’t tell their employers why. I think there was only about 20% or so women who actually told their employers why they were off sick. The majority of them just took time off work as having the flu or another excuse. They didn’t think their employers would understand and that makes sense, because if they go to their GP and they are not listened to, why would the employer be any different?

Another theme the research uncovered was the Black women interviewed felt there was a lack of good quality menstrual health education. This, they said, was partly due to women themselves not understanding their own reproductive health systems, what is healthy and what is unhealthy, as opposed to just sucking it up and living with it. There was a sense of lack of real understanding in the healthcare system around what truly is poor reproductive health in Black women, not just what the textbook says.

Many of the Black women interviewed knew the stories of poor treatment for chronic pain; about research and the treatment of slaves; discrimination under colonial medical care; and the theory about black people having thicker skin - so we should be able to tolerate higher levels of pain.

So poor menstrual education, public healthwise, society wide and on an individual level often leads to inaccessible and inadequate care and support, leaving us with poor menstrual health conditions and outcomes. If you don’t know how your reproductive health system works and you don’t know what is good or poor menstrual reproductive health, you are

not likely to know you need to get help. And even when you do know and go to those who are supposed to know and care for you, when you are met with being either dismissed or gaslighted, it’s no surprise that you won’t go back. So, things get worse and we still won’t go and access support until it is too late.

The key three things that came out of the BWRH project research report were issues around pain, menstrual education and the failures in the accessibility for care and support, when it comes to menstrual and reproductive health of Black women.

Q: When it comes to menstrual health should women seek additional support from the NHS for certain issues? If so what does that look like and who do they go to?

A: Yes. That’s a pretty big question. Onebecause one of the first things they tell you when you have a health problem is stay away from the Internet. However, it can also be a source of information and empowerment when having a discussion with your healthcare provider.

Ola’s personal account of an incident that happened last year, but was unrelated to the report: I was told I had ovarian fibroids.

I am in my fifties, and no one ever told me I had fibroids. I had not heard of ovarian fibroids, so I went online, and I found out there are ovarian cysts but not ovarian fibroids. I read online scientific and medical journals and websites. For me, that was key - listening to someone’s personal experience. But I also needed the tools to take to my appointment with the healthcare professionals.

So, using evidence-based websites, the NHS site (which has got some amazing resources on nearly every condition possible), I went back to my GP and I said: ‘I was told I had ovarian fibroids but they don’t exist. Do I have ovarian cysts?’ They went back into my notes and admitted it was a mistake, it’s actually uterine

fibroids. I’m mentioning that story because if I hadn’t gone online to find out about this, I would not have had the language and the knowledge to challenge my GP. Of course, if you have any concerns on any health conditions, your GP is the first port of call. However, as we know from the research, they’re not as clued-up on Black women’s health.

So please, if you feel you are being dismissed or gaslit, then there are all lots of fantastic websites. The sites I have used to support my overall health include:

Women’s Health Concern: womens-health-concern.org

Blood Pressure UK: bloodpressureuk.org

Kidney Care UK: kidneycareuk.org

Rare Disease: Beacon - The Rare Disease Charity rarebeacon.org

Fibroids: britishfibroidtrust.org.uk

Whatever your reproductive health condition is, find out if there is an organisation that campaigns on behalf of patients. Then check out these organisations to see if they represent Black women. Search the website. Have a look and see who’s on it. What have they done? Are they a registered charity or organisation? Where are they getting their information from? Do they have a call line? Can you contact them and ask questions? I often used such health organisations when my doctor was not listening to me. They can help you with questions to ask at your next appointment.

Follow Black Womens Reproductive Health: @blackwomensreprohealth

Uterine Health

By Cherrelle Douglas

The wholeness of our body’s health includes our reproductive health. The long history of oppression of women has caused a disconnection with this aspect of our health; particularly so for Black women. There is a deep distrust of western medicine and understandably so. From the deeply entrenched racist beliefs to the history of violent experimentation on our Ancestor’s bodies in the name of “advancing” gynaecology, we have reason to be wary.

Body literacy is fundamental. It is our responsibility to engage with our bodies and our anatomy. Through understanding what is happening, we can then start to see signs of disharmony. One of the best ways to engage with our reproductive health is to track our menstrual cycles; including how we bleed. This can give us a picture of what is going on with our health overall.

The reproductive system is intricately intertwined with the endocrine system, which is our hormonal system. Diseases that affect the reproductive system, and particularly the uterus, are usually caused by a hormonal imbalance. Fibroids, endometriosis, heavy bleeding and PMS symptoms, are often the result of oestrogen dominance. Most of us have, or have had, or know, someone close to us who also has fibroids.

Fibroids are noncancerous tumours that grow in the muscle tissue of the uterus. Black women experience them at an increased rate, get them younger, develop more and bigger fibroids, and encounter more symptoms such as pain and heavy bleeding. Endometriosis is where tissue that is similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside of the uterus and can cause debilitating pain. It affects one in ten women in the UK.

One of the most common uterine and menstrual health complaints is pain. It’s important to remember that pain is communication. It is our body’s way of letting us know that there is an underlying issue. Some period cramping is normal, as the uterus contracts to shed its lining. But more severe pain is not normal and should be investigated.

Factors That Affect Uterine Health

When looking at hormonal imbalance, we need to look at endocrine disrupting chemicals, also known as EDCs, which interfere with the body’s own hormonal system and cause an array of health complications. Parabens and phthalates are two examples of EDCs. It has been reported that hair care products marketed towards Black women contain higher amounts of EDCs. Other toxins that disrupt our hormones are also found in cosmetic, sanitary, and cleaning products.

Diet plays an important role in uterine health. Conventionally farmed meat and dairy contain high amounts of synthetic hormones to accelerate animal growth and milk production. These synthetic hormones can in turn cause an imbalance with our own. Inflammatory foods such as refined carbohydrates and sugar, saturated fats, processed and junk foods, create an inflammatory environment in the body and are linked to the many conditions that affect the uterus.

Stress has a huge impact on our health in general, but particularly our hormonal health. Cortisol, the primary stress hormone, affects the production of oestrogen which could lead to an imbalance. It’s important to become aware of the consequences of stress and how it shows up for us. Many of us do not recognise stress because it has become our normal. Unprocessed trauma is also something to become aware of. I don’t believe it’s possible to have a conversation about the

prevalence of Black women’s reproductive diseases without talking about the sexual trauma our ancestors endured collectively and has been carried in our DNA epigenetically. Trauma experienced in our own lives also negatively affects our health if left unaddressed.

An optimally functioning liver is essential for uterine health. One of the liver’s responsibilities is to maintain the balance of the sex hormones by converting or clearing any excess hormones from the body. If not cleared, oestrogen can be reabsorbed, leading to an imbalance of hormones. There are lots of things that impact liver health: stress, diet, alcohol, medications, diseases and infections, and other environmental toxins.

Herbs to Support Uterine Health

Uterine Tonics: These support the vitality and the general health of the uterus. Raspberry leaf tones the uterine and pelvic muscles and is supportive for every stage of a woman’s life. It helps to reduce heavy bleeding and it helps to relieve menstrual cramping. Cramp bark is another uterine tonic and relaxant that provides pain relief from severe cramping, lower back, thigh, and the bearing down type pain in the pelvis. It does this through toning the muscles of the uterus and opening up the blood vessels to allow for proper blood flow to the uterus.

Hormone Balancers: Vitex helps to balance oestrogen and progesterone in the body and is indicated for many uterine and menstrual disorders. It works slowly and should be taken for several cycles to assess effectiveness.

Liver Tonics: Bitter tasting herbs support liver health in general. Burdock root, dandelion root, and milk thistle promote liver function and enhance the detoxification pathways, strengthen cellular metabolism overall, and

help to regulate elimination through the digestive system.

Other Helpful Herbs

Nettle leaf is a nutrient powerhouse. Rich in iron and other minerals and vitamins, it can help replenish what has been lost through heavy bleeding. Long infusions (minimum four hours) are best to draw everything out. Red clover is another herb that is mineral rich and is beneficial for uterine health as it moves stagnation. Red clover helps with fibroids, cysts, menstrual clots, etc., by stimulating the lymphatic system. It is imperative that

we start to become empowered and more in tune with ourselves, so we can stop handing our power over to those who do not have our best interests at heart and expect them to heal us. Our uterus is an incredibly sacred space, the symbolism of femininity, our creative centre. Taking an holistic approach to healing any disharmony within this space is vital to our state of wholeness.

Follow Cherrelle Douglas: @cherrelledouglas.herbalist

Our Brothers Relieving The Pressure

Public health nutritionist Gillian Bolton speaks of the many causes of high blood pressure and the barriers that can stop men of our community from understanding how to stay on top of it.

Q: The rates of blood pressure among men are high. This is particularly apparent when observing studies for Black men across comparative age groups. What do you think the reason is for that?

A: There is a big difference, first and foremost, and how they view their own health and well-being, especially amongst the middle age range. I find that younger men are really taking that into consideration now. They are more health conscious about their well-being, than I would say mid-range. So that’s the type of age range that you would start to see hydro pressure, say from 45 or maybe late 30s. You see it a lot younger now, but usually it is in the mid-range.

So, the older generation – what I noticed is that men wouldn’t really be health conscious. They are, more productive - making sure they are working, providing, and not really thinking of themselves. That’s the type of gentleman that I interact with. If it’s the woman, it’s the wife that is coming to me about her husband, and if I have that interaction with him - he is not as interested as the women would be.

A lot of my blood pressure courses would be filled with women and just one or two men. That is across the board. You find that in weight management and diabetes courses, too. You find that in health, generally, there are more women - especially when looking at preventive measures. But men will try and come to me at a chronic stage.

At a chronic stage, they are asking me for chamomile tea and by that time chamomile tea won’t cut it!

A lot of the time, they are coming late into

their awareness, so the topics in discussion for public health has always been about how can we raise their consciousness and include them in discussions of preventative measures? And how does that look like from a male perspective? It’s all well and good me coming in to promote a wellness day. The men are thinking “I drive a truck” and they are not looking at wellness. What would they consider as wellness?

Looking from their perspective into their life now, what they consider as wellness is different to that of a woman of their age range.

There are very few men who are into preventative measures. But we are trying to reach those that are not. How can we get these men out of the habit that they found themselves in? How can we break that cycle? It’s very difficult. The doctor needs to take their blood pressure but there is an understanding the system is against Black men. So how can we get to a good place when men are not even considering going to the doctors yet?

Q: What are the common stresses that need to be highlighted?

Common stresses for the black man who’s 45 years old would be from the home for 99.9%. The family home and the family setting are key. It’s the past family issues, when growing up, and the home issues now. These stresses then play out in their lives. If you are stressed with home life, you go straight to a snack, crisps or salted peanuts, or a snickers bar. This becomes a habit of a daily situation and you’re not going to think anything of it because it relieves you. It helps at that moment in time. It’s like a smoker who just needs a cigarette, stressed out at work and just needs that right now. Breathing that smoke may be bad but it did give them relief.

These issues then become a health problem later down the line. But at that time it seems

like a solution. So, the discussion is how can we add better solutions at that moment in time?

Q: What is a good blood pressure range for a typical Black man around 45 years of age?

A: Blood pressure is recorded as two numbers, one over the other, such as 120/80. Both are measured in units called millimetres of mercury (or mm Hg).

[Systolic Pressure: The top number, called the systolic pressure, is the pressure each time your heart contracts (or squeezes).

Diastolic pressure: The bottom number, or diastolic pressure, is the pressure in the artery as the heart relaxes before the next beat.

From the Heart Research Institute UK - https://www.hriuk.org/health/learn/ risk-factors/what-is-normal-blood-pressure-by-age - Ed.]

Overall, I would say 120 over 80 is best. If you are up a little bit, we understand why. The 120 can go up a little. The 80 tends to be 80. It has to be 80. This is the blood rushing through the arteries and the veins. Going up to 90 is not good at all!

When the blood is relaxed, the heart is not pushing as much through, and the heart is at a relaxed state. When the 80 is high and goes to 90, that is an issue.

The top number can give a little, but the bottom number no!

The higher the top number, the more pressure your arteries are having. Your arteries, your veins, your kidneys, your liver, your brain, you are under pressure. Your whole body is affected. The way the cells work is they provide the nutrients, the oxygen. They provide everything for every part of your body. So, you are under

pressure. It is not just the blood; none of the organs are getting the nutrients or the right oxygen at that time. If this has been going on for a long time, it means your kidneys have been starved of nutrients, and your liver, lungs, heart, brain, eyes. Every part of your body has been starved for a long time.

That’s why they call it a “silent killer”, because sometimes there’s no symptoms until there’s no more oxygen to the brain and then that is a stroke.

Q: What part does testosterone play in affecting HBP, if at all?

A: Testosterone is all about the man being the provider, being the go-to man. It is like an “I can achieve” hormone, it is a pusher. Testosterone is a fantastic hormone, especially for a man that uses it. We have hormones that we just don’t utilise sometimes, when we are sedentary. Once in a sedentary state, this is not the biological state of a man. A man is meant to have “get up and go.”. Testosterone is to help him be on the move. But if there are social pressures and social anxieties taking place (which we are seeing a lot more of), then the man’s role is being pressed down.

So, the opportunity to release this energy is important. Playing football or going to the boxing ring, to move any extra energy, is good. We have such a sedated lifestyle now, even the drivers spend the whole day on the road. But the testosterone is not utilised, because it is about action. By the time he gets home, he has had a whole long day working hard, but testosterone is still in the body getting ready to be used and exerted. So now men will be exerting energy all up in the house because the testosterone was not properly utilised in the day.

Back in the day, more men were builders, farmers, etc. - people utilising the energy and not so much of the psychological stresses we get today. The reason I have to explain about

health wholistically is because it is never linear. It is always a bit of everything. I say to men, go and find a boxing class or something, so you can utilise your hormones, so they’re being used and that any excess toxins can be pushed out. What happens, is your body is utilising the hormones, the blood is moved around, and nutrients passed to the kidneys - which will flush out the toxins and then before you know it, everything is being used. Nothing is sedated.

Q: When it comes to men that are aware of HBP, know it’s an issue for them, and also suffer because of it, what is the key to them consciously looking after themselves?

A: What we tend to look at, first and foremost, with my client is lifestyle. What does your life look like right now? Where are your triggers? What’s taking place to create this issue? Because it would have been a habit. So, there are already formed habits in place, so I’ll give them a journal or something to write in for a food diary. Things for them to start jotting down what they are doing. By about two weeks, you start to see a pattern, like ‘Friday - going out to the pub and drinking.’ So then we’re able to make those tweaks personally.

For each man, when it comes to a preventative measure, people’s stresses are going to be different. The way they view their lives will be completely different. A bachelor man who’s always wanted to be a family man, how does that stress then relate to the way he treats himself? How can we manoeuvre that round mentally, physically? So, what does it mean to take time out? They can take that time to analyse their own selves, then take that time and make those changes.

There is emphasis on what the doctor does, and what the doctor says. The doctor says take this and that, etc., but you have not changed as a person. Your mental state is still the same. Your physical health is still the same. Your spirituality is the same. So wholistically, you are

the same and just popping a pill now. That’s not a preventive measure. It can deal with the situation for a short period of time, if they really have HBP and it just needs to go down now. Then, yes, the doctor’s instruction makes sense. But as a long-term decision, we need more. Otherwise, you’re still taking the medicationbut still have HBP, and now you have diabetes. It builds up like a knock-on effect because you have not dealt with the root cause. Dealing with the root cause is more to do with their own personal way of dealing with changes and issues.

Even when you raise the issue of HBP with men and even acknowledge it, it’s still hard. With awareness, there is layers to it, and it just doesn’t happen just because someone said it. It’s that shift that takes place in that mind and you just don’t know when and what it’s going be, so that’s why classes are great. Even when the men don’t want to be there. But then in week 5 - there’s a moment of “oh right!” and he will say what we were saying in week one. And we now see the penny is finally dropping.

So, it doesn’t work like a light bulb. It’s a slow process, and then if men have barriers, then, what do they think of themselves as a black man? Mistrust of society and the doctor is a barrier towards his own health and well-being. The only way you’re going to get the diagnosis is from that doctor. But already there is a block of the white coat syndrome, so now you’re not getting the diagnosis. Then, there are the men that say “I feel healthy. I feel fine. I’m alright!” That’s another barrier. You won’t do a yearly check-up. So he will see a doctor, only when it’s bad. So that’s another barrier to breakdown; that’s another conversation they need to have.

Often, I try to ask them about their blood pressure measurement but they want to talk about what happened back in the day and Jim Crow! So, we are battling a hard-to-reach people, because it’s a mental barrier that they have already of the system. Many will say “I don’t

trust police. I don’t trust doctors. I don’t trust politicians. I don’t trust nobody!” So, he is not going to go for assistance, until it’s chronic. So how can we break down those barriers? A lot of the time in public health, the question is how can we get more black people? Or how can we get more Caribbean people, etc., in more prominent positions like psychologists or doctors. So then, when you are going to see a doctor, they look like you. You feel more comfortable too and have discussions you wouldn’t normally have with people outside the community. You can have those psychological discussions because a lot of it is psychological and it is mental health that we are really talking about. Our brothers don’t have enough psychologists that look like them.

Men are not going to be a vegan tomorrow, once they know they’ve got things to take care of. He will say “You wanna tell me about eating a carrot, when I have bills to pay tomorrow, and council people just on my back. I’m under pressure!” High blood pressure is above someone being suppressed and pressured, so if we can’t alleviate that; then, no carrot is going to help the situation. And I’m a nutritionist saying that. So, I can speak to these men week in, week out (with these conversations) and ask “Did you have your peas and carrots? Did you have your five a day?” when really, they need to have places to address their stresses.

Why we focus on women is because a lot of the times, the women are in a prominent position as a mother, daughter or as a wife and girlfriend. We know women have that nurturing side to things and men still subscribe to that. They still subscribe to a woman acknowledging them and saying they made something especially for the man and that means something. This is something positive.

Connect with Gillian Bolton: linkedin.com/in/gillian-bolton-anutr-4806a91b8