5 Simple Ways to your Health this FALL Harvest
all is here and it’s time to cozy up with healthier habits! If you’re looking to refresh your routine and embrace healthier habits this season, here are some valuable tips to help you harvest your health this fall.
Enjoy seasonal produce
Fall offers a variety of nutrient-rich produce like pumpkins, squash and sweet potatoes, which are great for hearty, immune-boosting meals. These seasonal foods are packed with vitamins, minerals and fiber to help support your immune system during flu season. Consider making a trip to your local farmers market or grocery store and stock up on these delicious and healthful ingredients.
Recommit to healthful habits
The slower pace of fall offers the perfect opportunity to support your overall well-being. Mindfulness practices like meditation or journaling can help you manage stress and maintain a positive mindset during the seasonal shift. Whether it’s starting a gratitude journal or taking a few minutes each day to meditate, setting aside time for yourself can greatly benefit your mental health.
Bake healthier fall treats
‘Tis the season to enjoy favorite seasonal treats like pumpkin bread and apple cinnamon muffins - but with a healthier twist! This season, try incorporating more nutritious ingredients into your favorite baked goods. Simple swaps like using whole grains, natural sweeteners and nutrient-dense additions such as fortified eggs can make a big difference. Fortified eggs, in particular, are a great source of high-quality, essential vitamins like vitamin D and Omega-3s, helping to maintain energy levels during cooler days.
Maintain energy with exercise
As the weather cools, it may be tempting to cozy up indoors, but staying active is just as important in fall as any other season. Before it gets too cold, take advantage of outdoor activities like hiking, biking and apple picking to enjoy the crisp autumn air while getting in some fun exercise. When it gets too uncomfortable to exercise outside, take your workouts indoors with a cozy yoga flow, a strength-training circuit or an indoor cycling class to keep your fitness routine fresh and exciting all season long.
Test out new protein-rich recipes
Fall is a fantastic time to explore fresh, protein-rich dishes that highlight seasonal ingredients. With protein-rich recipes trending, it’s more important than ever to ensure you’re getting enough protein for sustained energy this fall. Experimenting in the kitchen can be both fun and rewarding, especially when you incorporate nutritious ingredients, such as eggs, into your meals to provide the boost your body needs. Eggs can provide superior nutrition and help to boost your body’s immunity and reduce oxidative stress during this transitional time.
Source: Brandpoint (Edited by d-mars.com
Doctors’ Tips for a Healthy and Safe Holiday
he holiday season is a joyous time of year, but it can also throw your wellness routines out of alignment. Doctors advise prioritizing healthy choices during this period, so you can start 2025 on the right foot.
Everyone’s holiday wish is to be happy, healthy, and safe, but the season is often a time for overindulgence in food and drink, increased stress, and exposure to respiratory illness.
The American Medical Association (AMA) recommends taking these steps during the holidays:
1. Vaccines are a safe and remarkably effective defense from a number of serious respiratory viruses that circulate in the fall and winter. To protect yourself and your family, get up to date on your vaccines, including the annual flu shot, as well as the updated COVID-19 vaccine for everyone 6 months and older. Vaccines are
also available to protect older adults from severe RSV. Tools to protect infants during RSV season include maternal vaccination as well as the monoclonal antibody immunization. If you have questions, speak with your physician and review trusted resources, including getvaccineanswers.org.
2. Watch what you eat. Pay particular attention to labels and avoid processed foods as much as you can, especially those with added sodium and sugar. Consider having a healthy snack before the big meal or offer to bring a healthier dish for the holiday spread. Drink water instead of sugar-sweetened beverages, and eat nutritious, whole foods like fresh fruits and vegetables alongside richer holiday fare.
3. Stick to your exercise schedule and prioritize physical activity during this busy time of year. A good rule of thumb for adults is at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity activity, or 75 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity activity. Brisk walks, bike rides, hikes and even family-friendly sports like basketball and touch football are good for heart health.
4. Use time with relatives to find out whether your family has a history of type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular disease, and whether other family members have been told they have prediabetes. With this information, you can better understand your risk and take charge of your health.
5. Prioritize your mental health. Factors like holiday spending and navigating time with extended family can bring on extra seasonal stress. You can help manage stress by getting sufficient sleep, exercising and seeking help from a mental health professional when you need it.
Season
6. Make smart choices and plan ahead if you’re driving. In December 2021 alone, 1,013 Americans died in alcohol impaired-driving crashes. Do not drive under any circumstances if you intend to drink. And if you are the designated driver, make a 100% commitment to sobriety.
7. Be prepared when traveling. Whether you’re flying or taking a road trip, you might be tempted to grab convenient, unhealthy food for the journey. Consider packing your own snacks, such as fresh fruits and vegetables or small portions of dried fruits and nuts.
8. Get New Year’s resolutions started early. Speak with your doctor or health care professional about quitting tobacco and nicotine use, and declare your home and car smoke-free to eliminate secondhand smoke exposure.
This holiday season, we encourage you to reconnect with your physical and mental health.
Source: StatePoint (Edited by d-mars.com)
HealthWealthis
Empowering Our Community to Combat Diabetes with Compassion and Action
By
ovember is Diabetes Awareness Month. According to recent data, around 12.1% of Black adults in the U.S. have been diagnosed with diabetes, a rate that is significantly higher than for other racial groups. Black Americans are also 60% more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes than non-Hispanic whites. Unfortunately, the disparity doesn’t stop at diagnosis—Black people are nearly twice as likely to die from diabetes, and three times more likely to be hospitalized for diabetes-related complications such as kidney failure or amputations. These statistics show that diabetes is not just a health issue but also a crisis in our community. Prediabetes, which affects millions of Americans, is also a serious concern. About 39.2% of Black adults have prediabetes, often without knowing it. This means nearly four out of 10 individuals are at high risk of developing diabetes if they do not take action!
Diabetes has been recognized since the 19th century and today, the research continues, diabetes is understood as a metabolic disorder affecting insulin production and use, with type 1 and type 2 being the most common forms with modern studies linking the rise of type 2 diabetes to changes in diet (rich in processed foods), lifestyle (sedentary behavior), and increasing rates of obesity. However, this isn’t just about facts or numbers; it’s about love, hope, and empowerment. We deserve to live long, healthy, and prosperous lives. Health is our true wealth because it provides the foundation for a fulfilling life. When we are physically and mentally well, we have the energy, clarity, and resilience to pursue our goals, nurture relationships, and enjoy life’s moments. It is time to reclaim it for ourselves, our families, and our community. Reclaiming our power over our health means recognizing that diabetes and prediabetes is not a death sentence—it’s
a call to action, a chance to rewrite our future. Instead of viewing it with fear, we can see it as an opportunity to take back control over our well-being, starting with our daily habits and integrating a different way of being and doing. This isn’t about deprivation or restriction; it’s about making choices that align with the vibrant, healthy lives we deserve. It’s also about slowing down and savoring our meals, giving our bodies the chance to thrive through mindful eating.
Our power also lies in how we move. You don’t need to spend hours in a gym to see results—short bursts of activity throughout the day can make a significant difference. Standing up, stretching, or doing squats for just a few minutes each hour improves blood sugar management and strengthens insulin sensitivity. This journey is about finding joy in movement, about each step bringing us closer to health, vitality, and abundance. Go outside and get natural vitamin D from the sun. A lack of vitamin D is a major source of inflammation and a host of other health issues in our community. Movement fuels wellness. Movement is medicine.
For healthcare professionals, your voice can be as power ful as any prescription. Encouraging patients to explore stress reduction through yoga, meditation, or holistic treatments is a profound way to support their healing. Offering alternatives empowers patients to reclaim their health on multiple levels. There are many doctors in our community who are sharing alternative approaches to health such as Dr. Bobby Price, who has been vocal about the concept of “vegetation over medication” and promoting the idea that many health issues can be managed – or even – reversed through dietary and lifestyle changes. Dr. Price is just one part of a growing movement of health professionals within our community who are encouraging us to return to natural foods and holistic living.
If you are living with diabetes, you are more powerful than you know. Living with this condition is a challenge, but it does not define you. It does not have to be your lot in life. Making small changes can have a significant posi tive impact on your health and well-being. We’ve got to be advocates for our own health.
As a community, we must up lift one another. When we cel progress, no matter how small, we encourage a culture where health becomes an asset. For too long, we’ve been
stuck in cycles of silence, avoiding difficult truths and enabling unhealthy habits that harm our community. It’s time to break that cycle and hold each other accountable for making choices that nourish and uplift us.
We are not bound by history when it comes to what we put on our plates. Our ancestors did what they had to with what they had, but we have more options now, more knowledge, and more power to change the narrative. We can rewrite our family legacies. Instead of clinging to dishes that weigh us down and contribute to the very diseases ravaging our community, we can choose foods that fuel us, empower us, and keep us here longer. It’s not about dishonoring the past; it’s about evolving, growing, and making better choices for us and future generations. In that spirit, let this be our collective mantra: Movement is medicine and health is wealth. Let’s claim our riches!
Frenetta Tate is the founder of Frenetta Tate Global LLC, a transformational life coaching and business consulting company. She can be reached on LinkedIn @frenettatate.
Frenetta Tate Contributing Writer
Fall is upon us it’s time to Vaccinate!
Don't fall for respiratory illnesses like the Flu, RSV and COVID-19. As the weather cools down, these illnesses heat up.
A trusted healthcare provider can recommend a vaccination schedule for immunizations for people of all ages, from birth through adulthood, so don't wait.
Ketamine and Other Anesthetics Emerge as Treatments for Depression
By
etamine and other anesthetic drugs have emerged as a powerful new tool to rapidly treat depression, especially for people who don’t benefit from traditional therapies. With conversations regarding these drugs circulating in the news and online, anesthesiologistsphysicians who are experts in using them to sedate patients during surgery - are shedding light on the latest research and recommendations to ensure they are used safely as a mental health treatment.
More than one in five U.S. adults lives with a mental health illness (57.8 million) and over 21 million Americans had at least one major depressive episode in 2021. Many individuals with depression experience symptom relief with psychotherapy and antidepressants, but for nearly one-third (30%) of patients these therapies are ineffective, known as treatment-resistant depression.
Here is the latest information on the various anesthetics being repurposed, how anesthesiologists and psychiatrists may be able to increase their collaboration, and questions patients should ask.
Anesthetics Being Repurposed for Treatment of Depression
Ketamine’s unique benefits include working in minutes or hours vs. weeks, compared to traditional antidepressants, and its persistent positive effects on mood. Ketamine originally was developed to induce and maintain anesthesia and its antidepressant effects were first identified in 2000. When used to treat depression, it is administered at a low
dose intravenously (IV therapy), as a U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved nasal spray or a combination of both in a series of treatments given over a few days or once a week. After a single treatment, a patient’s symptoms may improve for days or even weeks.
While most studies have focused on ketamine, researchers are also looking into nitrous oxide, more commonly known as laughing gas, and IV propofol, a common anesthetic used during medical procedures, among others. As with ketamine, patients’ depression scores have improved during preliminary trials, and there is evidence nitrous oxide’s effects last beyond the initial treatment.
Further research is needed to fully understand why these drugs are so effective against depression. Scientists believe it may be because they act on different receptors and address imbalances between chemicals in the brain.
How Anesthesiologists and Psychiatrists are Partnering to Help Patients
The authors of a special article recently published in Anesthesiology recommend anesthesiologists take a more active role in the repurposing of anesthetic drugs as
antidepressants. They propose developing a subspecialty focused on anesthetic neuropsychiatry that includes physicians and researchers who can serve as liaisons between these two specialties and help collaborate activities including:
• Facilitating joint research training with an emphasis on postgraduate degree programs,
• Sharing in the design of clinical trials,
• Conducting interdisciplinary departmental rounds, and,
• Combining efforts to advance technologies in brain imaging.
What Patients Need to Know
While ketamine and other anesthetics show great promise in treating depression and anxiety for certain patients, they may have side effects and can be dangerous if not used or administered correctly.
Patients interested in these drugs should ask the following:
• Is this treatment right for me? These drugs do not offer a universal cure and patients need to be evaluated and selected carefully by a psychiatrist for these treatments.
• Where will I receive my treatment? Patients should receive the medications only under medical supervision, such as in an accredited clinic with established safety standards.
• Who is prescribing my treatment? These drugs need to be prescribed, administered and carefully managed by skilled physicians.
Source: Brandpoint
Diabetes and Your Feet: What You Need to Know
insights into preventing foot ulcers associated with diabetes and treating them if they do occur.
Make these precautions part of your foot care routine:
oot ulcers develop in about 15% of the 25 million Americans living with diabetes and are a top cause of hospitalization. These ulcers can lead to serious complications, such as infection and amputation. According to foot and ankle surgeons, there are steps you can take to prevent complications and keep your feet healthy,
• Inspect feet daily using a flashlight and mirror to see the bottoms of your feet.
• Moisturize dry, cracking feet to prevent sores. Use powder to control moisture that can result in blisters.
• To prevent injury, wear protective, well-fitting shoes and socks at all times, even in the house. Change socks daily and more often if your feet get wet or sweaty. Avoid socks with holes or seams. Sometimes diabetic shoes are prescribed to avoid pressure and rubbing
• Get regular foot exams from a foot and ankle surgeon, which can reduce amputation risk by 45-85%. The surgeon can also screen feet for loss of protective sensation.
• Manage your diabetes. Out-of-control blood sugar levels can lead to nerve cell damage, making it harder to detect foot problems.
Look for telltale signs that an ulcer may be developing: The foot or ankle may look puffy or engorged
• Temperature. Cold feet might mean a circulatory issue, whereas hot feet might mean infection.
• Color changes. Redness and even other colors might appear before an ulcer forms.
• Calluses. If a callus changes colors or develops dark, “dried blood” colored spots, it may be time to have a foot and ankle surgeon offer a proper diagnosis.
Ask your foot and ankle surgeon about innovative treatments: If you do experience a non-healing ulcer, talk to your foot and ankle surgeon right away about innovative technologies that stimulate healing.
Groundbreaking approaches include stem cell therapy, the use of bioengineered skin substitutes to accelerate growth of healthy skin, and negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) to promote healing and enable healthy, new tissue to grow. Today, foot and ankle surgeons rarely do a skin graft without NPWT. Skin grafting for foot ulcers has also advanced. Surgeons now use advanced reconstructive surgery and grafting techniques to promote wound healing and decrease wound recurrence.
The success rate of these advanced therapies is high, providing substantial improvement over treatments of the not-toodistant past, when doctors would clean and bandage the wound and hope for the best.
Source: StatePoint
Breaking Barriers: Ovarian Cancer Study Expanded to Africa
By Stacy M. Brown Contributing Writer
Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers Dr. Sophia George and Dr. Matthew Schlumbrecht are leading an ambitious study focused on ovarian cancer treatment for women of African descent. Their work, based at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, aims to address a critical gap in cancer research: the underrepresentation of Black women in clinical trials, specifically for the drug niraparib.
George, a molecular geneticist, and Schlumbrecht, a gynecologic oncologist, have expanded their research beyond the U.S. and the Caribbean to Africa. In July, they launched the study in Nigeria, giving them access to data from a population often overlooked in cancer research. According to the University of Miami, their goal is to understand how women of African ancestry metabolize drugs like niraparib, a PARP inhibitor that has transformed treatment for certain ovarian cancer patients.
While niraparib has proven effective, Black women made up only 1.6% of participants in the drug’s pivotal PRIMA study. George and Schlumbrecht’s new study is specifically designed to address this gap by enrolling women of African descent.
“We know from other drugs that how women of African ancestry metabolize drugs can differ from those of European ancestry,” Dr. Schlumbrecht explained in a news release.
“The data we gain will allow us to confirm appropriate dosing, counsel patients on side effects, lobby for government coverage, and ultimately expand access to this life-saving treatment.”
The study’s significance has already drawn national attention. The White House highlighted it as part of President Biden’s Cancer Moonshot initiative, which seeks to cut the cancer death rate by at least 50% over the next 25 years.
“This recognition underscores the importance of our work,” said George. “We are increasing our ability to successfully identify and treat women of all backgrounds with ovarian cancer.”
George and Schlumbrecht said they plan to enroll patients from the U.S., the Caribbean, and Nigeria over the next three years, tracking their progress through ancillary studies on tumor DNA biomarkers and patient quality of life. The researchers will also explore homologous recombination deficiency profiles to assess whether the drug works as
expected at the molecular level.
A key part of the study involves understanding the variability among Black women. “Not all Black women are the same,” Schlumbrecht noted. “By including participants from the U.S., Nigeria, and the Bahamas, we are gaining insights that will inform clinical practice globally.”
Their work in Nigeria is rooted in a long-standing collaboration with Nigerian medical professionals. Schlumbrecht has made five trips to the country, mentoring local researchers, teaching surgical techniques, and co-leading tumor boards with Nigerian oncologists. These partnerships have been instrumental in establishing the study at the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital in Zaria.
“The clinical trial is truly a team effort,” said Schlumbrecht. “This is an example of how we can eliminate ovarian cancer disparities when we work together across borders.”
As the study progresses, the researchers said they hope to provide critical data on drug safety and effectiveness and advance global efforts to reduce health inequities and improve outcomes for women of African descent.
Source: NNPA Newswire
Harris County is Ground Zero for DWI
DEATHS.
We want you to get home and be able to celebrate with your loved ones this season.
The ABCs of Type 1 Diabetes Screening and Testing
By d-mars.com News Provider
s many in the type 1 diabetes community can attest, it can be difficult at first to understand the purpose of screening or the subsequent tests before and following a type 1 diabetes diagnosis, and what the results can mean for you or a loved one.
To help alleviate any uncertainties around which screening or test to take (and why), it’s time to bring it back to basics. Below are the “ABCs” of some of the screenings and tests (e.g., Autoantibody Screening, Blood Glucose Test, and A1C Test) that are currently available for type 1 diabetes, with the goal of empowering people of all ages with the tools and information necessary to advocate for their health when they are speaking to their doctor. It’s important to note that while a blood glucose test and an A1C test are crucial to the diagnosis, monitoring, and management of type 1 diabetes, an autoantibody test is the only test that can confirm your risk of developing the disease.
Autoantibody Screening
Autoantibody screening is a blood test that can detect whether someone is at risk for developing type 1 diabetes. The blood test looks for type 1 diabetes-related autoantibodies, which are proteins that appear in the blood in the early stages
of the disease before there are noticeable symptoms, which tend to occur when type 1 diabetes has already progressed to a later stage after weeks, months, or even years. When it comes to detecting type 1 diabetes early, knowledge is power. By the time someone is in the later stage of disease, complications of untreated type 1 diabetes can lead to an emergency room visit and hospital stay, as they did for Cochran, and lifelong insulin dependence begins - which brings up the “B” of the ABCs.
Blood Glucose Test
A blood glucose test not only confirms a type 1 diabetes diagnosis, but also helps people living with type 1 diabetes regularly monitor their disease. Doing so is important, as it gives a person insights into whether their blood glucose or sugar levels are within a normal range. Many factors can impact blood glucose levels, such as food, activity level, stress, illness, and certain medications and dehydration.
Indeed, finding the right care team is incredibly important for people living with type 1 diabetes. For instance, an endocrinologist, a specialist who cares for people with diabetes, can work with someone living with type 1 diabetes and help them maintain normal blood glucose levels. Not only that, but they can also measure how someone is managing their disease over time, leading to the “C.”
A1C Test
An A1C test, which is also referred to as an “estimated average glucose,” can be used to show average blood sugar levels over two to three months. For people with type 1 diabetes, an A1C test can provide an overview of blood glucose management over a set period of time and help them, along with their endocrinologist, understand if any adjustments need to be made in the way they are managing their disease.
ABC Recap
It’s important to understand the role of screening before a type 1 diabetes diagnosis and the tests that are used following a diagnosis to monitor the disease and guide appropriate management. You can learn more about how to get screened early for type 1 diabetes and what to expect after screening by talking to your doctor, enrolling in a research option, or scheduling a telehealth visit.
Source: Brandpoint
